Seeds on stones

Luk 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

They have no root.  We need to make sure that we, and our families are rooted in the truth.  The Galatian church seems to have had shallow roots:

Gal 3:1-4  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?  (2)  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  (3)  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?  (4)  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

How can we be sure that our roots run deep.  I propose that our every thought, word and action ought to be firmly based in, and in conformity to the truth of our situation.  Our situation that was created by the specifics of Christ's birth, death and resurrection, and all that entails.

Peter puts it this way:

2Pe 1:1-11  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:  (2)  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,  (3)  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:  (4)  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  (5)  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  (6)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  (7)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  (8)  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (9)  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.  (10)  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:  (11)  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Verses 1-4 speak about our true situation.  Verses 5-7 speak about a life that is entrenched in those truths...a life that makes sense in light of the truth. Verses 8-11, back to the original verse, seems to be saying that if our lives reflect the truth of the Gospel practically, then the seed will have deep soil in which to put down a large root system.  We won't be like the forgetful man in James 1:

Jas 1:22-25  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  (23)  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  (24)  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  (25)  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Let me stress as of the utmost importance that this "doing" in no way takes the place of the finished work of Christ on our behalf, but rather represents a way of living that is in conformity to it!  A big difference.  When we fail to "live up to" the perfection of Christ, we know we are justified by Him, and that atonement has been made by Him.  So we confess our sin, and keep on "going for it" as hard and as fast as we can, because we are sons of the Father.

Thoughts?

Understanding the Word

Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

From another look at the parable of the seed in Matthew. Noticed the clause, "and understandeth it not".  That gives a real imperative to us as husbands and fathers that we proceed to teach our families (and ourselves!) well, and in an understandable way.  If it is not understood (the seed of the Kingdom, which is the Gospel, the work of Christ, and its ramifications in our lives) then that gives Satan the opportunity to snatch up the seed before it can even take root.

Protect the Seed

Luk 8:12 says

 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

I picture my family being the hearts that are so deprived of the word, belief and salvation.  We know that God, in His perplexing sovereignty, for some reason allows Satan to steal the words from hearts.  I don't know why, and I don't know who...but I want to do all that God has given me the power to do to protect my family from Satan's capacity to do this.

Proverbs 1 illustrates those that will not listen to words of Wisdom.  Eventually, "Wisdom" stops answering them.  Not listening to reproof and counsel are the two things that seem to contribute to the final silencing of the words of Wisdom.  Could this be suggestive of how our parenting should be structured.  We want to be people who listen to reproof and counsel, and we want our families to be able to follow our example, so when the Ultimate Words of Wisdom (the Gospel) are spoken, we will have hearts tuned properly.

Pro 1:20-33  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:  (21)  She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,  (22)  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?  (23)  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.  (24)  Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;  (25)  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:  (26)  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;  (27)  When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.  (28)  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:  (29)  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:  (30)  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.  (31)  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.  (32)  For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.  (33)  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

James 1 speaks of those that hear the Word, and don't "do" them.  They are forgetful hearers.  I wonder if that is one way that Satan "steals" the seed...by our own forgetfulness.

Jas 1:22-27  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  (23)  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  (24)  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  (25)  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  (26)  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.  (27)  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

We need to cultivate habits in our husbanding and parenting that help to create deep, fertile soil for the Words of the Gospel to take root, and not trampled soil that is on the "wayside" for Satan to steal from.  Any ideas of how to do that practically?  I like your idea of regular "community" gatherings for discussing and cultivating habits of attentiveness to the Word in ourselves and our families.

Loving and Hurting

Our daughter Abby has had a lot of pain for the past few weeks (see patrickandpatty). Today Patty held her for about 3.5 hours while she hurt. What can a husband do to love his wife as she cries for her child? Well, we do know that God watched his Son hurt and suffer; He does understand. What can a husband do?

Serve.

Listen.

Encourage

Cry with, and sometimes make her laugh.

I am beat up but more in love with her than ever. She is the one who showed me how to love today.

P

Feeding and caring...

Dave, I am encouraged by what you wrote and it helped me think more about nurturing Patty...

Ephesians 5:29 "After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church"

After a seed is put in the ground we work to change the external influences, water it if no rain comes, tend the soil or fertilize (natural only of course), and perhaps fence in the garden to keep out predators. Feeding and caring for ones wife is to teach her children to bless her and to praise her.

Proverbs 31:28 "Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also and he praises her"

I know this is more reflective of her character but we should guide our children to do so and set an example to them by praising her. We should create an environment that is characteristic of showing love to her. Feeding and caring is challenging but raising children to do it is glorifying.

Suggestions that we use:

1 - the kids must respond by "yes mommy"

2 - you can be rough with daddy but not mommy

3 - every day J must ask "What can I do to help you?"

4 - Romance her in front of the kids.

5 - Always choose her to be first, whether greetings or food or whatever...

5 - Intentionally give her time "away"

I am open to suggestions for more whether what to teach your kids to do or what I should do.

p

Preparation For and Care Of the Seed

Seed nurturers.  That was the title of my last post.  The etymology of the word "nurture" can be traced back to other words. Nutrient, nourish, nurse.

Thinking as a gardener, this word "nurture" is a rich metaphor.    Preparing the seed bed with care; amending the soil structure and pH; planting the seeds in a controlled environment under ideal conditions under grow-lights, checking the tiny seedlings daily for bugs or disease, controlling the temperature, light and moisture; placing the maturing seedlings in a cold frame in order to slowly introduce them to outside conditions, then placing the seedlings on a sunny day into tilled soil with just the right fertilizer, and then a good, deep drink of water.  Even then, watching regularly, and picking bugs, and pulling weeds.  Thoughtful, sweaty, long-term work...and that is all just so that we can get a few carrots and onions and okra pods.

But what do we do with eternally significant seed?

1Pe 1:23-25  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  (24)  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  (25)  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1Co 15:1-8  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  (2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  (3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  (4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  (5)  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  (6)  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.  (7)  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  (8)  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.


1Co 10:32-33  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  (33)  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

That last set of verses from 1 Corinthians comes hard on the heels of a three chapter explanation of how we ought to make practical every day decisions

• What meat to eat, and when
• Why Paul decided not to accept well earned wages for his ministry
• How to decide what to do when all things are lawful to me).  

And it wraps directly back around to being seed nurturers.  

We know there is one God, one Saviour, one Creator, but not all men know that (1 Cor 8) so we ought to make decisions that reflect our understanding that what we do will have an impact on the eternal destination of those around us, which is based on their accepting, believing and (according to the parable of the Sower and the Seed) nurturing the offered grace through the Gospel.  If that is true for how we interact with the strangers among us, and casual acquaintances, and colleagues, how much more important that we carefully do our part, under our Head the Lord Jesus, as the head of our own household, making decisions that will enable us to carefully nurture the seeds in our wife and children of the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Christ, the ramifications to our situation, and how we ought to respond.

Seed Nurturers

So, I'm reading through Luke, and ran across the parable of the seeds being sown.  I was struck that the parable spoke of explicit dangers to those hearing the Word spoken, and that includes our wives and children. We know we are to nurture, nourish and wash our spouses, and in what more important way than by guarding them as they are hearing the words of truth. As husbands we ought to guard against the dangers to the seeds in our wife and children.  The parable says that there are 3 dangers, and one correct response to the true word:

Wayside-Satan takes the seed before they can believe
Rock-No root, fall away at temptation
Thorns-Cares and pleasures of world crowd out
Good-Hear, and patiently nurture fruit

Luk 8:11 says, " Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. "

that has a direct correlation to

Mat 13:19  "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom..."

So the words that are being spoken are an explanation of the ramifications of the work of Christ (the Gospel) which ushered in the Kingdom of God.  I recognize that I can respond in all four ways in different areas and at different times, but obviously the goal is to hear, believe, reject temptation, resist allowing the cares and pleasures of the world to push aside the truth, and patiently nurture fruit bearing in our own lives, and in the lives of our families.

I have heard that the Amish raise their children to be martyrs...we ought to nurture our family life in such a way that we ourselves, our wife and children become good seed catchers and holders.