If you are looking for a church family we would love to talk with you and share more about who we are.
For they look, but they don’t
really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
14 This fulfills
the prophecy of Isaiah that says,
‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand.
When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts
of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’[a]
16 “But blessed are
your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.
HEARING AND
HEARING GOD
1. The
ability to hear-In the natural or physical sense, all of humanity has been
given ears. It would be very unusual or unnatural to be born without them. As
we know, in this present time, there are ways to communicate with the deaf or
hearing impaired.
There is a difference between having
ears and having “ears to hear.” Ears to hear reveal a willingness, a teachable
spirit, and a desire to understand. NOT callous, flippant, or
“I’ve heard that before,” “I know that already,” and turn off our receiver.
2. The necessity of hearing-There
could be words of caution, warning of impending events, words of
admonition/correction.
3. The
results of hearing- As believers, what is our attitude toward the Word of
God? How did what I hear impact/change my life now and my future/destiny?
Jesus spent nearly his entire earthly life
preaching and teaching and taught much on the importance of “Hearing” and
“Having an ear to hear what the Spirit is speaking to the church (The Body of
Christ).”
Most
notable examples: Jesus addresses the 7 Churches of Asia:
The Church at Ephesus: Revelation 2:2-7.
The Church at Smyrna: Revelation 2:9-11.
The Church at Pergamos: Revelation 2:13-17.
The Church at Thyatira: Revelation 2:18-29.
The Church at Sardis: Revelation 3:1-6.
The Church at Philadelphia: Revelation 3-13.
The Church at Laodicea: Revelation 3-22.
Jesus’s
Parable of the Sower and the Seed in 3 of the 4 Gospels:
Matthew 13:18-23.
Mark 4:13-20.
Luke 8:4-15.
Jesus’s warning about what and how we hear: Mark
4:24-25
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall
give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; John 14:16 KJV
The
term “Comforter” appears in key passages within the New Testament, particularly
in the Gospel of John. The word often translated as “Comforter” or “Helper” is
derived from the Greek term “Paraklētós,” which can be rendered as Advocate,
Counselor, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby. This refers to someone who comes
alongside to encourage, guide, strengthen, and intercede on behalf of
believers. While the concept of divine help can be found throughout Scripture,
the identity of the Comforter is most clearly described in the words of Jesus.
Scriptural Usage of
the Term
1. In John 14:16, Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father,
and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever.” Here, “Advocate”
(often translated “Comforter” in various English versions) is an indication
that this presence is not merely an impersonal force but a Helper comparable to
Jesus Himself.
2. In John 14:26, we read, “But the Advocate, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and
will remind you of everything I have told you.” This identifies the Comforter
specifically as the Holy Spirit-the One who guides believers into understanding
the truths Jesus taught.
3. In John 15:26, Jesus promises, “When the Advocate
comes, whom I will send to you from the Father-the Spirit of truth who proceeds
from the Father-He will testify about Me.” This verse reveals the testimonial
role of the Comforter, bearing witness of Christ.
4. In John 16:7, Jesus explains, “But I tell you the
truth, it is for your benefit that I go away. Unless I go away, the Advocate
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” Jesus emphasizes
that this Helper’s coming is necessary for the continuation of God’s redemptive
plan.
Identity as the Holy
Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s identity as
the Comforter is spelled out in John 14:26,
directly connecting Him to the promises Jesus made. He is fully God-sent by the
Father and the Son-and is personal, not merely an abstract power. Throughout
the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is described with personal pronouns (e.g.,
“He,” not “it,” in many translations), teaching, guiding, convicting, and
helping believers in ways only a personal being can.
Role in Teaching and
Guidance
The Comforter’s teaching role
is foundational (John 14:26). By guiding believers into all truth (John 16:13), the Holy Spirit illuminates Scripture
and helps followers of Christ apply biblical principles to life.
Role in Consolation
and Empowerment
In addition to guiding and
teaching, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to believers by reminding them of
God’s truths in times of distress. Evidence from the early Christian community
(seen in the Book of Acts) shows a dramatic transformation in the lives of
believers empowered by the Holy Spirit. Modern-day testimonies also echo these
themes of inner peace and divine assistance, which numerous documented cases
attribute to the ongoing work of the Comforter.
Relationship to
Believers
The Comforter provides an
internal witness of one’s reconciliation to God, as explained in Romans 8:16: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our
spirit that we are children of God.”
God’s Prescription: Remember
Remembering is the primary prescription God gives us. While there are many things we should do as God’s children, remembering is something we NEED to do—especially remembering who God is, what he has done for us by sending Jesus to redeem us, and who we are in Christ.
Mother’s Day is a special day to remember our mothers. We should remember all they have done for us, all they mean to us, and who we are because of them.
At birth, our mothers were an instrument in God’s hand to bring us into this world. God knit together each of us in our mother’s womb and placed us in her arms at birth. What a joy and blessing it is for a mother to cradle her newborn child for the first time at birth and then to hold her child’s hand throughout life. That’s how God intended it to be.
Just as a child is a gift from God to a mother (and father), mothers and fathers are gifts from God to the child. There is a bond in the parent/child
Relationship that should never be broken—and never really can be. One can divorce a spouse but not a parent.
Just as God loves us and has given us spiritual birth, we should honor and love the one who gave us physical birth. That’s how God intended it to be.
-Shari Abbott