From W.C.M. Interactive Bible Study
By Pastor Shana Wise
Do you hear him? If so, what is Your Response?
Mat. 11:15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Other identical scriptures: Mat. 13:9, Mat. 13:33, Mark 4:9, Luke 8:8
Rev. 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
Rev. 3:6 6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Other Identical Scriptures: Rev. 2:11, 17, 29; Rev. 3:13, 22
· We see this scripture repeated many times in the four gospels when Jesus is teaching the people. We hear these statements that Jesus says before his death burial and resurrection, however, something happens when we repeat these words in the book of Revelation. In the gospels Jesus uses the word “ears”, in the book of Revelation, he uses the word “ear”.
· I believe that Jesus when Jesus spoke of our “ear” in Revelation, that he was expecting us to hear in the Spirit and not the flesh because in the gospels the people have not yet received the Holy Spirit. In the book of Revelation, the Holy Spirit has been present with Christ-followers since his resurrection.
· What have you been hearing in the Spirit regarding your personal life, message to the global body of Christ, and current events?
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Sign of the Times
Mat. 13:10-17 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
· According to this passage of scripture, we want to strive to be in the blessed category of seeing and hearing (vs.16). The first step to this is establishing a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. Once this is confirmed, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, yet it is still up to us to activate this gift, daily in our lives. Often, we as believers find our hearing dull because we have become complacent in our walk with Christ. When we were kids, our school teacher would tell us to put our “listening ears on”, and Jesus, our Teacher, expects us to do the same as well.
· To the world, unbelievers in Christ, the bible just a big parable to them. They may hear it read, or hear about it, but if they do not believe, they cannot receive it. Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
· Until a relationship is established with Jesus, we will never be able to comprehend through the sight and sound of the Holy Spirit. Many people, just want what they can get from Jesus, but do not want to make him Lord of their lives. This was the case of the majority of the crowd that was following Jesus, they wanted his miracles, but did not want the fellowship.
· When we watch the news, read an article, or receive other information from someone else, through hearing, often it is reported through the lens of “their understanding without the Spirit of God”. If we do not have our listening ears on, we will not be able to decipher the message and our response will follow suit.
· Why do you believe Jesus said that we are blessed to see and hear in the Spirit?
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(Sign of the Times cont.)
Your Heart Directly Affects Your Hearing (and Vision)
Acts 7:51
[ Israel Resists the Holy Spirit] “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
Acts 28:27
For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”’
Romans 11:8
Just as it is written: “God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, To this very day.”
· In this passage of scripture, Stephen was addressing the crowd (who was about to stone him), that still resisted the power of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Stephan referred to them as stiff-necked and uncircumcised in their hearts and ears, meaning that the Holy Spirit was available to them, but they rejected it.
· Today we can find the same type of people in the world who resist the power of the Holy Spirit. The root of this resistance has to do with the condition of their heart.
· As believers, if we continue to walk in sin, it will blind us from seeing and hearing in the Spirit. Our heart will determine how well we hear from God. If we are walking with God (relationship), then the Holy Spirit can convict us when we sin. When was the last time the Holy Spirit convicted you?
· Psalm 51:10-11, Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. This passage is an example of a repentant heart. Notice how David is relying on and petitioning God to touch his heart and spirit. A touch from God can change the direction of our hearts.
· To be circumcised in the Spirit looks like: God cutting away the very thing that is hindering your relationship with Him. What issue do you have in your heart that is hindering your relationship with God? Or, you may know someone whose heart is not with God and you have been praying for them. Write out a prayer in regards to their heart condition; ex., Father God please touch the heart of brother Joe. You have shown me that he has a problem with unforgiveness and anger. I pray for a heart exchange in the Spirit. Exchange his heart of stone for a heart of flesh (Ez. 36:26). In Jesus' name, Amen.
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Instructions for the Body of Christ
2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
· Verse one and two of this passage is not just for the clergy in the body of Christ, it is a charge to the whole body. As believers, we must proclaim the gospel of Christ through our teaching, preaching, and most importantly our everyday lives. In the times that we are living in, the world still needs to hear about our savior Jesus Christ. Being the light of the world includes shining in the dark through our witness.
· In verses three and four, the Lord is warning us about the heart condition of the people of the world in our current time and the last days on earth. We must get the message out now before it is too late, meaning every day God blesses us to be alive, we must walk in our purpose assignment here on earth.
· Lastly, in verse five, we are reminded to be watchful in all things. I believe this means to be on alert in the Spirit through our senses (hearing, vision, touch, taste, and smell). God is moving in the earth and we need to be in sync to the flowing of the Spirit. Also, in this verse, it states that we will have afflictions because of the work of the ministry, but we must remember that Christ overcame the world and so shall we.
· What is your purpose here on earth? What ministry (service) does God have for you to fulfill?
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· Examine verse two. How does it directly relate to you personally? How does this verse correlate with the two lessons on vision and hearing?
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About the Author
Dr. Shana Wise is an ordained Pastor and CEO of Wise Choice Ministries (est. 2016). She is the founder of The Well Christian Women’s Network formally known as Christian Women Preachers United. Dr. Wise is the author of women’s devotional, Acts of Intercession, and The Impact of Your Election (available on Amazon). She received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2019 from St. Thomas Christian University. Her passion is to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, equip others to apply the Word to their lives, and demonstrate the Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is a televangelist that appears on social media outlets and television. Shana is married to Ron Wise and is the mother of four children.
Her books are available on Amazon at:
Acts of Intercession
The Impact of Your Election