The parable of the sower - Part 1

 BY Argie Simonis

"And he said to them, Know you not this parable? and how then will you know all parables?" Mark 4:13

This parable is similar to the Rosetta stone. The Rosetta stone is a stone slab dating to the 2nd century BC and it bears a carved inscription in two languages (Egyptian and Greek) and three writing systems (hieroglyphic, normal Egyptian and Greek). The discovery of this trilingual stone proved to be of fundamental importance because it was the key to deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics, which for many years had been unknown to science.

The parable of the sower is the Rosetta stone of all the Lord's teaching. Therefore he said to them:

"And he said to them, Know you not this parable? and how then will you know all parables?" Mark 4:13

So the sower came out and as he sowed by hand, the seed fell into 4 different types of soil. The first soil was hard, and the seed did not penetrate but remained on the surface and the birds came and ate it.

"And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up." Mark 4:4

Other seeds fell on stony ground,

"... where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away." Mark 4:5-6

Other seeds fell among thorns,

"And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit." Mark 4:7

"And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred." Mark 4:8

In verse 14 the Lord begins to explain the parable. The reason Jesus chose a seed to give this illustration is because you cannot steal from the harvest because it follows certain laws that God has set. See the previous message on the parable of the seed, where I explain this in detail.

"The sower sows the word.

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts." Mark 4:14-15

---------- 1. The road ------------------

The birds of the air that came and ate the seed that fell by the wayside is the devil that came and stole the word before it could germinate.

There are 4 different stages in a man's heart and the only one the devil had direct access to was the first. He just came and stole it because the seed never got into the heart.

Let's look at the description of the same parable by Matthew in chapter 13 and verse. 19:

"When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side." Matt. 13:19

Our mind is the determining factor in whether the word will be able to reach our heart. That is, if you do not understand the word of God, the devil has direct access to come and steal it from you. So in order to see the seed, that is, the word of God bearing fruit in your life, you must first understand it. This is the first step. That is why it is very important that the word of God is presented in an understandable way so that everyone can understand.

I have again explained the difference between preaching and teaching. The preacher proclaims the word of God, while the teacher explains it. Both are very important. The preaching will draw a man to God and the teaching will help him understand and put into practice what he heard from the preaching. The Lord has called me to teach and I really love what I do. If one does not understand the word of God, the devil immediately comes and steals it away:

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you from now on walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:" Eph. 4:17-18

From the time we go to school, we have to work hard to learn. Knowledge does not come by itself. We have to spend time and study. And yet there are many Christians that have their Bibles gather dust on a library shelf. They have no idea what the word of God says and they just sit and wait for the Lord to come and touch them to change their lives.

God has given us our minds so that we can understand what He tells us. This, in fact, is the work of the Holy Spirit:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you." John 14:26

"However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatever He shall hear, that shall he speak: and He will show you things to come.

He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you.

All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of mine, and shall show it to you." John 16:13-15

The Holly Spirit has been appointed as your teacher in your spiritual school, but you must be present in class. Unfortunately, many miss the lesson and then fail because everything goes wrong. One of the devil's greatest weapons is to steal the word from those who do not understand it. And in order to understand it, they must first listen to it and study it:

"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding." Prov. 4:7

Understanding gives you the ability to think and decide correctly.

Knowledge is simply information. Put as much information as you want into a computer. It won't be able to understand them. It simply executes commands based on the information you give it. The Lord has made us human and not computers. That is why He gives us wisdom to understand how to manage the information we receive. This is very important, especially when we are called to judge the actions of other people.

Let me give an example:

Many times we observe some people behaving strangely, or harshly . This is a fact, a piece of information. But before we rush to criticize them, we should understand why they behave like this. You don't know what pain and suffering this man can carry. Once we understand the reason (discernment), the Lord also gives us wisdom, that  shows us how to respond practically to it.

So this is why understanding is so important. God's word will not magically produce fruit in your life. You have to understand it first, let it pass through your mind before it reaches your heart.

Let me make a clarification here. These 4 

types of soil are stages we all go through. We all go through the stage where at first we don't understand and we have to work hard to learn and start to understand.

We now come to the second type of ground (stage):

--------- 2. The stones --------

"And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:" Mark 4:5

"And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution rises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." Mark 4:16-17

I'm sure many of you already are or have been in this position. You hear anointed sermons, you receive revelations, you begin to see with fresh eyes what you once read and did not understand, and you begin to share them with others. That's where the devil stirs up religious people who come against you and you begin to feel that what you say no longer has power and just falls to the ground as soon as you say it. You move away from these people for a while to reorganize. You keep listening to anointed sermons, but as soon as you come face to face with these people again, you fall back into the same situation, that what you say has no power.

Do you know what your problem is? You were sharing revelations of others and not yours. The seed had not taken deep root in you. It is good to hear other people's revelations, but you should personally sit down and study God's word until these revelations become yours. You should get to the point of saying

"The Lord spoke this to me"

and no

"So-and-so said that person."

There is a type of bamboo that when you sow it, the first year there are no visible signs of activity or growth. The second year, again, no growth above ground. And the third and fourth, still no sign. Your patience is tested and you begin to wonder if your efforts will ever be rewarded.

Finally, in the fifth year the plant begins to sprout and reaches almost 30 meters within six weeks!

And today's quiz:

How long did it take to reach 30 meters high?

Write down your opinion down in the comments section.

"when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy;

but they have no root in them,"

These people live by the revelations of others, they see the blessing of God in the lives of others, but if it does not take root in them, persecution and tribulation comes because of the word and they are offended.

We live in a fallen world. Persecution and tribulations do not come from God to help you mature, but from the devil, to steal the word from your heart.

"Yes, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2Tim. 3:12

The devil immediately steals the word from those who do not understand it, but once it begins to take root in you, satan will come with persecution and afflictions to prevent it from taking root. Do you know what the key features of this condition are? You start having self pitty and hesitate to speak up because of the criticism you will receive. Persecutions and tribulations try to distract you from the word of God. This is the thief's strategy.

Nobody likes rejection. God created us to be accepted and to have a relationship with Him. But rejection will come, and when it comes it causes pain, so we must know how to deal with it.

Imagine this picture:

You're running a marathon. Spectators who see you run start shouting and telling you that you are running wrong. If you stop and go to the stands to explain to them that you are not wrong, you may win the debate, but you will lose the race. In other words, you were trying to justify yourself instead of continuing your calling and thus the devil won. Don't waste your energy and time where you don't need it.

"Yes, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2Tim. 3:12

If you do not experience persecution, it is because you are not living in a godly way. Persecution does not necessarily mean going to jail, being beaten or tortured. It can take the form of rejection, criticism, being called dumb, bigoted and crazy. This persecution is more dangerous because it comes in a subtle way. If someone forces you at gunpoint into denying your faith, this is an obvious persecution, but if someone says to you:

"Are you okay with leaving your good old life behind and going fanatic with religion?"

This you know, it can be more dangerous. You have to be determined to keep your course. And the better you understand the Word, the more you understand that persecution is a sign that you are walking right.

"Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Μatt. 5:11-12

"If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." 1Pet. 4:14

As you mature in the Lord, you get to the point where you can stand being persecuted but not being ignored. When the Lord taught, no one remained indifferent. His word would either cause a revival, or a riot against Him. If you throw a stone at a pack of dogs, the one that will yelp the most is the one that got hit. When they persecute you for Christ's sake, it means that what you said hit a nerve and be assured that God is already convicting them.

One of the devil's basic strategies that hurts the most is this: He will stir up people in your family, whom you love and expect their acceptance, to come against you. And this is because the Lord showed you what He showed you to do and not them.

You must come to the point where Paul writes:

"God forbid: yes, let God be true, but every man a liar; " Rom. 3:4

That means, be so focused on what the Lord says in His word that you will not allow any man to influence you, change your mind or distract you from it. If you don't do that, that's where the devil comes in and prevents the word of God sown in your heart from bearing fruit.

"And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution rises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended." Mark 4:17

Notice the word "offended" here. This does not mean that they completely reject the word of God, but that they have been hurt. They don't have the same zeal and enthusiasm.

Let's see an example. Let's take healing. You may believe that God wants you to be healthy and you believe well. That's where they'll come and tell you

"If God wants you to be well, then why did that person got sick and die?"

or

"Because I'm not healed, does that mean I'm problematic and against God?"

This type of offense, that is, doubting, not having the courage to speak the Word, being afraid to speak your mind lest you be criticized, is the most dangerous and subtle way the devil attacks you to hinder the seed of the word of God from bearing fruit.

The same can happen to your finances. You may believe that God can make you prosperous, but you are afraid that if you share your faith with other people, they will criticize you, saying that you are one of those who preach the prosperity gospel. The Lord promised us an abundant life, but not an easy one:

"And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,

But he shall receive an hundred times now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." Mark 10:29-30

Those who preach the prosperity gospel leave out the last part of the verse that talks about persecution. So once you are offended by the persecution and condemnation you will suffer, it is enough to prevent the seed from sprouting and bearing fruit. The seed must first have root in you to bear fruit.

If the Lord speaks a word to you, gives you a direction to leave for example the place you live and go somewhere else and you start receiving all the negative comments and criticisms from others, be sure that this seed is not going to germinate. (What will my family think if I leave, my parents, my church, etc.)

You must be determined that if you know the Lord is showing you something, you just do it and leave aside any kind of negative influence. This does not mean insensitivity, but I would say immunity to criticism. You don't need to be mean or rude to those who cannot understand you, but you must be aware that the word which the Lord has spoken to you is your first concern. It's purely a matter of priorities and protecting your heart as best you can from any kind of negative influence.

- This is what it means that the Word has a root in you. -

If you try to pull out a weed that has just started to grow in your garden it is quite easy. But if you let it grow 30-40 cm, you'll probably need a shovel to get it out. What I'm trying to say is that most of a plant's growth is underground, in the roots.

"And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

But when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it." Mark 4:30-32

How many times have you imagined yourself and prayed to the Lord to make you like that big tree that will touch many people and bring them into the Kingdom of God? Do you know that if the Lord immediately fulfills this desire of yours, your roots are so small that with the first bird that comes to sit on the branches, it will bring down the whole tree? Don't let the above-ground growth fool you. The whole foundation lies in the roots that are underground and cannot be seen. So when you give priority to the roots, be sure that all the growth that will come will be the result of good and deep roots.

You don't need to worry and stress about your ministry or the fulfillment of God's will in your life. Take the seed from His word, keep it in your heart and give it proper care.

And yet, most people do not give time to the Lord and they do not study His word. They become impatient and seek the outward appearance rather than the substance. The root is what will determine how much increase you get.

Everyone wants to see the dead raised, the eyes of the blind opened, and the sick healed. But what seed are you planting in your heart? Do you allow the words of the world or the word of God to direct you? This is a procedure that will change your life. All the visible signs and the fruit of people who you admire and have great ministries, are precisely the result of this process.

If you study the properties of electricity, you don't have to put your hand in the socket to see that electricity can kill you. It's the same with life. You don't have to be hit by any kind of evil to learn. The problems and suffering that comes as a consequence of the wrong choices you make in life may teach you things that can later become a testimony to your life, but there is a better way to avoid the traps of the devil. You have the Bible, the manual of life:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" 2Tim. 3:16

As long as we walk with the Lord, tribulation will follow us. But don't forget that it is not us who are persecuted, but the Lord who lives within us. It is the words we speak that stir up reactions, and just as in a court of law the accuser tries to discredit every defense witness, so it is in the world, where some try to discredit your testimony, because the Spirit of God brings conviction in their hearts. Actually, they are not coming against you, but against the One you represent.

That is why Paul writes:

"That I may know him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death;" Phil. 3:10

Jesus is the One who is persecuted and continues to suffer. Do you remember what He said to Paul when He met him on the road to Damascus?

"... Saul, Saul, why persecute you me?" Acts 9:4

The Lord takes the persecution you suffer for His sake very personally. That is why the Lord will supernaturally comfort you in the midst of persecution. No one likes persecution, but what a delight it is when the comfort of the Lord comes!

Amen!

Watch the video on our YouTube channel with English subtitles:

The parable of the seed - Part 2

 BY Argie Simonis

This message is the second part of the message :

The parable of the seed - Part 1

This along with the parable of the sower are the greatest parables the Lord spoke. He even said:

"Do you not know this parable? And how will you know all parables?" Mark. 4:13

"And Ηe said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.

For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Mark 4:26-29

We were in the book of Proverbs:

"My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the middle of your heart.

For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh." Prov. 4:20-22

God's word is healing and health in our life, so sow healing verses from God's word in your heart and you will be healed.

"He sent His word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." Psalm 107:20

"It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones." Prov. 3:8

God's word will set you free and heal you! The same is true for our prosperity and for every area in our lives. It is a process that follows specific laws. Have you ever seen an apple tree squeal and scream and suddenly an apple comes out? It doesn't work like that. But take a seed, plant it, give it time to grow and become a tree and you will see the apple tree produce apples because that is its nature.

Nevertheless, there are many Christians who find any change that may happen in their lives terribly difficult. And they complain to God:

"Lord why is it so hard for me to change?"

It's hard because you're not planting seeds. You pray and ask for prayers from others, you ask God to free you from addictions (eg drugs, cigarettes, pornography, gambling), you ask for a miracle without planting the word of God in you that has the power to break these bondages and set you free.

There is nothing difficult in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is simple. I have heard testimonies from people who at first wanted nothing to do with God, but they turned to someone of their own who urged them to attend a sermon, start going to church together and socialize with other believers. Little by little they began to study God's word and truths were revealed to them that they had never thought of. When they went back to their old bad friends, they realized they didn't "stick" with them because they no longer had common interests. I have even heard of cases of people who did not even hope or expect any change in their lives. But do you know what happened next?

"And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how." Mark 4:27

There are people who have started entire ministries this way. Do you see what results you can have when you cooperate with the Lord? And that's because that's how God's laws work. You study His word, you learn the truth, and the truth sets you free:

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed;

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32

With this tactic you know it is not difficult to live a victorious life as a Christian. When you study God's word day and night and your thoughts are there, it's hard to get sick, it's hard to be afraid, it's hard to get depressed:

"This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success." Joshua 1:8

That is exactly what the word of God does. It supernaturally bears fruit in your life but you must study it day and night. The problem is not in the word, but in the soil, that is, in our heart, when we do not give this seed the proper care and attention so that it can grow and bear fruit.

We are in Mark's gospel in chapter 4. See what else he tells us here:

"For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:28

Here lies another great spiritual truth. All that Jesus describes to us here are laws for how the kingdom of God works:

"first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."

Again it talks about development here, but it has some stages.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2

This is where many people make a mistake. They listen to sermons on prosperity and the blessing that God speaks into our lives, they see this blessing of God abundantly in other people's lives, and they go and get into debt and buy expensive houses or cars, taking loans with high installments that they cannot pay. The result is that the bank comes and forecloses on all of them. And then they wonder:

"Why didn't that work? I believed in God and waited for His blessing."

Remember what we read a little above:

"first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."

You cannot jump from the point where you have never seen God move in your life and provide for your basic needs, straight to the point where everything is working perfectly and all your visions have been fulfilled. You can't accelerate your car from zero to 200 km/h in an instant. This will not give you accelaration, but a wreck! You have to start slowly and gradually speed up. You must trust God to supply you with 50 before you trust Him for 500 or 5000 later.

We have been living in Norway since 2011. Praise God, it is a country with peace and prosperity. Many admire the high salaries and benefits that exist, but don't forget that life is very expensive here. You know, if the Lord, before we left Greece, showed us all these monthly expenses we would have by living here, that would place on us an unbearable burden and stress.

While living in Greece, we have gone through difficulties and poverty, but we trusted the Lord to provide us with relatively small amounts at the beginning to cover our basic needs. Little by little, seeing the Lord really moving in our lives and answering our prayers, we diligently continued to trust Him and for bigger things, and the moment came that He led us to come to Norway and starting to see the vision He gave us to takes shape. Now we can meet our basic needs and at the same time support God's ministry. Of course we have not reached the end of the road yet, but we continue to trust in the Lord with the same diligence that we did back then:

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10

You have to understand that it takes time. Let's make some humor now:

Do you know how you can eat an elephant? A bite at a time. If you try to eat it all at once you will choke.

In conversations I have had with people, either through the mentoring I do or during conversations, I have seen people who when they hear the word of God get excited and really get fired up. The Lord gives them hope and vision and that is wonderful! But some get impatient and go to the other extreme. I'll give you an example:

There are confessions of brothers that the Lord has delivered them from severe depression, their lives have completely changed and they are really on fire! They get excited and believe in the Lord for great things. They vision themselves as big businessmen, they make plans and calculations how to take a big project, complete it and bring them a lot of income. And they wonder if this is from God.

Can I tell you what's going on here? Be sure that if you have never worked in your life, if you have not learned how to make a living first, and if you have not learned to manage your household finances first so that you can handle the large amounts that such a project would require, then your vision is definitely not from God. God would never do such a thing to anyone. You must first learn to drive your car in a safe place without traffic before hitting the roads.

It's nice to think and vision such things, but start with the basics. Get a job first and learn to pay your own expenses. Start trusting the Lord in this. Then go and buy your own car, later your own house, and once you get to the point where you can manage and maintain those, you can start thinking about bigger things. Some people think that because God is a God of abundance who can provide supernaturally, they can skip these stages. But let us not forget that the Lord has placed spiritual laws and these laws are binding for him:

"My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips." Psalm 89:34

I have also heard people pray and believe that the Lord will give them a great ministry that will change the world, but they have not even served at a church. They have never spoken in a Bible study or a Sunday meeting. They have never led anyone to the Lord. And they believe that they can bypass all this and the Lord will supernaturally open for them the door that they imagine.

That's not how the Kingdom of God works. The same principles apply here. The kingdom of God is based on the law we read just before:

"... first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:28

Please don't think I'm trying to discourage you. Rather the opposite. I'm trying to encourage you. You must always keep the hope and the vision alive in your heart, but you cannot take a shortcut on God's laws. You can't cheat in the harvest. The kingdom of God operates on these principles and laws set by the Lord.

God's word is that seed that makes everything work, but you have to plant it, give it time to grow and it will give you:

"... first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear."

Perhaps you cannot understand how this is done, but the Lord promises:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, said the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jer. 29:11

We MUST all look to our future with hope and anticipation, we MUST all have the vision that the Lord gives us:

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he." Prov. 29:18

But it won't happen overnight. And the reason the Lord calls us to study His word is to plant seeds in our lives, to teach us, equip us and prepare us:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" 2Tim. 3:16

You know, if the Lord revealed to us from the beginning the whole plan He has for our lives, then two things could happen:

That would frighten us so much that we would turn in the opposite direction,

or,

if we accepted it, we would become so impatient that we would never use the proper time to mature and prepare to do what the Lord has called us to do. God always reveals His plan to us little by little, in steps, and if you don't complete the first step He showed you, He won't reveal the next one. And He doesn't do this because He doesn't love you. On the contrary, He does it exactly because He loves you. I will explain it.

Consider this for a moment:

Why would God give you His whole plan for your life and make you accountable for it all at once, so that you feel responsible for every failure in such a big thing since you don't yet have the maturity to handle it? 

"His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord." Matt. 25:23

God wants to train you step by step. He will show you things step by step and help you grow and mature until you are ready to handle bigger things. And all this because He loves you so much and wants to protect you. He won't suddenly throw you into the sea

and tells you "now you learn how to swim".

------------- A word for you -------

If you complain to the Lord and say:

"Lord why don't you use me?"

The Lord's answer is:

"Because you're not ready to be used yet"

Know that God wants more than you to use you, but He loves you so much that He will never throw you out there unprepared to become a snack for the devil, when you are not mature enough to face him:

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:" 1Pet. 5:8

So stop praying "Lord use me" and start praying:

"Lord make me ready for use."

Start meditating on God's word day and night and I guarantee you God will use you!

---------------------------------------

Let us now go a little further to verse 35. Before I read it, let me remind you that Jesus that day has already spoken about the parable of the sower and about the parable of the seed that grows in a mysterious way. Taking information from both Matthew and Luke, Jesus spoke 14 parables in a row, the most recorded parables He ever spoke in one day.

"And the same day, (the same day He spoke all those parables about how the kingdom of Heaven works) when the even was come, he said to them, Let us pass over to the other side." Mark 4:35

"And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say to Him, Master, care you not that we perish?" Mark 4:36-38

Have you ever felt this way?

"Lord don't You care what I'm going through?"

"I need healing. Why haven't You healed me?"

"Oh Lord, make me prosper, save this man, give me this job. Lord why don't You do something?"

This is exactly what His disciples are doing here:

"Master, don't you care that we're getting lost?"

And He was asleep. Also imagine that we are talking about an open boat. It had no cabins or second decks. I'm sure everyone was soaking wet. The Lord knew very well what was happening, but He was asleep.

"And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And He said to them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith?" Mark 4:40

Perhaps someone will think here, how is it possible that Jesus in such a situation was so strict to them while they were about to drown? Don't forget that on the very same day just before they entered the boat, He was teaching them how the word of God is a seed. A supernatural seed that when received will produce a miracle. All you have to do is sow him in your heart. What the Lord did here was testing His disciples on what He had been teaching them all that day. He taught them about the power of God's word and then gave them a word:

"Let us pass over to the other side." Mark 4:35

He didn't say let's go halfway and then drown. He who created the Heavens and the earth said: 

"Let us pass over to the other side."

The disciples received a word from the Lord, but they allowed the storm and winds to distract them from that word and begin to move in fear. Something similar happened to Peter when he walked on water and began to sink as soon as he saw the waves. The Lord had already taught them about the power and authority they had:

"Behold, I give to you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19

His disciples had to rely on this word He gave them. Do you know that normally it was their job to rebuke the storm and not the Lord's? Do you know that it is not God's job to heal you? It's something He has already done:

"Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed." 1Pet. 2:24

Past tense is used here. He has already done it! He has already given you the seed. So take it, plant it in your heart and start speaking healing over yourself. Give it time and be sure that this seed will do its job:

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Rom. 8:6

This is the greatest revelation you can have in all  Scripture. Take these seeds, plant them in your heart and wait day and night meditating on them. Don't try to dig them up. Be firm and diligent and protect them. 

(This is what I will talk about in the next lesson on the parable of the sower. How do you protect those seeds from situations that try to steal them from you or choke them).

When we apply these principles that Jesus teaches us here, it is impossible not to change our lives! You don't even need to be a scientist to understand how it works. Study the word of God day and night and do what it says. That way you will have prosperity and success in whatever you do. Our part is to abide in the word and in its study, to hear the voice and instruction of the Lord, to do what He tells us, and the Lord is the One who will bring the increase in a supernatural way:

"So then neither is he that plants any thing, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase.

Now he that plants and he that waters are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

For we are laborers together with God: you are God's husbandry, you are God's building." 1Cor. 3:7-9

Amen!

Watch on our YouTube channel the video with English subtitles:

Palm Sunday

 BY Argie Simonis

Palm Sunday reminds us of the fact that Jesus entered Jerusalem and the people welcomed Him by spreading palm branches before Him. The palm tree symbolized abundance, eternal life, fertility, good luck, growth, longevity, justice, victory and wisdom. In Ancient Greece and Rome, palm branches were given to victorious athletes or gladiators.

So what is the main message of Palm Sunday? What does it symbolize for us Christians today and what lessons do we learn from this story?

It is an event that is described in all 4 gospels. I have chosen to speak from John because there are 2 prophecies from the Old Testament that I would like to comment on. The other three Gospel writers recorded people placing their clothes as well as palm branches on the road for Jesus to pass (Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8 and Luke 19:36). Apparently, this was a way of showing great honor and respect. Let's see how John describes it to us:

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord.

And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,

Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt.

These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him.

The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bore record.

For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle." John 12:12-18

It is the first time that the people of Israel recognize Jesus not just as a prophet, but as a king:

"Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that comes in the name of the Lord." John 12:13

The word Hossana comes from the Aramaic language and its literal interpretation is "Save, now!". See how it is referred  in Psalm 118:

"Save now, I beseech you, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech you, send now prosperity.

Blessed be he that comes in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD." Psalm 118:26

This is what the people were shouting. If we also examine Psalm 107, in a few words it describes to us that when the people of Israel had problems, they cried out to God and He delivered them.

Here's how the story unfolds:

"They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses." 

And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." Psalm 107:4-9

He goes on:

"He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Psalm 107:20-22

Notice that the Lord did not rebuke them when they cried out for help in their need. What He tells them is:

"may this also be your way of life and worship Me all the time and not only when you are in need".

----------------------------------

- Don't be afraid -

"Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt." John 12:15

This command "fear not" is the most repeated phrase in the Bible. It is a command in the imperative, without having a negative character and it is in the Bible more than a hundred times. It has the meaning of rest:

"Don't worry, I've got it covered"

The devil will often come to mess up your mind. In the midst of the pain or the problem you are facing, he will try to sow fear in you. He will take something small and try to make it big. Through a simple cold, for example, he will try to convince you that you have coronavirus. So don't let him do that. Stay in God's word and His promises:

"Don't be afraid, I've taken care of it."

Consider this too. Even through the pandemic, the Lord gave us the opportunity to minister to the world in new ways. This online ministry that we have, is one of those ways. The Lord was not the author of this pandemic, but took what the devil intended for evil and turned it into a blessing:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28

So regardless of what is happening around us, the Lord always gives us opportunities to minister to people and thank Him for all the wonderful works He does in our lives. That is why we persist in prayer, but at the same time we use every opportunity that the Lord brings before us.

-------------------------------------------

- Not as you expect it. -

Let's go back to John. 12:15:

"Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, your King comes, sitting on an ass's colt." John 12:15

We see that the King is coming, but not as we expected. What took place here is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah:

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass." Zech. 9:9

Most of the time at that time, a king rode into the city on a war mount rather than a donkey. And in fact this war horse was the tallest of all the other horses. And this is because this king wanted to show that he was the highest of all others. Consider now what Jesus did. Not only did He come riding on a lower animal that was not a horse, not even a normal donkey, but a colt, which is even lower. This is what Zacharias had said. Your king comes low, brings justice, 

"sitting on a colt the foal of an ass." 

This story is also mentioned in the other 3 gospels as I mentioned above, but in Matthew there is a detail that few have noticed:

"Saying to them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them to me." Μatt. 21:2

So they brought them to the Lord and He rode the colt. The reason He also asked for the female donkey may have been because the foal would be calmer with his mother by his side. Look at this picture now and compare: A king's war horse, a normal military horse, a donkey, and Jesus sitting on the colt next to the donkey. That is, even lower. It is quite possible that His feet were dragging on the ground.

This is where Jesus is trying to tell them something.

"I'm coming, but not the way you expected me to be."

You see, these people were waiting for a king to save them from their temporary problems. They were looking for a temporary answer. But Jesus was bringing a permanent solution!

Many of those same people who worshiped the Lord that day, a few days later denied Him and were part of the crowd shouting, 

                     

                                

“Crucify him. Crucify Him.”

As long as he was the king they wanted to be, they offered him palm trees, but when Jesus became what they really needed Him to be, their Messiah and Savior, they gave Him a crown of thorns.

In Psalm 107, we cry out to the Lord to save us. So when it does how do we respond? Let us give him our thanks and praise. The Lord always hears our prayers and is faithful to forgive our sins when we ask Him:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John. 1:9

He will bring a permanent solution to a temporary problem because he is Jesus. He is the King who may not come exactly as we expect Him, but He will take what the enemy intended for evil and turn it into a blessing!

-------------------------

- Some more comments -  

In verse 16 He says that His disciples did not understand what was happening at first. John explains it to us because:

"(But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John. 7:39

John 7:39 says that the Holy Spirit was not given until Jesus was glorified. Since the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach us all things and to remember all that Jesus told us (John 14:26), it is understandable why the disciples did not understand this. Without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have no understanding:

"But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1Cor. 2:14

This is a very beautiful recommendation for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Notice that Jesus did not try to explain all this to them. He let the Holy Spirit do His work.

In verse 17 we see that Jesus' miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was one of the reasons Jesus received this acceptance. This is how we are called to operate with the authority that the Lord has given us, so that we are representatives of His kingdom:

"And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." Mark 16:20

This way we will also attract the crowds.

Something to emphasize here is that the people worshiped the One who rode the donkey and not the donkey itself. So too, when praise comes for the things God does through us, we are not actually the ones receiving the praise, but all the honor is given to the Lord.

Amen! 🙏

Watch on our YouTube channel the video with English subtitles:

The parable of the seed - Part 1

 BY Argie Simonis

If we do not settle within ourselves the integrity and the power of God's word, then every teaching we hear is useless. In chapter 4 of Mark Jesus spoke 2 of the greatest parables through which the Lord gave me great revelation. The parable of the sower and the parable of the seed that grows in a mysterious way. As for the parable of the sower, Jesus said:

"And he said to them, Know you not this parable? and how then will you know all parables?" Mark 4:13

Do you know what that means? That if you do not understand the principles taught by the parable of the sower, you will not understand any parable. In other words, this parable is the key that unlocks the truth of God's word.

It is so important that it should take one of the first places in your heart.

Before I get into the parable of the sower, I'll start with the parable that Jesus spoke right after the parable of the sower, where actualy the Lord is making the same point. It is in Mark 4:26-29:

"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.

For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come." Mark 4:26-29

This passage that we read, is one of the most awesome revelations that Jesus gives us! He is talking about a seed here, but He is referring to the word of God. A little above we read:

"The sower sows the word." Mark 4:14

Jesus began to teach with the parable of the sower. At that time they did not dig furrows as we do today, nor did they have machines, but the sower went out and scattered the seed by hand. And this seed fell on 4 different types of soil.

Jesus here is not giving farming lessons. Most of the people he addressed were low educated, fishermen and farmers. That is why he uses this physical imagery for the kingdom of God, with the seed being the word of God.

"The sower sows the word."

In other words, it is not a lesson on how to become a farmer, but on how the kingdom of God works.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus compares the word of God to a seed? The modern city man is no longer so familiar with agriculture and nature. There are some who believe that lettuce grows in the grocery store :)

But it is not so. Someone plants them, grows them, and when they are ready brings them to the grocery store. The same is with the steak you get from the butcher shop, it comes from an animal that was slaughtered.

Did you know that it's not just plants that come from a seed? You were once a seed too. You may not have thought of it this way, but the entire universe runs on seeds. Everything around us is the product of a seed. Every plant, every animal, every insect, every human being is the product of a seed.

It is not so difficult to understand this in the physical. If you see someone sitting and watering in unsown soil, and praying and waiting to see something sprout, you will call him crazy. I understand it if you have sown and pray to God to bless it and bring increase, but you must have sown something first.

And yet, in the spiritual part, most people do what the one who I mentioned a little above does, and call him crazy. Let me give some examples:

Some pray for healing. I will ask: What seed have you sown for your healing? In the prayer group at our church that Peggy and I have been ministering for several years, we have prayed for many people who come to receive healing from the Lord. They believe that God can heal them, but many of them if you ask them on what verses they put their hope for their healing, they don't know.

This is not going to work. It's like a woman hoping to get pregnant by simply standing near a man. Am I close enough? Shall I stay a little longer?

If I drink water from a pregnant woman's glass, will I get pregnant too?

And of course not. I don't intend to teach you how a woman gets pregnant. I think you know exactly what I mean.

But what I'm trying to say is that you have to sow the seed first. And while you know that naturally it is foolish to believe in a harvest when you have not sown, there are people who do not know a single verse about what the word of God says about healing and they wonder why they are not healed.

The seed must come alive in you. It must be sown in your heart and for this to happen you must have a closer relationship with the word of God.

Another example:

You pray for your finances. You pray to the Lord for blessing and prosperity. What scriptures do you base your hope and prayer on? What seed are you sowing in your heart?

You see people enjoying God's blessings abundantly in their lives, ministers of the Lord with blessed ministries that touch millions of people, and you wish you could have the same. But have you done the same sowing as they did? Have you medidated in the word as they have? And because you've been used to fast food, when you don't see immediate results you say that this doesn't work.

And yet, it works, as long as you give it time. In this parable it says that the word of God is like a seed that

"as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

And should sleep, and rise night and day"

This here is very important, because it shows us that it takes time between the seed and the harvest.

Seed - Time - Harvest.

Many believe that God can do anything and as soon as they have a need, boom! God makes it happen.

I want a miracle! 

Don't forget: Seed - Time - Harvest. Did you sow the seed? Did you give it time? Even those people you admire didn't become that way overnight. It took them time to get to where they are.

Do you know why the Lord chose a seed to speak these truths? Because this is a system that He created. If he picked a human system, for example a school, and said that the kingdom of God is like a school. You have to study, do private tutoring, be at school, etc. This is a man made system, and in such a system there are always "loopholes" that you can cheat. During an exam you can copy from someone else.

Even without copying, how many of you remember studying just the night before the exam so that you can have the lesson "fresh" in the part called our "temporary" memory. Maybe you wrote well on that test and passed the class, but how well would you write if you were to take the same test today? You just beat the system.

But you can't steal in the harvest. You can't sow one day and stay up all night watering and fertilizing and expect to get a crop the next morning. You cannot cheat the system that God created. That is why Jesus compared it to a seed. There are laws that govern the function of the seed. You must sow the seed and

"and sleep and rise night and day;"

If you sow and the next day you dig it up to see if it grows, sow it again and dig it up again, you will destroy it. There are many people that in times of crisis read, study, pray and as soon as the crisis is over they go back to the flesh and the old bad habits that led them to that crisis in the first place. Do you realize that in this way you will never see the results these people have?

Remember the story of Joseph, Moses, the apostle Paul. You must be diligent, plant the word of God in your heart, and cooperate with God and the laws he has set. When you do this, that seed will begin to "spring and grow up, he knows not how." 

See how exciting this is? you don't need to understand how it works.

Consider this too: Mankind, despite of all the progress and knowledge he has acquired thus far, may know how to use a seed, plant it, and get a harvest, but he has not understood how a seed actually works. We can't create a seed from scratch, even if we have all the money and technology in the world. We can create something that looks like a seed, it may taste the same as that seed, it may weigh the same, but if you plant it, it will never germinate, no matter how much water and fertilizer you put on it. So we may not understand the seed, how from a small seed we can get a whole tree, but that does not prevent us from using it.

Every seed is a miracle and in there God has placed everything necessary for that seed to germinate and reproduce. And it has such strength that a small seed when it begins to take root and grow in the cleft of a rock, can cut it in two. Something you'd need dynamite to do!

So you don't need to understand it. You just have to believe it, that if you plant this seed of God in your heart and sleep and rise up and wait, it has the power to change your life!

In the very next verse he says:

"For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Mark 4:28

That is, the earth automatically bears fruit. It is simply the law that God has set. If you plant a seed in the soil, the soil will not analyze what kind of seed you have planted, nor will it choose what to grow or if it wants to grow anything. I understand that different types of soil will give different growth to the seed, but God made the soil in such a way that it will produce whatever you sow into it.

You see a big tree and you say "look what this seed had in it". But do you know that's not the case? The seed somehow collects the nutrients found in the soil, organizes them and produces the tree. The seed is essentially the catalyst, but the soil supplies the ingredients. If you put the seed in shallow soil it will not produce because the soil is not enough.

In this parable, the ground represents our heart. God has made our heart in such a way that every thought, feeling or emotion we have acts like seeds, which will automatically begin to sprout and produce fruit. If you sow fear, hatred, unforgiveness, pornography, jealousy, your heart doesn't know the difference and will start sprouting with all of these.

Likewise, your heart will do the same if you sow it with the things of God. It is impossible not to enjoy God's blessings in your life if you study His word day and night.

"I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:13-14

"I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

He is ever merciful, and lends; and his seed is blessed." Psalm 37:25-26

See also what Paul tells us:

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6

To be carnally minded does not necessarily mean that you live in sin.

All sin is a result of carnality, but all carnality is not necessarily sin. Carnality is based on our 5 senses and means operating only in the physical. If you think only in the physical, that is death. You don't have to be bad or a sinner for this to happen. Become normal by the world's standards and you will die.

But the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. What does this mean;

"It is the spirit that vivifies; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63

God's word is spirit and life. In other words, to have the mindset of the Spirit means to be Word-centered and not world-centered. So your heart will sprout life and peace. If I come to your house and you show me your garden, I don't need to be there to see what you have sown. I can tell by what has sprouted. Even if you didn't do it and someone else sowed it without your knowledge, even if the seed was dropped by a bird or the wind brought it, be sure that what is growing in your garden has somehow been planted before .

Likewise, I don't need to be at your house and watch what you're doing every day. I can tell by observing your life. If you experience death, it means that you are carnally minded. If you keep the things of the Spirit, you experience life and peace. Your life bears fruit based on the seed you sow.

One might wonder:

"but I didn't pray to get sick, I didn't ask for any sickness"

You may not have done that, but you were thinking sick. You were thinking

"I'm just a man".

 

For example, you may have heard that cancer is incurable. So instead of focusing on the word of God he says

"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, said the LORD." Isaiah 54:17

you have allowed fear into your heart and allowed that fear to grow and sprout within you.

You are not an ordinary person. The Spirit of God dwells within us. His Spirit is one with our spirit and we are one third Holy Spirit. The supernatural lives within us!

So if you're thinking:

"I'm just human, what can I do?"  -  This thought will kill you.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, said he to you; but his heart is not with you." Proverbs 23:7

Your life goes according to the way you think. 

"I didn't have divorce in mind."

Maybe, but you were thinking in a way that ultimately led to divorce. If you can't figure out where the problem started, go back and think if the person you married was the one the Lord showed you, or did you just follow your own desire?

Please try to see the spirit in which I am speaking to you. I am not contemning anyone; we all make mistakes. What I'm trying to say is that God's word works and if you don't see it working in your own life, the problem is not His word:

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and stays for ever." 1Peter 1:23

God's word is incorruptible. So the problem lies in the way you  think. You constantly face health problems because you think sick. Financial problems because you think poorly. The same with relationship problems. Your thinking is wrong. To have friends you have to become friendly. I say all this not to condemn anyone, but to encourage you. .

All the kingdom of God works with seeds. Are you praying for healing? Take the seed of healing and plant it in your heart. If you let it take root and wake and sleep with your mind on it, it is impossible not to experience healing. The power of God's word cannot act in your life if you do not accept it.

"My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the middle of your heart.

For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh." Proverbs 4:20-22

Part 2 is coming soon. To be continued ...