Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom, chapter eight
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After the seven parables of Matthew 13, Jesus adds another small parable that concerns the future ministry of His disciples… and, of course, the teaching is for all disciples down through the ages. Then, the chapter ends with an account of Christ returning to His own village, Nazareth, where he was raised and now is rejected. They reject His person and cannot understand his teaching. That was and continues to be the story of Jesus in this world, but Christians are not dismayed by it. Christ told us before hand that this would happen, but at the same time a plan would unfold for everyone that believes in Him.
8. WHAT FOLLOWS AFTER THE PARABLES?
“Have you understood all these things? They said to Him, ‘Yes.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.’” Matthew 13:51-52
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| This is the last chapter of this book |
TREASURING NEW AND OLD THINGS
Yes, they had understood. Over a period of 3½ years of discipleship, Jesus gathered the material and formed a firm base upon which to build, but still they lacked much, there is no doubt about that. “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn. 16:12). Before Jesus left them and went to heaven, “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Lk. 24:45). He opened a door of understanding in their beings, so that the Holy Spirit of truth could continue to lead them, teaching them the principles of the Kingdom of God. “The word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me… The Holy Spirit… will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you… The Spirit of truth… will testify about Me… When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth… He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you” (Jn. 14:24,26; 15:26; 16:13,14).
We see in these texts in John that the things that Jesus taught were not altogether new, but were the same words of the Father and connected with all that He had given since the beginning of time. The Holy Spirit’s teaching would not be new either, but wholly related to that of Christ. The doctrine of the apostles, full of the Holy Spirit, did not contain anything besides that which Jesus had given His followers in the Gospels. The entire Bible is a single, unified word.
January 29 - February 4 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
January 29
Psalms 7:11-17
11. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17. I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
Every sinner ought to know, that he never opens his eyes from a night's sleep, but that God is angry with him. Every day his soul awakes to the greatest peril. While he persists in his sinful state, the wrath of God burns against him. It is only a question of time, with no guarantee that the time will be long, before he is eradicated. God is at war with the sinner and what is the sinner's arsenal against His? Is there a shield to ward off the arrows of the Almighty or is there armor to stop the thrust of His sword? There is none, even in this day of sophisticated resistance. Though they may shake the earth, hydrogen bombs bounce off heaven's doors like cotton balls. Do not be deceived, God is equipped with instruments of death and He can kill and cast into hell. The Psalm declares that He premeditates and preordains the death of the wicked. Only timely repentance can save him.
Is God just in executing fierce retribution against men? Remember that every sinner is a threat to human well-being and a reproductive channel of future evil. He is a pregnant bombshell, a birthing agent of deception and mischief. His own inventions will turn against him. He has birthed them to his own destruction and they will snap back in his face. David used Goliath's sword to cut off his head. Every weapon of the enemy is a self-destructive boomerang.
For this, David gives praise to God. It is a demonstration of His righteousness, not a calamity, when wickedness is judged. We are not holy or merciful, if we recoil against His acts. If we do, we may be demonstrating rebellion against His righteousness.
Why Do We Believe that the Bible is the Word of God?
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BUILDING UPON THE ROCK… essential doctrines
On Sunday, January 26, on Radio Luz a las Naciones, we started a new series of programs in Spanish entitled “Building Upon the Rock. We will be presenting the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. These are doctrines, about which all true Christians over the centuries in all parts of the world have been in agreement… and they must be in agreement, if they are to be considered true Christians. Everyone, who calls himself a Christian, should know these doctrines and base his life and faith upon them.
We have the Bible as the only foundation, upon which we can and will teach these essential Christian doctrines. Therefore, it must be clear to us why we consider the Bible the maximum authority and why we believe it to be the Word of God. I want to briefly explain the reasons.
The Old Testament: We will begin in Romans 3 to see there what Paul said concerning the Old Testament: “What advantage has the Jew?” he asks in verse 1 and immediately he gives his answer in verse 2: “Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” This is a very important declaration, because it indicates that there was a body of writings, which were considered to be authoritative and divinely inspired. They were produced solely within the Jewish nation. Peter teaches about the Old Testament, saying that “no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Just as the prophets were inspired by the Holy Spirit in order to write, so there were godly Jews, guided by the Holy Spirit in order to discern which writings were truly inspired. Sovereign God, watching over His word, ordered this work throughout their history.
Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom, chapter seven
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Jesus did not teach His disciples how to fish men; He was going to make them become fishers of men. The first supposition signifies an action; the second is a state of being. Fishing is something a person can take up and later leave, but a professional fisherman can never abandon his net. It is his life. The Lord gave all His disciples the same task and we still have it today. Christ came to seek and to save those that are lost and everyone, who follows Him, without exception, also enter this ministry.
7. THE SAME NET CATCHES GOOD FISH AND BAD
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it is filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:47-50
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THE SEA OF UNSTABLE HUMANITY
Several of the previous parables had something to do with the earth, but the one we just studied involved a product taken from the sea. This last of the parables of Matthew 13 also focuses on the sea.
Along with the parable, Jesus gives the interpretation, so we have three of the seven parables interpreted. With the first one, the Parable of the Sower, left by itself, we could group the other six into three pairs, according to the similar lessons that they teach: 1) The mustard seed could be paired with the leaven, 2) the hidden treasure with the pearl of great price, and 3) the net with that of the wheat and the tares.
A difference between the wheat and the tares and the parable that is before us now, is that one has to do with a land product and the other is found in the sea. Another difference is that the tares were sown purposely by an enemy, whereas the good and bad fish are all caught by the same net. However, it is within the realm of probability that the enemy guided the bad fish to the net. He wants to use his influence in everything that has to do with the work of God. If he can, he will take the seed of God’s word out of the heart of a listener, he will sow bad seed among the good, he will cause a tree to grow beyond God’s intentions, puff up bread to appear much larger than its real substance, and, as we now consider, possibly he will guide bad fish into a net. It would be very consistent with his character and intentions that he does so.
The Intimacy of the Gospel of John
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Intimacy with God
This Saturday, January 25, at 3 p.m., we start a new radio program in Spanish on the Christian radio station Radio Luz a las Naciones. This program will be called “El Verbo de la Vida” (The Word of Life) and will be a commentary on the Gospel of John. As most Christians know, John’s Gospel presents Jesus Christ as the Son of God and John begins by presenting a biography written in eternity before the beginning of all creation. The experts tell us that John wrote his history 60 years after the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. These three give an account of many of the miracles of Jesus, but John explains the significance of all that He did.
It’s not hard to arrive at the conclusion that this book is the most spiritual of the four Gospels. What other cites the prayer of the Son with the Father? When we read that prayer in chapter 17, we are treading on holy ground. And, of course, this Gospel contains the most quoted and well-know verse in the Bible… John 3:16.
John’s purpose in writing his Gospel was to help readers to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and, in believing, that they might have life in Him. What occurred to me this time, as I meditated in preparation for the radio programs, is that John, chosen and inspired by the Holy Spirit, also is inviting his readers to a life of intimacy with God. I don’t believe that there is another book in the Bible comparable to it in this respect.
January 22 - 28 Daily Mediatations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
January 22
Psalms 5:8-10
8. Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
All around us are enemies, whose chief purpose is to cause the righteous to fall. Their words are worthless and they have no intention of keeping them. Words are a means to gain their end and nothing, which binds them to integrity. We are to expect no good from them, for the heart, from which their words proceed, is filthy. When it vents itself, as it does through the medium of speech, it is as the stench of uncovered graves. Do not let their commendation impress you. They utter it only to gain a higher position for themselves and it has nothing to do with an appreciation for the listener.
David asks for the destruction of the wicked. While we seek God's mercy, in order that sinners be separated from their sin, we must also know that all those, who persist in sin, have no other end than perdition. We must be rid of sin. It is certain that we must deal with it and put it away. Preferably, the human being can separate from it, but if he will hold to his sin, he must be destroyed with it. The release of God's hand will cause him to fall immediately, because of his own foolish counsel. He is a rebel, unfit to have any place in heaven or any part in the eternal realities of God. He is to be cast outside the presence, love, and blessing of a good God.
Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom, chapter six
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The pearl of great price… what does it represent? Could it signify salvation, or the Kingdom of God, or perhaps Christ Himself? I don’t think so. If you have never read or heard the interpretation offered in this chapter, I invite you to do so with an open heart, carefully considering the aspects, which are presented. Thank you.
6. A PEARL AND A MERCHANT
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)
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| The chapter is part of this book. |
Just as the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven are similar and related, so are the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl. Both have to do with the purchase of something of great value.
We have considered the treasure in the field and, because it is an object, which is found and hidden again, we arrive at the conclusion that, most probably, it represents the old Hebrew nation. They remain a great company in the Kingdom of God. Seeing that a tremendous price is offered to obtain the field, where the treasure is hidden, the possibility that it could be something, which we have to buy in order to have a part in the Kingdom, is extremely thin. If we should think that we have the potential in hand to pay for the Kingdom, something in the Kingdom, such as the gospel or salvation, or Christ Himself, we run the risk of supposing that it is within human capabilities to lay hold of precious, eternal riches. In so doing, we nullify the grace of God. We cheapen the value of the object and raise our concept of human power. I find that interpretation presumptuous and even dangerous.
January 15 - 21 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
January 15
Psalms 4:1-2
1. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
David sees God as the root of his righteousness. He can clearly see that righteousness is at work in his members, but it is not self-righteousness. He recognizes that he has received it through the workings of God in him. David has simply been led into the paths of righteousness, which were laid before his existence. For the Lord's purposes, ancestors before him came into these paths and descendants after him walked down its corridors.
After David addresses God, he can address men – men in their unrighteous, ungodly state – mere sons of men. They turn the truth of God into a lie, make nothing into something, then love and worship it, and seek to destroy the plain manifestation of God's eternal power and godhead. They are so far removed from God that their senses have been turned entirely inside out. Glory becomes shame, emptiness is their fulfillment, and truth becomes lies. They must struggle in their rebellion continuously in order to maintain this unnatural state. They must continually hide from God. They are as a ball that would come to the surface of the water if let loose, but they endeavor to hold it under water. They must practice their unbelief, spend long hours meditating upon lies, and carefully avoid every exposure to God's light. They must desperately find ways to busy themselves, so as not to face reality. Their minds must wander or sleep should they find themselves under the hearing of God's word.
Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom, chapter five
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5. A TREASURE FOUND AND HIDDEN
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field,
which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44)
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| The chapter is taken from this book |
THE PLAN OF GOD IS NEVER
FRUSTRATED
If you carefully study the
four teachings that we have presented to this point, you will see that they
have a prophetic touch, but the two, which follow, do so even more. We have the
present parable only in Matthew and I think that we will see that it is fitting
to his Gospel, because it presents Christ, in a special way, as the King of the
Jews. I believe that this parable has to do with Matthew’s people and their
Messiah. We do well to understand that the gospel is a message “to the Jew
first and also to the Greek” (Ro. 1:16 - in this verse, as well as in other
places in the New Testament, Greek is synonymous with Gentile, or
non-Jew). Peter said this in Jerusalem, “It is you who are the sons of the
prophets…, For you, first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to
bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways” (Ac. 3:25,26). So
Matthew first preaches his Gospel to the Jew.
Jesus is the Sower in
three previous parables and in this one He is the man who buys a field. The act
of finding a treasure and hiding it again makes it very improbable that any
common mortal should represent the main character in the story or that the
treasure should represent Christ, the gospel, or salvation. I don’t think that
we can find a good biblical reason for finding, then hiding, any of these. It
also collides with the presentation of the gospel as a free gift that cannot be
bought, but must be received on the basis of pure grace. To preach that one has
to sell all and buy Christ, the gospel or salvation, runs the risk of
satisfying the religious pride of man, who wants to do something in order to
gain his salvation. The New Testament condemns these efforts “so that no one
may boast” (Eph. 2:9).
January 8 - 14 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
January 8
Psalms 2:10-11
10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.11. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
The Son has taken His place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the mood changes considerably. God, in His longsuffering mercy, yet calls on kings to repent of their foolish opposition, in order to become wise. Wisdom calls in the streets and at the gates of the city where earth's administration is determined, "Oh ye simple, understand wisdom and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." King Self can never be dethroned until fear comes into the picture. The only way to serve the Lord acceptably is with godly fear. Trembling is a proper disposition before Almighty God. Rejoicing is not to be lighthearted. The only way to properly rejoice before God is with trembling.
January 9
Psalms 2:12
12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
I suggest that the kiss required for the Son is a kiss upon His feet from a prostrate position. The gospels record two times that Jesus was kissed: Once on the cheek by a betrayer; once on the feet by a worshipper. The kiss from the sinner woman was that of submission.
Jesus seemed to refer to this verse in Luke 12:58-59, "As thou art IN THE WAY, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge." Mankind has an Adversary with whom they do well to make peace. They are on the way to the Judge, where he will surely pass an everlasting sentence against them. Then there will be no deliverance.
Blessed are all who surrender in trust, giving up all in which they confided – their kingly seat, attained positions, and acquired rule – and lay it at the feet of God's chosen King.
Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom, chapter four
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Leaven never has a positive meaning in the entire Bible. The materials burnt on the altar symbolized an offering exclusively for God; therefore leaven was never part of a sacrifice offered to God by fire. It was forbidden (Lev.2:11). The only time when leavened bread was used in an offering was in Leviticus 7:13, where the peace offerings were described, and the leavened bread was eaten by the priest, who officiated the sacrifice. Then in 23:17, the bread represented the nation of Israel and symbolized the future body of believers, who participated at Pentecost. Even in these cases, the leaven signified something negative, namely sin, and was offered in recognition of the presence of sin still in those who participated. John taught us the importance of recognizing that reality in 1 Juan 1:8-9, warning that in refusing to acknowledge the fact, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Therefore, in my opinion, it seems very inconsistent for Jesus to use leaven in one of His parables, as a positive symbol. All right, you will have to study the entire chapter to see fully the doctrine presented and in this way arrive at a conclusion…
4. GROWING OR ONLY PUFFED UP?
“He spoke another parable to them, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.” (Matthew 13:33)
THE NUMBER ONE RULE IN BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION:
LET THE BIBLE BE ITS OWN INTERPRETER
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| This chapter is from the book, Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom |
The parable of the woman that hid leaven in the bread dough is also found in Luke 13:20-21. Again, we will be careful to completely study all that has reference to this parable. Through it, we should be able to get an idea about how the mustard plant became a great tree in the previous parable.
Precisely after this parable, Matthew adds that “all these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world” (vs. 34-35, citing Psalms 78:2).
His method of teaching parables and the reason why He did so, confirms the teaching contained in some of them. It was to reduce the number of disciples, until only those who were hungry and sincere in heart remained. As I have been emphasizing, after the multitudes left a few lingered behind with the disciples. They stayed to receive from the mouth of Jesus the spiritual significance of mysteries that no one had known since the foundation of the world until that time.
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