Happy New Year dear family! This weeks post is a powerful one, and one we all need to hear, as a refresher of sorts. We pray that each of are encouraged and blessed! Remember to share these messages with others! You never know when one of these words will be just what someone else needs God to minister to them! God Bless! -Your All Nations Family
Some of us haven’t had it too good; but we need to give God the glory. I think when we’ve been honored by many people. Our choir has been in many ways by the Lord. I think every child and adult needs to bow before God and be grateful for everything that He’s given. I believe we need to give Him a praise offering. We need to realize this is God’s work. I believe we need to realize that if God has honored us we need to be very reverent to Him.
I’d like to read a portion of Mark 4. A part of this chapter is about the sower. I’m going to go down to the 21st verse:
21. “And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
22. For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
23. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
25. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
26. And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27. And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30. And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31. [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:
32. But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and
shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
33. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear [it].
34. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he
expounded all things to his disciples.
35. And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36. 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.
37. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39. And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41. And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
There is so much here. Maybe you people don’t know it. Maybe you don’t see the provision of the Lord. You enjoy it; but do you really understand that it is coming from God. Do you really know that it is His provision because He loves you? I’m grieved by the attitude of some of the children; because this is Gods business and provision.
There are people here that lived on the streets with no food and God is providing for them and transforming their lives. I’m sure with a grateful heart they honor Him. We’ve ceased to realize the hand of God. He said, He that hath ears to hear. “If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Great is and great shall be the provision of God. “Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?”
What does the kingdom of God mean to you tonight? What is He saying in these parables? I often wonder how Jesus felt. I know how I feel when we fail to appreciate what God is doing.
We are living in His kingdom. We are living in the most bountiful way of God. Maybe you don’t know it? But it makes a difference to me. The mighty provision of God in everything! He has to take something out of us; He has to take the love of the world and riches and the cares of this world out of us. Let me read the 19th verse: “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 20. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive [it], and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” What God wants to do is to remove from us everything that the kingdom of darkness put within us. He has put within us this kingdom of God.
The provision that He has given is excellent. The cares of this world we leave behind. The riches of this world have no part of it. We ask Him to remove them. If we don’t get rid of them we will be very unfruitful in the kingdom of God. Maybe you don’t understand the work God wants to do in your life. Maybe you think He’s trying to deprive you of your pleasures and the riches that you enjoy. Maybe you think He’s robbing you; but you are robbing God. You are robbing God of His blessings by not letting Him remove these things from your life.
He said we are in the world but not of it. I look at Christians and I wonder how many of them believe they are not of the world. You can never tell it by looking at them. You can never tell by the way they act or what they say or what they wear. They are still conformed to this world instead of allowing God to expose it and take it from them, so that His kingdom can become a reality in them. Maybe you don’t know what His kingdom is. I think Sommer Haven is an excellent example of Gods kingdom.
Maybe you don’t have it. Maybe you better desire it and ask God to give it to you. He says the kingdom of God, how can we compare it? What shall we compare it to? The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things are entering in. What can we compare it to? It begins in a small way in our life. We accept Christ, His kingdom comes into us. It begins like a small mustard seed inside. A lot of Christians don’t know the kingdom of God is inside of them because no one has told them. Because when Jesus comes into their heart and life, He said it will enter in. Some will not enter in. Some will come to the Lord but they never come into the fullness of the kingdom or His provision. This ought not to be for us because we’re here, set aside by His purpose so that His kingdom can be perfected in us. Not so much that we can ride off to heaven with it, but that we can carry it to the nations that they may know who Jesus is. His love and provision are given to us so that we can share it.
But He went to sleep in the midst of the storm. He slept through the storm but they were frightened, they didn’t have their peace. They didn’t know who He was. They didn’t know they weren’t going to sink with Jesus in there. Sometimes we don’t know who we are. Sometimes we aren’t going to sink because Jesus lives in us. But He’s going to arise in us and He is going to come forth in us and He is going to come forth in His kingdom.
It’s a strange world we live in. It sounds like our provision comes from our self but it doesn’t; but without Him we have nothing. With Him we have all things. The Lord is saying to us tonight if we have ears hear what the Lord is saying to us, treasure His kingdom within. Cause that kingdom to come forth in you; His love, peace, joy, righteousness and holiness. Don’t feel sorry for yourself when God begins to shake you up. Don’t feel sorry for yourself when He strips you of your cares of this world or the deceitfulness of riches or the lust of everything in the world. Let it go. Let the Lord have it, then His kingdom will become real to you. We have a mighty work to do in the earth. Why are you so fearful? Why is it you have no faith. They didn’t know who was in the ship did they? They really didn’t know.
Tonight we don’t know that His kingdom is inside of us. He lives in us and because He lives in us, the provision that He gives us is mighty. And in this place we are blessed more than others. Not because we are so important, but because God is changing our lives to see that other lives are changed. I met a man today. He was telling me about a minister that has been in prison for five years. He had a work down on old highway 6. Some of you might know who he was. They collected all of his IRS stuff and took it from him. He had no proof of anything, so he ends up in prison. God is using him in the prison. His ministry is going around the world. The tracks, the writings; everyday they publish what God has given him around the world. Souls are being saved because of what he is doing in the prison. I know some would say God wouldn’t do that. God permitted it! The man’s work was good, but God wanted it to be perfect in that the Lord was doing it. In prison He can’t do much about it except to obey the Lord. So he’s obeying the Lord and the Lord is bringing in the harvest, a great harvest of souls all over the world. He’s kingdom is in us: His love, peace, joy and righteousness so that we might share it with the whole world.
The enemy would like to strip us. He would like for people to feel that God isn’t in it, but God is concerned about imparting to you this mighty work that is before us. A mighty task that He’s placed before us is that He’s sending this gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth. Time is of an essence so I don’t feel we can waste time with the wrong attitudes and things the enemy uses to confuse us. We can’t afford to allow the circumstances to hinder us, we have to arise above circumstance. Through those circumstances God changes our life. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, no pity. Don’t allow the enemy to rob you of the inheritance that is yours in the kingdom of God that is within you. It’s His kingdom in us. It’s His work in us that’s going to bring forth the fruit unto perfection. When that fruit is brought into perfection, the fruit of the whole earth shall be plenteous because we aren’t the vine, we are the branches. It’s His branch we are and He is the vine. The fruit is His fruit and we need to understand that we can’t bear good fruit unless we abide in Him. We can’t bring the fruit into perfection. Thank God for what He’s doing in our lives.
We give Him glory and praise for the bountiful provision that comes in here. I want to give Him glory for everything He brings into this place. God’s beautiful, wonderful provision! We need to give Him glory. There aren’t enough words in the English words to praise Him.
“What manner of man is this?” Then we hesitate when all He wants to do is take out of us this world and the deceitfulness of this world; the lust of all of the things of this world. What manner of man is Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We live His kingdom. His kingdom is within us.
Father we are so grateful. Jesus we are so thankful. God remove the cares of this world out of our lives. Remove the deceitfulness of riches; remove these things that are important to us that we are doing it. Let us step out of the way. And let us give you the praise and privilege that we might know what manner of man you are.
What does Jesus offer unto us and how do we receive it. Lord Jesus I thank you that you said if we confess our sins, you cleanse us from all unrighteousness and know that your kingdom is within us that the world might know what manner of man you are. We thank you for this word and the provision that you give and this food. The children in the school will have a great appreciate and heart that comes from God and not from man. Remove from this place what the enemy is trying to put on us. Let us know it is the Lord that has provided out of the gutter. Cause us to arise with a grateful heart. Thank you for the awesomeness of your ways; oh wonderful Jesus. Put your love within us that nothing should hinder us. Jesus we worship you. Remove all the powers of Satan. Let us arise and give you the glory. Break down the walls of ingratitude and the things the enemy has planted that need to be ripped out and destroyed. We thank you for the fruit that is going to bring forth perfection. We magnify and give you glory. Let us worship you because you have given us your kingdom. Shake us Lord. Put a stirring inside of us. We give you glory Jesus. Give us those ears to hear. We give you glory. Amen.
October 4, 1996
