The Parables 11/10-19/21

10-19 November 2021 - Manna from Dorothy & Tony Callies

Theme: Prophecy on Parables

 Psalm 78:2 “I will open my mouth in a parable …” This is from Old Testament King David, the prophet prophesied that ‘the future Messiah’ will tell lots of stories to the people. Parable means compared from earthly stories to heavenly stories.

             It happened already in the New Testament from Matthew 13:34-35 “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them: That it might be fulfilled (happened already) which was spoken by the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables …” In NCV, This is as the prophet said: “I will speak using stories …”

            Translate: Jesus told many, many parables. He wanted to show them what heaven was like so He compared earthly stories to heavenly stories. Jesus knew that people loves stories. Jesus knew that people would listen to the stories that are usually easier to remember to pass them on to others.

            Here is one example of Parables that I like very much to share. This kind of parable was used to compare what happened to God’s Word that was preached to four kinds of people and how they handle God’s Word who received them.

            The Parable of the Sower are four types of soil how the grounds respond to the seeds that are thrown to the grounds: Hard ground, stony ground, thorny ground, and good ground. Jesus compared the seeds that was thrown to the grounds are God’s Word that was being preached to the people who heard the words. People who heard the Word are like the ground. There are four types of people who received the Word of God.

            **Hard ground, the seeds were thrown on the ground, but the birds picked up the seeds.  This compare to a person who heard God’s Word preached to them, but soon they forget because the devil stole the seeds from their hearts.

            **Stony ground, the seeds were thrown into the ground, but it did not go deep enough. The seeds grew fast to become the stalks, and the sun burned it up. This compare to the person who heard God’s Word into their hearts with joy, but when they were persecuted and troubles came, they gave up easily because God’s Word did not take a deeper root in himself to become stronger.

            **Thorny ground, the seeds went into the ground and the plants grew, but the thorns also grew and choked out the plants. This compare to a person who heard God’s Word in their hearts, but the care of this world and being deceit to become wealthy, these choked the Word and he wasn’t successful spiritually.

            **Good ground, the seeds thrown into the grounds and it grew well and multiplied greatly. This compare to a person who received God’s Word into his heart, and understands it and his spiritually fruit grew and God blessed him greatly.

            Jesus used this parable to show us that people have a choice what to do with themselves when they heard God’s Word. Jesus gave us this parable to prove how important for us to study God’s Word into our hearts so our lives would be multiplied with God’s blessings. This parable of Sower enlightened my inner spirit that the Bible study is so very important to understand God’s Word that lead to our spiritual growth.

            The conclusion of Manna that O.T. prophesied on parables and introduced the N.T. fulfillment that Jesus gave many parables. There is a purpose in each parable that Jesus had given that applied to different situations. It means there’s an answer in each parable for us to find it by studying them. So what more could I say except God bless you?

 Dorothy

Crown of Thorns 11/9/21

 02-09 November 2021 – Manna by Dorothy & Tony Callies

Theme: Nine a.m. & 3 p.m. and Crown of Thorns

             “The Old Testament priests had two daily sacrifices, one in the morning at 9 a.m. and the other in the evening at 3 p.m. Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m., and He died at 3 p.m., thus fulfilling the type of both the morning and evening sacrifices. At the time of the evening sacrifice, all of God’s judgment had fallen on the body of Jesus. The floods of God’s judgment were ended by the sacrifice of Christ. (Written by Joseph Prince’s devotional books) 

            Dorothy: I was impressed with the Old Testament’s type of lambs sacrificed at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. as a daily reminder that Christ would be a sacrificed Lamb of God. John the Baptist quoted, “Behold the Lamb of God” and he must have known about the lamb sacrificed was a type of Christ as a Lamb of God. So I searched the Scriptures from NCV and it touched my heart to realize the Old Testament’s daily lambs sacrificed as a prediction of future Calvary of Christ. In the New Testament, it was fulfilled from reading the selective verses from NCV:

            Mark 15:25 “It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified Jesus.”  Matthew 27:45, 46a “At noon the whole country became dark, and the darkness lasted for three hours. About three o’clock Jesus cried out …” John 19:30 “… “It is finished.” Then He bowed his head and died.”

Song: A Crown of Thorns

A rugged cross, became His throne.

His kingdom was in hearts alone.

He wrote His love in crimson red,

And wore the thorns upon His head.

(Iran Stanphill, Melodies of Praise)

             Dorothy: To me that was the most powerful fulfillment in the New Testament when you know about the Old Testament daily sacrificed lambs that reminded the children of Israel about the coming of Christ. John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ and told two disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” They followed Jesus and stayed with Him until Andrew realized who Jesus was. Andrew ran to find Peter and said, “We have found the Messiah!”

            The Samaritan woman at the well said, “I know that Messiah comes, which is called Christ ...” This shows me that Andrew and the Samaritan woman knows about Christ’s coming. How? Through daily sacrificed lambs, they knew Christ is coming and both of them discovered Christ as the “Lamb of God.” This just made me want to worship Him.

            This short Manna is powerful thought “daily sacrificed lambs.” No wonder, Jesus offered to disciples a communion, bread and juice to “do this in remembrance of Me.”  His broken body and His shed (flow from cut) blood for our salvation and for our healings.

Song: Look to the Lamb of God

Are you weary, does the way seem long?

Look to the Lamb of God;

His love will cheer and fill your heart with song,

Look to the Lamb of God.

Chorus: Look to the Lamb of God,

Look to the Lamb of God,

For He alone is able to save you;

Look to the Lamb of God.

[James M. Black, Melodies of Praise]

God bless you,

Dorothy