I named this site Tilling Ministries because God wants to plant a beautiful garden, called the church. This garden is full of variety and is meant to bless the world. However, before you can plant a garden, sometimes the soil needs to be amended with fertilizer and hard, dry ground must be tilled. Otherwise, the beautiful garden God wants to plant never takes root. Jesus tells us that we are like soil and faith in God is like a seed that God scatters. If we have good soil, when the seed of faith is planted, it will develop deep roots and grow to produce a harvest. Our relationship with God will be evident in our lives. However, Jesus described other types of soil that make it difficult for the seed of faith to be established.
The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.
– Matthew 13:19-22
A footpath is one that has been continuously walked on, causing the soil to be hardened so that a seed cannot penetrate. This can describe those who have hardened hearts because of trauma. They have felt trampled on by the world, so the idea of a God who is their loving Father, Provider, Protector, and Creator who has good plans for them is beyond comprehension. It doesn’t fit with their experience, so the enemy snatches away the seed of faith and, with it, any hope for a new beginning. By revealing who Jesus is, I hope to lead you to encounter Jesus, your Healer, who enables you to leave your past behind. Through Jesus we receive forgiveness, healing, and a new identity as the beloved child of our Heavenly Father, bride of Jesus, and disciple of the Holy Spirit. As we encounter who Christ is, we discover who we really are in Christ. As we die to the old past the devil tries to keep us stuck in, the Holy Spirit makes us a new creation, giving us a new beginning.
Shallow soil also needs amending for faith to be established. In this blog I take you deep into the meat of God’s Word, anchoring you in the truth of who Jesus is as the fulfillment of the old covenant with the Jews and mediator of the new covenant with all who receive Jesus. You will see the Bible as one continuous revelation of God’s love for us. Each new revelation of Jesus takes you deeper into God’s heart for you. As you read about who Jesus is and what he has done and will do for you, my prayer is that your faith will be strengthened to believe that the promises of God’s Word are yours in Christ Jesus. When we begin to believe that the God of the Bible wants us to encounter him today as people did back then, miracles happen!
Thorny soil represents those who hear God’s word, yet are preoccupied with the busyness of life and distractions of the world, so they never embrace discipleship. Unfortunately, when churches are filled with unfruitful people, the light that is supposed to shine forth is dimmed and people walk away from the church because it looks just like the world. That’s why I’m posting my “Treasure Hunt Through Scripture to Find Jesus, the Messiah” Bible Study as a 25-day Advent devotional, so that we are not distracted by all the busyness of the holiday season and miss encountering the One we’re celebrating!
This free gift to you is designed as a “road to Emmaus” encounter through which you discover who Jesus is the fulfillment of 25 names and identities of the Messiah hidden in the Old Testament scriptures, as well as what the Bible says about who we are in Christ. You can download the PDF and accompanying picture cards for families by clicking on the Advent Download button at the top of the page. You can also read the deep dive version of the Advent Devotions by clicking on the Blog Posts menu above. (Scroll all the way down to read them in order beginning with Day 1.)
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We don’t have to fix our lives before we come to him. When we fix our eyes on him, everything else in our life begins to fall into place. My prayer is that as you spend time meditating on who Jesus is and responding in worship, he will become the source and strength of your life, transforming you into a radiant bride who shines the light of Christ to the world.