10-4-2015 weekly message
Meditation: Psalms 101:1-8
Main scripture: Genesis 3:17-19
Subject: Thorns and Thistles because of the sin of man
                 The LORD God said unto Adam after he sinned:
“……cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;”(Gen. 3:17-18)
When Adam made of the dust of ground sinned, God of righteousness cursed even the dust of ground of no sin. Since then, men have been laboring because of thorns and thistles that never planted.
                Job said unto his friends upon hearing from them:
 If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;
If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley.”(Job. 31:38-39)
He answered them, he is supposed to harvest thistles instead of grains, if he did something guilty before God.
              The man of wisdom also testified of thorns and thistles:
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.”(Prov. 24:31-34)
                 When the LORD God spoke unto the people of Israel that sinned through prophet Hosea, he was going to curse them with thorns and thistles:
For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.”(Hosea 9:6-7)
               Jesus spoke of the mystery of the kingdom of heaven in a parable:
 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:”(Matt. 13:7)
He explained about the parable of thorns and thistles:
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”(Matt. 13:22)
                 Yeah! We find a very important truth in the word of the Lord Jesus. The thorns and thistles coming out of the earth because of the sin of Adam are even in the heart of man. Thorns and thistle in the heart of man are the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches; and those two kinds of curse keep man from reaping of the words of God, and even keep from salvation. The Holy Ghost spoke unto the Hebrews of the result thorns and thistles in the heart of man very clearly:
 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”(Heb. 6:5-8)
               This is regarding the Jews that shall believe the Lord Jesus Christ passing through the Great Tribulation, but falls away from the faith. In doctrine wise, such kind of curse shall happen unto them that give up their faith in the dispensation of the Great Tribulation not of grace.
                 Our Lord Jesus Christ loved us while we were yet sinners even though we were supposed to be burned because of our sins; and he died for us to show his love toward us(Rom. 5:8) as testified by Apostle Paul. He also testified of redemption for us from the curses because of us born in Adam through the death of Jesus Christ:
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”(Gal. 3:13-14)
             He testified, Christ died hanging on a cross made of tree wearing the crown of thorns to redeem us from curse of the law. Christ died charging our sins as well as the curses inherited from Adam because of his sin on his body. An we were redeemed from curses and death because of sin, when we believed on him. The scripture testifies, the lake of fire is the second death (Rev. 20:14); therefore we have been already redeemed from the judgment of the lake of fire. Of the reason, the scripture testifies, our names are written in the book of life(Rev. 20:15).
                 Jesus also spoke of thorns and thistles, when he taught the Jews on the mountain:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”(Matt. 7:15-20)
                   Jesus spoke of himself as a good tree, and of the blessing who abides in him:
 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have
spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”(John 15:1-5)
               This is the final word given unto his disciples walking on the way to Gethsemane. They believed in him, but they couldn’t abide in him in the Holy Ghost, because the Holy Ghost had not come yet. But they shall abide in him in the Holy Ghost when they receive the Spirit, and shall bring forth much fruits.
              Apostles encouraged the children of God to cast all their cares coming from the curse upon the Lord so that they may be able to abide in peace:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”(Phil. 4:6)
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”(1Pet. 5:7)
               Apostle Paul testified of the two kinds of man; first one becomes to be good tree through the Holy Ghost, and the other one is natural man as a bad tree:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”(Gal. 5:19-24)
               yeah! As the word of the Lord, man of the Sprit of God is good tree, the other one is bad one. The man in the Spirit brings forth fruit of the Spirit, but natural man bring forth the fruit of the flesh. Therefore, we are not supposed to discern men through their words, but through the fruits brought forth through their life. Apostle Paul testified of the way to discern false teachers:
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.”(Rom. 16:17-20)
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.