Every Day with Jesus (11 page)

Notice that Luke links belief and salvation with the Word being sown in our hearts in the same way Paul described in Romans 10:14-17. If there is no Word, there cannot be any belief or salvation. (1 Pet. 1:23.) We must preach the Word—not just morality or social issues—for people to be saved.

Luke’s use of the word saved could include but is not necessarily limited to being born again. This verse could describe a person who does not receive the Word and is never saved, or it could be describing a Christian who does not receive the Word in a certain area of their life and therefore does not experience the deliverance, healing, or victory Jesus provided for them.

If you are not experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give you, perhaps you need to plant the Word in your heart, embrace it, and allow it to direct your life. Then you will begin to see the fruit of the Holy Spirit and victory come forth.

April 9: No Distractions Please

Mark 4:13-20

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

Mark 4:16

The second type of person Jesus describes in the parable of the sower is one who does receive the Word with great joy, but their commitment to the Word is shallow. The Word does not take root in their heart. Just as a plant must establish a strong root system to sustain its growth, we must become rooted and grounded in God’s Word.

A seed planted in shallow earth will germinate and grow faster than a seed planted in deep soil because it has nowhere to grow but up. However, the seed in deep soil will put all of its energy toward developing the roots first. The plant in shallow soil will look like it is far ahead of the other seed for a while, but that will not last. It soon withers and dies, while the seed with roots grows strong and brings forth fruit.

Notice that afflictions, persecutions, and tribulations are instruments of the devil used to stop God’s Word from bearing fruit in our lives. They are not good things that God brings our way to improve us. They are instruments of Satan to take our attention off of God’s Word, thereby stopping the Word from taking root in us. It’s like the runner who spends all of his time in the grandstands arguing with the hecklers over the way he’s running the race. He may win an argument, but he will lose the race.

Too much attention on visible growth will cause you to become impatient and not take the time to become firmly established in the truths of God’s Word. This will always result in fruitlessness. You must not let anything distract you from meditating on God’s Word day and night; for only then will you make your way prosperous and have good success. (Josh. 1:8.) By consistently putting God’s Word first in every area of your life, you will let that Word become so rooted in you that nothing can remove it.

April 10: Worldly Cares Are Thorns

Luke 8:5-14

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

Luke 8:14

The third type of ground Jesus taught about in the parable of the sower is characteristic of a large part of the body of Christ today. These are believers who have received God’s Word and have the commitment to remain faithful in persecution, but they become preoccupied with the affairs of this life. The Word sown in their hearts is choked and no fruit is produced. Just as weeds in a garden will steal all of the nutrients and starve the plants, so both the worries and the pleasures of this life stop the Word from bearing fruit because they have become consumed with the fears and desires of everyday life.

Throughout history the church has always grown in size and strength during persecution. This is because during persecution we get our priorities straight. We realize that our lives are in Jesus (John 14:6), not in things (Luke 12:15), and we focus all of our attention on Him. Prosperity has been far more damaging to the body of Christ for the exact reason stated here in this verse. God wants to bless His children with material wealth (Ps. 35:27; Matt. 6:33), but a preoccupation with these things will choke God’s Word and make it unfruitful.

Jesus said no fruit in this person was brought to perfection. They exhibited some fruit, but it was always small and short of what it could have been. Do you feel frustrated because you are just getting by and are not really experiencing the abundance Jesus has for you? Examine your lifestyle and look for thorns! See if worries or pleasures of this life are choking God’s Word. If you follow His formula for prosperity found in Matthew 6:19-34, seeking His kingdom first in every area of life, your heart will be good soil. The Word will bring forth fruit, and you will enjoy all the blessings God wants to give you.

April 11: The Good Heart

Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.

Jesus taught that God’s miracle-producing power flows through those who give (Luke 6:38), and there are many examples of this in the Old Testament. This story in 2 Kings is one of the greatest miracles recorded in the Bible. Every believer would love to see God’s power displayed in their lives like this! Yet miracles don’t just happen; there are reasons why some people receive them and others do not.

If it was up to God alone, all of us would experience miracles. He loves every person and extends His grace to all. The reason few people experience His miraculous power is because few cooperate with Him. Electricity doesn’t flow through wood, and miracles don’t flow through hearts and minds that are hard toward God and His people. Miracles flow through the lives of those whose hearts are fully God’s and full of His compassion for others.

This woman built an extra room on her house just for Elisha. He appreciated it and wanted to bless her back, offering her favor with the king or the top general in the land; but she didn’t accept it. This says volumes. She didn’t bless Elisha to get something from God. She didn’t give to get. The motive behind her gift was totally unselfish. She gave expecting nothing in return. There’s a lesson for all of us here.

Later when Elisha said God wanted to bless her with a son, she accepted His gift joyfully because she never doubted His love and faithfulness. She had a heart that Jesus called “good soil,” and her good heart brought forth good fruit in her life. How is your heart today? Are you doing a good job for your employer? Do you go out of your way to help a friend? Are you kind to those who don’t treat you well? God is watching, and what you give will come back to you in the miracles you need.

April 12: Shut the Door and Go in Faith!

And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.

The woman in this story had a heart after God and had blessed Elisha, so after years of being barren, God had given her a son. Then one day her young son died a tragic death. Maybe you have experienced enough tragedy that you know how she felt. What do you do in a crisis like that?

Sadly, most of us tend to nurse our hurt and problems. We indulge grief and rehearse the tragedy over and over in our minds. We don’t let go and cast our care and pain on the Lord. (1 Peter 5:7.) We become dominated by our affliction. But this mother carried her dead son to the man of God’s room and left him there. She shut the door. She put him in the hands of the One who had given him to her. That’s hard to do! But sitting there holding him wouldn’t have changed anything. She did what she had to do to continue receiving miracles from God: she trusted Him alone and went to get His prophet.

When Elisha saw her, he asked how it was with her, her husband, and her son. She replied, “It is well.” That’s awesome. She refused to let grief swallow her because she hadn’t accepted it as being final. Her faith in God gave her a different perspective on her problem. She was not in denial of the facts; she lived in the reality that God can change the facts.

Elisha came to her home and raised her boy from the dead because this woman shut the door on death and grief and released her faith in a life-giving God. Have you shut the door on your pain and problems by giving them to the Lord? Are you speaking words of faith in Him to heal and deliver? All you have to do is look into His Word to see all He has promised and wants to give you. Believe Him and trust Him. Just shut the door and go in faith.

April 13: Tares Among the Wheat

Matthew 13:24-30

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Matthew 13:25

The tares Jesus is talking about refer to the Old World variety of darnel, which is poisonous. Virtually all grains are almost indistinguishable from tares when they send up the first blade from the ground. By the time the tares become distinguishable, they are so well rooted that uprooting them would mean uprooting the productive grain next to them. Therefore, in verse thirty Jesus admonishes us to let both wheat and tares grow together until the harvest. By that time the tares are long and black in contrast to the wheat and are easily separated out.

Of course, Jesus used this as an example of how some people will say they are Christians, but as time passes you will see they have produced no godly fruit. In fact, their presence has caused nothing but strife and division. Satan secretly infiltrates the church with some of his followers for the purpose of hindering the influence of the church. This has been a more effective strategy than direct opposition.

There also will be those who are deceived and unaware that they are not born again. Jesus warns us against trying to root them out especially since it is not always possible to discern other people’s hearts. In an effort to destroy these tares, we might offend one of Christ’s “little ones” and cause their profession of faith to waver.

It is important to be aware that the children of Satan are placed among the children of God. The best strategy is to preach the Word of God without watering it down. False brethren will not endure sound doctrine. They will either be convicted and completely surrender their hearts and lives to Jesus, or they will leave.

April 14: King of Hearts

Mark 4:30-34

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

Mark 4:30

The word kingdom means “the realm over which a king rules.” When applied to God, this could refer to all creation, since “his kingdom ruleth over all” (Ps. 103:19); but God’s kingdom more often applies to His rule in and through people who are submitted to Him. “The kingdom of God” more specifically refers to Christ living and ruling in our hearts. Praying “thy kingdom come” is praying for the expansion and influence of God’s rule in the hearts of people everywhere, and ultimately the establishment of His physical kingdom here on earth at the second coming of Jesus. (Rev. 11:15; 20:4.)

Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Jews kept looking for Him to establish a political kingdom here on earth and deliver them from the oppression of the Romans. Although during the Millennium, the kingdom of God will physically rule over the nations of the earth, Jesus’ kingdom is spiritually established by His Word and not by carnal weapons. (2 Cor. 10:3-5.) Jesus said, “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation…behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20,21).

Paul said we are already in the kingdom of God. (Col. 1:13.) Therefore, the kingdom of God is Christ’s invisible church—His body. The kingdom began during His earthly ministry and is still ruling the hearts of believers today. The new birth ushers us into His kingdom, which is infinitely greater in wonder and benefits than our finite minds can comprehend.

To the degree that you understand how God’s kingdom works and apply that to your life, you will experience heaven here on earth. Today, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you all you are and have in Christ Jesus. Then pray for His kingdom in you-all that you are and have in Him-to be released into the natural realm.

April 15: God’s Hidden Treasure

Matthew 13:44-50

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Matthew 13:44

The field is the world, the man buying the treasure is God, and the treasure is you! The price He paid for you was the life of His Son. Furthermore, in foreknowledge Jesus saw you would receive Him as Lord and Savior, and “for the joy that was set before him” He endured the Cross (Heb. 12:2). He purchased you for Himself with His own blood. (Acts 20:28.) He purchased the whole world, but not everyone will receive Him. Therefore, you and His church are hidden in the world today, like an extremely valuable and exquisite treasure in the middle of a wild field.

Father God had the plan of salvation worked out before He even created the world. Most of us would not have created the world and mankind if we had known the heartache and terrible sacrifice this act would cost, but God is not a human being. In His judgment (which is always correct), the prize was worth the cost. He knew in advance who would accept His offer of salvation. The Scriptures teach that we believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. (Eph. 1:4.) That’s how infinite His understanding is. We are holy and without blame because He sees us in Christ.

God knew before He even made Adam and Eve that you would become His child. He fully accepts you and loves you. He would no more reject you than He would reject Jesus because you are accepted by the Father in Him. The world may not recognize or understand who you are, but today you can live boldly in the reality that you are redeemed and forgiven and truly blessed of your Father God.

April 16: Joint-Heirs With Christ

Matthew 12:46-50

For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 12:50

We are not just heirs; we are joint-heirs with Christ. (Rom. 8:17.) It would be wonderful to inherit any amount of God’s glory and power, but the idea that we share equally with the one who has inherited everything God is and has is beyond comprehension. This is an awesome blessing, but it also places a tremendous responsibility on us.

In the same way in which a check made out to two people cannot be cashed without the endorsement of both parties, so our joint-heirship with Jesus cannot function without our cooperation. Unaware of this, many Christians think Jesus will do everything. All they need to do is ask Him. They are acutely aware they can do nothing without Him, but they don’t realize He will do nothing without them. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” God displays His awesome power through us.

The idea that God will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think-period-is not true. He has absolute power and ultimate authority, but He also does things according to His Word. He has given us dominion on this earth (Gen. 1:26), and He works with us and through us. The exceeding greatness of His power works according to the faith we exercise in Him and His Word. It was this principle that Paul referred to when he declared, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).

The way you endorse your heavenly check for everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) is to believe what God promised in His Word and act on it as if it were true. It is! Jesus has already signed His name to every promise in the Word, and you are His joint-heir. You aren’t waiting for Him; He is waiting for you.

April 17: Peace in the Midst of the Storm

Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 3:31-35; 4:35-41; Luke 8:19-26

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 unto him, Master carest thou not that we perish?

Mark 4:37,38

Considering the boat was filled with water, it is amazing the disciples had to awaken Jesus. This was not a large ship with cabins below deck, but rather a small, open boat. Jesus was probably soaked to the bone. What this reveals is how tired He must have been to be sleeping that deeply. Medical science has discovered that the deeper we sleep, the more rest we get. This is a clue as to how Jesus could maintain His grueling pace, many times praying all night and ministering all day. He obviously received the maximum benefit from His sleep.

How could Jesus sleep so soundly in a boat filled with water? The answer is found in what He said before He got into the boat. He did not say, “Let us go out into the midst of the sea and drown in a storm.” He said, “Let us go to the other side.” He was going to the other side. This shows that the disciples still didn’t understand Jesus’ authority. They were committed to Him as their Messiah, but they hadn’t yet realized that He was Lord even over the physical elements.

Jesus had peace because He believed His Word. He rested in His Word. He also understood that the benefits of being a child of God were both spiritual and physical, encompassing every area of life. If you are in a storm today, what you say and what you believe will determine whether you cross over to the other side or sink. Know that Jesus is not asleep concerning the things you face in this life; He’s right there in your ship, resting and giving you peace to get where you need to go. His peace is yours if you will just believe His Word and rest in His love.

April 18: What Manner of Man Is He?

Mark 4:35-41

Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:26-28

When Jesus told the winds and the waves to be still, the disciples asked, “What manner of man is this?” To fully understand what manner of “man” Jesus is, we have to go back to the beginning. God created this physical world and then Adam and Eve, He gave mankind authority to rule and subdue His creation. (Gen. 1:26.) Although He still owned the universe and all that was in it, He gave control of the earth to human beings. When Adam sinned, he and many of his descendants often used this power against God’s wishes, which was to their own destruction.

God did not ordain all the terrible things that have happened throughout human history, yet He did not take back our dominion on the earth. Instead, He became a man and birthed a new race of people who were filled with His Spirit and carried out His will in the earth. After His resurrection in Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,” and then He gave His power and authority to His disciples.

Jesus became flesh to regain all power and authority in heaven and in earth for God and His righteous ones. Jesus was a “God-man.” As stated in 1 Timothy 3:16, He was God manifested in the flesh, which is a great mystery. He came in the power and authority of His Father to point men to the Father. He existed as God and was equal with God, yet He humbled Himself and became a servant while here on earth. (Phil. 2:6-8.) He did not come to promote Himself but to give Himself as the way to the Father.

This is radically different from the “great men” of secular human history. The Caesar of Jesus’ day proclaimed he was god and demanded to be worshipped. He and lesser leaders ruled by exalting themselves over the people and oppressing them to increase their own wealth and power. The disciples had never seen a man like Jesus!

You may be in a position of authority as a parent, a leader in your church or school, an employer, or a community leader. If all you lead is your dog, you are still a leader. What manner of leader are you? Today, be like Jesus. Stay humble. Listen. Seek His wisdom and understanding. You will discover that the weight of responsibility becomes light and joyful when you carry it out with Jesus.

April 19: It’s Your Turn

Mark 4:35-41

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?

Mark 4:38

This was not just a question on the disciples’ part. It was a criticism and a complaint. These disciples were fighting for their lives, and Jesus wasn’t doing a thing. It’s not like He didn’t know what was happening. This was a small open boat that was full of water. (v. 37.) Jesus had to be aware of the situation. Yet, He was doing nothing. They wanted Him to do something—bail water, row, something!