Historically when a move of God hits the church there
are different levels of response.
"Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN." And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." (Mark 4:3-20 NASB)
The soil that was maintained receives the word and explodes with fruit, whereas the others that are neglected stifles the ability for the word to even take root.
This is true even for "the word of the day." Many times, when God begins to move, it doesn't come in a form that is quickly recognized or received by all soils. It takes soil that has been constantly softened and broken up.
Not only do the hearts of unbelievers need to be readied to receive His Word (which is also our responsibility) but those of us that've received the Word must continually maintain our soil. We must maintain a position of receiving the Word implanted in order to bear more fruit, because the birds of the air will come, the scorching sun with beat down, the weeds will spring up.
But does our responsibility end with maintaining our own soil?
If we see seed bouncing off hard soil, being stolen, choked out or scorched and withered, do we stand by and scoff? Do we shake our head and point fingers? Do we neglect the soil of another?
"Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:12-15 NASB)
Basically the health of the whole body is essential and is our responsibility. When we neglect it, disease sets in and faces amputation!
Pray for one another. Administer healing where healing is needed.
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;" (Philippians 2:3 NASB)
"Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." And He was saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN." And He *said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." (Mark 4:3-20 NASB)
The soil that was maintained receives the word and explodes with fruit, whereas the others that are neglected stifles the ability for the word to even take root.
This is true even for "the word of the day." Many times, when God begins to move, it doesn't come in a form that is quickly recognized or received by all soils. It takes soil that has been constantly softened and broken up.
Not only do the hearts of unbelievers need to be readied to receive His Word (which is also our responsibility) but those of us that've received the Word must continually maintain our soil. We must maintain a position of receiving the Word implanted in order to bear more fruit, because the birds of the air will come, the scorching sun with beat down, the weeds will spring up.
But does our responsibility end with maintaining our own soil?
If we see seed bouncing off hard soil, being stolen, choked out or scorched and withered, do we stand by and scoff? Do we shake our head and point fingers? Do we neglect the soil of another?
"Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;" (Hebrews 12:12-15 NASB)
Basically the health of the whole body is essential and is our responsibility. When we neglect it, disease sets in and faces amputation!
Pray for one another. Administer healing where healing is needed.
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;" (Philippians 2:3 NASB)
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