The break was over as the disciples came into the room and assumed their seats.
Little Person said, Okay let’s get going on the Sower and the seed. Let’s read it one more time together, okay. Open it in your amplified Ancient Book. Find it in Matthew 13:1-23.
After we read it, I will try to answer the questions you have, okay?
They agreed.
The room resounded with the Word of God and was a delight to hear in a place where most of the time the room was not filled with such bright disciples and His presence!
That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee]. But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen carefully:
a Sower went out to sow [seed in his field];and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it.
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out.
Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.
He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.
Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?”
Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.
For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him.
This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things].
In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand;
And you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend;
For this nation’s heart has grown hard,
And with their ears they hardly hear,
And they have [tightly] closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me]
And I would heal them [spiritually].’
But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it
“Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the Sower:
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.
The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation].
And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit.
And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.
One more time, said Little Person., Nice and slow so we can break it into parts. Let’s ask from Holy Spirit for understanding so this remains in our hearts.
Holy Spirit, please, open our ears to hear and Your heart to understand what You are saying to us, okay?
After they read again this scripture, Little Person asked, what are your questions.
I asked the director for a chalk board. So come on up one at a time to write your questions. So, please, come on up here.
First one: Why does Jesus speak to everyone when He knows some won’t believe and stay with Him?
Second one: What does He mean when He said they will not turn for Him to heal them. I mean I thought He draws all to Him.
Third one: Why is there 100 and then sixty and then thirty-fold? Why not 30, 60, 90?
Little Person spoke smiling, you should be an accountant!
They all smiled.
Uri and the overcomer reader came up and they both worked together to write this disciple’s question, the fourth question.
After the disciple finished, the whole room clapped and yelled out their encouragement to their comrade.
Fourth question: How do we know we are not the first three? How can we yield to Him one hundredfold? How can we know where we are now and the future?
Good questions all of you. Anymore?
One raised their hand. Need to understand the whole 23 verses, please.
Okay, let’s start, said Little Person.
The first verse shows Jesus Christ left the temple, the house of God, at that time to speak to all the peoples that had gathered, the Jews and the Gentiles. We are the Gentiles, by the way.
He came for the world. He died for the world to receive Him to be saved from destruction.
He positioned Himself as sitting which illustrates ruling over all, not just the Jewish nation but all of the world. All the nations. All nations had come this day to hear Him.
Okay? Understand? asked Little Person.
All spoke, yup.
So, this parable is for everyone born on this earth.
There is no one born of woman who will not hear His Word before they die.
Little Person asked, who is the Sower?
They all yelled, Jesus Christ!
Yes, you are all correct! spoke Little Person.
What is the seed? Asked Little Person.
One answered, isn’t it the Words in our Ancient Book?
Yes! Said Little Person, you guys have this down pat, man! This is great!
Who is the field, asked Little Person.
One yelled out, our heart?
Another yelled out, all the people of the world?
Little Person said, I am so impressed with you all. The answers are both great and correct!!
All people will hear His word.
Now I want you to find verses 35-37 of Matthew chapter 12. Let’s read what He is saying here aloud.
The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things.
But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak.
For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”
Let’s read this out loud one more time.
See all of the Word of God, which is Jesus Christ, will be seen in and through us or not.
On His Day, the world is going to be shaken like a sieve. If we did or did not receive Him as our King and Savior, the shaking will allow us to see what remains of Him in us or if there was any of Him in us at all.
You all know that His Word is eternal…..
His Word in us transforms us into His Word.
His Word abiding in us is appreciated by Him.
Well, He is the Word in us and we are His home. He knows what is going on in us….. Sometimes, we do not even know, but He does…..
He knows we are of His house as we believe and trust in Him. He sees His image within us on His Day. Actually, He watches over us and knows us as He dwells within us in our every day. His light within us is seen be Him…. We are of His house.
Beyond that He sees us every minute…as we are beholding and becoming Him as in a mirror, remember? Written in 2 Corinthians 3:18 states
And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.:
And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.
Yes and Amen!, they yelled.
He speaks this parable to all who have hears and some who do not….. People think they are okay if they do not really keep God’s Word as their first thing. Deception in every heart will be disclosed by His Spirit.
We cannot lie, cheat and steal and think He does not see or remember or hold us accountable…. He will see if there is deceit, we are then not of His house. He will not know us as written in the Gospels.
All that we do and is done to us is known by Him.
Nothing is a secret to the Uncreated One. His Word abiding in you increases as you walk by His Spirit. The narrow road is where your feet are as He keeps you safe from turning back,
He will keep you for nothing can tear you from His hands, but only if you allow Him too.
It would be as if you leave here and throw all this away because an old buddy comes up to you and offers you a drug, drink or whatever.
You say sure and turn your back on all He has given you here. You throw away a new life found only in Him. The Word of God did not take root in you if you can do that.
He knows what is coming to knock on your door. He is speaking to you through the whole ordeal……. Trust Him then you are giving Him the purest form of worship during this ordeal….. or any ordeal.
See He gives you the strength to say no and to stand strong in Him and keep what you believe.
He strengthens you to withstand all temptations.
You may be shaking doing it, but you cannot turn back from the tempter…..
It is no longer in your DNA.
You have growing in you His divine nature, You are now born of Him, a daughter or son of God
Here is another thing that pops up: fear. Yup, fear. Now your King says to you: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].
This scripture is found in 2 Timothy 1:7. Make a note of scripture, you can find it on your own later.
You have been given a strong mind and spirit. His courage will help you to speak up and say I am a believer in Christ Jesus and I do not use any more. I am straight. Thanks to Jesus Christ.
Speaking out your stance will cause some to get offended. There might be a fall out in standing up for yourself to your old way acquaintances.
Good old peer pressure kicks in. You may find you experiencing the fear of man is greater than the fear of the Lord in your heart.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of the knowledge and wisdom of God. If there is any fear of man exposed, go to Him. He already knows and will help you overcome. He calls you His and He will help you through every step of His road.
The above examples work well for the second group which Jesus Christ speaks about. The ones whose root was shallow because their heart disclosed His Word was only there because it might have been a quick fix for a now problem …… His Word was deposited on shaky and rocky ground……
When the pressure of peers and loved ones speaking against your choice in being a believer, do not back off your stand in Jesus and bow out from Him.
Keep your actions pure towards Him as He is watching. Our hearts reveal where we stand as so does our response to the Sower and His seed.
The truth always come through. Be honest with Him and ask for the grace to overcome any fear of man or of conflict. Stand strong in Him. He will help you. Be honest when you see some of your walk is shaky, He will strengthen you for the long haul.
God shines the Light of His Gospel in our hearts and it also lets us see where we need Him in greater measure than we thought.
I wanted to give you examples of what may happen out there or even from some of your visitors here…….
Let’s go over the first group of people which are not any of you all, of course!
They all smiled but their confidence was shaken a little….
Remember His love for you will not fail.
Even if you turn for a minute because you were afraid and then you saw some default….. Turn back to Him immediately, cry HELP ME! Repent and get back to Him and get filled. Okay?
Remember, the kid learning to walk. His legs are learning the strength they need. So are you learning how much strength that Jesus Christ must give you….. We all have no strength but His. However, in His strength we can do all things, even impossible things as written.
They all shook their heads in agreement.
Little Person smiled and continued; the first group would be people who casually hear. Maybe they were invited by a buddy to hear the Word of God.
They have nothing else to do, so they come.
There is no real need to change their path to His in their mind. They just came for the show. Everything is cool in their lives and they have no need for a Savior. They do not know how blind they are.
They continue on their own road leaving all the Words for their salvation on the wayside. Ignoring Him and their need for Him.
Any questions? Asked Little Person.
No, not yet, said one of the disciples.
Nope. But how can we be the 100-fold field people? asked one of the disciples.
Little Person said, we will get there, promise.
The Director is bringing in pizza so we can eat our Word dinner and natural dinner together. Okay?
YUP! I am starving, yelled one of them.
Okay, let’s finish the third set of people who do not want to carry their cross in Him through their life.
See His Word produces the cross in our lives.
When we turn from our old natural self to His way. His image will grow, we see the old man of ours on the cross with no power. Some will follow Him and some will only say they will follow Him…..but only in word and their hearts are far from Him as written.
The cost to follow Him is too much. To us here, the cost not to follow Him is too great for us to even contemplate. We will lose everything to gain Christ.
These thorn hearers have ambition and not for Jesus Christ. Ambition for fame, fortune. They have eyes set on their dreams and not His dreams for them. Proverbs 10:2-3 states
Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,
but righteousness delivers from death.
The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
This field or type of heart really cares what people think of them. Fame, fortune is all about getting so all can see them, I guess. Look at me everybody…..
I have never been there but this weakness is about what people think rules and reigns in their fields.
Their dreams may be altruistic but they are about their name and fame and fortune. They have not died with Christ yet, and they are not bringing glory to His name and fame. Christ riches that He has shown us as in His healing or gifts of His Spirit that operate through us are just the beginning of the true riches we are going to find in Christ Jesus.
See His riches are invisible first in us and then He gives us other things after we live after seeking His kingdom. Other things of this world can come to us but they have no hold over our heart. He still is King and Lord on the throne of our hearts.
If He were to say to us to give something to someone, we gladly give because He gave it to us. The second reason is He always repays us in greater measure than our sacrifice of obedience.
Even if there is no repayment. Obedience to His command is worth as it sprays over us His righteousness and peace.
Remember, to see His smile over us is worth laying down all things for Him. In the day we meet Him face to face after our days are finished here, we want to know He knows we are from Him….. Our days were filled with Him, after all, He is the fullness of each of us….. as written.
The deceitfulness of riches is bait to our eyes. It is a false road leading to emptiness and pride. You all have been astray by the deceitfulness of getting high, right? Where did it lead you?
Know He took the cross with the joy before Him…. You were there in His thought of joy, through His pain. So in carrying your cross through difficulties, remember the joy you have found in Him. You are His inheritance and He is your inheritance now and forever.
Let’s look up Luke, L U K E, chapter 9:23-27:
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].
For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake, he is the one who will save it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God].
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself?
For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heavenly] Father and of the holy angels.
But I tell you truthfully, there are some among those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”
We must desire the riches of His inheritance greater than what we see here in this world. Let’s read again Ephesians 1:17-23. Look it up again, please.
[I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son].
And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints (God’s people),
and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe.
These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion [whether angelic or human], and [far above] every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and world but also in the one to come.
And He put all things [in every realm] in subjection under Christ’s feet, and appointed Him as [supreme and authoritative] head over all things in the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills and completes all things in all [believers].
Okay, let us also see what another disciple thought written in 1 John 2:15-17:
Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.
The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever.
Little Person read the scripture as they tried to find the little book inside their Ancient Book.
Then Little Person spoke, okay, it is the number 1 then J O H N chapter 2.
They found it.
Little Person spoke, remember the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding. As wisdom is found in the knowledge of the Lord.
They read 1 John scripture aloud,
Now, I know some or most of you are counting on our King to provide jobs and income opportunities to you.
I know He will meet you where You need Him. I promise for it is written. Whatever in the Word of God is written, He will do it for He is faithful. Just meet Him with your faith in Him…..
He desires your priorities on meeting with Him and going after His kingdom versus getting hooked going after stuff in the world.
Keep your eyes pure. Keep them focused on His love.
Just remember, all mankind that has walked and will walk this earth will have an opportunity to hear His Word.
You are of not the same material as the first three class of hearers.
By His grace, you have been given ears to hears and eyes to see and heart to receive all He has died to give you.
Turn to Colossians, C O L O S S I A N S, chapter 1:21-23: Let’s read this now:
And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things, yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
[and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister.
He will also hold everyone accountable that heard and despised His Word as well as reward those who treasured Him and His Word as the apple of their eye.
Those who treasure His Words above their own life will receive His reward and praise.
You all can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens you as written in Philippians 4:13.
He cares for us and wants us to lean on Him for what we need spiritually as well as what we need to live godly in this world. He provides!!! Keep talking to Him and keep looking.
Hey, what God timing! Here comes the grub!!!
See, He provides everything just at the right and perfect time…..
After all, He is the Author of time and our time is in His hands. He knows what you need and your cares…… Talk to Him about them all. He will guide you from His Word. He knows the best way for each of you. His doors will open as you obey. The right doors will open and the wrong doors will close.
Let’s break for now. Let’s eat.
Father God,
As we eat the food here. Let us see how the pizza breaks down to bring nutrients to our body. We thank You the Words that were heard today go down into our hearts to remain so we remain healthy and strong in our spiritual walk in You and with You. Let them take root and abide in us as we abide and cling to You.
Please bless the food and time our sharing together over Your Word. Thank You for both. In Jesus name.
And all said…… AMEN and ALLELUIA!!!
Let’s eat. Come on Director and eat with us too!
The disciples said, yeah man, come on.
The director pulled up a chair to join the meal.
They all sat together. Talked, laughed and ate around the table set by their God before their enemies.
Wonderful to see the peace of God cover and invade those whose hearts have opened to Him and received Him as King and Savior.
Session not finished yet, more to come…… God is willing!
Selah!!
