The Parables of My Life: Wheat or Weeds

The Parables of My Life:  Wheat or Tares

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 13:  24-30: Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 

He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Matthew 13: 36-43

Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

We come into God's Kingdom when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  When we make Him our Lord, we allow Him to rule over us by being obedient to His word.  In our obedience, His glory and honor are apparent.  The Church is the Kingdom of God manifested on earth.”

When I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord, my heart became a field of the Master’s.  The enemy of my soul had already planted seeds of doubt, fear and deception in the field of my heart.  The Holy Spirit then planted seeds from the Word of God..  As both seeds grow, I often cannot distinguish between the wheat and the weeds. 

Until the harvest.  The harvest comes forth every time the fruit of my decisions, thoughts and behaviors develops. If the fruit does not bring glory to God, it is from the seeds planted by the enemy.  The root of that must be destroyed in order to make room for spiritual fruit.   If the fruit is beneficial to the Kingdom of God, it is the fruit of godly seed.

Galatians 5 speaks about the harvest.  Galatians 5:19-26 (NKJV)
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

It is my responsibility to tend to my own field and to cast the tares, whenever their fruit is apparent, into the purifying fire of sanctification.  The more tares I cast into the fire, the more my inheritance in the Kingdom can grow and produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life.  In the Kingdom of God, it is harvest time daily.

The Parables of My Life: Investing in the Kingdom

The Parables of My Life:  Investing in the Kingdom

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 25:14-30 (MSG)   "The Kingdom of God also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left.
“Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.
"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them.
The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment.
His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'

 "The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'
 "The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error.
I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest. Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness (obscurity).”

God has placed in our lives the currency of the Kingdom.  We have natural abilities, spiritual gifts, physical strength, the mind of Christ, and even material possessions that are to be invested in the Kingdom.  The currency of the Kingdom cannot be compared to the currency of the world system.  In the Kingdom, each unit, whether it is spiritual, emotion, physical or material is of equal value and has equal impact in the kingdom.

It is with a worldly mindset that we often place unequal value on the currency of the Kingdom.  Each person is of equal value to the Lord.  Acts 10:34 (NKJV): “Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.” 

Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)  “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

No matter our age, no matter our gender, no matter anything, because of Jesus, we have currency to invest in the Kingdom of God.  In the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we are to seek ways to invest our currency in His work.  We may go to a church to hear a great preacher, but if the restrooms are not clean and serviceable, if the walks are not cleared of snow and ice, and if we do not feel welcomed, we might not come back.  One gift supports another in the God’s realm. 

Fear of criticism may cause us to hesitate in taking the risk of service.  We must be certain that we are serving under the call of the Holy Spirit, then, in spite of what others may say, our gift will make room for us. (Proverbs 18:16.)

We are to minster where and when God has called us to minister.  That ministry may not look like what we had pictured.  Several years ago, I found myself in the Philippians, in 100+ heat, dripping with perspiration, waiting for a heavy metal, head banging Christian band to finish performing before I spoke.   That was not the mental picture I had when prophets had spoken over me that I would go to the nations.  However, God was in the house.  People received Christ; people were healed, Bible studies were established; churches grew.  It was exciting, exhilarating, better than anything I could think of or imagine.  

Nor did I imagine that I would someday write a blog that would be read by people all over the world.  I stand amazed that I can sit in my office, write about my heart for God and go to the nations via technology.  It is exciting, exhilarating, better than anything I could think of or imagine.

God’s Kingdom will go forth.  If we do not invest what God has given us to invest, He will give it to someone else and we will miss the blessing.  What’s in your spiritual wallet?

The Parables of My Life: Laborers in the Vineyard

The Parables of My Life: Laborers in the Vineyard

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Many of the parables of Jesus are about the Kingdom of Heaven.  Because Jesus often referred to the Kingdom, we do well to ask, “What is this Kingdom?”

The Kingdom is God’s rule or reign.  We come into that Kingdom when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  When we make Him our Lord, we allow Him to rule over us by being obedient to His word.  In our obedience, His glory and honor are apparent. The Church is the Kingdom of God manifested on earth. 

When we pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,” we are praying for the world to see and understand the power, glory, love and awesomeness of God in our lives.  In that way, our very lives become a story of overcoming and living victoriously in covenant with God. 

The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard teaches us that the Kingdom of God is not ruled in the same manner as the kingdoms of this world. (John 18:36).

Matthew 20:1-16 (NKJV)
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'
They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'
 So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.'  And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'
But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?' “

As Christians, we are laborers in His vineyard, in His Kingdom.  Some accept Him early in life, others at noon in our life’s journey, still others in the evening.  No matter when we step into the Kingdom, we are called to serve the King without greed or selfishness. 

As laborers in the vineyard, we are to be diligent in whatever time we may have left.  We should be comforted in the knowledge that God is no respecter of persons and the wages are the same for each of us.  

Our wages are gifts from our Heavenly King.  We all have received spiritual gifts.  We find descriptions of our spiritual gifts in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4.  The purpose of the gifts is to fulfill the work that the Lord has called us to do.  All gifts are equally valid and necessary in the Kingdom.   It is in a worldly mindset that we place higher status on some gifts rather than on others and on some people rather than others.

One theme of the parable is God’s mercy and grace poured out on each of us, His children.  His mercy and grace abound freely for all who believe.  We need only to respect and receive what the Lord has for us as individuals. 

   

Heavenly Father, I covenant with You in making my life a parable of Your mercy and grace.  In that mercy and grace, please guide me in recognizing the Kingdom value of each of Your children.  I am both humbled and honored that You have gifted and equipped me to service in Your courts.  I seek to value the gifts and equipping of others as well.  Oh, Lord, my heart’s cry is to be a conduit of Your Kingdom come, Your will being done on earth as it is in heaven.    Amen.

The Parables of My Life – Part 1

The Parables of My Life – Part 1

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 13:3 And He spoke many things unto them in parables. 

A parable is a short story designed to teach a moral truth.  Almost everything we read and/or experience contains a moral truth.  Hamlet is a tragedy because the main character brought about His own downfall.  Likewise, we can learn many lessons from Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit. 

The stories of our lives are parables as well.  Events in our lives are orchestrated by God to teach us moral truths. While the lessons derived from the stories of our lives are for each of us personally as well as for the Kingdom of God at large. When we share, it is to teach others the moral truths we have learned, to share the nuggets that the Holy Spirit has brought forward in our lives. 

 

When Jesus spoke of parables, He said,  “blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear” (Matthew 13:16-17 NKJV).

What can we “see” and “hear” in the parables of our lives?

• transformation of our thoughts:

 Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
^“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 

• deeper truths:  When our thinking is transformed, we can come to a greater understanding of trials, temptations, and our continuing walk with the Lord as we come to see His majesty, goodness and love and know that His majesty, goodness and love are directed toward His children. 

• better choices:  The knowledge of His love and provision will lead us, like it led the prodigal son to climb out of the pig sty of the world and into the arms of our Heavenly Father.

What can we learn the nature of God as He works in our lives?

• Mercy and Grace

• Holiness

• Faithfulness

• Kingdom

• Judgment:  God looks at the heart.  He does not judge as the world judges.

What can we learn about the nature of man?

We often make tragic and terrible mistakes by:

• Not accepting God's kind invitation

• Not hearing and doing God's word

• Failing to see the sin in ourselves

The first step in learning from the parables of our lives is to accept His kind invitation.

The Roman Road to Salvation

Romans 3:23  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.“

Sin is choosing less than what God desires for us. It is “missing the mark”.  We cannot overcome sin until our minds have been transformed in the knowledge that God has more for us than we have dreamed or imagined (Ephesians 3:20).   When we come to know the “more” of God, we will no longer settle for the “less” of the world.

Romans 6:23a  "...The wages of sin is death..."

Sin results in death.  We all face physical death, which is a result of sin.  A worse death is when we see our dreams, hopes and expectations vanish as a result of decisions that we have made and misplaced ideals. An even worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity.  

Romans 6:23b  "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Salvation is a free gift from God to you!  You can't earn this gift, but you must reach out and receive it.

Romans 5:8,  "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!“

Jesus died on the cross and paid sin's penalty. He released us from sin and eternal death. The only condition is that we believe in Him and what He has done for us. 

Romans 10:9,10  "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting  in salvation."  

“Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.” ---Elvina Hall

Let’s, each of us, begin this new year by receiving the gift of salvation or by rededicating our lives to the One who so desires relationship with us that He gave Himself for us.

Our parables are all about relationship with God, with ourselves and with others.   

What does God want to teach you through your life events?