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Here is a paraphrase of the entire Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5: Chapter 5

1.And when He saw the crowd that was gathering, He went up the side of the mountain to find a place where He could address the people, and His disciples came to join Him.

2.Then He began to teach them all, saying:

3.Those who truly understand what it is to be completely dependent on God and desperate for Him (the poor in spirit) are fortunate, because they will enjoy the Kingdom of Heaven in its fullness.

4. And those who grieve over the destructive consequences of their own sin (those who mourn) are fortunate, because they will escape its destruction.

5.Those who have the determination to pursue the will of God, regardless of the circumstances, (the meek) are fortunate, because they soon learn that together with God they can overcome anything the world might throw at them.

6.And those that believe the righteousness of God is something they can’t live without (those who hunger and thirst for righteousness) are happy, because the spiritual blessing and joy of knowing God will always sustain them.

7.Those who are willing to give away what God has given them (the merciful) are happy, because they have God’s promise that He will always give them what they need.

8.And those who are open to God and don’t try to hide anything from Him (the pure in heart) will experience God’s favor, because He will reveal Himself to them.

9.Those who are willing to take the peace of God to those in turmoil (the peacemakers) are happy, because they have taken on the true nature of their Father in Heaven.

10.And those who are punished because they have chosen to rise above the world’s false standards (those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake) are happy, because the Kingdom of Heaven is their rightful inheritance.

11.Be happy when others attack you and lie about you because of Me,

12.That’s good! Your reward will be waiting for you in heaven. Just remember. They treated the prophets before you the very same way.

13.You are the ones who must influence the world, to bring out the best in it – like salt brings out the best taste in food. But if you don’t do it, then who will? The world will look to you for answers. So don’t disappoint them.

14.You are the ones who must show them the way. It’s so obvious. You stand head and shoulders above the crowd.

15.So don’t hesitate to tell others what you know. Don’t try to hide the fact that you really know God. Stand up! Speak up! Let yourself be noticed.

16.Let your life shine like a bright light. Give yourself unselfishly to others. Let them see in you the love of the Father, so He can draw them to Himself.

17.Don’t think for even a second that I’ve come to change what God has already spoken through the prophets. I’m not here to change anything. In fact, I’m going to make sure everything happens just the way it’s been promised.

18.And you can be sure of this one thing, the earth and all the stars you can see in the sky at night are fragile and insignificant when compared to even the smallest detail of God’s promises. And His Word will accomplish its intended purpose, which is, to make the Kingdom of God a reality.

19.It is important that you understand this. There are many that teach what the rules are, you see them everywhere; but those who live by the principles of God’s Word and encourage others to do the same are rare, and they are the ones who will be honored in the Kingdom of Heaven.

20.And I’m telling you right now; you’re going to have to do a better job of following God’s Word than the religious crowd is doing. They’re always careful to follow the rules they’ve made, but they ignore the important principles behind them. You can’t find the Kingdom of Heaven that way.

21.I’ll show you what I mean. They’ve been saying for a long time now that you can’t commit murder. And if you do, you’ll stand trial and suffer the proper punishment for your crime.

22.What are they thinking? It’s O.K. because they’ve never committed murder? Is it O.K. to call your brother a worthless fool? Is it O.K. to hold on to your anger and refuse to make peace? Murder isn’t the only crime that deserves punishment. If you hurt others with your anger, you’re going to suffer the consequences.

23.Let me tell you how to deal with anger. When you come into the presence of God to commune with Him, and then remember that you’ve hurt someone with your anger;

24.Stop right there! Go to that person and ask for their forgiveness. After all, how can you ask God to cleanse you when you know you’re holding on to your own sin by refusing to be reconciled to your brother? God can’t honor that.

25.Humble yourself. Apologize. Don’t let your brother’s anger towards you grow because you refuse to admit you were wrong. You should know by now that when anger is not dealt with, it can get out of hand in a hurry and cause all kinds of problems.

26.I’m telling you the truth. You will suffer some very serious consequences, when you refuse to make things right.

27.Then they’ve always said that you can’t commit adultery with another man’s wife.

28.But they never talk about whether it’s right or wrong to look at a woman and have lustful thoughts about her. They want to believe that they have protected their virtue because they didn’t actually commit the sinful act. In reality, they’re corrupted by their wrong thoughts.

29.So, when you find yourself thinking such impure thoughts, don’t avoid the personal pain involved in dealing with them in confession and repentance.

30.It’s far better to experience the discomfort of dealing with your sin, than it is to allow that sin to corrupt your life and keep you from doing what’s right.

31.And they’ve always said that when a man doesn’t want his wife anymore, he must divorce her legally by doing the proper paperwork. This gives her the opportunity to marry again.

32.But, the fact of the matter is this: just because they’ve established a legal procedure for divorce doesn’t mean what they’re doing is right. Who are they kidding? When a man divorces his wife and she remarries, he makes her an adulteress. And when a man marries a woman who is divorced, he becomes an adulterer. Making something legal doesn’t automatically make it right in God’s eyes.

33.They’ve also said you shouldn’t make promises that you don’t intend to keep.

34.In an attempt to prove their sincerity, people often try to make their promises sound more believable by adding something religious to them.

35.Things don’t become true just because they’re dressed up in religious-sounding talk.

36.In fact, the more religious it sounds, the more reason you have to be suspicious of it.

37.So, keep it simple. Just say yes, when you mean yes; and no, when you mean no. Only those who intend to deceive feel the need to make long, drawn-out, religious-sounding promises.

38.Here’s another one. You’ve always heard that the punishment should fit the crime.

39.But, I propose a different way. When someone hurts you, don’t retaliate at all. What does it accomplish? Your retaliation only adds to the pain that already exists. If someone hurts you, take it peacefully. And by that, you’ll prove the sincerity of your love by ending it then and there.

40.And if anyone ever has reason to take you to court, if he wins his case, pay him even more than the judge requires.

41.When anyone wants to take unfair advantage of you, fine. Let him do it.

42.If someone asks you for help, don’t refuse. Even if you think he’s trying to take advantage of your generosity. And if they ask you for a loan, give it to them. Even if you have every reason to believe they’ll never pay it back. I know this is confusing. But this is what I’m trying to tell you: be willing to suffer, if you must; but always refuse to make others suffer, regardless of the circumstances.

43.And you’ve been told to love your friends, but hate your enemies.

44.That’s wrong! Instead, you should love those who hate you, say only good things about those who dislike you, do good things for those who want to destroy you, and pray for those who have betrayed you.

45.Then you’ll be like your Father in Heaven. He doesn’t arbitrarily choose those He will love. He loves everyone the same, regardless of whether they’re good or bad.

46.When you only love those who love you in return, do you think you deserve something special for it? I don’t see why, anyone can do that.

47.And when you only say hello to those who greet you first, what’s so great about that? You’re barely doing what’s expected of everyone.

48.But this is what I’m talking about, we have to show everyone the same God-like character. It doesn’t matter who they are or what they’re doing. You have to learn to treat others the way the Father treats you.

http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/sermon_on_the_mount.htm

To be continued.............

The Sermon on the Mount

When you read the red letters, Matthew 5,6, and 7 is one of the longest running narratives you’ll find. It’s full of wonderful promises and practical wisdom. Jesus sums up the message of His sermon with this last illustration found in Matthew 7:24-27. This is a paraphrase of these verses.

"Now, everything I’ve told you today is very important. And if you’re wise, you’ll build your lives on it. The wisdom of God is the firm foundation everyone needs. There are all sorts of unexpected situations and difficult circumstances in this life that can cause you trouble. But if you’ve built your life on the things I’ve told you, you’ll be able to stand against anything. Just be sure you don’t make this mistake. Many will listen to what I’ve said, but they won’t take it seriously. They’ll follow the world’s so-called experts, instead. These guys are always changing their minds about something, because most everything they do turns out wrong. They’re always coming up with something new to cover their mistakes. When you follow the wisdom of the world, your life will be full of insecurity and confusion. And when problems come, your life will crumble, and you won’t be able to fix it.

What’s He saying? Build your life on what I’ve said and you’ll do O.K. Disregard what I’ve said and you’re headed for trouble, big-time. It’s that simple. Most people never stop to think of the implications of what Jesus is saying here. He tells us to build our lives on what He says in the Sermon on the Mount. This is a complete message. All we need to know. We can build our lives on it.

Should we pay particular attention to the red letters? I’m more convinced of that than ever. As a matter of fact, I discovered several years ago that as I read the red letters, the wrong doctrines of the traditional church were destroyed. I also discovered that the traditional church doesn’t usually quote the red letters to establish their doctrine. They use isolated verses and parts of verses from Paul’s epistles. What’s my point? If you study the red letters and know what Jesus said, then you’ll have the proper context for Paul’s epistles and will not be easily led into deception. Know what Jesus said. Let the red letters be the foundation for everything you believe.

MANGAM: When we ve places like Chibok which need all the miracles

Me too, i strongly think chibok needs the miracle more than colombia

http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/Grace,Faith%20and%20Spiritual%20Gifts.htm

MANGAM: When we ve a abt 300 gals missing all these so called men of God can't even tell us where we can locate these gals? Men of God leaving like Presidents. None of them fit go Maiduguri and preach?

tdcministry: Everyone please visit; www.oluwaseyikelvin.mywapblog.com
For more revelations; to God be all the Glory

Your blog is full of bank accounts ready to siphon the money of the ''easy to fleece""

God forbid bad things!!!! and may God forgive you

tdcministry: You should pray to God; to make you understand his message

Pray to God to confirm your vision for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light darkness

tdcministry: Christians need not to be told to read their bible; we don't read, we study. Those that read don't get the message in it; probably you read and not study the bible; that why you don't comprehend the light of the word of God

Tell me the difference between studying the bible and reading the bible!

Did Noah had a bible? What about your great grand parents in the village? can they study/read the bible?

Please answer to prove yourself, don't shy away.

tdcministry: I don't need followers; I need people who are willing to give their lives to Jesus.

You need people who are willing to give their lives to Jesus to do what with them? I need an answer biko?

Check your self ''man of god''

This is also from your blog

''PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO WANT SALVATION:
LORD JESUS COME INTO MY LIFE, I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE, I KNOW THAT I AM A SINNER, FORGIVE ME O LORD, AND DESTROY THE WORKS OF FLESH IN MY LIFE, SET ME FREE FROM THE CAPTIVITY OF THE DEVIL, I KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN FORGIVE, THANK YOU JESUS. AMEN
Bc this message it is mandatory for Christians to share the word of God''

There is nothing as a prayer of salvation in the bible. This is man-made and God most not have approved of this.
Gone are those days where you could easily recruit flocks and be siphoning their money. we don shine our eyes

''IT WAS SET UP ON THE 16TH AUGUST 2013; THE LORD COMMISSIONED ME TO OFFER SALVATION TO THE WORLD THROUGH THIS MINISTRY''.

I copied the above from your blog and this exposes you for who you are!!!!!!

tdcministry: I don't need followers; I need people who are willing to give their lives to Jesus.

God gives us to JEsus, we don't give our lives to Jesus

The first verse is John 6:37. It goes something like this:

"All those My Father gives to Me will come to Me. And I will never reject anyone who comes to Me."

What this verse tells us is that there are those who are given to Jesus by the Father. All of them come to Jesus. And He accepts all those that have been given to Him. It doesn’t matter what translation you read. They all pretty much express the same idea. The next verse is John 6:44.

"No one is able to come to Me unless the Father draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me. Then I will raise him up from the dead on the last day."

Go and answer Frosbel question ""Who called you''

tdcministry: Call it a story, peom, essay, history whatever; that does not change what the lord showed him and the purpose for which he showed me the revelation. Thanks for your remark

How do you know it is the Lord who show you? don't you know satan himself has transform into an angel of light?
Think twice

tdcministry: What will be my profit, if I deceive you. Will you give me money? or will give me any of your properties?
There is reward for those that speak the truth; so that it sets people free from the lies and deceit of the devil

It is normal to deceive people to please your father.

tdcministry: Many believe that God, heaven, hell, demons and devils don't exist, what I ask such people is, what if they all exist; it means you are doomed. I believe that it is better to stick to Holiness and be saved and if there is no heaven, I will have nothing to lose than to keep living a sinful life. If you don't believe in Jesus; and then you died, if hell does not exist then; you have nothing to lose, but what if it exist? You are doomed. It is better to be with Jesus( he is real) and get saved after your death. Be wise

Should we persuade people about the existence or non existence of hell? From your above comment, you said you saw it, but now you are talking like you doubt it or like you want to persuade people to have a plan A or plan B. When Jesus was teaching, he boldly said things like, when i return, the goats will be separated from the sheep, the tares will be harvested and burnt etc. Why then should you who ""saw how people are tormented in hell according to you"" say ''I believe that it is better to stick to Holiness and be saved and if there is no heaven, I will have nothing to lose than to keep living a sinful life. If you don't believe in Jesus; and then you died, if hell does not exist then; you have nothing to lose, but what if it exist?'''' To any reasonable person it only means you doubt what you saw.

TheBigUrban2:

Yet, the same christians are defending the riches of the catholic church and also private jet pastors

I think strongly that there is a difference between a christian and a believer.(Note the poster said Unbelievers, which the opposite is Believers)
No believer will defend someone else''s riches. Believer's look at the plank in their eyes first,
and are not given the opportunity to remove a speck in another man's life.

"If you want to be perfect, the first thing you’ll have to do is go and sell everything you have and give the money to the poor and reserve for yourself riches in heaven. Then come back and learn how to follow My example." (In Mark 10:21

This scripture in itself doesn't permit believers to accumulate wealth.(Wealth or riches come about through accumulation etc)

Also the Bible says you can not serve God and mammon, meaning you cannot serve God and manage material wealth at the same time. You most love one, and hate the other.

This is why i think believers are not likely among the wealthiest people on earth.

The chronicle offerings I hope no one in this generation is falling in for this ""Cheap Thieving""

Part of the legal engagement is in your following prophetic instruction. July is YOUR month of deliverance from your enemy. After July, you will enter your season of rest that you may accomplish your dreams.

But first you must get what I have to teach you. I feel strongly that a seed of $229 in accordance with 1 Chronicles 22:9 is a breakthrough seed for the month of July. It is a turnaround, God ordained, demon slaying, abundance bringing seed. Not only will this seed defeat your enemies, but I believe it will bring about an unexpected abundance of miracles. Do not hesitate to follow a prophetic instruction!

Click here to give a 1Chronicles 22:9 offering of $229

If you do not have the means to produce $229, then get a seed of $31 or more for the 31 days in July and 1 Chronicles 22:9 (22+9=31).

Click here to give a 1Chronicles 22:9 offering of $31

Verse 21 is a great example. "Add burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat as much of the flesh as you can; it won’t do you any good." What God is telling them here is that if they’re starting to get worried about all this gloom and doom judgment stuff, maybe they should increase their religious activity. And in carrying out those rituals that required them to eat part of the roasted flesh (illustrating reconciliation between them and God), maybe it would be a good idea to eat as much of it as they possibly could, just to be on the safe side. Of course the truth God is expressing here is that no amount of symbolic, religious activity will ever accomplish true reconciliation. Only real obedience to what God requires will do that. That's the difference between ritual and reality.

Now we come to verses 22, 23 and 24, and what I think is the really telling part of this whole passage. And keep in mind that this follows immediately after God’s comment on the futility of religious activity. This is what He says.

The Mustard Seed
Religious idolatry today may not involve the obvious idols of more ancient religions carved from wood or stone. Contemporary religion has its own idols: idols more sophisticated and appropriate to the age, wealth, possessions, big buildings, influence, fame, wrong doctrine, a worldly lifestyle that caters to the whims of the flesh, exciting entertainment, maybe some signs and wonders (along with the old forms and rituals to satisfy the traditionalists). And how do they justify them? They do it by mixing half-truth with The Truth. It’s the same deceptive shell game started by Satan in the garden and continued through the ages by his emissaries, demons sent to promote religion, distort truth and deceive the weak and unsuspecting, the proud and insolent, the ignorant and unconcerned.

The Parables of Jesus, Part 8 – The Minas

The point made in the parable, as well as the two references above, is that when we’re careful to apply what we hear, the result is spiritual growth. When we place no real importance on it, the opportunity for growth is lost, as are the potential for future opportunities in diminishing degree. In fact, this failure is much more serious than lost opportunities. Paul makes it clear the result of such failure is a downward spiral towards spiritual blindness and spiritual darkness (Romans 1:18-32).................................................

So, why does Jesus tell us in Mark 4:24 to give careful consideration to what we hear? Because it should be obvious to us by now that He holds us strictly accountable for what He gives us. He expects us to use it and grow. And it’s just as obvious from this parable and many other places that there are consequences if we don’t. And here I have to make the application: being a true disciple of Jesus is more than simply not rejecting Him; it’s an active commitment to serve Him and grow. Participating in religious programs and perpetuating religious institutions has nothing to do with being a disciple. Doing nothing, except an occasional act of lip service, is not being a disciple. Spiritual growth through real, personal experiences with God is the key. And I’m bound to ruffle a few feathers here, but opportunities for spiritual growth are not found in the pursuit of religion. They’re only found in the personal, individual pursuit of God Himself.

http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/Parables%20of%20Jesus_Part%208.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part 7, The Unforgiving Servant and The Good Samaritan

The Unforgiving Servant

Now for the application, the human king is God the Father and those who handled His affairs are believers. The one in the parable who had the debt he was unable to pay illustrates all of us who are wise enough to understand that we, too, have a debt to God impossible to repay. Our only hope is to be forgiven that great debt. And in His gracious mercy, God is willing to forgive. However, as Jesus has already told us (Matthew 6:12, 14-15), and as He illustrates in this parable, there is a catch. The Father’s willingness to forgive our sin against Him is always predicated on our own willingness to forgive those who sin against us. In order to walk with God certain realities are required. You can fake it and fool some of the people some of the time. But you can’t fool God..............................................................

And finally the promise "where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in their midst." (Verse 20) This is not "where two or three are gathered in a building with My name on it to do what they have decided to do, there I am in their midst." As I’ve pointed out before in several articles, the idiom "in My name" means "as a representation of all that I am". When people gather together to focus on the will and purpose of God, to do what He requires (remember, the emphasis here is on forgiveness), He promises to be there. When they gather to do their religious thing, to participate in their rituals and traditions, someone might show up from the spirit realm, but it won’t be God.

The Good Samaritan

What’s the point? What Jesus was telling this man and what, I’m sure, he understood, was that he had no intentions of doing what he himself had said was necessary. Why? Because, like the priest and the Levite, his religion was more important to him than compassion, and his efforts to achieve his own self-righteousness had absolutely nothing to do with helping others, they had more to do with him helping himself. And, in fact, in this religious, elitist culture it was quite acceptable when those efforts came at the expense of others (sounds familiar). Like the priest and the Levite in the story, this guy was dead in the water. He had no chance. Why? He had no intention of doing what he knew the Law required – because his religion did not require it!

Let me make this one observation, and then I’m finished. The parables of The Unforgiving Servant and The Good Samaritan are connected in their meaning. The fate of the unforgiving servant illustrates the necessity of spiritual reality. The failure of the priest and Levite (and the religion expert) shows how those who are committed to religion choose pretense over reality. It’s interesting to notice that one of the best references in Scripture teaching us about spiritual reality is found in Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4:23-24.

"The time will come, in fact it is already here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in reality; because the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is a Spirit (invisible, but real) and those who worship Him must worship Him both in spirit and in reality."

And I can’t mention the word "worship" (proskuneo) without reminding you that the act of worship has nothing to do with getting together in a group and singing sappy songs about God. Worship is an individual act of submission, where you acknowledge God’s authority over your life and await His instruction, with the intent of being obedient when it comes. Reality is doing what God requires, no excuses, and no avoidance. It’s the only proof you have that your submission and loyalty to Him are real. And in the absence of that, all you really have is religion.
http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/Parables%20of%20Jesus_Part%207.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part 6, The Mustard Seed, The Leaven, The Hidden Treasure and The Pearl of Great Cost
The Mustard Seed

The Mustard Seed
Religious idolatry today may not involve the obvious idols of more ancient religions carved from wood or stone. Contemporary religion has its own idols: idols more sophisticated and appropriate to the age, wealth, possessions, big buildings, influence, fame, wrong doctrine, a worldly lifestyle that caters to the whims of the flesh, exciting entertainment, maybe some signs and wonders (along with the old forms and rituals to satisfy the traditionalists). And how do they justify them? They do it by mixing half-truth with The Truth. It’s the same deceptive shell game started by Satan in the garden and continued through the ages by his emissaries, demons sent to promote religion, distort truth and deceive the weak and unsuspecting, the proud and insolent, the ignorant and unconcerned.

And to emphasize and re-emphasize his point, John repeats something three times. In Revelation 18:2 he tells us symbolic Babylon is: (1) "the habitation of demons"; (2) "a dungeon for every loathsome spirit"; and (3)"a prison for every filthy and hateful bird". Is there any doubt the symbolism used here by John is the same as that used by Jesus in the parables of the sower, the tares and the mustard seed? I don’t see how there could be. These "birds" are demons. Their agenda is to promote religion. And when symbolic Babylon is destroyed, when the religions of the world go away for all time and eternity, every creature in heaven will rejoice! (Revelation 19:1-6)

The Leaven
.....In this parable fermented dough (dough mixed with yeast) illustrates truth mixed with error - a condition common to all the examples given above and an extension or re-emphasis of this same principle as it was illustrated in the previous parable of the mustard seed. I’d better go back and read that one over again. Sometimes these long sentences confuse me. The program of demons is to mix truth with error to create deception. The kingdom of heaven is not all error, just like leaven is not all yeast, but dough with yeast mixed in. Therefore, the religious institutions that exist today (including all the ones that have been formed since Jesus’ day) that make up the kingdom of heaven all share this one common characteristic – the truth they have is mixed with error...............................

Like the parable of the mustard seed, which Jesus uses to illustrate the pervasiveness of demonic influence throughout the kingdom of heaven; Jesus uses leaven to illustrate the prevalence of error, extending to the furthest reaches of the kingdom. And just to make sure we understand where this error comes from, He uses the woman to illustrate the reality that this error comes out of the false religions of the world dominated by demons. Jesus could not have been any clearer if He had drawn us a complete diagram with pictures and detailed footnotes.

The Hidden Treasure
The price Jesus pays for His treasure is "all he has" (Philippians 2:5-, and as Jesus points out in this parable, there is joy in the payment of it (Hebrews 12:2). And when payment was made, the man buys the entire field where the treasure is hidden. Jesus paid for the whole world with the payment of Himself (I John 2:2).

This, again, is an illustration of a principle that has been mentioned several times before. The Satanic principle embraced by the religious crowd is this: the majority is always right. However, the truth borne out in Scripture over and over again is: the majority is always wrong, and only a small minority is right. The same fact illustrated by the aforementioned "few" who follow the narrow road to life and the "many" who follow the broad road to destruction. This parable simply illustrates in a different way what Jesus has already illustrated in the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven, which is that the kingdom of heaven is dominated by religious deception. His treasure will remain hidden until He returns to take it out of His field once and for all (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The Pearl of Great Price
Obviously, this parable is very similar to the hidden treasure, but not altogether. Again, the man is Jesus. The purchase price is the same – "all he had". The valuable pearl represents the same thing as the hidden treasure, true believers. The main difference is that here the pearl is purchased, instead of the place where the pearl was found. In the previous parable true believers are concealed. The religious system doesn’t recognize them; they’re relatively unknown in the world. In this parable the pearl becomes the man’s prized possession; this is Jesus’ way of giving the assurance that even though the world is oblivious to them, He’s not.........

The parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl of great price when compared to one another simply give us the same information, but from a different perspective. In the first, true believers are hidden, concealed from the world; but in the second they are Jesus’ precious possession and the object of His attention.
http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/Parables%20of%20Jesus-Part%206.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part 5, The Tares

So, if you’re participating in institutional religion and are following the majority opinion, you’re probably headed in the wrong direction. There really are children of the evil one and children of the kingdom coexisting together in this age. The point Jesus makes here is that we should all recognize the fact that this is the reality of the time we live in and carefully consider it, because it’s very important. Heaven or hell hangs in the balance.

The fact of the matter is the darnel of this age will not tolerate truth. Paul nailed it in his second letter to Timothy. This is II Timothy 4:3-4.
"The time will come when people will not endure sound instruction, but, with itching ears they will gather to themselves a considerable number of teachers, all specifically chosen because their teaching satisfies the flesh and perpetuates the errors commonly held. And they will reject the truth to wander in the fabricated reason that comes from the minds of men."

And lest there be any doubt in your own mind, Jesus has just made it clear in both the parable of the sower and of the tares that this fabricated reason from the minds of men is the religion called Christianity and the sponsor and main influence behind this religion is the devil himself. And He’s still not finished illustrating this point, as we’ll see in the next paper.
http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/parables_of_jesus_part%205.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part 4, The Sower, Seed and Four Types of Soil

So, what happens to the seed sown among thorns? What happens when the message of truth tries to coexist with the things of the world? Jesus tells us in this parable the truth gets pushed aside by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. In the text, "care" is merimna, a word used to describe a distraction, especially one that causes anxiety. In other words, merimna is used to illustrate the things people commonly worry about. Never mind that Jesus says we’re not supposed to worry about what we have or don’t have; but, instead, we’re to learn to be content, trust Him and keep our priorities straight (Matthew 6:25-34).....................................

So, there you have it, the parable of the sower, the seed and the different types of soil. Jesus describes the four possibilities of what can happen when people hear the Word. Three of them are bad. Three of them are a condemnation of religion and the wrong choices people make. The first possibility is that those who hear the Word don’t take it seriously and fail to consider it carefully. Then religion comes immediately to systematically steal the Word away by replacing it with religious deception. And most people quickly embrace the easier, more enticing message that promises them what their flesh craves.

The second possibility is a continuation of the first. Those who follow religion never develop any stability in God, because religion says it’s not possible. They never learn to experience God for themselves, never gain any real spiritual maturity and aren’t able to stand firm in the face of opposition. They continually compromise truth to protect their own interests. When situations arise that call on them to suffer, sacrifice or humble themselves, they resist and move on.

The third possibility then follows. They’re solidly entrenched in the world and the world’s system. They give lip service to God, but what they really want is to gratify their flesh. They pretend to want God, but only if they can have the world too. So they coexist with the world and the world wins – they can produce none of the character of God in their lives.
http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/parables_of_jesus_Part_4.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part 3, The Two Debtors

Luke 7:36-50

This brings us to verse 36 where Jesus is invited to the Pharisee’s house. We now need to follow the events as they unfold. As Jesus reclines at the table, a woman with the reputation of being a sinner comes into the house with a container of expensive perfume (verse 37). She then proceeds to wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipe them with her hair, kiss them affectionately and anoint them with the perfume (verse 38). And as the Pharisee watches, he thinks to himself, if this Man were really a prophet, then He’d know what kind of woman this is and wouldn’t allow her to even touch Him (verse 39).
Now, I love this next part. In his religious self-righteousness, the Pharisee (we now find out his name is Simon) thinks Jesus should be able to discern the heart of this woman who is touching Him. And He has! The problem is that Jesus’ discernment doesn’t agree with Simon’s religious opinion. Jesus recognizes her true repentance. Simon knows nothing about repentance, and sees a woman known to him only by her questionable morality. Jesus then turns the tables on Simon and does with him what Simon thought He should be doing with the woman – He reveals Simon’s unrepentant heart with the parable of the two debtors..............................................................

In other words, Simon’s social and religious position was what mattered most to him. What other men thought about him was more important than what God thought. The only reason Simon invited Jesus into his house was because he thought it would make him look good. Here was this teacher that everyone was so excited about, and He was at Simon’s house. This is typical religious B.S. Simon wanted to be able to brag about who he had lunch with when he got together with his religious buddies. Repentance was the last thing on his mind. No, that’s not right. Repentance never even entered his mind!
http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/parables_of_jesus_Part%203.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part 2, New Cloth and New Wine

The illustration is obvious. The old is still incompatible with the new. However, in this case, Jesus makes it clear that the new message can only be successfully deposited in the old heart that has been reconditioned and is soft, pliable and ready to extend itself to new limits as the revelation of the kingdom continues to grow. The new message of the kingdom is going to experience expansion and change as it distances itself from the old dried out, inflexible Jewish system. And those who receive it must be ready and able to withstand the pressures caused by the agitation and violence of that process. The new wine would destroy those trapped in their rigid, religious ways. And to them, the new message it pictures would be lost to them forever.
http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/parables_of_jesus__part_2.htm

The Parables of Jesus – Part I, The Wise Builder

The comparisons here are fairly obvious. First, the wise man is the one who both listens to God and obeys Him. He’s likened to a man who builds his life on a firm foundation, secure in God and His plan and purpose. Then when the problems, circumstances, opposition and pressures of life come to bear, he’s able to understand them, benefit from them and stand firm in his relationship with God. Notice the consistency of Jesus’ story. Even when you build your life on the secure foundation of relationship with God, trouble still comes.

http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/parables_of_jesus_PartI.htm

Going to God or Religion – There Is a Difference

I wanted to elaborate a little on the idea of going to God instead of religion. In times of uncertainty like we are experiencing in the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy, Christian bookstores report Bible sales are up 30%, books on prophecy (not true prophecy, but religious fortune telling) and "end time" themes are flying off the shelves and books on understanding the Muslim faith sold out immediately. If any of you have ever contemplated writing a religious book, now’s the time. Business is good!

As I said earlier on the homepage, there’s a difference between going to God and following the herd into religion. Let’s get right to it. This is Galatians 3:10-12.

"And all those who expect to be justified by keeping the law are doomed to destruction, as it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed is everyone who does not perfectly observe all that is written in the law [Deut. 27:26]. It is clear that no one can be brought into right standing with God by observing the law, those in right standing with God will live by faith. And make no mistake; the law is not the same as faith, for even the law itself tells us that the one who does the things prescribed by the law will live by them and not by faith [Lev.18:5]."


http://www.voiceofonecrying.com/going_to_god_or_religion.htm

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