It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter. Proverbs 25:2

Posts tagged ‘sixty fold’

Kingdom of Heaven and Earth to Co-Exist Within You

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth there was a continuous flow or gateway between heaven and earth where God and mankind had open access to one another. God’s original plan for humanity was for mankind to rule and reign in the physical realm of earth as God rules and reign in the spiritual realm in the heavens. All authority and dominion were given to mankind for the purpose of transforming the earth into a place where God’s presence and likeness would be seen throughout the whole earth. 

Genesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NKJ

God took man out of the dust of the ground, (earth) and formed him into the image of God’s likeness. God breathed into mankind His breath of life,who was given a will and the ability to rule and reign over the earth he also had the capacity to make choices and decisions regarding his life.   Wherever God reigns and God rules is called the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom spanned from the heavens to earth, as God ruled in heaven and the Godlike-man ruled in earth, both were part of the Kingdom of God. God’s kingdom territory, like most kingdoms, is wherever the King has dominion and rules.  

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. NKJ

In God’s original creation, God, mankind and nature were in perfect harmony with one another.  God’s living spirit resided within mankind and His presence was in fellowship with both mankind and nature, until the rebellion of mankind against their God and King. That was the day the Godlike mankind spirit died. The spirit of God that was breathed intomankind ceased to be and was separated from the body. Then the soul of mankind lost it perfect unity and connection with their Creator. 

Light and darkness cannot occupy the same space, with their disobedience to God and obedience to Satan, then came the fall into sin and thereby the transference of the dominion and rule from the Godlike man into the hands of Satan. The earth which was the kingdom of God fell into darkness andinto the hands of Satan the prince of darkness.  

Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. NLT

Luke 1:78-79 Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.” NKJ

Jesus came to earth, being fully God and the Son of Man, bringing both the kingdom heaven and God’s rule back to earth through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told them that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and that it was near because He had come. Wherever the Spirit of God lives in the earth, that becomes part of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told them to repent, which means to change the way, the direction you are going or to change the way you think about what you are doing.  To repent is to turn from your old ways of doing things and to agree with God’s word and His direction. It is not just about feeling sad or it regretful it is about changing one’s heart and mindset.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” NKJ

Through faith in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection we can receive the Holy Spirit of God to be born again in the likeness of God through His Spirit. Then we are now in fellowship with God and have entered into the kingdom of heaven. God’s kingdom is where God’s presence and earth join. Just as it was in the original state when God created the earth, His presence was in the earth and He would walk with mankind in the garden in the cool of the day. God’s presence was in the earth and His kingdom reigned upon the earth. 

1 Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Genesis 3:8-9 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

God has always desired fellowship with His creation and He knewbeforehand that mankind would rebel and turn away. It was because of the love God had for us, that He would not leave us in our fallen state. He sent Yeshua, Jesus our Rescuer and Redeemer He provided a way for all humanity to return to Him. God provided a way for mankind to revert back to their created purpose, which is to resemble, reflect and reveal the love of God in the earth. By God’s grace we are saved, through faith in the completed work that Jesus did on our behalf. Jesus lived a perfect life, that we could not. He died a death that we deserved. He paid the cost for our rebellion and sin, that we owed.  Through faith in Jesus, we can now again be in fellowship with God and receive the Holy Spirit of God to live within us.

Luke 17:20-21 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

The kingdom of heaven is not something you can observe or see with the naked eye. It is not demonstrated by what you eat or wear, nor any self-righteous acts that we may try to do to obtain access to God’s kingdom. The kingdom of God is within us when the Holy Spirit is living in us. Then the presence of God is in these earthen vessels, God’s presence and dominion and kingdom has come once again into the earth. And because His kingdom and dominion we now have the power and are able to live a life God had ordained in the beginning through the Holy Spirit. We have the power to forgive, to love, to show mercy and to have peace and joy in the midst of a crooked and perverse world.  

Romans 14:17-18 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

1 Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

God and earth are joined together in our earthly bodies and thereby, the kingdom of God is now living within us. How that kingdom is displayed,will be seen through the degree we allow His kingdom ways and His Spirit to have preeminence in our lives.  

Matthews 13:23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” NKJ

 

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The Good Soil – Soil of the Soul

Hearts that are open to the truth of God’s word are not absent of hard times and these hearts have allowed the problems of this world and their personal struggles to draw them closer to God. Hearts that are plowed with truth in the hard places are opened and they are ready to receive the word of God. It is the word that is planted in the good soil of the heart that can produce much fruit.

We must learn how to turn our hardened hearts into good soil to receive the truth of God’s word. We are born with a heart of stone as the result of man’s fall from his created purpose. God promised to give us a heart of flesh that gives us a heart of compassion and a desire to know Him. We see in the parable those who refuse the word of God and do not continue in the word of God, their hearts were never changed. Those who allow the word of God to penetrate their hearts and change their lives are those who hearts God changed to flesh.

Mark 4:8-9  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh

People who are soft to the problems of others and to their fellow man who is struggling in this world are moved with compassion. Jesus, when He saw the multitude, was moved with compassion to act on their behalf. He did not just feel sorry for them and shake His head in disbelief as many today often do when they see atrocities and do nothing. It is the heart of God in us that moves us to action, to right the wrong, to help the needy, to seek justice for those who are not being treated justly. A heart that is open to God’s word will receive the word and act on it even at the cost of self-sacrifice. This is the example Jesus left us and told us to follow. This new commandment He gave was that we love one another as He has loved us and gave His life for us.

Matthew 9:36 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

John 13: 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

When a seed is planted it must be watered in order for it to grow. Those who receive this word and are watered by the word grow and produce some thirtyfold return on their investment. Some received sixty and some a hundred fold return on their investment in God’s word. God is not playing favorites. Some believe God lets some people do well and others do poorly. But God has put His word in motion and says it is up to you and it is according to your faith in the word it will be done unto you.

Ephesians 3:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

1 Corinthians 3:6  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.

 

This is a principle; a seed will produce after its own kind as long as the earth remains. When a seed is planted it goes into the ground and dies to its self. It is no longer one seed, for it becomes a sprout with roots and when watered it becomes a plant that will grow and produce more fruit. It is a process and God gives us this example to show us how we may grow and produce much fruit. Every farmer knows soil must be turned to soften the soil and some soil needs preparation and added nutrients to get the soil ready for the seed. Just as we need to keep hearing the word to grow in our faith and prepare our hearts for the work God has for us.

Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

Once the seed is planted it must be watered for it to produce fruit. Those seeds that are well watered produce much fruit and those that are without water produce less or no fruit. God has no respect for person but He honors His word. People get a return on their invested in God’s word. Our faith allows us to give in quantities that we are comfortable with. We may give in the measures of ones, some in the quantity of tens and others who venture to give in the measures of hundreds and thousands. The world calls them crazy and foolish until they began to see the harvest or the return on their investment.

God says their return will come in the same measurements that they gave. We will receive according to our planting. If we give with teaspoons God will bless us with multiplied abundant teaspoons of blessing and if we give in the measure of a dump truck, God will give us a multiplied abundance of blessing.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

It takes faith to put good seed in the ground, seed that could be used for food and profit at the moment. A farmer may know he has only a little seed left but when he chooses to plant the seed, this shows his faith in the process of sowing and reaping to obtain the amount of seed he needs for the next season. A harvest is received later than when it was sowed but it is also greater than what was sowed. So many people fail to stand firm and wait for their harvest. They give up before the harvest God promised matures. Remember we are told we will reap if we faint not. Sowing and reaping a harvest is a promise from God but we must be willing to persevere the difficult and dry times and wait on God’s abundance of thirty, sixty and hundred fold.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

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