Hearing, Recognizing, Believing and Acting

HEARING THE WORD OF PROMISE IN OUR DAY

Hearing • Recognizing • Believing • Acting

Beloved, there is a great truth that must be settled in the heart of every believer: God is not merely the Author of a written Word; He is the living God who speaks, reveals, unfolds, and makes His will known according to His appointed purpose and season.

The Scriptures are the foundation. They are the absolute standard. Nothing that is truly from God can contradict them.

But the God who spoke in the Scriptures is still God.

He has not ceased to speak.

He has not ceased to reveal.

He has not ceased to lead His people.

And therefore, the question for every generation is not merely, “What did God say?” but, “What is God saying to us now, in this hour, concerning His purpose for us?”

This is where the great biblical principle comes into view:

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

—Romans 10:17 KJV

And Paul immediately asks:

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”

—Romans 10:15 KJV

Here is the divine chain:

God speaks.

God reveals.

God sends.

The messenger speaks.

The people hear.

The elect recognize.

They believe.

And faith acts.

That is the pattern.

And when that pattern is broken, something is lost.

HEARING IS MORE THAN READING

We must be careful here.

It is wonderful to read the Bible.

It is necessary to search the Scriptures.

It is essential to know what God has already written.

Jesus Himself said:

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

—John 5:39 KJV

But notice what happened in the days of Jesus.

The scribes had the Scriptures.

The Pharisees had the Scriptures.

The lawyers had the Scriptures.

The religious leaders could quote the Scriptures.

Yet when the very One of whom those Scriptures spoke stood among them, many of them did not recognize Him.

Why?

Because possessing the written Word is not automatically the same thing as recognizing the living God when He fulfills that Word.

Jesus said:

“Ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.”

—John 5:38 KJV

They searched the Scriptures, but they rejected the One whom the Scriptures testified of.

Therefore, beloved, reading is necessary, but reading alone is not the whole of faith.

Study is necessary.

Searching is necessary.

Exposition is necessary.

Doctrine is necessary.

There must be a living contact between God and the believer. That is where hearing comes in. For when you meet God, He speaks to you His Word according to the purpose He has with you.

So, have you heard from God? That is where the Christian tyre meets the ground.

Noah did not only read but he heard, and that is what saved him.

Abraham did not only hear, but he heard, and that is what made the different between his old life and the new one.

Israel did not only hear but they heard, and that is what delivered them from Pharaoh.

Rahab did not only read but she heard, and that is what saved her from destruction.

And today you can't be saved otherwise. Hearing precedes salvation. Thus the scripture says, "Incline your ear..." And again, "Harden not your heart, when your his voice..." And again, "Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches."

There must be the present-tense recognition:

“This is what God is saying concerning His purpose now.”

FAITH COMES BY HEARING

Paul says:

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

—Romans 10:17 KJV

Faith is not produced merely by accumulating religious information.

A person may know hundreds of Bible verses and still not have faith for the particular thing God is requiring of him.

Why?

Because faith is always connected with what God has spoken.

Abraham is our great example.

God came to Abraham with a promise.

The Lord said:

“Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”

—Genesis 12:1 KJV

And then:

“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.”

—Genesis 12:2 KJV

Abraham heard.

But Abraham did not merely hear.

He recognized that the voice was God.

Then he believed.

And then he acted.

The next verse says:

“So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.”

—Genesis 12:4 KJV

There it is!

God spoke.

Abraham heard.

Abraham believed.

Abraham acted.

That is faith.

Had Abraham merely sat in his tent and said, “I believe Genesis 12:1-3,” he would never have become the Abraham of faith.

He had to move.

The Word demanded a response.

The promise produced action.

ABRAHAM COULD NOT LIVE BY NOAH'S REVELATION

Consider this carefully.

Abraham could not obtain his promise merely by studying the life of Noah.

Noah had a revelation for Noah's generation.

God told Noah:

“Make thee an ark of gopher wood.”

—Genesis 6:14 KJV

Noah acted upon that Word.

But imagine Abraham saying:

“I believe God. I am going to build an ark because Noah built one.”

That would not have been faith.

That would have been copying yesterday's revelation.

Noah needed an ark.

Abraham needed a journey.

Moses needed a rod.

Joshua needed to cross Jordan.

David needed to face Goliath.

The apostles needed Pentecost.

Paul needed a revelation concerning the Gentiles.

Every generation had its own appointed portion of God's purpose.

Therefore, faith is not merely repeating what God did yesterday. Faith is recognizing what God is saying today and acting upon it.

THE FATHER OF FAITH HEARD A PRESENT WORD

Paul says:

“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed...”

—Romans 4:16 KJV

And Abraham became the great father of faith because he believed God's promise.

Scripture says:

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;”

—Romans 4:20 KJV

Why was Abraham strong?

Because he had something God had personally spoken.

He was not trying to manufacture faith.

He had received a promise.

And faith came by hearing.

Then faith acted.

James makes the principle unmistakable:

“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”

—James 2:22 KJV

Faith that never acts is merely an idea.

Living faith moves.

HOW CAN THEY BELIEVE UNLESS THEY HEAR?

Paul takes this matter even deeper:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

—Romans 10:13 KJV

Then he asks:

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?"

And:

“And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?”

And:

“And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

And finally:

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”

—Romans 10:14-15 KJV

Look at that divine progression.

Sent.

Preached.

Heard.

Believed.

Called.

The preacher must be sent.

Why?

Because the preacher is not supposed to manufacture a message.

He is supposed to bear what God has given him.

Jeremiah said:

“But he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully.”

—Jeremiah 23:28 KJV

And Paul said:

“For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.”

—1 Corinthians 11:23 KJV

That is the divine principle.

Receive, then deliver.

THE MESSENGER MUST BE SENT

Amos declared:

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

—Amos 3:7 KJV

God does not send a messenger merely because there is a vacancy in the pulpit.

He sends a messenger because He has something to say.

There is a burden.

There is a revelation.

There is a purpose.

There is a people.

There is an hour.

And God has a Word suited to that hour.

Paul asks:

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?”

Not merely educated.

Not merely eloquent.

Not merely trained.

Sent.

There is a difference between a man who decides to speak for God and a man whom God has met, commissioned, equipped, and sent.

Jeremiah could say:

“Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.”

—Jeremiah 1:9 KJV

That is a messenger.

God's Word in God's vessel for God's purpose.

NINEVEH NEEDED A PRESENT WORD

Consider Nineveh.

And here we must state the Scripture exactly: the messenger sent to Nineveh was Jonah. Scriptures available to God's people, but what Nineveh needed at that moment was a direct prophetic warning from God concerning its own condition.

God said to Jonah:

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”

—Jonah 1:2 KJV

Jonah went.

He preached:

“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

—Jonah 3:4 KJV

Now watch what happened.

They heard.

“So the people of Nineveh believed God...”

—Jonah 3:5 KJV

They believed God.

And because they believed, they acted.

“...and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

—Jonah 3:5 KJV

The king himself responded.

“Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:”

—Jonah 3:7 KJV

And the people turned from their evil way.

That is a tremendous picture:

The Word came.

They heard it.

They recognized it as God's warning.

They believed it.

They acted upon it.

Nineveh did not merely hold a Bible study.

Nineveh repented.

And the city was spared.

This shows us something powerful: there is a difference between knowing God's general principles and hearing God's specific warning concerning a particular hour.

God had something to say to Nineveh.

And God sent a man to say it.

THE APOSTLES WERE NOT COPYING ONE ANOTHER

When Jesus commissioned His apostles, He did not simply tell them to invent their own religious program.

He called them.

He instructed them.

He anointed them.

He empowered them.

And He sent them.

Jesus said:

“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit...”

—John 15:16 KJV

And after His resurrection:

“As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

—John 20:21 KJV

Peter received a particular burden toward the circumcision.

Paul received a particular commission toward the Gentiles.

Paul testified:

“But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;”

—Galatians 2:7 KJV

This is extraordinary.

The Gospel was one, but the stewardship and assignment were particular.

Paul did not simply copy Peter.

He received his commission from Christ.

He testified:

“For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

—Galatians 1:12 KJV

And he says:

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me...”

—Galatians 1:15-16 KJV

There was revelation.

There was calling.

There was commission.

There was sending.

And there was a Word specifically addressing the Gentile world.

THE REVELATION OF CHRIST ADVANCES

Now we come to one of the most profound patterns in Scripture: the progressive unveiling of Jesus Christ.

The Book of Revelation opens with:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him...”

—Revelation 1:1 KJV

Notice that.

The revelation of Jesus Christ.

Christ is inexhaustible.

There is always more of His glory to be revealed.

Paul said:

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part...”

—1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV

We know in part.

That means revelation unfolds.

The seven churches demonstrate this beautifully.

To Ephesus:

“These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;”

—Revelation 2:1 KJV

To Smyrna:

“These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;”

—Revelation 2:8 KJV

To Pergamos:

“These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;”

—Revelation 2:12 KJV

Different conditions.

Different needs.

Different aspects of Christ revealed.

The Christ is one.

But the portion revealed and emphasized to each condition differs.

And every message closes with the same solemn invitation:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

That phrase is repeated again and again.

Let him hear.

Why?

Because the church needs more than ink upon a page.

It needs the Spirit speaking through the Word.

THE REVELATION STARTS AND ADVANCES

The revelation of God does not contradict itself.

It unfolds.

The later does not destroy the earlier.

The later brings the earlier into greater light.

The Old Testament contained shadows.

Christ brought fulfillment.

The apostles opened mysteries that previous generations did not fully understand.

Paul says concerning the Gentiles:

“How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery...”

—Ephesians 3:3 KJV

Then:

“Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”

—Ephesians 3:5 KJV

And what was the mystery?

“That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”

—Ephesians 3:6 KJV

There it is.

It was always in God's mind.

But it was not always fully revealed.

There was an appointed time.

And when the appointed time arrived, God revealed what had been hidden.

This principle runs throughout Scripture.

DANIEL WAS TOLD TO SEAL IT UNTIL THE APPOINTED TIME

Daniel received revelation concerning things far beyond his own generation.

He asked:

“And I heard, but I understood not...”

—Daniel 12:8 KJV

Then the angel answered:

“Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

—Daniel 12:9 KJV

Think about that.

Daniel had heard something.

But he did not understand everything he heard.

And God told him:

“The words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

Why?

Because revelation has an appointed season.

There are things God speaks into the record before the generation that will fully understand and appropriate them has arrived.

Daniel's revelation was not useless.

It was reserved.

It was waiting for its hour.

And when that hour comes, the sealed Word becomes relevant in a way it could not have been in Daniel's own day.

That is the mystery of progressive revelation.

God knows the end from the beginning.

He can place something in Scripture centuries before its appointed generation, then open its significance when the time comes.

GOD HAS A PORTION FOR EVERY AGE

This does not mean that every generation receives a different Gospel.

There is only one Gospel.

There is one Lord.

There is one faith.

There is one baptism.

There is one Word of God.

But the unfolding of God's purpose within that one Word progresses.

Paul preached Christ.

Peter preached Christ.

John preached Christ.

Yet each had a divine stewardship.

The same Christ.

The same salvation.

The same Gospel.

But different aspects of the divine purpose were brought forward according to God's calling.

And so, throughout history, God has brought forth truth needed by His people in particular seasons.

The question therefore becomes:

What has God appointed for this hour?

What does the Word require of this generation?

What part of God's purpose has reached its appointed season?

What is the Spirit saying to the churches?

THE DEVIL CHANGES HIS TACTICS

There is another reason why the Word must be living and operative.

The enemy changes his tactics.

Satan is an ancient enemy, but he does not always attack in exactly the same form.

Paul said:

“Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

—2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV

Notice the word:

Devices.

The enemy has methods.

He has strategies.

He has deception.

Therefore the Church must not become spiritually asleep.

Paul warned:

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

—1 Corinthians 10:12 KJV

Spiritual warfare requires spiritual discernment.

And the believer is equipped with the Word.

Paul calls it:

“the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

—Ephesians 6:17 KJV

The Word is a sword.

And a soldier does not win tomorrow's battle merely because he once learned how a soldier fought centuries ago.

Imagine a modern army entering a battlefield carrying only ancient Roman weapons.

It would be absurd.

Why?

Because the battle has changed.

The technology has changed.

The tactics have changed.

The battlefield has changed.

Likewise, the Church must not become satisfied with merely preserving the vocabulary of yesterday while failing to recognize the spiritual challenge of today.

We need the living Word applied to the living battle.

GOD HIDES UNTIL THE APPOINTED TIME

Now we can understand why God sometimes conceals things.

It is not because the truth is unimportant.

It is because timing is part of revelation.

Jesus Himself said:

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”

—John 16:12 KJV

There were things the disciples could not yet receive.

But Jesus continued:

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...”

—John 16:13 KJV

There was more to come.

Not another Gospel.

Not another Christ.

But further unveiling of the same Christ and His truth.

That is progression.

The revelation grows deeper without changing its foundation.

THE SECRET THINGS BELONG TO GOD

Deuteronomy says:

“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever...”

—Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV

God possesses secrets.

God reveals secrets.

And when God reveals something, it becomes the responsibility of those to whom it is revealed.

That is why revelation is not given merely to make us clever.

It is given to make us obedient.

When Abraham received revelation, he moved.

When Noah received revelation, he built.

When Moses received revelation, he returned to Egypt.

When Joshua received revelation, he crossed Jordan.

When Nineveh received the warning, they repented.

When Paul received the mystery of the Gentiles, he preached.

Revelation demands response.

STAGNATION IS DANGEROUS

Therefore, there is a danger in becoming satisfied with yesterday's light.

There is a danger in building a religion around a former move of God while refusing to hear what the Spirit is saying now.

Israel had manna.

But the manna was fresh.

They could not preserve yesterday's manna indefinitely.

“And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.”

—Exodus 16:19 KJV

There was a daily supply.

There was a present provision.

And Jesus taught us to pray:

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

—Matthew 6:11 KJV

God is not dead.

His Word is not dead.

His Spirit is not dead.

His purpose is not dead.

The Church must remain alive to the voice of God.

BUT EVERYTHING MUST BE TESTED BY THE WORD

Now, beloved, we must place a guardrail around everything we have said.

If anyone claims to have a present revelation from God, it must be measured by Scripture.

Isaiah says:

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

—Isaiah 8:20 KJV

John says:

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God...”

—1 John 4:1 KJV

And Paul says:

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

—1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV

Therefore, hearing does not mean gullibility.

Recognizing does not mean blindly accepting every claimant.

Faith does not mean abandoning Scripture.

Quite the opposite.

The genuine voice of God will magnify the truth of God.

The true Spirit will exalt Christ.

Jesus said of the Holy Ghost:

“He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

—John 16:14 KJV

So when someone claims to speak for God, ask:

Does it agree with Scripture?

Does it exalt Jesus Christ?

Does it produce holiness?

Does it agree with the Gospel?

Does it bear the character of the Spirit?

The Bereans give us the pattern:

“They received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

—Acts 17:11 KJV

They did both.

They received.

And they searched.

That is spiritual maturity.

THE WORD IS LIVING

The Bible says:

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword...”

—Hebrews 4:12 KJV

Notice:

Quick.

That means living.

The Word is not a dead museum piece.

It is living.

It is powerful.

It cuts.

It discerns.

It reveals.

It judges.

It brings life.

Therefore, we must never reduce the Bible to a collection of historical quotations detached from the living purpose of God.

The Scriptures are the written testimony.

The Holy Ghost brings that Word alive to the believer.

And Christ is the living Word.

John said:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

—John 1:1 KJV

And:

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us...”

—John 1:14 KJV

The Word is not merely information.

The Word is Christ revealed.

“HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR”

Seven times in the messages to the churches we hear that solemn cry:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

The issue is not whether everybody has physical ears.

The issue is whether they have spiritual ears.

Multitudes can hear a sermon.

But not everybody hears what the Spirit is saying.

Jesus said:

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

—Matthew 11:15 KJV

There is natural hearing.

And there is spiritual hearing.

There is reading.

And there is revelation.

There is knowledge.

And there is faith.

There is information.

And there is conviction.

There is a sermon.

And there is “Thus saith the Lord.”

ABRAHAM DID NOT GET FAITH BY STUDYING SOMEONE ELSE'S EXPERIENCE

Think again of Abraham.

He could have studied Noah.

He could have studied Enoch.

He could have studied Abel.

He could have read every testimony available to him.

But Abraham needed something personal from God.

God had to speak to Abraham.

God said:

“I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

—Genesis 15:1 KJV

Then God brought him outside:

“Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them...”

—Genesis 15:5 KJV

And:

“And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

—Genesis 15:6 KJV

There is faith!

God spoke.

Abraham heard.

Abraham believed.

And ultimately, when God tested Abraham concerning Isaac, Abraham acted upon the Word.

The book of Hebrews says:

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed...”

—Hebrews 11:8 KJV

Faith obeys.

Faith moves.

Faith acts.

THE HOUR DEMANDS A HEARING PEOPLE

Therefore, Church, we must become a hearing people.

Not merely a reading people.

Not merely a debating people.

Not merely a quoting people.

Not merely a doctrinal people.

A hearing people.

A people who know the Scriptures and are sensitive to the Spirit.

A people who can say:

“Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

As Samuel said:

“Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

—1 Samuel 3:10 KJV

That should be the posture of the believer.

Not:

“Lord, tell me what I already want to hear.”

But:

“Lord, speak. Correct me. Lead me. Reveal Thy will. Give me grace to obey.”

THE WORD FOR THE HOUR MUST BECOME LIFE

The purpose of hearing is not merely to possess a new doctrine.

It is to possess new life.

James said:

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

—James 1:22 KJV

The Word we hear must become the Word we live.

If God says forgive, forgive.

If God says love your enemies, love them.

If God says separate from sin, separate.

If God says believe, believe.

If God says go, go.

If God says wait, wait.

If God says speak, speak.

If God says be silent, be silent.

That is faith.

Faith is not merely saying, “I believe the Message.”

Faith says:

“Because I believe it, I will live it.”

A LIVING WORD FOR A LIVING BATTLE

The hour in which we live has its own spiritual challenges.

The enemy has sophisticated methods.

Confusion is everywhere.

Falsehood is everywhere.

Religious deception is everywhere.

Compromise is everywhere.

And therefore the Church must possess more than a dead religious memory.

We need living faith in the living Word.

Paul tells us to:

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

—Ephesians 6:11 KJV

And among that armour is:

“the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

—Ephesians 6:17 KJV

A sword is not merely something to admire.

It must be wielded.

The Word must be known.

The Word must be believed.

The Word must be spoken.

The Word must be lived.

And the Spirit must make that Word effective in the battle.

THE GREAT CALL OF THIS HOUR

So let us return to the beginning.

Hearing.

Recognizing.

Believing.

Acting upon the Word of promise in our day.

That is the pattern.

Abraham heard.

He recognized.

He believed.

He acted.

And he became an heir of faith and the father of the faithful.

Nineveh heard Jonah's warning.

They recognized the seriousness of the Word.

They believed God.

They acted.

And mercy came.

The apostles heard the commission of Christ.

They received the anointing.

They were sent.

They preached.

And the Gospel went forth into the world.

Paul received the mystery of Christ concerning the Gentiles.

He did not copy Peter.

He did not manufacture his own message.

He received his commission through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Daniel received mysteries sealed for another age.

The seven churches received particular messages addressing their conditions.

And every message ended with:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

Therefore, the great need of this hour is:

SPIRITUAL EARS.

Not merely ears that hear sound.

But ears that recognize the voice of God.

CONCLUSION: LET US INQUIRE AT THE WORD OF GOD TODAY

Beloved, let us not make the mistake of thinking that because we possess the Bible, we therefore automatically understand everything God desires to do in our generation.

Let us search the Scriptures.

Absolutely.

Let us test every claim.

Absolutely.

Let us reject everything contrary to the Word.

Absolutely.

But having done all that, let us also hear.

Let us inquire at the Word of God.

Let us ask:

“Lord, what is Thy purpose in this hour?”

“What are You requiring of Your people?”

“What portion of Thy Word are You bringing into living reality now?”

“What is the Spirit saying to the churches?”

For the written Word is not dead.

The Word is living.

The revelation of Jesus Christ continues to unfold in His appointed purpose.

And the Spirit still cries:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

The issue is not whether God has spoken.

He has spoken.

The issue is whether we have ears to hear.

The issue is whether we can recognize the voice.

The issue is whether we will believe.

And the final issue is whether our faith will produce action.

For faith without works is dead.

Abraham did not merely hear a promise.

He walked out of his country.

Noah did not merely hear a warning.

He built the ark.

Moses did not merely hear a commission.

He went back to Egypt.

Joshua did not merely hear God's command.

He crossed Jordan.

Nineveh did not merely hear Jonah.

They repented.

Paul did not merely receive revelation.

He preached it.

And the Church cannot merely hear.

The Church must live.

So let the Word come into our ears.

Let it descend into our hearts.

Let faith arise.

Let obedience follow.

Let the life of Christ be manifested.

And let us never forget:

The Word is the sword.

The Spirit is the One who wields it.

Christ is the living Word.

The Scriptures are the infallible standard.

The messenger is the vessel.

The believer is the recipient.

And faith is the response.

May God give us grace in this hour to hear what the Spirit is saying, recognize what God is doing, believe what He has promised, and act upon His Word.

Not tomorrow.

Today.

For Scripture says:

“While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts...”

—Hebrews 3:15 KJV

Today, there is a voice.

Today, there is a Word.

Today, there is a promise.

Today, there is a people.

Today, there is an appointed purpose.

And today, God is still looking for those who have an ear.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

May we hear.

May we recognize.

May we believe.

May we act.

And may the Word we have heard become Christ living in us.

Amen.