Hearing the Shepherd's Voice

Dear Father,

What would You say to me?

My son, I have chosen you. I have called you. Rise up and be strong. Strong in my power. Strong in my might. My hand is on you my son. You are an ambassador for me. Tom, I love you, and my love is not based on your performance. I love you because you are my child. You have been brought back from the dead. You were dead in your sins, now you are are alive unto Me. Come and worship me. Come and receive my great love for you. My blessings are all yours - bought with My Son's blood.

You too can hear God's voice. It's not as impossible as it seems. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. He wants to talk to you. We have been given the Bible as our number one means of hearing God's voice, but our Lord also wants to have intimate conversation with all of his children. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice (John 10:4). He also said that the voice of a stranger His sheep would not follow. Our Lord wants to speak to us, and He will help us to test what we've heard (what we hear must always align itself with Scripture, and it will always lead us to peace and not confusion).

One good way of learning to hear God's voice is journaling. Journaling is writing down our conversations with the Lord. Habakkuk 2:1-3 says, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

We can write down a comment or a question and then wait for His response. God's response to us usually comes in the form of a picture in our mind or a spontaneous thought in our heart.  He will not tell us all we desire to know but He does want to speak with us.  Sometimes we hear messages of affirmation. At other times He may compassionately correct us or give us direction. The Lord loves His children. It is His desire to speak to us. Another helpful scripture along these lines is 1 Corinthians 14:3 which states, “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. This is the spirit with which our Lord will always speak with us.

I understand that this may be a new concept for some of you, but I hope you will start the adventure of learning to hear the Shepherd's voice. Please let me know if you have any questions concerning this.

Blessings,

Tom Toya

Lesson from a Dandelion

 Here is a post from the past that I believe will encourage you to make a difference in the world...

“The sower sows the word.”  Mark 4:14

As a child in the summertime, I loved to pluck up dried dandelions – the ones that held the white seedlings set in the form of a globe – and blow.  I would watch the wind escort these seedlings to faraway places.  My father discouraged me from doing this, so I practiced this pastime away from our own yard.

I did not realize that when I blew these seeds into the atmosphere, I was acting out a principle of the word of God. Jesus said, “The sower sows the word.”  Like farmers we are to scatter the seed of God’s word all around us.  We are to tell others about the goodness of God. 

Each of us has a story to tell about how we received Christ into our hearts.  And directly or indirectly, someone sowed the word of God into each of our lives to bring about the miracle of salvation within us.

When I was a new believer, I would look at a crowd of people and feel guilty because I was not reaching them for Christ.  I am more grounded now in God’s love for me and I realize that I can’t reach everyone with the gospel, but I can do my part.  One of the things I have done is to create my own tracts.  I pass them out at restaurants and places of business.  I simply hand them out with a smile and say, “I’d like to give you this.  It is something I have written and I believe it will be an encouragement to you.” 90% of the time they receive it gladly.

Jesus told us to go and preach the gospel to all creation.  He wants us to be encouraged in the unique ways that He has made us.  We each have gifts and talents that God wants us to use to win the unsaved.  Won’t you pray and ask God to show you what your part is in the Great Commission?  He is waiting for you to draw near to Him.  He desires to use you to scatter the seed of God’s word in your sphere of influence.  Who knows, He may even use you to reach those in far away places. 

Grace Gets the Prize

As gentle as a wisp in the wind

Alighting on my shoulder

Grace like a perfect fitting coat

Lifted me from the mire

Untied me free from many strongholds

Set me high upon a rock

I return back to that foundation after many falls

When I rise to authority

It is Your grace that wins the medal

When I learn to succeed

Grace gets the prize

Praise be to Jesus!

Full of grace and truth

Marching for the King

Some of my devotions have appeared in christiandevotions.us. Here is my latest entitled "Marching for the King".  http://www.christiandevotions.us/viewblogentry/580 . I encourage you to read other devotions at this website.  You can even subscribe for a daily devotion email.  You can look up other devotions of mine on their website by looking up my name under Author List.  I hope you have an excellent day!

Blessings,

Tom

The Sacrifice was Made

The sacrifice was made.  My blood was shed.  The day turned dark.  I was separated from my Father.  "My God, my God why did you forsake me.”  These were the words I spoke.  I was in such agony but for the joy set before me I endured the cross.  You are that joy.  I died to redeem mankind.  When I rose again from the grave, I defeated death and brought eternal life to all who would believe.  Come to me all that labor.  All that are heavily laden come to me.  The poor, the distraught, the sick can all come to Me, and I will give you rest.

I died for you.  Your victory was paid with my blood.  Come and abide with me.  Come and have a relationship with Me Jesus and with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit.  The three of us are One.  We love the world.  That is why I came.  I came because I love you.  So receive your blessing.  Receive your peace.  Receive your salvation.  They are gifts from me.  Turn to me and find hope, hope eternal.  Turn to me and find peace.  Find everlasting love.  For I am with you, when you turn to me.  When you come to me, I will not leave you or forsake you.  Forever I’ll be yours.  

Yes, the sacrifice was made; come now and receive all that I have in store for you.

My Ever-Present God

In the middle of my trouble

In the midst of the storm

You will not leave me on the steps

You will not abandon me as an orphan

You are present

You live inside my heart

You cannot leave me

You will not let me go

Your sweet Holy Spirit

 Whispers in my ear

I know the sound

It brings laughter out of chaos

Joy after mourning

You are the light

That radiates my path

You remain throughout

The joy and the pain

Thank You my ever-present God

My King and Savior

My Rock, My Redeemer

Thank You for holding me oh so gently

Thank You for breathing into me

The breath of life

I love You my Blessed Lord

No matter what I say or do

You will never run away

Jesus' Birth and the New Year

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Isaiah 43:19

This time of year we celebrate Christmas and the coming of the New Year.  Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation or the birth of the God-man Jesus who was fully human and fully divine.  He was born to live out a completely sinless life – though He was tempted and tried just as we are.  Jesus was born to die in our place.   After His death came His resurrection.  His sacrifice secured a place in heaven for those that would put their trust in Him and in what He did for us on the cross.  Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection also bought for us healing, deliverance, and new beginnings.  This New Year that awaits us can be full of the new blessings that God has in store for us.  We couldn’t have them unless Christ came down to earth.  

God the Father has wonderful things in store for His children.  It is through the power of what Jesus has done for us that we can lay hold of these new and wonderful things.  The Scripture says, “Behold I do a new thing…”

If you have made poor decisions this past year, if you have sinned, our Lord will forgive you and you can start again.  If you confess your sins to Him, He is faithful to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). 

If great difficulty marred your year, God will help you to find peace, love, and ultimately victory as you trust and obey Him.

He will give new plans and strategies to those who seek Him.  He will open doors that have been closed for years.  He will pave the way for a bright future for each of you.  He that has begun a good work in you will complete it.  He will finish what He’s started in you and through you (Philippians 1:6).

Come and pray this New Year prayer with me….

Dear Father God, 

Thank you for sending Jesus to be born on this earth, to die for me, and to save me.  Thank you for giving me a new future.  I ask you to forgive me for my sins, and I thank you for your forgiveness.  I declare, I am forgiven, and I am saved.  You have healed me and blessed me.  I choose to live for you every day of my life.  I ask you Lord to give me a vision for the New Year before me.  I ask you to open doors so that I can serve you in the way you desire and so I can receive all your many blessings.  I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.