"Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow." (Mark 4:3)
The, "sower," here is the one who sows, "....the word...." Luke says, "The seed is the word of God." In Matthew 13, Jesus refers to the seed as, "the word of the Kingdom." The variable here is not the seed; it's the soil.
The seed can "fall" anywhere, "by the wayside," or, "on stony ground," or, "among thorns," or, "good ground and yielded a crop...." This says to me that the Lord Jesus does not keep people from His Words. Even though the ground may be, "stony," the seed may fall. It's up to the soil to determine what it does with, "The seed...the Word of God- Kingdom."
The soil which has always been to me the saddest is the, "some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop." And just what are those, "thorns"? Jesus tells us, "....the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things...." And this, "desire for other things," is not necessarily a new BMW. It can be that "ministry." Anything/one other than Jesus is, "other things." Anything/one that governs my life, affects my obedience to Jesus' purposes is, "other things." The danger to "spiritual" people it's all that religious activity which can be nothing but, "....thorns grew up...."
You and I need to do what Abraham did when the birds came down to devour the sacrifice. Drive them away. Our relationship in Jesus Christ, which, by the way, is commensurate with obedience, viz., walking in His Will for our lives, is precious, life-determining. May we guard that precious Seed with everything we have.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I have too often allowed, "other things," control. Holy Spirit, keep me ever circumspect. Amen.
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Berlin Mission, 2016: October 5-27.
The, "sower," here is the one who sows, "....the word...." Luke says, "The seed is the word of God." In Matthew 13, Jesus refers to the seed as, "the word of the Kingdom." The variable here is not the seed; it's the soil.
The seed can "fall" anywhere, "by the wayside," or, "on stony ground," or, "among thorns," or, "good ground and yielded a crop...." This says to me that the Lord Jesus does not keep people from His Words. Even though the ground may be, "stony," the seed may fall. It's up to the soil to determine what it does with, "The seed...the Word of God- Kingdom."
The soil which has always been to me the saddest is the, "some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop." And just what are those, "thorns"? Jesus tells us, "....the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things...." And this, "desire for other things," is not necessarily a new BMW. It can be that "ministry." Anything/one other than Jesus is, "other things." Anything/one that governs my life, affects my obedience to Jesus' purposes is, "other things." The danger to "spiritual" people it's all that religious activity which can be nothing but, "....thorns grew up...."
You and I need to do what Abraham did when the birds came down to devour the sacrifice. Drive them away. Our relationship in Jesus Christ, which, by the way, is commensurate with obedience, viz., walking in His Will for our lives, is precious, life-determining. May we guard that precious Seed with everything we have.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I have too often allowed, "other things," control. Holy Spirit, keep me ever circumspect. Amen.
***************************
Berlin Mission, 2016: October 5-27.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
