Recently, our grandson went to dart across the driveway in the grounds of our church when his lovely Kids’ Church teacher managed to grab him in time.
‘Careful! We need to stop, look and listen for cars before we cross,’ she reminded him.
‘Oh, I have supersonic hearing,’ Zain blithely told her. ‘I can hear from a long, long way away. I can even hear people in Ghana!’
Last year, Zain went to Ghana with his family to visit his dad’s home town and to meet his other grandmother, so he knows how far away it is.
‘That’s interesting,’ his teacher said. ‘What are they saying?’
‘They’re saying they need help!’ he told her in all seriousness.
What could he have meant? In Ghana, Zain did visit some little villages not far from his dad’s home town where the children have very few new clothes and hardly any toys, so perhaps he meant his friends there really do need our help. On the other hand, perhaps he was thinking of his favourite ‘Power Rangers’ TV characters, who seem to have all sorts of abilities like supersonic hearing that enable them to know when people need rescuing!
Now our Zain has an amazingly vivid imagination. Sometimes he can become so lost in his imaginary world that he has trouble hearing his parents or grandparents or teachers calling him or telling him to do something. So, while he may not have supersonic hearing, there is no doubt his selective hearing is well developed at least! And that’s something I can easily relate to, especially when it comes to hearing what God is saying to me at times. The reasons for this may vary, but I know that, on occasions, fear and unbelief have caused my ears to become deaf to God’s voice and very selective about what I choose to hear.
One example of this occurred in mid-2003 when I was overseas, visiting a friend. I was reading my Bible one morning and asking God to show me what I was to do next in my life. I had recently left a ministry role and sensed God wanted me to write, something I had wanted to do for years. Yet I was unsure I could do it, so found myself reluctant to try. Then I came to Isaiah 42:18-20:
Hear, you deaf, look, you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? … You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.”
Wow! Gulp! I knew immediately that God was saying to me, with even perhaps a little sigh: ‘Come on, Jo-Anne—how many times do I have to show you? Go home and start writing!’ So that is what I did—and here I am, almost fourteen years and eight published books later, still writing.
I might not have supersonic hearing quite yet, but I hope in those years I have become a little better at hearing God’s voice and at acting on what I hear—because that, after all, is what really matters.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27
Can you hear Jesus speaking about what is most important?
No it’s not “Love” without God – that was the voice of the Beatles, Paul and other men……
Poem – What is love?
Two men came to Jesus
With different motivations.
They asked Him the same question
Relevant to all the nations:
Which is the Most Important?
The answer was the same.
Jesus did not manipulate
He was not there to play a game.
“Love the Lord your God” said Jesus
as He quoted from The Law –
to fulfill and not abolish
was His purpose, full of awe.
Jesus did not make all Scripture
Into one new great commandment.
He summarized The Law and Prophets
“First and Greatest” and “The Second.”
The Love of God is higher
Than the love of any man.
Receive from God, give back to God-
Then to others, that’s His plan.
The Love of God involves much more
Than simply “love your fellow man.”
Worship, trust, and pray to God,
and obey Him – that’s His plan
To worship and pray to neighbors,
Whoever they may be,
Or trust and obey our enemies
Would be idolatry.
The love of God is first and greatest,
And the love of man is second.
“All we need is love” are words
of dead Beetles on the pavement.
“The entire law is summed up in a single command”
are not the words of Jesus our Salvation.
It’s false teaching of Paul the Pharisee
an “accuser of our brethren.”
“Love” without God is Satan’s word through Paul
in his chapter to the Corinthians.
“I will show you the most excellent way”
is the road to eternal perdition.
Where is God in Paul’s chapter on love?
Nowhere in view of the eye.
Paul sings about himself like a Mexican Mariachi
“I, I, I, I.”
Jesus is The Most Excellent Way
Not the words of a Pharisee.
The words of Jesus are very clear.
Jesus said, “You must follow ME.”
Thanks for your poem above, Matthew–I appreciate your sharing it via my blog. God bless!
Jo-Anne,
I’m glad – and God’s blessings to you too!
Here is another poem pointing us to the voice of Jesus rather than some other voice.
Poem – Looking forward (Rocky)
Jesus never calls us out
For what we used to be.
His voice is so much greater
Than paul the Pharisee.
“You are Simon son of John”
said Jesus, without elaboration.
No mention of a cloudy past
No hint of condemnation.
No accusation against the brothers
No comments dark and obscure,
Writing to the Church in Corinth
“that is what some of you were.”
Not the voice of the accuser,
Boss Paul the Pharisee,
Telling the redeemed people of God
About what they used to be.
Jesus never said right is wrong,
He never said wrong is right.
He came so we can turn from darkness
And into His glorious light.
“Neither do I condemn you” said Jesus,
to a woman entrapped by dogs.
The game the dogs play is the same today,
Except now they do it on blogs.
“Go and sin no more” said Jesus,
Don’t relive that history.
Look forward, not back, don’t dwell on your past.
“You will be called” Rocky.
Another poem.
Looking forward – Chapter 2
“I am he who searches hearts and minds”
says the Risen Jesus Christ
“Repent and do what you did at first”
Don’t be lazy since He paid the price
Yes, Jesus sees our sins today
Don’t think that He is blind
But the words of paul the Pharisee
Will put you in a bind
Jesus washed away your sins
Don’t listen to paul the accuser
paul abandoned the Church in Corinth
And then paul became an abuser
When you put your trust in Jesus
Yes, your stains were white as snow
You didn’t need to wear a Scarlet Letter
Everywhere you go
“I will repay each of you
According to your deeds”
This is Jesus speaking to The Church
Not a business selling felt needs
For “those who claim to be apostles”
Jesus said they must be “tested”
Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos
Persevered and were not bested
They exposed the false teachings
Of paul the Pharisee
So the Church in Ephesus rejected paul
And had a chance to be free
Bibliography
All quotes are the words of Jesus, in Revelation Chapter 2
Jo-Anne
Another poem – blessings
The Star of The Show
Jesus calls us to Himself
When The Show begins
We’re infants – so He humors us
It’s “Rocky and His Friends”
Like a little squirrel dressed up
As a flying superhero
We give ourselves the Title
And zoom around the atmosphere Oh!
I have come to save the day!
We proclaim with a big smile
And Jesus is my co-pilot
So I’m always top of the pile
God our Father loves his children
He is patient as we grow
So we take another step
It’s “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show”
As we journey with The Moose
Faithfully by our side
We get a revelation
We have to swallow our pride
“He must become greater”
He really is The Star
“I must become less,” but still
with Him I’ll travel far
“You must follow me,” says Jesus
In His eyes I see a twinkle
He is not My friend I am HIS
Jesus is The Star – like Bullwinkle
Thanks, Matthew.
Jo-Anne
God’s blessings as you move house after so many years.
Happy Pentecost 2017 !
God has not changed, and neither has the text of “The Bible”.
I am one of “those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” [Revelation 12:17]
No I’m not perfect without sin, and No I don’t know everything now. I didn’t know everything 7 years ago either – but I have grown and learned new things about God and His Word in the past 7 years, as is normal for a growing believer.
“God’s commandments” are found in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, which Jesus came to FULFILL, (not to abolish, as the false apostle Paul the Pharisee taught.)
“The testimony of Jesus” is the voice of Jesus, (The “Red Letters,”) recorded by the 11 faithful witnesses, the True Apostles that Jesus personally appointed and trained for over 3 years. Only 3 of these men wrote Scripture in the Bible – Matthew, John and Peter.
(Mark was intimately connected with Peter since the beginning of the Church, and he acted as scribe for Peter and other Apostles who were illiterate at in their younger years. Mark could be understood as “the first core teachings of Peter and the other Apostles”. It is an observation of fact that much of Matthew is simply copied from Mark. Matthew built on Mark’s work, using it as a “backbone,” and filling out more background details, and references to The Law, The Prophets, and Psalms, etc. in a meticulous, more comprehensive way.
Thus, Matthew was providing a second written witness, confirming the testimony of Jesus.)
In practical terms, regarding texts of the Bible, that means that the most important words are the words of Jesus recorded by The Apostles Matthew and John (closely followed by Mark) – in my view. No one in the pages of Bible ever said that all Scripture is EQUAL. No one. Nowhere.
My view is very similar to the traditional Orthodox view of the texts of Scripture for almost 2000 years. (Eastern Orthodox). They elevate the 4 Gospels above all other Scriptures, giving the 2 highest places of honor to the Gospels of Matthew and John – and they have a special high place for Revelation too.
I can back up my view with plenty of Scripture – here is just one, written by the Apostle Peter- 2 Peter 3:2. Peter doesn’t point to himself, or his own words, or “all Scripture” or “The Bible”, Peter doesn’t claim his own words are “the word of God”, and he doesn’t claim that he doesn’t need a second witness. (And Peter certainly doesn’t point to the words of some other man, a Pharisee at that, -Paul- and say that this other man’s word is “the word of God.”)
You can read Peter’s advice for yourself- then open your Bible to Matthew, John, Revelation, and Mark, and listen to Jesus for yourself!
Thank you for your kind words re our moving house and also for the other thoughtful comments you wrote. God bless!
Dear Jo-Anne
Another new poem.
The message of The 11 (The narrow gate)
“The eleven disciples went to Galilee”
“Where Jesus had told them to go”
They heard His voice and obeyed His will
Despite uncertainty down below
Jesus spoke to them at length
He wasn’t really a Tweeter
Only 3 of them wrote Scripture
Matthew John and Peter
“Feed my sheep” said Jesus, for though
“Heaven and earth will pass away”
I have the words of eternal life and
“My words will never pass away”
“Enter through the narrow gate”
The voice of Jesus through the eleven
Believe in Jesus “through their message”
And “eat from the tree of life” in heaven
Jesus commissioned the eleven
With “everything I have commanded you”
“Teaching THEM to obey” Jesus
And “THEM” means me and you !
“The command given by our Lord and Savior”
Is not a Pharisee speaking alone
It came rather “through your apostles”
Matthew Peter and John
If a Pharisee boasts proudly
Those men added nothing to my message
He doesn’t speak for Jesus
His words are nothing more than garbage
Bibliography
All “quotes” in “quotation marks” are from the writings of the Apostles Matthew John and Peter in the Bible, mostly the “Red Letter” words of Jesus. [Matthew, John, Revelation, 2 Peter – NIV]
Thanks, Matthew. God bless.