THEWORD

I want the Word the whole Word and nothing but the Word, straight up without the chaser!

By Stacey Lunsford

Arise & Shine For Jesus World Missions Center

Many sermons today....are candy coated and not convicting sermons that will prick the heart of the people and give them enough WORD=BIBLE to encourage them to change. Many things are happening inside of the church today that are not pleasing to the Lord but there is nothing new under the sun. If you take a look at the book of Ezra, you will see the opposition that he faced when trying to rebuild the temple. Many people are in the church today with an assignment to tear down instead of restoring because they simply are not about our Father's business! Let's take a closer look at the folks in the church today. You will find the carnal Christians, false preachers/teachers, false prophets, etc. But you will also find true Christians, good honest preachers and true prophets, who love the Lord and they are rightly dividing God's Holy Word!

Ecclesiastes 12:9-11, And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as (1) goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

(1) The Random House College Dictionary defines a goad as:

1. a stick with a pointed or electrically charged end, for driving cattle, oxen, etc., to prod

a. Prod - to poke, or jab with or as with something pointed.

2. anything that pricks, wounds, or urges like such a stick; a stimulus

a. Stimulus - something that incites or quickens action, feelings, thoughts, etc.

b. Incite - to urge or prompt to take action.

When the word of God is candy coated and watered down, it is ineffective with jabbing, pricking, probing and wounding you deep in your spirit! Therefore, change doesn't come and you leave the same way that you came in empty, so what did you accomplish? What was all of the shouting about? Were you praising the Lord because you love Him? Or were you crying out to Him to save you, to deliver you because you slept in somebody else's bed last night? Maybe you had one too many drinks and used your wife as a punching bag last night! Whatever you did last night it's between you and the Lord. For I don't have a heaven or a hell to put you in! Silver and gold I don't have either but that which I do have I give freely today and that is God's Holy Word!

Let's look at Matthew 13:2-15, That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear." The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "`You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

I want the Word the whole Word and nothing but the Word, straight up without the chaser! When I prepare for worship Service, my prayer is Lord please let me decrease so that you may increase. I ask the Lord to clear the airways where I will be sitting. I ask the Lord to help me to stay focused on HIM...not the folks around me, and not on the preacher but on HIM and the word that He has for me! I ask the Lord to convict me, to poke me, to jab me, to prick me. I asked the Lord to wound me, with the results leading to the application of 2 Chronicles 7:14, with the results ending in Isaiah 43:18-19 "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Some body got to hear me today! Thank you Jesus! Because of this new awakening you have an urge to move from where you are and you desire to walk in the victory that has been provided for you by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross! If you would only allow God's word to be activated in your life, it can renew, reeducate and redirect your mind! With a renewed attitude, and outlook on life you are able to rise above your circumstances and know that no weapons formed against you shall prosper. You will know that you can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens you!

*Life Application Summary for Matthew 13:2-15

Jesus uses many illustrations or parables when speaking to the crowds. A parable compares something familiar to something unfamiliar. It helps us understand spiritual truth by using everyday objects and relationships. Parables compel the listener to discover truth, while at the same time concealing the truth from those too lazy or too stuborn to see it. To those who are honestly searching, the truth becomes clear. We must be careful not to read too much into parables, forcing them to say what they don't mean. All parables have one meaning unless otherwise specified by Jesus.

This parable should encourage spiritual "sowers", those who teach, preach, and lead others. The man sowed good seed, but not all the seed sprouted, and even the plants that grew had varying yields. Don't be discouraged if you do not always see results as you faithfully teach the Word. Belief cannot be forced to follow a mathematical formula (i.e. 4:1 ratios of seeds planted to seeds sprouted). rather, it is a miracle of God's Holy Spirit as He uses your words to lead others to Him. Human ears hear many sounds, but there is a deeper kind of listening that results in spiritual understanding. If you honestly seek God's will, you have have spiritual hearing, and these parables will give you new perspective.

Father in the name of Jesus, I thank you for this word (this seed) today and ask that you will allow it to fall on good soil, where it can produce a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. In Jesus Christ name I pray with an attitude of gratitude and with thanksgiving in my heart! Amen for the Father, Amen for the Son and Amen for the Holy Spirit!