For those who have ears to hear….

I heard on the radio this afternoon, during my lunch break, some very worthy causes, Christian freedoms being taken away, peril for Christianity, etc. I was moved to act within my soul. I wanted to take the whole government, the whole world and tell them how I felt about the hot, controversial and painful issues that I was hearing about. They need to do what I think is right!!!!!!!!!!!!!

……hmm…….

Then this Voice broke my burning anger , my righteous indignation and it said:
“Don’t cut off the ear.“

I knew the reference so I looked up that passage.

In John 18:10, we read this account:

10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

And in Luke 22:51 we read:

But JESUS answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

What has happened here? JESUS was going to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and his disciples were (or at least one of them was) going to take things in to his own hands.

That man was Peter. We all know Peter. I think most of us deal with things as Peter did, and that is why we so relate to him. But here is Peter taking things in his own hands. He was sincerely trying to do something for JESUS, why, he, Peter, was going to save JESUS from the guards….

First of all, JESUS never needs us to save HIM, it is always the reverse.

His actions resulted in his cutting off the ear of the man, Malchus. This was something JESUS condemned and said, “No more of this!“. It was man’s way of doing things, but not GOD’s way of doing things. JESUS doesn’t need us to do “our thing” for HIM. What HE really needs is us to do “HIS thing” for HIM.

And when we move forward, do, create, speak or otherwise take action in our own accord without having taken a direct command from JESUS to do so, what we do is cut the ear of those who most need to hear.

Like Peter, when we act of our own accord, we disable those who need most to hear our message by our action. Do you think Malchus was really open to a message about a Loving CHRIST with a violent act put upon him by one of JESUS‘ followers? I think he had his ear cut off, literally and figuratively.

That is why JESUS healed his ear.

We cut off the ears of those who need to hear the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST because we march without marching orders, we sing out of harmony with CHRIST, or we just simply stay put when JESUS says to go and do.

That’s what cutting the ears off of the unsaved is.

JESUS said on the cross, “FATHER, forgive them for they know not what they do.” HE still wanted them to hear the message of eternal life and redemption.

Peter thought he was acting for the good of CHRIST, but he was not. He was acting in the ways of men.

We need to do drama when JESUS commands us to do it. We need to start a ministry when JESUS directs us to do it. We need to make a video presentation when we are lead by the SPIRIT.  The rest is not only vanity and the ways of man, but in the end it will cut off the ear of the very ones who need to hear, see and participate in what GOD has given you to do.

Look at a lot of the current blogosphere. There are voices against Christianity and some are actively seeking to put JESUS to death if not in actuality then through CHRISTianity. An atmosphere against true Christianity like this comes from one of two things:

1. the work of the enemy, or

2. the work of Christians doing their own things. Christians not doing what JESUS has asked them to do or Christians NOT doing what JESUS told them to do……any of these are considered ”not gathering for CHRIST“.

Look around you locally and see how many ears are cut off from hearing a true Gospel message. Why is that? The Gospel they are hearing many times is the Gospel + someone’s agenda attached – a man-made agenda.

We need to stop trying to carry out our own agenda and carry our the commands of our LORD. It still doesn’t guarantee all will listen, but they certainly won’t hear it if you cut off their ear with your personal agenda which did not originate from GOD..

Follow GOD’s direction and don’t cut off anyone’s ear.

LORD, forgive us of our dullness of spirit to allow our own agendas to dilute what YOUR true message is. Heal the ears we have cut off and teach us YOUR ways.

In JESUS’ precious name.