Did You Get It?

Sunday-Sunday. You know about Sunday right? It’s the day we go to church, the day of “worship”. It’s the day where we gather with other Christians for fellowship, prayer, singing and to, (drum roll please!) RECEIVE A WORD FROM GOD.

“Hearing the word” is described in many ways. Some call it a sermon or a talk. Other times you might hear it portrayed as preaching or teaching. It doesn’t really matter how it’s described. The real question is; did you get it? Did you understand it? Did it make sense to you?

A parable is a story using enigmatic or mysterious speech to convey a deeper point. Jesus often taught in parables when he was around large crowds to hide truth from those who refused to believe His message, while at the same time offering revelation to those who were eager to believe Him.

In the 4th chapter of Mark, Jesus is telling a parable about “the sower and the seed”. Both before and after Jesus told the parable, He urged the crowd (which included His disciples) to listen carefully. He used phrases like “Listen!” “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” “Don’t you understand?” He was giving hidden truths about the Kingdom of God and he wanted “believers” to get it.

Today the Kingdom of God is still being revealed to those who have a heart to believe. Although Jesus isn’t physically on the earth giving revelation these days, He has left us His Word, and The Holy Spirit is present to reveal it to those whose minds and hearts are open to it. No matter what His message is to you, His ultimate desire is that you understand what He is trying so desperately to relay to you.

The people that weren’t open to Jesus’ message were described as “ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding.” They we not prepared to get it. Are you prepared to get it? Listed below are 7 ways that you can prepare yourself to hear whatever God is trying to say to you.

1. With humility, revere God and His Word

2. Repent of sins and Forgive others

3. Invite The Holy Spirit in

4. Pray for continuous revelation

5. Keep an open and believing heart

6. Resist mental, visual, and emotional distractions

7. Decide to follow-up on the message and consistently do it

Remember, God is still speaking in pulpits on Sundays, but those aren’t the only days or places that He speaks. The key is when He speaks, “get it!” then spread it.

Living To Please Him!

Pastor Terry

Is It Worth It?

People are very different. Whether it’s their lifestyles or the life situations that they are in, everyday and all day you notice the many differences.

There are some things however, that unite us as human beings. It is the ability to choose. We all have this capacity to choose, and we continue to live in a state of making choices. In fact, there are times when we think that we’re making no decision-that in itself is a choice. What we do with our money, our time, and our relationships are all choices. Where we go, and what we do when we get there, are all decisions and choices.

The book of St. John the 6^th chapter shows a very interesting choice that Jesus put to His disciples. Their subsequent response is worth noting. After asking the larger number of disciples (some say there were as many as 500), to step up their level of commitment to him, many of them chose to leave. Seeing so many of them walk away, Jesus immediately turned and posed a question to the small group of disciples that remained. “Will you also go?” He asked. It was decision time. One disciple quickly responded. “Where will we go? You have the words of eternal life.

What is so striking about that disciple’s comments is that with the choice he made, it showed that he counted the cost. He determined that it wasn’t worth it to him to leave the Lord. The value that he placed on staying with Jesus outweighed the price he would have paid by walking away.

This passage has me asking a similar question today. Is it worth it? The choice that you are about to make, have you counted the cost? Have you seriously considered the value that you are placing on your decision? Think about it. What you are about to say, what you are about to do. Maybe it’s where you’re about to go. Have you thought about the cost that comes with saying it, doing it, or going there? Sometimes the answer to those questions is, it cost too much.

Oftentimes the types of choices we make can lead us away from the heart of God. On the other hand, there are times when the value we place on decisions we make involve great blessings, and reveal to others that we are indeed His children. St. John the 3^rd chapter, Jesus tells of the difficult choice that God The Father made, and by that choice opened a doorway to life for all. Was the choice God made worth it? Absolutely!

I’m not sure what decision you are about to make, nor do I know the outcome of that decision. I just pray that you will count the cost, and choose like Him.

Living To Please Him!

Pastor Terry