Prayer Meeting - May 14th - A new look at an important Parable...

For this week's Prayer Meeting, Dave Smith shared with us interesting insights and inspiration on the “The Secret of the Soils” from the Parable of the sower from Matthew 13.

Here are some highlights:

1. Parables are “an (earthly) story with a (heavenly) meaning”.
2. NKJV Psalm 25:14 “The (secret) of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.”
3. In the heart of the wayside hearers the truth finds (no response).
4. With the stony-ground hearers the truth produces nothing more than a (momentary impulse).
5. With the thorny-ground hearers the response (begins) well but (withers) in the face of difficulty and opposition.
6. But in the hearts of the good-ground hearers the response is (on-going) and (effective).
7. The secret of the soils is the condition of the (heart).
8. God is seeking your permission to allow Him to sit on the (throne) of your heart (see Ezek. 36:26-27).
9. Before God sets up his (visible) kingdom on earth, He first establishes his (invisible) kingdom in the hearts of his believers.

What type of SOIL does the CONDITION OF OUR HEART REFLECT???

“Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers. Like the rock underlying the layer of earth, the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt. This class may be easily convinced, and appear to be bright converts, but they have only a superficial religion.” (COL 46)

"Men may profess to believe the gospel; but unless they are sanctified by the gospel their profession is of no avail. If they do not gain the victory over sin, then sin is gaining the victory over them.” (COL 50-51)

“Many of the things that attract the thorny-ground hearers and absorb their attention may not, in and of themselves, be harmful. But such persons become so absorbed in this world that they have no time to prepare for the next.” (SDABC, Vol. 5)

"The word of God often comes in collision with man's hereditary and cultivated traits of character and his habits of life. But the good-ground hearer, in receiving the word, accepts all its conditions and requirements. His habits, customs, and practices are brought into submission to God's word." {COL 60.3}

"God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of Scriptures." {COL 60.1}

Dave finished his sharing time with the sobering quote:

“Either Christ is Lord of all, or else He is not Lord at all.” ~ David Watson

Thanks Dave, for sharing!