The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth

1711Project} What Happens When...

"Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:

While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.

As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy; Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty." Jesus, in Matthew 13 (also Mark 4, Luke 8)

What happens with the seed sown on rocky soil? Imagine a roadside with rocks on it, plants struggle to grow and thrive because there is no

dirt, no place to root. The seed that hits rocky soil hits home (the heart) and is accepted with joy. But, life's problems along with no

training in how to live as a Christian (faithful daily Bible reading, prayer) interfere and cause discouragement. Often false teachings, that

disagree with Biblical teaching, on the supposed ease of Christian living, getting what one wants, wrong theology, compromised Christian theology

(using Scripture for personal gain) are responsible for the discouragement.

What happens with the seed sown among thorns? Thorns represent attitudes of mind and/or heart that are not acknowledged or resolved.

Bad habits, pride, selfishness, greed, gluttony, lust, anger, resentment, fear....all these and more, including false teachings that twist

Scripture to be self-focused rather than properly God-focused, are thorns that choke The Word of God and The Holy Spirit grieving

Him even to silencing Him.

Many many Christians active in churches have thorns in their lives. They can go through the motions of being a Christian but they've

let things fester and rot, becoming bitter and rancid, in their hearts. They wear a mask, looking the part of a good Christian but

their hearts are far from God. They have missed Jesus' teachings on the sacrificial nature of following Him in obedience, which is doing

as He said (Matthew 28), and instead maintain appearances (Matthew 23) though inside them their hearts of full of nasty stuff.

False teachings (that use Scripture out of context, twisting it to mean something other than what God intended) are epidemic

in today's churches worldwide. Denominations have created divisions, and those divisions (based on teachings that each group

holds as Biblical while they ignore or reject other commands of Jesus) promote the 'false doctrines'. The massive pride that

goes along with false teachings hinders them from admitting their mistakes.

Some false doctrines are insignificant, though dangerous (2 Timothy 3-4). Others are like yeast, growing like weeds and poisoning many, as

does bitterness. Pride is the worst as it denies wrongdoing; it blocks the realization of false teachings. Pride is very cold, and fearful as it

doesn't want to get too personally involved in the lives of others (Luke 10)...yet Jesus showed us, and commanded us, on the vital importance

of personal involvement as believers (John 4).

Listening to false teachings, accepting them as 'okay', disregarding their destructiveness brings about oppression to a person. Oppression is

a heaviness of spirit that grieves, then quenches, The Holy Spirit and God's Word. Oppressiveness exists where false teachings

exist. Just visit any group of people who are believing and promoting something in disagreement with clear Biblical teaching and you can see

it...in extreme cases, the people there wear their oppression and it's obvious, often you can see it in their eyes. They have

been deceived, and allowed it, either willfully in sin, or unwillingly in sincere searching for Truth.

There is a church where, because of the darkness of severe false teachings (occult activities paraded as Biblical), you can see the oppression in the eyes of those actively involved in the activities. There are many other churches, who have engaged in weeks-long studies of books and other activities that contradict Scripture, thus ignoring The Bible, and that has brought about oppression.

Visiting a group of healthy Christians will show you self-lessness, kindness and consideration for God and others. Visiting oppressed (unhealthy) Christians and you will see selfishness, greed, lack of obedience to Jesus, using Scripture for self-centered gain.

Check this: do the songs sung point to God, money, or self? Do they meet because of Jesus, or WITH Jesus? (Revelation 3)

Oppression will leave when sin is acknowledged, and repentant hearts seek God alone.

It is a reminder of how important it is to read The Bible as God's Word, treat Him and His Word with reverence and respect, do not use His Word for selfish material or personal gain but honor Him in all things.

What happens with the good seed? It is sown on hearts willing to listen to God, do what He says, learn of & from Him, and allow Him to change them from within.

Jesus said He came for those who admitted they needed Him, their Saviour, for they were sin-sick and in need of redemption.

Can each of us admit that -- we too are sin-sick and in need of Him as our Saviour? That we have compromised God's Word with humanistic teachings (media offerings such as books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, conferences, seminars, cruises, etc.), and activities that are based on human traditions rather than The Word of God?

Some may be deceived by the so-called prophetic movement (**) that claims to speak for God, giving them so called freedom to speak wishful thinking to others. BUT - isn't God best at speaking for Himself? It is His Word that we need to hear, and humbly admit that He alone is God. (Jeremiah 14, 23, 28; Ezekiel 13, 14)

Why use Bible verses alone, as it misrepresents what God, The Author (2 Timothy 3) is saying? Reading chapters as whole to keep in context what God has to say to us -- instead of pulling verses out here and there; we would not do that with any other book, as it misrepresents what the author is saying, so why do we do it with God's Word?

It is time that we put aside all our media offerings, which have oversaturated our lives, and get back to reading our Bibles each day, learning of & from God, building personally our relationship with Him, John 14-17.

That's the ONLY way to be a Christian!

Copyright 2012 Gretchen Offord, The Acts 1711 Project. All rights reserved.

**Why do we need so many movements? Is Jesus not sufficient, Hebrews 13??
"The head may seek God, but it is the heart that finds Him." Jeremiah 29:13
Susannah's Grace Life Coaching (Leadership; Mentoring; Counseling ) ~ Healing For The Wounded Heart
"Eternal life [is] to know you, the only true God,& Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth." John 17:3
The Acts 1711 Project ~ Searching The Scriptures to Know Truth