Faith

The Kingdom of God is
Our #1 Challenge:

As was mentioned on the Home Page:

"If you didn't get this yet, may you get it soon :

Jesus is the One recruiting us for
His own 'Mission Impossible' Team,
And yes, that's a big challenge!"

So, yeah, The Kingdom of God is a Big, Big Thing. It's a Huge Challenge. Hopefully Soon, when our eyes are opened towards Heaven, and our hearts are purely tuned to His Workings, we will then begin walking in The Magnificent Promises of God, in ways only God can orchestrate.

• "Blessed are the pure and heart, for they shall see God."

• "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth."

• "Ye are the salt of the Earth ... "

• "Ye are the light of the world ... "

• "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." 

• "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." 

Something very liberating will happen, when we realize that Jesus is recruiting us to suffer with him. 

1. Jesus knew that he was going to suffer persecution on a regular basis. 

2. Jesus also knew that all of his followers would experience persecution on a regular basis. 

3. And Jesus clearly told his disciples that being persecuted, and suffering was part of the plan of God, to refine each man's faith, and prove their faith to be real, genuine, and not just a "gimme, gimme" spirit of selfishness covered in a religious robe. 

In other words: You are in this Kingdom Calling ... Why?
Here's the Right Answer: Because I want to have a genuine biblically based heavenly relationship with the Son of God. I want to know JESUS. I want to walk with Him, and abide in HIM, and He in Me.

Before we can endeavor to claim to follow, and know, obey Jesus, there are certain foundations that need to be laid. 

Here's One: Paul writes to those in Philippi:

"That I may know him,
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead.
--Philippians 3:10-11 (KJV)

Essentially, we need to know a little about what Jesus went through for us, and what he calls for us to go through for Him, before we can get truly ready to step into the Narrow Road, that Jesus himself has prepared for us. That will become more evident in just a moment.

 Jesus wants every child of God to know the conditions, the expectations, the duties, the realities of participating in a heavenly relationship, with the king of the universe. And no, it is not all about feeling good. In fact, a big portion of the calling to follow Jesus is going to cause very intense, painful feelings. The true follower of Christ will experience high levels of rejection, from friends, from family, from schools and businesses and the general public at large. They will be hated. They will be lied about, and they will be persecuted. If this is not communicated upfront, how will such people handle their problem? 

The Bible says they will fall away. But who might be officially on the line, and held responsible for having these people fall away in massive numbers? 

Well, of course we know the devil is involved. But we also know, the preacher that gives a cotton candy message is equally responsible. The message may be entertaining, even inspiring, but it's, missing the necessary elements, and remains, a fluffy, feel good, sugary message, but doesn't nourish the soul, or the spirit, and does not fortify the believer to be ready, waiting, and expecting the conflicts, and the immediate persecution, that Jesus promised would come with their choosing to walk with him. 

Then that is a major problem. Not just for the many false converts that got sold a false bill of goods, but for the preacher, not being up front and honest, about the trials, temptation, spiritual attacks, as well as verbal and physical attacks. Then he will be in trouble with the King. As well as the Church that sponsored the preacher, and the denomination that keeps promoting him, and the whole showmanship that he brings.

One thing you will know about Jesus pretty quickly. Jesus didn't do things for a show. He did what his father was telling him to do. And that is the kingdom of God in a nutshell. Do what God says to do, and your going to be "Ok."

Once the false message goes out, there's no way to retract it. It's gonna do it's damage. People are going to be deceived. People are going to fall away. People are going to be angry, not because of God's Righteous Message, but because they were lied to. You can set your clock to it.

All of those false messages will go out the window, when you truly become a servant and disciple of Christ. 

The Truth be Told: WE WILL SUFFER BIG LOSSES in this world, when we truly decide to submit to, and genuinely follow Christ, and keep his commandments. 

We will suffer in our popularity. We will suffer in our careers. We will suffer in climbing up the corporate ladder. 

We will:  Suffer verbal attacks. Suffer physical abuse. But we will only be attacked, by a certain set of people called "the Many" (who are the vast majority) when we follow Jesus. 

We will be attacked by atheist professors, and every proud, self-righteous, high minded fool, who don't even know what is motivating their repulsion. They don't know they just entered and spiritual war zone, and they are playing for the enemies Team--Team Satan. They are speaking the words of him, and mimicing the actions, attitudes, and values of their dark lord--whether they recognize it or not.

 That's when our lives will become truly shaped to see & believe differently--.
Then the promises of God will come near to us, and begin living in our hearts.
They will guide us deeper and deeper into Doing His Will in His Kingdom.
His Word will bleed right through us: When we start walking in the beatitudes of faith, absorbing the Workings of Faith, soaking up the heart of Jesus teachings.
Then, God himself will help us start walking them out, even as Jesus walked.
When we really desire them, when we really see them as valuable, as life changing,  and as precious as Jesus sees them--then real changes will be coming soon. I highly recommend that we all memorize this very important passage of scripture. It will help us immensely in our walking out the kingdom of God principles. Again here's...

 1 John 2:3-6 (KJV) 

3 And hereby we do know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him,
and keepeth not his commandments,
is a liar,
and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word,
in him verily is the love of God perfected:
hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him
ought himself also so to walk,
even as he [Jesus] walked.

I believe Jesus is trying to reach us and to teach us: His kingdom is beyond us, and beyond just living in this natural world, according to our own natural mindset. 

His kingdom is come, and his will is being done, on earth, as it is in heaven, by those who believe it. By those who receive it. By those who keep it. By those who walk in it. By those who speak, and share it. By those who learn it, and teach it. 

His Kingdom is come and Will is being done: By those who value it, above their daily food, above their silver and gold, and above their natural desires, and above their worldly motives and drives. It is being walked out, by men and women, who Keep His Commandments. Because they eat his true meat, and drink his true drink: Because those commandments are: The Bread of L i fe, that fed the multitudes,
and The Living Water that was poured out from the cross, for all who believe will receive. Just like the woman at the well needed to believe to receive, when she met the Messiah face to face.

His Commandments are The Door to Way of LIFE, they are the strait gate, onto the Narrow Road. They are the guideposts all along the narrow way. 

They are the building blocks on the House that its foundation fastened to the ROCK. They are the glue that holds the bricks together, when the Storm comes, the winds blast, and the river rises againt that House--it remains strong, steadfast, immovable, because it was founded and built with every brick upon the Word of God--the Commandments of Jesus.

His commandments are able to save you from  the spirit deception, from corruption, from the spirit of presumption, from ignorance, from foolishness,  from stubborness, and from fatal rebelliousness. 

His commandments are able to save you from your iniquities, from your superiorities, from your frailties, from your lies, your pride, and your dark side.

Having Faith in His commandments can rebuild your life, when it has fallen down,  when your heart is broken beyond return.  When you have failed your family for the 100th time. 

His commandments can dig you out of the hole, the pit, and the wicked web of evil traps you have gotten yourself wedged into. When all others have forsaken you, His commandment, will save you. 

Repent & Believe--The Good News! 

Keep this commandment, and you shall live. Keep it for real this time, and you shall never perish, you won't be lost, you won't be cast out,you won't be assigned a place among the hypocrites, you won't be among those who will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing their teeth, in continual torment, because they played games with God's Commandments. They F'd around and found out the hard way. You don't wanna be a part of the group called by Jesus: 'Many.' That would be the majority in Jesus vocabulary. The majority will hear the words: 

• I never knew you. 

• Depart from me. 

• Ye workers of iniquity. 

Now, how are we to escape that fate?

Repent & Believe--The Good News! 

Do it for the Kingdom of God. Do it only for the King of Heaven. Do it only to Keep His Covenant. DO IT ONLY: To enter into His Kingdom, HIS WAY, by HIS WILL, through HIS WORD (HIS COMMANDMENTS), preparing yourself to DO HIS WORK. 

Not for show this time. Not for anybody else this time, but for the CROSS, for the BLOOD that was SPENT, it was POURED OUT for you. He took everything you deserved. 

He took it by faith, that one day you would see it for yourself, and you would be torn in two, because you knew you deserved that CROSS, and he didn't. 

YOU KNEW you deserved God'S WRATH, and he didn't, you now know, that your end should rightly be to spend eternity in the flames, that will never go out. 

But you have found someone who took your place, paid your price, and has called you by name, because he wants you to be with him, where he is, not where the devil wants to take you.

When you and I, finally begin seeing things from His Perspective, we gain a window into heaven that was BLOCKED to us PREVIOUSLY. We can walk through a DOOR OPENED, that was LOCKED PREVIOUSLY. 

When our eyes be opened, and our heart becomes alive, we receive His Commandments as more valuable, more enduring, more life changing, and more eternally healing, than any rules, laws, good ideas, or commands this world has ever placed upon us.

That's what faith looks like on his side of the mirror looking out at us. He sees it all, and in humility, he waits for you and I to see him, like the good shepherd, leaving the 99 he comes, to seek, and to save, the one that is lost. 

That's you and I. But once we get grounded and dangerous in the depth of his commandments, then he sends us out into the war (as in Hacksaw Ridge), to rescue other lost lambs, that desparately need his salvation. That's when the child becomes a man. That is our rightful Trajection. 

1 Corinthians 13:11-13 (KJV) 

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

There are those who will enter the courts of heaven and hear the Words booming out from the Father's Heart: "Well Done! My Good and Faithful Servant! Enter into the JOY of Your MASTER."

Now, how is it, that we are going to hear those words? There is one huge difference to see between the "Well Done Servant" reception, and the "Depart from Me" I never knew you rejection. The Difference between the two is that:

1) those who are received, chose to love Jesus the way that he commanded us, by Keeping his commands. 

2) those who are rejected, chose Not to love Jesus the way that he commanded us, they chose to NOT To Keep his commands. 

May God give us the grace to become true mustard seed, faith believers, that grow fast, and hit the ground running. Producing staggering results in a short period of time.

Jesus changed the entire world in under 3 1/2 years of public ministry. 

What have you and I produced in the last 3 1/2 years? If we have to say not much, then maybe it's time we paid real careful attention, to exactly what Jesus says, and apply it to our lives, exactly as he intended us to. 

May this be your mission statement and your ongoing commitment, that you might be the most fruitful garden in your location, for God's glory, and for your own fruitfulness. 

May this be done in Jesus name. 

Amen.

The intellect is a funny thing. Sometimes it changes its mind and an instant.

All it takes to serve Jesus is a
Mustard Seed of Faith to Start:

Acrostic: Mustard Seed

M – Minuscule at first, a humble start.

U – Unseen by many, but placed with heart.

S – Sown in the soil, so simple, so small.

T – Takes root in silence, unnoticed by all.

A – As it grows, it stretches high.

R – Rising upward to reach the sky.
D – Deep are its roots, firm in the ground.

S – Shelter it offers to all who are found.

E – Even the birds come to nest in its shade.

E – Embraced by branches that shelter and shade.

D – Divine is the lesson: great faith can arise from seeds that are tiny in human eyes.

--Author unknown

Jesus said, if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain be removed and cast into the sea, and it will be done for you. 

For most people: that saying: Isn't illogical. It's Unreasonable.
When is the last time you saw someone throw a mountain into the sea?

I would have to add:  it would be a completely crazy, and even lunatic statement, if it didn't come from the one who created the universe, and holds the universe together in the palm of his hand.

Sometimes we forget, that the one who walked among us, is the one who walked on water. 

The one who created us, is the one who created miraculous bread so that we could eat, and miraculous wine, so that we could drink, and healed our sick, and caused our blind eyes to be open, and our deaf ears to hear, our mute tongues to speak, and our dead bodies to rise back up from the dead, even after being decayed after four days in the tomb. 

He is the same one, that holds all the atoms in the universe in place. He sets the times for the seasons of summer and winter, spring and fall. 

He is the one that makes the Earth travel faster than 828,000 miles an hour around the sun. He is the one who covers our planet with 3/4 water, and yet it doesn't spill one drop, as it keeps spinning 1,000 miles per hour at the equator, in open space, every day. 

He is the one that gives us every drop of rain, and flake of Snow: that we might have clean water to drink, all year round.  He gives us the right amount of sunshine, so we can grow our food. 

He is the one that gives us the breath of life, and then gives us the ability to breathe. He is the one who created the blood, that carries our life, and pumps it through our arteries and our veins, in order to reach every cell in our body, to 1) to nourish it, and then 2) to cleanse every cell from the waist created in order to keep us clean, 24/7, 365 days a year, year in and year out: for 70+ years on average. 

And the average man on earth shows his gratitude toward God: by turning his name into a curse word. Taking the Holy & Sacred Name of God in Heaven in vain. And if you're like me, you have taken God's name in vain too many times to count.

We must repent!

He is the one that created every neuron in our brain, and formed us in our mother's womb, and gave our bodies, the miraculous ability, to grow and become healthy and fight off disease, and for the most part heal itself, and overcome, incredible odds. 

He is the one who gave us the ability, the miraculous ability to procreate and re-create new little ones in our own image, who are made in our own likeness, cherished in beauty, and in love,  carrying our genes into the next generation, and the next and the next. 

Yet we repay Him by corrupting HIS most sacred & precious gift, and turning it into a wicked unrestricted demonic sick addiction, and a treasoness pleasure, that culminates in the demon sacrifice of the an unwanted child, in the womb of a wicked sinner--producing murder, completely dishonoring the gift of life ---->>> by Killing the only innocent one created in the image of God.

We actually kill the baby, with a heart full of rebellious vengeance, arrogance, and mental sickness, that spreads, like an evil leaven, to an entire nation in one generation. The worship of Mollech has returned.

And yet God has a plan to heal and restore everyone involved.

It's called  the mustard seed of faith.

And yes, he is the one that said if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this Mountain be removed into the sea, and it shall be done for you.

For now, just for the moment, let's  just name that mountain: 

THE TERRIBLE MOUNTAIN OF UNBELIEF

Let's just say, we want to throw that Mountain of Unbelief into the sea.
How are we going to do just that? 

How does Jesus teach us to do that? The next three illustrations Jesus teaches us how valuable his mustard seed of faith is: How it relates to keeping his commandments, and in overcoming the Mountain of Unbelief.

 The mountain of Unbelief, believes that keeping the commandments of Jesus is far too hard for us: far too extreme, far beyond our reach of even trying or even wanting to keep all of Jesus Commandments out of love for Him.

Maybe it's time to cast this MOUNTAIN into the bottom of the ocean.

Can you picture yourself, hanging out with Jesus, Peter, James, and John, and while going for a simple hike, having a meeting with Moses and Elijah just for the fun of it--today? Probably not. Can you picture this event as it truly happened? Maybe so. 

Can you see all the players on the mountain? Can you see the interactions being done? Can you grasp the motivations behind the words being spoken? Can you unlock that mind of unbelief, and overwhelm it with faith, hope, joy, peace, and identity? 

If so, now we're ready to tackle this message below.

Now let us tackle the subject of the mustard seed: We cannot do the message justice, until we actually read the whole passage that it comes from in Matthew 17. So let's go there now, for those who are ready, to believe and receive--may this challenging chapter be a anchor for your soul. 

This message starts with quite a dramatic miraculous and otherworldly event, often called the transfiguration. 

Just for the record: This transfigured state, is Jesus appearing as his normal eternal self, so if we are going to actually know the real Jesus, we need to know his holiness, his majesty, his glory, and power, who is the rightful owner, and ruler of the entire universe, and everything in it. It's not just the almost vagabond teacher with great love and patience, and sometimes a bit of a temper, directed at the lack of faith of his own followers.

If we're going to know, Jesus, we need to know Him in the midst of  His whole package. We need to take time to learn about who he really is. We need to give him time and space to reveal his true nature to us. 

We can start doing that by visualizing Him on top of the Mountain, blazing in white blinding Light, with Moses and Elijah in the same glorious Nature, and in Presence of Heaven, shining all around them, like it's a normal Tuesday, nothing special here. Just another meeting of the saints of God on high, preparing for the next big work of Heaven, no big deal, right?

No, not right. For the disciples it was an abnormal fear shaking, bone trembling event. As it should have been. We need to know this side of Jesus, and this side of Heaven. That was written down for us to contemplate, for us to meditate, for us to gestate.

Nothing short of the real deal is going to satisfy our situation. We need to know the true Jesus, not the television Jesus. Not the video Jesus. Not the prosperity Jesus. Not the picture on the wall, or the statue on the table Jesus. 

We need to know the one and only lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, Jesus. We need to know the number one top General and Commander of the armies of the Lord, who carries the sword of the Lord and slays the nations of the Earth with that sharp sword coming out of his mouth. 

And we need to know him, so that we can obey him, and yes, we also need to fear him, so that we will not choose to wrong him, betray him, desert him, or in anyway dishonor or disgrace him. And so that we can truly worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Therefore, we need to know his word, so we can obey his word, and live in his word, abiding in him, and he and us. Thus keeping his commandments while walking and talking right next to him, just as Peter James and John did in the testimony below.

Matthew 17:1-23

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias [Elijah] talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias [Elijah] . 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, 

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
Hear ye Him. 

6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias [Elijah] truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias [Elijah]  is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed [wanted]. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20 And Jesus said unto them, 

Because of your unbelief: 

for verily I say unto you, 

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
ye shall say unto this mountain,
Remove hence to yonder place;
and it shall remove;
and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 

21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.   --Matthew 17:1-23

Now this passage raises a lot of questions. Each person will need to take this passage to heart and bring it before the Lord, and seek the kingdom, in a way that only the pure in heart can do. If they want to participate in the same goings on and their own life, and truly know what is happening in this passage. 

The truth be told, nothing is too difficult for you, according to Jesus, when you put him Front & Center in the middle of your problem. When you seek him with all your heart, mind, and strength. When you love him with no idolatry between you and him. When you give him your whole heart and your whole life, and you put it in his hands, he is able to do things that nobody else can. 

He is able to move things that nobody else can move. And he is able to heal things, and break things, and repair things that nobody else can. But it takes not only great faith, but faith that is built upon his commandments, through keeping them, honoring them, desiring them--again more than your daily bread.

And if you are being troubled by demons, Jesus has your solution already in hand. Often times people are afflicted by demonic oppression without knowing it. And sometimes they are affected by what others have done to them, not anything they have done themselves. So these things need to be handled in a very sensitive and careful Biblical manner, Exactly the way Jesus has instructed us.

There is one person you can trust with your spiritual deliverance needs. And that is Jesus himself. But as we know, God has raised up certain people with specific callings and specific gifts, and he has trained them to help the body of Christ with their specific needs. 

One such person I am aware of and can give credit to in the area of deliverance, is Don Dickerman. I need to build a short web page about him, so that others can grab a hold of this important ministry for the body of Christ. Many people need deliverance and they don't realize it. But once they get set free, they have an entirely new life. So you can check out this page that is just getting started. Deliverance.

And yes, as we have said this is Mission impossible. So we're gonna have to dive of a little deeper into the phenomenon of the mustard seed, because Jesus isn't finished on this subject yet. Again, we're going to look at the whole subject in context.

In the below passage: Jesus, makes this statement--which ties into our continuous message if you love me, you will keep my Commandments, and how Jesus intense love for us, needs to be connected with him and each other. 

This is the same message throughout the whole Bible, and therefore we need to be connected to the Bible living on inside of us, the one that's being written on our hearts.  

What? Didn't you know? That you have your own very personal, very real, Bible being written on your heart? Let us not forget Jesus' teaching:  that the good man, out of the good treasures of his heart, brings forth good things. Where do those good things come from? That's the Bible being written upon your heart, that you receive, and believe, and live out in your daily life.

In a moment, we are going to hear the following quote from Jesus and we're going to see how Jesus expected his people to have his word written upon their hearts, so that they could obey it. That in essence is what I'm calling your own personal Bible. Either you have stored up this word in your heart so that you may not sit against God, or you haven't. Psalm 119 says. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sit against thee," that is how we begin writing our own personal Bible in our own heart. In the story below, Jesus says this:

They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, 

If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded,
Though One Rose from the Dead.

Now let's see why Jesus said this, by reading the whole quote in context. 

The mustard seed of faith sees: the miraculous world of God around us, and also our rightful place within it. And we see it through the lens of keeping Jesus Commandments, so that all the world might bring glory to him and not to us--seeing everything coming from his perspective. 

In other words when we break out of our own unbelief, and we break out of our own darkened and cloudy perspective, and when we break through the clouds and the confusion of lies in this world, then we can see that heavenly light from God's heavenly perspective. That changes our perspective on the inside, and that changes our ability to handle problems on the outside from Jesus perspective. 

So, may this passage be a blessing to you and a challenge to your faith to see beyond what a natural mind will see, and to believe beyond what a natural mind wants to believe. 

Jesus is teaching an important parable, that is actually a true story. The reason we can say that, is because of a certain word that Jesus uses, and that word is: CERTAIN. When Jesus uses that word, he's telling about a real person, in a real situation, that really happened. So we need to read it from that perspective.

Luke 16:19 - 17:10 (KJV) 19 There was a certain rich man, [a.k.a. a real man who really lived in real wealth and luxury] which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, [a.k.a. a real man who really lived in real poverty] which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him,

 If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded,
though one rose from the dead.

17:1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! 2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. 4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. 5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6 And the Lord said, 

If ye had faith as a grain of  Mustard Seed,
ye might say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up by the root,
and be thou planted in the sea;
and it should obey you. 

7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow [Think] not. 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have [only] done ... 

That which was
Our Duty to Do.
--Luke 16:19 - 17:10 (KJV) 

 
When will we begin to see things from God's entirely different perspective (different from man's perspective)? 

When will we lay down our natural mindsets? 

When will the kingdom of God break in, and remake our soul into the image of Jesus Christ? And change our lives from the inside out? 

To be honest, the most reliable way we begin to see the kingdom of God is through eyes of faith--deeply grounded in God's unchanging word.

When we simply begin keeping Jesus' Commandments: That one simple shift in perspective gives us a whole New personal understanding and experience of living in God's kingdom.

When we look with eyes of faith: we see Jesus as a servant to the father. We see the apostles as servants to Jesus. We see the leaders of the church as servants to the apostles, and we see ourselves as servants to them. And this grant picture we are all working to keep Jesus Commandments as he intended to and to progress and bringing the king of God to the lost, and discipline the saved, and raising up leaders to care for the flock, and challenging the body of Christ to become missionaries, able to go out in the name of Jesus and bring revival to the world around us.

All of us have our duties to do, all of us have our commandments to keep. All of us are walking along in the kingdom of God, and keeping our feet perfectly in line with the straight and narrow path Jesus and the Holy Spirit have laid out for us. 

Therefore, we recognize one another, and give honor to one another, as honor is due. 

Everyone, living in the kingdom of heaven, has a totally knew, and totally transformed: social mandate, spiritual mandate, financial mandate, and thus we all need to re-organize our social schedules, work schedules, and examine if they are in alignment with Keeping Jesus Commandments as a part of our top priorities to serve JESUS above all others.

God knows all about what we can handle, and what freedoms we have to serve him. He will call us to give an accounting of our time and resources on the day we present to him the fruits of our service unto HIM. (See Steward) 

Yet, if we do not have the faith of a seed of mustard, we cannot even peek into what the kingdom of God has prepared for us. 

Sometime we fortify ourselves so strongly against the demands inherent in Serving Christ in the kingdom of God, that we shield ourselves from doing only the absolute minimal work, and choose to give the absolute minimal service to the King of HEAVEN.

Can you imagine your fiancé, constantly calculating, and re-calculating what is the absolute minimal thing she must do to keep in your good graces? 

And yet, she is constantly seeking to obtain from you the absolute maximum of your resources-- what kind of bride would this woman turn out to be in the long run, if this is how that behave in the beginning?

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL: If your fiancé just kept seeking to dry up your resources to spend them on her pleasures, but showed only minimal interest in you as a person, and cared little to nothing about your goals, plans, career, and spiritual LIFE?

And yet, that seems to be a standard approach our society takes when it comes to serving  JESUS. They immediately begin calculating the benefits. The blessings. The Favor. The Forgiveness. The Promises, etc. But they only want to give back the absolute minimum that they can get away with.

This is often called "Do Nothing Christianity" or also called  What is the maximum money, toys, vacations, luxury, clothes, and jewelry and entertainment,  health spas, and you get the picture, that she can drag out of her husband and still be in a favorable position with him, that is free from any personal responsibility to be a faithful, honoring, respectful, and hard working fruitful wife?

That's how relationships in the kingdom of this world are often run. 

"Give as little as possible, to Gain as much as possible."

That makes you a winner in the eyes ot the world.

In the world, We are always trying to get the most benefit, and the greatest advantage, out of every situation. And we as constantly calculating the cost of things. So we can and spend the least amount of money possible, or service possible in every interaction.

But that is not how the kingdom of God is run. In fact, it is the exact opposite.

 When the kingdom of God is bursting in the heart of the servant of God, that servant is asking the question how much can I possibly give, how much can I possibly serve, how much time can I possibly devote to the work, and the service of my King? And that servant is looking to constantly maximize his time, his money, his resource to increase the Work of God in his Life.

In the kingdom of God, the answer is always I want to give more. Not less. Not skimp by. Not--Doing the absolute minimal task. Giving the absolute minimal time. "One hour and a half a week on Sunday morning should be enough to fulfill my duty as a believer in Christ." The rest of the week is all mine. 

That does not represent the heart of a true disciple, believer, follower, and obedient servant of Christ.

I am sorry to blow up the bubble of mainline Christianity. But it needs to be popped. And we are the ones that need to pop it.

Easy-Believe-ism, and Do Nothing Christianity, are dead in the water. They are branches with no fruit. Soil that is full of weeds, servants with no faith, that is acceptable in the Kingdom of God. (See the Steward, Keeping, Works, and Disqualified,  Teach for more on this subject.) If you want to know for certain exactly what Jesus commands.

Please note: Our job is not to be overly negative without a cause. Our job is to see clearly the Problem, so that we will be able to correct the problem at least in our own lives, and then hopefully we can be effective in correcting the problem in the lives of others around us. By living in God's Grace and God's courage, and boldness as needed to address each problem one at a time.

We need to take the log out of our own eyes first, before we will ever by able to take the specks out of our brother eye effectively.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. I imagine the rich man in the story with Lazarus, gave far more of himself, and of his resources to serve the synagogue, then the average church goer gives to the church today. 

The average synagogue worshiper, would give close to 20% of their income just to be in good standing with the synagogue. The average Church goer would rarely give above 10%. The Jewish worshiper would need to participate in the feasts of God, three times a year, and the new moon festivals, and the weekly Sabbath worship,  was still probably part of his agenda. 

But all of that, going to religious services, didn't make up for the fact that he could care less about a weak and starving beggar, living virtually outside his own front gate, and having no pity upon him and, providing him no food, nor clothing to stay warm.

I can only imagine that it was quite a shock for the rich man to Discover, that God would call him to account, for his lack of concern for his fellow man. As Such a rich man believed that he had no Moral responsibility and no social duty to help such a beggar as Lazarus.

And learning that his dogs had more compassion, and more of a heart to serve, and give, than he himself had, and that he had been judged not by what he believed, his duty was, but by what God's law required him, and God's commandments would be achieved, and God's scales would need to be balanced, it's not on the Earth, then in the afterlife.

But the rich man was unaware, he was ignorant, he was careless, he was without repentance, without a social or moral compass. He believed all the money he had was for his own pleasure. He never understood that he was blessed, in order to be able to bless others. He apparently had outrageous, financial blessings, but he wasted them all upon himself. Never seeking to please God with the abundance, God had given him. God had given the rich man, the resources to help many people. But all of those resources that were intended to flow like a river, got damned up and consumed like a River ending in a dry sand desert that would just soak up the water and there are no fruit whatsoever.

When our eyes are opened, and we really see God's love, and His faithfulness, and generosity, and intense care, and his compassion for all, being cared for in the keeping of all his Commandments by faith--that is when we begin to enter into the true kingdom of God, and begin to rightfully participate in his righteousness.

When our hearts are opened, we will begin to see Jesus, living out his Commandments before our very eyes, in an amongst all those following him. And we will see him calling us to follow in his holy footsteps. 

What we desperately need is to see everything from heaven's unique perspective. As Jesus truly intended us to see--that revelation will predictably transform everything in our lives, even the way we eat, and the way we spend our time, and the way we serve others all around us: for God, for Good, for His Glory, and All the Glory that will go to His Son.

Then, All the Angels in Heaven
will shout: "Glory." 

Then someone in heaven will say:
"Some one is finally getting the message right." 

Then others will say:
"It's amazingly. They have finally started
living out the message
exactly as it was intended to be lived out." 

"All Glory be to God."

 Now, I must ask: What if The Full Promises of God were fully being activated in your life and mine? What a different spiritual environment would we be living in?

 
What if,  just as Jesus Promised, you would experience the full blessing that would come to those who would truly keep his Commandments, just as Jesus intended them to be kept? Doing only that which was your duty to do all along?

Can I ask you a personal question? Do you believe, and can confess freely, that this following promise from Jesus, has been fully activated into your life, just as he intended it to be?

John 14:12-14 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you:

He that believeth on me,
the works that I do
shall he do also;
and greater works
than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father. 

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, 

that will I do, 

that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, 

I will do it.

Notice the purpose of all prayer as one exceptionally important key element: that the father may be glorified. Every prayer and pursuit of the kingdom of God and his righteousness that meets that requirement will be readily answered according to Jesus own promise.

But the opposite will also be true, if the end result is not intended, nor directed to bring glory to the father, and to the SON, chances are good that that prayer will go unanswered.

So, if there is any question in our lives, why certain prayers never get answered this might be the very reason.

Personally, I don't know anyone, personally, that is actually fully walking in the blessing, and the reality described in John 14:12–14. 

And yes, that promise is so marvelous, so amazing, so beyond our natural worldly mindset, that it just seems purely unattainable. But, is it?

• Can it be, that the promise of God, is not a good promise?

• Can it be that the pure words of Jesus, are beyond our reach?

• Can it be truly unattainable?

If it is unobtainable, why is that? What is getting in the way? What is blocking the road? Is it something that we can fix? Or is it something only Jesus can fix if we ask him to? If we know him. If we trust him. If we are on a permanent first name basis with Jesus, if we laugh with him, and we cry with him, and we bear his burden with him, as he does in our burdens with us, if we have fellowship with one another, and do those things that are pleasing to each other, then wouldn't it only be natural that he would want to answer my prayers. And that we would want to answer his prayers. Together, we would want to build a relationship that would last for eternity, because it was built on an eternal foundation.

That is simply the thing that Jesus says, called us into. That is simply the work of the kingdom of God. That is simply the goal of the kingdom of God. And all who will bend the knee, and lower the shoulder, and bear the burden, what will God withhold from them? What good thing will God not do for them when they seek to do his will with all their heart, all their mind, all their strength?

If I be evil will not give my son a scorpion when he asks for a fish. Or I will not give him a stone when he asks for a piece of breath how much will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. And how much more valuable will be old Spirit to us than a piece of fish or a piece of bread?

These are questions we need to deal with. This is the problem. We really truly need to solve. What does internal, powerful, sensitive, responsive, holy and perfect relationship with the king of heaven, look like here on earth, in this day and in this hour? And how much time do we have to get it right?

The truth be told: we only have a limited amount of time to solve this problem. And the longer we ignore it, and the longer we play hide and seek with God, pretending that he doesn't see us, doesn't know us, and doesn't know everything about us, the longer we prolong the problem, and the longer we become the blockage and the continuation of the problem, rather than the solution.

And yes, this is definitely a problem that cannot be solved from a worldly perspective. We cannot solve heaven's problems with human reasoning, human ability, human traditions. These will all get in the way. These will all keep us stuck in our own darkness.

That is surely not God's highest and God's best for us. And it could be a trap, set up by the devil himself, to keep us all too busy, to address the number one problem we need to solve in this lifetime. The devil has set for us many distractions to keep us away from the one and only true calling, we have been personally invited into through the word of God.

Today, it is just as important to overcome the distractions of the evil one, as it ever has been in the history of the world. Our job as believers in Christ, is to cut through all the nonsense. This world keeps throwing at us, and Center, our focus on the only one who knows the way to heaven, and the only one who can get us in a whole families there without any loss.

Our problem is, we keep relying on ourselves in our own resources and our own mental masturbation that keep us blocked from seeking and finding the only one qualified to direct us and the way we should go. 

The crazy thing is god has already provided everything we need for life and godliness in his kingdom. All we have to do is take our mustard seed of faith, and open up her eyes and fill up our souls with the word of God, and simply obey it. Just as we would obey the voice of our earthly parents. So are we called to obey the voice of our heavenly parents.

Just as there are negative consequences for disobeying, our earthly parents commandments (, a.k.a. spankings and family punishments), so will there be negative consequences for disobeying, our heavenly parents commandments.

It should not be more complicated than that. We have our instructions. But the question is will we obey them? And Jesus is waiting for our answer. Will we become his children taking on his Commandments as seriously as we take on the Commandments of our teachers in school, in work, in sports? And what about the unspoken Commandments in our social circles, the social norm Commandments, that often come with instant peer pressure retaliations?

And which Commandments should be our first priority?

 Our God is a god of order, of planning, and of execution of his plans. The question is will we be front in Center in the middle of his plans? Or will be place ourselves at the far edges of his plans? Or completely outside his plans? Those are specific decisions we need to make on a daily basis?

And we actually do make those decisions on a daily basis with or without realizing it. But the time to be ignorant is past due. We must open our eyes, open our hearts, read his commandments, study them, in order to put them into practice all around us. Then we can be called good and faithful servant of the most high God. Then we can put fourth prayers that will be answered. Because they are in perfect keeping with the keeping of his Commandments. Then we will see a force an energy that comes from the very throne of God being poured out upon those who fully engage the heart of God and the very center of their lives, by doing as well freely, and not begrudgingly.

The quickest way to turn God off, and to turn your marriage partner off, is doing your daily duties begrudgingly. With complaining. With accusations. With insinuations. 

These are all a major turn off and a real drag in any truthful, honest and giving, and growing maturingly healthy relationship. If that is the kind relationship development plan you have in your own life (based on selfish complaining), the chances are good that you will have a miserable life, and you will generate the very thing you like, doing the most, complaining, blaming, and sustaining ignorant reasons for not doing your best. For not giving the best of yourself to your work, your friends, your family, and your community.

That is your own personal recipe for disaster. And that disaster is happening all across the world and virtually every home and family on the earth. But that is not God's plan. That is the enemy's plan. And yet we all fall victim to it on a daily basis. But now that we are being confronted with the truth, it is no longer a time to be ignorant. No longer a time to be passively aggressive. It is time shut down the complaining nature. Stop the whining.. Stop giving the worst side of yourself to your family and friends. 

Get delivered from the demons living inside your head. Get delivered from the lies flowing through your blood and brain. Overcome every evil obstacle put into your way to keep you from living out the kingdom of God in your everyday relationships and life.

You have this commission from God, do not be derelict in your duties to fulfill them before God. You will only be hurting yourself the more.

God has a plan for you, but it requires that you pick up your cross and follow him. It requires that you deny yourself. It requires that you stop complaining. Stop moaning. Stop cussing. It requires that you serve others, and forgive others, and not carry around in you a continual reason to complain, and moan about how hard your life is. That voice is not coming down from heaven above, but up from the pit of hell down below.

James 3:13-18 (KJV) 

13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?
let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first 

1. pure, 

2. then peaceable, 

3. gentle, and 

4. easy to be intreated, 

5. full of mercy 

6. and good fruits, 

7. without partiality, 

8. and without hypocrisy. 

9. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace 

10. of them that make peace.

Jesus, is the one who gave us these seemingly his impossible promises. But because they come from the one who holds the universe in his hand, they should not be too impossible to believe. When we have faith in Christ, we no longer live by the natural man. The natural man, born of the flesh is in enmity with God he does not submit to God's laws, nor can he do so.

Therefore, it is the job description, the actual duty, and the requirement of the man of God to step outside of his flesh, and to step into his spirit, and to live his life in accordance with the word of God by the spirit of God for the glory of God. Anything less than that will be insufficient, come up short, lacking, fruitfulness, lacking, faithfulness, and lacking the beauty and majesty of God in our midst.

Jesus is the one and only person that can teach us how to walk out, his Commandments, that he has given us to live by, and to implement in our lives together with him and with other others around us. We cannot hope to do this on our own. That is why we must be born again. We must be born of the spirit. We must be guided and motivated, counseled, and helped by the spirit of God, to do the will of God, by the word of God, for the goodness of God in the love of God.

I believe it is God's plan that we would walk out these promises, in our real lives. But that would take us being an exception to the rule, that men would place upon us. We would have to go outside the box of our comfortableness, and our own idea of safety, and common sense.

Common sense from heaven's perspective looks nothing like common sense here on earth. The big difference is the equation. One has God in the center. The other has man in the center. And the two different equations couldn't be further from one another.

We are called to walk in God's promises with a perfectly clean and pure heart, with God in the center of it, without that, how can we ever hope to have such a faith that can move mountains? Without a genuine faith in God, such a belief would be impossible. But with God, all things are possible.

Below as a simple challenge: Combine three simple verses, into a real life, mission statement, and then walk them out with the same integrity you would use to carry out your earthly/worldly duties.

John 14:15

Deuteronomy 6:4

And Deuteronomy 8:3

 Does the God who Created the Heavens and the Earth, deserve a lower degree of integrity, a lesser focus of devotion, a cheaper level of dedication than our worldly employers? 

Should we not walk out our heavenly mission statement, with at least as much energy, and integrity, as working for a worldly business? Should our commitment be less sacred than the oath of a doctor being faithful in treating his patients according to the oath of Hippocrates.

Jesus is the one who gave us the ability to be faithful and any endeavor whatsoever. Without our gift of life, our ability to breathe, think, plan, create, choose, learn and grow----> we could not in any way accomplish any goal in this world.

Yet, when it comes to serving our king, we give him the leftovers.

We put all of our other "more important endeavors" ahead of our faith and obedience to keep the Commandments of Jesus. And then we claim it's impossible to keep God's Commandments, because they're too high, they're too hard, they're too extreme, they're too demanding.

And yet Jesus is the one who will be personally involved in helping us walk out every single one of them. He and the father of an orchestrating our entire lies from before the time we were born watching and waiting for the exact time to call us out of death and darkness and into his life and light.

And yet, Once we begin to see a glimpse of heaven from his perspective, we still only given him a portion of our heart, a small portion of our time, a small portion of our whole energy and life.

And in the process, the majority fall away from the faith. They say it's too hard. They say God doesn't show up. He isn't real. They no longer believe in fake religion. And therefore many just abandoned the faith, abandoned the church, and forfeit their eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God.

And that happens every day. Multiple times a day in every church and every city around the world. The lies of Satan win. And how does this happen?

Who is the blame? What is the real Solution to the problem?

Every believer in the kingdom of God, needs to be trained, needs to be disciplined, needs to be discipled, and nurtured in building a bulletproof, unmovable, and irreplaceable foundation, in the word of God. And all of it starts at the very beginning, being made clearer at walking with Jesus equals keeping his Commandments. And keeping his commandments equals walking with Jesus. The two are inseparable.

When you ask the average Church going believer, what are the Commandments of Jesus? Let me know your top 10 common responses.

And now having heard the message from Jesus himself about the need, requirement, value, fixed position of Jesus Christ, what will your response be going forward when asked about what and how, where and when, we are to keep the Commandments of Jesus? 

From heaven's perspective only two different types of individuals are walking on the Earth today:

1. Those who keep the Commandments of Jesus

2. And those who break the Commandments of Jesus.

In other words, there are those who obey Jesus, and there are those who disobey Jesus. And we have our entire lives. To decide which person we want to become.

And the parable of the wheat and TARES, we see that the enemy is the one sewing the seeds that are weeds. And the farmers laborers want to pull up all the weeds immediately. But you will notice that Jesus, the head of the farm, says no, let them grow together, until the harvest then we will separate the wheat from the TARES, because if you pick some out now, you may be removing the wrong plants.

So, in this parable, we see that Jesus is involved in making sure everyone has a chance to change their mind, change their ways, change their loyalties, and change the ultimate direction of their life, so that even among "the many" disobedient ones, a certain number of people called "the few" will have a chance to fully devote themselves to the king and savior of the world, and become the obedient ones. A.k.a. the chosen ones.

For many are called, but few are chosen. (See Chosen for an fascinating historical insight into this verse.)

We do not want to exaggerate the challenges and  the promises of God, in Christ Jesus. With the Help of God, they simply are impossible to achieve in the natural. And he relates them to us in a agricultural paradigm. Using the mustard seed as our example. If you are a person of faith, the subject should be of a deep interest to you. Will dig into it at a deeper level in the next section.

Jesus plainly explains that, that if we had the kind of faith, he and the father were looking for, living on the inside of us right now, we would not only do the works of Jesus, (referring to his miraculous works that prove his ministry is from heaven, and not from man), but that we would also do greater works than his.

And honestly, I don't know of a person on earth that is walking in these very incredible promises. But that doesn't mean that such people don't exist, I believe they do, I just don't know them personally. 

But here's another problem to be solved. There are many that claim to be walking in the Promises of God, but it becomes clear they are not walking in the commandments of Jesus. Which is a clear sign we need to have enough discernment to stay away from such FALSE Teachers--who talk a talk, but do not walk the walk.

Jesus tells us: "By their fruits you shall know them." 

Sadly, many fake leaders have fallen. Having not only ruined their own faith, but having corrupted the Gospel of Christ, for the bulk of their followers. Many of these such leaders, claim for themselves the Titles: Prophet, Apostle, & Evangelist. But they don't follow the Biblical Examples of Those who were such. That is why Jesus and the True Apostles warned us about men such as these, and clearly told us to "test the spirits" to see if they are from God.

NOW, If Jesus is a truth, teller, (and not a liar, and not a con artist, nor a deceiver, nor a false prophet), then every promise He has made will be activated, in the lives of those, who meet the conditions of His promises.

What if John 14:12 would be fulfilled, and fully activated, and genuinely operating in the body of Christ, as an every day normal occurrence, because we finally began putting God's Primary Commandment into Divine Action? 

What if our Heavenly Father Prayer would actually be activated in our lives, because we started walking in John 14:15, in a serious and disciplined, and fully committed way? 

Are we finally going to see the Fulfillment of: "Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will be Done: On Earth as it is in Heaven!"

Will the Body of Christ finally rise up and live out the fullness of his blessing, that the world may know that Jesus is alive, and able, and willing to give us the kingdom, if we would just begin to obey his Commandments? 

What if  we, in the whole Body of Jesus Christ, Served Jesus with: 

• All of our Heart, 

• All of our Mind, and 

• All of our Strength?

What would that finally look like?

This short Parable is repeated 3x in the Gospels  (in Matthew 13; Mark 4, Luke 13). Each version is essentially the same.

So let us dive in and discover something we have not seen, heard, done, or learned because of it.

Matthew 13:31-32 (KJV) 

31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, 

The kingdom of heaven is like to
a grain of mustard seed,
which a man took,
and sowed in his field: 

Which indeed is the least of all seeds:
but when it is grown,
it is the greatest among herbs,
and becometh a tree, [potentially 6 to 20 feet high]
so that the birds of the air come
and lodge in the branches thereof. 

Question #1: How big is a grain of a mustard seed?

Answer: 

A grain of a mustard seed is tiny, measuring between 1 and 2 millimeters (about 1/32 to 3/32 of an inch) in diameter.

Because they are so small, it takes roughly 20 to 25 mustard seeds lined up side-by-side to equal just one single inch.

The exact size varies slightly depending on the specific type of mustard plant:

• Black Mustard (Brassica nigra): The smallest variety, averaging around 1.0 mm in size. This is the species most common to the ancient Near East and referenced in famous biblical parables. 

• Oriental/Brown Mustard (Brassica juncea): Ranges from 1.2 to 2.0 mm in size.

• White/Yellow Mustard (Sinapis alba): The largest of the varieties, typically measuring between 2.0 and 3.0 mm. These are the seeds most commonly used to make standard American yellow mustard.

Despite their microscopic start, these tiny seeds have the unique biological power to quickly sprout and grow into massive, sprawling bushes that can reach heights of:

6 to 20 feet tall.

Question #2: How does size relate to the message?

Size is the main point, and key comparison. But Why?
What does Jesus mean to communicate here?

Question #3: How fast does it grow?

Speed: Is another factor. Apparently Mustard Plant grow really fast.
How does speed relate to the message?

Question #4: How does this Parable relate to the other two Mustard Seed Testimonies above: 

1) with Lazarus & Rich Man? 

2) with Jesus, Moses & Elijah? 

I like to follow the 3 rules of interpretation.

1. Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture.
2. When common sense makes the best sense, any other sense is non-sense.

3. A text without a context is a PRETEXT (--which basically means something, or someone, is trying to twist the verse to say what they want it to say, rather than just let it say what it was clearly meant to say.)

As well as using the 3 basic textual questions to fully understand any text whether it is in the Bible or an automobile manual.

1. What does it say?   (Observation)
2. What does it mean? (Interpretation)
3. How does in apply? (Application)

I wish there was a way to hear your responses.
The problem with websites is that they get heavily spammed by bots choking their email accounts.

As a Mustard Plant
in God's Kingdom,
I AM:

• Being Born-Again Into the Kingdom of God,

• Becoming an Obedient & Faithful, Quickly Maturing & Fruitful-- Personal Disciple of Jesus Christ

• Living By Faith in the Son of God, According to His Word & His Will,

• Keeping His Commandments of Jesus, Out of Love for Christ.

• Living like Nothing in this World, NOT According to My Own Best Self-Interest.

• But Living for the Interests, Benefits, Fruitfulness of Christ & His Kingdom, in the short time given to me to Bloom and Prosper in Christ. (Like the Deacon, Stephen)

It Means:  Everything about you is a New Creation.
It Means:  Growing up Quickly in the Kingdom of God.
It Means:  Growing up taller than all other plants in the Garden.
It Means:  Becoming Exceedingly Fruitful in Christ.
It Means:  Starting with next to Nothing, being the least of the seeds.
It Means:  Your Life is so fruitful, the it is reaching up to Heaven.
It Means:  That Heaven is your Focus, not Earth.
It Means:  Loving Jesus, is your Primary Motive, not pleasing yourself.
It Means:  Though Your Life may be Short Lived.
It Means:  It will recorded and known in Heaven.
It Means:  You will be following the Example of Christ.
It Means:   You will be Living like Stephen a servant of God.

as a Glorious Life Lived for the Kingdom of God.


Means: Doing things that Benefit the Kingdom.
Means: Making Decisions NOT Based on What Best for me
Not Based on my Personal Desires.
Not Based on my . 

Below are some amazing biological factors & traits that apply directly to our spiritual growth & understanding, giving us great discipleship lessons provided by the Mustard Plant.
 
A mustard plant has a very brief lifespan of only 3 to 5 months (90 to 150 days). It functions strictly as a fast-growing annual herb, meaning it completes its entire lifecycle—from germinating as a seed to producing new seeds and dying—within a single growing season. 

Because it is a cool-season crop, the exact length of its life is dictated by temperature. It thrives in conditions between 45°F and 75°F. The arrival of intense summer heat signals the natural end of its life cycle, causing the plant to stop producing leaves, bloom, and quickly die off.

The Growth Scenario: Timeline of a Mustard Plant Lifecycle

The growth scenario of a mustard plant unfolds rapidly over five distinct stages:

• Stage 1: Germination (Days 1 to 10)
  Once seeds are planted about a half-inch deep in cool, moist soil, they sprout rapidly. Green seedlings typically break through the surface within 4 to 10 days. 

• Stage 2: Leafy Vegetarian Growth (Days 11 to 40)
  The plant initially focuses all its energy on developing its root system and producing a mound of edible, peppery leaves. Gardeners typically begin harvesting individual young leaves at 4 weeks, and the foliage reaches maximum size by week 6. 

• Stage 3: Budding and Bolting (Days 41 to 50)
  As daylight stretches longer and temperatures climb, the plant stops growing new leaves and enters its reproductive phase, known as "bolting". It sends up a central, branched stalk, and flower buds become visible approximately 5 weeks after emergence. 

• Stage 4: Full Yellow Bloom (Days 51 to 80)
  About a week after buds form, the plant bursts into a blanket of bright yellow flowers. The plant relies on bees, insects, or the wind to pollinate these blooms. A longer, cooler blooming period allows the plant to produce a much higher volume of seeds. 

• Stage 5: Seed Pod Development and Death (Days 81 to 120+)
  As the flowers fade, they leave behind small, narrow green pods called siliques. Over the next month, the plant funnels all its remaining nutrients directly into the seeds inside these pods. The entire plant dries out, turns a brittle light brown, and naturally dies.

Once the plant is dead, the pods split open to drop the next generation of tiny seeds into the soil. While the plant itself only lives for a few months, its dropped seeds are incredibly resilient and can lie dormant in the dirt, waiting to sprout, for up to 5 to 10 years. 

The Famous
Black Mustard
Seed Plant

What's Special about the LifeCycle of the Black Mustard Seed Plant?
That Grows in the Near-East, and is the subject of the Biblical Parables?

The Near Eastern variety is said to reach a height of 20 feet.
Does it have a similar life cycle as the rest of mustard plants?

Yes, the Near Eastern variety—specifically Black Mustard (Brassica nigra)—follows the exact same annual lifecycle as smaller mustard plants.

While it achieves a massive height that makes it look like a tree or a permanent woody shrub, it is fundamentally an herbaceous annual plant. It completes its entire germination-to-death lifecycle in just a few months, rather than over years like a true tree.

The Near Eastern variety achieves its famous 10-to-20-foot height through a hyper-accelerated growth scenario driven by its native climate:

1. The Winter Germination Trigger

In the Near East (such as the Jordan Valley), Black Mustard acts as a winter annual. The seeds lie dormant in the baking desert dirt all summer. When the heavy winter rains arrive, they trigger rapid germination. 

2. The Explosive "Bolting" Phase

Instead of growing slowly, the plant takes advantage of the brief, rich winter moisture and mild temperatures. It funnels an immense amount of energy into a rigid, hollow central stalk. Driven by rich river-basin soils, it shoots upward at an incredible pace—sometimes growing multiple inches a day—to outcompete surrounding vegetation for sunlight.

3. Structural Adaptation (The "Tree" Illusion)

As it reaches its maximum height of 10 to 20 feet, the main stem becomes incredibly stiff, tough, and fibrous to support the weight. It sends out wide, horizontal branches. This wood-like, rigid structure is what allowed ancient observers to describe it as a "tree" capable of hosting small perching birds looking for seeds. 

4. Fast, Synchronized Death

Just like its smaller garden cousins, the giant Near Eastern mustard plant cannot survive heat. As soon as the intense heat of late spring and early summer arrives, the plant stops growing. It bursts into a final, massive canopy of yellow flowers, produces its tiny seeds inside pods, and then completely dries out and dies. 

Within roughly 120 to 150 days from the first winter rain, the 20-foot giant is reduced to a brittle, dead brown skeleton. It collapses, releasing thousands of tiny seeds into the dust to wait for the next winter's rain cycle.

More interesting Observations:

The Explosive "Bolting" Phase

[Instead of growing slowly, the plant takes advantage of the brief, rich winter moisture and mild temperatures. It funnels an immense amount of energy into a rigid, hollow central stalk. Driven by rich river-basin soils, it shoots upward at an incredible pace—sometimes growing multiple inches a day—to outcompete surrounding vegetation for sunlight.]
This is the calling of the Disciple. He knows His Time is Short.  He knows He needs to make the most of his time, because the days are evil, and the night is quickly coming when no man can work.



3. Structural Adaptation (The "Tree" Illusion)

As it reaches its maximum height of 10 to 20 feet, the main stem becomes incredibly stiff, tough, and fibrous to support the weight. It sends out wide, horizontal branches. This wood-like, rigid structure is what allowed ancient observers to describe it as a "tree" capable of hosting small perching birds looking for seeds. 

Does the strong wood stock eventually, when decomposed, create a quality soil mulch that helps the soil retain its moisture. Does it provide new nutrients fertilizing the soil for the next generation of mustard plants?

Yes, the decomposed residue of the giant Near Eastern mustard plant (Brassica nigra) creates an exceptional, high-utility soil mulch that significantly improves water retention, boosts organic matter, and fertilizes the next generation of plants.

However, because its 20-foot tall stalks are highly fibrous and "woody" by the end of their lifecycle, the decomposition process behaves very differently compared to standard soft garden waste. 

1. Soil Moisture Retention (The Sponge Effect)

When the giant stalks collapse at the end of the spring, they create a thick, tangled blanket over the parched desert dirt. [1]

• Evaporation Barrier: This heavy layer of stalks shields the soil from the intense summer sun, reducing water evaporation and keeping the ground beneath cooler. 

• Organic Sponge: As the fibers slowly break down, they turn into humus (decomposed organic matter). Humus functions like a microscopic sponge, radically improving the soil’s structural ability to absorb and hold onto moisture when the winter rains finally return. 

2. High-Yield Nutrient Recycling

During its explosive growth, the mustard plant acts as a nutrient scavenger. Its deep taproot mines the deep layers of the subsoil to pull up vital minerals. When the stalks decompose, these locked-away nutrients are released back onto the surface layer of the soil, perfectly priming it for the next generation: 

• Macro-nutrients: It delivers an abundant supply of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.

• Sulfur Richness: Because mustard is a member of the brassica family, its residues are exceptionally high in Sulfur. Sulfur is a critical compound that mustard seedlings require to develop their signature peppery defenses. 

3. The One Catch: The "Nitrogen Tie-Up"

Because the giant stalks are so thick and woody, they possess a very high carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio. [1]

• When fresh carbon-rich stalks first hit the ground, local soil microbes must consume vast amounts of existing nitrogen from the soil just to fuel the energy required to break down the tough plant fibers. [1, 2]

• This temporarily locks up ("immobilizes") the nitrogen in the topsoil. [1]

• Fortunately, because the mustard seeds lie dormant all through the hot, dry summer, this temporary nitrogen dip occurs while no new plants are trying to grow. By the time the winter rains arrive months later, the microbes have finished digesting the stalks, dying off and releasing a massive, freshly unlocked wave of nitrogen just in time for the new seeds to sprout. 

4. Natural Soil Sanitizer (Biofumigation)

Beyond just moisture and fertilizer, the decomposing stalks provide a unique evolutionary advantage to their offspring through a process called biofumigation.

As the plant tissues break down, chemicals inside the mustard leaves and stems (glucosinolates) mix with water to produce isothiocyanates—which are essentially natural, organic gases. This natural gas permeates the surrounding soil, killing off harmful fungi, nematodes, and soil-borne pathogens while leaving the next generation of resilient mustard seeds completely unharmed. 

Modern farmers utilize mustard biofumigation as a replacement for synthetic chemical pesticides, or look into the microscopic soil biology that drives this decomposition process. 

When the Bible says: The Birds can make their nests in their branches. Does that mean the Near Eastern Mustard Plant is capable of hosting a family of new birds every season, providing a somewhat safe structure for a limited time while the babies will learn to fly?

Yes, biologically speaking, the timelines align beautifully, and the giant Near Eastern Black Mustard plant (Brassica nigra) does offer a temporary, relatively safe nesting sanctuary for a single generation of small birds each season.

While the plant’s life is brief, it perfectly overlaps with the exact window of time a bird needs to build a nest, hatch eggs, and teach its fledglings to fly.

The biological intersection between the plant's growth and a bird's nesting lifecycle showcases this short-term sanctuary:

1. Perfectly Synced Timelines

The peak structure of the giant mustard plant aligns seamlessly with the spring breeding season of local Near Eastern birds (such as small finches, linnets, and sparrows):

• The Plant's Peak Stability (Weeks 8 to 14): By late winter and early spring, the mustard plant has already shot up to its 10-to-20-foot height. Its central stalk is at its absolute thickest and toughest, and its wide lateral branches are fully formed.

• The Bird's Nesting Window (Approx. 30–40 Days): Small birds only require a stable structure for a very short period. Building a nest takes about 5 days, egg incubation takes 10 to 14 days, and the chicks remain in the nest as nestlings for another 14 days. [1, 2]

2. A "Somewhat Safe" Structure

Because the mustard plant is technically an annual herb and not a solid oak tree, it offers a unique, specialized kind of safety:

• The Camouflage Blanket: When the plant bolts, it bursts into massive, dense clusters of bright yellow flowers and heavy green leaves. This creates a thick canopy that acts as a perfect visual shield, hiding tiny, vulnerable nests from birds of prey circling overhead. [1]

• Predator Deterrent: While a 20-foot mustard branch is stiff enough to support a small nest, it is too thin, flexible, and swaying to support the weight of heavier, climbing predators like large snakes or feral cats.

• An Abundant Food Source: Parents nesting inside the mustard branches don't have to travel far for food. The blooming flowers attract a massive influx of insects (crucial protein for growing chicks), and as the flowers fade, the plant produces thousands of nutritious seeds that the parents can eat. [1, 2]

3. The Grand Exit (Learning to Fly)

As the baby birds grow into "fledglings" and prepare to leave the nest, the mustard plant begins its natural drying-out phase.

• The leaves drop, and the branches become open and brittle.

• This timing is actually ideal: the thinning canopy gives the adolescent birds clear lines of sight and open space to practice hopping along branches and taking their first clumsy test flights.

By the time the searing heat of summer arrives and the mustard plant completely collapses and dies, the young birds have already mastered flight, transitioned into fully independent juveniles, and flown away. The structure disappears, but it lasts just long enough to serve its exact biological purpose for that season's new generation.

The imagery of birds nesting in the giant Near Eastern mustard plant (Brassica nigra) carries deep meaning. Exploring both the theological and symbolic context used by ancient writers and the real-life native birds of the Jordan Valley reveals why this specific analogy was so powerful.

Part 1: The Theological and Symbolic Meaning

When ancient listeners heard the Parable of the Mustard Seed, the phrase "the birds of the air make nests in its branches" was a direct literary trigger. Ancient writers used it for specific symbolic reasons: [1, 2]

• The Inclusion of the Gentile Nations (The Main Symbol): In the Hebrew Bible, grand kingdoms were frequently symbolized as massive trees where "all the birds of the air" find shade. For example, Ezekiel 17:22-23 describes God planting a cedar tree where "birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches." By mirroring this phrase, the parable symbolically promised that the small, regional movement starting in Judea would grow into an international refuge. The "birds" represented the Gentiles—outsiders and foreigners who would unexpectedly find a home inside this new community. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

• A Subversive Satire on Power: Ancient empires like Babylon and Egypt loved to describe themselves as massive, permanent Cedar or Oak trees to project raw power. By comparing the Kingdom of God to a mustard plant, the writer used a brilliant twist. Mustard was technically a fast-spreading, invasive garden weed. It was humble, wild, and ordinary. The symbolism implied that true divine refuge isn't found in a rigid, oppressive imperial "cedar tree," but in a dynamic, rapidly expanding, organic thicket. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

• Divine Providence and Sanctuary: In ancient Near Eastern culture, birds were viewed as completely untamed creatures relying entirely on the cosmos to survive. Giving shelter to birds symbolized unconditional grace and protection. It showed that the structure would provide safety, shade, and sustenance to the vulnerable without demanding anything in return. [1, 2, 3]

Part 2: Native Birds of the Jordan Valley

The Jordan Valley is historically one of the most important migratory bird corridors on Earth, serving as a massive biological bottleneck between Europe, Asia, and Africa. [1]

Several small, native species thrive in the dense, yellow wild mustard thickets along the Jordan River basin, taking advantage of the fleeting 4-month sanctuary: [1]

• The European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis): These colorful, highly active birds are famous for their love of seeds. Wild mustard thickets are an absolute paradise for them. They use the flexible lateral branches of the 20-foot stalks to build neat, cup-like nests, and they aggressively feed on the thousands of tiny seeds as the pods mature.

• The Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis): A tiny, long-tailed warbler native to the Jordan Valley. They are exceptionally light, meaning the thin, swaying branches of a mustard plant provide a safe haven that heavier predators cannot reach. They weave their nests directly into dense, leafy shrubbery to hide from predators.

• The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) & Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis): Highly communal birds that flock to agricultural edges. When wild mustard bolts into dense, 15-foot walls of yellow flowers, these sparrows utilize the thick visual canopy to build their messy, domed nests out of grass and twigs, safely hidden from low-flying hawks.

• The Linnet (Linaria cannabina): A small finch common to the scrublands of the Near East. Linnets are notorious seed-eaters that explicitly favor open, brushy landscapes populated by wild brassicas (the mustard family). They rely heavily on the burst of springtime insects attracted to the yellow blooms to feed high-protein meals to their newly hatched chicks.

Ancient observers walking the roads of the Jordan Valley would have seen these exact birds darting in and out of the massive spring mustard blooms, making the verbal illustration incredibly vibrant and biologically accurate to their everyday reality. [1]

Luke 13:18-21 (KJV) 18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. 20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Mark 4:26-32 (KJV) 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.



And here is the crazy making part: That the people could see the mighty works OF JESUS, they could hear the gracious wisdom OF JESUS, they saw with their own eyes his compassion for the poor and needy, and yet, they still decide to be offended by the Son of Man, who had come to them humbly as a servant. 

It appears they much would
have rather had a Tyrant.

Here's the real crazy part: During His Second coming, he will no longer be wearing the clothing of a humble servant. This time he is coming as the Royal King, and the Top Ruler of the Armies of the LORD, and he will dispatch Justice in a flash, and there will no time or grace to repent. The hour of forgiveness will be closely, the hour of Wrath will be exposed. 

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 (KJV) 13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: 15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

The First Time Jesus comes as a Lamb: to the Slaughter, to call the poor, the sick, and the Humble.

The Second Time Jesus comes as  a Lion: a Warrior to Judge the Proud, the Selfless, the Rebellious, and all who refused to repent and bend the knee to the One God Sent to Save them. As a result, Jesus will  meet out God's Justice to all who rejected his Holy and Sacred, Intimate, and Generous Heavenly Wedding Invitation. And he will pour back on their heads all who were offended by his humble message, and abused his servants, and dishonored their LORD.

Have you ever noticed how much the Kingdom of God is based on the Number 2, patterns of Two: comparing one way, to the other way. 

• One being Blessing, Favor, Acceptance, and Grace.

• Two being Cursing, Uncleanness, Rejection, and Judgment.

The Comparisons are constant.

Sometimes it is invaluable to read the text in the context of the environment in which Jesus is Teaching.
It often was a hostile and rebellious, hateful & jealous environment.

Matthew 13:31-57 (KJV) 31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. 36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57 And they were offended in him.

Below we see what faith looks like as it conquers sin, and it conquer the world of fear, of doubt, of lies, and false worship. God takes us from where we are, to where he wants us to be, which is completely free from this world system. Timothy, a faithful student and disciple Paul, the apostle, fulfilled his mission, he fought a good fight. He ran the good race. He became a powerful mustard seed in the hand of the Lord. Bringing many out of darkness into light through the testimony, and witness of the Holy Spirit and of the Commandments of God and of the walk with Jesus in the light.

May you and I face such a holy end before we depart from this world

shalom

TPD

THE WORD OF God GROWING IN YOU -- That's the 5th Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Timothy Grew in Faith--Until he graduated from this School on Earth