Contrary to what is commonly known, here is a prediction that is taking place right now. There are a limited number of people that the Father has chosen to work for him. Each of these individuals will receive a penny. Contrary to popular perceptions, this is a fantastic reward.

“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see that you hurt not the oil and the wine” (Revelation 6:5).

The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy is here and now. More workers are being called with each passing day. It would be a good idea to know the meaning. A measure of wheat is going to cost a penny. Three measures of barley will cost a penny. The other three horsemen had something very negative to bring to this earth. Why is the third horseman giving us a bargain?

It only looks like a bargain because we are using the modern meaning of the word penny. What it really depicts is extreme hyper-inflation. The penny spoken of here (a denarius (”denarion” in the Greek)) was a coin that was given to people for working a day’s work. So you may work for a day and get one penny. Therefore, “…three measures of barley for a penny…” means you are trading a day’s wages for a small loaf of bread. This borders on slavery. Of course, there will be slavery in the last days (Revelation 18:13).

The denarius (the penny) was a Roman coin. This is the coin Christ held up when he said, “…render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s” (Luke 20:24). This was in response to the trickery of the people asking if they should pay tax to Caesar or not.

The Parable of the Penny is explained, as follows:

This prophecy is being fulfilled right now. A few men and women are working for the Father. Others are being called into service with each passing day. Will you become one of them?

“…the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man, [that is] a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1).

The parable is about a man who is a householder. Christ said that in his father’s house are many mansions (offices, positions of employment). If it were not so he would have told us so (John 14:2). Those jobs, as we will see, will be right here on this earth.

“And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard” (Matthew 20:2).

So the first people he works with know exactly what they are getting. They are getting a day’s wages for working a day. They are getting a penny. Remember this penny is a denarius, which is worth a day’s wages.

“And he went out about the third hour and viewed others standing idle in the market place” (Matthew 20:3).

This is symbolic of the Father calling people to the Son. No man can come to the Son unless the Father draws him (John 6:44).

“And he said unto them; Go you also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way” (Matthew 20:4)

Notice he was not specific in what he promised. So those called in later are working with less knowledge and understanding than the earlier workers.

“Again he cameout the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise” (Matthew 20:5).

So he continues to bring people in to do the labor. This is reminiscent of another parable in which people invited to the wedding didn’t come, so invitations went out to the highways to get people to come in (Luke 14:15-24). Realize there may be laborers dropping out. Those laborers will need to be replaced.

“And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said unto them, Why stand here all the day idle? They said unto him, Because no man has hired us. He said unto them, Go you also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, [that] shall you receive” (Matthew 20:6-7).

Late in the day (symbolically close to the end) the Father permits more to become laborers. These have the least understanding of all the labor pools. The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.

“So when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them [their] hire, beginning from the last unto the first” (Matthew 20:8).

Take note of the sequence. Many of the last will be first and the first, last (Mark 10:31).

All of them received a penny (Matthew 20:9-10). But the laborers who worked all day complained that the people hired later received the same wages (Matthew 20:11-12). The reply was: “I do you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a penny?” (Matthew 20:13). God does not have a seniority system. Some of these people had the spirit of competition and pride.

“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is your eye wicked because I am good?” (Matthew 20:15).

Everyone who labored received a penny. What does the penny represent?

The Penny represents a day’s wages. If the Father has drawn us, he wants to give us a penny. The reward given, the penny, represents one day.

“…one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

The day the Father is giving as a reward lasts 1000 years. He is seeking out laborers right to the end.

“Blessed and holy [is] he that has part in the first resurrection. On such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6). This will be a one thousand year utopia.

And the thousand years will be just the beginning. For more information go to Ask The Bible.

“…he that overcomes, and maintains my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations” (Revelation 2:26).

Scripture Answers

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A major part of proving the Bible to be the word of God is the fact that multiple prophecies have been fulfilled. This is what distinguishes the Bible from other holy books. The other holy books available to people contain very few prophecies; most of them contain no prophecies at all.

Sometimes people are skeptical about the Bible even after realizing that the Bible contains prophecies that have been fulfilled. The idea is: “That happened centuries ago. I need to see something that is happening how that is a fulfillment of prophecy.”

There are prophecies of scripture that have been fulfilled and there are prophecies of scripture that are yet to be fulfilled. Here is a prophecy that is starting to be fulfilled in modern times.

“another parable spoke He unto them; the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spoke Jesus to the multitude in parables, and without a parable spoke he not unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:33-35).

Matthew was a Jew and he used the term, “kingdom of heaven”, whereas Luke was more specific, using the term “kingdom of God”. The kingdom of God is the kingdom that will come down from heaven to this planet.

“And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Luke 13:20-21).

What does the leavening signify? The leavening signifies doctrine. When Christ told the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (the religious leaders), he was warning them to beware of their doctrine (Matthew 16:11-12).

So the doctrine of the kingdom, the gospel (the good news), is compared to leaven. Unlike the dogma of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, this doctrine of the kingdom, this good news of the kingdom, is a good doctrine.

It is starting out tiny so that less than one thousandth of one percent of the world’s population has even heard of it. Most of professing Christianity has heard only a gospel of the messenger – not the message itself, the message Christ brought. However, logically, its influence will not continue being small. It must grow like leavening. Leavening is yeast.

There is no name under heaven whereby men must be saved other than that of the true Messiah (Acts 4:10-12). Therefore it is imperative that the doctrine of the kingdom, the gospel, must spread (like yeast spreads through meal), until the entire world is fermenting with the knowledge of the gospel. And, of course, this is exactly what will happen right up to the end.

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then shall the end come” (Matt 24:14).

Ask The Bible

Bible Study

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Christian counseling centers is a faith based practice that is proudly grounded in the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus Christ.Christian counseling centers is a faith based service that is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ found in the Bible. This can be a big help if you are a person of faith who is dealing with conflict and stress. Biblical counseling is the only type of professional help that many deeply religious people feel comfortable in accepting. Limitations of secular counselors sometimes create an environment where certain individuals are unable to find the proper guidance needed. This article will guide you and your family through the services you will likely expect to receive from Christian counseling.

There are people who believe strongly in dealing with life problems in ways and manners that are approved and taught in the Bible. To do this properly they need to connect with Family Christian counseling centers that employ staff members who understand their needs. Christian counselors strive to adhere to the teachings and theology of the Bible. Counselors are effective in showing clients how prayer and faith can be combined to resolve issues in a manner that relies on fundamental truths.

Professionals who are both well-trained and compassionate are able to use Biblical counseling to offer many spiritual benefits. Christian counseling allows people who need help coping with problems and conflicts to do so without going against the principles of Holy Scriptures. The client also has a deeper faith as they spend more time in prayer and scripture reading.

Many of the secular based counseling centers can not grasp the importance that deeply religious people affix to their spiritual beliefs and ideals. While these individuals want to gain emotional strength and understanding they also need to remain true to church doctrines. This is where Christian counseling services excel.

Having faith in a particular religion doesn’t spare you from setbacks, failures in life, and stress. To those with strong religious convictions these are the times that test their faith. When Christian counseling is done correctly, it provides strength to battle adversity and to handle troubling situations.

These counselors use faith and prayer as the foundations for their sessions with clients. Their philosophy comes from the belief that spiritual power transcends secular issues. It is necessary for those who work with Christian counseling services to uphold and believe in these teachings.

Counseling services based upon faith are necessary for the people who want to abide by the Christian principles. It is important for them to be allowed to maintain their faith in the power of God and his Holy Son. The staff available at Christian counseling centers are able to address difficult questions about the struggles humans face without compromising their religious background.

In ways that are at odds with scriptural teachings, many of the secular counselors will emphasize avoidance of painful emotions. However the emphasis is to look inward, embrace these inner demons and learn from each situation as in faith based counseling. Life’s challenges often act as a catalyst to deepen a walk with God and strengthen one’s faith. If you need help getting your life back on track or finding support, Christian counseling can help you find the strength and answers you need within your own faith.

Millions of people the world over are eager to hear a good Bible sermon. The church member wanting to heighten their spiritual awareness, the Sunday School preacher looking to improve their teaching, or the preacher wanting to glean from other preachers are
examples of people who are looking for sermons.

The ocean is full of fish, but that doesn’t mean you catch what you want every time you go fishing.

Similarly, the world wide web is filled with bible sermons but finding just the right one may not always pan out for the would be sermon seeker.

Just as there are thousands of varieties of fish in the ocean, there are tons and tons of different kinds of bible sermons. A few common examples would be:

-Textual Sermons are sermons that flow directly out of a Bible text.
-Topical Sermons are sermons built around a specific topic.
-Expository Sermons are bible sermons rooted in the original contextual meaning of the Bible passage and shared in an way applicable to our contemporary world.

In addition, sermons are available online in several different forms:

-Audio files that a user can listen to. These are sermons that have been preached, recorded, and uploaded online for users to access.
-Manuscripts are full length printed sermon notes.
-Outlines and Notes are brief overviews of a sermon’s main points and ideas.
-Transcripts are word for word dictations of a sermon that has been preached typed out in printed
form.
-Video files which contain not only audio but video footage of the sermon for a user to both see and hear.

Not only are the above issues factors in choosing a sermon, so is the actual preaching style. There is a buffett of variety here as well. Calm, bold and strong, soft, loud, energetic, laid back, are just a few of the many styles.

Then there are streams of belief that factor in as well. Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Word of Faith and on and on and on. Within the movement or denomination, there is the particular persons writing or preaching the bible sermons. Most folks have their favorites: Billy Graham, T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, or Bro. Bill around the corner.

Each of them will more than likely have scores of sermons available to scour through. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

So there are a lot of decisions to make. What kind of sermon are you looking for? How do you find the good ones? I have two suggestions: a rifle and a shotgun. First, the rifle approach.

When you do a search in the search engine, be as specific as you can possibly be. Narrow your aim.

Let’s say you are wanting to study a sermon outline about discouragement. Here is what your search entry might look like: free sermon outline discouragement.

An example of what such a search could take you to a free sermons site containing a sermon on discouragement.

Another option is the shotgun approach. Make your search query wide in scope. Free online bible study is an example that will bring up bible study and sermon sites with a variety to choose from. Once there, you can then do a more narrow search among their cyber shelves.

With a little trial and error adding a word or two here and there in your search, you will strike sermon gold eventually. Have a blast finding and then a blessing listening to your sermon.

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Can a tree of remembrance really bring peace this season of Christmas? Many people experience the Blue Christmas that Elvis sang about because their loved ones have died and aren’t physically present. That is when Christmas can become depressing because everyone else seems to be feeling up and you are feeling down. So how can you cope and experience the joy that Christmas promises?

Let me tell you a story that may help you remember a deceased loved one in a positive way. In the fall of 1999, we discovered that my wife’s father, Bill was diagnosed with cancer. He kept fighting the fact that he was very ill and battled with courage. Right before Thanksgiving of that year, we met with his social worker and hospital staff to learn that he was dying.

He finally admitted that he was sick and entered into hospice. The doctors thought he would last six months. But he died two weeks later, on the Feast of Little Christmas, which is celebrated on December 6 every year. That year was a very sad time as Christmas approached.

Here is the truth that we discovered. When someone you know and love passes on, you don’t have to dwell on how she or he looked on the death bed. You remember how he or she lived during life. During his life, Bill gave us a present every year – his love of Christmas. You see, Bill loved real Christmas trees. Every year, even though it cost more, he bought a real tree to decorate in his living room. He hung with lots of Christmas lights on that real tree.

On the day after Bill died, we went to Wisconsin to plan his funeral arrangements. On the way, we drove past a semi-trailer from Tree of Life, a commercial company. We thought it was one of those special signs that Bill was alive in a new way, since Bill died on Little Christmas and this was the time to put up a Christmas tree. Since he died, every year we buy and put up a real Christmas tree and hang the Christmas lights by December 6.

At Christmas, you can remember your deceased loved ones. A tree symbolizes life. Every Christmas, people put up a real or artificial Christmas tree to remember the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. A living tree memorial gift at Christmas time is one of the most beautiful ways to show your love and care to families and friends who have lost a loved one.

One very peaceful way to remember deceased loved ones during the Christmas season is to buy and decorate trees for them. In your own home, you can set up a Christmas tree to remember them at this time of year. Then, for the rest of the year, you can buy a memorial gift tree to remember them for a lifetime.

Christmas trees last only a few weeks, but a real tree lasts a life time. If you want to remember your loved ones at Christmas, put up a Christmas tree in their memory. Then, buy a tree of remembrance to celebrate Christmas with them all year round, throughout the entire year – year after year.

Of recent years, it seems that the war on Christmas is really taking off. It is happening in schools, city events, parades, television, pretty much everywhere.

Back in 2005, Wal-Mart prohibited the message Merry Christmas from their products and employees. Thankfully the public was outraged and would not have it. Many organizations boycotted the chain including, The American Family Association and The Catholic League boycotted retailers like Wal-Mart that excluded the word Christmas from their products sold in stores. In 2006 Wal-Mart had learned the error in their ways and announced that they would start using the phrase “Merry Christmas” both in products and around their stores during the season.

Just this year, The State of Washington accepted an application from an atheist group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, to put an anti-religion message to be displayed right next to the nativity scene. The sign reads, “At this season of the winter solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” The sign clearly has nothing to do with fairness and really borders on hate speech and is clearly anti-religion.

An annual boat parade in Patchogue, N.Y. on a Long Island river dropped Christmas from its name in 2008. The Greater Patchogue Foundation made the decision to change the name after a split decision vote because the word Christmas was found to be offensive to a few of the towns residents. They changed the name to the Patchogue Boat Parade of Lights. The results were half the normal crowd attending and a loss of the main financial contributors. It seems that they would rather alienate over half of the town than a few who support the war on Christmas.

For whatever reason the United States and Western societies have lost their way. The true meaning of the holiday is right in the name of the word for crying out loud, Christ-Mas. The purpose of the holiday is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The idea of gift giving goes back in honor of the gifts that the Sheppards brought to baby Jesus.

Thankfully some are not willing to give up Christmas without a fight. Many are wearing Christian T-Shirts that read “Christ is Christmas” There are also many bumper stickers that read “Jesus Is The Reason For The Season” and “Wise Men Still Seek Him”.

People do not like change; they usually avoid it at all costs. Change is usually embraced only after a major life change or crisis of some sort. What I am saying is, people do not want major change unless they have to, when the norm becomes too much to handle.

Becoming a Christian is a major change. People do not usually just wake up and say I am going to become a Christian. It comes after a major revelation. It takes something big to open ones heart to God’s embrace. An event or process must happen that lets one know that they are living life on that is pleasing to God and that something has to change.

It matters not what brings you to the Lord, just come to the table with an open mind and open heart and welcome the Holy Spirit into your life.

It boils down to six simple steps to become a Christian. Some may argue that are more steps and that this is over simplifying things, but these six steps get down to the heart of the matter.

1, Acknowledge or admit that you need a Savior.
2, Accept Christ’s work on the cross as being worthy of being your Savior.
3, Repent the sins that you’ve committed and reject the sin in your life.
4, Pray to God. This is simply talking to God or calling upon Him. A conversation.
5, Share your Good News with others.
6, Acknowledge or admit that you need a savior.

Upon accepting Jesus Christ as your savior, forever will your life be changed. It will become apparent that there is more to life than material goods and pleasures of the flesh. Each of us are part of God’s plan, that is why we are here. We all have a role to play in God’s kingdom. Once you know the Lord, you will become to bring others to Him. This can be done by directly by sharing what God means to you with others, or if you are shy it can be done as simply wearing Christian T-Shirts. What is important is that you share God’s love with others.

With elections fast approaching, there are many issues that are important to Christians that are at stake. While there is no perfect candidate, there are candidates that are more in line with God’s teaching.
One of the most important issues to Christians at every election is the value and sacredness of human life. On the topic of abortion we must consider if the fetus or unborn child is a human being, and if so, is it acceptable to God to kill the unborn life?
To answer this question we can look at Genesis 25: 21-22, “…and Rebekah his (Isaac’s) wife conceived. And the Children struggled together within her…” This shows that Rebekah’s unborn twins, Jacob and Esau, are referred to as children, not anything else. This shows that unborn children are not simply disposable pieces of tissue; they are sacred human life that is not to be discarded.
Regardless of what you may think of the Iraq war, the fact is that we are there. What would God have us do now? Would He have us leave now? Would he have us remain in Iraq for years to come? What of our responsibility to help to bring hope and light into the darkness and suffering in Iraq? How are Christians to reach out to a primarily Muslim nation that has been ravaged by war? Both candidates have very different perspectives on the Iraq war and we mush closely examine their views to see if they are in lined with what we believe God would wish to happen.
No matter who wins the election, we as Christians have been commanded to submit ourselves to the governing authorities (Romans 13) and pray for our leaders (I Timothy 2:1-2). Know that in all things, Christians are to love others as ourselves and do what is right. In this, we humbly follow Him while we act justly, all the time loving mercy.
We must pray over the elections and our future leaders. Recently came across some Christian T-Shirts that read Pray, Vote, Pray and I thought that was very appropriate for these turbulent times.