Ears To Hear

In Revelation 2-3, seven times Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Do you have ears to hear the message of God’s Spirit-inspired, ever-relevant Word?

I thank the Lord for the Reformers and how, by God’s grace, they had ears to hear the authoritative Scriptures, and they had courage to teach and share and translate and obey the biblical message.  As the 500th anniversary of the Reformation now fades into the past, let’s take a lesson and fill our minds with God’s truth.  Here’s how:

1. Pray for ears to hear; ask God to open the eyes of your heart so you can comprehend our awesome hope in Christ (Eph 1:18).
2. Put God’s Word into your schedule:  make good time for Bible reading—otherwise it won’t happen.  And don’t rush—meditate; “Think over” what God says in order to gain insight (2 Tim 2:7).
3. Train to be in top shape for worship.  Get good rest on Saturday night (if you need a late night, make it Friday).  Read the sermon text in advance.  Arrive at church early.
4. Come with a humble, teachable spirit:  “Lord, show me the log in my own eye.”  Be willing to learn, grow, and be changed.
5. Receive God’s Word in community.  Join a small group, go to a Sunday class or a Bible study group—we need each other’s help to grasp and live out God’s truth.  No Christian is an island.
6. Bring your own Bible with you to church.  Open it up and follow closely as we read and worship together.  Make notes, underline key terms, and get familiar with those pages.
7. Parents, if you kids don’t have their own Bibles, they need them!
8. Hide God’s Word in your heart.  Memorize! That helps you draw on it.  (In January I’ll be issuing a Bible Memory Challenge…)
9. Read with a plan.  Don’t just pick the Bible up and flip pages.  Read it all.  Try our 2-year plan (copies are in lobby for 2018-19).
10. Read reverently—it’s GOD speaking!  Don’t twist the Bible into a launching pad for your own agenda.  Apply Scripture faithfully!