Growing the Mind

Jim Jamieson

Split-Sermon - September 6, 2014

Welcome, family, to another weekly Sabbath.

Many of us as the seasons change from the long nights of winter to the warm days of spring start thinking about getting out in our gardens. Each year we go through a process of preparing and taking care of our gardens. There are seven basic steps that we go through each year. We can add to this list, but these are the basics.

The physical steps can be applied spiritually to how God grows His mind in us, and that will be the title of today's sermon, Growing the Mind.

Alright, let's start out by turning to John 1:1-14—In the beginning was the Word, in other words, "the Logos," the revelatory thought of God, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. That would be John the Baptist. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light, in other words, Jesus Christ. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, and those who believe in His name: who were born, not of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word (Logos, God's mind) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Alright, for our next verse, let's go to Philippians 2:5—Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. So we see there that, you know, Christ had God's mind and, you know, Paul's admonishing us to have the same mind in us, the mind of God that we have to have to be in Elohim.

So God has been growing the minds of those of the 144,000 for the past 6,000 years. So how does God grow His mind in us?

Alright, the first step is we have to choose where to plant our garden. The better the soil, the better the harvest. Once a spot has been chosen we have to prepare the soil. This may be tilling, fertilizing, etcetera, but it has to be prepared before we can plant.

So God's Church is the ground on which He uses to grow our minds. It is filled with truth so that we can grow. There is only one place where the truth is being taught today, and that is in the Church of God—PKG.

So if you want to be turning to Ephesians 4:4-6—There is one Body, one spirit, just as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of us all, who is above all, in us all, and in you all. So you see that this is the place for us to grow, is God's Church, and there is only one true Church, and Church of God—PKG is that Church.

Alright, for our next verse we're going to read Mark 4:3-8—Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some of the seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. You know, as we've gone through the past few years there's been seeds that have been planted in PKG that have fell on the wayside, and when trouble has come they started removing themselves from fellowship and they've left us. And it's just, there again, that's not healthy ground to be grown on; it's not fertile.

Verse 5—Some fell on stony ground, where they did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. If we aren't staying close to God and the present truth He has given us we will be on stony ground and we will not have a strong spiritual root system, and we won't be able to endure the trials of life. And it's, there again, you know, they fell on that rocky ground which had heat, but there was no soil and they couldn't put down that strong root system that we need to endure the trials that come our way as we go through life and God growing His mind in us.

Verse 7—And some seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. There again, we need to be careful who we have fellowship with. If we are around positive brethren we will remain positive, but if we are around negative people, they'll start choking us off with just rumors and lies and we'll stop growing.

So, anyway, okay, let's go to verse 8—But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased, produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundredfold. To grow our minds we have to stay on the good ground that is the Church of God—PKG. This is the only place where God is working on growing the minds of His people.

Alright, now that we've seen where the garden of God is, is His Church, and now we need to go to the next step. And in our physical gardens, next, we have to decide what we're going to plant in them and when. Some seeds go in the soil earlier than others, so we have to give some thought to the planning on what it is that we're going to plant. I've had to get a lot of seed catalogues in the springtime, and the variety that's in there on just one species, say a beet or something, is just incredible.

But God is the one who chooses who will be planted in His Garden, His Church. And now, let's go to a very familiar scripture in John 6:44—We see here that it is God that does the choosing—No one can come to Me unless the Father, who sent Me, draws Him, and I will raise Him up in the last day. In other words, God does the choosing of who He's going to work with, which seeds are going to be planted in His Garden.

So for our next verse, let's go to John 15:16-19—You did not choose Me… There it is, plain and simple, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you. And there again, we all know that those are the spiritual things that we ask for, and God will give it to us so that we can grow and our minds will continue to grow.

Verse 17—These things I command you, that you love one another. You know, the greatest commandment of all is that we love God, and the second is that we love each other. You know, If the world hates you, and they do, you know that they hated Me before it hated you. I mean, that's just a real proof that this is God's Church, is just how much this world hates us.

Verse 19—If you were of the world, the world would love its own, because we'd be just like them. We wouldn't be different; we'd go along with the flow. But we follow God. Continuing on... Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you.

Alright, for our next verse let's go to 1 Corinthians 1:25-28—Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. You know, God's called us from all walks of life. There aren't a whole lot of professors, "educated" people in God's Church, but God's going to confound the wise with who He's working with right now and who He's worked with throughout the past 6,000 years. It's just, there have been some wise people through that time, but for the most part, He's worked with the, you know, "not many wise."

Verse 27—But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. There's it's said, you know, He’s just, "Look what I can do with this," to put to shame those that think they are wiser than God in a lot of ways. Continuing on... and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.

Alright, let's turn to 1 Peter 2:9-10—But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (that He's chosen), that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. So we see it as God does the choosing over the past 6,000 years of who He's worked with and where He's placed them, what time they've been planted, and when they've been worked with. It's just now it's our time. And so again, we see that God's Church is the garden and then God chooses the seeds which go in the garden and when He plants them in the garden.

Alright, we're going to move on to step 3 on our physical garden and see how that applies to how God is growing our minds. Well, we've prepared our garden. We got it all ready (God's Church), and then we've chosen the seeds (and God's chosen who He's going to put into His Church), and the next step is now it's time to plant. And we have to decide where each type of plant, or seed (I should say), will be in our garden. We take into consideration how the sun passes over our garden, how much taller some of the plants will grow so that they don't shade and stunt the growth of other plants. So, much thought goes into the planting of our garden.

So when God works with people's minds and growing our minds, you know, we've got the Church and then we've been chosen—just as we plant our physical garden, we choose at what times certain plants are planted (some go in earlier, other's later)—this is the same in God's Church. He knows when the best time is to plant the seed of the holy spirit in each one of us, and we're all called at a certain time. You know, it's pretty amazing, you know, and sometimes we wish that, "Wow, I wish I could have lived back there," but we're living in some pretty awesome, exciting times, and I know that we're all really grateful that we're here to see this. There are some scary times ahead of us, but God's chosen us to be in His Church at this time.

So let's go to just one short verse in Ecclesiastes 3:2, just a real short verse, but... A time to be born, a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted. So there again, God knows when to plant His garden, what to plant in it, at what time.

Alright, our next verse. Let's go on to 1 Corinthians 12:11-31... Alright, let's start in verse 11—But one and the same spirit works in all things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, one garden. You know, you've got all kinds of different vegetables planted in there, but one garden, so also is Christ. For by one spirit we were baptized into one Body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many, just like our garden, it's got different kinds of varieties of vegetables in there.

If the foot should say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it, therefore, not of the body? And if the ear should say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it, therefore, not of the body? If the body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But God has set (planted) the members, each one of them, into the Body just as He pleases. He is the Master Potter, the Master Gardener (if you will), and it's His Garden, His Church, and He's going to plant His seed where He chooses.

Now, verse 19—And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. You know, we think about our physical gardens. If we were just to plant potatoes in our garden, it'd be pretty boring at dinner time, come harvest time, if we were just going to have to eat potatoes for the whole year. But that's why there's such a variety in God's Church. It's what makes it so interesting. And just to meet people that have walked different ways of life and how God's working with them in their minds and just growing His holy spirit in them and moving us on towards the day that, you know, whatever resurrection God chooses to bring each and every one of us up in, but that we can enter Elohim and be part of that Family of God. It's just I know each and every one of us look forward to that time and place.

Alright, let's continue in verse 21—And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need for you; nor again can the head say to the feet, I have no need for you. And you know, we have... just apply that to the Church. A lot of times some of us, we beat ourselves up, and, "Oh, I'm not contributing to the Church. I'm not doing this. I'm not part of the ministry. Or I'm not over here doing whatever.” But each and every one of us can contribute to God's Church and keeping each other strong and going forward and being positive. So we've just, we've got to make sure that we don't get in that state of a depression (if you will) and basically feeling sorry for ourselves.

Verse 22—No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. There again, we are all so important to make up this Church, and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow great honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the Body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the Body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. There again, it's just so important that we stay positive.

Verse 26—And if one member suffers, all the members suffer for it. You know, you listen to people talk, and the hardships they're going through, and sometimes you can have empathy for, you know, you may have gone through the same trial they're going through, and you're there to just encourage them and to remind them that God's in charge and God's going to keep them moving forward.

Let's read 26 again...And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. You know, something happens good in somebody's life, we've got to fight off the physical. Sometimes, we, in the past, have gotten jealous or whatever of somebody, that something's happened great to them. We need to rejoice with them.

Verse 27—Now, you are the Body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the Church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, and gifts of healing, helps, administration, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? No. Are all prophets? No. Are all teachers? No. Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

Got a little story I want to tell on myself. I grew up in the church, and before Y.O.U. we had Y.A.P., and before that we just organized things in the local areas. And two basic sports were played; one was basketball, and the other was softball. And I really loved to play the game of softball. I was too short to be any good at basketball, but anyway, I loved to play softball. And I liked to play most positions. I had my favorites that I liked, but there was one position, that I just didn't play it well. I don't know why, but I didn't play it well. Well, when we went out, first part of the year, got teams going and whatnot. And the coach for our church there in Seattle, sure enough, he put me on third base, and I did not play third base well.

So anyway, I went home, played my little violin, "Woe is me," and had my little pity party and was telling my mom (I was about 10 or 11), I was telling her why I didn't want to play third base and why I should be playing "this" position. And after she listened to me whine she just looked at me and said, "Jim, just bloom where you're planted." You know, at ten or eleven that went through one ear and out the other, but later on in life when things happened, whether negative or positive, a situation when I was in, like I said, negative or positive, you just learned to bloom where we're planted.

And that's where it comes in the Church. Wherever God puts us in the Church, let's make the best of it. Let's do the best we can, the best, you know.... "Whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might." I think that's Ecclesiastes 9:10. You know, in fact, it is. Dad had that on my brother's and my bedroom wall. And just be encouraged to do the best we can at what God's given us to do.

Alright, our step 4 in our physical garden…see how we can apply it to God's spiritual one. Once our garden is planted it needs to be watered. We have to watch to see when the garden needs watering. Water too little, or too much, can have the same damaging effect. The plants die. So once a person is placed into God's Garden (His Church) through baptism, we must be watered to grow.

Alright, for our next verse, let's go to 2 Peter 1:2-12. Alright, starting in verse 2...Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Where do we get our knowledge of God? How are we watered? Is it not through His book, the Bible? We have His Bible more clearly explained to us by what is on the Church website, whether it be in sermons, topics, the posts. We are being fed and watered with it.

Alright, let's go on in verse 3...as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which having been to us exceedingly great and precious promises, and through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Verse 5—But also for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue, to virtue, knowledge, to knowledge, self-control, to self-control, perseverance, to perseverance, Godliness, to Godliness, brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness, love. For if these things abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we can get all that knowledge and how to live this life off God's Church website. I mean, there's... we don't need to go looking any place else but there, because it's there. Whatever the present truth is that God is giving us, it's there.

Alright, verse 9—For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, through you know and are established in the present truth.

You know, there again, it's just we have got to rely on God. We can't put our own understanding into it. We've got to rely on God and what He gives us. And we have the present truth and the 57 Truths God has given us. It is what He's giving us today. It may change tomorrow. God can give us more truth at any time. It is His right. This is His Garden and He's growing the minds in us the way He wants to. We have to be willing to change with the truth. God knows when His Church needs watering so it will grow. If He were to give us everything at once, we would drown.

You know, when a seeds first put in the ground and it germinates and comes out, if you were to dump water on it, it has no root system, it'd be washed away. But as it grows and puts down a root system it can take on more water. So when they first come up, you water a little lightly, or you can literally, when you first start your garden, before the seeds even  germinates, it can be washed away. So too much water on a plant is as bad as not enough.

Alright, let us turn to Matthew 24:45-46. Alright, verse 45—Who then is faithful and wise servant, who the master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? The present truth, that's what we're being fed right now, that's what we're being watered with. Blessed is that servant whom the master, when he comes, will find so doing. We must keep on keeping on and just grow in the present truth that we're watered with.

Alright, now we're to step 5 in our physical garden and see how we can apply to God growing our minds in His spiritual one. Now the seeds are in the ground. We've watered them. Now we wait to see the growth. When we do see growth, we have to thin so there's room for... to grow and plants aren't crowded out.

So in God's garden, once we have been planted in God's Church and watered by the truth, we can start to grow through the power of the holy spirit growing in us. We can only grow by applying His truths and His way of life and obedience to that way of life.

Alright, for our next verse we're going to read 2 John :1-6—The Elder, to the elect lady and her children, in other words, God's Church, His garden, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us it will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth (growing) as we received commandment from the Father. I now plead with you, lady (God's Church), not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. And the two greatest commandments is to love God and love each other. This is the commandment that you have heard from the beginning; you should walk in it.

Once we are watered with the truth, we must grow. We must drink in the truth to grow. Stay close to the truths God has given us is the only way we can grow the mind of God, or God can grow the mind, His mind in us.

Alright, let's move on, and we're going to read 2 Peter 3:17-18—You, therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, in other words, we've got to stay strong, stay close, and be steadfast, being led away with the errors of the wicked. There again, who we hang around with, who we associate with. We've got to stay with the brethren, be around positive people so that we can grow, but grow in grace and knowledge in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Alright, let's move to John 17:15-19—I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. In other words, protection from Satan. If we didn't have God's protection from Satan it wouldn't take long for him to take us out. That they are not of the world, just that I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. And there again, back to the website. There's where the truth's at. And as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. You know, we're ambassadors for God and we have to go out and live this way of life. And a lot of times people, they look at us and think there's something different about them; it's just by the way we live our lives.

Verse 19— And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. You know, we all live in this present evil world, and we all want to see it come to an end, but God uses this world and the trials in it to grow His mind in us, and we have to just, again, yield to the watering, to the truths. And by that watering we grow. And again, just can't say it enough, the only place you can get the truth is here in God's Church, the Church of God—PKG.

Alright, now we're at step 6 with our physical garden and how it applies to God's spiritual garden. And this is the part of the growing a garden that sometimes isn't that enjoyable. At least, I remember growing up as a kid, we had to weed so much of the garden before we were (my brother and I) were allowed to go fishing, so it was...it was a chore. As being a young kid that wasn't that enjoyable. But as the garden grows we have to, from time to time, get out and remove the weeds that take nutrients from the plants that we're trying to grow. This is a process that goes on throughout the whole growing season.

And just like in God's Church, weeding a physical garden, well, and repentance from sin have a lot in common. Those things that happen in our lives…sin, we let sin get in. The best time to weed our physical garden is just after it's been watered—in other words, with the truth—the ground is soft and the weeds pull easier. You know, we're fed truth and shown where there's sin in our life; the best time to get after it is right away. When we are corrected by the watering of the truth, this is the best time to get sin out of our lives. If we wait until a spiritual "weed," in other words, a spiritual sin gets a root hold on us, they're harder to pull and overcome. So that's why we must be getting the spiritual weeds out of our lives every day. You know, as soon as we see it, just... we've got to have the trust in God, know that He loves us, and go there. And I know everybody's said that, "Here I am again, God." You know, it's almost like, "You know what I'm here for," and... but we have to do it and it's just a continually wanting to have that mind grow in us, to, you know someday when whatever resurrection we're brought up in, when that's no longer a part of our lives, that we have God's mind in us. And I know each and every one of us look forward to that day.

Alright. Let's go to Ephesians 4:17-24. Alright, verse 17...This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the gentiles walk, in the fertility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of their ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. You know, there again, sin. But you have not so learned, you know, we've been taught a different way of life, a different way to walk—getting back to being ambassadors.

Verse 21—if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. You know, there again, we're being taught through the ministry, through what's on the websites, what's written in the books. I mean, we're being fed, we're being watered.

Verse 22—that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, in other words, God growing that mind in us, getting rid of the old man, having the water (the truth) to combat that and work on getting rid of the old man and God's mind growing in us.

Verse 24—and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Alright, next, let's go to Colossians 3:5-15, (I'll give you a second to get there). Alright, verse 5—Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, you know, you just...what we just read through, "fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, lust of the flush, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life … because these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience." And that's why God's sending His Son to this earth to clean it up.

Verse 7—in which yourselves once walked when you lived in them. Before God called us, started planting that seed in our minds and giving us the watering of the truth so that we could grow.

Verse 8—But now you yourselves are put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. You know, when I was growing up as a kid, my dad, he used to say that profanity is a weak mind trying to express itself forcibly. And it's so true. Today it's just, it's... people just curse and it's just filler words and it just... I know a lot of us have to put up with it in the work place and that you just cringe. And the way they just take God's name in vain and Christ's name in vain, it just... I'll just be glad when that's cleaned up.

Alright, verse 9—Do not lie to one another. We've got to be honest with each other and sincere. And there again, going to each other if we do have a problem with each other. If you give somebody a hug and you've got something against them, well, that's pretty close to lying 'cause you're not showing our true selves. We're not being honest with each other. If we have something against a brother or sister, we need to go them and work it out so that we can love each other. I mean, that's love, is that we do do that, that we just stay close to each other.

Verse 9 again, Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where is there neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, you know, it's the circumcision of the heart; it's not physical. That was physical Israel. ...barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, there again, even as Christ forgave, we also have to forgive, and then like it says, so you all must do. But we must. Just be honest with each other and close.

Verse 14—But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Alright, when we get out in our gardens (physical gardens) and weed, a lot of us use just different tools to get the weeds out, to be able to pull them out easier, maybe soften the ground up around them. I've got a little cultivator that I use. But, you know, God gives us some spiritual weeding tools, so let's turn to Isaiah 58, and we're going to read verses 6 through 11. Isaiah 58:6-11. Alright, verse 6—Is this not the fast that I have chosen, spiritual tool for weeding, To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Every yolk of bondage, that sin that's in each and every one of our lives. Just to... sometimes we have to fast. It's just if we're not making any headway, we need to fast.

Verse 7—Is it not to share the bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see them naked and you cover them, and not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall speed forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. You know, there again, with God on our side He's got our back and He's going to protect us and He's going to keep us from the spirit world, and keep His mind growing in us as long as we're repenting and get sin out of our lives.

Verse 9—Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; And He shall cry, and He will say, Here I am. You know, we call out to God and we're going through a trial, trying to get the sin out, and we cry out to Him and He's going to be there. If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger. You know, it's always said, if you point your finger at somebody else, you've got three of them pointing back at you. In other words, we have to look at ourselves first, "get the logjam out of my eye" before you go to someone else... and speaking wickedness.

Verse 10—If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones. And You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. In other words, that truth is going to be there. God's going to continue to give us His truth and water us if we continue to try and overcome (or overcome) and only do that with His help and strength working in us.

Alright, here we are at step 7 in our physical garden and how it applies to God's garden, and this is where now comes the time we planned for, worked for, longed for. It's the harvest, when we are rewarded for all our labors.

Many years after baptism and God working with our minds, going through the tests and trials that grow our minds, when we come to the time when God says, "Now I know you," this is the time God has been waiting for, when He can harvest His Family. And that is done through the resurrections. We are very close to the time of the first harvest that is the firstfruits of God, the 144,000, which will happen on a Pentecost; and we've got the resurrection at the end of the Millennium and then at the end of the Hundred-years. But whichever one we're brought up into, it is going to be a happy day for God especially, because He's waited who knows how many years (eons of time) for the harvest as He's watched His garden grow and His mind growing in His people.

So just kind of write this down, Leviticus 23:9-22, which talks about Pentecost and the firstfruits and that first resurrection that… it's right ahead of us. It's just exciting times we live in.

Alright. For our final verse let's go to Revelation 14:1-4—Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads, in their minds. God had grown His mind in them to the point where they could come into Elohim.

Verse 2—And I heard a voice from heaven, like a voice of many waters, and like a voice of a loud thunder. And I heard the sound of the harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. In other words, who God chose, planted, watered, watched grow, worked with them as they got the spiritual weeds (sin) out of their lives. These were the ones who were not defiled with women, for they were virgins, pure minds. These are the ones who followed the Lamb, knew His voice and followed Him wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.

So just as we work to grow our physical gardens, God is working to grow our minds so someday we can fully have the mind of God and we can enter Elohim.□