"NOT EVERYONE WHO HEARS UNDERSTANDS"

Good Evening to All!

Jesus' True Family

12 While Jesus was talking to the people, his mother and brothers stood outside, trying to find a way to talk to him. (47) Someone told Jesus, "your mother and brothers are standing outside and they want to talk to you."

(48) He answered, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" (49) Then he pointed to his followers and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. (50) My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what my Father in heaven wants." (Matthew 12:46-50)

Now He goes on to teach about planting seeds, some on the by the road, where the birds ate it all up, some on rocky ground where there wasn't much dirt where it grew quickly but since it wasn't very deep so the sun dried them up, and then other fell in with thorny weeds that choked the good plants. Other seed fell on good ground though. They grew and produced crops. Now this was a very important lesson, because Jesus made a point of say "You people who can hear me, listen."

Why Jesus Used Parables or (Stories) to Teach

13 When the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him why he taught this way, He explained it this way to them. (11) "You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets. (12) Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them. (13) This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don't real see. they hear, but they don't really hear or understand. (14) So they show that the things that Isaiah said about them are true:

'You will listen and listen, but you will not understand. you will look and look, but you will not learn. (15) For the minds of these people have become stubborn. They do not hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes Otherwise they might really understand what they see with their eyes and hear with their ears. They might really understand in their minds and come back to me and be healed.' (Isaiah 6:9-10)

Don't let this world's attitudes and laxness of improprieties close your ears to the ONE whose opinion really matters. One of my "standard expressions" when speaking about the world's events today is "it is a sign of the times". While I truly believe that, I fear that I have started using that as an excuse to explain away everything that is going on. Really, it shouldn't be an excuse. We as Christians have an obligation to speak out and let people know what the Word of God says about immorality, adultery and the other things that are abominations toward the Lord.

I also want to make clear that I am not judging people. For we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:11-13). In other words these are spirits which have come upon people who have allowed themselves to either stray away from the teachings of God, or have chosen to ignore it. Which in both cases can result in disaster as far as their eternal souls are concerned. If they will get back into the Word, repent and devote themselves to God, this will rid them of these spirits which are causing havoc in their lives and souls.

To summarize all of this up, we want the seeds which were planted in us to flourish and grown. We want it to stay in our hearts, and to make a difference in our lives, otherwise we will end up as victims of the spirits which I spoke of in the previous paragraph.

Watch, be vigilant and stay in God's Word. Study it so it will remain in your heart. One thing that keeps me in the Word is I keep thinking how "history repeats itself". If the time ever comes where book-burning is brought back and we have no Bibles to read, I pray that I will have enough of the Bible in my heart to keep me on the path of righteousness, and on the road toward heaven.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!