Jesus and the End of the Church Age

 More Lessons from the King

Book of Matthew "Continuing" Chapter 13

If we want to understand the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven then, there is no better place in the Bible to find out than these parables that were preached and taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember a parable describes a "Spiritual Truth" from an earthly truth!

*****Mat 13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 

Mat 13:45  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 

Mat 13:46  Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. 

Verse 38 describes this field as the world, and it probably means the same in this verse. There is no reason to think differently.

So what is this treasure and who is this man?

In the first two parables, the sower was the Lord Jesus Christ, and the seed was the Word of God or the "Gospel" the "Good News".

We know that to the Lord, the most valuable thing upon this earth is the soul of man.

It is so important that the Lord gave His life for our souls!

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 

In this verse we see that the Holy Spirit describes the "soul" to be of much more value than the totals of all this world.

This leaves us to believe without a doubt that this man is the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid the glory of Heaven aside and came to this earth to give all that He had, even His life for the "for all our souls".

The only thing we need to know is why it was hidden?

What we need to realize is the mystery of Israel and the mystery of the Church in these two parables.

Israel is that treasure hidden in the field:

Exo 19:5  Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 

Psa 135:4  For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. 

When the Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven, He found His people hidden in a field.

By His death, Jesus bought the whole world and with it, all the people who are His earthly treasure.

Jesus died for all people, but He also died for the nation of Israel.

Joh 11:51  And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 

Joh 11:52  And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 

We do not read that Jesus then got possession of that treasure so, this treasure is still hidden in this field which He bought with such a great price for the sake of owning that treasure.

This is the key to these two parables!

Israel is the Lord's peculiar treasure.

Jesus has purchased His earthy people yet still, Israel is that hidden peculiar treasure, until He returns to get His Church first, then back to earth to get this treasure of Israel.

Israel will then be "justified", "separated" and become a Spirit-filled people!

The Lord Jesus died for the nation of Israel, but the results of that death are not at this time complete.

Israel is still hidden in the that purchased field in this world!

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

Rom 11:27  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 

Much of the so-called Church says that God has cast away and forgotten these people, but this is far from the truth!

True Israel is that treasure still hidden in that field that was also purchased by the blood of Jesus, who will come again! 

1) To complete the redemption of His Church at the Rapture and 

2) Reclaim Israel.

The One pearl of greatest value is the Church.

Eph_5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

This pearl is taken out of the Sea, way down from the dark bottom out of the mouth of an animal!

We are told that a miserable grain of soil, embeds itself between the animal (the oyster) and its shell and this process continues until a beautiful pearl is produced.

A pearl of great price. 

A pearl with the colors of the rainbow from Heaven are blended together.

It is then taken up and becomes the priceless jewel in the crown of the kingdom.

This pearl is a type of the Church!

This pearl is still forming today and has not yet reached the beauty it will one day have, when the Lord calls the Church home!

The Lord returns to claim the treasure that is still hidden (Israel), He will bring that Pearl with Him!

*****Mat 13:47  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 

Mat 13:48  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 

Mat 13:49  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 

Mat 13:50  And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 

The kingdom of heaven is not the Church Age?

At the end of the Church Age, the Lord recalls His Church to remain with Him forevermore.

At the end of the Church Age, the seven years of Tribulation will begin.

In every age there is miscellaneous multitude of young and old, good and evil, people who move about this world at liberty in the wide expanse of what we call life.

It is the same for the fish that move about in the many oceans and seas.

God has dropped His invisible lines down into the Sea of Life and they are silently and slowly creeping in around us!

God will separate the wheat from the tares at the end of the Church Age.

Mat 13:30  Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. 

God will gather this large net into the shore one day and that day is not as far off as we may realize.

This shall be at the completion of the seven most horrible years upon this earth.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 

In the previous parables, the Church and Israel have been regathered. 

So this is not the "Gospel Net", as in the Church Age, as it is sometimes called.

We already know that the seas represent the nations.

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 

Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The angels will be used to separate the wicked from the just.

The wicked will be cast into the ever-burning flames of Hell.

As far as these disciples are concerned, they know nothing of the Church Age at this time and will not realize it until after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and Pentecost.

We have learned from these 7 parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of heavens beginning with the Apostolic Age and then the conditions we face up to the end.

These last 3 parables have shown us the mystery of Israel, the mystery of the Church, and the mystery of the ending of these ages.

All these things were taught to the 12 disciples. That great multitude only heard the first 2 parables.

Even those 12 chosen would not understand these things until they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

So Jesus then asked, "have you understood these things"?

*****Mat 13:51  Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 

Mat 13:52  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. 

You see, since we know and understand these things, we are beginning our preparation to go out into the world in obedience to Jesus Christ just as the Apostles did!

The word "scribe" as used here means those who are skilled in the Word of God, who read and can make sense of the Word, as Ezra said, to the people of this world, especially those to whom God has called.

The old things are those things in the Old Testament that refer to the Messiah and the truth of God, and those new things are all the things of the New Covenant or the New Testament.

We need to understand, and we need to proclaim in a loving way to those who remain lost, this is the only opportunity they will have to spend time with those who are good according to the Word of God. 

Once they leave this world their eternity will be filled with violence and eternal damnation.

We do not just walk up and tell them this for they need the "Gospel" before they need any bad news!

Those new things are summarized in these parables!

Then Jesus teaches us that once He has revealed all He came to reveal, He will be going back to Heaven until these Ages run their course, of course under His supervision.

*****Mat 13:53  And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 

Mat 13:54  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 

We can understand His own country as Nazareth and the area around Nazareth.

Luk 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 

Luk 4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

Jesus had never preached in this synagogue of Nazareth, His hometown, where He grew up with Mary and Joseph, but it was now time to do so.

No one had paid much attention to this Son of God as He grew, but they would now hear the true Word of God.

They were now astonished at His wisdom and this wisdom was from God, Jehovah God.

To His hometown, Jesus declared that He was the Messiah come from God.

Luk 4:20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 

Luk 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 

Luk 4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? 

Yes, this Jesus was the same Jesus who had a stepfather named Joseph who had trained Him to be a Carpenter.

This was a very humble family!

*****Mat 13:55  Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 

Mat 13:56  And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 

Mat 13:57  And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. 

Mat 13:58  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Yes, this mother was the Virgin Mary, selected by God to bring the Messiah into the world.

This is the place where we learn some about the children fathered by Joseph, which were James, Joses, Simon and Judas and there were sisters also, which means more than one sister and some say three sisters.

The Lord Jesus was rejected because the people of Nazareth could not understand where such a man from such a humble family could have the wisdom of God!

The Virgin Mary had become housewife and mother and neither Mary nor Joseph had achieved any prominence nor had any of the children and nothing else changed with this family of children until the Lord Jesus was crucified and then He raised Himself from that grave.

The people of Nazareth decided that Jesus could not be who He claimed to be!

Jesus was rejected because these people were offended at Him!

The word offended means they stumbled over the truth!

They could not imagine that someone they had seen grow up, to be the Messiah sent from Heaven.

They could not imagine a man from their own little city could make such claims as Jesus was making.

This became the same sentiment of all of Israel.

Joh 5:18  Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 

Mat 27:39  And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 

Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 

This is where the world is at today.

If we think about it, how else would God have made Himself known.

He could have come down in a rocket ship and the whole world would have believed.

Many would have believed in fright.

Many would believe and tried to destroy Him.

The Book of Genesis says we were created in God's image, yet the same book says that God is Spirit.

So the image of God is not in looks, but in traits and the Lord Jesus Christ is the express image of His Father and the example we are to follow.

So we must choose to shrink King Jesus down to our level, or to accept Him for who He says He is!

If we look at all the miracles that He did, then we must accept Him as the Messiah.

If we look at all the prophecies that were fulfilled in Him, then we must accept Him as the Messiah.

If we believe the Word of God, then we must accept that Jesus is the Messiah.

If we look out at our created world, then we must believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God, and He was also 100% man.

There is no other explanation!

If Jesus is the Messiah, then He is our Lord and Savior, and this is my belief!

Unbelief leaves no alternative to salvation!

Unbelief hurts our God who has tried His best to show us the truth!

So choose to believe the truth and be saved, or choose to disregard the truth and suffer the wrath of God.

To not choose is to disregard the truth!

The greatest sin in all the world, is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

What Is the Kingdom of God

 New Lessons About the Kingdom

Book of Matthew Chapter 13

We now get to listen in as the Lord Jesus Christ preached in a new way.

The Lord Jesus loved to use parables.

We may not know as much as we like to about the Kingdom of Heaven, but because of King Jesus and His preaching, we know much more of those things that were once mysteries to those who were gathered, to hear the Lord Jesus preach.

The Lord Jesus uses these parables to describe the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven.

So what is a parable?

A parable is a representation of something that is real in life or in nature from which a certain thing is drawn for instruction.

A parable is a mode of speaking for us to learn spiritual things.

A parable is an earthly truth that expresses a Heavenly truth!

A parable is an earthly comparison to a Spiritual truth!

Let us listen to the Lord Jesus:

*****Mat 13:1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 

Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 

Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 

Jesus had just preached a sermon and He had healed some who had faith but remember Jesus found not much faith in Capernaum.

Mat 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

Since the Lord Jesus had begun His ministry, He had no time to rest so, after a tiring day Jesus just went out to the Sea of Galilee to enjoy a moment of tranquility but it did not last long so, Jesus began to teach some truths of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We should understand that a parable is not a fable.

A fable is just a fictitious story or some legend that may or may not have existed.

A parable was a means of teaching the truth in a fashion that could be easily understood.

We first meet the sower. In the next parable we find this sower is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

These first two parables set the standard for all the remaining parables.

A sower would sow seed. Today we would say broadcast, casting seed out by hand.

Most time the seed of a crop would be cast upon plowed ground, but this was not always the case.

In some soils the seed was cast before the plowing.

In some wet soils the seed would be trodden down by animals.

Isa 32:20  Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass. 

The one thing we should clearly understand is that the seed of the Christian is the precious Word of God, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the Gospel Seed that will bring great results when presented the right way!

Pro 11:18  The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward. 

Psa 126:1  When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 

Psa 126:2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 

Psa 126:3  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 

Psa 126:4  Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. 

Psa 126:5  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

Psa 126:6  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. 

Now let us hear this great parable of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must be careful where we sow the "Gospel Seed"!

*****Mat 13:4  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

The first danger in sowing the "Gospel Seed" is to sow it upon prepared ground. If the seed is not placed where it can be covered then the birds will come and devour the seed.

I know birds have keen sight but as one who loves to feed the birds, they must have another sense that directs them to seed.

There was always a foot path to divide one field from another and seed that dropped on that foot path just could not grow into a useful plant.

On the day, this parable was taught, this sower was the Lord Jesus Himself.

He as our example, is teaching some who might become future sowers of the Word of God.

The ground that is plowed with the "Gospel Plow" (Grace) is ready to receive the "Gospel Seed"(Word of God).

What we should know is that these "fowl" represent that "wicked thing" we know of as Satan.

*****Mat 13:5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 

Mat 13:6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

There are many today who claim to have received the truth of the Lord, but their hearts are so hardened by their sin they just cannot accept it as the complete truth.

It is like seed that lands on stony ground where there is not enough soil to provide the nourishment to the seed. That soil will dry and become nothing, but dust and that seed will never produce.

Stony ground is cold like a cold heart. These people have no spiritual warmth because the Holy Spirit has not moved in.

What did God say?

Eze 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 

Eze 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

This is exactly what happened to Israel, their hearts turned to stone!

Zec 7:12  Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. 

Zec 7:13  Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: 

Zec 7:14  But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate. 

Remember we serve an unchanging God and stony hearts cannot receive the rainfall from Heaven and they cannot get into Heaven!

Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

They will be scorched by the Sun without having received the Son!

They have no root in themselves.

When we find a Bible believing Church, the Lord teaches us "to put our roots in" so we can grow in Christ.

When we have no root then we cannot grow, we must endure!

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

Just hearing the Word of God preached and taught will not get you to Heaven, you must receive the Word of God as the truth.

*****Mat 13:7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 

Thorny ground is deceptive ground. When we see growth in bare ground, where weeds grow, we think well "anything" can grow in that place, but this is never true.

Any growth from that seed will soon be choked out.

Thorny ground represents those who receive the Word of God but just want to add it to their lives as they exist and not repent of their sinful ways.

This is the theme of the queer and lesbian and the cross-gender movement today and many other sinners. 

They say God made them the way they are, and we just need to accept them for who they are, but God teaches us all that we must be "Born Again".

God forgave me of my sin, but He told me to go and sin no more. It is called to repent!

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to die just so I could hold on to my sin!

The Bible says:

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

Those thorns are the cares of this world!

They prick and stick the Word of God, until what God says is meaningless to them. 

Those with their minds on this world do not have their minds upon the Lord Jesus Christ!

This world will hinder, irritate, aggravate and trouble a person from pursuing the truth of God!

The deceitfulness of riches is also thorns, that keep us from the truth of God!

When we become self-confident or self-dependent, we have rejected the truth of God who says we need Him!

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

We cannot change the truth of God or it would no longer be the truth!

2Co 13:8  For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

Some people see wealth as a blessing from God, but this is rarely the case.

God would never put us in a place where we would feel that we do not need Him!

Then there are some seed that lands on good fertile soil that has been prepared by the Holy Spirit.

*****Mat 13:8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

The tender heart that has been plowed with the "Gospel Plow" will reproduce the "Gospel Seed"!

The Gospel is not hard to understand.

That Seed is not just the Word of God, but it is the Gospel Seed of the Lord Jesus Christ, the "Good News"!

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

Not every believer is the same:

Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Not all believers are equal.

Some will work harder than others, but we must also realize the location where Christians do that work.

Remember Moses preached 120 years and only his family went with him on the Ark.

So yes, some may produce 30-fold and others 100-fold, but the object is still to be busy about the work of the Lord once we are saved.

The production of the Gospel Seed lies in the hands of our Savior!

As my Pastor says: "the Holy Spirit was not given to us for our enjoyment, He was given to us for our employment" and this is true.

The Holy Spirit gave us all the Word of God and Jesus says we need to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying!

Now Jesus teaches these parables to His disciples!

*****Mat 13:18  Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 

Mat 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 

We see immediately that the key to salvation and the work given us by the Lord is understanding the Word of God.

What is the "word of the kingdom"? It can be none other than the "Gospel"!

The "Gospel" is the Words of Salvation saved for us by the Holy Spirit!

The Gospel is pure as Jesus is pure and it is the truth of a Holy God!

Jesus teaches these disciples to hear these parables according to the privileges given to them.

Mat 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 

Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. 

You see it is a privilege to be called of God and then be presented the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

It is these soon to be Apostles who were given the privilege first to deliver the "Gospel" to the world!

We must understand that when we present the "Gospel" to some lost soul who has been called of God, then Satan will immediately come to that person to discredit the Gospel in some way.

The Devil will snatch away the truth of the "Gospel"!

The Devil hates the Lord Jesus Christ and will do his best to keep everyone out of Heaven.

He cannot go himself and he does not want anyone else to get there.

It is easier to understand when we understand the truth of the Devil.

*****Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

Rocky ground has not much soil, but it will grow seed until the Sun rises and draws out all the moisture and that seed will die.

In many a person there is an enthusiastic receiving of the truth of God. 

Oh how they welcome the truth at least until the real truth sets in.

As Christians we live in an evil and wicked world where we are hated.

Persecution is real folks.

That old heart that was never broken by the "Gospel Plow" has no real life within it.

They have a form of "godliness, but they know not the reality of God's power and the power of everlasting life.

The Lord says to stay away from these people.

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

The Lord says they are ever learning but never able to grasp the truth of Jesus.

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

We must understand that being a Christian will draw Satan's crowd near to us to cause persecution.

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

This is the place where many so-called Christians go back to their old lives of sin!

But there are still others.

*****Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

We all know that the love of money is the root behind all the evil in this world!

1Ti_6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

The deceit of riches does hinder, the growth of the Word of God within us!

In our world today sinful so-called pleasures go unhindered. Free to roam this world to cause destruction.

Plagues such as we have just gone through, will make things even worse.

People will become more dependent upon government, which by the way was probably more involved in the cause than we want to admit.

The cares of this world will come to the forefront.

Anxiety and future uncertainty will rule lives that are not dependent upon God.

The Word of God will be choked out by fear of what tomorrow might bring, because they refuse to believe the God who holds tomorrow in His hands.

There will be a great falling away which we see today!

2Th_2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

God has already told us of all these things.

1) We see that the Devil snatches up and devours.

2) We see the Flesh attempts and fails.

3) We see the World surrounds and chokes.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ could have spoken such a simple parable with such a deep and far-reaching meaning.

But there will always be that true believer!

*****Mat 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

There will always be some who hear the truth and cling to the truth for evermore!

What did the Lord our God say?

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

1) There is hearing.

2) There is understanding.

3) There is "faith".

Without "faith" there is no reproduction!

Through "faith" there is fruit bearing and producing!

These things come by a receptive, teachable heart that is prepared by "Grace"!

Amen

The Teaching Of Jesus Christ

The Certainty Of Christ's Parables

Book of Luke 12


We already know that the Lord Jesus used many parables in His teaching.

A parable can be best described as a story of something in our earthly life or in nature, that we can compare to the truth of God's Word, a Heavenly truth.

It is a fact that both the Created world of God and all the things in Heaven develop according to the same laws.

For instance in the spring we see the resurrection of this natural world from the dead of Winter to the new life of Spring which should remind us that to be resurrected is to be raised from death to eternal life.

Nature is a witness of the Spiritual world to come.

It could be said that a parable is the clearest illustration of God's truth!

We can be certain that the parables that Jesus taught will clearly show us the meaning of God's Word.

Everything that Jesus taught was in perfect harmony with the Message of His Father.

We should remember that a parable will never contradict the truth of the Scriptures, but will only point to the truth of God!

*****Luk 12:13  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.

Here we see one of the followers of Christ asked that He be the judge between he and his brother. This man was in a dispute with his own brother over the inheritance of his fathers estate.

We already know that by the laws of Moses the elder brother would get two thirds of the estate compared to his younger brother's one third.

We do not know if this is the problem with this man or not.

This man felt that he deserved an equal share of all the things his father had possessed.

The truth is, we never see where Jesus will ever interfere in secular matters!

At this time it was not His purpose because He came to seek and to save those who are lost!

At this time is was a common practice in the life of the Jews for the Rabbi to settle local legal disputes.

What do we know?

**This man had been listening to the Preaching message of Jesus sermons.

**This man was seeking material wealth of this world.

BUT, Jesus will never deal in matters of selfishness!

*****Luk 12:14  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?

Jesus Christ refused this man very sternly.

This gives us an idea how the Lord would respond to any request for the material things of this world for our own use.

This man exposed a serious flaw in the spiritual life he should have been seeking.

In verses 1-12 Jesus was teaching all those who would listen to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees.

Most of the Pharisees were hypocrites who taught the Laws of Moses but they themselves lived outside those Laws.

This is something we see in our own government today. Men and women who make the laws refuse to abide by those laws.

The truth is, the disciples of the Lord are to never live in this manner and are always to be aware of hypocrisy.

We are never to get caught up in this way of thinking!

Luk 12:2  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

This was a man who had heard the message of Jesus but he was to preoccupied in his own worldliness to listen to what Jesus had really said.

The Bible says:

Jas 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

It is obvious that this man had his mind on the things of this earth and not on Heavenly things!

There many people who sit before God's preachers but they still refuse to hear the message he has preached.

The Bible says:

Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

This man had a strong desire for the things of this world and that is a sign of cold-hearted worldliness!

AND, Covetousness will lead to all manner of sin!

*****Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Each of the Ten Commandments is centered on covetousness!

The Tenth Commandment says "Thou shalt not covet".

To covet is to have an inordinate desire to possess what belongs to someone else!

In fact as the Bible describes covetousness, it means an ungoverned and selfish desire that threatens the basic rights of others.

To covet can also mean self exertion and the Tenth Commandment forbids such a thing.

This is exactly what is being pushed on the American public by the gay movement, the students that want everything to be free, those who want to take away the rights of Christians, and those who think differently from the Democratic Party and the secular society of today.

Free speech to these people means that you can say what you want to say as long as you do not disagree with what they have to say!

They should remember the Word of God:

Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

To be covetous is to not be rich toward God!

To be covetous is to deny faith and scorn the values of God!

Just as Jesus says "life does not consists of the things of this world that we have in our possession".

Jesus says to "take heed", "to beware".

It was not being wronged by his brother that drove this man, it was simply greed!

This was the sin of this man and the great sin of this world we live in!

This is the sin of covetousness!

This is the sin of Socialism!

This is the sin of Communism!

These people become aggressively self-centered and this is what we see in America today!

So Jesus teaches with a parable.

*****Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

In this parable we have a man who is already a rich land owner.

The crops that were planted on his lands brought forth greater than average crops, so much so he did not have room to store the abundance.

He uses the word "I" six times and the word "my" five times in these passages, because we see that he could only think of himself.

The one thing we can be sure of, is that if we have anything it is something that God has provided to us for a reason.

We are all prone to take credit for the things that we have acquired when the truth is, success comes only from God!

The sin of covetousness is a craving and a desire for more.

Covetousness is the sin that is hardest to overcome!

Covetousness causes greediness.

Covetousness causes dissatisfaction with what is enough.

Covetousness causes our cravings to influence our fleshy behavior!

It is not so "much a want to have" as a "got to have" and a will to try to obtain no matter the cost.

Covetousness puts material things in the place of God!

When this man had a great opportunity to help others in need, he chose only to store it in newly built barns.

This man had become self-centered that only his perceived needs were real ti him.

And what did God say to him? "You are a fool".

God says those that continuously lay up treasure for themselves and are not rich toward the ways of God are fools.

We already know that Jesus warned us for calling anyone a fool using the Greek word "moros" which means stupid.

But here the Holy Spirit uses a much stronger word meaning "insane".

Covetousness is a very serious sin in the eyes of God and goes all the way back to the very first commandment.

Notice, God knew the thoughts of this man.

Notice, God knew this man would die that very night.

The soul of this man was going to cease because the soul returns to the God who gave it.

The soul simply does not cease existing when the flesh dies!

The soul returns to the spiritual world.

2Pe 2:17  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

This man will never know who ended up with his riches after his death.

Psa 39:6  Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

Pro 5:21  For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Pro 5:22  His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Pro 5:23  He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

What did Jesus say before He began this parable?

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

True life is not about the material things of this world we live in!

True life is about what happens after the death of this flesh we live in. It is the soul that has eternal life!

*****Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Psa 49:6  They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
Psa 49:7  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
Psa 49:8  (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
Psa 49:9  That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.
Psa 49:10  For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

Wealth is not a permanent possession!

Someone else will always get your wealth that you leave behind and many times not those you would prefer to have it.

The ownership of material things is really never ours to begin with, all things belong to God.

1) The riches of God are true life:

Psa 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

2) The riches of God come from a life of faith:

Jas 2:5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

3) The riches of God in this life are from our good works after our salvation.

1Ti 6:18  That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;
1Ti 6:19  Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

4) The riches of God come from the wisdom of God:

Pro 8:11  For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

Those that lay up their own treasures in this world are not rich in the things of God that last forever!

*****Luk 12:22  And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

Discipleship training has lost it's importance in the modern day church.

We should be clear, Jesus is teaching His disciples here. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ then you need some training for the tasks that He has for us all!

This message is not for the world, those that reject Jesus Christ!

Taking thought, is worrying.

Taking thought, is being overly concerned.

God says for us to not worry about the necessities of life!

King David said: Psa 37:25  I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Jesus said "I have come that you might have life".

In other words, life is not about this life we live in the flesh that only last such a short time!

*****Luk 12:23  The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

The biggest problem this world has today is that it does not believe in an ultimate provider.

In reality there are no such things as the laws of nature!

God did not create a world in which only the strong survive!

Psa 145:15  The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Psa 145:16  Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Sure there are those that are starving in this world but if looked you would see that most people starve because some man or some men have interfered with the food process!

The truth is, that it is only those who are strong in Christ that will survive.

The life that Christ Jesus supplies is eternal!

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Our faith is the key to true life, if that faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Who would choose a meal over such a life?

Who would choose a new wardrobe over such a life?

These things are just covetousness which leads to most all sin!

The greatest sin besides, rejecting the Lord Jesus, is the desire of mankind for bigger and better things of this world.

Life and our bodies mean much more that the food we eat and the clothes we wear, or the place we live, or the things we think we own!

We already know that a healthy lifestyle will extend our life in this world and a life in Christ will extend that life to a life eternal in the actual presence of God.

Jesus did not say we are not to think or to plan for the necessities of life, Jesus said we are not to worry about these things.

Life takes some thought and some planning but we are never to covet to the point of worrying!

We should just truly consider the ways of God!

*****Luk 12:24  Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

Jesus says just consider all the birds, they are fed by God Himself.

As far as I know, the only birds who die of starvation are those who have been captured by some person and kept as pets.

Birds do not sow or reap their food, they just go to the location where food is available.

Many animals store up food for the times when it is not available but not the birds, God provides for them day by day.

Birds are willing to go to wherever their needs are met!

God says that those who have accepted His Son Jesus as their personal Savior are of much more value than the birds.

Faith that God will provide our needs comes from the faith that we have a Savior and a Redeemer.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Jesus is teaching all His disciples, which includes all who have faith in Him, not to worry or be anxious in this world over food and clothing.

BUT, we should also remember that God does not put up with laziness, or a lack of initiative, and effort on our part.

God made plans ahead of time for our salvation.

Jesus planned ahead for His own funeral.

Joh 12:6  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Joh 12:7  Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.

Jesus preached and taught for us all to be industrious believers.

Luk 16:8  And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Jesus said we are to be more industrious than this unjust steward.

The Bible is very clear about us being faithful workers and even working to have extra that we can give to those that do not have.

Eph 4:28  Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

Our faith means that we are trusting in God to meet all our needs because God says He will never forsake us.

God does not ever say that we will not suffer in this life in fact He says we will!

It is that suffering that will increase our faith!

God truly cares for those who love Him!

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Worrying about these things of God is then senseless!

*****Luk 12:25  And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

The Greek word used for stature in this verse is "helikia".

Helikia can mean age as well as size.

So this verse could read either "who can add one cubit which is about 18 inches to his stature" or it could read "who could add one minute to his life span".

The answer to both is that none of us can do either of these things.

No two of us are alike but we are all sinners!

This world is corrupt and imperfect just as we all are.

Our only hope is in the Almighty God through the Lord Jesus Christ who makes these promises to us.

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

*****Luk 12:26  If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

It is to our benefit to think that there are many things that we simply cannot do!

There are some simple things that man simply cannot do.

It would seem reasonable that we are in control of our own destiny but the truth is we are not in control at all!

God does not cause accidents yet they still happen and our lives our over before we know it.

The big thing today is climate change and with all the power of man and all the knowledge of the world's greatest minds, it is God who controls these things and the climate has always changed.

If we would only look at a Supreme Being and not the foolishness of Evolution we would not get so caught up in these things!

When we are unable to do some of the simplest of things with human power, how could we ever believe we could do these things that foolish men say is possible.

God has promised that no matter what we see or think, God will work out all things for the good to those that truly trust Him!

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We know God's plan and we may not understand His methods, but we need to just place these things in His hands because He certainly knows what is best for us.

1Co 7:17  But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.

We are challenged to trust God and leave all our worries to Him, or to be so anxious about this life that it robs us of our peace and joy.

We are to consider what God has already done.

*****Luk 12:27  Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

When we see the beautiful lilies, do they not always appear contented and happy.

The lilies live on the property of man.

The same air that keeps us alive does not help the growth of the lily, because the lily requires our wasted air.

When we and also the animals breath in all the air we want, it is that air that is exhausted, though poison to us, that is life to the lily.

A lily is not concerned with popularity or of wearing the proper clothing.

A lily is not concerned with style and fashion.

A lily is not concerned with acceptability.

Flowers are grateful for the leftovers of this world and our ingratefulness shows when we simply cannot be happy with what God has provided for us.

As rich as King Solomon was, he could not purchase clothing that could come close to the beauty of the lilies!

God simply says, to get all the good out of the things He has provided before we wish for better things!

A flower has no wings and no feet and must stay exactly where it is planted.

They do not do anything that cannot be done at home.

When the Lord Jesus was asked to do wrong He said "I and my Father are one".

Jesus was saying that this is not what happens in My Father's House!

There are still people who talk to their flowers but flowers never talk back.

Flowers allow their silent beauty do all their talking for them!

Flowers teach us to do good without being asked to do so!

It is a fact that without the systems God has put in place we would not have flowers!

We would not have trees!

We would not have grass!

We not not have the wheat and the corn that feeds us!

God is the Creator of life, not only mankind, and all the animals but life also can be seen in all the plants that grow and many of those plants are grown for our on benefit.

We get food and shelter and many other resources from plants who survive off our waste and even if they had mouths they would never complain!

SO, What this world is suffering the most from, "is a lack of faith" and that faith in God!

*****Luk 12:29  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Luk 12:30  For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

When we doubt that God cares enough for us to provide our basic needs, then we become anxious and worry to a point that we become insecure in many other things.

Jas 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Jas 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Jas 1:7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
Jas 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Worldliness is being wrapped up in the things of this world and doubting God's care!

These things will consume us if they are allowed to fester!

When life becomes food, drink and possessions, we have forgotten that life is eternal and we have forgotten life is in the soul which never dies.

As the children of God we are to different from those of this world!

God commands us to seek the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be provided.

We must understand that God knows we have personal needs!

If we cannot trust in God's ability to provide our basic needs, how then can we be sure of our own salvation.

A God that cannot provide for His people is not much of a God!

We serve a God that not only provides our needs, but He gets great pleasure in doing so!

*****Luk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

God has great pleasure in giving us treasures that do not age, that do not corrupt, and no one can steal them away from us!

The teaching of the Lord is this: "Once our needs have been met, we do not need more".

We will only waste it or we will store it to deny others from having.

We live in a world that is full of needs and should be willing to help others with any excess that we have.

Not to gain a good reputation but for the purpose of seeking the Kingdom of God!

What advice does God give us?

*****Luk 12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

"Gifts" of money and good deeds can never grow old.

The treasures in Heaven are built upon the fruit of the Holy Spirit and Souls led to the Lord.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Eph 5:10  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

These things never age, never fail, cannot corrupt, and cannot be stolen, as all things of this earth do.

The real treasures are in Heaven!

Our hearts should be centered these things of Heaven.

If we believe our treasure is in this world then our hearts are in this world.

As this world is corrupt, then our hearts are corrupt!

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
We can be certain that the parables of the Lord Jesus Christ teach us Heavenly Truths!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Parables Of The Lord Jesus

The Parables of God's Servant

"Field, Fruit, and Light"

Book of Mark 4:1-41

Last week we saw as Jesus had taught in the synagogue at Capernaum for the last time and during His teaching, He healed the whithered hand of a man.

A whithered hand is a "type" of how sin hinders our ability to serve The Lord!

Jesus then went up upon a mountain, where he chose "His Own Creation" to continue to teach and it was "this place" where He assembled the 12 disciples.

Jesus taught in a parable about how the Pharisees, when they accused Jesus of working under the power of Satan, that they were actually "blaspheming the Holy Spirit". The "unpardonable sin"!

Jesus taught that even though our earthly families should remain important to us while we are in our flesh, we will spend eternity with our Heavenly family, who is our true family.

Today Jesus continues to teach, and this time He again chooses His own creation, the Sea of Galilee.

The Book of Matthew says He began to teach like this:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Bible says that there is "No One" that ever spoke like Jesus!

Joh 7:46 The officers answered, "Never man spake like this man".

Let's begin:

*****Mar 4:1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
Mar 4:2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

It was only a short walk from Peter's house to the shoreline of Galilee. Christ Jesus borrowed a boat, and it became His "pulpit". It would later become His bed.

This natural amphitheater was a place where the voice of Jesus was amplified to reach all that were present.

What was the Doctrine of Jesus?

"Doctrine" in it's simplest form means "instruction".

So what were Jesus's instructions?

Jesus chose to use parables in order to give us and the Apostles most of His instructions.

So what is a "parable"?

A parable in it's simplest form is an "earthly story" that can be understood and actually has a "Heavenly Meaning"!

The comparing of earthly things to Heavenly things!

A parable can be a "proverb".
A parable can be a "type" or we may say "typology".
A parable can also be an "allegory".

A large portion of "the teachings" or "the doctrine" of the Lord Jesus Christ consisted of "parables".

Those that exalted themselves above God and the average man, the "human beings" on this Earth, would have trouble understanding parables that Jesus taught!

Mat 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Most of the world leaders, including those in America, have exalted themselves above "the average human being" and can no longer relate to their own people and we can see the turmoil in our nation and in our world because of this!

So Jesus begins:

*****Mar 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

That word "hearken" meant "listen to what I am about to say".

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"

The Sower:

A "sower" is a person who scatters seed for propagation.

Propagation means an act that will cause that seed to multiply.

In this parable it is the act of planting the "Gospel" among "the lost" of this world!

This is the purpose of every "born again" child of God after salvation!

So, what does Jesus want us to hear?

It is not enough just to hear the Word of God but we must accept the Word of God "in the context that it is written" and then the Word of God will bear fruit!

You see, If the "sower" cast bad seed, then the plowing, the planting, and the watering are in vain!

So what did Jesus say?

*****Mar 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Mar 4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
Mar 4:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Mar 4:8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mar 4:9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Everyone within the sound of the voice of Jesus heard these words.

We should understand that every parable will contain at least one central truth of God's Word!

BUT, the interpretation of every parable must be consistent with what is taught elsewhere in the Bible!

No parable can be interpreted to go against the written Word of God!

Every "sower" must have a knowledge of the everyday life of those that receive the seed, the Word of God!

In verse 9 we again see that Jesus says "to listen", which tells us that this first parable "is the most important" of all His parables!

If we do not get this one right, we will never understand the others!

So, Jesus takes the time to teach us the interpretation of this parable.

*****Mar 4:10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
Mar 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

The chosen 12 did not want the multitude to see that they did not understand the teaching of Jesus.

They understood the principles of agriculture and the act of sowing but they also realized that Jesus had said all these words for some other reason.

They needed an explanation!

What was this mystery of the kingdom of God?

Jesus will teach us many parables, most of them dealing with the Jewish rejection of Christ Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

The "mystery" is the "Church Age" and it is not a mystery today because we have the complete Bible!

The "mystery" was that the nation of Israel would be set aside temporarily and God would establish His Church!

The 12 Apostles were never about saving Israel!

Today, the Church Age has about run it's course and soon God will again deal with Israel, "where once more the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached".

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

We now live in the present "Age of Grace", the "mystery" that the Jews still do not understand!

What words are included in the prayers of the Church?

Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

SO, Let's listen as we have been instructed to do:

*****Mar 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

It is now the "Body of Christ" who is the "Sower".

The "Seed" is the "Word Of God"!

John wrote:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

1Jn 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, "the Word", and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

The "Sower" in the first instance was God Himself, but after salvation "the servants" have become the sowers!

We are to scatter the "Good News" of Jesus far and wide. (the highways and the hedges)

BUT, We do not manufacture our own seed!

We are still to use God's Seed!

It is God who provides this "seed" that contains the secret of "everlasting life"!

What does God's seed do?

Here is the best example of what God's "seed" does!

Gen 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed [after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good].

God makes "His Own Self" responsible for how the "seed" will germinate in the soil!

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth "out of my mouth": it shall not return unto me void, "but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it".

Our only job is to be the "sower" and to "Sow The Seed"! (the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ)

*****Mar 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Jesus said listen to what I'm telling you:

Satan will waste no time in trying to seize the seed before it can germinate!

Satan is not omnipresent and cannot be in every place, but some of his agents will always be in the places where the "Gospel" is preached!

After all Satan does not have to send his agents to the places where the truth is not taught!

Satan uses all his power to keep the "Gospel" from being preached "but when that fails", he will next seize the seed so in cannot germinate.

The "wayside" is a place where people come and go and there is constant movement.

The "wayside" is a place of business and pleasure.

That "wayside" is "that heart so hardened in sin" that the seed cannot reach the soil!

Without Holy Ghost conviction the soil goes unprepared!

SO, Satan has great success in the "wayside"!

Those "foul of the air" are not farm animals as chickens or ducks, they are birds that prey!

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Those "foul of the air" are Satan's helpers!

*****Mar 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
Mar 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Here again these is no problem with the seed!

Just as stony ground is unfavorable to cultivate, a stony heart is cruel, pitiless, and unfeeling, or we can just say hard-hearted!

The seed did germinate but could not grow!

"Stony ground" in the Bible is a "type" of sin that signifies a stubborn will, an unyielding resistance to change, reluctance and even hatred.

There was just enough soil to look promising but that stoney heart will have to be broken for fruit to come forth!

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

*****Mar 4:18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Mar 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Again there is nothing wrong with the seed!

The problem is still in the soil!

The soil is deep enough to sustain growth but the thorns will not allow growth, to the point of death.

What did God tell Adam?

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: "cursed is the ground for thy sake"; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 "Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee"; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Jesus describes these thorns in 3 ways:

1) The "cares of this world".

We all need things just so we can live!
We all want things that we do not really need!

"Worry" is a tool of the Devil!

While worrying about this world we live in, "we will not see the future that God will provide"!

2) Deceitfulness of riches.

The Devil will use riches to keep our minds on this world.

Riches may seem like a blessing but riches cannot stop the pain of sin!
Riches can only be measured by what they can buy!
Riches seldom bring true happiness!

3) The "pleasures of this life".

The Devil uses our "lust" for other things against us.
When we obtain the thing we wanted most, we will soon see another thing we want even more.

BUT, there is nothing in this life can satisfy our need for The Lord!

The Lord does not deny us pleasure in this life, but He does prohibit any false pleasure that comes from sin, for that pleasure cannot last:

Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, [than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season];

What ever focuses our attention on this world will not let us focus on the world to come!

*****Mar 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

The seed that falls on this ground has the best chance of producing a crop.

Even here the results will vary!

This ground has been properly prepared to produce fruit! (Holy Ghost conviction)

BUT, to receive the Word of God means that it is mixed with "faith" because it must be accepted as "the truth"!

That word "Receive" always means "accepted"!

No pathway of human activity can trample God's Word.
No stone can crush God's Word.
No persecution can prevail over God's Word.
No worldly lust can stop the growth of God's Word.

The Word of God, will then take the shape of Jesus Christ!

1Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, [we shall be like him]; for we shall see him as he is.

Then, and only then, will the Light of Jesus shine in this dark world!

*****Mar 4:21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
Mar 4:22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.

We should pay attention as these next 2 parables tie right into the parable of the sower.

It is the environmental conditions that have an effect on the yield of what the sower sows.

The yields can be 30, 60, and some 100 percent!

In the beginning God created the beautiful Garden of Eden by casting His seed on this Earth and "it was very good" but it would not have been very good if God had not said "Let there be light"!

Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

When John saw the New Heaven and the New Earth coming down from Heaven, "he said" there was such a glow that no light was needed.

Rev 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; [for the Lord God giveth them light]: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

It is the job of every Christian "to be that light" in this time of the Church Age!

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

While remembering that the world will do it's very best to dim the light of each child of God.

The Lord Jesus paid a heavy price for our salvation and He did not intend for His children to hide themselves in this dark world!

To shine the brightest we must experience the truth of God's Word!

The "lighted lamp" must be filled with oil, SO, God's children must be filled with His Holy Spirit!

The Christian is not to get dim over time but to actually shine brighter!

This calls for a daily filling of the Holy Spirit that we must ask for in our prayers!

We must not ever try to hide the Word of God from those we do not agree with!

God said "whosoever"!

And the Holy Spirit will endow each believer with gifts, all of which are to be used to further God's Kingdom!

1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

It is these things that allow the Christian to bring forth fruit!

A "candle" is a simple instrument that will overwhelm darkness "because darkness is no match for light"! (darkness will always flee)

But, a "candle" has to give of itself in order to produce a flame! (a candle melts as the flame burns)

The Lord Jesus is our example, as he gave Himself to the Cross BUT He is still that "Great Light" that dispells all darkness, we are to do the same!

Jesus paid it all in order for us to shine in "His" light, not our own light!

We must remember Jesus is the "Light", we can only be the "Candle"!

And Jesus kept no secrets!

But we are also always to be careful at the things that the world says!

*****Mar 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Mar 4:24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

We must always listen when God is the speaker!

We must take heed of the things we hear from all other sources!

1) We must not learn from strange voices!

Joh 10:5 "And a stranger will they not follow", but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

2) We must pay attention to what God says!

Luk 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

3) We must make a personal application after hearing the Word of God!

Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

4) We must remember what God's says, to take a stand!

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

5) We must desire the things of God, not the things of this world!

1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

6) We must be obedient to the Word of God!

Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Remember! To be a "fisher of men" we must first cast the seed "or there will be no fruit".

We must next be a bright and shining Light for Jesus or "that seed will not produce".

We must take heed of what we hear from this world "as this will affect the fruit, the abundance and the quality of it".

BUT, we must realize most of all, that the seed can not even come out of the ground without the "Creator"!

It is only the Holy Spirit that can bring conviction to that lost soul!

Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

*****Mar 4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.

What is the law of increase?

The more we learn and apply God's Word to our own lives, the more God will enable us to learn!

But those that are content to just sit on the pew and do not get into the battle will eventually forget even what truth they have learned!

It is a fact in this world we live in, that a man who has made money is in a better position to make more money than those that will not invest.

So, in this time of God's "Grace", "grace" to do one good act opens up the heart to admit more "grace" to do another good act!

As we learn these things we must apply them for the purpose God has given to us!

*****Mar 4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
Mar 4:27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
Mar 4:28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Now that we have cast the seed on the best ground, we can test the soil of "whosoever" God sends across our path and prepare our selves to shine as bright as we can in the Lord, remembering that God ask us to be patient and allow Him to do His work!

Spiritual growth has 2 parts: Our part, and God's part!

As a "sower" we can but cast the seed!

After that, all things in this world are in the hands of God!

Luk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, "the kingdom of God is within you".

There is no amount of watching that can make that seed to come forth!

It takes "faith" to be a farmer because once he plants his field, "he is at the mercy of the elements".

God has already taught us "that much of our seed" will fall on unproductive ground BUT we are to be patient and not be discouraged.

Ultimately all life comes from God!

Nothing excites the farmer more than for him to see the new sprouts come out of the ground "but he also realizes how tender and delicate they are at this time of their growth"!

Every growing stalk of corn in the farmers field is a miracle and "the farmer owes it all to God"!

But, the greatest miracle of them all is that "lost" soul that has been saved!

Everyone that is saved, also owes it all to God!

*****Mar 4:29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Now the fruit is back in the hands of the "Sower"!

Just as it is the farmer who is to nurture the crop until the time for the harvest, it is the job of the Church to try to nurture that babe in Christ.

Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

We need to "know" enough of the "Gospel" to teach others!
We need to "have enough interest" in that new sprout to help them in the Word of God!
We must be "loyal enough to Christ" to help others gain the knowledge to also help others!

Joh 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
Joh 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

We must always keep in mind that The Lord is still in charge of all "Spiritual Growth'!

So, what have all these things to do with the "Kingdom of God"?

*****Mar 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
Mar 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
Mar 4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

The Kingdom of God is God's Church that He has cast into the Earth.

In comparison to other religions, it was the smallest of them all!

But His Church will grow into "tree".

This tree will be great enough for all the fowls of the air to come lodge in it. (whosoever will come)

Jesus says His Kingdom will always be great enough for all to come to seek refuge!

Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that "whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved".

Just as the mustard seed will grow until takes over the garden, from the "Gospel" seed, God's Kingdom will be the greatest of all kingdoms!

This all happens because of God's life giving power!

God controls the life of the seed from it's beginnings!

But God also controls all the processes of growth!

The "lost world" has a poor opinion of God's work but from it's humble beginnings of 12 Apostles it has grown to reach throughout this world. (this cannot be denied)

The Kingdom of God began with 12 Apostles and we can see how it has grown "But Even This" is like a grain of mustard seed compared to what Heaven will be!

It all began when God the Sower, sowed the Seed of Jesus!

This is the same seed we must sow daily!

But we must always fertilize that seed with "Faith"!

*****Mar 4:33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, [as they were able to hear it].
Mar 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and [when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples].

Jesus Christ will always come down to our level of intelligence!

BUT, when we are unwilling to apply what we learn to our lives, then we will never understand what the results of that teaching could have been!

Sin has so thoroughly blinded our minds and corrupted our hearts that we can only take a little truth at a time.

Most of the time when we witness to the lost, we find that they already have some preconceived notion of what the "Gospel" is about and are totally confused about the truth.

The Lord teaches us all a lesson here!

Jesus began with "very basic truths" and Jesus related them to things that people were aware of! (the parable)

Jesus never preached a sermon without using illustrations!

In most cases, when we can take an incident from our own lives that we can relate to the truth of God, we can get our point across much better.

Even those that were sent to arrest Jesus understood the power of His teaching!

Joh 7:46 The officers answered, "Never man spake like this man".

It is no wonder that when He was alone with the 12, He would take great pains to make sure that they understood His teaching!

After all God did not send Jesus to hide the truth!

Our Father in Heaven has only one goal!

What is the will of God for mankind?

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

It is only after we know the truth that we can make a sure choice!

*****Mar 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

This had been a great day to learn the "Gospel" but Jesus was not through yet with the 12.

That word "even" means one day had come to the end but a new Jewish day began at this time.

We should not forget that, that body of flesh that God had poured Himself into, did require some rest!

That rest was not going to come in the midst of that multitude.

It would be at least 6 miles to where Jesus had instructed the disciples to go.

Rowing a boat six miles would take some time!

A fishing boat of this day would have been about 26 feet long and about 8 feet wide and this was the same boat from where Jesus had just preached all day. (The pulpit became a place to get rest)

*****Mar 4:36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

There had not been time to make any preparations for sailing and they did not take the time now, they only had what they possessed on their persons.

At least seven of these 12 were experienced fishermen and they knew the Sea of Galilee better than the average man and would not attempted to sail across this lake without making preparations!

Was this a test of their "faith" after learning the truth of the "Gospel"?

The Bible teaches us:

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Did Jesus know that a storm was approaching? Sure He did!

The Bible teaches us:

1Jn 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, "and knoweth all things".

Just as these 12 had answered the call of the Lord, they proceeded to obey Him now and go to the other side!

*****Mar 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

The first thing we should notice here is that, just because Jesus is with you, "it does not mean we will still not go through the storms of life"!

This one passage makes all those that teach a "prosperity gospel" out to be liars, who do not understand the truth of the Word of God!

The Sea of Galilee is notorious for sudden storms as the land cools at the end of the day.

These disciples knew this and so did Jesus!

There can be tornado type winds that developed on this lake most anytime and one did this night!

With wind comes waves and these waves were filling this little boat that had left the shore unprepared for travel!

Now the pulpit that became a place of rest was being attack by the world!

*****Mar 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

It was the rear of these boats where the tiller was located.

It was Jesus who was in the position of navigator at the rear of this little ship.

Jesus will always take the position of Navigator in our lives, if we will just get out of His way!

But, after His long day, Jesus was sleeping peaceably, but the storm was having no effect on His rest.

We should notice these two extremes.

These disciples are in fear of their lives and Jesus is sleeping at total peace.

We seem to forget the Word of God in these situations:

Psa 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psa 3:5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

These 12 thought they were just going over to the other side but The Lord Jesus was still using this time to further their training!

No matter what is happening in the life of a Christian, God will use it to train us for what is coming in the future!

It is in the valley where we learn our greatest lessons and not on the mountain top!

Does God care that we perish in the storms of life? Sure He does!

1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

The next thing we should realize in this passage is that these disciples "knew exactly who to turn to"!

But they called Him Master so they were still learning:

Mat 23:10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

We should never give this title to Father God!

We should never give this title to the Holy Spirit!

But we must recognize that The Lord Jesus must always be both our Lord and our Master!

The Bible says:

Joh 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Joh 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

This is where we all fail!

We know Jesus is our Lord.

We know that Jesus is our Master.

BUT we seem to always forget that Jesus is also Our Example!

Any other ship on the Sea of Galilee could have sunk that night, but this one that carried Jesus and the 12 disciples would never have been one of them!

*****Mar 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Remember when Jesus rebuked the demon in that synagogue:

Mar 1:25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Jesus used the same Greek word here "Phimoo".

Jesus spoke with authority and rebuked this wind saying: "put a muzzle on it and get off of my lake".

This is why these 12 were so amazed.

Then Jesus said to the waves, "Be Still"

Jesus always spoke with "authority", to all, including His entire Creation, but we should always be able to see the love God has for His created "human beings"!

Now for the lesson.

*****Mar 4:40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Faith and Fear cancel each other out!

When we are trembling with fear, then it shows that we have a lack of faith!

When we have no "faith" in the Lord, then we have no "trust" in the Lord!

It is an insult to God to say we do not trust Him!

Faith must always be in an object!

We cannot just have blind faith!

When you step onto an airplane, do you trust the pilot or that airplane?

It should be in both!

If you call yourself Christian, you better trust in Jesus!

The title Christian means "like Christ"!

So fear of life changes to a respectful fear of the Lord!

*****Mar 4:41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

These disciples who had the fear of dying in this storm, now stood in awe of the Lord Jesus Christ, who probably just laid back down and finished His nap.

After all He had said:

"Let us pass over to the other side".

Jesus knew He would get to the other side and these disciples should have known this to!

They should have known that they would make a safe trip!

But they still had doubts to who Jesus really was!

We are ignoring the Word of God when we think that God does not care for His children!

We must "trust and obey for there is no other way"!

Jesus says to His children "Let's go over to the other side".

There is nothing on this Earth that can keep God's children out of Heaven if we only just believe in His "truth"!

Questions?

Let's Pray!