* When the Word of God becomes unfruitful

Mark 4

And HE (Jesus) began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto HIM a great multitude, so that HE entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

2 And HE taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in HIS doctrine,

3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

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Comments by Joan Boney:

We must continually keep ourselves in peace through prayer over all concerns, settling with God everything that troubles us.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

For one thing which allows the Word to become unfruitful is the following:

Mark 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. 

So we take all cares to God in prayer when the trouble surfaces.

By doing this diligently, we keep ourselves in a state of peace through prayer.

The devil brings thoughts to us to trouble us.  But we pray over that concern and God brings the antidote to the poisonous thoughts of the devil.

Recently I became concerned.  I prayed. And immediately the following scripture came to my mind.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I believed that word brought by the Holy Spirit, and instantly my mind was at peace again, resting in that word which God brought to me by HIS Spirit.

When a need surfaces in my life, God will supply that need.

God is totally faithful and totally adequate and will never fall short!

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We deepen the root system of the Word through thinking on the word and then acting in an appropriate way concerning that Word which we have heard from God.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

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Philemon v. 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

And given the opportunity, we share that good thing that God has done for us with other people.

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