Hosanna Restoration Church

The woman at the well had such an exciting experience with Jesus that she ran home and told everyone about it. As a result, many people believed because of what she said. They in turn ran out to see Him and begged Him to stay for a while and so He stayed for two days. At the end of His stay they informed the woman that they now believed because they had heard Him themselves and not just because of what she said. They were not putting her down they were simply agreeing that what she first believed was in fact true.

I have been greatly blessed on each and every trip that I have taken to Russia. There has never been a time when God has not added to His kingdom. Like the woman, I love to tell people of the love of Jesus and the Kingdom of God and it thrills me each time that someone is saved. However, I am even more thrilled when someone comes and tells me that they now believe because they have heard Him themselves.

Often people will be stirred the message of the Good News of the kingdom and they will accept Jesus as their Savior. But unlike the Samaritans, they do not go on and beg Jesus to talk to them. Sadly many people are even taught that they should not expect to hear Him for themselves. Even though God told us that Jesus was His beloved Son and that we should hear Him.

Because people do not hear Him for themselves, they often lose that love for the truth. Hearing about something can only satisfy for so long, but experiencing it for yourself is what changes your life. This is true for both good and bad experiences. It is a sad but true fact, that people often learn things best the hard way. For example, some people never learn respect for authority, while others finally learn it in prison. Some are fortunate and catch a vision for it from their first spanking.

Now to get back to hearing God; There is according to the Word of God, a father of this world who is known as the father of lies. There is one true God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One who claims to be the creator of the Universe. Jesus is the only Savior who made Himself equal with us so that He could right judge and save the world. And He is the only one who encourages us to hear for ourselves.

Other religions, whose father is the same one who was thrown out of heaven, expect their followers to just do what Mohammed or Budah or someone has written down. They are not encouraged to hear for themselves and consequently they blow themselves up, or worship a rock or some other strange thing. They are expected to follow blindly rather than hearing for themselves.

Jesus said we should hear His voice.