March 2, 2020 Choking out His Voice

This FAST is all about TRAINING us to become DISCIPLINED in our lives.  We have so much going on in and all around us, that we have a hard time really hearing God’s voice clearly.  We must not only become skilled in studying His Word and hearing His VOICE, we must powerfully let His Words change us into His image – having His heart and His character!  This is a powerful transformation that must happen to all God’s people if we are going to truly be His DISCIPLES – His remnant of devoted followers!

There are three things that hinder us from hearing His VOICE the way we need to. In Mark 4 we see the parable of the seed (Voice or Word of God) and how it grew on the various ground it feel on. 

Mark 4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
Mark 4:18-19  And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 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.
                                                                  
Thorns are things that snare and entangle us. This passage shows three of these things:

• Worries of the world- distractions that come to divide us from trusting God
• Deceitfulness of riches - delusions that cheat us from hearing truth
• Desires for other things – longing for what is forbidden, to lust, covet, and crave.

The word CHOKE means to take by the throat and strangle with the intent to kill by suffocation. How often do we quickly give in to worry, deception, and desire; not realizing that it is choking the life out of us?  In reality, we are allowing the VOICE of God to be cut off, which greatly affects the fruit we are to produce here on Earth.   
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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.