Email:- andrew75b@paradise.net.nz
Serious thoughts on the parable of the sower.
There is a little problem that could spell disaster for everyone.
If it is not done for God on his orders, as he wants it, with his help, it doesn't count for much. You can be a praise-worthy person but still be totally separated from God. You can't earn your salvation, it is only by invitation through the Holy Ghost, then you must accept God's terms.
It applies only to those who are being, or have been drawn by God's Holy Spirit, as this is the seed that needs to take root in our spirits, not just some mental assent that there may be, or probably is, a God who may have created (but some still accept evolution in spite of its convoluted lies and unsupported assumptions) but that there is a true and trustworthy account of what God did, and his prophesies that prove that he knew the end of the earths history when he was creating the earth.
God is a playwright and has written the play and we are acting it out. I believe that we have freedom to decide not to play the part God has for us, and at some time we may be invited by the Holy Spirit to take part in the play.
If you are frustrated, and depressed, you are in great danger unless you pay extra attention to maintaining a close relationship with the Lord, through the Holy Spirit. Many who are saved and love the Lord, but only mildly, may slip below the minimum level and be lost. It's like taking people off your Christmas card list because you so seldom see them.
Is it probable that many in "spirit filled type" churches and most in passive churches, that don't make waves, but accept things God warns against, or channel their prayers through someone in another country, rather than establishing a direct relationship with God, that large numbers will be lost?
Do you ever get told in church that this is important, that you could loose everything if you loose the seed? What would be the use or purpose of giving the parable if it didn't apply to someone's access to the Kingdom? Its not necessarily an instant thing, it may take years for the seed to grow up before the cares of this world cause it to wither and die, as conflicts change, and disappointments burden our souls, and it may get taken for granted, then ignored.
Ernie pointed out that there is much joy when preaching is on Galatians Ch5 V22-26, but you don't get there unless you pass muster on the preceeding verses 19-21, how often do preachers major on that section? Clean the inside of the vessel then your congregation will each be clean.
The application of the parable of the sower is fairly obvious, the first part applies to those who remain lost, the last to those who remain faithful to the end. The seed is the Spirit in you and the outcome is your success or failure to be drawn permanently to God. So why do our churches gloss over it without really warning us of the eternal dangers if we don't make sure that we foster and grow the power of the Holy Spirit in us so we can more effectively carry out the mission God has for us individually to maintain our society in good moral, spiritual and social health?
Is it just being "politically correct", don't want to upset anyone, people might leave the church if they feel too much is required of them? Shouldn't they be stirred up, to keep them on the boil for God, to make our nation great in the sight of God? There is a great spiritual battle coming upon us, as suicide bombings, murders and hatred, driven by a powerful spiritual entity, spread across the globe, and we are not even preparing our minds and spirits to confront it!
I am sure this "lecture" doesn't apply to "Ernie's Problem" but if it does then most of the christians I have known over the years, and the youth who pass through, are already "lost", not just to the church, but to Jesus as well, through all eternity!What a great tragedy!
The church mumbles on being politically correct, making and losing converts, who can then never make it back to God once they are "lost". We hear of some who have drifted away and come back years later, but how many more drifted and didn't come back? Had they realised the importance of these warnings would they have drifted? Did we really make sure that they had made a robust connection with God? Did we let them drift away on the evolution fantasy? How many of them will find out at that instant when they need it the most, that their oil had run out long ago?
Look at your congregation and imagine the disaster if half of them are going to drift away and be totally lost forever because nobody was prepared to rock the boat, upset the "PC" pleasantness, and warn them of the terrible danger of permanent separation from God that hangs over them once they have been saved. It doesn't endanger those who have always been lost, as they still have the option of salvation, providing they live to take it.
If people are believing that "they were once saved so they are still saved" they could drift a long way from God without realising the danger. Play it safe get to grips with it now.
Then I was reminded of Matthew 24, the ten virgins and their lamps. How often does God have to labour the point, that if you aren't careful you can loose your salvation?
Five of them lost out because they ran out of oil ( the holy Spirit) and couldn't enter heaven, to the "marriage supper of the Lamb". They hadn't cultivated the Holy Spirit, so it withered and left them. Is it that we just don't understand the importance of the message, or is it that we don't understand there may be a cutoff point and where the point is, that we loose everything? Five didn't nurture the Spirit, that's half of those who originally had the spirit were not chosen and lost out. Will half of the congregation you attend miss out eventually?
Do you think "its alright for these newcomers and youngsters to get so excited about God, but they will soon mellow and calm down like the rest of us, and drift away like many who used to be here"? Have they drifted away from God to eternal doom? Does it matter? Do you care? Matthew 22v14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen." NIV.
Now you know of your own perilous state read Ernie's problem, an account of someone who seems to have lost his salvation through a misunderstanding during witnessing!
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Email:- andrew75b@paradise.net.nz
Seed sower
This doesn't apply to the "lost"as their history of sin may be great, as was ours, until we were saved, or something else has caused God to decide not to draw them by the Holy Spirit, not that they are necessarily bad people, they may be highly respected, but God sees things differently from the spiritual realm, until he washes sin away.
Then you need to establish and keep up a close relationship with him, show respect, and try to avoid sin.The parable of the sower Luke ch8 v5 to v8
V7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
Applying this to your life, if you are "saved", and if circumstances are getting you down, frustrated, and depressed, you may be in trouble if this consumes your life, and blocks the path to God and your prayer life.
It could be taken as a warning that if it continues the Holy Spirit in you won't be able to continue, and may be taken away, cancelling your salvation. If the thorns win, you loose your salvation!
One group didn't accept the Holy Spirit, one did but didn't nurture it, and it eventually withered and died, the third nurtured it and won. Many are called but few are chosen, perhaps only a third of those who come to church, long term, get chosen, if these three divisions are equal!
Was it ever suggested that it was like not paying your rent or mortgage, in that you will eventually be kicked out? Be a close friend with the one who owns heaven where you hope to reside for ever. I have never heard this parable expressed in other than mild terms, a pleasant story.
If you can't get your family or marriage relationships right, or if your partner is not saved, give up on trying to get them perfect, the way you want, so you can be free to worship God, as that is an eternal relationship, and perhaps God will fix you, and then the situation, in his good time.
It is a matter of at what stage does God do the choosing. Does he chose before giving the Spirit, or does he give the Spirit so you can "test drive" it and then he chooses those who are good frequent drivers?
Is it like choosing a cellphone? Try out this Holy Spirit model, direct communication to God, always free. Not your style? It is you that gets thrown out.
May the Lord bless you abundantly,
Andrew.
Once saved,
always saved. I wish, but No! - Ernie's problem,
(and yours perhaps.)
Home Page:
http://angelfire.com/ak5/once_saved/
