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John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (KJV)
The two births are a result of two different seeds, one is of the flesh and one is of the Spirit. As one grows and matures in the Lord they wean themselves from the things of this world and become more dependent on the things of the Lord. As children in the flesh, our desires were things that appealed to the flesh without any thought of its consequences. Whatever looked good, sounded good, and appealed to the outward is what we pursued after. You have a spiritual seed within you that was brought to life and resurrected by your hearing the word of God, the living waters that are able to nourish a spiritual seed. It is vital now that you learn how to nurture that seed within and to be able to discern what it takes to bring it to maturity. The effort and diligence you put in the past to feed the flesh and its desires will now have to be redirected to the inward seed if you wish to see this seed grow to maturity. 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (KJV) Jesus of Nazareth was a man born of the flesh after the seed of David and the first to be reborn in the Spirit to manifest God’s plan of salvation to all mankind. This is a great mystery and continues to be to this day because so many are looking to the outward for some great savior, when in fact this Savior will only become a reality to those in the Spirit. Of these two, God is able to make one new man so making peace; bringing the plan of reconciliation to a fallen world. Romans 8:15-17 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (KJV) It takes one to know one. In other words, are you allowing the Spirit to bear witness with your spirit, to give an eyewitness account to the things of God, to give life and nourishment to the inner man so that you can receive the reward of adoption? Do you take the time on a daily basis in the word of God so that you too can be justified in the Spirit, despite what you may suffer from those that seek their justification from man? You are now a joint heir with Christ, the first born of all creation, so that you too can be glorified with Him and receive your eternal inheritance. Romans 1:3-4 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; (4) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (KJV) One is born of flesh, Jesus of Nazareth; the other seed is the Son of God (Christ) which is where our power source comes from. If any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His and is unable to walk in the newness of life given them. Just as we have parents in the flesh to nurture their newborn child, we have a Father in heaven that is ready, willing and able to nurture and feed His newborn offspring as well. As we require daily nourishment for the outward man, it is vital to feed the inward man also if one is to grow strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Adam was put in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. You have a spiritual garden as well that takes a constant maintenance plan so that you don’t end up on the outside looking in. Do you know the difference between the flesh and the Spirit? Do you seek the things that will feed your spirit man or are you still chasing cheap, short lived, emotional fixes that only appease the flesh and not the Spirit? You wouldn’t abandon your own offspring and leave it for dead; so why do many abandon God’s offspring and leave it for dead? A parent in the flesh can be tried and convicted for child abandonment, and someday you will have to give an account of what you have done with the seed of God that was reborn in you; and hopefully when the going got tough you didn’t bail out on the Son either. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (KJV) In December each year when so many talk of the birth of the Savior, we see much of the attention focused on the physical seed and not the spiritual. A child that was born in this realm was Jesus of Nazareth and the Son given to us is Christ which is in you and is our only hope of glory. So, where is your focus today and what realm are you looking into in order to nourish the new birth within you? Are you blindly following the traditions and doctrines of man which claim some days are more special than others, or are you walking in the peace of God that is available to any and at any time for those that seek to worship Him in Spirit and in truth? God is not a god of the dead and their dead end doctrines, but a God of the living, those that live in the Spirit and seek their justification by faith. John 8:31-37 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (32) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (33) They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? (34) Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (35) And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. (36) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (37) I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. (KJV) Many still claim they are of God according to their physical birthright and end up neglecting their spiritual one. It doesn’t matter to God what your family name is in the flesh, its only those that are joint heirs with Christ and follow His example that are born free and continue in the freedom of knowing the truth set forth in the word of God. Once you have been set free it is up to you to continue walking in the liberty in Christ and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ever hear the one about giving God a certain amount of money, and receiving a hundred times more. Since when did God become some ATM machine, and since when does God owe us anything?
Romans 11:34-35 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (35) Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? (KJV) The only reason we are able to love Him, is because He first loved us. God has done a complete job on our behalf, having supplied all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. So, is it so much that we are waiting for our hundredfold return, or should the question be, is God getting His hundredfold return from us? Luke 8:11-14 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (12) Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. (13) They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. (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. (KJV) When you see perfection, it refers to maturity, as well as hundred, or hundredfold. The reason many don’t bring forth fruit to perfection, is because they have allowed something or someone to enter in and choke the word, and they become unfruitful. Luke 8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (KJV) For those that continue to hear the message, as well as being a doer of it, they will continue to bear the fruit of the Spirit to perfection, the way the Lord intended for us. Mark 4:23-25 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. (24) And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. (25) For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. (KJV) We have been grafted into the tree of life to bear the fruit of the Spirit. If you have become disconnected from the tree, it is a result of your hearing, and what or who you are now taking counsel from. So again I ask, is it God that owes us a hundredfold, or is it us that need to be bringing forth fruit hundredfold? John 15:2-6 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (3) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (KJV) There is a fruit inspector checking His crops to see who is bearing fruit. Are you bringing forth a ripe crop, or have you become rotten to the core? Someday you will have to stand before God and give an account of your walk, and how much of His word you have allowed to work in you so you can pass His inspection as well. Mark 10:28-30 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. (29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, (30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (KJV) God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, which many desire to partake of. But with the blessings comes the persecutions, and that is where so many draw the line and are not willing to endure anymore. In order to walk in the newness of His life we will need to let go of some of the old things, or people in our life that are hindering us from receiving the living waters to bring forth fruit a hundredfold. What are you willing to do to abide in His vine? Is there anything or anyone that needs to be cut off, that is choking the life out of you or holding you back from bearing fruit? Simply put, either the hindrance gets cut out or you get cut out. So, if you are withering and drying out, watch out that you don’t end up getting burned as well. In order to bear fruit hundredfold, you need to receive the hundredfold message from God, or you are in for a long dry spell. Luke 14:28-33 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? (29) Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, (30) Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. (31) Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? (32) Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. (33) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. (KJV) A tower was a place of defense or observation, erected on high places or in vineyards to guard against enemies. It was made "high" so as to enable one to see an enemy when he approached; and "strong" so that it could not be easily taken. Have you counted the cost for your own spiritual vineyard, are you in it for the long haul; will you endure to the end and bring forth a hundredfold crop? Many begin with good intentions, but fall away in time of trial. Are you willing to forsake anything or anyone as well, so you can be a follower of Christ? The choice is yours; time to count the cost and ask yourself this honest question, ‘is there really anything or anyone that I would allow to come between myself and God, and separate me from the love of Christ?’ Is it really worth dying for? Remember you can’t buy your way into the kingdom of God; so when you count the cost don’t measure it by dollars and nonsense as some refer to the hundredfold return; but rather realize that it will cost you your life if you want Father’s hundredfold reward, which will be unending to those that trust in Him. God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (KJV)
Whenever there is an outbreak of a deadly virus, the first priority is to find the root cause of the deadly disease. Though many misquote this verse, saying money is the root of all evil, it’s not the money that caused the destruction, but rather the love of it, that is the downfall of many. So if money itself is not the problem, then why do so many think that money itself is the answer? After all who hasn’t turned on the TV, or a radio program, only to be indoctrinated with money pitches and schemes, especially the religious ones? Even this seed faith doctrine, which is based on the more you sow, the more you will reap, is basically nothing more than a pyramid scheme; those on top get the gold, and the others get the shaft. The reality is that there is only one seed according to the Bible, and it is not a physical one. Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (KJV) Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (KJV) They that sow to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; in other words those that try to manipulate and twist the truth to fit their own greedy lifestyles in the name of God are in for a world of hurt when they have to stand before Him and give an account of how they pilfered and stole from His people. 2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. (KJV) The Lord Himself warned us about the many false prophets, wolves in sheep’s clothing that would rise up and deceive many. Be on the lookout, because if we allow something to overcome us because we were asleep at the wheel, that same thing will keep us in bondage until it is dealt with and pulled up by the roots. Many of these preachers, who end up being nothing more than auctioneers selling the word of God to the highest bidders, are prisoners of their own devices. To quote an old phrase, a fool and his money are soon parted; so don’t be fooled or lulled into sleep by these cheap hucksters. Haggai 1:5-7 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. (6) Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. (7) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. (KJV) Years ago when I got into a financial situation which had become a burden and was pulling me down; my first thought was ‘God give me more money’. My thinking was that if I got more money, looking to something physical again to solve my spiritual problem, then I would be home free. The answer I received was quite different than what I expected; why would I give you more so you could go farther in debt? In other words, if you can’t manage what you have now, acknowledging who truly is your source and walk in Father’s wisdom, why would God fill up a money bag full of holes? In conclusion, the answer wasn’t more money, but rather seeking God’s wisdom on how to manage what He provided and not allow myself to be overcome in this area again. James 1:5-7 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (KJV) In the end it wasn’t a lack of money that was the problem, it was a spiritual issue that needed to be addressed and dealt with in order to move forward in my walk with God. Don’t be afraid to ask God for help, that is what He is there for. In fact His word says that we have not because we ask not. Spiritual issues require a spiritual answer; and if you look to the physical for the answer you will end up on a not so merry go round spinning in circles and dizzy. God bless and have a prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Peter 1:23-25 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (KJV)
Humans live in a fallen world, having been born subject to the corruption of our lower nature; but those who have been born again have been impregnated with an incorruptible seed and now allow the Holy Spirit to have more of an influence in their lives than just what is seen, heard, or felt according to the old carnal man. Given the fact that God is a Spirit, it is safe to say that the seed being referred to is spiritual. Luke 8:9-11 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (KJV) In the last few weeks we have talked about the term one, and how our Lord operates in the realm of the singular. This spiritual seed (the word of God) is the one and only seed that can produce spiritual fruit; and keep in mind Church that a spiritual seed requires a daily dose of living spiritual waters and weeding to see it grow to maturity. John 3:3-4 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (KJV) Many false prophets today try to dupe people into thinking the seed refers to money, and they are unable to see or hear the spiritual truth of the Word. In your search for truth you will find many who are unable to see or hear in the realm of the Spirit, and they will take the things of God literally and miss their true spiritual meaning. They take their fallen interpretations of the Word and put God in a box under the guise of denominations. Don’t settle for what others have fallen for, rather rise up and take a seat with our Lord on a daily basis and hear for yourself what He is speaking to you. Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (KJV) As we see clearly illustrated, there is only one seed that God gives credence to and that seed is Christ, the Word of God. When one goes outside the realm of the Spirit claiming something else is a seed of God, well, that puts them back into the column of corruptible, and not one He is pleased with. Dearly loved, have a very blessed and prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
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