May 13, 2011
“A
sower went out to sow his seeds. And as he sowed, some fell by the
wayside . . . some fell on stony places . . . some fell among the
thorns . . . but others fell on good ground (Matthew 13:1-8).
The Parable of the Sower
‘The Stony Places’
Continued from April 29, 2011; May 6, 2011
Dear Brethren,
In this current writing I am continuing with the subject of the Parable of the Sower while connecting it with other Scriptures to try and see how they all fit with each other concerning the disarray of the past and present membership of the Church of God.
Due to further understanding some of the previous writings on this subject will be repeated and upgraded.
Mr. Armstrong came to understand more and more of what had taken place in the Garden in Eden by continually focusing on it and giving sermon after sermon – each one with knowledge he did not have before. The same is true with me on this subject.
The Mysterious Secret Parables
A KEY to aid in the understanding of the Parable of the Sower, with related Scriptures, is to realize that HEART and EARTH as used in this parable are synonymous. This I came to understand since the last writing.
Cruden’s Concordance, Heart— “The word HEART is used in Scripture as the seat of life or strength; hence it means mind, soul, spirit, or one’s entire emotional nature and understanding. It is also used in Scripture as the centre or inner part of a thing.”
Jesus Christ was buried in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40).
Once again: The KEY to understand the SEED sown upon the STONY (rocky) ground, and among the THORNS, and upon the good earth, is that the EARTH is used as a type of the HUMAN HEART; they are synonymous in their usage in this parable.
By understanding this KEY the parts of this parable begins to become much clearer when associating them with the disarray of the corporate churches of God in our time and where they connect with each part of the parable.
The Seed by the Wayside
The seed
that fell by the wayside never reached the prepared tilled earth, nor
within the h
eart
of those who heard the Word. They were the many who were called but
few were chosen to be sown upon the prepared good earth.
“For MANY are called, but FEW are chosen” (Matthew 22:14).
Jesus Christ said this in the context of the previous verses in this chapter (1-13), the many who were invited and were rejected because of their making light of the wedding supper; this was in contrast to those who were the bad and good who were invited and placed great value on preparing for the wedding supper.
Consider the bad and the good in light of what the Apostle Paul wrote about the bad and the good:
“For you see your calling, brethren, that NOT many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, NOT many noble, are called (men such as Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong who traced his lineage back to King David), BUT God has chosen the foolish people of the world to PUT to shame the wise (the major leaders of the corporate Churches of God, as well as the rulers of this world), and God has chosen the WEAK people of the world to put to shame the people which are mighty; and the BASE people of the world and the people which are DESPISED God has chosen (the remnant of the Philadelphia Era of God’s Church – which includes Faithful Flock), and the people which are not (true people now deceased), to bring to nothing the people that are (the unrepentant corporate churches of God), that NO FLESH should glory in His presence” (I Corinthians 1:26-29).
The Accusation against God
In our time over 100,000 people walked away with the apostate pastor general after Christ had used them for many years to aid His apostle to do His end-time work.
To those who would say God is not fair by using these many thousands of people who were called to aid God’s apostle in preaching the Gospel and the Ezekiel Warning Message with their tithes and offerings over the many years of his ministry, and then NOT accept them as the chosen, the ELECT, God makes very plain His response to them (excerpts):
“
.
. . What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God?
Certainly not! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on
whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I
will have compassion,’ so then it is not of him who wills, nor
of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy . . . But indeed, O Man,
who are you to reply (accuse)
against God? Will the
things formed (by the Master Potter, Jeremiah 18:1-6;
)
say to Him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this? . .
. (Romans 9:6-33).
God’s Master Plan
It should be realized the great God of love and mercy has a Time Table in His Master Plan and those who are not chosen to be among the ELECT in this age will have their opportunity in the GWTJ.
In addition also realize those same people received many blessings from God during their tenure with the true Church of God. By saving their second tithe they were able to travel and seen places most of them would have never seen otherwise.
They received miraculous healings; some of those who experienced hard and trying times financially were often given help from the third tithe. I know for, as a pastor, I was one of those who gave help to many from third tithe.
Their biggest blessing is yet to come in the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5).
The Apostles’ Perplexity
Matthew 13:10 Right after Jesus Christ gave the first part of the Parable of the Sower the disciples asked Him WHY He spoke in parables to the people.
Verses 11-12 He (Christ) answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know (understand) the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has (true Church of God members) to him more (understanding) will be given, and he will have abundance (of understanding), BUT whoever does NOT have (that same knowledge with the love and desire for it), even what he has will be taken away from him*
*The TRUTH they had known fades from their minds due to a lack of serious study for the furtherance of the truth they had once understood; God’s Spirit ceased to be with them (never in them) due to their rejection of Him and His laws.
An Example: A well-known evangelist of earlier years who had given powerful and moving sermons was reported to have said after leaving the Church, and apparently trying to preach to others: “Somehow my sermons are not coming together as they once did.”
Matthew 13:13 “. . . Therefore I speak to them in parables, because SEEING they do not see, and HEARING they do not hear, nor do they understand. (Matthew 13:10-16).
Verse
14 “. . . And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled,
which says: H
earing
you will hear and shall not understand [in
depth]. And seeing you will see and not
perceive,
Verse 15 “. . . For the heart of this people has grown DULL. Their hearts are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have CLOSED, LEST they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, LEST they should understand WITH THEIR HEARTS and TURN (be converted, KJV) so that I should heal them.
The prophet Isaiah’s writing describes perfectly the corporate churches of God. All those of which I am knowledgeable at this time are off-track in one way or another regarding the doctrinal teachings that Jesus Christ used His late apostle to restore within the Church of God!
Short of the intervention by Jesus Christ, as He did with Saul who came to be the Apostle Paul, there seems to be no way to reach them with understanding.
In their favor, Christ is giving them time to see themselves while knocking on the door of their hearts seeking entrance before it comes to be too late (Revelation 2:21; 3:20).
“And I gave her time to REPENT of her sexual immorality (no longer VIRGINS due to their involvement with these churches who are off-track, Revelation 14:4-5), and SHE WILLED NOT (Revelation 2:21, Correct translation).
This surely seems to be the problem of the corporate churches. Not one of them, large or small, to my knowledge, will repent of their disobedience to God and His true teachings. They WILL NOT to change!
To His disciples, and the true ELECT of today, Jesus Christ said:
Verse 16 “. . . But BLESSED are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear; . . .”
“. . . The WISE will understand” (Daniel 12:10).
The Explanation of the Parable
It was after this that Jesus Christ gave the meaning of the Parable to His disciples.
NOTE: For a correct understanding there is the need of comparing the writings of Mathew, Mark, and Luke, regarding the parables, and note the differences which will give a broader understanding of them.
Seed on the Stony (Rocky) Places
(Converted Members – Mr. Armstrong)
The beginning of the parable will be repeated to see the meaning in full context:
M
atthew
13:5 “Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much
earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of
earth. But when the SUN
was up they were SCORCHED,
and BECAUSE they had NO ROOT
they withered
away.
Mark 4:5-6 The same as Matthews’ writing.
Luke 8:6 “Some fell on rock; and AS SOON as it sprang up, it withered away because it LACKED MOISTURE. (Water is symbolic of God’s Holy Spirit.)
The Parable of the SOWER Explained by Jesus Christ
Matthew 13:18, 20-21 “Therefore HEAR the Parable of the Sower:
“But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who HEARS THE WORD and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has NO ROOT, but only ENDURES for a while. For WHEN tribulation or persecution arises BECAUSE of the WORD, immediately he stumbles (Mark 4:6 it withers away; Luke 8:13 . . . in a time of temptation FALL AWAY”).
To try and put together what we see here by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, is as follows:
After having heard the Word of God, they ENDURED only for a little while, due to:
Lacked depth of earth
Therefore NO ROOT that would reach into the good tillable earth
Nor was there MOISTURE (water – type of God’s Holy Spirit)
The seed withers away, falls away, due to tribulation (trials, problems, offenses), persecution (the mid-day SUN SCORCHING— excessive persecution from family members, and the world).
The Five Foolish Virgins
As Mr. Armstrong has said: These people were converted and had God’s Holy Spirit.
T
his
appears to apply to the five foolish virgins
whose
lamps had gone out and were told by the five wise virgins to go and
buy for themselves the needed oil (God’s
Holy Spirit;
Water is also a type of God’s Holy Spirit).
QUESTION: Are they forever lost because they stumbled due to lacking root, depth of earth, moisture (Oil – Water – God’s Holy Spirit) and for the lack of these essential areas that would make possible their endurance until the coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 124:13), it withered away?
The Apostle Paul wrote about people like this in his time that also pictures our time today:
“I marvel that you are TURNING AWAY SO SOON (stumble after a while) FROM HIM WHO CALLED YOU in the grace of Christ, to a DIFFERENT gospel (as some have done today), which is NOT another; but there are SOME WHO TROUBLE YOU (excessive pressure from false ministers, persecution from family members, and others), and want to PERVERT the Gospel OF Christ. BUT even IF we, or an angel from heaven, PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL to you (about the Messenger, instead of the message the Messenger brought to mankind) than what we have preached to you let him be accursed . . .” (Galatians 1:6, 8-9; Mark 1:1-3, 14-15).
“They lacked depth of purpose or capacity to grow spiritually” (Mr. Armstrong).
Possibly some have gone too far, but Scripture implies they possibly may have a continued opportunity in the Great White Throne Judgment period of time.
Warnings from the Apostle Paul
Comparing the Apostle Paul’s writings of Hebrews 10:26, “For if we sin willfully there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin . . .”
Mr. Armstrong said about this word - WILLFULLY: There is a difference between willingly— and willfully.”
One sometimes sins willingly in a time of weakness and repent as did King David and be accepted back into God’s grace and mercy (I John 1:8-10; 2:1-2; Revelation 12:10-11).
Hebrews 6:4-5 “For it is impossible for THOSE who were ONCE ENLIGHTENED and have become PARTAKERS of the Holy Spirit and have TASTED the good word of God (David prayed: “O How I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day . . . how sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:97, 103) and the POWERS of the age to come (miraculous deliverance from heavy problems and healings), IF they fall away to RENEW them again . . .”
The Difference between the Rocky Earth and the Thorns
While studying what is said about those sown upon the ROCKY PLACES, and those sown among the THORNS— there appears to be a real difference between them: weakness with the Seed on the Rocky Place— and falling away willfully with the THORNS.
There seems to be a connection between what is said about the seed sown on the Rocky Places and what the Apostle Paul wrote in the following Scripture:
The Spirit May be Saved
The apostle Paul writing to the Church in Corinth ordered the ministry to put out of the Church a man who was committing fornication with his step-mother:
I Corinthians 5:4-5 “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power (authority) of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan (Romans 16:17) for the DESTRUCTION of the flesh, THAT HIS SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS.”
During a meeting with the ministry in Pasadena in the latter 1950s, the question was raised by one of the ministers about a member who seemed to be going nowhere but yet creating a problem— what should be done with him?
I was there in that meeting and personally heard the following response from Mr. Armstrong that was undoubtedly in his mind at that time:
Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong stated: “Put him out before it is too late for him. If he is kept in the Church he would go into the lake of fire. By putting him out in time he will come up in the 100-year period (Great White Throne Judgment).
WARNING: One should realize that by putting a person out of the Church also removes his or her protection from God (Psalm 34:7). Then he or she is left for Satan to work on and lead to physical death. This may not happen for some time or it could be sooner.
The Great White Throne Judgment
Some of those why are now dead who were sown on the rocky soil possibly will have repented before they died, and came to be planted in the good earth. If so, they lived enough years to prove their loyalty and faithfulness to God. And again, if so, they will be in the first resurrection.
Others who are presently living will also repent and remain faithful even unto death in the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11). As the result they will also be in the first resurrection.
However the majority will in all probability not be resurrected until the beginning of the 100-year period, called in Scripture the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:5);
And this
will not take place until after the millennium – the 1000 year
reign of Jesus Christ.
Judgment a Process and Finality
There is a NEED to understand that judgment requires a process of time while one is under review by God to determine one’s character through trial and tests (Acts 14:22; II Corinthians 13:5; I Corinthians 11:21-32).
Since God is giving up to 100 years for mankind to prove his or her self it is logical to believe in that light a death-bed repentance is not sufficient nor is a very short period of time to be acceptable to God for a spiritual birth into His Family.
There has to be a sufficient period of time for godly character to be developed in mankind which comes from purifying tests of character as all of God’s people are now undergoing in our scattered condition:
“Many shall be PURIFIED, made WHITE, and REFINED, BUT the wicked shall (continue) to do wickedly; and NONE of the wicked shall understand (parable of the Sower), BUT the WISE shall understand (Daniel 12:10).
Isaiah also wrote of the need for stability in these troublesome and trying times:
“Wisdom (coupled with) Knowledge will be the STABILITY of your times, and the STRENGTH of salvation; the FEAR of the LORD will be His treasure” (Isaiah 33:6).
To be Continued
In my next writing I will be addressing the SEED sown among the Thorns,
Your servant and friend,
Don Billingsley
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