Winter 1993

The Mustard Seed
Wade E Taylor

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow" Matt 13:3b.

To those who have an "inner" ear to hear, the 13th chapter of Matthew reveals the foundation principles of the operation of the Kingdom of God.

"When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom" Matt 13:19a.

Our participation in the Kingdom of God begins with our submission to the rule of the Throne of God over our lives and all that pertains to us.

"For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost" Rom 14:17.

"For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in
power" I Cor 4:20.

"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!
for, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you"
Luke 17:21.

For the natural man, the "throne" that controls his life-experience is a "self-centeredness" which caters to his physical desires, needs, and emotions.

For the one who has been born from above, the "self life" that sits on this throne must be crucified and committed to the grave. All control of his life-experience is to be transferred to the higher "Throne" and placed under "the governmental rule of the Kingdom of God.

To the extent that this transfer has taken place (good ground), the fruit of the Kingdom - Righteousness, Peace, and Joy - will be evident. Where there is any amount of mixture - wayside, stony places, thorns - the results are partial, and the effectual working of the power of the Kingdom is hindered and limited.

"And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way
side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had
not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up,
because they had no deepness of earth: And when
the sun was up they were scorched; and because
they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns
sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought
forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold,
some thirtyfold" Matt 13:4-8

The "seed" that our Heavenly Father sows is "The Word of the Kingdom" (Matt13:19).

It is important to notice that it is impossible for this Seed of the Kingdom(our total submission to His governmental rule) to mature when it is sown in the wayside, stony places, or among thorns (a life where there is mixture). Any initial acceptance of the Kingdom will be either devoured, withered away, or choked.

This seed will only germinate and grow in "good ground."

Within this seed is all that is required for our participation with Him in His coming Kingdom rule. The "soil" into which it is sown is our commitment and submission to Him as our Lord. Thus, it is extremely important that we maintain and increase the quality of our spiritual life, that the potential within this seed may fully develop and mature.

In Matthew 13:31, we are told that this seed of the Kingdom is as a "grain of mustard seed," which is the least of all seeds. Here, the Lord is telling us that it is not the "amount" of spiritual capacity we have, but rather, it is how we value and apply the capacity we have.

Also, this "grain of mustard seed" tells us that the Lord begins with the minute spiritual potential that is within us and seeks to develop this, rather than placing any emphasis on our natural abilities.

"And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of
the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and
in deeds ... and seeing one of them suffer
wrong, he defended him, and ... smote the
Egyptian ... for he supposed his brethren
would have understood how that God by his
hand would deliver them: but they understood
not ... then fled Moses," Acts 7:22,24,25,29a.

Moses was highly trained in the ways of the world of his day. When he attempted to use this ability, he utterly failed and fled into the wilderness where, unknown to him, the Lord had prepared the circumstances which would be used to bring him to the end of his natural ability. Then the Lord waited for Moses to arrive.

In Egypt, Moses had much to say, but in the wilderness there was no one to hear his "learned" sayings. Gradually, Moses wore down and wore out. Finally, he turned aside to a "bush that burned with fire, but was not consumed" (Exodus3:2). Here, the eternal "I AM" spoke into his being the "seed" that would develop until he was fully qualified to bring all of Israel out from Egyptian bondage and oppression.

Each of us are uniquely called to function in a particular place for a particular purpose. Before the Lord can equip us in His ways, we must be brought to the end of our own ways. Therefore, there is a "divine arrangement" (wilderness) prepared for each of us - and the Lord is there, waiting for us to arrive.

The outworking of this may take much time. In the case of Moses, it took 40years. We do not have that much time, thus it is important that we learn from the mistakes of others, and quickly submit ourselves to the Lord, and to His Kingdom rule.

"But now hath God set the members every one of them
in the body, as it hath pleased Him" I Cor 12:18.

Once we are fully committed, the Lord can plant us in the type of "soil"(wilderness) that is needed to develop the seed He has sown within us. Left to ourselves, we would seek an easier place or way, and as a result, the potential within us would come short of its full development.

Each one of us is presently in one of two situations. Either we have been firmly planted by the Lord in the soil of our present circumstances, or, the Lord is seeking to lead us to the place (soil) of His choosing. He is well able, (if necessary - as in the case of Moses) to make an arrangement from which we will flee into the center of His will (wilderness) for the necessary time of preparation.

"For it under his direction that the whole body
is perfectly adjusted and united by every joint
that furnishes it supplies; and by the proper
functioning of each particular part, there is
brought about the growing of the body for its
building up in love" Eph 4:16 Williams Trans.

Our lives are affected by others. Church members especially have a way of perfecting each other. It is important that each one of us abide where the Lord has "sown" us - in the midst of those whom He has appointed to "reduce us."

After 40 years, Moses came to the place where he recognized that his own ways were not adequate. Thus he said, "I am not eloquent ... but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue" Exodus 4:10. It was not that he was unable to speak, but he recognized that when He had much to say, he accomplished little. In fact, it brought trouble and he fled. Now Moses recognized that he is not to speak unless the Lord give him the words. Therefore, he asked for a prophet, Aaron, to speak in his behalf.

The Lord may not assign a prophet to each of us, but He will make us "prophetic" that we may cooperate with Him in the development of the potential that is within us. As the grain of mustard seed within us develops, the Kingdom of God will find its initial expression as we are brought into divine order and function.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,
I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will
pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall
prophesy" Acts 2:17-18.

This speaks of a prophetic anointing which the Lord will impart within His servants in the last days. To prophecy, one must be prophetic - which means, a prophetic quality has been developed within.

How does this take place? "A sower went forth to SOW the WORD of the Kingdom." Jesus said this seed is the least of all seeds. Thus, though I may feel inadequate to prophesy, I can make provision (prepare the soil) for this prophetic "seed" to grow. To do this, I abide where the "Son" continually shines upon me. I receive the "rain" of the Holy Spirit and give it time to soak within.

We are to "desire spirituals" (I Cor 14:1). This is to desire the REALM of the Spirit, not just the gifts of the Spirit. In this realm of the Spirit, we are lifted from the temporal into the eternal, from the carnal into the spiritual.

When I first enter this realm, the "prophetic" grain of mustard seed that has been sown within me is small, and my "natural" ability to express myself is well developed. Therefore, it will require a "fasting" (time in the wilderness) to bring my natural ability to its end. Fasting is more than skipping meals. There is a fasting of words, of having a quick opinion o ranswer. There are those who instantly have someone to say about everything. Fasting will bring this to an end. It will bring us to silence until God speaks.

"Follow after love and desire spirituals so
that you might prophecy" I Cor 14:1.

Our Lord is calling a people to become prophetic, that the whole Body will be built together and compacted by that which every joint supplies. Only then will the Kingdom of God become a present reality.