Our church and Bible College is in a revival of hearing. This is the best kind of revival a believer can experience because Jesus Christ said "to him that hears more shall be given. "What could be greater than the continual increase and growth derived from God? Picture the sequoia trees, those huge, gargantuan trees - monsters! At one time, each tree was small and short and stubby.
Not all believers live in blessedness. Some start and stop and stumble and fidget and worry and fear and succeed and then ask, "What am I doing with my life?" Not so the hearer. He has an invaluable compass and more. The ship itself is in him and he is in the ship. He is a hearer of divine mysteries. He has a growing understanding of the nature and ways of God through Jesus Christ. He realizes the treasure that is in Christ that has become NEW LIFE. That new quality of life is not "an improvement of the old life;" it is not "the best effort of man with the old stuff." It is an entirely NEW LIFE; it is His LIFE - Abundant Life.
We rejoice with all brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and down through history who have discerned the joy of hearing the clear unfolding of God's revelation of His Son's PERSON and WORK through the Scriptures. Ephesians 1:17-19 was Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus and great prayer for us. "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."
On the other hand, we recognize the dangerous effect of departing from the living God in our hearts (Psalm 95; Hebrews 3). If we stop hearing, if our hearing is dull, then the effects, as seen in Hebrews 5:11-14, will be these:
1. Passive attitude toward hearing the words of truth with carelessness and indifference (verse 11)
2. Need to learn again the fundamentals of the faith; not deeply rooted (v. 12)
3. Immaturity in understanding the Bible, in handling the Bible, and in recognizing its very doctrines (v. 13)
4. Lacking moral, spiritual convictions rooted in understanding God's mind (v.14)
When believers are walking with God in the light, they will have a capacity to hear the Word of God directly from God as well as feast from the anointed ministry of men of God teaching the Word (Psalm 62:10; Acts 8:20; Ephesians 4:11, 12; I John 2:20-27; I Timothy 4:15,16; and Acts 6:4, 7).
When we find the blessing of hearing from God, we increase in discerning and recognizing God's mind. It is our privilege and our joy. What could be greater? There is no end to the unfolding of God's mind to the believer - it is God's desire and His way (Romans 11:33-35; I Corinthians 2:16).
Bible College, here at MBCS, starts August 31. Check it out. It's not too late. Simply hear and more shall be given.
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