Friday, May 10, 2024
Like a Mustard Seed
The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one. (Psalm 2:2 NLT)
Our numbers have never been greater in the church today. So-called megachurches dot the landscape across the United States and around the world. It’s an amazing thing when we stop and consider the fact that our faith had such humble beginnings.
When Jesus Christ was born, who at the time would have thought this little baby would change the world—and world history—from that point forward? During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the Romans didn’t seem to pay a lot of attention to Him or His claims. They tolerated Judaism as long as the Jews conformed to Roman law.
In their minds, Jesus got into trouble with His own religious leaders. Pontius Pilate tried to keep his distance but ultimately got pulled into it. He symbolically washed his hands, essentially saying, “This is not on me. It’s on you.” Then he sent Christ to be crucified, thinking it was the end of the matter.
Then the message began circulating that Jesus had risen from the dead. The Romans tried to suppress it, but the Christians only became bolder. And ultimately, the Romans tried to completely wipe out Christianity.
Secular historians agree that from the wicked Caesar Nero to Diocletian, there were ten major attempts to wipe out Christianity. But they didn’t stop Christianity, because the church marches on. As Jesus said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT).
And the good news is that God will be at work, bringing people into His kingdom, until His return to this earth. The bad news is that Satan also will be at work, seeking to undermine people’s faith.
Writing to Timothy about the last days, the apostle Paul said, “But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13 NLT). In the end times, there will be imposters—hypocrites in the truest use of the word. And God has told us to be aware of this.
One of the ways the devil seeks to undermine our faith is through infiltration. In what we call the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches” (Matthew 13:31-32 NLT).
Notice that Jesus said the kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed. What we need to know is that mustard seeds don’t grow into trees; they grow into bushes or shrubs. So, Jesus was saying this was unnatural growth. He was saying the kingdom of God is like something small that grows into something unusually big.
We’re not going to have a perfect, end-times utopia where everyone believes in Jesus. Nor will we have complete anarchy where no one believes in Jesus. Until the Lord’s return, we will see the good and the bad, the godly and the ungodly, together. But God ultimately will have the victory.
Copyright © 2024 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
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If you are Christian, then you are born again. And if you are not born again, then you are not a Christian.
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The most important thing of all is what will happen to us beyond the grave. But if we wait until then to decide, it will be too late.
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He is pulling for you right now. Just as Jesus stood up for Simon, He is standing up for you.
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March 202403/30/2024
God is with us, whether we know it or not. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, He becomes a part of your life and promises that He never will leave you or forsake you.
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That is why Jesus went through all that anguish. He did it for all those who would come to faith in the world. We were the joy set before Him.
03/22/2024
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Prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind. In many cases, prayer is about changing our minds.
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We should reflect our heavenly Father, who is truth. And if we are reflecting Him, it should be evident in what we say and in the way that we live.
03/08/2024
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He wants us to be involved in what He is doing, not just as observers but as laborers in the work that He has called us to do.
03/02/2024
There needs to be a balance between our beliefs and our practice, between our doctrine and the way that we live. We need both areas working together. That is what it means to walk worthy of the Lord.
03/01/2024
February 202402/29/2024
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02/27/2024
02/26/2024
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Maybe you’re facing a setback today. Maybe there’s a crisis going on in your life. Remember, you are a work in progress. You are under construction.
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02/21/2024
02/20/2024
02/19/2024
02/17/2024
We can be in a perfect environment or a horrible environment and still sin. It is just our nature. Yet God shows us what we can become by His grace.
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02/14/2024
02/13/2024
02/12/2024
02/10/2024
I believe that God has predestined every person to be saved. God wants us to be saved. He wants us to be forgiven. But the Bible also teaches that God gave us free will.
02/09/2024
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02/07/2024
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02/05/2024
02/03/2024
God will be with us, no matter what we face in life. That is a great assurance. That is where we find our contentment.
02/02/2024
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January 202401/31/2024
01/30/2024
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01/27/2024
But even when we mess up, even when we have failed, God gives second chances. Do you need a second chance? Do you want to get up and try again?
01/26/2024
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01/24/2024
01/23/2024
01/22/2024
01/20/2024
It was David’s faithfulness in the little things that led to the big things. He was faithful with whatever God set before him. Are you being faithful with what God has set before you today?
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01/16/2024
01/15/2024
01/13/2024
What God really wants from us is obedience. He’s interested in what is going on in our hearts. We can be worshipping outwardly but sinning inwardly. But with God, the heart is everything.
01/12/2024
01/11/2024
Sooner or later, our sins will find us out. It may not happen today or a week from now. It may not even happen a month or a year from now. But the Bible teaches that ultimately, we will reap what we sow.
01/10/2024
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Then I look at my life. I followed Christ. When they were out doing all their stuff, I was going to Bible studies, praying, and growing in the Lord. And what I gave up is so small in comparison to what I received in return. Life goes by so quickly.
01/05/2024
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December 202312/30/2023
12/29/2023
12/28/2023
12/27/2023
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12/25/2023
12/23/2023
12/22/2023
12/21/2023
The same is true this Christmas. Because of the Father’s love, whoever takes the Son gets it all. God demonstrated His love by giving us the most important gift of all: the gift of His Son.
12/20/2023
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12/16/2023
12/15/2023
12/14/2023
12/13/2023
We must recognize that nothing this world has to offer us will fill the void in our lives that was created to be filled by God Himself. No experience, no possession, and no accomplishment will fill it. Not even religion or morality will fill it.
12/12/2023
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, how inappropriate it would be for us to come to Him empty-handed. But what do we give to God? What does God want from us? What He wants is us.
12/11/2023
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God is saying, “Submit yourself to Me, and I will tell you. First, give yourself over to Me.” Mary did that. She submitted her will to God. Have you surrendered your heart to Jesus Christ?
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November 202311/30/2023
Maybe you think the way to reach your nonbelieving friends is to do what they do and simply blend in. You conclude that in doing so, you will win them over and they will come to Christ. The reality is that no one has ever been won to Christ that way.
11/29/2023
11/28/2023
11/27/2023
11/25/2023
God can use people in our lives, but we must never let people take the place of God in our lives.
11/24/2023
Little things lead to big things. That’s why we can’t make deals with the devil. We can’t negotiate with Satan. There can be no compromise.
11/23/2023
11/22/2023
11/21/2023
11/20/2023
11/18/2023
This is typical of some people today who call out to God in desperation. They find themselves in a mess they created, so they cry out to God for help. But when He graciously condescends and helps them, they essentially say, “Thanks, God! See You next crisis!”
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Would your lifestyle reach anyone? People are watching you. Are you being a positive witness for Jesus Christ?
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Reject conformity to this world’s system and its self-indulgent ways, and instead be conformed to the image of Jesus.
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October 202310/31/2023
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10/27/2023
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If God is number one in our lives, then everything else will find its proper balance. But if He is not, then everything else will fall into chaos.
10/24/2023
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Death is the great separator. But Jesus Christ is the great reconciler.
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10/16/2023
10/14/2023
Sometimes, the reason God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want Him to is because He wants to do more than we’ve asked for. And when we get to the end of ourselves, we get to the beginning of God.
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10/09/2023
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Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. Because Jesus has forgiven us and justified us, we can be certain that we won’t stand at the Great White Throne Judgment, the final judgment for nonbelievers.
10/06/2023
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The Bible tells us that in the last days, Satan will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them.
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September 202309/30/2023
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As Christians, we should talk about life after death and Heaven and Hell because the Bible does. And if we really believe there is an afterlife and a final judgment, if we really believe that we will be held accountable for things that we say and do, then it will affect the way we live.
09/27/2023
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09/25/2023
09/23/2023
There is something wrong in our lives when we need an image or an icon to worship God. We must understand that God forbids this.
09/22/2023
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09/20/2023
09/19/2023
09/18/2023
09/16/2023
We cannot say something is true because we experienced it. Rather, we should say we know something is true because we find it in Scripture, which verifies our experience.
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The word blasphemy speaks of a conscious denouncing and rejection of God. It is a defiant irreverence, a uniquely terrible sin of intentionally and openly speaking evil against God.
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Maybe the problem in our society is not that we fail to love ourselves but that we love ourselves too much. We already do love ourselves. That’s obvious. It’s an established fact. Therefore, the Bible is telling us to love our neighbors in the same way that we love ourselves.
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August 202308/31/2023
Light not only exposes what the darkness hides, but light also shows the way out. And in the same way, the light that shines from us not only shows people their shortcomings and their sins, but it also shows them the way out.
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08/23/2023
Why do some Christians succeed spiritually when others fail? It’s because of the choices they make. Some don’t want to go forward spiritually, so they don’t. Others do want to go forward spiritually, so they do.
08/22/2023
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08/18/2023
08/17/2023
If we want to impact our world as the first-century believers did, then we have to get back to the principles they applied.
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08/15/2023
08/14/2023
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08/11/2023
08/10/2023
You don’t have to be controlled or crippled by your past. You can become a new person in Jesus Christ.
08/09/2023
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08/07/2023
08/05/2023
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The Holy Spirit also will lead us, empower us, and fill us each day as we seek to live the Christian life.
08/03/2023
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08/01/2023
Former cold-case detective Jim Wallace recounts the real-life details of some of his most extraordinary cases, gleaning insights about human behavior and biblical truth. See what investigating death teaches us about the meaning of life in this unique page-turner. A copy will be sent to you for a gift of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
