picture
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Perhaps the lesson is for parents.

Do welcome your children back into your life.

Don't take for granted, the children who stand by you steadfastly.

???

Why is it never interpreted as a lesson for parents in how to value their children and be sure to validate their children's feelings?

Why did he not throw the party in honour of BOTH sons? Wouldn't it have been better for him to show an appreciation of the return of the younger and the steadfastness of the elder?

Why did he do something that would foreseeably divide his sons and promote adversity between them?

Why did he not run out into the field with the younger one exclaiming, "Your brother has returned and both my sons are here and well and safe. Let us kill a pig."

I'm thinking this story is to teach us 'how to' and 'how not to' be an effective parent.
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Rev 20:1-15 KJV At the end of the 7 years after the tribulation
(1) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
(2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
(3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
(4) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The "rest of the Dead" below are those since the 7th trumpet resurrection, which is called the first resurrection.

(5) But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
(6) Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
(7) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
(8) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
(9) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
(10) And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

JUDGEMENT DAY AFTER THE 1000 YEARS,

2nd resurrection, these are those that has died since the "7th trumpet resurrection" and since the beginning of time.

This does not include none of those who took part in the 1st resurrection!

Christians appeared already before the judgment seat of Christ, remember the (wheat & tares) or (good & bad servants) are separated!

Note: The ones who will have to stand before God are different then the ones that appeared before the judgment seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

These will have to stand before God and will be judged according to their works from the books OR if their name is not found in the book of life they will be cast into the lake of fire! This is the second death/resurrection.

(11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
(12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
(13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
(14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
(15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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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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Our Father in Heaven's greatest commandment are clearabout our love toward God and others.St. Matthew 5:43-47 shows Our Lord Jesus giving an example of how we are to Love.St. Matthew 22:37-40 shows Our Lord and Savior Jesus speaking the 2 greatest commandments to the pharisees.These are fulfillments of the law.All is given from God the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.Read Romans 10:8-10. God Bless You.
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i want to get pictures and infomation about the story of the prodigal by today.
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The Mustard Parable was a fulfilled Prophecy from Ezekiel 17!
Quote:
Ezekiel 17
22. Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:
23. In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
24. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.












Other info....

Psalms 104
12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

Proverbs 11
28. He that trusteth in his riches shall fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

Isaiah 4
2. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them...

Isaiah 11
1. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

Isaiah 60
16. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
17. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.
18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
19. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
20. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
21. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.


Jeremiah 23
5. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jeremiah 33
15. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
_________________

The Harvest is soon......
and
If any person comes to Jesus Christ,
and doesn't love Jesus Christ over,
their father,
or their mother,
or their spouse,
or their children,
or their brethren,
or their sisters,
or even their own life,
they are not able to be a followers of Jesus Christ!

The Truth Shall Set You FREE!
http://www.freejesus.net/salvation.php
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Hey, Rae........I feel a bit troubled by your post for several reasons. Not that I'm some kind of answer man or anything like that. I've been an 8th grade History teacher for 17 years now. I see all types of kids come and go year after year. Your son's behavor sounds totally unacceptable. I don't know his age, though. When someone gets caught in a lie, it breaks trust. Trust is something that has to be earned back (usually by a long period of honest behavior on his part). Have you ruled out the possibility of drug use experimentation? So many kids are just so secretive about that. Fill me in on more details about your son. I'm in the kid business.
And about you..........I don't understand what "living hard after God" means. It''s more like letting go of areas of our life that I believe God wants. Indulging yourself in sinful desires will surely have consequences beyond whatever you think they could possibly be. In your quiet time with the Lord, surrender your son to him. Trust that he's inn God's hands now. Treat him with a new freedom that whatever happens to him has been God allowed. And, you are now free to encourage and love him rather than being confrontational. Try this approach out........Lovve to you, Joh Ferguson
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Dear Julie,
Yes satan will try to decieve you into thinking you are wrong about things,satan does not have to attack non believers but he works overtime to get to people whom have put their faith in Jesus to doubt themselves as he does not want Jesus to win another soul, Jesus called satan the great deciever he plays mind games with us. I remember when I first found my savior Jesus Christ I had a hard time every sunday getting ready for church my dress shoes would not be where I remember putting them or nothing would be going right that morning and once I realized that it satan trying to get me to stay home and I prayed about it, it stopped but i still pray every sunday morning just so i can get ready for church without satan playing mind games with me. Now about your illness this could be for real so listen to your Dr. but do not forget to pray for a cure ther is great power in prayer believe in the lord and pray, I will pray for you that your depression will be lifted
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Although Jesus says through this parable that God will restore you to what you`ve been before you left, and I take by that he also means that the Holy Spirit will come and live in us once again. The Apostle Paul says that once we let go of the Spirit that gives life (i.e the Holy Spirit) it would be impossible to get it back. Would you please clear this out for me `cause I tend to find this confusing. Thanx
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Interesting post you guys have,and I wanted to share Be wise!Keep Your Lamp Lit with(JESUS CHRIST)Filled With oil(As with the Holy Ghost)

There will be wise and foolish believers!

In the parable of the ten virgins, King Jesus Christ reveals that there will be wise and foolish believers in the day of His coming. He compares five wise virgins with five foolish virgins, they were ALL VIRGINS!

2 Corinthians 11:2

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste (virgin to Christ)

The WISE are those who usher a deep Love,and Personal Relationship with the Bridegroom and know King Jesus Christ is coming again for His bride.

(The Wise are Awake,and Watching)

Jesus Christ is the lamp,the light of the world John 8:12

Five/Half were Wise

Five/Half were Foolish!

The Foolish once lived in the wonderful joy of being ready and watching, but turned back to accept the careless lifestyle of worldly living and conduct(Back Sliding,Lukewarm) as Shared in Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth)

The Lord is our LAMP

2 Samuel 22:29

For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Only the WISE had OIL! Only the wise had received the infilling of the Holy Spirit.Throughout Scripture, the oil is used as the symbol for the Holy Spirit.

Only the wise hungered and thirsted for righteousness and received God's promise of His fullness. They received,and ushered the fruit of the Spirit(Galatians 5:22-26)The fruit is produced as you abide in His infilling, as you abide in His fullness. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the oil that makes your light shine, that makes you an overcomer, that empowers you to overcome your sinful nature producing garments that are clean and white without spot or wrinkle.

OIL in the dwelling of the WISE

Proverbs 3:35

(The wise shall inherit glory:) but shame shall be the promotion of fools.
Proverbs 14:35

(The king's favour) is toward a (wise servant) but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.

Proverbs 21:20

(There is treasure to be desired) and (oil in the dwelling of the wise) but a foolish man spendeth it up.

Proverbs 28:26

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool (but whoso walketh (wisely) he shall be delivered)

The Wise Virgins(As Pure Heart)The Children of God who abide(Intimate)Who have a personal Relationship(Born Again)with JESUS CHRIST!Lamps Lit,and filled with oil(As Holy Ghost)

The Foolish Virgins were not thankful,and were not grateful enough to love King Jesus Christ more than anything,and everything(with all their Heart,Soul,and Mind)

This is the first and great commandment)as Shared in Deuteronomy 6:5,Matthew 22:37-38,and Mark 12:30

The foolish had none of the oil that comes from surrender of self. They did not replenish the oil of the Holy Spirit. They did not hunger and thirst for righteousness and become filled.

The Foolish let their Love,and fire for the Lord dwindle to a lukewarm ember as Shared in Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

(Matthew 25:10) This is incredible language that leaves no room for misunderstanding. The door is shut on these foolish virgins and they miss the welcome into the wedding chamber. The warning would suggest that these foolish virgins are just like much of our church world. They once lived in the wonderful joy of being ready and watching, but turned back to accept the careless lifestyle of worldly living and conduct(Back Sliding,Lukewarm)

To read More of the Message about The Rapture, WISE,and Foolish visit http://www.raptureprophecy.com and see the webpage called (Rapture of His Bride)


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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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WHAT WAS JESUS MESSAGE IN THE GOOD SMARITIAN?
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The leder brother represents us as well. The prodigal was the wasteful son the elder brother was the stingy son.
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I can not agree that these sheep are the pharisees and the tax collectors because Jesus in John goes to great lengths to say that those sheep within HIS fold KNOW his voice...do those who are unrepentant KNOW jesus' voice? Is Jesus the door to their fold? I don't think so! As leigh points out...there is only 1 sinner realising he is lost? No I don't think so...and of course there is the question...where does Jesus take this lost sheep back to????? the fold? or some other place? what then would happen to the 99 sheep????????
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the moral of this story is you have many people in your life and many

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

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

one who is your neighbor. that is true religion.
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And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.


I think Jesus might be talking about other than an Earthly fold here. He could be acknowledging lineage other than Adams, which he is the God of. It might be something worth considering.

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i need to know a modern day example of thee good sameritain. if you can help me that would bu great
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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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First of note in the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders is the word "these" (Matt. 7 : 24 ). "These sayings," in Greek "tous logous toutous," accusative plural of "ho logos houtos," are the entire Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5 : 3 - 7 : 27 ) and the parallel accounts in the other Gospels, exclusive of everything that Jesus later taught. Therefore, if we would be like the wise builder, we would obey everything He commanded in His Sermon on the Mount -- and would be found wise even if we never understood His later teachings such as the camel passing through the eye of the needle in Matthew 19.

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

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

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

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

Yours in Christ,

+++ Kevin D. Rosenberg
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According to what I understand it was the custom for the Jewish bridegroom to pick up the bride to be and they walked to the grooms fathers house where the marriage takes place. All the virgins had oil in their lamps. Some believe the parable is saying they had empty lamps. The difference was that the wise took a back up supply of oil to refill if the bridegroom tarried! When he did not come as soon as the foolish five thought he would they were unprepared! There "oil" or fire had ran out! Then they begged for oil from the wise! I believe the "oil" represents faith, perservance, be on fire for the Lord etc. This is the responsibility of each one of us as it can not be loaned or borrowed! We can not put a time table on the Lords return so we must always be prepared no matter the hour he returns! We do not want to be on the outside and hear "I do not know you"
Darrell
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KB: it wasn't the coin's fault in getting lost, thus God would drop everything to find it. Sheep didn't know any better when they were getting lost.. thus God, our Shepherd, came to save us from the wolves.
But in this parable, God, our Father, doesn't follow after us because he wants us to be "highly effective people" (Steven Covey).
If the father was to follow the son, it would have been rebuking his son's decision & it would have been like saying "You aren't smart/wise enough to make decisions for yourself". This would have hindered the son's pride and self-esteem. (Better to learn the lesson to fully get it out of the system.)
This is also a thankful reason for God not representing himself too much in today's world!
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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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The parable of the sower calls for steadfastness from all believers. Teh word must be strongly rooted in you so as to produce result.
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Yes it is complete.
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Surely it's all about God's love being for everyone. The younger son is like those who do not want to know God the Father, who tun their backs on him. But then in the end they do recognise the father and humbly accept forgiveness from him. The elder son is like those who have always been with God the Father within the church. Basically there are no long-service medals in heaven - we will all be equal no matter how long we have acknowledged God as our Father - so long as we do eventually.
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1. HISTORY
Man used yeast before he knew how to write.

Hieroglyphics suggest that the ancient Egyptian civilizations were using
living yeast and the process of fermentation to rise their bread
over 5,000 years ago. Of course, they didn’t know what was responsible
for the leavening process. The chemical action of yeast that causes dough
to rise is known as fermentation and was probably looked upon by early
man as a mysterious and unreal phenomenon. It is believed that since
early times, mixtures of leavening for bread making were formed by
natural contaminants of the four such as: wild yeast and lactobacilli
(organisms also present in milk). Leaven, mentioned in the Bible, was a
soft dough-type medium kept from one baking of bread to another. A
small portion of this dough was used to start or leaven each new bread
dough. Later scientific research found that yeast is a microorganism
(visible only with a microscope). The chemical action and growth of yeast
that caused the dough to rise then became understandable.



2. WHAT IS YEAST
Yeast is a tiny form of fungi scientists call microorganisms. They are egg-
shaped cells that can only be seen with a microscope. It takes 20,000,00
00,000 (twenty billion) to weight one gram or 1/28 of an ounce.

The scientific name for one species of yeast is SACCHAROMYCES
CEREVISIAE or sugar eating fungus. Cerevisiae is the Latin word for
brewer. A very long name for such a tiny organism. It is a very strong
strain that is capable of fermentation or causing bread dough to rise.


Yeast cells digest food to obtain energy for growth. Their favorite food is
sugar; sucrose (beet or cane sugar), fructose and glucose (found in
honey, molasses, maple syrup and fruit) and maltose(derived from starch
in flour). The process, alcoholic fermentation, produces useful end
products, carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol, which are released by the
yeast cells into the surrounding liquid. This is how alcoholic drinks are
produced from starch containing flours, i.e., barley flour for making beer
and wheat, corn or other grains for making whiskey.


Fermentation occurs naturally in nature. For instance, many berries break
open in late fall when they are over-ripe and full of sugar. Natural yeast
from the air, so tiny they cannot be seen, lodge on the surface of these
berries, which then become fermented and alcoholic.

In commercial fermentation of grape juice for the production of wine, the
carbon dioxide gas escapes from the solution. Evidence of gas can be
seen in the heavy foam caps in fermenting wine tanks. In bread baking,
when yeast ferments the sugars available from the flour and from added
sugar, the carbon dioxide gas cannot escape because the dough is elastic
and stretchable. Therefore, the dough inflates as a result of the expanding
gas. Thus, the term yeast-leavened breads came into the vocabulary of
the world of baking.



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I think this is eluding to the fact that God gave us the world and it is up to everyone of us to build up his kingdom by bringing more people to Christ and not just worrying about ourselves but lending a hand to our neighbor.
Also it says that since God has been merciful to us by giving us talents we should show mercy to others and preach the word and make disciples of all nations. Because God has blessed us all with different capabilities in order to Glorify God and he expects us to use all he has given us to build his kingdom. If Christ lives through us we are supposed to be the light of the world. On judgement day our Father will ask what we have done to glorify his name, what we have done with the talents and the time God has given us. And what will our answers be ?????????????????

God bless
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"Talents," as I translate them, are the strengths that God gives us--intellect, health, wisdom, empathy. compassion, etc. It is about what you do with those strengths--do you feed the homeless, do you help your neighbor, do you vote for taxes that benefit fire departments and schools, do you help with man with AIDS who is your neighbor with a meal? It seems to me that our talents must go toward actions that benefit our communities. I found it very hypocritical that despite the fires that ran through these wealthy foothill communities, most of these folks will still refuse to pay taxes that fund those public services that saved their homes. Talent is wasted, in my opinion.
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Matt,

Not only does the parable speak to me, but so does your message. In my younger days I worked hard and exploited my professional talents. I amassed sizable wealth and had the pleasure of building homes that I and buyers were proud of. I became more and more playful, coasting on the material wealth and "security" that I "created", ignoring God and thinking that I alone controlled my destiny. Rather than praise God and continue my profession in earnest, I decided to invest my $$$ and look forward to an early, comfortable retirement. Work days became shorter. Recreation became expensive. I was smarter than the average Joe, right? WRONG! God reminded me who was boss. Sizable losses in the stock market was the large helping of humble pie I sorely needed. I now treasure what I have, most of all my God and my family. I know that if I use my talents wisely, I will multiply and honor God. With that comes peace of mind knowing that I've done my best.

Good luck in your studies of law. After 20 years experience in practicing law, I hope to give you some advice: you can be a good lawyer without compromising your Christian beliefs . . . even the most vexing problems can be solved with meditation and prayer.
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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 see so many different answers above. I can tell you that most of you guys are wrong. Those who said that the birds of the tree are a good thing has a misunderstanding of the scriptures. Please read Job 28:21. For those who believe the leaven parable is a good thing, I suggest you read Leviticus 2:11. Jesus was prophesying the apostasy of the church in the last days. One reader said that mustard seeds don't grow to be trees. He made a good point because they grow to be herbs, and were never meant give shade to the birds. The Roman Catholic church has become the mustard tree in this parable.
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The moral of the parable is plainly expressed in verse 35. "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses" (Matthew 18:35). The forgiveness by God of which children of God are recipients must be demonstrated by them toward their fellows.

The immensity of the debt does not hinder God's full and free pardon (Isa. 1:18; 55:7). God will save the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). No one is beyond forgiveness; it makes little difference as to how many, how big, and how long one's sins have reached.25

God, then, teaches us how to forgive. Finally,

. . . this parable is striking and impressive because of its acute contrasts. First, there is the contrast of Peter's number and the Lord's. Peter was willing to forgive several times, but the Lord said to forgive to infinity. Second, there is the contrast of the two debts. One was a trifling sum, the other was unpayable
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I think you are right. The elder brother was truly the lost son. Maybe in order to see God truthfully, and to understand His forgiveness in the fullest measure, we have to stray from Him. This way we can compare both sides and choose with wisdom knowing exactly what we want instead of doubting and being resentful of others. I think we are supposed to do this to some degree, that way we aren't just automatons repeating what God wants to hear, instead of actually feeling and understanding His profound forgiveness as well as His message of love.
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And new hidden door to blessing iIwill open today in Christ and many treasure may the Lord give to me and joy that go an and win the lost to him and teach them of the bibles wisdom and holiness in righteousness and joy,thanks and bless and pray,keijo sweden
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I want to understand what it means to and how it referres to us people.Were these true talent or what?I need the real meaning of the parable
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Parable of Pharisee and Publican

1) Whats the religious message of the account for the people of Jesus' time?
2) Whats the religious message of the account for people today?
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The Jungian view would be to see these two sons as parts of ourselves. The Shadow side would be the son we deny (hide). The Father represents Individuation, or Wholeness.
Many haggle over which brother should receive the most praise. If we consider that the risk-taking adventurer and the dutiful cautious law abider are just two slices to investigate within ourselves, we may deepen our understanding of how God can love both when we are centered in Him (or home). The older son "projects" his shadow on the younger instead of owning it. This is like the pharisee who prayed (regarding the sinner( "I thank you God that I am not like him".) Or like the woman about to be stoned by those who probably fantasized about what she did, but never dared act it out. Shadow issues come out when we get critical and judgemental.
Regardless of which brother moves us or yanks our chain, the Father symbolizes the wholeness (in Christ) that can come when we don't split-off (judge) and we come home to forgiveness (reconciation) and a wholeness that gives us peace. I am a Christian as well as a Jungian psychotherapist (pastoral).



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No theology here, just a thought. Seems as though the younger son had a hole in his stomach, but the older son (the non prodigal) had a hole in his heart. Didn't seem to have much of a relationship with either his father or his brother. Didn't join in the celebration; referred to the prodigal, when talking to his father as "YOUR son". Appears that his actions were out of duty, not love, when we hear him say: "All these years I've worked for you, and you never had a celebration for ME!" (Paraphrase). Jealous? Angry? What for? His father told him, "You are always with me, and everything I have is yours." I believe Jesus told this parable because the hearers could find themselves in either category: outwardly rebellious, or inwardly resentful. The father reached out to both, but only the prodigal could receive, perhaps because he was repentent.
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Since Isreal rejected CHRIST,GOD goes to the gentile nations (from CHRIST's death on the cross to the end of the tribulation) and gathers people good and bad (goats and sheep) and invites them to the marriage and satan is bound and thrown into the pit (Rev chap. 19:11- 21.

To GOD be the glory.


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This is not about the rapture of the church at all. Jesus is speaking to Jews about the tribulation period. The virgins are Jews. Five responded to the preaching of the 144,000 evangelists and worshipped God and five did not. When the king comes to reign at the end of the tribulation period, the tribulation saints are raptured as He gathers the elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. 24:31 Notice that they go out to meet the bridegroom, not to marry him. He is already married to the church which is a virgin in the singular never in plural. This parable which begins with "then" (Identifying the period that is being discussed) is nestled between Matt 24:30 describing the Lord coming in in the clouds in His glory (Rev 19) and Matt.25:32 where is is seated on His throne and judging the nations. While these foolish virgins go out to buy oil, they take the mark of the beast, forever shutting themselves out and sealing their destiny to be cast into the lake of fire. Rev 14:1-6
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Luke 13:18-19 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
Ezekiel 17:22-23 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
Remember the song "he is the vine and we are the branches"? Luke, Matthew, and Ezekiel can all be paralleled. Luke and Matthew are descriptive, and Ezekiel gives even more detail on what it is talking about, which is God's fulfillment of his promise for a Messiah (the highest branch that is taken and planted in Israel), and in the shadow of his wings (ok, branches, lol) all of the nations will take refuge and dwell in his presence. (shadow) Chrys

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everyone seems to be forgetting the simplest of all bible study rules. that being "context". it seems that the most debated of these parables is the parable of the leaven. remember, keep it in context. all the parables in Matthew 13 must be kept in context with one another as they were all given by Christ in one setting. the parable of the sower and the parable of the tares set that context.
let me set for you the scene. Jesus meakes it quite clear that the main topic of these parables is the "kingdom of Heaven". the Kingdom of Heaven consists of all borne again believers from the time of Christ's death to the time of His return, also known as the "church age". in the parable of the sower, the seed represents the word of God. the ground upon which the seed falls represents the condition of mans hearts throughout the world. the good soil represents the hearts of those who receive the word and become kingdom citizens.
in the parable of the tares we find that the seed represent those who have received the word and become citizens of the kingdom. the tares represent those who reject the word. the field, as Jesus makes perfectly clear, is the world. it is not the church. as christ sends the kingdom citizens into the world, we incounter opposition from the tares whom Jesus reveals are sown by satan. from time immemorial, satan has and will, until he is cast into hell, strongly oppose the work of God. this work is being done throughout the world by those sown by the son of god.
the rest of the parables of matthew 13 need to be kept in context with these first two parables.
for instance, in the parable of the mustard seed, jesus compares the kingdom to a mistard seed. remember the kingdom consists of all believers throughout the world! if the parable of the tares which emediatly precedes this parable deals with the opposition of satan against the kingdom then this parable obviously represents the overcoming power of the kingdom dispite the opposition.
we now come to the most highly debated of the parables, the parable of the leaven. it is true that every other refrence to leaven in scripture hold a negative conotation, but to say that it therefor always should, is to think as the pharasees thought. everywhere in scripture where leaven is refered to it is in reference to influence. it's interesting to note that the parables of the tares and the mustard seed also deal with influence. the first time we see refrence to leaven in scripture is in regard to the exodus. the nation of israel was commanded by god to take nothing with them from egypt as they left not even leaven. thus they ate unleavened bread, thus the reason for the feast of unleavened bread. the purpose of this was not because leaven was evil but because the influence of pagan egypt was evil. after this all bread was leavened, even the show bread in the temple. does this mean that God tolerates evil. i think not. leaven can represent both a negative and a positive influence. to say that the leaven in this parable represents evil is to say that the kingdom has an evil influence in the world. i think that is the farthest thing from the truth. the truth is, that the influence that the church has on the world will be far reaching and beneficial. it doesn't mean that all people will be saved, but that all people will benefit from the kingdoms influence on the world. remember this, when the influence of the kingdom is removed from the world just prior to the tribulation, the world will be a very bad place to live!
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Perhaps the answer you are looking for in the question, "What was lost" is
"SELF". An object such as a silver coin cannot search for itself if lost or misplaced, it must be found by the one who lost it.

The prodigal son lost himSELF, searched, and found himself. He is the one who lost something, he is the one who remembered where he put it, and he is the one who found it.
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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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Robert, don't forget to read the first part of Luke 10:27. Loving your neighbor isn't sufficient to "inherit eternal life."
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Please, people! Keep the Gospel simple.

We are not exactly sure what is meant botanically by the mustard which somehow grows into a tree-sized plant. If you study botany, you find that the mustards are the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae, cross-bearers!), a very large family of plants, including many of our common vegtables, but hardly any tree-size species. We should also remember that names in the Bible are frequently hard to match with modern usages. All this is fun to work on, but quite inconsequential for the meaning of the message.

It is very clear from a plain reading that Jesus is using the mustard seed as an illustration of something very small which grows into something sizeable and impressive, which can in turn support other life. The birds just happen to nest in trees, and one might wonder if they also have a significance as a sign of spirit, but once again that is just speculation. Certainly there is no connection here with Satan or evil in either mustard seeds or birds. All this talk about the parable's predicting something about the bad behavior of the church is also totally ridiculous.

I will repeat, the message is simple: it is that something small, and easy to overlook, will grow and flourish. That is the Kingdom.

Why did Jesus bother to say this? Think simple! It is because he was correcting a misconception that the Kingdom would come with dramatic, big events; or from high places. Many people today somehow expect that such things must come with claps of thunder and earthquakes. That is NOT the picture that Jesus is giving in his teaching in this parable; and this parable accords very well with other things he says.

The more I think of these matters, the more my admiration grows for the Gospel: not that I am to sit in judgment, but in that my soul responds as before something of beauty. And here part of the beauty inheres in simplicity and clarity.

My fellow Christians, there are many things we will not understand, and which we yet must reverence; but let us not also miss the chance to see what Jesus made very clear for us.
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This is one of the hardest parables to understand. Yet I offer my personal opinion as the way I see it. All due respects to the fact I might not have the truest understanding.
Mammon is the power of wealth in the world, and its a fallen world where justice does not prevail.
When the unjust steward was accused of mismanagement he became against his master. Mammon became the thing he hates or the thing he despised. We dont know if he was unfaithful or not, but he was accused. Judgiing by his actions, he loved justice more than mammon.
Therefore he resolved to leave his job and give away some of the debt owing to his master.
Already you can hear the Pharisees who loved money jeering at this behaviour, as Jesus spoke this parable. Thier haughty spirit and proud ways were all about the so called decency of wealth. Perhaps the steward had inside knowledge all along that the debts were too much for people to pay and a burden that God had never ordained. The steward knew the sham of wealth and could make good conversation with the class of people usually oppressed by the people of wealth, no less also than the relgious leaders of the day - and today. He knew he might at least have somewhere to stay if by his generosity he would be remembered when and if he had no place to live and no more job to depend on.
Whether he was commended by the principle of mammon or by the Lord I am not totally sure. I think it is Jesus who commended him for his resolve to uphold true justice knowing that there is no righteousness in mammon. Thus, the idea is to be giving it away, not hording it up. This is consistent with so much the New Testament says about riches. That is, to lay them down and follow Him, not lay them up on earth where moth and rust corrup and thieves break through and steal. Use it to make friends and be giving, and be more concerned about true justice that only God is the author of. For the unjust steward, to remain in his position would therefore be made to remain as the accused and unjust. This would be being faithful to his master, and despising or hating God, truth and justice. In whatever seemingly small way there was faithfulness, there would also be great faithfullness. He that is unjust in the least, is also unjust in much. Therefore, the steward had to make his resolve one way or the other. You cannot serve two masters. I feel that the parable illustrates more about the stewards contempt for mammon than the love of God and so the Pharisees revolted as they heard this because they were steeped in the ways of wealth, believing it to be the ultimate tool for good. Yet God in Jesus announced, 'that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God'. I believe the steward was fed up with the things of the decietfulness of riches and the cares of this world and became resolute enough to reject his place with mammon and stand up for true justice by deploring its principles and forgiving the debts the way he did. Its a bit like Moses who forsook all the pleasures of Egypt and went and lived with the Hebrew outcasts, 'esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the [ heavenly ] reward. Heb 11:26
Thus we can see the Godly things to esteem are heavenly things and the earlthy things are an abomination. Paul counted all his losses as a dunghill. I dont know for sure, but his high rank in the Jewish orders would have had a lot to do with wealth and the principles of mammon. Man sees the good works in it. God sees the heart. What do we have in out heart? Will we be like the unjst steward and take up our cross, or we will side with mammon and not care about truth, about justice, about firstly seeking His kingdom and His righteousness. Will we have faith like Moses, not knowing fully about God, but leaving all, forsaking all and following Him - not as a prosperity doctrine, but in his reproach? Even I am convicted by this. amen
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I have always thought that this parable should be called the parable of the forgiving father.
This poor Father is saddled with two miserable sons.
The transgressions of the younger is obvious. The transgressions of the older are far more insidious. Upon hearing about his brothers return the older brother refuses to talk to him. Yet he seems to feel he knows how the money was spent. Never in the story do you hear that the younger son took up with prostitutes except from the older brothers mouth. I've known many people who have easily blown a fortune on just drinking without giving any thought to where the money was going. Let's not forget how many friends a man has when he has money. The older brother has obviously spent a fair amount of time thinking about what he would have done if he had taken his inheritance. In this whole story all he cares about is himself. He is serving father only for what he can get in the end. In essence he says "I've been good and I deserve something for it!"

So the younger son in essense says to his father "Your gonna die someday - Give me what I will get when you die!" The older son says "I follow your orders not because I love you or because it is the right thing to do but because I expect a special reward!" Each son is focused on himself and his own wants.

The father loves these two jerks because he loves them. Even when they are the most vile he still loves and accepts them. To the father it is not about the things (He does not promise to give anything to the younger son except love and acceptance)... It's not about the stuff to him. The father had to go out of his way to bring each of the sons back into the family. The father overlooks each of his sons selfishness and tries to bring them home.

It's all about how God tries to bring us home even though we would rather hold on to our own selfish desires.
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Was Dr.Scofield ever associated with and/or involved in "Freemasonary"?
I trust I will honoured with your kind reply.
Yours in Christ.
George Ramdial
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