Listening and Hearing

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading: Romans 10:1-17

Key Verse: Verse 17 - “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Key Words: faith cometh by hearing

We are told in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  The word “hearing” means to regard, to pay attention to, which reminds me of the following story I read.

“An Indian was walking in downtown New York City alongside a friend who was a resident of the city.  Right in the center of Manhattan, the Indian seized his friend’s arm and whispered, ‘Wait!  I hear a cricket.’  His friend said, ‘Come on!  Cricket?  Man, this is downtown New York.’  He persisted, ‘No, seriously, I really do.’  ‘It’s impossible!’ was the response.  ‘You can’t hear a cricket!  Taxis going by, horns honkin’, people screamin’ at each other, brakes screeching, both sides of the street filled with people, cash registers clanging away, subways roaring beneath us – you can’t possibly hear a cricket!’

“The Indian insisted.  ‘Wait a minute!’  He led his friend along, slowly.  They stopped, and the Indian walked down to the end of the block, went across the street, looked around, cocked his head to one side but couldn’t find it.  He went across another street, and there, in a large cement planter where a tree was growing, he dug down into the mulch and found the cricket.  ‘See!’ he yelled, as he held the insect high above his head.

“His friend walked across the street, marveling, ‘How in the world could it be that you heard a cricket in the middle of downtown, busy Manhattan?’

“The Indian said, ‘Well, my ears are different from yours.  It simply depends on what you’re listening to.  Here let me show you.’  And he reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of change – a couple of quarters, three or four nickels, and dimes and pennies.  Then he said, ‘Now watch.’  He held the coins waist high and dropped them on the sidewalk.  Every head within a block turned around and looked in the direction of the Indian.”

The moral of the story is people hear what they want to hear.

 

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞Listen to the things of God, and you’ll not have as much time to listen to the world.

The Butterfly and the Caterpillar

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading:  I John 3:1-14

Key Verse: Verse 2 – “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Key Words: it doth not yet appear what we shall be

I read once of a dashing knight who longed to rescue his princess, who was imprisoned by a cruel enemy in the palace tower.  He devised a plan and recruited two small friends to send her a message.  First there was Claude Caterpillar, who was a hard-working fellow but crusty and sour.  He started inching his way up the wall toward the distant window, but it was hard work.  He grumbled that the sun was hot, causing him to sweat.  Then the sun withdrew behind a cloud, it started to rain, and he complained about the raindrops.  Finally, he heaved himself onto the window ledge, looked at the fair maiden, and said, “Hey, you, come over here.  Are you the lady in distress?”  She nodded.  Claude gave her the once-over and said, “You’re kidding.  You mean I climbed all the way up here for the likes of you?  Well, the knight says to get ready; he is coming for you at 5 P.M. sharp.  Think you can remember that, or should I repeat it?”  And off he went.

Next, the knight sent Barney Butterfly.  Barney, too, battled the rain and the contrary winds.  He had almost made it to the window when a bird came by and nearly ate him alive.  But finally, he fluttered in, landing softly on the lady’s finger.  “Lovely and favored maiden,” he said, “the white knight loves you dearly, and tonight he is coming to rescue you.  He asks only that you be ready at 5 P.M.”

The princess smiled and replied, “Thank you very much, Mr. Butterfly.  You are very sweet, and I will be ready tonight when he comes.  Claude Caterpillar already brought me the message, but tell me, why was he so disagreeable?  He brought me the same news, but after he left, I felt worse than before he came.”

The butterfly replied, “Oh, you mean Claude?  Well, don’t mind Claude.  That’s just the way he is.  I used to be that way, too, until I was transformed.”

 

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞Be patient with people.  Remember, God isn’t through with them yet.

The Fiery Tongue, Part 2

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading:  James 3:8-18

Key Verse: Verse 10 – “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

Key Words: Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing

Xanthus, the philosopher, once told his servant that the next day he was going to have some friends for dinner and that he should get the best thing he could find in the market.  The philosopher and his guests sat down the next day at the table.  They had nothing but tongue – four or five courses of tongue – tongue cooked in this way, and tongue cooked in that way.  The philosopher finally lost his patience and said to his servant, “Didn’t I tell you to get the best thing in the market?”  The servant said, “I did get the best thing in the market.  Isn’t the tongue the organ of sociability, the organ of eloquence, the organ of kindness, the organ of worship?”

Then Xanthus, the philosopher, said, “Tomorrow, I want you to get the worst thing in the market.”  And on the morrow the philosopher sat at the table, and there was nothing but tongue—four or five courses of tongue—tongue in this shape and tongue in that shape.  The philosopher lost his patience again and said, “Didn’t I tell you to get the worst thing in the market?”  The servant replied, “I did; for isn’t the tongue the organ of blasphemy, the organ of defamation, the organ of lying?”

 James 3:10, “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

✞ Use your tongue for God’s glory.  If not, it will become the devil’s advocate.

The Fiery Tongue, Part 1

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading:  James 3:1-7

Key Verse: Verse 6 – “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

Key Words: the tongue is a fire

A news dispatch from British Columbia tells of a disastrous fire in an Indian village that destroyed twenty-one buildings and left fifty homeless.  The odd thing is that the fire was started by the rays of the sun reflected against the wooden side of a house by a fragment of a broken mirror.  Doubtless no one even noticed the mirror or was aware when the first little curl of smoke gave an initial warning of the coming conflagration.

The Bible compares the tongue to fire, reminding us that a careless word tossed here or there can ignite the whole “course of nature.”  In James 3:6 we read, “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue...it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature.”  We would not knowingly focus a mirror onto some highly combustible material, nor would we carelessly throw lighted matches into a dry wheat field.  But how often have we, in a moment of weakness made some remark which helped us none and which brought searing burns of pain to others?

One of the biggest lies ever told is found in the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

 

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞Only speak to others as you would have them speak to or about you.

What's Your Face Saying

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading:  Nehemiah 2:1-10

Key Verse: Verse 2 – “Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,”

Key Words: Why is thy countenance sad

What is your face saying?  Oh, I know it sounds like a strange question; but it is a scriptural, Godly question.  We read in Proverbs 15:13 that “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”  The word countenance means our facial expression; so, in essence our face is a revealer of what our heart is.

In our text in Nehemiah, King Artaxerxes knew that Nehemiah’s heart was sorrowful because it was written on his face.  It is kind of frightening for me to think that you know my heart by my countenance.  Oh, I know that we can “fake it” for a while – but only for a while; then the true heart will slowly take control, and it will eventually show on our face.

God knew Cain’s heart by his countenance (Genesis 4).  Aaron knew Moses’ heart by his countenance (Exodus 4).  Artaxerxes knew Nehemiah’s heart by his countenance (Nehemiah 2).  Jerusalem knew the lame man’s heart by his countenance (Acts 3).  My wife and I were at the Birmingham airport leaving on one of our numerous trips, and we heard the sound of excitement as children were running saying, “Grandma and Grandpa are here!”  Their faces revealed the joy in their heart.  As we turned and looked in the opposite direction, we saw a young soldier kissing Mom and Dad goodbye as the tears ran down their cheeks.  Their faces, as well, revealed the sadness in their hearts.

It is true – your face does reveal your heart.  So, what is your face telling us right now about your heart?

 

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Remember to brighten the corner where you are.

Strength To Take It

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading: II Corinthians 12:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 9 – "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Key Words: my strength is made perfect in weakness

It is generally admitted that from one-half to three-fourths of all patients who visit a doctor have emotional, rather than physical needs.

Dr. Richard Cabot, once a noted Christian physician in the Boston area, frequently asked a group of medical students, “Gentlemen, would you like to know the cause of almost every illness?”  After a short dramatic pause, he answered his own question, “It’s the wear and tear of the soul upon the body.”

Voltaire recognized this decades ago when he wrote, “Doctors pour drugs of which they know little to cure diseases of which they know less, into human beings of whom they know nothing.”

If we could understand the person, we could better understand his ailments.

Centuries ago Plato wrote, “The great error of our day in the treatment of the human body is that physicians separate the soul from the body.”

Yet many diseases are real, and the pain is not imagined.  Even so, attitude is the key.  As Theodore Farris said, “Health is precious, let nobody ever deny that, it is more precious than fine gold.  But life is more than health and there are people who have not had good health who have had good lives, creative and wonderful beyond our imagination.”

When he was president of Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson suffered constantly.  He prayed for healing, “not just for selfish reasons, but because I want to be the best university president possible.”  As the suffering continued, he changed his prayer, “Father, if the pain is not going to be taken away, then please give me the strength to take it.”  When God denied Paul’s request for healing, he promised, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9).

 

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Ask God to give you the attitude of Paul.

Every Knee Shall Bow

The July 2025 Refreshing Daily in God’s Word will be the last issue of the devotional.  Pastor Michael Rouse retired June 29, 2025.  At the present time, Mountain View Baptist Church does not have anyone to continue this ministry.

 

We appreciate all the support and prayers that you have given for this ministry since 2007 when it first began. We pray the devotionals have been a blessing and have brought you closer in your walk with the Lord.

 

In the future, the Lord may allow the devotional to return.  In the meantime, we are asking for your prayers for the man that God chooses for our church.

 

Thank you and God bless you! 

Bible Reading:  Romans 14:1-12

Key Verse: 11 – “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Key Words: every knee shall bow

Paul was pointing out to these Roman Christians that everyone must give an account to God.  Even those who were judging others would one day bow and be judged.  For me, just to think of standing before Jesus is a humbling thing.  It reminds me of an illustration I read taken from The King’s Business.

A number of prominent literary men were assembled in a room in London.  The conversation veered to a discussion of some of the great men of the past.  One man asked, “Gentlemen, what would we do if suddenly Milton entered the room?”  “Ah,” replied another, “we would give him a standing ovation.”  “And,” said another, “If Shakespeare entered?”  “We would rise and crown him master of the literary world.”  And another said, “If Jesus entered, what would we do?”  “I think,” said Charles Lamb amid an intense silence, “we would fall on our faces!”

Certainly, you must agree with me that to stand before Jesus will be a humbling experience, for certainly He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Friend, have you ever humbled yourself before Jesus and asked Him to be your Savior?  Would you do so today?

 He who bows before Jesus as his Savior need not worry about bowing before him as his Judge at the Great White Throne.

                                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Bow now or bow later – but you will bow.