Pursuit Of His Presence

Mark 4:14-20 

14 The sower sows the Word.

15 The ones along the path are those who have the Word sown [in their hearts], but when they hear, Satan comes at once and [by force] takes away the message which is sown in them.

16 And in the same way the ones sown upon stony ground are those who, when they hear the Word, at once receive and accept and welcome it with joy;

17 And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away.

18 And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word;

19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.

20 And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit–some thirty times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some [even] a hundred times as much.

 

Devotional

Destroy Those Incoming SCUD Missiles

by Gloria Copeland

“Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.” 2 Timothy 3:14
Jesus warned us that the distractions of this age, the deceitfulness of riches and the lusts of other things can creep in and choke the Word and make it fruitless (Mark 4:19). Right next to that verse in my Bible, I’ve written the letters S-C-U-D. They stand for the phrase, “Satan Continuously Uses Distractions.” He’s always sending those SCUD missiles at you to discourage you and draw you off course.
Hey, he’ll whisper, have you noticed you don’t have any money? Have you noticed your body is in pain? Have you heard all the ugly things people are saying about you?
How do you fight distractions like that? Just “continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.”
I’ll tell you the truth: It’s not the great revelation you haven’t had yet that causes you defeat. It’s failing to do what you already know. So whenever you reach a hard place, continue to do what you know and you’ll make it through in victory.
You have everything it takes to be a winner. You have everything you need to be a part of the glorious, victorious end-time army of God. Get aggressive. Press in. Lay hold of the kingdom of God with all the force you can muster. That’s the price you pay to win this race. But one thing is sure, you not only have the present victory, but also the eternal victory you gain will be worth it all.
Satan won’t ever stop in his relentless efforts to distract you. But you have the power to overcome. You have the power and the knowledge to continue to do what God has already told you to do. It’s that simple. Continuing will put you over. Don’t quit believing and acting on God’s Word. You have what it takes to destroy those incoming SCUDS!
Speak the Word
“I am not distracted, but I continue in the things which I have learned.” —2 Timothy 3:14
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