Parables of the Kingdom

We have been studying Matthew in church and today , David was talking about parables and why Jesus used them.
 He was revealing truth to those who were believing the mysterious.
   This was evidence of God`s mercy
 Jesus was concealing truth from those who were denying the obvious
 This was evidence of God`s judgement.

What is the kingdom of Heaven?
 The redemptive rule or reign of God in Christ.
    A present reality, The King is here and His kingdom is advancing.
   A future realization, The King is coming back and His Kingdom will be complete.

He shared the parable of the sower....
  The sower is the Son of Man and the seed is the message of Salvation
  The soil is the human heart.
    The hard heart- hears the message and rejects....
    The superficial heart- hears but no root of the word
    The divided heart- cares of the world are too consuming, these things will choke out the word if we   are  not careful,. desire for money, consumption of money and things will divide the heart.

The Kingdom of Heaven is something worth losing everything for.
We joyfully let go of all things in order to passionately take hold of one thing.

Humbly and joyfully receive the message of the Kingdom
Confidently and urgently spread the message of the kingdom.

As the sermon was over, we had the privilege to listen to a lady, Sharon, who is getting ready to go to Guatemala to serve. What really touched me was her story about how she got to this point.
She heard a challenge a few years ago at church, to commit one week to go serve on the mission field. She wanted to, but didn`t think she could do that with her two jobs. After all, how could she get off for that long and how could she afford it? As she was talking to herself about why she couldn`t go, the couple next to her asked her to excuse them as they walked in front of her and down the aisle. She had to move out in the aisle to let them by and now, there she was, already taking the first step, so she continued to follow them down the aisle. As soon as she started walking, she was already wondering what in the world she was doing...

All she ever wanted as a young child was to get married and have lots of children, she said.
Fast forward a bit.... she did marry and have three children, but now, she is divorced, with three grown children and 5 grand children.

 What a privilege to be a  sower for Him. She may never know all the seeds that she will be planting for Him but it is her hope and her desire, that as she teaches those young girls, she will have the opportunity to be sharing of His love for them , so they can reach others in Him name.

"Do you trust me?" God says... Sharon answers back, "Yes, Lord, I trust You"
She is leaving all her family and will go soon to minister to this orphanage in Guatemala. Her gifts of sewing, she will be sharing and teaching the young girls. A trade, a craft, they will learn from Sharon, so they in turn, can make a living and teach others to do the same. 
She is excited to be able to be used by God and share this talent He has given her.

Can God use us where we are? Absolutely. He has equipped us all, it is up to us to figure out our gifts then be willing to share, in His timing, in His perfect will.

Have a great day,
Love,