WHAT DO YOU HEAR?
Rev.2:7 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches...WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????
I hear the panicked sound of demons as they scurry to steal, kill, and destroy before they are bound. I hear the whole world preoccupied with this world as they neglect the world to come. I hear the cackles of Lucifer's legions as they mock God's people and their anemic commitment to the Savior Himself. I hear the satisfied groans of Satan as his massive deceptive shift from the unseen to the seen has produced results far beyond his expectations. I hear the clinking of coins as believers lay treasures upon treasures on this earth. I hear the echoes of the empty prayer closets and the silence of the unturned pages of God's Word. I hear the constant sound of the last sands of the hourglass hitting the bottom but void of the bold prophets of God unashamedly calling us to prepared repentance.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR????????????
I hear the vows of men to men and women to women pledging their marital commitment to each other while I hear God's spouses breaking theirs. I hear the silent screams of unborn babies being murdered alive in their own mother's wombs while the sound of computer keyboards in the houses of God's people check their portfolios. I hear Israel's enemies gathering around her and the church calls no solemn assembly with prayer and fasting. I hear hell giggle as preachers tell stories and jokes and congregations leave feeling good about their situation without ever knowing what it means to be under the mighty Sword of God's Word. I hear 150,000 souls slip into a tormented eternity ever single day while we sleep on dry, careless pillows.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????
I hear a church whose footsteps seek the things of this present world. I hear slander and gossip and lies and scorn and self righteousness and all sorts of unwholesome words. I hear fairy tales told by hollow men who claim to speak for God and yet live for themselves. I hear automobile engines as they run to Sunday gatherings anxious to have their ears tickled once again. I hear moaning and groaning, not in prayer but in response to economic conditions. I hear the sounds of the powerless expressions of Christ’s church which are fueled by the flesh and not the Spirit.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????
I hear a faint but growing, guttural, powerful roar in the distance as if coming from a magnificent, celestial Lion. It's permeating the atmosphere, connecting with the spiritual ears of His pride, and sounding out a warning of impending doom to all His enemies. He has already marked His territory and the sound of His gigantic paws grows closer and closer. He started with a determined walk two thousand years ago, began to gain speed through the centuries, and He now runs with His fiery eyes fixed and with justice dripping from His tremendous jaws from which He will roar out His irresistible and powerful Word to the four corners of the Earth. I hear His enemies turn their heads in fear as they recognize the gathering storm in the distance is rapidly coming to fulfill the destruction which this Lion has promised to all who oppose Him. All will tremble, all will wonder, all will bow before Him on that great and terrible day.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????
I hear the growing echo of "Behold He Comes" surrounding this Mighty Lion of Judah as He snorts great clouds of wrath from His nostrils!! His subjects prepare to welcome Him with waves of regal worship as this Lion King promenades through His victory. I hear the voice of Judah's Lion beckon for His rightful bride with a wave of His nail-pierced paw, and I hear Him lovingly purr "Come up with Me". I hear a blood bought lioness brought before her Worthy Bridegroom and prostrate herself in love and worship, and I hear this August Lion say "Well done thou good and faithful servant" to His bride.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????
I hear this Lion breathing, panting, speaking, and coming, shaking out God's glory from His massive mane and with all the armies of heaven His entourage. I hear the clarion call of this Holy Lion's Spirit commanding His pride, "Awake from your sleep and arise! The battle is joined, run to it in My power. Put aside your worthless toys and glorify My Name. Away from your shaded places of rest and pleasure and spoil the enemy's camp. Speak what I speak, walk as I walk, shout my name in the heavenlies, stay under the banner of my blood, and be filled with My Spirit. Count it an honor to give your very life for Me and be assured My reward is with Me! I will avenge my enemies, and all who follow Me will share!!"
WHAT DO YOU HEAR...........ANYTHING? IF NOT, YOU BETTER LISTEN.
I've been hearing some things today, too.
ReplyDeleteSomething began stirring in me yesterday so today I listened to my audio Bible go through the book of Leviticus. Yesterday I was listening to a podcast about the thinking that marriage today as being peddled by some is valid because what has evolved in society these days is so different than in the days of Moses or in the days of Jesus they never addressed today's issues when they were comprehending their respective worlds.
Here's some of what I've been hearing:
Leviticus 18:24 "Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,
25 and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.
And
Acts 3:22 Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.
23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.'
24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.
25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'
God is still in the family blessing business!
What seems clear is the more things change the more things stay the same. And that being said I'm convinced God is actively working in the world exactly the same today by His Power and Grace as He was in the days when Leviticus and the book of Acts were written. Nothing has changed in one sense while a lot has changed for modernity in another sense!
This leaves me trembling at His Word as I ponder this too:::>
1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
That's what I'm hearing! There is still available to those who hear the forgiveness of sins and a blessed life thereafter in repentance that leads back to the Gospel!
What do I hear?
ReplyDeleteI hear the cries of the bretheran for there is no fellowship of true believers. I hear the calls to godly men from spiritual widows and orphaned children. I hear the error of new babes in Christ because there is no one teaching Law and Gospel, Repentance and Forgiveness. I hear the click clack of heals as the church pulpits are infiltrated by women preachers because men of God are weak in conviction.
I hear the young men and woman running after the teachers of apostasy as parents stand idly by. I hear the footsteps of the church as they pass by those suffering. I hear the praise and worship of man instead of the Praise and Worship of God.
I hear my own cries as I see my family being taken away to judgment and eternal torture. I hear the lie of my knees telling me they are to stiff to bend in repentance and a contrite spirit or to pray and worship as I should. I hear my heart break as I imagine the Lord saying to me, "depart from me, I know you not." I feel the terror in my belly of this happening because I can't get this following Jesus right. I hear the roar of the Lion and the judgment to come. I hear the laughter of satan because I have failed Jesus yet again. I hear my own voice tell me I deserve whatever i get for my lack of faith.
your sister in Christ Jesus
Amen. Thank you Lord.
ReplyDeleteJ.
What do I hear? I hear the teaching that if you know the Lord now He will never say to you "depart from me, I know you not."
ReplyDeleteAnd I hear the good news that the judgment to come for true believers is something beneficial for them.
God bless you!
Wonderful words of life!
ReplyDeleteDo you know what I hear? I hear that all miracles come from the Lord God of the Bible. Truly He sends the rain. He provides the air, light and sunlight.
Faith, hope and love are His magnificent gifts also to us.
Do you know, treasured reader, who does this? Do you know that His name is the Word of God?
Do you know that He came to earth and died an agonising death at the hands of His own creation to offer us a way home?
Do you know, searcher for truth that man's true home is in His holy presence.
O yes, He is the God of miracles who can cure any illness known to man.
He died at Calvary for you and me. He died to offer us enduring hope and those who wholeheartedly desire to trust and obey Him will find themselves truly blessed by Him.
This person whose name is above all names is found in the holy Bible.
His name is Jesus which means God is our salvation. He is the truth and only speaks the truth. He is the Messiah and eternal God.
He is God with us. His very name Emmanuel testifies precisely to His true identity.
Miracles pour forth graciously from the risen Lord, the good shepherd of our soul.
He can turn an unthankful person into a thankful person. He can turn a cold, callous person into a compassionate, loving person.
Now that's a miracle!
Josef Sefton
Let's praise the Prince of Purity, for He is truly worthy of the highest praise of all!
Where to begin?
ReplyDeleteI hear christians strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, and publicly judge non-believers and expect behavior from them that only Christ through His Holy Spirit can convict. I hear christians focus on unbelievers' sins, never focusing on the Church's sins. Voices are heard in the pulpits condemning men who've never had a Damascus Road meeting with our Lord yet. They could have a true born-again experience with our Lord in future, but are being brow-beaten by my brethren for not following the 10 commandments. It's like a broken record, seeing the pointed fingers and condemnation from the lips of those who should know better, day after day, and it's those christians with a public platform that condemn and condemn, with a wicked smile on their faces. They would prefer watching an unbeliever go to hell, in fact, enjoy it, and fold their arms and step back and watch the spiritual and physical execution, feeling justified. Because of this un-Christ-like behavior, I hear those who are seeking God feel repulsed by the slander and hate by my brethren, and they become angry with our Lord, and may never have a chance to repent, or seek His face, as their soul might be required today. I hear my footsteps running to a cave, because there's no spiritual manna, even on 'christian' news and magazine sites. If we try to reason with other saints, they turn on us, stereotype us as 'liberals' or communists, and always add a political slant to their argument, being instant in season, out of season and doing it with Christ's love. No love in their sentiments at all.
It's grievous to hear a christian call out an unbeliever for his lack of faith, or his lack of understanding, or his sin, without ever acknowledging their sin, (which they seem to believe they don't have). Do they feel their gospel mission is accomplished on earth, and they are now God's policemen and judges on earth, and the Lord hasn't even returned yet? So many that take control of the Lord's Plan of Salvation and twist it into a new kind of Inquisition.
It's so hard to hear all this, including what Cherie mentions in her post. I hear my own convictions too, and they are loud and clear. Paul's words: "wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."2Tim.2-9-10
J.
I see the statement "come out from among them" applies to Constantine when he rebuilt the walls and re-established men in costumes standing behind podiums, to bind the souls of men. I see Christ decreasing and men increasing. I see hirelings everywhere, charging for what has been given to them freely. I see love being used as an excuse to remain silent, as if John the Baptist never said "repent", or Christ never said "go and sin no more". I see people still attached to Babylon, thinking they are on the correct path. I see because of Him, may we all have our vision correct by the Head Eye Doctor.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I hear. I hear that still small voice that says give Me your all, take up your cross and follow Me. I hear that still small voice that speaks to an assembly of two that have a heart and mind set on following the commandments of Jesus Christ. Jesus says “Do you love Me?”, “feed My lambs”. Jesus says “Do you love Me?”, “tend My sheep”. Jesus says “Do you love Me?”, “feed My sheep”. Jesus says “Do you love Me?”, “follow Me”.
ReplyDeleteCherie C, you most of all now understand that we do not have to be at a certain building or place on a set day of the week to worship God.
John 4:21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
:22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Cherie, you need to pray that God will guide you to another woman that may or may not be able to get around like you can. A corporate body only needs two in agreement together to be an assembly. Remember the 23rd Psalms, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Cherie, do not depend on this internet to have fellowship with other believers, it is not personal. I think it won’t be too long and the un-godly will be crying foul about all the religious stuff on the internet. It interferes with the garbage that is there.
Joel
Amazing post Pastor Rick. Jesus still lives in the minds and hearts of those who truly love Jesus Christ. So edified in my faith today to be loved by our King, simply a miracle to have another breath to breathe.
ReplyDelete"Let everything that has breath praise our LORD." Psalm 150
In our busy-ness and preoccupations and daily lives, most keep heads down, just trying to survive. Above our heads in the air, the principalities of the air are busy too, tempting and trapping men's hearts to put fear in men's hearts, play politics, play war heroes, saviors, and lie. There are big lies being spread to put men in fear, television ads telling people they can depend on medications to prevent fear, depression, physical pain, all dysfunctions, the right leaders, etc. The enemy whispers to us that death can be prevented, aging can be prevented, beauty can be altered and permanent, pain can be controlled with drugs, guns can prevent crime, politicians can save jobs, investments, and preachers can save our souls and we can eat drink and be merry. We hear men throwing mud in each other's faces, falsely accusing, destroying families and reputations, lying, lying and more lying. The worst part of it, is these liars say they serve Christ.
ReplyDeleteThe loud noises are getting louder and we can't just cover our ears anymore, those of us, who just want to live peaceably with our neighbors. Provocateurs and contentious men are getting rewarded and the poor working man is being mocked. The poor are falsely being mocked by rich men. If they have needs, they are told they are lazy. Every time I hear this negativity, it robs me of joy. Where do I turn to stay away for some refreshing of my soul? I can't trust pastors anymore; their primary goal is to gain more members in their church, where they view new members as collateral with wallets.
I know communing with our Lord is the only way to spiritually survive, but, we need to all be put in a room together, and, as a Body, reach out to our God, in praise and worship, and seek His face, together. I pray that each one of us find fellowship with christians, like the first church saints, who go to an upper room, being the two or three or two or three hundred praising Him and loving Him together as it says it will be done in heaven. I miss those days, where men were so touched by the Lord's spirit that they were on their knees weeping, and God's Holiness was felt throughout the meeting, a real reverence and awe. As fleshly humans, Jesus knows we need this; and knows we need constant renewal and His constant living waters flowing out of our bellies. It's not just poetry, it's real, and I've felt those living waters, and am sure you all have, and I just wish to return to that river.
We are in a dry dry place. I pray we all find fellowship in our own communities, for those of us that haven't found it yet. There is nothing too hard for God to accomplish.
J.
Why is it we are always looking for relief? What does "take up your cross and follow me" mean to you? It means to suffer. Yes suffer.
ReplyDeleteWhen I post a comment here that speaks of some of what is going on in my life, I am sharing with my brothers and sisters things that I do not share with everyone, not even my own family because they will not understand. From some of the responses here I am beginning to think some of my brothers and sisters also don't understand.
"Cherie, you need to pray that God will guide you to another woman that may or may not be able to get around like you can"
Joel, what is that supposed to mean? That sentence? I do not know how to take that suggestion.
There are those here that seem to never live with anguish, or doubt, or hurt, or loneliness, or sadness. It is all happy sunshine and roses. Well, I don't "feel" that way very often. And I think that is okay.
I know the Word speaks of joy, the Joy of the Lord. I know the Word speaks of being content in abundance and in want. But what the Word speaks of mostly is sharing in His sufferings.
I have joy on occasion, but I am not happy here. I also don't need to be directed to find "another woman that may or may not be able to get around like you can" whatever that means. I just need my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus to understand and share in my tears and joys, as I do with you. Some of the comments her bring me to tears for one of two reasons, what you've written has touched me deeply and I want to either shout for joy for you, or give you a hug. Or, I want to weep because of the error, gross or minor because it may lead you astray. Most of all because of the hard hearts I see from some who are here.
Joel, you are my brother in Christ Jesus and I love you, but sometimes I just don't understand you dear brother. And from your response, I can see I baffle you at times too. Please forgive me if I cause you not to understand me clearly. Sometimes a gesture of kindness is all I need or a portion of Scripture for my particular circumstance.
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
I know this is right, to suffer, or better described, the fellowship of His sufferings. Hoping I am worthy to share in them so I may share His Glory with Him, and with my brothers and sisters.
But, albeit my dismay, I am in the flesh and need from time to time the love and encouragement of my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. That is all. I ask for nothing more. To receive what I try to give; of myself to my brothers and sisters in Christ as to be a comfort and share in your tribulations.
In case I haven't said it in a while, love to all my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
Cherie c.