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FOR THE TRUTH
ARE
YOU DEAF ~ OR CAN YOU HEAR WITH YOUR HEART?
Some
thoughts ~ to challenge & encourage you.
A
spectacular scene!
One of the most wonderful
‘pictures’ in the book of Revelation is in chapter 7. It
seems the Apostle John was standing near God’s Throne looking
out. He writes, “I looked and there before me was a huge
crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe,
people and language.” Then he even goes on to describe
them. “They were standing in front of the Throne & in
front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes, & holding palm
branches in their hands and they shouted, ‘Victory to our God,
Who sits on the Throne, & to the Lamb’!”
Who
these people actually are!
As one who has had a
great interest in ‘world mission’ this ‘video from
the Throne’, holds the most exciting promise of a totally
‘successful’ ministry of God, through faithful people all
over the world! And what is so amazing is that this ‘picture’
becomes even more challenging as more and more ‘tribes, and
people groups and languages’ are being found around the world!
It seems there are more than 7,000 languages, and even more separate
groups among them. A ‘group’ has been defined as a number
of people who see themselves as a specific group. Reaching every
‘people group’ is God’s goal!
An
‘unseen’, but special, cultural group…
For
a very large group of people world wide, one bond that they have with
each other is the particular physical challenge that God has
given them. The world uses the word ‘handicapped’ to
describe them, simply because they have been entrusted by God, with
the privilege of being a little ‘different’ –
physically. Yet they are very special people, to God! Jesus showed
this clearly in His attitudes to the ‘outcasts’ of his
day, whether deaf, blind or diseased – and whatever the reason
for it.
One unseen, but special
cultural group.
In our society and communities,
there is an often an unseen group of many thousands of normal people,
who are called ‘deaf’. Like many of the hurdles God gives
to some people, the extra burden for non-hearing people, is –
(not only that through their deafness, they often find it hard to
communicate with anyone), but also some people can have an unkind
callous attitude of ‘deafness’ and blindness to
them and their needs. Sadly, even Christians can be, (if not actually
cruel), just as hurtful by ignoring deaf people! Like any slightly
different cultural group or individual, with different languages, or
customs, it does sometimes take a little extra - in time and effort,
to relate to other cultural groups or individuals. Could it be that
some of us have missed the opportunity of showing Christlike love to
our Deaf friends, simply through ignorance?
A
special language group!
Yet deaf people do have a
language, which can and does mean a lot to most of them. It may be an
official ‘language’ such as ‘American Sign
Language, or ‘Signed Exact English’, or ‘British
Sign Language’. Or it may be a means of communication with
people in the country they live in, which has no ‘official’
sign language, in the so called ‘third world’. The
wonderful love of God means that inspite of their deafness Christian
deaf people can serve God in many ways. [Read about one great man’s
ministry in Africa – see www.cmdeaf.org]
The courage deaf persons show, and the numbers who excel in modern
society is a great credit to them! Perhaps a corresponding effort
should be made on our part in some cases to learn their language? We
need to at least recognise it as a language and a culture as
important as any other. We admire great ‘missionaries’
who have risked everything to minister to a ‘foreign culture,’
yet we can be blind to this cultural group, right where we live. Is
God calling you to this work for Him?
The
need of deaf people, to know God through the LORD Jesus as
Saviour.
This is just as vital for the deaf, as any
tribe or people or language group! Praise God, there have been many
brought into God’s Kingdom by loving, caring people. One day
they will hear the music of Heaven and the songs of the Angels, and
they too will “Shout” in the language of all those before
God’s throne! Will nay be there because of you?
Dangers
for Deaf Christians.
There are in our society, a
number of Cults, who in their desire for money, and power and
influence through numbers of supporters, have found the Deaf
community a cultural group they can easily exploit. We all long for
fellowship, so the provision of large venues, with attractions of
various kinds and especially gatherings with sign language members to
lead or translate the messages, is a great draw-card for Christian
Deaf people. We would like to take this opportunity to warn readers
about some of the ‘Christian Cults’. A lot of their
teachings may be perfectly right and Scriptural, but sadly almost any
human idea can be seemingly ‘proved’ by twisting
the true meaning of the Bible.
All doctrines must be true to
the WHOLE message of the Word of God. Sometimes this means careful
Bible study, or checking with a good Bible teacher, or for those with
the Internet, we recommend sites like: www.watchman.org,
or see some of our other Bible study articles, on this web site. The
most important need for all people is to acknowledge our sinfulness
and in repentance & simple faith, believe that God has provided
all we need through the death of His Son, the LORD Jesus Messiah.
“For you have been delivered” - [from the
consequences of punishment for sin] “by grace through
trusting, & even this is not your accomplishment [effort] but
God’s gift!” See Ephesians 2: 4 – 10.
Deaf
people also can rejoice in the modern technology available through
the computer, to more easily write to others. Also to take the
blessings offered by ‘Deaf Ministries’. [Google showed
there are some 4,600.000 sites for deaf people, & there are
824,000 specific Christian sites! See www.christiansigns.co.uk,
or www.deafmissions.com
or www.deafchristian.com]
Lessons
all hearing Christians need to learn.
The first
word of the special statement that Jewish people say every day and to
their last breath, starts with the word ‘Shema!’ =
Listen! = Hear! It is found all through the words of Moses and the
prophets and Yeshua/ Jesus and right to the last book, where Jesus
repeats 7 times, “He that has ears to hear, let him HEAR!”
The Jewish N.T. says it well, “Those who have ears, let
them hear what the Spirit is saying…” The reality is
almost all of us do have ears, and we can hear some things, but we do
not ‘take it in’, and therefore we do not act on what we
hear. It doesn’t seem an accident of English that the word
‘heart’ has the word ‘ear’ in it, because it
is only what our heart’s attitude is, that will make it
possible to hear the heart cries or even the daily heart needs of our
deaf friends. Therefore every congregation should do all it can to
make the messages they give available to non-hearing members
of their group. More and more people are becoming skilled in sign
language translation, and should be utilised as much as
possible.
Can you imagine going to
church and not hearing anything?
Our friend
wrote it this way. “I have to depend on the sign language
interpreter wherever I go. Unfortunately many churches are not
even aware that there is an American Sign Language & culture;
so they do not think about using this.” There is no
substitute - as, if a hearing device was any use – you can
be sure the person would be using his or her own hearing aids!
[Words of songs or some written sermon headings are only part of
the answer.]
Deaf people have crossed the huge barrier to
learn today’s culture, & language and how to read
and write. Therefore to expect understanding of old English words
and phrases, such as in the King James Version of the Bible is very
difficult. [Even hearing people can find this almost impossible in
some parts of the Bible, especially, now that our language has
changed so much!] So - attractive, loving and contemporary
presentations of the message is SO important. Be very sure, the
deaf persons, themselves will be glad to help with ideas and
resources. ‘Empathy’ means putting yourself in their
place, so you will have a better idea of their needs. This is a
Biblical demand, in actual fact summarising the whole of the ‘Sermon
on the Mount’ with Jesus’ words, “so in
everything, do to others what you would have them do for you, for
this sums up the ‘Law & the Prophets.” Matthew 7:
12.
Praying for a new ‘heart’
attitude.
Perhaps God would have us go and ask
forgiveness from a deaf neighbour or friend, and find out what they
would like you to share together? Deaf people already know that they
have a lot to be patient about, accepting what God has allowed in
their lives, and then even forgiving those who are not as
understanding as they should be. Hearing people may in fact be the
‘handicapped ones’ by having a wrong heart attitude. God
can forgive & change it.
Here
is a poem by a Deaf friend, Donna Shinton, of USA, written about
1976
Hearing Hearts.
God wants
you, deaf and hearing persons,
To ‘hear’ His wonderful
words of love.
Do not let your hearts be deaf,
Let your hearts
be hearing!
God sent His only begotten Son to the Earth
To
show you His truth & His love,
His Son, Jesus Christ, died
And rose for you all.
Is it not great and wonderful,
The
things He has done for you?
Do not let your hearts be deaf,
Or
reject how great He is.
How do you feel hearing persons,
If
you can’t hear beautiful music
Down here on the Earth
If
the sound ‘goes off’?
How do you feel Deaf
Persons,
If exciting TV you cannot hear,
When captions
and interpreters
Are simply not there?
The
LORD wants you to hear
How wonderfully He has made you.
Physical
deafness is only temporary,
But spiritual deafness lasts
forever!
Ask Him now to forgive your sin
By praying to the
LORD to come in,
So Christ Jesus’ love in your heart
Will
turn your deafness into hearing.
THAT’S HOW YOUR HEARTS
CAN BE HEARING!
Jesus gave a little sermonette at the
Temple one day, recorded by
John the beloved disciple, in chapter
5: 24 – 30.
“I tell you
the truth, whoever hears My word, & believes Him Who sent
Me has eternal Life and will not be condemned; he will cross over
from death to life.
I tell you the truth, the time will come when
the dead will hear the voice of the
Son of God and those
who hear will live!
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is
coming when those who are in their graves will hear His voice
and come out – those who have done good will rise to live,
and those who have done evil,”
[maybe ignoring deaf
friends needs] “will rise – to be condemned.”
And
Jesus added His own response:
“By Myself I can do
nothing; I judge only as I hear, &
My judgement is
just, for I seek, not to please Myself but Him Who sent
me.”
May we have the grace to have the
same attitude of heart…
~~~~~