Category: Random

Luke 13:18-21: The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast.

These two parables are talking about two sides of the same coin. The mustard seed speaks of the outward growth of the gospel of Jesus. We Christians only need to go outside and plant it in the lives of the people. Simple as that. The Lord will take care of the growth and the expansion. Our job is to plant, that is, to speak and live out the Word; His job is to make it grow.

The parable of the yeast speaks of the inward growth of the gospel in our lives. We Christians only need to read our Bibles and pray everyday. We only need to incorporate the truths of the Bible to our daily lives. Then the Lord will take care of the inward growth. He will increase our faith and bring us to maturity without even us knowing how. Continue reading Two Sides of the Same Coin

Luke 5:17-26

This is a very interesting and very subtle juxtaposition of two kinds of people who listen to Jesus’ teachings: those who listen to find fault with the gospel and those who press on through the crowd (and maybe even vandalize another man’s roof) just so they could get near Jesus.

The scribes and Pharisees were there. They got the front row seats of the thick throng of people who gathered to hear Jesus. They were so privileged but that didn’t mean anything to them. They didn’t come to listen and be changed by the message. They came to criticize and look for loopholes.

Outside, a paralytic was carried by his four friends. They, too, wanted to hear Jesus. But they were not influential enough to get front row seats, in fact, they could not even get in. Continue reading Unmoved

Very interesting collection of verses about the power of God over the raging waves of the sea.

Luke 8:24-25
And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Psa. 77:16
The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.

Psa. 104:7
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; Continue reading God of the Raging Waves

Vocabulary Today: MENSCHENKENNER.

A Menschenkenner (German) is a person who has a kind of life experience that allows him to quickly and accurately discern the true character and personality of people around him. In short, someone who has keen insight into the human nature. The word has a positive feel to it. It’s a compliment given to wise people.

It’s curious that the way to spiritual growth and maturity is actually found in an old children’s song:

Read your Bible, pray everyday, pray everyday, pray everyday.
Read your Bible, pray everyday and you’ll grow, grow, grow.

Matthew 4:17
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

It’s interesting that the first message Jesus ever preached during His earthly ministry was about repentance. It was a sharp message, not the kind of topic you would want to talk about if you want to win friends and build a winsome reputation.

If you really think about it, preaching repentance can be offensive. It is built around the assumption that the people you are talking to are sinful people. Nobody wants to be thought of as sinful. We humans love to give the impression that we are good, at least to a certain extent. And even if we know fully well that whatever good is in us cannot offset our internal corruption, we still hope that people would just overlook our faults and focus on our merits. When we meet someone who insinuates that we are bad, we avoid that person. Continue reading Offensive Preaching