He who has ears, let him hear!
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused, they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.
Matt. 13-14-15.

Introduction
This is a very good example how people hear or don’t the word of God. It has been my experience as an ordained minister serving the Lord. That my main function as a teacher is present the truth, and let people decide for themselves. This is exactly what Christ is doing in this teaching. It’s important for us. Understand that God does not deal with relative truth. He only deals with absolute truth that is stated in His word. Jesus stated that those who hear the Word of God and Obey are truly His disciples.

Hard Hearts-Hard Heads
They are basically four reasons why people become harden to the gospel and do not surrender to Jesus.
First, is that they rebel and they are rebels at heart. They do not want to be accountable and when they fail miserably, they blame God.
Second, they do not stay alert or attentive. They do not consider the gospel will be important enough to keep their attention. Their minds are on other things.
Third, they are very careless and handle the truth they have been given. They treated it as something they can only use when life goes south. The attitude is at the Gospel has his place, but it’s not a central factor of life.
Fourth, they have religion but it is just that, religion. They don’t want to change of heart and their life is meaningless so therefore anything that has to do with the worship and surrender to God has not necessary because he is like an absentee landlord.

“They have a form of godliness but deny its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” 2 Timothy 3:5

Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Matt. 15:17-19.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Heb, 3:13.
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. Romans. 2:5.

Sowing & Reaping
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it (receives it in faith), the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Matt. 13:18-23

The word of God does not return void. Isa. 55:11. This means that when God sends out His word it will accomplish salvation or condemnation on the day of judgement. God ends out His word to bear fruit in a persons’ life. (John 15:1-8). People are present physically but mentally and spiritual they resist the Word of God.

First. Satan’s job is to create confusion when one hears the gospel message. Along the path means in their life course. Satan is the god of this world. “He god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor. 4:4. This is the ‘Battle of the mind”. This is our carnal nature that is in enmity with God and His word. It can be pride, education. Prestige, and or wealth which hinders a person to fully embrace the truth of God’s word. These things make man feel self-confident and self-dependent. “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds”. John 12:24.

Second. The “Rocky Ground” is soil that cannot sustain any roots. It is like a person who hears and understands but finds the requirements of God to difficult for them to embrace. The seed is the word of God but some people do not see it as essential to living.
Example: I have known a woman for over 40 years. She a person who has physically heard the gospel in church week after week, moth after month, and year after year, but her heart is very far from God. But she only heard with her physical ears, but her heart was far from God. She is mean, resentful, hateful, criticize, bossy, prideful, full of rage and anger. Matt, 15:17-19.

Third. Thorns represent something extra not essential to growth. They see the Word of God as a philosophy not the Word. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7. Jesus asked the disciples who He is. “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69. All these types of attitudes and lifestyle choke off the word of God and it become unfruitful in our lives with the lack of faith.

Fourth. “Good Soil”. Is truly accepting and believing the Word of God to bring about growth which is called progressive sanctification. Growth like fruit develops little by little but there must be fruit. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5.

Conclusion

Every one of us must examine ourselves and see where we stand. Is your heart like the good soil to receive the Word of God? Is there the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. Are those who know you see the fruit of love and peace. Many people pretend to follow Jesus. Another example of pretending is as follows. I know of this one family where the wife is very violent, but she hides it very well. She threw oil at her husband and when after him with a knife. And the time of counseling she never recognized her violence or how abusive she is. What was her reward, she was made a leader of the youth group in her church. How ironic, what hypocrisy. When we walk out of love we walk into darkness.

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,’ Col. 1:9-10.

Hold Fast!
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Introduction
If we are going to have success in our lives, we must learn to control our tongue. We must speak the language of the new kingdom of God’s dear Son Jesus Christ. We must understand that the way we THINK is what we will SPEAK. And the way we speak is the way we will LIVE! We must learn to speak success and not failure. We must understand that when we “keep our tongue for the negative confession we keep our life from problems affecting us.” Proverbs 21.23. When we don’t speak of positive confessions “we are snared taken captive by the words of her own mouth.” Proverbs 6.2. It says that we are either justified or condemned by what we speak. Matthews 12:37. Remember that which is not of faith is sin. Rom. 14:23 Why does scripture tell us to hold fast? True beliefs or doubts are shown by the the way in which one thinks, speaks and lives. To swerve from this would be to wander off the path to the right or the left into some error or contradiction. It is because we have an enemy Satan who will fight you every step of the way. That is his job and he is very good at it.

When Things Get Hard!
Problems come to all of us but unless your house is built on solid foundation it will not survive. We are called overcomers by the word of our testimony. Our words and lives must consistently declare the word of God.

Build on the Rock
‘Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was found on the. rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house: and it fell. And great was its fall.”. Matthew 7:24-27

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Rev.12:11

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. I John 4:4

Speak Life!
Do not talk about what the devil is doing. Talk about what God has done for us in Jesus! We need to declare that we are a new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17

We need to declare that we are the righteousness of God 2 Corinthians 5:21

We need to declare that we have been set free from the bondages of hell.
Colossians 1:12-14

We need to declare that we are not inferior or failure or frustrated. 2 Timothy 1:7.

We need declare that we redeemed from the curse of the law and we are not bound by sin sickness or spiritual death. Gal. 3: 10-14.

We need to declare that we are prosperous and have good success.
Joshua 1:8.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of ill
his Spirit who lives in you. Romans 8:11.

Be Bold!

For truly I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, ‘Be taken away
and cast into the sea’, and shall not waver in his heart but shall believe that
those things which he says shall happen, whatever he says shall be done to
you. ‘Therefore, I say to you, whatever you desire when you pray, believe that
You shall have it and it shall be done to you. Mark 11:23-24

Let the weak say, ‘I am strong. Joel 3:10

Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals
through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded
that He is able to guard that which I have committed to him against that day. 2 Timothy1:12

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Listen to how people speak. Words are locaters either of faith or doubt. How you think is how you will speak. And how you speak is how you will live!

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! Genesis 4:9-10

Introduction.
This is an old age question. “Am I my brother’s keeper” Christianity is very tied to social relations and both its obligations and consequences. This question Father God asked of Cain because of he murdered his brother Abel. Able’s blood was crying out for justice. What Cain did not want to state that it was his greed and envy of Abel that made kill his brother. In theological terms this evil action came from within him and this is called our sinful nature.
Secular psychologists for the most part dismiss a person’s spiritual nature. Psycho-social construction of reality must and does concern itself with the construction of one’s reality through the connections of social relationships. This process must incorporate itself with the formation of self in society. Everyone in society participates in this process to some degree or another.
The reality of everyday life incorporated in what Cooley’s called “the Looking Glass Self”. This construction of one reality is the self-embracement of how one constructs their psycho-social self-image by what they feel is being judged by others.
Anthony Giddens is his book called, “The Consequences of Modernity” touches on this topic on how modernity has also pushed mankind to the brink of disintegration of self. But like most social scientists once again ignore man’s spiritual nature. Yes, we can look to the influencers on our lives but we must also understand that Father God is very much interested in us to bring about His truth to what is really happening.

Failure to Recognize Trauma
When trauma is not recognized, or validated by the family or community, to which one is part of, there is a response that there might be something wrong with him, and everybody else is sane. When trauma is experienced on an ongoing basis, this can’t convert into PTSD, and there are many symptoms of PTSD, which range from hyper villages or arousal, severe anxiety, agitation, irritability, depression, hostility, distrust, fear, poor impulse control, self-destructive behaviors, self-medication, nightmares, etc.
Discuss my PhD dissertation of the ‘Association of PTSD and Child Abuse in the El Salvadorean Population”.

Victim Blaming

Victim Blaming- Lays the responsibility for the offense committed against others on the rather than themselves.
• Need to assure them that they are not alone.
• Guard against “blaming the victim”.
• Need to take responsibility for their lifestyle and actions.

Collective Trauma
Trauma basically is a brokenness that has resulted for mankind due to our rebellion against God. It’s our story, both personal and collective, that has been buried in the shadows of our own consciousness, and it’s plays time it again in our lives. Trauma creates a hard shell over us separating us from ourselves and others. Trauma consists of broken moments that trigger and resurface time and again in the darkness of our subconscious. Trauma creates a void, and an emptiness that can only be healed through the power of God. We make attempts at healing but it is a long and painful process. As a psychologist I can tell you that human effort along is not sufficient.

Trauma as its basic conception, pushes one to become that which has been fractured. Many people have gone through the trauma of filed relationships. We fail to realize that these on-going trauma of failed relationships and rejection leave long and lasting deep scars on our personality which in Christian circles is called our soul. We grow up in a very self-centered and self-serving world. We carry that trauma into every area of our lives and it affects not only us but those who we have interconnectedness with.
Remember the Samaritan woman at the well who met Jesus and she wanted to discuss religion. Christ discussed with her worship. She began discussing the differences between her faith to divert attention from her own fractured self. Here’s a woman that usually should collect water at the well in the morning with other ladies but because her life was so chaotic, no one was there to associate with her. She had many broken relationships, many failed marriages. Even though her story isn’t complete scripturally, my years of experience of working with people that have fractured lives in multi-generational relationships that their unending story throughout their lives and the lives of others.

Trauma disrupts, and breaks down every spiritual, physical, emotional, and psychological form of communication and relationships that an individual has. I stated in the first teaching that trauma is never an individual act, but an act that involves many other people generational trauma, which we have named collective trauma that deals with multi-generational issues of rebellion and separation from God.

Response to Traumatic Events
Our mind is very powerful, and when trauma occurs, automatic signs begin to arise within us, and it may cause fear or aggression, resorting to flight or fight. Murder, rape, physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, psychological and emotional abuse.
Some people when they are experiencing trauma, and their instinct is to freeze. They freeze because they’re unable to gauge or measure or understand how to defend themselves against violence, and our own dysfunctional behavior.
• Acute stress experienced in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic event.
• Anxiety, dissociate symptoms, and other manifestations that occur within one month after exposure to trauma.
• Symptoms include victim’s re-experiencing of the traumatic event, avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, numbing of general responsiveness, and increased agitation.
• Victims may suffer a wide variety of mental disorders.
• Depression
• Substance Abuse
• No clear bright line as to the types of mental disorders a victim may suffer.
• Certain events may re-trigger the recollection of the trauma
• Intensity and frequency generally diminish over time.
• Victims must learn to continue to function despite reactions.
• Victims frequently encounter social isolation and invalidation of their efforts to come to terms with their experiences.

Chronic Developmental Exposure to Trauma
• Attachment- intimate relationships suffer.
• Biology-trauma affects emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, and ability to learn from past experiences.
• Affect-can’t tolerate stress, hyperactivity, communication skills suffer.
• Dissociation- those who suffer on-going trauma can suffer from amnesia.
• Behavioral-hinders appropriate impulse control, aggression, disrupted sleep.
• Cognitive difficulty in concentration.
• Self-concept-fragmented though patterns, struggle with self-esteem.

Trauma Impacts on Relationships
• Trust- relationships suffer from lack of trust. In this of itself means that there is a lack of attachment and bonding for people with other people. Attachment is the emotional connection between people. Usually, it begins with the primary caregiver and bonding describes the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of one person to another. If the perpetrator initiated the trauma with the victim, then this process is hinder or even severed.

Coming Out of Darkness
There is always deliverance from the bondages of darkness that has surrounded our lives. Confession and surrender to Father God delivers us from darkness in our lives. It is through the redemptive act of Jesus Christ that the process of deliverance from these chains can be healed over time.
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Col. 1:13-1