The message that I want to share that the LORD has put on my heart the last few day is in regards to the 4 soils, and if you want to read along with me it is in Matthew chapter 13, and the part I want to read is actually the part where Jesus explains the parable. And as I read through it, you know, each one of us fall into one of these 4 categories. But the reason why it is convicting for me is because as I read through this I put myself in the shoes of each of these people, and I want you to do the same thing, as Jesus is explaining this parable, look at your own like and think; “Do I match this ground or am I really the good soil. I’m starting in verse 18;
“Therefore hear the parable of the
sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it,
then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.” I could immediately say, well obviously
that’s not me, most likely that is not you… the seed of the truth that God has
planted in me, I have not denied, I have not rejected, but the Holy Spirit has
grown in me. So, for many of us we can
just read on by that and it doesn’t bring us conviction…
“But he who received the seed on
stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with
joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises
because of the word, mediately he stumbles.”
A lot of people fall into this category but I can say “Not me”, I’ve
went through persecution for my faith, I have gone through many trials, many
things have happened to me, and still I push through, but I read on… Jesus says
in verse 22;
“Now he who received seed among the thorns is
he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of
riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” That to me is very convicting because in this
world it is really easy to fall into the lusts of the flesh, it’s easy to be
choked out by riches or by the deceitfulness of the lusts of your own flesh,
sports, hobbies, just chasing after higher education… I’m not saying it’s wrong
to be educated… But ALL of the things in this WORLD take your eyes off of Jesus
and then you get choked out, and this is where most Christians will fail. Most Christians aren’t immediately denying
Jesus, they’re not falling away just because of a little persecution or a
trial, but they do get choked out because of riches, or because of sports or
things that they desire MORE than GOD.
And that also brings conviction to me and I want to make SURE that every
single day I am fully in TUNE with the Holy Spirit and fully surrendered to
HIM, because if we are not and we make other things a priority OVER GOD and we
get lazy (in the Kingdom work) Then this world will certainly choke us out. Many people are choked out by addictions of
the world, they are choked out by their cell phones, or by the fear of the war
that is going on, the fear of the things that are going to come upon the world,
they are just choked out by everything in the world and instead of having their
eyes fixed on their Creator, on the Lord Jesus Christ and producing FRUIT, they
become totally fruitless.
It is sad to see people at the end
of their life that once were believers, who once were Christians but they no
longer have anything to give. I don’t
want to be that Christian. All my life
whether I live long or short, I want it to be for the glory of God, always
producing good fruit, always on fire for the Living God, bearing GOOD FRUIT ALL
THE TIME FOR HIS NAME. And in order to
do that WE ALWAYS HAVE TO PUT HIM FIRST, and as we put HIM first He fills up
His love in our heart, His truth, His words.
And that truth, that love, it bubbles up in us until we are like a cup
overflowing with the water of life. And
that is how we need to be. We need to be
an encouragement to others, not a constant drain upon others. We need to every single day be filled with
the glory of God, pleasing Him, living for Him and enduring with Him.
So, check your own life and ask;
“Am I producing good fruit? Is my first thought of the day really for the LORD,
asking Him, pleading with Him, HOW can I produce good fruit for YOU? How can I deny myself correctly? How can I honor you with my life? How can I surrender everything that I have to
you, my job, my money, my relationship my spouse, my children, my hobbies, my
education, my carriers, my achievements… everything that I have? How can I lay that down, cast my crowns
before my God and say; “Have your way with me, to make me the man or the woman
that you want me to be.” Because that is
the sort of people that enter the Kingdom of God. That is the sort of people that we want to
be, if we are gong to be the sons and the daughters of the Kingdom of
Heaven. I want to enter His Kingdom, and
I know that I am not above anything that I preach, I am not excluded. All of us are being watched by our Creator
and everything we do is recorded and remembered and Jesus will judge every
single one of us according to our works, that is our words, our actions, our
thoughts, the things that we said and did.
Are we bearing GOOD FRUIT? Are we
good seed in good soil? Or are we
getting choked out by the world? I
encourage you to get anything and everything out of your life that is choking you,
anything that pulls you down that keeps you away from God, that keeps you from
being fruitful. May the grace of Jesus
be with you.
And finally Matthew 13:23 says; “But
he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and
understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces; some a hundredfold, some
sixty and some thirty.” Are you good seed in good soil producing
fruit?
