From Seed to Fruit

In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about the seed sown among the thorns. These are people who hear the Word of God, but the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (Mark 4:18-19). In this parable Jesus is comparing different types of soil. The Word of God fell onto four different kinds of soil, but only the seed planted in good soil produced fruit. The desired goal is not just for the Word to go out, but for it to produce fruit in the lives of people. If the soil is not properly prepared, the preaching of the Word will not produce fruit.

In looking at the seed sown among the thorns, I think the "deceitfulness of riches" is more than just a caution to not worship riches or wealth. I think there is a deceit that blinds peoples minds about how to be fruitful. You could say, the deceitfulness of how to obtain riches--true riches. There are true riches in God's kingdom. There is fruit that He desires for us to produce. The purpose of the Word going out into the hearts of men is not for it to accomplish nothing! It's for it to produce fruit. He said His Word does not return to Him empty without accomplishing what it was sent to do. (Isaiah 55:11). God wants us to be fruitful! This was the original command to Adam and Eve, and then again to Noah.

What exactly does it mean to be fruitful? I sometimes think Christians don't appreciate the value of having fruit in their own life. We get hung up, probably because of a guilt or works motivation, on trying to do so much so other people are fruitful that we miss a very important point. In order to see what we typically think is fruit--other people getting saved, healed, delivered, taught and sent out into their purpose and call--the seed must first be planted in their life like it was in ours right? So where do you get the seed to give to others? From your own fruit. If you don't have fruit growing in your life, you won't have seed to sow. This fruit that first grows in your life will produce the seed to plant in others. This means that as you experience the fullness of the salvation that Jesus provided for you, you will be able to pass it on to others. The salvation, healing, deliverance, peace, joy and victory that you receive from your faith in Him, from the preparation of your heart to receive His Word, will produce fruit which carries within it seed that others may benefit from.

God's kingdom is a garden. The key is the seed. Seed takes time to grow. Sometimes God will do things miraculously and instantly and that's awesome, but apart from that, the kingdom of heaven operates on this principle of seedtime and harvest. The "Word" seeds that were planted in your heart will produce fruit if you've properly prepared the soil of your heart. Your life will be fruitful. Your life's meaning and purpose will become clear. And you will produce plenty of fruit to not only maintain the joy of your salvation, but to sow into the lives of others so they too can become fruitful. Don't neglect cultivating fruit in your own life. Take time with the Lord, wait on Him, receive from Him. Fruit does not struggle to grow, and neither will yours.

Free Will is of the Heart

One thing I love about God, (and there are many things), is the fact that He's given people a free will. Free will is not an American concept--it is a God concept. America created a country based on free will--free speech, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness etc, because it was God's idea, not the founder's own wisdom. Of course there are consequences to a person's choices, as there was in the Garden of Eden, but God has given the power of choice to everyone, at least for now.

God gave mankind a choice to obey Him or not, to worship Him or not. He's not interested in gathering a people who are forced to worship Him. True worship is of the heart, and so is free will. In a person's heart is where we find what is important to them. So if a person does not understand, or has never experienced, the love of God for himself in his heart, there's no sense in us as Christians to look down on him for not wanting to worship God. The question, rather, becomes how can this person experience the love of God in his own heart so he can then make an informed choice? I believe if he were to have just one encounter, not with religion, but with God Himself, he would be ruined for anything else! Nothing satisfies the human heart like the love of the Creator--who sacrificed His Beloved Son on the cross for whoever wants to believe in Him.

If someone has encountered the love of God in this way and still chooses to reject Him, then that's their choice. Even God won't force Himself on them. Consequences later? Yes. However, my prayer is that everyone at least have an opportunity to experience His true love, His genuine Spirit, and not a misrepresentation of Him. At least then they can make a choice based on truth. I pray that I represent His genuine Spirit, His truth and His love, to everyone who intersects my path. How about you?

1 John 4:19

When The Wolves Come

So someone calls you on the phone and says, "Hey, there's a wolf going around your neighborhood. He's dressed up like a sheep. He's knocking on doors and when someone answers he says he's hungry and tired and asks for help. When people let him in the house he slaughters the men, rapes the women and sells the children. Be careful!" No sooner do you hang up the phone when there's a knock on your door. You open it. It's a wolf dressed up like a sheep. He says he's hungry and tired and asks for help. What do you do? Is it your "Christian duty" to let him in?

"Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith..."1 Peter 5:8-9

If we allow ourselves to believe the lies of our enemies, they will destroy us. Just because someone says they are poor and needy does not mean they are. We must properly identify the poor and not be deceived by enemies who try to use our own generosity to plunder the blessed land God has given us and capture it for wicked purposes. We have a responsibility to take care of what God has given to us.

"But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3

We have a responsibility to care for the poor too, however we can't care for the true poor if we are dead or enslaved. We can only care for the poor if we maintain freedom. There is a difference between the poor and our enemy.

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves." Matthew 10:16

Does the Bible tell us to feed our enemy if he is hungry, and give him drink if he is thirty? Yes, we return good for the evil they do to us rather than seek revenge. We address their true needs. (Romans 12:20). We love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. (Matthew 5:44). Yet we have a responsibility to our own children and future generations.

"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 1 Timothy 5:8.

Once a community of wolves is established they kill or enslave the righteous. They enslave their own people. They pass laws which do away with freedoms. People cannot speak freely, worship freely, or create freely. A once vibrant community becomes dark and depressed.

"When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, people groan." Proverbs 29:2

Did the people who let the wolves in do their "Christian duty," or did they allow wickedness to take over simply because they wanted to "be nice." Did they sacrifice their children on the altar of cowardice because they were afraid of sounding mean, afraid of sounding like an alarmist, or afraid of retaliation?

"But for the cowardly...their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone..." Rev. 21:8

Those who are in authority are responsible to protect those under their care. The military of a nation is armed to protect its people against those who would take it over. In America "We the people" are the government.1 We are the ones ultimately called to protect our homeland. If we allow wickedness to overrun us, we are abdicating our position, and our responsibility. We elect leaders to represent us, and we must watch over them, hold them accountable and pray for them.

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Ultimately, the Lord is our defense. We are defenseless against all evil if the He does not defend us. Trouble is everywhere in the world. Yet when we dwell in His shelter and shadow, He delivers us and protects us (Psalm 91). We build our house on the rock--the hearing and doing of His Word. He is our rock, our fortress and our deliverer.

"How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had given them up? Indeed their rock is not like our Rock..." Deuteronomy 32:30-31

When Jesus was here with His disciples and sent them out, He told them not to worry about taking provision with them--He would provide. (Luke 10:4). However before He was killed He told them to take money and a sword. (Luke 22:35-38). We are to be prepared, yet trust in Him. Our fight is not against flesh and blood. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We are in a war of truth. Our captors are thoughts. If the wolves come knocking, our fight is to ensure righteousness and justice prevail in the land, not just for us right now, but for our children and grandchildren.

"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne."Psalm 89:14

1 "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Article X. the Constitution of the United States.

A Deluding Influence? Arise & Shine!

There seems to be a "deluding influence" going on in the world today that is quite mind-boggling. Some of the "logic" being applied to political and social issues make no sense--even to someone like me who is by no means an expert in these kinds of things. (Fighting climate change as a way to attack ISIS? Really?) I thought maybe some people were being sarcastic, or even intentionally trying to mislead people, but now I'm not so sure that's what it is.

The apostle Paul wrote that before the coming of the Lord there would be "the deception of wickedness" because "they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved." He says that God will "send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false" so they may be judged. (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11).  Isaiah said that "darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples." (Isaiah 60:2).

There is a darkness, a deception, which has clouded the minds of people to the point where you could almost say they look foolish in their arguments. I'm not just talking politics here, I'm talking about what seems to be a confusion that has so clouded people's minds that they have no idea how irrational they are. (A guy who feels like a girl today should be able to use the girl's bathroom. Huh?)

Paul also said that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:4). The ultimate goal of the enemy is to blind minds so they reject Jesus. When people reject the truth they have opened the door to "gross darkness" and a "deluding influence" that brings such confusion that the lines of right and wrong becomes blurred. Good and evil is blurred. Common sense is questioned. Accusations and paranoia prevail. Freedom seems wrong and control seems right.

So what do we do? Isaiah said it--"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Arise and shine! Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:12). We don't fight our enemy with our own strength or our own knowledge.

We shine with the light.
We shine with the truth.
We shine with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When the enemy tries to cloud our shine, we are prepared with the armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18). We destroy speculations and lofty things that rise up against the knowledge of God. We bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). We properly identify our enemy and move him out of the way and shine with the glory of the Lord! Minds will become free and the Gospel will reach hearts! Don't let all the delusions going on bog you down--arise and shine!

The Restoration of a Nation to Sonship Through the Spirit and Power of Elijah

When the Lord spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, He was discussing with Moses what to say to Pharaoh when Pharaoh would refuse to free Israel from slavery. In the course of the conversation, the Lord said, "Israel is My son, My firstborn." (Exodus 4:22). Of course, we know that Israel (Jacob) was not Abraham and Sarah's firstborn son--Isaac was.  Israel was Abraham's grandson. So what does the Lord mean by calling Israel His firstborn son? He is referring to the nation Israel as His son. He goes on and tells Moses to say to Pharaoh, "Let My son go that he may serve Me." (vs 23).  So we see that He is referring to the nation Israel, not the person, and calls the nation His son. (His firstborn nation of many nations as He promised Abraham).

Now fast forward to Joel 2 where the Lord says in the last days He will pour out His Spirit upon all mankind. "Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:28-29). The sons will prophesy. Just as individuals (sons) prophesy, so will nations (sons) also prophesy. Nations have a voice just as communities, churches, families and individuals have a voice. Some nations have a prophetic voice just as some communities, churches, families and individuals have a prophetic voice. Here is why.

God created Adam and Eve who were male/female, father/mother, and told them to 1). have children and 2). rule over the earth. Those were their first two commands. God's plan was for the family unit to become the foundational governing authority in the earth. The same thing happened with Noah and then with Abraham. With Abraham, God established a family who would become a nation of people set apart for Him. They were a family first before they were a community or a nation. Nations who are the Lord's are considered His sons, just as He called Israel--the nation--His son.

America was once a son-nation and a prophetic voice in the earth. We were a nation established by God for religious freedom. But America has lost her prophetic voice, not coincidentally, as the family unit has become broken and distorted. The way to restore America is to restore the families--God's ruling authorities--back to Him. We must restore the families to restore sonship to the nation. For this to happen we need the spirit and power of Elijah.

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6.

These are the last words of the Old Testament. John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah as Jesus said, but it was not before the great and terrible day of the Lord. This day is yet to come. The spirit and power of Elijah will once again come and restore the families. As the families are restored this brings about the restoration of the son-nations. America can once again be restored if her families are. The earth is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. (Romans 8:19). It's time for this restoration to come!

Consistently Christian

Who am I? I am one who believes that Jesus is the Christ--the Savior who came from God in heaven to die for the sins of mankind. I believe He spoke the truth, and my faith in Him justifies me in the sight of God so I will not have to suffer the consequences of my sin. He purchased me with His own blood, imparting eternal life to my spirit even before my physical death.

As a Christian, I follow Jesus--strengthened by His Holy Spirit who He imparts to those who ask. I take up my cross and die daily to follow Him. Which means that I don't pick and choose when I want to "be" Christian and when I don't want to be Christian. I don't decide on Sunday morning that I'm a Christian so I go to church, but then on Tuesday I'm ashamed to admit I know Him.

To be a Christian means I am consistently Christian. When it's easy and when it's hard. When it's popular, and when it's not. When it pays off and when it costs me something. This is who I am, not a garment I take on and off. In this day and age we have American schoolteachers who are teaching our very young children that they can choose to be a boy or a girl. So it's no wonder people think Christianity is something that can also be worn or discarded. This idea will only get worse if we don't stop the madness and speak the truth without apology. We must not allow our children to be indoctrinated with these lies.

I am a Christian--all the time. I seek to become more like Jesus today than I was yesterday. If I am not consistently Christian then I doubt if I am a Christian at all. How can I be a true Christian if I am not always Christian? I cannot, anymore than I can choose to be a part-time male or part-time female.

If you are a Christian, please stand up in this kind of committed consistency so our children can find stability somewhere in this chaotic society.

1 John 5:1-4; 1 John 2:1-2; Romans 5:1; Acts 20:28; Luke 11:13; Luke 9:23; Proverbs 23:23; 1 Peter 2:20; 2 Corinthians 3:18

Lord of the Sabbath

Keeping the Sabbath is an outward act which expresses an inner faith in God. By resting on the Sabbath, no matter how much "work" needs to be done, it shows that I am trusting in God to provide and not trusting in myself. If I think that my provision comes from my own work then I will not want to take that day of rest or take time to wait on the Lord and seek Him.

We can get wrapped up in what I call the time-provision tail chase. Provision really comes as we hear and do what the Lord says. When we slack in that we end up in lack. If we try to solve our lack by our own work (working for ourselves) rather than seeking the Lord concerning our lives (working for Him) then more lack is produced. This cycle of trying to chase after money to get rid of the lack goes on until we stop and trust the Lord. I'm not saying we shouldn't work, or that we shouldn't work hard, but that we must seek the Lord to hear and do what He is saying to us, or all of our hard work will do nothing for us. His work comes first. As Haggai says, it's like putting your money in a bag with holes. Haggai 1:6. By spending time with the Lord we begin to break the time-provision tail chase.

Worship is not waste! Matthew 26:6-13. Rest is not waste either, and consider this--if the Lord is in us and we insist on working, rather than keeping the Sabbath, isn't that like making Him work on His day off? The Sabbath is not a drudging obligation we have to keep. It's both He and I resting and rejoicing in His provision. I delight in Him on the Sabbath, and take joy in the fact that He gives me rest and provides--even if my hard work isn't enough. He is a loving Father who provides for me. He is not a hard taskmaster. He gives us the rest we need and still meets our needs.

"Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." Isaiah 56:6-7

If we keep the Sabbath then God will accept our sacrifice--the offering representative of our work. It becomes acceptable to Him once we show that we are not trusting in our own selves--our own work--to provide for us, but we trust in Him. In fact, our own attempts to work hard and provide for ourselves apart from trusting in Him, is considered evil in His eyes. Isaiah 56:2.

We see from what Isaiah says that those who:

• Minister to the Lord
• Love His Name
• Will be His servant
• Do not profane the Sabbath
• Hold fast to His covenant

will be brought by Him to His holy mountain, where He will make them joyful in His house of prayer--both Jew and Gentile, and He will accept their sacrifice. In other words, their offering--which comes from their work or increase--will have His blessing on it.

When we bring our tithes to His house, it represents the dedication of our work, and our increase, first to Him. When we keep the Sabbath, it represents the dedication of our lives--our time and energy--first to Him. Resting from our work is an expression of both faith and dedication to the Lord. Besides, no matter how hard we work, it will accomplish nothing if we do not seek Him first anyway.

"If because of the sabbath,

you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day,

And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,

And honor it, desisting from your own ways,

From seeking your own pleasure

And speaking your own word,

Then you will take delight in the Lord,

And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;

And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

Isaiah 58:13-14

By ceasing from my own works I show that I believe and trust in Him. It's not by my works that I succeed at anything. Keeping the Sabbath shows my faith, and I will delight in Him, and He will provide!