Today's verse came to me this morning, but nothing along with it. Sometimes this is how the LORD will work with me. HE allows me to think on somethings all day, before revealing what the lesson from it is. Today, was one of these.
Matt. 13:24-30
24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
“ ‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
29 “ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’ ”(NIV)Many times as Christians, we will sow good seed into a person's life and not see any results from it. We may continue to try planting again and again, when truly we should remember that it is the LORD's work to bring forth the fruit from the grain. There are many in this world that are just to stiff necked and prideful to receive the GOSPEL right off. There is truly not a thing we can do about it either. For we are each responsible for our own personal choice. No one but our selves and the LORD has any say over the outcome either. Though HE won't force any of us to make the choice, HE will work to influence us.
We can attend church our whole lives, sitting in the pews amongst a field full of ripened grain, yet we're a tare in our being. There are people out there that have sat in this spot for most of their lives too.Never having made the choice to accept JESUS into to their own lives. They think because they've gone to church their whole lives that they're saved. It's not because they've not heard sermons on the true ways to salvation, but because their hearts have not been prepared to receive the seed. This is an act that only the HOLY SPIRIT can preform and no one else. GOD has set a time for each person to come to the point within their lives where the HOLY SPIRIT will begin to condition the soil and prepare it to receive the seed. Sometimes the seed may of been planted ten to twenty years back, yet it has sat there ungerminated for all this time. We can't explain the workings of GOD, for our understanding is so far beneath HIS. All we can do is that which we're led to and pray for the best.
I know, I myself had gone to church almost weekly until I was twelve and not at anytime received JESUS as LORD and SAVIOR. It wasn't that I didn't know HIM or know of HIS workings within my life, it was that the soil of my heart wasn't ready for the seed to sprout and take shape. It wasn't until I was in my fortieth year that the LORD had allowed my life to take the shape that HE wanted it to, that I was brought to my knees. When this happened, I was totally broken, my heart was crushed and the seed was brought forth as a new born plant. One that has grown and thrived ever since, not that there weren't times of back sliding, but for the most part it was onward and upward. I had been a tare in the garden and not even known it and truthful, I wasn't even thinking about the LORD for the most part. I was bound to live my life the way I felt was best and the hell with what anyone else thought. Sound familiar to anyone?
Each one of us is either a grain or a tare in someone's walk with the LORD. Many times what we see though is not what we've planted, it seems more like a garden full of tares. We will truly never know the full results of our lives as Christians until the great day of judgment. When the harvesters go forth with sickle in hand and begin to gather all that has grown. Either it be of the wheat or the tares, none but the LORD knows for certain. I've been amazed to hear big name preachers or ministries speak about the numbers that their efforts have brought forth. When in all rights, though the field was sown with good seed, not all that they saw was true grains. Some may of been insincere in their confession, others may of done it just for show. While there were those whom wholeheartedly made the choice, there will also be the tare mixed in. To brag over numbers is of the flesh and this world, not of GOD. To even worry about how many 'thousands' were at the service is wrong and of the human part of us. What any Christian should worry about, from preacher to laymen, is that they've done their personal best to plant the right seed and left the rest up to GOD!!!
Other scripture you may enjoy: Matt. 13:36-42, 3:7-12; Isa. 28:23-29; 1 Cor, 15:35-49; Mark 4:3-9; John 14:23,24
Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!
You may notice that not all these verses relate to these verses or the writings, I never said they would, just that you might read them and use them as study material. I got you to read a little more of your Bible also now didn't I :)
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
