by David Brenneman
"And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.” Mark 4:9-12.
"And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” Matthew 21:14-16.
Assuming that you know and truly knowing aren't the same thing.
Many will claim in the day of judgment to have been good people who knew Jesus. His response was to depart from Me for I never knew you.
They only thought they had illumination towards understanding and only heard what they wanted to hear and thought that was enough.
A life in Christ comes from our coming to Jesus for salvation and then He breathes new life into us. Only then do spiritual things happen. Only then do spiritual eyes open and spiritual ears hear.
Assuming has its own modern explanation of what it is. However, the dictionary defines assuming or to assume as: suppose to be the case, without proof. Assuming, the adjective, is connected to arrogance and being presumptuous.
Those who think they see well enough or believe that being near Christian people will enrich their own lives by some form of osmosis are going to wake up in Hell if they do not truly come to Christ for salvation. This way of living is an attempt at entering Heaven by some other means than that of through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Pride says that such a person is good enough without Jesus. Satan's saying the same thing about himself. Not exactly the kind of company you want to be associated with.
When someone comes to Christ a new life begins, a future of hope eternal starts. Eyes are opened for the first time, ears hear for the first time. Quite often this can be painful at first because literally a new Believer has never used them before. With the darkness lifted seeing oneself in a completely different light is a very potent experience. In Christ we are a new creation old things are passed away, behold new things have come.
We are easily deceived when it comes to understanding our world.
Right now our world is stuck in a high gear when it comes to temptations and sinful opportunities. As odd as this may seem, I do believe that the days of Noah were possibly more technologically advanced than our present life. The thoughts of mankind were evil continually the Bible says. A people who's minds weren't corrupted by solar decay. Who had full use of all their brain power. Yet had turned from the truth of God because they thought they could see and could hear.
The floods came and Hell began really filling up. Not that Hell can run out of room. Billions of people flooding into a painful torment they've never known. Only then realizing they didn't have eyes to see or ears to hear.
Jesus said of His return:
"And He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. They will say to you, ‘Look there! Look here!’ Do not go away, and do not run after them. For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed. On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”" Luke 17:22-36.
And in Matthew:
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:36-42.
Understand this...Jesus kept His promises of old as written in the Old Testament and came the first time.
Jesus is going to keep His promise and come once more.
"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells." 2 Peter 3:11-13.
How presumptuous are you being about how you will be before the Holy Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Are your ears open, do your eyes see? If you can't point to a time in your life where you know that you know that you know Jesus came into your life to save you...please consider making today that day! You just read that no man knows the day nor the hour...straight from Jesus.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”" Romans 10:8-13.
In many recorded instances the blind who crossed paths with Jesus cried out for Him to have mercy and to heal them. Don't think for a moment that they only received a physical healing. In their moment they felt and knew a touch of the power of God in Christ Jesus.
Jesus promised that all who call on Him in faith will not be disappointed.
Be sure of your salvation. Don't fall for the lies of Satan that you have time. That you can go live it up first. Billions in Hell would testify that they fell for that lie.
Be sure that Jesus is the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. You can never be so far away that Jesus can't reach you nor low that Jesus can't reach you. No one is above the need for Jesus.
Jesus is waiting...for you.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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