Nineveh vs Nazareth.

Have you ever wondered what the major difference between Nineveh and Nazareth was?  


Nineveh experienced one of the greatest city-wide revivals in history. (Jonah 3:3-10)  




Nineveh was filled with savage, Gentile warriors and hard core heathens.  


Nazareth, however, was primarily filled with well behaved religious Jews. 
Yet, they never did get to experience a major move of God. 


Was it a lack of good preaching??? 
I'm pretty confident that wasn't the problem.  


Jesus was sent to preach to His home town of Nazareth and Jonah was sent to preach to Nineveh.  I don't think anyone would argue that Nazareth got the better prophet and preacher and yet they ended up with a worse result.  


"Maybe God is not just looking for great preachers and prophets to preach but a people who will listen!" -Glen Bert-eau


I couldn't agree more.  


I am beginning to see how listening is the primary skill needed in the Kingdom of God.  


Matthew, the converted tax collector who followed closely the life and ministry of Jesus gives us more parables in one chapter (Matthew 13) on the Kingdom of God than any other in the Bible.  


In this chapter Jesus exhorts us to "listen" more than anything else. Well over a dozen times in one chapter.


Becoming a better listener is the one focus God has given me for 2012.  


We will never rise above the level of our listening.

"So pay attention to how you hear." -the Son of God (Luke 8:18)