Michael Harrison
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Member # 6801
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You don’t grow a garden. You may plant a seed, and you may water, but you don’t grow it. We are like a garden. However, in our case, we do not even plant the seed or water. Jesus is the waterer. We are the seed. And if we ‘germinate’, we grow!
Now, a seed if it receives water, germinates. That is what happens to us. When we hear the word, if we believe the word, we germinate. We call that being ‘born again’; Because, New Life begins when we believe, hence are we born again. And the companion verse to that event is, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” In other words, when we ‘hear’ the word of God, and we believe, we ‘receive‘. It is a germination thing. Thereafter, if we persevere, the garden will grow.
Did you get the ’receive’ thing? Not much happens if the belief is not succeeded with receiving. And to grow, belief must continue to receive, as opposed to ‘try‘. (Col 2:6 ) Therefore our very obedience is to receive! (Of course to receive, we must know Him. For how can we receive whom we do not know?)
The Bible describes the garden as though it were a mustard seed tree. This illustration shows what minuteness the garden starts from, and indicates what becomes of it in the course of ‘running the race‘. Of course, we run the race just like the mustard seed tree, by “Standing!” (Gal 5:1) That is how important 'standing' is.
What goes on that is not apparent is that the mustard seed tree is contunually ’receiving’. That is how the Kingdom of Heaven works. It is the best illustration, with obvious wisdom which confounds the wise, insomuch that one may ask, “How does one run the race by ‘standing‘? Well, does the mustard seed tree run? (1Co 1:26 )
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [We withstand the wiles of the devil, not by aggressively attacking! We stand in the confidence of the one.]
1Co 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
Posts: 3273 | From: Charlotte N.C. | Registered: Sep 2007
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