Luke 8:15-18, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. TAKE HEED THEREFORE HOW YE HEAR: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
Jesus is saying that we ought to be careful in what way we hear the Scriptures, that is, do we just casually listen to the Scriptures; or do we intently take the Scriptures to heart and do our best with the Holy Spirit's help to apply them to our daily life? How much do we take to heart and genuinely obey? Jesus said to TAKE HEED THEREFORE HOW YE HEAR the Scriptures. This is critically important.
Read these truly amazing Bible verses and consider them deeply...
Luke 8:15, “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Luke 8:16, “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.”
Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”
Luke 8:18, “Take heed therefore HOW YE HEAR: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
Again, Jesus is saying that we ought to be careful “in what way” we listen to the Scriptures, that is, do we just casually listen to the Scriptures; or do we intently take the Scriptures to heart and do our best with the Holy Spirit's help to apply them to our daily life? HOW DO YOU HEAR THE SCRIPTURES? Do you read the Bible daily just to meet an obligation with yourself to read the Scriptures daily? Do you skim over a few verses without really considering what you're reading? Most people read what they understand and pass over the things they don't understand, never returning to study the true meaning of obscure and confusing passages. We ought to focus our mind and heart upon Scriptures we don't understand, because we need to understand all that God has spoken to us in His Word.
Beware of so-called “better” modern Bible translations that butcher the Words of God, changing its meaning in order for you to understand it better. You'll be indoctrinated with a bunch of heresies that God never wrote. Romans 10:9 is a perfect example of what I am saying. The New International Version (NIV) and the NIV 2011 butcher this Scripture to now teach the BIG LIE of Lordship Salvation. According to the NIV and NIV 2011, a sinner MUST profess “JESUS IS LORD” in order to be saved. The King James Bible never says that. The King James Bible simply reads in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” That is quite different from confessing “JESUS IS LORD” to be saved. So if you have a corrupted Bible to begin with, you're NOT going to be able to be careful HOW YOU HEAR as Jesus commanded in Luke 8:18. Everything you hear in modern perverted translations are wrong, wrong, wrong.
Luke 8:18, “Take heed therefore HOW YE HEAR: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
This is an amazing passage of Scripture in Luke 8:15-18. I want to hear the Scriptures with a hungry heart to obey. Jesus warned believers to be careful HOW THEY HEAR the Scriptures, because most people are only casual hearers who miss the mark. Most people hear the Scriptures, but their own selfish agendas take higher priority in their life than God's Word. Matthew 13:13, “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.”
The Bible teaches that the Scriptures are as a mirror that reveal the true sinful nature of the human heart...
James 1:22-25, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
The Bible says that a hearer of the Word is deceived, because he is not a doer of the Word also. That is exactly what Jesus meant when He warned about taking heed HOW YE HEAR the Word of God. Multitudes of churchgoers and religious people around the world hear the Word, but they have no desire nor intentions of obeying the Word to please God.
I've met countless people in my life who showed some interest in learning about the Scriptures, giving a gift of the Scriptures to their loved ones, and who talked a good talk concerning the precious Lord Jesus; but when it came down to the crux of the matter, they had absolutely no desire to give up the deliberate sins in their life, go soulwinning, or get serious about living for God. Such people errantly think that consecrated ministers are the only one's who should be doing the work of God, and everyone else is not obligated nor expected by God to do anything more than fill up 18 inches of pew every Sunday. The Commandments and teachings of the Bible are for everyone.
The Christian life is not a suggestion, nor an option; it is a divine Commandment from a holy God Who is known for His longsuffering and patience. Nahum 1:3, “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” No one, and I mean no one, is as loving and patient as the God of the Bible.
How much do we take the Bible to heart and genuinely obey it? I repeat this for emphasis. May we not be forgetful hearers as James 1:23-25 cautions. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” The Bible is the greatest psychologist in the world. Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Bible divides even between soul and spirit, revealing the intents of the human heart. Forget this wicked, wayward, and whacko world of kooks, quacks, and queers—you need the inspired Word of God in your life!!!
Luke 8:18, “Take heed therefore HOW YE HEAR: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” Another amazing and practical application found in Luke 8:18 is the phrase, “...and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he SEEMETH TO HAVE.” Everything that you possess in this life is only temporal. None of it can go with you beyond the grave. The Bible says in Luke 8:18 that what you have you only SEEM to have. It's not real. So many people THINK they have something great by owning multiple dream homes. They THINK that they have something good amongst all their money and earthly investments. They THINK that they have great wealth and security in their public fame, fortune, Hollywood glamour, friends in high places, and earthly splendors and untold pleasures; but Jesus said they will lose all that they SEEMETH TO HAVE.
I was surprised to learn today about the death of a nice man I knew for many years, He was a musician, and a great one at that. He was only 53 and died from a sudden heart attack while out running with his wife. Life is what happens to you when you're making big plans. James 4:14 warns that life is as a vapor and death right around the corner for us all. You just never know. I can assure you of one thing though... all 6,800,000,000 people alive upon the earth this moment will all be dead in a little over 100 years from now if the Lord tarries His Second Coming. Are you ready to meet your Maker?
