Saturday Scripture Study with Bibi: Purpose of the Parables

Hello, everyone! The summer flew by, as it always does, But, I'm so happy to be back here with you! Over the break we decided to change things up just a little bit. I approached Eve and the ministry team about doing a series of Bible studies. I was already writing the Saturday blog entry anyway, and have taught bible study classes. Praise the Lord, they gave me the green light to go ahead. Yay!

Needless to say, I am thrilled to no end at being able to go through these studies with y'all. I sure hope that you find them as inspiring, enriching, and Spirit-filled as I do. Believe me when I say that it is truly my great pleasure to share them with you.

Before we begin our study, let's pray: God, you have made the heavens and the earth. You have revealed your beauty in creation and inspired the book that we are now about to study. Please help us now as we read together. Take us deeper into understanding more about you and your love for us. Amen.

An Introduction:

The parables of Jesus are among the greatest and most picturesque lessons in all of his earthly ministry. Keep in mind that the intent (purpose) of the parables is always just beneath the surface of the story. Also, please don't be overwhelmed with you see on the surface.

The parables were used to hide deeper knowledge from those unprepared for it. While they became confused, and lost in the surface of the teaching, true disciples could dig deeper and learn better how to walk with Christ.
                                                      ___________________________

Let's begin our first study (Lesson 1) by examining the nature of parables. The Bible like any other piece of literature, uses a number of figures of speech, including allegories and metaphors. But, the most striking figure used is the parable, because it teaches such deep and timeless lessons.

A parable is not a fable, like those made famous by Aesop (e.g. The Tortoise and the Hare). The fable is primarily an earthly lesson. On the other hand, the parable seeks to teach a heavenly and spiritual truth. Nor is a parable a myth, like the Greek stories touching the unexplained. A parable occupies a much higher realm than these.

The Greek word for our parable is "paraballo," a compound of two very vivid words. The first part is "para-" which means beside, or alongside. The second part is -ballo, which means to throw. Therefore, to teach by parable is literally "to throw a lesson alongside" the true object of the doctrine. The teacher illustrates this by describing that.

In his great work, "Notes on the Parables of Our Lord," R.C. Trench says, "Each one of the parables is like a casket, itself of exquisite workmanship, but in which jewels richer than itself are laid up; or like fruit, which however lovely to look upon, is yet more delectable in its inner sweetness" (page 15). The disciple that sits at the feet of Jesus, then or now, is curious and hungry to open that casket or peel that fruit to reveal the rich and sweet treasure somewhat hidden within.

Of course, that brings up an important question as well. Why did Jesus use parables in the first place? Why not just reveal everything plainly and without hyperbole, or exaggeration? Thankfully, the Lord answers our question himself. Matthew 13 is a chapter brimming with parables and right smack in the middle of them, he explains there worth (Matthew 13:10-13).

Certainly people had already rejected Jesus with considering the evidence from their hearts. As he goes to say, they were the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy concerning a dull-hearted people whose spiritual lethargy had rendered them unable to learn and unconcerned about ignorance. Because of this malaise, people like the scribes and Pharisees could not see Jesus nor understand his truths.

The central focus of most parables was like the kingdom that the Messiah was establishing. He wanted his disciples to know what it would be like. Most misunderstood the nature of the coming kingdom, thinking it to be a physical realm headquartered in Jerusalem with the Messiah on its golden throne.

In fact, Jesus was talking about a spiritual kingdom, not of this world, one composed of all races and not just one. His kingdom was established on the first Pentecost after his resurrection and he was seated upon its throne in Heaven (Acts 2:29-33). That kingdom is the church. Most of the parables have to do with the church that Jesus said he would build after Peter's confession in Matthew 16:18.

In studying the parables, you have to remember to look deeper than the surface for its true lesson. For instance, the parable of laborers in the vineyard is not about wage equity but God's mercy (Matthew 20:1-16). But, you should also keep in  mind that not every detail in a parable will be significant; some will be incidental.

Questions:

1. What is the difference between a fable and a parable?
2. What is the Greek word for parable and what does it mean?
3. How is a parable like a beautiful casket, or a tantalizing piece of fruit?
4. What should this teach us about studying parables?
5. From what kind of hearts was Jesus obscuring his teaching in parables?
6. What is the central focus of most of Jesus' parables?
7.What was the general misunderstanding about this focused thing?
8. Was Jesus able to establish this objective before he was crucified or did he fail?
9. In the study of parables, which is most important: the surface story on earthly matters or the hidden lesson on spiritual concerns?
10. Is the parable of the prodigal son about a farmer raising two boys out in the country or something deeper? If something deeper, what is it? (Luke 15:11-32)
11. Who does the father in that parable represent? Who does the prodigal son represent?

Until next time...

May your week be blessed!

Bibi

Reborn Again

Reborn: having new or stronger religious beliefs, regenerated or revived. -(Miriam-Webster Dictionary)





(After Ted implores the citizens of Thneedville to change their ways, the town agrees to plant a seed and start anew. - from The Lorax)

Nicodemus came to Jesus sometime in middle of the night. Was possessed him to do this? Was it because it was also a dark night in his soul? Maybe, sometime in the quiet of the night, when a person has time to really think deeply about such things; he'd begun to question what he had been taught since childhood.

What if his religion wasn't working for him anymore? He longed for a deeper and warmer relationship with God. He had heard about Jesus and had respect for him. Now, upon seeing Jesus in the shadows of the oil lamps, he addressed him as rabbi--no mean title for a Jew.

What Jesus shared with Nicodemus seemed impossible. "You must be born again." (John 3:7) How can this even be possible? Can a man return to his mother's womb and be reborn? "No," says Jesus, "you must be reborn in the spirit." Nicodemus went off into the dark night, and we never here from him again. Unfortunately, even today, it is easy for people to turn away from these words.

We might say things like: "I'm a church member, why should I be reborn?" "I'm already giving my time and money to the church; why should I the idea of spiritual rebirth a second thought?" Let me suggest what being spiritually reborn can involve. I hope that when we know the promise and the joy of Jesus' invitation we won't turn away from it.

The beginning of a new spiritual life is realized in those moments when you say to yourself: "I give up. I can't fix this relationship on my own. I can't fix my life without help. I need a source of power and strength outside of myself." Maybe a sense of guilt is gripping you. Maybe a feeling of failure is beating you down. Maybe you feel that others don't value you, respect you, or love you. Maybe your self-esteem is shot. Maybe you're doubting beliefs that you've held all of your life.

Wherever your life is crumbling is the right point to say, "God, I give up. You take charge of my life.

Dear friends, the new birth Jesus promises you is not a passing, fleeting moment. I am telling you that dramatic conversions may happen in the climate of emotion. People say that a heavy load has been lifted from their shoulders. But, this isn't the end of it. Conversion that goes the center of our very being and makes us do a complete turnabout is a matter of commitment. And, commitment is a commitment of the will.

Emotion may or may not figure in the experience. However, the important thing is not what you feel, but what you commit yourself to. Therefore, do you need to be reborn again? We all do. The point of conversion comes when you begin to say: "I can't do it alone. I need God's help." And the test of the genuineness of your religious experience is your lasting commitment to him.

Scripture: John 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 22:16; Acts 2:38

Prayer: Dear Lord, thou hast promised to regenerate us by water and the Holy Spirit and hast given us forgiveness of all our sins: strengthen us, we beseech thee, with the Holy Spirit, our comforter, and daily increase in us thy manifold gifts of grace. Amen

-special thanks to R.Ralph Nichols

May God bless you always!

Amy Lynn

Our Daily Struggle...With Sin

"If you’re struggling with habitual sin...welcome to being human and a Christian."   -Jed Brewer, Mission USA

What does it mean to "struggle" with something? The word "struggle" means to "fight against"; it means to "strive not to give in". It doesn't mean or imply that the one who is struggling is on the losing side of the struggle. And yet, many "Christians" when they say that they are struggling with sin they mean that they are committing sin(s) even while trying not to.

They mean that they have struggled and then they were defeated by sin. And so perhaps the word "defeated" rather than "struggling" more accurately describes such people. Sadly, many people accept such "struggling" (actually defeat) as a way of life. They have not truly struggled so hard that they have suffered any great deal striving with all their might not to give in to temptations (Hebrews 12:4).

Look, here's the deal. We probably experience the same frustrations on a daily basis. We rise in the morning and repeat to ourselves, “Today, I’m going to do better. Today, I’m not going to let Satan get the best of me. I’m going to serve the Lord and follow his will for my life.” And then what happens? We fall into the same pit that we fell into the day before.

We let our minds wander to places they shouldn't be wandering. We utter harsh, bitter, and unkind words. We treat others in an unloving way that doesn't at all reflect the love of our Savior. We put our own wants, desires, and interests ahead of God's will. Every day we give in to temptation and fall into sin. It’s both frustrating, and sad. Believe me, I know!

This daily struggle with sin can bring any number of questions or even doubts into our minds “Am I a good Christian? If I can’t even do what God wants me to do for just one day, can I really claim to be one of Jesus’ followers? Maybe my faith isn't strong enough. Maybe I’m just not good enough to be saved.”

The apostle Paul himself struggled with the above questions. Yes, that's right. Paul, the mighty apostle, the one who wrote over half the New Testament, the one who traveled to the ends of the earth proclaiming the gospel, the one who endured floggings, beatings, imprisonment, and shipwreck, and even gave up his life all for the sake of Christ.

Listen, I don’t think anyone in their right mind would call Paul a lesser Christian. And yet, even while wrestling with with his own concerns what does he say? “I have desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  The evil that I do not want to do, this I keep on doing.  What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:18-19,24) This isn't Paul talking about the days before his conversion when he was a Pharisee and a persecutor of the church. This is Paul, the seasoned apostle, talking about his daily struggle with sin.

So, how do you address these questions and doubts? Does the fact that you struggle with sin somehow mean that you are less of a Christian? Does it mean that if you were really a good follower of Christ you wouldn't have all these problems with temptation and sin? Now, I'm not saying that a Christian won't struggle with temptation. Certainly, we might suffer or struggle, and it might be difficult. But, we can overcome.

Remember, even Jesus suffered when he was tempted (Hebrews 2:18). When a Christian is tempted, he must make sure that he is fully submitted to God and resist the temptation; the devil will then flee (James 4:7). For we are promised that not temptation will be too difficult for us because God himself will make a way for us to stand up under every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Do you recall the Garden of Gethsemane?

Additionally, don't believe the lie that because you struggle you are in sin. It's not true! Struggling against sin doesn't mean that you are displeasing God. Struggling against sin is one of the main evidences that you hate sin. Christians do struggle with sin...and then get the victory through faith. So, struggle and be victorious through the glorious power of our great and mighty God.

A wholehearted Christian is someone who struggles against sin and then gains the victory through Christ who gives him strength. One last thing, keep in mind that God has an impossibly high ability to forgive us. Which is good, because we have an impossibly high ability to sin. And isn't that exactly what the Bible says? “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20)

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Peter 5:9; Ephesians 6:13

Prayer: Lord Jesus, grant that I may see in you the fulfillment of all my need, and may turn from every false satisfaction to feed on you, the true and living bread. Enable me to lay aside the sin that clings so closely, and run with perseverance the race set before me, looking to you, the pioneer and perfecter of my faith. Amen.

May God bless you!

Sarah

Video - Beth Moore: The Past vs. The Future

In this message, Beth Moore explores how we can fool ourselves about our present situation by clinging to the past.  Enjoy!  ~Eve

Why Read the Word of God?

"I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible." -Dwight L. Moody

A recent study (2013) by a Christian research organization shows that most churchgoers do not read or study the Bible on a daily basis. Doug Birdsall, president of American Bible Society, said he sees a reason for why the Bible isn't connecting with people.

Birdsall said. "People realize the Bible has values that would help us in our spiritual health, but they just don't read it." If they do read it, the majority (57 percent) only read their Bibles four times a year or less. Only 26 percent of Americans said they read their Bible on a regular basis (four or more times a week).

It is said that when the famous missionary, Dr. David Livingstone, started his trek across Africa he had 73 books in 3 packs, weighing 180 pounds. After the party had gone 300 miles, Livingstone was obliged to throw away some of the books because of the fatigue of those carrying his baggage. As he continued on his journey his library grew less and less, until he had but one book left--his Bible!

We know we should read and study the Word of God, but we also know this does not always happen in our daily living. We can look at it this way. Our spiritual lives are often like our physical lives. For example, we know we're supposed to read and study the Bible, just like we also know that we're supposed to eat right, get plenty of exercise, get plenty of sleep, brush and floss our teeth, etc.

Similarly, when it comes to reading the Bible, we have lots of reasons to put it off until later – or never. Maybe we don’t read the Bible because we're intimidated by it. After all, it’s such a big, big book. How could anyone ever hope to read through it? We shouldn't be afraid of the Bible, or intimidated by it. We should delight in it. We should savor it. We should study it and memorize it and carry the word with us throughout our lives.

Or perhaps, we read the Bible is because we think that the Bible is too confusing. We're are afraid that we won’t be able to understand it. Seriously? There are plenty of books out there that are difficult, or confusing to read, and yet we read them anyway. When I come to parts I don’t understand, that doesn't mean I turn my back on the whole Word of God.

Honestly, there are many things in the Bible that I don’t understand, but by and large, I’m able to grasp most of it. It's not a good excuse to say, “I don’t read the Bible because I don’t understand it.” If you find parts of it confusing, then just start with what you can understand. Simple as that.

Another reason for not reading and studying the Bible might be because you think, "The Bible is not relevant to my life." I can assure you that you're not alone in this. A lot of people look at the Bible that way. They say, "Things have changed. We live in a world so different from when the Bible was written – how could it possibly be relevant?"

This couldn't be further from the truth. We live in an age of fear about weapons of mass destruction. And yet, we read in the Bible prophecies that describe weapons much like we have today (Zechariah 14:12). We live in an age of terrorists who attack the innocent (Ezekiel 7:25). We live in an age of anxiety and stress (1  Peter 5:7). And these are only a few examples found in the Bible! The Bible is always relevant to our lives.

Here's another reason people don’t read the Bible -- The Bible is full of contradictions. Whenever I hear this, It's usually said this way: “Everyone knows… the Bible is full of contradictions.”  Now, I have to admit that there are parts of the Bible that are poetic. In other words, they weren't meant to be taken literally.

When Jesus preached, he often used parables, and not many scholars believe those stories were literally true – they were stories Jesus told to illustrate a spiritual truth. However, there truly is a unity in the Bible. It's not the contradictory literature that some people expect to find. If we're going to be followers of Christ, if we're going to be His disciples, if we're going to commit our lives to God, then we have to listen for the Word of God.

The 19th century Christian evangelist, George Muller, put it this way. "It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray.

Do you read the Bible like you should? If not, what’s your excuse?

Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:11; Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 3:1-2; Psalm 119:18

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for all you have done for me. You do so much and yet I still ask for more. Please forgive me and guide me to be appreciative for what I have and what is truly important.

-Special thanks to Dr. Maynard Pittendreigh

May God bless you!

Jorja

By His Grace!

"As we paid nothing for God’s eternal love and nothing for the Son of His love, and nothing for His Spirit and our grace and faith, and nothing for our eternal rest...What an astonishing thought it will be to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings and our receivings. O, how free was all this love, and how free is this enjoyed glory...So then let “Deserved” be written on the floor of hell but on the door of heaven and life, “The Free Gift.”  -Source Unknown

The grace of God is the reason why every member of the God's "forever family" can and should live the Christian, or sanctified life. Christ's grace gift of Himself impels us to live a life dedicated to Him. You might ask, "Why?"  Allow me to share what Scripture says about our true condition...

1. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)
2. "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
3. "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)
4. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
5. "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;" (Isaiah 64:6)

Now, let's examine what these verses are saying to us...

FIRST: We must all plead guilty! Every accountable person has sinned. This means you and I! We can never demand entrance into heaven because we are somehow good enough. Even the very best of us is without merit in God's sight!
SECOND: Our sins have alienated us from God! By our transgressions, we lose that precious relationship
with God. We experience "spiritual" death, or separation from God; which if left unchecked, will result in eternal separation from God. Also, while in this state of "spiritual" death, we are dead to God; our prayers are not heard (cf. 1 Peter 3:12)
THIRD: As sinners, we cannot accomplish the removal of our guilt on our own! This means that we can't run away from this guilt, nor can we work our way out of this guilt.

So don't be self-deceived by notions of our own goodness. We are all sinners in need of salvation!

In closing, turn to Titus 2: 11-15. There we find the actions that one takes when he is striving to give himself to Christ as God requires in His Word. By the grace that is the believer's through his salvation, every man can purify and adorn himself as God requires.

The power to live as a Christian comes from the Holy Spirit. Because Christ died and rescued us from sin, we are free from sin's control. God graciously gives us the power and understanding to live according to His will and to do good. When we do, we look forward to Christ's wonderful return with eager expectation and hope.

Scripture: Romans 11:6; James 4:6; Hebrews 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:10; John 1:16;

Prayer: Dear Lord, our time on earth is short. Please help me realize that it's not the amount of time, but the quality of the time I spend that counts. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Gwen

We Have Returned!

Hello, to all of our faithful blog followers. It's great to be back with you! The Summer of 2014 was both busy and fulfilling for all of us here at The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry. I hope that you all had a very enjoyable summer, as well.

We are looking forward to help spread the Gospel, and share our love of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ with all of you. Amen! I'd also like to take a second, or two and thank the wonderful contributors, support staff, and ministry team who help make all of this work. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "We are truly blessed here at the CHBM!"

As always, I thank you for checking in and spending part of your busy day with us. I'd like send us off on our new journey together with a passage from Scripture that pretty much sums everything up for us. We appreciate your patience in waiting for our return, and may God always bless you!

~Eve

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6)