14 Jul Mark 4:15 “Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts”. Part 3 of a 4 part series of “The four types of people who hear the word”

The battle for your soul does not begin when you first accept Jesus Christ. It does not begin on the first day you go to Church. It does not begin when you become an adolescent or a young adult. It starts much earlier than that.

The battle for your life and your soul begins at the moment of your conception. The Bible says in Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb God knew you”. Destroying the lie that a fetus is not a human being until weeks or months later during the pregnancy.

Satan cannot win the soul of a person when they are a baby or an infant, but he can attempt to and is many times successful at destroying the life before it arrives. There is an invisible war that is taking place around us 24/7 .

There are constant battles being fought. Souls are being won and lost continually. Everyday a soul is saved, and everyday a soul is lost. Every minute of the day, every second of the day. Souls are being created, saved or destroyed.

Though we are aware of the ultimate end, there are heavy casualties being taken. If you survive the first “attack” on your life, then Satan will focus his efforts on the parents, in particular the Mother who is carrying the child.

If she has any type of habits or addictions that can prove to be detrimental to herself and the baby, he will certainly deploy tactics to disrupt the normal progress of child pregnancy. Though drinking or smoking or using drugs is not a slam dunk that the child will be born with an illness, disease, deformity or some sort of deficiency, it is certainly a foul shot’s chance.

If that is unsuccessful, the next attack is when you are pushed out the womb. All throughout your childhood, and in every stage, you will be attacked. The attacks are not random. They are well orchestrated.

God knew you before you were in the womb, and satan knows you the minute you got here. He’s been studying you. He knows all the things you desire, all the things you crave, as well as all the things you hate.

He doesn’t bother trying to get you to do things he knows you have no interest in doing. His attacks are well thought out. You’ve had his attention since you were a child. There is not a sinful desire or lust that you’ve ever had, that he doesn’t know about. He knows all your sins. He knows all your weaknesses. He even knows your strengths.

Satan does not have the ability to read our minds or our hearts, so he investigates us, by throwing us in different situations to see how we will respond. It is our response that tells him what it is we desire. He has a journal on each and every one of us. And when he wants to throw us off, he simply goes to the journal, and goes down our list of weaknesses.

The great news is God also has a journal on us. But his journal was created before the foundation of the World. Not only does his journal include our weaknesses and our strengths, but it also includes our innermost thoughts.

All the things that we have never manifested into an action. All the things we’ve never spoken but thought. Good and bad. We are all highly desired, by both God and satan, but for different reasons.

For God to build and restore his Kingdom Family, and for satan to disrupt God’s Kingdom Family. Notice I didn’t say “destroy”, but he cannot destroy God’s Kingdom. He can only destroy you or I from getting there.

This journal that satan has on us, is his blueprint that he uses to destroy our lives. Mark 4:4 describes the third type of person who hears the word. This is what Jesus says in Mark 4: 3-4. “Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up”.

This is the parable that Jesus used. He is in the sea on a boat with the disciples teaching the multitude. When the disciples themselves did not understand this parable, Jesus goes into more detail explaining it to them in Mark 4:15.

Jesus says that satan comes immediately and takes the word away that was sown in their hearts. How satan does this Jesus does not explicitly explain, but when Jesus was tempted by the devil, we get a clear understanding of his tactics.

The one that words consistently on God’s human creation, are the things of the world. Here lies our biggest weakness. Our desire for the things of this life. It is understandable. We are born into a fallen state. It is our nature to desire the things of this life, and reject the things we cannot see.

Our nature and God’s nature are in complete contradiction. It does not take a whole lot of effort on our part to do what is wrong, but it takes much effort on our part to do what is right. The Bible says “There is no good man, no not one”.

We are wicked by nature. When the word of God is heard, it is unconsciously sent through our own personal filter. If what is said does not align with what we believe or think, we quickly dismiss it or disregard it.

This is how satan is able to steal the word of God out of the ears and hearts of many who hear. By deception. These individuals have been deceived into a way of thinking, that when word tries to penetrate and break through the twisted thinking, the hardness of their hearts acts as a barrier and repels it.

There are millions of people who hold ways of thinking close to their hearts, who are terribly deceived. They do not reject the word knowingly that they are rejecting Grace. They believe they are standing in truth, and when the truth comes, they double down in their truth.

For some people, this area is money. There are some who believe a Pastor is entitled to riches on this Earth. There are some who believe that a Pastor should not indulge in a lavish lifestyle. I am of this mind, but do look at these things on a case by case basis.

If a Pastor is making millions of dollars a year, I would hope that he is using his millions to impact the lives of millions.  I do not believe that you can faithfully Pastor a Church and run 5 successful businesses on the side.

Being a Pastor is a full-time commitment. I don’t see how one could Pastor hundreds of thousands or millions of people and be CEO of 5 to 10 different Companies as well. I do not see why one would need a personal Jet, unless he was transporting needed medical supplies and vaccines to poor undeveloped and needed nations.

Any person who is serving the people of God on a full-time basis, is worthy and deserving of a salary. Paul says this clearly in the New Testament. We see God command his people to take care of those who he strictly put in charge of to handle his affairs here on Earth.

But no one should be requesting, ordering, persuading, begging, coercing, goading, or deceiving anyone to give unto them so they can obtain a lifestyle that is not fit for a Man of God. There should be a clear distinction between a child of God and the children of Men!

We have adapted they’re materialism and taste, so it is hard to tell one from the other. A Man of God should live simply. He should not live extravagantly. What does this accomplish? When has being wasteful become useful?

What sense does it make that you have millions of money in excess, why a neighboring Church has a roof that leaks and no air conditioning in the summer season? These things ought not to be so.

For some of these people, the area is Homosexuality. How else could a sober minded person who actively practices Homosexuality? There are Homosexual Pastors, Deacons, Ministers, Ushers, Faith Teachers, Choir Directors, etc.

These people have ignored the commandment, or simply rejected it to continue on in their wrong doing. They have hardened their hearts to the message concerning these actions to continue in their deception.

What about those who practice sex outside of Marriage? In which I have myself been found guilty on many occasions in the past. Am I exempt because the lust I have is for a woman and natural unlike Homosexuality which is unnatural and a abomination to God? No! God judges every man and requires all to repent.

We must take constant inventory of the way we think and what we believe. We all have areas of our lives, where we have become hardened. I’m not talking about the acceptance of Christ, those who reject him due to the hardness of their heart, stand in judgement daily.

But there are many who have accepted Christ, but whose heart is hardened in specific areas of their lives. Areas the word of God has a hard time penetrating. I believe that this is most of us, if not all of us. If you listen to a God fearing Man preach long enough, at some point you will hear something that you don’t agree with.

Even the most talented Teachers sometimes wrong. Paul says in Phillipians 3:12 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me“. We should always be in a “press on” position. Never think you’ve learned all there is to know, and that there is nothing new for you to discover.

God is constantly correcting his people. Then there are those who would have come to knowledge of the truth when they heard the word of God, but the cost of accepting it became an offense to them.

Remember the Man who came to Jesus and asked in Matthew 19:16 “What good thing should I do to obtain eternal life“? Jesus tells the Man in Matthew 19:21: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

In the next verse, the man responds to Jesus’ request: “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions”. God saw that he had an unnatural affection towards his Earthly possessions. He was deceived to believe that these things he possessed on Earth, were greater then the treasures he would receive in Heaven and eternal life.

Think about the trade off here. Eternal life and treasure in Heaven for all the things you own and possess now. It’s not that the young man was no longer interested in eternal life, for the Bible says he walked away in sorrow. He did not want the treasure of eternal life, if it was going to cost him his treasure!

Our ears are not the problem. The problem lies in our heart and what we treasure. This is the separation between the wheat and the chaff. If the things you pursue are more important than the things of God, then that is your treasure.

The word of God forces the person hearing it to hold a mirror up to their face and scrutinize all the wrinkles. It is a truth revealer. We all have the ability to reason within ourselves why our corrupt behavior is just, and allow satan the space to drive God’s word right out of our hearts.

If you think you’re right on all things then I’ll assure you you’re wrong on most things. That goes for Pastors as well. Especially Pastors. When they’re wrong, who is there to correct them? Most Pastors know too much to be corrected, and not enough to know they need to be corrected every so often.

There are Actors who refuse to do any onscreen romance or sexual acts with another Woman due to their faith. Kirk Cameron is one who comes to mind. Then there are those who will do scenes of this nature though they are married.

Their reasoning is it’s just a movie and they’re playing a character role. While Kirk’s reasoning is whether onscreen or off, playing a character role or not, I will honor the Lord in all circumstances.

Getting alone with God allows him to do his best work in you. This is the space God uses to correct our thinking and behavior. Satan will always steal the word of God out of the heart of a busy person.

Never believe you are too busy for God. That you are too busy to spend time with him. That you are too busy to pray to him. That you are too busy to read. That you are too busy to study. That you are too busy to meditate. If you are too busy to do these things, then you must stop doing other things.

We have a million ways at our fingertips to keep us occupied every second of the day. Just as satan wants it. Mindless distractions to keep you eternal treasures.

Where is your treasure? Is it in God, or are you holding out for something better? Have you found something else that is more deserving of your time and attention? Whatever it is, it has become your idol. There’s usually more than one.

Most people’s homes are full of them. An idol is anything you have no control over, but believe falsely that you do possess control over it. It is also anything you have no control over and acknowledge that you do not possess control over it.

That was the young Man’s issue that we read about in Matthew. He didn’t want to give up his idols. But we can’t have our idols and have God at the same time. We only got two hands, and God requires us to use both of them.

We only got one mouth and God requires us to use it. We got two feet and God requires both of those. We got two hands and God requires that too. God requires the whole body. Not just a piece. Not just a part. Not just an hour. Not just a moment. He requires the whole thing.

I hope you can receive this with all Joy. I pray that God supplies any person reading this, with the thing or things they need most. Part four will be the last part of this series. It’s the person who hears the word and endures.

It’s powerful, it’s wonderful, and I know God is going to encourage the down trodden, the brokenhearted, the displaced, the rejected, the abandoned, the lonely, the neglected, and any other condition that many are suffering from due to trying to carry what’s on the inside of you.

As always I pray this message finds you well. God Bless and leave any comments or prayer request. We must pray for one another continually. Not just at Church or when someone asks us to. We should pray then but we should also pray when they’re not asking and when were not at Church or Bible study.

Keep the word of God and character of Christ in your heart and mind continuously. God Bless.