Often I read stories in the Bible and meditate on them before I drift off into sleep for the night.  I love to “re-live” these stories as I close my eyes. Often, I become the “hero” of the story in my mind…

On one such night, I read the story of the Good Samaritan.  In my mind, I became the “Good Samaritan.”  Most sermons I have heard about this text makes the main application be that “we shouldn’t be like the Levite or the priest who passed by the wounded man without helping him. We should be like the Good Samaritan.”  However, God showed me that this is not the meaning of the story. Jesus was teaching us about Himself. The main lesson isn’t that we are to help the pitiful, helpless man – it’s that we are the pitiful, helpless man! Jesus is the Good Samaritan who found us after legalism and religion didn’t lift a finger to help us.

Another time, I read the passage in Matthew 13:4, where the Bible says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field”.

As I began to meditate on this passage, and become the “hero” as the man who finds the hidden treasure.  I have heard it preached as a soulwinning sermon.  We are to go out searching for hidden treasure.  But God, again, gave me insight.  In this parable, Jesus told the man sold everything he had to buy the field so that he could have the treasure. We certainly can’t pay anything to receive Jesus Christ, or to help someone else receive Jesus Christ.  Quite the opposite is happening here!  He, Jesus Christ, paid everything so that He could have us. Again, it is Jesus who is the hero in the story. He did not just see a waste land, a deserted, left for ruin fallen human race.  No!  He saw, amidst the snakes, and spiders, weeds, thorns, thistles, and ruin, a people he wanted to redeem.  Praise God he saw us worthy enough to die for!  I cannot think of better news for the alcoholic, the drug addict, and even self-righteous church member!  God looked on us as sinners, and thought it a worthy cause to “buy” or “redeem” us back to Him.  I love that old song even more, “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb…

Most recently, I read about the pearl of great price described in Matthew 13:45-46,“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

How many times have you heard Jesus described as the Pearl of great price? But, no, He’s not the pearl in this story – you are! The Hero here is the One who paid everything so that He could “purchase [us] with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). He is the One Who gave everything.  He is the Hero!

It’s not about you and me. It never has been and it never will be. It’s all about Him. However, since we always look for the “hero” in the story, let’s consider this – may the resurrected power of Christ enable us to stop making ourselves the main character in the “divine drama”! Babies think everything is all about them, but with maturity comes a true understanding. The story is “His” story and He has the leading role. We are simply the recipients or beneficiaries of His wonderful love and grace.  Is He your Hero??  Have you told Him so?? Jesus….did You ever know that You’re my Hero??

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Benjamin R. Burks

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See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.  For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25)

I heard about a little boy who was not getting good grades in school because he had not been paying attention to his teacher.  One day, his teacher sent a note home for his parents about his conduct and his grades.  The next day, he came up to the teacher and said, “I don’t want to scare you, but my dad told me last night that if I don’t start getting better grades somebody’s going to get a spanking!”  However, we know the teacher is not the problem!  Bad things happen when we do not pay attention.  I do not know how many times someone has sat in my office who was desperately seeking help, and I heard them say, “I wish I had listened.”  This concept of listening is not just hearing; the idea is listening with the full intention of heeding what is said.

For the past several weeks, we have been discussing how God speaks to us in four distinct ways.  The first way is through Jesus’ blood; the second way is through His Word; the third way is through His Spirit.  Today we will discuss the final way that God speaks to us and that is through others.

God speaks to us through the testimony of faithful believers. Hebrews 3:13 says, “But exhort one another daily while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” God’s plan is for us to encourage and uplift each other.  He speaks to us through other believers.  Thank God for those people who care enough about you to come alongside and say, “Listen, you need to change this.  You need to dedicate your life to Christ.  You need to serve Him with your whole heart.”  Sometimes, people resent those who correct them; that is foolish and dangerous.  God is speaking to you through their words.

Also, understand that if you are listening to the voice of the Spirit of God and walking in fellowship with the Lord, God wants to use you to encourage others.  Your words and your testimony and your encouragement can make the difference for another believer who is struggling with adversity.  Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” So often we speak rashly, without thinking about the impact of our words.  If we speak through the flesh instead of the Spirit, we have a negative impact on the other runners in the race.  God wants us to encourage and exhort each other.

It is interesting that this is not meant to be an occasional action—God says to do it “daily.” You can be walking in fellowship with God on Saturday and be walking away from God on Sunday.  We need daily exhortation.  Not only can we be inspired by living believers; but we can also learn from the pattern and example of those who have gone before.  Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” Abel has been in Heaven for thousands of years, yet his testimony of faith still encourages us today.  Your testimony, whether good or bad, will outlive your life.

I first heard Richard Wurmbrand speak when I was sixteen years old.  He was a pastor in Romania, who spent fourteen years in a Communist prison, being tortured for his faith.  When he walked to the pulpit, I saw a little man, thin and emaciated, with hollowed out eyes and sunken in cheeks.  But, when he talked, his face lit up with a radiant glow.  As he told the story of his ministry in the underground church, God used his testimony to stir my heart.  He has been with the Lord for several years now, but his voice is still speaking today.  The impact of his testimony is still encouraging and motivating me and thousands of others who heard him speak.  That is the kind of testimony I want to leave behind for the glory of God.  But, I can only leave that testimony if I listen to His blood, His Word, His Spirit, and the testimony of other faithful believers.  When you hear God speak, do not refuse Him.  Do not turn away.  Do not turn back.  Obey His voice.  Run to Him and find His will. Do His will and forever you will be blessed. Listen to your teachers!

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See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.  For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25)

Our topic for the past two weeks has been on the importance of “listening.” As mentioned previously, our Father in heaven speaks to us in four distinct ways.  So far, we have discussed two of those ways: through the blood of Christ and through His Word.  Today, we will discuss the third way in which God speaks to us.

Remember, bad things happen when we do not pay attention. This concept of listening is not just hearing; the idea is listening with the full intention of heeding what is said.

The third way in which God speaks to us is through His Spirit. Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.” Often, we get so busy in our lives, that we do not take time to listen to God.  We do not allow Him to speak to our hearts.  In all of the action and activity of life, we must carve out, on a regular basis, quiet time where we can listen to God.  Before we launch out to face the adversity and pressure of the day, we need to allow Him to speak to us.  Every child of God has the internal voice of the Spirit of God speaking.  That voice is the voice of the Author of the Scripture.  He will take the Word and apply it to our lives, if we will heed His voice.

The Holy Spirit makes application of what we read and hear, and helps us interpret the Scriptures correctly.  It is miraculous that God takes the same Bible and applies it to the individual lives of millions of believers all around the world.

All of us, regardless of how long we have been saved and what our spiritual maturity level is, have different struggles and issues and problems that we are facing.  God also knows what problems we will face in the future.

Many times, people have said to me, “Pastor Kingsbury, something I heard from God last Sunday really helped me this week.”  That was the Spirit applying the Word to someone’s heart in advance to prepare them for adversity.  If you are so busy, with so much activity going on, that you cannot take time to prepare your heart for the Spirit to teach you what you need to learn, you are going to miss out on His training and the benefit of His encouragement and teaching to help you live the Christian life.

Listen to Him today!  If you have not already, STOP!  Slow down and listen to His Spirit.  Hear Him and heed what He tells you to do.  Have YOU talked to Him today?

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury

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