“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” -Joshua 1:8
Like a baby learning language, we learn how to communicate with God by listening to His words first. -Tim Keller via Twitter
“It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” -Isaiah 65:24
Quick work this! The Lord hears us before we call and often answers us in the same speedy manner. Foreseeing our needs and our prayers, He so arranges providence that before the need actually arises He has supplied it, before the trial assails us He has armed us against it. This is the promptitude of omniscience, and we have often seen it exercised. Before we dreamed of the affliction which was coming, the strong consolation which was to sustain us under it had arrived. What a prayer-answering God we have!
The second clause suggests the telephone. Though God be in heaven and we upon earth, yet He makes our word, like His own word, to travel very swiftly. When we pray aright we speak into the ear of God. Our gracious Mediator presents our petitions at once, and the great Father hears them and smiles upon them. Grand praying this! Who would not be much in prayer when he knows that he has the ear of the King of kings? This day I will pray in faith, not only believing that I shall be heard, but that I am heard; not only that I shall be answered, but that I have the answer already. Holy Spirit, help me in this!
[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]
Sunday Evening | Pastor Steve Wainright | Luke 6:46-49 | Listen
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” –Luke 6:46-49
A True Disciple…
1) Must come to Christ on His terms
2) Must listen to what Christ says
3) Does God’s Word and puts it into pracitce
Listening takes discipline. How can you teach yourself to listen better?
1) Pray for the preacher to communicate God’s Word effectively. Pray for yourself to have ears to hear while the message is preached.
2) Anticipate listening. Be anxious to hear God’s Word.
3) Open your Bible. Look at the Word that’s being preached.
4) Take notes to ingrain what is being said.
5) Meditate and ponder. Think upon it. Put it into practice.
If your life is built on a solid foundation (Jesus Christ), storms won’t shake you.
Sunday Evening | Pastor Steve Wainright | Luke 6:43-45 | Listen
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” -Luke 6:43-45
A bad tree can’t just decide to start producing good fruit. There must be an inward change. You must be born again! The root produces the fruit.
What you talk about the most is what you treasure the most. So, what consistently comes out of your mouth?
Sunday Evening | Pastor Steve Wainright | Joshua 16-17 | Listen
“Now when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.” -Joshua 17:13
God had given the Israelites specific instructions to drive the Canaanites out so they wouldn’t be influenced by their ungodliness. They disobeyed. Rather than driving them out, they sought to please their flesh and made them servants instead. Their #1 problem was their lack of faith in God. A little tolerance from them went a long way. Likewise, when we are not faithful in the little things, we’ll end up in captivity.
“And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.” -2 Samuel 5:24
There are signs of the Lord’s moving which should move us. The Spirit of God blows where He listeth, and we hear the sound thereof. Then is the time for us to be more than ever astir. We must seize the golden opportunity and make the most we can of it. It is ours to fight the Philistines at all times; but when the Lord Himself goes out before us, then we should be specially valiant in the war.
The breeze stirred the tops of the trees, and David and his men took this for the signal for an onslaught, and at their advance the Lord Himself smote the Philistines. Oh, that this day the Lord may give us an opening to speak for Him with many of our friends! Let us be on the watch to avail ourselves of the hopeful opening when it comes. Who knows but this may be a day of good tidings; a season of soul-winning. Let us keep our ear open to hear the rustle of the wind and our minds ready to obey the signal. Is not this promise, “Then shall the Lord go out before thee,” a sufficient encouragement to play the man? Since the Lord goes before us, we dare not hold back.
[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. -2 Corinthians 4:6
>We find the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He’s the greatest value of the glory of God.
>The sun is still bright even though a blind man cannot see it. Similarly, the Gospel is still glorious, even when veiled and not seen by those who are blinded by their sin.
>Every time you share the Gospel, the light is shining forth.
These are just a few quotable quotes. Listen for yourself to hear how they all connect.
Hear this beautiful song on YouTube (can’t be embedded).
Here is Love
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love cannot remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven’s eternal days.
Grace takes my sin, calls me “friend”
Pays my debt completely
Love rescued me, seated me
With my King forevermore
On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God’s mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
Heaven’s peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love
Let me all Your love accepting
Love You ever all my days
Let me seek Your kingdom only
And my life be to Your praise
You alone shall be my glory
Nothing in the world I see
You have cleansed and sanctified me
God Himself has set me free!
Robert Lowry (1826-1899) & William Rees (1802-1883), Additional Chorus by Kate Simmonds
©2010 Phat Music
phatmusic.com/katesimmonds
O Great God of Highest Heaven
O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore
I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace
Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me
[By Bob Kauflin; From the Valley of Vision CD ]
You can view a slideshow from Together for the Gospel 2010 and hear the 7000+ attendees sing this gorgeous prayer.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.” -Romans 5:10
While at Next this past week, we had the privilege of learning a lot of new Gospel-centered songs. This one is very short, but says a lot in its few words.
The Gospel Song
Lyrics: Drew Jones
Music: Bob Kauflin
Holy God, in love, became
Perfect man to bear my blame
On the cross he took my sin
By his death I live again
© 2002 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).
New Life Baptist Church 