Truth Seekers Newsletter
August 26, 2007: Ears to Hear!
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Last week we discovered two major windows into the body, that being the eyes. This week we peek into another powerful set of windows ... the ears. Once again God has shown great similarity and great diversity, all in one. If you compare your ears with the ears of other people, you will find some similarities, but you will also find differences.
Location! Location! Location!
As with the other parts of the body, the ears are located strategically for more than a balanced appearance. Having ears on each side of your face allows you to pick up sounds from all around you. And the brain gracefully blends the sound picked up by each ear into what sounds like a glorious whole!
The Outer Ear ... the Collector!
The function of the outer ear is to collect sound. We noted with the eyes that some members of the Body of Christ function to bring the Light into the body by bringing people to Christ. Other people function to focus that Light. In the same way, some people function to bring the Word of God to the Body. Others help them understand the Word that has been brought.
The Middle Ear ... Good Vibrations!
The middle ear takes the sound that has been collected and turns it into vibrations. Through a coordinated working together of tiny bones, what could be just noise is turned into something much more. Here again, God shows His Nature in being able to take anything and fashion it into something much greater. The bones of the middle ear have to work together, like a good choir, to create those good vibrations.
The Inner Ear ... Catch That Wave!
When the vibrations reach the inner ear, they go into a fluid filled sac. They create a giant wave that turns those vibrations into nerve signals. The nerve signals are alive. When they are sent to the brain, we hear!
Does Hearing = Understanding?
What if I send another language into the ear other than the one I have learned? I heard it, but did I understand it? (Jay gave a demonstration by giving us a burst of Spanish. I didn't understand a word of it! He said it was from the 23rd Psalm. I'll have to take his word for it.)
So there is more to hearing than just letting sound enter. In order for that sound to be meaningful, we must involve the brain and gain understanding. Let's look at some things that might prevent our understanding what we hear.
Foreign Language
Language is both a great divider and a great communication tool. Once some men built a tremendously tall tower. The taller the tower became, the more the men began to feel they were in charge of the universe. God put a stop to everything by making one adjustment. He caused them to speak in languages that were different from each other. They still heard each other, but they didn't understand a word their neighbors were saying. All progress stopped.
One would think that if the people really wanted to continue work on the tower, they would have found ways to communicate and continue. But the Bible gives us no evidence of it. It appeared that the tower was more about the peoples' sizable egos than the true mission of building the tower.
In the Body of Christ, when we begin to feel that we have accomplished great and mighty things, then satan comes to tempt us by telling us that we did it. We must never forget that any task accomplished is only done at the Will and Direction of God. To God be the Glory!
Interestingly enough, on the day of Pentecost, it was just the opposite of the Tower of Babel story. All the people were in one place and one mind in praise to God. And on that day, God honored their Oneness in Him by allowing them to hear each other in a language they could understand.
God's Language
Do you understand the Language God speaks? Shouldn't God speak our language? He told us plainly in Isaiah 55:8 that our ways are not His Ways. He does speak a different language from us.
How Would You Learn a Foreign Language?
Studying the book of that language or listening to others speak in that language would help bring understanding. We can learn God's Language by reading His Book or listening to others members of the Body speak the God Language.
Speaking God Language to the Body of Christ
Many people hear the Language of God first through us. They hear something that sounds like music to their ears and they want to hear more. We may translate for them at first, but our finest function may be to teach them how to translate their earth language into God language.
The members of the Body of Christ should always point the other members to God, not to themselves. Our goal should be to strengthen the Body in any way we can, but, as in the physical body, the ultimate mission is that each individual cell communicate directly with the brain. We want to help everyone talk directly to God in God's Own Language!
Understanding What is God Language and What Is Not!
Once we learn God's Language, we will recognize what is God's Language and what is not. Jesus said His Sheep would recognize His Voice. When I lived in Germany many years ago, a friend proudly ordered in German what he believed was a chocolate cake. The waiter, who knew German very well, laughed. He had just ordered a chocolate kitchen! When you really know the language, you will make fewer mistakes and you will understand more clearly.
I'm Not Listening to You!
Another reason we may not understand is that we are simply not listening. God may be trying to tell us the secrets of the universe, but if we are listening to the siren song of the world instead of listening to God, we will not hear Him.
If two radio stations are trying to come in at the same time, we will not understand either very well. Satan really does not care whether you understand what he is saying or not; in fact, in some ways, he would prefer that you not understand what he is saying. He only wants to distract you from what God is saying.
How do you deal with two stations trying to come into your hearing? There are two ways to deal with competing stations. Tune to the one you want to hear OR get closer to the transmitter of the one that you want. In the Body of Christ, we need to set our stations on Jesus and we need to stay close to the Transmitter!
Not Now, God! I'm Busy Doing Something You Probably Wouldn't Like!
Has there ever been a time when you knew that God was speaking to you, but it was just not a convenient time to deal with Him right then?
Acts 7:57 tells of the actions of the mob, who were in the midst of stoning Stephen. Stephen, steadfast to the end, testified of being able to see Jesus at the Right Hand of God. That was not what the people wanted to hear! They put their fingers in their ears and continued stoning him.
Would God Really Talk To An Ordinary Person Like Me?
Sometimes we don't hear God, because we don't believe He would speak to us. We believe He spoke to those people in the Bible. We might believe that He speaks to a high profile Christian leader today. But would God take His Valuable Time to speak to ordinary people like us?
I am a very ordinary person, and God talks to me. Is this because I am some sort of "super Christian"? No, there have been times when I was trying to prepare a Sunday School lesson after having a major disagreement with Jay. I was not thinking very pure thoughts! I was covered with earth mud and was far away from heavenly thoughts.
But I really want to talk to God, and when I go ringing His Doorbell, He always comes to the door, smiles and says, "Come on in." Sometimes, He lovingly suggests that I need to clean up a bit before we sit down to supper and He provides all the things to clean me up. Often He provides the water of my tears before we settle in for a chat. He listens to me ... and when I get quiet in my spirit, I hear Him.
A Man After God's Own Heart!
Read the Old Testament and get to know a man named David. David had a very spotted life. Sometimes he was right on target in doing the right thing. Sometimes he messed up miserably. This tug of war went on, right up to the end of his life.
Yet, David was considered a "man after God's Own Heart". Why? Even when he messed up, David always continued to talk to God and he continued to listen to what God said. Read the Psalms and you will hear David whine and complain, but he kept talking and listening to God.
God will talk to you, if you truly desire to hear from Him. Read Deut 10:12, Jeremiah 29:13 and Mark 12:30.
I'm Listening, Lord! I Hear You!!
When the young boy, Samuel, kept thinking he heard Eli, the old prophet, calling him, the prophet told him what to do. Read 1st Samuel 3:9. He told him if he heard the Voice again, to simply say, "Speak, Lord. Your servant hears."
Have you ever just said, "Please speak, Lord. I'm listening!" Would it scare you out of your shoes if He answered or would you be absolutely delighted? Try it! Jesus said in multiple verses, "He who has ears, let Him hear!"
God's Ears
Last week we discovered that the Bible speaks of God having eyes. 1st Peter 3:12 tells us that God also has ears. His ears are attentive to our prayers!
Jesus thanked God that God heard Him. (John 11:41)
Bringing the Music to the Body of Christ!
Let's be careful door keepers of our ears, bringing in the music and language that God understands perfectly ... and may we learn even more Words in His Language, so we can hear and understand Him perfectly!
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