Song of the Week #142

A friend of mine, Jared Tanner, recently suggested I listen to "Sustain" by the Glorious Unseen...I ended up landing on this one:

Song of the Week #141

Official music video:  http://youtu.be/b-2dKOfbC9c

Song of the Week #140

Power of Testimony and the Spirit of Prophecy

Bill Johnson's teaching based around what I consider to be a difficult passage of Scripture--Revelation 19:10:

"...For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (ESV)

Song of the Week #139

These guys are coming to the Arise Worship Internship in July!  One of the best new bands out there.  Check out their whole album.

Song of the Week #138

How's Your Soil?

Easter is a glorious day—people come in mass to churches, and more importantly, many commit their lives to Jesus Christ.  Halelujah!!  What happens after that is what I’m talking about today.

In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus is telling a parable about a farmer scattering seed.  The seed in this parable is the message of the Kingdom of God, and the various kinds of soil are the hearts of the people who hear the message preached:

“Then He told them many things in parables, saying:  “A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  He who has ears, let him hear.”

Jesus then explains exactly what his parable means later in the same chapter (verses 18-23):

“Listen to what the parable of the sower means:  When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is the seed sown along the path.  The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.  The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.  But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it.  He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

You want to be the one that has the seed fall on good soil…you don’t want to be any of the other ones :)  This alone is a great thought for the day.  If nothing else, go back and read the above verses and make sure your heart is one that is full of good soil so that any seeds already planted, and those seeds still to be planted in the future, will be nourished to grow to maturity and not die out.  If you recently received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and/or got a fresh word from God, then MAKE SURE that the seed just sown is like the one that falls on good soil.  Examine your heart and pray for growth and perseverance.  Continuously ask the Lord to help you and pray for more faith.  He will do it, I promise.  Amen!!!

*     *     *     *     *

If you want to trek a little deeper, then let’s continue.  Let’s look specifically at one part of this parable Jesus spoke.  Here is Matthew 13:5-6 again:

“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”

Think for a minute about a seed being planted and the role that the sun plays in the process of it growing.  The sun comes to nourish the seed, does it not?  The sun’s rays are critical in the process of the plant growing to become fully mature.  But its nourishing rays also bring heat.

“…But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched…”

So here we have something interesting.  That which was designed to bring forth more life caused death.  That’s tragic.  But where does the fault lie?

“…and they withered because they had no root.”

The sun itself is not to blame for the scorching and withering of the budding plant; it is the fault of the soil!  The soil was shallow and, thus, the plant had no root.  Here is how Jesus stated it in the verses you read above:

“The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.”  (verses 20-21)

It seems to me a parallel is made between “the sun” in Verse 6 and “trouble or persecution” in Verse 21.  If I am right in making this parallel, then it follows that trouble or persecution can play the same role as the sun—intended to bring forth more life, but can ultimately bring forth death.  The result, life or death, is determined by the soil on which it falls.  WOW!

So we should not blame the sun, nor trouble, nor persecution for us losing hold of what the Lord has planted in us by His Holy Spirit.  The sun will shine, trouble will happen, and persecution will come.  We have to accept this.  And we have to be aware that what is in us cannot become fully-grown without enduring the heat which accompanies the life-giving, nourishing rays.  We cannot control when the sun shines or when the troubles come, but we can control this:  making sure our hearts are ready to receive and nurture that which is planted in us. 

Oh Lord, by Your grace, tender our hearts and increase our faith to receive what You have to give.  Strengthen us by Your love, show us Your goodness, and continually grant us Your mercy.  In Jesus Christ’s Holy and Mighty Name, we pray these things to You, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The Only True God, The God of Israel.  Amen!!!!!