The Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping will be a tremendous blessing in your life in your apply them. You will reap what you sow, so you might as well sow righteousness; to reap righteousness. I pray that these messages will be a blessing to you:
Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping
Being Fruitful – Loosing the Seed!
Destined Seed
Going back to the Source of the Seed
Seedtime and Harvest!
Seedtime and Harvest! (part II)
The Confidence to Sow
Speaking the Word, Expecting a Harvest
Its all Part of the Process
Sowing Repentance
Are you a Sower?
Are You a Sower? (Part II)
Jesus’ Parable about You
The Difference is the Soil
Do you have seed in the Ground?
The Promise of the Harvest!
Sowing a Legacy
The Power of the Seed
The Power of the Yeast
A Seed for the Need
Sowing a Valuable Seed for a Valuable Harvest
The Choice is Yours
Sowing a Seed – Walking in Favor!
Honoring God with your Decisions
Expecting a Harvest without ever Sowing Seed
The Bottom Line!
Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping (top of page)
(Gen 1:11 KJV) And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Understanding Sowing and Reaping has blessed me greatly and I am thankful that the Lord has led me to share concerning this. We will investigate this topic deeper for the days to come. We begin our journey this morning with the creation account. In the first day the Lord created light and then divided the light from the darkness; calling the light day and the darkness night. In the second day the Lord created a separation between the waters and called the separation “sky.” Now we get to the third day and the focus of our message. God let the “dry ground,” under the sky come forth and He called this dry ground “earth.” This is where we pick up our text and we see that God let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree after his kind. Now don’t miss this, “whose seed is in itself.”
Let’s further investigate this:
1. God created the tree with fruit: What’s interesting about a fruit tree is that it produces fruit, but the fruit is not for itself. A fig tree does not enjoy the figs. The figs are a by-product of the growth and nourishment of the tree, but the figs are not necessarily to the betterment of the tree. The fruit of the tree can either (1) bless a human that eats it or (2) fall to the ground to produce more trees. Application: God has blessed us, but not just for us. We must not be so selfish as to neglect to produce fruit in the earth. We are blessed to be a blessing to someone else, who can in turn bring forth more fruit.
2. The fruit contains seed and the seed contains more trees: God placed the seed of the tree in the fruit. A fruit tree that does not produce fruit will never produce more trees. A fruitless fruit tree can look strong, tall, and full of leaves, but it has no legacy; because it failed to reproduce the seed that it received to create itself. A fruitless fruit tree is selfish and a poor testimony. The true prosperity of the tree comes when the tree produces fruit for others to enjoy and for the reproduction of more trees: Application: If God has blessed you with His Word, principles, precepts, and way, but you refuse to share His goodness with others; you will never know true prosperity. God does not just bless us so that we could be strong shade trees, but rather flourishing fruit trees. Just like someone sowed a seed of righteousness in our lives, we should want to sow that same seed in the lives of others.
God gave apple trees apples. God placed apple seeds inside of the apples. God also placed more apple trees inside of the apple seeds. The legacy of the apple tree is inside of the apple seed. When sown into the ground, it will produce more trees and a tremendous harvest.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that our legacy is locked up inside of us. God placed everything we needed to flourish “in” us, but we will never unlock our destiny and loose our legacy until we let it go and sow it into the lives of others. God did not bless us just for us. Thank God for the seed He placed in you, but make a conscious effort today to sow a seed into the life of someone else. You hold someone else’s destiny inside of you. Don’t die without letting it out!
Confession for this day: Lord God. You placed everything I need to prosper inside of me. I thank You for the seed of righteousness in my life. I will now sow this seed in the lives of others, that it may bring forth fruit and that You may get the glory! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Being Fruitful – Loosing the Seed! (top of page)
(Gen 1:28 KJV) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth..
This morning we continue this new series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Yesterday we learned about trees and how trees would bring forth after his kind. This morning we shift to man – the greatest of all created beings. Genesis is the book of beginnings. This book is very important because it shows God original intent for a thing, even though our present-day perspective may be skewed and the use of a thing may be perverted. Whenever we want to know what God made something for, we can go ‘Back to Genesis.’ Well, this morning we go back to Genesis and look at man. In verse 26 we learn that God created man in His own image and after His own likeness. He then loosed the dominion of the earth and all the creatures in the earth to man (male and female). God then instructed man, in our text, to “be fruitful.” These two words will be the emphasis of our message this morning.
Yesterday we learned about seed and fruit and how it applied to trees. The same applies to humans. God told man to be fruitful. Why did He not instruct man to be seedful? Because man already had the seed. Adam had the seed in Him already and Eve had the eggs in her. They had everything they needed “in” them for reproduction. God commanded them to do something – replenish the earth – but God does not expect us to do something that He has not already equipped us to do. They were already equipped with the seed required to become fruitful. What was their part? This is the key; they had to loose the seed to be fruitful!
We live in a time where the Word of God is going forth like never before. You can hear the Word over the internet, radio, or television. You can receive it on email, regular mail, flyers, etc. We have more bibles than we have ever had. There are more churches than there have ever been. And I would venture to say that more people are actually applying biblical principles to their lives and being blessed! Hallelujah!
So what does this mean to you today? It means that if the Word of God (the seed) has been a blessing to you and has brought about a change in your life, you should want to loose that same seed into the lives of others. People go to Bible Study every Wednesday and worship every Sunday and learn great truths, but you will never make a true change until you sow those truths into the life of someone else. I believe in prosperity and I know that God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servants (Ps 35:27), but I also believe that many of us have mistaken prosperity for just money. I prosper with abundant riches in Christ every time one of your replies to one of these messages and tells me how the Lord blessed you through it. Why? Because I “Loosed the Seed” when I hit the send button.
What if Adam had said, “Hey God, I like my body and I like my wife. We are healthy and we have it ‘going on.’ I think I am just going to enjoy my existence and my position in the earth.” Adam would have still been Adam, but his legacy and our destiny were locked up in His seed. God had already given Him the seed and then instructed Him to be fruitful by loosing the seed into Eve. Have you been blessed by God’s Word? Why not share that same Word with someone today? I promise you will be blessed for it!
Confession for this day: Lord God. You have blessed me richly. I have the seed of Your Word inside of me. It has brought about a tremendous change in my life. I will loose that same seed into the lives of others today. They will be blessed and you will be glorified! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Destined Seed (top of page)
(Gen 3:15) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
This morning we continue this new series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Something happened between yesterday’s text (1:28) where God spoke to man about being fruitful, multiplying, replenishing the earth, and having dominion of every creature in the earth; and today’s text (3:15). That something that happened was the ‘fall.’ Sin entered the world through the actions of one man (Adam) and condemnation for all his descendants came with it. God had to deal with the sin and would judge the serpent, the woman and the man. He started off with the serpent (v.14). He said, “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.” This is where we pick up our text. Right here, wrapped up in the judgment, is a prophecy about Jesus – the seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent. It would be thousands of years before the Angel would speak to a young virgin named Mary about being with child. It would be thousands of years before John would look at his cousin Jesus and say, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” It would be thousands of years before Jesus would lay His life down for the mistake made in the garden. But thousands of years before it would happen, God spoke of this seed! Later on, John would write (Rev 13:8) that this same Lamb (Jesus) was slain from the foundation of the world.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Our future is God’s past.
2. God has plans for us and for our seed (Jer 29:11).
3. God has made provisions for us, even for our mess-ups!
4. God placed the legacy of the apple tree inside of the apple seed and He placed the legacy of man inside of Adam. Like we learned yesterday, Adam had to loose the seed for the legacy and the destiny to come to fruition.
5. Jesus came to crush the head of the serpent and to restore the Kingdom of God in the earth.
6. We are Born-Again into His Kingdom and should now walk in His legacy.
7. Every Born-Again believer is Born to Succeed! John said it this way, (1 John 5:4 CEV) “Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory.”
Jesus was a Destined Seed and we are His Destined Seed. We should enjoy our freedom, liberty, dominion, and peace in Christ; but we must never forget that we also have Destined Seed inside of us. We are Destined Seed full of more Destined Seed! We are Destined for Success and Destined to sow that Success into the lives of others. Are you ready for walk in your Destiny?
Confession for this day: Lord God. You sent Your Son, my redeemer, Jesus Christ to crush the head of the serpent. He was the seed of the woman and I am His seed. I am born of Your Spirit, covered by the blood of Your Son, and an heir of Your Kingdom. According to Your Word, I can defeat the world and receive victory through faith. I walk by faith and not by sight. I am destined for greatness and Born to Succeed! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Going back to the Source of the Seed (top of page)
(Gen 4:25 CEV) Adam and his wife had another son. They named him Seth, because they said, “God has given us a son to take the place of Abel, who was killed by his brother Cain.”
This morning we continue this new series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Genesis 4 opens up with Adam and Eve giving birth to Cain and shortly after, to his brother Abel. Cain wound up killing his brother and the Lord judged him for it. Verses 9-24 go into detail about Cain, his judgment and his descendants. But then, seemingly out of place, verse 25 says that Adam and his wife had another son, whom they named Seth. Why is this so significant? Because it is shows that Adam and Eve did not focus on the harvest more than the seed. What do I mean? I mean that it is easy to get caught up in coming to God as some sort of ‘Sugar-Daddy.’ Many people only talk to God when they want something. When God gives them what they want, they forget about the creator and focus on the creation. They forget about the Daddy and focus on the baby. The problem is that you will never have more babies, unless you go back to the source – the Daddy. Adam and Eve were no-doubt upset about what happened to Abel, but they realized that God placed enough seed inside of them to continue to reproduce. They did not sit there and curse God. They did not blame God for what happened. They did not lose sight of their instructions. They may have been shaken, but not shattered. They used what God had placed ‘IN’ them to keep on going.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God is the source of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).
2. God has placed everything we need to succeed ‘inside’ of us.
3. God wants us to get our destiny ‘out’ of us, for us to loose it in the earth, leaving a legacy.
4. Even if things happen that are not favorable, we must not lose sight of our original purpose. We must go back to God, who is the source, tap back into the seed; and continue to move forward!
5. God is a God of progression and not regression.
6. Don’t allow one tragedy to destroy your destiny.
No matter what unfavorable event may have happened in your life, know that you still have the seed ‘in’ you to continue to bring forth fruit. You may have been knocked down, but you were not knocked out! You may have been shaken, but you were not shattered! You are still living. You are still breathing. Blood is still flowing through your veins. Air is still flowing through your lungs. Destiny is still locked up ‘inside’ of you. Lift your head up and enter into this day with thanksgiving and into God’s courts with Praise! This is a brand new day and God has given you brand new mercy (Lam 3:23). The Best is Yet to Come!
Confession for this day: Lord God. You give me the power to overcome every attack of the enemy. I am able to withstand hindrances, attacks, disappointments and maltreatment; and come out Victorious! I go back to the source of my strength this morning and I tap back into my seed. I look forward and not backward. I am the head and not the tail. I am above only, and not beneath. I can do all things through Christ! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Seedtime and Harvest! (top of page)
(Gen 8:22 KJV) “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Genesis 8 tells the story of Noah inside of the ark with all of the animals. The earth and all its inhabitants were destroyed with water. The only persons saved were Noah and his family. Noah’s ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (v.4). The waters continued to recede for forty more days. When it was finally time for Noah to come out of the ark, God said to him, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you-the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground-so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it” (v.16,17). Once Noah came out of the ark, he built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done” (v.21). This is where we pick up our text. The Lord continued to say, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
I could get into the reason why God destroyed the earth with water, but that is not the focus of this series. What we do see, in verses 16 and 17, is that the Lord never changed His mind about multiplying on the earth, nor being fruitful. Why? Because God does not change. Understanding that, we see the significance of our text for this morning. He instituted a principle of sowing and reaping in our text that still stands today. We will investigate this principle further tomorrow, but let’s glean a couple of golden nuggets from the text today:
1. God expects us to fulfill His plan for our lives: Although Noah, his family, and all the animals had endured such a tremendous ordeal; they were still expected to operate in their original purpose. God still expected them to bring forth fruit and replenish the earth. The tragedy of the flood did not exonerate them from purpose! Application: The circumstances that the Lord permits to enter the arena of our lives do not cause Him to lower His expectations of us. He expects to get OUT of us, all that He has placed IN us.
2. In all things give thanks: All their neighbors were dead. All of their other family members were destroyed. Their home was gone. They had floated all the way up to a mountain and had not clue where they were. But instead of complaining, crying, or whining; the first thing that Noah did when he got out of the ark was to offer a sacrifice to the Lord! He was still alive and God still had a plan for his life. That was something to be thankful for! Application: There is always something left! If you are reading this email, then you are breathing and there is still something left in you. If God were through with you, you would be dead. You are alive and God still has purposed wrapped up inside of you. Instead of complaining about the circumstances, give thanks unto God and move forward! What do you have to be thankful for this morning?
You survived the storm, it’s now time for move forward!
Confession for this day: Lord God. You are the King of Glory. You sit on the circle of the earth. You have all things in and under control. I am Your child and I accept whatever You permit to enter the arena of my life. I move forward and not backward. I will please you today and every day. I give thanks in all things, for this is Your will concerning me. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Seedtime and Harvest! (part II) (top of page)
(Gen 8:22 KJV) “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Yesterday we discussed the story of Noah’s ark and the destruction of the world with water. Not only did God tell Noah to release the animals to move upon the ground, so that they could multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number; but He also told Him (9:1) to “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” He also gave Noah a sign – that remains today – that he would never again destroy the earth with water. He showed Noah a rainbow. Every time we see a rainbow, we are to be reminded of the flood and of the covenant between God and Noah. Well, this brings us back to our text. “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” From that day to this day (and until the end of the earth) there has been seedtime and harvest.
This principle of “seedtime and harvest” applies to the earth, trees, plants, etc.; but it also applies to many other areas. When these words “seedtime and harvest” are read together, most focus on the word harvest. We love the harvest. The harvest is when we go into the fields to reap the fruit. The harvest is when we leave the farm and step out into overflowing, abundant, and plentiful pastures. We all love to imagine the harvest. We leave the house with an empty basket and come back with a basket overflowing with blessings. The problem, however, is that we will never have the harvest without the seed. The word “seedtime” comes before “harvest” for a reason. Solomon taught us that there was a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which was planted (Ecc 3:2). The problem is that most people want the harvest without sowing the seed. Even those that do sow the seed do not want to wait the time it takes for the harvest to come up. Dr. Mike Murdock says of this text, that the word “seedtime” could be looked at as “seed time”. Meaning that the text could read “While the earth remains, there will be seed, then time, then harvest…” There is definitely a space of time between the seed and the harvest. The time will vary, but there will be some amount of time.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The principle of “seedtime and harvest” will remain while the earth remains.
2. This principle is not limited to plants. Paul said that God would not be made a fool of; we will reap what we sow (Gal 6:7).
3. We know that the seed can be the seed of a man that brings forth more men. But the seed can also be the Word of God (1 Pet 1:23), money (Gal 6:7), or whatever we give in the name of Jesus (Mat 19:29).
4. Our harvest is tied to our seed. You cannot expect a harvest if you do not have any seed in the ground.
5. God will honor whatever we sow and will – after time – produce a harvest in our lives.
If we do not like what we are harvesting, then we ought to check our seed.
Confession for this day: Lord God. While the earth remains, there will be seedtime and harvest. There will be time to sow and time to reap. Time to plant and time to pluck up that which was planted. I sow righteousness and I expect a harvest of righteousness. I sow peace and expect a harvest of peace. I sow finances and I expect a harvest of finances. I sow love and I expect a harvest of love. I give willingly for Your name’s sake and receive a hundredfold return. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Confidence to Sow (top of page)
(Ecc 11:4 CEV) If you worry about the weather and don’t plant seeds, you won’t harvest a crop.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Yesterday we discussed the time between the seed and the harvest. This morning’s message flows in that same vein. Solomon opens Ecclesiastes 11 with these words, “Be generous, and someday you will be rewarded. Share what you have with seven or eight others, because you never know when disaster may strike. Rain clouds always bring rain; trees always stay wherever they fall.” This brings us to our text, “If you worry about the weather and don’t plant seeds, you won’t harvest a crop.”
Solomon starts of by telling us to be generous, knowing that “someday” we will be rewarded. I mentioned yesterday that the time between the seed and the harvest is undetermined, but we know that there will be “some” amount of time. This uncertainty casts fear in the hearts of many. They are unwilling to sow – especially financially – into the lives of others and into the church, because they don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Actually, the very next verse tells us that we do not know when disaster may strike. This is true and this uncertainty requires trust in the Lord of the seed. Rain clouds will always bring rain. Storms will be a part of our lives for as long as we live. Our text teaches us that if we worry about the storms and fail to plant seeds, we will never harvest a crop. The storms are going to come. They are inevitable. But if we do not have seed in the ground, we will never reap a harvest – period. We must sow the seed, having confidence in the Lord of the seed, and expect a harvest; regardless of the weather.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. There is ground out there waiting for seed.
2. Many hold on to their seed (money, love, kindness, goodness, gentleness, etc.) because they are uncertain of the weather that tomorrow will bring.
3. Storms are inevitable and they will arise in our lives.
4. When storms do come, they actually help the seed that is in the ground to bring forth fruit. Those that do not have seed in the ground have to endure the storm, but with no expectation of a harvest.
What is your seed? What are you holding on to? Are you afraid to be nice to someone you do not like, because you don’t know how they will react? Are you afraid to afraid to love someone that cannot stand you, because you do not know how they will take it? Are you afraid to give money to a ministry that needs it, because you are unsure of the economy? What is holding you back from sowing your seed?
If you do not sow, you will not reap. You are not hurting anyone but yourself. Trust God enough to have The Confidence to Sow. Share a smile today with someone you don’t normally talk to. Share a kind word today with someone you have been at odds with. Share a financial seed into your ministry. I understand that we do not know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, but if we worry about the weather and do not sow, we will never reap a harvest!
Confession for this day: Lord God. You sit on the circle of the earth. You have all things in and under control. You know what tomorrow will bring. Lead me today to confidently sow into the lives of others and I expect to reap a harvest, in spite of the weather. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Speaking the Word, Expecting a Harvest (top of page)
(Jer 1:12 AMP) Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” I feel led to do something a little different. We have learned so far that the Word of God is an incorruptible seed. For those that received the teaching series on “Mastering Your Mouth,” you know that our words, lined up with God’s Word, have creative ability. When we repeat God’s Word over our lives, we are basically telling God that we agree with His opinion. In Jeremiah’s account of His call, the Lord told him that He watches over His Word to perform it. This morning I woke up repeating “In the Name of Jesus” over and over. I asked the Holy Spirit to give me a poem/confession, from His Word entitled “In the Name of Jesus.” This is what He gave me. Repeat this over your life for today:
In the name of Jesus,
I am who the Bible says that I am and I can do what the Bible says that I can do,
In the name of Jesus,
I walk with God, he walks with me, and I walk in peace, no matter what I go through,
In the name of Jesus,
I am the righteousness of God in Christ, the head and not the tail,
In the name of Jesus,
I have no other God’s before Jehovah; He is the only God that I hail,
In the name of Jesus,
I am covered by His blood, anointed by His Spirit, and called according to His purpose for my life,
In the name of Jesus,
I am delivered from every curse of the enemy and I walk in joy and not strife,
In the name of Jesus,
I am redeemed from the curse of death, of sickness, and of poverty,
In the name of Jesus,
I walk in the Spirit, not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and through faith – receive prosperity!
In the name of Jesus,
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust,
In the name of Jesus,
I walk in holiness, godliness and purity; delivered from sexual immorality and lust,
In the name of Jesus,
I shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
In the name of Jesus,
For he shall give his angels charge over me, to keep me in all thy ways,
In the name of Jesus,
I am more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ – Him – that loved me,
In the name of Jesus,
I walk in accordance with the Word of God and with my God-given Destiny!
In the name of Jesus,
Every disease, germ, or virus that touches my body must die and I walk in heath,
In the name of Jesus,
My body functions properly, my mind is alert, and the Lord gives me the power to get wealth,
In the name of Jesus,
I walk in the wisdom of God and not in the wisdom of this world today,
In the name of Jesus,
I declare what the Lord has already decreed, I am blessed, and I these things – I pray!
In the name of Jesus!
Remember, if you sow righteousness you will reap righteousness! Have a blessed Day!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
It’s all Part of the Process (top of page)
(Isa 28:24-26 CEV) Farmers don’t just plow and break up the ground. When a field is ready, they scatter the seeds of dill and cumin; they plant the seeds of wheat and barley in the proper places. They learn this from their God.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” This morning we take a look at the closing verses of Isaiah’s 28th chapter. The chapter opens with a warning to Ephraim’s drunkards and ends with stories of their evitable fate. Many scholars believe that this warning is not limited to the Tribe of Ephraim, but rather that Ephraim is listed to include the ten tribes that were drunk, either literally or with sin. The story of the farmer the last of the stories and deals with Ephraim’s impending judgment.
The story not only dealt with plowing – to break up the fallow ground – but also sowing, reaping the harvest, and pounding the wheat and barley. This would all be Part of the Process that they would endure. Now, none of you reading this email are members of the Tribe of Ephraim. I understand that, but there are some principles that we can take away from this passage that can apply to our lives.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. There are times where God will need to break up the fallow ground in our lives. If we become stiff-necked towards God and refuse to receive wise counsel, then our ground has become hard and God will send people with plows to go to work in our lives. Plows are painful!
2. Then there are times when we will reap a harvest. This is when everything seems to be going well. We leave the house with empty baskets and come back with them overflowing with blessing. Reaping the harvest is wonderful!
3. Then there comes the time to process the harvest. We must have the wisdom of God to be able to properly use whatever He allowed us to harvest. Whether it be the wisdom to apply His word, the wisdom concerning our finances, the wisdom to make our marriage a success, the wisdom to raise our children the right way, and etc. Reaping the harvest (the Word, money, marriage, kids) is one thing, but all of the work of the farmer would be in vain if we messed up the harvest before it ever benefited him.
I don’t know where you are today, but God knows. You might be enduring the painful plowing process and you need to repent of your sin. You might be enjoying the harvesting process and are enjoying spiritual bliss. Or you might be seeking God for the wisdom to properly process the harvest, so that it can make the greatest impact in your life and the lives of your family. Either way, it is all Part of the Process. Don’t ever give up and don’t ever give in. Keep on moving. Keep on sowing. Keep on reaping. Keep on harvesting. And use the wisdom of God to apply and process all that you receive!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am not a quitter. I will never throw in the towel. I enter into this day, thankful for the process that I am enduring and enjoying. You give me the wisdom to apply everything that I receive and to maximize it, for Your Glory. I sow righteousness and I reap righteousness. I sow Godliness and I reap Godliness. I sow into Your Kingdom and I reap from Your Kingdom! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Sowing Repentance (top of page)
(Hos 10:12 KJV) Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Chapters 8 through 10 tell of the sobering reality of God’s expectation of His children. God rebuked Israel for her actions. Read through it when you get a chance. To get a taste of what I am talking about, let’s look at verses 13 and 14 of this chapter. God says, “You have planted evil, harvested injustice, and eaten the fruit of your lies. You trusted your own strength and your powerful forces. So war will break out, and your fortresses will be destroyed. Your enemies will do to you what Shalman did to the people of Beth–Arbel – mothers and their children will be beaten to death against rocks.” As I read verse after verse, chapter after chapter, it seemed like I was reading judgment after judgment; until I came across our text for this morning. This glimpse of Hope is seemingly hidden within the corridors of judgment.
No doubt that countless Christians fall into sin. Although they still have a relationship with God, their fellowship and intimacy is interrupted by sin and repentance – like the Israelites in our text – becomes the true need. So let’s take a closer look at the text and see how it can bless our lives today:
1. Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy: This is pretty straight-forward. The principles of sowing and reaping are clear throughout scripture. If we sow righteousness, we will reap in mercy. Not that we are righteous in and of ourselves, nor that we deserve salvation; but rather that we seek to please God daily by being used of Him to be a blessing to others.
2. Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD: One of the biggest mistakes that Christians make when they sin is to stay away from God. Once they recognize their sin, they seemingly attempt to run from the Everlasting Father. This is a trick of the enemy and the worst mistake that we can make. If we ever needed God, we need Him when we have sinned. Just like Israel needed to break up the unplowed ground in her life, we need to do the same. We must confess our sins and know that He if faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Repentance becomes the plow that prepares unfertile soil for new growth.
3. Till he come and rain righteousness upon you: When we acknowledge our sins before God and allow repentance to prepare unfertile soil for new growth, we can have an expectation that God will send His glorious rain to nourish the ground and bring forth new fruit in our lives. Are you ready for a shower of righteousness?
So what does this mean to you today? (1) You will reap what you sow. (2) If you know you are in sin this morning, you need to repent, turn from the sin and towards God. (3) When we allow God to break up the sinful soil in our lives through repentance and truly turn away from sin, we will reap a shower of blessings!
Are you ready to be blessed? If sin is keeping you from the shower, deal with it this morning and move forward!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am not a sinner. I am a child of the Most High God. I have acknowledged and confessed my sins before God and I move forward and not backward. I am the head and not the tail. I am above only and not beneath. I will not allow sin to rule me. I walk in liberty, freedom, power, and love. I walk into a shower of blessings this day! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Are you a Sower? (top of page)
(Mar 4:3) Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” We have learned that the Word of God is an incorruptible seed (1 Pet 1:23), whereby men are Born Again. In Mark 4, Jesus told a parable of a Sower that went forth to Sow and the different types of soil. Jesus later explained to His disciples that the sower sows the seed and that the seed is the Word of God (v.14).
What I really like about this verse and about this story is that we don’t know much about the Sower. We don’t know his name, who his father was, what school he graduated from, where he grew up, etc. All Jesus thought necessary to mention about this guy was that he was a sower and that he went forth to sow. His individuality and his identity seem to be swallowed up in his office. What do you identify yourself with? Do you ever mention that you are a Christian? Do people that come in contact with you ever receive seed? When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see a person that is focused on promoting his/her name and achieving personal fame, or do you see a sower that is going forth to sow?
It does not matter who he is, or what he has, or what else he can do, if he does this one thing. He has lost his identity in his service and has gained a new one — A Sower, who goes forth to Sow! Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor 15:10). Paul was used of God mightily, he wrote half the New Testament, he won many souls for Christ, he went out on three missionary journeys, and he even died for the furtherance of the Gospel. Paul was a learned man and a Pharisee of the Pharisees. Even after all that Paul could put on his resume, Paul kept the proper perspective. Paul understood that who he was, was wrapped up, tangled up, and tied up in Jesus!
The man in the text was a Sower. Paul was a Christian. We are Christian Sowers, sent forth by God to go out and sow! Many personal matters are unimportant at this juncture. The color of your skin, the balance of your bank account, the rank on your shoulder, and the amount of schooling you have received are all unimportant. None of these qualify you as a sower. All you need is an ear to hear (hands to receive) and the Holy Spirit to speak (storehouse of grain).
So what does this mean to you today? It means that if you are a Born-Again believer and have the Word of God (seed) in your heart, you are ready to be a sower this morning that can go forth to sow. It does not matter where you came from, but rather where you are going. God uses all sorts, all kinds, of different backgrounds, different statures, and of different cultures as sowers in His Kingdom.
Are you ready to sow a seed of love into someone’s life today? It does not take much, but if you allow God to use to you sow into someone’s life, they will be changed and you will be blessed. Can God count on you today to be a sower that is willing to go forth to sow?
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a Born-Again believer. I am enlisted in Your Army. I visit Your storehouse consistently to receive the seed of Your Word. I go forth into this day with my hands overflowing with that seed. I sow into the lives of a dying and decaying world and believe that Your seed will bring forth fruit in the earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Are you a Sower? (Part II) (top of page)
(Mar 4:3) Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Yesterday we learned about a sower that Jesus thought enough of to mention and the Holy Spirit thought enough of to document through the Gospel writer. Jesus may have omitted stories of lawyers going forth to mitigate law, or doctors going forth to practice medicine, or money changers going forth to exchange currency, but He thought it necessary to teach about a Sower that went forth to Sow. Let’s take a closer look at this guy this morning.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon preached a message from this text and He brought out a couple of points about this man that I will elaborate on this morning:
1. He must have been an eater: Spurgeon says that this man must have been an eater, unless he would have never been a sower. The gospel is seed for the sower and bread for the eater. Every man, who really goes out to sow for God, must have first been an eater himself. There is not a true servant of God on the earth that has not first eaten of the same gospel upon which he feeds others. The seed must have first preached TO him, before it can preach THROUGH him. Application: God does not want you to attempt to give someone what you do not have, nor lead them where you have not been. If you are not an eater, the seed does not even make sense to you. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4). Once we have tasted the seed, eaten the bread, and dined form the Master’s table; we become eligible to testify of the goodness of God.
2. He must have been a receiver: Imagine the mockery of a man going up and down a field, pretending to scatter seed out of an empty hand. Many engage in activity, but never cross over to productivity, because they leave the barn without anything in their hands. They have not received and therefore have nothing to give. After we have tasted of the goodness of God and have become eaters, we must spend the necessary time with God to become “receivers.” Receivers are led of God and they know what to say and when to say it. Application: If we spend time with God in prayer and study, He will lead us to sow in the right fields. Jesus offered fish to fishermen (Mat 1:16-18), water to a thirsty woman (John 4:13,14), and bread to a hungry crowd (John 6:35). Jesus always received from God before He spoke and therefore always had the right words to say. The man in the text had to make a visit to barn before he ever went out into the field. We have to receive before we can sow!
Eating gives us the motivation and receiving gives us the wisdom. We need both to be successful sowers in the Kingdom of God!
So what does this mean to you today? It means that if you are an eater and have tasted of the goodness of God and have been changed; then you ought to want to share that goodness with someone else. Before you can share, however, you need to receive. Don’t go out into the fields with empty hands. Ask God to fill your hands with His goodness today and this weekend and allow Him to share His seed with a dying and decaying world. God has been too good to you to keep Him to yourself.
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am an eater. I dine from Your table continuously. I do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from Your mouth. Your Word is my guide and the ruler by which I judge my decisions. I am also a receiver and I have an ear to hear what you are saying to me, that you might speak through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Jesus’ Parable about You (top of page)
(Mar 4:3) Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Last week we sent out a couple of messages from this text about the unnamed man that Jesus spoke of. I planned on moving on to another text, but the Holy Spirit did not let me. There is a Word that we need to hear this Monday morning about parables and our lives.
Jesus told many stories and taught many parables. A parable is an earthly illustration with a heavenly meaning. He told earthly stories with Godly messages in them, in order that those that followed Him (and us today) could understand an All-Knowing God. We have talked about this unnamed man in the text. We talked about how he must have been and eater and a receiver before he ever was a sower. We talked about how is identity was swallowed up in his office. We talked about how we do not know much about who he was, but we do know what he did. The bottom-line was that this man made frequent trips to the barn, left with hands full of seed, and departed into open and barren fields ready to sow for the Kingdom of God!
What if Jesus told a story about You? What if He came up with a parable about Your life? What would that story sound like? What would be the message behind it?
· Would it be a parable of missed opportunities?
· Would it be a parable of squandered potential?
· Would it be a parable of unused seed?
· Would it be a parable of hoarding and never sowing?
· Or would it be a parable of a servant going forth to serve, a sower going forth to sow, a son going forth to succeed?
Think about that for a minute. What would Jesus actually say about you? Would he perk up as a proud father does when talking about an honorable son or would he rub his forehead and sigh like a frustrated father does when talking about a wayward child? Of course we all want Jesus to be able to tell our story with gladness and joy, but we must first use the seed that He has placed in our hands. We must be faithful over the work He has encharged to us. This unnamed man in the text basically just gave what he received. Paul said that he simply delivered what he received (1 Cor 15:3). He also instructed his friend Archippus at Colossi to the same, he said, “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it.”
So what does this mean to you today? It means we all need to take personal inventory this morning to ensure that we are doing what is right in the eyes of our Lord. We must simply use the seed that Jesus has placed in our hands to be a blessing to others. Some may be good listeners, while others are good encouragers. Some may be gifted to share a scripture with someone who is hurting, while another may simply be led to share a hug. Some honor God at home with their children and others at work with their peers. The point is that no matter who you are and what you do, do it all to the glory of God. Be faithful over the seed He has placed in your hands and He will bless you for it! He will be able to tell your story with gladness and joy!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a faithful servant. I use the seed that You have placed in my hands wisely. I do not squander my potential, but rather maximize it in Christ. I am a servant that goes forth to serve. I am a sower that goes forth to sow. I am a son that goes forth to succeed this day and every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Difference is the Soil (top of page)
(Mar 4:24 BBE) And he said to them, Take care what you give ear to: in the same measure as you give you will get, and more will be given to you.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Now that we have discussed this sower that went forth to sow, let’s move further along in the story. Jesus went on to explain the different types of soil to the crowd in general and then further explained the parable to His disciples in private. He explained that the farmer sows the word and that there will be different types of people in the earth that receive the Word. Some will be like the soil by the side of the road that receive the seed, but as soon as they hear it, satan comes and takes it away. Others are like the rocky soil. These people hear the word and immediately rejoice. They get happy, but since they have no root, they quickly burn out. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others are like the thorny ground. These people hear the word, but they allow the worries of this life to choke it and to make it unfruitful in their lives. And finally others are like good soil. These people – which I hope you fall into this category – hear the Word in faith, they accept it and it produces a harvest in their lives; some thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.
Take careful note that this story started off with “one” sower. This sower went forth to sow seed in the earth. He sowed the same seed in every situation, but the results were different. What caused the difference? What it the sower? No! Was it the seed? No! Was it how is treated each soil? No! The singular difference in every case was the soil itself. God does not play favorites. He does not want to bless one and ignore another. He desires to save and prosper us all, but many refuse to allow the seed of the Word of God to produce a harvest in their lives. This is not God’s fault, but ours. The Word works if you work the Word! Our text teaches us that we need to be careful what we receive. The more receptive we are to the Word of God, the more we will get and the greater the harvest will be in our lives.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Understand that the Word of God is an incorruptible seed.
2. Understand that this seed can produce a harvest in anyone’s life, but they must be willing to receive the seed and allow it to work in them.
3. When we receive the Word of God by faith, and then apply it to our lives, we are allowing the seed to bring forth Godly fruit.
4. If we are not experiencing a harvest, it is not because there is something wrong with the seed.
5. The difference between a person growing in God and experiencing the harvest and a person just barely getting by and not growing at all is the soil, not the seed.
If you do not like what you are harvesting, it may be time to check the soil!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I receive the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. I am good soil and receive that seed by faith. It brings forth fruit in my life. Sometimes thirty, sometimes sixty, and other times a hundred times what was sown. I allow the Word of God to change me and to shape my character. I am the good soil and I receive a Godly harvest. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Do you have Seed in the Ground? (top of page)
(Mar 4:26,27 NIV) He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Yesterday we dealt with the fact that there is only one sower in this story and that he is sowing the same seed on all the different grounds. If the seed is not producing, it is because of the soil and not the seed. Jesus went on to say, very clearly, in our text that the Kingdom of God is like this story. You should perk up your attention whenever you see the “Kingdom of God” in scripture. Jesus came to re-establish what Adam lost and that was Kingdom authority in the earth. Jesus started His ministry by saying, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mat 4:17). So understanding the principles of the sowing and reaping are important because Jesus likened the Kingdom to these principles.
Jesus had already made it clear that the seed was the Word of God. He now explains that if a man scatters seed on the ground, night and day, whether he sleeps or not; that seed is working and bring forth fruit. He then goes on to explain that the harvest of the seed is not tied to the understanding of the sower. Whether he understands it or not, the principle still remains the same and the seed will still be working.
Now, to be clear, the sower is sowing seed into different types of soil in the text. The seed is always working, but the type of soil will determine the amount of harvest. This is a parable about evangelism and witnessing to a dying and decaying world. Most of you that receive these messages are Christians and I urge you to share God’s light with others today. If you are not a Christian, then I urge you to repent of your sin and receive Jesus into your heart. You will never be the same. But then there are some principles we can draw from this text that can apply to Christian’s personal lives today as well. Let’s take a look at a few things:
1. The Word of God is a seed.
2. The seed of the Word of God will always seek to produce a harvest, wherever it is sown.
3. Whenever we speak the Word of God over our family, finances, friends, careers, homes, health, etc.; we are sowing God’s seed into these situations.
4. The seed of the Word of God will go to work in the areas where it is sown and will work continuously. The text teaches us that it works night and day, whether we are sleeping or not, and whether we fully understand it or not.
5. Those of us that want to grow and prosper in Christ and see His “Abundant Life” manifested in our lives and those around us should sow the seed of the Word of God and expect a harvest.
The question for you this morning is, do you have seed in the ground? Only a foolish farmer would expect a harvest without ever sowing any seed.
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a light to a dying and decaying world and sow Your seed into the lost daily. I also sow Your seed of abundance over my family and expect a harvest. We are who You say we are and we can do what You say we can do. We are made Your righteousness through Your Son. We are more than conquerors. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We can do all things through Christ. We speak the Word, sow the seed, and expect a correspondent return. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Promise of the Harvest! (top of page)
(Mar 4:28,29 KJV) For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” We have dealt with this passage (Mark 4) for the last few days and we wrap it up this Friday morning with the Promise of the Harvest! Farming is hard work. I remember going to the Dominican Republic as a kid and watching my uncles go out into the fields and work all day long in the blazing sun. They would come back exhausted. They tilled the ground, prepared the fields, sowed the seed, and then had to leave everything else up to God. There was nothing beyond that that they could do. They did not have hoses or machines to water anything. They simply had to do their part and then allow the Lord of the Harvest to bring forth results. Year after year, however, the harvest came. God never failed. Remember that God promised in Gen 8:22 that while the earth remained, that there would be seedtime and harvest. The earth is still here and so is seedtime and harvest. They faithfully did what they could do and trusted God to do the rest.
Our text explains that it does not happen overnight, but it does happen. First the blade, then the ear, and then the full corn comes forth. When the harvest is ready, the farmer goes and gets that most prized tool – the sickle. The sickle is only used when the harvest is come!
So what does this mean to you today? A couple of things:
1. Over unbelievers: We all know people that do not have Jesus in their lives. No doubt, we have spoken to them, shared our heart with them, and prayed for them. The messages from the last few days have taught us to share the Word of God with them, however we are led, and to trust God to bring forth a harvest in their lives. All we can do is share the Word and share our heart, but they must make the decision to repent of their sin and receive Jesus for themselves. Don’t get frustrated, however. Keep sowing in love and sharing with them in truth and God will bring forth the harvest. Our text teaches us that is a process, but one that leads to a harvest.
2. Over our lives: I practice and have shared with you that we should speak the Word of God over our lives and over every situation. When we do, we are sowing Godly seed and expecting a correspondent return. Once again, it may not happen overnight, but it will happen. That Word will bring forth fruit – first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn – in our lives.
Sowing is hard work. Farmers are physically drained after spending all day in the fields, but they do it because they trust God enough to bring forth a harvest – even when they cannot “see” what the seed is doing in the earth. Can you have the faith of a farmer this morning? Can you have the faith to trust an unseen seed to bring forth an abundant harvest?
Get the sickle ready – the harvest is on the way!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I walk by faith and not by sight. I trust the unseen seed of Your Word to work in the lives of every unbeliever that I have shared with. I trust that you will convict them of sin, convince them of truth, and convert them to Your righteousness. I trust that Your Word is at work over my family, friends, finances, health, and my mind. I operate in Your truth and live by Your Word. I receive Your peace and trust that You will bring forth a harvest in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Sowing a Legacy (top of page)
(Prov 27:17 CEV) Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” This weekend I was afforded the opportunity to participate in the promotion ceremony of one of my former Commanders to Brigadier (1 Star) General. It was a beautiful ceremony and one in which God was glorified. There were many people present that had made an indelible mark in the life of the person being promoted. As I made my way around the reception and talked to many of these people, one person stood out in particular. He is a retired Lieutenant (3 Star) General that I had talked to previously at several promotions, changes of command, and during his some of his visits to installations. It became clear after talking to him and others around the room that this man has left a legacy. There were several former, current, and future Battalion and Brigade Commanders in the room that had all benefited from this man’s guidance and wisdom. As I spoke to him and brought up the point about his legacy and the impact that he has made, he brought to my attention that I was also part of that legacy. Some of the people that have mentored me have been mentored by him and he asked that I continue the legacy by mentoring others.
So now you may be thinking, “What does this have to do with sowing and reaping?” It really has a lot to do with it. This man sowed seeds in the lives of the many that He was blessed to come in contact with and those seeds are still bringing forth fruit today. He was able to – like our text instructs us – sharpen those he came in contact with. Many of the recipients of his seed and sharpening have become sowers and sharpeners themselves. Solomon said, “Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces” (Prov 13:20 MSG). My good friend Elder Jon Bryant likes to remind me from this text that “Wisdom is transferred by association.” Those that associate themselves with the wise become wise themselves, but those that hang out with fools will watch their lives fall into pieces.
So what does this mean to you today? It depends on which side of the coin you are operating on. Let me explain:
1. The Sower: If you are a leader and God has blessed you to be in a position of authority (see Romans 13), then you should honor God by making the most of your God-given opportunity. Sow into someone’s life today and make them sharper than they currently are. You can make a difference in someone else’s life. Take a few minutes to sincerely talk to someone about where they are, what they are doing well, and what they can do to grow towards further success. The old adage is true; people don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care. No doubt, this man took the time to mentor his subordinates and we should do the same.
2. The Soil: If you are a subordinate and under authority, then don’t buck against the system. Learn from those that God has placed over you. If they are honorable, then glean that wisdom that comes from association. If they are not, then learn from their mistakes. Either way, there is something to learn. Receive whatever seed you can and allow God to bring forth the harvest.
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am receptive soil today. I understand that wisdom is transferred by association and I associate myself with the wise. I receive their counsel, apply it to my life, and am sharpened by their guidance. I in turn sow that same seed into the lives of others. I leave a legacy of righteousness, honor, and prosperity everywhere I go. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Power of the Seed (top of page)
(Mat 13:31,32 CEV) Jesus told them another story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Jesus came to the to the earth to re-establish the Kingdom that Adam lost. Jesus often spoke of the Kingdom and how it operates, in order that we might learn His intent for our operation in the earth. Take fore example the time that the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. He taught them the model for prayer and He said, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…” Now I shared that from Mat 6:9,10 in the traditional King James version. But those same Greek words in the Contemporary English Version read, “Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven…” Jesus began His ministry by saying, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here” (Mat 4:17). Jesus went on to die, was buried and risen from the dead to establish that Kingdom. 50 days after His death, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon His people and the New Testament church was birthed. More importantly, however, the Holy Spirit that Adam had in the Garden of Eden was now back in the lives of believers and the Kingdom was re-established.
All of that was a foundation for understanding the Kingdom, so that we could get back to our text and take a look at this mustard seed. God’s Kingdom does not operate like the world, nor is it limited to the world’s standards. Just like God can take a mustard seed and birth a tree out of it, He can take the least of us and birth greatness. God has sown greatness deep down inside of you and He wants to birth it out. He wants to get a strong and stable tree from His small and seemingly insignificant seed. How can He do it? Well, the seed will always remain just a seed until it is sown into the ground, dies, and is broken. Then and only then can the seed birth the tree.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that God does not want you to look at yourself with the world’s standards. He does not want you to operate under the world’s principles. He wants to birth greatness out of you, but to do it, you must first surrender to the Lord of the harvest. When you die to self and are broken, you then loose the power of God to operate in your life.
If God can make a strong and stable tree from a tiny mustard seed, just imagine what He can do in your life; if you let Him!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a Born-Again believer and I operate under Your Kingdom principles. I am good seed and I surrender myself to You for an abundant harvest. I allow You to birth out of me everything You have placed IN me. I surrender to You and allow You to work in me, both to will and to do, for Your good pleasure! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Power of the Yeast (top of page)
(Mat 13:33 MSG) Another story. “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread – and waits while the dough rises.”
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” We pick up where we left off yesterday. Immediately after likening the Kingdom to a mustard seed (outward work), Jesus tells a story of yeast (inward work). He says that a woman takes the yeast and works it into dough and then she waits while the dough rises. Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like this yeast that is worked into dough. It takes time and skill to properly knead the dough and work the yeast into it. Even more important, however, is the patience required to wait for the yeast to work in the dough. Yesterday’s parable was one of outward work, but this one focuses on the inside. Once the work is done, the seed has been sown, the gospel has been preached, the testimony has been shared, and the yeast is inside of the dough; we must then give the yeast the time it needs to expand the dough. We dealt with Gen 8:22 several messages ago. It reads, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest…” This is an excerpt from that message:
“Dr. Mike Murdock says of this text, that the word “seedtime” could be looked at as “seed time”. Meaning that the text could read “While the earth remains, there will be seed, then time, then harvest…” There is definitely a space of time between the seed and the harvest. The time will vary, but there will be some amount of time.”
Just like the farmer is diligent to sow seed in to the earth and has the right to expect a harvest, after a “certain” amount of time; the baker must be diligent to work the yeast into the dough and then wait a “certain” amount of time for the yeast to go to work in the dough. In both cases, the results will come, but we have to trust the seed and the yeast to bring them forth.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. The yeast is the Word of God.
2. Be diligent to work the Word into the lives of those the Lord allows you to and then have the patience to allow the yeast to go to work “inside” of the dough.
3. Once the yeast is “inside” of the dough, it will change the composition of the dough and cause it to expand and grow.
4. The woman in the text could not take any credit for the expansion of the dough, nor can we take credit for the operation of the Word.
5. All the woman could do was work the yeast into the dough and then allow the yeast to do the rest. Likewise, all we can is to share the Word with those the Lord allows us to and allow the Word of God to do the rest.
6. The text implies that the dough will rise and we can be sure that the Word will bring forth a harvest wherever we send it.
Lastly, don’t just expect the Word to work inside of others, but expect growth and expansion in your life as well. The more Word you have and apply, the greater the expansion and growth!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I sow the Word into the lives of my friends, family, and whomever You lead to. I expect the Word to work in their lives and to bring forth a change. I also expect Your Word to change me and cause me to expand and grow. Enlarge my territory! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
A Seed for the Need (top of page)
(John 6:11 CEV) Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” John 6 opens with Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd followed Him because of the miracles He had done. Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with His disciples. As they saw the big crowd coming, Jesus asked, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” This was a test because He already knew what He was going to do. Phillip immediately began to calculate and said; “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Not to mention that no business in the area could handle a crowd that size. We often have problems getting a restaurant to setup an area to feed 20 people. Andrew spoke up and said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” The people did as the disciples instructed them and sat down on the grass. There were about 5,000 men, not counting the women and children. This is where we pick up our text. Jesus took what has given to Him, blessed it, broke it, and gave it. Everyone ate as much as they wanted and there was still 12 baskets left over. Now let’s take a closer look at this familiar story:
1. There was clearly a need. There were over 5,000 hungry people.
2. The need exceeded their resources. They did not have enough money to purchase that much food, nor could they find a place to provide it.
3. There was a “seed” in the crowd that could meet the need. The provision did not come from the disciples, nor really from Jesus. In the Kingdom accounting system, the little boy in the text is the one that is credited for feeding the 5,000. He provided the seed and Jesus did what God will always do with seed – multiply it and produce a harvest.
4. I have heard many people say that there were 12 baskets left over – one for each disciple. The problem I have with that theory is that I understand Sowing and Reaping. The disciples did not provide anything, so why would they reap the harvest? I believe the little kid in the text left with 12 baskets of food, after everyone else was full and happy. He reaped the harvest, because He provided the seed.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that God can meet any need we have in our lives, but we must be willing to loose our seed into His hands and allow Him to multiply it. The two fish and five loaves would not have fed more than a couple of people in the little boy’s hands, but in Jesus’ hands, it fed thousands. When we loose our seed – money, the Word, prayers, love, compassion, etc. – to God, we must trust that He is going to anoint that seed and produce a harvest. The devil’s mathematics are subtraction and division, but God’s mathematics are addition and multiplication. God will add and multiply whatever you place in His hands.
Do you have a need? Then loose a seed. You will see God produce the harvest in your life.
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a sower in the Kingdom. I sow love, compassion, mercy, peace, money, and Your Word into the lives of others and into Your Kingdom. I trust that You will receive the seed that I sow into the Kingdom and multiply it in Your hands. You produce a harvest because I loose a seed for every need. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Sowing a Valuable Seed for a Valuable Harvest (top of page)
(I Kings 18:45a CEV) A few minutes later, it got very cloudy and windy, and rain started pouring down…
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Please read I Kings 16-18 at your convenience. I am going to give you the very condensed version. Ahab becomes the King of Israel at the end of chapter 16 and he did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any before him. Chapter 17 opens with the prophet Elijah declaring a drought in the land. Elijah said, “”As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” The Lord then told Elijah to go and hide in the Kerith Ravine. He was to drink from the brook and he would be fed by ravens. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. Chapter 18 opens in the third year of the drought. The Lord spoke to Elijah and said, “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”
Elijah went and presented himself to Ahab. Ahab was very upset with Elijah because he had pronounced the drought. By now, Ahab was in deep with the prophets of Baal and was worshipping their god. Elijah prepared for a showdown. He was the only prophet of God left and Baal had 450 prophets. He told them to get two bulls. Elijah would prepare one bull for a burnt sacrifice and the prophets of Baal would prepare the other; but neither would set fire to them. They would have to call on their God to provide the fire. Whatever God answered by fire, was God! He let the 450 prophets go first. They prepared their sacrifice and called on their god from morning till noon and nothing happened. Elijah taunted them and told them to call louder, because their god might be sleeping or in deep thought. The Baal worshippers even danced around the altar and cut themselves, but nothing happened. Then Elijah had the Israelites help him to repair the altar, because it was in ruins by now. They fixed the altar and prepared the sacrifice. He also had them to dig a trench around the altar. He told them to fill four barrels with water and to pour the water on the sacrifice and made them repeat it two more times. So they poured 12 barrels of water on the sacrifice and the water filled the trench. Elijah called on the Lord and the Lord sent fire! The fire of the LORD burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God! Then Elijah had the prophets of Baal apprehended and slaughtered. Chapter 18 ends with our text and a pouring rain!
There is so much in this story that I could probably deal with it for a couple of weeks, but our focus in this series is sowing and reaping. With that in mind, let’s focus on the 12 barrels of water. Remember that there had been a drought for about 3 years and water was scarce. 12 barrels of water was very valuable and Elijah was seemingly wasting it on a sacrifice. But remember that Elijah left the Kerith Ravine with instructions from the Lord that He would provide rain and end the drought. The 12 barrels of water in this case became the seed and the abundant rain at the end of the chapter became the harvest. The fire consumed the water. The water evaporated into the sky and created a small cloud (read the story) and shortly thereafter, there was an abundance of rain.
So what does this mean to you today? Trust God to sow whatever seed He tells you to sow, no matter how valuable it may seem to you. You will always reap a greater harvest than the seed!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a sower in the Kingdom. I trust You as the Lord of the harvest. I sow seed and expect a correspondent return and an overflowing harvest. I walk by faith and not by sight. I trust that the harvest will always outweigh the seed! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Choice is Yours (top of page)
(Is 1:19,20 KJV) If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” My Pastor preached from this text yesterday and I felt led to share from it this morning. To be fair to the text, we must understand who the Lord is speaking to and what is going on. The book of Isaiah opens with the Lord pronouncing judgment upon the nation of Judah. They were sinful at this point, loaded with evildoers, whose children were given to corruption; and likened to Sodom and Gomorrah. They had a form of godliness, but no true relationship with God. They offered sacrifices to God, but He said that their offerings were meaningless. God said (v.15), “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen…” He told them that they needed to repent and stop doing wrong. He said, (v.17), “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” The Lord urged them to come back to Him, so that He could cleanse them of their sins. This is where we pick up our text and the Lord offers them two options: (1) be willing and obedient and eat the good of the land or, (2) refuse and rebel and you will be devoured with the sword.
You may be thinking, “What does this have to do with sowing and reaping?” Well, a lot actually. The nation of Judah was reaping what they had sown and the Lord was offering them another alternative. They were in a bad situation, but the Lord offered them a way out. He basically instructed them to change their seed. By changing their seed, they would change their harvest. God did not offer to look beyond their sin and their wicked actions to bless them anyway. No, He pleaded with them to change their ways, so that He could bless them. Why? Because God is so much a God of His Word that He will not honor sin. He honors faith and faithfulness. He desires that we operate in faith and obedience, so that He can bless us and allow us to eat of the good of the land. Let’s take a closer look at this offer. If ye be:
1. Willing: Willingness here deals with the inward desire of the heart. God knew their heart and knew that their heart was inclined towards sin and unrighteousness. The first step in a “turn-around” is acknowledging that you have the wrong motivation and changing your attitude. Once your attitude is changed, then you actions will follow.
2. Obedient: Obedience deals with the outward actions. Not only did God want their inward desires to change, but also for those desires to be manifested in outward acts of kindness and goodness. Obedience unlocks the favor of God in our lives. Willingness initiates progress, but obedience closes the deal. Obedience is the seed that will bring forth a harvest of righteousness.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that you have a choice to either be willing and obedient or to refuse and rebel. Either way, you will reap a harvest. God wants us to operate in willingness and obedience, so that we can eat the good of the land and enjoy His best. Are you ready to eat of the good of land this Monday morning? Are you ready for a harvest of blessings? Are you ready for a breakthrough? Then be willing and obedient and you will see it come to pass!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I repent of my sin and turn my face towards You and You alone. I am willing in my heart to do what is right in Your eyes. I am obedient in my actions and cause my way to prosper. I eat the good of the land this day and this week. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Sowing a seed – Walking in Favor (top of page)
(I Kings 17:13 MSG) Elijah said to her, “Don’t worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you’ve said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what’s left for you and your son.
This morning we continue our series on the “Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping.” Last Friday we dealt with the showdown at Mount Carmel between Elijah and the 450 prophets. In the previous chapter there came a time when the brook that Elijah was drinking from dried up. The Lord told him to go to Zarephath and he would find a widow there to supply him with food. Based solely on this information, you would think that this widow was rich, but when he got there, he found a different picture. He found this widow gathering sticks. He asked her for some water – remember that water was scarce – and she was going to get it for him. As she was going, he said, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” That’s when the true story came out. The widow explained that all she had left was a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. She explained that she was gathering the sticks to take home and make a final meal for her and her son. They planned on eating it and dying. This is where we pick up our text. Elijah told her to keep doing what she planned, but to make him a small biscuit first, from what she had left. He promised in the name of the Lord that if she did this, her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run out until the drought was over. So she did as Elijah said and blessed him first and there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. Some time later, the widow’s son became ill and died. Elijah was used of God to bring the boy back to life.
So what does this mean to you today? There is a lot here, but let’s seek to glean a few golden nuggets:
1. We always have something left. The widow was obedient to God with what she had left and God multiplied her flour and oil. God can do miraculous things with our leftovers. The lady was at the point of death, but God turned a dead situation around. What is at the point of death in your life? It could be your marriage, career, relationships, finances, etc. No matter what it is, God can work with what you have left!
2. There is a difference between a seed and a harvest. What the widow had left was a seed and not a harvest. If she would have prepared the flour and the oil just for her and her son, she would have eaten all her seed and would have died. Since she sowed a part of that seed to the prophet, she was able to reap the harvest and eat for many days. Know the difference between a seed and the harvest. The harvest is for you, the seed is for others.
3. Obedience unlocks favor. The text does not record that the widow said much to the prophet. She did not go into praise and worship when the prophet showed up. She did not run around the house seven times. She was simply obedient to God in her actions and she reaped a tremendous harvest. Many people praise God with their lips, but fail to ever obey God with their actions.
4. Favor affects all areas of our lives. The promise of God was for the flour and the oil. The prophet did not promise anything else to the widow for sowing that seed in his life. When the boy died, the Lord brought him back to life through the prophet. This is all tied to the small biscuit she made for the man of God. When we are obedient, He blesses us in all areas of our lives. Bishop T.D. Jakes said, “Favor Ain’t Fair!” God’s favor will turn all types of dead situations around in our lives. All of this was tied to her seed (that biscuit).
What seed are you holding on to that might be hindering your harvest?
Confession for this day: Lord God. I am a sower in Your Kingdom. I have an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to me. Whenever He leads me to sow, I sow, no matter how much I have left. You bless my faithfulness, cause my way to be prosperous, and make me to walk in increase. My seed looses Your Favor upon my life. I walk in that favor today and every day. Your favor is not fair. It opens doors than no man can close. It gives me preferential treatment everywhere I go. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Horning God with your Decisions (top of page)
(Psalm 1 CEV) God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the LORD makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves. Those people succeed in everything they do. That isn’t true of those who are evil, because they are like straw blown by the wind. Sinners won’t have an excuse on the day of judgment, and they won’t have a place with the people of God. The LORD protects everyone who follows him, but the wicked follow a road that leads to ruin.
We have been dealing with the Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping for quite some time now. I pray that you have been blessed by this series. This series has been about a lot of things, like:
· Giving with an expectation of a return
· Trusting God enough to leave seed in the ground
· Doing what we can so that God can do what we can’t
· Making Godly decisions
We will be wrapping this series up this week and this morning I want to focus on that last point – Making Godly decisions. Part of Sowing and Reaping is the realization that we will receive back what we give out. If we sow righteousness, then we will receive a righteous harvest. If we sow unrighteousness, then we can expect the same in return. Our decisions lead to our actions and our actions lead to our reward. Meaning, if we are wicked, hateful, immoral and sinful people, then God will reward us according to our actions. Paul said, “Sin pays off with death…” (Ro 3:23). Sin’s payday is death and destruction. If we make decisions that lead to Godly actions and live a life that is pleasing to God, then we will also receive a reward. That same verse (Ro 3:23) goes on to say, “But God’s gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Our reward (harvest) is tied to our decisions (seed). Our text illustrates this well. The first three verses deal with the reward of the righteous and the next three with the reward of the unrighteous.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that your reward is a result of your decisions. You can either choose:
1. Blessings: You can make a decision to refuse evil advice and not to follow sinners. This will make you a happy and blessed person; a person who meditates on the Word of God. You will be a like a tree growing by a stream (with a constant supply of what you need to grow) that produces fruit and always has leaves. The text says that these people succeed in everything that they do!
2. Cursings: You can decide to do evil. These people are like straw that is blown away by the wind. They will not have an excuse in the Day of Judgment and will not have a place with the people of God. Their decisions are taking them down a road that leads to ruin.
Your Futures is riding on your Decisions! Your harvest is riding on your seed!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I make a decision this day to refuse evil advice and not to follow sinners. I am that tree that is planted by the stream. My leaves are full do not fall off. My fruit comes forth in season. I am successful in everything that I do, because You are with me and I honor you with my decisions. I will never be the same, never be the same. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
Expecting a Harvest without ever Sowing Seed (top of page)
(Prov 20:4 MSG) A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.
We will wrap up this series on the Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping tomorrow. This morning’s message comes from one of Solomon’s proverbs. Solomon understood a thing or two about the Kingdom of God. Many consider him the wisest man in the Bible and richest man to ever live. Solomon did not get there overnight, nor did not he get by happenstance. He understood that in order to reap a harvest, you must first have seed in the ground. He honored God and God blessed Him. He teaches us – through the corridors of time – that if we have the capability to sow seed into the ground and we simply fail to do so because of slothfulness, then we should not expect to receive a harvest at harvest time.
Many treat others terribly but then expect God’s favor and preferential treatment. Many fail to forgive others and harbor impure thoughts in their heart, but then expect to be forgiven immediately when they do something wrong. Many ignore opportunities to be a blessing to others (when they are fully capable), but then expect others to bless them when they are down. And the list could go on. To make it even worse, the cause of many of these lofty expectations is God. What I mean by this is that many expect to be blessed because they go to church and sing songs of Zion, but they do not take into account any of their actions. Going to church, singing songs to God, lifting up your hands, and even dancing before the Lord, are all good; but they do not guarantee a harvest. God still expects you to ACT OUT what it is that you are singing about. People that honor God with their lips but fail to honor God with their actions are fooling themselves if they think that God is going to bless them with an abundant harvest. These people have the capability to be a blessing to others. They know the Word of God and they know that they should forgive, be kind, loving, generous, etc.; but they simply fail to do it. These people have failed to plant and they will also fail to reap.
So what does this mean to you today? It means that God is a God of action and He expects us to operate like Him. What if God spoke to you several times a day, but never did any of what He said? Would you be pleased with that? Absolutely not. We expect God to perform His will for our lives, but He expects us to perform His Word in the earth. He wants us to bless others, to forgive, to be kind, to support the ministry of the Gospel, etc. When we DO what He wants us to DO, then we will see a harvest manifested in our lives.
Don’t just expect a harvest because God is good. Expect a harvest because you have been faithful to sow seed into the ground! If you don’t have any seed in the ground, then it is time to make some changes. If you do, then you can expect a correspondent return!
Confession for this day: Lord God. You are the Lord of the Harvest. I am Your child and a faithful sower. I sow seeds of love, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faith, forgiveness, and finances and I expect a correspondent return. I walk into this day in Your favor. I receive preferential treatment everywhere I go. I have sowed and I expect to reap! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
The Bottom Line! (top of page)
(Gal 6:7-9 MSG) Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others – ignoring God! – harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.
This morning we wrap up the series on the Biblical Principles of Sowing and Reaping. We have covered a lot of ground over about a month’s time. I pray that this series has been as much a blessing to you as it has to me. You can read past messages (from this and other series) on the web site. We have learned that Sowing and Reaping is not limited to the financial realm. These principles really apply to every area and aspect of our lives. I often times hear people say things like, “What goes around comes around,” or “Do unto others…” but they may not realize that they are really dealing with biblical principles. Paul summarized it pretty well in our text. Please take the time to read this text slowly and let it sink in. It is really the bottom line of this series. Summarizing the text:
1. God cannot be tricked. God knows everything and He keeps track of all our actions.
2. We will reap what we sow.
3. If we are selfish and ignore to sow into others when God has equipped us with the seed, then we will reap a harvest of weeds.
4. If we allow the Holy Spirit to use us and sow Godly seeds into others lives, we will reap a great harvest of real and eternal life.
5. Don’t get frustrated, aggravated, irritated, or discouraged in well doing. If you keep doing right and being used of God, you will reap God’s harvest in God’s time. Just don’t quit!
So what does this mean to you today? It means that the ball is now in your court. The onus is now on you to perform what it is that you have received. Information is one thing, but application is quite another. Information without application will not bring about liberation in your life. When you receive the Word of God and then respond to what it is that you have received by submitting to it and allowing God to change you into His image, then you will see the power of God manifested in your life like never before.
When you do God’s work God’s way you get God’s results! If you sow you will reap. If you hoard you miss God’s best. The greatest prosperity is seeing God change another person through you. Allow God to use you to bless others and you will reap the greatest harvest!
Confession for this day: Lord God. I receive Your Word on Sowing and Reaping. You have blessed me with seed. I enter this day as a sower. I will loose the seed of Your righteousness into the lives of those that You lead me to. I will never grow weary in well doing. I will never give up. I will continue to sow and continue to reap. Your harvest will manifest itself in my life in Your time. The best is yet come! I have great expectations! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!