WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED?

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MUSINGS - March 2, 2019

WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED?

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me will find them. What good will it do for people to win the whole world and lose their lives? Or what will a person give in exchange for life?

Jesus's message to his disciples then and to us now is the sane. If any one of us wants to be his disciple, we must not do only what we ourselves want to do. We must be willing to let people hurt us and disgrace us. In Jesus's time on earth they humiliated criminals and made then carry a cross to the place where the criminals were executed. Though in this age and in most countries the criminals aren't brutalized before their exicution there is certainly humiliation through the trial and incarceration. That is what anyone who wants to be his disciple must be willing to do. We must do that, because those who try to save their lives by denying that they belong to Jesus when people want to kill them for believing in him will not live eternally, but those who are killed because of being his disciples will live with God eternally. Some people might get everything they desire in this world, but if they do not follow Jesus, they would really be gaining nothing because they would not get eternal life! So, really what would they have gained if they have not become his disciples? They will have lost their eternal life! There is absolutely nothing that people can give to God that would enable them to gain eternal life, it can not be purchased. Have you secured your life eternal buy following Jesus? This earthly life is but the tiniest portion of eternity. Your tomorrow is not guaranteed but you CAN have your forever life guaranteed by giving everything over to Jesus's control. He died so that you might live. Accept that free gift while you are still able.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://musingsdevotions.wordpress.com My sermons bloghttp://thomasewilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1 Random Thoughts/ https://thethomasewilliamsnewsletter.wordpress.com The blog that holds all of my blogshttps://rvingfulltimewithtomandella.wordpress.com All content (except quotations) ©2019 Thomas E. Willuams

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

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MUSINGS - March 05, 2019

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

Matthew 13:36-43
When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means."

He answered, "The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels.

Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. Then the people who have God's approval will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!

The disciples didn't understand the illustration of weeds and wheat. They still were thinking on earthly terms rather than the spiritual realm. Jesus had already explained his previous story about the seed that was planted on various soils. Yet their eyes couldn't see nor their wars hear because the minds were closed tho the spirit.

How frustrating that must have been for Jesus that his closest followers still lacked understanding. How frustrating out must still be when so many have ears but can not hear.

Clean the wax from your spiritual ears. Put on your spiritual glasses and open your bibles. Pray for understanding, then read looking for what meaning it had for YOU. Ask, Who are you in the context of the story? Are you the farmer, the worker, the enemy, the good seed, or the bad seed? Now Ask yourself, How am I changed (or to change) by what I read?

I beg you, for the sake of your eternal life, read and study the bible, listen to and think about the sermons you hear. Search for understanding.

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https://musingsdevotions.wordpress.com

MUSINGS - March 05, 2019

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

Matthew 13:36-43
When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means."

He answered, "The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels.

Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. Then the people who have God's approval will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!

The disciples didn't understand the illustration of weeds and wheat. They still were thinking on earthly terms rather than the spiritual realm. Jesus had already explained his previous story about the seed that was planted on various soils. Yet their eyes couldn't see nor their wars hear because the minds were closed tho the spirit.

How frustrating that must have been for Jesus that his closest followers still lacked understanding. How frustrating out must still be when so many have ears but can not hear.

Clean the wax from your spiritual ears. Put on your spiritual glasses and open your bibles. Pray for understanding, then read looking for what meaning it had for YOU. Ask, Who are you in the context of the story? Are you the farmer, the worker, the enemy, the good seed, or the bad seed? Now Ask yourself, How am I changed (or to change) by what I read?

I beg you, for the sake of your eternal life, read and study the bible, listen to and think about the sermons you hear. Search for understanding.

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WEEDS AND WHEAT

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MUSINGS - March 02, 2019
WEEDS AND WHEAT

Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus used another illustration. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away. When the wheat came up and formed kernels, weeds appeared. "The owner's workers came to him and asked, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?' "He told them, 'An enemy did this.' "His workers asked him, 'Do you want us to pull out the weeds?' "He replied, 'No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut, I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I'll have them bring the wheat into my barn.'"

In Jesus's illustration he sharers that there will come a time of separation of the evil from the holy. That time has not yet come. There is time for God to miraculously change weeds into wheat, sinners into saved.

To be saved, the sinners must hear the good news that Jesus lived tho show the way and died to take away the sins of all humanity. Once saved, we have a duty to perform. We are not saved by works. But we are saved to work. Jesus commanded, "So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)

Romans 10:13-15 says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how can people call on him if they have not believed in him? How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message? How can they hear if no one tells the Good News? How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them? As Scripture says, "How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News."

If you haven't heard that Jesus has paid the price to set you free from your sin, then listen: Through the grace of God you are free from the debt of sin. You must only accept it, believe it, and act on It. Go and sin no more.

If you have heard, have accepted, have believed, then duo your duty and share the good news. That's the only way that weeds can become wheat.

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GET OFF THAT ROCK!

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MUSINGS - March 01, 2019

GET OFF THAT ROCK!

Matthew 13:1-23
That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore. Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things. He said, "Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn't deep. But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren't deep enough. Other seeds were planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them. But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted. Let the person who has ears listen!" The disciples asked him, "Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?" Jesus answered, "Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge, and they will excel in understanding them. However, some people don't understand these mysteries. Even what they understand will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they're blind. They hear, but they don't listen. They don't even try to understand. So they make Isaiah's prophecy come true: 'You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend. These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear. Their minds never understand. And they never return to me for healing!' "Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God's people longed to see what you see but didn't see it, to hear what you hear but didn't hear it. "Listen to what the story about the farmer means. Someone hears the word about the kingdom but doesn't understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates. The seed planted on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. Since he doesn't have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls from faith. The seed planted among thornbushes is another person who hears the word. But the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can't produce anything. But the seed planted on good ground is the person who hears and understands the word. This type produces crops. They produce one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted."

There is no interpretation needed here. Jesus himself explained the parable.

Unlike seeds, if you are on rocky ground, you can move to good soil. On the end times you will not greet by with the excuse, "I heard, but I was on a rock and couldn't grow. It's not my fault!"

Don't be like Those people who have become close-minded and hard of hearing. Who have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Whose ears never hear and minds that never understand. Get off that rock!

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