Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. As we look at the occurrences
on Pentecost, we see that the miracle that had the greatest
and lasting effect upon those present was that of hearing the
Word of God. Now when this was noised abroad,
the multitude came together and were confounded because that
every man heard them speak in his own language. They soon forgot
the miracle of speaking, but they could not forget the miracle
of hearing. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,
Men and brethren, what shall we do? Not everyone who has the
physical ability to hear sounds with their ears is given the
gift of hearing the glorious good news of Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. But oh, what a wonderful demonstration
of God's mercy is visited upon those who are unable to do so.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal
life believed. Many heard with their ears, only
those who were appointed to hear with their heart rejoiced and
magnified the word of God. A man may repeat syllables, whether
unintelligible, as in the case of modern tongue speaking, or
quite lucidly set forth among the more sedate, but one cannot
duplicate the gift of hearing, for it is sovereignly dispensed
quite separately from audible sounds. There are any number
of schools that men can attend which can teach them to preach,
supposedly as they would define it, but there is no school nor
scheme of men that can cause men to hear. Going through the
motions of preaching, however eloquent and scholarly, apart
from the sending of the messenger by God, is no more useful to
the sons of God than is the contrived speaking in tongues by those
who clamor for recognition and miracles. God does not hear the
prayers of men because of their much speaking, nor are men enabled
to hear by the copious preaching of men who go where they have
not been sent and declare any message which is not Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. Paul clearly stated the importance
of the public declaration of his word and the end to which
he is often pleased to send it. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believed. He defines
such preaching as having one message, the preaching of the
cross. He declares a similar theme to the Romans. How then
shall they call on him whom they have not believed? And how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. Many are those who become enamored
with the concept of preaching and preachers, and inadvertently
think that it is synonymous with hearing, yet such is not the
case. He does indeed use the preaching
of the gospel to bring life and immortality to light, but only
to those whom he grants the gift of hearing that same gospel,
spoken not by the tongues of men, but by the quickening power
of the Spirit of God. Faith is bestowed by the Lord
through hearing, and not by preaching. So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard?
Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth and their
words unto the ends of the world. So it is not the sound of speaking
which we desire, but rather the opening of the ears of those
who hear that sound which is sent by God to accomplish the
exact purpose for which it is sent. So shall my word be that
goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper
in the thing whereto I sent it. The gospel message, while elucidated
and more clearly defined in these last days, has not changed from
the beginning. Even as the Lord described the
first and greatest commandment, the Lord our God is one Lord.
For when Christ came into the world, the Lord said, This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. The
manifestation of Christ as the true and living God, clothed
in flesh and blood, is the very centerpiece of that which the
Lord would declare. Even as Peter testified, and
the Lord revealed to him the origin of his hearing. Blessed
art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Have you heard
him? He said, My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net