Scripture reference: Mark 4:1-20 (KJ21); Mark 4:13 (AMPC); Hosea 10:11 (KJ21); Hebrews 13:15 (AMPC); Ecclesiastes (11:3-6 TLB); Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 AMPC); James 1:21-22 (AMPC); Genesis 2:7; Proverbs 18:21; Proverbs 4:23; 1 Peter 1:23 (AMPC); 1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV); 1 Peter 1:23 (PT); 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (AMPC); Colossians (3:16 NLT); Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV); Psalm 57:7-11 (KJV); Psalm 59:16 (NKJV); Psalm 63 1, 3-4 (NKJV); Psalm 69:30 (NKJV); Psalm 71:8 (NKJV); Matthew 9:36 (NIV); Isaiah 50:4
Well, good evening, everybody. Welcome to Sunday early evening, late afternoon church. I do know that there are going to be many things that are going to be changing. Pastor John is with the Lord and before the Lord. And so, we will see what we will see. Hallelujah. That is why we pray for him so that he can hear very clearly from the Lord and he can lead us. And, he can lead us like Moses and Joshua who heard the voice of the Lord continually. They walked with God. Moses walked with God. God walked with Moses. Moses talked to God. God talked to Moses. Joshua talked to God, walked with God, talked to God, God talked to Joshua. He’s following God, Pastor John like Abraham. Abraham walked with God, talked with God, God walked with Abraham. God talked to Abraham. Pastor John is building with the Lord, building His church like Noah. Noah walked with God. Noah talked with God. God walked with Noah. God talked to Noah. Hallelujah.
That is the most thrilling… the most thrilling thing in a believer’s life is to be able to walk with God and talk to God and God walks with you and talks to you. And you hear His voice and you obey His voice and you, just walk with God. So, this is an opportunity that the Lord is giving us to look again. For some people, it will be the first time to look at the most important process in the life of a believer. The most important process in the life of a believer. I’m so… really my heart goes out to you if you didn’t get last week’s because that was part 1. And part 2, you can get it.
But, these are revelations that the Lord gave me, 30, 32 years ago, 45 years ago. No, about 42 years ago. The Lord started to give me these revelations because I said to the Lord, I said, “Lord, I want You to show me, I want to know how to grow. I want to know that I know how to grow, and I want You to show me how to grow.” Spiritually, grow from immaturity, from a baby Christian, into maturity, into sonship. And, amongst a lot of things I said amongst many of the things I said to Him at that time, I was just bearing my heart to Him. I said to Him, “I know I’ve heard a lot of messages and I know a lot of things about a lot of things, Lord.” But I had a cry in my heart that said, “I want to know for the rest of my life how to grow.”
And so, for a year, it was a year actually that I was at bible school. In those days, we were at bible schools, every bible school every evening or, every morning. And I did the morning school. I was at bible school. And during the course of that year, the Lord really because I was pressing into Him for it, He really took me by the hand and He began to teach me the most important parable that’s in the Bible. Because Jesus said, “It’s the most important parable.” Jesus said, “If you do not understand this parable in Mark chapter 4,” it’s also in all the other gospels, but if you do not understand this parable… and because a parable is full of truths and principles, He was saying, “If you don’t understand truths and principles of this parable, how will you understand any other truths or principles?”
And so, He began to… He took me to Mark to the parable in Mark chapter 4, and so, I’m going to just read it again. I’m going to read it again. You just see. I’ve taken so many things out of this file. It was so fat. [Pastor Sharon looking in her file] Alright. I’ll just go to my… okay. Let’s look at Mark chapter 4. Let’s pull it up here. Let’s pull it up. [Pastor Sharon referring to the screen with the scripture on].
So, this is our Jesus. This is our precious Jesus. 1 And He began again to teach He is teaching by the seaside. And there was gathered unto Him a great multitude so that He entered into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. 2 And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine: 3 “Hearken! Listen, this is Jesus saying listen Behold, there went out a sower to sow. 4 And it came to pass as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. 5 And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 And other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold.” 9 And He said unto them, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And this is what He is still saying about this parable today. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Say this after me, say, “I have ears to hear tonight, right now I am hearing. I have ears, I have outside ears and I have inner ears and I’m listening. [Congregation repeats after Pastor Sharon] and I’m listening. Yeah. 9 And He said unto them, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 And when He was alone, so He stopped there, 10 And when He was alone, those who were about Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said unto them, “Unto you, it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables, 12 that, ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them.’” 13 And He said unto them, this is a very important thing Jesus is saying here “Know you, not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables? (Mark 4:1-13 KJ21)
Can we just pull that up in the Amplified? Just that verse, please. 13 Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables? (Mark 4:13 AMPC) Right. We can go back to the King James. Thank you. Who’s at the back there? Quinien? Thank you, Quinien. So, we go back to the King James again, Mark 4:13 13 And He said unto them, “Know you, not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables? There’s something in His question that was almost expecting and hoping that there would be somebody who would actually understand. Right? And so let’s go to verse 14. 14 The sower soweth the Word. The sower sows the Word. Let’s look at the soil. Different kinds of heart conditions. 15 And these are they by the wayside, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:13-14 KJ21)
So, where does the word get sown? In your hearts. In your hearts. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground okay so these are stony hearts right? …when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness; Oh hallelujah. Hear the Word with gladness. 17 but they have no root in themselves, and so endure or last but for a time. Afterwards, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word’s sake, in other words, the Amplified says when trouble comes. When trouble comes your way to contest that word. What do they do? …immediately they are offended. This doesn’t work. Right? Let’s carry on.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word, 19 but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts the one translation says the desires for other things. I’ve got desire for other things other than sowing the Word and growing the Word. I’m interested in many other things. 19 but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, actually, the cares of this world. Oh, my word. The cares of this world system. The cares of this world. What does the Bible say? Who is the god of this world? Satan. The Bible says Satan is the god of this world. And so, here are people that are… have all worried about Satan’s world. 19 But the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, where does it enter in? Into your heart and choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20 And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:16-20 KJ21)
Well, there we go. This is Jesus saying, “If you understand the principles and the truths and you walk in the principles and the truths of this parable, you will understand the principles and the truths of the Kingdom of God.” So, the Lord showed me because there are some translations that talk about a farmer, the farmer sows the Word. Right? So he’s using a picture here, a simple example of a farmer who’s got seed and sows his seed.
So, we looked last week in great detail, the first thing that a farmer does is how the Lord showed me, “Sharon, the first thing that a farmer does is he’s going to plough the ground.” He’s going to plough the ground. He’s going to get the ground of his heart ready to receive the seed of the Word. He’s going to plough up the ground of his heart. So, Jesus even spoke to His disciples at times to say, “Your hardness of heart. You have hardness of heart.”
And so, the Lord was putting me on a journey that I have… “Oh, Jesus, thank You, Jesus.” It’s all I can say. If I didn’t know the principles and the parables and the truths of this, the principles and the truths of this parable, I would still be standing before you a baby, baby Christian. The only spiritual development and growth that I’ve had in my life is because of the Word of God in my heart.
The only spiritual growth that you’ll ever be able to have is because you become a sower who sows the Word, God’s Word, into your heart. There’s no different way for you to grow than for me to grow. God hasn’t got some special magical way for you that you’re going to become a mature Christian that I don’t know about, nobody else knows about, but you’re so mature. God has given us His Word. Desire the sincere milk of the Word of God that you may grow thereby. You grow by the Word. You grow because you desire the Word. Hallelujah.
And so, the ploughing, He said to me now, He spoke to me about the ploughing, and I went into it in great detail where God began to show me out of scripture. So, He showed me that your heart is in a certain condition that I know about. “I know what condition your heart is in, Sharon.” You can’t possibly know your own heart. Until you see your heart in the light of God’s Word, you don’t know your heart. You only know your own heart when you see your heart in the light of God’s Word. Then you can know the Word of… then you can know your own heart.
And so, He said to me, “Now your heart is in a certain condition that I know what it is, and I want you to start to plough up all the ground of your heart.” And I searched with God and I looked, and I think I looked up every…. every plough scripture in the whole Bible to find that aha moment with God where He would say, “That’s it, Sharon. There it is. There it is.” And I found it. I had that moment with God where He showed me – He showed me, and I can’t go all that way again. He who hardens his heart…. I just gave scriptures about hardheartedness. That is not an incurable condition. It’s not an incurable condition. Glory to God.
And so, this was the Scripture, He gave me. In Hosea chapter 10 verse 11. And it says here in the King James version, 11 I will make Ephraim… Ephraim, the meaning of the word Ephraim is fruitful, fruitfulness. 11 I will make Ephraim as a heifer, but that wasn’t the important part. Although it was just interesting that it was part of fruitfulness that God wants us to bear fruit of the Word of God, taught and loveth to tread out the corn, but I passed over upon her fair neck. I will make Ephraim to ride, Judah shall plough, and Jacob shall break his clods.” (Hosea 10:11 KJ21)
I will make Judah to plough. And when I read that, I already knew the meaning of the word Judah. I already knew because I had done studies on all the words that mean praise, and I already knew that Judah is a Hebrew word “Yehuda”, which means to lift up the hands and acknowledge God and praise Him and give Him thanks and declare who He is and acknowledge Him. The scripture I gave you in Hebrews, 15…. therefore, let us constantly and at all times through Christ Jesus offer up to our Father God the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. (Hebrews 13:15 AMPC) Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I knew what Judah meant already. Judah, Hebrew word “Yehuda” which means with extended hands to declare who God is, and you can do that on many levels.
You can do that. I gave you all those examples of what you can do, and how you can do it. You underline “praise” words and “rejoicing” words in the book of Psalms that you want to speak to God, to glorify Him and praise Him and rejoice in Him with extended hands. You can get to know all His names:
Jehovah – the Self-Revealing One.
Elohim – those that are creative, total creativity, total Sovereignty.
El Shaddai – the God who comes to me in the context of total impossibility. Ah, halleluja.
El Elyon – the Highest of the high and Greatest of the great.
Jehovah Jireh – Your provision in my life will be seen.
Jehovah Rapha – You are the Lord that healeth me. You are my physician, Lord.
Jehovah Tsidkenu – You are my righteousness.
Jehovah Nissi – you are my banner and my victory.
Jehovah Shalom – you are my peace.
Jehovah Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah,
Jehovah Gmolah – you are the Lord God, my recompense.
Glory to Your name. Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah, glory, Jehovah, and then it’s
Jehovah Rohi – the Lord my Shepherd.
Jehovah-makkeh – the Lord that smites me, the Lord that disciplines me because He loves me. He disciplines me. Glory to God. Hallelujah. What am I doing? I am ploughing up the hard ground of my heart. I am… Judah is ploughing my heart.
My extended hands and my words of praise and thanksgiving are ploughing up my heart, and at that time, I hadn’t been giving myself to that kind of praise life in the way that I began from that time to do it. I would occasionally praise Him at church on a Sunday morning, and maybe sometimes in my car on a Monday or a Tuesday or a Wednesday, but not the way that I went about it and have gone about it all these years. Because praise the Yehuda, Judah will plough is not… will not just soften your heart, but as you contain, maintain a consistent life of rejoicing and acknowledging and praising and thanksgiving of God, it will keep your heart soft. It will keep it soft. It’ll keep it ready to receive His Word into it. Glory to God.
So, that’s what I really went into last week. So, as you know, I said to the Lord, “Well, how long must I do this for?” Because now we’re in talking terms, on talking terms about this, quite quite exciting. And He said, “You’ll know. You’ll know. You’ll know.” And it was… so, I went about my praises and my Judah and the ploughing and, you know, at first, it wasn’t very comfortable because I wasn’t used to ploughing all the time, but that’s the thing about a plough. It’s got those teeth that cut into the ground that, you know, cuts into the ground. And so, let me tell you that praise has teeth. Praise has teeth. Praise has power. Praise has power. It penetrates your heart and it does its work in your heart. Glory to God
Amongst many other things. Praise also silences the enemy. The Word of God says, “Praise will silence the avenger,” but here we go. So, I knew, I knew the time came when I, when I said, “Lord, I’m receiving Your Word more readily, more consistently. Lord, I’m aware that when I’m reading Your Word and I’m reading aloud and I’m feeding off Your word that it’s more to me than it ever was before, Lord. Your Word is precious, more precious to me.” Because my heart is now being ploughed and is soft.
And so, the next… this tonight, what I’m going to start to talk to you about is the planting. So, we looked last week at the ploughing, and tonight we’re looking at the planting. Hallelujah. Glory to God.
So, I’m going to just read from how He gave it to me. You’ve been ploughing your garden. Your soil is tilled and soft in neat furrows. You’re ready to start planting. You have your soil. You have your land. You have your seed. Now what do you do? Do you just scatter the seeds and hope for the best? Webster’s definition of to plant means to put into the ground to grow, to set firmly, to fix imposition. If you are not a farmer or a gardener, a long list of questions is probably running through your mind right now like it did through mine. Because I was not a farmer.
I didn’t grow up on a farm like some of our congregation members. So, I was like,”What seed, what do… what goes where, Lord? What do I plant first? When do I plant?” And so, when do I plant? When do I plant? Remember we looked at the scripture that says, “When do I plough?” Wasn’t that powerful? So, when do I plough? I plough in winter. I plough when it seems like nothing spiritual is happening in my life. Anyway, you see you can get this. Is this… all these teachings on our website? [Miranda speaking to Pastor Sharon] Pardon? They would be, right? Last Sunday, [Miranda says it is on the website and it is being transcribed too] and they’re also being transcribed.
So, when do I plant? Let’s look at the living Bible, Ecclesiastes 11:3-6. Ecclesiastes 11 verses 3 to 6. We’re going to see when you must plant. When must I plant? 3 When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down; when a tree falls, whether south or north, the die is cast, for there it lies. 4 If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. 5 God’s ways are as mysterious as the pathway of the wind and as the manner in which a human spirit is infused into the little body of a baby while it is yet in its mother’s womb. 6 Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will. (Ecclesiastes 11:3-6 TLB) I just love that, Lord. Perhaps it will all grow. Hallelujah.
Let’s read that out of the Amplified, please, Quinien. That scripture, Ecclesiastes 11:3. It’s also beautiful in the Amplified. Okay. Let’s go to verse 4. 4 He who observes the wind so when am I going to plant? When am I going to plough actually? When am I going to plant? 4 He who observes the wind [and waits for all conditions to be favourable] will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 5 As you know not what is the way of the wind, you know not how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman, even so, you know not the work of God, Who does all. 6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hands, for you know not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 AMPC)
I’ll tell you, I’m not taking any chances. I’m sowing the Word of God every which way, every which way, this way, that way, highway, byway. I’m sowing the Word of God. Who knows? It all may be growing up. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. And so, if we plough in winter, we can plant when the soil is ready to receive the seed. This will happen when your heart- this is how He gave it to me. “You’ll just find springtime in your heart, Sharon.” You’ll find springtime in your heart. Because here you are in this condition with Me and you’re going, (Pastor Sharon speaking in a voice that sounds sorry for themselves) “I know so much about so many things, Lord. I’ve heard so many messages, and I really want to know how to grow.”
You know, I’m like that before God. “Really, Lord, I need You to show me and, oh, Lord, Lord.” And He knows the condition of my heart. He knows all I have to do is plough. He knows how to fix it. Glory to God. He knows just how, He’ll teach you anything you want to know. And so, you know, He says this, springtime in your heart. So, “How long do I need to plough for, Lord?” “You’ll know. You’ll know.” And then I found myself with springtime in my heart.
So, where do I plant? Let’s go to the Amplified Bible, James chapter 1 verse 21 in the Amplified Bible. James 1:21. Where do I plant? The Amplified Bible says 21 …in a humble [gentle, modest] spirit. Why is it humble, gentle, and modest? Because it’s been ploughed. Glory. In a humble, in a humble, where are you now? 21 …(Gentle, modest) spirit or heart, receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts]. (James 1:21 AMPC). Implanted and rooted in your hearts. The Word implanted and rooted in your hearts contains the power to save your soul. Glory. To save your life. This is for everybody. This parable is for everybody. This parable is for little children. This parable is for teenagers. This parable is for young men and young women. This parable is for middle-aged people. This parable is for aged people. Hallelujah. Glory to God.
Because this is the only way that anybody is going to get out of the box. The only way that you’re going to get out of the box, any box, is the Word of God because the Word of God is the only power that cannot be contained. The Word of God cannot be contained. When it’s implanted and rooted in a heart, you cannot, it will take you out of the box and the box and take you out of the box because the Word of God cannot be contained. Hallelujah.
The Word of God, the Bible says the Word of God runs swiftly. The Word of God melts ice and snow. The Word of God moves. The Word of God is living. You see this, people people people, God told me especially to tell you this. This that I’m teaching is not a formula. It is not a formula. It is a living relationship with a living God and with His living Word. It’s a living relationship with a living God with His living Word. You’re living, you’re living with a living Word and you’re loving living with it. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Oh, praise His Holy Name.
So, implanted contains the power. So, we can see that the soil is our heart and that God’s Word contains the power. The Word of God implanted and rooted in your heart contains the power to grow you, so you must plant in your heart. So, we’re going to look at the meaning of this word, ‘word.’ The Word. The Word.
We’re going to look at the meaning because there are two meanings in the bible for word. When God talks about the Word, His Word, His Word, it’s Logos and Rhema. There are two words. This word here is the powerful word of Logos. Oh, glory to God. His precious holy written Word, His Logos. So, the Greek word for this word; Word, the sower sows the Word.
So, that word, Word, the Greek word for that word is Logos, which means; something said. It’s from the Greek word lego, which means; to relate in words, to speak, to tell, to utter. The Vine’s dictionary says that this word, Word, is an expression of thought, a saying or a statement from God, the revealed will of God, the sum of God’s utterances, discourse, speech, and instruction.
I just want to hold up. I don’t understand why I didn’t bring my Bible. Did somebody got a Bible for me that I can just hold up? You see, you need to see this. This is God’s Logos. [Pastor Sharon holding up a Bible] It’s the sum of His discourse, His utterances, His statements. This [Pastor Sharon holding up a bible] it’s His instructions, His thoughts, His reasonings, His will in your heart. Hallelujah. It’s His concepts and ideas. It’s His sayings and statements. It’s His revealed will. This is His revealed will. Glory to God. And He wants you and I to take it and He wants us to sow it. Sow it into our hearts. Thank you, Miranda. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Oh, Father.
So, this word, alright. What I wrote down here, there are things growing in your heart right now. There are things growing in your heart right now. How did you grow them in your heart? You grew them with your words. You grew things, you grew world words in your heart. You get thoughts and ideas and reasonings and statements and concepts and discourse and utterances from the world’s ways, and then you talk about it and that’s the way you put it in your heart. You sow the world’s words into your heart and so then that’s what you have growing there.
You can’t say that you don’t have anything growing in your heart. Because you are the sum total of your words because you can’t change the fact, you can’t change the truth of life and death are in the power of your tongue, and if you indulge your tongue for death, you will reap death. You’ll grow death and reap death. That’s stuff that’s separate from God. And if you sow life words, you will reap life.
You can’t change the fact that God made you and I powerful speaking spirits. The whole world, even all the unbelievers are what they say. They are the words that they speak. All the philosophies, the ideologies that they get from the world that they speak about, that they believe, that they speak about is growing in their hearts. It says in the beginning when God created man, He breathed… God breathed into the nostrils of man His very own life, and man became a living soul – and one of the meanings of that is and man became a powerful speaking, another speaking spirit just like God. God has created us in His image. God spoke and it was. When we speak life and we speak spirit and life, it will be.
But the other part is very, very much happening too. When you speak death, when you speak the world’s philosophies, the world’s ideologies of whom Satan is the god of, that’s where Satan wants to keep you. He really wants you to speak world words. He really wants to keep you there. That’s why he comes immediately to steal God’s Word out of your heart because he knows what a powerful speaking spirit you are and if he can just get your tongue to keep speaking like the world, keep speaking like the world, keep thinking like the world, keep speaking like the world. He’ll keep you in the world system, and you’ll be in the box for the rest of your life. The only way you break out of that box – is with God’s Word. Because God’s Word cannot be contained.
So, so I’m planting, right? I’m planting God’s sayings. So that’s why God says to us in His… in Proverbs, 23 …guard your hearts with all vigilance… above all that you do in your life, 23 …above all that I must do in my life is guard my heart with all vigilance, another translation, all diligence …for out of my heart flows the issues of my life (Proverbs 4:23 AMPC, NKJV). Who do I guard my heart from? The same as God put Adam and Eve in the Garden to guard the Garden from Satan. Right?
Guard your heart, Sharon. Guard your heart, people. Make sure you know what is growing in there. Weed out anything that will not bring you a harvest, but only wants to spread weeds. Choose to sow God-given seeds, not evil seeds from the enemy. Is it possible for weeds and seeds, word weeds and Word seeds, God seeds to grow together? When we plough with praise and we replace the weeds with Word seeds, God promises that those tares will be burnt up. Okay.
So, now there’s a very powerful scripture here that you’re going to want to meditate on if you’re going to embark on this journey of being a seed sower. 1 Peter 1:23 in the Amplified. 1 Peter 1:23. 1 Peter 1:23. Glory to God. You have been, you, you, you, you. Please can I see the hands of all of you that are born again? All of you that are born again. Yes. You’re born again. Your spirit used to be dead to God, and you got born again. Your spirit’s alive to God and the moment you got born again, you knew you were a child of God. You knew you belonged to Him. Glory to God.
Now look, look at this. 23 You have been … (born again), not from a mortal origin, not from mortal (seed, not from mortal sperm). Can you see this? You were born again from spiritual seed and spiritual sperm. It was, you were born again by the Word of God that said, “Jesus died for you on the cross.” Right? It’s that simple. Jesus died for you on the cross and the Bible says that if you will confess, believe with your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, who, if you will call upon the name of the Lord, you will be saved. You’ll be born again. How were you born again? You didn’t get born again from mortal, fleshly sperm. You got born again, look at this, from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God. (1 Peter 1:23 AMPC). The ever-living Word of God. The immortal, everlasting Word of God.
I was born again. You were born again. From immortal ever-living sperm, from immortal ever-living, lasting Word of God. Can you see here how the spirit of God is showing us that the Word of God is seed and its sperm, spiritual sperm, and its immortal? It’s incorruptible.
Where does it say incorruptible? I want that scripture. Where is it? New King James. Can we go to the New King James? Thank you, Quinien. 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:23 NKJV) So, since you got born again by the Word of God, that’s how you grow from your born-again baby state. You grow by the ever-living immortal seed, ever-living, everlasting, incorruptible seed of God’s Word. That’s how you grow now. You got born again like that. Now you grow like that.
So, now the Phillips translation is very powerful. I’m not sure that you can find it, Quinien, but I’m going to… you shaking your head. But the Phillips Translation says, The live, you know, like we’re going live. The Word is live. When you get into God’s Word, you’re going live. When I open the Word of God, I say to the Lord, “I’m going live. I’m going live. I’m going live right now.” Hallelujah. I’m going live. Hallelujah. Glory to God.
He’s lifting the lid off this parable revelation. Let me tell you. You’re going to get it. You’re going to live it. You’re going to love it. You’re going to live it. Hallelujah. You’re going to grow. You’re going to sow and you’re going to grow. And you’re going to know that you grow. Right.
Remember what the Lord, I read this to you last week. The Lord said, Sharon, be beholding the journey, you’re travelling with Me. Alright. I’m writing living letters to you to you, Heritage of Faith Church. I’m speaking to you, My voice in an endless flow upon the waters. Wave after wave it rolls. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Then He says then He gave me this. He’s planting here. He’s giving seed to the sower. The sower is a knower. The sower knows that the seed is Word. The sower knows that spirit and life seed is incorruptible. The sower is a knower. The sower is, therefore, a sower, a planter, and a grower, a not letting goer of the word seed. The sower is a holder of said seed in the heart and in the mouth, the sower is a follower. A follower is a listener, an obeyer of My voice. Isn’t that beautiful?
He said, yeah, My living voice is proceeding. His living voice is proceeding right now to you through me. That’s what it says in 1st Thessalonians. It says, we thank God, the apostle Paul said to the people at Thessalonica, I thank God for you that you receive the word of God and the messages of God from us, not as the words of mere man, but as the word of God, which it is, and it’s powerfully at work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 AMPC) God has just chosen to bring His messages through a messenger and speak His Words. Glory to God. So, here we go. Where was I? Okay. This is precious hey? It’s precious this. Every time I read it, who’s heeding? Didn’t I read that to you too? Who’s heeding?
Who’s heeding? Who’s listening to the words here? Who’s listening? The one who heeds is the one who proceeds. My living voice is proceeding. Who is heeding? He who heeds is the one who proceeds. I’m leading, My Word is proceeding. So, you see that’s a scripture. It says you shall not live by bread alone, but you shall live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Tonight, God’s Words through me are proceeding to you. He shared these principles and these truths with me. His voice proceeded to me. Right? It’s too late for anybody to tell me that praise cannot plough a hard heart. And how can you plant the word of God and think you can grow in your heart? No. No. No. No.
Listen, when God gave me this revelation, I’ve always said this, the person that’s closest to me, if they can see my growth and they can touch my spiritual maturity, the person people closest to me, then I’ll know I’m growing. And a couple of months after I received this revelation and I was putting it into place, Pastor John, my husband said to me, “Come share with me. Come bring me. Bring me these revelations.” He experienced such transformation in me. So, that’s why it’s too late for anybody to tell me that it doesn’t work because it is the only thing that works for you to grow. Ek kry so lekker. Ek is so baie bly die Here het my gehelp om groot te word. What is it to be mature? Volwasse. Ek is meer volwasse, as ek was, maar ek is nie so volwasse as wat ek gaan wees nie. Because I’m a sower, and I’m a grower, and I’m a knower, and I’m a not letting goer. Hallelujah.
So, oh, here’s the scripture. So, okay. I was going to tell you about the Phillips Translation about the ever-living lasting Word of God that’s how I got born again. The Phillips says, 23 The live, the live permanent Word of the Living God has given me His Own indestructible heredity (1 Peter 1:23 PT). Whahh. That’s like a powerbomb explosion in me. Do you wanna say it with me? You wanna experience these words. Say, “The live permanent Word of the Living God has given me His Own indestructible heredity.” (Congregation repeats after Pastor Sharon) Wow.
He’s put His DNA in me, and He’s given His DNA is in His Words. His DNA is in His Word, it’s in what He says. Wow. So, let the Word work in you. When it comes into your heart, it cannot be corrupted or destroyed. That’s how powerful it is.
Once it’s there, it’s there. Once it’s there, it’s there. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, I want you to see this, in the Amplified Bible. This is a scripture we look at often in this church because that’s why I’m going to show you how you’re going to do personal sowing of the Word for personal things in your life, but I’m also going to show you how to take seed from the messages that come on a Sunday.
I’m going to show you specific seeds that I’ve taken from the last eight messages of… I’m just going to take one seed out of a message, and I’m going to show you what I do to get it in my heart so that it can save my soul. So, it can get my soul, my mind, my will, and my intellect in line with my spirit man. Hallelujah. I’m going to show you how to implant, how to have a Word implant. Wow. Glory. I’m going to be so practical. I’m going to show you like He showed me like I can show a little child. You are a farmer and your heart is your land, and there’s weeds, weed seed or there’s word seed, and you can just teach a child. You can teach a child about it.
And do you remember that, Garth? When I received that revelation, I came to Brynn and I came to you and I said, “Here we go. Here we go.” You remember, Garth? I was very fresh in it. It was all new to me. But I remember Garth used to say, “I hate school. I hate school.” And I said, “My darling.” and I gave him some scriptures out of the Book of Daniel, that to love instruction, and to become wise, and to love learning, you know, and to help them because you don’t want to put death in your heart. Right?
And so, I did what I could then, but I know that the children now are going to learn exponentially. Exponentially. Hallelujah. Angie, you must remind me. I’ve got all the things. You must remind me. I know you’ve got the things for the children. We’ve got to get it onto the website so that parents can teach their children and can take it, but I found some more material, that Kim did years ago. Did you have that? [Angie replies, “No, but I remember it.”] Do you remember it? I’ve found it. I found it this week. Alright.
So, look at this. So, you’re going to I’m going to show you how to do your personal seed, and how God taught me in my beautiful rows of my soil of my heart. “Now which seed goes first, Lord?” And His Word is so clear on it all. But we’re going to look at this scripture because you’ve got to know that in every message that comes on a Sunday, there is seed for you. There is precious seed for you. There’s a seed, at least one seed that you need to sow into your heart. There’s at least one seed you need, and we’re going to see how, also to sow. We 13…[especially] thank God continually for this, Heritage of Faith, that when you receive, the messages, from Pastor John and I on a Sunday, which you hear, from us, you welcome it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13 AMPC).
Because some people come to church and they listen and it goes in the one ear and out the other ear. But the Word of God will only work effectually in you who believe what’s being spoken. Of course, you check everything with the Word of God but you’ve got the Holy Spirit living inside of you. And when Pastor John and I speak here, if there’s something that you don’t understand, you need to take the scriptures and go and study it for yourself. Because that’s what happened to me, I grew up a good AFM girl. My parents were in the ministry. My father was a pastor. My mom and dad were in the ministry. I grew up a very good AFM girl. Apostoliese Geloofsending. Apostolic Faith Mission. We had excellent teaching growing up. But then when the Lord planted Pastor John and I, all those years ago, it was 44 years ago, He planted us in the church. He planted us. Where was I going with this now, Pastor Christi? Where was I going? Yeah. Okay. It’ll come back to me. I’m so chockablock. I’m chockablock.
13…you welcomed it not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe [exercising, the Word is exercising, its superhuman power (1 Thessalonians 2:13 AMPC). You see what the Word of God has got in it? Superhuman power. And when you receive that Word you receive superhuman power at work in you. It is effectually at work in you who believe.
It exercises its superhuman power in those who adhere to it. I had… I adhere to it. I stick to it. I stick to it. Those who adhere to it and trust in it and rely on it. Right. Let’s look at Colossians chapter 3 verse 16, New Living Translation. We’re looking at the principle of the Words of God in your heart, right?
16 Let the message words about Christ, in all its richness, fill live in your lives in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16 NLT) The Words of Christ are supposed to live in your hearts. Christ speaks to us every Sunday. Christ is speaking to us tonight. If He’s not speaking to you, I know He’s speaking to me. When He speaks through me, He speaks to me. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God.
When I’m finished teaching here, I float home in my car, can’t wait to wake up in the morning to start sowing and watering and weeding and continuing to be growing the word in my heart. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Let the Words of Christ in all their richness live in your hearts and make you wise. Use His Words to teach and counsel each other.
Hebrews 4:12-13, New King James version. Hebrews 4:12 to 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. (Hebrews 4:12 NKJV) It’s only when you see your heart in the light of God’s Word that you know your own heart. You do not know your own heart until you see it in the light of God’s Word. This scripture proves it. Right? Right. So it’s 6 o’clock now. Let me just see. Glory to God. Alright. I will finish with a scripture, and then next week I will start with how do I plant. But I’m finishing with the scripture.
James Chapter 1 verses 21 and 22 Amplified Bible. Beautiful scripture to show the power of God’s Word. Right? 21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit. I know I’ve read it before, but don’t you love it when I read it again? I love it. I love it. To hear it again and again and again. Don’t you love, to hear it again? Yes. Hallelujah receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. (James 1:21-22 AMPC)
You see what happens when the Truth comes to you and you don’t receive it and you don’t welcome it to your heart and admit it into your heart and you don’t adhere, adhere? Like, right, you betray yourself into deception because you’re reasoning contrary to the Truth.
I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to plough my heart. I don’t have to praise God. I don’t believe that. I don’t have to sow the Word. I don’t have to believe this parable the way Pastor Sharon’s bringing it now. I don’t reason contrary to the Truth, betraying yourselves into deception. Glory to God. But we are not those. We are those that we read about in Thessalonians. We are those that welcome this not as the word of [mere] men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which will be effectually at work in you who believe [exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it.] (1 Thessalonians 2:13 AMPC)
So, glory to God. So, your homework, your work to do at home is still to be praising God, to be underlining. That’s just the way that God gave me. I said, “Lord.” He just gave me an idea, and it’s not my idea. I have no copyright on it. It was a God idea. It was brilliant. It was a brain wave. He just got onto one of the waves of my brain.
And He said, “How about you underline, how about you underline all the words you want to say to Me out of the book of Psalms?” You’ve got the things underlined in the book of Psalms? Why, Miranda? Because you’re a doer. You’re a doer. And what does the Lord say about a doer? He shall be blessed in his life of obedience.
So, the Lord said to me, “Just go through the Psalms and just underline the words you want to speak to Me.” You know there are lots of things in the book of Psalms that I don’t want to say to God, I don’t want to say to Him, “Oh take not Your spirit from me.” Because how can He take His Spirit from me as a new creature when He said, “I’ll never leave you or forsake you.” Right? So, there’s lots of things that I wouldn’t say to God now as a new covenant believer. But there are lots of things I do love to say to Him. Oh, yes. It’s oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No. Miranda, sheesh. Looks like my Bible. Alright. So, these are some things that you can underline.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth, (Psalm 57:7-11 KJV). Okay. I will sing of your power. I’m going to all her underline parts. 16 But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning, (Psalm 59:16 NKJV).
Oh, and then you can just sing to Him if you want to. You can make a joyful noise, like I do. Hallelujah. You don’t even have to be on key. You can be a joyful noise. I will sing to You, Lord. I will sing of Your power this morning. I will sing aloud of Your mercy this morning. For You are my defence and my refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto You, my strength will I sing. For You are my defence and the God of my mercy. Because Your loving kindness, here’s, here’s Psalm 63. 1 You are my God, early will I seek you. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name, (Psalm 63 1, 3-4 NKJV). Wow. 8 My soul follows hard after You. Glory to God.
So, you can go, 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, I will magnify Him with thanksgiving, (Psalm 69:30 NKJV). There we go. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And Your honor with Your glory all the day, (Psalm 71:8 NKJV). All the day. Wow. I like it. I like it in your bible, Miranda. Whoo. Whoo. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praises to Ya.
You are a great God. You are a great God. Oh, you know, Jesus loves us so much, He teaches. He teaches, He loves so much, He teaches.
I think it’s either Mark or Matthew chapter 9 it says, Jesus saw the multitudes and He had great compassion on them and began to teach them many things. (Matthew 9:36 NIV) He had great compassion on them and began to teach them many things. Two-thirds of Jesus’ ministry was teaching. I praise God for the ministry of teaching, don’t you? Glory. He wakes my ear to hear as a disciple, as one who is taught of the Lord. (Isaiah 50:4) Glory to God.
So, you were just wonderful. You pulled many wonderful things out of me tonight from the Lord. Your heart received. Your heart believed. And so you’re going to go into this week now, you are going to go ploughing. Some of you are going to continue with your ploughing. You’re going to be sowing and growing and watering because you’ve already heard me do this teaching for many, many years.
Some of you are hearing it now for the first time even tonight and tomorrow or even tonight, you’re going to start and you’re just going to go to the Psalms and your eyes are going scan the Psalms like this and go, “Oh, I want to say that to You. Oh, I want to say that to You in the morning, Lord.” It makes it easy for you to become a praiser because you can turn to it. And you know what? Those scriptures are new every morning. They really are. They are new every morning.
Well, you have been wonderful tonight, and, I bless you. And I pray that this word that you have received tonight will find a permanent, a permanent home in your heart. A permanent home in your heart, in Jesus’ Name. And that you may truly have the revelation that this is God’s way for us to grow. God’s way for us to grow is to sow His word.
And so, the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and give you peace. And, is that all of it? May the Lord bless you, keep you, make his face shine upon you, and give you peace, and what? And lift up His countenance upon you. Oh, and He does that. He never stops looking at you. He looks at you, He looks at you. He’s always looking at you. He’s always doing that. And so be blessed this week as you walk with God, in Jesus’ Name. Bye-bye, everybody. Bye-bye.
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