Stories (Parables)

Parables come from the Greek word which means ‘to put things together in order to complete them.” Parables are usually short stories told to teach a lesson. Sometimes they are just short sayings that compare something people do with something in the world of nature or some common human experience. For example, Proverbs 6:7-8 compares an ant, which on its own collects food and plans for the future, and human beings who should be dependable and carry out their own responsibilities. The prophet Isaiah compared the people of Israel in his day with a vineyard that failed to produce grapes (Isa. 5:1-5), so the owner quit taking care of the vineyard. In the same way, Isaiah says, God will not keep taking care of the people of Israel; if their lives do not produce good fruit (do what is right).

 In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus often uses parables to describe God and tell how God expects people to live in the kingdom. Some are only short saying, such as the blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14), the family that fights and destroys itself (Matt. 12:25), throwing pearls down in front of pigs (Matt. 7:6), and the eyes as the window of the body (Matt. 6:22-23). More than 40 parables are short stories, such as when Jesus compares the coming kingdom of heaven with a farmer planting see (Matt. 13:3-9). With hidden treasure (Matt.13:44), and with weeds mixed with wheat (Matt. 13:24-30). In some of these, an explanation of the parable has been added to the story itself, as in Matthew 13:36-43. These explanations helped new followers of Jesus better understand his message.

Other well-known parables are the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).

The Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21),

The Unfair judge (Luke 18:1-8),

The Great Banquet (Matt. 22:1-10),

The Man with Two Sons (Luke 15:11-32).

True Things in Scripture – Part 1

God…

John 17:3  

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

1 John 5:20  

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Laws…

Nehemiah 9:13  

“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good.

Ways…

Revelation 15:3  

And sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.

Testimony…

John 21:24  

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

Saying…

1 Timothy 3:1  

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.     

 

Revelation 19:9  

Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

Record…

John 8:14  

Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.

John 19:35  

The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

2 Peter 2:22  

Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

God’s 90 Promises to me – 44 & 45.

44.

About Repenting of Wrong

Romans 2:4  

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?

Proverbs 10:17  

He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

45.

About Finding Rest

Exodus 20:8-11  

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7  

6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

Hebrews 4:3  

Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

Things Unconffessed Sin Do…Part 1

Cause death

Genesis 2:17  

But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

Ezekiel 33:8-13  

8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.

9 But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.

10 “Son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘this is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’

11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’

12  “Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, ‘The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.’

Romans 8:12-13  

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

Hinder Prayers

Psalms 66:18  

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

Provoke God to anger

1 Kings 16:2 

“I lifted you up from the dust and made you leader of my people Israel, but you walked in the ways of Jeroboam and caused my people Israel to sin and to provoke me to anger by their sins.

Weary God

Isaiah 43:24  

You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses.

Make servants of sin

John 8:34  

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Bring reproach

Proverbs 14:34  

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Things which have failed men-Part 4

Joy

Acts 13:52  

And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:4  

Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.

Confusion

Acts 19:29  

Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater.

Job 10:15  

If I am guilty—woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction.

Unrighteousness

Romans 1:29 

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,

Romans 15:14  

I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

Comfort

2 Corinthians 7:4  

I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

Righteousness

Philippians 1:11  

Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

We can be perfect in our good works.

“Equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen.”…Hebrews 13:21

We must, according to our power, give to the necessities of the souls and bodies of men: God will accept these offerings with pleasure, and will accept and bless the officers through Christ. The apostle then states what is their duty to living ministers; to obey and submit to them, so far as is agreeable to the mind and will of God, made known in his word.

Christians must not think themselves too wise, too good, or too great, to learn. The people must search the Scriptures, and so far as the ministers teach according to that rule, they ought to receive their instructions as the word of God, which works in those that believe. It is the interest of hearers that the account their ministers give of them may be with joy, and not with grief. Faithful ministers deliver their own souls, but the ruin of a fruitless and faithless people will be upon their own heads. The more earnestly the people pray for their ministers, the more benefit they may expect from their ministry.

A good conscience has respect to all God's commands, and all our duty. Those who have this good conscience yet need the prayers of others. When ministers come to a people who pray for them, they come with greater satisfaction to themselves, and success to the people. We should seek all our mercies by prayer. God is the God of peace, fully reconciled to believers; who has made a way for peace and reconciliation between himself and sinners, and who loves peace on earth, especially in his churches.

He is the Author of spiritual peace in the hearts and consciences of his people. How firm a covenant is that which has its foundation in the blood of the Son of God! The perfecting of the saints in every good work is the great thing desired by them, and for them; and that they may at length be fitted for the employment and happiness of heaven. There is no good thing wrought in us, but it is the work of God. And no good thing is wrought in us by God, but through Christ, for his sake and by his Spirit.

186, Things Men Can Do

(20 to 27 out of 186)

20)

Make shipwreck of faith

1 Timothy 1:9  

We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

21)

Neglect salvation and fail to escape wrath

Hebrews 2:1-3

1 We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,

3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.

22)

Be renewed after backsliding

Psalms 51:10  

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

23)

Depart from faith

1 Timothy 4:1 

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

24)

Depart from inequity

2 Timothy 2:19  

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

25)

Depart from God’s Word

2 Samuel 22:23  

All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

26)

Depart from God

2 Samuel 22:22 

For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

Hosea 1:2  

When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.”

27)

Depart from following God

2 Chronicles 34:33  

Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Psalms 18:21  

For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.

Psalms 119:102  

I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

Daily

Much as they gather daily

Exodus 16:5  

On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

Daily he should be

Psalms 72:15  

Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

To me, watching daily

Proverbs 8:34  

Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Yet they seek Me daily

Isaiah 58:2  

For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them.

Give us this day our daily

Matthew 6:11  

Give us today our daily bread.

I sat daily with you

Matthew 26:55  

At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.

Take up his Cross daily

Luke 9:23  

Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

The Scriptures daily

Acts 17:11  

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Our Lord, I die daily

1 Corinthians 15:31

I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Stands ministering daily

Hebrews 10:11  

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

Glory Overcomes Gloom.

When things around you look dark, just remind yourself that God will one day fill the earth with His glory:

Numbers 14:21

Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth.

Psalms 22:27-28

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.

Psalm 86:9

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O LORD; they will bring glory to your name.

Isaiah 6:3

And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.

Trust Him to see you through:

Jude 1:24-25

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

The Land of the Living;

Charles Spurgeon told about a man who said to a dying believer, “Farewell, friend! I shall never see you again in the land of the living!” the dying Christian replied, “I shall see you again in the land of the living where I am going. This is the land of the dying!”

Duties of Citizens

Be subject to Civil Government

Romans 13:1  

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Titus 3:1  

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,

1 Peter 2:13-17  

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority,

14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, and honor the king.

Be afraid to disobey civil rulers

Romans 13:3  '

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.''

Proverbs 24:21  

Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious,

Do the good

Romans 13:4  

For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Titus 3:1  

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,

Zeal

Then zeal of the LORD of..

2 Kings 19:31  

For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Zeal has consumed me

Psalms 119:139  

My zeal wears me out, for my enemies ignore your words.

He shall stir up His Zeal

Isaiah 42:13  

The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.

Have spoken it in My zeal

Ezekiel 5:13  

“Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath upon them, they will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal.

For zion with great zeal

Zechariah 8:2  

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.”

Zeal for your house has..

John 2:17

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

That they have a zeal

Romans 10:2  

For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.

Zeal has stirred up the..

2 Corinthians 9:2  

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.