Chris Swanson

How can we learn, from Matthew 11:15, to be good spiritual listeners?

Hearing God speak to us and acknowledging him is essential in building a relationship with him. God does not generally utilize the sound of a human voice, but he always talks plainly through his Word. In order to obtain God’s messages, we should be prepared to hear him and to follow up on what he is telling us.

What is a name? A name is a word used to constitute a specific designation of a person, place, or thing. An example would be a table, a chair, or my name, Bond or James Bond.

Now, what about a title? I am not talking about one for an automobile or property. I am referring to personal titles. A title is a word used to describe a person. For example, Mr. is for mister, and Dr. is for doctor. Do you see what I am getting at?

Do Christians have a name or a title? We do. Let us take a few moments to look at some names or titles we Christians have.

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A woman is the first to describe her encounters with a risen Jesus in an era when women were often misunderstood and ignored. Yet, she was the first person Jesus commissioned to share the Good News of his resurrection.

To rest is to rejuvenate oneself. Why? Because your body and mind have been overworked and you are physically and mentally exhausted. But to take a break, that is something else.

We can learn how to be blessed from each beatitude. The terms “happy” and “fortunate” are used in other translations. These words do not imply happiness, pleasure, or prosperity on Earth. Jesus transforms the world’s conception of happiness.

What makes a good leader within a church body? A good leader understands that the local body of believers is God’s flock, not their own. A good leader knows that they do not serve out of obligation, but eagerness. A good leader has concern for what they can provide the flock, not for what they might receive.

James and John wanted the most noteworthy positions in Jesus' Kingdom. However, Jesus let them know that significance comes from serving others.

Those that have a favorable opinion of themselves are prone to think others feel the same way about them; but they will be mistaken. God can make low those that have amplified and lifted themselves up.

I believe that the actual question that we should ask ourselves is this, “How do we go about taking God seriously?” Taking God seriously starts first by us having a “fear of the Lord.”

The physical needs of the people were met and then there was plenty extra to go around. When comparing this to our spiritual life, how much in our life is leftover spiritually?

At the judgment seat, what will happen to us then, knowing that we have put Christ last in our life? Is serving and worshipping Christ on our daily “to do” list?

This requires us to plan, to be a willing sacrifice, and have an unswerving loyalty to Christ's Kingdom. Being salty is difficult, however if we as Christians fall through in our work, then we neglect to present Christ to the world.

This is the story of how Elisha restores a child to life, a story that is similar to the one found in 1 Kings 17:17-24. What does this story have to do with evangelism? The answer is simple. Someone needed to hear the Word from God, so God sent someone out.