Thanks for the insights - they help in sermon prep. I've been reading what Dr. Martin Luther King said:
ON BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR
Martin Luther King
And who is my neighbour?
Luke 10: 29

I SHOULD LIKE to talk with you about a good man, whose exemplary life will always be a flashing light to plague the dozing conscience of mankind. His goodness was not found in a passive commitment to a particular creed, but in his active participation in a life saving deed; not in a moral pilgrimage that reached its destination point, but in the love ethic by which he journeyed life's highway. He was good because he was a good neighbor.
The ethical concern of this man is expressed in a magnificent little story, which begins with a theological discussion on the meaning of eternal life and concludes in a concrete expression of compassion on a dangerous road. Jesus is asked a question by a man who had been trained in the details of Jewish law: "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life." The retort is prompt: "What is written in the law? How readest thou?" After a moment the lawyer recites articulately: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Then comes the decisive word from Jesus: "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."
The lawyer was chagrined. "Why," the people might ask, "would an expert in law raise a question that even the novice can answer?" Desiring to justify himself and to show that Jesus' reply was far from conclusive, the lawyer asks, "And who is my neighbour?" The lawyer was now taking up the cudgels of debate that might have turned the conversation into an abstract theological discussion. But Jesus, determined not to be caught in the "paralysis of analysis," pulls the question from mid air and places it on a dangerous curve between Jerusalem and Jericho.
He told the story of "a certain man" who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers who stripped him, beat him, and, departing, left him half dead. By chance a certain priest appeared, but he passed by on the other side, and later a Levite also passed by. Finally, a certain Samaritan, a half-breed from a people with whom the Jews had no dealings, appeared. When he saw the wounded man, he was moved with compassion, administered first aid, placed him on his beast, "and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."
Who is my neighbor? "I do not know his name," says Jesus in essence. "He is anyone toward whom you are neighborly. He is anyone who lies in need at life's roadside. He is neither Jew nor Gentile; he is neither Russian nor American; he is neither Negro nor white. He is 'a certain man' any needy man on one of the numerous Jericho roads of life." So Jesus defines a neighbor, not in a theological definition, but in a life situation.
What constituted the goodness of the good Samaritan? Why will he always be an inspiring paragon of neighborly virtue? It seems to me that this man's goodness may be described in one word altruism. The good Samaritan was altruistic to the core. What is altruism? The dictionary defines altruism as "regard for, and devotion to, the interest of others." The Samaritan was good because he made concern for others the first law of his life.
The Samaritan had the capacity for a universal altruism. He had a piercing insight into that which is beyond the eternal accidents of race, religion, and nationality. One of the great tragedies of man’s, long trek along the highway of history has been the limiting of neighborly concern to tribe, race, class, or nation. The God of early Old Testament days was a tribal god and the ethic was tribal. "Thou shalt not kill" meant "'Thou shalt not kill a fellow Israelite, but for God's sake, kill a Philistine." Greek democracy embraced certain aristocracy, but not the hordes of Greek slaves whose labors built the city states. The universalism at the center of the Declaration of Independence has been shamefully negated by America's appalling tendency to substitute "some" for "all." Numerous people in the North and South still believe that the affirmation, "All men are created equal," means "All white men are created equal." Our unswerving devotion to monopolistic capitalism makes us more concerned about the economic security of the captains of industry than for the laboring men whose sweat and skills keep industry functioning.
What are the devastating consequences of this narrow, group-centered attitude? It means that one does not really mind what happens to the people outside his group. If an American is concerned only about his nation, he will not be concerned about the peoples of Asia, Africa, or South America. Is this not why nations engage in the madness of war without the slightest sense of penitence? Is this not why the murder of a citizen of your own nation is a crime, but the murder of the citizens of another nation in war is an act of heroic virtue? If manufacturers are concerned only in their personal interests, they will pass by on the other side while thousands of working people are stripped of their jobs and left displaced on some Jericho road as a result of automation, and they will judge every move toward a better distribution of wealth and a better life for the working man to be socialistic. If a white man is concerned only about his race, he will casually pass by the Negro who has been robbed of his personhood, stripped of his sense of dignity, and left dying on some wayside road.
A few years ago, when an automobile carrying several members of a Negro college basketball team had an accident on a Southern highway, three of the young men were severely injured. An ambulance was immediately called, but on arriving at the place of the accident, the driver, who was white, said without apology that it was not his policy to service Negroes, and he drove away. The driver of a passing automobile graciously drove the boys to the nearest hospital, but the attending physician belligerently said, "We don't take niggers in this hospital." When the boys finally arrived at a "colored" hospital in a town some fifty miles from the scene of the accident, one was dead and the other two died thirty and fifty minutes later respectively. Probably all three could have been saved if they had been given immediate treatment. This is only one of thousands of inhuman incidents that occur daily in the South, an unbelievable expression of the barbaric consequences of any tribal centered, national centered, or racial centered ethic.
The real tragedy of such narrow provincialism is that We see people as entities or merely as things. Too seldom do we see people in their true humanness. A spiritual myopia limits our vision to external accidents. We see men as Jews or Gentiles, Catholics or Protestants, Chinese or American, Negroes or whites. We fail to think of them as fellow human beings made from the same basic stuff as we, molded in the same divine image. The priest and the Levite saw only a bleeding body, not a human being like themselves. But the good Samaritan will always remind us to remove the cataracts of provincialism from our spiritual eyes and see men as men. If the Samaritan had considered the wounded man as a Jew first, he would not have stopped, for the Jews and the Samaritans had no dealings. He saw him as a human being first, who was a Jew only by accident. The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.
The Samaritan possessed the capacity for a dangerous altruism. He risked his life to save a brother. When we ask why the priest and the Levite did not stop to help the wounded man, numerous suggestions come to mind. Perhaps they could not delay their arrival at an important ecclesiastical meeting. Perhaps religious regulations demanded that they touch no human body for several hours prior to the performing of their temple functions. Or perhaps they were on their way to an organizational meeting of a Jericho Road Improvement Association. Certainly this would have been a real need, for it is not enough to aid a wounded man on the Jericho Road; it is also important to change the conditions which make robbery possible. Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary. Maybe the priest and the Levite believed that it is better to cure injustice at the causal source than to get bogged down with a single individual effect.
These are probable reasons for their failure to stop, yet there is another possibility, often overlooked, that they were afraid. The Jericho Road was a dangerous road. When Mrs. King and I visited the Holy Land, we rented a car and drove from Jerusalem to Jericho. As we traveled slowly down that meandering, mountainous road, I said to my wife, "I can now understand why Jesus chose this road as the setting for his parable." Jerusalem is some two thousand feet above and Jericho one thousand feet below sea level. The descent is made in less than twenty miles. Many sudden curves provide likely places for ambushing and exposes the traveler to unforeseen attacks. Long ago the road was known as the Bloody Pass. So it is possible that the Priest and the Levite were afraid that if they stopped, they too would be beaten. Perhaps the robbers were still nearby. Or maybe the wounded man on the ground was a faker, who wished to draw passing travelers to his side for quick and easy seizure. I imagine that the first question which the priest and the Levite, asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?" The good Samaritan engaged in a dangerous altruism.
We so often ask, "What will happen to my job, my prestige, or my status if I take a stand on this issue? Will my home be bombed, will my life be threatened, or will I be jailed?" The good man always reverses the question. Albert Schweitzer did not ask, "What will happen to my prestige and security as a university professor and to my status as a Bach organist, if I work with the people of Africa?" but rather he asked, "What will happen to these millions of people who have been wounded by the forces of injustice, if I do not go to them?" Abraham Lincoln did not ask, "What will happen to me if I issue the Emancipation Proclamation and bring an end to chattel' slavery?" but he asked, "What will happen to the Union and to millions of Negro people, if I fail to do it?" The Negro professional does not ask, "What will happen to my secure position, my middle-class status, or my personal safety, if I participate in the movement to end the system of segregation?" but "What will happen to the cause of justice and the masses of Negro people who have never experienced the warmth of economic security, if I do not participate actively and courageously in the movement?"
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.

The Samaritan also possessed excessive altruism. With his own hands he bound the wounds of the man and then set him on his own beast. It would have been easier to pay an ambulance to take the unfortunate man to the hospital, rather than risk having his neatly trimmed suit stained with blood.
True altruism is more than the capacity to pity; it is the capacity to sympathize. Pity may represent little more than the impersonal concern which prompts the mailing of a check, but true sympathy is the personal concern which demands the giving of one's soul. Pity may arise from interest in an abstraction called humanity, but gympathy grows out of a concern for a particular needy human beig who li'es at Iges roadside. ~7mpath7 is fetow teellng for the person in need his pain, agony, and burdens. Our missionary efforts fail when they are based on pity, rather than true compassion. Instead of seeking to do something with the African and Asian peoples, we have too often sought only to do something for them. An expression of pity, devoid of genuine sympathy, leads to a new form of paternalism which no self respecting person can accept. Dollars possess the potential for helping wounded children of God on life's Jericho Road, but unless those dollars are distributed by compassionate fingers they will enrich neither the giver nor the receiver. Millions of missionary dollars have gone to Africa from the hands of church people who would die a million deaths before they would permit a single African the privilege of worshiping in their congregation. Millions of Peace Corps dollars are being invested in Africa because of the votes of some men who fight unrelentingly to prevent African ambassadors from holding membership in their diplomatic clubs or establish residency in their particular neighborhoods. The Peace Corps win fail if it seeks to do something for the underprivileged peoples of the world; it will succeed if it seeks creatively to do something with them. It will fail as a negative gesture to defeat Communism; it will succeed only as a positive effort to wipe poverty, ignorance, and disease from the earth. Money devoid of love is like salt devoid of savor, good for nothing except to be trodden under the foot of men. True neighborliness requires personal concern. The Samaritan used his hands to bind up the wounds of the robbed man's body, and he also released an overflowing love to bind up the wounds of his broken spirit.
Another expression of the excessive altruism on the part of the Samaritan was his willingness to go far beyond the call of duty. After tending to the man's wounds, he put him on his beast, carried him to an inn, and left money for his care, making clear that if further financial needs arose he would gladly meet them. "Whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again ' I will repay thee." Stopping short of this, he would have more than fulfilled any possible rule concerning one's duty to a wounded stranger. He went beyond the second mile. His love was complete.
Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick has made an impressive distinction between enforceable and unenforceable obligations. The former are regulated by the codes of society and the vigorous implementation of law enforcement agencies. Breaking these obligations, spelled out on thousands of pages in law books, has filled numerous prisons. But unenforceable obligations are beyond the reach of the laws of society. They concern inner attitudes, genuine person to person relations, and expressions of compassion which law books cannot regulate and jails cannot rectify. Such obligations are met by one's commitment to an inner law, written on the heart. Man made laws assure justice, but a higher law produces love. No code of conduct ever persuaded a father to love his children or a husband to show affection to his wife. The law court may force him to provide bread for the family, but it cannot make him provide the bread of love. A good father is obedient to the unenforceable. The good Samaritan represents the conscience of mankind because he also was obedient to that which could not be enforced. No law in the world could have produced such unalloyed compassion, such genuine love, such thorough altruism.
In our nation today a mighty struggle is taking place. It is a struggle to conquer the reign of an evil monster called segregation and its inseparable twin called discrimination a monster that has wandered through this land for well nigh one hundred years, stripping millions of Negro people of their sense of dignity and robbing them of their birthright of freedom.
Let us never succumb to the temptation of believing that legislation and judicial decrees play only minor roles in solving this problem. Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless. The law cannot make an employer love an employee, but it can prevent him from refusing to hire me because of the color of my skin. The habits, if not the hearts, of people have been and are being altered every day by legislative acts, judicial decisions, and executive orders. Let us not be misled by those who argue that segregation cannot be ended by the force of law.
But acknowledging this, we must admit that the ultimate solution to the race problem lies in the willingness of men to obey the unenforceable. Court orders and federal enforcement agencies are of inestimable value in achieving desegregation, but desegregation is only a partial, though necessary, step toward the final goal which we seek to realize, genuine intergroup and interpersonal living. Desegregation will break down the legal barriers and bring men together physically, but something must touch the hearts and souls of men so that they will come together spiritually because it is natural and right. A vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws will bring an end to segregated public facilities which are barriers to a truly desegregated society, but it cannot bring an end to fears, prejudice, pride, and irrationality, which are the barriers to a truly integrated society. These dark and demonic responses will be removed only as men are possessed by the invisible, inner law which etches on their hearts the conviction that all men are brothers and that love is mankind's most potent weapon for personal and social transformation. True integration will be achieved by true neighbors who are willingly obedient to unenforceable obligations.
More than ever before, my friends, men of all races and nations are today challenged to be neighborly. The call for a worldwide good-neighbor policy is more than an ephemeral shibboleth; it is the call to a way of life which will transform our imminent cosmic elegy into a psalm of creative fulfillment. No longer can we afford the luxury of passing by on the other side. Such folly was once called moral failure; today it will lead to universal suicide. We cannot long survive spiritually separated in a world that is geographically together. In the final analysis, I must not ignore the wounded man on life's Jericho Road, because he is a part of me and I am a part of him. His agony diminishes me, and his salvation enlarges me.
In our quest to make neighborly love a reality, we have, in addition to the inspiring example of the good Samaritan, the magnanimous life of our Christ to guide us. His altruism was universal, for he thought of all men, even publicans, and sinners, as brothers. His altruism was dangerous, for he willingly traveled hazardous roads in a cause he knew was right. His altruism was excessive, for he chose to die on Calvary, history's most magnificent expression of obedience to the unenforceable.

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"Why were the first paid last, and the last first?

The pay God's servants receive is enternal life, and is characterized by the penny. Therefore, those who are granted the assurance of a never ending life first, are those who were hired last, and according to the parable, it was the company called at the eleventh hour. They are those who are marked or sealed by the man with the writer's inkhorn of Ezekiel 9, or as John calls him, the angle with the seal of God: and he sealed, or marked, 144,000. Rev. 7:1-8. This glorious company are the first who are granted the assurance of never tasting death. Thus they are paid first, but those who were called early in the morning (Ancient Israel) are to receive their reward, enternal life when they are resurrected. "So the last shall be first, and the first, last."

Why was he calling those questioning him evil? Was he calling them evil?

They that murmured represent that part of the Jewish nation who were unworthy, and the phrase, "Friend, I do thee no wrong... Take that thine is, and go thy way," denotes the rejection of the nation.

Note that those who were hired last were paid first, and the first, last. As all were equally regarded, the ones hired first murmured, though they were paid in full. Their disdainful act denotes that the Jewish nation was unworthy of their hire, and the Goodman said to them, "Take that thine is, and go ty way." As Ancient Israel is represented by the first called, so shall they be the last paid.
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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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teaching vacation bible school. the kids would love to see what a mustard tree loos like.

thank you
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Very good points
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The second message is more complete, it has more to it at the bottom!
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I think that this parable is a great way of christian love. I think it is good because, the samaritan and the jews never liked each other and the only person that helped the jew on the road of jericho was a samaritan. Tnis is showing that the man that helped the jew wasn't racist. In the same way as this samaritan loved this man as much as he loved his own people, we also should have the same kind of love for all races. We shouldn't have a grudge against people of certain races. Loving all races is a positive kind of love. This is a great example of Agape love. Christian love.
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Hey.
For a project I need to know the scientific name for yeast. No specific kind, just the scientific name for all yeast.
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Kevin,

You made some heavy references to Luke 16:1-13. Considering how important it seems to you, how could you have overlooked Luke 16:13? "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

Be wary in your pursuit of money.
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do us a favor and get some manners please. these people are here to discuss the bible, not write your hw for you.

god bless
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The talents were to The Apostles and To those (all of us who know the word) of different ranks in life whether it be Preacher or Minister or Church member, to share Christ with all.Not to hide him in our pocket. Even if we are small or great, we all will be judged according our deeds.
Rev. 21 :12
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life application of the growth of mustard seed
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Emilee, I have just come across this site as I gave a children sermon on having the faith of a mustard seed. If you still have this picture that you mentioned above, would you email it to me? It is amazing that these trees grew so large in the days Jesus was here on earth and we never hear of a mustard tree. I would find this very amazing to see one. Thank you so much for your time. God bless!
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15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

18"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'

19"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

21"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

22" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

What would it be like in our day form? What is the catholic belief evident in my parable? And what dose it mean?

If anyone can please help me on this, please email me at:

grace.colquhoun@stclaresc.act.edu.au

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pls. give me an ending to the parable of good samaritan!
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I was saved on Jun, 22. of this year. I felt the holyspirit come over me and through me, I felt so alive and clean. I was rejoycing!! It has been a month and a half now. and for some reason I have become, not interested in reading the bible..I feel losted. At first I read it. but not now. I have to keep fighting to get it back. Meaning I still and will always have it. But it seems I some how have given it back to God without knowing it. Although this I have been possessed, and if you think a saved christian can not be possessed? YOU ARE WRONG! Because one has to be saved in order to cast the demons out. But anyway...

losing your salvation

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Posted by Samantha on Monday, March 24 2003

Fred what did you mean by yet he was saved yet so as by fire. I don't understand what you are saying here?

what does this mean??


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Short parable, but meaningful! The truly saved WILL bring forth fruit, just by the true indwelling of the Spirit! Two ways to look at the last verse...one, as the second coming occuring at the fulfillment of the kingdom, and two, as our branches getting "pruned" when full to that we can produce more fruit. Chrys _________________ Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth.


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I don't fully undertsand this one.... God calls these people at diffrent times, and gives each person the same reward for thier diligance, I understand that, but I do not understand the lines:
(15) Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
(16) So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Were all not called and chosen? They all were rewarded. Why was he calling those questioning him evil? Was he calling them evil? What is this about first and last? Did they all not come up for pay at the same time?

Can anyone help me out with this one?

--Asherea
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Maybe it just means that barren people should die... but not necessarily right away. Let barren women wither in their infertility awhile. What is all this about Israel???
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This is not the complete story about the two sons.
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Quote: The ultimate sin, is sin against the holy spirit!

That is not what the bible says! I am tired of these lying preachers adding to the Word of God!

Matthew 12
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

Example of blasphemy against the Spirit

Matthew 12
22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said, "Can this be the son of David?"
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons."


blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for the Holy Spirit, calling the work of the Holy as Evil)
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On behalf of everybody who like me has been martyred by the evil servants in charge of churches through calling the police to remove us from church or arranging hostile psychiatric hospitalization on account of spoiled rotten begging, I thank God for His words which justify us (Matt. 5:42, 6:24ff, 7:7) and promise our deliverance (Matt. 24:45-25:30).

We who have suffered such abominable punishments deserve to know well that we have no rewards waiting in heaven for us for patiently enduring under punishment from evil servants in charge or, especially, for going over the line between right and wrong in our begging... because Matt. 7:6 and I Peter 2:20 were printed in copies of the Holy Bible available to us long before our sufferings. Therefore, such a pastor as may dominate us now to keep our grievances quiet has no crowns in heaven to offer us for accepting his church discipline, and our rewards in heaven will be far greater if we cry out and call the church leaders completely to account for such failings as broken promises to spread the Gospel throughout the whole world by the year 2000.

Jesus Christ will be far more satisfied with us and able to bless us if we become completely frank with Him in prayer and no longer hold back our hearts. Failing to help us in our times of greatest need on earth through needed divine intervention, He has provided for absolutely incredible vengeance against the evil servants in charge (Matt. 24:45-51) in place of more years of freedom to apostatize in which to enjoy being completely healed and established as we might prefer. That the churches have already failed to fulfill their promises to evangelize the world by the year 2000 has changed the proper interpretation of Matthew 24:45-25:30 incredibly adversely for the evil servants in charge from offices to pulpits.

Because so many church leaders and evangelists have made and broken these promises, it is now patently apparent that they are unable to plan to spread the Gospel throughout the world with a testimony to all peoples (Matt. 24:14, Mark 14:9) and follow through on their promises. Well, the clock is ticking! The generation of Jews who saw Israel become a nation when they were twenty years old is aging, and God's holy Name is at stake to return before they all pass away. For this reason, the loss of morale among missionaries from failing to fulfill their promises to evangalize the world by the year 2000 cannot continue to drive churches inward to build the home church building and congregation and ignore world evangelism. In this context, the pastors' pretext that the judgements of Matthew 24:45-25:30 would be carried out in Heaven with the ever forgiving character of Jesus Christ as master must be torn to shreds; for if they should get their way, world evangelism will NEVER happen to make Jesus Christ return when He promised! Let us examine the judgements of Matthew 24:45-51 as possibe on earth with human masters or groups of humans as masters. This is now necessary to bring about world evangelism and the rapture of the saints.

Now seek I to bring about the judgement of the servants in charge as soon as possible on this earth (Matthew 24:45-51) so that without the hindrances of the Church Growth Movement, world evangelism may be attempted under faithful leadership, which unlike the Church Growth Movement will remember the need to memorialize Mary's anonymous anointing of Jesus Christ at Bethany if our spread of the Gospel really be worldwide (Mark 14:9, John 12:1-3). The power to judge is not yet in the right hands, yet our omnipotent Lord, praised be his name!--is surely able to bestow it. Promises from the American government such as our First, Fifth, and Eighth Amendment rights must fail, however that may happen, in order to judge the evil servants in charge with amputations and floggings as Jesus said would be done (Matt. 24:45-51, Luke 12:42-48); still I say, our awesome God is omnipotent and able to accomplish this, and both to those who pray to keep America safe and secure and to national enemies who would rejoice in an invasion or a coup d'etat I remember my citizenship in heaven and offer the Lord's Prayer just the same. American constitutional rights are defending injustices which Jesus Christ will not tolerate just before His return. Still, unless the United States Congress and the state legislators wake up to the reality of the end times and find some way to permit the imposition of the judgements upon the evil servants in charge prescribed by Jesus Christ, God's will could turn in an extremely adverse direction very fast in order to allow the ousting of bad pastors so that world evangelism may be accomplished.

And now I announce judgements. The demands of all the flock's wealth and amputations made by telephone in 2001 of the Meier family at Twin City Bible Church in Urbana, IL 61801, in place of failure to provide fifty million dollars requestewd in 1997 and 1998 to be obtained by begging to compensate Kevin Douglas Rosenberg for ruinous, utterly needless, admittedly mistaken psychiatric captivity and drugging (sin of witchcraft, Gal. 5:19, Greek), will accrue more demanded amputations before God: a thumb's weight weekly if evil servant in charge Bill Meier dare escape what was demanded before into the afternoon of December 26, 2003 UT. I myself cannot impose this, yet I dare ask Jesus his Lord, and He encourages me to keep on asking (Matt. 7:7). I have had to sin habitually because of Bill's influence on pastors to keep me quiet until I had to junk church after church to escape their domination, and I call down Matt. 18:5-7 to curse Twin City Bible Church like the fig tree in the name of Jesus Christ and send Bill's flock destitute for nearby churches to send out.

I do not possess such power as to bring this all about, yet still I thank God again for the Scriptures to show my current ways right before Him and to deliver me from the power of the evil servants in charge of today's churches through His will for vengeance. May God help our mentally ill brethren and everyone else in Him who needs assistance and has trouble asking for it among English speakers in authority. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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I AM A PRODIGAL SON. I RETURNED TO THE FAITH OF MY YOUTH AND LIKE AN ADDICT WHO RETURNS TO HIS ADDICTION AFTER A LONG TIME AWAY FROM IT FINDS HE IS ADDICTED AT THE LEVEL HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD HE NEVER BEEN FREE OF IT.
I EMBRACED MY FAITH AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN I HAD THIRTY YEARS BEFORE. I AM ECSTATIC AT BEING FORGIVEN AND TAKEN BACK INTO THE FOLD OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE LOVING BODY OF CHRISTS CHURCH.
MY DAUGHTER LEFT THE MY PREVIOUS CHURCH AND EMBRACED ANOTHER WHOLE HEARTEDLY. NOW WHEN I LONG TO COMMUNE WITH ALL MY CHILDREN ABOUT GODS LOVE AND HIS WORD SHE BECOMES HOSTILE TOWARD ME AND MY FAITH AND DEFENSIVE ABOUT HER OWN.
I SEE THE PRODIGAL SON PARABLE IN THAT LIGHT. SHE AS THE ONE WHO STAYED WITH THE FATHER BUT RESENTS ME FOR COMING BACK TO GOD WITH HUMILITY AND GRATITUDE AND WANTING TO SPREAD GODS LOVE TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW IT LIKE I DO. SHE IS NOT REALLY WITH THE FATHER AND DOES NOT KNOW HIS MESSAGE OF LOVE TO ALL SINNERS BUT LIKE THE PHARASEES STICKS STRICTLY TO THE LETTER OF THE LAW AS SHE SEES IT THROUGH HER INSTRUCTION. I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE I AM JUDGING HER BUT I AM THE ONE WHO LISTENS TO HER ACID TOUNGUE AND PRAY SILENTLY FOR HER SOUL TO MYSELF, ASKING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO OPEN HER MIND TO SEE HER PRIDE TAKING CONTROL OF HER THOUGHTS. WE PARENTS LOVE OUR CHILDREN NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO OR SAY TO US. IT BREAKS MY HEART NOT FOR ANY INJUSTICE THAT SHE OR I HAVE CAUSED EACH OTHER ALTHOUGH I WAS WRONG FOR TOO LONG BUT BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE LIKE HIS SON AND 'FORGIVE THEM THEIR TRESSPASSES.' I DON'T TAKE HER WORDS AS AN AFRONT TO MYSELF BUT TO GOD. THAT MAKES ME SAD , KNOWING ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US AND WE STILL DON'T TRUELY UNDERSTAND HIS MESSAGE 'LOVE ONE ANOTHER'
I THOUGHT I'D SEND HER A LETTER QUOTING THE 15th chapter of Luke and the good son in the prodigal son parable but I see from your responses how many ways she could misinterpret it, so I'll just pray more intensly for all my children and trust in his will.
Thank you for the insight you have given me.

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I am trying to research the mustard plant, with special interest in the mustard "tree" mentioned in these passages. Where can I go to find out more. For instance you have mentioned near the Sea of Galilee and near Damascus the mustard tree of scripture is found. Where did you get that info.? What is the documentation? I would like to research this but need documentation so I know where to look for more info. Please help.

In Christ's Service,
Loran Haugsted
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Well this present kingdom(till JESUS returns and included his reign). The church started off small and now it is big(just like the mustard seed) and there are other religions considered as CHRISTIANDOM which are not and it is up to CHRIST in the end to get rid of the tares among the wheat. These kingdom of heaven parables are not the goody goody thing that everyone thinks they are. You have two groups in this section of Matthew: the multitude(Those with no ears to hear and no eyes to see) and the diciples (who represent GOD's people).The multitude will never understand these parables and JESUS explains them to the diciples how to interpet them in Matt. chapter 13,the parable of the sower. You see the Kingdom (this present day) there are Non believers and satans people (Tares in the wheat) masked by all other christian organization,they are the birds perched in the large mustard tree(the fowl that take the seed in the Sower parable).When Christ comes in his second coming he is going to change all that with his glorious rule in the millineum. You notice the LEAVEN was HID,what is there to hide,our salvation or GOD's great gift to the world I THINK NOT.



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IF YOU HAVE A PICTURE I WOULD SURE LIKE TO VIEW IT. THANKS GOD BLESS JOAN
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Sinning through work on the Sabbath for the sake of my other message, I must reply here first. You have confounded the general riches and plain gifts of rich lost folk with their offerings and sacrifices. Only their offerings and sacrifices are an abomination to the Lord.

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is unwilling to accept their terms. Why, in the fifteenth century, rich folk bought false salvations without their repentance or faith when a monk named Johann Tetzel sold them indulgences! Our Lord, however, is unwilling to grant salvation in exchange for the willful offerings and sacrifices of rich lost folk: just read the story of the rich young man! (Matt. 19:16-26 ) The seeker of salvation who trusts in his or her wealth to purchase salvation even today still is to be told to sell everything he or she may own before returning to follow Christ.

I conclude that although Jesus plans for us Christians to use wealth from the rich folk of this world, never will He acquiesce in becoming thoroughly beholden to them. And so it is that our command from Him in Luke 16:9 is to make friends with the rich folk of this world without mention of keeping them. If we as congregations should deplete the favor of rich folk in our midsts, He will call us to flee the resulting persecution (Matt. 10:23) -- not necessarily for reasons explicitly of our faith. Jesus Christ can call groups of at least two Christians to flee, together or whither the first has taken refuge, just because psychiatry is coming after two of them, or just because psychiatry pursues one while another finds no welcome for his witness of Christ, or just because nobody among the lost people nearby will listen to the Word, or just because the rich folk never give freely but instead seek what Jesus in truth always denies them, or even because the rich folk of this world there see fit to give only what they most please, such as earrings, rather than what can be made useful for Christian ministry! I tell you, it is easy for groups of genuine Christians to get called by Christ to flee together!

In the name of Jesus Christ I warn you strongly not to use the Lord's Name in vain. By lumping the wealth of the wicked which they keep and their plainest gifts to the poor with offerings and sacrifices and calling it all "an abomination to the ****", Patsy, you have profaned the Name of the Lord. Please repent now! As for me, I am miserable, and we serve the Lord mostly in order to be happy. I need hearkenings to my requests for a congregation already faithful even in (with) the unrighteous mammon of Luke 16 as soon as possible to have any chance whatsoever to be happy and keep His commandments. Please read my newest posting.

+++Kevin Douglas Rosenberg
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Nothing seems to be easier than seeing someone whom you can help but not helping.
I suggest we start giving it a try. Give love to the ones that need it.
God will appreciate it.
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I think his name should be Aragorn.
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At our home group tonight wed 16th July there was a suggested tie between the 2 fig tree accounts the one where Jesus looks for fruit and the husbandman says that he would till about it for another year that it might bring forth fruit. and the other account where Jesus finds the fig tree without fruit. This was suggested that prehaps it showed that the farmer was not merciful to the poor in not leaving figs on his tree for the poor. or prehaps like a picture of Israel were fruitless as a nation in leading others to the living God whom they had a mandate to share the truth of the merciful and just God whom men will have to do with at the end time. they obviously did not think the way Paul the apostle thought after his conversion shown to us in his letter to the Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek".
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Title of Message: The authority of the kingdom now and its full power later
Central Point or Truth: The power and authority of the Kingdom of God is in operation now. “The kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history” (Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, 91). The kingdom of God is not only a future realm but the present dynamic power and dominion of Jesus in this present history as it is known. The parable conveys the point that “the ‘kingdom’ in question was not a realm or a people but the right to reign as king. According to this passage, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God in terms of the exercise of divine royal power” (Ladd, Jesus and the Kingdom, 132). The kingdom of God now is not only God’s rein, which is similar to the concept that rabbinic Judaism held, “it is rather a dynamic power at work among men” (Ladd, 235). The power as demonstrated in the person and mission of Jesus the Christ. Those who did not recognize the present power and rule of the kingdom would be condemned at the future consummation of God’s kingdom.

Context:
Jesus was possibly speaking to the crowd, the disciples, and the scribes, his opponents. The scribes had been entrusted with the spiritual leadership of the nation. These leaders did not accept Jesus’ authority. A recent political incident was a part of their memory. “This parable closely parallels the details of the trip of Archelaus, son of Herod the Great, to Rome in 4 B.C. to receive imperial ratification of his hereditary claim to rule Judea, along with the Jewish embassy which opposed him and Archelaus’s subsequent revenge of the Judeans” (Blomberg, 218). There was an expectation by some that the kingdom of God would appear immediately (Luke 19:11). Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and it was there that some possible believed he might set up the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. The parable of the talents, particularly in Luke’s account, relates to his triumphant entry into Jerusalem as king. “The progression towards Jerusalem takes place ‘after he had said this’. These words establish a link with the preceding periscope. That periscope has indicated that the kingdom will not appear immediately in Jerusalem. However, the subsequent story has an almost immediate declaration of Jesus’ kingship in Jerusalem. The apparent futurity of the kingdom in v. 11 must be read in the context of the presence of the kingdom in v.38 (Guy, 128). Not only is the event after the parable significant. The event prior to the parable is also important to understand the parable. “Luke’s introductory clause, ‘as they were listening to this’ v. 11, counsels against making any significant structural separation after v 10 and deans that we grapple with the relation of the parabolic teaching in vv 12-27 to the preceding account of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus (vv 1-10)” (Green, 674). Luke makes reference to the presence of salvation, today.

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it's good. i love the story.
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Hello, God's great blessings to all......I found a page in the back of a bible that had the prodigal' son's ring on it. It had 8 stones, each signifiying a different thing, such as love, peace, hope, etc. Do you have any more info on this? or the sandals? Im letting the Lord lead me into making a banner of the ring. Also, it must mean the same thing about the reconcilliation of the Jews to Israel.!! This is a new revelation of the Lord, as I am also very interested in our role as Christians to the Jews.As the Messianic movement is the bridge of reconcilliation , bringing the Jew's to Jesus. Therefore, the restoration of Israel. Please answer soon, this is quite powerful in the Lord.................Love in Christ.......Chris
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Can anyone help me? My teacher gave me an assignment, and i am not sure which perspective to take. Should the prodigal son be called the Parable of the Prodigal Father? Does the story describe a father that is prodigal with his property and at the end is prodigal with his love?
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i used this site , thanks alot for your preaching and to that kid , id have to say it is true +++_
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Hello,
I am also just starting a CGS Program here in the Sacramento area. Could you please forward the photo of the mustard tree. I am having a difficult time locating one for the class. Thank you so much! God bless, Christine
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If you're looking for a contemporary take on this parable... and any other biblical passage, for that matter, you might try Eugene Peterson's "The Message". He has done an admirable job of re-writing the Bible in today's context.
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i think it is a real tribute i do that you people can love god so mutch
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Kevin,
I too have a desire of a Reward! I want to earn a Crown, I can lay at the Feet of My Lord Jesus Christ, for He only is worthy to receive Glory, Praise and Honour from His Servants!
He died for me, He changed me, and He saved me, the only reward I want for myself, is to Hear Him say, Well done My faithful servant!
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The lost sheep of any religious sect should be considered the most sought after of all-even above the often sought after new converts. I feel many Shepherds avoid the pessimistic response of the lost sheep- fearing rejections and the all familiar comments that reminds them (and us) of valid offenses they have received among the house of friends-the church. An all too familiar status the lost sheep falls prey to is the offenses of their fellow worshippers. Thus it is the obligation of the whole 'body' not to slander, belittle or speak meaningless words or works that open the gates of our Lord's pasture-sending the precious sheep to the dangerous pastures of the world. After all, are we sure that the fence that divides the Christian from the lost ones has found us on the inside or are we on the outside of the grace of God also?
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The father in the story of the prodigal son required no proof of repentance. God's love is stronger than his vengeance, as seen in Hosea 11:9.It also teaches us that the Father's love does not depend on our actions, and He loves us unconditionally.
To Davobrian, perhaps we could think of some of the offenses we have particular difficulty forgiving. Do we give others a second chance? Take, for instance, the ex-convicts, do we give them a chance to reintegrate themselves back to society without discrimination?
The younger son travels a journey similar to all Christians. We sin and fall from grace but the Holy Spirit within us constantly reminds us to return to the father, and when we are spiritually dry, we will return. Yet, when that happens we also yearn for our brothers and sisters to welcome us, not only the Father.
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May I respectfully suggest the following : Every other reference to leaven in scripture has a bad connotation. You have already pointed out "Beware of the leaven of the pharisees" (also of the sadducees; also of Herod). In the Old Testament the first mention of leaven is that Lot (and despite everything, the New Testament refers to him as a righteous man) baked UN-leavened bread for the angels who visited him and warned him prior to the destruction of Sodom. On the day of the passover the lamb was to be eaten with bitter herbs and UN-leavened bread, and the subsequent celebration of the passover was to be characterised by "no leaven in all your houses". When Paul says "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" he was clearly warning against an evil influence (and may have been deliberately borrowing terminology from Christ in this parable). Seems to me difficult to set aside this uniform testimony of scripture in the case of this parable.

Second, note that the idea of "hiding" the leaven in the measures of meal suggests a degree of subterfuge and under-handedness. Then, (I know this will meet with some objections) bearing in mind that the woman is forbidden in scripture from teaching or exercising rule in the church, the fact that this leavening was done by "a woman" may stand for irregularity of procedure.

So the idea seems to be this : There will always be a drift towards the exercise of irregular authority and underhand effort (by whom? - by Satan) intended to infiltrate and pollute the true soul-saving gospel of Christ (thereby making it a NON-gospel, and ineffective for the rescue of guilty sinners) "until the whole is leavened" - i.e. polluted, neutralised and rendered useless and unacceptable to God. Of course the sovereign power of God will never permit things to come to this position. But the means by which He will prevent it is by just the sort of warning implicit in this parable, which puts believers on their guard against teachers who will seek as "grievous wolves" to "enter in among you, not sparing the flock..." This is in line with Jude's clarion call to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints."

This interpretation of the parable of the leaven seems in line with the preceding three parables of Christ, all of which demonstrate a similarity of thought - that the progress of the gospel will NOT go un-challenged. Parable of the Sower : A harvest only succeeds in 1 out of 4 soil types; Parable of the Wheat and Tares : Satan deliberately sows "the children of the wicked one" among them to create opposition/subversion etc. Parable of the mustard seed (also often disputed) : Growth of the mustard seed into a great tree is unnatural (indeed grotesque) growth, and seems to indicate that the original simplicity which was in the Lord Jesus Christ has suddenly been hi-jacked to become something it was never intended to be - namely a great, outwardly impressive, monolithic structure (you can think of the establishment of Christianity as "official" "proper" and "professional" religion under Constantine, subsequent development of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Episcopalianism, Connectional denominationalism etc. - these bear very little resemblance to the true nature of Christianity characterised by our Lord in the Beatitudes ("Blessed are the poor in spirit..." etc.)) Note that "The birds of the air come and lodge in the branches" - again, as recently as the parable of the sower, the birds of the air have the negative connotation of "the wicked one" who "catches away that which was sown..." so the nesting of "the birds of the air" - Satan and his forces - in the topmost branches of the unnatural overgrowth of ecclesiastical structures, is not just something that we see in the unscriptural practises of some organisations calling themselves churches, it is also something which the Saviour anticipated and warned us about.

So the gospel application is this : Do not be diverted into accepting every modern idea which claims to be Christian. Recognise that much of what masquerades as Christian is actually opposed to the true Christ who is revealed in the Bible. Salvation - rescue from sin (not just the consequences of sin) - and eternal life are to be found in Jesus Christ and His work of atonement on the cross. Salvation cannot be found anywhere else. There are many people and ideas seeking to influence the church today to modify this straightforward gospel message and take on board other things as being equally important. But they are like cuckoo's eggs. There is never room in the nest of the true church for Christ's gospel and something else tagged onto it. If allowed to stay, the "something else" will sooner or later push the gospel out. It has happened many times down through the history of the Christian church. Of course we are not required to live in a state of constant suspicion - that would not be Christlike - but neither are we to be naive. There is a constant need for vigilance, lest our churches and gospel preaching should be neutralised by compromise with the creeping pollution of ideas and philosophies antagonistic to the absolute authority of Christ and the holy scriptures.
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Hello,
Thanks for all the comments. It's been very interesting reading the inputs. I've always felt for the older son because he had stayed with the father all the time and yet he felt that there was no reward for him. His father seemed to "prefer" the younger son who had squandered all his inheritance in loose living. I think I am guilty of this as well.

My concept of God's character is one who keeps accounts - that if I am good and do good deeds, He will love me more. But actually, God is not like that. He loves us whether we do anything good or bad. That's just how he is. God is LOVE. When Jesus died on the cross for us, He died while we were still sinners, even though we rejected Him, He chose to die for us.

I am so glad and grateful that my heavenly Father is always so loving and so good. His love for me is never dependent on my performance (preach to 1000 people or don't even bother to go to church). I am reminded that I must not be like the older son. I need to be set free from self-righteousness (just like the Pharisees). To recognise that I am just a sinner who needs Jesus so badly. There is nothing I can ever do to earn His love for me. Praise God ! ! !
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You missed a very important point in the scripture you used, 'if it were possible' the elect shall be deceived.
It is impossible for God's Elect to be deceived, God uses His Elect, to fulfil His Word!
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hey I'm 17teen years old, and I am trying to find my talents b ut i don't know how to begain? can you give me some bible verse or some infomation on where to begain looking for those talents God has given me. do all people have talents or just some ? i'm not talking like spiritual gifts i'm talking like drawling , playing a music insterment or something like that to let you know.

thanks your sista in christ

sarah drury
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I am teaching childeren ages 4 to 6 years at campmeeting and I would like to show them a picture of a mustard "tree". Do you still have the one with the little boy standing in front of such a tree? Thank You very much
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the good samaritan is a person full of blessing and understanding and he is not self-concieted he had a humble heart like jesus christ that never be change even yesterday and today.Be with jesus so that you will be like a good samaritan and the gift of god which is the eternal life is waiting for you in the golden paradise of heaven.

GOD BLESS TO US!!!
BE WITH JESUS AT ALL TIMES!!!
READ AND APPLY THE WORD OF GOD!!!
BE LOVABLE AND CHEERFUL TO YOUR NEIGHBOR!!!
FORGET EVERYTHING BUT PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR HEART!!!

YOUR BROTHER,
VICAR
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This is what I understand about the Mustard Seed.
The mustard seed is given and planted in us and the kingdom of God is upon us (the Holy Spirit). We are the body of Christ preach good news to the poor (sow unbeliever). The seed will only grow with the WORD of God (knowledge and wisdom thru Holy Spirit).

The seed is the Holy Spirit obviously is the greatest so brings salvation to the people where they will find peace and joy in Christ Lord Jesus.


John 15:5
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
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i think it is roung
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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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