Sometimes temptations are like a hot stove, the electric kind. After it's been turned off the warning light stays on for quite awhile. Even though that temptation in your life has been "turned off", it's still dangerous. Don't go near it - till it no longer temps you, till it's completely cold to you, till you're dead to it.
I asked the Lord a question today. Is it possible for a man to change the soil of his heart? Jesus said in his famous parable of the sower (MT:13) that every human heart that receives his word is made up of one of four types of soil. Unfortunately, three of the four types are not good enough, not healthy enough to bear fruit (interestingly, the earth is covered in roughly 75 percent salt water, to 25 percent fresh).
For some, they hear the Word but do not understand it (the Word taught without the anointing to teach can have this effect - the blind teaching the blind, teaching man's wisdom, not God's). The wicked one catches the seed sown into this type of heart, he steals it and sows his lies instead.
For others, their heart's soil is too stony, so that though they receive the Word initially with joy, it cannot take root - when tribulation or persecution comes because of the Word of God, they become offended. Notice - Jesus says when tribulation or persecutions come, not if - this is the surest sign you are bearing Christ within you to the world without you - they will hate you, disown you, disrespect you, despise and slander you and in some places, kill you physically, not just murder you in their hearts.
The third type of human heart is so full of thorns that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches chokes the Word and they become barren, unfruitful, like a womb without a child. Oh how often are our American churches (and all those who emulate them - Nigeria, are you listening?) filled with Pastors consumed with the pursuit of worldly riches, leading their flocks down this path as well, supposing that "gain is godliness" never teaching or understanding that "godliness with contentment is great gain". My people, be content with being godly. Let heavenly wealth satisfy your soul - the fruit of the Spirit, the Righteousness of Christ, the gifts of the Spirit, knowing God. Your earthly possessions mean little in light of Eternity. The "prosperity teachers" are almost always referring to worldly wealth, though dozens of scriptures refute this type of teaching, they ignore them or twist them and others to suit their carnal lusts and desires. Some scriptures clearly rebuke this teaching, focusing on the deceitfulness of riches, warning over and over how difficult it is for the rich (in what this world values), to get into Heaven, yet still they seek to become rich in worldly possessions and money.
Only one type of heart is good soil - he that hears the Word and understands it! We cannot understand the Word apart from the Holy Spirit. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given us of God, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." Remember this - the natural man seeks after natural things, while the spiritual man seeks after spiritual things. Those who spend their lives pursuing worldly wealth have no understanding of what God wants our hearts to desire - And without understanding we cannot bear him the fruit he desires - "The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life and he that winneth souls is wise". This verse ties together fruit and souls - the fruit he desires us most to bear is souls! The fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, are all for the glory of winning, then keeping and maturing, souls. No other pursuit in this life is worthwhile. Notwithstanding, we must never neglect the pursuit of our own soul, the mating of our heart with his, The constant "winnowing of our soul", that he may "win our soul".
My next blog will answer the question I began this article with "can we change the soil of our heart? Stay tuned....
I asked the Lord a question today. Is it possible for a man to change the soil of his heart? Jesus said in his famous parable of the sower (MT:13) that every human heart that receives his word is made up of one of four types of soil. Unfortunately, three of the four types are not good enough, not healthy enough to bear fruit (interestingly, the earth is covered in roughly 75 percent salt water, to 25 percent fresh).
For some, they hear the Word but do not understand it (the Word taught without the anointing to teach can have this effect - the blind teaching the blind, teaching man's wisdom, not God's). The wicked one catches the seed sown into this type of heart, he steals it and sows his lies instead.
For others, their heart's soil is too stony, so that though they receive the Word initially with joy, it cannot take root - when tribulation or persecution comes because of the Word of God, they become offended. Notice - Jesus says when tribulation or persecutions come, not if - this is the surest sign you are bearing Christ within you to the world without you - they will hate you, disown you, disrespect you, despise and slander you and in some places, kill you physically, not just murder you in their hearts.
The third type of human heart is so full of thorns that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches chokes the Word and they become barren, unfruitful, like a womb without a child. Oh how often are our American churches (and all those who emulate them - Nigeria, are you listening?) filled with Pastors consumed with the pursuit of worldly riches, leading their flocks down this path as well, supposing that "gain is godliness" never teaching or understanding that "godliness with contentment is great gain". My people, be content with being godly. Let heavenly wealth satisfy your soul - the fruit of the Spirit, the Righteousness of Christ, the gifts of the Spirit, knowing God. Your earthly possessions mean little in light of Eternity. The "prosperity teachers" are almost always referring to worldly wealth, though dozens of scriptures refute this type of teaching, they ignore them or twist them and others to suit their carnal lusts and desires. Some scriptures clearly rebuke this teaching, focusing on the deceitfulness of riches, warning over and over how difficult it is for the rich (in what this world values), to get into Heaven, yet still they seek to become rich in worldly possessions and money.
Only one type of heart is good soil - he that hears the Word and understands it! We cannot understand the Word apart from the Holy Spirit. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given us of God, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned." Remember this - the natural man seeks after natural things, while the spiritual man seeks after spiritual things. Those who spend their lives pursuing worldly wealth have no understanding of what God wants our hearts to desire - And without understanding we cannot bear him the fruit he desires - "The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life and he that winneth souls is wise". This verse ties together fruit and souls - the fruit he desires us most to bear is souls! The fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, are all for the glory of winning, then keeping and maturing, souls. No other pursuit in this life is worthwhile. Notwithstanding, we must never neglect the pursuit of our own soul, the mating of our heart with his, The constant "winnowing of our soul", that he may "win our soul".
My next blog will answer the question I began this article with "can we change the soil of our heart? Stay tuned....
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