One of the most popular parables in the Bible is the Good Samaritan. What is Jesus trying to teach us? What does it mean to love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor? As Jesus often does, He takes it a step farther. This is not about salvation. Doing good deeds to your fellow man or woman does not save you. But it is the right thing to do. It is what a saved person would do. And as we discussed in the previous post, there are no excuses.
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Come to Dinner
Jesus told a few different parables about someone inviting his friends to dinner. One was about those you would expect to go, but they made excuses, so others are invited. One was about a person’s pride who finds the best seats in the house until being humbled. One is about people making light of the wedding and even some being hostile towards those inviting them, and not being prepared for the wedding. So what is Jesus talking about in these three parables? Let’s discuss them.
Continue reading “Come to Dinner”The Narrow Way
Many people today think that there are many ways that lead to heaven. But there is one way and that is through Jesus Christ. He is the only way. It is not through doing good deeds or through priests or other people. It is through faith in Him. Trust in Jesus and you will be saved. That is what Jesus is trying to tell the people of His day (and us). The priests had added many traditions in addition to the law, but they didn’t get it. God wants a relationship with us. He wants our hearts. That is why Jesus came. To pay for our sins and offer a relationship with Him so that we may be saved. All roads do not lead to heaven. It is a narrow road through a narrow gate in which Jesus is the door.
Continue reading “The Narrow Way”Persistence in Prayer
Do you ever feel like your prayers are not being heard or you don’t think that they will be answered? I have. Don’t give up; keep praying. Be persistent. God is ok with that. Sometimes I think He wants us to show how much we want it and wants us to “pray without ceasing.” To not give up. Sometimes, we are being impatient, and God is answering in His own time. He’s ok with that too. He just wants us to pray earnestly, and pray with faith. Jesus gives us a couple parables to remind us to be persistent in our prayer and remind us that God is faithful and will give us what we need.
Continue reading “Persistence in Prayer”What God Sows
The type of soil we use for our gardens and crops can really make a difference. The right soils can produce a beautiful garden, good crops and abundant fruit. Other soils, not so much. We used to live in Nevada. It was hard to get things to grow there (except sagebrush and tumbleweeds and nasty things called “goatheads which have spikes that will go through a bicycle tire and don’t feel good on the feet). Other places we have been have lush green plants because they have that dark organic soil full of nutrients. How we hear and understand (and accept or not) God’s word is kind of like that, as Jesus explains in this parable.
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My Daily Scriptures 