By Kato Mivule
Jesus Christ spoke in parables to those who followed Him but turned and explained the parables to His disciples.
There are many following Jesus Christ today in these last days but for various reasons. To some, they need healing, other, it is bread, and others fame, money and the glories of this world. To such a group of people, the Word of God will always remain a Parable…something they try to figure out what it means and they spend hours debating the validity of God’s True word. It is a parable because they have hardened their hearts from receiving what God has to say to our generation through His Word.
The very times we live, were rightly prophesied by Paul in his letter to Timothy that perilous times were to come in the last days and many would gather unto themselves teachers who taught what they wanted to hear. These people living in the end times would hire teachers or paid preachers and pastors and have them teach and preach what their itching ears want to hear…and such are the last days we live in. These are people who will always be learning but never come to the knowledge of truth…their hearts are hardened from receiving God’s Word. Many are such who even after attending Ivy League Bible Schools, still reject God’s True Word…to them it is history and a past event, never changing the hearts of Man but God’s Word is seen as a source of glory, fame, money and all the silver and gold that can be attained…Hardness of Heart!
2 Timothy 3:1, 7
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come…
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth…
2 Timothy 4:3
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
However, Jesus Christ knew very well the times we are living in and gave us the Parable of The Sower so we can guard our hearts against the traditions of men and legalities of Purpose Driven Religion that only add to the hardening on one’s heart.
This Parable so much fittingly explains the reasons for the hardness of hearts in the Apostate Laodicean Churches of America and all those around the world who love westernized Christianity where the traditions of men are taught as the commandments of God and Men love to Worship God and Honor God with their Lips but their Hearts are far away from God.
So Jesus Christ spoke in parables because they would not listen to Him anyway. They had concealed motives and were not ready to take action with God’s Truth. Truth always requires some type of action to be taken. You can’t know truth and simply keep silent and call it a day. There has to be steps taken to act according to the Truth you know. So the Pharisees and Seduces found this extremely difficult. It meant a repentance of dead works of Men and Satan and total surrender to Christ Jesus.
It meant a change in lifestyle and not living, as the peoples of the world do who know not Jesus. This meant denying Materialism, Eulogies of Man, Pomp, Silver and Gold that the world has to offer. It meant a dying of self. Willing to have Jesus Christ have His way in your life. It meant forsaking the goodies of this world and suffering with Jesus Christ because all who love godliness will suffer persecution. If you are certainly not suffering persecution of some type as according to your Love of Jesus Christ, then there is something muddled in your spiritual life, maybe the hardening of your heart at some point? Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you in this area.
Matthew 13:10-17
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them
We should note here that the hardening of hearts was not because God chose some peoples to be that way or that He chose the Israelites to be hard of heart. The Hardness of heart was a result of the people rejecting Truth because Truth requires you to take action and change your way. Truth required they leave Idolatry, fornication, materialism, greed, pomp, silver and gold of this world.
Truth required that they love neither the world nor the things of the world. The Pharisees and Sadducees could not withstand such a message and as such hardened their hearts. So have the Pharisees of Today in Purpose Driven Religious America and Westernized Churches around the world. They love their Rich Multi-Million Dollar Churches, SUV’s or Prados for those in African Rich Suburbs, they love eulogies of men, prosperity, fame, Purpose Driven lifestyles and Seeker Friendly Churches that don’t offend them with Jesus Christ’s “Change Your Lifestyle” Messages…such have hardened their hearts today.
As we shall see ahead, Jesus Christ gave us hints to discern that we don’t be come the place were His Word is sowed and falls on a rocky, thorny, way sides, but on good ground. The Word of God will always remain a parable to your life if you have no True Genuine with no strings attached personal relationship with Jesus Christ; that is willing to suffer for Him and deny the riches and glories of this world in all there forms. I am not speaking of “personal relationships” that people speak about in Purpose Driven Churches that are more of a casual “Jesus is my buddy” type of Christianity...
I am speaking of a relationship with Jesus Christ that calls for death to the flesh, materialism, glories of men and only looks to Jesus Christ and His Cross…a relationship after the Passion of the Christ…willing to go all the way with no strings attached until the day you meet Jesus Christ Face to Face. A Relationship that loves not the world nor the things of the world but totally makes you an ENEMY of the World and a FRIEND of Jesus Christ…that wherever He goes so do you…that type of personal relationship with Jesus Christ will have understanding of the Parables of Jesus Christ and will not look to the Word of God as mere parables cause their hearts are not hardened to God’s Voice through His Word.
Matthew 13:1-23
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
So from the scripture above we see that there were four interesting groups that Jesus Christ speaks about. It is interesting that Jesus Christ gave the very reasons people harden their hearts and are offended by Him…Jesus gives us the places where the seeds fell. Remember that your response to God’s Word – His Truth will determine the type of Ground You Choose to be, especially after the conviction of The Holy Spirit
The Seed on the Wayside…
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The sower sows his seeds and they fall on the Wayside…
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The Birds come and devoured them up…
Matthew 13:19
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
This category of “Christians” or persons will not want to do anything with the truth they hear. The Devil makes them get quickly offended at God’s Word and they their hearts to UNDERSTANDING the Truth of God. Therefore the Devil makes sure that they never open their ears to hear what God is speaking through His Word simply because God’s Truth require us to take action. This group has become a very big majority in Christendom Churches in America and those that love a Westernized type of Christianity in these last days. They have locked their hearts to Understanding God’s Truth.
It is interesting that the Greek Word for Understanding is…Nous…Strong’s Number 3563…
Have the following definitions…
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…Reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil…
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…The power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially…
So we can deduce that those who harden their hearts choose to personally reject God’s Word by refusing to Recognize Goodness and Hating Evil…Truth will require such action. When we harden our hearts we stop judging soberly, calmly and impartially. Our hearts are taken over and clouted by gods of materialism, egos, eulogies, pomp and fear of men.
There are those who have a genuine lack of understanding of God’s Word and need it explained or taught. I am not speaking of such people; I am speaking of the Christian Pharisees that fill our churches and pulpits today. They put on an image of righteousness but deny God’s Power. They refuse and reject God’s Truth for the glories of men and the gratification of the flesh. God’s Word will require our action; it will require that we do the commandments of God.
God gives instructions to be followed and not to be debated about in Bible Colleges and Seminaries that have become more of Cemeteries, where the Blind lead the Blind and the Dead bury the Dead!!! Our prayer daily should be that we allow The Holy Spirit to shine forth His Word in our Hearts and that we open up to Him and allow His convictions in those areas where we have any type of hardness of heart…this is a daily relationship with Jesus Christ each day as we live in these last days where men love to care for themselves and lovers of evil and hate good, even in the “Christian Churches”. Have we become Christians whose hearts are likened to that of The Sower Sowing on The Wayside?
The Seeds on Stony Places…
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There was not much earth…
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They sprung up forthwith (very quickly)…
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Had no depth of the earth…
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The sun came up…
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They were scotched…
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They had no root…
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They withered away…
Matthew 13: 20-21
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
There are many that follow Jesus Christ today and love the excitement that goes along with it. American Churches have become entertainment centers. They are no different from Million Dollar Hollywood Studios. Every trend in the world is copied and pasted into the church and the words “world” are removed and replaced with “Jesus Words”. American Pastors love glamour, eulogies and accolades that peoples of the America provide them. They love to be looked at as “Men” of God, write the best New York Times Best Seller, drive latest model cars into their latest model neighborhoods. They love to preach but never walk the talk. They cherish the Bible College Degrees and Doctorates with all titles the religious world can offer. However, they refuse to practice the Word. They Hate Christ and His Cross – His Sufferings.
Those who embrace State Controlled Religion or in America, the 501 C 3 Tax Exempt Churches fall in this trap…their hearts have become stony ground. They love the little excitement about Christianity – the positives, but when trials and times of the furnace come to test them, they reject it and turn away from God’s true Word. There is no root in them. Now some of them when looked at from the outside seem very reasonable, they have Bible College Degrees and so forth, however, the times of going through the wilderness and the furnace of The Lord have been rejected by these modern day purpose driven Pharisees. They only love the miracles of Jesus Christ but never willing to partake of his Blood and Body…it is an offence to them.
God’s Word will always bring about a separation of what is God’s from what is not. The trials, furnace, and wilderness experience come to test that. They burn all the chaff and will leave only pure gold. It is this testing that the Word brings with it that those with Stony hearts hate. God wants His people to worship Him alone and not through some intermediary called “Accountability Groups” or false submission as taught by Church Growth Movement and their Purpose Driven Lies. Jesus Christ’s Death on the Cross and Resurrection opened the way to the Throne Room of Grace so anyone can go in at any time before God with no intermediary but through Christ Jesus and commune with The Father.
Jesus has done it all, so the legalities being placed upon men by other men through modern day Church Growth Movement and Purpose Driven Harvard Business School Marketing Ideologies are lies from Satan and an abomination to God…this causes the hardening of hearts into stone with no depth that can survive the furnace, trial, or wilderness experience that will surely come to test all who claim allegiance to God’s True Word. It is a shame that Western Churches Hate The Sufferings of Christ and Choose The Comforts of Life offered by a Purpose Driven State Controlled 501 3 C Tax Exempt Prosperity Gospel.
However, we live in the end times and the times of the greatest Tribulations and Persecution are set to arise against all those who truly love Jesus Christ. As we are entering this time of tribulation, many saints are OFFENDED because The Lord will allow tribulations and persecutions to come against His Church. Let me tell you Western peoples…there is no True Relationship with Jesus Christ that does not embrace the Sufferings of Jesus Christ – His Cross. If you claim such a relationship that rejects Christ’s Sufferings and His Cross for a Purpose Driven Comfy Western Lifestyle, you are deceiving yourself and deceiving others who think you are a “Christian”…You are a Liar and a Hypocrite! You need to repent and ask Jesus Christ the grace to Love Him, Know Him, The Power of His Resurrection and The Fellowship of His Sufferings.
That is that main reason we have all the escapism Left Behind, Secret Rapture Now books selling allover the place. Christians are offended at the sufferings of Christ. They hate it and loathe it when it comes time to suffer for the True Testimony of Jesus Christ. So they gather unto themselves teachers who teach what they love to hear and tell them lies that they will never face persecutions. It is amazing that such gospel is very much acceptable here in America. Such Christians harden their hearts because they hate suffering for Christ that follows those who hold on the True Testimony of Jesus Christ.
So Jesus Christ gives us a very big clue to why men choose not to understand His Word…they hate sufferings, tribulations, and persecutions that follow all who trust in The True Word of God. All who love godliness will suffer persecution. If you live in America and no persecution of any kind is happening to you then you are in love with this world and need to ask The Holy Spirit to soften your heart to receive and understand the Truth of God’s Word. When we reject suffering for Christ we allow our hearts to become the Stony ground that rejects every Word of God that has to do with the destabilization of our comfort zones. We simply become people who love entertainment and look for all types of gratifications of the world, as a source of spiritual enrichment there is no doubt that at such a stage the hearts of men are hardened. So is the Western Church.
The Teaching of Jesus Christ goes deeper. Are you willing to forsake all for Christ, be persecuted, hated, leave relations, friends, brothers, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters for the sake of Christ Jesus and His unfailing Word? Are you willing to leave your Christian Purpose Driven Religion to follow Christ Jesus? God’s Word will prune all that which does not please Christ in your Relationship with Him. It will require a total surrender to follow and love Jesus Christ. Suffering is part and parcel of a Relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Seeds among Thorns…
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Fell Among Thorns…
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Thorns grew up…
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Thorns choked them…
Matthew 13:22
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
This group of Christians is very similar to those with Stony hearts. The Cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and they become unfruitful. The West has produced this kind of Christianity with no fruits. By fruits here I am not meaning the fruits claimed by CMG – Church Growth Movement and Purpose Driven Life Christianity. I mean The Fruits of The Holy Spirit.
The American Church has truly become The Laodicean Church with all the silver and golden calves worshiped in modern affluent churches. A simple look at the most popular Christian Magazines today in Christendom - Christianity Today and Charisma Magazines, shows the depth at which Christianity has become a Merchants’ Enterprise. The deceitfulness of riches has taken over even the once most trusted Bible Seminaries and Colleges. The cares of this world are what are being sold as the gospel. The Rich Men of the world reign in the Church of America. These are the ones that continuously choke the word of God.
The Prosperity Gospel is not just a problem of TBN TV but also the subtle Purpose Driven Lifestyles of the Suburban Church Growth Movement. It is why most are offended by the True word of Jesus Christ…such have turned themselves into Hypocrites, Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and Lairs on the Broad and Easy Way to Hell!!! The Kingdom of God and His Christ are not of this world and all who love money and riches turn their hearts into thorny grounds that choke the Word of God.
It is time to examine our hearts America…the very lifestyle of your Purpose Driven Mammon Christianity Judges you…your SUVs, Suburban Homes, Multi-Million Dollar Multi Purpose Churches, Christian Idol Musicians, Pompous Polo Shirt and Designer Suit Dressing Preachers, Designer Label Clothing, Gluttonous Eating, Fancy Restaurants, and all the Silver and Gold CRY OUT AGAINST YOU…they judge you. The miseries ahead of you are enormous and so rightly did James Prophesy against American and Western Rich Men of the Earth in The Book of James…
James 5:1-6
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
The Deceitfulness of Riches of this fading world and cares of this world certainly will choke God’s Word in our lives…Is there any Silver and Gold that has taken over your heart lately? Is it your Job, Career, Business, Friends and Golf Buddies that are choking God’s Word in your Life Today? You need to Separate your Self from these things and live for Christ Alone…Yes, Separate!!!
The Seeds that fell on Good Ground…
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Brought forth fruit…
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Some Hundredfold…
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Some Sixtyfold…
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Some Thirtyfold…
Matthew 13:23
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Finally there are those who will watch and not allow their hearts to be hardened by…
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Deliberate Self inflicted Lack of Understanding of God’s Word…
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Lack of Root In Christ…
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Being Offended By Tribulations and Persecutions and The Cross of Christ…
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Cares of this world…
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Deceitfulness of Riches…
These will have their hearts softened by The Holy Spirit and will understand the Word of God so as to properly judge between good and evil and will Love the good in Christ and Hate the evil of this world. These will produce good fruits by The Holy Spirit and some will produce thirty, sixty and others one hundred. These are Christians who have decided not to partake of the glories and limelights of this world. These are the ones who choose to embrace the Cross of Jesus Christ.
They will always bare fruit, not the fruits according to Purpose Driven Manuals from Harvard Business School and Wall Street, but Bare Fruits of The Holy Spirit. They abide not and walk not in the counsel of the wicked and ungodly, nor sit in the seat of the scornful. They delight in The Word of Yahweh and are likened to Trees Planted by The Rivers of Water and bring forth fruit in due season. These always abide in Christ Jesus who is The True Vine, without whom no one can bare The Holy Spirit Fruits. These are the ones who bare fruits to please God and not Man. God takes pleasure in them, for they hate the things and riches of this world and look for a city not made by human hands, the New Jerusalem awaiting those who Truly Love Jesus Christ.
Psalms 1
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
To these the angels and saints in heaven, the great cloud of witnesses rejoice over each day. Even if they fall, they are encouraged to arise and continue the journey along the narrow path to the City of The Great King – Jesus Christ. These are the ones who will stand before The Lamb. They overcome by their Testimony, by the Blood of The Lamb and they love not their Lives even unto death. These are the ones that the world HATES and the Purpose Driven Pharisees of our day cannot stand.
These are the one who proclaim both God’s Mercy and Judgments to the Nations. These are The Children of God, washed by the Blood of The Lamb, hated by Satan and all who love the world but Loved by the Father and Please the Father daily and are the beloved of Christ. These are the ones who refuse to touch all unclean things in Christendom; they refuse the eulogies of men and seek only to please their Master Jesus Christ. His True Unfailing Word is their Sword.
They fight not earthly battles but Spiritual battles. They are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. The Heavens can’t wait to have them home, for they loved not the world nor the things of this world and were HATED by all who hate Jesus Christ and by all lovers of this world.
Are you willing to be a part of this team? Jesus Christ is Calling…you can signup today, right now…the angles are gladly waiting…don’t wait for tomorrow, it might never come…signup today so you will stop being All You Want To Be and Be Only What Christ Wants You To Be…Jesus Christ is waiting…don’t disappoint Him…you know we live in the Last Days, even the most fool among the foolish knows something isn’t right…that we must be at the close of age…Christ is Waiting…the days are Truly Numbered…are you willing to live for Christ and carry your own cross and follow Him?…the world will truly disappoint… Christ Jesus will Never Disappoint!
Your Brother In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
