Today it was on my heart to share this story with everyone…
Mark 4:2-9, 13-20, 23 NCV
2 Jesus taught them many things, using stories. He said, 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to plant his seed.4 While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep.6 But when the sun rose, the plants dried up because they did not have deep roots.7 Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. So those plants did not produce a crop. 8 Some other seed fell on good ground and began to grow. It got taller and produced a crop. Some plants made thirty times more, some made sixty times more, and some made a hundred times more.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Let those with ears use them and listen!”…
13 Then Jesus said to his followers, “Don’t you understand this story? If you don’t, how will you understand any story? 14 The farmer is like a person who plants God’s message in people.15 Sometimes the teaching falls on the road. This is like the people who hear the teaching of God, but Satan quickly comes and takes away the teaching that was planted in them.16 Others are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching and quickly accept it with joy.17 But since they don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives, they keep it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they quickly give up.18 Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching,19 but the worries of this life, the temptation of wealth, and many other evil desires keep the teaching from growing and producing fruit in their lives. 20 Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.”…
23 Let those with ears use them and listen!
I ask all of you, including myself, what type of person are you? What type of ground is the “seed” the Word of God falling on in your heart? It is time to take a look inside. This is a time like no other people of God, it is no longer time to just be hearers of the Word, it is time to be hearers and doers of the Word (James 1:22-25). It’s time to eat of the meat of the Word of God and it’s time to digest it. There can no longer be “superficial” Christians in the body of Christ. God is calling for true believers, those that are going to take His Word and put it into action at all times. I know for myself this is something I’ve been working on really learning how to dominate my flesh and put the Word into action no matter how I feel, or how my emotions are. I’m not saying it’s easy to do, but it is imperative. In this time when the enemy is attacking this world, we are the ones that have to be able to stand in the gap and be strong in the Word, in knowing and acting upon it. When he comes to try to make us angry or upset, or distracted we can not afford to falter. Our families, our friends, our ministries, the lost, this nation, and this world are counting on us to be strong, unmovable, and unshakable forces. So I just encourage all of you out there to read, act, and speak on the Word, cultivate the ground in your heart, so that it will grow and produce much fruit, for yourself and for others. God bless!
Tracy Houston
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