Are you glad or mad at the word?

At a certain point in Israel’s history very few had been hearing the word of God. Neh 8:3 Ezra taught it to a people that were starving for God's word, and the people rejoiced.

If you don’t care to hear from the word  then there is something wrong; you are either backslidden, carnal or uncommitted, and unconverted

The word will make you glad or mad. Often the unbeliever gets mad  because they are convicted of their sin. But in today’s church climate even the professing Christians can be mad at the word. 

When you hear the truth "do you get mad or glad?" 

Nobody likes being corrected, but are thankful if they heed what they heard and avoided a disaster. Consider hearing the word from the pulpit or from a friend as helping you avoid disaster.

Do you remember back when you found the truth, He called you. Not to join a club with other like minded people, but into service. Not into the secret service but service to the king of all kings,                        to tell others about him. That means we must speak what we know. And to know Him means we spend time in His word allowing it to wash us clean.

Are you hungering for spiritual food,  the living word, or are you living by traditions, rituals and have only religion? Are you satisfied with the emptiness you still have? Or do you want  more.                           To know God, to go further in your understanding and service.

Are you Mad when hearing the truth, refusing to eat the bread of life and drink living water. Or do you nourish yourself on other words of mere men.

God told Ezekiel, Ezek 33:30-32 "As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another,                       everyone saying to his brother, 'Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.' "So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear                          your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain." Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a                 pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.

Jesus spoke this many times, Matt 13:9 “He who has ears to hear , let him hear!"  He then said (v.15)Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;                For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should             understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 

If you are discourage the word can encourage you , if you are hurt God’s word can heal you. Its all there to help us on our time on earth as we prepare to be in heaven.

In Mt.13:19 the seed is the word, in vs. 37 he explains further that the sower of the good seed is the son of man which is either Jesus himself or those who preach the same message, His word.                         The soil is a receptive heart (Lk.8:11),

 Do you hunger and thirst? How filled are you from your last meal?

Do you come to a meeting to worship, pray or learn; not just sing and fellowship?

Are you captured by the word, do you reverence it? How affected are you by it, are you compelled to do it?

Act 17:11 The Berean synagogue were intent on receiving only the truth and paid attention to what Paul a taught. Should we not do the same today.

for three Sabbaths He reasoned with them from the Scriptures,” What was  it he explained? The Gospel “explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead,                 and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ." (Acts 17:2-3)

Considering all the warnings Jesus gave about the last days being indicative of deceptions, and Paul reiterating the same should we not be looking to the word to see if something is true or not?

1 Cor 13:6 Love  "rejoices in the truth." Are we filled with the truth and love to go to others who do not know the gospel? To take the time for those who are willing to hear and ask questions.                           This is what Paul did with the Bereans.  This is what Jesus meant by the great commission; this is real Christianity.

This is what we are supposed to be going to church for, to learn and go out to others. Are you willing to do this; the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Pray and seek too be filled with                       the knowledge of the truth, and the Lord will bring people into your life to share it too. Then you will know the joy of being in his service.