THE SEED OF GOD'S WORD

"The seed is the word of God." - Luke 8:11

What we do today may greatly impact the future.  Our decisions have consequences, some consequences are positive & others are negative.  The Bible states, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  For several weeks now, I've been writing about the law of sowing and reaping.  Today I want to focus on the seed that all of us should be sowing.

Jesus often spoke to His disciples, using parables to communicate His message.  One day, He shared a parable about a sower.  In the parable, the sower threw seed to the ground as he walked.  Some seed fell into poor or rocky ground.  However, some seed fell on good ground, which produced a great harvest.

His disciples were intrigued by the parable and asked Jesus to explain it to them.  Jesus explained that, "the seed is the word of God."  The Word of God is good seed.  If that seed is sown in fertile ground, it is guaranteed to produce a harvest. 

It is sad that this seed is neglected.  While many pursue psychology, human achievement and self-help methods, God's Word remains untouched.  Yet it is the only seed that God promises to bless.  

Realizing the value of God's Word, let me challenge you to do two things with this seed:

1.  SOW THIS SEED IN YOUR OWN LIFE

First of all, sow this seed in your own life.  Invest time in God's Word daily.  Make sure that this seed sinks deep in the soil of your heart.  Read the Word of God every day.  Meditate on God's Word.  Memorize Scripture.  Stand on God's Word.  Furthermore, attend a local church on a regular basis where you will hear the Word taught and preached.

Prepare your heart to receive God's Word.  Set a specific time to meet with the Lord.  Clear your mind of distractions.  Practice daily repentance.  Come before the Lord with clean hands and clean heart.

Treat the message of the Bible as God's Word to you.  Believe His Word.  Trust His Word.   

2.  SOW THIS SEED IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS

Secondly, sow this seed in the lives of others.  Others don't need to hear about your denomination's constitution or your church's by-laws.  They need to hear the Gospel.  People need more than stale religion, they need to be exposed to the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. 

Share the Word of God with family members, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances and even strangers.  Use unique means to get the Word to people.  There's nothing that will change a person's life like exposure to the Word of God.

The seed of God's Word impacted your life & can impact the lives of others, too.  Sow this seed regularly, generously and expectantly. 

If you want to see a good harvest, sow the right seed.  God will bless His Word.  Sow it day!

SOW IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy." - Hosea 10:12

During the past few weeks, I have been writing about the subject of sowing and reaping.  The Bible says, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."  The law of sowing & reaping is active whether a person consciously knows it or not.  There are many who are reaping painful consequences to sinful seeds they have sown --- but it doesn't have to be that way.

It is true that if you sow evil seeds, you will reap a corrupt harvest.  But the opposite is also true.  If you sow good seeds, you will reap a good harvest.  Which describes your life?

1.  SOWING

God said, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness."  This word was given to Israel.  The people had sinned greatly against God & were reaping a harvest of pain.  Now, God is challenging them to change and begin sowing the right seed.

Notice that God instructed Israel to sow, "... in righteousness."  Righteousness refers to moral perfection.  This is the standard by which men are permitted into heaven.  Here's a major problem.  No one measures up to this standard.  We fall way short of righteousness.  Isaiah accurately pointed out that our righteousness is like filthy rags. 

How then can sinful people become righteous people?  How can we sow in righteousness?  The answer is found in Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ, the righteous, came to earth and died upon a cross.  Through His shed blood upon the cross, forgiveness of sin is guaranteed for those who believe.  When a person repents and believes, the righteousness of Jesus is accounted to their lives.  We are made righteous through the blood of Christ. 

Only through faith in Christ can we become righteous people.  At salvation, we experience real change through the power of God.  Then we live with a different mind-set, a desire to honor God with our words & deeds.  We begin to sow in righteousness.

Israel had strayed far away from God.  Although they had outward religion, they were far from the Lord in reality.  Through the writing of the prophet Hosea, God was calling Israel to renew her faith in Him and begin sowing in righteousness. 

Our nation, like Israel is far from God.  We wonder why our nation is such a mess today.  The answer is found in the fact that our nation is sowing with ungodliness.  We, like Israel, need to repent.  We need to return to God.  We need to seek Him and honor Him.  We need to sow in righteousness.

2.  REAPING

Finally, God told Israel to "sow to yourself in righteousness, reap in mercy."  Here's a fundamental fact about the law of sowing and reaping.  You tend to reap MORE than you sow.  God promised Israel a harvest of mercy, if they would sow in righteousness.

They needed mercy.  They had sinned greatly before God.  Before we arrogantly judge Israel for her sinfulness, we must look in the mirror and see the same thing.  We need God's mercy ourselves. 

Right now, America stands on the threshold of judgment.  Rather than pleading for justice, let us beg for mercy.  However, we must recognize that mercy is the harvest.  Before our nation can enjoy a desired harvest, our country must sow the right seed.  If we seek mercy, we must first sow in righteousness. 

We have just a limited time to live here on earth.  This is the sowing season for us.  On a personal level, are you sowing in righteousness or are you sowing with selfishness?  Are you sowing good seed or scattering wicked seed?  Are you living for the Lord or for yourself? 

It is time to sow in righteousness!          

SOWING THE WIND

"For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind." - Hosea 8:7

We are living in a turbulent world.  The recent act of violence at a Texas church is a reminder that there is no safe place in this world.  In recent years there have been acts of violence at work places, malls, schools and colleges.  The sanctity of the home is not immune from violence.  We are living in a wicked world.

During the last few blog messages, I have addressed the subject of sowing & reaping.  America is certainly reaping what she has sown.  Most would object to this analysis, but I believe it is true.  "Sex education" is taught in schools ... and then we wonder why teenage pregnancy is common.  Sin is celebrated.  Righteousness is ridiculed.  Right is considered wrong & wrong is considered right.  "Political correctness" has replaced common sense.  Somehow, it has become "acceptable" for some to show disrespect to those in authority and even celebrate acts of violence against law enforcement agents. What in the world has happened to our country?

America is reaping what she has sown.  Our careless attitude to God's Word has led to the mess we are in.  Somehow, Americans think they can live in violation to God's law and somehow be immune to the consequences.  God has promised that there would be consequences to sin and we are reaping what we have sown.

What is the cure for America's woes?  In response to this question, we must return to the law of sowing & reaping.  If we want a different harvest, we must sow different seeds. 

It is time we face the truth.  While many celebrate the legalization and propagation of sin, we must honestly admit that this has been our problem.  Pastor James MacDonald often says, "If you choose to sin, you choose to suffer."  When you sow sinful seeds, you'll reap a painful, deadly harvest.  That is the problem with America.

America needs to turn to God.  Rather than embracing sin, we need to embrace the Savior.  Instead of celebrating lawlessness, we need to submit to God's Word. 

It is wrong to expect God's blessings when we deliberately pursue the very things He has specifically condemned.  There is something more sacred than the US Constitution --- and that's the Bible.  The Bible is God's Word.  It is the truth.  America will either live by the truth or she will die. 

America is facing self-destruction.  America has placed herself in jeopardy of God's wrath. 

Repentance is the only way judgment may be avoided.  In Jonah's day, the mega-city, Nineveh, faced God's wrath.  After hearing Jonah's message, the people repented and the city was spared.

It is time for Americans to do the same. 

TILL THE LAND

"Break up your fallow ground." - Hosea 10:12

Before a man can sow seed in his field, he must first prepare the soil.  In my opinion, the most difficult part of having a garden is the tilling process.  It is hard work.  When my grandfather was alive, he would plow his garden using a horse and plow.  When my parents moved on the mountain, we used a tiller.  Either way, the purpose was to prepare the soil for the planting of seed.

The purpose of tilling the land is two-fold.  First, tilling the ground breaks up the hard clay and causes the soil to be soft and profitable for sowing.  Secondly, plowing rids the soil of unwanted weeds.  The plow would do more than simply cut the weeds --- it would uproot them & chew them up.  This is important because weeds will hinder the growth of any plant that a seed may produce.

Your heart is much like the soil.  Preparation is needed to get your heart ready for God's seed.  Regardless of your level of love for Jesus or commitment to Him, there are times when your heart gets hard & your love cools off.  At this point, the hard ground of your heart needs to be plowed. 

Weeds also come in our lives on a regular basis.  When I was growing up, I always hated the chore of hoeing the garden.  It was a process of getting rid of weeds and gathering soil around the new plant.  I learned quickly that you never get rid of weeds permanently.  Weeds grow when nothing else will.  It is surprising to recognize weeds in our lives.  Often times, others recognize the weeds before we do.  Simple neglect can aid the weeds in their quest to take over your life.  The weeds need to be cut down in your life on a regular basis. 

How does God break up the fallow ground and uproot the weeds?  The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to reveal sin and convict us.  The Word of God is like a mirror.  When you look in a mirror, you see a reflection of yourself.  A mirror shows you reality.  A mirror may show you that your face is dirty.  You may have been unaware of that.  That is what the Word of God does ... it shows us the dirt in our lives.  Furthermore, the Bible shows us how to be cleansed of the dirt.

God uses His Word to break up the hardness of your heart.  His Word exposes the weeds in your life and challenges you to surrender to Him so He may uproot them, by the power of the Spirit.

Spiritual plowing takes place as you read your Bible.  At times, a Biblical sermon may convict you.  A Christian book may be used of the Spirit to stir a heart that once was hard. 

We tend to resist the plowing process for several reasons.  First, plowing is a dirty, thankless job.  Secondly, plowing is hard work.  Finally, the tilling process can be painful.  Don't hinder the plowing process.  Without it, you can never enjoy a fruitful harvest. 

God is serious about seeing fruit in your life.  He is not satisfied to see a life full of weeds --- and you shouldn't be either.