Pastor’s Blog 7.24.19

During our summer Conference, Prophet Kevin Leal made a statement that really stuck with me. He said, The secret to fruitfulness and success is in the soil, not the seed. The seed is a miracle power in itself, but the soil determines its fruitfulness.”

Same truth but different way of saying it.

Matthew 13:18-23

“Now you are ready to listen to the revelation of the parable of the sower and his seeds:

“The seed that fell on the beaten path represents the heart of the one who hears the message of the kingdom realm but doesn’t understand it. The Adversary then comes and snatches away what was sown into his heart.

“The seed sown on gravel represents the person who gladly hears the kingdom message, but his experience remains shallow. Shortly after he hears it, troubles and persecutions come because of the kingdom message he received. Then he quickly falls away, for the truth didn’t sink deeply into his heart.

“The seed sown among weeds represents the person who receives the message, but all of life’s busy distractions, his divided heart, and his ambition for wealth result in suffocating the kingdom message and prevent him from bearing spiritual fruit.

“As for the seed that fell upon good, rich soil, it represents the hearts of people who hear and fully embrace the message of heaven’s kingdom realm. Their lives bear good fruit—some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times as much as was sown.”

Here we have three soils and only one produces fruit. That means three out of four people who receive the gospel do not make it through the process! Statistically, today in our churches we can concur with this truth. How many people do we see who really bring forth fruit to maturity in Christ? We see people come, respond, have emotional moments, commit to change, but look at how many are still walking in their commitment in a year, or even six months. The devil loves to say to us, “the word doesn’t work, or you are doing something wrong”. But the fact is the problem is not in the seed, but the soil.

Very few follow through on the soil maintenance. Today’s society wants less and less responsibility and accountability for anything including the spiritual disciplines to have a blessed life. We used to offer a class to newer members to help them understand the ministry life of the Rock when they come. Over a period of about fifteen years, culture so changed that we stopped doing it because people would not even take a few extra hours to gain understanding of the ministry they were about to join. Understanding literally has its root meaning- to stand under, – meaning I can stand under the authority of something when I understand it.

Psalm 119:102-104

102 I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 Through Your precepts I get understanding ; Therefore I hate every false way. NKJV

Psalm 119:130

130 The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. NKJV

Until someone actually submits to a life of the study of the word in the new Spirit life, they will progress no further. The enemy will snatch the seed from their heart and they will fall away from the truth and go back to their old ways. Our thoughts and lives are either being governed by the flesh or the Spirit. The word helps us to know the difference.

Hebrews 4:12-13

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. NKJV

To think you can have a fruitful life without submitting to the daily washing of the word is as silly as thinking you can stay healthy without eating. I encourage you to make a fresh commitment to a daily bath in the word of God! You’ll be glad you did in the end, and others will think you smell better too!

Be blessed!