Scripture reference: Deuteronomy 11:1, 8-14 (AMPC); Mark 4:1-20 (NKJV); Proverbs 4:20-27 (NLT); Proverbs 4:23 (AMPC & KJV); Genesis 2:15 (KJV); Deuteronomy 32:2 (AMPC); Job 29:22 (AMPC); Ephesians 5:26 (AMPC); Job 29:19 (AMPC); Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV); Genesis 3:1 (AMPC); Mark 4:18-19 (AMPC)
Pastor Sharon Bendixen:
Well, good evening, everybody. You’re so welcome here this evening. I’m going to wrap it up. We are busy doing The Sower Sows the Word, and we’ve done the ploughing. We’ve looked at our key scripture about the hardworking farmer must be the first to partake of its fruits. And, we looked at the ploughing and we looked at the planting. And, this evening, we are going to wrap it up with the protecting. But I wanted to just read you a scripture here out of Deuteronomy. How many of you know that the Book of Deuteronomy is preparing for the Promised Land, is preparing God’s people for the Promised Land. It’s very interesting if you read it in that light. Let me just see where it is, for the land which you go in to possess, is not like the land that you came out of, where you watered it with your foot laboriously as in a garden of vegetables, but the land which you’re going in to possess is the land that will drink of the waters of the heavens and I know I’ll find it even though I know it. Here it is.
So, this is the New Covenant Exodus, it’s what I named this chapter. The New Covenant Exodus. 1 Therefore, you shall love the Lord your God and keep His charge, His statutes, His precepts, and His commandments always (Deuteronomy 11:1 AMPC) And then He says, 8 You shall keep all the commandments which I command you today, Deuteronomy 11, Amplified, that you may be strong. Keep the commandments that you may be strong. Because if you’re not keeping His commandments, you’re weak. If you’re keeping His commandments, you’re strong. 8 You shall keep all the commandments, verse 8, which I command you today, that you may be strong and go in and possess the land which you go across the (Jordan) to possess. 9 That you may live long in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land which you go into possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you came out, where you sowed your seed and watered it with your foot laboriously, as in a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land which you enter to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water of the rain of the heavens (Deuteronomy 11:8-11 AMPC).
I need to just tell you at this juncture that if there’s no seed, it doesn’t matter how much God pours His rain, there’s nothing to grow. His rain can only, rain of the heavens, which is the Holy Spirit in you, He is all your rain. He’s all your oil. He’s all your fire, He’s all your truth, He’s all your grace. But we’re talking now about going into our Promised Land sowing. It’s how you go into your promised land. You go in sowing the Word. You sow His promises in your heart, you sow scriptures in your heart, you sow seed from messages in your heart. You sow the prophetic word in your heart. Oh my, my, my.
Then the Holy Spirit can rain. That’s what it means when it says ask of the Lord the former and the latter rain together to come. Why? It’s because you ploughed up the hard ground of your heart. And you’ve been sowing the Word of God. Now you can ask Him for the rain to come. I’m amazed at how many Christians cry out for these things, and they don’t even know that you can grow and sow the incorruptible seed of the Word of God and that you’re supposed to according to the Book of Deuteronomy.
Preparing to enter into the Promised Land according to Romans 10. Wow so, here we go, 11But the land which you enter to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water of the rain of the heavens, 12 A land for which the Lord your God cares (Deuteronomy 11:11-12 AMPC). My land is my heart for which the Lord my God cares, the Lord my God cares for my land. My land is not a piece of land up high. My land is my heart, my land is my heart. That’s what I grow here. So, 11 But the land which you enter to possess is a land of hills and valleys which drinks water of the rain of the heavens, it all happens in my heart land, all happening inside. 12 A land for which the Lord your God cares; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. 13 And if you will diligently heed My commandments which I command you this day – to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your [mind and] heart … 14 I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil (Deuteronomy 11:11-14 AMPC).
So this revelation that Jesus has given us all, where He said that this parable, if you do not understand the principles and the truths in this parable, how will you understand anything in the Word of God? Really, you might get head knowledge of things, but if you don’t get and flow in the principle of The Sower Sows the Word, as the Lord has taught it to us, then I would classify if I didn’t flow, let me rather put it that way. If I didn’t flow with the truth of this, I would classify myself as one of the five foolish, one of the five foolish virgins. I would be foolish to not take heed.
Pastor Garth, you know, you shared with me. And, you shared with me as you were meditating. This was a couple of weeks ago already, that the Lord actually gave you a warning after you had listened to this teaching of The Sower Sows the Word. If you want to take some time and just find that, I feel like it’s appropriate now in this last wrap up that we actually understand how God feels about the fact that He brought this teaching to you again. Some of you may be for the first time, but Father God hopes it will be the last time He’ll have to bring it to you. But He will probably bring it to you again because of His great love, but you won’t know when. When. When.
You know, it’s so important for you to have a quick obedient response to God. Otherwise, you keep doing loop de loop, around the mountain, around the mountain, and you’re just stuck. Spiritually you’re just stuck until you’re obedient because it’s in your obedience that you make progress and that you develop. Right? Pastor Garth, have you got that from the Lord? Please will you come and share that with us? I’ve never heard this. We were locked in conversation. We just didn’t have the time, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since that I want to, I need to hear this warning of the Lord. Thank you, Andre. Nice hair cut. Mooi seun.
Pastor Garth Bendixen:
So, I am just going to read it the way the Lord gave it.
Pastor Sharon Bendixen:
Shall we stand in reverence of the Holy Spirit that gave this to Pastor Garth? I feel, and just have the sense that we are on holy ground here now. Well, I am. I am on holy ground here. Yes, Pastor G.
Pastor Garth Bendixen:
I am just going to say that I just started off by taking notes and then there was a time while I was taking notes and Pastor Sharon has known this over the years, where as I am taking notes, or when the Lord starts to speak to me, I start to write it down and so all my notes are on a device – either on phone or …. but it is like He takes control of my fingers and I start to write, and I know it is Him that is inspiring me to write.
Pastor Sharon Bendixern:
It’s right. It’s like Brother Jerry. When we were with Brother Jerry in that upper room of his in his … You know where the Coca-cola thing, there were some of us that were there. He took us there. And then he took us; Visitation, Manifestation and Demonstration and he said, “John, the Holy Spirit took my hand.” I think he is left handed. “The Holy Spirit took my hand and started to write manifestation, demonstration and visitation.” That’s how we understand the Lord worked with you here too, Pastor Garth.
Pastor Garth Bendixen:
Ja. So I am just going to read how I was writing notes. When you speak the written Word, the revealed Word, and the Word that is brought from the gifts given to the body, you become a planted person with both a root and fruit. Listen to the Spirit within the words that I give to you, Garth. Don’t be familiar with the message of sowing the Word within the garden of your heart. This is the fundamental truth upon which I build My Kingdom in this earth and it starts in your heart. I always build and grow from the inside out, and from the bottom up. I always start from beneath, and from the place which cannot be seen. Therefore, do not be deceived that when you sow and when you grow, that what is happening beneath is not producing My Kingdom within you. I mean on the opposite side of that, if you are sowing and growing the seeds of the enemy you are also sowing and growing his kingdom within you.
Pastor Sharon Bendixen:
That’s right.
Pastor Garth Bendixen:
It is producing righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The growing and prevailing Word will move you in paths of righteousness. The growing and prevailing Word will move you in paths of righteousness and on that way you will have peace and joy. The way of the unrighteous produces war, pain, death, oppression and depression. So, this is where He started to take hold of my writing. Stay up to date with what I am saying. Take the Word I am giving to you praying and it will protect you from entering into temptation. Just as I said to My disciples, what, can you not watch and pray with Me for one hour? And I wrote down the Scripture reference which is Matthew 26:41.
So, this is part of what He was saying to me. This is a time of great temptation, never before has the earth been so filled with distraction and temptation. Never before has knowledge been so easily accessible and has filled the earth. Knowledge has become a distraction and temptation and thus it is producing gross darkness in the earth. But those who are alert and watchful and are taking My Word praying and saying, will be protected from entering this temptation and will become a sanctuary upon the earth. They will manifest the Ecclesia on the earth. Take heed how you hear. Do not be deceived, I will not be mocked, what you sow, is what you will reap. Take heed how you hear. So, I have just written there, THIS IS A TIME OF GREAT TEMPTATION, all in capital letters.
Pastor Sharon Bendixen:
Yes.
Pastor Garth Bendixen:
That’s it.
Pastor Sharon Bendixen:
Thank you very much, Pastor Garth. Thank You, Father, for this Word. Thank You, Lord. We will stay up to date with all our sowing. We see this is the only way that we will not enter into temptation, Lord. You are not mocked, Lord. You are the great Lord God, Jehovah, and You are not mocked. What we sow is what we will reap. If we sow to the flesh, we will of the flesh reap corruption in our lives, in our hearts. If we sow to the spirit, we sow Your Words, we will reap life. Zóé life. Life as You are. Life as You live it. Life. Life. Life, Lord.
So we acknowledge today as a congregation that You have spoken very clearly to us. And as Pastor John himself is saying right now, even to people, to me and others, I’ve heard him say it, “I am in a seed sowing frenzy.” Hallelujah. That’s not just financial seed because you can sow financial seed, and if you have no corresponding Word seed for the financial seed you’ve sown in your heart, there will not be a harvest, because the seed is the Word of God that will bring the harvest of the financial seed. We see that clearly, Father. We magnify. You have magnified Your Word, Your Word seed above all Your Name. Thank You for another opportunity tonight to say, “Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.” Glory to God. Glory to God. Let’s be seated in the presence of the Lord tonight. Glory.
So I want to read through this parable again from Mark 4, chapter 1. I just want us to look at it again. We’re not familiar with this, right? Is that one of the things the Lord said, “Don’t be familiar with this teaching of The Sower Sows the Word.” Right. 1 And He began, Jesus, began to teach by the sea. I think it is the New King James version. Thank you. Jess. It’s Caitlin. Okay. Thank you.
1 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables and said to them in His teaching: 3 “Listen! Behold, a Sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have 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 seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 9 And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ” 13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The Sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, [e]accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:1-20 NKJV).Right.
So, I am going to go straight to the protecting otherwise I am going to run out of time. As I speak God’s words, I am planting seeds, and it is then fed by my inner ear into my heart and there it lies. And now comes the next part, important part of the process of sowing and reaping. We are to guard our hearts. We have to guard our hearts.
Can we have a look at Proverbs, chapter four, verse 20 t0 27 from the NLT, please? This is the NLT. There we go. 20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk (Proverbs 4:20-24 NLT). Can you see? Avoid it because what are your words? They’re seeds. So, either seeds for death. The tongue contains within it the power of life and death. Right?
23 Guard your heart above all … 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil (Proverbs 4:23-27 NLT). Now The Living Bible says, and you don’t have to pull this up, Caitlin, The Living Bible says; Guard your heart for it influences everything else in your life. So we must guard our hearts because the Amplified Bible says; out of our hearts flow all the issues of our life (Proverbs 4:23 AMPC & KJV).
So why is it so important to guard it? Because of what is growing there and because of what Jesus said; Satan comes immediately to steal the Word out of your heart. Right? And we’ll see how he does that.
So God gave Adam and Eve a garden in Genesis 2:15. I’m just going to read this, 15 … to dress it and to keep it (Genesis 2:15 KJV). And the Hebrew word for dress is abad, which means to work, tend, look after, and labour. The Hebrew word for keep, so we’re not pulling up that scripture now, but the scripture, when God spoke to Adam and Eve, He said, “You guard and keep this garden.” Those are the Hebrew words. “You guard and you keep it.” Right? So, dress. “You dress and keep it.” You need to work it, tend it, look after it, labour it. Keep is shamar, which means hedge about as with thorns, guard, protect, attend to, beware, watch, observe, preserve. So this means that you and I have to work, tend, look after, and labour in our hearts. We have to hedge it with thorns, and guard, and protect, and attend to, and watch, and observe our gardens.
Your heart is the production centre for your entire life. When you understand this,
you realise that this is definitely not something you can do half-heartedly or just pop
in and look at it every few days. You have to be on guard 24/7. I have
to give it my focus and full attention at all times. For the rest of my life, all of my days.
It’s my lot in life, because the price Jesus paid for me to have a garden was a lot.
Hallelujah.
And so you may be thinking, “I’m supposed to work in my garden every
day for the rest of my life. I don’t have time for this.” Well, we look at that main
scripture again that says that it’s the hardworking farmer that will partake of all of its
fruit and be the first to eat its fruit.
So as God started to reveal more and more of this picture of farming and gardening to me, I began to study it and look into what the next step would be. I looked in the World Book Encyclopedia that says, caring for a garden after it has been planted involves a number of tasks. As I started to study and understand the practical aspects of caring for a garden, God started revealing how the spiritual aspects tied into them. So let’s talk, gardening. So here’s from the World Book Encyclopedia. You have to provide fertiliser and water. Throughout the growing season, you will have to add fertiliser to the soil from time to time as well as water. How often you water will depend on the weather and the kind of plants you have. Frequent water, for example, is necessary during a long spell of hot dry weather. When you water, soak the plant thoroughly so that the water reaches the roots. Right?
The word fertile is used to describe soil or land that is rich in nutrients, which are needed to sustain the growth of healthy plants. I’m reading it because I don’t want to, I want to be specific about it, right? I’m not preaching. I’m teaching tonight. Fine. The fertiliser we need to use in our hearts is praise. Praise is what initially got our hearts in good condition to plant the seed, therefore as we keep using praise as a fertiliser, it keeps our ground soft. Praise should be continually on our lips. Being rich toward God in your praise of Him and your gratitude, thanksgiving, will keep your soil fertile; having an attitude of gratitude. So fertiliser and watering is just as important as making, to make sure your soil is rich. If your seeds don’t get any water, it won’t matter how good the soil is; nothing will grow. But spiritually speaking, what is water?
It’s so simple. It’s not difficult, this. It’s not hard. So what is water? Let’s see what the Word says what the water is for my seed in my heart. Let’s go to Deuteronomy 32:2, Amplified Bible. So, 2 My message shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the light rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb (Deuteronomy 32:2 AMPC).
Let’s go to Job 29 verse 22, Amplified. 22 After I spoke, they did not speak again, and my speech dropped upon them [like a refreshing shower] (Job 29:22 AMPC). Right?
Let’s go to Ephesians 5:26. This is Jesus 26 So that He might sanctify, or this is the husband that loves his wife as Christ loves the Church, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word. (Ephesians 5:26 AMPC). So this is very easy. Words are seeds, but words are also water.
The Word is multifunctional. I spoke to you about that in the last sessions. The Word says about Itself that It’s fire. It says of Itself that It’s Spirit and Life. It says of Itself that It’s like a Hammer that breaks into pieces the rocks of most stubborn resistance in us. The the Word is also water. The entrance of His Word brings light. His Word is Light. His Word is Life. His Word is multifunctional.
So, words are seeds but our words are also water. So the Word and the words we speak from it hold so much power. In Psalm 119:105, don’t put it up, it says the Word is a lamp and a light. In Jeremiah 23:29, it’s a fire and a hammer. In Hebrews 4:12, it’s a sharp two-edged sword.
Some seeds need more water, especially if it looks like they’re facing a drought. Well, my life certainly was facing a drought. My life was in a drought. When I shared with you in the very beginning of my marriage, when I couldn’t get my own way, I threw my toys out of the cart. I soon realised that if I don’t get this carnality to turn into spirituality, that it would mean an end of everything for me. Because the Bible says don’t even associate with an angry man unless you learn his ways. The Word of God is full, full of what your anger will produce. It does not produce the righteousness required by God. That is why God has given us the fruit of the Spirit to grow in our hearts in place of all the tares and the things that have grown in our hearts since we were children. Grew because of words we spoke because our parents didn’t teach us how to speak. Our teachers taught us how to speak, our friends taught us what to say and how to speak and sow darkness and death into our hearts.
So, water. So at that stage, I’ve shared with you that my priority was to find all the seeds that I could start to sow in my heart, that I could start to grow in my heart, and that I watered. I’m telling you, I watered that seed. I watered it and watered it. I was diligent in watering it day after day, after week, after week, after month, after month because God showed me in my spirit what would become of my life if I didn’t sow the Word and grow the Word. And so, fear of God hit my life. Fear of if I didn’t obey Him, of the devastation that would come on my life for me personally, and my marriage, and my children.
So, the words. So okay. So that’s number 1, providing fertiliser and water. Right? Number 2, fighting disease and pests. This is what the encyclopaedia says. To reduce the threat of plant disease, select varieties of plants that are disease-resistant. And that’s the Word of God. It’s disease-resistant if you keep it in your heart and you protect it. Hallelujah. It’s incorruptible. Glory to God. So, keep your garden free of weeds and of such plant rubbish as dead leaves and stems. Disease-causing bacteria and fungi live in plant rubbish. Watch out for other signs of disease and pests. If a serious disease or pest problem develops, consult a gardening expert for proper treatment. Really, consult the Word of God for your own treatment of your own condition of the pests and the diseases that have developed in you. Right?
We are supposed to select seeds that are resistant to disease. This is exactly what we have in the Word. The Bible says that it’s incorruptible seed, so I believe it. The biggest pest to come after our seed is the serpent, the devil; he’s the pest. He’s the pest and he does pester because he wants things to grow in you that can fester and totally overwhelm you and bring devastation and destruction to your life. He will come time and time again to attempt to steal our seed and stop us from getting the harvest. I remember Brother Jerry going, “You foul, get off my harvest. Get off my seeds. Stay away from what’s growing in my heart.” Guarding my heart with all vigilance for out of my heart flow all the issues of my life, everything that affects my life; my assignment, who I’m becoming. My purpose for my birth on the earth is for me to grow seed and grow. It wasn’t just… God birthed you and I into the earth so that we would bear much fruit, Word fruit for His glory. So that you could… that’s the only way you’re going to become like Jesus, is to put Jesus’ Word because He is the Word. It’s only way you’re going to become like Jesus is to put Word seed, Jesus seed in your heart. It’s the only way.
So, here it says, the biggest pest, he will come. The devil wants us to continually, he wants to touch our seed because it’s from God and it’s incorruptible. So, he wouldn’t want you to water your seed and he wouldn’t… he knows when you’re protecting your seed. He knows when you are. He knows when you’re going, “Shoo, get off.” He knows. He’s observed spirit beings, born against spirit beings now for 2,000 years. Right? So it says here, you don’t have to work your garden alone. The Holy Spirit helps you always. He wants you to stick to it so that you can see your harvest.
Not only do weeds shelter pests, but weeds also take food, water, and space from garden plants. Therefore, begin to remove weeds as soon as your garden plants are large enough to be told apart from the weeds. Weeds take from your seed and therefore need to be removed. So, the good ground in verse 20 should be our hearts. We must refuse to let trouble in. We must stand fixed and firm in our faith and not allow the weeds that try to take root in our soil to enter in through the mind. If you believe the negative thought that nothing will change and it’s impossible, if you pick up that trouble that you will never get out of debt, then you yourself are planting weeds, weeds that will soon choke your seed. As soon as you allow anything contrary to God’s Word into your heart, it erodes your connection to the life force of the Word. We’re talking about protecting here now. We’re talking about weeds. We’re talking about doubts. We’re talking about how the enemy comes to steal the seed out of our hearts.
So, remember, the seed is incorruptible. Therefore, you are the only one who can allow the process to break down and fail. If your thought-life doesn’t change to think on the things of God, then you won’t produce anything. So I had to continue to think on what the Word of God was saying to me, who I was as a new creature: kindness and gentleness and long suffering and all of those seeds. You know, I haven’t looked at them for a long time because, you know, they just… I’m growing. I’ve grown. Right? But they were all… I was watering for years and weeding for years because I was determined. So where was I going with this now? So he would tell me because I didn’t see the harvest immediately, he would say to me, “It will not be.” Because I didn’t see it, the full-grown fruit in my life immediately, he would say to me, “It will not be.” But I knew that he was lying. He’s a liar. I knew by revelation that if I kept that Word in my heart, and I kept it, and I weeded it, and I watered it, and I kept doubt and unbelief out, that it would grow. I just had to get my first notch in my belt. Then it was over for him. It was over for him.
So it says here, how much water do I give my seeds? Again, once again, there’s no formula that I can give you here as that was not what it was about. It’s not about sticking to a recipe, but about changing what grows in your heart. This is a heart issue, and the more water you give your seeds, the faster they will grow.
Mark 4 verse 23 says; If any man has ears, let him keep on hearing and keep on hearing and keep on hearing. If any man has ears let … Do you have spiritual ears? How did the seed get into your heart in the first place? By hearing, your mouth and your inner ear, your spiritual ear fed it into your spirit heart, and there it lies. And so that’s how you’re going to keep hearing, keep hearing. You’re going to keep watering. You’re going to keep watering. And by the way, that’s how you weed as well. That’s how you keep unbelief out. It is written. It is written. You can quote any part of the parable that you want to. “I have incorruptible seed growing in my heart. It is busy growing. It’s maybe a small little little stalk now, not yet full harvest, but I’m holding it fast in my heart. I’m not letting it go with wrong thinking.” Right? You can.
So how much water do I give my seeds? Mark 4 verse 23; If any man has ears, let him keep on hearing. This is just what God was helping me with. Right? “Keep on hearing, Sharon. Keep on hearing. Keep on hearing. Keep on hearing the Word. Keep on taking the water of the Word. Keep watering. Keep watering.” Right? You must hear yourself speak God’s Word again and again. It is a continual hearing of the Word. Continual in this case means day and night. Must be part of an ongoing internal meditation of the Word and letting the Word speak to you. We must live on God’s words that we have put in our hearts.
So the World Book on gardening says, When a seed begins to germinate, it absorbs large amounts of water from the soil in which it is implanted. Right? It absorbs large amounts of water from the soil in which it is implanted. So, my seed was absorbing large amounts of water. Large amounts of water. Okay. We’re going to get to the corresponding action. So now, you know, I keep referring to 1 Corinthians, chapter 13 in many different versions whenever the enemy wants me to start walking skew. I just go there because that is all my anti-anger, anti-everything. Everything is in there. And I’ve been doing that for years when I need to get my compass to true north again, I go to seed. I go to water. Something’s drying up here. Not good. I’m guarding my heart with all vigilance. I go to the seed of the Word, and I start to give what I’ve planted already for many years. I’m not about to let it die now. Right? Glory to God.
So, how much water? When a seed begins to germinate it absorbs large amounts of water from the soil in which it is implanted. The water causes the seeds internal tissues to swell and also softens the seed coat, allowing the seed parts to break through. So when we first plant our seeds we have to water them more because they are brand new. They need extra attention and water. Don’t just put a seed in your heart and leave it there.
Look at what a farmer does. He thinks about what he’s planted in his ground. If there’s bad weather coming he’ll go and cover his seeds with plastic. He does whatever it takes to protect those seeds because he knows they are his livelihood. The seed of God’s Word in my heart is my life. It impacts all the issues of my life. Wow.
I mean there was some seed, I can’t wait to get to it, in this morning’s message. Wha, wha! And I know I’m going to take it, I’m going to sow it, I’m going to water it and I’m going to new levels. Hallelujah. Because this is what God’s proceeding Word is all about. Is that we keep receiving, keep advancing and keep going further in our spirit walk. Keep growing spiritually. We desire the sincere milk of the Word of God that we may grow thereby. Hallelujah.
So, what am I, where am I now? So, your mind may protest and you may think, do I really have to say this again and again? The roots of our seeds… If we ignore our flesh and our emotions, you will hear your heart crying out for the water. If you ignore your emotions and your feelings, if you ignore your soul, you will hear your heart crying out for the water. “Just give me some water. Just give me, just water. Water me, water me.” You’ll hear your heart cry out for water. Say it again, keep hearing it. Say it again. Oh, Glory to God.
You see it’s just, you cannot see it as a formula. You dare not see The Sower Sows the Word as a formula. No. It’s your personal walk and relationship with the Word, Jesus Christ. You’re putting Him, this is how you eat. That’s what that scripture means. “If you don’t eat My body and you drink My blood, you have no part of Me. If you don’t take My Word like this, you have no part of Me.” You can’t have a part of Him without partaking of Him. He’s not saying, “If you don’t, you can’t …” No, He’s saying, “You can’t. If you’re not drinking My blood and eating My body, you can have no part of Me. But if you eat My body and you drink My blood, you have Me. You have Me. You’re partaking of Me because I am the Word.” Hallelujah. It’s not a formula. It’s love’s process. It’s power process to make spiritual progress. Glory to God.
And so it says here, you will hear the roots of our seeds will beg for water. The seeds are tailor made to grow in the soil of our hearts, but they need the water to water them.
Look at Job 29:19, Amplified. You got to water. You got to water. Right. Look at this. It’s beautiful. 19 My root is spread out and open to the waters. You see, when you keep watering it and then that outer shell breaks and…Keep the scripture up. And then those little roots start breaking through the softening of it. Right? My root lies open. My root. My little root that’s growing from the seed of God. Jesus. Jesus saying in my heart. Logos in my heart. 19 My root is spread out and open to the waters, and the dew lies all night upon my branch (Job 29:19 AMPC). So I water, but then there’s also the living water of the Holy Spirit who helps you in your garden. I water and I water, and the Holy Spirit says, “I’m giving you rain from heaven too.” You know? So we don’t do this garden, planting, sowing, watering, weeding thing alone, ever. So the living water of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “From your innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” This spoke ye of the Spirit that had not yet been given. But you water with your own mouth and then the Holy Spirit is working too with His rain of His Heaven. Who knows how this works but it just does. It just does. I do it night and day, the Bible says. You wake up and you night and day, and the seed is growing and it’s growing and it’s just working. He knows not how but it’s growing because it’s all inside. Glory to God. So, let the rainfall. Let the water bring the blessing. Hallelujah.
So, guarding your seed. Remember the seed is the Word in my heart. There’s going to be some emphasis here. I seem to be repeating myself, but you need to hear it over and over again. You need to be fully persuaded that this, the ploughing is the beginning and then the sowing is the next thing, but then that’s also the beginning and then the watering and the protecting of the seed is absolutely vital. Because if you protect the seed and you keep watering, it’s going to start growing. And the most fantastical thing that begins to happen, fantastical thing. The most supernatural thing that begins to happen, when the seed and the little root, and it starts to demand corresponding action. Says, “Now, do me. Do me. I’m the Word growing in you. Do me. Do the Word. Do this. Do this. Do it.” It is supernatural. It is a supernatural process. That’s why you have to guard it. That’s why the Bible has that scripture that says; unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, you see, it’s got to fall into you. It’s going to fall into your heart, and then it starts to help you to die too yourself. It starts to help you. The Word comes up to grow up in you for you to do it. And what did I say just before now? It demands, the Word speaks to you to do what it is doing in your life. And then you die to what yourself, myself wanted to lose my temper. And now the Word is saying, the Word is saving me. The living Word is saving me from myself. Hallelujah. This is how I get saved from myself. I speak the Word. Romans chapter 10; I believe it in my heart and I confess it with my mouth. I don’t say, “Can somebody help me with this problem that I have? Go up. Go down. Help me.” No. No. The Word is near me in my mouth and in my heart for everything that I need. Glory to God. You have to guard that seed because Satan will come immediately to steal that Word out of your heart. Create circumstances around you. Oh my. Right.
Let me just carry on right here now guarding your seed. Guard my seeds best. Where was I here now? Alright. God said, “You’re free to eat, Garden of Eden.” Why is it so important to guard your seed? Okay. Let me first show you what happens if you don’t guard your seed. Adam was to guard the Garden. His Creator had put in him. Guard it from the same enemy we have. So, the Lord God took man, and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it, and the Lord commanded the man – I’m in NIV here – Genesis 2. 16… You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die (Genesis 2:16-17 NIV).
The Lord gave Adam instructions that were to benefit him in his task of blessing, multiply, fruitful, increase, authority, dominion. The enemy already knows all of this and he knew from firsthand experience – because he was Lucifer, the fallen angel – that if he could get Adam to question and go against what God had said, then surely what happened to him, Satan, must happen to Adam and Eve as well. He knew it. He knew it. “You can’t stay in this garden of blessing because I couldn’t. Because I lifted myself up against God. All I need to do is get you to lift yourself up against God. And then you’ll also be cast from the Garden like I was.” So, the Lord God gave Adam instructions that were to benefit him. Okay.
So, Satan went to Eve. Let’s go to Genesis 3:1 and just see him at work. I’m almost done here. I’m almost done. He said to the woman. Okay. 1 Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty. (Genesis 3:1 AMPC) Is this Amplified? Yes. So, the serpent is subtle and crafty in your life. 1… subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1 AMPC) He subtly plants the seed of doubt; “Can it really be that God has said?” As he spoke to Eve, he’s already spoken to you. He’s already spoken to you like that. He speaks to you like that. He speaks to me like that. He’ll tell you, “It’s not working.” He’ll tell you, “It’s not working. You must work the stuff of life for yourself. It’s not working. You must make your own plans and you must do what you need to do.”
So he plants seeds of doubt; “Can it really be that God has said?” As he spoke to Eve he will speak to you and he will speak to me. He has spoken to you. He has spoken to me. So be prepared that once you’ve sown the Word into your heart, you must expect Satan to come at once and by force, that’s what it says. Mark 4:14 and 15, Amplified Bible. Mark 4:14 and 15 says, 14 The sower sows the Word. 15 The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts]. You see why you have to protect it. So you have the Words sown in your hearts. 15…but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which, was sown in them (Mark 4:14-15 AMPC).
So the devil doesn’t just want our seed, Jesus warned that the enemy would come immediately and with force to try to take the Word out of our heart. Don’t take it personally and say, “Why me?” He’s after the powerful, incorruptible seed. Satan can’t touch your seed but he can do something to you to stop the seed producing the harvest. 1 Peter 5:8 and 9 says, Amplified Bible. 8 Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. 9 Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset–rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined] (1 Peter 5:8-9 AMPC). So, he’s as a hungry roaring lion prowling around your life, sniffing out your seed, salivating to get at it. Because he knows you become son of God when that Jesus-Word seed grows up in you. He knows. He’s been around saints for centuries, especially born-again saints. And he has seen those that take the Word and keep it and bear fruit 30, 60 and 100. And he also knows where he’s been able to steal the Word out of saints’ hearts. So, he does it because he is a murderer, he is a thief and he is a liar. It’s just how he works. He works to get the seed out of your heart. It’s nothing personal. It’s very personal actually. But you shouldn’t take it personally. Some people get offended when trouble arises because of the Word that you put in your heart and they fall away and say, “This doesn’t work.” Cares of the world, distraction – these are all weeds and pests – cares of this world, desire for other things. Oh, desire for other things. Not for the spiritual things and not for the things of the Word, desire for other things.
So, it says here; the devil is after your seed. He is in fierce hunger to get that seed as he always has been. Do not be misled. He will be crafty about it. Just like he was when he deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. He is the same devil. He has not changed. And he doesn’t sleep. And he plots your demise all the time. And he’s got principalities and powers and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in heavenly places and they’re all assigned. They’re assigned for one thing, to get the Word of God out of your heart.
So, he will use anyone and anything to get you off track. He is pacing the sidelines plotting. “Where can I get him? Can I get him to walk in unforgiveness and bitterness over that betrayal? Can I get her to walk in depression over her family problems?” Nothing is off limits to the devil. And I will just say this, Can I get Potiphar’s wife? Can I get a woman like Potiphar’s wife to come at that man? I’ll just get them. I’ll have them for the rest of their life. Right?
It’s a big thing. It’s a big thing in this earth and in this world today how the devil gets people. Tempts them. It’s a time of great temptation. It’s a time of great temptation in every area of your life. But Joseph ran. Joseph ran. Joseph ran.
So, he will use and manipulate whatever he can to stop your seed. Withstand him. Be firm in faith. Be determined to stand strong in your faith in the Word and don’t let the devil deceive you into doubting the Word. Keep guard over your seeds and you will see a harvest.
So what if you mess up and you fail? Well, repentance, repentance. You know, repentance, repentance. Repentance. Repentance is available to all of us anytime. But I’ll tell you what repentance is not; that I keep doing the same thing over and over and I just ask God to forgive me. That’s not repentance. I just keep doing the same things over and over and over – that’s willful sin. That’s willful. Because Jesus has redeemed you from sin. He’s redeemed us from sickness. He’s redeemed us from all sin. So, if you continue to go on willfully sinning, there’s no more Blood to be shed for you. There’s nothing left for you, the Book of Hebrews says, but an awful sense of judgement. And you bring that judgement on yourself because the enemy… you let him in, you give him place to come in and that’s it. So, you can ask God for forgiveness, but if you keep doing the same things over and over again then you’ve got to know by now there’s something wrong with your heart, right? You’ve got to know that. If you fail, ask God for forgiveness and get right back to work planting and guarding those seeds and tell yourself, “This time, I’m going to do it.” This time I’m going to do it. Hallelujah. So, there we go.
I hope I’ve done a good job tonight so that you know how important it is for you to guard your seeds. I think there was just this one part that I wanted to read out of the Amplified Bible, if you can just put it up. Mark 4. Actually, everything you need is in this parable. Mark 4 verse 18, Amplified Bible, and 19. 18 and 19 in the Amplified Bible. I want you to see what chokes the Word.
18 The one sown among the thorns or others who hear the word; the cares and anxieties of this world. If you worry, if you worry, if you take cares… Do you know? Oh, you do know because the Word of God says be anxious for nothing. So if you’re anxious for something, you’re already in darkness because you’re worrying. Jesus said, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, continue to make your requests known to God and that peace of God will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
You know when you are worrying, and then you know you can go to the Word about your worry. You know that you can find Word seed of what you’re worrying about and that you can speak it, you can sow it, you can water it, and you can weed it. The cares of this world. The cares will produce if you yield to cares, they will become tares in your heart. They’ll grow there. That’ll choke the Word and make it unfruitful in your life because you worry and you worry and you worry. And the Lord says don’t. Don’t.
19 The cares and anxieties of the world, distractions of the age, the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, craving and passionate desire for other things creep in, choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless (Mark 4:19 AMPC). So can you see the weeds there? The things that will choke your beautiful garden. It’s all in the parable. You’ll find all the answers you need in the parable. Right.
So I pray for you tonight in Jesus’ Name, that this word that’s been taught in this house will bear fruit in your life. That you will sow seed that will grow roots downward and bear fruit upward in your life. To the glory of God and to the freedom and the great enjoyment that God has got for you and I to have in our lives, in Jesus’ Name. Thank you for coming. Bye bye everybody.
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