News and Updates
June 1, 2020
David Copeland · June 1, 2020
Newsletter · Volume: 20 Issue: 6
During this lockdown we have been under for over eighty days now, I have been writing a new course for our Kenya Schools of Ministry titled, “Being Led By The Spirit.” I have a feeling it may turn into my next book. I realize wiser men than I have written on this subject, but I need something fresh for our Schools of Ministry.
I will admit from the outset here that I am not am expert on hearing the voice of God. I am still learning myself. I am still training my spirit man to be stronger than my flesh. Sometimes I find myself re-learning basic principles of hearing God’s voice and being led by His Spirit because I have given too much time listening to other voices.
It sounds crazy but in today’s world, it is extremely possible the average person could hear well over one thousand different voices a day screaming out for his or her attention. Think about all the voices you hear from the radio, TV, social media; then there’s the voice of your spouse, your children and your close friends. One thousand may actually be a minimal number.
Out of all the voices we hear each and every day calling for our attention, I have divided them into four categories:
Voice of the Word
Voice of the devil,
Voice of the flesh
Voice of God.
Of course, His voice of the most important. But what is it that distinguishes these voices from each other?
Voice of the World.
The voice of the world entices us to enjoy the pleasures of sin. That voice tries to convince us we are missing something by not constantly being in a crowd who are living and partying themselves into a frenzy. The voice of the world tries to lure us to seek for attachments to those who live from one pleasure to another. The voice of the world tries to make us feel guilty for having a single-hearted devotion for Christ and His Kingdom. It attempts to place a fear in us that we are “missing something” by not being connected to many who are worldly minded. The voice of the world tries to embarrass us when we don’t know what the latest popular secular song, movie or TV program is. The voice of the word also seeks to embarrass and accuse us when we refuse to participate in what others feel is good entertainment.
Voice of the Devil.
This voice speaks to us with condemnation and fear. This voice mocks our faith in God and attempts to drive fear into our hearts telling us we could never discern the voice of God in our lives. And the voice of the devil drives us…to do crazy things, and act in crazy ways. During the COVID-19 virus crisis, many people lived in such a state of fear they were hoarding and snatching meat, Clorox wipes, Lysol spray…and toilet paper. I still to this day don’t understand the hoarding of toilet paper.
The voice of the devil comes to lure us away from single hearted devotion to Jesus by whispering, “...you know there are many different ways to heaven” or “how can you say you are a child of God when you have all these addictions, problems and secret issues in your life.” The voice of the devil greatly twists the Word out of context.
Voice of the Flesh.
To me, it’s the voice of the flesh that is most detrimental for believers in this generation. The voice of the flesh works with and through those carnal fleshly desires that you thought you crucified when you were born again, but somehow resurrect when you least expect them too. Anger, jealousy, envying, comparing your life and ministry to someone else’s; driving you to believe if you can just do something better, read the Bible more, pray with more passion, witness or tithe more, then you will be satisfied and if you really give up more stuff, you will really become sanctified.
These three voices all deal with the five senses: sight, taste, hearing, smell, touch. Again, it’s amazing how fast your old nature will resurrect itself when it’s given the least bit of enticement.
Voice of God.
It would take a whole book to talk about the voice of God. Jesus states in John 10:4,5
“…the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” NKJV
May God help us to develop our spirit man to the point that we can say in agreement with Jesus, “I know His voice, and a strange voice I will not follow!”