The characteristics of whom belong to God

I want to let all the followers that accompany my blog know that we will be continuing with what we were reading, Chapter 10 from the book of John.

If you follow the posts, you know that we made a break to read Exodus in order to help those who participated of the Feast of Tabernacles understand the motives of this Feast.
That is why we meditated on the book of Exodus, but I want to return to talk about John because it’s simple and easy to understand.

For you who are in the church for a long or short time and have difficulty reading the Bible, I suggest that you always follow the readings here on the Blog and you will understand how to make good use of God’s Word.
It is very important to read the Bible because it is God’s thought. His words reflect His characteristics. If you don’t manage to understand the Word of God than you don’t have a base in your life. Therefore, it is important to learn to read the Bible.

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”  (John 10:2-5)

Jesus is the gate. He opens the gate to the sheep calling them by their own name. But who are these? Who are the ones that belong to God?

You could do the deliverance chain and be in the church for many years, but there is something that acts as a reference that you belong to God: when you listen to him! And listening is not simply hearing. No! Listening is obeying, submitting, and learning. Being sensitive to perceiving yourself and obeying the instruction that you are being given.

If it is a person that is in the deliverance phase and wants to be free, obey! You want to follow Jesus and remain in faith? Obey! If you are “hardheaded,” stubborn, insist on your mistakes, don’t want to submit, don’t want to obey nor listen… are a know-it-all, than there is no way to enter through that gate. There is no way to have peace.

And before that, Jesus “leads them out”. What does that mean? That we are going to face challenges! But when we hear the voice of God, the challenges don’t make us feel abandoned.

On the contrary! “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him…” Between the sheep and the shepherd, that is Jesus, He goes ahead. First, she passes through the gate, He leads her out, than He goes ahead of her and she follows Him. Amid the challenges, problems, blessings, she follows Him in the same instant and not her own interest. Because He lead her out to face challenges, pulled her out of that “box”, of that place where she was accustomed to and where she didn’t progress nor develop; now, being challenged, she continues to follow Him. Now she is developing!

When we step out of our “little world”, that is our routine, our day-to-day, we enter into newness, into something unknown, yet the sheep follow Him. Many people even reach blessings, through obedience, because they listened to the voice of God. They obeyed at that moment, but after conquering what happens? They begin to follow Jesus their way. In relation to these, I can’t say they belong to God.

The “sheep” that belong to Him listen to His voice and follow Him. And the fact that I follow Him means that I don’t follow my own path! Not just my ideas and my will, but I submit myself to His voice.

If you listened to Him in the past, but now want to do your own will, than it reveals that you are not of God. If you are in the process of liberation, than you have to get rid of what enslaves you. And if you are out of this phase and are in conversion, but don’t have an encounter with God, it means that you are still connected to your own will. You do not know the will of God but only yours. You do not come out of the sameness because your will is what prevails… you want to continue with the same friends, behave similarly to them, than there was no conversion.

If you have already changed, leaving friends and only get along with people of the same faith, that add positive things to you, than there was conversion. But, what now? Did you have an encounter with God? Do you know what the will of God is or you just live in your own world? The first evidence that we had an encounter with God is the desire to speak about Jesus … convey the joy of knowing God in fact and in truth.

And when you receive the Holy Spirit, you have the power to develop and overcome your weaknesses and errors. In the deliverance, conversion, or encounter with God phase, you only got to a certain limit. But, with the Holy Spirit you receive the power to overcome everything that has weakened and stagnated your faith.  

He, who belongs to God, listens to His voice, follows Him, and recognizes His will. He flees from all that separates him from God.  

What has been your case? The proof is not your words, because you always say the good things from your side; but by the facts, by your history, and what you have lived today, and will hereafter. How have you reacted? Who have you been? Are you the person who listens to His voice, follows Him, and recognizes Him? Or are you with your ears closed to Him?

A big hug and until Wednesday.