Another parable Jesus used likens the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32. The mustard seed referred to here is apparently not the annual plant we likely think of immediately today, but a much larger specimen, whose seed was very small but grew very large. The combination of these provide an appropriate […]
The Old Testament prophet Isaiah in his beautiful poetic style speaks or sings a song of his beloved’s (YEHOVAH, THE LORD GOD) vineyard as an allegory of Israel and Judah (the Old Testament church), in 5:1-7. The imagery is that of a well planned and cared for vineyard gone awry. Having carefully chosen and cared […]
Love is an attribute of God the seed of which is implanted within at the New Birth. Jesus said “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” John 13:35. This love (Greek, Agape) is not just an emotional feeling that we tend to associate with love, […]
It is God’s will for His children to be filled with His joy! Jesus Himself though being “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (literally pains and sickness – took upon Himself everything sin had bequeathed on us) Isaiah 53:3, was anointed “With the oil of gladness” even above His fellowmen, Hebrews 1:9. The […]
When the Psalmist speaks of the Lord preparing a table for us in psalm 23, I believe He is thinking of all the good things God has provided for us. The moment you accept Him as your shepherd He commits to caring for you like a shepherd cares for his sheep, and He begins a […]
Growing is a phenomenon that we are all familiar with, and it includes every living thing on earth whether people, animals, or plants. As long as we live we grow! Plants and trees grow producing their fruit and beauty; even as “mature” adults we are told that cells in our body continually die off and […]
In the world of agriculture there is a window of opportunity in every harvest season in which to reap the produce; if it is missed or not availed of the harvest will be lost! It is such a scene that Jesus refers to and addresses in John 4 as He uses the agricultural harvest as […]
Isaiah prophesied in chapter 9:1-3 of a time when a great light would shine into the darkness of this world and it would spring forth out of “Galilee of the Gentiles”, which was so known because of the strong presence of foreign immigrants living in its northern part, and so it was held in contempt […]
On numerous occasions the Bible speaks of, or alludes to, seed sowing and harvest. Often, especially in the Old Testament, these are connected to promises made by God to His people concerning His blessing upon the harvest from their land. But in His wisdom and foresight there is usually an underlying spiritual concept that applies […]
God was the world’s first Gardner when He “planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed” Genesis 2:8. The garden was apparently man’s home, and it produced everything he needed to sustain him, verse 9. In turn man was also to become a Gardner with the commission […]