brycle

This separation will be sudden and clearly targeted. It is near impossible to spot who will be taken and who will be left behind based on external appearance. The passage also infers that the choice is not made according to groups of people but rather according to each individual. People who have worked, lived and slept side by side will be separated, one taken, the other left behind. Our selection will not depend on our membership to a particular family, culture or church. It depends entirely upon our own relationship with God. It is dangerous to compare ourselves to other believers in terms of how we think we are doing. There may be many who think they have done enough but have actually missed the mark. We should leave no room for uncertainty and continually seek God in all we do. Our testimony impacts everyone with whom we have contact. In this respect, our actions and behaviour are constantly on show. If we are not careful, we could very easily mislead others as to what being a Christian is really all about. Our witness and testimony could be the difference between someone being taken or left behind. We will be held accountable for the way in which our testimony is perceived by others. This should deepen our compassion for unsaved family members, friends and workmates with a sense of urgency. If we had a true revelation of all that was awaiting them, we would act immediately and do whatever we could rather than passively hoping that they will figure things out on their own.

He relates his coming to two other incidents in the Bible where people were caught unaware, consumed with their usual life rituals, and that there was no expectation that anything different would occur. He also makes it clear this day will come so suddenly that we will have no time for even the simplest of preparations. It may happen so quickly that someone on the roof of their house or in the field won’t even have enough time to first return to their home. The implications for our attitude are that we must never become casual or complacent thinking that the time is still not ripe. We must stay constantly vigilant and ready, and to live as if the moment could be seconds away. He also warns against developing attachment to material things in our lives. Not only will they perish, but may be a source of distraction causing us to look behind like Lot’s wife. We must keep our focus set on what is coming rather than cling to what is passed.

Lightening is sudden, dramatic, intimidating, startling. This perhaps suggests that the coming of the kingdom will shock many. It will be unpredictable and will take people by surprise, they won’t be ready or prepared. It won’t remain hidden or go unnoticed. Just as lightening lights up a dark sky, the coming of the kingdom will make a bold entrance onto the world stage, penetrating the darkness in brilliance and power.

The presence of God’s kingdom in Jesus life can be observed in contrast to the long established culture of the pharisees. Jesus preached and personified self sacrifice, humility and serving others. He brought a message all about inward change opposed to outward appearance. In many ways, the Kingdom of God is present today in the lives of individuals and in communities throughout the world. However, it is still at odds with the dominating belief system based upon building up one’s own empire and looking after one’s own interests.

Much of modern day religion presents a notion of the Kingdom as if it were a vapour that we simply absorb by osmosis. Whereas, Jesus is making it clear that possessing or entering the Kingdom requires great force of our will and determination. It also shows that possessions of the Kingdom are so desirable that people become aggressive or violent in their pursuit to attain what it has to offer.

Continual asking, seeking and knocking means that we are continually aligning our own desires with the desires of God, and that God is the fulfilment or completion of these desires. It shows that God can be influenced and that our persistent praying has the power put into effect that influence. At times, I think that the main reason for giving up is a result of doubting ourselves. Do we deserve what we are ask? Do we know what is right for us? We could be on the wrong track or asking out of selfish motives. Receiving what we ask for may cause us to become conceited, complacent, proud and generally less spiritual. Therefore, why ask when we have no idea of what God wants to give us in the first place? We learn to persist in prayer by first developing our understanding of God as a kind and generous giver. He wants to see us happy and prospered and for us to know that he cares for our every need. Unless we have this revelation of God, then we will struggle to approach God with boldness and persistence. We receive this revelation of God by spending time getting to know him. Inadequate time with God means inadequate revelation of God. One of the important points of this whole passage is that he rewards effort. Effort sets the whole process in motion.

Seeking first the kingdom can mean placing God at the centre of all we do, him being our compass, our reference point, the over riding influence affecting all our decisions and our actions. Seeking his righteousness can mean actively striving to develop a heart, character and personality identical to that of Christ. Though we may never fully achieve this goal, we can still pour all our efforts into readjusting and realigning who we are so that Jesus remains the target or destination of all of our pursuits. God’s character is worked out in our lives through relationships, so we seek the Kingdom through the way in which we serve and relate to others. God promises to fulfil our needs as we seek his Kingdom. However, it could be that our needs being fulfilled is a natural by-product of seeking God’s Kingdom.

I believe that Jesus is talking about those that may seek and desire wealth above all else. Our gifting may involve generating wealth which is then used for kingdom purposes. The proviso is that the accumulation of material wealth does not become the end in itself but rather a means of serving God and others.

This parable illustrates the process through which the kingdom message is established in our lives. While Jesus brings the seed, it is up to us to ensure its successful planting, firstly, through the active and ongoing process of preparing the soil of our hearts and minds, and secondly, by guarding ourselves from distractions which prevent the message from taking root. Jesus uses this parable to help prepare his followers for times when they may witness other followers' lives failing to bear fruit. Rather than lose heart, they can allow Jesus’ illustrations to help them understand the reason for this and how to avoid doing the same.

I imagine a person who is able to convince themselves to abandon their own belief system and philosophy and become childlike in their acceptance of the Kingdom message. They dedicate themselves to understanding and applying Kingdom principles to their daily lives. They have surrendered their self-rule and allow the Holy Spirit free access to their heart and mind. The exponential growth could be explained by the fact that these disciples are functioning the way they were originally created to function. They also have the creator behind the steering wheel, working through them, knowing how to get the very best out of who He created them to be.

It depends on which of those 3 a person pursues the most. Almost all human motivation can be summed up by the need to have these three needs met (status, stability and pleasure). So it is our misdirected attempts to fulfil these needs which sabotage the Kingdom message taking root in our hearts. It is not sinful to experience these needs. However, when we can become impatient or doubt God’s ability to meet all our needs, we seek whatever means is available to help us achieve our goal. Spiritual growth is a slow and steady process similar to that of a seed being planted in ideal conditions so that it germinates in its designated time. The danger is in riches, worries and pleasures causing this process to be taken out of God’s hands and out of conditions necessary for our spiritual survival.

The rocky soil can not be broken up like fertile soil. The rocky soil allows a temporary amount of moisture for growth, but insufficient for anything more. Good soil is soil which is broken down into fine particles. Moisture is able to move through this soil and form a reservoir of nutrient deep down where it won’t evaporate. We must have plowable hearts so that the Kingdom message can penetrate deep within our being to consume our ideologies, philosophies, value system and all the other places which represent our core deep beneath the surface. Unless this happens, the Kingdom message will fail to take root because the the old regime, ideologies, etc… have taken up all available soil which leads to cynicism and doubt as a defence mechanism against anything which threatens change. Afterthought: Again, this shows how gentle God is in not forcing His ways upon us. We must willingly yield.

In my thinking, I see repentance as the act by which we leave one kingdom and migrate to another kingdom. One kingdom is different to the other, and the citizens characterised by very different behaviours and ideologies. To take up new citizenship, one must leave behind their former practises in order to take on the ways of their new kingdom. Baptism could be seen as a public declaration of change of citizenship. It signifies coming under the rule of a new king. A king will struggle to effectively reign over citizens who have not relinquished the ways of their former kingdom. These citizens will resent the new king and rebel. Jesus is not a controlling dictator who demands or forces our obedience. He will allow us to stand outside of His kingdom and His rule and protection rather than lock the gates once we’re in so we can never escape. My short answer, no I don’t think He can reign in an unrepentant heart.

Is it that John’s baptism is a symbolic act? It is a baptism of repentance - a turning away from the old nature and having the consequence of our sin removed from us. Whereas, the action of the Messiah is an empowerment. Instead of having something removed, we are given something. It is an inhabitation or impartation. I do long to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. However, I don’t fully know what it means. I fear the changes that I may have to undergo, changes which may be painful. I also think that lack of faith may prevent this from taking place in my life. Though, I think that the need to fully understand something beyond human comprehension can often be a road block to faith. Who can fully understand what it means to be baptised by the Holy Spirit? How can it be put into words? This leads to the final question of ‘what might encourage it?’ In this respect, an acceptance that we don’t have to fully comprehend it, but instead be available just as a child is open and receptive to the giver.

To be baptised by John would have seen to be aligning yourself with Gentiles and non-Jews. Jews considered themselves as the chosen people of God and did not need to be cleansed in the same way Gentiles and non-Jews needed to be cleansed. Gentiles and Non-Jews would therefore have welcomed this baptism as they did not need to be of Jewish lineage or descent in order to receive this baptism. This baptism would have been seen as an inferior practise and resisted by those who took pride in their identity as Jews.

Some would argue that they haven’t really become Christians at all. They may find the Christian philosophy appealing but have not surrendered their self rule over to God. If they had, repentance would most likely be a natural response. Repentance requires undoing many habits of the heart and mind which have formed over many years. We naturally gravitate towards behaviours which make us feel good. Resisting these behaviours takes effort, discipline and ceasing to do what has felt pleasurable or natural to us for so many years. Even when our behaviours have become detestable to us, we often return to that which is familiar rather than making the decision to wipe the slate clean and start anew. My guess is that the percentage of unrepentant Christians is very high. Many Christians may begin well, but fail to adequately guard their hearts and minds, thus allowing the hills and valleys to return.

I would think that the word 'son' is both metaphorical and biological. Biologically, Jesus was conceived of the Holy spirit. As a metaphor, this word conveys a closeness and trust rarely experienced in other relationships. A prophet is God's representative, while a son is a reflection of the very nature of his father in thought and deed.

This was a moment of disconnection, separation and isolation in the most intimate and complete relationships there has ever been or ever will be - the father, son and holy spirit. This pain of separation between God and Jesus is beyond any of us can fathom. But in this moment the trinity broke that perfect bond to reconcile with a lost world. This was the ultimate test for the trinity and required greater faith and love than any other test. It is as if God is saying to us, 'In order to bring my children back home, I will momentarily severe this perfect union.' This speaks of a love for us that we may never fully comprehend or appreciate.

Jesus remained responsible to His mother, but also to the Jewish tradition which required the eldest to look after the mother. It also revealed the amount of trust Jesus had in John. Jesus was not going to leave His mother to fend for herself with Him gone. He was going to ensure she was provided for. This revealed that family and Jewish tradition still mattered to Him. Perhaps, this means for us today, that there traditions which encourage us to take care of family should still be valued. And also, we should follow Jesus' example and be compassionate in all circumstances.

My first post so forgive me if my thoughts are a little scattered. At that immediate point in time those responsible for the death of Jesus included Pilate, the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Saducees, the soldiers who physically hung Jesus up on the cross, the crowds for shouting crucify him. What responsibility to we bear in this? We all bear the responsibility as sinners - we can only be reconciled with God through a pure and spotless sacrifice - Jesus. However, I wonder if we too would have been part of the crowds shouting

Hi there, My name is Andrew and I am from Brisbane Australia. I'm a part-time student studying to be a highschool teacher and have been working as a musician for the last fifteen years. I'm excited to be a part of this forum. I have been listening and reading parts of Dr. Ralph's studies and have now decided to sign up and do it properly. Look forward to meeting you online and reading your posts. Andrew