Gather, Hear, Walk

“...the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day...ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be ordered aright” (Proverbs 4:18,26, Geneva Bible).

To walk “the Way,” start by hearing: “HEAR, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and GIVE EAR to learn understanding. For I do give you a good doctrine: therefore forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and dear in the sight of my mother, when he taught me, and said unto me, ‘Let thine heart hold fast my words: keep my commandments, and thou shalt live. Get wisdom: get understanding: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth’...HEAR, my son: and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom, and led thee in the paths of righteousness. When thou goest, thy gait shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall. Take hold of instruction, and leave not...my son, HEARKEN unto my words, incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them: and health unto all their flesh” (4:2-5,10-13,20-22).

Lord, give us ears to hear, that we may walk by Your Way.

Church, gather and hear His Word together, that we may walk together in His Way.

Gather to Our High Priest

“My covenant was with him in life and peace, and I gave him fear, and he feared me, and was afraid before my Name. The Law of truth was in his mouth, and there was no iniquity found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn away many from iniquity. For the Priest’s lips should preserve knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:5-7, Geneva Bible).

“Seeing therefore, brethren, that by the blood of Jesus we may be bold to enter into the Holy place, by the new and living way, which he hath prepared for us, through the veil, that is, his flesh: and seeing that we have an high Priest, which is over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith, our hearts being pure from an evil conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water, let us keep the profession of our hope, without wavering, (for he is faithful that promised.) And let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and to good works. Not forsaking the fellowship that we have among ourselves, as the manner of some is: but let us exhort one another, and that so much the more, because ye see that the day draweth near” (Hebrews 10:19-25).

Gather by the blood of God (Acts 20:28), hear the Word of God, and minister to His house (“Whose house we are,” 3:6). 

Good Things

“All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful [טוב] heart has a continual feast. Better [טוב] is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it. Better [טוב] is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred...a man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful [טוב] is a timely word...bright eyes gladden the heart; good [טובה] news puts fat on the bones” (Proverbs 15:15-17,23,30).

Gather at the Table and Word, beloved Church. He feeds His people good things.

Show Yourself to Be the Church

“Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].” But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear’” (Matthew 13:11-16).

“And He was saying to them, ‘To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10]’” (Mark 4:11,12).

“And He said, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that SEEING THEY MAY NOT SEE, AND HEARING THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND [quote from Isaiah 6:9]’” (Luke 8:10).

“For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, ‘HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].’ These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him” (John 12:39-41).

“When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, ‘The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, “GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM [quote from Isaiah 6:9,10].’” Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen’” (Acts 28:23-28).

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ‘Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE’ [1 Kings 19:10]. But what is the divine response to him? ‘I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL’ [quote from 1 Kings 19:18]. In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, ‘GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY [quote from Isaiah 6:10]’” (Romans 11:1-8).

Gather, Church, hear and be healed.

Gather, Church, hear and be forgiven.

Gather, Church, hear and understand.

Gather, Church, hear and see.

Gather, Church, hear and perceive.

Gather, Church, hear and show forth God’s gracious choice of you.

This is what shows the gathered Church to be God's true Church: they gather and hear.