Mon, Jul 25th - 11:54PM
Mark 4:3-9
The Sower 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path,
and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much
soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and
they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and
produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them
hear.” Commentary There are four types of seed "placement" in this
story: "Wayside", "Stony", "Thorny" and
"Good" ground. But before we can address the ground, the first thing to
notice is what happened at the very beginning of this story. Before there could be any
"placement" of the seed, the farmer had to first “go out”. The bible says this farmer began by leaving the comfort of his living area to
work a field.
Next, notice the farmer's diligence. The fact that seed landed in a variety of
"grounds" denotes the farmer's repeated action in sowing. Had the farmer stood in one spot, or perhaps
spread only one handful of seed and then gone back in the house, all of his
seed would be in one ground. However, he
spread across what must have been a vast field. As a result, his seed found its way into
multiple locations.
Last thing to note before we look at the ground is to notice
the most consistent part of the story;the seed.
The seed is the same from the beginning of the story to the end. Notice
that, with no change in the seed, the results varied from one type of ground to
the next proving that the farmer did not have bad seed... just some areas of his field containing difficult and
unmanageable ground. In this story,
produce is not determined by the seed; but by the ground.
What is the seed? The
seed is the word of God. How do we sow it?
We sow with our mouths (or in this case, with a laptop computer).
The Word of God is seed.
God sowed His Word in the beginning of this world... and now we have the
opportunity to sow His word in our fields. God's Word will not return to Him
void; however, once we sow it, the enemy of God will come to steal it (Matt.
13:19).
But Satan's effectiveness in stealing seed is not determined
by the seed, but by our type of ground. So now lets look at the three types of
ground....
"Wayside" ground is ground that's far off of the
path. Jesus said this type of ground
provides nothing but food for birds.
"Stoney" ground can't produce because it is too hard to
receive seed; or at least, too hard to receive it deep enough to take root. Any produce sprouting from stony ground will
have a short shelf-life... it'll be short-lived produce.
And "Thorny" ground is too cluttered to
produce. Clutter pulls all the resources away from the seed chocking the
life out of it. But "Good" ground
produces fruit in varying quantities: 30, 60 or 100 times what was planted.
So the question is; #1). What kind of ground are you? and
#2). What kind of ground are you placing your seed into?
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Mon, Feb 1st - 1:10AM
Isaiah 40:27-31
STRENGTH
27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is is regarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Commentary
Is there any person alive today who can compare to God? Isaiah says just look at the greatness of the sky, the moon and all the stars hanging over your head every day and every night. God did it with great power and mighty strength. Find someone else who can create these things. Isaiah mentions in this chapter that taking steal and encasing in with gold (idols) can't compare. Nothing can compare to God.
So then why do you cry, complain and even think that this great God would somehow not know what you need? Isaiah says, "haven’t you heard? Do you not know? God is everlasting!"
God does not get weary; He's the one who the weary depend on! God increases the strength of those who have become weary. In verse 31 of this chapter, Isaiah compares a Christian's renewed strength to the flight of an eagle,
"Those who wait on the LORD will renew their STRENGTH. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31
Eagles fly up to 65 mph in normal flight and dive at speeds over 150 mph. And eagles are intelligent; they stay near open water and nest in the tallest trees (the ultimate sign of a Christian - staying near still water where you can be fed AND reaching the highest heights).
If you wait on God, you will find renewed strength from God. You will soar above the earth’s population with power from God. The most significant thing about Isaiah's eagle analogy is that eagles can fly to altitudes of 10,000 feet or more. Eagles don’t hang around on the ground where they can be stalked by other creatures. Eagles soar over other birds. They fly high and view this world at a distance with other eagles.
Buzzards, however, stay near the ground and feed on things that are already dead. The winds, the seasonal air currants and drafts don’t trouble eagles. Eagles fly above the wind currants. They use the wind and thermal updrafts to lift them up above the troubled air tides. Eagles can soar effortlessly using the currants for hours at a time.
In exchange for your patient waiting, God is offering renewed strength to carry you higher and further then you ever thought you could go. Men will run and fall; men will walk, grow tired and stop. But they that wait on the LORD shall soon find renewed strength. They will rise up like eagles and soar; they shall run without getting weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
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Sun, Nov 15th - 10:16PM
Phillippians 3:3-6
DESTINY
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first dayuntil now,
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Commentary
Do you ever feel like giving up? Have you experienced failure after failure and now you picture success so far away that you feel you may never achieve it? Has your goal somehow become so inaccessible that you can’t find the patience or the strength to continue to convince yourself that you CAN attain it? Do you feel you’re doomed to end up where most of the other individuals with your same aspirations have ended up; growing depressed and bitter after having finally lost the will to pursue success any longer?
Well, I’m here to proclaim to you that it is your DESTINY to succeed! You WILL break through that glass ceiling. You WILL obtain the prize! It is your DESTINY to keep striving and to finally reach the level of success that you’ve been praying to reach!
How do I know this? Its in Paul’s address to the church at Philippi. He recognized that these individuals had been working diligently and no doubt had faced struggles. Paul wrote to them cheerfully, (in essence):
“In all of my prayers, I’ve made joyful requests for you since the day you began until now. And I am confident in this very thing; that the God who begun this good work in you will continue to perform it until Jesus comes!” Philippians 1:3-6
It was the Lord himself who began this good work in you. Whether your goal is to accomplish something great, to obtain something new or just to make improvements in your lifestyle; it was God himself who brought you to this decision and encourages you still now to walk in your DESTINY. It was God who made a way for you to achieve the growth which you have already achieved. And, most importantly, it is He alone who is standing there with you as you continue this good work.
Your faith attaches you to your Destiny. Those who believe God will cause you to reach great success are forever destined to one-day arrive at that place promised to you by the aid of the Holy Spirit, your inheritance. Those who give up their task are disconnected from their Destiny. Those who walk away from the pursuit of their goal are disconnected from the power available to them to accomplish that very goal, ironically by choice. As long as you continue to walk in your DESTINY, you belong to the household of faith (Ephesians 2:19 calls us “fellow citizens” of the household of God.
Success will take perseverance. So Don’t let the journey wear you down. Focus on your destination. It is your DESTINY to work these works until God causes you to rest in green pastures. It is God who will give you the strength to endure for as long as it takes to reach victory. I am confident that the God who begun this good work in you will continue to perform it until the end!
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Thu, Aug 6th - 2:18AM
Mark 11:24-25
FORGIVENESS
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Commentary
EVERYONE has been hurt by the actions or words of another person and NEARLY everyone is willing to admit it. Perhaps someone you know criticized your parenting skills. Maybe your colleague or coworker sabotaged a project to make themselves look better. Or, maybe you've faced the ultimate betrayal; your partner had an affair.
These wounds leave lasting feelings of anger, bitterness and even vengeance — but if you don't practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays in the end. When you're hurt by someone you love and trust, you might become angry, sad or confused. If you dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility can take root. If you allow negative feelings to crowd out positive feelings, you might find yourself swallowed up by your own bitterness or sense of injustice.
Everyone faces feelings of unforgiveness at some point in their life. It is said that holding on to unforgiveness is like periodically drinking small doses of poison but expecting the other person to get sick and die. Embracing unforgiveness is literally embracing a cactus.. it hurts you much more than the cactus. However, by embracing forgiveness, you are also embracing peace, hope, gratitude and joy.
Generally, forgiveness is a decision to LET GO! The act that hurt you might always remain a part of your life, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on you and help you focus on other, more positive things. Forgiveness may not lead you to forget (no matter how hard you try), but it may lead you to a level of understanding, empathy and even compassion for the one who hurt you.
Forgiveness leads to healthier relationships.
Forgiveness leads to greater spiritual and psychological well-being.
Forgiveness leads to less anxiety, stress and hostility.
Forgiveness can lead to lower blood pressure.
Forgiveness can lessen the symptoms of and possibly end decades of depression.
Forgiveness can lower the risk of alcohol and substance abuse.
But more importantly, forgiveness is what God wants you to do. The bible says,
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger... Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you..." Ephesians 4:31-32
And God is so serious about us forgiving each other that the bible says in the book of Mark,
"...When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, SO THAT your Father in heaven may forgive you...” Mark 11:24-25
This verse says that YOUR forgiveness from God is "hinged" on your willingness to forgive. I say "willingness" and not "ability"... because forgiveness goes against our flesh-nature, therefore God has to do a work in us in order for us to forgive... otherwise, we can only pretend. God has to work on our hearts so that forgiveness can be complete.... but He can not begin this work until WE are willing to let forgiveness be our goal.
So... It's OK to reflect on the facts of a situation. It's OK to go over how you've reacted... review your thought process at that time and consider how this combination of events and reactions has affected your life, health and well-being... And now... FORGIVE!
Yes, it's easier said than done.... But you're ready! Actively choose to forgive the person! Walk away from your role as victim and release the control and power the other person and the situation have had in your life!
As you let go of the grudge, you'll no longer define your life by how you've been hurt. Embrace FORGIVENESS and move forward!
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Tue, May 13th - 6:38PM
Luke 1:39-45
Mothers
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Commentary
To all active mothers; soon-to-be mothers; mother-in-laws; grand and great grandmothers: You must fellowship with each other as often as possible and for as long as possible...
There is nothing on Earth more profound than the fellowship of mothers. It is awesome when women who are nourishing the very fate of this world come together and declare the blessings of God. I tell you, the spirit moves when mothers proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Luke 1:39-56 illustrates this to be true.
Mary and Elizabeth were two women who had found favor with God. Both of them were pregnant with children who would achieve greatness. Elizabeth carried John the Baptist; a child who, as an adult, would impact his world at large. He would be held by others as one of the greatest men alive and be compared to the prophet Elias, but would describe himself as merely a voice crying out in the wilderness. He would be a great messenger. His mission: to prepare the way for Mary’s child, the message: Jesus Christ. Mary’s child would do miracles, heal the sick, feed the hungry and ultimately impact all of creation. Mary’s child would be appreciated by some, but despised and rejected by most. He would suffer and die on a wooden cross, then rise from the dead to pave the way for our salvation.
We don’t know the exact circumstances that led these women to fellowship. We only know that Mary got up one morning and, with great urgency, set out on a journey to see Elizabeth. The bible says that Mary traveled to Elizabeth’s house “with haste”, meaning Mary made her way to Juda as fast as her pregnant body could carry her. It seems that Mary was in need of something. She moved with great excitement, great anticipation and great purpose. Mary was enthusiastic about seeing Elizabeth. There must have been something great she expected to receive from her visit.
Upon Mary's arrival, we find that Elizabeth was just as excited, if not more, to see Mary. Elizabeth, at the first site of Mary, immediately began to shout and testify. She proclaimed that Mary was blessed and the seed Mary carried was blessed. She shouted that Mary was soon to be the mother of our Lord and Savior.
Question: How did Elizabeth know this? Who told Elizabeth that Mary was carrying the redeemer of mankind? What gave her the conviction to proclaim it as truth the way she did?
Answer: The spirit of God revealed it to her. The scripture says that the moment these two women met, the Holy Ghost fell over Elizabeth and under His influence, she began to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She cried out, “…the mother of MY LORD has come to visit me…” Even the baby in Elizabeth’s womb felt the spirit and leaped for joy (Luke 1:41) launching his destiny as the one who would pave the way for our redeemer. Then, Elizabeth told Mary what I believe Mary was in need of which had brought her to Elizabeth’s door. Elizabeth gave Mary a piece of life-changing encouragement that would carry Mary through the remainder of her pregnancy. She said:
“Blessed is she that believed: for there will be a performance of those things which were told to her from the Lord”. Luke 1:45
Isn’t that a powerful message? Blessed is she that believes! You can expect a performance from the Lord. In other words; what ever you believe the Lord will do, it shall come to pass! Elizabeth had preached a sermon to Mary that day. Soon Mary couldn’t help but to begin rejoicing, also under the influence of the Holy Ghost. She sang out in great admiration and gratitude of the miracle which was forming on the inside of her. Mary fellowshipped with Elizabeth for 3 months, and then returned home. There is no doubt in my mind that she arrived back home full of the spirit. She no doubt felt renewed. She no doubt felt powerful. She must have felt like a conquer; like she could overcome the world.
There is nothing on Earth more profound than the fellowship of mothers. Nothing in the world is quite like it. God lends His spirit to mothers for the necessary task of nourishing a new nation of believers. God gives them great power and brings to pass what ever a mother believes the Lord will do. Blessed is she that believes! There will be a performance from the Lord!
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Name: Worship Crusade Ministries International
