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Lesson: The Law of Seed, Plant, Harvest
sometimes called the Law of Seed and Harvest

Mark 4: 26 - 32
26.And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground,
27.Then continues sleeping and rising night and day while the seed sprouts and grows and increases, he knows not how.
28.The earth produces [acts] by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
29.But when the grain is ripe and permits, immediately he sends forth [the reapers] and puts in the sickle, because the harvest stands ready.
30.And He said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use to illustrate and explain it?
31.It is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown upon the ground is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth;
32.Yet after it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nest and dwell in its shade.

Everything that we do is a seed that we have planted (Job 4:8; Hosea 10:12; Galatians 6:7-8). If we tell our wife that we love her, that is a seed that we have planted. If we go to work late, that is a seed planted. If we say something in anger, that is a seed planted. Our entire life is spent planting seeds, everyday, year after year, waiting for the harvest, some of our seed will not be harvested until we stand before Christ at our judgment. A lot of seeds are planted through prayer. Prayers are seeds planted in Gods heart (Acts 10:4).
Matthew 6: 5-15, (Ampl.)
5.Also when you pray you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the street, that they may be seen by people. Truly, I tell you, they have their reward - in full already.
6.But when you pray, go into your most private room, and closing the door, pray to the Father Who is in secret; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you in the open
15.But if you do not forgive others their trespasses - their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go and giving up resentment - neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. (You are as much of a sinner as they are, and God does not hear the prayers of a sinner. 1 Peter 3:12)

     Notice that in Mark 4: 26 - 32 (above), Mark uses a physical world example to explain a spiritual truth. In other words, the Law of Seed, Plant, and Harvest is a God given law of nature. All things, physical and spiritual, work based on this law. In verse 27 the planter plants the seed and over a period of time, day after day the seed grows. He cannot explain how it grows but it does. Through the seeds entire growth cycle it grows, step by step, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. The seed cannot miss or skip steps or stages. It must do everything decently and in order. You cannot have the harvest before you plant the seed. You cannot change the steps that must be completed in the correct order, this is how God wants it to happen. After you have waited the proper amount of time, and every seed has a different amount of time, it is mature and ready for harvest. You cannot reap the benefit of planting the seeds if you go out into the field the day after you plant it and dig up all of your seeds. Because all you have done is destroy your seeds before they are ready. You will not have a harvest if you do not plant seeds and care for them until it is time for the harvest. In verses 31 -32 we see that even very small seeds can grow up and produce surprisingly large harvest. This law is true in everything that we do. If you go to school, you are planting an educational seed for yourself. If you really study and care for that seed you will get a large return on your seeds. The result is totally up to you. You are responsible for the things that you do. You can plant weeds in your life by not going to school. It is entirely up to you. Some people call it making good life decisions, but I think that it is more descriptive to think of the things that we do as seeds. What kind of harvest do you want in your life? What fruit will come from the seeds that you are planting? There are some people that should be praying for crop failure.

Luke 6: (The entire chapter is relevant) (KJV)
37.Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and and you shall be forgiven:
38.Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete (give) it shall be measured to you again.

     Even things like judgment, forgiveness, condemnation, and giving are seeds that produce a harvest. If you plant judgment by wrongly judging other people you will harvest a lot of judgment on yourself. If you plant forgiveness you will harvest forgiveness and so on. Some of the things that we do produce a good harvest and some produce a bad harvest. Is there any doubt why God says to "do onto others as you would have them do to you."

     A lot of people feel that the Christian life style is too restrictive, it does not allow them to do the things that their flesh wants them to do. But this law and many other verses show that the Christian life style has to be restrictive to the flesh so that the Spirit will grow. You cannot plant fleshly weeds in with your good Spirit filled seeds and expect a good Godly crop. The bad seeds, weeds, that we plant counter act (or in effect, destroy) the good works (seeds) that we plant. Bad seeds counter act or destroy our good works because in many cases people, and God, can't see our good seeds for all of our weeds. If the people around us can't see our good seeds or works because of all of our bad seeds, what good have we done?

1 Peter 4: 1 - 10 (NIV)
1.So, since Christ suffered in the flesh [for us, for you], arm yourselves with the same thought and purpose [patiently to suffer rather than fail to please God]. For whoever has suffered in the flesh [having the mind of Christ] has done with [intentional] sin - has stopped pleasing himself and the world, and pleases God.
2.So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires, but [he lives] for what God wills.
3.For the time that is past already suffices for doing what the Gentiles like to do, living (as you have done) in shameless, insolent wantonness, in lustful desire, drunkenness, reveling, drinking bouts and abominable, lawless idolatries.
4.They are astonished and think it very queer that you do not now run hand in hand with them in the same excesses of dissipation, and they abuse [you].
5.But they will have to give account to Him (Jesus) Who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead.
6.For this is why the good news (the Gospel) was preached [in their lifetime] even to the dead, that though judged in fleshly bodies as are, they might live in the spirit as God does.
7.But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for [the practice of] prayer.
8.Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins - forgives and disregards the offenses of others.
9.Practice hospitality to one another - that is, those of the household of faith. (Be hospitable, that is, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigner, the poor and all others who come your way who are of Christ's body.) And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly - cordially and graciously without complaining [but as representing Him (Christ)].
10.As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace - faithful stewards of the extremely diverse [powers and gifts granted to Christians by] unmerited favor.

     It also shows that it is our responsibility to live our lives and to turn our lives into something. No one can plant our seeds for us, and no one can harvest our crops for us. Our lives are our responsibility. I can want good things to happen in someones' life. I can pray for them and that does help them, but they must do it themselves. I cannot change the seeds that they plant outside of praying for them, and I cannot force them to change their will if they do not want to. Our prayers open the door for God to work in the lives of people that don't want God right now. The hope (and faith) is that through God's influence He can change their life over time.

     We have all said things at one time or the other that we later wished had never been said. We plant seeds in many ways, through words, actions, a lack of action, and in many other ways. What brings on these laps into sin (and that is just what they are, SIN)?

Romans 1: 16 - 32, (Ampl.)
16.For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is God's power working unto salvation to every one who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,
17.For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith.
18.For God's [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative.
19.For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.
20.For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made. So [men] are without excuse.
21.Because when they knew and recognized Him as the God, they did not honor and glorify /him as God, or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and godless in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
22.Claiming to be wise, they became fools.
23.And by them the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God were exchanged for and represented by images, resembling mortal man and birds and beasts and reptiles.
24.Therefore God gave them up in the lust of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, abandoning them to the degrading power of sin.
25.Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen.
26.For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one;
27.And the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze with lust for one another, men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
28.And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome;
29.Until they were filled with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, [and] malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,
30.Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.
31.[They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.
32. Through they are fully aware of God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.

(also Gen. 2: 22-24, Matt. 19: 4-6)

     The entire Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5 - 7, is an example of Jesus explaining and demonstrating the law of seed, plant and harvest. Basically, what Jesus said was, treat people the way you want to be treated. Live the God kind of life before all mankind. Live a life of unquestioned example that says opening, my God lives and loves through me. In other words, if God wouldn't do it, you shouldn't do it. You should plant the God kind of seeds that produce the God kind of results.

1 Peter 1: 13-19 (Ampl.)
13.So brace up your minds; be sober - circumspect [morally alert]; set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is revealed.
14.[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].
15.But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.
16.For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.
17.And if you call upon Him as [your Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on earth, whether long or short].
18.You must know (recognize) that you were redeemed (ransomed) from the useless (fruitless) way of living inherited by tradition from [your] forefathers, not with corruptible things [such as] silver and gold,
19.But [you were purchased] with the precious blood of Christ, the Messiah, like that of a [sacrificial] lamb without blemish or spot.

     There are some people that believe that the law of seed, plant and harvest is some kind of get financially rich quick scheme with no requirements, but that is not true. It is a life of planting spiritually rich seeds that produce huge harvest in the physical and spiritual realms.

Matthew 6: Make up your mind!
32.(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye (you) have need of all these things. (worldly things)
33.But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
John 15: 7, Do you want God's best? Give Him your best!
7.If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.("if" indicates uncertainty, do you live in Christ?)

      You can have worldly things and you can prosper with God's blessing, but only as long as you put God first. God has planted a huge number of God filled supernatural seeds in you and your life and He expects a God filled supernatural crop. God will not stand being put in second place in your life. It must be clear and unquestioned that in your life God comes first and everything else is second. It is not good enough to simply talk the talk but you must really walk the walk.

Luke 16: 13 - 15, Jesus wants you to get off of the fence, make up your mind.
13.No servant is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon(the world)
John 9: Jesus gave us access to God
31.We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if any one is God-fearing and a worshipper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.
John 14: (Amplified) Jesus anoints you with power and provides comfort
12.I (Jesus) assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if any one steadfastly believes in Me (Jesus), he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I (Jesus) go to the Father. (You have the power of Jesus in you, because the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost live in you.)
13.And I will do - I Myself will grant - whatever you may ask in My (Jesus) name so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son.
14.(Yes) I will grant - will do for you - whatever you shall ask in My name (Jesus). (As long as what you pray for complies with the His Word. God will not do something bad to someone because that is contrary to His Word.)
15.If you [really] love Me you will keep (obey) My commands.
16.And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby) that He may remain with you forever,
17.The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him, nor know and recognize Him, But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.
18.I will not leave you orphans - comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless - I will come [back] to you.
John 14: Jesus teaches and empowers you with Love
15.If you (Agapao) love me, keep my commandments.
16.And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
23.Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man loves me, he will keep my words: my Father will (Agapao) love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24.He that (Agapao) loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the (anointed) word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. (Love teaches the basics of operating in the anointing of the Spirit).
John 14: Jesus gives us Wisdom
26.But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall - will remind you of, bring to your remembrance - everything I have told you. (also John 8:12; 15: 26-27; 16: 7-16, James 1: 5 - 7)
Mark 10: Jesus the source of Blessings
29.Jesus said, Truly, I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brother or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel,
30.Who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (also Luke 18:24-30)

     This is the record that God gave of his Son, that Jesus came to give us life, and to give us life more abundant. Pray with me now and fill your life with Life.
     Heavenly Father, your word says that "If I will confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead, I will be saved for with the heart, man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Father, I do believe and say openly that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and that he was raised the third day. Lord, I pray that you would forgive me of my sins for I forgive all those that have sinned against me. Lord Jesus, I now want you to come into my heart and guide me, fill me with your Holy Spirit, and mold me into what you would have me to be I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
Congratulations you are now a new creature in Christ! Well done!


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