It was in the early morning of the 28th of July prior to my cool of the day meeting between 2am to 3am when the small still voice spoken and heard woke me up saying, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. John 10:27. Whether it is for warning against the wolves in sheep clothing (which I don’t think it is the case in my present situation) or spoken to awaken my consciousness and discernment to the guidance and present purpose of God (which I think could probably be the case) there is absolutely nothing as soothing to gladdens the believer’s heart for his constant comfort and increasing confidence in his pilgrim journey and spiritual warfare through the reassurance of the word of the voice of the word of God (and though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: and your ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Isaiah 30:20-21) in what the bible calls the comfort of the scriptures, that through them (for whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4) we may abound in hope in the patience waiting for Christ despite the multitudes of thoughts as the result many un-answered questions in the heart (who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. When I said, my foot slipped; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Psalms 94:16-19): but nonetheless, we are of the Lord’s, we belongs to him, that whether we sleeps or awake, we should live together with him now and forever. Psalms 139:18. 1 Thessalonians 5:10.
This voice of the scriptures given by the spirit of God (John 6:63) could also be to re-focus the attention on the guidance of the spirit, not to be carried away by any external distraction of the enemy who is also busy to misguide if the focus and attention is successfully taken away by him through any of his side attractions just as Peter sank into the sea as soon as he removed his focus away from Christ who bids him come to walk on the water because of the noise and sight of the boisterous wind of the sea.  Matthew 14:30. We have a covenant relationship with God in Christ Jesus, but God is faithful and steadfast by whom we are called unto the fellowship of his Son to accomplish what he has begun in us till the day of Christ if we can only understand the expectations of Christ from the sheep as he expressed before the Jews on the characters, discernment and the determination of the sheep to follow their shepherd wherever he leads or brings them so that the promise and the assurance of the Father to keep them to the end should not be breach against as Christ is confidence that no man shall be able to pluck them out of his hand because of the power and greatness of the heavenly Father that lives in them. Note: let the sheep learn of the Father’s nature, doings, ways and characters if they shall not be drawn away from Christ, lest by false lips reliance on Christ, they should drift away from the will of the Father which the Son has purposely came down from heaven to reveal: that without reservation or concealment avoid and reject any teaching, preaching or any spiritual exercise and edification which does not in any way promote increasing exercising themselves in transforming godliness (1 Timothy 4:7): look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 2 John 8-11.
The servant of God (hireling) who once started well can change to compromise for the enemy to perform below the expectations of his commission for whatever gain and interest if he is not mindful of Christ interests (but I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. Philippians 2: 19-21) to abide in the vine which is Christ, the eternal unchanging word of God. The true sheep (not the goat, neither the spiritual babes who are unskillful in the word of righteousness and truth, tossed to fro by every winds of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive) of Christ pasture would not set the under shepherd authority (obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. Hebrews 13:17-18) above the authority of the chief shepherd (feed the flock which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by contraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock: and when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory. 1 Peter 5: 2-4) who has appointed such to feed his sheep. They are obedient and yielding to all the scriptures profitable for teaching, correction, rebuke, reproof and instructions in righteousness in their pursuit to attain unto the full knowledge of the Son of God, knowing fully well that eternal life is in the growing knowledge of the scriptures – the word of life. Have they not been commanded to add knowledge to their faith and virtue, so shall never fall? for so an entrance shall be ministered unto them abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  John 5:59. 2 Peter 1:5-11.
 
The sheep tremble and genuinely weep (Isaiah 66:5; Nehemiah 8:9) before the living word of God in their deepest emotional reverence to rejoice as one who finds great treasure (Psalms 119:162) and they made known of their love to God in the application of the sanctifying word sent to make them free and pure while awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom – Christ. They are not in any way ever think to wrestle with the scriptures, for they receive it, not as the word of man, but as it is true, the word of God which works effectively in them that believes (1 Thessaloninas 2:13) or to strive and persecute the faithful servants (am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Galatians 4:16) sent for the truth sake just as the carnal and sensual erring sheep (brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20) and goats are doing in their vain hope to get to heaven; but their submission to any spiritual leader who is set over them is conditionally based on the submission of such leader to the word of God (pay close attention to your life and to the teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing, you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16) and of his faithful proclamation and diffusion of the word of truth in its entirety – and this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. 2 Corinthians 8:5.
There is a voice of Christ word discernable and known by the sheep through the sound doctrine of the true hireling (pastor or teacher of the word) who will not shun to declare unto the precious souls redeemed by the blood of Christ the whole counsel of God (wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Acts 20:26-27): wherever these men are found, there shall the sheep singularly graze or seek to be fed, seeking for the good of the house of their God and for the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace in such a place. This is the assembly of them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart; this are the people you will see in the company of the sheep, having scrutinized their inner circle to associate with them that love the truth because the voice of Christ is the voice of truth, him being the truth personified as the God of truth without iniquity – flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Note: let us all pray to discover the farmland of our eternal Boaz where his true servants will do exactly as they were commanded even as Ruth was led and instructed to glean only from the vineyard of Boaz, the true, faithful and caring kinsman. Ruth 2:8-9. 2 Timothy 2:22.
 
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…..these have known the truth that set them free and are no more servants of sin, but of righteousness. They walk, defend and abide in the truth to continue therein, able to differentiate the differences from the voice of the their own flesh that wages war against the soul, discern against the voice of sin, the voice of the world, the voice of demons and of Satan, the voice of false teachers, false pastors, false evangelists, false bishops, false apostles, false brethren, and of the false miracle workers from the voice of Christ. Where ever the true Christ is preached and found, there you’ll see them, and thus they follow him, not into the congregation of unrepentant believers (synagogues of Satan) with the form of godliness, but are denying the power thereof, but into the assembly of the spirits of just men made perfect who always yearn for more truth to be revealed that they might apply for the santifcation of spirit (1 Peter 1:2) and cry out everyday unto heaven, Lord evermore give us this bread (then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:32-35) to be made perfect and complete in all the will of God. The sheep are not in any earthly comfort zone which they cannot sacrifice or give up to follow Christ wherever he chooses or desires of them to be (verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. John 12:24-26) because the wind blows where it wants to and we hear sounds thereof, but cannot tell where it’s comes from or where it’s going next, so likewise a man that is born of the spirit. John 3:8. This is the way they are walking worthy of God unto all pleasing with all longsuffering and joyfulness in the spirit, just the same way Enoch once walked with him and we see him no more because he had the testimony that he pleased God and was taken away alive to heaven. This is the way they’re pursuing after eternal life as they are commanded to lay hold on eternal life by seeking after the meat which endures (able to energize them) to eternal life which the Son of God has given them. John 6:26-27.
Many have been falsely misled out of the old way which is the straight gate and narrow way leading to heaven unto the broad way and wide gate which is leading to destruction, while many have been weaken to perish and die in the way because they have chosen to feed on the deadly and corrupt spiritual food from the tables of the false teachers (I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:1-4) and to follow after their pernicious ways, of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of: but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingered not, and their damnation slumbered not. 2 Peter 2: 1-3.
Note: though the greater One lives in us and the power of God is unlimited as the almighty Father, but we can restraint the effectiveness of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him up from dead in our personal experience and testimony if we would not be mindful that there is no profit whatsoever in the flesh than to seek to walk constantly and continually under the law of the spirit of life in Christ which has made us free from the law of sin and death, lest by continual sowing to the flesh, our flesh by its works and the pleasure of it we tolerate to enjoy, and not God, should remove us from his sight in the harvest of eternal corruption awaiting those who are currently sowing to the flesh, though they are in Christ Jesus. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand…the flesh (like it did deny Adam and Eve of the eternal presence of God and the fruit of life) cannot pluck them away from God if they shall seek to have grace to deny it and bring it under subjection, lest after having preached to others, they should not be a cast away. If they shall abide to keep themselves in the love of God (but ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 2 Thessalonians 3:5. Jude 1:20-21) and in the patient waiting for Christ, having being saved by hope, they should patiently wait for it (Romans 8:24-25) lest they should walk contrary and be moved away from the hope of the gospel preached unto them according to that which they have received from the beginning (Colossians 1:23): let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 1 John 2:24-29. Satan roams with noise around seeking whom he may devour, but unless the sheep submit themselves to God (which is their tender nature received from their tender shepherd in his gentle guiding of his sheep) in their duties and ways, they should not expect Satan to flee from them or to have victory over him. Whosoever is born is born of God would not practice sin, but whosoever is born of God will keeps himself and the wicked one shall not touch him: though he touches him, but it shall be in vain for there is no weapon fashioned against him that walks and is established in the righteousness of God that shall ever prosper.