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'Word from Scotland' from Sandy Shaw Week of August 14 - 21, 2016

God Reveals So Much – All That We Need To Know

We are reading through Mark Chapter 4, having looked at why Jesus used Parables in His teaching, and if we turn to John Chapter 8 and verse 45, we learn that it is the truth that blinds, or deafens, or hardens!

Jesus will not cast His pearls before swine.

2 Thessalonians 2 verses 10 and 11 teach us that people perish because they refuse to love the truth, and so be saved. God can send a powerful delusion so that some people will believe a lie.

Believe the truth. Do not delight in wickedness.

Jesus reveals things hidden in Scripture. The parables speak of this too.

In Matthew Chapter 13 verses 34 and 35 there is a quotation from Psalm 78 verse 2.

The secret, or the mystery, of the Kingdom has been given to you.

The people of Israel never grasped the significance of Isaiah 53.

What is the point of preaching?

Why not just heal the sick and feed the hungry? Jesus answers big questions through His teaching in the parables.

We see here that the fault is not with the seed, but with the soil.

Sow good seed – scatter it – as widely as you can – and the reception of the seed will depend upon the soil!

We read of hard paths – hard hearts – and the seed cannot get in – the seed is just gone! It is snatched away before people get home.

Rocky ground – the soil is shallow and thin – there are rocks underneath – and the roots cannot get down to give a degree of permanency.

The thorny ground – these plants have roots in the soil – the tops may have been chopped off but the roots are still there. Or, they are choked by what ought not to there. Thorns, like sins, should be removed.

Think of dandelions – if we could live on dandelions life would be much easier.

This new seed does not stand a chance.

You cannot do everything. If you do this thing you cannot do that thing. If you follow Jesus, there are some things you cannot do.

The good ground makes it all worth while.

One seed may fall on good ground, and there is a return for the work. There is a harvest.

And some say that preaching has no visible effect. You cannot see anything.

A farmer has to have patience. You sow in the spring but you have just got to wait and see what happens. Men today try to speed up crops, and give certain pills to pigs to fatten them up, but normally, and naturally, one has to wait.

A farmer also gains confidence – you sow the seed – the seed is active – the word is AUTOMATIC!

A dry wrinkled seed – what can be produced from that is amazing – an array of green and colour – and the plant reproduces itself.

Sowing seed – and there may be no great effect. Ah, that is up to Almighty God – and up to the hearts of men and women.

Verse 21 - Light must be revealed.

Verse 24 - Truth must be received.

Do not just hear, but listen.

There are things hidden. Can you imagine if God had revealed that Jesus Christ would be born and raised in Nazareth, and through Mary and Joseph?

Can you imagine the size of the population of Nazareth, and how many little girls would be called Mary?

God revealed so much, but some truths were not revealed until after the event.

This should lead us to worship, as we see how God has put the Bible together.

If you have seen the significance of the Gospel, and if you have received something of these secrets and mysteries to which Jesus refers, give thanks to God.

Worship Him, even now – wherever you are. Take time to worship Him, and praise Him, and thank Him.

Author's Bio:
Alexander "Sandy" Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster! Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word. Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 9.10am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com – 3.10pm UK time. Do note new revised time.

Copyright: 'Word from Scotland' Copyright 2014 © Sandy Shaw. 'Word from Scotland' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions: 1) A proper credit must be given to the author at the end of each story, along with a link to http://www.liveasif.org/ 2) 'Word from Scotland' content may not be arranged or "mirrored" as a competitive online service.