PARABLE

PARABLE.

The Parable of the Sower

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 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, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked hi m about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, ”‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come i n and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:1-20)

Today we move from the soils to the crops. Interestingly, seed sown in the good soil does not all produce the same crop. That means, not all Christians are the same!

In our democratic world, where one man has one vote, we are taught that all we need to do is to 'come to Jesus' for everything to be prosperous and wonderful now, then fly off to our heavenly mansion without suffering any tribulation, to live as Jesus does, in paradise! Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but I trust you get the point! The equality of all Christians is a view widely held in the church.

But it is not Biblical!

As we have also seen in the Parable of the Talents, we are all given talents, to which we respond in different ways. In the Parable of the Wedding Feast too, we are required to keep our lamps topped up with oil in order to receive our reward.

The reality is, as Jesus explains, that there are 30, 60 and 100 fold Christians. Yes, there are different 'performance levels' and rewards according to what we have done for Jesus. We are simply, not all the same.

We all have the same, free salvation, but will be judged according to our works.

We will now complete our look at this parable, by seeing how it relates to the church as a whole.

Before approaching this subject we need to understand that while God remains the same, yesterday, today and forever, our understanding, our revelation, of Him is growing, and will continue to develop until the day that Jesus returns, for Jesus is the full revelation of the Father.

At the end of the Dark Ages, marked by the Reformation, God started restoring His truths to the church. This ongoing restoration can be viewed as ocurring in 3 principle stages, in line with the crops produced in the Parable of the Sower.

TRADITIONAL/EVANGELICAL CHURCHES (1500+) (Revealing Jesus and Baptism) (30 fold church) The first truths to be re-established through the Reformation era were those of salvation through faith (Luther) and baptism (Anna Baptists). Movements that followed through people such as Wesley, Carey and Finney emphasised holiness and missions, amongst other things. The churches that embraced these truths are broadly known as Traditional or Evangelical churches. eg. Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, etc.

PENTECOSTAL/CHARISMATIC CHURCHES (1900+) (Revealing Holy Spirit) (60 fold church) Round the turn of the 20th century the revelation and power of the Holy Spirit re-entered the church in a major way through the outpouring at Azusa Street in Los Angeles and the Welsh Revival. Speaking in tongues was restored. Churches such as the AOG were established. From the late 1940's onwards, through the Latter Rain Movement, spiritual gifts such as healing, and later, prophecy, returned. In later years of the century this revelation and application of Holy Spirit power 'invaded' many traditional and evangelical churches, being known as the Charismatic Movement.

However, the pattern of God is always in threes, as indicated in our parable. So far, the church has had the two major transformations, those of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Logically then, there must be one more major development, the church of the Father, the 100 fold church, still to come.

I do understand that this may well be a new, even strange concept for you to grasp, but I wish to show through the scripture upon which WWJ Ministries is based, that this is a logical progression. Revelation 12:11 talks of a people, a church, who would overcome satan. You must surely agree that we have not yet done so.

For us, the church, to overcome satan, 3 conditions apply. The church must operate in the power of salvation through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus, and through our testimony, which comes out of our mouth but from our heart, the seat of the Holy Spirit. This reflects our current two church understanding, as above.

However, to finally overcome satan, their must be a church of sacrifice, based on doing the will of the Father. His will is expressed in the Lord's Prayer.

The Father's will is to see His kingdom established upon the earth! This is today's revelation for His church. His kingdom will be established through a people '100 fold' sold out to God.

KINGDOM (APOSTOIC, BRIDE, OVERCOMERS etc.) CHURCH (2000+) (Revealing the Father) (100 fold church) Not a denomination, not a building, but a people dedicated to Jesus across all forms of church and non church, who will relate (network) together informally through the power of the Holy Spirit, so enabling them to build the Father's kingdom here on earth.

A people who will finally fulfil the promise of Jesus.

..... as we look at the Parable of the 2 Sons and that of the Unmerciful Servant.

The Lord is calling out to Himself a people who are 100% dedicated to Him.

Is that me? Is that you?

The choice is ours!

IMAGES AND ART: Jerusalem

Mount of Olives

Church of Mary Magdalene

This Russian Orthodox church was built in honor of the czar's mother in 1888 and the mosaic inside depicts the legend of Mary Magdalene presenting an egg to the Emperor Tiberius. The egg allegedly turned red when she handed it to him, symbolic of Jesus' blood. 28 nuns from all over the world live in the convent here today.