The Word of God is living and powerful

My sheep hear My voice,
and I know them,
and they follow Me.
John 10:27

The Word of God is living and powerful,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner and judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:12


I am He who searches the minds and hearts.
Rev 2:23

Everyone who is of the Truth hears my voice.
John 18:37

(Anything good within this site is not to our credit; but rather is to the glory of Jesus Christ and the Father. We are not affiliated with any of the deficit sects or religions, including the Quakers. We do not seek followers. We want you to be taught by Jesus himself. We seek no contributions. There is nothing for sale on this site, nor any ads. For freely we have received, and freely we give.)

There is a huge pitfall in Christianity: thinking the Bible is the Word of God, and thinking all the commands in the Bible referencing the Word of God, refer to the Bible; when the references really mean going to God directly and listening to the Word of God speaking to you. If you don't listen to the Voice of God, you will never grow; you will never know from what to repent; you will never receive his cleansing, purifying grace; you will not find God; and you will not have any reward in the Kingdom of God or Christ. You can memorize the entire Bible, quoting chapter and verse, and it will gain you nothing with God. It is easy to read the Bible. It often feels good to read the Bible, as long as you ignore salvation's exclusions, the requirements, and qualifying conditions clearly stated.

Hear this! Understand, the Bible is not the Word of God, for the many scriptures that refer to the Word of God are not referring to the Bible, but rather to the voice of God or the Lord - his words from him, the living spirit Word - otherwise you are looking to the wrong source of growth - a book, instead of God's spirit, who desires to speak and teach you outside of the Bible. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. John 14:26. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. John 16:13. You will know all things by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and need no man to teach you. 1 John 2:20,27. He desires to teach you individual, personal things about yourself, and how he wants you to live, how he wants you to improve, what he wants you to deny - as well as encourage you, tell you of his love for you, and open up the scriptures to you, including the mysteries. If you limit yourself to reading the Bible, you will only get crumbs beneath the table.

The Bible is the recorded words of the saints as they were moved by the Holy Spirit of God to write. Christ is the Word of God, not the Bible. The Bible has His recorded words in them, but they are words without spirit. There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, [this is Jesus, not the Bible] and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one, 1 John 5:7.

There is no conflict with what the Spirit of God has written and what the Spirit of God will speak to you; but recorded words are the letter that kills; not the words I speak to you are spirit and are life. When Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul spoke of the scriptures, they used the word 'scriptures,' not the Word of God. The Bible refers to the Word of God as spoken or spirit, which is living and active, Heb 4:12.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active.
The Bible is not living and active, but words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
So the Word of God is the Living Word, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Voice of the Lord.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
A book is not a two-edged sword, but Jesus had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength. Rev 1:16.
A book, or words read from a book, cannot divide soul and spirit, but Christ, the Living Word of God does.
It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
The Bible cannot judge your heart; but Christ, the Word of God, can and does! I am He who searches the minds and hearts. Rev 2:23.
The Bible is not the Word of God. It is not living or active. It cannot judge your heart, penetrate you, or change you.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The word was made flesh and he dwelt among us.
This is Jesus. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. Rev. 19:13
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17
And a sword will pierce through your own soul also--that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be brought out and disclosed. Luke 2:35. Repent; or else I will come to you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rev 2:16.
So, the sword of the spirit is not the Bible, it is the spoken words from the mouth by the Spirit of Christ, the Word of God.

Look at how the Amplified Bible describes and clarifies the Word of God:
For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and spirit, and of joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. Heb 4:12. Jesus said: I am He who searches the minds and hearts.

And the Spirit, which gave forth the words, is greater than the words; therefore, we cannot but prize Him himself, and set Him higher in our heart and thoughts, than the words which testify of Him, though they also are very sweet and precious to our taste. - Isaac Penington, 1670

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
It is ignorance for you to say that the letter (the Bible) is the word; when the letter (the Bible) says, God is the word.
And worse, to believe the Bible is the Word, is to mistake commands in the Bible related to the Word as the Bible instead of His voice -
a critical difference in understanding of what God expects from you and how to please God.

Let me illustrate the problem, with just three of many verses that will be totally misapplied, if you think the Word is the Bible:
Jesus said: Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it! Luk 11:28
Jesus said: My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice. Luk 8:21.
Jesus said: "There is only one thing needed.
Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" —
to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his word. Luke 10:39-42.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63.
If you think this means hearing someone read the Bible, you have missed the possibility of seeking to hear from God yourself. You will have missed the blessing. You will have missed salvation. You must seek, listen, and obey to find any blessing from God.

Paul is not talking about Christ sanctifying his Church with the Bible, when he says: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. You must go to him, listen, hear and obey continually, to be cleansed or ever be sanctified.

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Mat 7:21
Everyone will be banned from heaven unless they do the will of the Father.
And how is one to do the will of the Father, and thus go to heaven?
Then there came a voice out of the cloud, saying,
"This is My Son, My Chosen One,My Beloved; listen to and yield to and obey Him!” Luk 9:35
So you must come to Jesus, silently listen, hear him speak to you, and then obey what he commands you to do. Come, listen, hear, obey.

Jesus never said you could be saved if you say the sinners' prayer, or be baptized with water, or eat bread and drink grape juice; this is the deficit sects' heathenish ritual, the wide and broad way of that leads to destruction. Yet he did say: all who practice lawlessness with be gathered out of His Kingdom and cast into the fire, where there will be great wailing and gnashing of teeth. Mat 13:41-42. And He told us: Whoever commits sin practices lawlessness; for sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4.

Jesus significantly strengthened the law, defining a much higher level of righteousness required:
He changed an "eye for an eye" to "turn the other cheek, love those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you."
He taught that adultery is not just the act, but looking at a woman (or man) with lust in your heart.
He taught that murder is not just the act, but the anger and hate in your heart. He told us not to repay injury or insult.
He told us that restraint of sin was not enough, but that our hearts must be cleansed of the desire or inclination to sin.
Christendom ignores all of Jesus' commands. They have gutted his teachings; discarded them; and remained indifferent to them.

Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? [But he tells us how to be successful.]
For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and does [practices] them, I will show you what he is like:
He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock;
he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation,
against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great. Luke 6:46-49

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8
Who do you think James was writing to? He was writing to those in the churches, still captive to sin.
Notice he says draw near to God. God is not found in sect meetings. God is not found in reading scriptures.
You must go to him. You must wait on him - listen silently, with the humility of a sinner in need of his changing power - grace.
Seek, listen, obey..seek, listen, obey.....seek, listen, obey. Come, listen, hear, obey. Come, listen, hear, obey.

Thinking the Bible is the Word leads you to depend on reading and studying the Bible;
rather than listening to and obeying Jesus the Word, who the book points you to.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (This clearly is not the Bible; it is Christ, the Word of God.)

Just as John the Baptist was not the Light, only bore witness of the Light to come; so the Bible is not the word, but bears witness of the Word of God, Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit can reveal understandings in any language, but Bible Colleges teach from Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Biblical texts, desperately trying to discover the true meaning of the scriptures. If the Holy Spirit were helping in Bible study, then Greek, Hebrew, and Latin would not be needed, proving Jesus and the Holy Spirit do not teach you while reading the Bible.

In 1516, before the Bible was published, there were far less than 100 sects in Christendom. Five hundred years of Bible study later, there are 30,000 sects. It is man's fleshly mind, rather than the Holy Spirit, that controls learning from Bible study; for the Holy Spirit's purpose is to have oneness of faith; yet there are now 30,000 sects in Christendom, each with a different set of beliefs in how to please God, how to worship God, how to seek God - 30,000 different gospels, 30,000 different Jesus. This is massive evidence that studying the Bible creates the opposite of what the Holy Spirit desires - - one faith -- and does not result in truth.

Instead of Bible study, we need to be taught directly by the Holy Spirit by silently listening. Silently wait and listen for the Holy Spirit who desires to teach us all things, John 14:26; who will guide you into all truth, John 16:13; who will teach you all things and is truth, you needing no man to teach you, 1 John 2:27; so that will you know all things, 1 John 2:20. All things and all truth are not in the Bible; the Bible clearly tells us that: And there are also many other things that Jesus did; so many that if they were all written, I suppose that not even the world itself would be able to contain the books that would be written. Amen. John 21:25. You will learn all things if you get quiet - listen - think on the name of Jesus - hear - and obey; obey the word of God that lives and lasts forever. 1 Pet 1:23. The Bible does not live, nor does the Bible last forever. The Bible is not the word of God. The Bible is not alive. But the Spirit of Jesus, who is the word of God, lives and lasts forever.

When the Spirit communicates to a man, the Spirit has access to every experience, every sight, every sound, every word, every thought, every feeling that man has had in his life; and the Spirit uses those experiences to illustrate its teachings. Plus the Spirit is aware of every man's language, dialect, and understanding of vocabulary; so the Spirit speaks to a man in precisely understandable language tailored exactly for that man. And the Spirit speaks with inflections of love, kindness, firmness, etc. There is no comparison between reading the Bible, however wonderful it is, and hearing the infinite wisdom of God expressed to you in language, often accompanied by visions, that communicate precisely and instantly a message, teaching, or command.

The Spirit of God (grace) teaches us how to live soberly, godly, and righteously in this present world. Realize the world changes, and changes quickly. The Bible does not keep up with those changes, but the Spirit of God does, recognizing all the changes in man's environment and teaching him what to deny and how to live.

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Mat4:4
(There is no life without hearing words from the mouth of God. The words I speak to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63.)
As David verified: by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the paths of the destroyer. Psa 17:4.

But we have to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, to hear and obey- to make any spiritual progress.

He [Jesus] became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him. Heb 5:9
(And how do you obey Him to attain salvation?)
Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God and you will be My people;
and walk in the whole way that I command you, that it may be well to you. Jer 7:23

The Bible, my favorite book, is wonderful, and has many truths within, and it is great for understanding what is sin, what God requires from us, for identifying His promises that result from seeking Him, and is good for building our hope to attain His promises; but it does not teach us - convict us - tell us what to repent from - encourage us - convince us of righteousness - purify us - tell us how to live - speak to us in exact language we understand - speak to our specific conditions - show us the secrets of our hearts - give us personalized commands - judge us - tell us it loves us - or take us to paradise - which the Spirit of God, Jesus, who is the Word of God, does. When you have been sufficiently purified by His grace, he will show you the events in the Scriptures, as they occurred.

The Bible is the letter. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:6. The Holy Spirit promises to teach us all things, but we must be quiet to listen and hear. Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21. The engrafted word is what you hear, receive, and obey; thus His words with life are engrafted into your heart.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the visible things were not made by anything we can see. Heb 11:3. To think the Bible framed the worlds is ridiculous, and so it is ridiculous to call the Bible the word.

To call the Bible "the word," results in this scripture's painful distortion: In the beginning was the word Bible, and the word Bible was God, and the word Bible was with God,.. the word Bible was made flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the word of God.

From George Fox's Journal, Concerning the 'Word'

In the beginning was the word, and none know this word, but those who have come to the beginning. Now all you people and all you ministers, who of you can witness this? Who of you has come to this position? Who of you has come to the beginning? We declare unto you what our hands have handled and what our eyes have seen, what was from the beginning, the word of life. We who know this word are pure, are made clean by the word, are sanctified by the word, are cut to pieces by the word, and are divided asunder by the word. This word is a hammer, beating down everything that the seed of God may raise up [discover], and we have come to the beginning. All who know this word have come into the beginning. It is as a fire, burning up all corruptions; and this is the word that is near you, in your heart.

This is the word by which all the prophets spoke, and this is the word that became flesh and dwelt among us, (said the saints). This is the word of life, which the apostles preached, the substance of all figures, types and shadows. This is the word, which makes all the saints one, that reconciles all their hearts together to the Lord. This is the word by which all things stand and remain and are upheld by his word and power. This is the word which endures forever. All, who are born again of the immortal seed, witness this word along with me. Now the word is made manifest [shown] the same as it ever was, which gathers together the hearts of people, which divides asunder the precious and the vile, and of the two, [destroying the vile] has made one. This is the word that lets you see that all flesh is grass.

This is the word that was before any Letter [scripture] was written. All who do not have this word, put the Letter [Bible] for the word, and are in Cain's nature, envying and murdering, running on swiftly to evil. God does not accept Cain's sacrifice. All your preaching, all your praying, all your reading, all your singing and expounding, all your churches, all your worships, all your teachers, and all your baptisms - these are inventions from the Letter [Bible] as invented and imagined by your carnal minds - these are all for the fire. Your profession must be gathered together in bundles and cast into the fire for they are all works of the flesh, proceeding from the first nature.

Those of you who live in the first nature, not knowing the word of God, but only the Letter [only have knowledge from the Bible]; you crucify the just, and you get up into the just's place, quenching the light within you, with the deceit transforming into the just's place, as Cain did when he slew his brother Abel. He got up into his brother's place and said, 'Am I my brother's keeper?' So all of you, who crucify the just, you are like Cain, for it is the righteous that God accepts, the second birth. As you read, Cain's sacrifice was not accepted by God, but Able (the second birth) God did accept, for he was righteous. Cain murdered Able because Abel's works were righteous, and Cain's were evil. Now all of you, who are in the first birth, are Cain, in envy; manslayers, and God does not accept your sacrifice. Now all that come to the word, come to before Cain was.

All the prophets of the Lord spoke from this word, and then the false prophets got the true prophets' form of word, but did not have the word. Then the Lord sent his prophets, who had his word, to cry against the prophets that "speak a divination from their own brain and steal my word from their neighbor." They use their tongues and said, "the Lord said," when the Lord had not spoken to them. As it was then, so it is now. All the [religious] teachers of the world speak a divination of their own brain, and not from the mouth of the Lord. The Lord is against them. Now I witness this by the same word as it ever was. So they draw people to the Letter [Bible], and tell people the Letter [Bible] is the word, and to listen to them, who speak from their vain imaginations what it means. So they bear rule by their means over the poor people, which the Lord was always against.

For God is free and will have his people to be free, and his gospel is free, and his mercies are free, and his grace is free. His gospel is free to every creature, and his grace is free to every creature. His grace is not the Letter [Bible]; the gospel is not the Letter [Bible]; his glad tidings are not the Letter. For many poor troubled souls may be under death and condemnation, while they have the Letter; and there lie wounded with no peace, until Jesus brings the glad tidings of the free gospel. Then you will witness with me that the gospel is a free gospel, and not to be bought and sold for money, and that the grace of God is free. Listen, everyone that thirsts, come to the water of life; he that has no money, come buy wine and milk without money and without price; and listen diligently so that your souls may live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. So all people consider, and see if you can witness your souls raised out of death, and your being brought into this everlasting covenant.

So who can witness their souls brought out of death? Have you come into the beginning? But you have nothing but the Letter, [Bible] and you are spending your money and labor without being satisfied; spending your money for that which is not bread. You are following greedy, dumb dogs, who can never get enough. They are Baal's priests, who have forsaken the right way, going after the error of Balaam, running after the way of Cain, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, who always murder the just, despising the birthright in the particular. Like Cain, slaying the righteous, who slays it in the particular; the same nature slays in the general, where the righteous seed guides, rules, and is the head. So the generation of Cain is but one, which is the first birth. Now loving the Light, it will guide you from all men, so that you will never have to look to man again for guidance or teaching.

George Fox

Written in 1652

Further from George Fox's Journal:

If you wait [on God] in what is pure in you, you will find and see, because God has given you a measure of his spirit, by which you can comprehend things and see the deceits. Now when the mind goes forth from that pure measure, which lets you see deceits, the simplicity is ensnared, and God is not in your thoughts any more; instead, the son of perdition in you sits in the temple of God, where he ought not to sit. With the birth of the Lord [in you], this son of perdition is discovered, and with the brightness of the Lord's coming [in you], he is consumed; that man of sin is revealed [in you], and so shall you witness the scriptures fulfilled. But you must wait in that which is pure, which will show you when your mind departs into disobedience, setting up Baal's priests (outward) before God, and that brings a distraction in the mind where there is a halting between two (you and God); for all of the troubles are without in the world, but Christ said that "in me you shall have perfect peace." Wait in Christ and mind him in yourself, (there is where you wait for his appearing). Keep focused inward, (stay seeking Christ within yourself), and do not follow the cries of lo Christ is here and lo Christ is there to distract you to outward seeking, you will have peace in a short time. You will later witness Christ, who is the substance of the prophets and apostles. The scriptures are shown to you within you (by Christ) to guide you to the Father, the Lord God of heaven and earth. By waiting for the Spirit of the Lord within you to guide your mind, you will find your strength renewed daily by the one Spirit that gave forth the scriptures. There is no confusion, but instead perfect peace. This Spirit baptizes into the one body, and this Spirit is the unity of the saints, who though absent in body, yet are present in Spirit, all being made to drink into one Spirit. This Spirit circumcises and puts off the body of sin from you, and you are sanctified through your obedience to the Spirit. You will come to witness the scriptures pure and clear, as they are without any mixture [of man's interpretations], as holy men possessed them and gave them forth. So holy men possess them and give them forth again and witness them again.

So Jesus, and his Spirit, is the Word of God, not the Bible! Thinking the Bible to be the Word of God is a dangerous invention of man in the deficit sects. The danger of misinterpretation is further clarified below on this page.

Come unto me ... Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; ... Mat 11:28-29
Mark! He did not say: "come to Bible study" or "come to church."
He said Come to Me and Learn from Me.

The Jews had the scriptures, but did not have the word; so they failed to recognize Jesus because they were not listening to God's voice.
Jesus told them: He who is of God, hears God's words. You cannot hear his words because you are not of God. John 8:47. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. John 8:37.
You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
But you do not have His word abiding in you, John 5:37-38.

My sheep hear my voice. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. John 10:27,18:37

Jesus himself distinguished between the scriptures (the Bible) and the Word, when addressing the Bible scholars and Bible students of his day, the Pharisees, as in John as below:

You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form.
And you do not have His word abiding in you; for you do not believe him whom he has sent.
You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are those that testify of Me. John 5:37-39

In the verses above Jesus clearly states a difference between the word and scriptures, (the bible)
And the Word from his Voice that abides, (lives), in you is clearly better than scriptures.
The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may obey it. Rom 10:8, Deu 30:11-14.
Clearly, the Bible is not in our heart and mouth; it is the spirit of God, the Word of God.
The Word of God is Spirit: the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Christ within each of us, where it lives or abides.

Furthermore, Jesus is not happy: You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life
But you are not willing to come to me that you might have life. John 5:39-40
He is telling people that they substitute studying the Bible for coming directly to him; the Bible only testifies about him.
And they think by studying the Bible to find eternal life, but the way to eternal life is to go directly to him.
The words we hear are the words of eternal life, not the words we read or hear read from of the Bible.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
So, to have eternal life, we have to listen to the Voice of the Lord and obey his spoken words with spirit to us.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. The Bible only testifies of the way, the truth, and the Life.
If we want the way, or truth, or life; we have to go to him.
He wants us to seek Him, not seek knowledge about him from the Bible.
The way to seek God is to go to him, listen to him, and treasure the words we hear him speak to us.
We have made learning scriptures a rival to learning directly from God by Coming to Him.
But scriptures are not wrong; it is the way we idolize scriptures that is wrong.
Instead of studying the Bible, prayer groups, and church socials - he wants us to Come to Him.
For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words, (Listen to Him speak to you) Luke 6:47-8
Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry. John 6:35
As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father; so he who feeds on me, shall live by me. John 6:57
But you are not willing to come to me that you might have life. John 5:39-40

You have neither heard the Father's voice nor seen his form. John 5:37
To hear the Father's voice is to hear him speak words. He who is of God hears God's words. John 8:47
And you do not have His word abiding in you; for you do not believe him whom he has sent. John 5:38
Jesus says that hearing the voice is very important to having his Word abide in us.
If you abide [continue] in My word, then you are truly My disciples. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32
The Bible is not the Word to abide in and is not the truth. Jesus is the Truth. Words spoken by God with Spirit are truth.
Jesus told us in his prayer to the Father: Sanctify them through your truth. Your word is truth. John 17:17
He said that the Father's words are truth; words we hear from the Father's voice, or Jesus' voice, or the Spirit of Truth.
.. you have learned differently from Christ; assuming you have actually heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. Eph 4:20-21
I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth. John 15:26. The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. John 14:26
If we abide [continue] in Christ's word,[the spirit], we are his true disciples and we will know the truth.
Words from the Bible are without spirit and are not directed at your exact condition and need.
When the Spirit of God speaks to us, it speaks to our exact condition and exactly what we need to know.
This is how we seek God. We seek to hear his voice and then treasure what we hear, and obey what he tells us to do.

Reading and studying the Bible is not seeking God, or abiding in Him.
Reading the Bible is a work of the flesh, which profits nothing.
Reading the Bible is like studying the Law. Voice of the Lord
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
The Bible wasn't even printed until 1516, but the early Church thrived until 320 AD.
Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Mat4:4
This is indisputably not the Bible. We are to live on words that come from the mouth of God! NOT the Bible.
And we need words from the mouth of God, daily. We need our daily bread from heaven - words from his mouth.
Jesus said, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger. John 6:35. Listen and live.
whoever continues to feed on Me shall live through and because of Me. John 6:57
Give us this day our daily bread - the words that Jesus speaks to us.
Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes,
but strive and work and produce rather for the food which endures unto life eternal. John 6:27
You need no teacher other than the anointing within you, which teaches you all things. John 2:27
That which may be known of God is manifest [revealed] within them for God has shown it to them. Rom 1:19
(Paul is saying, whatever is to be learned about God is to be revealed within a man - by Christ, the Light in all men.)
Do you not yourselves know that Jesus Christ is in you, unless you are disqualified? 2 Cor 13:5

The voice of the Lord told me, "The world hides in the Bible." The world hides from God in the Bible.
Reading the Bible is a substitute for having God teach you, examine your heart, convict you, and cleanse you.
The world hides from Christ, the Living Word who judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Rev 2:23,Rom 8:27,Eph 5:13
It hides from Christ the Light, who brings to light the hidden things of darkness and exposes the motives of your hearts. 1 Cor 4:5
How sad that we think we are seeking God by reading the Bible, but He sees us as hiding from Him.
We are covering our nakedness with the Bible and hiding in the tree of knowledge. Gen 3:8-10
"I say this to your shame. Though you have great knowledge of the scriptures
and profess them, you don't possess of whom they speak."(voice of the Lord)
You search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me.
But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63
The words we hear are words of eternal life.
But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. John 5:38
When we hear his voice and keep his words, then his word abides in us. It lives in us, and controls us.
As his words live in us and control us, we are set free from sin, and we obtain eternal life. We possess Jesus.
He who feeds on My flesh and drinks My blood dwells continually in Me, and I in him. John 6:56
God is Word and Spirit. He is word made flesh. We must feed on his words: to listen, and obey.
We must drink his Spirit of gentleness, kindness, peace, and love by which the words are spoken.
Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father,
even so whoever continues to feed on Me shall live through and because of Me.
He who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever. John 6:57-8
This is how to possess of whom the scriptures speak, to possess Jesus.

Some say that since the words in the Bible are Christ's, to read them is the same as to have heard him speak them.
“The words I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life, John 6:63;” he does not say the words as written, much less the scriptures or writings, are spirit and life. When Christ himself speaks to a soul, his words are spirit and life to that soul, for spirit and life are in his words, when he speaks them. But when another reads or speaks them without his spirit, they minister neither spirit nor life. For instance, Christ's calling to Lazarus when dead and buried, “Lazarus come forth;" his words were spirit and life to Lazarus. But let another read or speak the same words to a man dead and buried, and cry to him to come forth, they will not raise him to life. (From A Christian Progress).

If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-2
So if the Son liberates you, then you are really and unquestionably free. John 8:36
To be set free, is to be released from captivity. To be released from slavery. To be freed from sin.
And sin includes rage, lust, sexual immorality, greed, envy, lying, passions, pleasures, etc., Gal 5:19-23, Eph 5:5, Rev 21:8
Jesus came so he could destroy the devil and his works [sin] in us - if we go to him.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, [revealed in us] that he might destroy the works [sin in us] of the devil. 1 John 3:8
John said, ‘I have written unto you young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you;
and you have overcome the wicked one,’ namely, the devil, by the word of God, which was before the devil was.
So here you may see, what is the means by which the young men's ways are cleansed and sanctified, and what makes them strong, and to overcome the wicked one—the word of God abiding [that lives] in them [their hearts].
As Paul confirms: But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God,
you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life. Rom 6:22


Do you really know Jesus?

John says: We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
1 John 2:3
As John confirms: Whoever abides in Him does not sin.
Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 1 John 3:6
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him;
and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9
And His seed is the words he has planted in your heart, words that you have heard, the Word of God.
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. John 18:37
Those reluctant to look at their slavery say, 'church me.' Voice of the Lord

As Jesus told Paul: I am sending you to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and
from the power of Satan to God, so that they may thus receive forgiveness and release from their sins
and a place and portion among those who are consecrated and purified by faith in Me. Acts 26:17-18
Faith that purifies is faith to go to him, listen to him, hear him, and faith enough, to obey - continually by abiding in him.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17
Romans 10:17 is a critical scripture for understanding what is true faith.

Remember, Paul tells us in Rom 10:8, the word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart, that is, the word of faith, which we preach, which referred to Deuteronomy:

If you will listen to and heed the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law,
and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.
For this command that I command you this day is not hidden from you, nor is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?'
Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?'
But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, so that you may obey it. Deu 30:10-14

So faith is hearing the word of Christ from within your heart, and recognizing it as the Spirit of God speaking to you, or Christ speaking to you; and believing it enough to obey. Thus to believe is: to believe, [trust, depend on, obey] on the word, Christ, heard in your heart. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep [practice, obey] it. Christendom would have you believe that hearing someone read the words of the Bible is hearing the word of God, and if you believe them, you are a "believer." But this only results in belief in a book and faith in the words in a book. Yet Paul has just told us that faith comes from hearing the word, which word is in our hearts; so to have real faith, you must hear Christ from within your heart and believe whom you hear, to be the Son of God; and believe enough to completely obey him.

Then, not a book about Jesus, but Jesus himself is the source and author of your faith: true faith, of which Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith, Heb 12:2. By obedience to the word, Jesus, you have faith: For Jesus became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him. Heb 5:9. To believe is to obey. Obedience leads to salvation - Obedience leads to righteousness.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:4
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; (love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Gal 5:22-23)
for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5. Works without God's Love in us count for nothing. 1 Cor 13:3
To produce fruit, is to possess God's love; then your works are faith expressing itself through love. Gal 5:6
If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a withered branch.... into the fire. John 15:6
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7
Abiding is the key to success. Studying the Bible only tells us what we must achieve and avoid.
To know the truth, you have to be taught by Jesus himself, personally, about himself. His living words must abide in you.
To abide in Christ, is to abide in his Light, in his presence, in his living word, (not read the Bible).
when anything [as in secret sins of your heart] is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. Eph 5:13-14

To abide is "to remain." We go to him and quietly sit waiting on him; and then we listen for him to speak to us and watch for what he shows us. When the Light appears, we spend time in the Light. His living Word penetrates us, separating spirit from soul, and the Light purifies us by the blood of Jesus. As we repent, we are changed and receive more of His Spirit. As we receive more of his Spirit, he abides or remains in us too. We become the possessors of Christ, not just professors.

To abide in Him and be taught by Him, you must listen, hear, and obey.
To listen you must be quiet, not forming thoughts, not talking, not reading the Bible.
Pray the Lord's prayer, and then be quiet to listen and abide and learn. Do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you need, even before you ask him. Mat 6:7-8. Think on the name of Jesus Christ, but not as a repeated mantra, and then stop thought as best you can. When you find you mind wandering, return to thinking on the name of Jesus Christ.

Do not be not rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God.
For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.
For a dream comes through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words. Ecc 5:2-3

Listen and Watch and Wait.

No ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. Isa 64:4

Let your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for you. Ps 33:22

Some of you may think silence is in conflict with: Pray always, with all prayer and supplication, in the spirit. Eph 6:18
Notice Paul said - pray in the spirit. You cannot pray in the spirit, if the words are made up in your carnal mind.
Paul was speaking to Christians who had crucified their flesh and their carnal minds had been replaced with the mind of Christ.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. Rom 8:7
How could prayers from a mind that is enmity with God be pleasing to God? He must be worshiped in Spirit and Truth. John 4:23-24
So Paul was speaking to mature Christians, who had sufficient Spirit to control their words, deeds, and prayers.
Until your heart has been purified, be silent to wait for, hope for, and listen for God's teachings and words to you.
Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. Psalm 27:14

For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
nor has the eye seen any God besides you, who acts for the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:4


Does Jesus know you?

My sheep know my voice, and I know them, and they follow me [obey].
John 10:27

For more understanding on the necessity of learning in silence, see the George Fox's outstanding writing on Why Silence? - also on the side bar.
And for guidance in the process of silence, see Miguel de Molinos' The Spiritual Guide, also on the side bar.

Paul further reminds us that he was not taught by man, but through direct revelation by Jesus Christ. Do not seek Jesus and truth through the Bible; rather listen to the Teacher within you, the only teacher you need, who will guide you into all truth by abiding in Him, 1 John 2:27, to become free of sin. Do not make it your ambition to be a Bible expert; rather make it your ambition to be taught by the living Word of God who opens the scriptures with understandings to all truth, makes manifest all of the secrets of your heart, and destroys the sin that lurks in your members, thereby truly enthroning Christ as Lord and King in your heart to rule you in word and deed.

The Holy Spirit can reveal understandings in any language; but for centuries Bible Colleges have taught from Hebrew, Greek, and Latin Biblical texts, desperately trying to understand the true meaning of the scriptures. If the Holy Spirit were helping in Bible study, Greek, Hebrew, and Latin would not be needed, proving Jesus does not teach you while reading the Bible. Jesus didn't criticize the Pharisees for the way they were searching the scriptures; he criticized them for spending time searching the scriptures instead of coming to him. You must go to your closet, get quiet, and listen.

Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Be silent, oh all flesh before the Lord. Zech 2:13

There are many men and women, having heard and believed the true gospel of Christ on the web site, who are hearing Christ speak to and teach them personally, while benefiting from his changing grace.

But to hear his voice, you must go to him without pride of being righteous or just.
You must go to him as a humble sinner, even if you think you are 'saved.'
But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his breast,
saying, O God, be favorable (be gracious, be merciful) to me, the especially wicked sinner that I am!
I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.
For everyone who exalts himself, will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. Luke 18:9-14
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Mat 5:6

What else does Jesus say about hearing his voice? Below:

Jesus said, For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and does [practices, obeys] them, I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock. Luke 6:47-48
There is that "Comes to Me" again: not Bible study, not your sect's services, not prayer meetings, Come to Him.
"Listens to my words" does not mean listen to someone reading the Bible; it is listening to his live, spoken spirit words.
It is very simple. Go someplace private and quiet. Stop reading, talking, and praying.
Try to quiet your mind. Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
Think on the name of Jesus Christ, but not over and over like a mantra. His name is the power to become a son of God.
Listen and watch. When you find your mind wandering, come back to think on the name of Jesus Christ.
When he commands you, obey. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Rev 3:19
Christ the Light, shows you the conditions of your heart; loving the Light, you repent and it purifies you.
Do this for twice a day, 30 minutes each. As he draws you closer, increase your time.
From this sure foundation he builds true faith and hope which purifies you.
Keep doing this and you will eventually be purified, for him to appear, and you to be in his arms, in the Kingdom.
See How to Benefit from the Changing Power of God for more on listening for God's Teaching and Changing Grace.

Jesus said, He who has my commandments, and keeps them, it is he who loves me; and he who loves me, shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will show myself to him. John 14:21
He is not talking about the Ten Commandments; he is talking about what you hear him command you to repent from;
individual commands, tailored to your specific life's circumstances, and which by obeying you grow.
If you keep repenting and obeying them, he will appear in your heart — you will see God.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
He told us this because it is possible to become pure. See Purity and Sinless State for more.
When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3
He will appear the second time, not to bear sin, but to bring full salvation to those who are waiting for and expecting him. Heb 9:28
He didn't say, those of a special generation sometime; he said those. See the Return of Jesus for more.

Then Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will show yourself to us, and not to the world?" And Jesus answered and said to him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my words [obey me, practice my teachings]; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:22-23
If you obey his teachings, you obey what you hear, not words from the Bible -- it wasn't even printed until 1516.
If you repent and obey his teachings to you that you hear, Christ and the Father appear in your heart to establish their home.
And their home is a Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God and Christ, established in your heart.
The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, Nor will people say,
Look! Here! or, See, there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you and among you. Luke 17:20-21
God is nearby and in him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:27-28)
The Kingdom is a spiritual dimension, where we walk by the Light of God. We see the world no more.
See the Second Appearance of Jesus for more.

Jesus said, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore, and repent. Rev 3:19
How could he possibly rebuke you, unless you hear him speak to you. He can't rebuke you from the Bible.

Studying the Bible increases your knowledge and therefore increases your pride,
Getting quiet, to listen and obey, will eventually result in the Holy Spirit destroying your pride and your carnal mind.
So studying the Bible is a work of the flesh.
Jesus said, It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63

Paul said: This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk,
in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given
themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ,
if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man,
which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:17-24.
Are you beginning to see that it is critical to hear, and be taught the truth, by Jesus himself?

Jesus said, When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.
John 10:4-5

Jesus said, And I have other sheep, who are not of this flock. I must also call them to bring them out, and they will hear my voice; so there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:16
While on earth, he only preached to the Jews. But the Gentiles after his death heard him, and hear him today - his voice.
We can hear him because Christ is the Light that enlightens all men and women in the world. John 1:9
Do you not yourselves realize and know that Jesus Christ is in you. 2 Cor 13:5
But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you,
and you do not need any man to teach you;
but as the same anointing teaches you all things and is truth, and is no lie;
and even as it has taught you, abide in him. 1 John 2:27
Believe in the light, that you may become the children of light. John 12:36

Jesus said, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hears my voice, and opens the door,
I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20
Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. John 5:25. We are the dead of whom he is speaking. But when we hear, we will live.

At judgment, Jesus said he would reject many who called him Lord and had even performed miracles in his name
by telling them plainly: "I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity" [sin, lawlessness, or wickedness]. Mat 7:21-23
Whoever commits sin practices lawlessness; for sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4
Until we hear his voice, obey his voice, abide in his Him, and are purified by him; we still sin and he doesn't know us.
The foolish virgins without oil in their lamps, said: 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us to enter.' (without abiding in Him, his Light and Word)
Replying, Jesus said: 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' Without abiding in Him, he doesn't know us.
Jesus knows his listeners: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
1 John 2:3 says: by this we know that we know him: if we keep [obey] His commands.
The only way you can keep his commands is to listen for his voice, hear, and obey - until you have crucified the sinful
nature within you. For you cannot love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, until you have been given a new heart and mind by the love of God, received from Him over time, as you abide in his Word and Light, with obedience.
If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32
I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. John 8:34
You cannot continue to be a slave to sin and serve God, or even expect his approval. Rom 8:8
See the Missing Cross for more. If you think Grace is your license to sin until death, see True Grace vs. False Grace.

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born,
and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37
And people of the truth, who were born after he died, can still hear his voice. He still speaks to us, if we will listen.

Jesus said, Take heed what you hear; with what measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. Mark 4:24-5

Jesus replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God, and obey." Luke 8:21

Jesus said, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God [within your heart] and keep [practice, obey] it" Luke 11:28

Jesus said, Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him. Luke 8:18

Jesus said, So call to mind the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. Rev 3:2-3

Paul said, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17

Jesus said: Truly, truly, I say to you, 'he who hears my word, and believes on [depends on, trusts, obeys] him who sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death to life'. John 5:24

Jesus said, Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing. Mat 13:43

Notice how the above scriptures have entirely different meanings, depending on what you believe the Word to be.
Can you see how it is possible to completely misinterpret the critical instructions he has given us, all based on what is the Word of God?

More scriptures supporting listening to the voice of Christ or God:

Choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God,
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days. Deut 30:19-20

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Deut 32:1

But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them,
I announce to you today that you shall surely perish. Deut 30:17-18

Then there came a voice out of the cloud, saying,
“This is My Son, My Chosen One, My Beloved; listen to and yield to and obey Him!” Luk 9:35

Samuel said, "Has the Lord a greater delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, than in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than to sacrifice, and to listen and heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Sam 15:22

So blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
For whoever finds me, finds life; and he shall obtain favor of the LORD. Prov 8:34

“The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your hear [so you may obey it],” that is, the word of faith, which we preach. Rom 10:8
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom 10:17
If the Word of God is the Bible, then all the early Christians had no faith, because the Bible wasn't printed until 1516.
Just by Peter speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on his listeners; (Acts 11:15), because the Apostles spoke the word of God from spirit.
And when you really hear Christ speaking to you, your faith will grow by leaps and bounds.

The Lords' voice is kind, gentle, pure, easily understood, easily accepted, peaceable, complete, always morally correct, encouraging - never with even a hint of sarcasm, bitterness, or condemnation - never incomplete leaving you guessing what he wants; instead His words are full of love itself - his spirit of Love - for he is Love. His voice will always be the same voice too. There are many other voices to hear; but they are bitter, sarcastic, incomplete, confusing, condemning, taunting, questioning - the Lord's voice is not so. To distinguish the voice of the Lord vs. those of deceit is to rightly divide the word of Truth. Everything from Him will also be moral as tested with scripture from the Bible. He said to me, "To know what the Bible says is wrong is worthy; all my great men knew the scriptures."

Before a man comes into the spiritual state to be able to understand the depth of the scriptures' meanings, reading the Scriptures is profitable for: 1) building hope, 2) definition of what is sin, and 3) the promises of God to be obtained. It is a serious mistake, to discount the scriptures altogether; even to the spiritually immature, their reading is very helpful; but the all-too-common mistake is to not seek He of whom the scriptures testify, to only read about Him, rather than to experience Him by silently waiting on Him to receive His teachings and changing grace. Children should be encouraged to read the Bible; and young children can immensely benefit from reading The Golden Children's Bible, widely available. Whatever time you give to the reading of the Bible, you should give far more time to silent waiting on the Lord.

The Jews had great knowledge of the scriptures, but failed to recognize Christ the light, of whom the prophets saw and testified. So, to know the scriptures is not "knowing the things of God;" for a natural man can know the scriptures, but not know the things of God, for the things of God are revealed [shown, explained, taught], by God within the hearts of men, within the hearts of spiritual men with spiritual discernment. God's perfect law is written in their hearts and minds.

Natural learning results from colleges, books, Bibles, and hearsay from other men vs. being taught by Jesus, and being taught by the Holy Spirit, and taught by the anointing you have received, and being taught by grace to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and how to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.
He will guide the humble in what is right and teach them his way. Psalm 25:8-9

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go; I will guide you with my eye. Psalm 32:8

That we, who first trusted in Christ, should be to the praise of his glory. In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, [the word of truth is not a book], the good news of your salvation; in whom after you believed, you were also sealed with the holy Spirit of promise. Eph 1:12-13. This is to hear God [the word of truth] tell you, in whom you believed, the good news of your coming salvation. If you think the word of truth is the Bible, then you think you have found eternal life searching the scriptures; but your faith is incorrectly in the Bible as the word of truth. This scripture speaks of the interim reward of seeking; like when you hear the Lord say to you, "I have placed before you an open door which no one can shut," Rev 3:8, and when you receive a measure of his Spirit, the seal and promise of more to come. And this seal of the Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey, what they have heard the Spirit command them.

Today, if you hear his voice from heaven, do not harden your hearts. Hebrews 4:7

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks.
For if they did not escape, who refused him who spoke on the earth, how much more will we be liable,
if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven. Hebrews 12:25

From George Fox's Journal:

But we resolve to hear the Son, as both the Father and he command; and in hearing the Son, we hear the Father also, as the scripture testifies. For the letter to the Hebrews says, "God, who at sundry times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son:" mark that, God has spoken to us (his apostles, disciples, and church), by his Son.

And where, some have objected, "That although Christ did speak both to his disciples and to the Jews in the days of his flesh, yet since his resurrection and ascension he does not speak now."

The answer is: the Jews could not hear his heavenly voice then, neither can those who say they are Christians, but today are in the same nature as the Jews were then. But the disciples of Christ, who learned from him, they heard his voice then and hear it now.

After Christ had risen, Christ spoke to the Apostle Paul and to the rest of the disciples, including John, when he wrote his Revelation. And the Apostle said to the Hebrews, "See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, who neglected and resisted Moses, and who died under the hand of two or three witnesses. Whoever resisted Moses' law (who spoke on earth), died for it without mercy.

That was a natural death. But they who now neglect him who speaks from heaven, they neglect their salvation. Therefore while it is still called day, do not neglect to hear his voice. Those who do neglect to hear his voice while it is called day, harden their hearts. Heb 3:15

The Apostle said that God at sundry times, and after diverse manners, spoke to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son, mark, has spoken to us by his Son. For which reason, John said in the Revelation, "He that has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches." Rev 2:7. "And Christ is said to speak from heaven." Heb12:25.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, Titus 2:11-12
This is the basis of repentance and change, to be personally taught by grace what to deny and how to live.

But what does it (scripture) say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may obey it" that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. Deu 30:14, Rom 10:8 The Spirit is in your mouth and your heart, not scriptures. When Paul said this, the New Testament didn't even exist.

For if you live after the flesh [the sinful nature], you will surely die; but if through the Spirit you mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body, you will live.
For as many as are are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Rom 8:13-14
To be led is to hear the voice of Christ with direct orders as to what to do and when to do it.
He doesn't leave you to guess about a feeling, a call, an opinion, a burden, a desire, or a "door opening" to walk through.

The Word is Christ within you, the Light that enlightens all men, patiently waiting to teach and reveal himself to you,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory; whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom,
so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Col 1:27-8

Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. Rom 1:19

(Click here for more on the sinless state; click here for more on Christ in you; Click here for add'l scriptures on the voice of the Lord.)

The seed is the Word of God... And that [seed] which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go forth and are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to PERFECTION. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with perseverance. Luke 8:14-15 (See Coming Out of the World for more on this.)

If the Bible is the Word of God, then where are all the people with fruit? The Bible tells us: if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. John 8:31-32. There are millions studying the Bible every day. But, unfortunately for all, the Bible is not the Word of God; and that is why no one is free or brings forth fruit to perfection. But if you listen for the Living Word of God, you can become free of sin and produce fruit to perfection. If the same millions were listening for the voice of the Lord, the true Word of God, we would be living in a different world, full of purified, peculiar people zealous for producing good works, who would show the power and love of God to the world. And, like the early church in Jerusalem, they would have favor with all the people.

Instead, we have unspeakable scandals from priests and with the Bible-expert leaders (Haggard, Baker, Swaggert, etc.) of our faith; and the world ridicules the hypocrisy of a powerless, fruitless Christianity. Even many Buddhists and Hindus exhibit more fruit than today's Christians. There is obviously something missing in Christianity today - the Light, the real Word of God, repentance, the cross of Christ, fruit, true grace, the promise of freedom from captivity. This has happened because we have substituted studying the Bible for listening to "the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," John 6:63; we haven't been listening to God.

Since sin is acceptable to the sects, there is no standard of Christian conduct; if one sin is acceptable, then so is two, then three ... then 1,000 sins are OK; until finally someone crosses the line that outrages everyone's sense of what is not OK, and they're held up by society as examples of Christian hypocrisy, to the shame of us all. We're not listening to God; we have no standards, even though God gave us Jesus as our standard and our Teacher; we are not receiving his changing grace to purity through repentance while we abide in Him, to become free - not free to sin, but free from sin. If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31-32. The freedom from sin is not make-believe freedom, not freedom from sin's guilt, not freedom to sin; NO: it is freedom from sin, freedom from the distress of sin, freedom from the bondage of sin, freedom from the attraction of sin, yielding purity, peace, righteousness, union with Christ and God, being translated into the Kingdom, the pearl of great price, having your heart filled with love instead of lusts, to enter the promised rest from labors of the world, to hear and see God, true salvation- true FREEDOM. So if the Son liberates you, then you are really and unquestionably free. John 8:36. Here is the reason Jesus said he was sent to the world:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to preach the gospel to the poor;
he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach release to the captives [of sin],
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to deliver [free] those who are oppressed [by sin],
Luke 4:18-20

Release of the captives - those captive to sin. So those who are in darkness and are blind can come into the light and see. He came to deliver those who are oppressed - oppressed with the burdens and distresses of sin. The Jews thought the Messiah was going to deliver them from the Roman occupation. They missed it. And we missed it too because we substituted studying the Bible instead of listening to "the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life," John 6:63; we didn't listen to God. We picked out a few scriptures that we thought would guarantee us heaven after death, while we ignored hundreds of others. Then we started celebrating. And there are 30,000 sects of Christians out there, each one with a different set of scriptures or interpretations of scripture, because none of them are listening to God. 30,000 different concepts of what God expects and requires of us; 30,000 different Jesus; 30,000 different gospels. Paul said, people preached a different gospel and a different Jesus than him. If they all listened to God, we would have only one sect; for the Spirit's purpose is to have oneness of faith. We are dreadfully thwarting the purpose of the Spirit of God; 30,000 sects of Christians proves we are all lost from the guidance of the Spirit of God to unity, and lost to truth, and lost to the gospel, and lost to what the real Jesus wants, expects, and demands from us.

You say how could that be possible? Because all the sects are simply evolutional varieties of the Roman Empire's church, both east and west, whose doctrines were dictated by the evil-minded, but sainted, Emperors Constantine and Justinian the despot, thus eliminating the true gospel by 390 AD. As prophesied in Revelation, the church adulterated with the Kings of the earth to become Babylon. The protestant deficit sects are just variations of the Roman sect's same basic beliefs: instant salvation by speaking words, water baptism, eating bread/drinking grape juice, listening to sermons, etc.; the same basic ritual form of salvation and worship. But the Father desires to be worshiped in Spirit and in Truth - and those who know the truth, have been set free; he wants to be worshiped by those with a pure heart, whose sinful nature has been crucified on the missing cross of Christ, who can worship by words supplied from the Spirit of God.

God is Spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth. John4:24
To be in spirit and truth, you must first be changed by God while abiding in his spoken Word and Light.
So all worships not in the Holy Spirit with the truth in you also, displease God.
All other worships are an abomination to him, because they come from your carnal mind, which is enmity to God.
To be made a pleasing worshiper, you must be purified, so the Spirit can supply your words.
To be purified, you must: go to him, listen, and obey. See Why Silence for more.

Please don't accuse me of denigrating scripture. Notice I quote scripture throughout these writings, for
'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness;
so that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fitted to all good works.' 2 Tim 3:16-17.

But also notice the above lauding of scripture says, scripture is to thoroughly fit the perfect man of God:
(a man of God is mature, taught by Christ, called, and under orders from Christ - not just any man who reads the scriptures)
Also: So that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly fitted. Before you need expertise in scripture, you need to get perfect.
Therefore, be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. Mat 5:48
Not be kind of perfect. Not perfect as you can. Not as perfect as humanly possible while trying.
Perfect - as your Father who is in heaven is perfect - a definitive qualification of perfect.
Perfect that is impossible without divine grace: to change us, to purify us, to make us like Him, perfect.
The only way you are ever going to be perfect is to abide in Jesus; whoever continues to feed on Me shall live through and because of Me. John 6:57
Let his Word and Light search your heart and show its defects to you; you repent, and He changes you by grace - one defect at a time.

You might be thinking, what is this guy talking about: I am a believer! So was Hitler! So were the Catholic priests of the Inquisition who tortured and slowly murdered 9,000,000 souls for being witches in the Middle Ages; they were baptized, confessed their faith, took communion, read the scriptures regularly, prayed daily - all very holy murderers - but they had no fruit - only big thorns.

If you are a believer, where is the evidence of your belief?
Where is your fruit that Jesus said proves you are a true follower of his?

When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified,
and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine. John 15:8

The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, faith, goodness, gentleness, and self-control;
this involves ridding yourself of sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; greed, hatred, discord, jealousy,
fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Gal 5:19-23
You can be sure, that no sexually immoral, or impure, or covetous person ... has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Eph 5:5
If we are not seeking to produce fruit, our belief and faith is dead. As James said, faith without works is dead. Jam 2:17-18
This kind of change is only available by grace from the Holy Spirit to put to death the deeds of the body,
while abiding in Christ the Word and Light. Even Adolph Hitler said Jesus was his Lord and Savior.

Now those of you who say you love God: if you labor to produce the fruit of the Spirit, aside from attaining salvation, and union with God, you honor and glorify the Father. So, if you really love God, you will dedicate your life to bringing honor to the Father; and though Jesus didn't mention it, you obviously bring honor and glory to him also. Paul aptly states the challenge: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor 7:1. Paul is saying: let's get on with the job.

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 1 Cor 15:34

Therefore mortify [put to death] the deeds of the body that are of the earthly life: fornication, impurity, inordinate affections, evil lusts of the flesh, and covetousness, which is idolatry [the deifying of self and other created things instead of God]. Col 3:5.

If you are thinking: the scriptures didn't really mean prefect perfect, I can be a Bible expert and teach or preach anyway,
here is what Jesus said about that: (click for more on perfection)

And he spoke a parable to them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?
The disciple is not above his master: but everyone who is perfect will be like his master. Luke 6:39-40
The Amplified Bible gives us a further understanding of this scripture about being perfect - and being authorized.
A pupil is not superior to his teacher,
but everyone completely trained (readjusted, restored, set to rights, perfected) will be like his teacher. Luke 6:40
You need to be restored, to the state of Adam before the fall; restored to the divine spiritual image of God.
You need to be completely trained, trained by the Teacher. The Bible is not the Teacher.
Then you need to be set to rights by the Teacher, Christ; set to rights means to be authorized to teach.
Teaching without being perfected, readjusted, restored, and set to rights is estimating oneself to be superior to Jesus.
According to Jesus, unperfected, unauthorized teachers are estimating themselves to be above Jesus.
Such unauthorized persons think that since they know so much, they don't need Him to teach and authorize them first.
This is a common but disastrous error, one of which you do not want to hear him remind you of at judgment.

You may say: my preacher or professor will completely train me; he is a teacher. But Paul in Ephesians says:

And His gifts were to some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.

*a gift from the Holy Spirit is not a talent to make speeches sourced from a book; many pagans have such talents. A gift from the Holy Spirit is to be explicitly appointed by the Holy Spirit, after having been taught and cleansed sufficiently to be able to consistently speak from the Holy Spirit's words and promptings. Unless you have heard the Lord specifically authorize and gift to you the office of preacher, pastor, or teacher, you are without his authority, permission, or approval; and you will only hear his condemnation to come.

His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church),

until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the knowledge of the Son of God, that at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. Ephesians 4:11-13

Was your preacher or teacher appointed by gift from the Holy Spirit? Is your college teacher or minister perfected in the standard height of Christ's own perfection? Does he have the fullness and completeness of Christ? Of course he doesn't. But the purpose of a teacher or preacher or pastor is to perfect the saints. How can someone unperfected, perfect anyone? So he is an unauthorized teacher too. So you can't be authorized or perfected by your professor or preacher. And if you teach or preach to anyone before being completely trained by Him, restored to the image of God by Him, perfected by Him, and authorized by Him, you are estimating yourself to be above Christ and will incur condemnation. Such authorization comes from him directly and specifically; you hear him say: you are now a teacher, or: preach repentance with remission of sins. (And, yes: after being taught and changed for years while silent, we heard those exact words.) It is not a door opening, a feeling, an inspiration, a "call," a burden, etc.

If you are preaching or teaching religion before being perfected and specifically authorized by Christ, to be able to hear, you must stop. Every word you preach or teach that is not totally correct puts condemnation on you, and until perfected and authorized your teachings will not be true. See To Religious Teachers and Preachers for more. You will not be able to hear until you stop teaching and preaching in error.

If you get quiet and listen in humility, He will tell you things about Himself. He will encourage you. He is kindness. He, the Word and Light, will tell or show you things about yourself; some will be things that are ugly. But since he is your friend, you know that he is showing them to you for your own good. So you listen and watch. And you don't run; you stand before the Son of Man. And you repent of what he shows you. And sometimes he gives you commands. You are hearing the Word of God, the living Word. And hopefully you will obey his commands and show him you love him by being obedient. To hear and obey is to receive Christ. Keep pen and paper nearby when listening and watching. Stop and write down what you hear or see. Then go right back to listening and watching. Review them periodically, and keep repenting. You will start changing; not as fast as you want to, but you will change. You will become more patient, less easily angered, kinder, more settled, more focused in life. Your desires for the things of the world will begin to melt away. As you follow his commands, your progress will accelerate. When you see your changes, still conscious of your decreasing failures, you will know, with gratitude, that he is changing you by grace - it is working! Your faith is increasing, because you hear the Word of God and because you are becoming more sure of what you hope for and more certain of Christ making changes in you, even though you don't yet see Him. (Click for more information on How to Benefit from the Changing Power of God.)

As long as we live in our selfish nature, we are unruly and incapable of being ruled, controlled, or led by a Lord or King.
So, if we want Jesus to be our Lord and King, we must first put to death the selfish, sinful nature by repentance to purity.
When we listen, Jesus leads us out of the world, one step at a time, showing us from what to repent,
and teaching us how to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
This is the Missing Cross of Christ, the power of God missing in the sects today; the power that leads to purity and holiness.
For without holiness, no one will see God. Heb. 12:14
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Gal 5:24
The end result is purity and then the return of Christ in his glory with his Kingdom of everlasting peace and joy.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:11-14
When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3

And after being purified, along with the glorious appearing of Christ, to enter paradise; the Kingdom of Heaven within and among us; our consciousness and sight being translated to the spiritual dimension, to live in union with Christ and God in their presence, while walking on earth by the light of God, as children of the light. For God is not far from each one of us and hopes that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him; for in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:27-28). The pages on this web site show the way out of darkness into light. And they show how thousands in the past have already secured the Kingdom of Heaven to become children of the light.

Belief in the true gospel and the cross, to realize the promise, releases the power of God to purify you and make you one with Him. The cross of Christ, which is the power of God, crucifies your sinful nature and selfish will through repentance as follows:

■seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, as 1st priority, is an act of repentance and a cross to your selfish will
■turning away from evil, as you understand it, is an act of repentance and a cross to your selfish will
■you don't want to sit quietly every day to listen and watch, but if you do - it is a cross to your selfish will
if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Rev. 3:20

■you don't want to obey his commands that you hear, but if you repent- it is a cross to your selfish will
■you don't want to forgive injustices done to you, but you repent and forgive - a cross to your angry self
■you don't want to admit and regret what the Light shows your condition to be, but if you repent - it is a cross to your will
(In the Light, is where you get changed, where your peace increases, as you repent. This is where you abide in Him.)

■you don't want to give to others from your excess, but if you repent from your selfishness and give- it is a cross to your will
■you don't want to defer (deny self) to others, rather than insist on your way, but if you repent and defer - it is a cross to your will

This is the Inward Cross of Self-Denial

If any will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

This is the beginning of the cross. There is also suffering with the cross, for when you have been prepared sufficiently by his grace and teachings, you will enter tribulation, to further the death of your sinful nature. Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 1 Pet 4:1-2. Tribulation is not a hard day at the office, a car wreck, or some natural difficulty; it is unmistakably, supernaturally imposed. See How to Benefit from the Changing Power of God for more. (Also on the side bar).

For more understanding on the necessity of learning in silence, see George Fox's writing on Why Silence? (Also on the side bar).

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor 1:18. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, who are the enemies of the cross of Christ; their end is destruction, their God is their belly [lusts, passions, pleasures], and whose glory is in their shame, and they think on earthly things. Phil 3:18-19. The true gospel, the name of Jesus, and the cross are all the power of God to purify you through repentance with God's changing grace.

And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27

Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with him,
that our body of sin might be destroyed,
so that we would not serve sin any longer. Rom 6:6

Jesus said, If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. Mark 9:42-47. He doesn't want us to maim ourselves. He is illustrating how serious sin is. Jesus is desperately trying to tell us that to enter the Kingdom and escape hell, sin is not allowed - period. He knew false ministers with false gospels promising freedom to continue to sin would arise after he left.

Changes in our heart through the missing cross to purity can take away the desire of the hand, foot, and eye to cause us to sin.
Everyone is going to be purified; in this life by the cross, or in the next life with great pain and difficulty.
See Is there Hope for All for details.

Let no one think themselves unworthy to enter the Kingdom by repentance, for even the prostitutes and tax collectors were entering in Jesus' time. Matthew 21:31-32. The Holy Way...the simple ones and fools, shall not err in it and lose their way. Isa 35:8. For his return is to purified believers, in all generations, who have prepared the way of the Lord, making his paths straight, by repentance through grace, to crucify the sinful nature. His grace is sufficient for all men and women to enter, but first, we must all repent.

Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Luke 1:74. (Perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 4:18)

Many from "good, Bible-believing, Bible-loving churches," today say you can't hear God's voice any more. They say that is why we have the Bible, because God's voice cannot be heard any more. I say they can't hear God's voice because, like the Pharisees before them, they are so busy talking and reading scriptures they think guarantee them eternal life, that they are not listening. The Bible seekers say that since you can't hear his voice anymore, then the Bible is his sole record left for us. They say since it is impossible to hear his voice any more, you must study the Bible; don't waste you time trying to hear the Lord. They say studying the Bible, (their Word of God), is how to grow as a Christian. They say you must meditate on their "Word" to be taught by the Spirit; but that is like walking into a classroom and demanding the teacher answer all your questions, which rather limits the teacher's ability to teach you what he knows you need to know. So, rather than arrogantly demanding that the teacher follow your lead, just humbly listen for his teaching, allowing God to lead you and set the agenda.

They say the Bible is a closed book; that there are no more revelations to come, and then absurdly state if you were to write down what you hear Christ say to you, you are guilty and cursed for adding words to the Bible, for it says so in Revelation:

For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Rev 22:18-9

The book referred to above is the Book of Revelation, not the Bible. The warning is to not add to or delete from the prophecy of the Book of Revelation. When John wrote the Book of Revelation, 2000 years ago, the various letters and books of the Bibles had not even been selected for inclusion, much less assembled together, and the Bible was not even printed until 1516. These people have condemned Peter, Paul, Mark, Matthew, Luke, John, Jude, and James for adding words to the Torah, much of the Old Testament, which was the Bible then in use at the time that John wrote the Book of Revelation. These modern Pharisees are classic blind guides who strain gnats while swallowing camels. They worship the Bible as the Word of God, instead of worshiping the Living Word of God, Christ. Even the Bible speaks of scriptures and Word of God differently. They say the Bible is the final word of God, and a closed book; they say he no longer speaks. They perish for lack of knowledge. They are stone deaf and totally blind. The Bible is the letter. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Those who believe the Bible is the source of truth, making it their source of Jesus, making it their God, have made the Bible an idol. "Woe be to them, for they have coupled an external form between the love of God to man," (from the voice of the Lord). For more on how the Bible is worshiped, instead of Christ, read the astute testimony of the 18 year old Christian martyr, James Parnell.

I can understand defending the Bible as accurate and true. I zealously maintain the same position. But in addition to the words from the Holy Spirit penned by the prophets and Apostles, the Bible contains words spoken by Satan and several very evil men; such words are clearly not the Word of God.

Isaac Penington in The Great Apostasy said: "I dare boldly affirm, that men's reading of the scriptures in their own wisdom and self-confidence, (or confidence of what interpretation others have given), does them no good at all, but much harm, tending to the building up of what God will again destroy. But he that begins with the Spirit of God, giving himself up to that light which comes from Him, comes to true union with God, and to the feeling of the life, and so to a true growth and knowledge of the Spirit of God, by which he comes to know and understand the scriptures, which came from the same Spirit; and hereby also he comes to be able to measure the deceit of his own spirit, which formerly led him aside, and also to see and measure the spirits of deceivers. But he that is in the deceit, in the imagination, out of the true knowledge, he cannot know the deceit of his own spirit, or the spirits of deceivers; but calls the truth deceit, and the deceit truth."

The ministers of today are not in the same spirit of the Apostles, who spoke the word of God. The early church spoke what they heard God speak to them and spoke the words as given to them by the Spirit of God. But the ministers and preachers today, not having been purified by crucifying their sinful nature on the cross of Christ, speak from their carnal mind, and the carnal mind is enmity against God. Until their mind has been destroyed and renewed, their words are without life, and they speak from the nature of death. Rom 8:6-7. Your minister can be a great public speaker receiving the praise of men, but so did the false prophets of old. ( Luke 6:26). Just as George Fox said of the ministers of his era, the ministers of today have not come as far spiritually as Balaam's ass, who not only heard the Word of God, but spoke it. (Numbers 22:21-33). They are the Pharisaical false prophets of which Jesus warned us. But the Apostles, and the early church, spoke the word of God from the Spirit of God; here are some scriptural references to the Apostles speaking the Word of God: which definitely are not related to reading the Bible, for it didn't exist until 1500 years later: ( Prophesy is to preach; to instruct in religious doctrines; to interpret or explain Scripture or religious subjects; to exhort.)

1.1 Cor 2:13
This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom,
but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
This should end any controversy. The Apostles spoke the Word of God. When someone speaks the Word, it is with Spirit.
They spoke truths in spiritual words taught to them by the Spirit of Christ. We must be taught by the same Spirit today. When they spoke, they spoke with the Spirit of God, for they had sufficient Spirit not only to hear, but to speak - often in real-time.
The Spirit of Christ speaks to us precisely in language we understand and particularly to the specific conditions in our hearts.
When we are purified and authorized, we will be able to speak from the Spirit the Word of God too. But not until then.
Our carnal mind has to be destroyed and replaced by the mind of Christ. This is not done by studying the Bible.
There are some of you who still believe that words read from a book are equal to hearing God speak to you; but even if you believe that, you can't possibly believe that the book can function as Christ the Light, which exposes the conditions and motives in your heart, revealing them to you visually; for all things that are reproved are made manifest [revealed] by the light. For whatever reveals is light, Eph 5:13-14; and you have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. Psa 90:8


2.Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (These people spoke the Word of God from the Holy Spirit within them.)


3.Acts 5:19-20
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.


4.Acts 6:2
Then the Twelve gathered all the disciples to them, and said, "It would not be reasonable that we should neglect the word of God, and serve tables."


5.Acts 6:7
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.


6.Acts 8:14
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.


7.Acts 8:25
When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages


8.Acts 11:1
The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.


9.Acts 12:24
But the word of God continued to increase and spread.


10.Acts 13:5
When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues; and they also took John [whose surname was Mark] as their helper.


11.Acts 13:7
who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.


12.Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles."


13.Acts 13:44
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.


14.Acts 13:48
When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.


15.Acts 15:35-36
But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."


16.Acts 17:13
When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.


17.Acts 18:11
So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.


18.Acts 19:10
This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.


19.Acts 19:20
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.


20.Acts 20:32
"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."


21.Acts 22:14
And he said, The God of our forefathers has destined and appointed you to come progressively to know His will [to perceive, to recognize more strongly and clearly, and to become better and more intimately acquainted with His will], and to see the Righteous One (Jesus Christ, the Messiah), and to hear a voice from His own mouth and a message from His own lips.


22.Romans 10:8
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming.


23.1 Corinthians 14:36
Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?

George Fox, the original founder of the Quakers, (the Quakers today have lost the cross too), also spoke the Word of the Lord while living in paradise, the Kingdom of God. Click here to see his many wonderful, powerful statements from the presence of the Lord.

For more information on blind guides, who Christ said we should leave, click here.

Yes, God speaks through the Living Word, Christ. The Bible is not the Living Word, Christ. The Bible is the words of the saints who wrote down their words. Those who believe the Bible is the source of truth, (making it their source of Jesus, making it their God), have made the Bible an idol. God still speaks to us. He is the Light that lights all men. How can grace teach us unless we listen? You must be quiet to hear him. He told us: do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him, Mat 6:7-8; he knows what you want; he will answer your needs, but maybe not all your wants. You don't even need to form words for him to know everything you want. Of course, we often can't help ourselves and must pour out our words to Him; but remember, silence will communicate too; plus you can then hear what he has to say to you.

Much more information is available on this site. Look at the side bar at the top of the page, click to go back to the top.

For more information on whether you should continue to patronize sects without the true gospel, click here.

See How to Benefit from the Changing Power of God for more on listening for God's teaching and receiving his changing, purifying grace.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
John 10:27

He is the Rewarder of those Who Diligently Seek Him! Heb.11:6
Diligence - continually attending to and striving to achieve a goal; laborious; persevering.

He Awaits You!
(also from the voice of the Lord)