Greater Things Are Yet to Come. Greater Things Are Still to be Done.

Barbie Breathitt:

"2009: New Leaders, New Voices and Resurrection Power"
[from the Elijah List]

The restoration of ancient wells and mantles, in addition to the new level of anointing God is releasing in the earth, will cause a "healing river" to overflow its banks. The healing revival of the 1950s still holds a standard of miracles we seldom see today. But, as we move into this new season of exchange, the glory of God will far surpass the healing anointing He poured out in the past. This Holy Spirit revival of fire will trump the 1948-50s healing revival. We will see more extreme miracles and deliverances take place than ever before. Ministering angels have been assigned to ensure those who move in this new level of love and healing don't repeat the same mistakes from past generations.

William Joseph Seymour, of the 1909 Azusa Street Outpouring, prophesied the "glory cloud of healing" would return in 100 years (2009). We are witnessing the glory explosions and healing miracles in our Breath of the Spirit's meetings weekly. God is releasing specific words of knowledge that are opening deaf ears, straightening backs that have been twisted with scoliosis, restoring torn ligaments and joints, removing cancerous tumors and healing cancer ridden organs. The anointing is stabilizing hearts with arrhythmias, healing chronic issues of pain and much more.

See What the Father is Doing

The New Testament passage in John 4 speaks of the Pool of Bethesda, which is translated "outpouring." The healing angel would come and trouble the water. When the anointing began to pour, the first to step in was healed. Those who weren't able to step in became bitter, murmuring and complaining of those who were more fortunate than they. Jesus approached a particular crippled man that His Heavenly Father had shown Him in a vision. This man's crippled identity was enslaved to sickness for 38 years. After one supernatural encounter, strategic appointment or divine confrontation with Jesus, his life was healed.

In the place of outpouring we will overcome the victim mentality by renewing our mind to become "victors." Ephesians 4:23-24, "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." If we will come to Jesus for healing during this time of outpouring we won't have any more excuses for our crippled, weakened conditions.

The new move of God will usher in a new breed of leaders who will only do what they see the Father doing. John 5:19-21, "Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes."

The realm of vision is so powerful it ignites passion and clarity of purpose in the heart of the beholder. To walk into the greater works we must see what the Father is doing in Heaven and allow it to flow through our lives here on earth.

New Voices Will Be Heard

God is opening doors to release new voices in 2009 that have only been heard on a limited level. This new breed of leadership will be full of godly wisdom, knowing the seasons and proper timing like Issachar. The Daniel and Joseph anointings of understanding mysteries, dreams and enigmas will also operate on a governmental level.

New faces will grace the conference and media arenas with an authoritative Kingdom message and the power to back it with signs, wonders and miracles. These hidden ones will emerge out of the wilderness carrying the mantles and wisdom of past generations.

The Kingdom that is within us is expanding and beginning to flow like a river, watering the barren places. We will continue to increase and expand if we will focus on unity and God's Kingdom business and mandates first. Isaiah 55:11 says that every word that goes forth from His mouth shall not return to Him void, but will accomplish what He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it. The sound of God's voice shatters darkness. Psalm 89 tells us that we are blessed if we know the sound. The sound is God speaking. Everything He says He will do; He will accomplish everything.

Great Grace and Favor

2009 is a season of a supernatural endowment of great grace. Grace and favor gives us the capacity to live as an overcomer, or a victor, not as a victim who is overcome by the enemy of their soul.

The Shekinah glory descended upon the Tent of Meetings and Moses met with God face-to-face, but that glory faded. Moses died in the wilderness but Joshua continued to walk with God in the glory. He received Moses' mantle, crossed the Jordan and entered the "Promise Land."

Throughout history we see men and women who learned to walk in a "spirit of holiness with God." The Spirit of holiness is the divine nature of God manifesting in maturity with resurrection power! Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Enoch walked in resurrection power and never experienced death.

Romans 1:4-6, "Who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ."

Enoch's anointing or mantle was to walk and talk with God in the Spirit of holiness. He displayed the divine nature of God in its fullness, walking in resurrection power! Genesis 5:23-24, "So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Enoch's earthly walk was the same as his walk with God in heavenly places. He was not double-minded. Enoch was renewed in the spirit of his mind. He put on the new self, in holiness and truth in the likeness of God. Enoch was a forerunner of what we are called to be in Christ. It is the Christ in us that gives us the hope of glory.

Intimacy learned in the Song of Solomon will enable the hidden ones to emerge from their wilderness wanderings with their hearts panting for the Lover of their souls. Their ears are tuned to hear the whispers of His voice leading every step of the way.

Deliverers to Set the Captives Free

God is equipping deliverers to set captives free. His eyes are searching for those who will walk in His ways of truth. Isaiah 42:22-23, "But this is a people plundered and despoiled; all of them are trapped in caves, are hidden away in prisons; they have become a prey with none to deliver them, and a spoil, with none to say, '"Give them back!' Who among you will give ear to this? Who will give heed and listen hereafter?"

Kingdom revelation builds faith producing Kingdom power through which many people will be set free. Psalm 9:9-14, "The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble. Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death, That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation."

Salvation has the power to save and heal us completely in our mind, emotions, body and spirit.

Resurrection Power to Do Miracles

On January 11, 2009, I awoke from a dream of resurrecting four men from the dead:

I found myself in a room with four dead men. Several more who knew them were present, grieving for their loss. The Holy Spirit spoke to me as I entered the room and said, "Their spirits are still in the room at ceiling level." In the vision I saw myself lay hands on the stomach of one of the dead men and commanded life to enter him. His spirit manifested in the form of a transparent spirit skeleton. It lay on top of the man's dead body. As it entered his body the man's breath or spirit returned and he resurrected from the dead. When the men in the room observed what had happened they followed suit. The other three men were raised from the dead too. Then I was transported to another state to raise a woman from the dead in the same manner.

Leaders are to demonstrate and teach so the Body can learn to do the works of Christ. Jesus is looking for a place to lay His head. The Body of Christ must arise in the Church so His head will have a resting place. I am learning about resurrection power through the dreams God has been giving me. Resurrection power operates the best outside the four walls of the Church.

Paul went down to the street to resurrect Eutychus from the dead. Acts 20:8-10 tells us, "There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, 'Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.'"

Paul left the safety of the four walls of the Church. He went into the streets to embrace the broken and the dead. He released resurrection power and brought Eutychus back to life. We are called to do the same. Matthew 10:8 says, "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." When Paul stepped outside the walls of the Church, resurrection power was released.

During this time of transitioning into the resurrection power, God is calling the Church to pray as never before. We are to seek His face while he may be found. Psalm 105:4-5, "Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually. Remember His wonders which He has done, His marvels and the judgments uttered by His mouth." It is time to seek the Lord for increase.

A Plentiful Harvest: Gifts and Fruits

Hosea 10:12 says, "Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you."

His rain will bring forth a plentiful harvest. This speaks of continuing to seek the Lord until breakthrough is obtained. Isaiah 55:6 further exhorts us to seek the Lord while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near. We must enter the presence of the Lord to access His power. A clear, clean conscience will bring forth a new level of boldness and power to enter His presence. 2 Timothy 1:3, "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day."

We are told in 1 John 3:21-22, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." As long as we are asking in the name and character of our Lord it shall be done for us.

2009 is a year of developing the nine fruits and the nine gifts of the Spirit with divine great grace!

1 Corinthians 12:4-11, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

"For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills."

The fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-25 enable us to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit."

When we mix the fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit we release the resurrection power in our lives.

Power Evangelism

This season of great grace is a call for us to walk in Power Evangelism releasing salvation to the lost as a free gift of God.

Ephesians 2:4-10, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."

God's great grace is releasing a flow of testimonies that demonstrate God's great power to save, heal and deliver.

Acts 4:33-35, "And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need."

Signs and wonders are increasing as the proceeding Word of God leads us into abundant life. Matthew 4:4, "But He answered and said, 'It is written, "MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD."'"

New Wine: Drink Deeply of His Joy

This is a year to be filled with the Spirit of God and His new wine in 2009. Drink deeply and abundantly of his joy and grace. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. It is time for us to rejoice, not fear.

Philippians 4:4-7 instructs, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Adjust your mindset to think positively, count your blessings and taste and see that the Lord is GOOD! Be focused on and totally dependent upon God to meet your needs supernaturally this year. Psalm 34:8-9 tells us to, "taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints; for to those who fear Him there is no want." He will abundantly satisfy.

Our old dry wine skins are fading away and they will be exchanged for a new flexible wineskin, shining with the glory anointing. Our focus will change from the past moves of God to the present "Now" new move, and we will have vision for the future. When we prepare our hearts to become a new wineskin God will fill us with the new wine. The New Wine is God's dunamis power releasing His glory, demonstrating His goodness, manifesting His presence and the commanded blessings of unity coming forth.

Good wine is a blend of the finest of grapes confined in a barrel for a specific time to blend and meld together. The winery test and tries each vat of wine until it reaches its peak or premier taste. The dregs settle to the bottom and are poured off. Every person has their own taste or flavor, but when we come together in unity—no one stands out but we blend to perfection.

Isaiah 65:8 spoke of the new wine in the cluster or in the spirit of unity, "Thus says the Lord, 'As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, "Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it," so I will act on behalf of My servants in order not to destroy all of them.'""

God's Breath to you,

Barbie Breathitt
Breath of the Spirit Ministries
Email: Barbie@BreathOfTheSpiritMinistries.com

Read Your Bible [and Pray Everyday] and You'll Grow, Grow, Grow

"I believe in our day we need to practice the Word of God or to practice God’s principles outlined in the Word. We need to practice what we have been taught from the pulpit, from ministry programs, from teaching tapes and videos. We need to prove the Word of God in our lives in times of little stress so we can be better prepared when the times of pressure, the times of need are at hand.

As with all things that we practice, initially, we might not be very good at what we are practicing, i.e. piano, painting, etc. We miss the correct keys, we paint outside the lines, we falter, we fade, we fail. But it is only through our practice that we can become proficient at anything.

So it is with the Word of God; we initially might not be successful at the Word which we practice, but as we keep trying, as we grow in understanding of Bible principles, we become stronger and our practice more sure. Then our success in the Word becomes greater and greater, and our faith becomes stronger and stronger."


-- Roberta Palmer Grummond, author of the self-published book Practicing the Word of God

The FRUIT of the Spirit

A friend of mine and I were exchanging email correspondences last week and she asked me if a person can be considered Spirit-filled if they do not have the nine fruits of the Spirit, as mentioned in the book of Galatians. It was an interesting question that made me go back to that passage of scripture and study and meditate on it.

I told her the following through my email reply:

- - - - -

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." -- Galatians 5:22-23

Since the Bible uses the term FRUIT for all nine, I think it is an all-or-nothing deal. They are part of a package that I believe Holy Spirit gives to us once we receive Him. But like the fruit of earthly plants, some take more time to ripen than others.

So, I believe that we get the FRUIT of the Spirit [all nine of them] when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, with some of the nine maturing faster and manifesting earlier than others. You are a Spirit-filled Christian even if some of the nine aspects of the FRUIT, which I believe are already in you, have not matured yet. You are Spirit-filled because you are filled by the FRUIT of the Spirit, though maybe wa pa lang ni ripen ang tanan.

Remember, we are a work in progress. But God has already given us everything we need for life and godliness [2 Peter 1:3-11]. So that means it's all there already but we just need to cooperate with God to perfect what He has already deposited in us. That's why that passage in 2 Peter encourages us to "make every effort".

Some people may have already matured in the area of patience but may lack the manifestation of joy. That doesn't make them not filled with the Spirit. It just means they need more work in the area of joy. The fruit of joy is in there but perhaps it just needs to mature more.

- - - - -

All of us seriously need to mature in the fullness of the Spirit. It takes time for the FRUIT to mature but if we cooperate with God and allow Holy Spirit to do what needs to be done, we'll get there much faster.

DGen: "M" for Maturity

Yeah. We talked about the "M" word during Saturday's cell group meeting. And yes, we went overtime again. But it was a nice time sharing this with the guys. And as I said before, the "M" was not exactly what most had in mind. It was something else. Something that needed immediate attention. Maturity.


+ Definition of Maturity

The state or quality of being fully grown or developed; the state or quality of being mature; adulthood; coming of age; fullness; full bloom; full growth; manhood; the age at which persons are considered competent to manage their own affairs

God has designed you to grow and mature physically, emotionally and spiritually. He created your body and mind to change from infancy to childhood, childhood to adolescence, adolescence into the fullness of your manhood. Throughout your life, there needs to be a constant putting off of the old and the wrong, and the putting on of the new and the right.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” [1 Corinthians 13:11-12]

+ What Is Spiritual Maturity?

Spiritual maturity is a process that begins when a person accepts Jesus Christ as Savior.

He or she is born again of the Holy Spirit and then chooses to live "in Christ." The Apostle Paul said that spiritual growth is an ongoing process.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

Even the Apostle Paul had not arrived, yet he continually pressed toward the prize.

+ What Spiritual Maturity is NOT

Being baptized a long time ago.
Intimate knowledge of and belief in your denomination's doctrines.
Going to church services every week.
Being old.
Having a loud voice and domineering personality.
Being a "high ranking" minister.
Being a deacon or deaconess.
Having gray hair and dressing well.
Being a master of the putdown.
Being a great preacher.
Spiritual pedigree.
Hanging out with ecclesiastical big shots.
Being excessively righteous (as in having a religious spirit).
Being wealthy.
Being highly placed in a church hierarchy.
Knowing a lot.

Maturity is marked by a progression in your knowledge and understanding of God, and in your relationship with Him. You are to grow in learning and applying biblical truths in your life and in your intimacy with the Lord.

“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.” [Hebrew 6:1 NLT]

Therefore, in order for Christian maturity to develop in your life, you must:

1. make a choice to learn God's Word
2. allow God to renew your mind
3. be obedient to what you learn

Romans 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

+ What Does Spiritual Maturity Look Like?

Maturity is evidenced by the manifestation of Christ-likeness in your life.

“And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God's Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray. Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah, in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.” [Ephesians 4:11-16 ISV]

Spiritual growth is indicated by the appearance of the fruit of the Spirit in your character.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” [Galatians 5:22-23]

Spiritual maturity is learning how to walk in obedience to God. It is making the choice to live by God's viewpoint rather than your human viewpoint.

Galatians 5:16 and 25 give the key, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature…Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

The word "walk" in verse 16 is from the Greek word peripateo, which means, "to walk with a purpose in view." The word "walk" in verse 25 is translated from another Greek word stoicheo and it means "step by step, one step at a time." It is learning to walk under the instruction of another. That person is the Holy Spirit. Since believers are indwelt by the Spirit, they should also walk under His control.

+ How Do I Accomplish Maturity in the Spirit?

How can you learn to walk in the Holy Spirit's control? You study God's Word!

2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17 instructs us, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth…All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

This is a good practical instruction on how you become spiritually mature. Achieving spiritual maturity is done by choosing to apply God's Word in everyday circumstances. As you walk step-by-step, applying God's Word to your life, you will grow spiritually.

Just as you feed your body daily to make it grow stronger, you also need to feed your spirit to make it grow equally strong, or even stronger. Just as a maturing person progresses in his dietary intake – from milk to solid foods – to cope with the increasing energy needs of his growing body, your spirit also needs a progressive diet to supply nourishment and sustain spiritual growth.

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” [1 Peter 2:1-3]

But as a growing Christian, you are not to be milk-fed forever. Instead, you are called to chew on the "meat" of God's Word. Discover God's truth by in-depth Bible study and feed yourself spiritually. Then apply that sustenance to your life as you walk in the Holy Spirit.

"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" [Hebrews 5:13-14].

+ Spiritual Maturity in Christ

In order to experience spiritual maturity, you must also understand that growth comes by grace and it is God alone who is your Source.

2 Peter 1:3-9 reminds you that God is the source. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins."

When you became a child of God, you were given all you need "in Christ" to become a spiritually maturing believer. However, you are responsible to make a choice! Will you choose to use and apply God's principles to your life?

The wonderful thing about being in submission to God's maturing process is that you will be changed! You don't have to worry about becoming mature. God does the changing! He will conform you to the image of Jesus Christ as you humbly surrender to His Holy Spirit and learn His Word.

Hebrews 13:20-21 says, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."


+ Spiritual maturity should be a priority for you.

- - - - -

an amalgamation of this article and God's download to me.

Grow Up. Seriously!

"The transition from milk to meat should be a natural one for most Christians. We should find ourselves wanting to read the Bible more often, to pray more frequently, to reach out in loving community as Christ teaches us.

And, as the author of Hebrews intimates, we should naturally begin teaching others who are less spiritually mature rather than constantly needing to be fed ourselves."



from this article

Making Our Hearts Soft for Seeds

In the Parable of the Sower [Matthew 13], we see a farmer throwing seeds liberally as he moves along. Some seed fall on the pathway; some on rocky ground; some on thorny ground; and some on good ground. We all know how each of type of ground responded to the seed thrown and sown to it.

As I was pondering on this parable – it was preached by my pastor two Sundays ago and was one of the topics in my discipleship class – the Lord gave me the following revelation:

The farmer merely scatters the seed, but he has no control of the type of ground the seed lands on, or how much growth it will achieve – if it grows at all. The farmer sows the seeds freely, leaving the growth process to the forces of nature. Although the growth of the seed is not in the control of the ground it falls on, the type of the ground does determine the growth of the seed and its fruitfulness.

The Lord showed me that though the leadership in my congregation has been “sowing” seeds of the Kingdom to us (through the preaching Sunday after Sunday, through sharing in cell group meetings, through teachings in discipleship classes), the pastors, ministers and cell group leaders can only do so much. No matter how many seeds they throw our way, if our hearts are not open, ready and right before God, no reception of seed can take place and no growth can happen.

God revealed to me that while it is only the Holy Spirit who can produce maturity and growth in us, it is nonetheless our responsibility to prepare and cultivate our hearts to become good ground in which seeds of His Kingdom can be sown. We are accountable for clearing out the thorns in our hearts, removing the rocks that might prevent roots from going down deep, and keeping the birds from taking the seeds.

Kingdom seeds of leadership, submission, loyalty and faithfulness (among others) are being liberally sown in our congregation. I don’t think our pastoral staff and leaders are short in that department. The congregation – if we are at all spiritually attentive and alert – is being bombarded by good seed. And many of us are not taking advantage of this opportunity.

The problem is the state of our hearts! We have thorny hearts and we do not pull the thorns out. We have rocky hearts and we do not remove the stones. We have hardened hearts and we do not plow. We are not tending our garden and we are not keeping the foxes out. And we wonder why we are not getting breakthroughs in our lives or why we are spiritually dry.

Seed is useless if the ground won’t yield. We can stock up on all the seeds we can get, but if our hearts are “pathway” hearts, the birds will come and take the seed away; if “thorny”, the seedlings will get choked up; if “rocky”, the sprouts will be shallow-rooted and easily fall away.

We are to break our fallow ground. We are to cultivate our hearts and soften it to receive Kingdom seed. Yes, it is only God who can cause all things to grow, but it is our job to prepare our hearts – by being humble, yielded and teachable. God can do (and has done) great things through us and for us, but there are some things that He wants us to do for ourselves – He has given us free will after all.

There are plenty of good seeds to spare, scattered all over the proverbial agricultural field. The question is:



Have we made our hearts a good place for God to sow Kingdom seed in?