“We’re not in
competition with anyone else. Each of us
has our own walk and our own gifts and our own trials.” Pastor Clyde Campbell
Bloom or Boom
Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
Greetings beloved. I
know some of you have been wondering when I would get another lesson out. I heard a message similar to this one at work
a couple weeks ago and it made me think.
The quote above comes from Pastor Clyde Campbell of Word Alive church in
Chesapeake. It was a powerful message
and I really enjoyed it. I felt it
meshed well with Bloom or Boom so I think this is a good time for this lesson.
Romans 10:17 So then faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say,
Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the
world
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Scripture says the sound of that Word has gone out to all the earth and it’s message to the ends of the
world. There are people all over this
world who have never held a Bible in their hands and have never heard the
tenets of the Christian faith. I had to
ask myself and then God how someone who had never heard the Judeo Christian
scriptures could have heard the Word of God.
That bothered me because I know the Bible is not in error and His Word
is ALWAYS true. During my studies I came
across Psalm 19:1.
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day
unto day uttereth speech, and
night unto night sheweth
knowledge. 3 There is no
speech nor language, where
their voice is not heard.
The planets, stars and celestial bodies declare the glory of
God. Notice that Psalm 19:1-3 says that
God’s Word is written and speaks to us from the very heavens above. Chuck Missler has some terrific scriptures
that show how the very stars tell the story of the coming of Christ and His
redemption. It’s funny how smart and
educated people can totally ignore the great truths found in the Judeo
Christian scriptures and in their blindness miss all the scientific truths
found there. If science were the study
of truth the whole world would be Christian. Science today tries to prove God does not
exist and in so doing cause science to travel down many unfulfilling paths. Even the Bedouin in the desert can look up and
see the message of God.
Luke 8
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it
was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
In verse 11 above we discover that the seed is the Word of
God. God is perfect. He never makes
mistakes or misses the mark. God is
Holy. He is without sin. If He has sowed His seed everywhere, even on
the wayside, it is because that was His purpose. Scripture says that God is not willing that
any should perish but that all should come to repentance. If that is true then he never intended the
fowls of the air to eat the seed. It
ought to have been protected as Abraham protected his sacrifice to God in Genesis
15:9-11. We in the body of Christ
are responsible for the salvation and protection of all mankind (2
Chronicles 7:14), not merely those who know the Lord. Satan is known as the
prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). We are to fight the principalities and powers
and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12) so
they do not devour this precious seed which has landed upon a lost and dying
landscape (Psalm 126:6).
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh
the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be
saved.—
These need deep prayer, welcoming encouragement and
prayerful protection to become strong. Their hearts must be protected. They are unchurched, unapproached, threatened
and wounded. They feel no interest or
need to believe and yet His love and desire for them is plainly presented to
them.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung
up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
Then there are those who hear the word with excitement and
wonder. They tell their friends and
families about the wonder and joy of Christ and for a short season fall into
the orbit of faith and Christian love.
Men and women in this state appear to be vibrant and powerful saints of
God but have no real foundation to hold them when times get hard; and times
ALWAYS get hard if you are in Christ.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy;
and these have no root, which
for a while believe, and in time of
temptation fall away.
A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) saints. They need help building roots. You must surround them and build a scaffold
of love, interesting things to do and excitement of the work of God for them to
endure. You have to dig a space for
their roots to grow as they won’t succeed otherwise. It’s not a short term responsibility. From this group comes the great falling
away. The more diligent of these souls
become pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets and even Apostles. They pray and build and preach until that one
vicious attack of the enemy comes that tears away the great edifice they have
built in their zeal. Without root,
without that standard to combat the great flood of the enemy (Isaiah 59:19)
they will eventually fall and crumble, their faith shipwreck.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the
thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
This group is particularly sad. They love God and grow, often powerfully, but
are never able to let go of the desires and wants of the world. For them fasting is too difficult and prayer
too limiting. Eventually they look at
their lives and wonder why the sinners around them seem to have the better
life. They were never able to separate
themselves (2 Corinthians 6:17) and begin to drift back to the life they
once knew. Sadly, they are often too old
and established in Christ to fully go back.
They become double minded (James 1:8). Their only hope is to fully renounce the
world and its tempting lure.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when
they have heard, go forth, and are choked
with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
This kind takes deep deep prayer. You have to pray for them faster and harder
than Satan is working against them. They
are like the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-23.
Jesus said it’s hard but not impossible for a wealthy man to be saved. The latter part of this verse tells it
all. They bring forth no fruit to
perfection. There is no maturity or
power here and certainly no eternal account to follow them into eternity (Matthew
6:19-20).
8a And other fell on good
ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.
Occasionally there are men and women who respond to God’s
call with total submission and surrender.
Their lives are marked by greater and greater accomplishments of faith
and dedication and they have no greater joy than to hear, “Well done thou good
and faithful servant.” These are they
who walk in God’s full anointing and grace.
They are strong and joyful in trials and equally joyful in times of
success. These are they of whom Paul
said, “I have learned how to abound and how to be abased (Philippians 4:12).
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard
the word, keep it, and bring forth
fruit with patience.
The perfect saint.
They might have come from those seeds above, carried to that place of
safety and preparation by a strong saint or might just have always loved the
Lord. These saints endure hardships with
grace and respond to attacks with love.
They are the ones in Matthew 5:48, Romans 12:2, Philippians 3:15, and
most importantly…James 1:4 – “But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.”
8b
And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him
hear!
We are the church, every one of us regardless of the ground
upon which we fell. We are all different
in temperament, skill, knowledge and gifts.
Each of us must depend upon the other and should pray for their
growth. Each of us must complement and connect
with the other and should strive to be worthy of THEIR trust.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this
parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that
seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
Occasionally we pray and experience no direction or
leading. We want to do God’s will but
find it difficult to discern just what His will for our life might be. We might
try to take what is working for someone else because it is working; but if it’s
not what God has for you, your success will be limited with little joy. You have to find your path. AND YOU HAVE TO WANT TO FIND IT.
Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that
asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it
shall be opened.
Once you’ve asked God, sought God and pressed God He will begin to reveal your gifts, your
calling and your purpose. He will
only BEGIN to reveal them to you. It
might take years to learn your path and purpose.
Nobody just has God’s
giftings dumped on them. As we can
see above ALL God’s giftings
and skills and talents come with trials, tribulations and tests.
Many don’t even understand the expectation and don’t
recognize the test. Their cry is, “God isn’t helping me!” God’s answer is, “I will never leave you
nor forsake you. I will endure this with
you.”
Notice that this was so important that God told it to all
seven of the Revelation churches. “He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;” Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13,
and 3:22.
Are you listening?
Can you hear? Do you receive
it? Will you obtain it?
The ground the seed you heard fell upon is only a
beginning. It need not be the end. Only God knows the end from the
beginning. If you strive to succeed and
do not faint in your heart, you will say what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that
day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Will I see you there beloved?
Bishop J
