Hearing The Word of GOD

“Also He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.’ Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” Mark 4:21-25.

This is one continuous thought as Jesus was teaching the disciples after He explained the parable of the sower which is about sowing the Word of GOD’s Kingdom. The Word of GOD is a Lamp to our feet a Light to our pathway and it should not be hidden. Every word that we speak will be revealed so we should be very careful how we speak and to whom we speak. It is important to hear the voice of the LORD in His written Word and by Holy Spirit, in verse 23 Jesus speaks one of His most often spoken but least heeded words to believers, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” The admonition is to us who are filled with the True and Living Spirit of GOD to not just hear what He is saying but to meditate (study), to let Holy Spirit transform our life by the truth of the Word, and to be led by Him in expressing the truth of the Word to unbelievers and believers.

To unbelievers we should be telling them the Gospel which is the Power of GOD to salvation; that is that the Kingdom of GOD is present through Jesus Christ to save us from eternal damnation and punishment into His eternal and Glorious Kingdom both here on earth and in the new earth to come, because Jesus became sin for us and took our place when He obeyed The Father and went to the cross. In the power of His resurrection from death He defeated death and hell, taking the keys of their dominions and He ascended to be seated at the right hand of GOD waiting for The Church (His Body on earth) to disciple the nations of this world into His Kingdom and to make His enemies His footstool.

To believers we should be teaching that through the work of the cross and resurrection Jesus has made us the Righteousness of GOD calling us to live a life free from sin in the overcoming power of Holy Spirit whom He sent to indwell us, to teach us everything that Jesus taught, to guide us through the process of our life being transformed (called) and commissioned (sent) to the lost whom He wants to save. To comfort and strengthen us when we are tried and tested so that we grow in faith and obedience.

“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.’” Verses 24 & 25 are almost always applied to prosperity but Jesus is talking about the Word not finances or possessions. What we hear and what we do with what we hear is the point of Jesus’ conversation with the Disciples. Jesus is telling the Disciples to steward His Word, to study it, to memorize it, to understand His Heart and the purpose He spoke into existence. By whatever means He speaks to us, His written Word; His audible Word; Holy Spirit discernment, wisdom, knowledge, understanding; by dreams; visions; or prophecy. The key is His first sentence, “Take heed what you hear.” If we listen to negative, vulgar, and cruel language we will take that into our being. If we listen to wholesome, positive, uplifting language we will take that into our being. If we listen to the Word of GOD that will change our being from evil or naturally good to being holy as He is Holy. So according to verse 25 the more time we spend not just reading but studying and memorizing His Word the more of our life will be filled by it, the greater our understanding of His Word is the greater our understanding of Who GOD is and what His purpose for our life is. As in prosperity the more of GOD we have the more of GOD we get. So then if we make light of GOD’s Word we will lose what we have. I can attest to that, during my 17 years of rebellion to GOD my heart grew colder and my understanding of His love and purpose for my life and marriage diminished to the point I just did not care. Only by His love and grace and my wife’s prayers did I come to a place where I recognized what I had lost and that I was on the edge of eternal destruction.

When Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) He was not talking about head knowledge He was talking about Himself, Heavenly Father, and Holy Spirit. When we know GOD (El Emet) who is truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth then we will have all understanding and His peace no matter what is happening.

Study Psalm 19:7-14, 31:5, 110:1-2, 119:105; Matthew 6:22-23, 7:6, 15:7-20, 22:43-44; Luke 12:1-3; Revelation 1:18, 3:7; Hebrews 1, 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:22-26; 1 Peter 1:13-16; Leviticus 19:2; John 16:12-15; 2 Peter 1:16-21