I'd be interested in your response to these questions, too.

After Paul instructs Titus and the Cretian believers "to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need" why does he then go on to say: "Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, IN ORDER THAT THEY MAY PROVIDE FOR DAILY NECESSITIES AND NOT LIVE UNPRODUCTIVE LIVES" implying (again) that providing for ourselves and the ministry is through our own labors? (Titus 3:13, 14) Why no mention of getting this support elsewhere, like, rich unbelievers?

According to James, isn't it wrong to "show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes (rich folk)"? Instead of the rich man being seen as a friend and help of ministry, James says the rich are "the ones who are dragging you into court...(and)...slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong...(Read the entire slam on 'rich' people in James 2:1-7). How should one understand this in light of your interpretation?

Isn't it inconsistent of Jesus to commend the POOR widow for her 'two lepta' while minimizing the "many rich people" who "threw in large amounts", and who gave "out of their wealth"? (Mark 12:41-44) Is she a poor steward of the 'unrighteous mammon'? She was not commended for having solicited the favor of the rich people, but rather, for the greater value of HER small gift. Is it right for Jesus NOT to emphasize the value of the rich people's contributions over hers?

In John 12:3-8, why didn't Jesus commend Judas as a faithful and shrewd steward of 'unrighteous mammon' when he objected to wasting the perfume, worth a years wages, on Jesus's feet?

Wasn't Jesus disobedient to his own command to faithfully recruite the wealth of the rich by letting the rich young ruler leave discouraged without offering up some kind of persuasive argument to stay and finance his ministry? (Luke 18:18-25)

Peter and John are guilty, too. In Acts 8:9-25, they turned Simon the sorcerer (rich unbeliever) away when he "offered them money and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit'." (vs. 18-19) In fact they rejected his PARTNERSHIP in their ministry because his "heart is not right before God" (vs. 21). A right heart is not even a necessary requirement in your version of the unjust steward, only money is. Did they let a big fish get away in direct disobedience to God's command?

Do you find anything wrong with the understanding of the 'parable of the unjust steward' I shared in another response?































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Yes it is complete.
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for all my life i've belived in jesus and his teachings even though i have never read the bible i have decided to live in jesuses footsteps WWJD, but as i grow old i get deeper in the belive but i get the sence that i am going very insane with my intence belive because i do not belive in having to go to church every day that is to teach children, i think if u have god on your mind all the time and live in Jesuses footsteps as he told us to live that is being a true cristian please get back to me i was brought up in a very strict catolic family and if i said this to people i know they would laugh at me.
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Hey, Rick......I don't know you personally, but I saw you were from home town, I thought I would say hello. I go to Spanish River and have lived in Boca 32 years now. How 'bout you?
There are quite a few interesting comments on this web-site. I think it's neat how people break stuff down and look for meanings. Like, "what do the sandals represent?"
I've been the prodigal son recently. got really off track. wheh! I mean really off track. It's so wonderful to be able to come to God with a broken and contrite heart and accept His forgiveness. What a pleasure being back in fellowship. Let me hear from you.
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The older brother had kept the First Commandment but not the Second, i.e. love of brother. The Second Commandment is like it - like the First. Therefore, there is no 'Second', but only two 'Firsts'.
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Amen.
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Please senda picture of a Musard Tree
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I need to find a picture for my Sunday school class of a full grown mustard tree....I always use the teaching on Faith comparing it to a mustard seed...have the seed, but the kids need to see how big it grows.

So far, after a few yrs of teaching I have not found a picture of a FULL GROWN TREE I hope you can help me in this endeavor....
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I have already explained that the Greek for "everlasting habitations" did not clearly mean those in heaven. Let me explain most thoroughly.

The Greek word for "eternal" or "everlasting" is "aio^nios", accusative plural "aio^nious" in the text. It actually means "of or pertaining to an aio^n", an age. I hold that the age intended is this age because Jesus was not teaching about heaven near this passage. I conclude that the "everlasting dwellings" or "everlasting habitations", tents in Greek, must be dwellings owned by rich folk or companies of this world. What is everlasting about them is that they were built long before our resort to them and that they will be secure for us in times of persecution or financial failure. No bank could ever foreclose on them, no persecutor could find us there, and no persecutor could burn or bomb them down on account of our presence. They are to provide "everlasting" refuge for us in this life. They are not to be in Hell!

+++Kevin D. Rosenberg
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I think the parable has many applications, but try this. In every instance where the Good Samaritan is referred to, replace that person with Jesus. For instance - He came to where he was. Did God come to us when we were unable to go to him (inability to ascend by the law of Moses)?

When we are stricken. does He bind our wounds, pouring in His substance and anointing us (oil & wine)? Did He commend us to the Father before he departed (the host at the inn)? Does God provide a way of escape nobody thought about (Red Sea parting...he sat him on his beast) like he does the beast in this story or does the beast represent how we should behave as Jesus did,... you know the human need. Did He leave two things (two pence) behind for us...the Word and theHoly Spirit? When He comes again, will He repay? Now for the stricken man...is this you or is this the lost. I hope you know Christ.

Hope this blesses all.

Doug
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The text of the good Samaritan story does not say whether the man is Jewish or Gentile or Samaritan or anything. The greek uses an indefinite pronoun, so the best translation is "certain man". One may infer that he was Jewish because he was traveling from Jerusalem (a place Samaritans wouldn't be welcome), but it is not certain.
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if the father represents God, the younger son represents us, who does the elder son represent?
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The brother who stayed home had a lot of issues. He was not happy or content with his life. He thought he should have been given sometype of reward for doing what was "his reasonable service." We need to examine our motives. You don't hear much about the one who stayed home, but it would be interesting to see how it can be tackled. Why did he stay home? Should he have received more because he stayed home, etc.
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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 like to get a copy of your sermon about the "Juses is good shepher. Thank very much Robert lee
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About Mustard seed, he is
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Once upon a time there was a little girl. She lived very poorly.
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A point to consider. The older son was not good. He had a hard heart. He was instead, much like the Pharisees, self-righteous and proud of his performance rather than being true to his Father's love. He demonstrates no grace or mercy, but rather ridicules his Father for his rejoicing at the return of his brother. In effect, he curses his brother and his Father. This story really should be entitiled the parable of the prodigal Father. The Father expresses recklessly extrtavagant love for his sons just as our heavenly Father does for those who accept His Son as savior and LORD.
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The message to this little story (told by Jesus) is to treat other people how you would like to be treated, no matter what. Help your enemies.
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Vs 17 states "When he came to himself". It's important to stay with God.

When do not know how long God's mercy is going to last. You may not be

as fortunate as the Prodigal son coming to himself. You may not come to

your senses (NIV). "Stay with God"
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Hi,

I understand, that the Good Samaritan was a real person who lived long before Jesus, and the same thing happened to him, he was perscuted for doing good deeds to other. That's the reason why Jesus was able to tell this story. I forgot the name of this person.

Could you help me? What is the Good Samaritan's name?

Thanks
Willy
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I was asked by a friend if I knew the name of the prodigal son. I'd never heard him referred to in any way except as "the younger son". Does anyone know of research that attaches a name to either the younger or older son?

Thanks!
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Sir,

If you would like a picture of an aged mustard tree, I can email the jpg to you.

Regards,
Deborah
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Dummelow writes: " The vegetable or herb, not the so-called mustard tree, is meant. In hot countries it sometimes grows to a great size. The Jerusalem Talmud says, 'There was a stalk of mustard in Sichin from which sprang out three boughs, of which one was broken off, and covered the tent of a potter, and produced three cabs (12 pints) of mustard.' Rabbi Simeon said, 'A stalk of mustard was in my field, into which I was wont to climb as men are wont to climb into a fig-tree.' Although the mustard seed is not really the smallest of all seeds, it was so in popular estimation." (Dumm. pg. 673)
Mark's version says that the mustard tree is "greater THAN all herbs" and Matt's version is the same as Webmaster writes, "greatest AMONG herbs". "Greater than" is different than, "greatest AMONG." To make my point, I am larger than an apple, but that doesn't mean that I am the largest among apples! NEB and J.B. Phillips write of the mustard tree, "---it springs up (grows up) and grows taller (becomes bigger) that any other plant." RSV, "becomes the greatest of all shrubs", NI and NAS, "largest of all garden plants, with (forms) such big branches---" LB, "one of the largest of plants, with long branches---." Only the Amp Bible writes, "greatest of all garden herbs---" All interpretations are much the same for both Matt and Mark. I guess the point is that everything is a matter of human interpretation and and it seems to me that what is most important is to gain the SPIRITUAL import of the Scriptures of which there is only one. It is not mine or yours but God's given to each of us in the quiet of silent prayer. I agree that word definitions are MOST important and useful in discovering the spiritual aspect of the Scriptures, but only to that end.
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Do you no what the scientific name is for microorganism in bread.

what microorganism is used in bread and what group does the microorganism belong to


thankyou

bye
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I have recently womdered more about the 2nd and 3rd 'plants'. Many times I see people who have a sincere faith but have allowed the cares and wories to push them down. It is the same with those who face persecution. How wonderful that we have a Father of Mercy who sees the heart of the weariest and most discouraged of His children, and will call them home.

But at the same time, I wonder at the 4th 'plant'. Many feel secure that this about them...but where is their 30 and 60 and 100-fold harvest. Those who do not actively share their faith and live the life of Christ before ALL must take note.

God Bless.
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OK, I admit I don't know what this parable means. Verse 1 says that man should pray often without becoming weary. Verse 5 states that persistant pestering pays off. Yet verse 8 says that God will answer prayers speedily.
Is this a contradiction?
Does "pestering the judge" mean that we should pester God until we get what we want?
What's speedy about that?
How does that relate to Christ asking if He shall find faith on earth?

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I agree with you about the elder son who stayed home but the bible records that the Heavens rejoice when one lost comes home. For the brother that stayed, he's symbolic of us that have been in the church and done the bidding of the father for years and we let our selfishness get in the way of celebrating the return of our family (maybe some church members that used to come). He was faithful indeed and deserves merit, but he is also at fault in the fact that he should have known that he had a special place in the heart of the father. Just something to think about. God Bless

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my wife and i are retired and during a recent discussion we each commented that we had never seen a mustard tree nor a picture of one. if you have a picture i would appreciate very much seeing it.
thanks!
john
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Well do you think leaven is a good thing??? I think NOT,leaven is like a tare(corruption).
Read Matt. ch. 13 again,fowls are are satan and his demons and look at the parables of the sowers especially,the fowls swoop down and take the seed which was sown.

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Just like all these other folks, I would love to see a picture if you could possible email it to me. Thanks.
Karen
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The bible is a spiritual book and it must be spiritually discerned.Jesus said that the words that He speaks are Spirit and Life(Jn.6:63).Barabas means father's son.He was in bondage and should have received death,except Jesus took his place.Barabas was a type of ourselves.Note that this was done on the Feast of Passover.Death passed over Barabas because Jesus took his place and shed His blood instead of Barabas,who was deserving to die.So Barabas became a child of God(Father's son).
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In the postings found below I’ve extracted many different ideas out of the teachings of the Kingdom that are true and hold water all throughout scripture. But as of late I’ve been getting something that I feel is even more profound then anything I’ve laid down as yet. I think if you get this it will answer a lot of questions as to why we aren’t getting anything from God and why we are so barren spiritually.

Christianity was to be a message of power, resurrection life and of totally victory over death. And yet we don’t even have the bark of a chewawa when it comes to having any kind of influence in this world. Pardon the expression but man have we been impotent. Consider what I’m about to say and just see if you can see why our prayers are misdirected or that the connection with heaven is never made.

Quite often in writing about the teachings of the kingdom I try to ride the words of Christ as much as is possible. And yet I think there is one area that it would do me well to sever off from them and to put them in my own words.

I’m talking about the usage of the word “heart” vs. “spirit”. Why would this be important? Consider these two scriptures and just see if contradicting ideas don’t surface.

There is a scripture in the Bible that says that God will “write his laws in the fleshy tablets of the heart”. Now look at something that Jesus said:

John 3:6
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Luke 24:39
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

Can you see how that even though the terms spirit and heart are quite often used interchangeably, in some instances they shouldn’t be?

What I’m getting at is this. If our perceptions concerning the word heart are that it is somehow tied to the flesh then we are bound to have missed the spirit which Jesus said doesn’t have “flesh and blood”. It’s like an email that ends up in cyberspace instead of getting to the person that we are sending it to.

“OH, THAT’S REDICULOUS” YOU SAY. “THAT’S THE DUMBEST THING I’VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE”.

Is it really? When was the last time you had a prayer answered? “Forty years ago” you say. I REST MY CASE. Isn’t it clear that God is holding us to a higher degree of accuracy in spiritual matters these days? Remember, we are the ones who can use computers, text messages, download music to I pods. Some of us can get pretty snooty about techy things if we’re asked the wrong questions. Jesus said “with what measure you mete it will be measured unto you”. That means what you put in is what you get out. And it’s quite clear that God is saying to us “if you would put one iota of interest into spiritual things like you do that tech stuff, then maybe you’d get somewhere in your spiritual life”. FUSHTANE? (Do you get it?)

Let’s continue.

Could it be that all of this talk about “hidden” things, “secret” things, things “spoken in darkness”, “mysteries”, could all of these sayings be fingers so-to-speak that are pointing to the human spirit? Isn’t the human spirit a mystery of sorts? You can’t locate it. It’s subconscious. You can’t feel it. Don’t we have some ninety percent of the human brain that we don’t use? Could that be a reserve for when we revive the human spirit? Maybe it will come back on-line. The book of James says that God is the father of “spirits”. Are you a spirit? If you can read this I would submit that you are. The problem is that our perceptions about spiritual matters are all over the board. We never do isolate the part of us that runs the show. Kind of like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. “DON’T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO HIM”. Yea it’s YOU ya turkey!

The reason why it’s important to isolate the human spirit is because that’s where faith comes from. It’s the place where we either believe or fear.

GOD IS A SPIRIT. To contact God we have to use our spirits. I’ve totally replaced the use of the word heart in prayer with the word spirit. It’s making a difference.

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

Matt 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Have you ever looked at this scripture and thought WELL WHICH IS IT? DO YOU BIND ON EARTH OR DO YOU BIND IN HEAVEN?
Why does it matter? Because one will work and the other won’t. It’s these kinds of things that are defeating us, and we only have ourselves to blame. We’re just not a very diligent people. We’re content in living lives that make the word of God a lie (there is no power, no answer, no Holy Spirit-nothing). But things are changing. If you’re reading this there is a good chance that you too might be looking for answers.

When Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within you, might he have been referring to the human spirit and that how it’s already separate from the realm of the natural? In other words, to affect the world around you, you must approach the Kingdom of God that abides within. IT’S YOUR SPIRT. Your spirit will abide after your body is lying in a coffin holding its breath. But when we use the word heart, the whole matter gets washed out and we never do isolate the spirit.

So then, we bind satanic forces IN OUR SPIRITS. We loose the things that we desire to enter our lives IN OUR SPIRITS. Our spirits subsequently shine these bindings and loosings out onto the picture screen of our lives. I will admit, I never thought that this scripture worked (binding and loosing). But then, I thought that you were to look out at the world and bind it in the world. NO, IT’S ALL DONE IN THE SECRET PLACE. The secret place is a metaphor for going into the realm of the spirit and establishing things there. THEN they show up in our lives. To attempt to affect the flesh or the world around us by the perception that we are dealing directly with it, is as foolish as using the word “manifestation” in prayer. DON’T DO IT. IF YOU DO YOU’VE BEEN DUPED BY THE DARK SIDE. That word doesn’t belong in your prayer life. It’s attempting to change things illegally. You’ll open the door to the adversary.

Our spirits are a place that Satan wants direct access to. But we are the only ones who have the “KEY” (as in “keys of the kingdom”). We set things there (establish). Then it’s just a waiting game. When you deal with your spirit your dealing with power, and there are checks placed on the system whereby the only things that get in there are due to either determination, or unreasonable hardheadedness-as in the person who reaped tragedy as a result of stubborn rebellion.

Proverbs 4: 20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the ISSUES OF LIFE.

When we use the word spirit in our prayer time as in “I bind the powers of darkness in my spirit, and I loose all of heaven in my spirit”, we are entering a realm that God has given us legal access to. The realm of the spirit is subject to different rules. In essence, what God says goes. It’s the sole truth. Nothing in the world can call it into question. But that’s the place where the Kingdom of God abides. Solomon said “the spirit of man is the candle of the lord searching all the inward parts of the belly”.

USE THE WORD SPIRIT NOT HEART IN PRAYER. You’ll be putting your finger right on the pulse of the issue. The power button.

The treasure that Jesus spoke of is the spirit of man. It’s the thing that at the time was a tremendous mystery. But when we hide things there, or bind or loose things there, truly it is the incubator or the loading dock that eventually ejects things into our lives.

If nothing else I think that this generates “kingdom thinking”. God bless you in your endeavors.

Tell no man.

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soaking in a bath of mustard seeds will make you have an abortion. is this true or myth
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My team at my chruch is going to be teaching this to K-5th graders what should we do to help them learn.
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I know the parable, but I know Jesus went to Samaria. Why couldn't the Samaritan have heard and perhaps accepted Jesus? Yes, I realize that non Christians show love. I teach primary children. The concept is to show love even when it is not convenient. When we know Jesus, He enables us to do this if we listen to Him.
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Does the prodigal son represent a person who comes to know the faith and has salvation but because he rely's on his own strength falls away from God and once he sees that he is eternaly seperated from God, decides to come back in repentance and with the attitude of humility is welcomed back in to Gods light and his salvation is renewed.
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I have traveled the Country and always heard the same interpretation of the Mustard Seed and never say one mention above (unless I just missed it). There are many times people feel down but if they can maintain their faith, even if it feels so small, small as a mustard seed, God will always be there to grow that faith into the largest of seed baring plants. If you want to debate herbs, plants and trees, go nuts (no pun intended). The importance of the parable is that God is there-Always. Keep the faith, even when it seems unbearable, He will grow your faith to the largest.
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How blind people can be!! Jesus explains it in the parable itself!! Read the first sentence! Then read it again, and again, and again, let it sink in your ears, those who do Jesus' commandments are the wise builders!! John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:21 - He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 14:23 - Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Now, it would be wise to do what Jesus says, right?
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If the father divided his estate between his two sons, 2/3 to the elder brother and 1/3 to the younger, then surely the younger brother returned to the land owned by his brother, not his father?
Please help.
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The parable of the wheat and tares continues with the same subject matter introduced in the previous parable, the parable of the sower. Christ gave these first four parables" out of the house", and down by the seaside.[Matt.13:1].
The parable of the wheat and tares centers around those bearing fruit from the previous parable in order to reveal the method of Saten's attack against them. In this respect, this parable moves a step beyond that revealed at the end of the parable of the Sower. This parable continues with the same thought but then reveals a concentrated attack against those individuals bearing fruit. It reveals the exact method which Satan uses as he goes about seeking to stop that which is occurring.
Satan seeks to prevent fruit-bearing through a number of means revealed in the first three parts of the parable of the sower. And throughout the dispensation, he has been successful in his confrontation with the vast majority of Christians. He has succeeded in preventing most from bearing fruit.
But the preceding has not been true of all Christians. Many have been victorious over Satan's methods and schemes. They have overcome the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. And, as a result, they have brought forth and continue to bring forth fruit. And it is these Christians, the ones bearing fruit, that Satan is seen directing his attack against in the parable of the wheat and tares, seeking to stop that which is occurring.
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My first thing is that a servant is a christian and a beleiver.

Strong's Number: 1401 servant Transliterated: doulos Phonetic: doo'-los

Text: from 1210; a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): --bond(-man), servant.

Strong's Number: 4190 evil Transliterated: poneros Phonetic: pon-ay-ros'

Text: from a derivative of 4192; hurtful, i.e. evil (properly, in effect or influence, and thus differing from 2556, which refers rather to essential character, as well as from 4550, which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively, calamitous; also (but) ill, i.e. diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners: - -bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness). See also 4191.

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i dnt agree with ur points...... they are well thought of but not agreeable... how could you question the bible?

only in heaven will we find the answers for such questions so why waste energy that you could use to praise GOOOOOOD now!!!

think about this....
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THis story is do be prepared for the coming of christ, be wise and bear all you have for he will accept all. The lord does not think kindly of the ones that turn blind to him or are sinners. The oil is the repersentation of reconslitation
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Big Island,

Look at the word axiomatic. It means: A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument; a postulate.

Notice the expression “self-evident”.

I once read that if a certain muscle contains a lot of a certain nutrient, then it’s axiomatic that that nutrient is necessary for the function of that muscle.

What is the “secret”?

If I drive through a farming community and observe a farmer out planting seeds, we call that farming. He’s planting seeds for the sake of reaping a harvest.

Jesus took this idea and by the wisdom of God extracted the things out of it that makes it work, and then applied it to himself. He also taught others how to do it. In essence, HE PUT IT ON. HE PUT IT IN THE FIRST PERSON. He put on the principle of sowing and reaping.

When we look at a farmer, HE IS FARMING. When we attempt to use same the principle upon ourselves it’s called…..Drum roll please!

“KEEPING A SECRET”.

This entire hullabaloo about seeds and candles under bushels is merely Jesus’ teaching on faith and how it works. The subject matter is FAITH.

He’s saying that when we pray to God for something we have to declare it a “SECRET”. We literally say it out loud “heavenly father I declare it a divine “secret”; that I have received such and such (-whatever you have asked for in prayer), by faith, and I will not attempt in any way to exalt myself though attempts to bring this to light. It will remain a secret forever”.

The term SECRET is axiomatic to the principle itself. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO SHOW UP IN YOUR LIFE, YOU HAVE TO DECLARE IT A SECRET, AND THEN KEEP IT A SECRET FROM THE WORLD AROUND YOU. Anything less is going the opposite direction-the direction of mans reward-PEW! (lordy thaz nassy.)

YOU DON’T WANT THAT. Mans reward is not always good. If you want Gods reward then you have to declare it a “secret” and then keep it a secret from the world around you.

Apparently the human heart or spirit is a revealer of “secrets”. But you have to establish a secret in prayer and then maintain the secrecy.

Why would that be?

Job 28:21
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.

When we seal Gods word within our hearts/spirits, we are “hiding” it from the fowls of the air that Jesus taught were the satanic forces in this world that want to devour that seed.

“Hiding” is synonymous with “secret” or “keeping a secret” (it’s merely a metaphor for planting). We are in essence hiding the Word of God within our hearts behind a pane of proverbial glass that all hell wants to come into for the sake of devouring the seed. As long as we keep it secret, we are keeping it in a place where Satan can’t get in and devour it. If we attempt to take it to the world through helping ourselves to mans reward I.E. self exaltation, we open the door to the devil and HE TAKES IT TO US.

When we take it to the world through “acting our faith”-WRONG, THE WORLD AND THE DEVIL, TAKES IT TO US (BAD).This would be accounted for by the expression “the cares of this world ENTERING IN, chokes the word and it becometh unfruitful”. Found in the parable of the sower. The cares of this world-worrying about how to “act your faith”-has to “enter in”. It can’t’ enter in when we have no connection or ties to the world by virtue of sealing off attempts to bring it to pass ourselves.

When we stack the various overtones of hiddeness over our lives we lock ourselves in the “secret place of the most high” as David said. It then is just a matter of time before God exalts us into the open. But it’s a lifestyle not a temporary fad.

Mark 7:24
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

In the Old Testament a man demanded to know the name of the angel that was standing before him representing God. What did the angel say his name was? “Why do you ask me my name seeing it is SECRET” was the angels/Gods response.

This is axiomatic as to how God works in this earth. He wants to be hidden within our hearts and kept a secret. Again why? Because the human spirit is a culminator of sorts, it’s a revealer of secrets much like ground grows seeds that are planted. If God is held within our hearts in this hidden mode, there will come a time when he can show up in our lives I.E. MANIFEST. But until then, he beckons to be regarded as a secret-a planted seed.

I hope this helps.

Tell know man.

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Hey man, hope by now you had returned, THE LORD will bless you and keep you in his sight. God loves you.
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Do you think that there are consequences for our sin? Is it possible, for example, that health problems can be a direct result or consequence for a life of eating junk food?
I'm dealing with a rebelious kid... he's lied, then we've caught him and he's apologized. Then he's lied again. Again, we've caught him later on and he's apologized. Each time, we've gone straight back to having the arms wide open like the father in this story. But it keeps happening again and again. The kid says that he's sorry and that he's been like the prodigal son and we must forgive him because that's what God wants us to do. And forgive, I will gladly do. However, trust is another thing completely... and I'm really struggling with understanding how the "unconditional forgiveness" fits into the whole picture. Does God want us to continue to put ourselves in the position of being lied to and yelled at over and over again? Is that healthy and a part of loving people like He does?
And I'm wondering, are we projecting an attitude onto the older son that was never expressed in Scripture? I think that the older son must have seen how hurt the father had been during the time that his younger son was gone. And that must've hurt him too. And I think that there is the part in me (as the older son type) that wants to know that there is a reason that I'm following hard after God and being faithful to my family and to the things He has called me to. If living life for myself and giving into my ungodly desires has no consequence, then why shouldn't I indulge myself? See, the difference I see between the two sons is that one gave into the sinful desires and another held strong because of his faith in God and his love for his father. It's not a sin to be tempted - heck, Jesus Christ was tempted in the New Testament. What IS a sin though, is when we give in to those desires.
How do I PRACTICALLY respond to the prodigal son... especially when it's hard to tell if he's really returned? After the arms wide open and the party and the ring... what then? PLEASE HELP ME!!!
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i am interested with the plant growth cycle including its seed's size and weght, and height of a mature plant.
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Hitch (and others): Bighouse has pegged the kingdom parables of Matt. ch. 13.
Consider that Jesus explained two of them (vs 18-23, 37-43). If the focus would have changed wouldn't our Lord have said so. Especially since the disciples understood the other parables without explaination (v 51).
Leavened bread was prescibed for peace offerings in Lev. 7:13. All other instances of peace offerings is represented by animal sacrifice and/or the fat thereof. As for Lev 7:13; "Leaven, commonly used at social feasts, was permitted in the thank offering because this was the spontaneous expression of devotion from lives that were not entirely rid of sin and evil in every case(v 13). It taught that everything eaten is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. (1Tim. 4:4-5; 1Cor. 10:23, 30) and that food which enters the stomach does not defile a man (Mt. 15:11)." --Dake commentary on Lev. 7:13
As for the 'foul fowls', certainly the dove denotes the Holy Spirit, but here again if we keep the train of thought being taught by the Lord in Matt. 13, these particular birds must be evil.
As for Strongs ref. 3772; it could mean --- the sky, right?
Consider this. The kingdom parables are taught as a warning to the Church. Dovetail this with the letters to the churches in Rev. and the endtime teaching on false teachers and doctrine. The church will be and has been infultrated by false doctine. Now reread the kingdom parables and consider what the Lord is warning. "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." v.9.

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As you treat others in life so to shall ye be treated.

Forgive others and you will be forgiven. Be merciful to others and God will show you mercy.

What we see in life is a dim reflection of ourselves.


God does work through everyone and every thing.

The good the bad and the ugly.

Be merciful to thers when they wrong you, forgive them and you will find that people will treat you the same.

Love your brother as you love yourself.

Forgive others and God will forgive you.



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