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We are told that we must listen to God's voice when we need to make important decisions. What does the Bible say about hearing God's voice? How do we apply this to our everyday lives? 7 Bible Verses About Hearing God's Voice: "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17, NKJV). "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27). "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God" (John 8:47).
The word "memory" has been populating the news headlines, and the Lord has drawn my attention to it. A memory card was credited in flipping an election. A report came out about attempts to try to rewrite different events that happened during 2020 and 2021, but those who remember will know the truth. A study made the headlines about the connection between rest and memories. All of these became examples of how memory is an active informant rather than a passive recollection, and it makes sense why the Lord commands us so many times to "remember."
If pride is not dealt with, it will introduce into our lives, a bolder and more arrogant emotion called pretension. It's what pride becomes when we start believing we are invincible and don't need God. Pretension is when an inflated sense of self-importance takes over our lives. It is what strongholds are made of, which can eventually lead to addictions. This is why we need to cut pride off as quickly as we can. Humble people are never pretentious. Pretension is dangerous because we begin to believe all the good things that have happened to us have been created by our own determination and hard work.
Previously known as the city in which David was born and later crowned King of Israel, Jesus' birthplace of Bethlehem is only six miles south of Jerusalem, where He later would be crucified. Because of a prophecy foretold by Micah, for some 700 years, God's people looked to this little town of Bethlehem as the birthplace of their long-awaited Messiah (see Micah 5:2). One of my favorite promises of God is that He orders the steps of His people (Ps. 37:23). How Mary and Joseph found themselves delivering our Messiah in the place that was foretold provides perhaps the perfect example of God's faithfulness to this promise.
God is self-authenticating. He never tries to prove His existence because it is already evident through the created order. Since He is the only objective being, all other living and nonliving objects emanate from His creative fiat word hence all reasoning (different from God's) is circular and subjective. This is why scripture says that the fool says there is no God (Ps. 14). There is never an apologetic attempt to prove God's reality. The evidence for His existence is so overwhelming that the opening words of the first book of the bible (Genesis) assume His existence.
For many years, I was an extremely negative person. I could walk into a room and pick out the one small detail that was wrong, like the wallpaper in the corner that was slightly peeling. I saw what was wrong with everything! The reason for this attitude was that I had been abused for many years throughout my childhood, and I'd experienced a lot of disappointment. When Dave and I got married, I was 23 years old and couldn't remember a time I had ever been really happy.
The Bible establishes the fact that Jesus Christ came to restore us to right relationship with God. Through His blood, we are free from sin. By His stripes, we are healed. This sacrifice was without limitation to every person, yet not all are free from sin and not all are healed and well. Why? Because it requires something of each individual person. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John 1:12 In order to be free from sin, you must receive Him as your Lord and Savior and believe. To be healed and live in health, it is necessary to receive Him as your Great Physician and believe that He bore your sickness and pain.
In order to better understand how the anointing of the Spirit of God works we need to take a closer look at its biblical description. In the context of what the prophet Isaiah describes we see that Jerusalem was coming under the impending attack of the Assyrian King Sennacherib. The advancing army had already conquered everything in its path, including the heavily fortified Israeli city of Lachish. The Jews in Lachish put up a good fight, but the Assyrian army proved to be too strong.
We are moving into the new year. The Lord is raising up people everywhere to pray, even if you're not an intercessor. I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give... Habakkuk 2:1 NIV Also ...Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. Ezekiel 3:17 NIV How to pray: Ask the Lord to put an end to violence. Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure - you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. Psalm 7:9 NIV
I didn't grow up celebrating Advent. When I was little, we put up a tree, got presents and had a Christmas Eve service. It seemed to me that most grown-ups were stressed over Christmas and thankful when it was all over. It wasn't until much later, as an adult, that I discovered the beauty of Advent. The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus, and technically means "coming." Throughout church history, Advent became a season of expectancy and waiting. The church celebrated the coming of Jesus, born to a virgin in Bethlehem, while expectantly waiting for Christ's second coming.
