Denny,

You have come VERY close to the kingdom of God. Your interpretation lacks only a very small observation.

I used to read this parable and identify the characters as most do:

I am the widow
God is the unjust judge (what a characterization!)

Try this one on for size and see if it doesn't fit a little better:

I am the widow AND the unjust judge. After the parable Jesus tells us that God answers our prayers "speedily" (KJV) or "quickly" (NIV). That would eliminate God as the unjust judge character who got tired of this woman banging on him day and night.

God answers every prayer quickly and speedily but because of the condition of our hearts a lot of times, we are unwilling to receive the graces (gifts) that He has provided. Many times we cannot bring ourselves to the place where we actually believe in His goodness we limit our lives to whatever we ourselves can achieve.

The unjust judge is our own hearts. We do not receive anything from God except it be by faith. (For we are saved by grace through faith). If my heart cannot bring itself to the belief that God wants to bless me then I cannot receive what I cannot believe.

God answers all pray quickly. "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ" (2 Cor. 1:20). If we are in Christ then all promises to us are "Yes". Please be cautioned, however, persecution is as much a promise from God as "whatever you wish" (John 15:7).

The heart must be persuaded. "Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousness". As the apostle Paul points out, this was no casual mental ascent to the existence of God; it was a belief in what God promised. And that is what counted as righteousness.

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able also to perform." (Rom. 4:20-21)

Abraham had to fully persuade his heart (the unjust judge) that God's promise was "Yes". And about 25-years later, Isaac was born. Sometimes, the persuasion process takes a little while but it's not God we are persuading, it's our own unjust and unbelieving hearts.

Or so it seems to me.

Rob
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What happen to Barabas after Jesus Christ death.
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In understanding Jesus’ teachings concerning the Kingdom of God, (God’s way of doing things in the earth) one of the most misunderstood and underrated things that a Christian has to consider is the time element involved in Faith.

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is likened unto a seed, which is sown in the earth, and then after many days a fruit is harvested. But in light of faith being likened unto a seed or the idea of farming, the growing time has to be considered.

As difficult as this is to do, there is no other way around it. When I want a fishing lure, I want it today not tomorrow. When I woman eyeballs a new pair of shoes, is she content in having them next week? Trust me, if she really wants them she’ll have them tonight.

But in the realm of the spirit there are mechanisms set in place for our protection. It's called growing time. So, why this growing time? Is God just a hard head? Is he just being unreasonable? Or is there divine reasoning behind it?

According to Jesus our hearts are a two way street. “Let your light so shine”, “take heed that the light which be in you be not darkness”. And God has confined himself to working through the human heart. But do you know what? Satan is also confined to working through the heart. Now he has an advantage because he’s already in the earth (due to the fall of man). God on the other hand is trying to get back into the earth, and the great battleground is the heart.

The growing time is a buffer zone that God uses to function in the spiritual realm where #1. Satan can never beat him (us). And #2. He can preserve Christians from the affects of fickleness and unbelief. If the system worked that way we wanted it to, then Satan would be able to wipe us out in a matter of days. But this long growing time assures that the only things that truly enter into our hearts are things that we really desire or things that we obstinantly adhere to (negative things-yes they can get in there too). The whole thing is a safety mechanism whereby God in his infinite wisdom can keep us alive and happy.

Jesus taught that there is power in words and interestingly, he manifested himself as the Word of God (John 1:1). If all of the crud and expressions of the day were to REALLY take root in our hearts, we would seal a fate of doom very quickly. But be of comfort, God has set up a plan whereby we can access the “treasure of our hearts” in a deliberate way without destroying ourselves in the process. Of course the one drawback is this long time element, but if we know it going into the process then we can #1. Make sure that the things that we pray for are truly desires of the heart and not temporary whims that we all get into. And #2, we’re encouraged to be responsible thereby preparing for the future, much like Noah preparing an ark on dry land being warned by God’s Word of things yet to come. (This is the meaning of this parable: Prepare beforehand.)

This parable shows vividly this time element and it also shows the importance of preparation for the future in a godly sober manner.

God is not the author of hardship though we may think that he is in making us wait such a long time-so it seems, (we want everything yesterday) for the things that we ask for. But give the God of the heavens-the one who actually died for us the benefit of the doubt and know that he doesn’t withhold things from us, he preserves them for us. But we must figure in the time element in the growing of our faith.

If done properly we can feather a nest of blessing, security and provision over our families that terrorism or global uncertainty can never quell.

But you have to get on the front end of things and this entails preparation in the light of Gods word for the future. This is what a wise person does. A fool will always live behind the eight ball, forever reacting to unexpected visitors from the dark side in the form of circumstances not in line with the abundant life that Jesus promised all.

If done correctly, not only will our life’s structures prevail against the storms of life, but also we’ll have room for others who have not been so wise, so as to build their lives upon the word of the Almighty.

Don’t ever buy into that anger business where the adversary accuses God of making you wait as though he’s dangling a carrot in front of our faces leading us on. No, to the contrary, we’ve probably been believing things in our hearts that if he were to honor the one he would have to honor the other, and the other could possibly destroy us. God will work as advocate and counselor making up for our “ways” assuring us blessing if we but patiently harbor his promises in our hearts.

Cheer up! God’s CAUSING these things to come to pass, not impeding them. But we must hold fast his Word in our hearts liberally giving him time to work around our sin and quirks. All things considered, we serve a wonderful God that is not hard and unreasonable, but one who has all the facts, and who is our greatest ally.

So build your spiritual structures on the foundation of prayer and the believing of his word, in time you’ll be the “strong tower” that others come running to in times of a storm and destruction.

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One of the greatest things I’ve learned about Mark chapter four is how Jesus in his analogies talks about the same thing but from different angles. Many people have thought that after the parable of the sower Jesus might have become disoriented or lost train of thought so as to start talking about candles, candlesticks and hiding things under beds. But in reality he used a slick analogy for saying the same thing that he said in parable of the sower. There is a lot of misconception about the subject matter. Some say it’s the Word some say it’s the world and some say it’s evangelism. But consider if you will that he was talking about a reaction between a catalyst and an agent. The agent being the heart of a man, and the catalyst being the Word of God. Seizing upon this idea will help understand the “mysteries” that lie in the parables of the kingdom.
After saying that some bring forth fruit in measures, Jesus immediately says, “is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed and not to be set on a candlestick?” When the catalyst of Gods word is fed into our hearts, we are not putting it in a place where the light will be covered up or extinguished, like under a bushel or bed. To the contrary, we are placing it in a place where the light can be emitted the most, like on a candlestick. Have you ever seen the type of candlestick that has a shiny plate behind it? I believe that’s what he’s talking about. It is something that is designed to utilize the light to the utmost. Jesus is saying that this is what your heart is like. It is a refractor of the light of Gods word-put in. “Let your light so shine…….”.
He continues “for there is nothing hid which shall not be manifested and neither was anything kept secret but that it should come abroad. Hidden where? Kept secret where? How about in the ground of the human heart? Aren’t seeds covered? Aren’t seeds hidden in soil? So then the secret of manifesting things is to learn how to hide them.
Consider this parable. “The kingdom of God is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened”. Might this be an example of the idea of “there is nothing hid that shall not be manifested”? The woman sowed, hid, covered up yeast in a ball of dough. And before long its was manifested to those who could se it; the fact that yeast had been secretely added.
If you keep this idea of the two working together, the Word and the heart of man, I think this will help you in other parables of the kingdom.

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Sorry! I mis-spelled the word SATIN in my last reply. It should be spelled, SATAN.

Satan is definitely not satin.
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D'Laine,
I myself wondered about this parable/illustration till I found a commentary on these two verses from Mark 4 in Dr. J. Vernon McGee's Thru the Bible commentary series of books on the Bible. His comments really make sense when we think about how "religion" in the largest sense, has gotten away from the simplicity and the purity with which Christ taught, and instead metastasized into a huge aberrant all encompassing umbrella imbracing man made tradition's, social reform, and the very encumbrance's Christ spoke about of the Pharasee's. Here are Dr. McGee's remark's:
"Mustard is not food, it is a condiment. And the growth of a ustard seed into a tree is unnatural. This picturs the outward growth of Christendom into great organizations big churches, large programs, all produced by human energy and not by the Holy Spirit. The birds in the branches are not even good. They represent Satan". I hope this helps, G. Weldon
P. S. His website for listening to his Thru the Bible series is located at:
"http://www.ttb.org" and if your interested in my Biblical poetry mixed with my secular, my website is: "http://home.earthlink.net/~weldon" .
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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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There is disagreement amongst commentators concerning the identity of the Ten Virgins. Most believe this parable points to Israel at the end of the tribulation anticipating the Messiah. Some believe it points to the church prior to the Rapture. Either way, the focus is on being prepared. The contrast is between the believer who is a possesser, and the unbeliever who is merely a professor. The oil pictures the Holy Spirit whom the true believer will have (Rom. 8:9). The symbol of the virgin pictures those without reproach, blameless. The foolish virgins are typical of those professing Christians whose outward life and conduct is unstained with iniquity (externalism). Their lamps are a symbol of their profession. They all slumbered and slept (pictures the indifference of this age). When the midnight cry is heard the foolish virgins cry, "Give us of your oil" (v.8), but this oil (salvation) cannot be borrowed; it must be bought of Him who alone can sell it (Rev. 3:18; Isa. 55:1). When the Bridegroom returns it is too late as the door is shut (entrance to the kingdom). The lesson for all of us here is that we must have a personal acquaintance (v.12) with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a great difference between knowing about him and knowing him by having a personal born again experience of regeneration.
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I encountered different opinions about the parable of the mustard seed...
but during the times of Jesus mustard is considered as the tiniest seed and concluded as the tallest of all the herbs before.with so much discoveries as of now,different interpretations come out.as for me Jesus compares heaven in to a mustard seed that started to a person,to a group then to a much bigger one...the world...now known as christians.the kingdom of God started into a scraped work but as years have passed,it grew and influenced each and everyone.if you'll observe a growth of a mustard,it is small before you'll plant it.but as it grows,its roots deepens down to the ground sucking up all the nutrients to live to grow tall.if you'll interpret it in the life of Jesus,he started as one, a carpenter and a poor man.as he grew old,he met some people.he called them and became his followers.he preached and preached until his words reached everyone,even alarmed the church before for he was considered as the awaited messaih,the savior.the small packed of Jesus grew and his teachings influenced each and everyone.as the faith of the people were united they stand tall to all obstacles against the people who are in contrast with the faith like Nero's occupation in roman history.if you'll see it the seed that was the tiniest one during Jesus time was him and the kingdom of God,the growth of the mustard is the apostles of Jesus,its roots is Jesus teachings influencing every jew,the nutrients is people's belief or faith and the height is the strength of christianity and its success doing its very best to reach the highest peak of the sky.
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The Ten Vergins are not the Church they represent the Virgin daughters of Zion. The Jews were to keep their lamps lit to show the every lasting covenant not the Church. It will be the Virgin daughters of ZION that go forth IN THE DAY OF DARKNESS to meet their Lord with their LAMPS Lit! When jesus returns he will be returning from the wedding Luke 12, so then these are not Christians at all! The oil in this parable is not the Holy Spirit. In acts when Simon tried to buy the Holy Spirit he was told it was a SIN to even THINK such a thing. So, no one is going to be able to say that Jesus in a parable is implying that these unwise Virgins can go buy the Holy Spirit. This can not happen and it contridicts all scripture to say that you can buy the Holy Spirit.

This is actually a closer to literal picture of the believing and non believing Jews who will go forth IN THAT DAY. But remember he is returning from the Wedding Luke 12. So, the Church is no longer on earth but returning with Jesus!
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I had a dream on June 21, 2003 and was shown an awesome sight. A swarm of Tornadoes descending from the sky that look like giant elephant trunks.

People will not know where to hide. So I am telling you now in advance. All that will listen, listen. You will want to find an underground place of shelter such as the below ground floor of a university or mall or parking garage that is windowless. Flying glass spells trouble. Start looking now where you will go. Watch for the signs, you will have time to go to your designated place of shelter. But to wait to look for the appropriate place of shelter at that time will be futile. You must do so now as an act of faith. And in that day, if anyone tells you, "Come with us! There is
a strong building over there". Don't go with them! Do not try and help anyone either or you will be confused and forget your hiding place.

I believe it will be as in the Parable of the 10 Virgins.
Let us pray earnestly to our God for the shed blood of the thousands of Iraqi people. Perhaps He will turn away His anger and leave us a blessing instead.

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Not much is ever mentioned of the elder son and his position in this parable. Is he not a "prodigal" son as well? Can one not stray or turn from what is right and not leave home physically him? Also, I think about the demand of the younger son for what he thought should be rightfully his inheritance. Again, little is ever mentioned about the father giving to both his sons their rightful inheritance.
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I wanted to add a little twist to this story. Jesus asks, "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?" Consider this closely. Jesus does not give us the correct answer. He just asks the question. I believe the correct answer is all three. The Samaritan might have been the "nicest" neighbor, but God didn't tell us to love only the nicest neighbors, he said to love ALL neighbors. So in my opinion all three were his neighbor to the man who was fallen. This story takes on a whole new light when you think of it in this way.
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Please send picture of mustard seed tree. We will be covering the parable in our preschool Sunday School class this week.
THANK YOU!
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parable of the Ten virigins, is just that get the MESSAGE.Sometimes, we as christians try to follow the letter of the law and not the holy spirit.I believe is about the anti-christ,the raputure, israel, belivers.This parable can be use for all, depending on where he or she is at the time....It is message to me and others Get right!!Get Ready!!To Go Home!! No man knows the day or hour the son of man coming....When is the end of time when is the rapture. My question is when is my personal end of time. my death we, me may die before the rapture, before end of time come...

Many times we behave pharisee and sadicucess. we do enough to get by, to pass not get thrown out, just little oil in my cup, just pay my tithes and church require offering or minium or matching 10%......

We say or works, and deed speak for us,i dont need to do more have extra oil, annoited life, we like the parable rich young rulers, ive keept all the commandemts since my Youth....I ve been doing good practical all my life we so proudly and pitously boost running down our list of things accomplishment we have done... Are we , me and you ready when Jesus comes with this unexpected request Sell everything and follow me...Jesus u asking for to much, ive done all require, like 5 foolish virgins we say we half lamp of oil, there is more i am to do, 5 wise were ready they were physical and spirtual faithful virgins, not only were the virgins physcially in there body where some one could see, but they were spirtual and had the annoting to prove it, power through testiomony expreience, trial test tribuliation pass the test, the 5 foolish were keeping themselves

pure....in church, in temple, praying long prayers, quoting,studying history that was good, but they miss Jesus the one they were preparing for the groom their future, the mansion their paradise because they had no extra oil, couldnt borrow it, it must be earn oil is made through press,they had to go through hard pressure exprenice to recive this annoiting oil......
.Oh my brothers, sisters and lil children, boys and girls , teenager , my Soul cries out To God our lord, our husbandman, prepare us the bride of Christ to be right, to be without wrinkle or spot, and
Study to show ourself approve and with all our Wisdom get an Understand so we can Stand with You at our Personal Appoint Judgment day and Hear You say Well done my Good and Faithful Servant .............


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I added them several days ago. Please email if anybody finds anymore pictures. Also anybody email if something is (C), I am running 4 websites and don't have the time to check everything. I really need some moderators and other help on the websites.

Thanks
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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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This may not be a popular interpretation, but from the parable itself it is hard to conclude too much more than this being about God and His activity in growing the 'seed.' It is tempting to allegorize this (i.e. say that JC is the farmer), and it is tempting to say its about our 'producing fruit' or 'miracles.' Although scripture talks about this, this particular parable does not. The point...and I think this is very good news...is that God does the growing. He is the one able to do the unthinkable; grow His word in the midst of a sinful world. For this I am thankful, and don't take this as a license to be lazy, but an invitation to be faithful to the great grower.
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Edwin,
Jesus says that if you live for him that He will take care of everything else, including the people who are making your life miserable. Living for Jesus is not always easy, it is full of suffering and riducle, but look at the suffering and judgement that He went through just to save you and me. It is important to remember that God will bless you eternally as long as you obey His commands and although it doesn't seem like it He is sovreign through all things ecspecially this situation. It is not for us to understand why these things occur but it is important to trust and have complete faith in His Sovreingy for our lives. One of the important themes in Mark is suffering. Jesus said if we want to follow Him we must endure suffering.
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" Mark 10:45

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways adn my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
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Foster and Adoptive Parents are the embodiment of the Good Samaritian. They take in the injured and the hurting and give them love, compassion, and grace. Jesus said,"That that you do unto the least of My children, you do unto Me."
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There is also a reference to a barren fig tree in matthew 21: 17-22, the barren fig tree represents sinners, if they are not producing fruits for God, then they shall be cut down. plain and simple.
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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 to rapture prepared believers into heaven. 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. My requests and demands in the name of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:42) 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 requested in 1997 and 1998 to be obtained by begging to compensate Kevin Douglas Rosenberg for incredibly 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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Here is what I see fits better.

1.The leaven is the Gospel. 2.The woman is Israel which hid or cut off the Gospel in the world. 3.The 3 measures of meal can mean the Jews, the Gentiles, and the people during the melennial reign of Christ.

When a new believer is added to the body of Christ, the number of the redeemed grows. Similiar to leaven, it grows until it is fully grown, and then it is finished. This does not mean that everyone will be saved, but that the harvest is ripe to reap at this time.

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Dear Sir: May I have a copy of your good shepherd sermon? I am not a pastor, just ibterest you sermon. also I am a forener student in OU.
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well, tradgically I feel as I was prior to today, a modern-day Pharisee I'm awful ashamed, I used religion to justify being bitter at others...reading Jonah helped...
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This morning I was listening to the radio 'Messanic Jew foundation' And the preacher mentioned that there are not 'Mustard Trees' And he went on to explain, I didn't get the details so I'm having to research it.
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I need a picture of the mustard tree for Bible Study on mustard seed faith.
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I think what the Hebrew translates more accurately to is "Which of these three...proved neighbor" which in this case, only the Samaritan "proved" to be the neighbor in the biblical law sense of it. Before this the "lawyer" or religious scholar with a lot of spiritiual knowledge of the law recites that "You shall love...your neighbor as yourself." Thus the only one to prove his is a neighbor through loving another person as himself was the Samaritan. Isn't Jesus deep?! God is good...continue seeking, ye shall find.
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This is not the complete story about the two sons.
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Although many of those who dare interpret the extremely difficult Parable of the Unrighteous Mammon (Luke 16:1-13) have seen the lessons to be learned as otherworldly for heaven, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ still expects His followers to obey it beyond conversion to Christ to get out of coming damnation for sin sure to be found out. This parable is no mere allegory; it has practical value, sadly neglected by today's churches. I aim to show the following twin points:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


(Erratum to my earlier message: A transposition occurred in my typing afflicted with carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes in both arms: "Matt. ... 6:42" -- a nonexistent verse -- should have read "Matt. ... 6:24, ..." in which Jesus taught against worry.)
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'Hitch (and others): Bighouse has pegged the kingdom parables of Matt. ch. 13. '
Following this logic the sum of the historical workings of the HS on earth is abject failure as the leaven affects the 'whole lump'. Of course this means that Christ's efforts at building the Temple of 'living stones' is also a failure, since all are of the 'leaven 'as well.
I dont recognize this puny Holy Spirit nor the weak defeated Christ you present. I do reconize the foul stench of a dead lawyer in the person of CI Scofield who was an originator of this doctrine that is 180 degrees opposed to Christ's teachings.
BTW gents, even Pentecost of DTS fame has reversed the failed official (read Scofield Bible) position on the parables specifically the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. I'll provide the quotes,before and after , if you like.
Take care
Hitch

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I was struck that the father did not run after the son to bring him home. He let him go and I think that was another powerful part of this incredible story. You see so many parents in this day not allowing their adult children leave to make mistakes. For example, I can think of several families dealing with adult children involved in activities such as drug abuse and lack of drive to earn a living. In many of these families, parents enable their children because of fear of what would happen if the child was made to leave the family nest. I think the father may represent tough love - his son left and had to deal with the consequences of his actions. But when the son was as low as he could get - then he went home with the repentant spirit and the father forgave him. Now the son is back home and in the right spirit. I think we parents can learn alot about parenting from this parable. Am I reading something into this parable that really doesn't exist?
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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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ok, once again, don't take my word as gospel for this but i feel that God is telling me something here.

1. i honestly have no idea why this parably was only recorded by luke. maybe it touched luke in a different way than it touched the others, but i have no idea.

2. i think that the father might have symbolised God in this parable and considering there is only 1 god and there is no Mrs God, then maybe there is no need for a mother.

3. for sure, this story has many parallels and i think that it relates to many other stories in the bible as well.

4. i feel that the prodigal son was treated better than when he left. he was treated as royalty and we can see this by the gifts that the fther gives him. shoes for the feet, the ring, and the best robes.

5. the older son didn't get a party, because he already had everything that the father owned. would you want a party every time you see a non-christian come to the Lord? i'm not havinmg a dig at u here but im just showing how this relates to other examples in life.

once again, don't take my word for gospel, but i hope this gives u a better view of things

thanx
scott
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Well done... The thought is not necessary how hard or how long one works, but how faithfull one is in carrying out the task which the Lord has delivered into his hands during the time allotted [cf Matt.20:1-16]. Through comparing the parable of the talents with the parable of the pounds, faithfullness among Christians to do do the task at hand is not always the same. It would seem apparent that there could be increases of less than or more than one hundred percent, allowing a two- talent Christian to realise an increase above that of a five- talent Christain, or vise versa. The number of talents is not really the issue. Faithfulness to the task at hand is that which God looks upon.

Blessings, rewards, and crowns are for those exercising faithfulness in the proper use of the talents/ pounds entrusted to them. A commendation of " Well done..." from the Lord awaites Cristains exhibiting faithfulness after this fashion. But, a task "well done is just that -- one well done. By following his commandments and overcoming the World, and the Flesh, and the Devil, thus the tasks at hand.
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Father God in the name of Jesus I pray please deliver me from this deep depression that I am fallen into. God I pray please bring people around myself, Kevin, Kim, Christy, Betty, Dean, Delbert, Wanda, and all other family members that are under the Blood of Jesus. God I pray please put the love of Jesus in the hearts of my family members. God I pray please lead, guide and direct me by your spirit. God I pray please bind up fear, doubt, unbelief, lying spirits, pain, confusion, witchcraft spirits and all other demonic spirits that are attacking me. God I pray please send the right person to my sister Dean. God I pray please bring my sister Betty someone that will love her and get her out of that situation that she is in. God I pray go ahead of me next week and please keep the devil and his demons off of my back. God I pray please strengthen my faith and help me through these terrible times that I am going through. God I pray please clear the way for the person you are sending to get me out of bondage and that will love me and take care of me. God please give me your blessed assurance that help is on the way. God I ask all of these things in the Holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen
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Some of us possess stronger ability to share God's grace, or our faith with others. Someone called to the ministry may be able to share the word of God more freely and to more people (i.e. possesses 5 talents). A deacon or a Sunday school teacher may be able to share the word effectively with a few people (i.e. possesses 2 talents). But someone who accepts Christ but makes no effort to share their faith and the grace of God, is like someone who buries their faith within themselves. Being too afraid to share the good news. Yes God does not need our help to save man, he could do all on his own if he so chooses (i.e. reaps where he did not sow, gathers where he scattered no seed). But God asks us to acknowledge him to man. To share the good news. This is our Talent, using whatever ability we have to share Him; not necessarily maximizing the use of our gifted profession.
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The weeping and the gnashing of teeth {An Eastern expression of " Deep Grief"{ Matt.24:51; 25:30,ASV}. and this place is referred to as " the outer darkness"[ASV] in the latter parable.
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Actually here I disagree with you. The verse speaks to the fact that it is good for the mustard seed to grow. And no where does it make any kind of parallel to the birds being the anti-Christ. On the contrary it speaks to the birds taking shelter under the the shadow of the tree that grows. If anything, the birds would be paralleled to Christians.
UNP Adam

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1. Story of the strayed sheep
2. Story of the lost coin
3. Story of the Prodigal son
Could these three parables have the same message from different circumstances.
Strayed sheep or lost sheep, I see a member of the church caught up with the temptation of the world which is good for the eyes and good for the taste But far from the truth, the Pastor or Sheperd then must reach out or seek out to correct his/her way get him/her back on the right path.
Lost coin or misplaced coin, a member of the church family is backsliding because of some miscommunications or hurt by another church member. Again, the leader or some headfigure of the church seek out and make right with this lost member.
Prodigal son, he was in tune with everything about the church, still chose to leave God behind to find the worldly happiness, left home/church, father did not go out to seek him out as he (prodigal son) knew fully well what he was doing yet chose the world thinking he knew better. When there was no place else to go, home came to mind where peaceful rest always found, returned and was welcomed with open joyful arms. Shouldn't we seek out the son/daughter who do so choose to leave in their own free will knowing fully well after being told the consequence they'll meet if leave the truth? Is is biblical? The Holy spirit is always with us trying to guide us back home, the Father is always thinking and waiting with open arms to welcome us back home.
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tares are the children of the wicked one! Who is the group planting this seed?
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Many people take this at face value and interpret it to mean that God gives everyone literal talents, e.g., music, art, administration, etc., and that they should be applied to Godly pursuits. In my opinion, this is an entirely too literal reading of the text.

Moreover, the talent was a form of currency. So if there should be a literal interpretation of this text, it should more correctly be that we should re-invest the money God gives us in Christian enterprises.

But we all know that parables are "earthly stories with heavenly meanings." My understanding of this is that what we are to continually re-invest is what God gives to every believer, the whole of our spiritual life.
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Interesting and varied comments thus far. I have given this parable some thought. I do not agree with the reverse parable conclusion. Jesus spoke to his audience in a way that they would understand. Servants or managers were entrusted to carry out the business of their master. Each of the servants were chosen to manage the talents according to their abilities. God does not entrust great authority and responsibility to a new believer.
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Greetings,

Are you the same Chris Godwin who lived in Dunwoody and went to Peachtree High in Georgia?

Please respond,

--Jay Sawyer
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Dear Friends,
Ecxuse me please, let me attract your attention
my interesting observation about the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, when
Jesus Christ baptized.
There is in the Luke 3:22 we see the next:
"And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him" (Luke 3:22).
There is the Holy Scripture said, that the Holy Spirit descended in a
bodily shape like a dove, not in a dove shape. Everywhere in the Holy
Scripture we see only "like a dove", and nowhere "in a dove shape".
(Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, John 1:32).
It is possible to descend in any shape like a dove, but there is in a dove
shape is only in a dove shape. And the phrase “like a dove” is meaning,
that it is not a dove. For example, “ like a man” is meaning, that it
is not a man.
Why two thousands years all artists in the episode of baptism of
Jesus Christ are drawing the dove, and there are
in the many theologize works we see the words "in a dove shape"?
Please see the pictures of well-known artist, and you will see the
dove. And there is in all temple you will see the dove.
"And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him"
(Luke 3:22), not "in a dove shape".
(Please see the attached file Image_6).
"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men,
but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men"
(Matthew 12;31).
Excuse me please my mistakes in English, I am sorry, I don't speak
English.
Thank you.

God bless you,

Vladimir Rumyantsev
St. Petersburg, Russia,
E-mail: bigroad@olvex.ru

Son of God – King of the Old Testament

Many assert, that Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but that He is not the God, completely ignoring that
fact, that under law of Moses the Son of God means only one – “equal to the God” and “the God, as well as His
Father”. Verses of the Holy Scripture where Jews condemn Jesus Christ that He names himself Son of God testify to
it:
“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that
God was His Father, making Himself equal with God” (John. 5:18);
“The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being
a Man, make Yourself God” (John. 10:33).
Therefore any person who declares itself, that he is the Son of God, under law Moses makes itself equal to the
God, makes itself by the God, naming the Father of the God, that under law Moses is classified as blasphemy, and
adequately death what of Jews and have declared Pontius Pilate, condemning Jesus Christ on death:
“The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the
Son of God” (John. 19:7).
From what follows, that if Lord Jesus Christ is not the God as well as His Father Jews have acted fairly, having
condemned Jesus Christ on death. Who today will dare to make the similar application?
Law of Moses speaks that Lord Jesus Christ is the true Son God, equal to the God and the God, as well as His
Father.
Words “sons of God” in relation to the man in the Holy Scripture specify that it sons of God on good fortune,
instead of by the nature as Jesus Christ, and to confuse these two concepts is inadmissible:
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14);
“nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the Angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection”
(Luke 20:36).
And only Jesus Christ is Son God by the nature, is equal to the God and the God, as well as His Father:
“For to which of the Angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You?” (Hebrews 1:5).
“I have made the earth, and created man on it” (Isaiah 45:12)
Sons of God are creature of God, but only Jesus Christ is begotten Son, not created.
God the Father and the Son of God Jesus Christ are the two separate Persons having the nature of the God, and to
mix the Father and the Son in one Person is inadmissible.
The God is one, but the Persons having the nature of the God, not one.
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4);
“I will announce the definition: God has told to Me: You are My Son, today I have begotten You” (Psalm 2:7).
Set of these two verses gives the full basis to name Lord Jesus Christ “one more Person”, having the nature of
the God. To name Jesus Christ “one more God” in aggregate with told in Deuteronomy 6:4 “the Lord is one” - means
to contradict to definition of God, what Jesus Christ announced in Psalm 2:7.
From what follows, that the “God is one” is definition of God, which the Son of God in 7-th verse of 2-nd Psalm
has solemnly declared.
“I will announce the definition’ - the words of 7-th verse of 2-nd Psalm to which today it is not given any
value, as if these words in the Holy Scripture is not present. But these words in the Holy Scripture are, and
they are told by somebody, but Lord Jesus Christ, and they have the most direct attitude to the nature of the
God.
At reading the Holy Scripture at the person the impression is created, that on behalf of the God in the Old
Testament is submitted speaking only one Person, God the Father, but at close examination it is simple to define,
that it is far from being so.
“God said to Moses, “I am Who I am (Jehovah)”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I am has
sent me to you. » (Exodus 3:14).
Who is submitted speaking in the Exodus 3:14 Father, the Son or Holy Spirit? Today practically everyone, not
reflecting will answer, that it is the God the Father while except for the Father speaking can be submitted both
the Son and Holy Spirit.
Let's result a verse of the Old Testament in which Father is submitted speaking only:
“Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its
offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it,” (Isaiah 42:5).
Verses of the Old Testament in which the Son is submitted speaking only:
“Surely My hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens;
when I call to them, they stand together” (Isaiah 48:13);
“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and My servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me” (Isaiah 43:10,11);
Verse of the Old Testament in which it is submitted speaking only Holy Spirit:
“The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me” (Numbers 14:11).
About a verse in which it is submitted speaking Holy Spirit, prophet Isaiah has mentioned:
“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;” (Isaiah 63:10).
The special attention should be turned on verses of the Old Testament in which the word “King” in relation to
the God because in all these verses King is only the Son of God Lord Jesus Christ about what the God the Father
has told to us in 6-th verse of 2-nd psalm is mentioned:
“Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6).
Therefore further in all verses in the Old Testament in the Holy Scripture where the word “King” in relation to
the God is mentioned the Son, not Father and not Holy Spirit is submitted, and to confuse these concepts besides
is inadmissible:
“I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King” (Isaiah 43:15);
Speaking only about the Father, we speak about the one God, speaking only about the Son, we speak about the one
God, speaking only about the Holy Spirit, we speak about the one God, speaking about the Father, the Son, the
Holy Spirit, we speak about the one God, but not about one Person. That is why King is only one Person, the Son,
and to name King of the Father or Holy Spirit, it means to suppose mixture of Persons that to make it is
impossible. The Son of God is the one God, eternal King:
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up, and His
train filled the temple.
Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:1,5).
“These things said Isaiah, when he saw His glory, and spoke of Him” (John 12:41), about Son of God, Lord Jesus
Christ, King, Lord of hosts.
“And about the Son: You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work
of Your hands” (Hebrews. 1:8,10);
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is
just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9);
“And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be. “The Lord is one,” And His name one”
(Zechariah 14:9);
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34);
“Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the
Jews” (John 19:19);
“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings;
and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14);
“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).
“Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies; the peoples fall under You” (Psalm 45:5);
“For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2);
“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:6,7);
“For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:3);
“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; they will see the land that is very far off» (Isaiah 33:17);
“Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:7-10).
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory” (1 Timothy
3:16).
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

Vladimir Rumyantsev
E-mail: bigroad@olvex.ru
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the parable also exists in buddhism: see http://www.comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html

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jesus christ is the good shepard, he is the source of salvation, if you want to go to heaven you have to go through christ.
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I'm going to teach the children about the parable of the mustard seed this sunday. It'll really be helpful to have some pictures to show to them. Thanks a lot for your help. GBU.
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First of all, let it be known that I never stated my judgement of fifty million dollars on evil servant Bill Meier pastor of Twin City Bible Church in Urbana IL as the cause of my sinning habitually. It was domination by pastors reared among the lower class and thus inclined to see my enormous request as unreal stuff of dreams which caused me to sin habitually and quit their churches. That I asked, however, was the best way to mend (Matt. 7 : 7 ); by making a financial request for positive help, I obeyed Jesus Christ when otherwise I would have desired clear vengeance. Besides, psychiatry summoned by Bill Meier had caused weeds of habitual sin to sprout in my weakened walk with God long before my financial demands became clear. Let us now examine the lower-class backgrounds of so many of today's pastors and ministers.

Much has changed economically with the churches and the pastoral profession during the current Great Apostasy ( II Tim. 4: 3 - 4 ). Before the Great Apostasy and scientific belief in geologic time and biological evolution, pastors were highly esteemed, just like today's physicians; the upper class admired them and sought those privileged positions of minister or pastor. Seminaries catered to the upper class through extensive required coursework such as Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Along with a lack of financial aid for the lower and middle classes, extensive, difficult required coursework forced most students who needed to earn the money for tuition to wait or quit. Thus, pastors of then were well educated and mostly from a rather rich background.

Since the Great Apostasy began, scientific repudiation of our faith, and stingy donations have led the upper class to pursue doctorates and careers in law and medicine en masse while shunning theology. So hard have seminaries struggled to keep heretics out of their faculties and to fill their rosters that they have allowed pastoral students from the lower class concession after concession from financial aid packages to dropping of essential course requirements such as Greek. Are today's pastors and ministers really up to their jobs? I believe that most appear to fulfill their nominal requirements of employment but fail God's: they are especially likely to keep their jobs at the cost of incurring judgement as evil servants in charge (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ).

As a category, pastors who hail from poor backgrounds are inferior to those from the upper class in three ways, and the current Church Growth Movement seminaries have catered to them at the expense of the Lord. Those born poor have grown up in a subculture which discourages study, stifles creativity and encourages imitation, and most importantly demands conformity (quote: a book, "Great Expectations"). Recruitment of those born poor by seminaries has involved not only concessions of financial aid packages, but also of dropping critical course requirements and of graduating called missionaries-to-be as pastoral graduates and of granting pastoral degrees for more kinds of those disqualified by I Tim. 3 : 1 - 8 .

Extreme consequences of the presences of typical men born poor in positions of pastor and in the pastoral job pool are manifest. Because students from poor backgrounds generally dislike study, they do less study and are less thoroughly grounded in God's Word than their counterparts of old. Sin has more opportunities to enter and take hold. Because growing up among the poor stifles creativity and encourages imitation, many pastors preach well from their pulpits with the fruits of others' walks with God, yet are they a fright to meet in their offices!-- for they will follow their own evil hearts in preference to whatever Scriptures the needy may present, let alone the unnoticed will of God from His Word. Such indifference to truth prevails that ruinously trumped-up petitions and reports for psychiatric intervention have resulted. Because life among the poor in English-speaking lands demands conformity, pastors likewise demand conformity without regard to the will of God, and many are evil servants in charge of their flocks of Christian followers. They do what is popular and brings in crowds rather than pleasing God. All of this is to the detriment of the needy, so much that government has taken up the slack through income taxes and entitlement programs.

Through domination such as psychiatry, the evil servants in charge had repeatedly knocked the socks off my weakened, woeful walk with God long before I understood the truths of these horrible situations, and still I suffer from what they have done. Now that I know, however, never again will I follow them. Deeply dispirited, I dare not bother the churches anymore where I have come to live, but ask, seek, and knock here for a guide to some congregation already faithful in the unrighteous mammon of Luke 16, which I must present before I dare ask any churchgoer for anything financial. I was right in Christ to ask pastors to seek fifty millioin dollars from Bill Meier because Jesus commanded the giving and told me to ask (Matt. 5 : 42 , 7 : 7 ) and because as a former psychiatric patient apt to lie on applications I was sure to sin through continual worry if denied, worth a curse of the denying man in charge (Matt. 6: 24ff , 18 : 5 -7 ). In order to know whom to ask justly, however, I needed to know who had the wealth and which churches knew rich folk personally, and that was way beyond me. Vengeance indeed belongs to the Lord, and it will take place in His manner with amputations and announcements of hypocrisy and floggings (Matt. 24 : 45 - 51 ; also Luke) and losses of church buildings (Matt. 25 : 1-13 ) and deprivations and expulsions into homelessness (Matt. 25 : 14 - 30 ) rather than through the financial solutions I used to seek.

Unless the Gospel be spread throughout the whole inhabitable earth as Jesus Christ Himself commanded (Matt. 28 : 20 ) in the way He prophesied its spread before His coming again (Matt. 24 : 14 ) extremely soon, say, before next Passover, with the evil servants still in charge, it will indeed become necessary that the masters of the good and evil servants in charge of churches and so on wake up to return and reveal themselves as their masters: that Jesus Christ was not the master of His Parable of the Servants to judge them in heaven... but authorized ***them*** to execute these judgements on earth. Although vengeance belongs to the Lord, He has used humans to bring it about (Hab. 1 : 5 - 11 ). Because I have understood Chavaqquq (in the KJV spelled Habakkuk) and the general use of the masculine singular forms "master" and "servant" in the Hebrew and Aramaic manner of Psalm 1, I have no problem with God's plan to use boards and committees of humans as masters to execute His vengeance. May this happen soon! Martyrs in Christ among the mentally ill have suffered far too long, and still entire peoples have yet to hear the Good News!





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

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

Hope this blesses all.

Doug
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