 Okay, good morning and welcome to a new week, before we begin with someone open as a prayer please. I can pray sister. Yes please, thank you. Heavenly Father, thank you Lord for this day and thank you for the breath of life my Master Lord. As we come today, gather to learn your word my Master. Let your word be transformed in our spirit my Master that we may be rooted strong and strong in your foundation my Master Lord. We pray Lord that you will inspire our teacher to teach us your word my Master. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen. Amen, thank you so much. So, we'll just continue from where we stopped last week we'll do a quick overview of what we covered last week and then go into the rest of it and then we're going to try and finish the book today and then we'll have a discussion on what your experience was of meditating on the word. I still have to pick a topic and spend time over this week meditating on that word so we'll have a discussion on that maybe in the second hour. So, we'll just continue we'll just do a quick overview. So, the previous week we looked at what exactly we do when we are meditating and we talked about these three aspects of meditation which is contemplation, visualization and confession. So, we looked at what those three things mean and then we went into what are we expecting out of meditating on God's word. So, we said the first thing is to actually come into the presence of God to be able to experience him with us in that time of meditating and spending time in his word. We also talked about us being renewed in our minds renewing the way we speak, renewing our faith through meditation. So, it changes the way we view ourselves, it changes the way we view the world around us and the way we respond to the world around us. The fruit of meditation we looked at a few verses in scripture and some of the things that result out of meditating in God's word. So, being born of the word of God, experiencing healing, receiving insight and wisdom, prosperity, being promised prosperity and success and then spiritual growth and maturity. We then looked at when we can meditate on God's word. So, we can use it as a daily practice as we are studying the word of God to also be meditating on God's word in times of special need where we're having a certain situation or a challenge and we go to God's word and meditate on a specific topic relevant to what is going on in our lives. And then the third is just to do it as a discipline that we strengthen ourselves spiritually just as you would using physical exercise to strengthen your body. You do that as a discipline and that's what keeps you strong and healthy in the same way we do that with the scriptures with meditating on God's word. Then we covered a few ways in which we can meditate on God's word. These are just suggestions that you can choose to use or you can find other ways in which you want to meditate. So, one is to meditate on a specific topic. So, versus related to that topic to spend a few days or weeks or months meditating on one topic related to your specific season in life. Another way is to have a weekly routine where each day you're meditating on a different topic and then you go back to the same topic every week. So, there's an example given there on the slide and then the third was contemplative Bible reading. So, where you basically just focus on a few verses rather than reading a whole passage or a whole chapter of scripture. You just take a few verses and meditate like think deeply on those verses and either spend one day on that or spend a few days as you feel it and as God is speaking to you through that time of meditation. We then looked at how we protect and nurture the seed that has been planted. So, we talked about Satan being after the word of God and so Satan doesn't want us to hear God's word to receive God's word and because he knows that that will result in us growing in our faith and then it makes his efforts to draw us away from God to draw us into temptation that much harder when we are resting in God's word when we are believing God's word when we are declaring God's word and so before that word can actually settle in our hearts and take root in our hearts, Satan's goal is to keep us from even hearing the word or believing that word or receiving it for ourselves. So, he does this in various ways, either through just keeping us from hearing the word because we're so busy because we're distracted by other things that are happening in our lives or he takes it away by bringing in confusion, bringing in lies or deception related to the word of God or he brings in doubt or unbelief so that we don't actually believe the word that we have heard. So, these are some things we need to protect ourselves against and the way to do that is to continually meditate on God's word, to walk in the spirit and in fellowship with other strong believers. Three ways that we can keep ourselves from losing the fruit of the seed that is being planted in our hearts through the word of God. We looked at this other parable from Mark 4, 26 to 29 just about knowing that once a seed is planted, it will grow but that takes time and we don't know how it will grow but we know that it will grow. We just have to be faithful to do the task of taking care of it, of protecting it, of nurturing it, of strengthening ourselves in the word and then trusting that the harvest will come based on all that we've looked at in the beginning of this book. We began the book looking at how powerful the word of God is and how it can produce things in our lives, how it can create things in our life, how it can transform us. So, taking all of that into consideration, we keep growing in the word, just trusting that that fruit will be born over time. We don't know how and we don't know when. We are just going to be faithful to keep remaining in God's word, abiding in God's word. So, I think that was where we stopped last week and we'll continue from there into the last few chapters of the book. So, we look at revelation, so receiving spiritual understanding. So, we see three things in these three gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke, when they're talking about this parable, they use three different ways of talking about what we must do in response to the word of God and Matthew talks about understanding the word of God. So, if somebody can read for us Matthew 13 verse 19, Matthew chapter 13 verse 19 please. Matthew 13 19, when anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received by the wayside. Thank you. I'm just opening that up as well. So, we see here that specific description that Matthew says when you hear the message and don't understand it, right? And we had talked about this previously where understanding doesn't mean only understanding with our minds, it means receiving a spiritual understanding of that scripture and that comes from the Holy Spirit, right? So, here understanding, if we look at the word that's used in scripture, it can be also looked at as putting together or grasping or comprehending what is being talked to us. Now, that comprehension is not just the meaning of the literal words, but comprehending what does that mean for me? How should it impact me? What is the spiritual truth underlying it? We look more at a few of these scriptures here and look at what does it mean to get a spiritual understanding of the scriptures rather than just understanding it with our minds and with our human efforts. Let's also look at Luke 812. If someone can read that please. Luke 812, those by the wayside are the ones who hear, then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Thank you. So, in Luke we see talking about believing and being saved, right? So, that hearing or that understanding really then moves into believing and receiving and being saved by that word. And so, that's why Satan is trying to take it away because he knows that once we receive that understanding of the word, once we receive that spiritual revelation of the truth of God's word, then it can take hold of our hearts and we can fully take hold of it for ourselves. It moves from just a head knowledge to a conviction that is so strong within us that no matter what is happening around us, that conviction will not be affected. So, there's a difference between having knowledge and having a firm grasp or having a conviction of something. And this is where we want to move from knowing the word of God to moving to this firm faith and belief in God's word. So, we look at some of these scriptures. We're talking about the difference between just understanding with our human intellect. So, we can study the Greek and Hebrew. We can understand the content. We can dissect the verses and the passages and do an outline of the book or the chapter that we're studying. We can do all of those things and just come to an understanding of the message or the words that are being used. But to get to that spiritual truth that underlies it, the message that the Holy Spirit wanted to inspire us through and inspire the writers to put down, we have to depend on the Holy Spirit. That is not something that we can do with our human intellect. So, for us to come to that place of recognizing we want to put in that effort. We want to spend time studying God's word. But we want to do it in partnership with the Holy Spirit, independence on the Holy Spirit, recognizing that our own efforts can only take us that far. And then the Holy Spirit really has to be the one opening our eyes to see things that are beyond our understanding. So, we look at these verses 1 Corinthians 2. I think these two are yeah 1 Corinthians 2 14 and 9 to 12. We look at 14 first and then we look at 9 to 12. If someone can read that for us 1 Corinthians 2 14. 1 Corinthians 2 14. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God or they are foolishness to him. Nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. Thank you. So, we see here clearly that we need the Holy Spirit to reveal reveal the truth of things related to the Spirit, things related to God. We cannot understand it in our natural minds. And so, for us to understand it, we go to the Holy Spirit. Can we then read verses 9 to 12 of the same chapter, please? Yeah, 1 Corinthians 2 verses 9 to 12. But as it is written, what know I has seen, nor your heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God, for who knows a person's thoughts except the Spirit of that person, which is in him. So, also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now, we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. Thank you. So, these verses are just so beautiful and such an amazing promise. We start with this in verse 9 that there will no human eye, no human ear, no human mind can comprehend, can even come close to understanding or imagining what God has in store for us. But we have this and it ends with verse 12, we have the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit enables us to understand these things. So, we know the wonderful things God has freely given us. So, this is such a beautiful promise. So, in line with our effort of meditating on God's Word, to know that God has already given us his Holy Spirit to give us, to enable us to understand what we are, what we're looking at, not to make us work hard and try to come to some understanding by our own efforts and striving, but to do it in line with his Spirit and to receive from him as he reveals things to us through his Spirit. So, just an encouragement for us to take those two things together, the word and the Spirit, and to go to meditating on God's Word in that way. And then let's just read Isaiah 55-9. I'm sure all of us know this verse, but we'll just read it. Why we even need to go to the Holy Spirit? We've already read that in 1 Corinthians 2, but we'll just read this as well for Isaiah 55-9. For us the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Thank you. So again, that reminder that we cannot come in our own human efforts to understand the things of God. We can't only depend on ourselves. It has to be something that God enables us to do, empowers us to do, to understand God's Word. And just something that I was reminded of as I was preparing this is when Jesus is preaching to the people, we see him talking about, let those who have eyes to see, let them see, those who have ears to hear, let them hear. That is what we are seeing here in this, that we come to God's Word with ears and eyes and hearts that are open to receive from him. So it's only when we come with that posture of complete dependence on him with the true earnest desire to know his truth that we can receive this kind of revelation that was hidden from so many other people. It was only revealed to the disciples. And so for us, as Jesus' disciples, to come with that same desire to know him more, to truly seek him and find him through his Word. We read this last verse in this chapter Ephesians 1, 17-19. Ephesians 1, 17-19, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the sense and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power. Thank you so much. So this is also just a promise for us that once that Word takes hold of us and once we take hold of that Word, it's impossible for Satan to then snatch it away like we read in these parables. Till it's just something that's in our head, till it's just some outside knowledge that we have, if we have not taken hold of it for ourselves, he can easily bring in all of the things we talked about, distractions, doubts, unbelief, all of those things. But once we have allowed it to really take root in our hearts, it becomes that much harder for those things to take us away from God's Word and to keep us from believing and receiving what God has said in his Word for ourselves. So with that we move into what are some of the opposition that comes to God's Word. So we looked at Satan bringing in, Satan taking away the Word of God, but the parables also talk about some things that come in and choke the Word of God. We read about the thorns that are there in the soil that choke out the Word of God. And so these parables talk about what those thorns are. We'll just read Matthew 13, 20 and 21 and Mark 4, 16 and 17. Anyone can read those verses for us. Matthew 13 verses 20 and 21, but he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles. Thank you and Mark 4, 16 and 17 please. Mark 4, 16 and 17. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who when they hear the Word immediately receive it with gladness and they have no root in themselves and so endure only for a time. Afterward when tribulation or persecution arises for the Word's sake immediately they stumble. Thank you. So Matthew and Mark talk about tribulation or persecution or problems that are arising and that's related specifically to the Word that we've received. So Mark says for believing God's Word that persecution comes because we believed God's Word and Matthew also says because of the Word tribulation or persecution comes in. And let's just look at Luke 8, 13 as well. Luke 8, 13 but the ones on the rock are those who when they hear receive the Word with joy and these have no root who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Thank you. So Luke talks about temptation or testing that comes in and that being something that keeps us from seeing that harvest come forth. So these are things related usually to the Word, the very Word that we are meditating on, the very Word that we have received. These things come against that Word. Now when we're talking about tribulation it can be any kind of hardship, any kind of problems that arise in relation to the Word challenging that Word. So for example if we are meditating on a certain passage on healing and then we experience sickness that experience of sickness can either take us away from that verse, that Word that we were meditating on thinking okay maybe I've misunderstood the Word, maybe that Word is not for everyone, maybe that was a promise that is for a certain season whatever it is and then we give up on continuing to claim that Word and declare that Word over our lives. So that is one way in which we can fall away from the Word of God and give up on the truth of God's Word for ourselves. The other is persecution. So persecution is referring to human opposition that comes in. So for example if for a new believer someone who is just starting to understand the things of God and starting to try and walk in obedience to it and then challenges come in from people who are around them whether it is from family who are not believers or from friends who make fun of you for doing something differently than you were doing before. Those kinds of things can pressurize us into giving up on that Word into saving someone so you do not walk with those who are wicked, you do not sit in the seat of scoffers. So if those are some changes that you are trying to implement in your life and then you have people coming in and mocking you or challenging your faith, it's that is one way in which we can say okay maybe this is not true or maybe this is not worth holding on to and then we give up on it. And then the third way is in temptation that Luke talks about. So temptation we all know is a testing of the very things that God is asking us to do. And so when we see even in Jesus's temptation where Satan is coming with a certain word trying to draw Jesus away but Jesus is holding on strong to the truth of God's Word. He knows God's Word and He knows the truth of it and so even though that temptation comes in, He relies on the Word of God to strengthen Him in that time of temptation. So these are some ways in which the Word or the seed that is sown in us can get choked out and we don't see the fruit of it born in our lives. So how do we protect against that is we let the Word take deep root in us. So if it doesn't like we read in these three gospels, it fell on shallow ground. The seed fell on shallow ground. That means there was no room for it to deepen its roots to strengthen itself so that when the thorns grew, it was strong enough to withstand that. So here we need to allow the Word to go really deep into us. We look at Hebrews 2 1, just look at how can we do that. Hebrews 2 1, someone can read that please. We must give the more honest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. So this is how we strengthen ourselves. We listen carefully to what we have heard. That means we don't just hear it once and then then think that okay once is enough. I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life. I'm going to be strong in the Word of God. That's not how we make sure that we are protecting ourselves against these thorns that can come up. Instead we continue to listen intently to that Word. Continue to dwell on that Word. Consider the truth of that Word for our own lives. Continue to receive that truth for the things that we are facing, the challenges that we are facing. So even in the midst of those challenges, continuing to go back to the Word of God, the things that we know the scriptures talk about in relation to the challenges that we are facing. But apart from doing it in that time of testing, in the challenges that we're facing, we need to be strengthening ourselves when things are good, when we don't have persecution, when we don't have problems, tribulations, we don't have temptation. At those times we should be investing our energy and time into strengthening ourselves in the Word in this way, listening carefully to the Word so that we won't drift away from it. So that when the challenges arise, we are already so strong in the Word that those challenges just have no power over our lives, over our minds, over our hearts, because the Word of God is already so strong in us. So in these three passages that we looked at, we looked at the thorns, the thorns of these three things, right, of temptation, of tribulations, of persecution coming up. We'll just read these three passages that I mentioned here, Matthew 13, 22. So one can read that Mark and then someone read the verses from Mark and then Luke. Matthew 13, 22. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the Word and the cares of this world and the seedfulness of riches choked the Word and he becomes unfruitful. Thank you. So before this, what we were reading about was the soil that was not deep, right? The soil itself was so shallow that the seed didn't take root. Here we're reading about the thorns that choke out the Word. These are another set of things that can keep the seed from bearing fruit. So Matthew 13, 22 talks about the cares of this world, the worries of this life, the lure of wealth. So those things being the things that take us away. Can somebody read Mark 4, 18 and 19 please? Now these are the ones sown among thorns. They are the ones who hear the Word and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things entering in choke the Word and becomes unfruitful. Thank you and Luke 8, 14. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard go out and are choked with cares, riches and pleasures of life and bring no fruit to maturity. So we see here all three talking about the cares of this world, deceitfulness of riches, the desire for other things or the pleasures of this life, right? So these things can be distractions to the Word of God. So when we are too busy chasing after riches, when we have a greater desire for things that satisfy the flesh rather than things that enable us to grow in the spirit or the cares of this world. So they may be very relevant things, right? Responsibilities that we have just as a person who belongs to a certain family. We have family responsibilities. We have work responsibilities and all of those things can be things that take up so much of our time that there's no time given to the Word of God. So those are ways in which the Word of God can be choked out or we don't have time to strengthen ourselves in the Word of God. We just look at those three things. So the cares of this world, those responsibilities that we have or the deceitfulness of riches. So all very legitimate things. We all need money. We all need finances. We need things. We need to be earning money, right? But we see more and more that the source of money, which is our work, has become such a large part of our lives that it takes away so much time from everything else. We don't have time with God. We don't have time with family. All of those important things get forgotten or sacrificed for the sake of surviving, right? We think that, okay, we need the money to survive, so we have to make these sacrifices. So they can be very legitimate things, but what is a place that we are giving them in relation to our work with God in relation to remaining in God's Word and strengthening ourselves in God's Word. And the last is pleasures of this life, right? So there are good things that we want. That's not wrong. It's not wrong to want things for ourselves or our families. But if those things draw us away from God, then that's where we have to be very, very careful to make sure that we don't give up on God's Word, give up on our first love on the one thing that is most important, which is to hear God, listen to God, to dwell in His presence. So any things that you all want to talk about from your practical lives of what do thorns do generally that we know of? And how do we see that in our lives as well? So what do we see when there are thorns? What does that do to the plant? It chokes the plant and destroys it. It destroys it. So what does it do? It's actually starting to take away nutrition from the plant, right? So it grows alongside the plant and it starts to take away nutrition. It starts to grow larger than the plant itself, taking away sunlight and it makes the plant weaker. It makes the plant that you're actually wanting to grow. It makes it weaker and malnourished. It takes away all the nutrients that are actually meant for the plant. And so how can these things, we talked about the cares of this world, riches, all of those things, how have you seen those things be like a thorn? Maybe even if not for you personally, how have you seen it in the lives of others? Or how do you perceive those things can take you away from God's Word? I think what happens is when we, like you said, I mean we all need money and things, you know, and it's not wrong to want certain pleasures that of course align with what God wants for us, for our family and for us. But I think when we start getting fixated on certain things, like for example money is one of the biggest sources of, could be one of the biggest sources of evil, where we fix it so much on making money and then we lose focus of what the Word is saying and money and everything that money brings with it becomes our main focus. And that's sort of over time, that greed, the desire for money increases and the, our, it takes away our time, it takes away our, everything that we, you know, would like to do and then we sort of, the time for the Word, the time for God diminishes. Yeah, just how it can slowly, it may start with very good intentions on our part, but it can slowly start to take away from our time. So just like the thorns, right? They start to draw away the nutrition, they start to take from the good plant. And so that's what this can do. It may not happen immediately, but as we are sacrificing time, as we are giving up on the important things for the sake of these other things, it can slowly start to eat away at those good things and take away from those good things, take away the fruit that will be born through those good things. Lucy's also shared our focus changes and the importance that we're giving to God's Word, the Kingdom of God, all of that is lost, right? So we're called to seek the Kingdom of God first and then we know that all of our other needs will be satisfied. But if we go the other way around, we go after those needs for getting the Kingdom of God, then we are the ones who lose out in the end. Thank you. So we'll just look at how we can guard ourselves against thorns that choke the Word. So we have a lot of verses here from Psalm 119, but we'll just read them if someone can read these verses for us. Psalm 119. Psalm 119. Verse 16, I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your Word. Verse 36, incline my heart to your testimonies and not to covetousness. 37, turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things and revive me in your way. 47, and I will delight myself in your commandments, which I love. 72, the law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver. 97, oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. 127, therefore I love your commandments, sorry 127, therefore I love your commandments more than gold. Yes, than pine gold. 162, I rejoice at your Word as one who finds great treasure. Thank you. So these verses have a good balance between how do you focus on God's Word? So he says, keep your Word before my eyes. I meditate on your Word all the day long. Then it also talks about what is my heart's desire, right? I love your Word. I delight in your Word. I love it more than gold, more than riches, all of those things. So where is our heart first? Are we really delighting in God's Word? Are we really loving the truth that is in it and holding onto it with that kind of passion? And so it has taken hold of our hearts. Are we doing the practical things of keeping the Word before our eyes, meditating on it all the day long? All of those things will guard against though the other things taking us away from God's Word. It has captured our hearts and our passion, our desire is for the Word of God and we are doing practical things of meditating on God's Word. Then we will be strengthened in the Word of God and those other things cannot take us away from it. Let's also look at Psalm 62-10. Someone can read that for us, please. So here again, don't let money take hold of your heart. Let the Word of God have that place in your heart and the beginning of verse 10 is interesting because it's saying, it's talking about ways in which you're gaining wealth that are clearly not the ways of God. So that itself proves, if you are gaining riches in that way, that itself is proof that your wealth or money has a greater place than God's will. So we can look at what are the ways in which we're living that show whether God is primarily the one we are pursuing or its wealth that we are pursuing. Then there will be fruit that we can look at to see which will prove one way or the other. And then Matthew 633, someone can read that for us, please. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all his things will be added to you. Thank you. So we see here and Sister Lucid also mentioned this that everything else comes as a result of seeking God's kingdom first. So we can trust that God cares about those things. God cares about the things we care about. So the cares of this world, whatever responsibilities we have, God cares about those things. God cares about our finances. He cares about provision for us. He cares about just the things that could make us happy, the pleasures of this life, things that we enjoy when they are legitimate things that are in line with God's desires for us. Those things are pleasing to God himself and he wants them for us as well. But if we pursue those things versus his kingdom, then we're losing out on really recognizing that life is in God's kingdom. It's not in those things. But when we seek God's kingdom, God blesses us with those things, recognizing that those are also good things, those are also blessings from God. So we should be concerned about what are some ways in which we can make sure we seek God's kingdom first. Let's just end with that. What are some ways in which we can seek God's kingdom first? Practical things that we can do to make sure that we are putting God's kingdom before all of these other things. Any thoughts? Sorry, one of you can go and then the next please. Sanjay, please go. Okay, just a short one. So one good thing I've noticed, it's good to be a part of Bible College because that's the place where we're definitely receiving the word of God and engaging on a daily basis and discussing things. So that's just one small thought. That's all I wanted to share. So it's a good thing we're all here and I'm happy to be here. I'm pretty much sure everyone else in Bible College is so happy to be here. It's such a blessing for all of us. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, being in Bible College is very nice and so such a great blessing. If you go out of the line of God's word and we don't be in discipline, it brings us the guilty immediately into our hearts just to like bounce back. Yeah, that's being strong in the word. So anything that is not in line with God's word, you immediately know in your spirit, right? Yes, it brings us in track to confers and just come back to God like I'm happy. Thanks, girl. Brother Warden, you're going to say something? Yeah, I think for me it's also, I agree with what Brother Sanjay and Sister Lucille were saying as well, you know, being a part of the Bible College just brings about the discipline, you know, and the more we learn about through all the various modules, you know, it just becomes so interesting. There's so much to the word of God and so much of revelation when we read and, you know, yeah, it's just brilliant. And I think that's something we need to focus on and make the, you know, spending time with God and reading the word of God a priority in our life. It has to come before everything else. And yeah, personally speaking, it's not been the case with me, but there's something I'm strived to do. And I think the more we strive to do that, you can actually see the changes and, you know, the positive changes that God brings in our life. It's just amazing. Thank you. So let's just take a 10 minute break and we'll come back and continue from here. And we'll have, if anyone else wants to share also when we come back, you can do that as we'll take a break now and come back. Thank you.