It starts with baby steps. The first steps we take as a brand new Christian, and there is one Parable in particular that is very important for a brand new babe in Christ to understand, otherwise they will stand in perilous danger of losing their footing in Christ Jesus! It is the "Parable of the Sower."
"He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 'Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4:12-8).
Jesus explains later in this same chapter that the seeds in and of themselves were fine, but it was where they were scattered that made all the difference. The seeds scattered on the ground and eaten by birds represents Satan stealing the word from those who hear the gospel. The seed scattered on the rocky places that sprang up quickly but had no root, and withered in the heat, represents those who accept Christ but at the first sign of trouble/tribulation or persecution fall away from Him. The seeds that fell among the thorns, choked out by the thistles, represents the desires of man for riches, along with the worries of the world, which leads us down a path towards greed, and the troubles of the world that choke out our faith in God, depending upon ourselves for everything thus causing that person to leave Christ behind, a situation in which one can never grow.
But then there is the seed that fell on good soil and produced a good crop, or good fruits of the spirit, yielding a crop of 30, 60 or 100 fold. This ground was humble, broken and ready to run with the love of the Savior!
Learning to stand on the Word of God and no other outside influence is very difficult, but it can be done. I am a very humble person, I don't have much, but I am grateful for what I do have. I may have tribulation, strife and trouble in my life, but the most important thing is that because of Jesus and his redemptive work on the Cross, I am SAVED and JESUS is there to help me get through the thorns, thistles, worries and troubles of life so that I might be a blessing to my Heavenly Father and to others, sharing the Gospel with them!
He watches and cares for even the birds of the air, so how much more will He care for all of us??? "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26).
Well aren't you?
As someone who has been in every stage of where the seeds have been sown, I now want to know more about how I can yield 30, 60 or 100 fold of what Jesus stated is possible. I think it is endurance, and staying the course that causes one to yield more than another, but it could also be that one is just not meant to yield as much as another, for we are all uniquely made and God will be pleased with us no matter what because He loves us. Sure He is terribly grieved when we are not walking with Him, following his statutes and showing His love to others, but there is nothing that will ever separate us from His love EVER! "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39).
And as I said before, it's endurance that is the key. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (Revelation 3:5).
The thing a new Christian has to remember is to hold onto their joy. When you wake in the morning you will have thoughts coming directly from hell itself trying to throw your day into a tail spin.
If you answer that bad thought by answering the liar out loud, with a "You know what Devil? I don't agree with you! This is going to be a fantastic day, for 'This is the day that the Lord has made and I will, I will, I WILL rejoice in it!'" Then just say the name of Jesus and He has to flee! You see in this one act of rejoicing, you are submitting your day and your life to God rather than the devil and his schemes against your growth in God! "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). As such, you can live a victorious life if you remember to do this on a daily basis, attend church regularly, pray daily, read your bible and let the seed take root! That seed planted in you as a baby Christian will blossom, grow and help you become stronger and more fully rooted in Christ, thus causing you to become all that God wants for you to be!
The one who has the seed planted and yields a crop of 30, 60 or 100 fold, "is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:3).
Lord Jesus, help me to spread the seed that won't be eaten by birds, grown upon the rocks with no soil and burned up by the sun, or choked out by the thistles...the worries and desires of this world, but rather onto good firm soil, ready to be used, and produce good fruit/crops and endure, shining your light that you have put into us all! We love you Lord! Help us all to make your light shine!
"He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 'Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4:12-8).
Jesus explains later in this same chapter that the seeds in and of themselves were fine, but it was where they were scattered that made all the difference. The seeds scattered on the ground and eaten by birds represents Satan stealing the word from those who hear the gospel. The seed scattered on the rocky places that sprang up quickly but had no root, and withered in the heat, represents those who accept Christ but at the first sign of trouble/tribulation or persecution fall away from Him. The seeds that fell among the thorns, choked out by the thistles, represents the desires of man for riches, along with the worries of the world, which leads us down a path towards greed, and the troubles of the world that choke out our faith in God, depending upon ourselves for everything thus causing that person to leave Christ behind, a situation in which one can never grow.
But then there is the seed that fell on good soil and produced a good crop, or good fruits of the spirit, yielding a crop of 30, 60 or 100 fold. This ground was humble, broken and ready to run with the love of the Savior!
Learning to stand on the Word of God and no other outside influence is very difficult, but it can be done. I am a very humble person, I don't have much, but I am grateful for what I do have. I may have tribulation, strife and trouble in my life, but the most important thing is that because of Jesus and his redemptive work on the Cross, I am SAVED and JESUS is there to help me get through the thorns, thistles, worries and troubles of life so that I might be a blessing to my Heavenly Father and to others, sharing the Gospel with them!
He watches and cares for even the birds of the air, so how much more will He care for all of us??? "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26).
Well aren't you?
As someone who has been in every stage of where the seeds have been sown, I now want to know more about how I can yield 30, 60 or 100 fold of what Jesus stated is possible. I think it is endurance, and staying the course that causes one to yield more than another, but it could also be that one is just not meant to yield as much as another, for we are all uniquely made and God will be pleased with us no matter what because He loves us. Sure He is terribly grieved when we are not walking with Him, following his statutes and showing His love to others, but there is nothing that will ever separate us from His love EVER! "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39).
And as I said before, it's endurance that is the key. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (Revelation 3:5).
The thing a new Christian has to remember is to hold onto their joy. When you wake in the morning you will have thoughts coming directly from hell itself trying to throw your day into a tail spin.
If you answer that bad thought by answering the liar out loud, with a "You know what Devil? I don't agree with you! This is going to be a fantastic day, for 'This is the day that the Lord has made and I will, I will, I WILL rejoice in it!'" Then just say the name of Jesus and He has to flee! You see in this one act of rejoicing, you are submitting your day and your life to God rather than the devil and his schemes against your growth in God! "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). As such, you can live a victorious life if you remember to do this on a daily basis, attend church regularly, pray daily, read your bible and let the seed take root! That seed planted in you as a baby Christian will blossom, grow and help you become stronger and more fully rooted in Christ, thus causing you to become all that God wants for you to be!
The one who has the seed planted and yields a crop of 30, 60 or 100 fold, "is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:3).
Lord Jesus, help me to spread the seed that won't be eaten by birds, grown upon the rocks with no soil and burned up by the sun, or choked out by the thistles...the worries and desires of this world, but rather onto good firm soil, ready to be used, and produce good fruit/crops and endure, shining your light that you have put into us all! We love you Lord! Help us all to make your light shine!
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ChristianEncouragers.com