TCIKOBD: Some Fell Amongst the Thorns

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out.  

²² As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.  Matt. 13:7,22

Did you know the first time that thorns are mentioned in the Bible were following the disobedience of Adam in the the garden?  Much like Adam's disobedience.....when we stop listening to God to pursue a different path we become subject to the same curse of reaping thorns and thistles.   In today's scriptural passage Jesus says that those seeds that fell upon the thorns are people who hear or have heard the WORD but because of the cares of this world, the pleasures, delights, glamour, deceitfulness of riches ultimately suffocates the word making it difficult if not wholly impossible to produce fruit.

APPLICATION:  If you are tuning into and trusting into sources that don't speak God's truth, then you can very well be subjected developing opinions and slants toward whichever those media sources provide.  I don't care whether it's FOX, MSNBC, NPR, your racist neighbors or family members.....whoever it is....if they are not helping you to LOVE GOD, and LOVE ALL PEOPLE the source is choking and suffocating your ability to be fully effective and fruitful for the KINGDOM, because you will inherently have an issue of contigency towards one people, political, or social group which makes it hard for you to focus on LOVING GOD, and LOVING PEOPLE. 

I'm not saying you can't listen to......I'm saying don't allow them to become the authority over the WORD, spend less time fact checking......and more time Studying GOD's WORD, so that at the end of the day.....You've allowed the SEED, the WORD to get deeper into the good soil of your heart.  Remember....He simply desires that you LOVE GOD, and LOVE (all) PEOPLE!  Have a great weekend!

TCIKOBD: Some Fell By The Rocks

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.  ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up and withered away.  Matthew 13:5-6

Now this group of people's hearts are better than those that are on the footpath, but they too have a problem.   Jesus says that these seeds didn't have much soil, so therefore these seeds, these hearts aren't able to fully experience the benefit of the manure, the nutrients of life that actually feed it.  So what tends to happen...some of the people in the openly expressive with their joy in the music or the WORD, like these seeds spring up quickly.  Some of them are found in the AMEN and Hallelujah bunch (not all of them) where when the intense heat of their life, their boss, their marriage, whatever situation that applies the heat comes upon them....they default to the the old man.  The one who cusses folks out.  The one who under their breath or in cliques speak ill about their boss, their neighbors, their gov't officials an they cloak it in freedom in speech, or the " God knows my heart" which is precisely true.....the abundance of the heart comes out of the mouth.  

See these seeds need to be planted in the WORD, so that when life gets tough, because it will......their response, the response of their hearts reveal the fruit of the Spirit.  Where when forced to wait, patience permeates.   When hatred is shown or demonstrated toward you/them you respond with  self-control, love, kindness and longsuffering blossom to cultivate a relationship.   When people are complaining, your mouth is a instrument of peace and gentleness. 

You get my point, see....while we mean well...the truth is our hearts are any one of these soils...and tomorrow we will tackle the one among the thorns but today.....ask yourself.....WHEN LIFE HAPPENS, what's my response?  Be honest, and pray from there....and trust that GOD is faithful to complete the good work He begun in you, so that your life may bless someone else.   LGLP

  

TCIKOBD: Those That Fell On The Path

¹⁸ “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. Matth. 13:18-19     

Remember as the farmer was scattering seeds some felt on the path, and the reality is that not everyone wants to hear about or receive the WORD.   When Jesus delivered this message there were those in the audience who were there to only see if He said something to give them a reason to cry heresy.    There were those that came because someone strongly and/or wrongly encouraged them.  There were people there that were mad and hearts were hard for a multitude of reasons.   If we are all honest, since these variety of soils are really conditions of the heart.....our hearts have been hardened before toward something or someone.    This is precisely why some messages you receive and others you struggle with or completely miss.   Let the sermon (THE WORD/SEED) be about loving your wife, or loving you neighbor as yourself, or about giving, or fully committing to________________________ (you fill in the blank) and we struggle because we are mad at ____________________ or we've been hurt one two many times by__________________ and we don't want to trust...................  

The problem is with this heart condition the word says any WORD/SEED that is scattered along this path gets eaten up by the enemy because:

 A servant owned by God must not make trouble. He must be kind to everyone. He must be able to teach. He must be willing to suffer when hurt for doing good. ²⁵ Be gentle when you try to teach those who are against what you say. God may change their hearts so they will turn to the truth. ²⁶ Then they will know they had been held in a trap by the devil to do what he wanted them to do. But now they are able to get out of it. 2Tim. 2:24-26

We too have been and are sometimes those that reject the WORD.  Paul wanted to encourage Timothy that as believers we are to be kind to EVERYONE.  Must be humble and teachable even as SAINTS of GOD.  We are to be gentle (especially with the LOST) and be willing to be hurt for and when doing good, so GOD may, so GOD would be able to change their hearts...........  We need to stop attempting to change our neighbors, our spouse, our kids, our co-workers hearts and rather focus on LOVING THEM as GOD commanded us to do, and ALLOW HIM to CHANGE their hearts...ours included.   When we aren't doing this...when we are mad, turned off by others we are TRAPPED in the BAIT OF SATAN called bitterness.  We are being held captive and our ability to LOVE is stifled because that seed is being picked off by Satan and we are given to hatred.  

So what chamber of your 4 heart chambers is hardened.....and let's pray that GOD would break and soften that chamber for that "people group" that HE TOO LOVES....that you TOO need to demonstrate HIS LOVE towards.    LGLP

TCIKOABD: It's a BIG DEAL TO ADMIT WHERE YOU ARE

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil...Matt. 13:3-8a

You know in all 12 step programs the first step is admitting who you are and where you are....in order to begin the healing process.  Last week we begun talking about this farmer scattering seeds and focusing on the what happens when the seed is in good soil, that is a mixture of dirt and manure.  As we continue this study...it's important to note that there are four soils mentioned and of the 4, 3 are not favorable.   The human heart is comprised of 4 chambers, and if we are to be honest to liken our hearts to the soils maybe very appropriate since scripture tells us: 

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?  Jer. 17:9

So in correct theory....we truly do have an issue with our hearts and while there is some good in it....we seem to have an obstacle in us with 3 of our chambers being hardened as pavement, one is infested with rocks that need to be cleared, and the last we need to clear out, pull out the weeds and thorns that seek to choke, strangle and keep the root from bringing forth fruit.

So as I prepare to launch this blog to follow this past Sunday's message....I need you to be real, and honest.....:  THAT YOU NEED HELP, because the reality is you can't do this on  your own, and this is why JESUS DIED for you because this is not a sermon on self help, but more so on recognizing without JESUS your heart condition will worsen daily.

My prayer is that you will pray this prayer from David: Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit^[a] from me.  I pray you are humbled to admit where you are, and pray to God to help you get to where He'd prefer you to be.   Seeds in a bag, on a bench are good for eating.....and discarding the shell.  Nothing ever grows from that.   You may have to admit, that you are on the bench, and getting into the game...well you're struggling to do so, but my prayer is that you find yourself cheering & supporting those in the game, and eventually taking your place on the field of play in the game of life!  LGLP (we need everyone in). 

TCIKOABD: SO WHAT HAVE YOUR SEEDS PRODUCED

Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!   Matthew 23:8

Believe it or not....there are all types of sowers.   They are called the media.   They sow seeds of doubt.  They sow seeds of division.   They sow seeds of fear.   They sow seeds panic, and depending on the condition of your heart towards them will greatly depend on what your heart ultimately produce.    Much like the seeds that Christ plants by His preached, teached, or read word each bring forth some sort of a harvest.  

Jesus' harvest produces the fruit of the Spirit: love, patience, kindness, meekness, joy, righteousness,.....etc.    So since we stand at Friday, what have all of what you have listened to, subscribed to this week produced?   Are you filled with PEACE or are you stressed out.   Are you JOY FILLED or are you rather bummed out?  Does your heart burst with fruits of the Spirit or are their bitter roots, weeds, and thorns piercing you.

With all of the campaigning going on and conventions ramping up, I would encourage you to tune into the WORD of GOD, and listen to BOTT radio over NPR, and feed your Spirit the things of GOD so that as you have divine appointments today, and this weekend that you handle each of them with the Grace, Mercy, and Love of the Father in you.   LGLP

TCIKOABD: HOLD ON the SEED WILL NOT BE DENIED

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.  Luke 8:15 NLT

But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest. Luke 8:15 MSG

The reality is.....we all hold on to certain things.  For some of us, it's the hurts of the past.   It's the abuse of your mother/father.   It's the destructive words fed to you by your teachers.   It's the way THEY treated you in grade/middle/H.S school.    You/we hold on to what happened the last time I joined a church, or when I talked to.....and HE/SHE/THEY said to me.........the list goes on an on....but holding on to these things....produces bitterness.  It harvests fear and complacency.  But to those that the seed falls on the good soil.....The ones who hold on to the reality that GOD loves you (John 3:16, Eph. 2:4), that GOD will never (has never) leave or forsake you (Matt. 28:20), that God's thoughts about you (not associated to what you've done, or doing) outnumber the grains of sand (Ps.139:17-18), that he has begun a great work in you and is faithful to see it completed (Phil. 1:6), and that He thinks you are wonderfully made are the ones who bear fruit of His goodness and glory in their lives.

While it may appear we live in a black in white world it's what GOD has placed in you (HIS SEED) that when it reveals itself through how you look at life, through how you talk to, and love on people sprouts color to the workspace, the classroom, the community, the church........GOD's SEED is a BIG DEAL, and because it is, it has been placed, sowed into you....that makes you....A BIG DEAL TOO, you are carrying GOD'S SEED!   Allow it to take root in your heart, and watch how it transforms your life and those around you.  LGLP

Here's a song link called Simply Put:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOrNmabnXcw

TCIKOABD: The Importance of the SOIL (Your Heart)

As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Matt. 13:4-8

Have you ever had a mud pie?  I know blah....or yuck, or even gag me......but it's amazing how depending upon where this seed or seeds fell what type of crop or return the sower got. We are shown four types of places where these seeds were scattered.  One was the road or path,...where if we think about it today it would be the equivalent of scattering seeds on HWY 70.   The other was rocky places which would be that similar to these seeds being scattered over the the rocks at say, Klondike park.   The next place was among the thorns....so imagine a place over run with thorn bushes and weed and ask yourself is that where you would love to plant a peach tree.     Lastly, there is good soil, and if you know anything about farming.....the good soil is more than just dirt.  Dirt is what we made mud pies with. 

Good soil though is dirt and manure.   Now we will get into the depth and breadth of this manure thing another day, but we all have manure in our lives.  It's the mess, the sins of our past and present.  It's the DWI, it's the drug charges, it's the late child support payments, it's the divorce, it's the abuse, it's the crap of your life.   But see when it comes to growth the soil is what feeds the seed, and simply put people have been sowing into you life since the beginning of your life, and I want you to check your heart, or the soil of your heart....because I want you to ask yourself why are you where you are?   Is your heart as hard as HWY to the things of God?  Or is there soil there, but rocks and boulders of your past are covering the soil so you see some attempts to do right but they never last for a long period of time.  Is your heart like the thorns, do you get the message, like the message, but because you are a worry wart........your growing in the faith is constantly being choked out.  Or does your heart represent the good soil....where you are transparent with your past and allow the SEED to feed off of manure of your life and bring forth fruit.

As I said we'll get into the soil breakdown in the next few days.....but before we do so, before you leave the house today for work......ask GOD to do a work in your heart.  That whichever soil you know to be the make up of your heart........pray and ask GOD to break your heart for what breaks his.  Ask that GOD will make you an answer to _______________________________(you fill in the blank).  LGLP

Here's a song to help you worship from where you are: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbAOujRu7l4