The Seed Of Salvation

Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Luke 8:8 (NLT)

We are all sinners, (Romans 5:12). We're born in sin, (Psalm 51:5), and we are, by our very nature, "children of wrath," (Ephesians 2:2-3). Through the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered into this world and corrupted it (Romans 5:12–21). But, by the grace of God, we are not left without hope. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can find forgiveness and mercy and have all our sins washed away by His cleansing blood on the cross (Isaiah 1:18). All we have to do is confess our sins, (1 John 1:9), repent of them, (Acts 3:19), and place our faith and trust in Christ, (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus bore our sins on the cross, (1 Peter 2:24), so that we will die to sin and live to righteousness. We become a new creation, (2 Corinthians 5:17), justified by faith (Romans 5:1). The Holy Spirit indwells us (Romans 8:11) and continues to work in us to bring about sanctification (Romans 15:16).

In Luke 8, Jesus tells us a parable of a farmer scattering seed. The seed is the Gospel being preached and the different types of soil represents the hearer. Out of those who hear the message preached, only one of the four soils will produce a crop, while the rest, due to one reason or another, will walk away.

So how do we know what type of soil we are?

Out of the four types of soil, three of them represent the false convert while the fourth represents the soundly saved.

➢ The first seed in verse 5 is the easiest to spot. This person will hear the Gospel and walk away unchanged.

➢ The second seed in verse 6 represents someone who hears the Gospel and initially receives it with joy. But as soon as temptation strikes they become disinterested and walk away.

➢ The third seed in verse 7 receives the Gospel but after a time they turn back to the pursuits and passions of the world and walk away.

As you can see, the first three seeds have the same thing in common. The false convert will eventually walk away if death doesn't take them first. It doesn't matter how long you've been "in the faith" either. If you walk away, you show yourself to be a false convert.

➣ However, once the seed is planted in good soil, it will continue to grow and mature because the soundly saved have the perfect gardener, the Holy Spirit, tending it. This is the true test of salvation. If you are continuing to grow in your relationship with God, continuing to repent of your sins, becoming more sensitive to your sins, growing in your knowledge of God and His Word, then you can have assurance in your salvation. Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."NLT

The problem is in not caring if you sin. When you are saved, the Holy Spirit brings conviction, John 16:8, so if you're not being convicted of your iniquity, then you need to worry, seek God, and repent. Only those who were not saved to begin with will walk away, 1 John 2:19, while the soundly saved will never walk away from Christ, John 10:28.

So which soil are you?

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: One and Two

Obliterating The Obstacles That Keep You From Praying

I'm a school bus driver in the heart of Texas. My job requirement is to "simply" transport students safely to school and home again. I enjoy being a bus driver immensely and I'm very thankful to God for providing it. It gives me quality time with my wife, whom I love spending every moment with. It also gives me time to write, especially during the summer, and I'm not stuck behind a desk all day.

As a driver, I have been trained in defensive driving tactics that help you to be proactive on the roads instead of reactive to any given situation. I have to look ahead, to always be mindful of the various obstacles trying to stop me from getting the students to their destinations. It can be a big job trying to make sure you drive safely on the roads and pay attention to, not only the traffic, but to the kids on the bus as well. There is no room for error, and just like driving a school bus, prayer has its own sort of obstacles trying to deter us away from conversing with the Almighty. When we take the time to bring these obstacles to light, to reveal them for what they truly are, we can then take the necessary precautions against them.

One of the safety tips taught to bus drivers is the acronym IPDE which stands for;

• Identify
• Predict
• Decide
• Execute

Using this same acronym, we can also root out those nasty obstacles that are keeping us from having a devoted prayer life.

1. Identify - First we must identify the problem. Whether it's sin in our lives, distractions that make us lose focus, or we're just not quite sure how to pray... Look at what is hindering you from praying. Examine yourself to see the root cause of the problem. It might even be a need for salvation.(2 Corinthians 13:5)
2. Predict - Once you have identified the culprit you can then predict how best to avoid the problem. You will be able to know ahead of time and prepare. For example, if you know that distractions are a problem, seek an isolated place, a "prayer closet"(Matthew 6:6), so there is nothing that can come between you and the Father.
3. Decide - Now that the problem has been identified and the plan of action has been put together, you must make a conscious decision to pray. To want to pray is easy, it takes no effort at all. But to actually set your mind to pray is altogether different.(Colossians 4:2)
4. Execute - Now it's time to put everything into action and pray. The best thing you can do as a Christian is to read God's Word and to pray! Make it a daily habit. I like Ray Comfort's morning motto. "Don't feed until you read and don't play before you pray." These are words to live by!

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

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Worship is a Stepping Stone to Prayer

I was walking home from the store the other day and I had my headphones on listening to some worship music. It was a beautiful breezy day and no one was around so I felt comfortable singing out loud rather than mouthing along to the music. As I sang praises to God, I looked around at the fields surrounding me with its tall sun burnt grass swaying in the wind. I watched the birds flying around from tree to tree, playing with one another, and I'm quite certain, singing their own praises to God. I saw puffy white clouds dancing their way across the deep blue sky and I began to get choked up as I sang the song, "Open The Eyes Of My Heart LORD." It was a time of true worship and I was overwhelmed with the majesty of God and His love for me. As I walked I noticed that I transitioned at some point from singing praises and worshiping God to tearfully praying and seeking His wisdom and guidance. The change was so seamless that I didn't recognize it until it had already happened.

Worship is an awesome springboard for prayer because it takes us away from self, redirects our attention to the Almighty, and makes our focus the glory of God. We are submitting ourselves to His Lordship and revealing the simple truth that it's not about us.

"Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is He!" Psalms 99:5(ESV)

Worship helps us to pray by giving us a reason to pray. When we look beyond our circumstances and gaze at His holiness, we can't help but be in awe of His Majesty! Look at His creation...

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalms 19:1(ESV)

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!" Psalms 95:6(ESV)

If that's not enough, look at what He has done for us...

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8(ESV)

Worship helps us to pray by building our faith. We acknowledge His sovereignty and Lordship over us and place our trust in His care, no matter what is going on or what we may hear.

"He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." Psalms 112:7(ESV)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." Psalms 91:1-3(ESV)

The book of Psalms is a great example of worship leading to prayer. It is one hundred and fifty chapters of worship and praise to God that fills your heart and prepares you for prayer. If you haven't spent a lot of time there, I highly recommend you do. Read a Psalm a day along with your regular Bible reading. You will not be disappointed.

"Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Psalms 150:1-6(ESV)

Repent and believe before it's too late

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