AdventureTruth: He is always _______ to me

speaking AdventureTruth: He is always _______ to me

Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:22-27

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30

AdventureTruth: He is always speaking to me

We need to ______ listen “My sheep hear my voice…”

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Jesus in Revelation 3:20

He has a _____ for ___ heart “I know them…” me

“…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus in Matthew 28:20

“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves!” Ezekiel 34:2

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” Ezekiel 34:11

“…they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.” Ezekiel 34:14

“You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are people, and I am your God,” declares the Sovereign Lord. Ezekiel 34:31

He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart… Isaiah 40:11

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…” Jesus in John 10:14

We need to _______ to what we _____ respond “And they follow me…” hear

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Jesus in John 10:4

Then he said: “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” Acts 22:14

We hear Him speaking to our hearts. How then do we normally hear Him speaking to us?

Wow!!! It's been a long time since we've talked!! I'm glad we've able to reconnect on Facebook!Thanks for your message, and yes, I do have some very strong beliefs, and I'm more than happy to share my thoughts with you.I see you're working in the medical profession, training or "caring for" those who "care" for others. That's a perfect match to your personality. The thoughtful, sensitive, compassionate qualities I remember of you from our school days certainly fit your job description! It's awesome that you're in a position to positively impact so many lives.

And, I'm thrilled that you're exploring your faith and God's plan for your life ... the very fact that you're thinking about it, is proof that God is actively seeking your attention! Don't be discouraged that you haven't found any discernable answers .... yet. Our God is constantly in pursuit of us, and He passionately wants us to get to know Him better and better everyday. "Organized Religion" is the last thing God wants for your life ... in fact during Jesus time on earth, He consistently spoke out against religious zealots and their failed attempts to "practice religion". He hates that and that's not want He wants from us.

God's desire is for you to pursue a personal relationship with Him. To let Him be your guide, your conscience, your mentor, your passion, your hope, your confidence, your peace ... your savior. These things are all achieved through personal prayer and meditation with Him, the reading of His Word (the Bible) and the discerning of His voice in the middle of the "noise of life". There certainly is a need to connect with like-minded people in a church setting for Christian fellowship and encouragement, but your primary focus will always be your one-on-one relationship with God.

God's love is unconditional ... we could never do enough "good things" to earn it, and there's nothing we could ever do to lose it. He doesn't focus on our failures and sins, in fact He forgets about them at the very moment we ask His forgiveness. To top it all off, He's already paid the debt for our sins through His Son's death on the cross. The bottom line is that it's not about us, it's all about Him and His love for us!

He wants you to "cast your cares" on Him, because He truly cares for you. He really IS the best friend you'll ever have! He desires to carry your burdens and your grief and your failures and your mistakes because He knows they're too heavy for you. But, He's a perfect gentleman, He won't get involved in your life without your permission, so He's simply waiting for your invitation.Do I think God is guiding you back to the faith of your childhood? Absolutely! But more importantly, I'm CONVINCED that He's calling you to experience a new and personal relationship with Himself, one that will reveal TRUE peace for you!

I hope this is helpful for you. It's intended to be simple and clear and easy to understand. I want you to let me know your thoughts and I'd be happy to answer any other questions that this has stirred-up for you.It's been great talking with you again and I look forward to hearing from you very soon! Take care,Joel

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Jesus

AdventureTruth: He is always _______ to me