Jesus taught a parable of a sower sowing seed in Mark 4:1-35 (Amplified). In Verse 34, He explained this parable to His disciples and to us. In Verse 23 Jesus said, "'If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.'" Now that we have the Holy Spirit it seems so simple to understand the paraable, or does it?
Today, we find that some people don't "have ears to hear." There are many reasons for this, as Jesus already addressed in Verse 14-20, but He didn't stop at these verses. In Mark 4:24 Jesus said something that many haven't seen or paid attention to and that's that the Word of God isn't the only seed being sown. Verse 24, says, "And He said to them, 'Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you---and more (besides) will be given to you who hear.'" Verse 25 says, "For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away (by force).'"
All words are seeds and your heart (spirit) is the soil in which it will be sown. As we said before, the soil has no say at what it grows, it will produce weeds just as quickly as it will produce wheat. That is why Jesus said, "Be careful what you are hearing." If you hear unbelief long enough, then you will begin to believe it. If you hear doubt long enough, then you will begin to believe how it. If you hear how "that's passed away" or "God's out to get you" long enough, then you'll begin to believe that.
We sit in churches all over the world and hear from the pulpit how God is angry at us for the things we have done. We're taught condemnation and guilt and fear from all sides. According to what the Word of God said in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified), this is bad seed and should not be allowed to find place in your heart. Also, in Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) we read, "There should be no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Verse 2 continues, "For the law of the Spirit of Life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
We struggle to achieve some kind of righteousness and be accepted by God. Somehow, it never seems to come and we feel as though we're still outside the Holy of Holies and not in God's presence. We hear half scriptures and read Romans 3:10 or Romans 3:23 . But, if you won't just hear these scriptures and read what He's talking about, then you find that all of the things under the law couldn't make you righteous. But, now we read Romans 3:22 (Amplified), "Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (and is meant) for all who believe, for there is no distinction."
Are you a believer in Christ Jesus? If you are, then God has declared you to be righteous by faith in Jesus. Now you don't have to struggle to be right standing with God, so you can have boldness through your faith in Jesus, that God sees you as righteous. Once you know that you've been made righteous and that your faith in Jesus made you righteous, you can have boldness in Jesus to pray and expect God to hear you. James 5:16 (Amplified) says, "The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (dynamic in its working)."
Mark 4:24 (Amplified) says, Be careful what you are hearing." We can no longer just listen to anything and everything being said. We must learn to do as Proverbs 4:24 (Amplified) says, "Keep and guard your heart (spirit) with all diligence and above everything that you guard, for out of it (your spirit) flow the springs of life."
Matthew 12:35 (Amplified) says that, "The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things."
There are those in the world who will sow evil seed (words) into the soil or spirit of the believer just as good men will sow good seed (or words) into the heart (spirit) of men. In the world we live in today, we find resemblances to Psalms 2:1-3 (Amplified) which says, "Why do the nations assemble with commotion (uproar and confusion of voices) and why do the people imagine (meditate upon and devise) and empty scheme?" Verse 2 says, "The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take council together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ)." Verse 3 goes on, "Let us break their bands (of restraint) asunder and cast their cords (of control) from us."
I can't think of a time in all of my seventy-three years on this earth, where this is more true than now. We hear it on the news daily about someone being forbidden from speaking the Name of Jesus in public. We see disclaimers from the channel broadcasting a Christian program denying any association with that content. We prayer restricted to only those who have boldness to pray in public or our schools. We see public officials trying to distance themselves from Jesus for election purposes. We watch the United Nations downplay Christianity and the Lord Jesus.
We hear the cry all the time about "breaking the bands of restraint from off the people and cast the cords of control off from them." The great revival is now underway, but so is the time of great darkness. So, heed what you hear and guard your heart.
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