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Ever heard this scripture quoted in church before they took up the tithes and offerings? Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap Gal 6:7 Let me suggest a new way of seeing this by pointing out that the word WHATEVER a key a key. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 He will give you the keys, of the kingdom of heaven and what ever YOU bind and whatever YOU loose.
There are three stages of growth, and according to the bible, and you will reap a harvest on the seed you have sown.
Mark 4:28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. Notice the process of growth:
1: Blade
2: Head
3: Full grain
Gen 8:22 “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.”
Notice the three stages of growth:
1: Seed
2: Time
3: Harvest
Genesis 1:11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth …..
Life revolves around the cycles of seedtime and harvest. You are no exception. There’s no pass card handed out to special people. This cycle will continue until the time of the new heavens and NEW EARTH.
So again what does your harvest look like? You have been given your own piece of dirt, a garden. Your garden can be Heaven on earth or Hell on earth, your choice.
Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
Adam and Eve told to guard the garden.
Gen 1: 28 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.”
Subdue: dictionary: To conquer, defeat, overpower, overcome, suppress, crush, triumph and much more
Strong’s: to tread down, violate bring into bondage. To force, make subservient.
Dominion: Strong’s: to dominate, to subjugate, to prevail.
Dictionary : sovereignty.
You say “well I have no garden, I’ m not Adam and Eve.”
You do have a heart though, and according to the following scriptures your heart will produce.
The heart is the hot bed for growing stuff.
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.
Gal 6:9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Notice your heart is key to producing the course of your life. Having a healthy heart, a good heart, a heart free from contamination of sin, a heart that is nurtured, watered, fed, loved will set you up for a tremendous harvest of overflowing life. A heart that has been neglected, trod on, broken, abused, left to run wild, and counted as unimportant will eventually only produce the weeds of life. Jesus declared in Luke 4:18 He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted.
Your heart is the garden. Your heart cannot determine your harvest, or the outcome of life it will only produce what it has been given to grow.
You have an enemy that wants access to your garden, and will use every form of deceit and trickery to gain this access for the sole purpose of destroying what God has made. Just as Adam and Eve were told to subdue and have dominion, we too are to Subdue, and have Dominion over our garden. The mandate has not changed. We are to continue to apply this command from God to our lives. Certainly not our natural gardens, although some of us need to do some weeding. This next parable may give you better insight as Jesus warns us of the enemy to our garden.
Matthew 13:24- 30 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
Having a sleepy attitude, (lets get real, and call it a lukewarm life) will cause your heart to be over turned by the seeds of the enemy, and your heart has no option but to grow the seeds the enemy planted in your heart.
The enemy comes while your sleeping and especially while not paying attention for example. Lets say you have a disagreement with your husband or wife or significant loved one usually very close to your heart. To protect your heart and nurture subdue and have dominion requires action right here. The right course of action will determine the harvest you will produce out of your heart. Paying close attention will allow you to discern the trickery of the devil, and rebuke his onslaught that rushes in upon the words and hurtful situation you find yourself in. While your feelings are more than likely involved, you may face a number of lies that the devil will try to plant.
Lie 1. You cannot do anything about this situation
Lie 2. Stay offended, you were wrongly treated
Lie 3. I am a horrible person, a failure.
Lie 4. I am useless, can do or say anything right
Lie 5. I can never get anything right
Lie 6. There must be something wrong with me
Notice the lies that you get bombarded with sound like your own voice?
Any amount of lies can be released into this situation if you are not on your guard. The key to Gods command here is to subdue the lies, subdue the feelings attached to these lies, and take dominion by protecting your heart.
DENIED ACCESS should be labelled over your heart towards the enemy of your soul. The only access he can gain is when you allow him by negligence.
Stop confusing your heart
Your heart will respond to what you give it. James 1: 26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. A biblically response will defeat the enemy from having access to your garden.
James 1: 12 – 15 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Notice the process of growth.
1 Desire
2 Sin
3 Death
Your heart has no authority over words.
Guarding your heart against the enemy’s seeds is crucial to your harvest because your heart does not have authority over the seed. Your heart cannot tell the seed to stop producing apples, because it wants oranges. The soil is subject to the seed. Just as your heart is subject to the words it is given. The seed has authority over the soil, just as words have authority over your heart.
Take a look at this parable Jesus taught from Mark chapter 4.
Mark 4:13- 20 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
Have you ever stepped out to believe God at His word, so exited because you have been hearing testimonies, and seen God move in other peoples lives? Then a little bit of pressure comes, distractions come, and before you know it, the very thing you stepped out to believe God on, the seed you planted in your heart/ garden gets overtaken by the pressure, and distractions. The promise of God has not come to pass, then the devil hops on top of this experience to point out to you that God really doesn’t want you to have what others have. The devil plants seeds of unbelief and you give up attending to your garden.
You have given the enemy access to your heart by paying more attention to the pressure, and distractions, and eventually believed the lie he plants in you garden that will produce a harvest of unbelief. You then believe the lie and tell others about how much you tried to believe God but His word didn’t work for you.
You will not produce a harvest of Joy for example by planting a single seed of Joy, but letting the enemy plant all other kinds of seeds of care, worry, offenses, gossip, grudges, and un forgiveness. What option does the heart have ?????? it only grows what it has been given.
The gardener cannot blame the garden for producing weeds, worry, bitterness, rejection etc, it’s not the fault of the garden. The garden grew what it was given. The garden was doing its job. Its job is to grow stuff. Just like your heart. Your hearts job is to grow stuff.
James 1:21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Romans 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Notice the stages of growth:
1: Perseverance
2: Character
3: Hope
James 1:3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Notice the three stages of growth:
1. Patience
2. Perfected work
3. Completed lacking nothing
How do we respond in the time of temptations? Count it all joy, !!! it’s a time to grow our faith and produce a harvest that will be pleasing to you and God.
With every test there is a graduation.
Temptation is different for every one. Remember the harvest depends on you.
Matthew chapter 26. Read the whole chapter its full of temptation examples.
Look at Judas’s test and the progression of the three stages of growth.
Luke 22:2 6 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.
Judas is like any one of us, walking with Jesus three years, learning his ways. He was part of the twelve sent out to heal the sick, cast out devils, preach the kingdom and perform mighty miracles. He was however presented with temptation and did not resist but took it. Judas became ensnared by the devil and taken captive to do evil.
1. Drawn away by desire (30 pieces of silver)
2. Sin betrayal of his teacher and Lord ( innocent blood )
3. Death He committed suicide
Come to your senses and escape before its too late
Without even knowing it, even well meaning Christians have been used by the devil to do his will because they did not pay attention when temptation was luring them away. Paul warns Timothy about such people.
2 Timothy 2:26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
The Prayer in the Garden JESUS ABOUT TO ENTER THE TEST OF HIS LIFE !!!
Matthew 26: 36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
The inner circle tribe
Jesus takes his inner circle with him to watch and pray. You don’t need everyone to know your temptations, just a couple of prayers to help stand with you.
What were they watching for???
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
What does your harvest look like? Do you like what you see? Pay close attention to the three stages of growth and turn your harvest around today.
It’s never too late to change your life, turn it around and let God make it beautiful.
“You do not get what you deserve, you get what you demand.” EV Johnathan Shuttelswroth.