ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 21, 2012)

Sowing Seed

Mark 4:1-20



. ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!"
(MARK 4:12)

On the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee is a little cove with amazing acoustics. Near the best fishing on the lake, the place where Jesus called most of the disciples, one can speak from a boat and be clearly heard up on the hillside. Before Jesus started talking to the huge crowd gathered, He stepped into Peter's fishing boat and pushed out into the water here to keep from being trampled on.

"He who has ears to hear, let him hear." He had just shared the parable of the scattered seed and then explained the meaning privately to the disciples. Satan would come and take away some of the seed before it took root. For some, the seed would be received with joy, yet when trouble and persecution would come, they'd quickly fall away. With others, the word would be choked out by the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and worldly desires. When the seed does grow, however, it will reproduce 30, 60, or even 100 times what was scattered. Our great Savior is still sowing seeds in His people today!
INSIGHT
LORD, MAY THE WEEDS OF LIFE NOT SUFFOCATE YOUR WORD OF LIFE IN ME, BUT MAY IT GROW FREELY AND BEAR MUCH FRUIT.

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Numbers 14-15
Psalm 68
John 9

Mark 4:1-20

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^[a]”

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word. ¹⁵ Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10

PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF
with Milton Vincent

After preaching for 10 years he realized he was striving to please God through his works. Milton had forgotten the good news that Jesus was pleasing to God on his behalf. 

ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (DECEMBER 21, 2012)

The Man Through the Roof Mark 2:1-12 'Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.'" (MATTHEW 9:2) The setting was the house of Peter's mother-in-law, a large 1st century structure one can visit today in the excavated town of Capernaum beside the shore of Galilee. The main Roman road from the Mediterranean to Damascus ran nearby. Capernaum was the city Jesus called "home" during His earthly ministry. On this particular day centuries ago, the news had spread and the crowd was thick. Knowing that Jesus had the power to heal, four men climbed up and removed the thatched winter roof to lower their paralytic friend to where the Master was teaching. Not only was the man physically healed, but also Jesus told him, "Your sins are forgiven." The teachers of the law thought He was committing blasphemy since, as they were saying to themselves, "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" They were right that only God could forgive sins, but they were wrong that Jesus did not have that authority to do so. This double healing shows us that the Son of Man is able to forgive and cancel the penalty of sin, then and now! INSIGHT REJOICE THAT YOU CAN WALK FREE FROM FEAR BECAUSE JESUS TRULY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR Numbers 12-13 Psalm 67 John 8 Mark 2:1-12 New International Version (NIV) Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man 2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO YOURSELF [PART 5] with Martin Smith God did not give us His gospel just so we could embrace it and be converted. He offers it to us every day to give us everything we need for life and godliness. Do you accept this gift everyday?