Heart Soil

Heart Soil

Hebrews 6: ⁷ God blesses the soil which drinks in the rain that often falls on it and which grows plants that are useful to those for whom it is cultivated. ⁸ But if it grows thorns and weeds, it is worth nothing; it is in danger of being cursed by God and will be destroyed by fire.

 

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“Ha, ha, you don’t even know how to curse right” were the words that fueled me to learn how to curse “right.” I practiced my foul language and got it down to a science. After a while, I was listening t how comedians used this language in jokes. I soaked in every word I could listen to.

 

• The more garbage I listened to, the more desensitized I became.
• I used foul language to joke, but eventually used it to increase the level of an argument.
• I wound up expressing frustration with foul language and brushed it off to “everyone else uses it.”

 

Paul the assumed writer, gives two types of soil, one that grows useful plants and one that grows thorns and weeds. Rather than looking at this as farming tips, Paul may have been speaking about the condition of the heart.

 

My Observations

• Things that are placed in my heart will grow into something good or something terrible.
• GOD wants to place HIS word in my heart, but if I have filled it with the garbage of the world, there will be no room for HIM to live.
• GOD gets excited when I listen to HIM and HE grows “plants that are useful” from me listening to HIM.

 

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control are all things that can grow from my heart when I listen to GOD. I mean, when I follow HIS ways, the fruit of the SPIRIT overflows from my heart.  Unfortunately, the opposite happens when I purposefully disobey HIM.

 

When I put the world in my heart, it grows greed, hatred, lust, blame and unhealthy self-consciousness that reverberates through all I do. Lies appear to be real and the false Utopia of the world crashes down on me. BUT GOD cleans my heart and cultivates a place where HE can live and grow me. I am glad GOD chooses to stay with me.

 

Challenge

• What soil sticks out to you from the writer?
• Have you ever wanted to stop a behavior, but didn’t see how to?
• Have you checked your heart to see if you have fallen?
• Will you allow GOD to cleanse your heart HIS way so you can bear fruit for HIM today?

Good Fruit

Good Fruit

Galatians 5: ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

 

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

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Continuing on my thought of going to college, bearing the fruit of human nature and getting kicked out, I felt lost, let down and angry. I started thinking of excuses like “Nice guys finish last” and “They are simply trying to control people into being slaves.” I began searching for racial freedom and other forms of freedom, but I remained thirsty. Tired of “my” efforts I asked “What do YOU want from me?”

 

• I was losing hope but ready to hear GOD.
• I was always angry or frustrated but was now ready to surrender to GOD.
• I felt like people were letting “me” down but realized “I” could be part of the solution with GOD.

 

“But the fruit of the SPIRIT” are words that provide hope to everyone Paul wrote to. It takes pressure off of trying to be perfect by performing the Law correctly. One singular fruit is produced by nine wonderful actions.

 

My Observations

• Good fruit gives me rest assurance that GOD loves me dearly.
• The HOLY SPIRIT is responsible for guiding me to bear good fruit.
• I can rest well when I put aside my human nature and follow what the HOLY SPIRIT says.

 

Keeping “in step with the SPIRIT” is hard but doable. I mean, when I want things to go “my” way I usually want to speed the process up. When it does not happen as quickly as I would like, I lose patience and bear bad fruit.

 

BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT steps in and says, “Use patience” when I want to go fast or “Use joy” when I want to be happy but things are going wrong. All nine actions bear a single fruit which draws people back to GOD. I am grateful GOD gave me an alternative to “my” actions.

 

Challenge

• What part of the fruit could you use today?
• Do you have a problem with this list if people showed these actions towards you?
• Will you slow down and show these actions towards others without thinking you will get something in return?

Bad Fruit

Bad Fruit

Galatians 5: ¹⁹ What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; ²⁰ in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; ²¹ they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God.

 

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Continuing on yesterday’s thought, I remember being excited about going to college where I found “freedom” to do what “everybody” else was doing. When I joined in with the group I liked, I was able to get drunk, have as much sex as I wanted and join in on a few battles with malicious words. I found myself not attending classes, then I was kicked out. The “fun” group was not there to help.

 

• I was on a path to destroying myself and others.
• I cared so much about experiencing pleasure that I was blind to my own actions.
• I wanted to fit in with a group that was trying to use “fun” as a medication to life’s difficulties.

 

Paul provides a list that could be confusing. He lists actions that some would ask “what’s wrong with that?” He is warning people about their “purpose” in life. The list is not about a specific sin, it is about life’s pursuits. His warning is, if people pursue yielding to human nature too long, eventually he or she will not be able to hear GOD.

 

My Observations

• Recognizing that I am blinded by my own desires helps me see GOD.
• Asking GOD to give me strength to ignore the things that are barriers to hearing HIM puts me back on HIS path.
• Knowing that JESUS died for all my sins helps me when I fall.

 

Believing in JESUS enables me to possess the Kingdom of GOD. But what happens if I sin? If I confess my sins HE is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Getting back to the passage, it is about life’s pursuits that GOD is looking at.

 

HE knows when I am pursuing “my” own kingdom versus HIS. HE let’s be bear bad fruit, thinking my crowd can “support” me through life’s difficulties. HE allows my bad fruit to grow into horrible situations that may have affected many. Fortunately, HE always makes a way back to HIM. I am grateful I can run back to GOD and HE welcomes me with open forgiving arms.

 

Challenge

• Is there any part of the list the writer brings that would concern you?
• Do you find yourself justifying your own actions with a group?
• Will you stop listening to your human nature and confess to GOD that your life may be on a dangerous path and you need HIS help to guide you back to HIM today?

Bad Introduction

 

Bad Introduction

Romans 5: ¹² Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

 

¹³ To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

 

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“Go ahead, try it”, were the words of the dare. I had not used a “curse” word in my life and I was dared to do so. I said the word and received laughter. I then tried all kinds of “curse” words and soon they were part of my normal language. What’s the big deal? I fit in.

 

• There was a time when I wanted to fit in.
• There was a time when I would follow what the crowd did.
• There was a time when I did the wrong thing and felt part of the crowd.

 

Paul mentions the beginning of sin through Adam. His sin was disobeying GOD by eating from the one tree he was told to stay away from. Satan tempted Adam into eating the fruit, twisting GOD’s command.

 

What’s the big deal? Adam fell for the temptation and death was introduced to humans. All humans now deserved to be separated from GOD because of one simple act that did not seem to be a big deal.

 

• GOD knew sin was introduced to me before I was born.
• GOD knew I would choose sin over HIM because everyone around me are sinners too.
• GOD knew HE had the only remedy to my sin, namely HE had to die just for me.

 

It’s not fair, one would say. I mean, everyone has to go to hell just because of one person? Yes. BUT GOD wasn’t having it. JESUS, being GOD, volunteered to take on the punishment HE decreed. Anyone who sins deserves death, no matter how small the sin.

 

This, seemingly extreme, sentence was overcome by JESUS. “I’ll die for everyone”, HE volunteered. JESUS enabled me to not suffer for eternity.  I am truly grateful HE broke the pattern of death for me.

 

• Are you excusing what you are doing because everyone else is doing it?
• Have you or others declared you as “good?”
• Will you look to JESUS as the only one who is good and seek HIM for salvation and guidance today?

Heart Words

Matthew 12: ³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

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“I hate that person” blurted from my sophomoric mouth along with a few expletive words. Once said, I could never put them back in my mouth or erase them from someone’s ears.

• I have said some very harmful things.
• I have said some very slanderous things.
• I have said some very foul things.

In an effort to be funny or fit in, I have said words that needed a warning label, not once thinking of how harmful or destructive the words could be. How could I change my words?

• GOD wants my words to come from the heart.
• GOD wants my heart to come from HIM.
• GOD wants me to speak about HIS kingdom in a heartfelt way.

Instead of blurting out random thoughts, GOD wants me to be purposeful with my words. Since my heart is desperately wicked, I must take the lessons I have learned about GOD and apply them to the words that come from my heart. After a while, GOD starts rebuilding my heart to be HIS.

If my heart is full of garbage then garbage will flow from out of my mouth. Suddenly I will find myself without GOD’s fruit. BUT GOD is gracious enough to place HIS SPIRIT in me, enabling me to speak sincerely about HIM.  I want GOD’s fruit, not mine.

• Are you seeking to be the center of attention?
• What foul words are proceeding from your mouth?
• Can you ask GOD to enter your heart so your words will change?

You Will Be Recognized

Matthew 7: ¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

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Lying had become a habit to “fit in.” Whatever the subject, I could come up with a story that showed I had either done it, or known someone who did. Then one of my lying friends said something profound about himself… “I’m lying so much that I had to ask myself, what do I have to gain by this particular lie?”

• Many times I have bared bad fruit.
• Many times I have tried to fit in rather than stand out for good.
• Many times I have desired to be what the crowd wanted me to be and I was on a road to destruction.

Nervous and directionless I placed “fitting in” over GOD’s path. Soon I became the center of attention but to what end? When I finally turned back to GOD, “my” crowd looked at me like I was living yet another lie. BUT GOD saw something different.

• GOD showed me that it is never too late to bear good fruit.
• GOD explained to me that I can stop baring bad fruit and start baring HIS gracious fruit.
• GOD endeared to me that HIS fruit is much better than the world’s fruit.

“Okay LORD I will follow YOUR ways” was my step towards maturity. It took some practice and I failed over and over, but eventually GOD gave me the courage to tell the truth. Once I bared my faults I bared good fruit and GOD was well pleased.

• How are you recognized?
• Do people see GOD when they see you or do they only see you?
• Can you stop trying to bear selfish fruit and seek GOD’s amazing fruit?