Matt 13:11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has (AMP Spiritual knowledge), to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they (AMP grasp) understand.
15 for the heart of this people has become dull, with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.’
JESUS IS REFERING TO PERCEIVING AND UNDERSTANDING
YOU WILL NEVER POSSESS SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO UNDERSTAND FOR YOU.
FAITH IS ACTION.
Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
ACTION IS TO BECOME THE BY PRODUCT OF HEARING.
Heb 3:7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “today if you hear His voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 where your fathers tried Me by testing Me, and saw my works for forty years. 10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, ‘they always go astray in their heart, and they did not know My ways’; 11 as I swore in my wrath, ‘they shall not enter my rest.’” 12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
16 For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to (Possess the promises) enter because of unbelief.
PEOPLE WHO HEARD BUT CHOSE NOT TO BELIEVE. THEY BELIEVED THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE GREATER.
4:1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; 5 and again in this passage, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
THE CONDITION OF THE HEART IS BIG WHEN IT COMES TO RECEIVING
Mark 4 He who has ears to hear, let him hear
TPT 9 If you understand this, then you need to respond.”
TRUTH ACCEPTED AND UNDERSTOOD BECOMES BREAKTHROUGH TRUTH.
Mark 4:8 PRODUCE 30,60, AND 100 FOLD.
UNDERSTANDING IS LINKED TO INCREASE!
THE PEOPLE WHO PERCEIVE AND UNDERSTAND (WHO GET REVELATION) AND ACT ON IT, MANIFEST A HARVEST.
13 And He *said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
Luke 8:15 But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.
A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN ENLIGHTENED BY THE WORD MUST BECOME A DOER OF THE WORD.
24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25 For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”
TPT 24 Be diligent to understand the meaning behind everything you hear, for as you do, more understanding will be given to you. And according to the depth of your longing to understand, much more will be added to you. 25 For those who listen with open hearts will receive more revelation.
AMP 24 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.
Luke 8:18 So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”
19 And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was reported to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You.” 21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”
Luke 11:27 While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed.” 28 But He said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
AMP Acts 3:22Thus Moses said to the forefathers, The Lord God will raise up for you a Prophet from among your brethren as [He raised up] me; Him you shall listen to and understand by hearing and heed in all things whatever He tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to and understand by hearing and heed that Prophet shall be utterly exterminated from among the people.
UNDERSTANDING REGULATES RECEIVING.
RECEIVING ACCORDING TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING PERTAINS TO ALL SCRIPTURAL TRUTH.
2 Tim 4:1 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled (ITCHED), they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (traditions)
MSG They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages
Eyes & Ears
Pt 5 - The Importance Of Hearing
October 24, 2021 • Pastor Bracken Christian
Searching For God
Pastor Bracken Christian
Hosea 6:3 So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.” THE RAPTURE IS ONE THE LORD’S MOST PRECIOUS PROMISES TO THE CHURCH 1 Thess 1:10 Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come. Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; 38 And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. THERE IS A 7 YEAR TIME PERIOD RAPIDLY APPROACHING Jeremiah 30:7 “The time of Jacobs trouble” Daniel 12:1 “A time of distress such as has never occurred” Revelation 3:10 “The hour of testing” Matthew 24:21 “A time of great tribulation” Revelation 7:14 “The great tribulation” Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Rev 4:1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. THE CHURCH IS PICTURED HERE IN CHAPTERS 4 & 5 5:9 And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” THE CHURCH IS NOT SEEN AGAIN UNTIL Rev 19 WHERE WE THE CHURCH WILL RETURN WITH JESUS TO THE EARTH AT HIS 2ND COMING. Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 1 Cor 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God (SAINTS): Rom 11:25 for I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “the deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “and this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” IN SCRIPTURE YOU HAVE THE CHURCH AS WELL AS JEWS WHO HAVE YET TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST. Luke 21:29 Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. ANOTHER MYSTERY PAUL TALKS ABOUT “EPH 5” THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHURCH IS LIKE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A HUSBAND AND WIFE A MYSTERY – “IT WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD IN THE OLD COVENANT” ANOTHER MYSTERY “1 Cor 15” 1 Cor 15:51 “BEHOLD, I TELL YOU A MYSTERY” THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH “CATCHING AWAY OF THE SAINTS” THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS SOMETHING THAT PAUL GOT BY REVELATION (GAL 1:12, 2:2) 1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “death is swallowed up in victory. 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the lord. THERE ARE TYPES OF IT HAPPENING IN THE OLD TESTAMENT GENISIS – A MAN BY THE NAME OF ENOCH. HE WALKED WITH GOD BY FAITH AND GOD TOOK HIM ANOTHER PICTURE IS THAT OF ELIJAH THE PROPHET… HE WENT TO HEAVEN IN A CHARIOT SOME OTHER TYPES AND SHADOWS ARE IN THE LIVES OF NOAH AND LOT. THEY DIED BUT THEY WERE BOTH DELIEVERD FROM JUDGMENT. WHEN THE WORLD WAS JUDGED AROUND THEM, THEY WERE SPARED AND SEPERATED. GO TO 1 Thess 4 AND LOOK AT WHAT PAUL SAY’S ABOUT THIS EVENT WHERE THE RIGHTEOUS ARE SEIZED UP OFF THE EARTH 1Thess 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep (dead in Christ), that you may not grieve, as do the rest who have no hope.14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so god will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. WE WILL HAVE A BORN-AGAIN GLORIFIED BODY Matt 24:36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. 1 Thess 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. PAUL WAS PREVIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT THE CATCHING AWAY OF THE CHURCH NOW HE TALKS ABOUT SOMETHING THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT. EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DAY OF THE LORD SAY’S, “JUDGMENT”, “DOOM AND GLOOM – TROUBLE”, DESTRUCTION NOW WE HAVE’NT READ ANYTHING IN 1 Cor 15 OR 1Thess 4 THAT PERTAINS TO THE BELIEVER THAT SOUNDS LIKE DOOM AND GLOOM PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS HERE 2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 while they are saying, “peace and safety!” Then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child; And they shall not escape. 4 but you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; 5 For you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 So then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 for God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ WHEN THE DAY OF THE LORD COMES ON PLANET EARTH IT IS A DAY OF WRATH ON HIS ENEMIES Today there are 8 billion people in the world. If 2 billion were taken in the rapture. That would leave 6 billion behind. The seal judgements (Rev 6:8) are going to kill one fourth of those people (1.5 billion), leaving a total of 4.5 billion. The trumpet judgments will kill one-third of those remaining (another 1.5 billion), making a total of 3 billion gentileswho will die during the first half of the tribulation; Half of the world’s population. Percentage wise, more Jews will die in the tribulation. Zec 13:8 “Two-thirds of them will be killed by the antichrist. There are approximately, 15.3 million Jews in the world today. So the total number of Jews destined to be killed is about 10 million – one third more than those killed in the holocaust. THE WORLD/GENTILES ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE A MASS SLAUGHTER THAT IS UNPARALLELED IN ALL OF HISTORY. THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS A TIME FOR MEN TO MAKE THEIR FINAL CHOICE. THERE’S A LOT OF SIFTING THAT TAKES PLACE… IF YOU’VE ALREADY MADE YOUR CHOICE THEN THERE’S NO NEED FOR YOU TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SIFTING HERE WE SEE THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN APPOINTED TO WRATH 1 Thess 1:10 and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.
Sitting With Jesus
April 17, 2024 • Pastor Brody Christian
FIRST POSTURE YOU SHOULD DO WITH JESUS IS SIT WITH HIM EPHESIANS 1:20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places EPHESIANS 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus 3 THINGS SITTING/RESTING REPRESENTS 1. WE DECLARE "IT'S DONE" 2. GIVES CONTENTMENT 1 TIMOTHY 6:6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 3. GIVES US CONFIDENCE HEBREWS 10:35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. YOUR DESTINY - IS TO SIT & KNOW HIM, BE CONTENT & HAVE SO MUCH CONFIDENCE THAT HE IS IN CONTROL
Searching For God
April 14, 2024 • Pastor Brody Christian
JEREMIAH 29:11-14 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, JEREMIAH 29:13-14 msg “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. PSALM 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 139:17-18 nlt How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! GOD IS PURSUING YOU! HE PURSUES US FIRST 1 JOHN 4:19 19 We love because he first loved us. Genesis 3:8-9NLT 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+3%3a8-9&version=nlt#fen-nlt-64a] and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” HE PURSUES US WHEN WE ARE LOST LUKE 15:4-6 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Stuff will not make you happy. Stuff will not last forever. MATTHEW 5:6 MSG AND NIV Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 1. PRAY 2. FOCUS YOUR SEARCH ON JESUS 3. READ THE BIBLE 4. REMAIN OPEN 5. ASK QUESTIONS 6. INVESTIGATE 7. TALK TO PEOPLE WHO LOVE AND FOLLOW JESUS 8. JOURNAL 9. SPEND TIME IN NATURE (Romans 1:20MSG. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral ROMANS 1:18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand. 24-25 So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth, filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake god, and worshiped the god they made instead of the God who made them—the God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes! 26-27 Worse followed. Refusing to know God, they soon didn’t know how to be human either—women didn’t know how to be women, men didn’t know how to be men. Sexually confused, they abused and defiled one another, women with women, men with men—all lust, no love. And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it—emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches. 28-32 Since they didn’t bother to acknowledge God, God quit bothering them and let them run loose. And then all hell broke loose: rampant evil, grabbing and grasping, vicious backstabbing. They made life hell on earth with their envy, wanton killing, bickering, and cheating. Look at them: mean-spirited, venomous, fork-tongued God-bashers. Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it’s not as if they don’t know better. They know perfectly well they’re spitting in God’s face. And they don’t care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!