Not Unto Us

We looked at Matt 13 last week.  I have read this chapter more than once – it’s rather famous.  It starts of with the Parable of the Sower, and then has a number of other parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.

The disciples ask Jesus, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”  This is a question I hear often.  Why doesn’t Jesus just speak plainly?  Jesus answers their honest question, and quotes from Isaiah 6.  “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.”  Isaiah says “Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”  Jesus then says “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

I used to think that the disciples were blessed because they got to see Jesus walk on earth, and were alive during the time that the Messiah came to earth.  How wonderful that would be.  But it hit me last week that we are blessed right now, to see the things we see.  Isaiah prophesied that one day people from all around the world would pray to the Lord.  Guess what?  We have a group of gentiles that get together on Thursday evenings and read the Bible and pray to the Lord.  People in our group come from all over the globe.  I don’t think it’s overreaching to say that many prophets desired to see our little Bible study in action.

Seeing gentiles worship the One True God is amazing.  Seeing God move in power and might is also wonderful.  However, there is another reason we are blessed.  As Isaiah said, there was a group of people who refused to hear or to see, because they did not want understanding.  Why would anyone want to avoid understanding?  Well, if you understand, then there must be a response of turning and being healed.  People who desire to remain in their sins do not want to be healed.  A great many choose to stay in their sins, clinging to the filth and heartache they have grown to know so well.  It breaks my heart.

We are blessed, because we have eyes that see and ears that hear.  We have understanding in our hearts and the grace for repentance.  This is only because of the righteousness of Christ.  The Lord is so sweet, that He would allow us to experience His grace.  The sweetness is that this grace is open for all us.  We can all experience His grace and have understanding in our hearts.  Lord, let the scales fall off our eyes, and let our ears be unstopped that we might see your face and hear what the Spirit is saying in this hour.

I was listening to Jonathan David Helser and a cry came up from within me, “oh that I might worship with the same kind of freedom”. So I was thinking about that, and what a good friend of mine once said, “you can’t burn in public unless you first burn in private.” I think he’s absolutely right. Jesus often went by himself to pray. So that’s what I need as well. I need to burn before my Father in private, slowing His holy love to burn away all the kindling I’ve built my life around. Then I can truly worship Him with reckless abandon.

Do you burn in private?
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Parables in Matt 13:

• Parable of the Sower
• Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
• Parable of the Mustard Seed
• Parable of the Leaven
• Parable of the Hidden Treasure
• Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
• Parable of the Dragnet

Why parables? How does this explain the Kingdom?
v11: Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

These parables seem so disparate. How can they be talking about the same kingdom? Some talk about fruit or maturity produced in someone’s life (sower), others talk about getting into heaven (wheat/tares, dragnet). Then others talk about the KoH as being something to be searched for and found (pearl, treasure in field). Then two of them are seemingly unrelated yet again: something small that produces something very large (mustard seed, leaven).

How can these all be talking about the same Kingdom? Just when I start to think I understand; maybe this is all about a small idea/concept that produces something big in our lives(covers sower, mustard seed, leaven, maybe even wheat/tares). Unfortunately, it doesn’t really cover the dragnet, the treasure and the pearl. Hmm.

So then the KoH is something hidden that needs to be sought out. That covers the pearl and the treasure. Maybe it’s a combination of different things. Some of these parables could be describing how it is attained (searching: pearl, treasure), some describe how it is perceived (small & inconsequential at first: mustard seed, leaven), and others describe the effects it has in our lives and in eternity (sower, mustard seed, leaven, wheat/tares, dragnet).

Ok, so that makes sense to me. I get the feeling I need to look into this more. This Kingdom thing is the second line in the Lord’s prayer: I need to know what I’m praying for!

The Dream
Part 1. Well-dressed lady enters house, and about 10 kids follow her. The kids come in and start stealing, taking things. Irene was amazed at the clamour, and the audacity of the children. The woman had a key, and Irene said, “Where did you get that key?” The lady said, “Oh, I have many keys.”
Part 2. Irene went to the basement, and saw men breaking into safes. She said, “You wouldn’t do this if my husband was here!” She also had the thought to tell them about Jesus. So she did, and they just sort of shrugged their shoulders and continued with their work.

The Interpretation
Part 1. The woman is the Spirit of Jezebel. She is well-dressed, and would fit right in at any church, from outward appearances anyway. She has trained these children to go into houses and steal with confidence and authority. These children have been taught and conditioned to accomplish one goal: to steal the treasures from the church.
Part 2. The men in the basement had the same mission as the children. The men were seeking to steal the treasures from the church while the authority figure was away. They were indifferent to the gospel, and were only interested in taking advantage of the opportunity afforded to them while Jesus was gone. They were not deterred from their task at hand, which is the same as the children: to steal the treasures from the church.

Application:
Both of these pictures represent usurpers. The woman Jezebel is taking advantage of children who have not been trained in the ways of the Lord, and has been spending time training them in the ways of darkness. She has usurped the church’s rightful responsibility of speaking life into children’s lives. We must be vigilant with our children, teaching them the ways of the Lord; teaching them how to approach the throne and intercede with Jesus. We must teach our kids to operate in the gifts of the Spirit with the same measure of confidence and authority that the children used in the dream. We must be undeterred from our mission, like the men in the basement. In the last days there will be scoffers; put them aside. We must be vigilant against those who would come with evil intentions while the King is away. They have a sense of urgency, because they know he’s coming back home. So must we be urgent, knowing that the days are short. We must love one another so much the more.

Be watchful and pray without ceasing. Train up your children in the way they should go, otherwise you’re handing them over to Jezebel.

I declare that I will be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. I declare that I am putting on the armor of God, to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For I understand that I do not battle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and against the spiritual wickedness in high places. I declare that I shall stand in the evil day, and having done all, I will stand.

Belt of Truth

I declare that I am girding my loins with Truth. Truth will be the foundation for my life, as I walk day by day. I will search the scriptures for Truth, letting the water of the Word wash over me, cleansing me from all unrighteousness. I will allow the Word to purify me. I will worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

Breastplate of Righteousness

I declare that I am putting on the breastplate of righteousness. I will guard my heart by walking in the righteousness of Christ. I will clothe myself in righteous deeds, motivated by love for Christ. I will walk in the Spirit, not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. I will have clean hands and a pure heart, and I will not lift up my eyes to an idol, but my eyes will be singularly fixed on Jesus Christ.

Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace

I declare that I have shod my feet with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace. I will be faithful to walk out my life where the Spirit of God leads me, proclaiming to all the good news of Christ’s resurrection. I will be ready to give my testimony as the Spirit leads me. My steps will not be warring steps, but will be peaceful steps. I will love others with a pure heart.

Shield of Faith

I declare that I am taking up the Shield of Faith. My faith will not waver in the face of adversity, nor will I allow fiery arrows of doubt to penetrate my faith. I will put confidence in my God, who is mighty to save. His arm is not shortened, that He cannot save, nor is His ear deaf that He cannot hear. My shield of faith will join up with others’ shields of faith to form a wall of faith, quenching the fiery darts of the wicked.

Helmet of Salvation

I declare that I am putting on the helmet of salvation. I will take captive every thought and submit it to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. My mind will be continually renewed, as I meditate on those things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, full of virtue and praiseworthy.

Sword of the Spirit

I declare that I will wield the Sword of the Spirit. I will learn the Word of God as a fencer learns to use a sword. I will be skillful, meditating on the Word constantly. I will sing psalms and spiritual songs, memorizing scripture. I will study to show myself approved, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I declare that today I will pray always that God would supply my needs. I will look to Him for my needs, and to no other. I declare that today I will be faithful to watch as I pray, looking at the things the Spirit would reveal to me. I will intercede for the saints I am aware of, that God would supply their needs according to His riches in glory. I declare that I will speak boldly the mystery of the gospel, no matter my circumstances or condition, as I ought to speak.

I think everyone should go read Mike Bickle’s dream on Rev 12. Go on, read it. I’ll wait.

This has hit me hard – if the leadership of a day and night continuous prayer movement is not ready for the coming trials, what about those of us just struggling to “get in the game” on a Wednesday evening? It is sobering to realize that I am not ready. I can look to my actions just today – my selfishness, my anger, my hardness of heart – and see clearly that there is quite a lot of soul and precious little spirit in my day-to-day walk.

The other thing that struck me from the dream is that Bickle says the church needs to be moving in power. I agree wholeheartedly. I am very frustrated at attending prayer meetings and seeing people walk away still suffering. Interestingly enough, I think that when I see a change in my life as described in the previous paragraph, then I’ll see a change in the prayer meetings I attend.

How glorious will it be to see the church rise up in power and authority? How glorious to see that happen today?