Author: living2full

Luke 12:31-32—But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 13:18-19—Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

Luke 13:20-21—And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was ALL leavened.”

You are to seek first the Kingdom of God…and as you seek His kingdom all the other things important to life and living will be added to your life!

You should have NO fear because it pleases God…it is His good pleasure to give you the Kingdom!!!

So…what is the Kingdom like?

The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which a man planted into his garden!

According to Mark 4: 14 – 20…

Seed = the Word of God Garden or soil = your heart

So the Word of God planted in your heart will grow so big that birds can find refuge and rest in the branches and the shade of His Word will rest a weary traveler or protect the rest of the “garden” from being scorched by the heat of the day.

The Kingdom of God is like leaven which a woman hid in flour

Leaven = the Word of God Meal or flour = your heart

So the Word of God planted in your heart will grow and multiply till it fills your whole life with His life, power, authority, Love, compassion, Grace, Mercy, etc (every good thing that the Bible promises us).

Notice that in both of these parables the Word of God grows and multiplies till it overtakes everything else. It was the biggest tree in the garden and like leaven it raised and brought life to the whole lump of dough.

The Kingdom of God is like seed scatted on the ground

Mark 4:26-28—And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Mark 4:20—But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

Seed = the Word of God Ground = your heart

I love what this parable tells us about God’s Kingdom! When you scatter God’s Word in your heart…that seed—His Word…sprouts and grows all by itself!

How? You don’t know!

And all by itself your heart will yield a good crop as God’s Word grows in your heart. First the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. And when that Word of God fully matures in your heart it will produce good fruit in your life.

Sometimes it will produce a small change in your life, sometime a bigger change, and sometimes it will completely change an area, attitude, thought pattern, behavior ,or habit in your life.

Notice that the change is not you forcing it on yourself from the outside…but rather God’s Word working His good will in you so that you desire to change…so that you desire to do the very thing you thought you’d never be able to do!

This doesn’t mean you won’t have to push past your fears…but that’s so much easier to do when your heart is urging you…even pulling you toward the very thing you thought you’d never do!

Philippians 2:13 tells us the same thing—For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

It’s God Who works in your heart, through His Word that you’ve planted there…not just once… but over and over again, day after day after day, till like a good sourdough yeast (leaven), it grows and multiplies in your life until your heart and mind are filled with the power of God’s Word!

Then suddenly, and…often very surprisingly, you’ll find yourself being inexorably drawn to do the very thing you couldn’t do before…even though you wanted to do it or knew you needed to do it…and yet failed so miserably at doing!

This doesn’t mean that you won’t feel any fear or trepidation at doing this thing—but the drawing and pulling of God’s Word working in your heart will give you the strength and the power…

After all… “I can do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens me”… and you’ll find yourself doing the very thing you feared and doubted you could ever do!

Victory is yours! All it takes is seeding out God’s Word in your heart—day after day after day—till you see first the blade, then the head, then the full grain in the head.

I challenge you to find a verse or 2 from God’s Word to seed into your heart. Write it (them) out on a sticky note or a recipe card. Keep it with you wherever you go. Whenever you have a spare moment or two read the verse out loud to yourself. Stand in front of a mirror and speak it over yourself. Repeat this several times a day if possible!

Do this every day for 30, 60, 90 days or however long it takes for God’s Word to start changing your heart. I guarantee you…God’s Word will change you! IF you are diligent and give it enough time to do it’s good work in you!

Want to learn more about God’s Word and it’s affect on your life? Check out my Instagram page: @Joanne.Spruyt

Which do you trust more: God’s Word or man’s interpretation of it?

Man says, “God’s promises are ‘yes’ ‘no’ ‘maybe’ ‘not yet’.

God’s Word says, 2 Corinthians 1:20—for all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Man’s says, “God took your child because He needed him or her more than you did.” Or “He’s growing your faith.” Or “He’s testing you.” Or “He’s teaching you something.” Or “We don’t know why God took your child. But He has a reason.”

God’s Word says in:

John 10:10—The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

You know who the thief is, right? It’s our arch-enemy the devil!

God’s Word says in:

1 John 4:7-8—Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know god, for God is love.

According to the Oxford Dictionary online—Love means an intense feeling of deep affection.

According to A Close Look at the Meaning of God’s Love in the Bible⬇⬇ this word “love” means:

The Hebrew word for God’s Love is “khesed” which means more than just affection…it’s also a loyal commitment to be generous to that person for the long run. In Exodus 34:6 God calls Himself “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in “khesed” and faithfulness.

“Khesed” has also been translated as “steadfast love”, “goodness”, “kindness”, “loving kindness”, “faithfulness”, “love”, and even “loyal love”.

Let’s think about this logically

Would you, as a parent, kill your child’s beloved pet because he needed to learn a lesson…or it was punishment for something bad your child did…or they needed to see your love in action—to learn that sometimes cruelty can really be love…or just to teach them some unknown lesson that will reveal itself over time?

Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? I’m pretty sure that such an act would be considered child abuse.

And yet, we don’t hesitate to attribute child abuse, cruelty, or other such atrocities to our God, Who IS Love! Does that make any sense to you????

1 John 4:7-8—Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Exodus 34:6 “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love (“khesed”) and faithfulness.”

John 10:10—The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

2 Corinthians 1:20—for all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

When you look closely at the 4 Scripture references above—what do they tell you about our God? Will this God have favorites and say “yes” to blessing your neighbor…but “no” to you or worse still…that wonderful 😖 “maybe” that He supposedly uses?

Will He steal, kill, or destroy your dream, your child, your spouse, or something else He’s given you—just because …? Or is that the trademark of the enemy?

John 10:10—The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

I think that as Christians, we really need to start questioning what we’ve been taught to believe when it doesn’t line up with what God’s Word says. It’s time to start asking questions like—Is this the action of a God Who IS Love? And if it isn’t then we need to find another explanation for what we’re experiencing.

Remember: He isn’t just a God Who does Love. He’s a God Who IS Love! It is His very nature! He can NOT do anything that isn’t Love!

If what we believe doesn’t line up with what a God Who IS Love would do—then it’s time to rethink what we believe—till it lines up with what God’s Word says!

What do you think?

John 15:7

If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

The word translated as “ask” is translated from the Greek word “aiteo” = to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require.

The word translated as “what” is a compound word in Greek “hos he ho” = which, what, that… and “ean” = whatsoever, whosoever. Together they would mean a definite whatsoever you desire.

The word translated as “desire” from the Greek “thelo” = have in mind, intend, purpose, desire, wish, love, like, take delight in, have pleasure, determine, choose, prefer.

The word translated as “done” is the Greek “ginomai” = to become, to come into existence, begin to be, come to pass, happen, be performed, finished, be made. This word is used with great latitude—literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.

Ask whatever you desire

So, Jesus is telling His disciples that if we live IN Him, make our home IN Him, take up residence IN Him…and His Word lives in us—we meditate on it day and night (Joshua 1:8) make it a part of who we are and how we think… then we can ask, desire, require whatsoever we have in mind, purpose, desire, take delight in! AND it will come into existence, come to pass, be performed, be made for us!

Wow! Do you see what God’s Word is saying here?

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, when His desires have become our desires, when we take pleasure in Him and desire to be obedient to His Word in and for our lives—THEN we can ask for whatever we desire and it will be done for us.

This is not a “maybe” people! This is a plain and simple and undeniable “WILL be done” for us.

When our hearts are aligned with God’s—then our desires become the same as His desires! In what world would we ever think that God wouldn’t want to fulfill His desires in us…and through us to others???

How can we know?

But how do we know if our desires are the same as God’s desires?

Psalms 37:4 tells us to

Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

“Delight” from the Hebrew “anag” = to be soft, be happy about, take exquisite delight, make merry over. The dictionary defines it as “to very much enjoy”.

Does this describe your relationship with the Lord, or the desire of your heart? If you can say yes to this then you’ve probably already noticed that your dreams and desires are changing. Your taste in what you watch or read or how you spend your time is changing.

The more I started to desire to be with the Lord, the more I found myself hungering for a closer relationship and a better understanding of Him…the more I found my tastes changing. I became fussier about what I watched on TV, what I read, what I spent my time talking or thinking about. Slowly, but surely, my tastes began to change over time.

The more you find yourself hungering to know God more, to understand His ways better, to draw closer to Him, to receive and understand His love better—the more you know that you are delighting yourself in the LORD!

And when you do that His desires unknowingly and increasingly become your desires and you can be guaranteed that He will give you the desires of your heart! Then you will be able to “ask for whatever we desire and it will be given to us”.

And honestly…think of it…what loving parent doesn’t give their child their heart’s desire if it’s at all possible for them to do so? How much more will our Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask of Him! (Matthew 7:11)

Abide in His Love

John 15:9-10

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

You are to abide, to remain, to tarry, to not depart, to continue to be present, to live IN Jesus’ Love for you.

You are to attend carefully to what Jesus has commanded you, to guard these commands, to keep an eye on them, to prevent them from escaping.

You are to prevent them from falling out of your understanding and knowledge, from falling into disuse in your life. You are to be keeping them in a fortress where they can’t be stolen from you by the cunning lies of the enemy!

Our commission

You are to keep doing those commandments of Jesus—and as you keep them you’ll be living in His Love—because Jesus was all about LOVE! To do His commandments is to LOVE on others. To pour out His LOVE to those around you. LOVE activates you. LOVE sends you to work in the fields and reap the harvest of souls. LOVE commissions you to be Jesus to all those around you. To…

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

This is what your life is to look like. This is how you LOVE like Jesus LOVED while He walked the earth!

When Jesus left He sent you the Holy Spirit to live in you. To make you all like Jesus. To turn you into His little brother or sister who continues His work that He was doing while He walked the earth.

That is your commission. That is the Father’s desire for you. And that is what the devil has stolen from so many of our hearts…mine included…for so many years.

It makes me sad😞😫😭 to realize just how many of my years were wasted chasing the things of this world—when our God, our Abba, our Daddy—has something so vastly much better for all of us to do!

Don’t let my mistake be your mistake. God has so much good instore for you and to do through you! If your heart is hungry to know more of this amazing God of ours…leave me a message. I’d be happy to share what I’ve been learning with you!

We are all brothers and sisters IN Christ! Let’s start working together to share the “to good to be true” gospel of Jesus Christ!

So what on earth is Agape Love?

Agape Love is God’s amazing Love for us. Strong’s Concordance defines it as an unconditional, undeserved, unearned love that’s poured out on us regardless of whether we’ve done anything good to deserve it or not. It’ s given by choice and will and isn’t based on feelings or emotions of any kind.

God’s Agape Love gives us the right to call the devil a liar every time he tells us we aren’t worthy or deserving or good enough to earn the Love, the Agape of God! Agape isn’t earned or deserved! Instead Agape Love floods our lives and minds…simply because God has chosen to pour it out on us.

1 John 4:8 – He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

There’s nothing that this Love won’t do for us…simply because of the fact that it’s unconditional… without even the tiniest filament of a string attached. It’s offered freely and not based on anything we do, have done, or will ever do–whether good or bad!

Do you see that? There isn’t anything…not one single thing that you’ve done or will ever do that will make you more, or less, deserving of God’s Agape Love!

Pause and think about this for a minute or 60. God’s Love for you is completely unconditional… completely unearned… and completely undeserved. That means that we don’t have to earn it or deserve it or faithful and correctly complete a bunch of rules to have fulfilled all the conditions…

It’s FREE!

It’s UNEARNED!

It’s UNDESERVED!

That’s truly an amazing and comforting understanding! It means that His love never changes…it doesn’t wax hot and cold like ours so often does. His Love is a steady flame the burns the same for us…day in and day out!

Nothing. Nothing. NOTHING we do or don’t do will alter His Love toward us even one teeny tiny iota! Now STOP and think about this for a moment or many moments.

The God of the Universe Loves you with a never-ending, never-changing, everlasting love! How amazing is that?

There’s nothing you and I can do that will cause God to reject us and stop His love toward us. We can stop loving Him, we can do something terrible, we can do something excessively stupid, we can turn from His face and waste our days on useless stuff…and STILL He will NEVER reject us or stop loving us!

If this isn’t an awesome thought then I don’t know what is!

God’s never-ending Love for us is incredible! We should never stop being amazed by it! This Love gives us ample reason to stop regularly and simply worship Him!

How can you stop and thank Him, right now, for His incredible, abundant, and everlasting Love for you?