Receiving the Seed. Part 3

"He taught them many things by parables" V2 of  Mark 4:1-9   NKJV

Let us look at item two of this scripture:

(2) 'Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.' v5-6.

If we are not careful, our hearts can be like rock. Very little can penetrate. This may be because of past hurts and the damage these hurts have caused. They can be long-lasting. People build walls around themselves, limiting those who are allowed in, and this is not many. They make inner vows along the lines of, 'No one will ever do that to me again.' So there is an inbuilt radar system that appears to send signals to the brain, saying, 'This person can't be trusted.' This may be true but, then again, it can be your refusal to allow people to get too close.

Some people find it difficult to even trust God. The hurt and disappointments have been so devastating that, a hard shell has been formed over the heart. Therefore very few things are allowed to enter in and if they do, there is never any depth to it because the hardness prevents any reasonable root. Initially, the Holy Spirit is allowed in and the person feels full of joy and empowered. Sadly, this is temporary and it soon fizzles out because there is no depth to store this in.

People in the church today are very much like this. They smile and engage in conversation for a short while but, they never become so close to someone, just in case they are hurt. They may have trusted someone very much and then suffered the loss of something, like money for instance. They have have been ripped off. They may also have been promised so much, but it has never happened and they feel let down , rejected and disappointed. There may also have been a painful, failed marriage. Sadly, this can be life and many have been subjected to this kind of thing. You may be one of them.

How can someone find a way through this hard-heartedness? Well the first place to start is with Jesus. People are people and some may rip you off - not many obviously but, they are around. Jesus will never do this to you - NEVER! Jesus actually says: 

'As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love' John 15:9.  Again in John 17:23 as He was praying to His Father  'I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.' You can't get a more perfect love than this, and Jesus couldn't love you any deeper than He does. You are a special treasure to Him.

Therefore, you now have something to build on. It is now time to get serious about your relationship with Jesus. If you want Him, He is there right inside of you - if you have asked Him into your life? So, forget the past and press on to the future, beginning in the 'Now'. Admit to Him that you have a hard heart towards Him. He knows this already but He still wants you to confess this to Him. Stop trying to run before you have the basics and ask Him to come and forgive you, thrill you, excite you and totally liberate you. If you do this, you are on the way to a deeper walk with Your Friend - Jesus.

More tomorrow!

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Receiving the Seed. Part 2

 "He taught them many things by parables" V2 of  Mark 4:1-9   NKJV

Let us go a little deeper into our study of the Parable of the Sower. Keep an open mind as we walk through these verses and apply the content as required and led by the Holy Spirit.

(1) 'Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as He sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.' v4.   

Life is busy and unless we discipline ourselves to a given task, we can easily be led astray. This is especially true where our Christian walk is concerned. Think of a vegetable garden. The ground has to be perfect if you want prime veg in return. This means it needs digging over thoroughly, weeding and composting. Some veg, such has peas, need finely raked soil, whereas cabbage can be rough. The seed may have been planted in pots prior to transferring to the ground; some seed goes directly into the ground. Throughout the growing process, the ground needs weeding, hoeing and a check for pests that may eat the veg. It takes love and dedication so you may be rewarded with a nice harvest. If you neglect the plants; forget to water, weed and generally leave them to their own devices, you may find that the birds or other garden predators have eaten most of the produce.

It is the same with our walk with Jesus. Our hearts must be properly prepared so that we can be open to what He is teaching us. Changes have to be made in our lives, to make way for things of God. If we have asked Jesus into our heart, then our bodies are  temples where He resides within us. If our body is contaminated with sin, the Holy Spirit cannot dwell there; sin must be dealt with first. Paul says in Romans 6:12-14:

'Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

'So, we need to ensure that our hearts are right before Him. Firstly, we confess any sin and allow Him to forgive us. This incidently needs to be done daily. Secondly, we discipline ourselves to reading the bible, praying and generally allowing God to do His work within us. Watch the hard heart. You may have been hurt so much in your life, that you refuse anything or anyone to get close to you. Love finds it difficult to penetrate. Therefore, you may find that Satan can come and snatch all the goodness of God away from you. One minute you're floating in the air, the next, down in the dumps. A YoYo Christian is not very reliable to God, so make sure you change this. God won't hurt you so, start trusting Him. Get into the things of God!

More tomorrow

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Receiving the Seed. Part 1

"Then He taught them many things by parables" V2 of  Mark 4:1-9   NKJV

A Parable was a favourite tool of Jesus. He told stories from everyday life, of which He used to convey important truths. Here, He teaches in Mark 4, about various ways that seed is received:

'Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as He sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.' v4. 

To have seed harvested successfully, one must prepare the ground properly. Likewise, the human heart is like soil and must be prepared to receive the seed of God's Word and be cultivated in order for it to provide fruit. Rather like seed of the earth, it must be planted in the heart and taken care of, studied and understood properly, before the harvest can come. To have a hard heart, means that Satan (the birds of the air), can snatch it away before this all begins. In the garden, the earth, if trod on too much, can become hard and the seed finds it difficult to cultivate. It is a similar thing to have too many distractions in your life that take you away from having a quiet time with God.

'Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.' v5-6.

In Palestine at the time, the ground in certain places, had only a thin layer of earth on the top of solid rock, so therefore, whatever was planted was not very successful because of the lack of depth in the soil combined with the hot sun. Therefore, there was no root. This represents the believer who only has a shallow belief. At first they receive Jesus eagerly but after a short time, the attraction fizzles out, when things become hot, taking their attention away.

'And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked, and it yielded no crop.' v7,

This is the crowded heart and pictures a person who receives the Word with gladness, but want their old ways too. They have many weeds growing within them - anger, lust, worries, fear and yearning for riches and other things. They never truly repent, and spend their time with one foot in the world and one foot in the things of God. Consequently, the spiritual seed has no room to grow,

'But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop -" v8.

This final section describes the person who accepts Jesus fully and is empowered to live for Him daily, even though they have moments of sin. When they do, they repent and move on.

Take a look at all of this and realise that we have a part in all of these explanations. The difference being, there has been a determination to overcome, no matter what.

Over the next few days, we will have a look at these areas and attempt to expound them more and discover where this takes us.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Religion, Politics and Rigid Rules

"So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they may accuse Him."                                Mark 3:1-6   NKJV 

When you think about it, the Pharisees and scribes were a very sad bunch of people. Jesus wanted to offer them the Kingdom of God but, all they did was reject Him, refuse His offer and find a reason to accuse Him. Very sad.

Here, Jesus has entered the synagogue and a man with a withered hand was before Him. The Pharisees said nothing but they, 'watched Him closely'. It was the Sabbath and the Law said that no one should work on this day. So if a person was in dreadful pain - possibly dying, no one could pray with him or her; they had to suffer until the next day, that's if they were still alive. Straightaway, we know this was not God; He loves us all and wants us well. This was what Jesus was reflecting but, they couldn't care less. They were selfish people.

It's possible that Jesus healed the man anyway, just to prove a point. Just by His words we can see this, 'Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill' Mark 3:4. However, they refused to answer Him because, the answer was obvious. This made Jesus angry.

This is the type of thing that Christians are up against in these present times. In North Korea, it has been reported that some Christians are being executed because of their faith. Others are being sent to hard labour camps, possibly never to return. Parts of China too, is very harsh towards the Christian faith and they suffer the same kind of fate. This is only two country's that are hostile towards Christians. There are many others.

Even in our own country, things are being made difficult for the believer. Authorities are making it hard for people to even mention the name of Jesus. I suffered this fate in a work place. I was forbidden to talk about Jesus. So therefore, I became an undercover agent for Him and still got the message out.

A few years ago, a well-known Irish pastor was arrested for preaching on the streets of Belfast. He was taken to court but after a lengthy court case, He won. He made a stand for Jesus and had some great evangelistic press coverage too. 

Families and marriages are splitting because one partner is a believer and the others are not. There is a time coming, and it is close, when we will be limited in what we are allowed to do. People are watching us right now. As time goes on, it will be much worse. Have you ever read up about the end times and the tribulation? It's not something script writers have made up, it is very true. Read up about it in your bibles and then decide, if you would be able to live through all of this. If you believe in Jesus and what He is going to do, you'll be ok because He will come and whisk us away - the Rapture. The lead up though, will still be difficult for each of us, so we need to cling to Him and each other. 

From today, begin making a stand for Jesus and walking with Him every day.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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Don't just patch things over!

"No one sews a piece of un-shrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."    

                                                                             Mark 2:21-22    NKJV

Jesus didn't come to patch Judaism with a new piece of un-shrunk cloth, because it would result in the destruction of the entire piece. He came to complete Judaism and renew it into what God intended. (Note the metaphor).

Jesus was not going to lead His disciples to follow the religion of the Pharisees. Their religion was too rigid and very dry, rather like an old wineskin. They were not open to what He had to offer - a new way entirely promoted by God. And Jesus was the way in which this would happen.

Jesus was putting something new into place. He was God in flesh offering forgiveness of sins for all of those who repented and believed in Him. But the Pharisees refused point blank to accept this blasphemy and were content in their old, rigid rules which would get them nowhere. It's very difficult when something new is introduced into a person's life. This can be demonstrated in a work situation, where a new boss arrives and completely changes all rules of working. No one wants change but, mainly it is needed. But not in the case of the Pharisees. They were lost in the past.

When something new comes into our lives, it can be difficult to accept. Take for instance, a one-parent family, with say 3 children. If the parent meets someone and they form a lasting relationship, the children may not like it at first. Their security is threatened. They don't like the new rules and plans that are being made and it can be upsetting for all involved, and if not addressed, can lead to the breakdown in the relationship. Likewise, putting new wine into old wineskins is a recipe for disaster The new wine is powerful, it may still be fermenting and after a short time it may burst the old wineskin. Also sewing a piece of un-shrunk cloth onto an old garment will eventually tear the old garment apart as it shrinks into place. 

Old works can work with new but, only if the old accepts the new and they work together until they are one. We can't patch unaddressed wounds over hoping that it will be sorted out with time. It won't, it needs addressing and possibly healing. A person who has sin in their life, can't patch it over hoping that God won't notice because, He will. He expects full repentance before He comes into a person's life; and, this repentance is a daily feature for the sins we commit during each day.

Have you been trying to patch over things that you know need addressing? You are going nowhere until you do. Why not confess this now. Also, are you struggling with old habits and the new things you're learning about Jesus are bringing you conviction? Come and confess it now:

Lord Jesus, I come before You now and ask You to forgive me for things that I keep struggling with and hanging on to. Please forgive and help me to overcome these issues. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

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If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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We are the Patient, Jesus is our Physician

 "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."     Mark 2:17   NKJV

Jesus always spent time with those who needed love and compassion - the outcasts of the world. There were the physically sick who couldn't get work because of their disability. There were also people around who for many reasons, were down on their luck and practically had nothing. Prostitutes and the drunkards of the day all figured in Jesus' life. He loved them and wanted to give them hope. He still does. For this, He was always criticised and judged, especially by the Pharisees and scribes, as they were considered sinners and not wanted .

Jesus always had an answer for those who accused Him. As we see in our text today, He considered them candidates for repentance. They were the patients and, He was the physician. Society had wiped them off, considering them to be the scum of the world. However, to Jesus they were lost sheep and, as a shepherd does, He was looking to bring them back to the fold.

As I mentioned yesterday, there will always be critics and complainers. Sadly, many churches have them. They always feel that things are not good enough; the sermon wasn't spiritually correct, and what about this and that? Every vicar and pastor has them in their congregations. Nothing is ever right. They have the ability, if you let them, to drain people and misguide them. In my pastoring days, I was even asked to consider having two separate services, one for the 'normal people' and one for the 'down and outs,' These Pharisees and scribes were very similar. Nothing Jesus did was right. But this never bothered Him like it does us at times. Why was this? Because He was secure in His relationship with His Father.

Whatever you say; wherever you go, if you are promoting Jesus, you will be challenged because of your faith. If Jesus got the flak, you can bet that you will too. But, He could handle it, can you? Well, I say you can if - you develop your relationship with Jesus. What I mean, is live by the Word, walk by the Word, sleep by the Word and allow your relationship to be close and rock solid.

Let's remember, that we are the patient many times in our walk. Praise God that we have a Physician who puts us back together again. There are many more patients who need to be brought to the Physician. Can you help here?

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

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Determination to get to Jesus

"And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying."                              Mark 2:1-12   NKJV

This account is likely to stop anyone holding a group in their home. Joking aside, it was an amazing thing that happened. We know that wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Here, He is either in Peter's house in Capernaum where He stayed quite a lot, or His own not far away. He was holding a meeting, which was packed out. As He spoke, four friends carried a severely disabled man on a thick blanket arrived and, seeing they could not get in, went up onto the roof and began ripping part of it off. These houses had flat roofs made of mud and thatch and had a staircase at the side for easy access. They made a hole big enough to let him down to the feet of Jesus.

Jesus never mentioned the destruction of the roof but straightaway spoke to the man saying, 'Son, your sins are forgiven you.' Not all sickness is the result of sin, but Jesus could clearly see that this was. Therefore, He forgave Him and preceded to heal him as well. Certain scribes who were sitting there spoke to themselves, accusing Him of blaspheming God. However, Jesus can read people's hearts and minds and addressed this. This is something we need to be aware of; we may judge or criticise people to ourselves but, Jesus knows all about it. It's best to avoid this action altogether. 

Basically the scribes were criticising Him because they felt He had no authority to forgive sins. Therefore, Jesus demonstrated His position as the Son of Man, telling the paralytic to pick up his bed and go home, which he did and that settled it.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will always have the moaners and the accusers, it's part of life. Instead of falling to this, rise above it, stand your ground and move on. As long as you carry out what God has told you to do, that is all that matters. These four men who carried their friend, had tremendous faith and their love for him was evident. Therefore, Jesus noticed this and met their needs. Nothing was going to stop them from getting to Jesus and you should be the same. Never, ever, let anyone stop you from doing this. 

Also, a thing to remember is, if Jesus can heal a man such as this, He can sure get a roof fixed. Jesus' priorities showed through. Don't let the things of the world get in the way of Jesus. He must be first. Get your priorities right. If you do, the other things will be ok as well.

Copyright 2023 Grahame Howard.                                

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, CLICK HERE

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

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