APRIL 25th 2022
Scripture References:
Gen. 1:26-28 | Ps. 8:5 | James 1:13 | James 2:13 |
James 4:17 | Ps. 51:5 | Matt. 6:10 | Matt. 11:29 |
Song 4:11-15 | John 7:37-39 | Ps. 46:4 | John 20:22 |
Acts 2:2 | Acts 4:29-31 | Acts 8:4-8 | Acts 6:2-6 |
Ps. 23:5 | Rom. 8:19 | Josh. 10:12-14 | Ps. 103:20 |
Zech. 12:8 | Matt. 13:37-43 | 1 Cor. 15:31 | 2 Cor. 3:18 |
Luke 10:27 | John 15:12 | Matt. 4:4 | Gal. 5:19-21 |
Matt. 16:24 | 1 Cor. 13:4-7 | Heb. 4:12 | Acts 13:2 |
Acts 13:2 | John 16:7 | Matt. 6:15 | Matt. 5:7 |
James 1:19 | 1 Thess. 5:17 | 2 Cor. 10:4-6 | Luke 6:45 |
Prov. 17:28 | Song 5:1 | | |
THEMES:
Adam and Eve in the garden
God warned and prepared Adam
Our spirit - God’s garden of delight
Tending to our garden
SUMMARY OF TEACHING:
In the beginning, God placed Adam and Eve in the garden. The garden is located in Eden, the place of God’s delight. They were entrusted with stewardship of this garden to tend it and to expand it. God gave them everything that they needed - power, authority, dominion and the resources - to take care of it and to succeed. Adam was to expand the garden of God’s delight until it covered the whole earth. God warned and prepared Adam to diligently watch the garden, because He knew that the enemy was on the prow.
As (Spirit-filled) born again believers, our spirit has become God’s garden of delight. He has placed His Rivers (the Holy Spirit) within us. These are Rivers of Living Water that come from Eden (the heavenly realm). Now, our spirit man is supposed to enlarge until it overtakes our soul and our body. It’s supposed to touch and take over every part of our being. We are called to expand God’s garden until it covers the whole earth, starting with “this earth” (ourselves). As it is written in the heavenly scrolls about our lives, we want to be happening in “this earth”. We lay down our plans at the feet of Jesus to take up His will (yoke).
God’s will is for our garden to produce the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, the character and the likeness of Jesus Christ. We tend our garden with the Word of God, prayer, fellowship with the Lord and worship. When we love the Lord our God - with all our heart, soul, strength and mind - and love each other as the Lord has loved us, we are doing everything that the Lord expects us to do.
By His power we can recognize the enemy before he starts planting his weeds into our garden. We need to be careful with what we are feeding ourselves, feast on the Word of God and develop a personal devotional life to the Lord. If we stop tending to our garden, what we have, will start to die. God wants to partner with us to cultivate such a garden within us, that He can allow the nations to come and feast from.