Mark 4:1-20 (NKJV) – “And again He began to
teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got
into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land
facing the sea…
10 “But when He was alone,
those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. 11 And
He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom
of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so
that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not
understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them…”
A
great multitude was
gathered and in this multitude, there are two set of people – (1) inside
the kingdom of God; (2) outside the Kingdom – spiritually blinded.
From
Jesus explanation of the parable, do you know that - (a) the ones by the
wayside (b) the ones sown on stony ground (c) the ones sown among thorns (d)
the ones sown on good ground – are all God’s people that He came and died for?
“For the Son of man is
come to seek and to save that which was lost.” – Luke 19:10.
But He answered and
said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 15:24.
Prayers
Holy
Spirit, give unto our men of courage an imbibed copy of the heart of Jesus that:
· Is
still seeking the lost sheep of God; ready to go all out for those blind sheep;
persevere with the captives in order to bring them back to their Saviour.
· Will
not be moved by multitudes – by crowds – by numbers but is particular about
these sets of ‘singular sheep’.
· Desires
that the knowledge of the mystery of the kingdom of God, which is the knowledge
of the mystery of the Gospel – be revealed/be established even unto all men
especially those that are lost.
· Desires
that they (the lost souls) will perceive in their seeing; they will understand
what they hear, so that they can turn away from their sin, turn to God
for their sin to be forgiven and begin to live a fruitful life in Christ Jesus.
· Desires
that all men go above and beyond parables being preached on the pulpit, but to
have deeper, inspired, revelational knowledge of the genuine Word of God in
their hearts.
14“The sower sows the
word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word
is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that
was sown in their hearts.”
What
Jesus looks at is the state of the heart. Also, for the above sets, satan
in his device seeks to destroy the heart; he sees them on the *wayside,
not on the way (*note the difference) – Jesus said “I am the
Way; the Truth and the Life…
· As
our men of courage go into these fields/nations, let the Spirit of the Living
God, consecrate the heart of these souls of men so that the Word of God that
they read/hear will settle in their hearts.
· No
man knows the heart of another man except the Spirit of Jesus. Therefore Holy
Spirit – You the Internal Processor - process every Word that comes from the
mouth of our men of courage into the heart of the unsaved, so that “satan will
not come immediately to take away the word that was sown in their hearts.”
· Lord
Divine, there is power in seeing to perceive the truth and hearing to
understand the truth. You the Way, the Truth and the Life - set at work by Your
divine nature to bring these people from the wayside unto Your way (salvation). Reveal Your truth unto
them through Your vessels (men of courage) as You grant them the utterance, so
that these people might have life and have it more abundantly.
16 These likewise are the
ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it
with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so
endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for
the word’s sake, immediately they stumble."
· As
Your Word which is sharper than two-edged sword is preached, O God, break with
Your iron rod every rock-like heart which has no basis for the word of God;
remould and reshape their perverse hearts so that the true Gospel will be
firmly rooted inside.
· By
the unction which You have deposited upon Your men of courage, O Lord, and as
they carry out Your instructions, let the Word that proceeds out of their mouth
accomplish what You desire in the lives of Your lost/blind sheep – Isaiah 55:11.
· Let
Your unquenchable fire accompany Your Word, so that it burns out from the heart
every seed of doubt, worry, anxiety which does not stand in the days of
adversity.
18 “Now these are the ones
sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and
the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other
things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
· Lord
Jesus, help Your men of courage to have a compassionate heart like Yours to be
able to indoctrinate through Your Word unto these lost souls, that eternal life
is more than the distractions of this age with its worldly pleasures; open
their eyes to see the vanities of passionate desires which cannot be
compared to the heavenly glory.
· Psalms 119:72 – “The law of thy mouth
is more valuable to me than millions in silver and gold.” – The power of
Your Word cannot be likened unto the richness of this world. And so Lord
Jesus, cause it to be that the power of Your Word in the mouth of Your men of
courage are the words that gives eternal life (John 6:68).
20 “But these are the
ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:
some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
· Thank
You Lord Jesus for the souls of men who will hear Your Word from the mouth of
our men of courage and will accept it.
· Thank
You Lord for as much of Your Word that is/will be planted into the hearts of
these sheep.
· Jeremiah 17:10 - Thank You Lord that You are the One who
searches, test and opens the heart of a man; and we trust You that as they
hear the good news of salvation – they will have a deeper understanding of Your
Word; and as they understand – they will accept it thereby having a deeper
knowledge and connection with You, and be able to bear millions/billions of
fruits for You and for Your Kingdom.
6 “I have planted,
Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.7 So then neither is
he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the
increase.8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one:
and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-8.
· Above
all, we thank You for Your Men of courage – Your Pauls; Your Apollos – whom You
desire to use to plant or to water the seed of Your Word; thank You that You
have declared them as one inside of You.
· Help
our men of courage to keep knowing and forbid it Lord, that it will enter into
their head/heart that they are the one who giveth/possess the increase (pride
of the heart).
· Thank
You Our Great Rewarder that You are the God who rewards every man according to
his labour; thank You for You shall reward Your Men of courage accordingly.
Thank You Jesus!
