When the Father gave “sheep” to Jesus, He promised that no one could snatch them from His hand. More importantly, He provided the seal of the Holy Spirit over their hearts. The Holy Spirit is like “voice recognition” in the believer’s life.

As Christ’s follower, I am able to not only hear the shepherd’s voice but to recognize and respond to it while avoiding any counterfeit voice (aka the spirit of anti-Christ).

Awhile back, I sat at the deathbed of a long-time believer who had doubts at the end of his time on earth. I encouraged him to trust the Bible (God’s voice). Although I was wearing nursing scrubs, with not much time- since I was on my break, he saw in my eyes the childlike faith that was planted 20 years prior when I was merely 9 years old. I had the opportunity to rededicate my life to Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade at that young age. Without a doubt, I knew the Holy Spirit was asking me to publicly acknowledge Jesus as Lord and to speak up for Him.

In this passage, Jesus is clearly stating that He and the Father (along with the coming Holy Spirit) are ONE. The public expression of this truth was not popular. (The trinity is made up of 3 persons but ONE being). See the late Nabeel Qureshi’s You Tube: Trinity explained (6:00-8:14). Jesus took a risk as these words were inflammatory language in the Jewish culture. A risk that was recorded for all time so that we could hear His witness.

We should never underestimate the power of a witness telling their story. This is especially true of someone like John the Baptist. He helped others to “hear” the Christ, and to show their repentance (an outward sign of water baptism). He also explained to his disciples that ONE was coming who would baptize them with fire (the Holy Spirit, causing inner transformation ).

We are so valuable to the Father that He gave what was best (His Son) so that we could experience true joy (being part of His family).

Listening for His unique voice. – Teresa #takeastand #beawitness #followHim

John 10:22-42 (ESV)

²² At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” ²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me,²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me,^[a] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

³¹ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” ³³ The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?³⁵ If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— ³⁶ do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; ³⁸ but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” ³⁹ Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

⁴⁰ He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. ⁴¹ And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many believed in him there.