THE PRODUCERTOP By: Gerald D. Benbow  Hosea 4:6 - "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:  because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." It's been my observation that many of God’s people fail to realize the authority they have in Christ.  Most are not aware of their full potential as a believer.   Some don't even know who the enemy is and the cunning deceptions he uses!  So really, the Church as a whole has unknowingly produced little or no opposition to Satan.  And, even though Satan has been defeated, this has permitted him to operate pretty much as he pleases, even within the Body of Christ.  This is one reason the World sees the Church as being so weak and powerless.   Here in Hosea 4:6 the Lord says that “His people” (Christians) are being destroyed because of a lack of knowledge.  He says that they have willfully rejected knowledge and, as a result, they’re physically being destroyed.  By now most believers aught to be spiritually mature enough to realize that Satan is the one who specializes in killing, stealing, and destruction.   John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I (Christ) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.   The very reason you happen to be reading this, is to learn more about the Lord and His ways.  And it pleases Him when His people study and search His Word.  So the main objective of this teaching is to obtain more spiritual knowledge, to edify (build up) the Body of Christ, and to make sure His Word abides in our hearts.           2 Cor 10:3-6 - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  6)  And having in a readiness to  revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.   These scriptures tell us that, from time to time, there are imaginations and proud things that raise themselves up contrary to what we know God’s Will is.  In other words, there are things of darkness that attempt to resist and pervert the Word of God.  When they manifest, we’re instructed to cast (throw) them down and bring into captivity every thought and see to it that, instead of opposing, they are brought into agreement with what God says - - what His Word says!   As children of God, you and I have been given the keys of the Kingdom of God.  What keys am I talking about?  I’m talking about the authority and power to bind and loose.  We’ve been given the authority and power to bind and loose situations here on Earth so that “God’s Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt. 6:10).    Matt 16:19 - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.   Jesus is the key TO HEAVEN, but binding and loosing are the keys OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!  But how many believers have ever used these keys to bring the defeated enemy into submission?  To learn more about these keys, read the “Kingdom Keys” teaching subject listed on this same web-site.   Col 1:7-10 - As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;  8)  Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.  9)  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do    not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;  10) That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;   We’re to be filled with the knowledge of God's will.  And what is God's will?  The Bible is God's will, isn't it?  His will and His Word are inseparable.  So we must be continually increasing in every aspect of the knowledge of God - - His nature, His principles, and His precepts - - along with all wisdom and spiritual understanding as the Holy Spirit teaches.  Now we’re still talking about obtaining more Godly knowledge.           II Pet. 1:2-4 - Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,  3)  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.   The apostle Peter reveals that God's grace and God's peace will be (not just added) but multiplied  to us - but notice how we receive His grace and peace.  God’s grace and peace will only come to us by knowing about God and by knowing about Jesus.  The more we know about the loving nature of God and what His Word says, the more grace and peace we'll be given.  He also says in Verse 3 that God has (that’s past tense) given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through that same source - through the knowledge of Him.    Brothers and sisters, if the total sum of all of God's Word we ever get is within the four walls of a church building, the amount of grace and peace we receive won't amount to very much!  Now I don’t mean to take away what we learn by attending church, at all.  What I’m saying is, it's going to take more than that if we really expect to be able to live the abundant life that Christ paid for so dearly.  Some people never read their Bible between trips to church!  They’re satisfied with the status quo.  They make little or no commitments, and put forth little or no effort on their own.  That won’t get it done!   To make my point, simply compare the number of hours that most believers spend listening to TV with the number of hours spent listening to God by studying His Word.            Prov. 2:1-6 - "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her (knowledge) as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear (reverence) of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."   So we're to believe and receive God's Word and commandments and hide them in our heart (spirit).  This knowledge and understanding will only come to us through the study of His Word!  His Word is what must be hidden in our hearts (our spirits).  Now that we understand that, let’s look at some of what God has made available for us through His Word.                                              James 1:26 - If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.   This is a strong scripture.  A lot of people seem to be religious, but because they don’t control their tongues, Satan doesn’t have to deceive them.  They unknowingly curse themselves.  Can you see it?  This verse says that they deceive themselves!  They deceive their own heart (spirit).  How do they curse themselves?  They do it by making statements that God wouldn’t make.  Our words should agree with God’s Will.  But these people say things that are foolish - - things which they do not desire to come to pass.  If you’re like me, I sometimes catch myself saying something that I truly don’t desire for myself or others.  And often I hear others making the same mistake.   Well, if we really don’t mean it, then what’s the harm?  Plenty!!  Even though our words may be spoken in a frivolous way, once they’re spoken, the damage is done.  We’ve been given the ability to create both blessing and cursing with our Words.  Since we’ve been made in God’s likeness and image, whether we realize it or not, we create with our words just like God created with His words.  In addition to this awesome ability we’ve also been given a tremendous responsibility.  We are to guard our words because a time is coming when we alone are going to be held responsible for what we have said.  However, a lot of believers still don’t have the revelation of this truth.  So where do all those word thoughts come from?  And what causes us to say the things we say?  They come straight from our heart (our spirit).  Listen to what Jesus said about this:   Matt 12:36-37 - But I say unto you, That every idle (useless – non-working) word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  37)  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.   Luke 6:45 - A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.   As you can see from this scripture here in Luke, that which comes out of the mouth depends upon what has previously been placed in the heart of the speaker. When we  speak, that which resides in our heart is what will be coming forth.  That’s why we must program our heart with the Word of God.  Since we desire our words to be in line with and agree with God’s Word, and create only that which is good, then what we must do is be sure that His Word is hidden in our hearts.  Amen?   Ps 119:11 - Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.   Prov 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.   Rom 10:8 - But what saith it (the righteousness which is of faith)? (It says) The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;   So the words that proceed out of a person’s mouth are actually birthed within that person’s heart.  The word “heart” as used here in all of these scriptures is not talking about the physical blood pump.  It’s referring to the spirit of mankind.  So it’s the heart of mankind that produces words which create good results or bad results.  The heart of mankind is - - the producer!    Mankind’s spirit is the production center of mankind.  Whatever mankind feeds into his heart is what his heart will work toward producing.  The heart of mankind will work day and night to produce what man speaks.  Mankind’s heart accepts that which he speaks to be that which he desires!  It’s much like the thermostat on your central heating and cooling unit in your home.  Whatever temperature you set that thermostat to is exactly the temperature that unit will seek to produce for you.  That unit has only been designed to produce what has been dialed into its thermostat.  Likewise our inner man (our spirit) our heart has been designed to produce what it hears.  Its production results are limited to that which has been fed or programmed into it - - whether it be good or bad!   The parable of the sower is another good example of how the heart of man determines the outcome.  In the Fourth Chapter of Mark, Jesus said, “The sower soweth the Word. .”  In this parable He teaches about four types of soil which receive the seed.  In the latter part of the Fourth Chapter, when He gives His interpretation to the disciples, we see that the soil represents the heart of mankind and that the seed represents the Word of God.  Question:  “Who’s responsible for sowing the seed - - for sowing the Word of God into the soil (into heart of mankind)?”  The answer, of course, is mankind.  Amen?  In other words, it’s up to mankind (that’s us) to sow the seed into the soil (into our heart)!  It’s also our responsibility to see to it that our heart is fed (programmed) on a regular basis - - with the Word of God that brings forth grace, and peace, and the ability to live the abundant life!   Our heart will produce evil or it will produce good.  THE OUTPUT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE INPUT!  Those who are familiar with computers have a saying concerning the things that computers produce:  “Garbage in, garbage out.”  In other words, whatever is programmed into a computer is that which will come out.  Computers are not human or smart.  They’re only an electronic machine.  And they’re completely limited to that which mankind programs into them.  Likewise, even a born-again human spirit can have a bad output when it has wrong input.    Being the righteousness of God, as far as known sin is concerned, doesn’t mean that we believers can’t plant (speak) evil seed into our heart. Our heart can also receive bad input from what we hear others say and by what we see with our eyes.  But that’s another teaching for another time.  But do realize this:  Bad input can enter into the heart of mankind through two entry gates - - through the ear gate and the eye gate.   Also realize that we can be right in our heart, but wrong in our head, and our head can deceive our heart.  Those who don’t understand the principle of confessing God’s Word can get upset sometimes when they see other people prospering by confessing God’s Word.  They say, “I don’t understand why their income doubled this year, and mine went down.  Nothing good ever comes my way.  Every time I get a good job I get laid off.”    Well, they got what they spoke, didn’t they?  They’ve probably said that same thing in the past many times.  By their words of grumbling and complaining they have been programming their heart (spirit) to seek that which they spoke.  Their heart continually seeks more defeat and more failure for them.  Have you noticed sickly people?  People who are always sick and visit the doctor on a regular basis are always talking about how sick they are.  They talk about how many surgeries they’ve had, etc.  Sometimes it looks as though that’s the only subject they know to talk about!   To these people, when everything is OK, that means there must be something wrong!     We believers need to understand that there are physical laws, man’s laws, and there are also spiritual laws.  If we attempt to violate the law of gravity, there will be consequences.  If we violate man’s laws, again there will be consequences.  And if we violate spiritual laws we can be sure that, whether we realize it or not, there will be consequences as well.  For the Body of Christ to function properly, effectively, and in accordance with the Will of God, we’re going to have to increase in our knowledge of God and in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We must learn all we can about the Kingdom of God and how He expects us to operate in it.  And always remember, your heart (your spirit) is the producer.  When you program it with the Word of God and feed it often with His Will, it will produce the results you truly desire.   A M E N