Seed Growing Secretly. The parable of the Growing Seed or the Seed Growing Secretly has an important lesson to teach us. Mark alone records this wonderful story (Mark 4:26-29). In it, Jesus specifically says what seems to be true of all the parables, namely, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.” God’s reignContinue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 2”
Tag Archives: Kingdom
Parables of the Kingdom 1
Sower and Soils. In the Scriptures, God had said he was going to intervene and bring about better times and had referred to setting up a kingdom. The Jews had read those words and were looking forward to their fulfillment. In the first century they were expecting God’s kingdom to come (Mark 15:43; Luke 17:20;Continue reading “Parables of the Kingdom 1”
How Jesus Changed the World 4
His Balanced Ministry. There are different ways one might sum up the ministry of Jesus, but it is certainly worth noticing Matthew’s inspired summary: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). Before you proceed, I invite you to read thatContinue reading “How Jesus Changed the World 4”
How Jesus Changed the World 3
His Focus on the Kingdom of God Before we consider some specific aspects of how Jesus changed the world, it is important for us to notice that the general way he did so was by establishing and growing the kingdom of God. The Old Testament gives some important background for this emphasis. In several passagesContinue reading “How Jesus Changed the World 3”
Being a Citizen
Independence Day, 2021. In spite of all the problems in our country, I am thankful to be an American. The problems discourage me, but never to the point that I want to move to Iraq or China. In Jeremiah 29:7 Jeremiah tells the people to “seek the welfare” of their city and “pray forContinue reading “Being a Citizen”
Great Commissions 5
Acts. In Acts 1:1-8, Luke gives us another account of Jesus’ final commission to the twelve. Here we find three important foundation stones before the actual commission (in v. 8). The first foundation stone is that, after his suffering and death, Jesus presented himself to the apostles and gave many convincing proofs that he reallyContinue reading “Great Commissions 5”
The Story of God’s Kingdom 12
The Eternal Kingdom. We could trace the idea of kingdom all the way back to the beginning, because God himself has always been king (Psalm 47). During the Old Testament, for a while, he also exerted his reign through the kings of Israel (Psalm 2). But it seems to me that the kingdom proper unfoldsContinue reading “The Story of God’s Kingdom 12”
The Story of God’s Kingdom 11
Where are the Better Days? In the first post of this series, we noted the Old Testament prophecies that say better days are coming. God promised he would intervene and bring deliverance, mercy, forgiveness, and peace. He would pour out his Spirit on all who submit to him and would bring about fear of theContinue reading “The Story of God’s Kingdom 11”
The Story of God’s Kingdom 10
Living a Life Worthy of the King. We cannot enter the eternal kingdom unless we live a life worthy of the King. Some of us will be bothered by that statement because of the way we have come to think about God’s mercy and grace. Yet Scripture emphasizes both God’s grace and obedience. Let’s beginContinue reading “The Story of God’s Kingdom 10”
The Story of God’s Kingdom 4
WDJS? How would you describe what the kingdom of God is like? What do the people you know say about it? Scripture shows that it is really easy to misunderstand the nature of God’s kingship. We’ve noticed that Jesus began his ministry with an announcement that God’s kingdom was at hand and then later,Continue reading “The Story of God’s Kingdom 4”
Empowering Subjects 