It seems that many of us are one or the other...
I've been and sometimes still am both.
I'm now trying to LISTEN to Jesus -however that is accomplished , I guess by reading and meditating on the scripture rather than what other people tell me He is saying. It does seem that just plain reading the text alone isn't the means.
`Ye search the Writings, because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me; John 5:39
It's tough.
Yesterday during the Sunday school class that the Mr. and I teach our lesson was about Jesus miracles. I was on my own, the Mr. being under the weather and with a small class of four kids (one being my son) we looked through five of Jesus's miracles:
The healing of the paralytic
The raising of Jairus's daughter
The calming of the storm
The healing of a blind man
Turning the water into wine
What I noticed in these were grumpy religious people, fearful disciples, and just plain regular people who came to Jesus with the great faith to be healed and saved.
The healing of the paralytic
The raising of Jairus's daughter
The calming of the storm
The healing of a blind man
Turning the water into wine
What I noticed in these were grumpy religious people, fearful disciples, and just plain regular people who came to Jesus with the great faith to be healed and saved.
and ye do not will to come unto me, that ye may have life; John 5:40
Listening can be a real problem for me too...ask anyone close to me that knows me, sigh...
ReplyDeleteOver the last year, I came to understanding a little more that I needed to listen to the Holy Spirit, and to seek out what exactly that means. I found in the book of John where He says that the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance those things which Jesus has said...and every time a Bible verse comes to mind when I am struggling with a situation, or confused about something, I know it is His Spirit speaking to me.
Good point about the grumpy, and fearful....and what about the religious and yet still unbelieving? The Pharisees knew their OT Bibles inside and out, and yet Jesus had THE MOST TROUBLE getting through to them....
I'm sure there are those who are religious who are forgiven, and there are those who are religious and are NOT forgiven....the religious part has little (if anything) to do with being saved. Religious is definitely not the same as being spiritual...and even spiritual isn't it, if one is following after THE WRONG SPIRIT...
Yep, it's tough, and yet, Jesus said it so simply:
ASK
SEEK
KNOCK
He's there, and He is faithful to His promise to guide us, protect us, heal us, teach us, cleanse us, forgive us, and resurrect us in the twinkling of an eye at His coming.
Hallelujah!
Recognizable. Eh ... I am sometimes a fearful disciple :-(
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteI've decided that learning to listen better is on my to-do list as well. It's a discipline that I'm working on.
I often times find scriptures "popping up" too when I need them. Some even that I'm not terribly familiar with, but know they are there. I have also found, though, on certain forums (;)) that the scripture wars can go back and forth with no real winner.
You are so right about those who intellectually knew the scriptures the most were the WORST when it came to listening to HIM....the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life....
AND I wonder about the wrong spirit too sometimes, how would we know if we are being deceived?
Many will say Lord, Lord. What gives with that? How is it some could think they are in and then to find out they are not. It troubles me.
The spirit testifies with our spirit that we are the sons of God. That verse is one of my favorites, because I can see what it means, I think.
The Mr. pointed out the other day that we are about the age when we finally can see that we don't know everything...I thought that was funny, and liberating. I can honestly say now that there are things that I just don't know, and that it's okay. I don't have to know, I only need to believe:)
Jedidja,
ReplyDeleteI wish I had less fear, too.
Happy New Year Ma!
ReplyDelete"just plain regular people who came to Jesus with the great faith"
Sounds to me like the child likeness Jesus favors and tells us we have to have!
That is what I want to be like!
There is really nothing simple about (it takes great discipline along with love for The Word to read it every day)
"just plain reading the text alone"
The Holy Spirit inside us translates it into our very human spirit.
Our lives don't get complicated because the gospel is complicated because as those around Jesus demonstrated, it was a matter of accepting what He said.
They understood that but they and we want to make excuses, exceptions, and humanly reason around it. The more I just plain read the text alone the more I see this.
It's a great relief to realize!:) Praise God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I love teaching children and being able to see their trusting tender faith in Him, they always teach me how Jesus wants me to be! What a blessing we have in "bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the holy word."
Great point about the childlike faith musemater.....very good.
ReplyDeleteThat gets me thinking:)
The more I read the more I realize I have alot of work to do. Great post. Hope your hubby feels better.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Joanne
Ma said:"...You are so right about those who intellectually knew the scriptures the most were the WORST when it came to listening to HIM....the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life...."
ReplyDeleteI think we get in the way of the Lord talking with us more than we know....
Ma said:
"Many will say Lord, Lord. What gives with that? How is it some could think they are in and then to find out they are not. It troubles me."
I agree that is a troubling passage. I think the troubling passages are there to remind us that it is His doing that counts, not our doing. If we are the ones in the pilot's seat with Jesus as co-pilot, we are sitting in the wrong seat and need to move over. I saw that recently, a license plate holder on someone's car that said "Jesus is my pilot" (to counter the other one that says "Jesus is my CO-pilot")
<3
You forgot ornery! That is my favorite - sometimes I think that Jesus was a bit ornery. Did I say that? :)
ReplyDeleteHappy 2012 Ma!
PS: Why use captcha when you moderate comments? LOL, was that an ornery question?
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThat he was at times:)
Happy New Year to you too!
About the captcha...
I think I tried turning it off once and there was like spam almost immediately.
Maybe I'll give it another whirl now that you mention it. I know it is kind of a pain.
I have never moderated or used captcha since I began blogging in 2004. The only time I ever had spam was when I allowed anonymous comments. These days I make people identify themselves and I have not had to delete more than a handful of comments. But feel who knows what I may have to do in the future. :)
ReplyDelete