ALL ABOUT YOU: GIDEON, CHAPTER 42 ARE
YOU A WALKING TALKING GARDEN OF EDEN? OR A DEAD TREE? Click here for audio08-01-04 (1
Cor 3:5-9) Who then is Paul, and
who is Apollos, but ministers [(servants,
to run on errands); an attendant, (gen.) a waiter (at table or in other menial
duties)] by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man [his
own task]? I have planted,
Apollos watered; but God
gave the increase [to grow,
enlarge: grow (up) (give the ) increase]. So then neither is he that planteth
any thing, neither he that watereth; but
God that giveth the increase [i.e.
life]. Now he that planteth [the
seed] and he that watereth [the
seed] are one: and every man shall receive his own reward
according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God:
ye are God's husbandry [farm;
garden, vineyard, field (under cultivation)], ye are God's building. 1.
What
is planted or sown? (Luke 8:11) Now
the parable is this: The seed is the
word [logos] of
God. 2.
Who
is the seed/logos word? (John 1:14) And
the Word [logos] was
made flesh, and dwelt among us [en;
prep. denoting (fixed) position; “in”], (and we beheld his glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth [i.e.
the word of God is the Bible made the flesh of Jesus Christ]. 3.
With
what
is the planted seed watered? (Eph 5:26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word
[i.e. the word of God, the words of the
Bible – as you hear and receive the words of God, they wash your
sinful nature away and Truth dwelling inside you is revealed], 4.
What
is the increase - growth? (Rom 10:17) So
then faith [belief] cometh
by hearing [having open and
receptive ears, i.e. being willing to consider what you hear],
and hearing [understanding] by
the word [rhema - revelation]
of God [through the Holy Spirit]. 5.
(Phil 1:5,6) For your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day [that
you became saved] until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he
which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ [i.e.
the return of Jesus Christ, the Second Coming]: THE
INCREASE
(John
16:13) Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come [the Holy
Spirit of Jesus Christ (the Comforter)],
he will guide you into all truth [John
14:6]: for he shall not speak of himself [He
will not originate; He will not sow new seed into your heart]; but
whatsoever he shall hear [of
God’s word – that is, the seed (logos) that has been and is being sown
into your heart], that shall he
speak [explain, expand, expound]:
and he will show you
[announce (in detail): declare, tell]
things to come [i.e.
revelations]. 1.
The Holy Spirit hears the sown logos seed (He does not add to
God’s word – He does not add to the body of Jesus Christ), and He speaks
of, gives the increase to grow upward, or expands upward (uncovers) the
hidden meaning (fruit) contained within the covering shell of that seed
pod, which growth we call a revelation – it is the fruit of the Lord. From
seed (growth) to fruit. 2.
(Rom 1:17) For therein is the
righteousness of God revealed [to
take the cover off, disclosed (uncovered)] from
faith [belief]
to faith [belief]: as it is
written, The just shall live by faith. 3.
(1 John 2:26,27) These
things have I written unto you concerning
them that seduce
you. But the anointing [chrisma;
an unguent or smearing, i.e. (fig.) the spec. endowment ("chrism")
of the Holy Spirit] which ye have received of him abideth [dwells]
in you, and ye need not that any
man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no
lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 4.
“unguent” = Dict: any soft preparation or salve, applied to sores,
etc.; an ointment. 5.
“seduce you” = Gk: to cause to roam (from safety, truth, or
virtue):--go astray, deceive, err, seduce, wander, be out of the way ///
fraudulence; subj. a straying from orthodoxy or piety: deceit, to deceive, delusion
[2 Th 2:11], error /// roving (as a
tramp), an impostor or misleader:--deceiver, seducing. 6.
Summation: 1. seed + water = fruit (through the process of growth, i.e.
revelation). 2. word + word = word. 3. Jesus Christ + Holy Spirit = (more of)
God. 7.
(2 Th 1:3) We are bound to
thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet [deserving:
worthy (fitting)], because that
your faith groweth [increases]
exceedingly, and the charity [love]
of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth [to
be more, increases; superabounds]; 8.
(John 6:63,64) It is the spirit [rhema]
that quickeneth [vitalize: make
alive, give life]; the flesh [logos]
profiteth nothing [John 12:48]: the
words [rhema (revelations –
increase, growth)] that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe
not [have not faith]. For Jesus
knew from the beginning [of the world:
John 1:1; 1:14] who they were that believed not, and who should betray
him. THE PARABLE OF
THE INCREASE = UNDERSTANDING
(Mark
4:13,14) And he said unto them,
Know [understand] ye not this
parable? and how then will ye know [understand]
all parables? The sower soweth the
word. THE SEED THAT IS
SOWN IN YOUR HEART
(Mat
13:18-23) Hear ye therefore the
parable of the sower [i.e. farmer,
husbandman: John 15:1]. When any one heareth
the word [seed] 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. But
he that received the seed into stony places [“in
his heart”], the same is he that heareth
the word [seed], and anon with
joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth [endures]
for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word,
by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns [“in
his heart”] is he that heareth
the word [seed]; and the care
of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground [“in
his heart” – prepared or tilled soil that allows prosperous growth] is
he that heareth the word [seed],
and understandeth it; which
also beareth fruit [to be
fertile], and bringeth
forth [i.e. the increase], some
an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 1.
(John 5:24) Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth
my word, and believeth on him that
sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life. JESUS, WHY DO
YOU SPEAK UNTO THEM IN PARABLES?
(Mat
13:10-17) And the disciples
came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto
them in parables [i.e. dark
sayings]? He answered and said unto them, Because
it is given unto you to know [understand,
get the increase of] the mysteries [secrets]
of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given [to
know, understand, get the increase]. For whosoever hath [understanding,
gotten an increase], to him shall be given [more
understanding, more increase], and he shall have more abundance [of
understanding, of increase]: but whosoever hath not [understanding,
an increase], from him shall be taken away even that [understanding,
increase (stony ground) that] he hath. Therefore speak I to them in
parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither
do they understand [neither do they
increase]. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall
not understand [not increase];
and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart
is waxed gross [thickened, rendered
callous], and their ears are dull of hearing, and
their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with
their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand
[get an increase] with their
heart, and should be converted,
and I should heal them [make
whole]. But blessed are your eyes,
for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That
many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which
ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear,
and have not heard them. 1.
The purpose of parables: 1. They are interesting because they deal with
common experiences and grab the listener’s attention. 2. Such stories are
easily remembered. 3. They reveal truth to those who are ready
spiritually to receive it. 4. They conceal truth from those who have
hardened themselves against the message of Christ. Amen
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