Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee
A very rich man decided that he wanted to show kindness to the people of the fair city where he lived. Since he was very rich indeed, he decided to throw a banquet for the entire city. He rented the largest sports arena in the city and began his plans. He planned for huge amounts of the best food possible, making allowances for every religious and medical diet. He advertised the banquet in every possible manner - television, radio, billboard, door-to-door canvassing. Considering that there might be some who could not travel, he arranged for free bus transportation to and from the event, and some special-needs vehicles for all who could not ride busses. He even scheduled the banquet to run for 24 hours a day for several days so that everyone could be sure of being served.
He planned long and hard and finally the big day came. The rich man ate quickly and then went about wishing all his guests well and personally making sure that all had every need met. After a while he went outside to tour the grounds and talk with those who had not yet gone in, and those who had already left. Everyone was happy. Many were profusely thankful. It was a glorious occasion.
At one point the rich man noticed a group of people sitting outside a locked door with most unpleasant looks on their faces. Sensing they were not happy, he went over to them. He did not introduce himself but simply asked them if he could be of service.
"We want to go in through this door," one of them replied.
The rich man explained to them that the hall was arranged to feed a large number of people as quickly and effortlessly as possible. This required order inside, and the entrances and exits had been carefully planned to be as efficient as possible. He then offered to go call one of the golf carts that were avaialbe to help people who could not walk far to take them to the entrance. But the man replied, "We do not want to go in the entrance. We want to go in this door. We don't understand why we can't go in any door we wish. We think the man who set this banquet up is mean and hateful for insisting we go in through the entrance. He has tried to bill himself as a very kind man by offering this banquet, but he is not kind at all if he will not indulge us and let us go through this door.
The rich man was distressed at these words, but still attempted to please these people. He tried once more to explain to them what was behind this particular door, and how if they went in this door they would disrupt the meal service being offered inside. He offered to drive them himself, not only to the door, but inside the hall to their tables if they would only go through the entrance to enjoy the meal. Again the man said, "No, but only a hateful man would keep us from going through the door of our choosing. And we will sit here and tell anyone who will listen to us what an awful man he is until he lets us in."
At that the rich man was enraged and he shouted, "Enough." Then he called a police officer to have them thrown off of the property and ordered that they not be allowed to return until the banquet was over and all the scraps had been hauled away. Then, mourning for their loss, he turned to visit with other guests.
Mark 4
33. With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.
34. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.Mark 4
9. Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
10. When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
11. He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
12. so that, "`they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!' "
13. Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?Matthew 13
34. Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
35. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."
36. Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field."Matthew 15
15. Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
16. "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them.Matthew 21:45
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them.Mark 4:30
Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?Luke 8:9
His disciples asked him what this parable meant.Luke 12:41
Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"Luke 19:11
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
Thats not possible, unless you think you can prove otherwise by using Scripture and.....(I'll try)Galatians 31. You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.Galatians 3:26-27
26. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,
27. for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 5:1-4
1. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.
3. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
4. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.Colossians 1:21-23
21. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation--
23. if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.Colossians 2:6-8
6. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
7. rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.1 Timothy 4:16
16. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.1 Timothy 6:3-5
3. If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
4. he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions
5. and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.2 Timothy 2:12
12. if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;Hebrews 2:1-3
1. We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
2. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
3. how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.Hebrews 3:6
6. But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.Hebrews 3:14
14. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.Hebrews 6:4-6
4. It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
5. who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,
6. if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.Hebrews 10:38-39
38. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
39. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.James 5:19-20
19. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back,
20. remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.2 Peter 1:10-11
10. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
11. and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.2 Peter 2:20
20. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.1 John 2:24
24. See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.Revelation 2:5
5. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Revelation 221. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2. down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
3. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
Belief in and worship of something proven is knowledge, not belief.
The One who has been to both has told us they both exist. What more do you need?
Shalom.
In this case, it was a quote from the One who built Heaven.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Shalom.
Hi, Mom. Are you asserting that it is?
Shalom.
Christians argue on some interesting, and I will agree, trivial details. But they agree on the basics. And, while they are actually sitting at the banquet, they seem to be uninterested in those arguments because the food is so good.
Don't let their silly arguments impact you. Come to the table.
Shalom.
I don't get it. What's Club 54.
Shalom.
Well, you don't know what's on my mind unless I tell you.
I've got a Dr. appointment and have to leave in a few minutes. I'm concerned about the need to reach everyone on this thread with an open heart but not miss my appointment. I'm thinking about how this thread got up to 450 replies while I slept and how will I possibly keep up. I'm praying to G-d to take it over.
There, now I've told you and you can claim to know what's on my mind.
Now, go read a Bible.
Shalom.
I am really surprised. I can think of a few possibilities. Either you didn't look in the right place, or you looked hoping not to find, or you intentionally looked in the wrong place, or you were looking for the wrong person to answer and didn't see who was at the door.
In the first place, G-d knocks. You don't knock. But you can seek. You may need a guide, but if you open your heart to His knock then He will guide you.
I don't know you so I can't know your experience. In my experience everyone who answers as you do intentionally knocked on the wrong door so they could claim it was G-d's fault. He really isn't that hard to find. After all, I found Him and I'm not at all special.
Shalom.
Maybe you were looking for the door for the wrong reason. Maybe you were looking for a restroom and didn't see a restroom clearly marked so you figured there was no restroom.
Christianity doesn't merely offer "fire insurance" to keep you from Hell. Christianity offers you a relationship with G-d. The relationship is so intimate and personal that the only example of it in our world is the relationship of a loving husband and wife. It's not about getting to Heaven after you die. It's about being with G-d forever, starting now. It's about loving G-d and being loved by G-d and becoming all that you were created to be.
As far as I know, Jesus is the only one who has made that possible. Is that something you would want?
Shalom.
Ah... yes.
Calling those who wish to discuss the issue in good faith "swine".
Suggesting that they are infected with a malaise.
That'll help bring 'em closer to god.
This was the popular approach in many evangelical churches for decades. A denial of the really important aspects of Biblical salvation (after all, repentance has never been popular!) in a quest for numbers. Preachers attending conferences and boasting of how many decisions and how many baptisms they had in their churches the past week, month, year.
However, those of us who come of late onto the scene find that none of those they got to decide and few of those they baptized are anywhere to be found today. Church rolls full of the names of those who haven't darkened the door of any church for decades. As a Baptist, I am chagrined whenever we receive a request for a "letter of recommendation" from a sister church for someone I don't even know (and I have pastored the same church for over 12 years!). I take these requests to business meeting, and ask if anyone, anyone at all, knows who this person is. I have yet to have anyone come up with something more concrete than a maybe. As a result, I send a letter to the requesting church telling them that we are glad they are ministering to this person now, and that we will be removing them from our roll (if we can find them at all). A Letter of Recommendation? How do you grant a "recommendation" in cases like this?
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