listen

Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 

listen carefully

Often when listening so someone else I sometimes find myself: distracted, impatient, frustrated, prone to interrupt.  When listening to Christ, it pays to lend your full attention to his message.

Proverbs 181Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.3 When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.4 The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.5 It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.6 A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.7 A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.20 A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the Lord.23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

background check

I reckon since the Christian stuff just kinda popped up here - I should give a little background for clarity.  First of all, it has been going on in my life for awhile now and suddenly I felt compelled to share this experience as I do with most of the rest of my life.  All my family have been church goers for generations.  Growing up,  I had the benefit of being exposed to a Christian life.  I attended Sunday school each week for 8 years, then "graduated" to regular church services for 4 more years.  Once I was in college, I stopped going to church.  I was all gung ho to jump into the world.  From age 19 up to 50, I lived without any personal  connection to Christ.

About 2 years before  I moved to the desert,   I was reunited with my Crazy Aunt Jean.  She was not crazy...but that is what we called each other (I was crazy nephew John).  We hadn't seen each other in over 30 years but all that time melted away and we were best friends again instantly.  I stayed with her several times at her home in Circle City, AZ.  She was loaded with faith.  Because of my great respect for her, some of that faith started to rub off on me.   BTW - Aunt Jean used to baby sit me and my brother when we were kids.  She was the one that told us that our mother had gone to Denver to get married to that guy that came around all the time ( I was 5 years old).  We spent the next day getting a "Welcome Dad" party ready.  My new step father became the greatest positive influence in my life.  He died 8 months before I moved here.  Crazy Aunt Jean died 2 years ago. 

So I come out here to build my off grid empire...and  because of my Aunt Jean, I started giving a little prayer of thanks each day at sunset.  (I have a lot of free time with no distractions so I can really think about the crazy path my life has taken)   One day a couple of months ago, my friends Rebecca and Leddie come by for a tour of the greenhouse.  These two are about as genuine as you get.   We did the tour and I told Rebecca I've been meaning to come to Church services but something always comes up.  She said simply, "That's the devil talkin".  That comment kinda just bounced off of me that day...but soon after I began to think...what if shes right? 

About a week later, I started thinking about what is really holding me back from going to Church again.  I really had been meaning to go.  Could that really be true? Does Satan really try to guide me away from Christ?   My first step is to accept Christ in faith and be aware that Satan will try to convince me otherwise.  I thought long and hard about the something else that stuck in my mind...But what if I become "one of them...a saved CHRISTIAN"?   From my own experience and thanks to the media, I have a very vivid notion about the stereotypical Saved Christian.   I thought about that aspect for awhile and decided of the choices I have today - that might not be so bad, and I can certainly become my own version of my perception.   I have jumped in feet first with the notion that there is a Satan that will try to persuade me otherwise and faith that the Bible is a true written history and our only chance for eternal salvation.  It really doesn't take that much effort (just faith) so why not give it a shot.  It is going well and I have great respect for Bonnie Cain as a real friend and for her message each Sunday.  Like everything else out here...this is a work in progress.

Matthew 13 : 9 Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"10 His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?" 11 Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. 12 To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand. 14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: 'You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning. 15 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes -- so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'