[Amadeus]

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matt 5:45

It seems to me that God has some grace for everyone. We all receive rain, whether we are just or unjust. All of us here have received the opportunity to serve God, whether we do or we do not ever actually serve Him. Are not all of things that God has given us "unmerited favors" [as some define ‘grace’] from God?

“…all things come of thee…” I Chron 29:14

But... isn’t there more?

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt 5:46-48

Isn't Jesus making a distinction here between what every man actually does and what God would have men to do? The grace is there, but isn't an on our part necessary, even if it is just picking up the grace?

But is just picking up the grace enough?

It rains on every man, but not every man plants a garden and weeds it to take advantage of God's "unmerited favor" to accomplish something like bearing fruit such as tomatoes, peas, carrots, squash, etc. [love, joy, meekness, gentleness, kindness, etc,]

Indeed, God gives the increase, but the garden I planted in the rocky, dry, alkaline soil of Wyoming on which I worked harder than any other garden I have ever planted bore the worst fruit I have ever seen.

[Wyoming is generally very good for raising cattle and as a source of some minerals, but for the most part, not much good for growing plants which will produce good fruits and vegetables.]

I guess this means that some places (hearts?) will never be producers of good fruit?

Since we are here on a Christian forum on purpose, probably all of us have, at least, been given the potential for producing good fruit.

"...Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." Matt 13:3-8

We have to have 'good' ground to start with! Where do we get good ground,
so that when we pick up God's grace and add to it our labor, etc. that He will honor us and give His increase?

"For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." Jerem 3:3 [fallow ground = tillable or fertile ground]

Are not our hearts the ground, be it alkaline, dry, wet, fertile, sandy, or whatever?

I am no expert on plants, but it seems to me, the reason they do not grow well in rocky soil is that they cannot penetrate or break up the rocks to extract the nutrients needed to grow properly. When I am preparing a garden plot, with a hand shovel or a roto-tiller, when I see rocks, I pick them out with my hand and toss them out of the garden area to hopefully increase how tillable, fallow, and fertile it will be. I may also add fertilizer [dung it] to enrich the soil making it even more likely to produce 'good' fruit.

Man does not live by 'bread' alone, but by every 'word' that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Is 'grace' all that comes to us from God? Is it the same as His Word or His Spirit? What is the seed that is planted? Is it not the Word of God?

Isn’t grace just like the "rain" that falls on every man, evil or good, just or unjust? For Life to be produced, for fruit to be produced from the seed [the planted Word], aren’t other ingredients are necessary?

So what do we need to produce the fruit that should come out from God’s Life in us? Without God’s grace, without His “unmerited favor” we are going nowhere good, but what and where are the rest of the ingredients? If the seed is the Word, it is not the seed that is faulty is it? Or maybe someone is planting bad seed?

I believe I mentioned at least two ingredients already: His Word (the good seed) and His Spirit.

What other ingredients are needed to grown a good fruit producing garden of each of us?

John,

Greetings John,

I would add these ingredients:

Spiritual faith to ensure that ones time, energy, and emotions will be well spent as a gardener.

Spiritual strength to endure the season from beginning to end.

And of course spiritual love so one can nurture the garden in a patient and tender manner, whether it is applying a little fertilizer here, pulling a weed there; to give the garden the optimum ability to produce an abundance of good fruit.

[Soulheart3]

Yep, gotta pull them weeds, the worries that choke out the good things that produce fruit, throw up a scarecrow or netting (the full armor of God) to keep out them seed stealing birds. Then finally when the fruit arrives, share it with friends and nieghbors so that all might share in the blessings.

[NotFinishedYet]

Originally Posted by Soulheart3

Yep, gotta pull them weeds, the worries that choke out the good things that produce fruit, throw up a scarecrow or netting (the full armor of God) to keep out them seed stealing birds. Then finally when the fruit arrives, share it with friends and nieghbors so that all might share in the blessings.

Since some "weeds" are beautiful wildflowers or grain to feed birds, does anyone mind if I just mulch my garden instead of pulling them? I promise to use organic mulch...

[Amadeus]

Thanks everyone for their answers. If we trust in the Lord, He will help us to put on His armour and keep it on. He will help to to produce of good fruit. Glory to His name!

[WilliamtheConqueror]

Well now Amadeus, I suppose one way of taking God's grace is not wasting too much time on this discussion board!

I did a medium voltage rebuild in Wheatland & Torrington, Wyoming back in '93. We stayed overnight in Torrington, but Wheatland was a day trip from Ft. Collins.

[Amadeus]

Hello William,

Originally Posted by WilliamtheConqueror

Well now Amadeus, I suppose one way of taking God's grace is not wasting too much time on this discussion board!

Is it wasting time, if even one person is blessed by God? Some people like me are not very sociable in the way of the world being able to engage in a lot of small talk about sports and politics and etc. Yet, they can read and write about the things of God. If it is the Word of God coming out or me or you or of another person is it wasted or void?

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

I did a medium voltage rebuild in Wheatland & Torrington, Wyoming back in '93. We stayed overnight in Torrington, but Wheatland was a day trip from Ft. Collins.

I worked at the office of Social Security Administration in Rock Springs from April of 1985 to April of 1987.

John,

[Soulheart3]

Originally Posted by NotFinishedYet

Since some "weeds" are beautiful wildflowers or grain to feed birds, does anyone mind if I just mulch my garden instead of pulling them? I promise to use organic mulch...

Go for it sister, I actually do use netting over one of my garden plots to keep the birds and racoons from eating all the strawberries and pull weeds there. But the racoons and bird dont go without. I have a really big birdhouse I built that I keep stocked with sunflower seed and suet sitting about 15 feet away from our kitchen window and actually the birds tend to eat when we do, and we get to see all kinds of beautiful birds. And we also will put out some dog food a little ways away from our house in an old plastic coffee can for the racoons - to not let them get in the habit of coming closer to the house, so neither go without, and actually nature has a pretty good bounty right now anyway even if we didnt. So dont worry sister, we both love animals here, and try to help them out.

Originally Posted by NotFinishedYet

Since some "weeds" are beautiful wildflowers or grain to feed birds, does anyone mind if I just mulch my garden instead of pulling them? I promise to use organic mulch...

Greetings Peggy,

Had been out watering the vegetable garden a while ago and noticed your word 'weeds'. Just happens to be a fair proportion of plants growing in my garden that others would look at as weeds. This year I had alot of tumbleweeds sprout in the raised beds. Last week the spinach bolted in the heat and put all the energy into seed production instead of leaves, not a problem. I pulled up the immature tumbleweeds which were now large enough to start crowding the vegies. They cook up and taste just as good as spinach, have basically the same types and amounts of vitamins and minerals as spinach. The amaranth/pigweed is just now coming up and I leave some of them to grow, their tender leaves take the place of the lettuce which has also bolted in the heat and the remaining leaves have turned bitter. There are two thistles that came up and are left for the benefit of the bumblebees; whenever I come across a large patch of thistles I always pick a hefty hand full of flower heads and make a batch of fritters. Been over ten years since I grew dill in the garden but unearthed a dormant seed while spading the soil so that 'weed' is allowed to grow and will be given to a friend who makes pickles. Two beds have a good crop of purslane which makes an excellent groundcover/mulch and draws nutrients up from the subsoil so when they die they leave those nutrients for the shallow rooted plants to use the following season; if they get too thick they are thinned out and eaten. One thing that grows on my property like weeds are California poppies which are a welcome source of color and attract beneficial insects. The only thing I weed out of my garden is bindweed (morning glory family) which can become a real nuisance if left unchecked. Never has bothered me to have 'weeds' growing in my garden.

On a symbolical level. I allow plants to grow in my garden that others would look upon as 'weeds' and pluck them up and cast them out of their gardens. One such plant I having growing in my garden which others would look upon as a 'weed' is one you are familiar with. It is an Australian variety that to me is a very beautiful flower. It is perfectly content in its own place in the garden. Gets the same tender loving care as the vegies. One group of plants that I have in my garden are the ones who, on the surface, pose a BIG nuisance. But they are the ones who are able of producing the kind of 'fruit' that lasts beyond the growing season. That group is the squash religion, which likes to encroach and impose itself on the other vegies in an attempt to smother them and choke them out and have the whole garden to themselves. So they get relegated to their own bed where they can squabble amongst themselves and spread out into the vacant field, allowing the other vegies to grow unimpeded.

Gardening is one of my main forms of physical, mental, and spiritual therapy. And yes it can be laborous at times, but it is a labor of love so never a need to complain, and the rewards are overabundant.

P.S. to John. Although Jesus speaks of things that are associated with grace, as I recall He never uses a word that is translated as 'grace'. This alone tells me there is much more to the picture than just grace. Anyways, I thank you kindly for this thread, it is obviously one I can relate to.

[Amadeus]

Originally Posted by Josif59

P.S. to John. Although Jesus speaks of things that are associated with grace, as I recall He never uses a word that is translated as 'grace'. This alone tells me there is much more to the picture than just grace. Anyways, I thank you kindly for this thread, it is obviously one I can relate to.

Yes, a literal reading may be rich, but those who are enabled to read deeper will begin recognize just much richer the Lord really is!