<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 4;10-13<div><br></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;And when he was alone, those who were about&nbsp;him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;And he said to them, “To you it has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;</b></div><div><b>12. &nbsp;so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.”</b></div><div><b>13. &nbsp; And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? &nbsp;How will you understand all the parables?</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Re-read v.10, notice that <u>others</u>&nbsp;<u>beside</u>&nbsp;the <i>“twelve”</i><b>&nbsp;</b>followed Jesus apart from the crowd. &nbsp;Jesus had gotten out of the boat, (it may have been toward evening) he led them away to a place apart from the crowd. &nbsp;They were <i>“alone” </i>with Jesus.</div><div><br></div><div>The crowd from the boat heard the parable, but not its’ explanation. &nbsp;Only those who ‘continued’ with Jesus and the disciples,&nbsp;those&nbsp;who continued to follow Him,&nbsp;got to learn the meaning, (which we will consider tomorrow). &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Christ is not to be casually visited on Sunday mornings, He, (His Word and Spirit) is the spiritual magnet of our souls, he ‘draws us after Him’. &nbsp; We are not content to simply hear, we desire not only to understand, we desire to make Him the focus and center of our lives. &nbsp;All other things are secondary. &nbsp;<i>“Seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be your as well.” &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 6;33). The Bride of Christ does not take breaks or vacations from her Husband. &nbsp;<span>She loves him above all other things.</span></div><div><br></div><div>What does it mean to continue with Jesus? &nbsp;Those who <u>followed</u>&nbsp;with the disciples&nbsp;were allowing their own lives and plans to be redirected. &nbsp;To <u>them</u>&nbsp;it was <i>“given to know the secret of the kingdom of God”</i>&nbsp;This thing called Christianity is a love story between a Husband and wife.&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>“Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, ‘If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples. &nbsp;You will know the truth </i>(Jesus) <i>and the truth shall make you free.’” </i>(John 8;31&amp;32)</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus is not just&nbsp;seeking to give us knowledge or information, He seeks to give us himself. &nbsp;To <i>“know the Truth”</i>&nbsp;is literally to know Jesus himself, like a wife knows her husband. &nbsp;The two have become One. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Those <i>“outside” </i>are like the foolish virgins whose lamps have gone out. &nbsp;The oil for our lamps is the fuel by which our light shines before men,&nbsp;it&nbsp;is&nbsp;our love for our Husband,&nbsp;(good works)&nbsp;and faith. &nbsp;Our love and faith are fueled by the Word and the Holy Spirit, given to Believers who intentionally&nbsp;follow Jesus, their lives are centered and focused upon the Word,&nbsp;not just attending&nbsp;a sermon. &nbsp;(That is what the crowds did.). The spirit of repentance is change, redirection.</div><div><br></div><div>Our Lord does not want to be a part of our lives, He desires to <u>be</u>&nbsp;our new life. &nbsp;Disciples follow after Him, they seek first his kingdom’s rule over them, they desire to be in Him, partaking of His divine nature. &nbsp;Being a Believer, is to be&nbsp;a part of the great romance&nbsp;of the universe!</div><div>There is no such thing as a casual Believer. &nbsp;We are, <i>“destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.” &nbsp;</i>(Ephesians 1;12)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;O most merciful Father, Our Lord Jesus came&nbsp;not to just give us forgiveness, but Himself.&nbsp;This is the <i>“secret of the kingdom of God”. &nbsp;</i>Deliver us from everything which seeks to displace Him as the true&nbsp;love of our lives. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div>If you have ever seen the movie, “It Could Happen to You”, you have seen a parable.</div><div>Two women, Muriel the self-centered wife,&nbsp;who does not love her husband and is lusting after the things of this world, and Evonne the bankrupt waitress who truly&nbsp;loves Charlie&nbsp;for his mercy and kindness toward her, and who gains deliverance&nbsp;and a new life with him.</div><div>Which wife to Christ are we to be?</div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 4;10-13
10.  And when he was alone, those who were about him with the twelve asked him concerning the parables.11.  And he said to them, “To you it has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables;12.  so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.”13.   And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?  How will you understand all the parables?
Re-read v.10, notice that others beside the “twelve” followed Jesus apart from the crowd.  Jesus had gotten out of the boat, (it may have been toward evening) he led them away to a place apart from the crowd.  They were “alone” with Jesus.
The crowd from the boat heard the parable, but not its’ explanation.  Only those who ‘continued’ with Jesus and the disciples, those who continued to follow Him, got to learn the meaning, (which we will consider tomorrow).  
Christ is not to be casually visited on Sunday mornings, He, (His Word and Spirit) is the spiritual magnet of our souls, he ‘draws us after Him’.   We are not content to simply hear, we desire not only to understand, we desire to make Him the focus and center of our lives.  All other things are secondary.  “Seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be your as well.”  (Matthew 6;33). The Bride of Christ does not take breaks or vacations from her Husband.  She loves him above all other things.
What does it mean to continue with Jesus?  Those who followed with the disciples were allowing their own lives and plans to be redirected.  To them it was “given to know the secret of the kingdom of God” This thing called Christianity is a love story between a Husband and wife.  “Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, ‘If you continue in my Word, you are truly my disciples.  You will know the truth (Jesus) and the truth shall make you free.’” (John 8;31&32)
Jesus is not just seeking to give us knowledge or information, He seeks to give us himself.  To “know the Truth” is literally to know Jesus himself, like a wife knows her husband.  The two have become One.  
Those “outside” are like the foolish virgins whose lamps have gone out.  The oil for our lamps is the fuel by which our light shines before men, it is our love for our Husband, (good works) and faith.  Our love and faith are fueled by the Word and the Holy Spirit, given to Believers who intentionally follow Jesus, their lives are centered and focused upon the Word, not just attending a sermon.  (That is what the crowds did.). The spirit of repentance is change, redirection.
Our Lord does not want to be a part of our lives, He desires to be our new life.  Disciples follow after Him, they seek first his kingdom’s rule over them, they desire to be in Him, partaking of His divine nature.  Being a Believer, is to be a part of the great romance of the universe!There is no such thing as a casual Believer.  We are, “destined and appointed to live for the praise of his glory.”  (Ephesians 1;12)
Prayer:  O most merciful Father, Our Lord Jesus came not to just give us forgiveness, but Himself. This is the “secret of the kingdom of God”.  Deliver us from everything which seeks to displace Him as the true love of our lives.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”
If you have ever seen the movie, “It Could Happen to You”, you have seen a parable.Two women, Muriel the self-centered wife, who does not love her husband and is lusting after the things of this world, and Evonne the bankrupt waitress who truly loves Charlie for his mercy and kindness toward her, and who gains deliverance and a new life with him.Which wife to Christ are we to be?

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