EVEN WHAT HE THINKS HE HAS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY

EVEN WHAT HE THINKS HE HAS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY

Published by Sowing the Word of God ? January 20, 2018

Luke 8:17-18 "For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away." What did the Messiah mean by this? What exactly will be taken away from us? How can something we think we have, but don't truly have, be taken away from us, and what does it have to do with being careful about how we hear? God's Law is "Torah" in Hebrew, and it means teaching or instruction. Many of the Messiah's parables are teachings about how we hear God's Word, His instruction, and what we do with it once we've heard it. God's Word, His instruction, and His commandments are our light and our treasure. Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law (Torah) a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you.

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If after hearing God's Word it is not made manifest in our lives, that means we are hiding what we've been given. We are hiding our light under a basket, or burying our treasure in the ground. If we do this, even what little understanding we think we might have had of His Word will be taken from us; for it is not enough just to hear God's Word, we must also obey it and do what God says. It is written in James 2:19, "even the demons believe and tremble." We must ask ourselves then, what is it that makes the demon's belief in God different from mine?

James 2:19-22 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

If we look to the parable of the Sower, regarding the Seed that fell by the wayside, we will see that if we receive the Seed of God's Word without understanding, then that Word is then taken away from us by Satan.

The Parable: Matthew 13:3-4 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them."

The Parable Revealed: Matthew 13:18-19 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside."

The Parable: Luke 8:5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it."

The Parable Revealed: Luke 8:11-12 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved."

Understanding of God's Spiritual Word does not come by man's teaching, but is given to us by the Spirit of God.

Romans 7:14

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For we know that the law (Torah) is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

1 Corinthians 2:9-14 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Now it is clearer what Messiah meant when He said, "...and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away." Satan snatches the Word of life from those who hear, but do not diligently and persistently seek and search that they might receive understanding of it.

Proverbs 2:1-5 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, 2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; 3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, 4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; 5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

Luke 11:5-13 And He said to them, "Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, `Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within and say, `Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 9 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will

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he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Why does Satan snatch the Word from the hearts of men? It is because he knows that if we do not hear God's Word with understanding and do it, then we are not doing God's will, and if we are not doing God's will, then we are in fact doing Satan's will.

2 Timothy 2:23-26 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

If we do not cry out to the Father, and turn to Him for understanding of His Word by His Spirit, if we do not receive a love for His Law, and incline our hearts to do what He commands, then we will keep on hearing His Word, but we will not understand it. We will keep on seeing or reading His Words through flesh eyes, but we will not be able to truly perceive it. Even what we think we know about God will be taken from us, because we did not seek to understand or prepare our hearts to do what He has asked of us.

Matthew 13:10-19 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" 11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: `Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

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So that I should heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. 18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Isaiah 6:9-10 And He said, "Go, and tell this people: `Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' 10 "Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed."

This is what the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, and many of Messiah's parables are about; how we hear God's Words and what we do with the Word that we've been given. Our Master gives us His treasure, His Words, and He will return to see what we've done with what He's given us.

Matthew 25:14-30 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, `Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, `Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, `Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, `You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap

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