Am I Listening

     God has illuminated many passages for my ears this week.  Since our Scriptures are now in written form (for our eyes), what once referenced our listening skills, now includes our vision.  I hope that makes sense by the time you read this article.  The most prominent lesson I received this week was listen and act upon it.   Although Revelations was not the path that my daily reading plan took me this week, I recently attended an End Times Conference at my church and marveled at God's timing that allowed me to pass through the prophecies found in Daniel and Revelations this month.  With new information, I needed to pass through these Scriptures again.  Specifically in reading Revelation 2 and 3, I observed this message given to the seven churches in Asia Minor.  These seven churches existed at the time John was writing the book of Revelations.  Repeated seven times, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Having ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches is a dual prophecy, meant for them then and for us now as we approach the End of the Age. 

Near / Far and Dual Prophecy

       Learning from a man who spent more than eight years researching and writing about ‘End Times’ and the harmonious nature of Scriptures, I am beginning to see things more clearly.  I learned more about ‘Near/Far’ prophecy and ‘Dual-fulfilment,’ although not always the same, Scriptures have the ability in hindsight to show us partial fulfillment and anticipate complete fulfillment at a later date.  In the book of Deuteronomy, we see the Israelites received instruction on how to validate prophecy.  In Deuteronomy 18:20-22, we read, “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”   In the Divided Kingdom many prophets were speaking into their ears, both ones sent from God and false prophets.  It was good for them to validate what they were hearing.

     By looking at the seven churches that John penned letters to, we will see how they had been called into obedience.  These passages are also relevant for us.  Three types of churches are identified:  (1)  those that do the work God has called them to do, (2) those who allow false teaching, and (3) those that compromise the message to please the listener.  For each of these churches God made a promise of how He would respond to them at the End of the Age.  We should recognize the high standard of accountability that our church leaders are called to uphold.  We are their flock.  We need to pray more and judge less.  Protection is offered to us when our church is obedient.  To the obedient church we read, “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.  Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.  I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. Revelation 3:8–11 (ESV) 

What do Haggai and Luke have in Common?

     My reading continued this week, and today my eyes (or ears) rested on a message that I found in both the Old and New Testaments.  In the books of Haggai (O.T.) and Luke(N.T.), I found a wonderfully congruent message.  You might wonder what these two books have in common.  Each day I read a portion of two testaments, and I marvel at how relevant and in sync the messages often are.  The Holy Spirit is a superior teacher!  I was not very familiar with the minor prophet Haggai, but in this historical story, I read about how this prophet, Haggai, was sent to Zerubbabel with a message from God.  The back story is that Zerubbabel was part of the first returning exiles from Persia to Jerusalem given the mission to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed by Babylonia.  God revealed through this prophet that He was not pleased with their progress that they had busied themselves with personal pursuits rather than attending to the needs of the temple they had been commissioned to rebuild.   In Haggai 1:2-7, we read, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.  “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.” 

     How easy is it for you to translate that message into the world we live in today.  Have we busied ourselves with personal pursuits at the neglect of God?  There was no way that I could read that passage and not recognize the stinger that lodged itself in my side.  When we look at our calendars, what fills their pages?  From week to week I keep an electronic schedule on my phone.  Lately it has been filled to the brim with activities that require my attention.   We also post a family schedule on a whiteboard that captures our attention from time to time showing us the oodles of commitments we’ve made that center around ourselves.     

     I was reminded of a comment my mother once made about how often she had to change the paper calendar she kept in her purse.  She used liquid paper to make changes as needed.  She once said that she could barely close her calendar because it grew so thick from the massive corrections she had to make.  Thank goodness for electronic/self-correcting calendars that leave no trace that they’ve been changed as we’ve updated our plans for the umpteenth time.

Judgmental Nature

     Before this article seems too judgmental, let me assure you that it is not my intent.  As I write, I am focusing on straightening my own path as I evaluate how I spend my time.  If you receive this writing with a spirit of conviction, that makes two of us.  Thank God that He can use Scriptures along with my words, now and then, to bring glory to Himself.  
     Let me share an illustration with you.  I am always receiving a heart-felt conviction from the Spirit on judging inappropriately; my heart reeks with the stink of this sin.  In my family, we granted each other permission to provide a symbol that reminds us when we get off track.  We hold our right hand to our forehead forming the letter “J” with our thumb and index finger.  If you do this, make sure it is your right hand otherwise you are just creating a ‘hook.’  It is a simple solution to help remind us when we are being judgmental without saying a word.  We laugh when the other person gives us their three middle fingers up to form a “W” and then turn them sideways to create the letter “E.” This is symbolic for “whatever.” When we receive this response, we know that words might be necessary.  Only joking, we always do this in jest.   Luke 6:37-38 says, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”   My red-letter Bible tells me that this is coming directly from the mouth of God, and that I must pay attention to my tendency to judge others as it holds heavy consequences.  Funny just as I penned that sentence a huge bolt of lightening and loud crash of thunder followed!    

     Something that has recently come to my attention is there are many vacancies this fall in our children’s ministry schedule.  We have far more children than volunteers willing to serve them.  Our church is very supportive of their volunteers blessing us greatly with resources and flexibility.  We serve on a relaxed schedule of two weeks on and four weeks off.  Rather than worry over the lack of commitment on the part of others, I have decided to observe my own heart.  What I found in this self-evaluation was that the cost to the children when I accept this light schedule was far higher than the comfort I feel by having a few weeks free from teaching.  I recognized that by protecting my time, I was acting selfishly.  My light schedule didn’t require much of me, compared to the cost of relationship building and the need for this next generation to know Jesus. 

     Remembering  my own childhood experience, I have very fond memories of my very dedicated Sunday School teacher who never took a weekend off.  Her dedication to me brought me to an early decision to follow the Lord.  I accepted Him as my personal Savior at the age of seven when I was in the second grade.  When I take my eyes off my own selfish desires, I see God’s plan more clearly.  God had identified a position that needed to be filled. He asked me to serve him here, I said ‘no.’  He asked again, I made an excuse; He asked a third time, I reluctantly said ‘yes.’  Now years later, I am beginning to recognize the blessings He offered all along.  Not only do I know Scriptures better, but God has changed my heart.  When we try to define for God what we are willing to do, our voice drowns out the Spirits instructions.  By worry over the multiple gaps in the children’s ministry schedule, I had taken my eyes off my own shortcomings.   It is okay to be a spokesperson for a good cause, but it is God who changes the heart.    

Pray

      In Luke 10:2, I read one of my favorite passages.  It says, “And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  This passage gives me the alternative to judging; it tells me to pray to the Lord.  God will fulfill his purpose.  It is not my judgment that will fill positions.

     In the Old Testament story of rebuilding the temple, God sent Haggai the prophet, to Zerubbabel to give insight to His displeasure and instruction on what they should do to finish the work that had been assigned.  Then we see God do something amazing.   In Haggai 1:13-14 (ESV), we see, “Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.”  And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.”  It was not the prophet intervening or judging, it was God.  God is the one who stirred their spirit.  It is God who stirs the spirits of believers today.      

     I found it interesting as well to see that in the beginning verses of Luke 10 that Jesus is sending disciples (70 or 72 depending on the translation) to announce that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  In sending out these laborers, He gives them insight that the harvest is more plentiful than the workers.  This side of heaven, this will always be the case.  So Jesus instructed them to pray.  If they were willing to be sent as laborers, inadvertently, they not only would be praying for others but also for themselves.  After their return from this missionary journey, Jesus rejoiced thanking God that these servants received instructions that He had not given to them.  They had cast out demons in His name.  He reminded them of what was more important than casting out demons.  It was that their names were written in the book of life.  Then Jesus turned to his disciples in Luke 10:23–24 (ESV),  “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

Telling Versus Listening

     Now skipping to the last verses of this same chapter, Luke 10, we read another story of Jesus visiting Mary, Martha (and Lazarus) in Bethany.  In this story, Martha is judging her sister and asks Jesus to pay attention to how hard she is working while her sister is loafing at his feet.  This passage says that Martha was distracted with ‘much serving.’  It is not hard to see that Martha’s serving was not aimed at pleasing Jesus, but her serving revealed an attitude that was not becoming her.  How hard is it to view the steam coming out of Martha’s ears?  She was fuming.  How hard is it to serve well when we are miffed?  If we are feeling sorry for ourselves, the serving suffers.  When we compare ourselves to others, we lose sight of the reason why we serve.  When we serve from a joyful heart, we approach the work correctly seeking God’s will, not ours. 

     In this passage, Luke 10:40, we see that Martha must have thought Jesus would agree with her when she said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”   Martha’s statement reminds me of when one of my kids tattles on the other one hoping to get them in trouble.  I noticed the subtle ending to Martha’s statement, “Tell her then to help me.”   In other words, since you agree with me, fix her.  Jesus reading Martha’s heart was willing to correct Martha for her misunderstanding when he told her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”   Likewise, when we identify an unmet need that others are not readily addressing, we become like Martha and become anxious and troubled by things that are less important than where our focus belongs.  

What has Mary Chosen?

     Mary had chosen to get close to Jesus and hang on His every word.  We learn much better from listening.  Mary was investing her time in receiving instructions.  She was attempting to take Jesus words into her heart and allow God’s words to change her.  Martha, on the other hand, assumed that she already knew what Jesus was expecting from her and was busy judging others.  She was talking, not listening.  Martha was asking that Jesus agree with her.  Her ears were closed to instruction because her heart had already convinced her that she, not Jesus, knew what was needed. 

     Posted in social media this week I read, “The more you listen, the more you know and understand.  When you stop listening no progress can be made.  Ask good questions and hold your tongue.”  What great advice.

Self Evaluation

     I recently asked some ladies in a weekly Bible study that I teach to evaluate how they spend their personal devotion time.  In other words, on average, (1) how much time do you pray, (2) read Scriptures, (3) meditate on Scriptures, (4) memorize it, (5) read spiritual books, (6) listen to podcasts, or (7) attend Bible studies?   This came on the heels of showing them a recent survey of high school students which indicates that the typical high school boy spends .2% of his time in spiritual pursuits; whereas a high school girl may spend as much as .8% of her weekly schedule pursuing God.  One lady asked me to explain the point of my question.  I thought that was fair, so I responded.  What is the most reliable source we have to hear the voice of God?  In John 10:27 we read Jesus words, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  To recognize a voice, we need to build our familiarity with it.  Knowing God’s voice helps us to discern a counterfeit voice.  If I ask God to help me be discerning, my attention needs to be on what God has to say. 

     I confessed that in the past I spent far more time talking to God and asking Him for blessings than learning to recognize His voice.  It is hard to receive instructions when our ears are closed, and our mouths are open.  Returning to the message of End Times as I began this article, we read in the Olivet Discourse, “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”  And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.  For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray” Matthew 24:3–5 (ESV).

     I hope that this article creates evidence that God is working with my spirit to write something of use for your spirit too.  I recognize that my opinions are far less relevant to solve problems than my prayers (dependency on God).  I am instructed to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to meet the needs that I can see.  I can easily fool myself into believing my solutions provide the right direction.  I am to take my judgments and evaluate my own heart to see what God wishes to reveal to me.  If God chooses, He can use my obedience as a light.  It is God’s Spirit that stirs our hearts to do His will.  Thank you Lord for teaching me how to “Consider my ways,” just as you instructed the returning exiles who were called to rebuild your temple.  You've also given me a temple where your Holy Spirit resides.  Let me steward that temple well and make any necessary repairs that you bring to my attention rather than letting busyness distract me from my purpose.