Good evening. Great is His faithfulness.
THE SEED CYCLE
Mark 4:30-32
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
Matthew 13:31-33- THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE LEAVEN
THE MUSTARD SEED and the LEAVEN represents the disciples who, according to the blessed Theophlact, began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth." These can also represent faith entering a person's soul, which causes an inward growth of virtue. This soul will than become godlike and can receive even angels.
Luke 13:18-21- Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven- A MUSTARD plant grows to a height of 10 feet in Palestine.
"As it turns out, not every parable was gloom and doom because this one is just plain awesome. It is good news for imperfect people with imperfect faith (i.e., all of us) because like the good seed that fell on fertile soil in the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:2-9), our little mustard seed of faith eventually becomes a gigantic faith tree that's strong and stable, even providing rest, comfort, and cover for others. But let's back up because before there can be a mighty tree, there's a tiny seed. And the journey from one to the other is no small thing." (THE CHOSEN 40 DAYS WITH JESUS DEVOTIONAL BOOK 3, page 118).
Luke 17:5-6
Faith and Duty
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
The mulberry tree here in scripture is symbolic of the devil's works. It is said that on the leaf of this tree that silkworms feed, and worms are an image of hell (Mk 9:42-48). This patristic interpretation is also seen by numerous scriptural images of evil being destroyed IN THE SEA (Lk 8:33; Ex 14:27; Mt 21:21; & Rev 20:10).
"Continue to ask the Lord to help you grow in faith and spiritual maturity. Ask the Lord daily for His mercy this alone is enough for your salvation, Christ is a relationship not religion, plant that mustard seed today and it will grow."
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
MOVING FORWARD-
The devotional ended with a reading from Mark 9:20-27- The father with the demon possessed son.
Mark 9:24: 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
The father's response, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" - here the father was asking our Lord for mercy when he asked help my unbelief. We can all relate to this father with the sick son sometimes we need to pray, Lord, I believe but help my unbelief, be merciful.
Numbers 6:24-26
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord [a]lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
In Christ love Jared W Campbell
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