Tag Archives: Word of God

A Two-Word Sermon: But God!

06 Friday Jul 2018

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But God!3

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ~ Ephesians 2:4-7, NASB

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:8, NASB

 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. ~ Genesis 50:20, NASB

 

 

 

But God . . . these two little words are more than enough Daily Bread (God’s Manna) to sustain me for the rest of my life. They also make me stop and reflect on my life whenever I come across them in the Word of God. They encourage me. They lift me up. They never fail to remind me of how often God holy and righteously intervened in my life and saved me from my own self—or from other people who only meant to harm me. They also remind me that with God ALL things are possible.

But God  . . . what an awesome set of words! More important, these two words always point to the Good News that follows them! But God . . . the two-word sermon!

Cutting & Healing

03 Thursday Aug 2017

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God's Word Cuts & Heals

 

 

VERSE:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

 

Hebrews 4:12

 

COUPLET:

Cutting soul and spirit’s dividing line
Bares for healing diseased thoughts once benign.

 

Word Of God Sharper Than Two-Edged Sword

 

PRAYER:

Father God, please let Your Word continue to cut out everything that You’ve revealed is ungodly in us, and please let Your Word, with the help of Your Holy Spirit, continue to edify, mature, and sanctify our bodies, our souls, and spirits. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

 

 

~ this blog entry is from my manuscript Daily Manna: Bible Verse, Couplet & Prayer for Each Day of the Year

Spiritual Warfare Verses’ Supernatural Power Demonstrated Only in Christ’s Soldiers Who Work Them

01 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in Spiritual

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SpiritualWarfare

 

Many modern-day believers in Christ do not understand that they are fighting an unseen war. These believers fail to understand that an invisible and evil force started this unseen war—they do not comprehend that the mission of this enemy of God is to get as many human beings as he can to be thrown into the Lake of Fire with him. As a result, he will not stop until he reaches his primary goal. Put differently, the devil’s spiritual war against God will never be over in this world until either the devil achieves his main objective or God achieves His Main Purpose.

This above truth is why God’s enemy daily starts battles—those interludes in his war against God that help the devil accomplish small goals that move him forward to his final objective. That is why Christians’ inability to comprehend they are fighting an unseen war in this world is why they repeatedly are defeated—why they suffer so many losses and experience so many downfalls, failures, setbacks, retreats, surrenders, and so on and so forth. In other words, they daily are fighting a losing battle of one kind or another. The final outcome of these defeats is they also lose their war against the forces of evil.

Now, God neither intends for His Children to be ignorant of this unseen war nor intends for His Children to fight this unseen war naked, powerless, and unprepared. God realizes that the fight against His enemy is long—that His Children will be fighting countless battles before His War against the devil will be won in all of His Sons and Daughters’ lives. For sure, God makes it possible for all of His Children to pull off being winners of every battle the devil initiates. Every victory is His Sons and Daughters, because God clothes His Children with His Holy Spirit, whose ministry involves, but is not limited to, filling them with their own spiritual gift(s), giving them a portion of God’s Will, giving them a portion of God’s Faith, equipping them with God’s spiritual Armor, and empowering them with Christ’s supernatural Power and Authority—all of which mean God’s Children then will have His Ability to resist the devil’s fiery darts, as well as God’s Ability to thwart the devil’s evil schemes.

With all of God’s powerful spiritual weaponry and spiritual gifts, and with the desire He gives us to be prepared to do battle, we can face the forces of evil daily, but only if we also read His Word; know His Word; love our God with our whole body, soul, and spirit; exercise our measure of faith; surrender to Christ’s Lordship, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and are God’s faithful and obedient Children. The bottom line is that God’s ultimate end for us is our spiritual maturity—becoming completely Christlike, having the Mind of Christ, and operating in the Fullness of Christ or the Fullness of the Godhead.

Without a doubt, our spiritual growth—becoming so spiritually mature that we are able to defeat the spiritual battles the devil instigates in our lives—begins with knowing more about what is real in this world as opposed to what is false in this world. In other words, our spiritual maturity begins with us growing in the knowledge of God’s Divine Truths. Knowing His Divine Truths means our spiritual maturity only is achieved when we read His Word daily, understand His Word daily, and work His Word daily.

Our knowledge of spiritual warfare and the proper mindset/attitude we need to have about our unseen war come from knowing God’s Divine Truths. That is why He provides us with at least 39 Bible verses/passages that either deal specifically with spiritual warfare or the godly attitude we need to have about the ways the devil is fighting us (God’s Children and Christ’s Soldiers) for our living souls—our minds, wills, desires, determinations, consciences, affections, emotions, personalities, five senses, common sense, and so on and so forth. In short, since we ARE living souls who HAVE living souls, we need to know and understand that the devil is after everything that pertains to our living souls (where the devil truly loves to operate; where he definitely loves to make his appeal to our emotions and affections—our fleshly lusts, desires, and appetites). Put differently, the supernatural power that is in the Word of God only can be demonstrated by those of us (we who are children of God and soldiers of Christ) who absolutely know, understand, and work God’s specific Scriptures that apply to our spiritual warfare and our godly attitude.  

Thirty-nine Bible verses/passages that either deal with our spiritual warfare or our proper mindset about the unseen war in this world where the devil is fighting us for our living souls are as follows:

 

  1. Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

  1. Joshua 10:25

Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.”

  1. 2 Samuel 22:40

“For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

  1. Psalm 18:32-36

The God who girds me with strength And makes my way blameless?  He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me upon my high places. He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.  You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great. You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

  1. 2 Chronicles 32:6-8

He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

  1. Zechariah 4:6

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’” says the LORD of hosts.

  1. Matthew 6:13

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

  1. Matthew 26:41

“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

  1. Mark 14:38

“Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

  1. Luke 22:31-32

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

  1. John 16:33

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

  1. Acts 12:5

So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

  1. Romans 7:23

but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

  1. Romans 13:12-14

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

  1. 1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

  1. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

  1. Galatians 5:17

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

  1. Galatians 6:1

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

  1. Ephesians 3:16

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

  1. Ephesians 6:10

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

  1. Ephesians 6:11

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

  1. Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

  1. Ephesians 6:13-17

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

  1. Ephesians 6:18

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

  1. Philippians 1:27-30

Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

  1. Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

  1. 2 Thessalonians 1:4

therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.

  1. 2 Thessalonians 3:2

and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.

  1. 1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

  1. 2 Timothy 2:3

Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

  1. 2 Timothy 3:12

Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

  1. 2 Timothy 4:18

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

  1. Hebrews 3:13

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

  1. Hebrews 12:4

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

  1. 1 Peter 2:11

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.

  1. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.

  1. 1 Peter 5:8

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

  1. 1 Peter 5:9-10

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

  1. Revelation 12:10 

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

 

Finally, let those of us who are followers of Christ study the above Bible verses/passages so that we will know them. Then, let us as soldiers of Christ daily work these Bible verses/passages by putting them into practice. Selah . . . . .

LOGOS vs. RHEMA

19 Friday Aug 2011

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Just like there are many believers in Jesus the Christ who scoff at other believers in Jesus the Christ who have had Holy Spirit experiences that the scoffers have not had, like “falling in the Spirit,” “speaking in tongues,” and “performing miracles, signs and wonders,” there also are many believers in Jesus the Christ who scoff at other believers in Jesus the Christ who preach and teach about a LOGOS and a RHEMA Word of God. These scoffers fail to believe that there is a difference between the Word of God (LOGOS—that which gives general knowledge, general understanding and general wisdom about God) and the Word of God (RHEMA—that which God uses to impart His supernatural, post-resurrection Faith into a believer’s heart so that he or she then could be spiritually reborn, cleansed, saved, and justified, with the Spirit of Life living inside a believer, equipping him or her so that a believer is ready to receive spiritual insights about LOGOS, including that LOGOS which pertains to a believer’s specific circumstances). Furthermore, to prove that they (the scoffers) are right about there being no difference between LOGOS and RHEMA, they resort to the name-calling methods of hatefully labeling the people, who preach and teach this difference, as false teachers, false preachers, liars, heretics, deceivers, and so forth.

Be that as it may, the truth is that in the Greek language of the New Testament, there are two terms for WORD (Word of God), and those terms are LOGOS and RHEMA. Now, certainly, most people understand that in the English language there usually is only one term, yet that one term often has more than one denotation and/or connotation, like the noun “love.” However, in contrast, the Greek language is more exact, having precise terms that fit specifically expressed meanings. For example, in the Greek language, the noun “love” is either Agape (godly love), or Eros (sexual, emotional love), or Philos (brotherly love), or Storge (familial, motherly love), or Mania (obsessive, addictive love). Because “love,” for the Greeks, has these various meanings, in the Greek New Testament the precise Greek term is used to communicate the kind of “love” being expressed in scriptural verses.

For the above reasons, believers should keep in mind that God is the One who makes the distinction between LOGOS and RHEMA, because in His inspired Word He is the One who uses both LOGOS and RHEMA. For sure God knows that LOGOS is the God has “said” or has “spoken” Word, and RHEMA is the God “is speaking” or “is saying” Word. The point here is that even though every Word of God is God-breathed and, thus, God-inspired, the main reason why most believers do not get the deeper more spiritual meanings of His Word is because the Holy Spirit has not quickened and illuminated any scriptural verses for them so that these believers could receive the correct spiritual meanings that God wants these believers to apply in their daily walk with the Lord.

Consequently, it is important for believers to understand the difference between the two terms for WORD (Word of God): LOGOS and RHEMA. Now, LOGOS is Jesus the Christ, Who is the Living LOGOS (Living Word). LOGOS also is the entire spoken Word of God—the Mind of God, as revealed in the God-breathed, God-inspired Holy Bible (Old and New Testaments). The Apostle John supports these definitions of LOGOS, for he says:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14, KJV)

Put differently, LOGOS (the written Word of God) is a comprehensive survey, in that in every book of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, the readers are provided basic information about God and THE WORD (Jesus the Christ)!

For this last reason, when people read LOGOS (the written Word of God), they only receive surface knowledge, surface understanding, and surface wisdom about God, His Son, His Holy Spirit, and God’s promises. Without a doubt, no one receives the deeper spiritual meanings and applications of God’s Word, just by reading LOGOS, because in LOGOS God has said that even believers need the Holy Spirit to illuminate the deeper mysteries of God that are hidden within LOGOS (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10-14). Consequently, even the God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith, which comes from hearing RHEMA (cf. Romans 10:17), also cannot be received just by reading LOGOS, because if it could then everyone, both sinners and saints, would have this God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith—would have the measure of Faith that renews, cleanses, saves, and justifies!

Therefore, generally knowing, understanding, and having wisdom about God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in no way could mean that LOGOS and RHEMA are the same, because the read and/or preached LOGOS doesn’t always become RHEMA. The Divine Truth is that, even though LOGOS is given to everybody (to anyone who would read or listen to the preached LOGOS), RHEMA only is given to the believer who is waiting on the Holy Spirit to quicken and illuminate every read and/or preached portion of LOGOS, because only the Holy Spirit’s supernatural workings can turn LOGOS into a personal RHEMA for a believer (i.e., make the LOGOS spiritually alive and spiritually insightful for a child of God)!

That’s why RHEMA is the Word God IS speaking! RHEMA is when LOGOS, the God “spoken” Word, becomes RHEMA—the Word God IS Speaking to a particular individual. RHEMA is a verse or larger portion of LOGOS that the Holy Spirit quickens and then brings to a believer’s attention through illumination. Next, He applies that verse or larger portion of LOGOS to that specific believer’s current circumstance(s), or to his or her need for direction or clarity. Jesus the Christ supports these definitions of RHEMA, when He says: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, KJV). The Lord is saying that RHEMA is EVERY WORD that God IS speaking, either directly or indirectly, to someone. In other words, RHEMA is spiritual FOOD, a specific Word spoken to a specific person who is in a specific situation, like Jesus the Christ was, when He was in the wilderness and the devil was tempting Him!

Because RHEMA is spiritual food (spiritual insights) spoken to someone, it stands to reason that this someone must be born from above, cleansed, saved, and justified. This last statement means that the person who receives spiritually insightful RHEMA first must have received the God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith that renews, cleanses, saves and justifies. Now, according to Apostle Paul, this God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith ONLY comes through the foolishness of preaching (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21; Ephesians 2:4-8; Romans 5:1; and Luke writes about Faith that cleanses in Acts 15:9).

About this God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith, the apostle also says: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV). In this verse, the Greek term RHEMA is the equivalent of the English term “word.” Thus, there can be no doubt that the God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith will cause the preached LOGOS to become RHEMA (become that God “is speaking” Word), which will lead not only to the new birth that takes place in every believer’s spirit but also to every believer’s salvation/justification. There also can be no doubt that this same God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith will cause any born from above and justified believer to receive the Holy Spirit’s animated and enlightened RHEMA, which conveys deeper spiritual insights and their vital spiritual applications to every believer who is waiting on the Holy Spirit to quicken and illuminate the read and/or preached LOGOS.

That’s why once certain verses or longer portions of LOGOS have come alive and personal (have become RHEMA) to a believer, the Holy Spirit then not only is able to burn that RHEMA into that believer’s soul (make that RHEMA indelible, impossible to remove, unforgettable) but also He is able to help that believer know that this RHEMA unequivocally applies to his or her specific situation(s). For this last reason, when God gives RHEMA for His children to act upon, He often confirms that RHEMA by providing a second RHEMA. The Apostle Paul supports this last statement when he writes that in “…the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word [RHEMA] be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1, KJV; the parenthetical emphasis is this writer’s).

Furthermore, Jesus the Christ also declares that: “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words [RHEMAS] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63, KJV; again the parenthetical emphasis is this writer’s). Here, Jesus the Christ, the Living LOGOS, is saying that His RHEMAS, the words that He, the Living LOGOS, is speaking to His disciples, must be spiritually understood, and so should the eternal life His RHEMAS promise. In essence, THE LOGOS is speaking RHEMAS by uttering Old and New Testament portions of LOGOS that have been quickened (made alive) and illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Without a doubt, the Lord is saying that even His RHEMAS are really the Lord, through the aid of the Holy Spirit, ministering THE LOGOS (Himself . . . THE GOSPEL) to them.

Taking into consideration all of the above, it now should be clear to believers that the God-given Faith that comes from hearing RHEMA, which God IS speaking to them, also will prompt believers to receive salvation, the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power to perform miracles, signs and wonders, and His supernatural experiences like “falling in the Spirit,” “speaking in tongues,” and so forth (see Luke 1:37, KJV; also see Hebrews 1:3). Please note that in the King James Version of Luke 1:37, “nothing” is the Greek word RHEMA (that which is being uttered); hence, the sense in this verse is that NO RHEMA (no thing) is void of God’s supernatural power, because no thing (NO RHEMA . . . nothing) God is speaking is impossible for God to accomplish!

Having said that, it is important to note here that since the Holy Spirit of God (the Spirit of Life) is the ONE who quickens dead sinners’ spirits, then perhaps the real reason why so many people who call themselves Christians never have had the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power to perform miracles, signs and wonders, and/or never have experienced His supernatural “falling in the Spirit” or “speaking in tongues” handiwork might be because they also have not heard that extraordinary RHEMA that produces the God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith in them. Surely, this God-kind of supernatural, post-resurrection Faith, which works together with God’s Grace and the Holy Spirit to give new life, salvation/justification, spiritual gifts, supernatural power, and supernatural authority to those who believe in Jesus the Christ, ONLY comes from hearing RHEMA—from hearing a God IS SPEAKING Word!

Lastly, there definitely is a difference between LOGOS and RHEMA. God certainly speaks continuously to His children through His LOGOS, giving them spiritual insights into His LOGOS, but God does so ONLY by way of His Holy Spirit, rather than with the help of anyone’s intellect, book knowledge, higher education, talents, and so forth. In other words, ALL believers need God’s Holy Spirit to make certain passages stand out with significant spiritual meanings and imperative spiritual applications for their lives. These key passages that have spiritually important meanings and spiritually essential applications for believers’ lives are the RHEMAS (the manifold “is speaking” Word) of LOGOS (the “said” Word, as presented in the Holy Bible), and these RHEMAS should be experienced daily by every believer. 

The Parable of the Sower

15 Thursday Jan 2009

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The parable of the sower is found in Matthew 13:3b-9, and the meaning of the parable is found in Matthew 13:11-23 (cf. Mark 4:3-20 and Luke 8:5-15). In the parable of the sower, an earthly farmer’s seed-planting method is being compared to the heavenly farmer’s “good” seed-scattering method. Since Israel, in the time of Jesus the Christ, understood the farming principle of sowing and reaping, the Lord, then, is “laying one thing down by another,” which is what the term “parable” means. Jesus the Christ, then, is placing right beside the Hebrews’ very familiar work of sowing natural seeds, God’s very foreign work of sowing a spiritual seed.

Since the term “sowing” means to scatter seeds upon the earth in order to produce growth, it is apparent that Jesus the Christ is illustrating how an earthly farmer’s natural seed-sowing process is analogous to the heavenly farmer’s spiritual seed-sowing method. That is to say, earthly farmers make sure that they plant, water, and cultivate their seeds in the right season(s), at the correct temperature, and in the best soil so that their seeds will produce, for example, mature wheat or rye. Likewise, the heavenly farmer makes sure that He plants, waters, and cultivates His spiritual seed in the right seasons (every spring, summer, fall, and winter), at the correct temperature (fire of the Holy Spirit), and into the best soil (born again human spirits) so that His seed will produce spiritually mature children of God who are holy, righteous, loving, joyful, tranquil, patient, kind, respectable, faithful, humble, and self-controlled. Furthermore, by comparing the earthly farmer with the heavenly farmer, Jesus the Christ paints a vivid picture about the conditions that will determine productivity within the earthly and heavenly farmers’ fields. It is obvious that the great harvest for either of these sowers will depend on the farmers, the seeds, and the soils into which those seeds are planted.

Metaphorically speaking, the sower in the parable is Jesus the Christ (and/or His ministers). The Gospel of Christ (Word of God) is the spiritual seed that is being sown. Moreover, this spiritual seed, like a seed of grain, not only produces life, but also is life—has life within itself—which would mean that the spiritual seed also symbolizes eternal life. The field in which the spiritual seed is scattered is mankind. Lastly, mankind’s different soils into which the spiritual seed is sown are: (1) a footpath (unbelievers); (2) shallow soil with underlying rock (hypocrites); (3) thorny ground (fence straddlers); and (4) fertile ground (genuine believers).

Furthermore, while this parable about a sower is plain (easily comprehended), understanding why God’s “good seed” (preached Word of God) falls into different spiritual soils is not so easily discerned. For sure, spiritually discerning why the same Word of God doesn’t produce the same spiritual fruit can cause confusion, especially when most of these confused individuals do not comprehend the spiritual importance of being the kind of spiritual “soil” (possessing the godly kind of character in the human spirit) that could affect the appropriate response to the preached Gospel that God expects. These puzzled people also are the ones who find it hard to comprehend how their human spirit could keep them out of the Kingdom of God. In essence, they find it hard to see their true selves as being humans who lack the necessary inner “qualities.” Most people are so focused on their own external appearance that they never comprehend the importance of searching their inner selves to see why God is more concerned about their internal qualities, which He determines by the character traits that exist in people’s “hearts” (human spirits). That is why, unless God reveals to an individual that he or she really has the human spirit that is fertile ground, rather than the human spirit that is a footpath, or shallow soil, or thorny ground, no one really can know for certain what kind of soil he or she has!

For this reason, in the parable of the sower, Jesus the Christ absolutely makes the soil distinctions clear. He teaches that once the sower’s “good seed” (Word of God) is scattered (preached), it affects four specific hearers who each have been given the capacity to comprehend the preached Word of God. However, because of certain very detrimental hindrances, three of these four hearers will not be able to benefit from the preached Good News.

The first kind of hearer possesses a careless, indifferent human spirit. Because the Kingdom of God preached to this hearer is not received with any concern—the Word of God does not make an impression in this unbeliever’s human spirit—the “good seed” falls on a footpath. This individual, thus, never comes to realize the priceless value of God’s Word. As a result, he or she does not take care to protect the “good seed” so that it can remain within and grow inside of him or her, which also means that it now is easy for the Devil to steal the “good seed” out of this hearer’s human spirit. Once this hearer no longer has the “good seed” in him or her (the Word of God that would give this person’s human spirit life), this hearer’s soul also cannot be enlightened. Consequently, this person swiftly stumbles and permanently falls back into the world of sin (darkness).

The second kind of hearer possesses a hypocritical human spirit. The Kingdom of God preached to this hearer is received immediately. Indeed, this hearer not only is eager to be busy for the Lord but also sprouts leaves very early in his or her Christian walk—leaves that suggest he or she is doing Kingdom of God work, when in reality this person has no depth (no deep conviction), because the “good seed” in him or her has not taken root. As a result, this hearer’s Christian walk is so superficial that when the Word of God does not stop trials and tribulations (stones) from coming into this person’s life, or he or she sees that a sinful advantage can be gained (gives in to another kind of stone—temptation), this hypocrite will use the Word of God as an excuse for sinning. Moreover, because this person experiences trials, tribulations and temptations, he or she eventually either walks away from Christianity, or behaves like an undercover Christian. An undercover Christian is a hypocrite—someone who pretends to know how “true” Christians should behave, yet often acts contrary to God’s way whenever he or she has the opportunity to do the “right” thing.

The hearer who has a covetous human spirit (thorny soil) is the third type of Word of God hearer mentioned in the “good seed” sower parable. Since this fence straddler’s human spirit has been deceived by his or her own desires to obtain worldly riches, this person begins to believe that mammon can satisfy the needs that the cares of this life create. As a result, the Kingdom of God message that has been preached and received (understood) takes a second or third place in this person’s life. In fact, the cares of life and this person’s covetousness become so entangled that they end up choking the blossoming life that begins to grow from the “good seed’s” root that is in this individual’s human spirit. The reason why this hearer often is described as a world-serving believer who has one foot in the world and one foot in the CHURCH is because he or she is more concerned about pleasing him or herself (or other humans), much more than he or she is concerned about pleasing God. Consequently, the Word of God cannot benefit this hearer, and, just like it is with the first and second hearers, this person also cannot produce any spiritual fruit!

The only soil in which the “good seed” can produce a fruitful spiritual life is the fertile ground that is found in a genuine believer. In the person who has a pure and honest human spirit, this individual not only hears, understands, and retains the Word of God, but also this person gratefully accepts the Word of God, carefully protects the Word of God, and gladly lets the Gospel develop deep roots so that this person’s soil (human spirit) can be nourished by the Living Water and the Bread of Life nutrients that saturate the roots. Moreover, unlike the hypocrites and covetous hearers, this hearer does not let any rocks or thorns keep the Word of God’s benefits from being a blessing to him or her. In this person’s fertile soil, the “good seed” not only produces new life, but also this new life from “good seed” ripens and matures into a crop that is either thirty, or sixty, or hundred times larger than the seed from which this new life came.

Finally, Christ says, “Any one who is willing to hear should listen and understand” (Matthew 13:9, NLT)! By this statement, Jesus the Christ means that it is the hearer’s responsibility to pay attention to what he or she hears. According to Jesus the Christ, it also is the hearer’s duty to put into practice the Divine Truth that He has taught by way of the parable of the sower so that the new understanding about the Kingdom of God will not go to waste. In particular, Christ is telling His hearers that if they have the faculties of comprehension and knowledge and are willing to understand and know that the kind of human spirit they possess is not the same as the kind of human spirit they need to have, they then should do whatever is necessary to ensure that their human spirit becomes fertile soil. To guarantee that their human spirit is fertile ground from which will come much spiritual fruit, they need a sower who is concerned about sowing a “good seed.” They need Jesus the Christ as their Lord and personal Savior, and they need the Word of God. Once the sower sows that “good seed” (Word of God), then the hearers will need to be receptive to, thankful for, faithful and obedient to, and cheerful, good stewards of the heard Divine Truth.