(Selective Grace or Selective Disgrace)
The Parable is the greatness in what can be from what is little. The least is best, and sometimes in life the greater is less. We seldom look to what is and what we are in his will and not ours. Many say I am a good Christian, and many say I am a great person and know I am saved. I do not believe in "Skateboard Salvation" Yes we are saved by Grace through Faith, but let those who do not live by any standard read the book of James. James speaks of works in saying: "Faith with out Works is Dead"It is better to have done ,than to say I have done much and yet have done nothing. We miss the boat in our Marketing of Religion like it is a part of a cereal isle, get the numbers up and tell them what they need to hear, not hard & firm or they may go elsewhere! The word can grow as the Mustard seed, and the message is "Let it grow" and the height is limitless" The Parable is The word of God in all our lives,"Listen with our eyes".
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Violation of any command is an act of disobedience or rebellion. Sin entered the world through the disobedience of one man. There are many commands from God unambiguously expressed in different parts of the Bible. Contravention of these commands is a sin punishable in different ways.

The most rtragic consequence of disobedience, however, is the hardening of heart due to habitual practice, which makes it impossible for the guilty to confess his/her sins and seek divine forgiveness. The sin of disobedience thus separates us from the glorious presence of God, an eventuality played out in the very early days of God-human interaction.

Another point to be noted is that there is very little leeway for us to justify ourselves by means of contextual explanations of our disobedience. Once we are convinced of our error, the only way back to His grace is through confession and renunciation. Remember the Pharisee and the tax collector at the synagogue, and the contrasting cases of the two thieves on the crosses flanking our Lord's cross on Calvary.
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Robert , I say this out of Love for a Brother in hopes that you will see the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ has given us.
We must believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God raised him from the dead in order to be saved. There is a differance between judging and knowing the simple truth that our Lord gives us. Romans 10:9 . I hope that I only misunderstood what you were saying .
The only way to the Father is through the Son , Jesus Christ Our Lord. Matthew 11:27.
God Bless you much .You are in my prayers.
Your Brother ,
chris
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Psalm 78 1-8, God commands all generations to teach the testimony of Jacob.

Did Jesus keep this commandment? We, who believe Jesus was the Son of God, knows he was perfect. Therefore, we know he kept the commandment of His Father.


Why has the Church not made the connection that when Jesus taught the Parable of the lost son, he was keeping God's commandment to teach the testimony of Jacob.

To truly understand the depth of the Parable of the lost son, we need to understand, in depth, the testimony of Jacob.

The parable of the lost son is not simply a "neat" story showing us God's saving Grace and unconditional love.

The testimony of Jacob is the key to us understanding what a true relationship with God, Jehovah Jireh, is all about. The Church has not yet made this connection, because they do not understand the testimony of Jacob. If they don't understand it, they definitely aren't teaching it and are not keeping God's commandment of Psalm 78.


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We do not know that the father of the prodigal did not search for his son. He may have kept track of him by having the servants report his whereabouts and progress. He, however did not go out and drag him back by his ear but allowed him to come back on his own. The Father won't interfere with our free will but wait and rejoice when we come back.
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The man was asking Who was his neighbor in response to loving others as yourself. By saying we don't have to believe in Jesus to inherit eternal life leaves out the first half of verse 27 where you are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strenght and with all you mind." This is HUGE! and we cannot ignore it when trying to understand Jesus's message about loving EVERYONE not matter who they are in relation to you.
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Amen, we can get a blessing from this parable for the mordern church. However, i have been studying parables in my study group and have recieved such a blessing by reading the parbale in context to who Jesus was speaking to at the time.... here is my study.

Parable actually means "to place along side of" Jesus spoke in parables to illustrate a truth.

In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees. The Pharisees believed that they did not need to repent... keep this in mind.

Luke 15:4
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he finds it?"

Jesus is relating this parable to who he is speaking to, so that they will understand.

Also, God sent Jesus, the great and good Shepherd to seek and save His lost sheep... {Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost"} God didn't send a servant, but His only begotten Son.

5. "And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Rejoicing in the Greek means, to cheer and to be well off. [The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, King James Version]

What stood out to me is that he actually lays the lost sheep upon his shoulders, a labour of love. (Just as Jesus carried all our sins upon His shoulders... a labour of love.)

6. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."

The Lord takes pleasure in our return and celebrates with his friends.

7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

The Pharisees, who Jesus was speaking to, felt they did not need to repent. Jesus illustrates the truth that God REJOICES over the one lost sheep that repented.

I was blessed by this beacuse I always looked at this parable as highlighting God's love for us, the lost sheep, and how He searches for us. But by looking at this in the context of who it is written to, I have come to see that the truth in this parable is actually of Repentance!


Love and Blessings
Sarah, Australia
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Like the other parables of Jesus, this one is about fruit-bearing, and the un-fruitful are thrown into hell. Those who hear the TRUE word of God, they are cleansed by it by doing it. Christ abides in the TRUE hearers and doers. Luke 6:47 - Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them..." John 8:47 - He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 1 Corinthians 4:15 - For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." The branch cannot bear fruit by itself. 1 Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 2 Corinthians 3:5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God" Philippians 3:9 - And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" 3 John 1:11 - Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." Who can do good, but the true ones on the vine? Even TRUE faith is not from flesh and blood, but from God. John 3:27 - John answered and said, A man can receive NOTHING, except it be given him from heaven." 1 Corinthians 12:9 - To another FAITH by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;" Not one man can TRULY say that Jesus Christ is the son of God nor can any man truly tell people,(so-called preachers, ministers, or pastors) Matthew 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Also, to put an end to false teachers that say if you believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as your Lord and saviour, you'll be saved, NO MAN can come to Jesus unless God Himself decides that he would. Acts 16:31 - And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." But then, those people heared the TRUE word of God, and the words of JESUS CHRIST, John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 - Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then again, same gospel, 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.(God revealed it to them, and had faith in him, that faith is not from their own heart, but from God) 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve(God approved those 12, not the other disciples, because if He did give it to them to come to Jesus, they would of stayed, like the true disciples), and one of you is a devil?" Now all you people that read this, the false christians will not believe this, but the true christians will. John 15:20 - Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." These sayings are in the bible, those who just ignored them in the bible will ignore my words(no, not truly mine) also. Those who believe these things, or knew them already, please, please contact me, at dallascourchene @ hotmail.com (NOTE: there are no spaces in the address.) Also to the so-called born-again christians, what did God call you to do? Live a normal life? I don't think so. People who are truly called are CALLED to do something for the LORD, not just worship Him and those who are called, know what they have to do by a certain wonder, or phenomemon. Acts 16:10 - And after he had seen the VISION, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had CALLED us for to preach the gospel unto them." Romans 1:1 - Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, CALLED to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God," Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." 1 Corinthians 7:20 - Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." Ephesians 4:1 - I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called," We MUST be also worthy of this calling. 2 Timothy 1:9 - Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," 1 Peter 2:21 - For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" 1 Peter 5:10 - But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you PERFECT, stablish, strengthen, settle you." 2 Peter 1:3 - According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" And yes, we can be perfect like Jesus. Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." 2 Corinthians 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." Philippians 2:6 - Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." 1 John 2:13 - I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father." 1 John 3:9 - Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." Revelation 3:21 - To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." We are called to be made into the image of Christ, who is the image of God. Jesus said so himself, the called can and will be like him. Matthew 10:25 - It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord..."
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In Mark 11:23-24 Jesus said:

23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

I have already submitted that the very thing that we are cultivating in Mark Chapter four is faith or belief. If the same word or idea found in Mark 11:24 is “believe”, then couldn’t we overlay the teaching template or matrix-so to speak-of Mark chapter four’s teaching, over this scripture, to gain some enlightenment into what’s being said?

If you do a translation comparison amongst many translations you will find that in some translations they use the expression “believe you receive it” (present tense). Others use the expression “believe you HAVE received it” (past tense). So which one is it? And might it be explained by the idea of farming or sowing and reaping? (Parable of the sower, Mustard seed etc.)

This has bothered me for a long time because I couldn’t rectify there being any similarities between the two. And something so important as the scripture by Jesus instructing us as to how to get our prayers answered; must be clearly understood. Doesn’t it?

Consider if you will that this might be what’s going on here. Notice in verse 24 the expression “when you pray”.

Might a farmer when planting his field (at that very point in time in which the seeds hit the soil) be doing the natural equivalent of the spiritual idea of “believing”-present tense? Could Jesus be saying that we are planting something when we “believe” it- present tense? Might we be doing the actual planting of the seed of Gods word, when we say in prayer “I believe it”, “ I receive it by believing it”, “now”?

Now, back to the “when you pray”. Might this expression be a TIME STAMP? Which endorses our petition, locking it in at a certain time and place? And if this scripture has within it this “time stamp”, and the flow of time is heading into the future, can you see how that the time stamp now falls in the PAST after we’ve prayed? (It now becomes past tense.) With every second after we’ve prayed-BELIEVING, for us to keep the time stamp valid and the continuity of this scripture valid, then we would have to change our confession to past tense. Or the time stamp is nullified and our seed ruined or kept from growing. (The scripture ceases to be applied).

Isn’t this what farmer’s do?

What if you noticed every three days a farmer out in his field RE-planting his crop? Would he ever come to a harvest? I submit NO. A farmer has to get the planting of his crop behind him for the year and then he can expect the seed to grow. And yet our NOT CHANGING our confession from I “believe” present tense, to “I have believed” past tense, is the very thing that our hearts hear as a mixed message (The word is being sown in our hearts). Not to mention violating of the conditions of the scripture.

We have to “believe” (confess out loud before God, in the secret place of our prayer closet-NOT before men. “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed you might SAY… Verse 23, whosoever shall SAY unto this mountain…) that God grants us what we pray for “when we pray”, then change our mind set allowing the time stamp to lock that prayer in time thus drifting into the past tense. To pray again in the present tense resets the time stamp and we start the growing cycle over, forfeiting the time that we spent waiting for the growing cycle to be completed. We could do that forever never receiving a thing. Does that sound like anybody that you know? Me too! (We won’t say whom.)

When farmers come in from the field HAVING planted their seed for the year, they probably say, “I’m glad that’s done”. They crack open a cold one knowing that the reaction between the ground and Gods unique creation, the seed, will shortly go to work causing a crop to begin to grow. How does he know? It’s been written in nature from the beginning of time. Seeds just grow. They’re miraculous. The thing that causes them to grow is the fact that he’s a descendant of his forefather seed, the one that God spoke to in Genesis commanding them to GROW. If you understand this alone, you will see how farmers are cultivating Gods word without even knowing it (their literal miracles-LITERAL).

The apostle Paul said in Corinthians that the seed has to die first before it will grow. And there is no life in it at the time it’s planted. Where does the life come from? Apart from Gods word-I don’t know. But they grow.

If you remember anything that I have written remember this: We receive from God in the present tense, NOW. We received Gods word by believing it (learn to use that word in prayer, your head my not understand it but your heart does) present tense-NOW.

But for this scripture to remain applied, and to not violate the time stamp that we applied at the time of prayer, we then must allow it to slip into the past tense and KEEP it there. Any pulling it out of the past tense (“I HAVE receivED it”, “when I believED it”, “when I prayed”) cancels out the scripture. Your violating the “when you pray” time stamp that we endorse our prayers with.

According to scriptures all of Gods promises are written in the past tense, indicating that he’s already provided whatsoever things we ask-BELEIVEING. We engage our faith for them when we “believe” them (accept, plant, hide, bury, keep secret).

If done properly, with the course of time (the growing cycle needs to be completed, patience is required) our heavenly father will reward us openly for the things we planted in prayer when we believed.

Believe, plant, and reap, may your joy be full!


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http://www.ask.com/

this is a search engine called ASK JEEVES. Type in your request for

picture of a mustard tree

there is one listed
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Doesn't it bring Joy to your heart when you see people truly seeking the Lord? You are so right, the more we study the Word, the more He reveals Himself to us!
(Jmes-1-5) He does just as He promised He will do, if we only ask and trust Him. He will guide us to all truths! LOL patsy
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i am currently doing an assignment in school on biblical parables. i was wondering if you had a simplified childrens version that i could get hold of. thank you
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Could you please state succinctly and in your own words what this “SECRET’ is?

I understand that Jesus was telling a great secret. One that apparently, nobody much cares about. But I accept that he was revealing something incredible. So then WHAT IS IT?

What is the jest of all of these parables? Can you articulate it in your own words? I am convinced that Gods idea of a secret is incredibly greater then our idea of a secret. What secret could qualify as something so wonderful?

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I am looking for information that is at once Biblical and biological and reconciling the seed and the tree or large shrub.
Thank you.
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FYI, I think Pamela is referring to Mark eleven in which Jesus spoke to a fig tree and withered it “from the roots”. Though the above topic is a different scripture, I think it’s interesting how Jesus reacts to a tree (the same way) that does not produce fruit. IT’S CURSED.

I know that many people believe in once saved always saved. However it’s simply NOT taught in scripture. If you don’t produce fruit “the axe is laid to the root” and the tree is burned in the fire. Jesus played this out in the fig tree scenario. He was deceived by leafiness. People coming across as spiritual Joes and in reality these are the ones that Jesus said would “weep and wail and gnash their teeth” as their kicked out of Gods kingdom and appointed their place with the disobedient. And why? Because of no fruit production.

Have you ever asked who these people are who act this way? They aren’t people who curse God and say, “even if there is a God I’m not serving him. He can go take a hike”! Huh uh, these are people who thought that they were fine and dandy doing all the worldly things that they wanted to, and when somebody said hey the bible calls that behavior sin, they would retort “GOD IS LOVE DON’T JUDGE”!

I have news for you. The doctrine of once saved always saved was concocted in hell by some of Satan’ greatest minds. It’s a deception (the spirit of Anti-Christ). And if you believe this lie it could cost you your mother, brother, sister, spouse or any loved one.

Now does anybody want to continue in this nonsense? One consideration of Judas Iscariot in light of what the book of Psalms says about him will prove to you that here you have a saved man, who is now cursed throughout eternity.

Now do you really want to believe silly things? Or do you want to be wise and error on side of caution?

How long is eternity? Do you really know that there is this assurance of once accepting Jesus, you could become a serial killer, a Hitler, a child abuser, and yet a possessor of the promise of a throne in heaven?

GET REAL! It doesn’t happen. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO WEEP, WAIL AND GNASH THEIR TEETH.

Don’t let it be your loved ones.

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Matthew 7:24-27

(24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
(25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
(26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
(27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Hi, my name is Ashleigh and I am 13 years of age, my friend, Shannon and I are doing a religion assignment on that parable, worth 45% We just need some help of a few questions. Here they are:

An explination of the meaning of the parable
Revlevance for today
Catholic Beliefs evident in the parable.

If you can help us, because this is hard for us and need some 'fresh' help. Please email me on ashleigh.mansell@stclaresc.act.edu.au or you can email my friend whos email is shannon.talbot@stclaresc.act.edu.au

Thanks a bunch!

We really hope you can help me!
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Do upon to others as you would have them do upon to you.

Pretty simple, and yet a Golden Rule of life fom the Master.


As you treat others - so shall you be treated.

As the Buddist teach the Law of Karma so does Jesus teach.

What goes around comes around, but blessed and multiplied.

Give good tidings and they will come back to you.

Help others and they will help you.

Forgive others and they will forgive you.

The Golden Rule from all spiritual masters of the ages.

But this parable also explains the fact that Jesus lives and in part of all of us. In particular help those in need.

And it will be as if you are helping Jesus Christ himself.


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Hi,

I have read your story, sounded quite heavy. Seems it was posted in February I was wondering how you are doing now.

So Linda come and tell me what is going on, you have prayed to God. Well I know for a fact that you had many times depressions come and go.

So if you are still in need of help, just e-mail me ad d.a.civile@home.nl

Dear God
I am comming to you with this beatiful creation
And speak live to her inner being.
I speak live in Jesus name to her soul
I speak adjustment to her situation
This all by the loving power of Jesus Christ
I break in Jeusu name every oppresion and spirit of jalousie over your live
Also in your name lord Jesus do I break the spirit of dead over your live.
The passed is the passed, I declare rest and peace in your name Lord
Jesus, NOW RIGHT NOW.

All do we don't know each other, I lett you know that we love you very much.

David and Wanda Civile
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God warned us of these days, the falling away from The Spirit, which I think, is the Oil of the candlestick (Rev-1-20) The Rock (The Holy Spirit) to Build His Church, the candlestick! (1Corin-2-13-16) For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ! (1Corin-4-20) For the Kingdom of God is not in Word, but in Power. The Power of The Spirit, to teach us His wisdom of His Word! (James-1-5) (1John-2-27) His anointing upon His anointed ones, no need that 'any man' teach them! (1Corin-3-1-7) God, not man and his Theology, nmust give the increase. I truly think, this is why we have so much confusion in the Religion of today, man, thinking they were wise, thought we no longer needed God, to teach His servants, took this power upon themselves, that they might establish the Bible College, that the religious leaders might be taught by man, approved or disapproved by man, and sent by man, into the local churches as servants of God, when indeed they have heard nothing from God! (Jeremiah-23-18-22) We see the results! Instead of turning the people away from their sins, they have created a Religion, that has justified continued sin against Holy God, while they promise their followers everlasting life, calling such Religion, the Grace of God (Jude-4-13) that they might take claim of salvation! (11Thess-3-12) God does not force Himself on any man, instead, He removes Himself, therefore, the Oil is no longer in the candlestick - The Church! (Rev-18-23)
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hey do you hav picture of the parable of the seed and the sower... i need it for my project pls. reply me to my email if do you have
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No, this is not a parable about the mustard seed. Rather, it is a parable about Kingdom of Heaven.

In this sense, this simply tells us that the so-called Kingdom of Heaven is not -- repeat, is not -- a place. It's just like a small mustard seed that humanity can (indeed, does) overlook. But this same seed has the potential to get nourished until it grows into a full-grown tree.

It is that little "spark" of divinity that has been planted by God (the sower) in man. It is little in the sense that it cannot manifest itself easily since our material existence often overshadows it, as we oftentimes neglect it in favor of materialism and all that this world has to offer.

But it can grow (The choice is ours). If we select the righteous way of life and let that divine spark reign supreme in our life, we actually let it grow. And when it grows into a tree, when it has grown so large and tall enough as to "dwarf" the wordly desires of our flesh, then the birds will start lodging upon its branches -- the spiritual words of God will have all the chances to come freely to us, as we can now more deeply appreciate them.
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The "fig tree," without fruit, represented fruitless Israel. Christ had sought fruit for three years, and had found none[Luke13:6-9]. There was nothing but leaves. Thus, the tree was to be "cut down", with a view to the Church being called into existence to bring forth fruit in relation to the kingdom of the heavens, in the stead of Israel [Matt. 21:43].
And, though Israel would be restored at a future time, Israel could never again be placed in the fruit-bearing position in relation to the heavenly sphere of the kingdom[Matt.12:31,32]. The nation, through a failure to bring forth fruit in this realm, had forfeited this right forever. Israel, when restored, can only bring forth fruit in relation to the earthly sphere of the kingdom
Thus, in Genesis, fig leaves only, apart from the figs themselves [fruit], depicted man's condition following the fall. He was in a fallen state, in no position to bring forth fruit relative to the reason surrounding his creation. Then, in the gospel accounts, Israel, though in a position to bring forth fruit surrounding the reason for the nation's existence[ as Gods first born son,in possession of the passover lamb], didn't bring forth fruit. And Christ used a fig tree without leaves only to respresent not only Israel's condition at that time [fruitless] but to also show, through the cursing of the fig tree, what was about to befall Israel.
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I've heard it said this way "Use your time, talent and treasure for God". The scriptures support this:

TIME:
1 Peter 4:1-3 ...he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have SPENT ENOUGH TIME in the past doing what pagans choose to do...
(Peter is exhorting us to use our remaining TIME to do God's will, not to fulfill the evil human desires of our will. Don't jump to hasty conclusions or be moved by other peoples condemnations, read the scriptures thoroughly to discern God's will).

TALENT:
1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use WHATEVER GIFT HE HAS RECEIVED to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (Peter then goes on to list some of those 'various forms')

TREASURE:
2 Cor. 8:7 ...see that you EXCEL IN THIS GRACE (gift) OF GIVING.
(In light of all the scriptures there is no reason to think this only applied to the Corinthian church he was speaking to.)

As our character becomes more and more like Jesus's character we will become more and more productive in the things that Christians do. In
2 Peter 1:5-7 Peter lists the qualities of Godly, Christlike character. Then he goes on to say in verse 8: "For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, THEY (these qualities) WILL KEEP YOU FROM BEING INEFFECTIVE AND UNPRODUCTIVE IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." (Godly character is what will equip you to 'produce', and bring 'increase', the very things we are exhorted to do in the parables.)

The seed sown and the talent entrusted is the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our responsibility is to let that knowledge grow and increase into active, visible deeds as God himself gives increase.

God develops the very character of Jesus within us, character that can't help but to be expressed in the righteous deeds of the Spirit. God changes WHAT we do by changing WHO we are.

Hope this is what you were looking for.






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In response to one of the postings found below, there is no question that leaven has been traditionally deemed a contaminating element. That being said, was Jesus bound to using that pattern in relation to the leaven and the dough parable?

Jesus said that he would reveal things kept secret from the foundations of the earth. The idea of leaven traditionally being bad is taught all over the bible. Is that a big secret? The leaven and the dough is a parable of the kingdom (secret).

Jesus used supernatural power to open the ears of those who had a good heart and intended to hear by saying “he that hath ears to hear, let him hear”.
Obviously those who were attempting to ensnare him in his words would not get the jest of what he was conveying. And Jesus did this intentionally. He declared they have eyes and don’t see, they have ears and don’t hear…and when they’re converted…

I don’t see any problem with using a prominent teaching or custom to express a different aspect or analogy.

But still I don’t think it’s contextually logical for Jesus to after saying in Mark Chapter four verse 20, one thing, and then to meander off into another subject.
(Amplified bible):

20And 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.
21And He said to them, Is the lamp brought in to be put under a [6] peck measure or under a bed, and not [to be put] on the lampstand?
22[[7] Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation.] For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret except in order that it may be made known.
23If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.
24And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [8] [of thought and study] you give [to [9] the truth you hear] will be the measure [10] [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you--and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

Now, are people aware that they are saying that Jesus, after laying down the foundation of the parable of the sower, that he immediately began talking about sin, the church, immoral women and Satanic infiltration? And thereby totally changing the subject? Isn’t it more logical to stay on the same theme and maybe say the same thing in a different way? That’s what I believe he did. Remember; know body knew what he was saying anyway until he said, “he that had ears to hear let him hear”.

Are we to believe that Jesus went on hiatus in verse 21-25 and picked up on the idea again in verse 26?

26And He said, The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed upon the ground,

Or is it more logical to believe that he stayed on the same subject matter? What if I was to say, after saying all this, “the cream rises to the top-all we are is dust in the wind”. Wouldn’t you think, “what on earth is he talking about? That has nothing to do with what he just said”. And yet people are accusing Jesus-the Son of God of doing the same thing. In the presence of possibly hundreds of people.

The reason I chose the Amplified version of this scripture is to bring out something that isn’t as strong in the other translations. Look at verse 22. Things are HIDDEN temporarily only AS A MEANS to revelation. For there is nothing hidden EXCEPT TO BE REVEALED, nor is anything [temporarily] kept secret EXCEPT in order that it may be made known. Notice the purpose or intent in this scripture. A person HID something in his heart FOR THE PURPOSE OF bringing it to light. They got on the front end of the deal. It worked against the scribes and the Pharisees in the negative.

Luke 12
1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the LEAVEN of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. (The same thing stated in Mark’account)
3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

The above verse shows the tie between Mark chapter four “there is nothing hid…” and the parable of the leaven. Now, someone will probably say, “SEE, leaven is a bad thing”. Then why would somebody purposefully hide something in their heart if it were a wicked thing? No, it’s the principle that Jesus is laying down. Leaven isn’t good or bad. It’s just an agent that reacts with our hearts that eventually gets painted on the picture screen of our lives. Why can’t it be the Word of God? Why couldn’t righteousness be the leaven? The person in the above scripture hid it AS A MEANS to revelation. HE WANTED IT MANIFESTED.

It’s very clear that some people just don’t do their studying. And that’s a shame because the Son of God put it in a way that can be figured out, if people will spend some time meditating on it.

I often wondered how Jesus could say to a man “tell no man” without violating the precepts of this very principle. Isn’t he declaring something a secret? Isn’t he whispering something in the ear that will be proclaimed form the housetops? Check out the results of his doing that.

31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
36 AND HE CHARGED THEM that they should TELL NO MAN:

Now look at the results.

but the more he charged them, SO MUCH THE MORE A GREAT DEAL THEY PUBLISHED IT.

Go figure!

If these things are hard to glean from scripture, it may be because of something else. There is a spirit of humility that rests upon all the teachings of Jesus, and if you don’t understand that, then you won’t get the jest of what Jesus is saying. For more on that, see what I wrote in the article “true humility” under the subject, the parable of the Pharisee and the publican. It may help you to understand these things.



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the moral of this story is you have many people in your life and many

people who do the works of God and have gifts and talents, but your real

neighbor is the one who shows mercy , compassion and love. That's the

one who is your neighbor. that is true religion.
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I would like a copy of the good shepard sermon

Thank You
sharan Jones
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Parable of the Ten Virgins is a reverse parable.
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The ten virgins represent those to whom the offer of the kingdom of heavens is presently being extended. They, thus, could only represent ALL of the saved ["ten"showing ordinal completion] during the present despensation [ all of the saved ], would represent those who will form the bride[those called out of the called]. All ten of the virgins possessed lamps with oil.The request of the five foolish virgins in Matt. 25:8 should read," Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out'[ ref,ASV, NASB,NIV]. The difference between the wise and foolish virgins lay, not in the thought that the foolish had no oil[ otherwise, their lamps could not be "going out"], but in the fact that the wise virgins possessed an extra supply of oil. "OIL" is symbolic of the Holy Spirit[1Sam. 10:1,6;16:13; Lev.8:10-12;21:12]. The five wise virgins possessed an extra supply of oil typify Christians possessing an extra supply of the Holy Spirit , i.e., Christians filled with the Holy Spirit; and the five foolish virgins lacking the extra supply of oil typify Christians lacking an extra supply of the Holy Spirit, i.e.,Christians not filled with the Holy Spirit. All ten of the virgins in Matt.25 went forth to meet the bridegroom together- just as all Christians will go forth will go forth to meet the bridegroom together. But only those five wise virgins with an extra supply of oil entered into the marriage festivties [v.10]. Thus, will it be in the future experience of Christians relative to being filled or not being filled with the Holy Spirit
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can i request a picture of the mustard tree
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First of note in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders is the word "these" (Matt. 7 : 24 ). "These sayings," in Greek "tous logous toutous," accusative plural of "ho logos houtos," are the entire Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5 : 3 - 7 : 27 ) and the parallel accounts in the other Gospels, exclusive of everything that Jesus later taught. Therefore, if we would be like the wise builder, we would obey everything He commanded in His Sermon on the Mount -- and would be found wise even if we never understood His later teachings such as the camel passing through the eye of the needle in Matthew 19.

Conversely, dare we ignore the Sermon on the Mount, for instance, by asserting that it is intended for heaven but no earthly way to live life, Jesus has warned that then He will liken us unto the foolish builder regardless of otherwise good works, scriptural training, and understanding of the rest of the Bible. In light of this, it is a good sign for me that my comments on the Parable of the Ten Virgins (which I take together with those of the good and evil servants and of the talents) refer to the Sermon on the Mount, particularly when I make a moral claim. Now, let us examine the details of the wise and foolish builders: how we use the Sermon on the Mount. Do we obey Jesus' words therein, or dare we shove it aside for our convenience?

Far shorter than any compilation of everything that Jesus taught on earth, the Sermon on the Mount is still not easy to follow in practice. Teaching those Gentile Christians who know some of the Jewish Law to obey it as God's will because their consciences are aware of it among Gentile believers presumed ignorant and able to tell the Jews "I didn't know better" is not easy, for "all" was not "fulfilled" at the time of the Resurrection in Matt. 5 : 17 - 20 , for example, prophecies from Yichzeqi'el (Ezekiel 38) concerning modern Israel. Therefore, for a Gentile believer in Christ who knows the Jewish dietary laws to let his light shine before men (people) in Matt. 5 : 15 - 16 must include keeping those laws in his own home (also Matt. 23 : 1 - 3 ). Jesus knows our awareness or ignorance about keeping kosher kitchens; whoever knows God's clear commands yet disobeys sins. Settling out of court (Matt. 5 : 25 ), refraining from leering (v. 28 ), and amputating the part of the body that brings scandal (vv. 29, 30 ) are not all easy. The wise builder's communication will be full of clear Yes or No answers in place of the usual hedging or sworn answers from unbelievers. The difficult verses in Matt. 5 : 39 - 41 require interpretation in the context of the Roman Empire, and verse 42 requires absolute generosity from Jesus' followers!

It is the stinginess of most American churches and pastors toward the needy which has me most convinced that the Church Growth Movement along with the rest of the Great Apostasy (II Tim. 4 : 3 - 4 ) is like the foolish builder who built his house on the shifting sands. Many churches nowadays are sinning in trying to serve both God and Mammon (wealth) as masters and expecting prudence from their followers and from the needy (Matt. 6 : 19ff ; also Luke 16 : 1 - 13 , the Parable of the Unjust Steward). Without the generosity of Jesus Christ in our hearts, we look an awful lot like the foolish builder. Punishment is coming soon after it becomes certain that the hypocritical churches never will spread the Gospel throughout the whole inhabitable earth in time to fulfill Jesus' prophecies at the Mount of Olives (Matt. 24 : 14 , 34) without uprooting the evil servants in charge on this earth (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ).

I look to LUKE 16: 1 - 13, the Parable of the Unjust Steward, for the means to live the bountifully generous way our Lord commanded. That Luke 16 is neglected and not tolerated at many churches shows that entire congregations are foolishly building their Christian lives on sand. Still, we have a choice to learn and follow the Sermon on the Mount to the letter by beginning with LUKE 16 to make it practical.

Yours in Christ,

+++ Kevin D. Rosenberg
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All we have to do to recognize the leaders of the Church Growth Movement each as a "Rich Fool" of Luke 12 : 16 - 21 is to conceive of the harvest of fruits as a harvest of followers. Most church expansion projects never had the approval of God. They result in stringent budgets and stinginess.

Our Lord and Saviour never will forgive the stingy, domineering practices of the Church Growth Movement leaders toward His needy folk, who were commanded by Him to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking (Matt. 7 : 7 ). The Judgement of the Good and Evil Servantis in Charge is coming right up! (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ) Should these judgements occur on this earth, the evil servants will be most thoroughly chastened with amputations, assignments of their portions with the hypocrites, rejections of pleadings with weeping and gnashing of teeth, and floggings according to their former knowledge of their moral wrong before Christ, and only if afterwards they repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour for real.

Jesus Christ will demand their lives, whether in heaven after the Rapture after complete world evangelism this very winter or on earth to prod His people to get it done for His Name's sake (Matt. 24 : 14 , 34 ). If as I expect it happens here, the evil servants in charge of their fellowservants, now known by honorable titles, will lose their livelihoods, their wealth, their good names, and flesh off their own bodies to their Judgements (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ). There is no need to murder the evil servants to make them likened unto the Rich Fool. What good is a large church or an ample bank account in time of need of physical restoration of amputated and destroyed arms or genitalia? Yes, many pastors and ministers and most psychiatrists shall live on earth with such mutilations unless world evangelism be complete by next Passover because I have made these requests in prayer with faith and another brother in Christ and thanked God for this vengeance in place of the deliverance I needed.

You see, I have been atrociously harmed by the church expansion project of Twin City Bible Church in Urbana IL in progress in 1993 under pastors who ducked the heat from the next pastor of Newchurch for turning me away in need, but turned me over to needless, hostile psychiatry through his lies of more blatant need than the truth. Only after Psychiatry wracked my body and wreaked the havoc to shipwreck my career path did I quit TCBC with a statement in pubic, "YOUR church isn't loving." I have requested fifty million dollars in writing from later churches in my walk with God and told them to complain to TCBC to beg for the money if the local congregation could not afford it. The evil servant at TCBC cajoled each that I liked him and convinced them to try to keep me and conform me to contentment. It was hard to learn to quit each. Since then, in 2001, in order to protect their wealth and flesh from my demands in the name of Jesus Christ, TCBC resorted to worldly lawyers to protect their wealth, names, and flesh. Judging from the Word of Jesus Christ as I have taught it in my postings on the Parables of the Ten Virgins, Pounds and Talents, and the Unjust Steward, the defenses of all churches such as TCBC will soon fall to the judgements prophesied by our Lord Jesus.

The needy people persecuted as mentally ill who were referred to psychiatry, sinful and worldly as it was, never will allagree together to forgive the evil servants in charge of churches to avoid. These mentally ill Christians good as sentenced to psychiatris maltreatment include many martyrs like me, called by Jesus Christ (Matt. 7 : 7 ) to keep on asking for gifts, to keep on seeking to find, and to keep on knocking expecting the door to be swung open, and to continue to press our luck when we failed to understand the trouble we were in with the pastors. If we "mentally ill believers" were spoiled rotten brats converted as adults to Christ, Jesus knew, and if we were wrong to persist for fear of reprisals (Matt. 7 : 6 ), upon our repentance Jesus wishes to avenge us upon the evil servants because He will not turn back time and will not intervene miraculously to heal us and set our lives straight. His will is that His people minister unto our needs, yet for us with severe grievances against evil servants in charge, we are called to keep our complaints out of the ears of the evil servants in charge as best we can.

It is such martyrs as I whose forgiveness every currently evil servant in charge needs to earn in deed and in truth, rather than by domination, in order to escape the finding of evil culpability as servant in charge and the judgement of loss of life, say vitality, of the rich fool (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51, Luke 12 : 20 ). These martyrs consist mostly of people who will never again return to the church of the evil servant for worship, not of the supporters whose presences enrich the church under an evil servant. If you happen to be such an evil servant in charge now, you have to make complete amends to every such individual still alive at your Judgement to be found good. It is too late for Bill Meier, evil senior pastor of Twin City Bible Church, who repeatedly refused to beg for tens of millions of dollars in amends and falsely claimed my admiration only to get judged through my telephone call in 2001. He shall suffer and endure his Judgement as an evil servant, and his expensive home church will not avail him. What a perfect example of the Rich Fool!

In order to get the boards and committees who hire and fire staff to wake up and take control as masters of their servants in charge under Matt. 24 : 45 - 51, I need to teach them, and they need newly resurgent faith to entrust the master with all his goods and sweeping authority to execute Jesus Christ's utterly corporal sentences. God is omnipotent and can bring this about. When the mentally ill who nowadays never return for worship find sympathy from the boards, many martyrs may ask that the entire congregation sell everything they own and donate the proceeds. My actual request in May 2001 of TCBC was that the entire congregation, one by one, either (1) if unbelieving, swear that Jesus Christ never had any power whatsoever to save souls or (2) if believing, sell everything they own and give me the proceeds and ask another nearby church to sends them out to Turkey to spread the Gospel and yet another amputation from the Meier family for each member or attender who does neither. In order to obey Jesus Christ, now extremely scarce sympathy toward such crazy-sounding requests will be required of the boards who hire and fire pastors or ministers.

The wealth of the evil servants in charge (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ) and their supporters, the rich fools (Luke 12 : 16 - 20 ), and of their expansive churches, is stored up for "who"-soever dare keep on asking when it becomes tolerated, such as the most determined mentally ill in Christ (Luke 12: 21 ). The needs and requests of the martyrs such as I are to be squared off against the faith of the churches. Boards and committees which run churches claiming faith in Christ cannot continue to turn the needy away and proclaim faith in Christ indefinitely. Time is long in coming and has almost come for the judgement to befall the Church Growth Movement!

Yours in Christ,

+++ Kevin Douglas Rosenberg
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I think this story gives us the clearest explanation in the bible of what happens to a person after they die
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Every hurting person is your neighbor. Many times our concentration is on the good samaritan but what made him a good samaritan was the victim! What was his character, a hurting person and stripped of everything. Would you help or avoid him? They are every where, you do not need to travel to a third world country.

Christopher Lobo
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yes we can be good samaritains in this era! If you kinda a person that has been left to die you would help them weather thye were a stranger or your enemy, it's still a person who diserves to live!
so yes we can be good samaritians!
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Jeffery, I think that Sue is more correct than you. That's a wonderful, inspired comment she made. The compilers of the Bible often didn't put things in order. There are many compilations that straightened these verses out and put them back into their ORIGINAL order whatever that may be, so the KJV doesn't look or read in the same order as you see in your Bible of today. So to say that Sue has taken something out of context because it may be out of order, belies history. Not only verses in our Bible are out of order to the original, but chapters and whole books of the Scriptures too. Quite often compilers added their own notes also.-----What makes you think that Matthew, a tax collector, wrote the Gospel of Matthew and that if he did, he had a ready pen and paper and wrote down in shorthand everything that Jesus said and IN ORDER? Don't you think that he would have been more interested in really listening to Jesus and gaining some spiritual insight? Are you even sure that he heard Jesus in person? If he did, and I think as a disciple may have heard some, are you sure he walked the long trek home after listening to Jesus and was able to print by hand, everything in order and in exactly the same words? Do you think that he may have left something out on occasion? As all of us know, the stories were always word of mouth, not the printed page. Many of these things were written years later after they were heard. The synoptic Gospels are most generally the same and in the same order, but not all were disciples, so they copied from one another, hence their sameness in a lot of areas. Let me tell you that most authorities say that Mathew had Mark's Gospel before him as he wrote his book, inserting his own valuable additions, very seldom diverting from Mark's order. Also, Matthew borrows about half of his narrative from St. Mark and aprox. one third was borrowed from Luke. His main source of his discourses was a document called the Logia. -----There were numerous other Gospels that are not now in our Bible, although were transmitted in earlier history. The Gospel of Peter, for instance is contaminated by fiction. The despised Mathew, employed by Herod and the REPUTED author, was writing for the Jews from his tax collector's viewpoint. His point of view would necessarily be different than that of Luke who was St. Paul's interpreter and a physician. Mark was writing for the Romans. John's recordings were SELECTED by him to make a certain other point----that of illustrating the incarnation of the Son of God. So each was a scribe and not necessarily a reporter, scribing from others’ copies with a personal point of view and with a particular purpose and audience in mind.----The two different viewpoints of you and Sue illustrate my point that all of us take and see from the Scriptures different things because of our different backgrounds, personal history, occupation, likes, dislikes, and purposes----even though we all are reading the same words. This is good, for God speaks to all of us individually and according to our need. The point is for each of us is to gain the SPIRITUAL meaning of the Scriptures and not get hung up on semantics. Is there any one of us that can dictate another's inspiration? Your origanl inspiration taken from Sue's was what you should cling to.


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Okay, I think I understand your take on this parable. Do these points accurately represent your view?
(1) Jesus's message is to literally make friends of rich people.
(2) These rich people will take care of us if we lose our jobs and homes as a result of persecution.
(3) This is God's explicit will through which he intends to provide for his people and his work through this recruitement of rich people.
(4) These rich people are unbelievers, particularly.
(5) Anyone who does not teach that this is the meaning of this parable is leading the body of Christ astray through false teaching.
(6) These false teachers need to be exposed publicly.
(7) Only congregations who are truly doing the will of God are actively recruiting unsaved rich people to pay the expenses of out of work members and the general expenses of the ministry
(8) This is a supremely important message that you are in danger of damnation to not fulfill it.

Please correct any statement above that does not represent your views.

I have rarely found any value in breaking out and examining Greek words, phrases and usage to support a position. These Greek examinations are almost always used to defend an argument, not establish one. What I mean is, rarely, if ever, do people go to the Greek words to find out what a passage means. They go to the Greek words to defend an interpretation they've already come up with. Don't get me wrong, at first glance I would say there is merit to what you say about the corruption of the original Greek, but I don't think it alters the meaning of the parable. The truth is, most people cannot grasp a wordy, complicated Greek word study designed to change their minds about the meaning of a passage.

Paul was not blowing hot air when he told Timothy to "warn then before God against quarreling about words; IT IS OF NO VALUE, and ONLY RUINS THOSE WHO LISTEN" (2 Timothy 2:14). I can testify that these futile exercises often motivated by the 'pride of knowledge' only serve to further confound and confuse ANY useful understanding of scripture that we might have otherwise received. You have to agree it's a tool of the Devil to confuse and confound, and--worse yet--to divide brethren through strife and envy and the pride of knowledge. If that isn't the Devil's work then I don't know what is.

My wife is one of those people who was 'ruined' by this kind of contentiousness. Instead word studies bringing her deeper into Christ and whetting her appetite for more, it has repelled her away from Bible studies and sharing. I'm ashamed to say many of us truly are 'unaware of his schemes'--meaning the devil--and has swayed us into grudges, strife and quarreling. Why do we think this is a Godly, righteous pursuit?

May I submit my understanding of this parable? I won't agrue with you, I won't condemn you for disagreeing. My sincere hope is that you and others will see some truth, be transformed and grow up into the image and character of our Lord and Savior, filled to overflowing with His joy.

In as few words as possible.
(1) Even unsaved people know how to use wealth to gain friends and influence people.
(2) They do it to insure their future security.
(3) Even an unsaved boss can't help but to admire the shrewdness of his dishonest servant's wisdom--think how the master benefits, too.
(4) Jesus asks why we as the people of light don't consider how we might win the praise our Master in heaven, and gain influence with the people around us for the Kingdom's sake, by being generous with our Master's possesions (worldly possesions--money, and spiritual--forgiveness, mercy...)
(5) Why don't the people of the light do the things that will insure their future security, the things God says we should do?
(6) The Bible interprets/ defends itself: 2 Corinthians 9:11-13 is really what this parable is all about.
(7) As you well know from Jesus's other teaching, it's our actions, our obedience that secures and confirms the promise of the bright future we have in Christ. No action, no promise--no future.

I have questions that one can ask him/herself that bring your interpretation into suspicion. If you'd like I can share those. Let me know.
Can I get an 'amen' from anybody on this?




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1. The fig tree may have been recalcitrant.
2. OR, although the environment (temperature and moisture content of
the soil, and sunlight), may have been supportive of the early show of
leaves, perhaps the roots of the fig tree were not yet deep enough to
glean the rich nutrients needed for the fruit to develope.
3. Either way the fig tree was out of line with its own nature.
4. Much more to this. But it is really quite simple when you consider
God's universe.
5. Jesus did the right thing in stopping that tree in its tracks.
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I wish I could express those words as you did ;
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Although many of those who dare interpret the extremely difficult Parable of the Unrighteous Mammon (Luke 16:1-13) have seen the lessons to be learned as otherworldly for heaven, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ still expects His followers to obey it beyond conversion to Christ to get out of coming damnation for sin sure to be found out. This parable is no mere allegory; it has practical value, sadly neglected by today's churches. I aim to show the following twin points:

(1) The availability of individual faithfulness in the unrighteous mammon through personal practice of bankruptcy law (vv. 1-8).

(2) The importance of corporate faithfulness of a congregation in the unrighteous mammon by sending the members in Christ out to befriend the rich people of the world (vv. 9-13).

These points are of great importance to depose the evil servants in charge of so many of today's churches and to dethrone stingy Budgets which have severely limited the work of God in most congregations.

First, let us examine the practical value of the parable alone in Luke 16:1-8. I leave it to others to explain the allegory in which the master represents God threatening damnation yet offering to afford our salvation; still, however, as it continues to speak differently to the converted, there is great practical value even for surely born-again Christians to heed in it. Let us now examine the transactions of this parable as a triangular double exchange.

These exchanges are reminiscent of bankruptcy proceedings. If we follow the example of the Unjust Steward, except his dishonesty, as believers, we should seek a way to offer mercy to the world as the fired steward offered partial forgiveness of perhaps legally binding debts --- in exchange for the debtors' good will (vv. 4 - 7). We should seek a way to arrange for the indebted people of the world to provide partial payment to its masters in exchange for the masters' words of forgiveness (vv. 6 - 8). We should seek a deal with the masters of this world to offer them our professional services in exchange for the commissions or fees of the steward's position (vv. 1, 3, 8). Such a position is available out in the world for us to take up: bankruptcy lawyer.

In almost any modern bankruptcy case, the judge and creditor(s) hold the master's position in the parable; the debtor holds the debtors' position; while in the position of the steward being fired are bankruptcy lawyers. The bankruptcy lawyers corresponding to the parable are not permanent employees of the creditors and will seek other cases when the case at hand is closed. The deal is similar to the parable as follows: The bankruptcy lawyers grant mercy to the debtor by arguing the case for forgiveness of debts before the judge in the presence of the creditor(s). The debtor provides partial payment to the creditor(s) and remains grateful to his lawyer in addition to paying the lawyer's fees. The judge presents the word of justice to all creditors and to the debtor through explaining how the settlement thus reached is fair according to all applicable laws and precedents. The creditor pays lawyer's fees in exchange for legal services. Thus does the profession of bankruptcy law embody personal emulation of the role of the Unjust Steward.

Alas, it is not easy to take this position up in modern English-speaking countries. In the days of Jesus' ministry, nigh any freeman, or servant or slave with his master's permission, well-behaved in court, could argue as an advocate for the creditors or the bankrupt; Roman bankruptcy law was simple and harsh. Today's English-speaking countries, on the other hand, aim to protect the public from "unqualified" professionals; the result is a long, expensive and worrisome training of law school and certification such that disbarment is greatly feared. There are therefore two good reasons for Christians not to train for the professional position of bankruptcy lawyer: worry (Matt. 6:24ff) and belief that Jesus might rapture us saints out of this world before the career could pay off. Nevertheless, whenever an entire congregation of many Christians has left the profession of bankruptcy law completely to worldly lawyers, that church is not following the example of the Unjust Steward.

What brings me to my second point is that it is not always possible for Christians to hold the positions of bankruptcy lawyer. A missionary is uniquely ill-equipped to argue cases at law in a foreign language, for instance. For this reason, Jesus Christ has given us the real requirements for faithfulness in the unrighteous mammon in practice on a congregational level (Luke 16:9-13): that at each congregation claiming to follow Jesus we make friends with the wealth of unrightous people so that they might take us in if we should lose our homes through persecution, disaster, or financial trouble (v. 9) and so that the rich people of the world might endow us with the wealth created by God for us which accrues to the rich so that we might be well-funded for generous Christian ministry (vv. 11-12). That we cannot serve both God and Mammon (wealth) (v. 13) indicates what happens whenever a church is thoroughly unfaithful in the unrighteous mammon and relies on hard-earned donations for its function and replaces the generosity of God with stingy Budgets. Such churches have held to their Budgets and despised Jesus Christ's commands to give freely and set people free from financial worries, just as He predicted! Judgement is coming for these evil servants in charge!

Now if you read Luke 16:9 or any discussion of it with "it" in the second clause instead of "ye" or "you" (all, as a congregation), the text has been corrupted and translated from a Greek text missing the two letters Tau and Epsilon present in the word "eklipe^te," "(when) you fail financially," in the correct text. Please ignore such an author's or preacher's pronouncements from the wrong text (e. g., NIV) and pick up a King James Version to interpret correctly. Even experts reading from the corrupted translations make false promises of houses and welcomes in heaven and claim a false need to have the favor of many poor people in Christ for heaven's sake in eternity. Do not believe their mistaken promises; the "failing" in verse 9 is loss of home in the here and now rather than loss of dominion after death. Now, if we neglect the rich mission field as most American Christians have seen fit to do, we shall continue to lack the means for faithful local ministry, let alone world evangelism (v. 12). I, Kevin Douglas Rosenberg, refuse to tolerate this abominable state of affairs any longer; I decry and denounce the evil servants in charge of most churches and cry out for their master to return in the here and now (Matt. 24:45-51). Let it be known that those evil servants in charge when their master returns have no forgiveness from me, but sure awareness of the wrongness of their expedients to serve Christ in stinginess while His Holy Word requires their generosity. If the laws in the way of this judgement were repealed, I could gladly call a respected pastor an evil servant in charge and hack him apart and kick him out and flog him if I had the position; that position, however, is not mine, but that of the gatherings which hire such individuals. In the meantime, be sure of each church's need for favor with the rich people of the world, especially if there be no bankruptcy lawyers in it.

Let God enrich your churches through the favor of the rich people of the world, not through hard, proud work. Good luck!


(Erratum to my earlier message: A transposition occurred in my typing afflicted with carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes in both arms: "Matt. ... 6:42" -- a nonexistent verse -- should have read "Matt. ... 6:24, ..." in which Jesus taught against worry.)
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need for school
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please can l have someone help me with the sermon on the prodigal son.the lessons we learn from the story as l am to preach the sermon soon.
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i think it is roung
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Hey, Rae........I feel a bit troubled by your post for several reasons. Not that I'm some kind of answer man or anything like that. I've been an 8th grade History teacher for 17 years now. I see all types of kids come and go year after year. Your son's behavor sounds totally unacceptable. I don't know his age, though. When someone gets caught in a lie, it breaks trust. Trust is something that has to be earned back (usually by a long period of honest behavior on his part). Have you ruled out the possibility of drug use experimentation? So many kids are just so secretive about that. Fill me in on more details about your son. I'm in the kid business.
And about you..........I don't understand what "living hard after God" means. It''s more like letting go of areas of our life that I believe God wants. Indulging yourself in sinful desires will surely have consequences beyond whatever you think they could possibly be. In your quiet time with the Lord, surrender your son to him. Trust that he's inn God's hands now. Treat him with a new freedom that whatever happens to him has been God allowed. And, you are now free to encourage and love him rather than being confrontational. Try this approach out........Lovve to you, Joh Ferguson
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I'm writing to you because visiting your site I saw pictures of the mustard tree. I have a group of children that I will be speaking of the mustard seed parable and would very much like to show them a picture of the mustard tree.
Could you send me one?
I would really appreciate that
God Bless you.
Claudia
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It's not a parable about literal money. Like Jesus speaking to Nicodemus in John 3, Jesus is using the literal, physical world--the things we can understand--to explain the spiritual. Over and over again in the scriptures God uses analogies and metaphors and the like to teach unseen, spiritual principles to the earthbound minds of fallen men.

"I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?" (John 3:12)

Maybe this proverb sums up the parable of the talents:
"The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment." (Proverbs 10:16)

Even if the parable of the talents had a literal meaning there is nothing wrong with putting our "money to work" (vs. 16). Playing the market is only one way of bringing increase to money. You can buy things and sell them at a profit, or produce products to sell at a profit as long as we do it honestly and don't violate any of the Lord's commands.

"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth."
(Proverbs 10:4)

"He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgement." (Proverbs 12:11)

"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." (Proverbs 13:11)

"The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight."
(Proverbs 11:1)

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Is it truly possible to be called in a spirtual way for something, I have had such vivid color dreams of christ, I had a feeling of some presence pulling me, I had such a increadible felling of such great love and happeness flow through me i just would have died if i stayed in that state. I seem to know a thing, not just knowing it but know it as an absalute, then ill see it or live it, but the knowing first. I fell im being pulled, i cant stop if i wanted to, i cant shut up eaither, im driving my family nuts on realigion Sheryl stewart
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The prodigal son is a lesson that not too many churches teach or believe in today.

It is a lesson in assurance.

God took for himself the name of "Father" so we could some how relate to Him. (Isa 55:8)

A Father can never say that a son or a daughter is not His.(Gal 4:6)and (Rom 8:14-17)

The father can write that person out of his will or kick him out of the house or correct him by discplinary measures (Proverbs 3: 11-12), but the child will always be the child of that Father.

Once you are born again (John chapeter 3 teaches one how to be born again) You can never "not be a child of God".

The world constantly misqoutes the Bible by saying "we are all God's children."Galatians 3:26 is often quoted without the second part of this verse.
Gal 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."


We Christians should correct them and say we are all God's creation but you don't become a child of God until you are born again.

1Pe 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." You see when you are born again it is forever.

The lesson in the prodigal son is that no matter how bad one acts (Thank GOD that this is true) you or I will never be disowned by the Father.



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On the topic of the younger son hating his father. It is not said that he hates his father, and I don't believe that he does... but in asking for his inheritance... it is like wishing his father were dead. That had to hurt the father. Yet the father took him back unconditionally.

As for the older son, that has also been on my heart a lot. You see my sister ran away from home. When she returned I was glad and celebrated, but at the same time it was frustrating. Where was my reward for being the good daughter?? The father's response to the older's sons complaints is, "Everything I have is yours". God gives us everything! He gave us His Son and eternal life. At the same time, the father's plea to the older son to join in the celebration, is how God us to celebrate when others grow in relationship with him.
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Hi as you can see my name is Judy and for a project i was wondering if you can tell me what the scientific name for angels are. Please reply ASAP(as soon as posible) Thank you so much for helping me

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I WAS TOLD THAT A MUSTARD PLANT IS ONE OF THE FEW PLANTS THAT WON'T CROSS POLLENATE WITH ANYTHING ELSE. IT THAT TRUE?
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