Category Archives: Parables

September 24, 2009 · 11:00 am

God’s Spiritual Life Cycle–Babes in Christ and What Stunts Their Growth

To fully understand the profundity of the Creator’s eternal purpose in “bringing many sons [and daughters] unto glory,” we must learn of the spiritual life cycle of God’s Spirit in us–how it grows unto full maturity.

This is a great mystery that has been “kept secret from the foundation of the world” (1).  This mystery of the growth of the Spirit within us has been carefully guarded, couched in the criptic words of the parables of the kingdom.  These are the very secrets of the kingdom of God, how He rules and reigns both in His children’s hearts and throughout the earth and universe. 

These parables are not nice little stories to make it easier for all to understand what the Master is teaching us, but to prevent interlopers from receiving it.  They are secrets, after all, and are hidden in plain sight.

Why Parables?

The disciples asked Christ why He spoke to the crowds in parables.  “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand” (2).  They may hear the words, but they won’t understand what they mean.  Those who do not have “ears to hear” will just not get it.

The Seed Is the Word

In the parables, Christ likened this spiritual growth unto a seed that grows.  He refers to a natural seed.  And He explains that this seed in His parables represents the word of God.  He said, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (3).  A seed must die in the ground; it must lose its original identity as a lonely grain of wheat, for instance.  It takes in moisture, which corresponds to the “water of the Word,” and then, as it dies, new life springs out of it, and a blade of grass rises “from the dead” and vaults out into the sunlight.

First Stage of Growth–Babes in Christ

This answers to newborn “babes in Christ,” spiritual infants, who have not matured or grown.  They are like natural children–mostly alive  for what they can receive from their parents.  A little child receives nourishment from their parents and grows.  There is nothing wrong with this, for all new children of God must receive spiritual food from God’s word in order to grow.    Truth plus study and prayer is the recipe for spiritual growth. 

The problem lies in the fact that most Christians stay in this growth as babes and children.  They do not mature, for they are fed with teachings tainted with error.  Even with much study in false doctrines, the child of God cannot grow.  “We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the crafty presentation of lies” (4).  The truth is that “certain men have crept in unnoticed,” (5) and they are teaching lies to the new Christians who are desiring to have their lives changed from darkness to light.

For we are warned of this very thing.  “There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies”.  “Many will follow their shameful ways…and in their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (6).

Thus we see that a newborn babe in Christ is in peril because of false teachers and preachers.  As disease and malnutrition stalks natural babies, false teachings and lies stunt and threaten the lives of the children of God.

So Which Are the Lies About God That Stunt the Growth of Babes in Christ?

How can we tell the false teachings from the true teachings?  Christ gave us the answer.  “By their fruits you shall know them” (7).  Look around and observe the fruits of the various ministries and denominations.  Are the people growing?  Are the flocks changing, or are they still trapped in sin and sinning?   Are the people still mostly alive for what they can receive of God, or are they unselfish?  If they are not changing and growing “up into Him,” if they are remaining selfish, desiring to be blessed and not yearning to be a channel of blessings unto others, then it is safe to say that the teachings they are fed with are tainted.    KWH  

[Subscribe to this blog http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=2424813&loc=en_US ; make a comment]

  1. Matt. 13: 35
  2. Mark 4: 11-12
  3. Luke 8: 11
  4. Eph. 4: 14 (Phillips)
  5. Jude 1: 4 (NKJV)
  6. II Peter 2: 1-3
  7. Matt. 7: 20

5 Comments

Filed under children of God, false teachers, Parables, Spiritual Life Cycle

Tagged as , , , ,

December 20, 2008 · 8:53 pm

The Parable of the Net–The Immortal Kingdom and Its Counterfeit

Parables Are Not Nice Little Stories

First, parables are not nice little stories to help us understand the things of God.   They, on the contrary, conceal hidden mysteries concerning the kingdom (government) of the Creator (Yahweh).  What this parable reveals about His governance has been “kept secret from the foundations of the world” (Matt. 13:35).  To the masses He speaks in parables so that only those who are suppose to receive the secrets will get them, leaving the others blinded (13:13-16).

“The Parable of the Net” is the seventh and last parable that Christ spoke in Matthew 13.  “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.  So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (13: 47-50).

The Key to the Parable of the Net

The key to understanding this parable and its rich secrets is found in the phrase “end of the world.”  This speaks of the demise of all the current kingdoms and governments of man as seen in the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2: 36-45).  All of man’s governments will be crushed by the “stone kingdom” which is the “kingdom of heaven” headed by the Son of man Himself, known to the world as Jesus Christ, but known to a few by His Hebrew name, Yahshua.  He is the “stone that the builders {of governments} rejected.”

His government “is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him” (Dan. 7: 27).  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom for two reasons: The King is immortal, and His children who rule with Him will be immortal as well.  That’s what the Good Book is about–the taking of His chosen ones to Immortality, the conquering of our final enemy, Death.  That’s it in a nutshell–the doing of His will and purpose.  Any other endeavor enshrouds man in pale, lifeless vanity, soon to be forgotten by the Living.

His kingdom that replaces the world system at the end of this age will be  populated by immortals–those with “eternal life” or “everlasting life” {Oh, we say those words and read and quote those scriptures that contain them, but have we really believed them?}.  He is, after all, the “God of the living and not the dead.”  They have told us about “going to heaven” but this “kingdom of heaven” headed by Christ will be established right here on earth.  There will be a few mortals who will believe this and walk with Him here.

Satan Presents the Counterfeit to the Kingdom of God

God’s designated enemy is Satan, and he knows about Yahweh’s plan to establish His kingdom in the earth.  Satan’s mission is to counterfeit it–to present to mankind alternative ways to “get to heaven,” or achieve immortality.

History is strewn with discarded teachings that promise immortality.  Almost every culture had it as its focus.  The ancient Egyptians had their mummification rituals; the Hindus their nirvana; the Aztecs their bloody human sacrifices buying  a ticket to the afterlife; the Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and on down to the promise of heaven and paradise of Christendom and Islam.

The Net Catches All Who Shoot for Immortality

So then, in the parable of the net, we see that God’s kingdom operates as a net that catches all “comers”–all who would attain immortality the lawful way and “some other way.”  We see two camps: those few in history seeking eternal life in Yahweh’s kingdom and those endeavoring to live forever by some other means.

This idea of achieving immortality is ancient and has been adrift in the “sea of mankind” since the beginning of humanity.  “Sea”  is the symbol in scripture for the masses of humanity.  The kingdom of heaven’s essence is the promise of immortality and, like a net, it has been cast out there into everyone’s heart and mind–the desire to live on.  Like a net, every one is caught with this idea in mind–the desire to live forever.

There is a time in the near future when God will deem the net to be full.  This will be the “end of the world,” or the end of life as we know it to be.  Christ will return to assume His literal throne right here on earth.  Those things that offend His little ones He will root out and destroy.  This will usher in a thousand year reign of peace and love in the earth.  No more war, no more tears, no more heartache and pain.  The Prince of Peace will send His representatives into every corner of this ravished earth, teaching all about His glorious reign (See my book here     http://yahwehisthesavior.com/epilogue1.htm ).

Funny how this very medium is called “The NET.”  This inter-Net is right on time to be used as a net to catch all kinds who would live forever, for every conceiveable philosophical thought thrives here.  Funny how the ancient parable of the net is being enacted by high tech means in these latter days.    Kenneth Wayne Hancock

2 Comments

Filed under end time prophecy, eternal life, kingdom of God, Parables, world system

Tagged as , , , ,

October 4, 2008 · 4:25 pm

The Parable of the Sower–The Secret of Spiritual Growth

     Parables conceal the mysteries of the government (kingdom) of God.  They contain things “kept secret from the foundation of the world.” 

    

     One parable, the parable of the sower, is the key that will unlock the understanding to all the parables, and that is the parable of the sower.  Know ye not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables? (Mark 4:13).  It is found in Matthew 13:1-9. 

     

          Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, Some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they  had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

          And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung  up,  and  choked them; but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty-fold. Who has ears to hear, let him hear.

 

       He mentions three levels of fruit production—thirty, sixty and one hundred fold.  Just like some plants produce more fruit than others, some true Christians will “produce” more fruit of the Spirit than others.  Some will remain “babes in Christ,” mostly concerned with what God can do for them.  Some will grow to be young men and women in God.  And some will grow up fully “into Him,” or rather He will be fully manifested in them.  All three of these fruit bearers are in His fold, in His kingdom, and yet, some will have Christ walking in them fully. 

 

     The Master goes on and explains this parable in v. 18-23.  The seed that the sower sows is the word of the kingdom, the words about God’s government that rules the human heart and also the governments of this world.  Seed by the wayside is snatched up by Satan.  Seed on stony ground can’t get rooted because of fear of what their friends and neighbors will say, so it withers.  Seed among the thorns is when this word is choked out and pushed aside by loving the riches of this present world system.  But seed into good ground is a “good and honest heart” taking in this truth, and understanding it, and bearing fruit–the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, and peace.”  These are the “good ground” who will bear fruit at different levels–30, 60, and 100 fold.

 

     We will not all remain children “tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.”  We will not all remain powerless “against the wiles of the devil.”  We will not all remain weak and powerless against sin and sinning.  Some will become the “manifested sons of God.”  Some of us will fulfill this “high calling of God in Christ.”  Some will be able to say like Paul the apostle, “It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me.”  Some will not remain in buildings with the other pretenders, who go through the motions of “going to church” instead of being the church, the very body of Christ. 

 

     Yes, some will see and believe the secret concealed in this parable and will realize that there are different  distinct levels of fruit bearing in His kingdom.  Some of his offspring will walk in His Spirit in a greater depth than others.  

 

     The apostle John writes to Christians on different fruit bearing levels in I John 2: 12-13–children, young men, and fathers.  Many other scriptures confirm this.  “First the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear…Faith, hope, and charity (agape love)…Justification, sanctification, and glorification…” and many more. 

     

     This does not set well with the politically correct.  It never has.  The same word of the kingdom is sown to all, but the growth by the “good ground” depends on how much the seed is watered by study and prayer.   

 

     Finally, as the last line of the parable of the sower says, “Who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Let those who can take this in and understand it, do so.  For some do not have “ears to hear” this parable.    Kenneth Wayne Hancock

 

     {For more on this read a chapter in my book at  http://www.yahwehisthesavior.com/yahch20.htm .  Also see

 https://immortalityroad.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/parables-conceal-the-mysteries-of-god/ for more on parables.

4 Comments

Filed under kingdom of God, Parables, princes and princesses of God, sons and daughters of God

Tagged as , , , ,

July 19, 2008 · 9:19 pm

Parable of the Mustard Seed–How God’s Government Grows

     This parable reveals the secret of how the Kingdom of God grows.  It starts out as a tiny seed of faith in the hearts of His believers and then multiplies and spreads its rule to fill the whole earth.

     Two things to remember about the parables of Yahweh.  First, they reveal hidden secrets to only those who are supposed to “get it.”  Second, they are about the “good news” that God is the King of His kingdom, and it is coming to this earth with a vengeance, literally (See post  “Parables Conceal the Mysteries of God” at https://immortalityroad.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/parables-conceal-the-mysteries-of-god/ ).

     And this parable is how it grows into planetary dominance.  “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 becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof” (Matt. 13:31-32).

     The key to understanding this parable is found in another statement by Christ about a mustard seed.  “If you have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove” (Matt. 17:20).  Here He links “faith” to a mustard seed.  The literal seed is small, and our faith/belief is small at first, also.

   Here’s the breakdown:

  1. A man took mustard seed and sowed it into his field = Christ placed the word, the seed of faith-in-His-resurrection into our hearts which is in our earth-ly bodies.  “The field” = the world (Mt. 13:38).  So now God’s children have His faith in them and they “are in the world, but not of the world.”
  2. The mustard seed grows = our tiny little belief in Christ grows.  Our testimonies win others and help others know Him.  More people are born of His Spirit and enter His spiritual kingdom.
  3. And the mustard seed grows into a tree = The children of the kingdom of God grow into a strong entity, governed by His Spirit.
  4. And the tree filled the whole earth = Here the kingdom of God, who is a Spirit living in our hearts, will grow and grow until someday soon Christ will literally return and set up the throne of His father David in the earth.
  5. And the birds of the air shall lodge in its branches = These birds are the worldly goat nations who will not have fully accepted Christ as their King.  The prophets speak of a time during the 1000 year reign of Christ when nations who do not give honor unto the King will have their rain withheld until they learn to humble themselves in His presence.

     When Christ returns to His true followers, He will set up rule through them over the whole earth.  All the prophecies point to it.  This kingdom is the gospel proclaimed by Christ and His prophets throughout the ages.  This is the stone kingdom “not cut out with man’s hands” that shall smash all of man’s corrupt governments.

     His kingdom starts with a new spirit and new heart that He gives to those who willingly allow their old self to die with Christ (see http://www.yahwehisthesavior.com/sonsintro.htm “Our Old Nature Must Die on the Cross”). 

“The kingdom of God is within you” because His Spirit now abides in His children and governs them.  When we receive Him in our heart, the Kingdom of God comes to earth!  His Spirit in us is the “seed beginning” of His earth-wide rule and reign.

Yes, it is small now, like a grain of mustard seed.  Christ is that seed growing in us, growing into a mighty kingdom wherein dwells righteousness.   Kenneth Wayne Hancock

3 Comments

Filed under faith, kingdom of God, Parables

Tagged as , , , ,

May 13, 2008 · 12:54 am

Parable of the Tares in the Field–Children of the Wicked One

Evil has a face–a human face.  Evil has arms and legs, but above all, a cunning mind and a devious heart.

Some faces of evil are obvious.  Those of Hitler, Stalin, Saddam Hussein and other tyrannical butchers come to mind.  But it’s the faces of evil that you pass on the street or see in restaurants or that sit in locked board rooms–those are the ones we must beware of.

And, oh, how our spiritual forefathers warned us of these evil ones.  The apostles and prophets and our Savior Himself warned us of them.

Who are they?  They are called the children of the devil,  “the children of the wicked one,” “false teachers, false prophets,” and rich men “heaping treasure together for the last days” (James 5:3), among many other names.

They are the “tares” in the “Parable of the Tares in the Field.”  We must remember that parables contain the mysteries of God.  Parables are used purposefully to teach God’s elect while hiding those same secrets from the multitudes.

Reading “The Parable of the Tares of the Field” (Matthew 13: 24-30, 37-44) is like viewing the true spiritual history of man through the eye of a satellite camera.  In it we see a landowner (the Son of man) who sows good seed (the children of the kingdom) in his field (the world).  But an enemy (the devil) came and sowed tares (the children of the wicked one) along side the good seed.

The servants notice the tares coming up with the wheat and asks the owner if they should pull up the tares.  He says to let them both grow together until the harvest (the end of the world), so that the good seed won’t get uprooted along with the tares.

And so the harvest comes and the reapers (the angels) put in the sickle.  The wheat (the children of God) are separated from the “children of the wicked one.”  The latter are then taken and destroyed.  The children of the Kingdom inherit all things with their Father.

Point: the wicked one has children; they are in our midst.  Some are common sociopaths without a conscience.  Others are more subtle, working diligently with other rich men for a “one world government.”  They are paving the way for the Anti-Christ to take over the New World Order.  They cry “peace, peace, when there is no peace.”

Peter warns of them in II Peter 2, saying that “while they promise the people liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption” (v. 19).  Jude devotes his whole letter as a warning to be aware of these “children of the wicked one.”  Moses wrote of these who give their hearts and souls to Satan as the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15).  Christ told the Pharisees, “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44).

From Genesis to Revelation, they are there.  We must beware of them because evil strides the earth today.  And evil has a face–a human face.  KWH

15 Comments

Filed under children of God, end time prophecy, Parables, princes and princesses of God, sons and daughters of God

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,