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THE STONY GROUND HEARERS BY PASTOR SHELEM FLEMONS
The second category of hearer mentioned by Christ was the stony ground hearer.
Matt. 13:5,6 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Jesus explained the stony ground hearer this way.
Matt. 13:20,21 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Stones are used to make idols. Many accept the word of God but do not allow the Lord to cleanse them of all the hidden idols in their lives. These idols are not always apparent on the surface. However, when the sun comes up, the root of the plant is not deep enough to maintain life and the plant withers. Jesus equated the sun with tribulation and persecution. The Bible teaches that tribulation usually comes from the world, but persecution usually comes from the church. In the final crises when church and state combine in promoting the national and world-wide Sunday laws, they will be combined.
Tribulation
Judges 10:11-14 KJVS[11] And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? [12] The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. [13] Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. [14] Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
Deuteronomy 4:27-30 KJVS[27] And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. [28] And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. [29] But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him , if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. [30] When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Matthew 24:20-21 KJVS[20] But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The history of the early church testified to the fulfillment of the Saviour’s words. The powers of earth and hell arrayed themselves against Christ in the person of His followers. Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. The fires of persecution were kindled. Christians were stripped of their possessions and driven from their homes. They “endured a great fight of afflictions.” Hebrews 10:32. They “had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment.” Hebrews 11:36. Great numbers sealed their testimony with their blood. Noble and slave, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, were alike slain without mercy. GC 39.2
Persecution
Matthew 5:12 KJVS[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 23:37 KJVS[37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
In conclusion, we must avoid becoming a stony ground hearer. We must cleanse ourselves of all sin by seeking God and allowing Him to search our hearts and reveal to us our true character. We then can surrender ourselves fully to God and use all the resources He has provided for us to have victory.
The “F” in refreshing
Fresh air has two primary therapeutic blessings. The first is oxygen which is needed by every cell of the body. The second is negative ion charges which build the immune system and protect the body against free radicals.
Here are 9 steps to applying the fresh air principle.
- Spend as much time out of doors or exposed to fresh air as possible.
- Learn to breathe deeply. When you inhale, your stomach should go out. When you exhale, your stomach should go in.
- The air we breathe should be as pure as possible. Therefore, country air is much healthier than the polluted air in the cities.
- During the day and night, there should be pure air circulating in the home or work place.
- Don’t sleep under a draft, but maintain the circulation of fresh air at all times by opening at least two windows across from each other in the home.
- It is especially important for those recovering from illness to be exposed to fresh air.
- Avoid inhaling fumes, cigarette smoke, and other toxic chemicals.
- Dead leaves around a house poison the air with a toxic miasma and should be removed from areas close to homes.
- As much as possible, go out in nature and enjoy the scenes of God’s beauty. This will inspire you with thoughts of His magnificent power. You will reason that if God is able to make all of this, (majestic mountains, thundering waterfalls, towering forests, colorful flowers), He is surely able to heal me of my diseases. The fact that He provides us with such beauty proves that he is concerned about each of us.
Sharing and Caring by Sister Maria Flemons
POWER OF PRAYER BY ELLEN G WHITE
Ch. 37 – Will the Answers Come? – Scripture Text: 1 Pet. 3:12
“Jesus does not call on us to follow Him, and then forsake us. If we surrender our lives to His service, we can never be played in a position for which God has not made provision. Whatever may be our situation, we have a guide to direct our way…All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” Gospel Workers, p 263
“Summon all your powers to look up, not down at your difficulties; then you will never faint by the way. You will soon see Jesus behind the cloud, reaching out His hand to help you; and all you have to do is to give Him your hand in simple faith and let Him lead you” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, p 58
“It is God’s glory to encircle sinful, repentant human beings in the arms of His love, to bind up their wounds, to cleanse them from sin, and to clothe them with the garments of salvation.” Prophets and Kings, p 668
“Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, proposes to elevate to companionship with Himself those who come to Him with their burdens, their weaknesses, and their cares….It is our privilege to have a daily calm, close, happy walk with Jesus.” Our High Calling, p 97
“Pray in faith, and the mystery of His providence will bring its answer” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 7, p 245
“No sooner does the child of God approach the mercy seat than he becomes the client of the great Advocate. At his first utterance of penitence and appeal for pardon Christ espouses his case and makes it His own, presenting the supplication before the Father as His own request.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p 364
today’s prayer request
Special Caller – prayer for family and self to be more serious about doing the Lord’s will, to study more and be a witness for Him, TORSOE ministry, Pastor Shelem and his wife and for everyone on the line. Happy Sabbath Saints!
continued prayer
Prayer for all to begin the cleansing work of allowing the Lord reveal your true heart condition so that sin can be eradicated from your life and you can then be transformed into His Perfect Image. Do the cleansing prayer work now! Jesus is soon to come!