Failure to communicate? ∙∙

Failure to communicate? ∙∙

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” – Mark 4:23

Mark 4:23-25

 23 “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

 24 Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given – and you will receive even more.”

 25 “To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even their little understanding will be taken away from them.”

“Can you hear me now?” These words became iconic thanks to Paul Marcarelli, who portrayed the “Test Man” in Verizon Wireless commercials from 2002 to 2011. Recognized by Entertainment Weekly as one of the most intriguing individuals of 2002, Marcarelli was known for his gray Verizon jacket and signature horn-rimmed glasses. His role involved consistently verifying the reach of Verizon’s signal to ensure effective communication.

Communication itself is an art form that involves conveying information from a sender to a recipient. It’s successful only when the receiver comprehends the sender’s message. If your audience you are attempting to communicate with does not get it, you have not communicated!

In the context of biblical communication, our primary task is to receive and relay the Father’s message to others. The goal is to share God’s living and active Word in a manner that’s clear and comprehensible. The Father will use His Word to accomplish His purpose.

According to 1 Timothy 1:5, the aim of our teaching is for believers to be filled with love stemming from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

Hebrews 5:14 Solid food is for the mature, who, because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

REFLECT & PRAY

It’s not just possible but necessary for each child of the King to share the Father’s message.

Father, thank You for communicating Your truth so that even I can understand. Teach me to teach others as You have taught me.

INSIGHT

How did the Father communicate truth to mankind? The Holy Spirit facilitated the process. Referring to how the Old Testament Scriptures were written,

Peter writes:

2 Peter 1:21 No prophecy was ever made by an act of human impulse. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Biblical prophecy did not emerge from mere human desire. The Father communicated through men who “spoke” as the Holy Spirit guided them. The Spirit worked within the Old Testament prophets, allowing them to express the Father’s words through their own personalities, knowledge, backgrounds, vocabulary, and styles.

The same Holy Spirit, responsible for the Scriptures’ inspiration and production, is available to every believer, empowering us to communicate effectively with others. He aids us in study, preparation, and organization and sometimes even provides the exact words we use.

How does this happen?

There isn’t a single formula for this process. The Holy Spirit often energizes our careful effort and preparation, yet our insights and expressions might also be spontaneous and spur-of-the-moment. The Holy Spirit does what is necessary to get the job done.

In the book of Acts, most preaching and teaching were spontaneous and impromptu. There was rarely time to prepare a message in advance. “It was not the performance of an hour but the preparation of a lifetime.” It was the preachers who were prepared, not the sermons (BBC).

How does spiritual communication occur? Through the Filling of the Holy Spirit, the Father enables people. The Holy Spirit empowers, encourages, and energizes us. He often provides the words and subtleties needed for effective communication.

Matthew 10:19-20 Don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking – it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

This empowerment is frequently called the Filling of the Holy Spirit.

Micah 3:8 I am filled with power – With the Spirit of the LORD

Acts 4: 8 Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “ . . .

Acts 13:9-10 Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him and said . . .

Our role is to be cleansed, open, and available conduits for the Holy Spirit to work through. This should ideally reflect our walk and our relationship with Him. We also pray to be free from personal ambition and pride, seeking to cleanse ourselves from known sins. By emptying ourselves, we allow room to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, following Christ’s example.

How did the Father facilitate the communication process?

He created needs or circumstances in people’s lives and then supernaturally provided solutions and comfort. The knowledge shared is His response to these needs, as seen throughout Scripture. The Holy Spirit communicates directly with those who are receptive to His voice. When we teach, He speaks to each person’s heart and mind through us. It is the Spirit of the Father speaking through us, fulfilling the objective and reality of Biblical Communication.

The Scriptures are replete with answers from the Father for the needs of our everyday lives.

The Father understands each soul deeply, knowing how to speak to everyone. He searches our hearts and knows our ways. He knows exactly how to speak to each person. The Holy Spirit always has one-on-one communication with the children of the King, who are attuned to His voice. When we teach, He speaks to each person’s heart and mind. We are merely His conduit. For it is not we who speak, but the Spirit of our Father who speaks in us. (Matthew 10:20).

The Father knows the depths of each individual soul. He searches our hearts and knows our ways. He knows exactly how to speak to each person. This is, in part, why Christ was such an effective communicator. His ability was perceived as keen, penetrating insight, wisdom, authority, and bold confidence.

John 2:25 He Himself knew what was in man.

Matthew 7:29 He was teaching them as one having authority and not as their scribes.

This ability transferred to the apostles who had been with Him.

Acts 4:13 Now, as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

The same Holy Spirit is with us to empower our teaching and communicate to others.

Understanding Scripture is not an intellectual matter but a spiritual and moral issue. No matter how great the intellect or advanced one’s education, we are inadequate without the Father’s enablement.

1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 14

 7 The wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God – his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.

 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them, and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.

Matthew 23:23 Do not neglect the more important things.

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© Dr. H 2024