God Vs. Egyptian Idolatry

God Against Hapi People throughout time have worshipped false gods. The Egyptians of the Old Testament were no different. They had many gods that they believed ruled over many different parts of life. You may have studied enough of the Bible to remember that God’s people, the Israelites, had gone to Egypt because of a great famine. Joseph was the Pharaoh’s (King of Egypt) first assistant. Joseph had the authority of Pharaoh to make many decisions. The Israelites were Joseph’s family. But Joseph died and a Pharaoh came to power that did not like the Israelites. He started treating the Israelites very badly. Eventually after many years God sent Moses, an Israelite, as a messenger to Pharaoh. (You may have studied about the life of Moses.) Moses and his brother Aaron were to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go back to their homeland. Pharaoh refused to listen to Moses. So God gave Moses and Aaron the power to perform some tremendous miracles to convince Pharaoh that they represented the true God. The first miracle was turning the Nile River water into blood. You can read about this in Exodus Chapter Seven. The Nile waters were blood for seven days. The Egyptians had to dig holes just to try to find water to drink. They normally drank water from the Nile. All of the fish died. The Egyptians ate a lot of fresh water fish. (They thought eating salt-water fish would make them spiritually impure.) So they not only got thirsty they got …

Righteousness

The word “righteousness” carries with it the concept of ideal character, ideal relationship or the means or process by which these are achieved. Since “all men have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), we lack ideal character; having thus offended the character of God, we were separated from him (Isaiah 59:2), losing the ideal relationship. Therefore, without the character to reinstate these, we needed a means to regain what we lost through our own foolishness.  While we would have languished forever attempting to devise even the semblance of a plan to regain what we previously tossed aside, God in his wisdom put his own plan into action, sending Jesus Christ to do for us what we could not do for ourselves, to provide the means by which we might begin anew by being made righteous (justified). “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26). To address the problem of our failed character and our separation from God, it was necessary to make forgiveness possible, for this was the only way possible the restore a relationship with a perfectly righteous God. And the only …

Where to Find It in the Bible

When in sorrow, read John 14. When men fail you, read Psalms 27. When you have sinned, read Psalms 51; Acts 2; 8; 1 John 1. When you worry, read Matthew 6:19-34. Before a church service, read Psalms 84. When in danger, read Psalms 91. For the blues, read Psalms 34. When God seems distant, read Psalms 139. When discouraged, read Isaiah 40. If you want to be fruitful, read Proverbs and John 15. When doubts come, try John 7:17. When lonely or fearful, read Psalms 23. When you forget your blessings, Psalms 103. For Jesus’ idea of a Christian, read Matthew 5-7; 25. For James’ idea of religion, read James 1:19-27. If faith needs stirring, read Hebrews 11. When you feel down and out, read Romans 8:31-39. When you want rest and peace, read Matthew 11:25-30. For assurance as a Christian, read Romans 8:1-30. For Paul’s secret of happiness, read Colossians 3:12-17). When you travel, read Psalms 121. When you grow bitter or critical, read 1 Corinthians 13. When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, read Psalms 67; James 4. For Paul’s idea of Christianity, read 2 Corinthians 5:15-19. For Paul’s rules on how to get along with others, read Romans 12. When you think of investments and returns, read Mark 10:17-31. For a great invitation and a great opportunity, read Isaiah 55.

Some Things You’ll Never Do in Heaven

You probably did not realize it, but likely today you’ve been involved in activities that would be inappropriate in heaven. Not sinful things (hopefully), but little things that remind us we are not at home in this world. What are some of these things? You’ll never go to the medicine cabinet. Here we have to deal with headaches, arthritis and a million other pains. There are no drug stores in heaven! John wrote, “. . . neither shall there be any more pain . . .” (Revelation 21:4). You’ll never attend a funeral. Thee are no hillsides dotted with the markers of loved ones “across Jordan.” You won’t find silent cities of the dead in heaven, for no one ever dies there! John wrote, “. . . there shall be no more death . . .” (Revelation 21:4). You’ll never turn on a light switch. There is no darkness there “. . . for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Revelation 21:23). “There shall be no night there” (Revelation 21:25b), so there will be no street lamps, no nightlights and no light switches. You’ll never face a temptation. We face temptations daily in this life because the devil and his workers are very busy (1 Peter 5:8). Oh how we wish we could lay our armor aside and just rest from the constant battle of faith (Ephesians 6:13-18). That day is coming! In the land where we are staking our claim, the devil has no passport! In fact, he will have been cast down into the …

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

In your article concerning canonicity you fail to make mention of the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha which is a collection of ancient documents that includes portions of some sixty-five different writings.  In particular you fail to discuss the apparent quotation of 1 Enoch by Jude in verses fourteen and fifteen of Jude’s epistle.  Why the omission? ~ David Mullins The article to which you refer makes no claim of exhausting the topic of biblical canonicity.  There is no special reason not to mention, in passing, Old Testament pseudepigrapha and the article will be amended to do just that.  The thrust of that article, though, remains to present an overview of biblical canonicity and bolster the Bible believer’s confidence in Holy Writ. However, per your query, please notice some observations regarding the relationship of Jude 14-15 to the pseudepigraphical book of 1 Enoch.  First, though, notice the definition of pseudepigraphon (or as it is usually observed in the plural, pseudepigrapha). 1 plural : APOCRYPHA; 2 : any of various pseudonymous or anonymous Jewish religious writings of the period 200 B.C. to 200 A.D.; especially : one of such writings (as the Psalms of Solomon) not included in any canon of biblical Scripture — usually used in plural[1] PSEUDEPIGRAPHA. The term is used to describe those Jewish writings which were excluded from the OT Canon and which find no place in the Apocrypha. For the purpose of this article the term will also exclude the sectarian documents of the Qumran library (Dead Sea Scrolls). Unlike the Apocrypha, which were included in the Greek Scriptures, these pseudepigrapha never approached canonical status. …

Sarah: Mother Of All Nations

Genesis Chapter 12 Abraham and Sarah lived in Ur of Chaldees around 2000 B.C.  Ur of Chaldees was not a primitive tent-dwellers camp, but an advanced city-state with fine buildings, canals, one of the oldest law systems known, a school system, advanced mathematical calculations, an elaborate system of writing, dictionaries, encyclopedias, religious records and refined art.  Their homes had many rooms for the family and their servants — complete with running water.  The city of Ur had many modern conveniences. God, knowing Abraham was a faithful servant in spite of the idol worship all around, chose Abraham to be the father of all nations and called him out of Ur to a land that God would show him.  After God told Abraham to leave family and friends behind to journey to a strange new land, Abraham went to tell Sarah about God’s plan for them.  I picture this scenario in my mind.  Abraham comes home one day and says, “Sarah, God told me we are to leave all this behind and travel to a new land.” Sarah asks, “Where are we going?” To which Abraham replies, “I do not know.”  “When will be get there?” asks Sarah.  “God did not tell me,” is the reply.  How would you react if your husband were to tell you this?  Many women today would reply something like this.  “Abraham I am not going anywhere.  I have this nice house, all my friends are here, my family is here.  I cannot leave all this behind.  You do not even know where we are going and you expect me …

Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage Dilemmas

I have been a member of the Church for a long time.  I now live in California.  I have had close friends go through divorce.  If a man divorces his wife for adultery and commits adultery himself before the divorce is final, can he remarry and remain pure in God’s sight?  If a woman commits adultery because her husband is verbally abuse and asks for a divorce from her husband: he wants to work things out, can either one of them remarry?  I think that I know the answers by reading the scriptures, could you please respond?  Thanks Will Mankind appears to excel in putting himself into quandaries from which it seems nearly impossible to extricate himself.  Nowhere does he exemplify this unfortunate capacity more than pertaining to marriage, divorce and remarriage.  The two-fold question above demonstrates the intricate difficulties, aware of biblical jurisdiction, of desiring some relief from the ramifications of sinful conduct, while trying to be legally correct (perhaps barely so).  Questions of this sort regarding marriage, divorce and remarriage outnumber all other questions received.  It must be the signs of the times and the devastating affect of marriage, divorce and remarriage on society and even, regrettably, the Lord’s church.  This is not to say, of course, that the querist in the least wants to justify any biblical aberration.  His post intimates the opposite. First, there is a course, in the case of either question above, that if pursued undoubtedly avoids the possibility of compounding the sins there …

Unspotted From The World

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). It is imperative that every Christian develop a heightened awareness of the need for moral living in an immoral world. All around us the world openly and shamelessly practices every kind of immorality (e.g., homosexuality, fornication, abortion, gambling, alcohol and other pleasure drugs, theft, murder and lying, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 19-21; Romans 1:26-32; Revelation 21:8).  Obviously, non-Christians need to be made aware of their responsibility to practice moral living. However, Christians are also instructed by numerous passages to practice moral living. Evidently, the first century church needed to be exhorted to better practice moral living in an immoral world (e.g., a fornicator, coveting, an idolater, a railer, a drunkard, an extortioner, 1 Corinthians 5:1, 11).  The Greek word, spilos, equals “spot” or “stain.” Figuratively, it means “moral blemish.” Preceded by the negating prefix, “a” (aspilos), the Greek word means “unspotted” (James 1:27). Jesus Christ is our ultimate example of being unspotted by the world.  “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:18-20). That Jesus is our …

Sign Broke: Message Inside

Everywhere you look there are signs.  Signs advertise products or services to buy.  They encourage consumers to visit various places of business.  Some signs give messages that we should apply to our lives.  One such sign caught my attention. As I drove to work one day, I noticed a marquee type sign outside a church building.  The words read, “Sign broke, message inside.”  The sign was probably intended to encourage its readers to attend the worship service for a spiritual message instead of just reading them on similar signs.  However, a better biblical application is available. Consider for a moment the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:14-16. Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. The message in these verses is clear.  Christians are to show their religion by their lives.  Just as a candle hidden under a basket can give you no light by which to keep from bumping into things in the dark, neither can one’s Christianity, carefully hidden behind closed doors, bring others to Christ.  Many verses throughout the Bible tell us to be examples to those around us and to tell others about Christ’s power to save.  Let’s look at some of these verses. In Genesis chapters Six and Seven, …

On The Inside Looking Out

As children of God, we must ever look to eternity as we travel the complex and difficult road of life.  If our spiritual eyes could not penetrate the physical realm and focus on the majesty and glory of our God, life would be mundane or simply pointless.  There are great joys in life, but there are also heartache and pain.  Life, in and of itself, is like a tiny crumb from your favorite cake.  It hints at something very good, yet is too little to be beneficial or to provide true enjoyment.  So it is with life outside of godliness.  The youth rejoices in his strength and endurance.  The old man suffers with swollen joints and agonizes over his dependency on others.  The young lady swoons over the attention of a young man, but her heart is broken when he rejects her for another girl.  Joy soars to great heights in the hearts of parents whose children are happy.  But there are few things that compare with the pain parents feel when their children are hurting.  Life, in and of itself, is at best a trade off of joy and sadness, pleasure and pain, good and bad.  Life, however, transcends this mortal existence. The Word of God allows the spiritually-minded a brief look into eternity.  We are able to focus our mind’s eye on the majesty of our God within the confines of human understanding.  Ezekiel saw a likeness of God’s glory.  “And above the firmament that was over their …

IF JESUS CAME RIGHT NOW

Would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in?Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they’d been?Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out?Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? And I wonder – if the Savior spent a day or two with you,Would you go right on doing, the things you always do?Would you go right on saying the things you always say?Or would life for you continue as it does from day to day? Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you go?Or would you maybe change your plans for just a day or so?Would you be glad to have Him meet your closest friends?Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends? Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on?Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?It might be interesting you know, the things that you would do,If Jesus came in person, to spend some time with you. Author Unknownsubmitted by Mark McWhorter

The Christian’s Riches

In CHRIST we have–A LOVE that can never be fathomed;A LIFE that can never die;A RIGHTEOUSNESS that can never be tarnished;A PEACE that can never be understood;A REST that can never be disturbed;A JOY that can never be diminished;A HOPE that can never be disappointed;A GLORY that can never be clouded;A HAPPINESS that can never be interrupted;A LIGHT that can never be darkened;A STRENGTH that can never be enfeebled;A BEAUTY that can never be marred;A PURITY that can never be defiled;A WISDOM that can never be baffled;RESOURCES that can never be exhausted. –The Southwesterner, Austin, Texas(Submitted by Mark McWhorter)

Are All Believers Saved? #2

There are also examples of those who became believers in Jesus who were saved because their faith was active and working. When Christ made known the terms of salvation, he told his disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be” (Mark 16:15-16) Let us notice some examples of believers who were saved. “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. . . . But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women”  (Acts 8:5, 12).  These believers were obedient to the command of Christ to be baptized. Another example from the New Testament is that of Simon, who, as a believer, obeyed the Lord’s command.  “Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip” (Acts 8:13). The Queen’s treasurer, when returning from Jerusalem, was joined by Philip who “preached unto him Jesus,” which resulted in this man asking to be baptized.  “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”  The treasurer confessed his faith in Christ and was baptized “and went on his way rejoicing”  (Acts 8:35-39) The Apostle John said, by inspiration, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe …

Your Heart’s Skin

I work in a surgery recovery room. We do surgery on the heart. We operate on children and adults. Adults usually get some problem with their heart from an infection or from just growing older. Children are usually born with a problem of their heart. The heart actually has a skin covering it. It is called the pericardium. This skin is not like your outer skin. It is a thin shiny membrane that helps protect the heart. But sometimes this skin gets irritated. It can be from surgery on the heart. Or it can be from an infection. Or it can be from certain diseases. When this skin gets irritated it can become thick and hard. When it gets like this, it will not allow the heart to move the way it needs to in order to pump blood to your body. As the skin gets tighter, the heart is less able to give your body blood. Eventually, you will die because your heart cannot pump right. So the heart surgeon will cut away a large portion of this skin. This gives the heart the room it needs to pump right. The person usually gets well very soon and can live normally. God talks about the need to cut the skin of the spiritual heart. In Deuteronomy 30:6, God says, “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, …

You Should Love Chastening

I remember when I was a boy. There were times when I would do things that my father or mother had told me not to do. Or I would get into something that they had told me to stay out of. When they found out what I had done, I would get a spanking. If my mother caught me while my father was not home, she would spank me. And then I would have to wait until my father was home. Sometimes he spanked me too. Now I have to admit that I did not like to get spanked. It was not fun. It was not enjoyable. And usually it hurt enough that I knew I would not do again, whatever it was that had caused me to get the spanking. Sometimes I did not get a spanking. Sometimes my parents would talk very sternly to me. They would impress upon me how wrong I had been. I have to be honest. I did not even like some of those stern “talking-to” moments. But now I know that my parents were doing what they were supposed to do. And I appreciate what my parents did for me. They loved me. They were trying to save me from physical and spiritual dangers. They were trying to instill in me a desire to do right. In Hebrews 12:5-7 we read, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the …

Open the Cataracta of Your Heart

In many countries people own cars. They may keep their cars in a garage. A garage usually has a door on it. Most of the time the door opens by lifting up and sliding inside next to the ceiling of the garage. It does not open like a door to the house. In ancient times, royal cities and palaces (where kings and princes lived) had gates to go through to get inside. These gates did not open like normal doors. Instead, they opened like our garage doors do today. These gates were known as cataractas. In Psalm 24:7-10, there is a very interesting conversation. This part of the psalm is a song which the Israelites sang as they brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. They sing to the gates to lift up and open so that the ark bearing the King may come in. The gates ask, Who is this King? The people reply that it is the Lord and King of Glory. The gates ask, Who is the King of Glory? The people respond by saying that it is the Lord of hosts. And we are left with the impression that the gates do indeed lift up and open for the King of Glory and Lord of hosts. God wants us to open our hearts to his Word. He wants to live in us through his Word. I know you want to obey him. To do that, you must study the Bible.

The Seed of Woman

Text: Genesis 3:9-19; (Emphasize vs. 15.) Introduction: 1. The story of redemption has its beginning, and that not by mistake, in the first book of the Bible ¾ Genesis. 2. In order to understand the story (scheme) of redemption we must understand what happened in the very outset of human history. 3. God had created Adam (man) and Eve (mother of all living), and placed them in an indescribable paradise called Eden, which means, “a place of delight.” 4. In Eden God placed man under law both positive and negative. The positive law can be found in Genesis 1:28; 2:15-24. And the negative law is found in chapter two verses sixteen and seventeen. a) Both the positive law, and the negative law (commands of God) were very simple, and were fully understood by the inhabitants of Eden. b) So long as they were obedient to this law, they lived in a state of tranquillity, peace, and beauty which are hard for those of us living in these miserable times to imagine, and are impossible for us to understand. 5. Enter the serpent, (Nahash, the most common word in the Old Testament for “snake”) who Moses described as being “more subtle,” that is, more crafty, more deceitful, more cunning, than any other, “beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” (Lord God here refers to Jehovah, or Yahweh and is not the plural name Elohim which is used in chapter one, verse one, and some verses following.) 6. The serpent asked Eve a question which was intended to raise doubts in her …

Creation vs. Evolution

The recent flare up in the creation/evolution debate in our country demonstrates how much tension exists regarding the origin of the universe. Many insist on a completely naturalistic explanation, claiming that any view that requires God is unscientific. If you take the time to read their writings, you will quickly realize the arrogant snobbery and intellectual elitism these secular humanists have as their core belief. Others compromise, claiming to believe in both God and evolution. These people have cowardly caved in to the demands of evolutionists because their faith is too weak to take God at his Word. The Bible begins by saying, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 NKJV). The account that follows markedly disagrees with the evolutionary theory, making all attempts to “harmonize” the two a sad commentary on the hermeneutics of those involved. Some attempt to justify a belief in God and evolution by denying that the Genesis record is accurate, but this would mean that it was deliberately misleading-an implication with serious consequences (Titus 1:2). Then the atheists who attempt to browbeat others with their scientific jargon have the gall to call belief in creation “unscientific” when the biblical account squares with all known facts. They call us unscientific because we do not accept their interpretation-pure and simple. Besides, macroevolution itself defies many laws of science. Now, who is unscientific?

What Motivates You to Do What is Right?

“And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him” (Genesis 50:15). Joseph’s brothers had been shocked at the good treatment they received from Joseph when he first revealed himself to them in Egypt, but now that their father was dead, they supposed that he would probably take his revenge. Why would they think such a thing? Had Joseph given them any indication of this? No. But, as often happens, they assumed that Joseph’s motives for doing what was right toward them was the same as their own often were–pleasing their father. However, when they urged Joseph not to do anything to them in accordance with Jacob’s wishes, “Joseph wept when they spake unto him” (Genesis 50:17). Joseph behaved righteously toward his brothers from a righteous heart-not because of his father’s desires. For some reason, many people today think that it is a great accomplishment to teach their children to do what is right “for their sake.” We need to return to a desire for righteousness, so that we do what is right because it is right, because God said it, because it is the best thing to do. When we need motivation to do right beyond the fact that it is right, we lack integrity. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

“Not a Persuasion But an Invasion”

I heard a man on TV say that conversion is not a decision, and it is not a persuasion but an invasion. He explained what he meant by saying conversion is not something one decides on; it does not come by persuasion, but God sends the Holy Ghost into the lost person’s heart and this brings about his conversion. This is what the man meant by an invasion! What that man said is not true. If it were true, it would means that God is a respecter of persons, but the Bible says he is not. “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35). This Scripture tells us that conversion is preceded by a decision! To be saved a person must make a decision. He must decide to fear God and work righteousness. To fear God means to have reverence for God and have a sense of his greatness and awesomeness. To work righteousness means to do what God says is right. This standard of what is right is revealed in the Gospel (Romans 1:17). That is why the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe it (Romans 1:16). If God “invades” the hearts of some lost people and does not “invade” the hearts of other lost people this would mean he is a respecter of persons. It is true that God is a respecter of persons in the sense …

“. . . the simplest explanation we have.”

The year 1992 was a very important one for astronomers who support the “Big Bang” theory as the explanation for how everything came to be in the universe. Recently a local newspaper ran an article from the Associate Press in Phoenix, Arizona that I’m sure was carried by thousands of other newspapers around the country. The title of that article was “New Information Found Supporting the Big Bang.” In the article John C. Mather, a NASA astronomer interpreting data collected from an instrument on the COBE satellite called the Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotomer, said, “The Big Bang is still a winner.” The atheistic Big Bang theory was first put forth in 1929 by astronomer Edwin Hubble after he observed that all galaxies were moving away from each other at a constant rate, as if an explosion had occurred. One of many problems that remain in this theory is where the material came from that supposedly exploded. Mr. Mather is quoted later in the article as saying, “The Big Bang is still the simplest explanation we have.” It may be the most accepted explanation we have, if we assume that we have to be able to explain everything in terms of human wisdom, but is it the simplest? Does this data have any other interpretations? Yes, it does! Does it prove there is no God who created in the beginning? Certainly it does not!! The Big Bang is not the simplest explanation we have– “In the beginning God created . . .” is!

Up From Down?

How does a plant tell up from down? Since it must send its roots down and its shoots up in order to get the essential materials needed for survival, a plant must know how to do it right the first time. There is no second chance. God’s plan for plants is unique. The normally accepted theory holds that starch grains formed in plant cells to store energy, tell up from down by falling to the bottom of the cell. This does not answer the question because some plants do not have starch grains! So how do these plants tell the difference? New research has shown that there may be another explanation for the mechanism God has given plants. It appears that the cell contents (cytoplasm) as it weighs down on protein tethers attached to the cell wall may play a part. These tethers are responsible for opening and closing channels that allow calcium ions to enter and leave. The calcium in turn affects how the plant cells grow. But here the idea breaks down, there are still many unanswered questions about how this complex relationship affects the individual root and stem cells. The smallest details about God’s creation marvel and fascinate students of science. Explaining how these mechanisms came into being without an intelligence is impossible. Indeed the “firmament showeth his handiwork.”

The Treasurer Finds the Treasure

Dr. Williamson, a Canadian geologist, had been slipping along a rain-soaked road that led through Tanzania’s backcountry when suddenly his Land Rover sunk to its axles in sticky mire. Pulling out a shovel, he began to dig his four-wheel drive out. After some time he uncovered some sort of pink-like stone. Being a geologist and naturally curious about rock formations, he picked it up. The more mud he removed, the more excited he became, but hardly believed what he saw. At last the stone was clean, and Dr. Williamson had found a diamond! Any diamond would be a surprise in that situation, but he had found the now famous giant pink diamond of Tanzania. That muddy stone sparkles today in the royal scepter of Britain, and Williamson is world renowned for this find – accidental though it was. Interestingly, the geologist found the diamond. Similarly, the Bible tells of a treasurer who found treasure. Jesus compared a sinner who learns the Gospel to one who finds great treasure (Matthew 13:44-46). This is illustrated by an Ethiopian treasurer who found the Gospel treasure on a lonely road leading back to Africa from Jerusalem (Acts 8:26-40). Why did he – of all the people in the world – find the treasure that day? The treasurer was willing to look for something more. This Ethiopian had traveled fifteen hundred miles to worship (one way), but was still reading his Bible (Isaiah 53) on the way home! Because he was an eunuch, he had not even been allowed into the temple proper during the ceremonies (cf. Deuteronomy 23:1). He rode 3,000 miles to sit …

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15 Introduction Jesus, the Master Teacher, frequently used figurative language in his teaching.  Some people classify nearly all these colorful illustrations as parables (e.g., Matthew 5:13-16).  However, strictly speaking, Jesus began to use fully developed parables in Matthew 13.  Our Lord’s disciples acknowledged that he changed his method of teaching and asked why.  “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10). The parables of our Lord were very effective.  Jesus outfitted “. . . each parable with lines as sharp as an etching.”1   His parables are noteworthy for their brevity and simplicity.  In theme he appealed to the familiar circumstances of agriculture, home life, merchants, civic duties, social life and nature to teach spiritual truths.  Hence, a common definition of parables is that they are earthly stories with heavenly meanings. The Parable of the Sower received its name from Jesus himself (Matthew 13:18).  It is one of only two of our Lord’s parables that he interpreted for us.  (Jesus also explained The Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.)  Therefore, a thorough understanding of these two parables is necessary to have sufficient insight as to the meanings of the rest of them.  Understanding The Parable of the Sower (and The Parable of the Tares) is the key to understanding all the parables of Christ. Jesus also explained why he spoke in parables (Matthew 13:10-17).  Our Lord recited a phrase that was applied often to the Jews throughout their history (Deuteronomy 29:4; …