I remember once walking down Hollywood Boulevard and seeing a street preacher standing on a box shouting at the top of his lungs, “You must be born again!” He had a thundering voice like a built in loudspeaker, but the noise of the traffic and the bustle of the people drowned him out. The louder he shouted, the less people paid attention. He was just another source of noise.
Read More correction, listening
Verse 17: ‘From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
From that time on. I suggest everything Jesus does from here on in can be grouped under the category of preaching. This includes, as the passage indicates, calling disciples, proclaiming the Kingdom, casting out demons, healing the sick.
Read More preaching, listeningThose in the crowds who were listening to Jesus were well acquainted with John and his preaching in the wilderness. What John preached signified that something extraordinary was about to happen and that repentance was the order of the day. Jesus challenges the crowd to consider again why they journeyed to the wilderness. It was not to see a reed swaying in the wind or to see a man dressed in fine clothes.
Read More listening, deafness, self-centrednessYears ago my husband learned to wind surf. The instructor spoke for twenty minutes. Most of the people that surrounded the instructor had no patience to listen. They wanted to get out there and just do it. My husband is the patient sort. He listened, then went out and sailed like an expert. I watched as the others fell constantly off their boards into the lake. I am reminded of wisdom and its daily call to us to instruct us in all aspects of our lives.
Read More wisdom, obedience, listeningThere are a few experiences in life that are unforgettable and life transforming. As we journey through life and reflect back on our own story, we can all remember those special moments that marked our life.
Interestingly, the text we are reading today is that one experience that Peter marks out in his own experience and wrote about it in 2 Peter 1:16-18.
Read More listening, transformation @en, mountainWhat is good sense depends on your worldview. Good sense to some may mean slight deception in advertising to acquire wealth and please the shareholders. To others it means honesty and integrity, even at the cost of potential sales.
Read More listening, honesty, integrity, good senseContinuing on the same theme the writer assumes the reader understands the definition of “good sense.” Good sense is based on the supporting pillars of wisdom’s house (chapter 9:1), or, as has already been defined, as a God centred worldview
Read More correction, listening, good sense
Israel’s wandering in the desert was a training ground. God needed to teach the people how to be faithful to what they knew to be true about him; to trust and not complain.
Israel’s massive camp began to move from the sea out to the relative safety of the Desert of Shur. Now, after three days, the supplies were running low.
Read More obedience, listening, grumbling, test @enSuccess formulas are everywhere. Moses had a formula too. It was simple and catchy—listen to God, obey his commands and you will live well and prosper. Listen, obey, live well and prosper. That almost sounds like Spock in a Star Trek movie trailer. The difference, and it is an enormous one, is that this one comes with a proven track record. This isn’t just hope at the end of a script writer’s pen. It has been tested on the fiery mountain of God.
Read More obedience, listening, prosperityPay attention! Moses almost seems to shout it out. That is particularly good advice if you have failed a test. But Moses was not just looking backward. He was laying down a personal devotional practice for the emerging nation. It would cement their identity as God-seekers. “Listen, Israel!” (Shemain Hebrew). From this demand has come down a practice of prayer for the centuries. It defines daily life for many today.
Read More listening, shema, attention