Welcoming the Coming of the Lord: 3 Essential Key Points (PART 1)
Knowing Jesus | Welcoming the Coming of the Lord: 3 Essential Key Points (PART 1)
By Xinjie
All manner of disasters have occurred in recent years, the four blood moons have long since appeared, and the prophecies concerning the Lord’s return have now basically been fulfilled. How then are we to greet the Lord? The Lord Jesus says, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him” (Matthew 25:6). “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). In Revelation, it is prophesied many times, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2, 3). These prophecies tell us that the Lord will speak to the churches when He returns in the last days, and through His utterances He will knock upon the doors of our hearts, seeking His sheep. If we want to greet the Lord’s return, therefore, we must be the wise virgins and learn how to hear God’s voice, for only by doing that will we be able to attend the feast of the Lamb.
At this point, some brothers and sisters may think of The Church of Almighty God. They may think about the fact that, in recent years, only The Church of Almighty God has been publicly testifying online that the Lord has returned, that He has appeared and is performing His work, that He has expressed new utterances, that He is currently performing the work of judging and purifying man, and that many people from all religions and denominations have turned to Almighty God after hearing His words. But there are many brothers and sisters now who do not know how to discern the voice of God; this problem is real, and it is the key to us being able to greet the Lord when He comes. Below, we will fellowship on how we can discern the voice of God.
1. The Voice of God Has Authority and Power
It is not actually difficult to be able to recognize God’s voice; all you need to do is use your heart and you will know. For example, though we may not have a thorough understanding of the Lord’s words, as soon as we hear them, we know them to be the truth, we feel their authority and power, and in our hearts we know without a doubt that these words could not have been said by any normal human being. Only the God who created all things in heaven and on earth could possess such authority and power, and anyone with heart and spirit will be able to feel this and believe it. For example, the Lord Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). And “Why I say to you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:31–32). When we hear the Lord’s words, we feel incredibly moved, we feel their authority and power, and we are then sure that these words are the truth. Furthermore, the Lord’s words of warning to mankind are imbued with the majestic, wrathful disposition of God that tolerates no offense, and we know that no human being could possibly say such words.
Let’s read another passage, and we’ll understand more about how we can discern the voice of God. God’s words say, “[T]he authority and identity of God are clearly revealed in the wording of God’s utterances. For example, when God says ‘My covenant is with you, and you shall … have I made you … I will make you…,’ phrases such as ‘you shall’ and ‘I will,’ whose wording bears the affirmation of God’s identity and authority, are, in one respect, an indication of the Creator’s faithfulness; in another respect, they are special words used by God, who possesses the identity of the Creator—as well as being part of conventional vocabulary. … [T]here is power, majesty, and authority in the words of God. Such might and authority, and the inevitability of the accomplishment of fact, are unattainable by any created or non-created being, and unsurpassable by any created or non-created being. Only the Creator can converse with mankind with such a tone and intonation, and facts have proven that His promises are not empty words, or idle boasts, but are the expression of unique authority that is unsurpassable by any person, event, or thing.”
We can see from this passage that God’s utterances are spoken in the identity of the Creator to all mankind. His manner of speaking, His wording, and His tone all demonstrate the unique identity and substance of God Himself, and these words are the direct expressions of the Spirit of God. Though we may not know God or understand the truth, if we listen with our hearts, we will feel the authority and power of God’s words, and we will then be sure that only God can speak as the Creator in such a way. For example, in the time of the Old Testament, God said to Abraham: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you. And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you” (Genesis 17:4–6). In God’s words of blessing to Abraham we are able to perceive the authority in God’s words; no created being would dare to arbitrarily make such promises. We should not, therefore, consider discerning the voice of God as something difficult. It doesn’t matter whether we are educated or have caliber, much less does it depend on how much theological theory or biblical knowledge we have. The crux lies with whether or not we love the truth, and as long as we have heart and spirit, then we will be capable of perception and judgment, just as the Lord Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Only those who do not love the truth and who are without heart and spirit are unable to recognize God’s voice. Take the Pharisees at the time of Jesus, for example. They could hear the authority and power in the words the Lord Jesus spoke, yet still they did not believe Him to be the Messiah, and they judged Him and said He spoke blasphemy. They were the absurd and reckless foolish virgins, who did not understand spiritual matters.
(To be continued...)
Source From: Find the Shepherd
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