REC 100 Days Prayer Meeting Day 47 - What is the meaning of "Whoever has ears"?

 

 

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.   Sing a song to praise God (you are welcome to use "Father, I adore you" which I have been singing every morning for the past 20 years or your own choice to praise God)

          Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Jesus, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Spirit, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

      

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

3.  John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)

(Please click this link to see how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/

           "Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.

             Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

             Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

    

    The link to today's Time with Abba passages:   http://api.pastoralcareschool.org/twa/

    Time with Abba passages: Psalm 139:1-6, Amos 1:1-3:15;Revelation 2:1-17; Proverbs 29:19-20

    Today's key passage:

      

     19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

        1 “To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

    

                                                 Revelation 1:19-2:7

Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to him. 

   

     My Listening

    The topic I received from Jesus is:  What is the meaning of "Whoever has ears"?

    Many people do not understand why the ending of the seven letters to the seven churches in the Revelation ends with the same words "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches". Does it mean that the people of those churches do not have ears to listen to God's voice?

    

    Actually, it really means that! This is what the Holy Spirit wanted to speak to the churches through John. And, if they really listened, they won't have that kind of big sufferings!

 

 According to the study in various commentary, what it says in Revelation 1:19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later." is that Revelation 2 and 3 "is now" about the present time concerning with the poor situation of that time. Then, Revelations 4 to 22 is about "what will take place later", and is about what will happen before Christ's second coming.

If the churches did not have ear to listen to what the Holy Spirit revealed so that they could confess, repent and renew, they won't care about what the future would be, they won't listen!

So, what is the problem?

The problem is what is before "Whoever has ears", and it is "let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches!" The problem is that churches and Christians do not accept the work of the Holy Spirit. The church of Ephesus, the headquarter for Evangelists in the Early Church that Paul used three years to train many leaders is being rebuked by the Holy Spirit that "you have forsaken the love you had at first"! How sad!

Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to open your ears to listen to His voice so that Jesus Christ can be the Lord and King of your life?

      

   May we pray for our church on the 47th  day of our 100 days Prayer Meeting now:

 

Dear Holy Spirit,

We are willing to allow you to open our ears to listen to your voice everyday so that Jesus Christ can be our Lord and King. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

      Reflect on these questions:

     1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?

      

      2.  What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus?

    

      Family Corner:

     Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 

     

Please click this link for the video version of this blog:    https://youtu.be/R0qiVxGvoi4

     To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link: https://www.pastoralcareschool.org