As I've stated in my previous posts, I am on my journey to bearing the fruit of gentleness and self-control. God gently spoke to my spirit and said, "you must work on your heart". I recently received a CD/DVD/Teaching Note Set from Joyce Meyer Ministries titled; "Guard Your Heart". I have been a follower of her ministry for a few years. She is such an inspiration to me. As I began reading, the first scripture (promise) was:
Proverbs 4:23: (AMP)
23Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life
I must keep a clean heart. In her teaching Pastor Joyce states, "if we maintain correct heart attitudes, our hearts will be clean and life will flow from us". As I continued to read, I began to summarize Luke 8:4-15 - "The Parable of the Sower". Jesus is telling the disciples the story of a planter sowing his seeds. He told of how some of the seeds fell along the roadside, some fell on the rocks, some fell in the thorns and some fell in soil. In my understanding, Jesus is speaking of his words as seeds and our heart is the soil. When I attended World Changers Church International, I'd heard the term "good ground" often. I thought it only meant giving to a church with an anointed pastor. Today, in reading this teaching, my perspective has been greatly broadened. I now understand that a person's "faith filled heart" (soil) is "good ground". That's where God's seeds are sown, grown, and harvested. All I have to do is believe in and apply God's word. On my journey, I must vigilantly guard my heart with his word (seeds) to allow complete fruition.
I included the scriptures here from Bible.com Enjoy! Until next time....
Passage Luke 8:4-18: (AMP) Parable of the Sower
4And when a very great throng was gathering together and people from town after town kept coming to Jesus, He said in a parable: 5A sower went out to sow seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the traveled path and was trodden underfoot, and the birds of the air ate it up.
6And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture.
7And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it [off].
8And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him [a]consider and understand by hearing!
9And when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable,
10He said to them, To you it has been given to [come progressively to] know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, [though] looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend.(A)
11Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.
12Those along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe ([b]acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved [here and hereafter].
13And those upon the rock [are the people] who, when they hear [the Word], receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof).
14And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).
15But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just ([c]noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.
16No one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a [dining table] couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
17For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open.
18Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and[d]guesses and [e]supposes that he has will be taken away.
6And some [seed] fell on the rock, and as soon as it sprouted, it withered away because it had no moisture.
7And other [seed] fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it [off].
8And some seed fell into good soil, and grew up and yielded a crop a hundred times [as great]. As He said these things, He called out, He who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him [a]consider and understand by hearing!
9And when His disciples asked Him the meaning of this parable,
10He said to them, To you it has been given to [come progressively to] know (to recognize and understand more strongly and clearly) the mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that, [though] looking, they may not see; and hearing, they may not comprehend.(A)
11Now the meaning of the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.
12Those along the traveled road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and carries away the message out of their hearts, that they may not believe ([b]acknowledge Me as their Savior and devote themselves to Me) and be saved [here and hereafter].
13And those upon the rock [are the people] who, when they hear [the Word], receive and welcome it with joy; but these have no root. They believe for a while, and in time of trial and temptation fall away (withdraw and stand aloof).
14And as for what fell among the thorns, these are [the people] who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked and suffocated with the anxieties and cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not ripen (come to maturity and perfection).
15But as for that [seed] in the good soil, these are [the people] who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in a just ([c]noble, virtuous) and worthy heart, and steadily bring forth fruit with patience.
16No one after he has lighted a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a [dining table] couch; but he puts it on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light.
17For there is nothing hidden that shall not be disclosed, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come out into the open.
18Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and[d]guesses and [e]supposes that he has will be taken away.
There you are!!!! You were missed! Thanks for joining us Gertha!!! I'm praying that God will continue to help you in your journey of gentleness and self-control!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. And great reminders. Good for you for taking time out to work on these things!
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