WORLDLY CARES ARE THORNS :
Luke 8:14, "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 third type of ground is characteristic of a large part of the Body of Christ today. These are people who have received God's Word, committed themselves to it to the degree that they are able to remain faithful in persecution, but because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked and no fruit is produced. Just as weeds in a garden will steal all of the nutrients and starve the plant, so the pleasures of this life, if we allow them to dominate our thinking, will stop the fruit that the Word would have produced.
Throughout history, the Church has always grown in size and strength during persecution. This is because during persecution we get our priorities straight. We realize our life is in Jesus (Jn. 14:6) and not in things (Lk. 12:15), and we focus all of our attention on the Lord. However, prosperity has been far more damaging to the Body of Christ for the exact reason stated here in this verse. God wants to bless His children with things (Ps. 35:27; Mt. 6:33), but a preoccupation with these things will choke God's Word and make it unfruitful. If we would follow God's formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34, we would have the Word bringing forth fruit and we'd enjoy the physical blessings of this life, too.
Notice Jesus said that no fruit was brought to perfection. This type of person will exhibit some fruit, but it will always be small and far short of what it should be. Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10) Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God's Word.
“ISN’T GOD POWERFUL!”
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name. —Psalm 29:2
One day, my 3-year-old granddaughter Katie surprised her mom and dad with a bit of theological expertise. She said to them, “You both had sisters who died. Then God took them up to heaven to be with Him. Isn’t God powerful!”
God’s immense power is a mystery, yet it is simple enough for a child to understand. In Katie’s young way of thinking, she knew that for God to do something so miraculous, it would mean that He is powerful. Without understanding all the details, she knew that God did something wonderful by taking her two aunts to heaven.
How often do we sit back in our more sophisticated world and marvel: “Isn’t God powerful”? Probably not often enough. We can’t know how God spun the worlds into existence with His voice (Job 38–39; Ps. 33:9; Heb. 11:3), nor can we know how He maintains control of them (Neh. 9:6). We can’t know how He planned and fulfilled the incarnation of Jesus, nor can we understand how He can make Christ’s sacrifice sufficient for our salvation. But we know these things are true.
The power of God: immeasurable in its wonder yet clear enough for us to understand. It’s yet another reason to praise Him.
Everything God does is marked with simplicity and power.
NOW FAITH :
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen - Hebrews 11:1, KJV
Are you hungry for more of God in your life today? The scripture tells us that faith opens the door for Him to move on our behalf. Faith is what pleases Him. It gives substance to the things we hope for and makes them tangible. We’ve all been given a measure of faith, but it’s up to each of us to put it into action. Notice today’s verse starts by saying, “Now faith.” It’s not “later” faith or “one day” faith. We have to have faith for today, right now.
Do you believe that God has blessings in store for you right now? Do you believe He wants to pour out His favor on you today? When you step out in faith and declare His Word, you open the door to His abundant favor and blessing in every area of your life!
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RESTORING THE POWER TO PROVIDE
LUKE 6:6, 10 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered…And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
With each of the Lord’s blessings you experience, be encouraged to know that many more blessings are coming your way. Just as there are many seeds in one fruit, so each of Jesus’ blessings contains many seeds that will go on to provide many more blessings for you and your family.
Consider Jesus’ healing of the man with the withered arm. The Gospel of Luke tells us that it was the man’s right hand that was withered. Now, the right hand is a picture of strength and provision. This man had lost not only his strength, but also his ability to provide! So when Jesus healed this man’s right hand, He not only performed a healing miracle, but He also restored to this man the power and the ability to provide for himself and his family! Hallelujah!
Is your strength and ability to provide “withered” today? Jesus says to you, “Stretch out your hand, be healed and completely restored with the power to provide for yourself and your family!”
Luke 8:14, "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 third type of ground is characteristic of a large part of the Body of Christ today. These are people who have received God's Word, committed themselves to it to the degree that they are able to remain faithful in persecution, but because of being occupied with the affairs of this life, the Word sown in their heart is choked and no fruit is produced. Just as weeds in a garden will steal all of the nutrients and starve the plant, so the pleasures of this life, if we allow them to dominate our thinking, will stop the fruit that the Word would have produced.
Throughout history, the Church has always grown in size and strength during persecution. This is because during persecution we get our priorities straight. We realize our life is in Jesus (Jn. 14:6) and not in things (Lk. 12:15), and we focus all of our attention on the Lord. However, prosperity has been far more damaging to the Body of Christ for the exact reason stated here in this verse. God wants to bless His children with things (Ps. 35:27; Mt. 6:33), but a preoccupation with these things will choke God's Word and make it unfruitful. If we would follow God's formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34, we would have the Word bringing forth fruit and we'd enjoy the physical blessings of this life, too.
Notice Jesus said that no fruit was brought to perfection. This type of person will exhibit some fruit, but it will always be small and far short of what it should be. Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to give? (Jn. 10:10) Examine your lifestyle and see if the cares of this life, deceitfulness of riches, or pleasures of this life could be choking God's Word.
“ISN’T GOD POWERFUL!”
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name. —Psalm 29:2
One day, my 3-year-old granddaughter Katie surprised her mom and dad with a bit of theological expertise. She said to them, “You both had sisters who died. Then God took them up to heaven to be with Him. Isn’t God powerful!”
God’s immense power is a mystery, yet it is simple enough for a child to understand. In Katie’s young way of thinking, she knew that for God to do something so miraculous, it would mean that He is powerful. Without understanding all the details, she knew that God did something wonderful by taking her two aunts to heaven.
How often do we sit back in our more sophisticated world and marvel: “Isn’t God powerful”? Probably not often enough. We can’t know how God spun the worlds into existence with His voice (Job 38–39; Ps. 33:9; Heb. 11:3), nor can we know how He maintains control of them (Neh. 9:6). We can’t know how He planned and fulfilled the incarnation of Jesus, nor can we understand how He can make Christ’s sacrifice sufficient for our salvation. But we know these things are true.
The power of God: immeasurable in its wonder yet clear enough for us to understand. It’s yet another reason to praise Him.
Everything God does is marked with simplicity and power.
NOW FAITH :
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen - Hebrews 11:1, KJV
Are you hungry for more of God in your life today? The scripture tells us that faith opens the door for Him to move on our behalf. Faith is what pleases Him. It gives substance to the things we hope for and makes them tangible. We’ve all been given a measure of faith, but it’s up to each of us to put it into action. Notice today’s verse starts by saying, “Now faith.” It’s not “later” faith or “one day” faith. We have to have faith for today, right now.
Do you believe that God has blessings in store for you right now? Do you believe He wants to pour out His favor on you today? When you step out in faith and declare His Word, you open the door to His abundant favor and blessing in every area of your life!
Like ·
RESTORING THE POWER TO PROVIDE
LUKE 6:6, 10 Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered…And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
With each of the Lord’s blessings you experience, be encouraged to know that many more blessings are coming your way. Just as there are many seeds in one fruit, so each of Jesus’ blessings contains many seeds that will go on to provide many more blessings for you and your family.
Consider Jesus’ healing of the man with the withered arm. The Gospel of Luke tells us that it was the man’s right hand that was withered. Now, the right hand is a picture of strength and provision. This man had lost not only his strength, but also his ability to provide! So when Jesus healed this man’s right hand, He not only performed a healing miracle, but He also restored to this man the power and the ability to provide for himself and his family! Hallelujah!
Is your strength and ability to provide “withered” today? Jesus says to you, “Stretch out your hand, be healed and completely restored with the power to provide for yourself and your family!”
REMEMBER
WE DON'T NEED ANY ONES APPROVAL TO DO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO INCLUDING TEACHING AND REBUKING OTHERS
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables
UNLIKE DOGMATIC TALKATIVE IMPOTENT ONES OF OUR DAY OR YESTERDAY, JESUS PURPOSE IN MINISTRY WAS TO MINISTER HEALING, DELIVERANCE AND MIRACLES TO ALL WHO WOULD RECEIVE IT AND HE DID A GOOD JOB OF IT
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Matthew 4:24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
WE DON'T NEED ANY ONES APPROVAL TO DO WHAT GOD HAS CALLED US TO DO INCLUDING TEACHING AND REBUKING OTHERS
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables
UNLIKE DOGMATIC TALKATIVE IMPOTENT ONES OF OUR DAY OR YESTERDAY, JESUS PURPOSE IN MINISTRY WAS TO MINISTER HEALING, DELIVERANCE AND MIRACLES TO ALL WHO WOULD RECEIVE IT AND HE DID A GOOD JOB OF IT
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Matthew 4:24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
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