The four places. Luke 8: 11 – 15.
The four places
It is disheartened that only one out of the four of the multitudes of people attending churches and religious gatherings today just like in the time of old are a genuine seeker with honest and sincere heart to remain faithful and stand strong in the word of God without wavering in unbelief by one thing or the other in the kingdom.
This was Christ own word in the parable of the seed and sower as he that searches the heart and sees right deep into our spirit (driving or motivation force) to reveals what our thoughts are made us realized that not everyone going in and coming out among us, eating and drinking, singing and praying together in the church are genuine worshippers. It is dangerous to be carried away with the crowd instead of you to focus on Christ and constantly examining yourself if you are in the faith. Let us walk daily in the spirit of discernment, lest we become a sensual– bewitched Christian and a prey fallen into the hands of false brethren and false church leaders. But by careful observation of their fruits align with the gospel of Christ; we can seek and strive for unity of the body in the bond of peace for the continuation of brotherly love –spiritual man judges all things. 1 Corinthians 2:15.
During the time of his days in the flesh, multitudes followed and sought after Christ for diver problems with different intentions. A guy was interested in the Lord’s personality and public admiration and these two factors inspired him to follow Christ, not as Lord and Saviour, but as somebody who can be trusted as a barrister or judge to help divide his father’s inheritance properly without confrontation, but equally among his brethren. Luke 12:13. Some went after Christ for material support previously enjoyed and sought more miraculous supply and provision of bread and other gains. ‘Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed’. John6:26-27.
Others went after Christ for healings and relief from demonic oppression and other spiritual problems as seen from the case of the ten lepers cleansed, but only one person went back to show appreciation and give thanks to the Lord.
Of what good is it when we received physical healing from Christ but continue to live a sickeningly spiritual life? What a great disappointment could that be it in the mind of Christ, when it seems we have played and used him as a means to our end? What a loose game are we playing if we benefits from Christ and our life is not benefited to his cause, kingdom and glory? The scriptures testified to this when Christ upbraided the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, though most of his mighty works of healing and deliverance were done in them; yet, they refused to repent and change. Though they have witnessed and experienced the kingdom power and the blessings of the gospel; yet, they still went back from following the Lord as soon as they got healed and delivered. It is possible to be healed by the Lord’s Spirit and still be sent to hell by Christ the healer. There are vessels of honour and vessels of dishonour. Except we sanctify ourselves, the Lord may use anyone to minister salvation, healing and deliverance to others in his name but will refuse to acknowledge and accepts such as one of his own for holding the truth but walking in hypocrisy, ungodliness and sinfulness, condemn them as workers of iniquity to eternal damnation (hell fire). ‘Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of Judgment, than for thee. Matthew11:20-24. If any man falls into the first three category of the parable of the four places, they will have problem to maintain their healing, deliverance; but stand in great danger to lose the greatest blessing, the gift of eternal life.
The summary of the seed in four places as spoken by the Lord.
First, we have the account of the side way believer. This is a wasted seed, not because the sower enjoys wasting his precious seed, but because of the nature of the terrain (heart) it fell into when he was scattering the seeds. These are the group of people in the church with no purpose of heart to serve and hold on tightly to the Lord. Though they are in the church but they are not for the church and are always contradicting the church and contend to make the church politically correct. They shall never mind neither speaks the same things with the brethren, because they are false brethren. They are the conscious or unconscious agents of Satan in the church – the tares among the wheat. They always contradict the preaching of the pastor and wrestle the scriptures to their destruction because the word of God is not in them.2 Peter 3:16
As long as they are going to the church but are deprived by the enemy to profit from the seed of life, they serve as his instruments of destruction and obstruction against the work, word and the church of God. Evil resides and accompany such so called believers wherever they go –even in the church. Satan opposes them to make any profitable use of the word spoken or preached to them as he instantly snatch up the word from their hearts the very moment it was spoken, not giving them any chance to think nor to meditate about it, lest they should believe it, repent from their sins and be converted and saved. Luke chapter8verses11-12.
They have no disposition for the truth but adamantly (hardened heart) and constantly (the influence of demons in them) resist the undiluted word or twist it to satisfy their lusts. What is easily perceived and well understood to all is darkened to their understanding, and you wonder what kind of person they are! They are evil, and are such that contends against the word of God after the church service on their way back home, or give you a phone call to argue and give a wrong and carnal opinion against the word preached by the pastor.They are in the church but never desire to change to a new creature in Christ Jesus. As long as the strongholds in them are not pulled down and their demons are not seriously dealt with by the spirit and fire of deliverance, they will remain the same and die in their sins. The church gathering and services is a normal religious routine and activities for them to satisfy their conscience and to show people that they are religious without actual peace with God obtained through the blood of Jesus. If the church workers and choristers are not well scrutinised before admission, they can be among the choristers and workers in the church, but they are going nowhere as far as heaven is concerned. They are to be avoided because they are those that cause offenses contrary to the doctrine which is after godliness– a stumbling block, ever learning, never able to come to the knowledge of truth. If a renown saint sinned and fell, they rejoice greatly at the fall and hasten to propagate it far and wide to comfort and encourage themselves in their sins and un-​changing lifestyles. They work to scatter the church and seek to buttress their point of indifference to the word, to confirm their popular saying that we are all sinners and no one is perfect or a saint.
They are the children of the wicked one in the church, children of darkness, seeking to overcome the light. They are the sons and daughters of Satan which shall never be wanting in the churches as long as the church exists on earth to serve as the tares among the wheat.They are in the church to antagonize the pastor, church leadership and church administration.They can be found at times in the board of the deacons, just as Judas was chosen by the Lord for a lesson and purpose. They are not in the church to lift up the weak hands, neither to strengthen the feeble knees, but they have been assigned by the enemy to amputate the weak hands and the feeble knees and to victimize the fearful heart. Isaiah 35:3-4. You wonder why they speak the way they do after you’ve been so long in the church together with them and what explanation can be given to their action after so many years! It is because there is no word of God in them. They are in the church not to heal but to kill the sick and to suffocate the living. They are not doing the good works, but are also at fight to stop those that are doing the good (3John9-11.) works for necessary purpose. When they have accomplished the will of Satan in one church as stumbling stone, they may likely relocate to another church where they are unknown to start afresh.
They know the community of the churches and pastors in the neighbourhood more than the brethren and the pastors of those communities have cognizance of one another.
They are in the church to draw the unstable brethren or new converts away away from receiving the hard sayings of the kingdom and to influence them to look for teachers after their own lusts for their itching ears. John 6:60.
They are in the land of peace (church) to weary and discourage others from following the Lord as they are the cause of confusion, division and heresies among the brethren and in the church.1Corinthians11:19. Jeremiah12:5.
They murmur to resist the preaching of the undiluted word of God and seek to bring the church leadership into disrespect, trying to bring the church into the world system and standard and sought to influence the pastor to build with the wood, hay, and stubble. All that they stand for is to fulfil the lusts of Satan to influence the church leadership to compromise the godly standard of the scripture to benefit the present century of the evil world.1Corinthians 3:12. They are the generations of Ananias and Sapphire whose heart was deceived and filled by Satan to lie before the leadership of the church and to manipulate the entire congregation for the praises and admiration of men, for whatever advantage or popularity among the brethren. Acts6:1-10. John 8:44.
Don’t be ever deceived by appearances and false humility in the brethren but listen to the voice of the spirit within you to know them for who they are.They could be found in all the churches of the living God and it’s unlikely that there is a true church where they do not exist except you are not walking with discernment of the spirit or care none for those things. They are not born again, but have chosen to stay, live and walk in the company of those that are born again. The Lord warns us to differentiate the effect of thorns and thistles on the flesh from the fruit of grape and fig tree through the lifestyles, works and purposes of the way side seed (believers) in the church. The enemy will take the bread of life away from us as soon we are served, if we don’t show appetite and appreciation for the word of life. We are not blessed if we are not hungry and thirsty after righteousness. If we are lack spiritual appetite, we can pray for stomach to digest the spiritual food and can effectively pray that the Spirit of God should open our eyes to behold wondrous things from the scriptures, if otherwise we stand the risk to remain as a wayside believer.
The second seed is the rocky believer (seed that fell on the rock) portraying the character of an emotional hearers and worshippers.
These are they that are not well informed of the reality of the kingdom of God before they entered. They are ignorant and unprepared for the fiery trials and diver temptations which shall befall them in the days of adversity, having no understanding that through many tribulations all believers shall be ushered in into the kingdom of heaven. They are ill informed that the serpent is at war with different devices against the remnant of the seed of the woman which keep the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ of which they are part of. Luke8:13. Acts14:22.1Peter4:12. James1:2-4.
They constantly questions and condemns God for every bad and negative happenings in their lives because they don’t believe in the wisdom of divine providences that all things shall work out together for good to them that love God. They refused to endure hardness as a good soldier of Christ and when life fall short of their expectations in difficulties, negative circumstances and strange happenings to try their faith, despite their past short lived faithful commitments to Lord, engagements for Lord, and zealousness and fervency they have shown in the spirit, they become spiritually and physically exhausted and fall away. 2 Timothy 2:3.
They think they don’t deserves what their experiences are and what they are going through, and are not having a fair share of life from God, so they fall away in the time of trouble.
They will accuse God of in-​justice and un-​fairness in his dealings with them. They will untimely conclude to ‘stay put’ of God and desire no more of the knowledge of his way, thus they failed in the days of adversity to shipwreck their faith. Proverbs 24:10. They will not always pray when things are not going smoothly. They will not give thanks in everything when things are not automatic or speedy up as they think is should be. They will not rejoice evermore when life is not smiling on them. These types of believers do not rejoice in hope, except on what they can see, feel and touch. God is not good and has forgotten them when their experiences are bitter, but he is good when things are sweet. IThessalonians 5:16-18. They murmured and are ungrateful for the salvation, freedom, peace, joy and fruit of righteousness they received and are enjoying in the Lord. They will prefer to go back to the world of lust and sin and to remain in darkness under the hard bondage and oppression of the enemy than to be partakers of Christ suffering, so that when his glory shall be revealed, they might be glorified together with him. 1 Peter 4:12 – 18. Like the Israelis suggested going back to Egypt when they could not found silver spoon in the wilderness: these also, contrary to their fantasy expectations of the kingdom decides to go back to the world because they are not yet crucified to the world; and they the world is not yet crucified to them. Galatians 6:14. They are the easy going believers who are not ready to endure the contradiction of sinners, but will soon become weary and faint in their minds; offended in Christ in their tribulation and will directly curse God and prefer to die than to submit to the Father of spirits in his dealings and chastening to remould and remake them to live according to his purpose. There are hard and difficult times experiences in the kingdom walk and life. Such times when the heavens above us are shut up and are in season of spiritual drought: and yet, the well of the living water is in us, springing up to eternal life. Such times that the cloud above us is darkened and the presence of God is not felt; but still the Lord is always there. We shall look for him at the right hand, but shall not find him; and at the left, he will not be found; and still, he fills the heavens and earth and lives in us.
This is the time to call as the fellowship of his suffering and the time to experience the power of his resurrection that dwells in us to keep us through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.Numbers14:1-4. Matthew 10:39.
The third seed is the thorny believer (the seed seed among thorns) portraying the character of a carnal minded, money conscious and worldly minded worshippers who has allowed the deceitfulness of sin, the pleasure of it and lusts of other things to overcome him. They love the physical and materials more than the spiritual. They admired the things seen above that which cannot be seen. They cherished money or mammon above God. They will give up the spiritual for the natural, exchange the sacred for the price of a dog or hire of the whore (thou shall not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abominations unto the Lord thy God. Deuteronomy 23:18) and won’t mind to steal, receive bribes, oppress the poor, widows and orphans, deprive the hireling of his wages, embezzle, murder, money ritual, lies and prostitutes or do anything unrighteous and ungodly to get rich and to bring the tithes of it to appease God. Luke 8:14.
They love money and Christ and will not serve the Lord without money; but will consciously and forcefully serve God and mammon altogether. To them, enduring trying circumstances with temper and waiting on God’s timing is a strange idea and they fret to solve their financial problem by any price, and are not afraid to fall into any temptation and snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition because of their love for riches and wealth. Luke 16:13.
The devil directly approached Christ and he demanded of him to bow down and worship him for the glory of this world. But the thorny believer shall by themselves labour to seek Satan’s location and attention to worship him and to make a deal with him for the glory of this world in exchange for their soul. They will do anything to facilitate the constant flow of financial and material provisions from the prince of darkness whom they will prefer to serve and to worship in exchange for those things which are needful to satisfy the lusts of their flesh and the lusts of their eyes in their pride of life. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew4:8-10.
These are the Balaam’s in our churches today that seek for enchantment and divination or any other diabolic means to promote their ministries and their gospel according to prosperity, supposing that gain is godliness; men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, from such withdraw yourself. Numbers 22:7:24:1. 1Timothy 6:3 – 10.
These are the Simeon the sorcerers in our churches today which would not mind to purchase the power of the Holy-​Spirit from any willing Peter to make as much profit and financial gain as possible in their doctrine of the transfer of the wealth of the Gentiles, and possessing the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places in an ungodly means. Acts8:18-19. Isaiah45:3.
Not like Apostle Paul, if they are ministers of the gospel, they shall be willing to abuse their power in the gospel by taking from those who do not have enough under false pretences, than to preach the gospel of Christ without charge.1Corinthians9:18.
They are the Judas in our churches, stealing and diverting the church funds for their own personal gain and use. They are the pastors and the leaders disappearing into the unknown or dividing the church for filthy lucre sake. To them, if you are not gaining financially, you are not on the winning side. They prioritised material and financial riches and gains above the pursuits of righteousness, godliness with contentment for the prosperity of fools; though it will destroy them. They speak flattery and non-​offensive and evasive gospel to make everyone comfortable and happy for filthy lucre gain, but those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. Matthew6:33.Proverbs 1:32. 2 Peter 2:3.
This are the generations of Demas that served in the ministry for a while with Apostle Paul, but later departed and abandoned the true gospel of his Christ for the love and gains of the world.2Timothy4:10.
The fourth is the good heart seed (self denial and yoke bearer believer) portraying the character of a good, honest and prepared heart, willing to risk and sacrifice all to gain Christ and to be found in him. Such are not afraid neither are they ashamed to live practically for Christ and to magnify the Lord, whether it is by life, or death. They are such that are bringing forth their fruits in patience unto eternal life, such men and women that are yielding themselves as God is working both to will and do in them according to his good pleasure. In their walk and growth in the spirit, they had known how to abased, and how to abound; they have been instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. They have learned, in whatsoever state they are, therein to be content to do all things through Christ that strengthens them. Philippians1:20-21: 4:10 – 13. Luke8:15.
Their priority is fixed and their goal is single, Christ and heaven or nothing as they keep waiting, until God will supply for all their need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.Without reservation and in godly reverence,the good soil (honest heart) believerrejoices with a great pleasure for his new identity with Christ. He sees his union with the Lord as the greatest asset that the Lord is his portion in the land of the living. Christ has become his pearl of great price and he’s willing to sell and loose anything to have and keep that special precious pearl. His motive is genuine and his pursuits are right and sincere, seeking righteousness, humility, temperance, godliness and true holiness to worship Jehovah in Spirit and in truth. ‘I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalms 16:8. He is a man with the singleness of heart, whose soul seemingly without interruption yearn for deeper things of God and aims to climb higher to the mountain of the Lord as he consecrate to seek him more and more, following the Lord where ever he leads under whatever circumstances, walking uprightly and standing firm to the end to be found in Christ and to die in him. His heart is fixed and his spirit is steadfast and nothing shall separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. His songs and prayer shall be: ‘more love to thee O Christ; more love to thee, hear thou the prayer I make; on bended knee. This is my earnest plea, more love O Christ to thee, more love to thee; more love to thee. Let sorrow do its work, come grief and pain; sweet are your messengers, sweet their refrain, when they can sing with me, more love O Christ to thee; more love to thee; more love to thee’. He has made up his mind and will not change to keep the testimonies of the Lord to the end. He has surrendered and abandoned himself to the Lord to serve, grow and increasing in his love in the Spirit. He is hardy, staunch and not breakable by the devil’s assaults, oppositions and hardship. He will despise shame and laughs at whatever the enemy may brings to his way to distract or obstruct him because he knows that as Christ lives, he shall also live. He is never satisfy of Christ, but ceases not to longs for more of the fullness which he knows cannot be attained here until he get to heaven when we shall see the King in his beauty as he is and finally be like him. His pleas are, because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. My soul follows hard after thee: thy right hand upholds me. Psalms63:7–8. John14:19. He is of the Lord’s sheepfold and one of the sheep of his pasture. They are the elects of which the Lord boldly declares, ‘I give unto them eternal life; and they shall not perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hands. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand– the seed on good soil. John 10:28.