"Take Heed How You Hear"  Part IV

God’s Word contains all you need for a successful Christian life.  But it won’t work for you just because you place it on your coffee table.  It will never produce for you until you plant it in your heart and cultivate it.

I (Paul) have planted. Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are One: and every man shall receive his own Reward according to his own labor. For we are labourers together with God: Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.   1 Corinthians 3:6-9

Praise the Lord Precious Saints of the Living God.  How are you?  I know you are blessed and Highly Favored of the Lord.  We are living in exciting times.  We are seeing the Word of God demonstrated daily in our midst.  And Praise God, this is the year of the “Open Door!”

As I closed part III of this series, I was discussing Romans 10:17.  Lets go ahead and read that Scripture again.

17 “So then faith cometh by HEARING, and HEARING by the Word of God.”  (Rom. 10:17)

 Romans 10:17 doesn’t say, “So then faith comes from having heard.”  NO.  It says that faith comes by hearing.  Then you have to take heed how you hear. 

From time to time, I tell people what I did every day Monday through Friday at 9:15 a.m. for 20 years.   I would set my portable battery operated radio in my car, and record Brother Hagin’s daily radio broadcast. Then I would take those tapes home, and listen to them over and over.  They would look at me as if I had lost it. 

I was very careful how I heard the Word.  I would listen to them in my bathroom, in my kitchen, in my car.  To this day, I still do listen to those faith building messages.  As you can tell God has richly rewarded me.  I took heed how I Heard, and it produced great results.

Now here is what I wanted to get over to you:  Take heed how you hear, because faith comes by hearing and hearing, not from having heard!

Often, when a minister begins to teach on the subject of faith – or any other Bible subject – some folks would say it mentally, “Oh, I’ve heard that before,” and just sort of turn it off.  But dearly beloved, please remember this life changing principle, “a seed that has been planted needs to be watered.”

Paul and Apollos were both teachers (Acts 13:1; 18:24, 25).  And in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul told us that teaching is watering the seed of the Word.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:6

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Saints, I am out of time for today, but I will continue this article next week.

Your Pastor 

 Word for Today: Being Established

As we complete the first month of this new decade we are witnessing financial belt tightening all around us. That’s why it’s more important than ever to learn the Bible’s secret of “Being Established.”  In the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul wrote to a group of people who were living in a time similar to ours.  He told his friends, “For I long to see you in order that I may impart spiritual gifts to you, that you may be established.”  The Greek word translated “Established” literally means “To be firmly fixed, even in the midst of a raging storm.” Here is a question I have for you, “Are you allowing God to Establish you, even as many are experiencing financial challenges?”  If you are, “Everything is going to be alright!”