God provides prophets who are the voice of God for us.  They tell people what God says.  God punishes those who do not listen to the prophets and He also punishes the prophet who teaches people things in God’s name that He did not really say.  Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise from God.  A prophet who teaches with the real authority of God.

We are influenced by a lot of things in our lives.  The people around us, television, news media, God, angels and demons and Satan all contribute voices to our lives and influence our free will in our choices.  Satan is the father of lies and his demons constantly bombard us with lies that make us doubt our self worth, doubt God’s love and even cause us to make choices and do things that we don’t even want to do.  We have all heard those voices that influence our decisions.  It can be very difficult to do the right thing and make sound decisions when you are constantly bombarded with lots of voices telling you what is and isn’t right or good.

God promised Moses that he would provide a prophet who would be His voice and tell people everything He says.  Jesus is such a prophet in the Gospel this Sunday.  Jesus speaks with authority that he has from God.  His words are so powerful because he speaks as, and for, God.  So powerful is his authority that even the demons obey his command.  People who witnessed Jesus expel a demon from a man’s body in the Gospel according to Mark were shocked!

God does not allow people to become possessed, it can only happen if we allow it and we have forgotten how much God loves us.  We can remember that God is our protection when we pray “lead us not into temptation and deliver us from every evil”.

Jesus is always with us, that was his promise to us long ago.  We need only open our hearts and minds to his presence and his great love and pray for freedom from temptations that might cause us to do what is not what Jesus would want us to do.  It sounds easy, but is actually very, very difficult.  It is very important, therefore, to be able to distinguish from whom the truth comes to us.  There are people we can trust to be truthful, and people we cannot.

Jesus IS truth, and listening to Jesus will never put you wrong! LISTEN for the TRUTH!

Our Psalm this week is Psalm 95: If Today You Hear His Voice, Harden Not Your Hearts.  On this link to the "LicenSing" page, drop down and choose a music setting, i.e. congregational, guitar & choir, or keyboard.  In the center of the next page is a box with the music "Play" button (at bottom of box) to listen to the entire song, and "Download" buttons (on the right) for .pdf of the setting style you prefer.  Ex.:  I would usually choose "Guitar & Choir" initially, and download the "Guitar Accompaniment/Choir  PDF".