KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13: 20-21 (KJV). But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 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.

The Lord explains further the meaning of the parable of the sower. This time He talked about the seeds that fell on the rocky ground. LET me first explain the potential of the seed.  So long as the seed is alive, it contains the tree and the fruits. All it needs is a good soil to grow. The word of God as a seed has everything it talks about. It has peace, security, wealth, healing, wisdom, and all the provisions of redemption. If a man can keep the word in his heart, he will experience what the word talks about. When a man is hardened towards God in any way, he always receives the word, yet in times of trials, his true colors begin to manifest. He gets offended and fails to trust God through.

One of the main activities of the devil is to make the word ineffective in the life of the child of God. One of his means is to create a stony heart. Satan capitalizes on various circumstances to suggest falsehood, about God in order to harden men against God. The following are some of the ways people get hardened towards God.

1.  Hebrews 3:13 (KJV). Sinfulness of any kind hardens people. “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

2.Some are hardened when their expectations are not met. Job 2:9

3 Pride causes people to be hardened towards God. Exodus 7:3

4 Wrong doctrine does harden people towards the truth.

5.When disappointed by the people of God, they can become hardened

HOW to be released from been hardened towards God or the truth.

1. One must repent of every sinful way and turn from that life.

2.Repent from every arrogance to God and His word.

3.Forgive all those who might have sinned or disappointed you in any way.

4.Search the truth about any wrong teachings you may be holding.

5.Every bitterness built in you towards God must be confessed and forsaken

Spend time praying and asking the Holy Spirit to expose every hidden stubbornness towards God

Satan attacks because of the word of God in you. so do everything to keep the word in your heart.

CONFESSION

My heart is not hardened towards the word of God. I refuse every sinful way, and proud attitude that can harden me towards God’s word. I celebrate God’s word by declaring it is always active no matter the supposed difficulties or challenges

FURTHER STUDIES

  Job 9:4 (KJV). “He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?”

Hebrews 12:1 (KJV). “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

KEY SCRIPTURE:  — Matthew 13:18 (KJV). “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.”

Please read Matthew 13:18-23)

The Lord Jesus explained the meaning of the parable of the sower to His disciples. He talked about the four kinds of hearts of men that receive the word of God.

These hearts are as follows

1.The wayside heart Matt 13:19

2. The Rocky heart Matt 13:20,21

3, The heart of thorns. Matt 13:22

4 The good heart Matt 13:23

HE first explained about the wayside heart.

“When any one heareth the word 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.”

  — Matthew 13:19 (KJV). He taught that when a man hears the word and does not understand it, the enemy comes for that word. What are the causes of lack of understanding of the word received?

1.One may not understand the word if he does not give attention to the word.

2.When one does not value the word of God, he may not understand it

3.Lack of Prayerful preparation before receiving the word.

4. A worldly minded Christian cannot easily understand the scriptures.

There are certain conditions that make people not to be attentive to the scriptures;

1. A mind that is worried about life issues can’t be attentive enough to be able to understand the message.

2 Browsing the mobile phone when the message is preached.

3.If the message is not explanatory enough the receiver may not understand it. .

4. One whose attention is drawn unto other things in the church hall and not on the message

5 Some lose the message because of lack of focus.

6.Many people lose the message immediately church closes and they start chatting with friends.

What must one do in order not to lose the word of God?

1 Convince yourself about the exceedingly importance of the word of God. Heb 4:12, Isa 55:11, Prov 4:13

2. Put away anything that will take your attention when the word is preached.

3. Stop using your mobile phone as a Bible in Church, if you can’t control the temptation to browse and watch other things (In church put it on airplane mode)

4.Record the message in church and play it over and over again, till your heart is saturated with it.

5.Make notes of the message and take time to study it at home.

6. Practice the word

Satan can’t steal the word you give attention to.

CONFESSION

GOD’S word is my life. I am everything by the word. I can do all things by the word. By the word I’m transported into the supernatural realm and function above this natural realm. God’s word is of utmost importance to me.

FURTHER STUDIES

Proverbs 4 (KJV)-²⁰ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. ²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. ²² For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. ²³ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

  Proverbs 4:13 (KJV). “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:15 (KJV). “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, 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 with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

(Please read Matt 13:10-16)

Every man desire to be free, from everything that makes life miserable. Men wished God would just reach out and heal, bless and deliver all. Well, God also desires to save or heal all mankind. “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”— 1 Timothy 2:4 (KJV) Although God is favorably disposed towards all men, there are many who reject God and His provisions, and so cannot receive from him. As the key scripture states, “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, 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 with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” — Matthew 13:15 (KJV)

Just consider what hinders God from saving or healing many who may desire to have God’s healing.

1. Their hearts are waxed gross. This is a state that prevents the individual from understanding what God says.

2. Their ears are also dull of hearing. This is one who is not alert to hear. He listens yet cannot hear.

3. They have closed their eyes. To willingly decide not to see.

This is a sad state yet it is the condition of millions. Some openly oppose the word of God, although they sincerely desire to be free from all kinds of deplorable situations. There are some who seem to sympathize with God’s word. These are those who even go to church and even read their bible, yet they have hearts that are waxed gross, ears that are dull of hearing and eyes that are closed.

The scripture teaches that God takes from those who do not have and gives to those who have. Does this show any partiality with God? God is never partial, but will always give to those who place value on what he has provided. “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” — Matthew 7:6 (KJV) The import of all that is being put across is that everyone must be genuinely humble before the Lord. There is a need for repentance from any wrong attitude towards God.

The apostle James put it this way. “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”— James 1:21 (KJV). Be like a little child towards the father. Do not argue with God on anything he says. If He says I am the Lord who heals you. You start rejoicing that He has healed you. We also learnt that; one’s ears may be dull of hearing. This means give full attention to what the Lord says. Turn from ways and things that does not allow you total attention on the Lord. The Lord also talked about those who have closed their eyes to all that God He is doing. This is how unbelieve works. It is one’s decision not to accept what God says. To receive that blessing from God, decide to focus on Him, and accept everything He says. The underlying point is to sincerely appreciate the father. Accept him for who he is, and you would be able to accept all that he has for you.

PRAYER

Thank you, heavenly Father, for your love and perfect disposition towards me. I thank you that my heart is not waxed gross, and my ears are alert to always hear from you. My eyes are opened to what you are doing. I am exceedingly blessed by your power and love. I partake of every good thing you provide for me.

FURTHER STUDIES

 Matthew 13:12 (KJV). “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.”

Matthew 13:16 (KJV). “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:3 (KJV). “And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;”

(Please read Matt 13 :1-9)

The Lord taught most of the times by parables. A parable is using a natural event or human activity to explain a spiritual truth. Our Lord Jesus often taught by parables. We will now consider the parable of the sower

The Sower went out sowing by casting the seed abroad According to the Lord Jesus, some fell by the way side and the seeds were picked by birds. Some fell on rocky grounds, yet as it started to grow it was quenched by the scorching sun because its roots did not go deep enough. Part of the remaining half   fell among thorns which were choked by the thorns as they grew with it. The other part fell on a good soil. It grew thirty-fold, sixty-fold and a hundred-fold.

In this study I want to focus on the sower and the results he obtained, before we look at our Lord’s interpretation for the parable. The sower had on his field to plant, a pathway, that could not absorb any seed. He should have worked on that path. He also had a portion that was rocky. This rocky part could not bring any good results to him. As a farmer he had to break that particular grounds. Lastly there was a portion which was filled with thorns among which the seeds landed and definitely attacked the seeds that sprang up. These thorns should have been cleared. How do we spiritually work on the hearts of men?

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”— Colossians 4:12 (KJV) Epaphras according to Apostle Paul prayed that they would stand perfect and complete. Travailing prayers indeed transforms the heart. In Galatians 4:19, apostle Paul says he travails in birth again, that Christ would be formed in their hearts. The hearts of men are worked upon by the Holy Spirit as the children of God travail in prayer.

Why did the Lord Jesus spend a great time everyday praying in the presence of the father?  Most of the prayers Christians offer is mainly about their needs. The Lord instructed in Matt 6:33, that we must seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness. Dear one, the kingdom of God is about the rule of God in the hearts of men. Praying aggressively for the rule of God in the hearts of men, is seeking for the kingdom. God will likewise bless you with what you need. History teaches us about the ministry of Charles Finney an itinerant evangelist who was a great man of prayer, had a praying team led by one Father Nash, who spend days praying with fasting, before he holds his meetings. It was said that this man had about eighty percent of his converts abiding in Christ. The grounds of the hearts has been well worked on before the seeds are sown.

CONFESSION

I seek the kingdom of God by seeking the rule of God over my life and the lives of many through travailing prevailing payers. Their lives are made whole as they respond to the word of God.

FURTHER STUDIES

 Galatians 4:19 (KJV). “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,”

 Luke 10:2 (KJV). “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:50 (KJV). “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

The Lord kept speaking to his disciples when He was told that His mother and brothers were looking for Him. He turned to His immediate audience and said, “And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!” — Matthew 12:49 (KJV). He then added, ‘he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, sister and mother’. Being a follower of Jesus is not by title. It is not by having some colors or a badge. It is not even by calling yourself a Christian but being a doer of the word of God. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”— James 1:22 (KJV). Many people are only deceiving themselves by being just hearers of the word. There are some who play gospel music and that convinces them that they are Christians and part of the Christ family. The scriptures say don’t deceive yourself. Being a preacher is not even enough to make you a family member of Christ.

The family members of Christ, first and foremost have the spirit of Christ. It is not subscribing just to some laws. It is having the Spirit of Christ that controls you. “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”  — Romans 8:9 (KJV).

 The next is to do the word of God by faith in the life of Jesus that controls you. It is a consciousness of Christ alive in you talking, acting and manifesting Christ in you. Being a Christ family member is to reflect Jesus through you. It is manifesting the love of Christ, the power of Christ and the peace of Christ.

Someone said I don’t go to church yet I am a Christian. This is one of the deceptions of the devil. The people of Christ are consciously involved in witnessing, teaching and helping others to be effective Christians. This was one of the main things Jesus asked His disciples to do. (Matt 28:18-20).This is the will of God for his people. You can’t be a Christian in your room and fulfill this will of God which he used forty days after His resurrection to instruct His disciples to do.  (Acts 1:1-9)

Another person said he accepts the Bible and the Koran together. He follows both. You can’t be a family member of Jesus and claim to accept the Koran, as teaching the way of Christ. It does not teach fully the Christ way. The Koran teaches Jesus did not die on the cross for our sins. Without believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus you are not part of Him. Do not deceive yourself. Jesus has revealed His way in the Bible follow it and you would not be deceived.

CONFESSION

Jesus is the Lord of my life. I believe He died for my sins and was raised to life after three days. He is alive in me expressing His will through me I live by His life. I live to reveal Him to my world

FURTHER STUDIES

 Matthew 28:19 – 20 (KJV). “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.”

John 10:18 (KJV) – “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 12:44 KJV “Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.”

The Lord continued with His discussion about, the wickedness of the generation in which he lived (According to scripture the wicked are those who give no regard to God’s word). These people were not diligent about spiritual things. He cited a very important lesson that each one must consider very seriously. He said when a demon is cast out, it goes into dry areas and then comes back. Let’s hold on here, and consider what the Lord was trying to say. He had preached to the people, who received his message yet, were not diligent. He then likened them to demons departing, and returning into them. What point is the Lord making here? We could deduce from the Lord’s statement that, when the message is preached to a people under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, demons depart from them. Most people are unconsciously influenced by demons. This is an issue many would argue against, yet consider what goes on in most homes, work places and what have you? It is not normal for a husband to slap his wife and stamp her belly. It is not normal for a wife to take a knife attempting to stab the husband.

HOW can you explain the case where church members live in fornication? All these have demonic influences (Anyone who is aggressively opposed to Jesus and his teaching is under a demonic power).

The Lord said when a demon leaves an individual, it goes on dry places and comes back to see if the former house is occupied or empty. If empty he goes for seven worse devils to come and occupy the person, making the current state worse than the first. Why can one who was delivered through the power of the word fail to get his or her heart filled with the word? When an individual does not stay committed to God and his word.

What are some of the acts that prevent children of God from being alert and as a result giving grounds to the enemy?

1.Viewing Television constantly (Soap opera)

2.Going to church with the purpose of meeting with friends to chat after church service

3 Having secret sinful habits

4.Watching pornographic videos and photos

5. Carnal mindedness

6.No time for reading, listening and meditating on the scriptures.

7.No time for evangelizing and follow up of the converts.

8.No time for prayer for Souls and other Christians.

9 Browsing mobile phone during church service.

10. Staying away from church services. Heb 10:25

All these give grounds to devils to reinhabit their host.

IF you would avoid the above you would definitely be alert and devils would never find your heart empty to refill again.

CONFESSION

I am committed to Christ. I meditate on the word day and night. My delight is to do what the word says. There is no place for devils in my life.

FURTHER STUDIES

  Psalms 1:1-3 (KJV). “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

2nd Peter 1:5-10

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matt 12:41 KJV “The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is HERE”

Nineveh is an ancient city. It was located at the eastern side of the Tigris River. They worshipped the goddess Ishtar, the goddess of fertility. Nineveh was very wicked and Barbaric. At the preaching of Jonah, they humbled themselves before God and repented of their sins. The Lord made reference to it, comparing them to his generation in which he preached the word. He said the people of Nineveh would rise up in the resurrection and condemn the people of His generation, because they repented when Jonah preached about the wrath of God that was coming, and their need to repent. Just as the Lord said the people of Nineveh will arise and condemn the people of His generation, because the saw and heard so much, yet, they did nothing about it, so will they likewise condemn the people of our generation as well.

In Jesus days He performed so much miracles yet they even accused Him, of being a man made Himself God, and so they killed Him. We live at a time of great free flow of information. People in our days should never have doubted the reality of Jesus, because the information abound so much that, anyone who claims wrong facts about Jesus, has just decided to be ignorant. Ignorance cannot exempt anyone from not being punished. In our days we have seen so much of God’s power. In mass healings, mighty deliverance, testimonies of personal encounters with the resurrected Lord Jesus resulting in mighty life transformations, prophecies in the Bible about the nation Israel, being fulfilled right before our eyes. There is so much going on that should cause men to repent from their sins and submit to the Lordship of our Lord Jesus.

I am shocked to hear some intellectuals who argue that the Bible was written by Europeans. In the face of countless archeological findings in the Middle East proving the history of Bible times, and even findings of scrolls, that contain same Biblical documents as we have now, , which date back a thousand years before Christ.The evidences in our times about the authenticity of the scriptures are mind blowing. Dear reader, what are you going to do with Jesus?  Would you just explain Him away, or with a humble mind consider all these non-contestable evidences about the veracity of the scriptures and submit to his Lordship? Everyone who has genuinely accepted Jesus as Lord and saviour has experienced the real peace. This is an unexplainable phenomenon, yet it is real. You can know real peace, real power and real freedom if you would humble yourself and accept Jesus as your saviour and Lord today.

CONFESSION

O Lord, I will not harden my heart to your word. You died for me and was raised on the third day. I humble my life and make you the Lord of my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Corinth 6:2 KJV “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

1Corinth 1:20 & 21 KJV” Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe”.

KEY SCRIPTURES: Matthew 12:38 (KJV).  “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.”

The scribes and Pharisees at this moment asked the Lord to perform a miraculous sign for them to see. The Lord quickly answered them saying, “But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:”

  — Matthew 12:39 (KJV) He said an evil generation seeks for a sign, but the sign that He would show them is His resurrection from the dead. Is seeking for miracles wrong? The Lord throughout his ministry performed so many signs and wonders for people who wanted and requested for it. Every sick man who needed healing from Jesus was requesting for a miraculous sign. When the Lord visited the wedding feast, whiles his mother asked Him to do something about the finished wine, she was asking for a sign and a wonder.

Why did Jesus say an evil generation seeks for a sign? These Pharisees were not looking for a miraculous sign to save them from some crises of some kind. They wanted Jesus to perform a miracle for these probable reasons. Firstly, they might want it, to prove he could perform one. Secondly, they could have desired for one for the excitement of seeing a sensational event or act. Lastly, they could have desired for a miracle so that they could satisfy their curiosity concerning all that they have been hearing about Jesus, just as king Herod desired, when Pilate sent Jesus to him, just before he was crucified. (Luke 23:8)

IT is wrong to desire for a miracle for any of the three reasons stated above. Man by nature craves for miracles. Men as fallen beings have lots of deficiencies that makes them desire for answers. Despite the present technological advancement, there are so many impossibilities that men have to grapple with. Man needs God’s hand to intervene. Men have proudly attempted to live as if they do not need God. This folly is always short lived when he has to be faced with situations that he has no answer. Covid 19 has brought men to their knees. Lots of natural disasters makes men in whatever class or technological level to wonder and even cry.

Man would always need the miraculous God. The first miracle that the soul of every man needs is to be born again. This experience will usher you into that life of having power over most of the things natural men cannot answer. “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” — John 3:8 (KJV)

The Lord was saying through this verse that the man who is born again is a supernatural man who is not limited by natural limitations. He is a living miracle. You would not only crave for miracles, but you would be a miracle, if you would surrender your life to Jesus today.

CONFESSION

Dear heavenly Father you have made available the greatest means to experience, miracles, by allowing Jesus to die for all mankind. I receive His life and His Lordship today. I am born of God, and have a supernatural life to experience supernatural signs and wonders. Thank you, Lord.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 1:12 KJV “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Mark 9:23 KJV” Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: — Matthew 12:37 (KJV). “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

WORDS rule and give birth to what is seen, Heb 11:3. They can either acquit or condemn. Your words give God a license to assist you or gives demons the right to afflict you. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”— Proverbs 18:21 (KJV). Your words will bring life, if it honors God’s word and declares God’s saving power and faithfulness. They would bring death if those words praise Satan’s power, inviting him to manifest that power in you.

There are no empty words. Every word shall be accounted for in the day of judgment. There are some who give abusive words, claiming it is a joke. God does not see such jokes; He hears and sees negative words producing negative effects. Words are filled with life and pregnant with results when they are spoken with faith in God. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”— Romans 10:10 (KJV)

AS we append our signatures to various agreements, so does our words either accept or reject life agreements. “.. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” — Psalms 45:1 (KJV) Your tongue is a pen of a ready writer. Your tongue is a pen, and you must be careful what you agree or accepts.

HOW does one control his tongue to always say the right things. Decide that you would always say what honours God, and is very positive. The scriptures say, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”- Matthew 12:34 (KJV) Feed your heart with God’s word. Keep listening to words of faith. It is words coming from your heart that makes the best effect. If your heart is filled with fear you can’t utter faith filled words.

CONFESSION

My heart is field with the word of faith, power and love. My words are also full of faith, power and love. This reflects in my actions making me a winner all the time

FURTHER STUDIES

  Hebrews 11:3 (KJV). “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

 James 3:2 (KJV). “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: — Matthew 12:33 (KJV). “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”

After the Lord’s discussion with the Pharisees on not blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, he added the following, implying if you would be good then you must make yourself good. In our key scripture the Lord said, to produce good fruits, the tree should be made a good tree. How can one change who he is?

There are two main ways to change who you are.

1.When one receives a new life, so that he is born again

2. When a man renews his mind about himself.

All men are born sinful and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23) The only way to change that sinful nature is to be born again. One is born again when he or she receives the divine life of God to replace his sinful nature. This is made possible by admitting and confessing Jesus as Lord over his life. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12 (KJV)

AS a result of this change, your spirit becomes one with the Spirit of God, and the old nature of sin ceases to hold sway over your life. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

The next form of change or how a man can change his lifestyle, is when he renews his mind concerning himself. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”- Romans 12:2 (KJV). This verse reveals that as we renew our minds in the light of God’s word, we are transformed to be what the word says. Many people are struggling with certain habits and are wondering, what is the way out? They try to punish their bodies through fasting and certain abstinence to no avail. The solution is to change the way they think about themselves. Feed your mind and heart with the word, meditate on it and do what it says. Make the scriptures your world view. A thief steals, because he knows and believes he is a thief. The homosexual practices that abominable life because he believes and accepts, he is one. If he should be able to believe that he was not born that way, and that is not who he is, he would begin to act differently.

A second question is, why do some hear the word, yet their actions are always the same? The Bible shows us why it is so. “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” -James 1:21 (KJV). The scripture is like food that comes to build you up. There are certain character traits like diseases that makes good food ineffective. They are filthiness and naughtiness. Naughtiness is to challenge the scriptures when you hear it. Filthiness is to hold on to sinful ways. These two-character traits prevent God’s word from bringing that needed change in a person’s life.

CONFESSION.

I have made Jesus Lord of my life, and I put away every filthiness and naughtiness. I receive with meekness, the engrafted word of God, which is able to save your soul.

FURTHER STUDIES

1 Peter 2 (KJV). Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

2 Timothy 3 (KJV). All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.