The fisherman’s catch

The fisherman’s catch

Scripture:

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.” Matthew 13:47-52

Observation:

In this parable, the Lord uses an image very familiar to His disciples, especially Peter, Andrew, James and John, who were fishermen by trade. Here, the kingdom of heaven is likened to a fisherman’s net being let down into the lake, catching all kinds of fish. This net is then pulled to shore where the fishermen sort out the good fish from the bad fish. Although there are different varieties of fish, they are ultimately separated into only two groups, the good and the bad. While the good are put in baskets, the bad are thrown away.

The Lord then explains how this same situation will happen at the end of the age, when there will be a great separation between the wicked and the righteous. Basically, the fish are either useful or useless to the fishermen. Interestingly, the meaning of salvation has to do with salvaging, or making useful again something that has become useless. The righteous will go into the kingdom of Heaven while the wicked will be thrown into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

After the series of parables, the Lord then asks His disciples if they have understood and they say yes. Thereafter, the Lord concludes by making an interesting statement how every teacher of the law who becomes a disciple is likened to the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom both new and old treasures.

Here the Lord refers to a disciple who is also a teacher of the law. Now the teachers of the law were well versed with the Old Testament. Hence, they already had great treasure in the Word, accumulated over the centuries. However, when Jesus came, He brought to light many, many things previously hidden, and His life and teachings became the basis upon which the New Testament was written. Therefore, teachers of the law already well versed with the Old Testament and now receiving first hand new heavenly revelations would have both new and old treasures in his storeroom. When we keep God’s Word in our hearts, it is like keeping treasure in a storeroom.

Application:

The parable of the fisherman’s catch again reminds us of the reality of Judgment day, when we, the peoples of the earth will be separated, the righteous and the wicked. From other parts of Scripture, we know that our righteousness is not our own but based on our faith in Jesus Christ who was given to save us, to salvage us from death. And we are saved not just for the sake of it, but to be useful to God, to actively worship Him and serve Him as His chosen people. Again, we are reminded too the reality of hell, the place of burning where the fire never dies, the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let us safeguard our lives carefully in the Lord, and cry out daily for the salvation of our friends and loved ones who know Him not.

Know that God’s Word is great treasure, both the Old and the New Testament. Also, even for those who have been Christians many years, there are always new treasures that come alive in God’s Word, if we only meditate on it and let God teach us. One can never truly know it all, whilst we still remain on this earth. Keep the precious treasure in our storerooms by committing portions of Scripture to memory. At opportune times we will be able to bring out that treasure to teach, to encourage, to exhort or to bless someone or ourselves in time of need.

Prayer:

We praise You, Father Lord, for enriching us in all things. You are our great God and marvelous Father. May Your name be praised forever. Bring forth great treasures O Lord in Your Word even as we read and meditate on it. Show us new things we have never seen before in Your great Word that is alive and true! We are soberly reminded again O Lord, of the reality of hell, and the terrible place that it is. Have mercy on us O Lord, on our friends, and on our loved ones. Cause their hearts to turn to You we pray O Lord, that they may receive Your salvation. Send Your holy angels to go before them, to prepare the way for them, to hear Your voice and live. May Your great name be praised forever O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

Like treasure hidden in the field

Like treasure hidden in the field

Scripture:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46

Observation:

In this passage, we see yet another aspect of the kingdom of Heaven that the Lord shares in the form of parables. In the first parable, the kingdom if likened to treasure found hidden in a field. The finder quickly proceeds to hide it again, sells all he has and buys the field. In the second parable, the kingdom is likened to a pearl of great value which a merchant sells everything he has to buy it.

As an accountant, these parables speak to me as being all about Investing. In modern day terms, a similar parable could be like a stock market investor finding a very special stock with huge growth round the corner due to a new contract, and knowing this, quickly sells all he has and buys into the stock. Another example could be a property investor finding a shophouse next to location where the building of a shopping mall would soon be announced. This would mean that its price would soon skyrocket. Again, he quickly goes away and sells everything to buy the house.

Basically, in investment terms, the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that it is definitely worth it for us to give up everything to attain it. Just as it is useless for a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul, it is much more than worthwhile for a man to lose everything in the world, yet attain to the kingdom of Heaven.

Coming back to the first parable of the treasure hidden in the field, we note that the man who found it hid the treasure again. In this scenario, the man had to do this so that someone else wouldn’t see the treasure and quickly buy the field before he did. As for the kingdom of Heaven, it is open to everyone who receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Instead of hiding the good news, we are instead to go forth into all the world and share this good news to those who do not know it.

What then is the application of hiding the treasure? Remember the parable of the Sower, when the birds of the air came and snatched up the seed that fell on the path? In this case, the Word of knowledge of the value of the kingdom of Heaven is like seed planted in our minds and in our heart. The enemy tries to ready to snatch it away by distracting us with the worries of the world, the deceitfulness of wealth and desires for other things. When we are overwhelmed by these things, we may forget the joy of knowing the Way to the Kingdom. That’s why we must hide this Treasure in our hearts, so that no matter what happens in life, we have this knowledge, this confidence resonating deep within us. The Psalmist writes “I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you”. It is His Word hidden deep within us that pushes us on to walk faithfully along the narrow road, avoiding the snares and traps of the world.

Application:

Praise God that He has given us the knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ, and through faith in Him, showed us the Way to the kingdom of Heaven. Remember that the kingdom of Heaven is infinitely more precious than anything this world can offer.

Remember the importance of hiding this truth deep within our hearts that it may always resonate from deep within us no matter what we face in life. Even in times when we are discouraged and downhearted, just remember, “My future home is in Heaven”, and let that joy of the Lord fill our hearts.

Prayer:

We praise You, Father in Heaven, for Your great love for us. You prepared the Way that we might be saved and abide with You in Heaven. You sent Your Son to die on the cross for our sins and be raised again so that we too might be saved with Him. We praise You, O Lord, that Your kingdom is so precious, far more precious that anything in this world. Hide this joy O Lord, deep within our hearts. Let this truth be ever resonating within us. Even in times of trouble and uncertainty in life, let the joy of our salvation still beat strong. We praise You and bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen. 

The sons of the kingdom

The sons of the kingdom

Scripture:

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Matthew 13:36-43

Observation:

In this passage, we see the Lord explain the parable of the weeds in great depth to His disciples. He first explains that He is the Sower, the one who sows the good seed, and the field is the world. The good seed are the sons of the kingdom while the bad seed, or the seeds of the weeds are the sons of the evil one, for the enemy who sowed them is the devil. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire at harvest, spiritually, there will also be a great harvest, when angels will reap the “weeds” and gather them, ready to be burned with fire in the fiery furnace.

What are the characteristics of the good seed? Firstly, they are called the sons of the kingdom. We who follow Christ are no longer sons of this world but sons and daughters of the kingdom to come, the heavenly kingdom of God. We are reminded here again that we are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, with a far greater home destined for us. Therefore, we are not to get overly attached to the things and affairs of this world which are only temporary and fleeting. Secondly they are called the righteous. How are we righteous? On our own strength and effort, Scripture has said there is no one righteous, not even one, and all have fallen short of the glory of God. Yet for those who believe, it is our Lord Jesus’ righteousness that has been credited to us so that we might be declared righteous not by works, but by faith in Him who saved us.

  

Finally, by default, the sons of the kingdom are not called lawbreakers, the term used to describe the bad seed. Having been declared righteous in Jesus Christ, is it ok, to go back and break the law? Of course not! However, what law is it that we need to adhere to anyway? It is certainly not the Torah, the 613 laws given to the Jews. That law was placed as a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, to show us that we could not achieve God’s righteous requirements on our own. It was to show us that we needed a Savior, and God in His perfect timing brought that Savior into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. In Christ, we are no longer under the law of sin and death, but under the law of liberty, which is the law of the Spirit. Therefore, we who follow Christ, live not to fulfill our old sinful desires, but instead live by the Spirit, seeking to live lives that please God.  And the Spirit will never lead us to break the righteous requirements of the law which is basically summed up in two things: loving God and loving our neighbor.

The imagery of the righteous shining like the sun brings to remembrance the Lord’s words in the sermon of the Mount where he said that just as a city on a hill cannot be hidden, we are to let our light shine before men so that they will praise our Father in Heaven for our good deeds.

In this passage, we are also reminded of the reality of Judgment Day when all causes of sin and all law-breakers will be gathered out of the kingdom and thrown into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The picture of the fiery furnace show us that hell is tremendously hot and burning. The imagery of weeping and gnashing of teeth speaks of hopelessness, regret, and deep sadness.

Application:

Remember that we are sons of a different kingdom. We must remind ourselves that we do not belong to this world, but in the world to come when our Lord Jesus returns. Praise the Lord that we have His righteousness, not by our own works, but because of our faith in Him who saved us. Yet, we are not to be lawbreakers again, but instead seek to live by the Spirit, who will lead us to serve God in righteousness. Pray that the Lord may help us let our light shine before men that they may praise our Father in Heaven. Remember the reality of Judgment Day and the weeping and gnashing of teeth in store for those who do not follow Jesus. Let us pray for our loved ones who do not know Him with renewed urgency.

Prayer:

We praise thee, precious Lord, for You have called us to be sons and daughters in Your coming kingdom. Sustain us O Lord and keep us safe even as we look forward to Your precious coming. We praise You, Lord Jesus, that You are our righteousness. You are our Salvation. In You only do we have hope! Lead us, precious Holy Spirit, let us live lives of righteousness even as we follow Your leading. O Lord, have mercy on the many who do not know You. Cause their hearts to turn to You O Lord. Spare them O Lord from the horror of the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. May Your name be praised forever precious Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The tiny mustard seed

The tiny mustard seed

Scripture:

 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world. Matthew 13:31-35

Observation:

In this passage, we look at two more of the Lord’s parables concerning the kingdom of heaven. In the first parable, He speaks of the kingdom being like a mustard seed which a man takes and plants in his field. Even though the mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, it grows into the largest of garden plants, and even becomes a tree big enough for birds to come and perch on its branches.

The mustard seeds are so small you could typically hold hundreds of it in your palm. However, they grow to a height of up to 9 feet.

Another feature of the mustard seed is that once it is sown in an area, it is scarcely possible to get the place free of it as it germinates the moment it is sown.

Looking back over the history of Christianity, we can see how it started from very small beginnings, and has now grown to be the world’s largest faith. Like trying to get rid of a mustard plant, the Roman empire tried their best to eradicate Christianity but instead watched it grow even faster to the point that they at last made it the official religion of the empire under Constantinople. The same phenomenon was seen in China. As the Communists tried to eradicate Christianity from China through persecution, it just grew even faster through the house churches and in the end, they gave up and instead tried to control it by having an official state-approved Church where Christians could go to legally.

The parable of the yeast has the same principle. Just a little yeast ferments a large mass or lump of dough working all the way through it. Similarly, Christianity is like that little yeast, starting with very small beginnings but successfully working through the whole mass of humanity.

On a personal basis, this parable is also very applicable. Even a very small Word spoken in faith or a small act of obedience can suddenly grow and grow to heights far greater than we could ever hope for or imagine.  Locally, megachurches like FGA, DUMC and SIB in the Klang Valley today just started with small groups of 20 or 30 and grew incredibly over the years to thousands.

Individually, we might be like a tiny mustard seed, a mere ripple in the vast ocean. However, if we submit ourselves to God, and obey Him one step at a time, we have exponential potential to grow and grow to unbelievable heights. It is God who makes us grow just as He makes the plants of the earth grow. When we first receive the Lord in simple faith, it is like a mustard seed has germinated within us and He is able to make that faith grow and grow and lead us from glory to glory in ways we could never imagine.

The imagery of the birds perching on the branches of the mustard seed plant, gives us the perception of it being a place of rest. Birds cannot fly all the time, they need to settle down in a safe, high place after a while to rest. In a sense, the mustard seed is also representative of our Lord Himself. His earthly life was only a few short years, but the impact of His life, death and resurrection, has affected the world more greatly in history, politics and culture than any other person or group or event. Remember the Lord’s words for all who are weary to come to Him, for He will give them rest.  

Application:

Remember the lesson of the mustard seed and the yeast, that from small beginnings, God is able to make it truly great and wonderful in His time. Our part is to serve Him, one Word at a time, one act of Obedience at a time. The growth is completely His prerogative. Our part is to serve and let Him do His will in His will. 

Praise the Lord, that He is our rest. Like the birds of the air rest on the branches of a tree, let us take our rest in the Lord who gives us peace.

Prayer:

Praise thee, Father in Heaven, for the parable of the mustard seed and the yeast that You showed to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Stir that mustard seed You have placed within me. Make it grow and germinate, causing me to be more and more hungry for You. Lift me up I pray, Lord, according to Your precious will. Lead me on from glory to glory according to Your precious Word.

Praise thee, Lord Jesus, for You are my rest. In You I have peace and freedom from the worries and stresses of the world. In You O Lord I put my hope. In Jesus name, Amen.

It is You who watch over my way

It is You who watch over my way

This Friday, we were privileged at FGB Jaya One to have brother Raymond Phang share with us.

As a child, since Kindergarten days, I attended the Sunday School at PJ Gospel Hall. Later, when I went to Methodist Primary School, I remember getting a ride there in an old bone-breaker of a car which did not have a working petrol gauge. Those days, we used to play football at the back of the church and some of us even made it to play on at district and state level.

At Secondary level, I moved to a Catholic school where I backslided and stopped going to church. Nevertheless, I still remembered God answering two very important prayers, once when I lost my spectacles and another timewhen I lost my expensive Casio calculator. I knew that the calculator was stolen but after I prayed, the Lord actually sent someone to return it to me.

When I was in Form 5, I started attending a devotion session on many  mornings under a tree. A form six student named  Kumar would cycle to school early in the morning and have devotions there for students. I used to arrive at school half an hour early and one day Kumar asked me to join his devotions. As he walked the earth, our Lord Himself would have typically taught crowds while seated under a tree. Kumar would go through the Scripture very thoroughly.

In school, I also picked up martial arts and became a 5th Dan, rising to the highest level to become the joint grand master of the school when my teacher left for overseas. As a Form 6 student, our headmaster said we
should not teach. So I remembered employing some former students who had left school to come back and teach the martial arts. We had as many as 50 students, and through these activities I was able to almost fully pay my way through my tertiary education in accounting in London.

One thing I didn’t quite like about becoming a grand master was that foreigners, some 6 feet tall would come and challenge me. However, I usually asked them to spar with some of my students and as they couldn’t even beat them, these foreigners even became my students. Later I guess the Lord led me to give up martial arts in 1997 before I got married.

After my studies and a few years working in audit, I went into the Insurance line and after moving around a few departments, found an interest in the Marketing division. At 27, I was already heading a branch of 100
staff with RM100 Million premiums at its height.

God had blessed me so much but in my ignorance, I thought all this blessing was because of myself and I still did not go to church. Strangely, I still ended up reading the Bible often. When I joined Amway, I bought a lot of motivational books, and I read avidly until I practically ran out of reading material – Anthony Robbins, Zigs Ziglar, you name them. One thing I noticed in these books was that the authors frequently referred to the Bible and I decided to read the Bible directly myself.

In 1998 I got married, and in 1999, I went for a house meeting at Gasing Heights where Pastor Kumar (one of the church leaders jailed during Ops Lalang) was sharing about the 7 churches from the book of Revelation. When he shared about the church of Ephesus which had lost its first love, I felt God was talking to me. I had lost my first love for God from my Sunday School days.

I was still doing my Bible reading that same year, and as I just finished the book of Joshua, I felt that I needed to name my son Joshua. This was strange as my wife and I were both Buddhists, but the Lord led us to name him Joshua. Joshua was born on a Good Friday in 1999 then and today, I like to remind him “Be courageous”. Later, when I found out my wife was pregnant again, I told her it would be girl. She was surprised and asked me how sure I was but I had just finished reading the book of Esther. God spoke to me to name my daughter Esther.

And then on 6th August 2000, just 4 days before my birthday 10 August, I became a Christian  by saying the sinners prayer in the presence of brother David Ong, his wife and some other brothers. The following month in September, also just few days before her birthday, my wife also became a Christian by saying the sinner's prayer. In that same year itself we were water-baptised.

Incredibly, In that same year, my business was struck by the financial crisis, and I found myself with huge debts of because of non-payment of RM300,000 from a Christian brother’s public listed company which had become PN17. The Credit Officer handling my banking account happened to be my ex-colleague and restructured my debts to RM120,000/-  over a 12 month instalment plan, with 12 post-dated cheques given. In my bank account, I remembered that I had only enough for 6 months payments and even if one cheque bounced, I would be pretty much bankrupt. I asked this ex-colleague of mine what should I do. He told me to go down on my knees and pray with shedding of tears.

Against this backdrop, I found out my wife was pregnant again despite birth control actions that we took. With so many worries on my mind, I called my FGT Pastor who was an old school friend of mine for lunch. He encouraged me that God is Jehovah Jireh, my provider, and reminded me how on the mountain where Isaac asked Abraham “where is the sacrifice?”, his father answered him “It will be provided”

Regarding my third child, I was led to read the verse in Genesis 1: 26/27 & 28 which says "Go forth and multiply”. Considering what I should name my second daughter, I was led by God to a verse on Sarah being mother of many nations, and so named her Sarah.

Later I managed to sell my share in another business venture I had undertaken and was able to meet my installments. The Lord did indeed provide.

Regarding my children, we encountered a problem later on with my two daughters when the specialist diagnosed them as having wheezing problems and possibly asthma. They thus had to go on special medication to our sadness.

At that time, we were sending them for babysitting with a very nice Hindu babysitter. However, later, my sister alerted me that the children were playing with the altar and the remains of the babysitter’s deceased husband in the house. I realized I needed to shift the children to another place, and gradually was able to transfer them to the childcare managed by Grace church. After 1 1/2 years of medication, our doctor one day surprisingly said they could stop the medication as they were completely healed.

Looking back, I realized the importance of their being under the covering of the church. They had also learnt good things like praying before meals and we thank the Lord for His grace.

Another time, my children were playing in the playground near my parents place when I happened to be home at 6pm that day and asked them to come back home. And, then I left for a meeting. Just half and hour later, we heard what sounded like firecrackers, but when my father went to investigate, it turned out there was a chase involving police and criminals with gunshots fired around the playground area. Again, God’s grace was so evident in protecting my family. We must always pray for the protection of our children.

Recently, I came across Psalm 142:1-3 which really sums up the story of my life. It says “I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble. When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way.

I will leave you with these verses :

Remember Matthew 7:7 ASK, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. Mark 10;27 For with God all things are possible. The parable of Talents talks about how each servant was given one, two & five talents respectively. The servants of the two & five talents doubled what they had and was commended by the Master “Well-done, Good & Faithful Servant” whereas the Servant with one talent hid  it & did not do anything to it. The Master rebuked him for being lazy and faithless. Then the Master took his one talent to give it to the one who had five talents initially, meaning he now had eleven talents. Our Lord is really into Economics! The Master told the Servant he should have at the least put his talent into a bank account to earn interest. Our Lord really wants us to grow in HIM and definitely be a Doer of his WORD! James 1:22

The wheat and the weeds

The wheat and the weeds

Scripture:

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.  When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’  “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Matthew 13:24-30

Observation:

In this parable, the Lord again uses the analogy of a Sower in describing an aspect of the kingdom of heaven. At first glance, we see the picture of a man sowing good seed in the field. However, did the man sow the seed directly himself? It would appear not, since he had servants to do the work for him. Rather, he owned the seeds and passed it to his servants to sow for him. God is the owner of the field, and the owner of the seeds. His holy angels do the sowing, the weeding and later the harvesting.

After the sowing, an enemy comes in the night and sows weeds among the wheat before slinking away. At first, the seed of the wheat and the seed of the weeds cannot be differentiated. The particular weed Jesus referred to was probably a darnel or tares, which looks just like wheat in the early stages.

I found an interesting article by Ed Tarkowski on this subject where he first quotes from the Easton's Bible Dictionary on the description of "tares" - "the bearded darnel, mentioned only in Matt. 13:25-30. It is the Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison. It bears the closest resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered. It grows plentifully in Syria and Palestine”. Soporific poisons typically cause drowsiness and Botanical.com describes how darnel consumed causes symptoms of drunkenness like trembling, hindered speech, inability to walk and vomiting. Hence, we see that the fruit of the wheat and the weeds is very different. While wheat is good for food as a staple diet, the weeds are dangerous and poisonous if consumed. As the Scripture says “we will know them by their fruit”.

After some time, when the wheat sprout and form heads, the weeds also appear. The angels of God recognize the weeds and ask God if they should pull them out. The Lord however replies that doing so may uproot the wheat, and defers dealing with the wheat until harvest time.

This parable warns us that in the Church, there are both wheat and weeds, allowed to co-exist together. The wheat are the true children of God while the weeds are children of the devil. Both may think they are saved, but we are reminded again the Lord’s warning that not everyone who calls him “Lord, Lord”, are saved.

How do we become wheat or weeds? Remember that in the first parable of the Sower, our hearts are the soil and the seed is the Word of God. When a plant grows, it takes water and nutrients from the soil. In a sense, the soil becomes part of the plant. Whether we become weed or wheat depends on what seed we put in our hearts. In other words, If we receive good seed, we become part of the wheat. If we receive bad seed, we become part of the weeds. The seed we receive makes us who we are.

In the church today, there is also good seed and bad seed. Many cults twist the Word of God to fulfill their twisted theologies. It is so important for us personally to read the Word of God regularly and know it well for ourselves so that we are grounded and stable. And, we must keep that close, personal relationship with the Lord, so that we may be quickly receptive to hear the Spirit’s warning should wrong teachings cross our paths.

Application:

Be aware that there are both wheat and weeds in the church. Not everyone who says they are a Christian are true Christians. Be careful not to put our trust in man, but instead look to God first in all things. We will recognize them by their fruit. How do we recognize good and bad fruit? We need to love the Word of God and know it well for ourselves, and stay close to the Lord, that we may be sensitive immediately to teachings not in line with His Word.

One useful way to analyze fruit is to look at the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. For example, in analyzing the prosperity gospel, many of this fruits seem evident. Surely people would have lots of love, joy, peace, kindness and goodness when they are expecting lots of blessing. However, what of the fruits of longsuffering, faithfulness which self-control? The prosperity mindset does not fit in with these fruits with its overemphasis on blessing. Where is the teaching of being faithful and persevering in the midst of trial, and controlling oneself from being polluted from the world? Ask God for wisdom in discerning the good seed from the bad seed.

Prayer:

Bless You, Heavenly Father, for the great wisdom You reveal to us through Your Son. Praise You, Lord Jesus, for the beauty and wisdom of Your parables that teaches us so much. Guard us and protect us we pray, precious Lord, from the many deceptions even within the Church. Teach us, Lord to dig deep in the Word, and be strong and firmly grounded that we may not be easily swayed by deceptive teachings that sound good to the ears, yet are not consistent with Your complete Word. Grant us Your Spirit of discernment O Lord to recognize these things and what to do accordingly. Give us strength, we pray, O Lord, for we need Your wisdom and guidance in all things. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.  

Whoever has will be given more

Whoever has will be given more

Scripture:

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 

This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. Matthew 13:10-17

Observation:

In this passage, we begin with the Lord’s disciples asking Him why He always spoke in parables. The Greek Word for parable is ‘parabole’, which means comparison, illustration, or analogy. Typically, parables are short tales or picturesque illustrations that come with an important truth or lesson which are not always clear. 

The Lord then explains how by speaking in parables, the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom are made available to them as His disciples, but not to the crowd as a whole. Many of the crowd are there just for curiosity or entertainment and do not sincerely seek to follow the Lord as true disciples.

Correlating back to the parable of the Sower, the Lord then differentiates between those who have knowledge and those who do not have it. Those who have are given more, welling up in abundance while those who do not have lose even what little they already have.

Remember the seed that fell on good soil and produced a crop a 100, 60 or 30 time? The disciple’s hearts had good soil, for they left everything to follow Jesus. Their hearts were inclined to serve the Lord and learn from what He would teach them. The very term disciple gives us the picture of a student committed to learning from a master, living with him, and being obedient to him.

In contrast, consider the seed that fell on the rocky paths. The birds came and devoured them. They did not understand the Word, and the devil came and took away the little they heard and remembered. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken away from them. Now, consider that all the Jews had frequent access to the Old Testament, and read it frequently throughout their lives. In spite of this, they did not understand that Jesus was the Messiah, though they had God’s Word so close to them.

The Lord then explains further how the prophecy of Isaiah applies to those who do not have this knowledge. They are described as having eyes that see but do not perceive and ears that hear but do not understand. As they have closed their calloused hearts, they can hardly hear and hardly see. What is a calloused heart? It is a hardened, unyielding heart, and the metaphor of the rocky places is very apt in describing it. The prophecy further indicates that if they could see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, the Lord would heal them. This is another powerful reminder to us how if we turn back to God, He will definitely respond and heal us. That is God’s nature, God’s faithfulness to us. Blessed be His name!

And in the final part of this dialogue, the Lord tells his disciples how blessed they are that their eyes see and their ears hear for many righteous people and prophets longed to see and hear what they experienced but did not have the opportunity to do so. When we have the privilege of hearing His voice, when in our hearts we are encouraged and are able to learn and understand deep truths from His Word, we must be thankful, for such revelation does not come to everyone.

Application:

Praise God that as true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have access to knowledge of the secrets of Heaven. How do we access this knowledge? We have to listen to the Lord, by studying His words closely in the Bible, and having a close daily personal relationship with Him. Remember that God gives wisdom generously to all who ask Him.

The bible states how the human heart is deceitful beyond cure. Our heart is easily lured by the temptations of the world. Therefore, we need to guard our hearts closely, submitting ourselves to the Lord. Beware especially that our heart does not become calloused, hardened and impervious to the things of God. In humility, ask God to keep our heart tender and fresh and open towards Him, passionate in expecting new, fresh experiences in our walk. Let our hearts not be like rocky places but be like fertile ground.

Praise the Lord for His great faithfulness and mercy for in His Word, He has promised to heal those who would turn back to Him. We may have been unfaithful, and left the way of the Lord, but when we turn back to Him sincerely, He still accepts and forgives us for God cannot change. His mercies are new every morning.

Thank the Lord for the great things that He reveals to us. Let us not take His revelation for granted, but praise His name and share what He teaches us with others.

Prayer:

Praise thee, Heavenly Father, for You are Lord of Heaven and Earth, Mighty and Powerful, glorious in the Heavens. We praise thee, O Lord, for giving us access to knowledge of the secrets of Heaven. Grant us wisdom we pray. Bless us O Lord with deeper and greater truths even as we study Your Word and listen to Your servants our Pastors and Teachers.

Bless thee, Lord Jesus, for You guard our hearts and protect us from harm. Let our hearts ever be tender and loving and passionate to You O Lord. Forgive our sins and stubbornness we pray. Let us be fertile even as we submit ourselves to You for Your purposes.

Praise thee, precious Lord, for thy great faithfulness and mercy. You do not deal with us as our sins deserve, but forgive us when we turn to You. Your mercies are new every morning, Your faithfulness extends to the skies for You O Lord are forever, unchanging. Bless Your holy name we pray. In Jesus name, Amen.  

                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

The seeds of the Sower

The seeds of the Sower

Scripture:

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matthew 13:1-9

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13:18-23

Observation:

In this passage, we see the Lord tell the crowd the famous Parable of the Sower. The Lord is at first indoors, in a house near a beach, perhaps belonging to one of His disciples. Then, He leaves the house and sits on the beach, by the sea. Great multitudes who must have been following Him start to gather around him to the extent that there is hardly any space to move. The Lord then gets into a boat and sits down, creating some space between Him and His listeners so that they can hear Him better. Then He speaks to them in parables which are stories or anecdotes with lessons within them. Interesting to note is how picturesque the Lord was in His various parables, drawing powerful lessons from everyday life. Even today, the Lord speaks to us not only with words, but also with pictures and visions.

In the Parable of the Sower, a sower goes out to sow seed in the field, scattering them in diverse areas. Some fall by the wayside and are eaten by bird. Some fall in stony places with not much soil, and so die quickly when the sun scorches them. Still others fall among thorns which choke them as they grow. The last group of seed though, fall on good soil, bearing fruit and producing a crop thirty, sixty or hundredfold. 

Later, the Lord explains the parable to His disciples. The seed is representative of the Word of God. In this parable, all the seed is good. Rather, it is the condition of the soil that receives it that determines whether or not the seed will prosper. The soil here is representative of the heart of a person.

Who is the Sower? God, of course, but we are the instruments by which He sows His seed, for we are commissioned to proclaim the truths of God to those who do not yet know Him. 

The first group of seed fell by the wayside and became food for the birds. The Lord explains that this is representative of those who hear the Word of God and do not understand it. The wicked one (representative of the birds) then comes and snatches it away from their hearts. This is an important lesson for us in spiritual warfare. There is a spirit of confusion and dullness which block the minds of unbelievers from understanding. We need to bind them in Jesus name even as we pray for the salvation of people, and also ask God to release the Holy Spirit of understanding to help them understand.

For us personally too, as we read the Bible, we need to ask God to give us the Spirit of understanding, so that we can understand what we read. Remember how in James, it is written, “If anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault”

Second are the seeds that fall on rocky soil, where the soil is shallow so that the seed cannot take root. The Lord likens these to those who hear the Word with joy but fall away when trouble and persecution come. Today in church, most of us have a shallow faith, untested by persecution and hardship. It is a dangerous situation to be in, especially in light of the end times, when trouble and persecution will come upon the true believers. The theory of the rapture sounds great as everyone wants to escape persecution, but in reality, God never spared the early Christians from trouble but in fact persecution caused the Church to spread and grow even more intensely.

The third group are seeds that fall among thorns, which choke them as the plant grows. The Lord likens this to those who hear the Word but are unfruitful due to the cares (or worries) of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth. What is it that is deceitful about wealth? There is a man who becomes rich but is still not satisfied and keeps craving for more and more. Such a man has been deceived by wealth, thinking that wealth will satisfy him when it can never do so. There are many rich men that are constantly worried about their money and their businesses. The simple laborer though sleeps peacefully in the night. James says that the rich waste away even as they go about life. Is wealth evil? No! Many of the Lord’s disciples were very wealthy. Matthew was a tax collector, Mark was the equivalent of an unemployed millionaire and Lydia was a rich businesswoman. It is not money that is evil but the love of money. Nevertheless, wealth is a dangerous thing when one’s heart makes it an idol, and therein lies its deceitfulness. Those with wealth have great opportunity to bless the poor and extend God’s kingdom but the truth is, not everyone is able to handle wealth. Therefore, those who have been blessed with wealth should remain very humble and close to the Lord, not being tied down by wealth but freely giving to worthy causes as the Lord leads.

The final group of seeds of course is where we all want to be, prospering and fruitful, producing a crop 30, 60 or 100 times fold. Throughout the Lord’s teachings, He frequently emphasized on the importance of fruitfulness. If we remain in Him, we will bear much fruit. Christianity is not about fulfilling minimum religious chores by observing Sundays and giving tithes and offerings. Rather, it must be a live relationship, allowing God to work with us to do His will as He leads us, making a difference in diverse areas for His glory. 

Application:

In prayer evangelism, remember to pray against the spirit of dullness and confusion that block unbelievers from understanding the Word of God. Pray for the Holy Spirit of understanding to enable them to understand. Personally, as we read the Bible or hear sermons, pray that God will illumine our minds to help us understand.

In regard to persecution, pray for mercy from God to prepare us and strengthen us should we face such troubles. Be prepared in our minds and hearts to be ready for such times for just as the Lord was persecuted, we who follow Him may well be persecuted.

In regard to wealth, praise God for whatever wealth He has given us. Pray for wisdom that we may use it wisely for the extension of His kingdom. Pray that our hearts will be pure and not become entangled by the deceitfulness of wealth.

Submit ourselves to God and pray that He may lead us to live fruitful lives in diverse areas, following His will. Seek to always abide in Jesus, for therein will we bear much fruit.

Prayer:

Lord, we praise You, we love You, we declare O Lord that You are marvelous and glorious, Lord of all the nations. We praise You and bless You O Lord for the great things You have done for us. In Jesus name, we speak against the spirits of dullness and confusion that blocks the minds of every unbeliever whom we pray for. Release them, in Jesus name. Blessed Lord, pour forth Your Spirit of Understanding that they may understand and know that You, O Lord are God even as Your Word is send forth to them in diverse ways through diverse peoples.

We pray too that You prepare us O Lord even as times of persecution come on the horizon. Give us strength and peace should we be called to face these troubles. Give us Your special grace in our times of need.

Our wealth O Lord belongs to You. All that we have is enabled only because You willed it. Give us wisdom and knowledge and direction on how to use the wealth we have for the extension of Your kingdom. Let us not be tied down by worry for money, but let us be free and live in faith, knowing that You provide for our daily needs.

We submit our lives to You, Heavenly Lord. Enable us O Lord that we may leave fruitful and meaningful lives. May we abide in You always, Lord Jesus. In Your great name we pray, Amen.