My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
To walk in the Spirit you must be led by the Spirit. And the Spirit testifies to Jesus. The Spirit guides you to ALL truth.
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” John 16:12-13.
The Spirit teaches you ALL things.
“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:25-26.
My Spirit teaches you by bringing to your remembrance all that I have said. And in every circumstance He guides you to ALL the truth you need just when you need it. And what is all truth? My Word is absolute truth, anything contrary to My Word therefore is an absolute lie.
Do not be deceived about this because the devil quotes scripture but out of context interspersed with his lies. Both with Eve and with Jesus his interspersed his lies with scripture. And you see that today, he uses words like “love,” “acceptance,” “choice,” “freedom,” “dignity,” “equal rights,” and “compassion,” for things that are anything but related to the true meaning of those words. But many are deceived and call good evil and evil good.
I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Romans 16:19-20. This verse tells the story of Adam and Eve. They chose to know the evil as well as the good and they turned to the evil which took them from life to death, from walking in the spirit to walking in the flesh, and plunged the whole world into corruption and put all their descendants (seed) into the domain of darkness.
But My goodness and lovingkindness had a way prepared for your deliverance from the foundation of the world. His Name is Jesus and He is My Word made flesh who came to rescue you out of darkness into My own marvelous light as a royal priesthood and a holy people set apart in glory—My covenant people who are in the world but not of the world, namely walking in the spirit and not in the flesh.
I sent My Word to heal you and deliver you from all your destructions, to deliver you from the darkness and constraining walls of the pit, from all that had ensnared you. For by receiving Jesus you are born again by the incorruptible seed of My Word and your spirit is resurrected from death to life, from the domination of the flesh to freedom of newness of life in the Spirit.
And I sent Jesus not only as the Lamb of sacrifice, within whom all redemption lies, who loves you and released you from all your sins by His blood, but also as your great good Shepherd who would lead you back to Me to a life of green pastures, living water, and a table of plenty set in the sight of the enemy, the very enemy, now defeated by Jesus, that used to take you down so easily.
In Jesus I took away the evil and gave you the good in your Prince of Shalom, your great good Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep, and crushed Satan under your feet. In Him, I rescued you from the domain of darkness and translated you into the Kingdom of My Beloved Son, the Light of the World, so that you who follow Him would never have to walk in darkness again.
It is all up to you where and with whom you choose to walk, that is, who you choose to follow and whose voice you listen to. And this determines whether you KNOW and live evil or merely discern it and keep it out of your hearts.
But it is up to you to speak His Words and not the words contrary to His, words that you find in those whose minds are limited to this life only causing them to walk in the flesh rather than the spirit as they repeat the lies of the devil that he fires into your minds as truth. You must resist the devil and the flesh with the truth of My Words and NEVER accept evil things into your lives.
To pain, sickness, fear, depression, impurity, addictions, and any other evil thing that raises its head against My Word you must answer with the truth of My Word. And how do you begin when the devil attacks bringing symptoms, fear, lack and tragedy? “Oh NO you don’t! and then speak My Word that addresses what the devil is trying to put on you as he steals the blessing you already have but which you are not using.
Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:7-8.
It is time you did some house cleaning, including door shutting and door opening. And your great good Shepherd can help you with this.
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your sons within you. He makes peace in your borders; He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat. Psalm 147:12-14.
And you will call your walls SALVATION (in Jesus you are in the fortress of My hand and the shield of My good will) and your GATES PRAISE. Isaiah 60:18. Only let praise in, not bitterness, not anger, not shame, not guilt, not fear, not depression—the only way to live that keeps the devil under your feet is to rejoice always (FAITH that My Word will always win), pray without ceasing (casting your care on the Me in HOPE, i.e., confident expectation of good), and giving constant thanks (watching in LOVE as My Word manifests). For I come down and dwell upon your praises. Why? They get your minds off the flesh and onto the spirit, off the evil and on the good, off the problem and on the problem solver, and this brings the anointing. And the anointing lifts the burden and destroys the yoke, for I anointed you with the anointing that is on your High Priest Jesus, the oil of joy. Psalm 45:7; Hebrews 1:9.
When Jesus speaks about discerning and knowing His voice so well that you follow Him immediately but refuse to follow a stranger’s voice, He talked about it in the context of revealing Himself as the good Shepherd of whom David had written who would give His life for His sheep. Psalm 22 and Psalm 23.
So let us consider Psalm 23 to take a look at the leading of the good Shepherd for that also is the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is no longer physically on earth as your good Shepherd but He gave you another paraclete (one by your side) who is in you and on you who leads My children in right paths for My Name’s sake. Christ is in you by the Spirit and that is how I am in you as well. You have access to Me through Jesus by the One Spirit. We are all One. And in Jesus you are in Me and the Spirit is in you.
Walking in the spirit and hearing My voice is all about where you are putting your attention. And this is true both in the flesh realm and in the spirit realm. If your attention is on flesh only, you will not discern My voice, for the flesh is hostile to Me. If your attention is on Me, which means it is on My Word above all else for your source of input, output, and outcome, you will discern My voice for the spirit is united with Me, if you have taken Jesus as Lord that is.
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:9-11.
And so we begin to look at your great good Shepherd that I raised up from the dead by the blood of the new and everlasting Covenant to lead you to green pastures and living water so I can wipe every tear from your eyes. Revelation 7:17 (“for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”)
Psalm 23 is probably the most quoted Psalm in the Bible but its riches are as yet not tapped.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside healing waters of peace; He restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-3.
It begins with one of My Covenant promise names, Yahweh Roi, and the promise is that you shall never live in lack, torment, agitation, or an unrestored soul with Me as your Shepherd and I have fulfilled that promise in Jesus as your great good Shepherd.
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21.
In Covenant the greater party joining brings the lesser up to His level. As your Shepherd Jesus is responsible for your care. And the first three lines of this psalm are primarily about your personal spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing. He is growing you as the sheep of His flock whom it has pleased Me to give the Kingdom.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:38-40.
When you believed in the gospel of your salvation I sealed you in Jesus by My Holy Spirit as a pledge of your total redemption of your bodies as well. Ephesians 1:13. He is entrusted with you as your good Shepherd to shepherd you through life, prepare a place for you in Heaven where He is, and raise you up to a new and glorified body like His on the last day in accordance with the working of the Holy Spirit in you. If you should go astray during this present life, it is His responsibility to go and bring you back into His fold.
So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:3-7.
You are redeemed by the Good Shepherd laying down His life for you from the curse. And lack, poverty, living in painful toil, and eternal death are not what you should be accepting into your life. To walk in the spirit with your good Shepherd you are seeking the Kingdom and My way of righteous and He is that way, He is the Highway of Holiness on which the redeemed walk into Zion singing crowned with joy. Isaiah 35:8-10.
Sheep follow a shepherd and you are to do likewise. You are to follow Him by His Spirit and that is walking in the Spirit for to follow Him you must follow My Word, for He is My Word and cannot do anything but speak My Word and do My works for that is who He is.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue (remain, abide, live, do, speak) in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32.
And He told you that in following Him you would do the works He did and greater. Your good Shepherd is doing a lot more than leading you to lie down in green pastures, drink of living waters and feast at the table of My Word. He is leading you to the good works I prepared for you who are new creations in Christ to walk in since the foundation of the world.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10.
And to do this the Good Shepherd has to clothe you in power from on High.
The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:11-17.
When Jesus finished His work I gave Him to do on earth, He returned to Me and I raised you all up with Him in your resurrected spirits already so that you are in close contact with Him and through Him with Me but you are physically still living on the earth. But We did not leave you alone. In fact He told you it was better He went for then He sent you the Holy Spirit as your own life coach, teacher and shepherd. While Jesus was on earth if you wanted to see Him or talk with Him you had to go to the place where He was, now you do not have to. By the Spirit He is with you always everywhere and anywhere. Not by your power or might but by My Spirit in you, opening all of Heaven by the passageway of your spirit (heart) in your innermost being and by My Spirit on you, clothing you in power from on High.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.” John 14:18-24,
To be led by the Spirit and to have My Son and I abiding in you by the Spirit there is a qualification: faith in My Words and faith without works is dead. It is being not a mere hearer but being one who is willing to do My Word as well. It is simple. If you love Me you keep My Words and I reveal Jesus to you. If you do not guard and love My Words you do not love Me, even if you say you do, because I am My Word. So to be led by the Spirit you must have a love for My Word. To hear My voice and know My ways, you must love My Words and be willing to obey. What would be the use of our conversation if it were only to argue? How can two walk together if they do not agree? What has darkness to do with light? I cannot be anything but love, truth, light and shalom peace. If you choose to walk in bitterness, unforgiveness and anger we are not even close, we are just not on the same channel of communication. If you do not feel close with Me, check out your heart.
And My Spirit guides you to all truth, testifies to Jesus, and leads you to do the same, even giving you the Words to do so, which no one can take exception to or contradict. And Jesus gave you the same Spirit that indwelt Him on earth as one like you and who proceeds from Me and Him forever.
And now let us consider the closing of Psalm 23:
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (length of days). Psalm 23:4-6.
These lines are packed with revelation and impartation. There are times you will be confronted in this world with a valley of trouble and the devil will try to keep you in that valley but you will note it is only a shadow of death that he can threaten you with. You who have taken the Lord as your Shepherd have passed from death to life for He is the resurrection and the life.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. John 11:25-26.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24.
Jesus went down to the dust of death and tasted eternal death for you all.
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2:9.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. Hebrews 2:14-15.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue cleaves to My jaws; and You lay Me in the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. Psalm 22:15-17.
You will never know death, you who have taken Jesus as Lord, for you have passed from death to life and are free from the law of sin and death. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Do you remember what Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah did at the valley of trouble? They renamed it the valley of Blessing after the three enemy armies that had advanced against them went down defeated when they began singing praise of My goodness and mercy. I fought for them. At the sound of their praises the enemy divided against themselves and all killed one another and left all the spoil for My covenant people. My people knew to ran to Me for protection from the onslaught of the enemy instead of hiding in fear and did according to My direction, in fact they were eager to follow Me and went out to face the enemy, though in the natural they were far outnumbered. And by following Me, the dark valley of the shadow of death turned into a door of hope and ultimately a valley of blessing all because they followed Me through that valley to the table of plenty I had prepared there in the sight of their enemies. 2 Chronicles 20.
And it can be the same for you. Even more so now that My Spirit is in you and on you. You can praise your way out of any problem. Why? Do you not recall how your good Shepherd leads you? The same way He did the Israelites out of the slavery of Egypt to redemption ground:
And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout and joyful singing. Psalm 105:43.
I love you. You are anointed with the oil of joy and appointed to go out and tell the good news as My witness. Let My Spirit witness with your spirit and He will tell you just what to say and the works to do. And My goodness and loving kindness will chase you down and overwhelm you. Deuteronomy 28:2. And you will dwell in My house forever because your great good Shepherd always leads you home to Me.
When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. John 10:4-5