From: "Beverly French" <frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us>
To: "C & P Greene" <greenehouse72@juno.com>
Subject: Blessings To All
Date: Sunday, July 16, 2000 7:14 AM

"...let everyone be QUICK TO HEAR, slow to speak and slow to anger..."
James l:19  (My emphasis)

James has given a good bit of  wisdom in this verse and it is wise on the
Believer's part to lay hold of it.  Not only in the Letter of James , but
there are many verses of Scripture pertaining to hearing.  Let's look at a
few.

The spiritual hearing of the Believer results in instruction, wisdom and
blessing.
"Blessed is the man who listens to me,
 Watching daily at my gates,
 Waiting at my doorposts."  Proverbs 8:34
"He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof
 Will dwell among the wise."  Proverbs 15:31
"Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and draw near to listen
rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are
doing evil."  Ecclesiastes 5:1
"And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word
in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with
perseverance."  Luke 8:15

In the Book of The Revelation, Jesus gives a message to the Seven Churches
and in each one He relates 'him who overcomes' with 'he who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches.'  And with the
overcoming there are great  promises.  I urge you to read these messages
with a listening ear and and open heart.  You will find them in Revelation
2:1 - 3:22

What of the hearing ear?
"...You have given me a capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable
service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require."
Psalm 40:6  Amplified
"The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise
is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge."  Proverbs 18:15 Amp.
"The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
 The Lord has made both of them."  Proverbs 20:12
"But blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are your eyes because they
do see, and your ears because the do hear."  Matthew 13:16  Amp.

There are consequences for not hearing and I will share one with you (there
are others)  from 2 Timothy  because it is happening even now.  I pray that
we all will heed the warning of the Apostle Paul to Timothy and keep our
hearts
and minds focused on Christ our Lord and be attentive to the leading of
the Holy Spirit.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears
from the truth, and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Let us always have an ear that hears and a heart that obeys for that is our
rightful service.  We are a people blessed beyond measure!
For the Lord has said,
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will
counsel you with My eye upon you."  Psalm 32:8

With grateful hearts let us worship our God as we sing the words of the
Psalmist,
"I will bless the Lord at all times;
 His praise shall continually be in my mouth,
 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
 The humble shall hear it and rejoice,
 O magnify the Lord with me,
 And let us exalt His name together.
 I sought the Lord and He answered me,
 And delivered my from all my fears."  Psalm 34:1-4  Amen!