Are you listening ( 4 ) ( Luke 12 v 13 - 21 )

 We continue considering the words of Proverbs 8 v 34 - 36,which promises a blessing on those who listen to God's wisdom,not just listening but with a desire to find true wisdom.A few years ago, my wife and I went to see ,'Les Miserables',during the performance a lady next to me was making funny noises,it was disturbing people around her,but so intent was I in what was being performed on stage ,I did not take much notice of  what that lady was doing. Such should be our intent in gaining godly wisdom.Godly wisdom leads to life,ungodly wisdom lead to death.The worlds wisdom is to just focus on the world and its ways, get enough money and retire to sunny places.We read of such a man in Luke 12 v 13 - 21, he had everything,well he thought he had,you see, he was rich and prosperous,and he said to himself,''You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat , drink, and be merry''.Many can identify with that man,that's were so many people want to get to.Yes he had a good nest egg set aside , the sweet life beckoned,but then the voice of God speaks,'You fool,this very night your soul shall be required of you'. Jesus said ,'Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions'.Dear friend don't be a fool, seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near,turn to Christ before it is to late.

Faith ( Romans 10 v 17 )

 Many people are like Thomas ,the one who would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead,after all ,when you are dead you are dead.He would not believe ,even when his fellow disciples told him,'we have seen the Lord', but Thomas rejected what they said,after all Jesus died a terrible death,on a cross,now it was finished,it is not rational,there is no sense to it.He wanted proof and the only proof was to actually see Jesus not only see him but  he had see the nail marks in his hands ,and put his finger where the nails were; and put his hand into his side ( John 20 v 25 ). To him Jesus was dead ,and that was it,no matter what anybody said,he would not believe.There is a saying which goes,'convince a man against his will , and he remaineth of that opinion still'.Many people doubt ,refuse to believe in the resurrection,and so do not believe in Jesus,the other disciples had seen the risen Saviour,I wonder before that happened,did they believe?,it is interesting that when Jesus appeared to them,He showed  them,his hands, and his side,to confirm to that it was really him.All Thomas was saying he wanted that also,and wonder of wonders ,Jesus obliged,and Thomas believed.Yes he believed because he saw. But Jesus went on to say to  Thomas,    ''because you have seen me,you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed ( John 20 v 29 ) William Hendriksen writes,'' Faith that results from seeing is good; but faith which results from hearing is more excellent''.

Are you listening? ( 3 ) Wisdom . ( 2 Timothy 3 v 15 - 16 )

 Proverbs 8 v 34 - 36, reads ,'Blessed is the man who listens to me,watching daily at my doors,waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favour from the Lord. But whoever fails to find me, harms himself; all who hate me love death.'The book of Proverbs is about the importance of  finding  God's wisdom,and the blessing that comes with it.The world is full of people who are wise in their own eyes,that is called worldly wisdom, this is from the proud in heart.On considering wisdom the most important wisdom I believe is being wise unto salvation. The Apostle Paul writing to a young man called Timothy, writes,' and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.Christian parent remember the most important thing your children  need  is not a university education,but to be taught the Word of God,that they may become wise unto salvation,by accepting Christ as their Saviour.

Are you listening ? ( 2 ) ( Revelation 9 v 20 - 21 )

 When Stephen was contending for the faith before Jewish leaders,there came a point ,that they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him ,and when he said, ''I see heaven open and the Son of  Man  standing at the right hand of God'',they covered heir ears.It appears to me that I live in a society that has covered their ears to the voice of God.Oh yes their ears are uncovered to what the world is saying,and what Satan is saying.Why did people listen to the rantings of Hitler?, they were blinded by their prejudices and their pride, and that he had taken them out of poverty. Stephen said to those Jewish leaders,''you always resist the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute,'' (7 v 51 - 52) and he adds how they murdered Jesus the righteous one ,Jesus.I wonder are your ears covered,Martin Luther was a brilliant law student,one day as he was riding a horse,he was caught up in an electric storm.Lighting bolts were everywhere,when suddenly one struck the ground near him,and he fell of his horse,uninjured but   shaken, he cried out to God,'' I will become a monk''.I wonder what it will  take for this world ,this nation,this town,and you, before you listen to God?.

Are you listening?. ( 1 ) ( Hebrews 4 v 7 )

 I had finished reading ,but had not really concentrated on what I read, I am sure we all do this,when I was working,which involved  a lot of driving,sometimes  one didn't concentrate. How many people pray and sing hymns without concentration ,mouth the words,but that's all they are doing,just mouthing words.  In Matthew 11 v 15, Jesus says this,''Whoever has ears,let him hear''.Your wife is talking to you ,when  suddenly she stops talking, and says ,''you are not listening to me'',and then you reply,'' I was'',but you weren't. We smile, because we have all done it,but when Jesus spoke ,and speaks,it is vital that he is listened to. Many of the people Jesus dealt with, had their own agenda,a mind set that refused to listen to what he had to say .When the J Ws  call at ones door, they have a mind set,the result is they are not really listening,to what you have to say,they are  spiritually deaf of course.Often people turn off, when one witness'es to them,they don't want to hear.There will come a day when people will stand before Christ,and protest we did not hear you speaking,Jesus will reply,every time you passed by a church building ,I was speaking, every time Christmas came I was speaking,every time  Easter came, I was speaking,every time you saw a cross I was speaking,every  time you where offered a gospel tract I was speaking, every time you attended a funeral I was speaking Yes I was speaking,but you were not listening.

Are you Jesus? ( 1 Samuel 12 v 1 - 5 )

 Jeremiah that OT prophet who was called to minister to Judah which included also the small tribe of Benjamin ,although they are anonymous.So for 40 yrs he did just that,it was a very difficult calling,he is called the weeping prophet.The wonderful thing was ,he was faithful,faithfulness is what God requires from those who know Christ as Saviour. That was a big challenge for Jeremiah,he experienced many difficulties,he had to tell the people things they didn't want to hear.Again dear Christian we are all called to tell people things they don't want to hear. R.K.Harrison writing about the true prophet says, they laid exemplary lives,and that the divine word within them was like a fire which consumed whatever was unworthy and made them persons of absolute integrity'. Likewise for all Christians ,our lives should show the reality of what it means to be a Christian,What does that mean?, it means we are to be honest, morally upright,manifesting good works ( Mt 5 v 16). A little boy went up to a missionary and asked him,are you Jesus?,of course he wasn't Jesus,but we should show forth in some degree Jesus in our lives.

It is raining. ( Psalm 30 v 5 )

The summer is gone,so we are getting more grey wet days,it  seems we have an attitude that its only a nice day if the sun shines.I suppose that's why many people go and live in sunny countries. Sometimes when it  rains I am reminded of words from an old Al  Jolson song, called, 'April showers', 'Though April showers  may come your way ,they bring the flowers that bloom in May.So if it's raining have no regrets,because it is'nt rain you know,it's raining violets. And when you see clouds upon the hills,you soon will see clouds of daffodils.So keep on looking for a Blue Bird,and listening for a song,when ever April showers come along'. What the writer is saying look beyond  those showers,as to what they produce,take those who are enduring terrible trials,I have just been reading about recently ,how Christians in Islamic countries who are   suffering dreadfully.It is the apostle Paul who suffered so much,was guided by God's Holy Spirit to write  'we also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance,  perseverance,character, and character, hope.( Romans 5 v 3 - 4 )John Stott writes,' Suffering can  be productive,if we respond to it, positively, and not with anger or bitterness'.Most of all it produces ,hope,a hope that does not disappoint us.J S further writes,'What is the ultimate ground on which our Christian hope rests, our hope of glory.?. The reason our hope  will never let us down is that God will never let us down. His love will never give us up', Charles Swindoll writes,'We need to listen. In the sound of the rain, the Spirit of God sings silent lyrics with a distinct rhythm,discernible only to our souls through the ears of faith'.