Janzie

No, because Jesus is God, creator of the universe, who made us and loves us, and longs for us to have fellowship with Him. Why can we not follow and obey Him? We sometimes forget about God and live in this world and do our own thing. We need to be reminded about the Savior and how much He loves us. We need a full heart surrender, not being afraid but totally surrendering, committing and trusting our lives to Him.

That Jesus comes first. We are not to make excuses but to be serious of following, believing and trusting in Jesus. He is to be first in line and our focus should be on Him and doing His will. Jesus is so urgent because time is running out and there are so many more needing to be saved and hear the message of the Kingdom. We need to step up our pace and declare the Word of the Lord, so people who are in need can hear the Word of God and follow Him. He was seeking to teach the disciple that they are to stay steadfast in Him and not to look back but to focus on Jesus and His will for them.

That we should make every effort to enter the Kingdom of God, strive, keep believing God and reading and studying His Word, being guided by the Spirit of God. We must be aggressive in our walk with God, hearing Him, getting to know Him by spending time with Him and staying in tune with Him. If we don't seek Him we will get cold and start serving the world and getting a hard heart. Because He doesn't want us to get cold and drift off. We just don't make a commitment and then fade away. He needs to be pursued, we need to put all our excuses away and spend quality time with Him. Let go of the things of this World and focus on Jesus.

Thorns of worry, not trusting God; going after wealth and wanting to become rich; desiring things we don't need - coveting; pleasures of this world, pursuing happiness apart from God - all choke the Word and make it unfruitful. A disciple is a follower of Jesus, one who hears the word of God and keeps it and seeks the Lord with all their hear, compared to people who seem to believe for a while and receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they don't persevere in faith, they "fall away. I can clear up the thorns in my life by seeking Jesus, not the things of this world and having ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

Because they don't receive the Word and give it a chance to grow in their heart, the soil of their hearts is hard, persecution. They won't repent and let Jesus turn their life around.

He loves and cares for them, they are his, therefore he protects them from enemies and saves them. By caring for them, teaching them, loving them and dying for them so that they could be saved, follow Him and do as he did, love others and be willing to die for the Gospel. For us, In laying down His life, shedding His blood, forgiving our sin and giving us eternal life with Him. They were to lay down their lives by following Jesus, denying themselves, caring for others and their needs, putting others first, sharing the Gospel. When I first came to the Lord, there was a fellow named Norman who was a hippie, wearing overhauls, barefoot, came to the altar at our church and gave his life to the Lord. That was around 1973. Now after so many years he is a missionary in the Phillipines and Asia for over 25 years. Starting new churches. What a blessing, laying down his life for the ministry and others.

It is so important to know the voice of the Shepherd and obey it because if we don't we can easily be led astray. We hear many voices -- the pressures of our society's expectations, our family's desires, our own selfish desires, our own inner voices. It is possible to hear Jesus' voice and distinguish it from the others, but we must make a practice of learning which is which. And that is gotten by spending time with the Lord and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. having fellowship with Him. When we act independently of the Shepherd and we think we know best, we leave ourselves open for the thief and robber, making a way for the enemy. The sheep stray when they don't listen to the Lord do, our own thing and then we make ourselves open to the enemy.

That you can't put new wine in old wine skins because when you do that the old will burst. When you try to patch an old garment you can't use unshrunk cloth because it will tear and make it worse. In the spiritual realm the saying comes to mind - "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" People are used to the old way of doing things and they will not change unless they have an open heart to receive a new word which can give them freedom. In the case of wine, people say the old wine is better because it is mellow. People are used to the old way of doing things, they feel more comfortable and do not like change. Our church traditions limit the Holy Spirit's work in our, day because people like the old way and their traditions and are not about to change and are not open to what the Lord is really saying. When you get serious with God and really need Him, he hears your cry and brings truth to you where you can't refuse and makes you open to what He is doing today and reveals the truth about your old traditions. It is easier in a newly planted church, because preaching the Gospel to new Christians they are open and receive the Word. They they don't have a lot of baggage from other churches and when they hear the truth they receive it.

Although the mustard seed is very small when it is planted it grows to 4 or even 5 ft, like a tree so that even the birds perch in its branches and the yeast in leaven when it is first put together with the flour is small but given a chance to rise, the dough is overflowing in the bowl. Small beginnings, large endings. The disciples might have been discouraged because they didn't understand the Kingdom of God, because the Kingdom seemed very small and was not great in the start, but Jesus is saying that it will grow. But within a single generation after Christ's death, Christianity had spread all over the Roman empire and beyond -- India to the East, Ethiopia to the South, and Britannia to the West. Because we always think we are not doing enough, and we look at some other Christians and all they are doing. Patience and faith are so important. To His disciples because they saw His miracles and how He healed everyone who came to Him and wanted to be healed and that so built faith and patience in them. Faith and patience were built in us when Jesus came into our lives, as we were totally changed and an experience we can never forget, so that built faith in us and because of it, we have patience and we have to keep on keeping on.

Satan is the strong man. Jesus is the stronger warrior. Because Jesus is the Mighty Warrior, He is God having all power and authority. Because of His shed blood, dying, buried, raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father, He sent His Holy Spirit to all who accept and believe in Him. He sents us free. He is our Deliverer, He is our Savior, He is our Rescuer. He is the power of God working in us who believe. "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." (1 John 4:4) He will set anyone free who accepts and believes in Him and His finished work.

He wanted us to remember his dying on the cross for us for forgiveness of our sins. On the night of the last supper Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to his disciples, While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'7 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom.'" (Matthew 26:26-29)

The impossibility of a camel going through a needle, so impossible. Meaning we can't get to heaven on our own, or buy our way, or do enough deeds to get there. A rich man has just his riches, his treasures, and, good times, but will find himself wanting, because he is not able to give up those things and be humble enough to surrender to Jesus. Salvation is impossible for humans because good deeds won't get us there. Only our surrender to Jesus and believing He died for us, paid the price for our sins and has given us His grace and mercy.

Flowing or living water is symbolic of not just of life, but continuous, eternal, everlasting life. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Streams of living water will flow from within him, By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. The promise was in going to the Father He would send the Holy Spirit to those who believe. John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Becoming a believer in Jesus is committing yourself to the Lord, believing Jesus died for your sin and paid the penalty for you. This is being born again of the Spirit of God. When you are born physically you are born of the flesh and have a mother and father. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. People who have been born of the Spirit, are motivated, guided, and moved by the Spirit. The life of the Spirit is a new level of spiritual existence, a different plane entirely. We need not walk in the flesh, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, but we need to walk in the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, the things of God and the Word of God.

When God hired each one He didn't go by fairness because He hired people different times of the day and even some that worked an hour. It was His generosity in paying the same wages to the 8 hr. worker as the 1 hr. worker. He was gracious in His giving. God is so generous in what He has done for us. I didn't deserve His wonderful Salvation, I didn't even know it was available until I realized I couldn't do life by myself and cried out to Him and He honored my cry when I told Him my life was a mess and I gave and committed my life, my husband's and my children's life to Him. He honored my commitment by His wonderful grace. Nothing I did to deserve it. Mostly, we want recognition for what we have done and if we don't get it, we don't think it is fare. That is pride.

That which is similar about the Parable of the Weeds and the Parable of the Net is that they represent the good and bad. The people of God and the evil ones. In the end the Wheat will be put in the barns and the tares burned with fire. The righteous to the kingdom of God and the evil ones into the fiery furnace. The parable of the Net is the sorting of the good fish from the bad ones, similar meaning. Those who believe in Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice for their sins and received His righteousness and remain in His righteousness can receive the gift of eternal life and life with Him forever.

The sheep are complimented for their gentleness, while the goats are condemned for their agressiveness , the goats were separated from the sheep because they would beat them up. No, it is mercy to those in need after we are saved. If you have done it to the least of my brothers, you have did it to me. Because they were to love and helo one another. We are to learn to not just to show mercy to our brothers and sisters but to all that are in need. This parable helps us to help one another with God's mercy and give to missions, the poor and the homeless.

No concern for the poor and his love of money. I believe their love of money combined with their lack of mercy for the poor. Wealth without active mercy for the poor is great wickedness. His attitude was using Lazarus as a slave doing his bidding and of lower class. In that the rich man proposes that Lazarus should rise from the dead to warn his brothers. The main point of this parable don't be selfish. Share your riches with the poor and destitute. Be a blessing to others. We have Pizza in the Park and bring pizza and feed the poor and homeless, give testimonies and pray for their needs. Loving more where we give to the missionaries in need. At Thanksgiving we give a turkey and many bags groceries to the needy and pray for them.

The first son. Because after saying no, he thought about it and changed his mind, which he eventfully did and went to work in the vineyard. It is harder to obey because of our pride, we need to believe, step out in faith and believe that God will reward us for our obedience. It is easy to say we will do something and not follow through. But to obey is difficult because it is going against our will. We need to say - Is it God's will or my will? It is similar because it is being obedient to what God Word.. Hearing from God through His Word and fellowship with Him is essential to true discipleship. The one criminal feared and believed God, and in honoring Him, Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise. God is merciful and gives grace to all who receive Him even though we don't deserve it. Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound.

Seeking is necessary to find the narrow gate because in seeking we become closer to the Lord. We need to stay in His Word. We can't accept Christ and then do our own thing. I had a vision when I was first saved that I was going through a narrow door but I had this big ole hat on and I couldn't go through the door. I had to leave my hat. my sin, my worldliness at the door and then come in. Only a few find it because of our own stubborness and worldliness. We don't realize God's grace and mercy in that He wants to deliver us. But, when we cry out to the Lord - He is there for us. This parable is designed to strengthen us to be willing to go against the flow knowing we need to live for Jesus and not be involved with worldly things which tend to lead us astray.

Jesus focus the parable of the wise and foolish builders because we are to be wise and build ourselves on Jesus the solid rock. He exhorts them to both listen to his words and put them into practice. That means getting into the Word of God and spending time and fellowship with Him and not being moved by every wind of doctrine and to be strong in Him so that we will not be moved when the storms come. You can help young Christians by sticking with them and stressing how important it is to get into the Word of God, be water baptized and baptized in the Holy Spirit. The enemy will do everything to distract us from getting into the Word. Proverbs 4:20-22 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. We take natural food 3 times a day for strength and health. Just as important is our spiritual food which keeps us strong in the Lord.

We are to take an inventory of ourselves to see if we have unforgiveness in our heart to someone and we need to make amends But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”Mark 11:25 We can't stay angry with someone and not forgive them, and expect to be a good witness for Christ. The world is watching us.

What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Jeremiah 17:9 We can look really good on the outside but God looks on the heart. We sometimes resist because of stubborness and wanting our own way. We need to be willing to be willing. Repentance is necessary because we may think we are moral but it is a far cry from what the Lord does in our life when we surrender to Him. He then cleans us up, delivering us from sin and sinning. Giving us of His Holy Spirit. It is just not a lot of keeping laws and rules. We need to have fellowship with the Lord, hearing from Him.

Servants, Prophets, Apostles and Jesus Himself. The utter destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, the end of the Jewish nation -- even as a self-governing kingdom under the Romans. At the fall of Jerusalem, the temple was destroyed, the city was burned, the walls were pulled down, and perhaps a million or more people were killed during the siege of the city, with another 97,000 people enslaved, many of them dying in the arena as gladiators to entertain the Romans.34 This crushing destruction was terrible evidence of the wrath of God upon his rebellious people. No, I have not. This has not happened in our church. We are to support our pastors in prayer. They have a tough job. We just have to carry our own problems but they have to counsel and hear everyone's else's problems. They have to hear from God in order to lead and guide us. We need to pray that God will keep them and protect them from evil, because there is no one the enemy wants to pull down more than a Pastor. Because Jesus Word says, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.