So… I got to the farm this morning to feed the goats and birds….

As I opened the goat ranch for the goats to graze within the compound where both the ranch and poultry are, I was too tired to go buy their feed for them — or go to the swamp to cut grasses for them.

As they went out of the ranch they headed for the grazing ground, and then mixed up with other goats in the compound.

When I felt it was time to return them back to the ranch, I called them and in less than 3 minutes they were all around me as I led them to the ranch. The same with the birds — straight to their housing!

Then silently I heard The Holy Spirit say to me: “There is a difference between The Voice and The Word. You can be misled by only The Word, for not all words spoken from The Bible is His Voice.”

Immediately I remembered JESUS when He said, “To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear His VOICE: and He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His VOICE. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the VOICE of strangers.” John 10:3-5.

The stranger may know the sound the shepherd uses to call the sheep, which sound is also known to the sheep and he mimics it to lead the sheep. But the sheep not only know the sound (Word) but are FAMILIAR with The VOICE!

This kind of familiarity to The Voice can only be a product of DEEP INTIMACY.

Satan may mimic the sound (word) but not the VOICE!

A child learns to recognize the parents voice by closeness to the parents. So much so, we are to be so sensitive today to voice of The LORD Jesus.

Each of my goats have names and they respond to it.

Don’t just know The Word — know The VOICE.

Don’t just quote The Word — KNOW THE VOICE!

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:3-5 NKJV.

~ Mark Cyril

Author, teacher, motivational and conference speaker, Pastor Mark Cyril is the international President of CYRIL MARK WORLD EVANGELISM – an independent ministry taking the message of the cross across the Nations turning many in their numbers to salvation through Jesus Christ. He is also the Senior Pastor of Revelation Apostolic Community; an apostolic and Prophetic Word based ministry in Abuja the capital city of Nigeria – West Africa.

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