Scripture: Matthew 13 v 3 - 9: "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
A dear friend of mine sent me a message last night to pray for someone she had led to the Lord many years ago. She had lost Jesus over the years and been through many hardships alone. My friend asked for advice in approaching her again.
The fact that the backslider wished to have a meeting told me a lot. The seed that was once sown in her heart had found a patch of good ground, and Jesus had been waiting to water it all these many years.
If we never sow seeds, even if the birds eat them, or the Sun scorches them, they will have nothing to plant, or grow or be watered. We must sow a seed into every heart we encounter. No matter how dark that heart, no matter how long it may take for light to shine into it. Without that first seed they will never have a chance.
Once we have an opportunity to sow a seed of faith, truth, hope, God's love or mercy, that may be all we can do until they knock on our door again for another portion. However, we can pray for all past seeds sown to now find that patch of fertile soil and receive that life-giving water from Heaven. Then the Lord could intervene and change a few circumstances to get their attention.
In this past week for many miles around the taps ran dry because of an excess of salt in the water. The very high tides had brought huge volumes of seawater upriver and it had got into the system before the pumps could be stopped. After the seawater was blocked by berms, and the plant water adjusted, which took five days, the water came back on.
Some areas are complaining today that the water is still too salty. Perhaps Jesus is using some salty water to create a spiritual thirst for truth and righteousness. This past week is like a parable. When there is no water, there is hardship for rich and poor alike. We have to go out and buy bottled water, washing ourselves and our clothes and dishes is a challenge. There is frustration when we turn the taps on but they give not a single drop of water we took for granted days ago.
When Jesus withholds something from us, we need to go looking for it. It may take years to find that missing ingredient but He is very patient and will add His boosters to it very quickly. In the case of dry taps the parable is that we are searching for His Living water that will restore us as citizens of Heaven.
Dear friends, do not be shy to share your testimonies of how Jesus has blessed you, as many times you may be throwing out a lifeline to a drowning soul. They may not respond immediately to your seed being sown, but they will find another seed sower soon enough and you will have done your part in the chain reaction that leads to a soul being gloriously saved.
Every person ever born has THE measure of faith. A specific measure given freely to all. Enough faith to believe that God is real and Jesus is His Son. Many times this portion of faith gets buried under contrary beliefs, philosophy, academic learning, political ideologies etc. Perhaps just the misfortunes of life produce bitterness and anger towards God.
Pray for this faith to be awakened, for everything added that silenced it to be swept away, to create an awareness of God's pure love. Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict people of sin, righteousness and judgment.
John 16 v 6 - 11: "But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."
The Holy Spirit is also called the Comforter as He cushions us from excessive grief. It is vital to be convicted of sin because until we know we are sinners who have disappointed our Father in Heaven we do not realise we need Jesus to save us.
The Lord will disclose righteous people to us and make us aware of everything about them, including a desire to live like that. It starts the beginning of a need for change in our lives.
If we ignore the above two things, we start to worry about where we will end up when we die. Everyone assumes that they are going to Heaven until the Holy Spirit shakes us with the reality of 'what have we done to deserve it?'
My mother was a troubled soul who kept her distance from me when I became born again. She didn't trust it or want it and just my presence reminded her so she stayed away. Years later I had a frantic call from my father at 1 am. Your mother is demanding to see you he blurted out. Right now I asked, thinking the worst. He started to say yes but changed it to first thing in the morning.
When I got there she was all defensive saying I shouldn't have come. I told her I am here now so what happened. She had had a dream that she had died and was ascending beautiful marble steps to Heaven. In the dream she knew she had no right to be on those steps. She woke in a panic and asked for me because she now wanted to have assurance to go up those steps.
The seed had been planted but God knew it would be a battle royal to save her but He found a way and finally through the dream of eternal judgment, she had her breakthrough. How I praised and thanked the Lord for her that day. My father took another 6 years to reach and he only had three weeks left to live before he submitted to God and was born again.
In our final conversation he said as calmly as can be, I am going to die tomorrow. I see your mother waiting for me inside the gates of Heaven. I am happy to leave, don't sorrow for me. And at 11 a.m. the next morning he was gone. God is faithful. The seed planted had germinated and fulfilled its purpose.
My father was a brilliant man, a descendant of Sir Isaac Newton. His very intelligence was blocking the simplicity of Jesus. He was a Freemason, and my mother had a husband, father and grandfather who were Freemasons, which had her living under a bunch of curses, oaths and Luciferian bondage. I was an adopted child because she could not bear a child. Perhaps God sent me as a scrap of humanity into this family to sow the seed that would save them. He always has a purpose and a plan.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for the salvation of my parents, and for every other seed that has brought forth the right fruit. Millions of people are sowing seeds daily and I pray that each one will find fertile soil and Your salvation. I pray that anyone who has never yet sown a seed will see the need and begin to do their part in bringing in the sheaves. In Jesus' name. Amen.
