Matthew 10:27 (NKJV) Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
This ear mentioned in this verse does not refer to the physical ear, which is used to hear natural sounds, people’s voices, and noises. Instead, Jesus is referring to the spiritual ear, which will hear from the Holy Spirit, instructing us on what to speak. Yes, we do have an ear in the spirit.
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus recorded in Luke chapter 16, they were able to hear and speak, even though they were departed spirits held in Hades and Abraham’s bosom. Abraham could hear what the rich man was saying to him, despite being in different compartments for departed spirits. From this passage, we can conclude that the spirit man has ears to hear—spiritual ears, designed to hear the voice of God while we are alive on earth. Once Christians are united with the Holy Spirit, their spirits can communicate with Him. We must listen to the leading and impressions that come from the Holy Spirit through the spirit man. With this understanding, we should always be conscious of the Holy Spirit residing within us.
God is light. There is no darkness in God; we will never find anything evil about Him. Therefore, the word ‘dark’ mentioned in this context refers to secrecy. What God revealed to them and us will be done in secrecy.
Matthew 6:6 (NKJV) But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
God desires that we spend time with Him alone. It is a godly spiritual habit that all Christians need to cultivate, so we can come into His presence and cast our cares upon Him. After we have cast all our cares and concerns to Him, we will also be able to hear from the Holy Spirit. God is aware of all our thoughts, sighs, and grief, and He desires to impart His wisdom and grace to us, especially when we are in His presence in the secret place.
We need to schedule a time to be in God’s presence. This has to be intentional, given our busy schedules. It would be ideal to identify a place where you will meet God daily in the morning, without any distractions. This will help us gain wisdom to face the day. When we set up our secret place to be with the Lord, we are telling ourselves that it is a time to be in the presence of God. We are preparing ourselves spiritually, and our minds and emotions are trained to get used to the routine. A simple decoration, such as a cross, would help us to concentrate on the Lord because our minds stray easily.
Being in His presence in the secret place is a spiritual discipline that all Christians need to develop. It is a place where we are nourished, renewed, and refreshed, just like a battery being recharged.
Sermon Series：The Norm in the New Era
在隐秘处与主相遇
马太福音10:27 我在暗中告诉你们的，你们要在明处说出来；你们耳中所听的，要在房上宣扬出来。
这里所提到的“耳”，并不是指用来听自然声音、人声或各种噪音的肉体的耳朵，而是指属灵的耳朵。耶稣所说的，是我们在灵里听见从圣灵而来的声音，并领受祂对我们所当说之话的指引。是的，我们在灵里确实有耳朵。
在《路加福音》第十六章所记载的财主和拉撒路的故事中，即使他们已经离世，身处阴间和亚伯拉罕的怀里，仍然能够听见并且说话。尽管他们身处不同的灵界区隔，亚伯拉罕仍然能听见财主对他说的话。由此我们可以看出，人的灵是有听觉的—有属灵的耳朵，使我们在活着的时候，能够听见神的声音。当信徒与圣灵联合时，我们的灵就能够与祂交通。因此，我们必须学习聆听圣灵借着我们里面的灵所赐下的引导与感动。有了这样的认识，我们就当常常意识到圣灵住在我们里面的事实。
神是光，在祂里面毫无黑暗；在神里面，我们绝不会找到任何邪恶的东西。因此，这里所提到的“暗”，并不是指邪恶，而是隐秘。神向他们、也向我们所启示的，是在隐秘中进行的。
马太福音6:6 你祷告的时候，要进你的内屋，关上门，祷告你在暗中的父，你父在暗中察看，必然报答你。
神渴望我们单独与祂相处。这样的属灵操练，是每一位基督徒都需要培养的敬虔习惯，使我们能够进入祂的同在，把一切忧虑卸给祂。当我们把所有的重担和挂虑交托给祂之后，也就更能够听见圣灵的声音。神知道我们一切的心思、叹息和忧伤，祂渴望在我们身处隐秘处、与祂同在的时候，将祂的智慧和恩典倾倒给我们。
我们需刻意地安排时间来到神的面前。在忙碌的生活节奏中，这一点尤为重要。若能在每天早晨选定一个固定、没有干扰的地方与神相会，是非常理想的，这能帮助我们领受智慧，去面对一天的挑战。当我们为自己设立一个与主相会的隐秘处时，其实也是在提醒自己：这是分别出来、进入神同在的时间。我们在属灵上预备自己，也让我们的心思意念逐渐适应这样的节奏。简单的摆设，例如一座十字架，也能帮助我们更专注于主，因为我们的心思很容易分散。
在隐秘处亲近神，是所有基督徒都需要操练的属灵纪律。那是一个使我们得着滋养、更新与恢复的地方，就像电池被重新充电一样，使我们再次得力，继续前行。
讲章系列：新纪元的常态