Summary: Welcome back to Crimson Cord... I appreciate that you've taken this time to be a part of the Crimson Cord community... Our purpose here is to help each of us develop a full and satisfying spiritual walk with God, and grow closer in our personal relationship with Christ. An essential attribute we should all be aware of as believers.... Communication key - If you want to be heard, first show others you hear them... The Prophet Samuel was an example of hearing and being heard by God, 1 Samuel 3:1 - 10; Samuel's name means "Heard of God." It comes from the combination of two Hebrew words 'to listen' and 'God'. Samu -el Samuel's back story - 1 Samuel, chapters 1 & 2 God 'heard' Hannah's prayer and gave her a son. She named him Samuel because God had heard her prayer. Eli was the Temple priest - he had 2 sons (Hophni and Phinehas), which the Bible calls 'worthless'.... 4 contrasting examples of listening, and not listening; 1. Hannah prayed and God listened to her - she fulfilled her promise to God... She would visit her son... talk... bring him clothes... she was an example to him... 2. Eli heard how his sons abused the people who came to worship God, and how they despised the service of God, and he didn't stop them. He ignored God's warning... 3. Eli's sons (Hophni & Phinehas) ignored their father's warning, just as Eli ignored God's... 4. Samuel heard God and responded by listening to Him... Following his mother's example... A simple message; Hear and be Heard... Whether with people or God... If we listen and hear others, we will be heard also... Why do arguments not get resolved... Because everybody's talking, and nobody is listening... Samuel learned from his mother, just as Hophni & Phinehas learned from their father... If you want to be heard, you must first listen... So parents if you want your children to listen to you, maybe it starts by showing them you hear them... It's important to remember... Samuel didn't have any great supernatural powers like other prophets of... He never called fire down from heaven... He didn't write any great prophecies like Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Daniel... And he didn't win any great victories like Joshua... Samuel had no Super Hero ability... except for the ability to hear and be heard. He could hear God, and in turn God would listen to him. He would hear God, and do what God asked, and in turn God would listen to him, and do what Samuel asked... That is a true super power... the ability to hear and be heard... Imagine a world where people feel their being heard... in turn they will listen to the needs of others... That's the power we need, to walk a resolute spiritual life in our world today... Are we listening to God? Can we hear God? As we saw in Samuel's story, Eli, the religious leader wasn't listening.. Are we listening to God in our churches today? Is He heard in our Congregations? When believers go to church and worship, do the church leaders promote or hinder their worship? Are they listening to how their congregation wants to worship... or are they telling them how they will worship... From what many have told me, they are turned off by the church today. Many see the church today as a platform used by religious leaders to promote themselves and their organizations... not God. When believers desire a closer relationship with God, are they told to 'Listen for the voice of God' or are they given a job, and told, "God's calling you"? When I first became a believer, before I even had a chance to read the Bible, I was teaching a Sunday School class... I didn't know anything about being close to God and growing in my spiritual walk... but that wasn't important... the church needed a Sunday School teacher... God was calling me... Maybe... But not till I was ready... When believers want to help those in need, do our religious leaders use their charity for their own enrichment...
