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He taxes too much. If you vote for him you’ll be homeless. If you vote for the other one, your children will starve. But if you vote for the first guy, they’ll lose all their education and become stupid rejects, begging for day-old scraps behind the ghetto bakery. But the other guy will take your job. And the other one will tax your new raise so you actually come home with $5 less every week. One of them will date your mom. The other will shut down her nursing home. One will have dinner with terrorists at Arby’s while the other just sends him a check at Christmas, even though they don’t celebrate Christmas.

Here’s what I’m saying: There are bigger issues than whose face is on the front page. Every day 6000 kids are killed by mid-term or later abortion. They refuse to allow Bibles in schools, so Christian parents teach home school, allowing their children to learn math and moral values at the same time. While the schools are taking a massive dump when it comes to value and ethics and crime and teaching self-worth, the state of California just outlawed Christians from their God-given right to teach their own kids. Now they have to send them to the cesspool of a school that will teach anti-creation science, thereby infringing on the rights of students to practice their own religion freely (but don’t worry, they won’t attack Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, pagans, wiccans, Scientologists, etc. Just the Christians.)

Let’s see, what else? Lets talk about gay marriage. I’m all for gays to have the right to choose their lifestyle- its their choice. (Just like my kids schooling used to be.) But I’m not for the whole gay-marriage thing. Sure, they can practice it, but that doesn’t really make it a marriage. I know, I know, they’ve redefined what “marriage” is, but it used to be a union before God between a man and a woman. Since most homosexuals don’t believe in or care for God, they can’t really have a union before Him that He will honor. But, what they hey, they ignored my right to practice my faith (only if it’s from the Christian Bible) by ignoring the 1^st amendment, why not ignore the other principals too.

So who is going to do what to help me out? Am I personally going to benefit from either party being elected? Maybe, but probably not. There aren’t a whole lot of things that are going to actually make a difference in the way I daily live my life. I could be wrong, but here’s how I look at it:

If one side is accused of overtaxing and the other of allowing abortions, I will sacrifice a couple bucks, even a couple hundred, per year to vote for the sanctity of life.

If one side is accused of sending jobs overseas and the other of limiting free speech, I’m probably going to have to go for free speech. There will always be a need for jobs on the US. They may not be the best, but we have too many people not to need a ton of jobs. We also have a lot of politicians going after free speech, even though the ones attacked are the churches and the right. Hmm.

If one side wants to build a thousand mile fence at the borders and the other wants to let gays marry, I will go for the fence. Those guys are great climbers and if they can get in through, over or under a military fence, then they deserve to stay. For those that can’t, they can still come here, but have to go through the legal process. Meanwhile, I stand up for what I believe regarding gay marriage. I’m not anti-gay, but I’m not pro-gay. I’m just ok-gay; they can do their thing, but I don’t want tax dollars going toward something I find immoral.

Bottom line, I can’t do anything about the politicians. But, then again, I will probably never have to answer to them. I will, however, have to answer to God. I will stand before Him and be able to say that I voted for the things and the principles that are on His side, His Law, and His eternal purpose. I will say that I stood up for hundreds of thousands of innocent children and supported their right to life. I will say that I voted against the activity that led to His destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, the activities that He calls an abomination. I will be able to say that I stood up for His Word, His teaching, for the right to exhibit by faith, to speak freely the gospel. I will say, “Jesus, I stood up for you.”

What do you stand for?

Previously, we looked into how Jesus' works left the people with a sense of awe and wonder. But now, we turn to a different aspect in Mark's gospel that elicited the same responses, namely, Jesus' teachings. Not only did things such as casting out demons, healing the deaf, and walking on the water prove to be actions that left the onlookers with eyes wide open and jaws dropping, but also his teachings were so earth-shattering that the same emotions tended to be evoked. Of course, it is easy to rouse ourselves to regain the right attitude of amazement before the Son of God as he overcomes this world through miraculous events due to their extraordinary nature, but how much more so should we labor to find Jesus' words just as outstanding and powerful? I think that if we fail to do so, then we are missing the full thrust and importance of just exactly what Christ is saying as a result of his Incarnation and ministry on the earth.

At the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, the people were captivated by his words. Although we are not told specifically what Jesus was saying here in the instance in Capernaum, Mark tells us in Mark 1:22, "And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes." I can't help but look back a few paragraphs to 1:14-15 in order to find a reference point for the content of his teaching. The "gospel of God" which Jesus was proclaiming was one of repentance and belief. However, we must not skim over the fact that he was also announcing that "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." But with regards to his authority, which obviously startled the audience, Jesus' teaching carries with it a weight that most likely hasn't been heard for centuries, notwithstanding John the Baptist.

In his classic commentary on the Gospel of Mark (thanks for humbly passing over this one Bret so I could buy it for $2), William Lane observes, "

Jesus' word, presented with a sovereign authority which permitted neither debate nor theoretical reflection, confronted the congregation with the absolute claim of God upon their whole person. Jesus' teaching recalled the categorical demand of the prophets rather than scribal tradition (72).

Unlike the teaching of the scribes, Lane says the difference in authority was "in view of not merely the power to decide, but to compel decision (72)." This is all the more clear, especially with reference to how Mark begins his gospel, that is, under a very prophetic tone. I won't go into much detail here because it isn't necessarily related to the topic of this post, but notice how he immediately enlists the prophecy of Isaiah to set up the fulfillment of John's ministry, and then how he quickly transitions into the beginning of Jesus' ministry as the fulfillment of both the OT prophets and John's preparatory service, as well as the divine affirmation of God and the Holy Spirit. Lest we forget the relationship of Jesus' wilderness experience to prophetic ministry, he also returns proclaiming the standard prophetic message in fullness: Repent! This message coupled with his divine authority as the true Messiah and only Son of God without a doubt would have been an astonishing combination for the Jews of the first century.

But why isn't it so for us? Are we located in a place really that far off from the ones who were standing in the presence of Jesus that day? Perhaps in some ways. But we must not forget that the relevance and significance of Jesus' teaching, even here at the very beginning of the Gospel of Mark, is universal, not only local. The inagauration of the kingdom of God and the appearnce of the long-expected Christ has eternal ramifications for all of creation, and that includes 21st century readers. So when we read that Jesus has come, proclaiming the gospel of God with the authority of God, I pray that we will learn to devote undivided attention to his words, and come to understand the great cosmic implication that God in the flesh is standing among men, teaching.

Stay on the lookout for Part IV where I will investigate other examples of Jesus' teaching in Mark's gospel that produced a remarkable response from his hearers.

Our customers all over Sweden deserve free access to quality wine and we will take this argument further. I will send Lars G. Nordström, the new Managing Director of Posten a letter and see what other avenues of appeal we have to open up their ombud delivery network to wine lovers in this long and wonderful country.

Cheers: Mark Majzner

The Departed (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407887/

Regi: Martin Scorsese

Manus: William Monahan

Med: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson og Alec Baldwin.

Spilletid: 151 min

Dette er da den andre og øverste filmen av Martin Scorsese. Som sagt i forrige innlegg er han en av favorittregissørene mine. Generelt sett er Goodfellas og Taxi Driver regnet som de to beste filmene hans (henholdsvis 15. og 38. plass på top 250), og selv om begge disse er solide 9/10-filmer etter min mening, er det altså The Departed og Raging Bull som er mine favoritter.

The Departed har litt av et stjernelag på skuespillersiden, med litt eldre storheter som Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Shining), Sheen (Apocalypse Now) og Baldwin (Glengarry Glen Ross), i tillegg til de yngre som DiCaprio (Blood Diamond, The Aviator), Damon (Good Will Hunting, The Bourne Identity) og Wahlberg (Boogie Nights).

The Departed handler om to unge menn i Boston's politiopplæring. Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) kommer fra dårlige kår, og blir valgt ut til å gå inn undercover. Politiet vil få has på Frank Costello (Nicholson), lederen av den irske mafiaen. Det de ikke vet, er at Colin Sullivan (Damon) også nettopp har blitt politimann, og hans lojalitet ligger hos Costello. Når så Sullivan blir satt opp til å lede gruppen som skal fange ham selv, og Costello ber han om å finne ut hvem muldvarpen i gjengen hans er, er det duket for forvirring og dobbeltspill med livet som innsats.

Først bør det vel nevnes at filmen er en remake av en trilogi fra Hong Kong, med navnet Infernal Affairs (den første). Den har en skare av fans som er rasende over den nye, dårlige versjonen. Jeg har sett begge to, og Infernal Affairs er en god film, men rett og slett ikke i nærheten av så bra som The Departed. Sånn ser i alle fall jeg det.

Scorsese er jo en mester innen sjangeren, og dette er toppen av kransekaka. En fantastisk historie, som aldri slutter å være spennende gjennom 2,5 time, som i tillegg har en slutt som slår pusten ut av deg. Det er vel kanskje slutten som har fått en del kritikk blant de som ikke liker filmen, men for meg fungerte det så det suste, og jeg syntes det var veldig passende i forhold til resten av filmen.

Skuespillet er det absolutt ingenting å si på. Absolutt en av Wahlbergs beste roller, og Nicholson passer utrolig godt som mafiasjef. Men de aller beste prestasjonen syns jeg DiCaprio gjør. Han tar virkelig steget inn som en kvalitetsskuespiller med denne filmen her.

Masse stilige kameraføringer, og ikke bare tradisjonelt. Er blandt annet noen kjappe kjøringer under dialogscener, som egentlig ikke er vanlig, men det brukes bra her. Apropos dialog, så er jo manuset glimrende. Føles veldig naturlig, men er samtidig "krydret" med allslags utrolig morsomme replikker, ofte levert av Wahlbergs karakter.

The Departed var den beste filmen jeg så på kino i 2006, og jeg så den i tillegg to ganger. Jeg er rimelig sikker på at dette kommer til å forbli en klassiker langt fram i tid. Den vant fire Oscar; Beste film, Beste regi, Beste klipp og Beste manus basert på annet materiale. Fire av de aller beste prisene å få, med andre ord. I tillegg ble Wahlberg nominert til Beste mannlige birolle, men vant ikke. På IMDb har den en rating på 8.5/10 med 187 156 stemme, og den er dermed på 45. plass på top 250.

Se trailer:

Få sett denne filmen, den er steinbra. Nei, bedre enn stein. Har du sett den? Legg igjen din egen lille tanke om den i en kommentar!

-Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.

The last mentioned of the Fruit of the Spirit, self control is the one most people would probably prefer to leave out. It can often be the hardest to practice, and it encompasses all the preceding Fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps that is why it was mentioned last; to leave it afresh in your mind. We know that a lack of SELF-CONTROL has a detrimental effect on us, but it also affects our relationships; those we come into contact with.

~Proverbs 25:28- Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

Without self-control in our lives, we become vulnerable to all kinds of problems. Anything out of CONTROL in your life can harm others and cause damage in relationships. Including (but not limited to):

-Uncontrolled anger

-Uncontrolled lust

-Uncontrolled spending (The #1 cause for divorce is financial stress & money problems)

-Uncontrolled drinking

-Uncontrolled ambition (The workaholic who’s never at home with the family)

-Uncontrolled tongue

~How do we obtain self-control? Here are 9 key ways that will help in maintaining your self-control:

1) Master your moods- Keep you attitude in check, do what’s right even when you don’t feel like it; live by commitment, not by emotions

2) Watch your words-Put your mind in gear before you talk.

-Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

3) Restrain your reaction- How much can you take before you lose your cool?

-Proverbs 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

4) Stick to the plan- If you don’t determine how your time is spent, others will; Remember though, we are to follow God’s will & His plan 1^st. Have control enough to be in it.

-Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

5) Manage your money- learn to live on less than you make; invest the rest. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go, instead of wondering where it went.

-Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.

6) Maintain your health- (to the best of your ability) Thus, you can accomplish more & enjoy your achievements.

-Psalm 38:3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

7) Avert your eyes- This one’s tough. You can’t control everything you see, but you can control how much you look at it

-Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (I’m pretty sure the same standard applies to ladies looking at men; sorry, you’re not off the hook)

8) Don’t allow anger to bring sin- like it plainly says in Ephesians 4:26, "In your anger do not sin" God let us know that we will get angry, but we must release the pressure before the top blows, no matter how we’ve been wronged.

-1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

9) Know when to “Cork the Bottle”- The Bible doesn’t specifically say that we can never drink, but it’s clear that we are not to get drunk.

-Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

~Now, where do you need self-control?

 Discipline today will help you determine success tomorrow. We must realize that we cannot accomplish this on our own, but we need Holy Help.

-2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

The key to self-control, is giving up control to God. With Him in the driver’s seat, you’re sure to get where you need to be. The more our progression, the further He’ll take us.

-Matthew 25:23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

 There is tremendous potential to be used in positive ways that honor Christ. In reality, we are still subject to sin and death. Although we are not totally evil ourselves, we are still susceptible to weakness & fleshy desires. Our body can be used for good if the flesh is not in control.

-Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship..

~How can we be living sacrifices?

-Self-discipline isn’t in our nature. Spirit-Control, not self-control, makes the difference. The Holy Spirit can control the things I can’t. Ask God to help you, through the Holy Spirit, to help you do right in His eyes.

-Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

-Open the door to let the Holy Spirit fill you, and close the door of flesh to Satan by confessing sin & claiming Christ’s crucifixion.

-Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

-Renew your mind with God’s word

-Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

-Allow the Holy Spirit to help you master your emotions (with the fruit of the Spirit); Present yourself as an instrument of righteousness.

  -Romans 6:12-13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

  -Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, & strength.

 -Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

-The key to self-control is surrendering control. Surrender your control to God; allow Him to move in your life. Who better to run your life, than the One who made your life?

“Fruit of the Spirit- Self-Control” Bible Study prepared by Justin Lessard. Email: ferventservant1@hotmail.com

Web: http://justinlessard.wordpress.com & http://www.myspace.com/justinlessard

If you wish to use this study, all I ask is that you leave the credit info lines, including the name, email, & web address, above.

and this little stegall stayed home...

ERGO...

this here conversation...

Jeff McMillan version of Kraftwerk's album Trans Europe Express. 

A group of artists were given known album covers to use as their canvas's .. and go wild!

HERE's what they came up with. You can also find out for about the exhibition HERE at Gallery 1988. 

Below is Mark Brown's version of Nirvana's Nevermind.

Yes, it's on a napkin! LOL Mark and I went out to Winger's up in Rexburg that night to celebrate "love day" and he forgot to buy me a card. I went to the bathroom and when I got back I found this sitting in front of me:) I thought it was very funny and sweet, even though he did forget to BUY me a card. I think this "card" was more thoughtful!

I love my husband and even though he's not perfect I cherish the thoughts behind his actions:)

Mark 11:20-25 -- 20  As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.  23  Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.  24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."  -- ESV

Peter was truly astonished when they passed the fig tree a second time and found it completely dead.  They had heard Jesus' prediction about the temple not having one stone left standing and they understood the fig tree represented Israel and now the reality was setting in for them as they saw a tree full of leaves and life die over night.  Jesus did not explain the parable because it was painfully clear to all.  Instead, He sought to encourage them by reminding them the answer is prayer.  It is not the temple that people need, it is God Himself and He is found through prayer.  What an important reminder for us today.  It is not the church that people need, it is God and He is found through prayer.   Neither the temple or the church can save anyone, it is only through faith in Christ that people must be saved.

There are some simple but profound lessons to be learned from Jesus' teaching on prayer here.  Through prayer, God promises to remove huge obstacles from our path.  It is not the strength of our prayers but our faith in His strength that matters.  How big is our God?  How much in control is our God?  Can He really do what we ask of Him?  If we Know God and Know His word, we will know His will and when we pray according to His will, we should pray with the faith that He will most certainly answer our prayers and therefore we should live our lives based on that reality.

Finally, Jesus is reminding us that one of the greatest barriers to effective prayer is unforgiveness.  Remember, that right after Jesus taught His disciples the Lord's prayer He reminded them about the importance of forgiveness.  We must never underestimate the destructiveness of an unforgiving heart.  It will destroy us and those we love and all that we desire to do for God.

Therefore, let us forgive as we have been forgiven and pray in faith for God to move the mountains that are in our way and preventing us from spreading the good new of eternal life found in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Galations 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.

-------

Gentleness is described as: compassionate, delicate, sensitive, merciful.

Exhortations to be gentle-

~2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

~Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men.

~James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.

~Acts 24:4 But‑‑not to be tedious‑‑I beg you, with your accustomed fairness, to listen to a brief statement of our case.

-Why do you think wisdom is 1^st pure, then peaceable, gentle,...(James 3:17)?

-Why might listening to the gospel be “tedious”?

-We are to be gentle toward unbelievers, not to force them into an uncomfortable obligation, not to be rude, or too forward, but with sensitivity of the Spirit, discern the need delicately, tactfully, and explain to them that Christ is the Answer.

~1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 ...nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

~2 Corinthians 10:1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ‑‑I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away!–

-Why is it important not to be self-seeking or a “glory-hound” in our evangelism?

-Why might Paul have been more timid in the presence of the Corinthians, and bold when away?

~Galations 6:1 Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted.

~1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

-We are also to be gentle toward other believers, as well; our brothers and sisters in Christ. As such we are called to greater peace. (Hebrews12:14 Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord; Romans 12: 18 If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.) If an issue arises, talk about it, carefully, and not too hastily. We are permitted to anger, but it should be “known not shown”. ( Eph 4:26 Be angry but do not sin;..) If the issue is regarding them, how might Jesus Himself talk to the person, knowing the importance of the problem better than we would? (In short, W.W.J.D.?) If we shout “Repent or DIE!!” or “Stop screwing up all the time!”, we will get a poor response more often than not.

~Ecclesiastes 10:4 If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don't leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.

~1 Corinthians 4:20-21For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

-These verses show us that these are spiritual battles.

-What place should we not leave? (Eccl. 10:4)

-What power is there in the spirit of gentleness?

~James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.

~Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Gentleness of the Lord

~2 Samuel 22:36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.

~Psalm 18:35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.

~Isaiah 40:11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

-Is this verse literally talking about sheep? What does it mean by “carry them in his bosom”?

~Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

-What is an easy yolk to you?

-What can we learn from Christ about gentleness?

-How can gentleness give us rest?

-What can YOU be gentler with/ about?

“Fruit of the Spirit- Gentleness” Bible Study prepared by Justin Lessard. Email: ferventservant1@hotmail.com

Web: http://justinlessard.wordpress.com & http://www.myspace.com/justinlessard

If you wish to use this study, all I ask is that you leave the credit info lines, including the name, email, & web address, above.

In Mark he mentions the fact that a Simon comes along and helps Christ with the cross, even mentions who he's related to, while Matthew just mentions Simon. Mark's audience would have known the sons of Simon, while the Jews may have known, but they didn't really care. Matthew focuses later in that same chapter (27 if any of you want to follow along) about the prophicies that were integral to the Jewish custom, while Mark (chapter 15) continues onward through the narrative without that information.

If you are an over acheiver you can see those differenes in all of the text, Matthew validating chrish through the prophicies and Mark just putting down the basics of the story... it's interesting to see what one puts down for their audience... makes me wonder what my audiences are looking for when they read this, because I have not been writing for any sort of audence while I am writing here... maybe I should look into that...

Christ begins another parable.  Notice again that the Kingdom of God is the subject, not the church.  The Kingdom of God is synonymous with the Government of God, and speaks of the time when God will rule the earth.  This is another parable that is meant to teach us about the way things will be in that time.

This parable starts off again with a man scattering seed on the ground.  We should not confuse this parable with the previous one, however.  Just because, in that parable, the sower was one who taught the message of the kingdom and the seed was the word of the kingdom, this does not mean that that is what these things stand for in this parable.  To just assume that this is so is to invite confusion.

27.  “And should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

This speaks of how the Kingdom, as it comes into the earth, will grow miraculously.  None will be sure how exactly this is accomplished by God, but all will see the results as His government spreads and takes control of more and more of the earth.

28.  “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

This sets forth how the Kingdom will come in.  First it comes in by itself.  This has the idea of automatically.  It does not mean that it does not have a cause, but rather that its cause is not from us.  This is an important truth to understand about the Kingdom that is not grasped by the post-millenialists.  The Kingdom is not something that we will bring in, but rather is something that can only be accomplished by God! 

Next, He reveals that it does not come in all at once, as some seem to think it does.  Its entrance is here likened to growing grain.  First comes the blade stage.  At this stage the grain is hardly recognizable as what it is, and one could mistake it for some other plant.  The same was true of the kingdom immediately after Christ’s resurrection.  Though His triumph over death ushered in the Kingdom, no one could yet recognize it for what it was.  For forty days it was hidden in the hearts of His followers who had seen Him after He had risen.

Second comes the head stage of the grain.  Now the grain can be recognized as what it is, but it is not yet ripe and ready to provide its crop.  The same was true in the Kingdom in the time from the miracle on Pentecost through Paul’s trip to Rome at the end of the book of Acts.  The Kingdom was now openly manifested through all the miraculous works of the apostles, yet it was not yet ripe for its takeover of the earth.  God was still calling out a special company of believers to serve as rulers in His Kingdom, and the actual takeover of the earth had to wait until that purpose was accomplished.

The full grain in the head is when the head has finally developed into grain.  The grain may not be ready for harvest yet, but it is there, and every day it improves in quality.  This is the yet future time when God will swiftly take control of the entire earth through His government.  The people who are destined to rule will be raised from the dead, and the people of the earth will become subject to the mighty power of God.  Once the Kingdom is at last present in all the earth it begins its great work of transforming what was once the wicked world in which we live into a world in which righteousness will reign forever.

29.  “But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The grain finally ripens.  This is when God completes His Kingdom work and is ready to test His crop.  Now the people on the earth have learned of all the wonder and glory of God, and it yet remains to see whether or not they will follow Him with their whole hearts now that they truly know Him, or whether they will revolt as Satan himself did in spite of his intimate knowledge of God.

The sickle is put in at the harvest, dividing the wheat from the chaff.  This occurs in what we call the Great Tribulation, when all the people on the earth are tested to see if their hearts are right before God or not.  Once all the rebels are purged away, the earth is ready for Christ’s return at last.

30.  Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?

This verse reminds me of Genesis 1:26a, where God says, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.”  Christ seems here to be doing much the same thing.  He seems to be talking to Himself in the plural, and yet we realize that what is happening here could be described as Christ’s side of a conversation between Himself and the other two members of the Trinity.  He asks them to what they should liken the kingdom of God, and with what parable they should picture it.  Of course, He knew the answer, and He gives it in the next verse.  Yet this verse emphasizes for us the fact that these words were not just Christ’s alone, but also those of Him Who sent Him, to Whom He appeals to here, and those of the Spirit Which was His as well.

31.  “It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;

This parable again describes the Kingdom of God, as Christ said above, and not the church or anything else we might imagine.  The Kingdom here is described as a mustard seed.  The mustard seed is the tiniest of seeds that was planted at that time.  If you held one in your hand, it would appear to be little more than a speck.
 
32.  “But when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

This mustard seed grows unnaturally large, greater than all herbs, so that birds of the air nest in its branches.  This is not how a mustard seed usually grows at all, but rather usually forms a very modest-sized plant.  It would certainly not be bigger than any other plant, as this seed becomes!  In the same way, the Kingdom of God will become greater than all governments that have ever been before it, far exceeding the expectations that men have for it based on their experience with the governments of men.  The birds of the air come and nest in the shade produced by this huge, unnatural mustard tree.  The birds of the air symbolize kings and nations, who, when the Kingdom grows in its supernatural manner, find it to be a great place of protection for all who put their trust in it.

33.  And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.

“Them” here is again the people, not the group of closer disciples that He gave the explanation of the parable of the sower to in verses 13-23.  It seems that verses 10-23 were sort of a parenthesis in His teaching to the crowd at the sea, placed there so that the explanation of the parable of the sower would be right there with the parable itself.

34.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

This message proves that the “them” in verse 33 to whom He spoke these two later parables meant the people, not the group of followers He spoke to in verses 13-23.  From now on the Lord’s message to the people was hidden in parables.  The message was not hidden for the disciples, however, in whom He confided all.

35.  On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

On the same day that He taught these things to the people, He commanded His disciples that they should cross over to the other side of the sea.  He was in charge, and He had a plan from God that He was following in everywhere He went, every move He made, and every thing He said.

36.  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

They leave the multitude, carrying Christ over the sea in the same boat from which He had taught the people earlier in the chapter.  They are not alone in crossing the sea, however, for we read that there were other little boats that were with Him also.

37.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

A storm arises due to a great wind, and the waves beat into the boat and start to fill it.  This is the incident of the storm at sea that is also recorded in Luke 8:22-25.  Note, however, that this is not the same incident as that recorded in Matthew 8:23-27, for that took place long before this particular day on which Christ told the parable of the sower, which in Matthew doesn’t take place until chapter 12.  In Matthew, the storm was caused by an earthquake, not a windstorm.  Also, in Matthew they were in a decked boat, whereas here they were in an open boat that the waves were filling.  These two events, although similar, are not the same.  It is likely that both incidents may have been caused by the power of Satan, and have been attempts to destroy the Lord and bring an end to His teaching.

38.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

The Lord was unconcerned by these events, so much so that He was actually sleeping through them!  Perhaps He was worn out from a long day of teaching.  His head was not on a pillow, as the New King James has here.  This was actually a wooden seat with a leather seat cover that He was using for a pillow.  The disciples were serving Him here by handling the boat for Him.  Unlike Him, they are troubled by the storm, however, and they wake Him.  No doubt they were in distress because of the severity of the storm and fatigued by their desperate efforts to battle it, and these things caused them to accuse the Lord, as if He did not care that they were in such difficulty.  Of course, they were exaggerating, as they were not perishing yet, and yet they clearly believed because of the violence of the storm that they were in serious danger of being slain.

39.  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

The wind and sea, probably at Satan’s instigation, were not acting as they should, and so they earn a rebuke from the Lord.  At His command, the wind ceases and there is a great calm.  This great miracle of our Lord’s was the most positive proof of the power of Jesus Christ as Creator to bend nature to His will. 

40.  But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?”

Having rebuked the storm, He now turns to and rebukes the disciples.  These men, for all the miracles they had seen, and even though they had seen Him calm a storm before as we saw in Matthew 8, still lacked faith, and the Lord rebuked them for this.

Notice that in this instance He rebuked the wind and the sea first and then the disciples, whereas in the Matthew account He rebuked the disciples first and then the sea.  No doubt in this case the storm was even greater and more terrible, reflecting perhaps the growing wrath of Satan at his inability to stop the Lord’s ministry (or else that he was now getting practice at causing storms!) and so the Lord had to deal with the storm first and then His disciples.  In the earlier storm in Matthew, however, the danger was less, and so He could rebuke the disciples first before the sea.

41.  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

They are in great fear (or great reverence) of Him because of this.  Who, they wondered, could make even the wind and the sea obey Him?  Of course, no man could, but only the One Who was God Himself!

Our Lord’s popularity continues, as the crowds flock to hear Him.  He is again teaching by the sea, and He has to cast off in a ship to keep from being overwhelmed.  This would be the Sea of Galilee. He had taught by this sea before (3:7-9,) and had a ship standing by to cast off in lest the crowd should throng Him.  Now He does indeed cast off and teaches them while sitting in the boat on the sea.

2.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

From Matthew 13:10, we learn that this was an unusual thing for Him to resort to parables in His teaching, for His disciples come to Him and are surprised that He is doing so.  He will repeat this policy of teaching in parables many other times during His ministry.  We read that He taught them many things by His parables.  It is clear that we don’t have all of them recorded for us here.  Yet what we do have next is a very interesting parable to consider.
 
3.  “Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.

This parable is usually called the Parable of the Sower.  It occurs here, in Matthew 13:3-9, and in Luke 8:4-8.  Notice, though, that while Matthew records the same account as is given here, that Luke actually records a different situation in which He spoke the same parable.  That is a privilege that traveling preachers have: they are often able to repeat things they have said to one group of people in one place to another group of people in another place.  I have made use of this myself quite a few times.  Thus, we can understand that the Lord spoke this parable at least twice (and perhaps many more times!) and Luke records a different one of those times than that recorded here and in Matthew.

4.  “And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

The picture is of a sower scattering seed.  This is what we used to call “broadcasting” in English, although since the advent of radio this word has almost been totally taken over by that practice, and no longer is associated with the scattering of seed.  Then we see as he scatters the seed that not all of it falls into the soil for which it was intended.  Some falls on the wayside.  The idea here is a pathway bordering his field.  The ground there is hard, having been trampled and packed down by many feet, and so the seed is open and exposed to the air for the birds to come and eat.

5.  “Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

This seed falls beyond the borders of the field unto ground that is rocky.  The thin layer of soil supports the seed enough, however, for it to immediately begin sprouting.

6.  “But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.

The seed on the rocks quickly dies when the sun comes out, for it has no depth for its roots to go down into to find life-sustaining water.

7.  “And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

This seed falls out of the field into ground not weeded.  This soil might be good if it was maintained, but as it was not, but rather was outside the borders of the field, the weeds grow there.  Thus, although this seed does grow, the weeds take away from it the nourishment that it needs to be healthy, and it is suffocated and yields no fruit.

8.  “But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

This seed falls where the sower intended it to fall: on the good ground prepared for it.  Thus, it springs up and yields its crop.  Yet some of the seed yields a better crop than others.

9.  And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

This is a figure of speech, and, by solemnly calling on people to hear (which means to consider and accept) what has been said, it gives these words a most solemn emphasis.  This is an important parable, and those who heard needed to give due heed to it.

10. But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

These men sought the interpretation of the parable, and we should as well.  Notice how carefully this is worded.  It was these men who were “around Him with the twelve” who asked Him about the interpretation of the parable.  In Luke 8:9, however, it was the twelve who asked Him the meaning of the parable.  Thus, we can conclude that the parable was first told as recorded in Luke 8, and that this telling of it is a second, later telling.  This is confirmed by the fact that, in Luke, it was after the telling of this parable that his mother and brothers came and tried to lead Him away (Luke 8:19-21,) whereas in this Mark passage that event had already occurred (Mark 3:21, 32-35.)  Thus, this was clearly a later telling of the parable, and so His twelve already knew the meaning of it.  Those about the twelve, however, did not, and thus they question Him about it here.  The Scripture all fits together wonderfully if we will just take the time to examine it without preconceived notions of “contradictions!”

11.  And He said to them, “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,

The Lord explains to these who follow Him in His ministry that they are allowed to know mysteries about the Kingdom, whereas those outside that circle can only receive these things in parables.  There was a set order to the ministry Christ had, and different circles of people received different portions of His teaching.  To those who traveled with Him in His ministry, it was given to know these secrets that those outside that circle were not able to know.  We can be grateful that now it has been given to us to know those mysteries as well, as the interpretation of the parable is laid out for us.

Remember that the word “mystery” means a secret that has not been set forth or revealed before, but has now been revealed.  This was the first time these followers of His had heard this parable and its interpretation, and so it was to them a secret newly revealed.  The twelve had already heard the parable and its interpretation, so it was no longer a mystery or secret to them.

Notice here that Jesus declares the purpose for the parables…to set forth the mystery of (in other words secrets about) the Kingdom of God.  That is the purpose and subject of the parables.  Some have taught that the purpose of the parables was to set forth the mystery of the church, but this is changing the words of Scripture.  These parables set forth truths about the Kingdom, and it is only confusion and wrongly dividing the Word of Truth to try to make this parable apply to anything happening today in the dispensation of grace.

12.  “So that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’”

This is one of several occurrences of the solemn prophecy first given in Isaiah 6:9-10, that was often quoted when dispensational changes were taking place in God’s plan for that time.  These verses were quoted for the last time in Acts 28 to mark the end of the past dispensations of Israel and mark the beginning of the current Dispensation of Grace.  This occurrence in Mark 4:12 marks the dispensational change between His previous work of openly preaching the Kingdom of God and the work He was then starting, which was to hide the truth He taught behind the language of parables.

13.  And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?

This is the first parable given in Mark, but if one goes astray in the interpretation here, one will most certainly not understand the parables that follow either.  Indeed, many do go astray here, assuming that the parables have to do with “the church” or conditions today, and not applying them to what they are really setting forth: the truths about the future government of God on earth.

14.  “The sower sows the word.

This is the interpretation that the Lord Jesus Himself gave of this passage.  Some seem eager to take the Lord’s interpretation and then interpret the interpretation!  But this is not right.  The interpretation is not a parable, and the meaning of the symbols is given.  There is no “meaning of the meaning!”

The Lord tells us that what the sower sows is the word, in Greek logos.  He just calls it “the word” here.  Many, who like to see salvation in every passage they can possibly find it, see this as the word of salvation, but from the parallel passage in Matthew 13:19, we learn that this is not the word of the gospel but rather the word of the Kingdom.  It is true that when we preach the truth of salvation, we will find people will respond in these same sorts of ways.  That does not mean that this is what the Lord was originally talking about, however, for this parable as He gave it has nothing to do with salvation, and everything to do with receiving the message He was giving in His ministry about the truths of the coming Kingdom of God.  Thus, this parable is applicable to the preaching of salvation and the gospel today, but we cannot interpret it as being about that.

Notice that the sower is anyone who sows the good word of the Kingdom.  The Lord is not the only One Who did this during the time of His ministry, for He sent others to do it as well.  Thus, this is not speaking specifically of the Lord or anyone else, but could apply to any one of those at that time who had been given the task of preaching the word of the Kingdom.

15.  “And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

In this verse we learn the key that will help us interpret the remainder of the parable: that the ground that receives the seed is the various people who hear the word, and the differences in soil correspond to the differences in the heart conditions of those who hear it.  If we go beyond this interpretation and try to interpret further, we are trying to go farther than the Word itself has gone, which is not right.

The first type of person has a hard heart, and therefore the word has no access to it.  Thus it is left bare for Satan to come and immediately take it away out of their hearts again.  I pray that none of us will ever be like this with any of God’s truths!
 
16.  “These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

We have all had experience with those who have enthusiastically received the truth upon first hearing it.  Alas for the outcome in the next verse, however!

17.  “And they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.

Some people, although initially enthusiastic about the truth, have no real depth of faith, and so are easily turned from the truth when it starts to become inconvenient to follow it.  How sad it is when we see this occur!

18.  “Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19.  “And the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Although this third group hears and receives the word, they allow other things to fill their lives to the point where the word has no room to grow.  How tempting this world is in this regard!  We can probably think of many we know in this same situation today: they are just too busy with other things to grow in the Lord!  Sure, they believe in Him, but what wasted potential they have!  If only they would understand what truly is important and make it the priority in their lives that it should be.  And yet, alas, they do not, but continue instead to expend all their energy on things of so much lesser value.

20.  “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Thank the Lord that there are always those in this group!  Those whose hearts are prepared and ready to receive the word as it is brought to them.  These not only receive the word, but bring forth much fruit from it.  May all of us find our hearts to contain this kind of soil!
 
21.  Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?

Of course, a lamp is not brought to be hidden.  It is brought to shine its light, and thus is set on its lampstand, the proper place for a lamp.
 
22.  “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

Although these truths were currently being hidden from all but this inner circle of those who followed Him, He assures them that these things will not be hidden from the multitudes forever, but that someday all this would be revealed and come to light.  Indeed, this has in a very real way become true even now, for the interpretation of this parable, by being written in the Scriptures, is now available to all to read and understand.

We can apply these words to today in a way that is very significant, since we are currently living in what is called the dispensation of the secret (mystery).  Since all God’s works today are in secret, many people speculate that He is not working at all.  But we know from this passage that all things that are kept secret will eventually come to light.  So we know that the secret workings and purposes of God in showing forth the riches of His grace will some day be revealed for all to see.

23.  “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Just as He completed His teaching of this parable with this admonition, given for solemn emphasis as to the importance of this parable, so now He completes His interpretation of this parable with the same admonition.  Let all of us heed His words here and see to it that we take note both of this parable and of its interpretation.

24.  Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.

The rather mysterious words of Christ in this passage seem to be a solemn warning for them to take to heart the words that they are hearing from Him.  The importance they assign to the words of this parable will be turned to measure back to them, whether much or little.  Then He assures those who were hearing and assigning importance to His words, that to them more will be given because of this.  What more we cannot say for sure, but it could be that He means still more truths.
 
25.  “For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

Those who do not accept the truths taught to them may find that even the truth that they did possess will be taken away from them.  Many there are in our day who hear the words of God, yet laugh them off or pay little attention to them.  From this passage we learn that these are solemnly warned that, not having received what they have heard, they may end up losing even more.

You are part of a culture that spends more money each year on pornography than country music, rock music, jazz music, classical music, Broadway plays, and ballet combined. In Paul’s day, he accused some people of worshiping their stomachs as their god, and in our day it appears that our god has simply moved a short distance south.

Check it out here.

Being in college in Dublin, it is very easy to slide into the lazy - and expensive - option of buying microwave meals or eating out or ordering takeaways. Last Christmas, after spending a couple of days staying with Killian and me in our flat in Dublin, my older brother Mark bought me an Indian cookbook. It was, in his words, because "all I eat is pizza". In fact, those boxes from 4-Star were all Killian's, I swear!

Anyway, since that point, I've actually developed something of a cookery fetish. That's right, fried chicken with paprika, sautéed potatoes and grilled pepper turn me on. I could make love to a minute steak with a dash of soya sauce. My bolognese sauce keeps me transfixed for hours. A stir-fry really stirs me up. And so on. I even have a herb cupboard. Yes, I know. Jamie Oliver can't touch this.

It's a wonderfully satisfying feeling when you sit down to a meal which you have prepared yourself. And it's cheap: I bought my food for the week at a cost of €22.78 on Monday in Tesco. This included diced chicken fillet, mince, steak and pasta. Bear Grylls could take some survival tips from me. I bet he can't flambé either. Killian arrived in the other night and was shocked when I offered him some homemade onion rings. Easy to make, easy to eat, a bitch to clean up after. That's the one downside to this whole cooking lark: I need a small battalion of servants to tidy up after me because, like all great culinarians, I am not the cleanest in the kitchen. Any applicants, please email me your details and indicate your willingness to wear a French maid's outfit. In the meantime, bon appétit.

i told him that mark texted me over the weekend saying he bought a bed frame with a headboard. mmmm... i hope that there will be opportunity for us to make use of that fact.

anyway, so i told phillip about it. sometimes i forget that not everyone has dom/sub leanings; and i'd forgotten that despite everything that phillip knows about my sex life, he doesn't know this one crucial aspect of my preferences. the only reason a headboard would ever be relevant information to me is if it's useful as something to be tied to, but it took phillip a moment to understand why anyone would advertise their furniture acquisitions.

then he said, "that's kind of demeaning though isn't it? as if he's saying, i bought it, now come." my first thought was - well.. yeah. isn't that hot? wouldn't you go?! but i bit my tongue and realized how different our mindsets were.

i know that a headboard doesn't really qualify as gear - it's kind of an incidental prop. but it still makes me happy. i really like the idea of gear, but not in a leather-and-studs kind of way. T1 and T2 made bonds out of their own clothes. T1 cut up a pair of his old cargo's to make strips of cloth - probably the best raw material for good tying. T2 used ties and a belt. we also had a roll of something called 'blanket edging' that we bought a fabric store, though it ended up being a little too slippery for good tying.

the only really bondage thing that i've ever bought (besides my collars), was a pair of handcuffs, and they chafed. T2 almost bought me a pair of pretty lace-up gloves, with the idea that the ribbons could actually be tied together. but they ran out before he figured out a way to pay for them without his mom (hey, we were young) seeing it on the credit card statement. doesn't matter, it was one of the more thoughtful things he ever did.

T2 also had a very realistic-looking airsoft gun. it was some kind of pistol or something that his friends gave him, and i was a little bit afraid of it. i knew it was harmless but i still never wanted to touch it. the only time he used it, he held it on my neck while tying my hands together, then put it away.

one of my most persistent fantasies is getting tied up and gagged and put in the backseat of a car and getting driven somewhere. i don't know exactly why this is so appealing, but it shows up in a lot of my fantasies, even if nothing is happening to me while i'm chilling back there. maybe the anticipation? the sense of helplessness? the not-knowing-where-i'm-going?

in less happy news, i am anticipating a drought for the next six months or so, what with moving and doing an internship and finding a job to get some income. the stress of finding housing has been making me oddly not very horny, and now that i've gone and fucked the only fuckable single guy at home (darren), there's not much for me to do anyway. so my libido feels like it's gone into hibernation. sigh.