Comments on: Odd Circumstances http://skipmoen.com/2011/05/10/odd-circumstances/ Recovering the intent of God's Scriptures, one Hebrew or Greek word at a time. Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:02:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: carl roberts http://skipmoen.com/2011/05/10/odd-circumstances/comment-page-1/#comment-23331 carl roberts Tue, 10 May 2011 21:56:18 +0000 http://skipmoen.com/?p=10180#comment-23331 Another observation about today’s word, “Ephphatha!”
My brother is deaf in both ears and went to a special school for the hearing impaired to learn how to read, and how to communicate with the outside world. He is a skilled lip-reader and when he speaks he has a slight impediment to his speaking, because this is what he hears- distorted language. He does not speak clearly and distinctly because he does not hear clearly and distinctly.
It’s hard for us to place ourselves in his position because we have been blessed with “normal” hearing. But for those who have been deaf since birth, -it is another world, quite foreign to us.
I am glad this man had a friend or friends who cared enough to bring him to Christ. He (maybe from shame or sensing himself to be an outsider) may not have come on his own, but at the encouragement and persistence of his friends, was brought to (and healed by) Christ. “Bring him to me” was (and is) the command of Christ, the “Fount” of every blessing.
Today, may I ask this question of those “who have ears to hear.” – How well do you hear? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the LORD, we are instructed. We walk by faith and not by sight, it has been written. We live by what we hear, not by what we see. We must hear from G-d, and we must “shema” when G-d speaks.
Back to the question: How well do we hear? The quality of our lives will be determined upon the quality of our hearing. Without faith it is impossible to please G-d (Hebrews 11.6) and faith comes by hearing and hearing by (our receptivity of) the word(s) of G-d. (Romans 10.17) Faith pleases G-d greatly. “The just (ones) shall live by faith.” (Hebrews 10.38) We may read Hebrews chapter 11 to view examples and testimonies (G-d’s hall of fame) of those who knew what is meant by “my righteous ones shall live by faith.”
G-d’s instruction through James is: “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (KJV) Again, “faith comes by hearing..” “But how are they to call on One in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in One whose voice they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10.14) Yes, what were the words of Yeshua? “if any man have ears to hear.. -let him hear” (Mark 4.23)
And this I believe is the capstone, found in Deuteronomy 6.4: “Shema,” O Israel. Listen and obey, contained in this critical command: “shema..” For faith (which pleases G-d) occurs when our right response to what G-d has said to do is “to hear and to obey.” Faith is our right-response to the word(s) of G-d. Our right-response is obedience, and our choosing, willingly, voluntarily, intentionally to obey Him will result (every time) in blessing and abundance.
How do we know all this is true? lol!- “the mouth of LORD has spoken it.” (Isaiah 1.20) What was the wise counsel of Mary, the mother of the Messiah, to the servants? (John 2.5)

]]> By: Pam http://skipmoen.com/2011/05/10/odd-circumstances/comment-page-1/#comment-23326 Pam Tue, 10 May 2011 16:29:56 +0000 http://skipmoen.com/?p=10180#comment-23326 I think you may have a point Skip!

Good morning Carl!

]]> By: carl roberts http://skipmoen.com/2011/05/10/odd-circumstances/comment-page-1/#comment-23311 carl roberts Tue, 10 May 2011 12:15:47 +0000 http://skipmoen.com/?p=10180#comment-23311 Excellent! lol!- Such a delight to read this today! Don’t you just love the humor of G-d?
(G-d does have a delightful sense of humor and perfect comedic “timing!”) “He does all things well..”
We do love to laugh.. (don’t we?) If we are made in the image and likeness of Elohim, (and according to His book -we are) and we love to laugh, then what about the “original?” Does He also enjoy a “humorous” moment or a funny thought? – Is it “okay” for a Christian to have fun? (I too, would like to “invent” a word to respond to this last statement, but I’m sure, in the depths of my inner being, it would be a cousin to “Ephphatha!” When G-d speaks- something (good) always “happens!” He, the Peace-Speaker, spoke unto the storm at sea, saying- “Shalom!”- the waves were stilled, like a mirrored pond, and the talmudim marveled (I would too!) in this “G-d moment.” When G-d speaks, (and we listen) -what a combination!

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