And Jesus taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

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

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And another fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Jesus taught the people in language they could understand by using examples of everyday things they worked with. This way, no matter their occupation, they could understand exactly what He was talking about, as in the above verses.

The principal grains during Bible times were wheat and barley. They didn’t have modern machines that could do the hard work, so they spent much time getting the land ready to plant. The first time they plowed, the plow would only scratch the surface of the ground a few inches. It would have to be plowed many more times before it would be soft enough to plant seeds that would give a maximum yield during the harvest.

The time of plowing for some crops began with the early rains in September or October and continued until March. The field was plowed from several different angles to be sure it was broken up. Then it was gone over with a wooden harrow to level it off to plant. (A harrow is a large wooden timber or heavy piece of wood with nails or spikes sticking out the bottom. As it was dragged, it helped smooth out the field but also made sure the top layer was broken good for planting.)

When a field was cleared for the first time, there were stones and thorns that had to be removed so the crop could have its highest yield. If the thorns had been left, they would have sucked up much of the moisture the crop needed to thrive.

When God has called us to do a certain thing, He then takes the time to plow and cultivate our field over and over so that He can achieve the best yield. This is not usually a fun process because He is taking away thorns and rocks that will get in the way of producing the best crop possible. It is not fun to have sin uncovered in your life that you might have hidden away, or didn’t even know was there.

According the verses 5-7, some of the seed fell upon ground that was not prepared well enough to receive it. This was probably at the end of the rows or just places that had been missed by the plow in cultivation. Some of the soil was partially prepared to receive the seed so it thrived for a short time; but other soils were not prepared to receive the seed at all, so they never got the chance to sprout even for a short time.

Then the last part is what I want to talk about – the different yields of fruit that spring up from the good soil.

The fruit yield is directly related to how much the soil has been broken up and how deeply it has been cultivated. To someone who is not a farmer, it would seem ridiculous to plow a field for 6 months before planting even the first seed. The farmer, though, would know that the yield of his crop was directly related to how much the soil had been prepared before planting the seed.

This is many times why you have to wait so long from the time God calls you to do something until the time it actually comes to pass. He is continuously tilling, plowing, and removing stones and thorns until the soil is perfect for planting. Then after the planting there is a time of waiting for the seeds to sprout and the crop to grow to a full maturity. All this must happen before there can be a plentiful harvest.

The next time you feel it is taking too long for God to bring something to pass, remember that He is busy getting all the hindrances out of the way so that He can use you to accomplish what He desires in a mighty way.

The next time you feel that you are being pushed, prodded, poked and bruised, just think about the fact that God is doing what it takes for you to reap a bountiful harvest.

It is God’s Law that you will always reap what you sow, so don’t forget that during the sometimes long process of waiting. Continually sow good things and you will reap a reward that is greater than you ever expected. The reward might come in a different way than you thought, but God always has your best interest at heart and He loves you more than anyone else ever could.

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Please pay special attention to the quote below:

An optimist finds the positive in the negative, and a pessimist can only find the negative in the positive.

So here’s the story…..

*******************************

An optimist sees the best in the world, while a pessimist sees only the
worst. An optimist finds the positive in the negative, and a pessimist can
only find the negative in the positive.

For example, as a duck hunter, I was in the market for a new bird dog a
few years ago. My search finally ended when I found a dog that could not
only retrieve, but could actually walk on water! Of course I bought him
immediately but wasn’t sure how I’d tell my hunter buddies.

I decided to try to break the news to one friend at a time starting with a
long-time buddy who was also a hunter. He was a pessimist by nature, but
invited him to hunt with me and my new dog.

As we waited, carefully concealed by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by.
We fired, and ducks fell at a distance. The dog responded and jumped into
the water. The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the
water to retrieve the birds, never getting more than his paws wet. This
continued all day long–each time a duck fell, the dog walked across the
surface of the water to retrieve it.

My pessimist buddy watched carefully, saw everything, but did not say a
single word about it the entire day.

On the drive home the silence was suddenly broken when my friend said,
“Too bad about your dog.”

A little surprised at his statement, I asked, “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” drawled the pessimist slowly, “it’s too bad ya got stuck with
one that can’t swim.”

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One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day.

On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many
darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that
they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow
them to throw darts at the person’s picture.

Sally’s friend drew a picture of who had stolen her boyfriend.
Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a
picture of a  former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her
drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased with the
overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Some of the
students threw their darts with such force that their targets were
ripping apart. Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with
disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the
students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry
she was because she didn’t have a chance to throw any darts at her
target. Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall.

Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A hush fell over
the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and
jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced.

Dr. Smith said only these words…. ‘In as much as ye have done
it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me.’
Matthew 25:40.

No other words were necessary; the tear filled eyes of the
students focused only on the picture of Christ.

Related posts:

1. Throwing Darts Sure Can Hurt You!
2. A Story – The Devil and The Duck
3. Be Careful When You Open The Door!

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New
England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a
rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit.

Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak…

“I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming
toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three
little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, “What do you have there, son?”
“Just some old birds,” came the reply.

“What are you going to do with them?” I asked.
“Take ‘em home and have fun with ‘em,” he answered. “I’m gonna tease
‘em and pull out their feathers to make ‘em fight. I’m gonna have a real
good time.”

“But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do
then?”

“Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy. “They like birds. I’ll take
‘em to them.”

The pastor was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those
birds, son?”

“Huh?? !!! Why, you don’t want them birds, mister. They’re just plain
old field birds. They don’t sing. They ain’t even pretty!”

“How much?” the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if
he were crazy and said, “$10?”

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He
placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor
picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where
there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the
door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting
them free. Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and
then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just
come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes,
sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap,
used bait I knew they couldn’t resist. Got ‘em all!”

“What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.

Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to
marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to
drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and
bombs and kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!”

“And what will you do when you are done with them?” Jesus asked. “Oh,
I’ll kill ‘em,” Satan glared proudly.

“How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.

“Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take
them and they’ll just hate you.. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill
you. You don’t want those people!!”

“How much? He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your
life.”

Jesus said, “DONE!” Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.

Related posts:

1. A Great Story – Jesus and the Mud Puddle
2. Great Story – How Heavy Are Your Burdens?
3. A Touching Story – The Tablecloth

The schoolmaster, not fluent in English, asked the local priest if he knew
the meaning of WC. Together they pondered possible meanings of the letters
and concluded that the lady wanted to know if there was a Wayside Chapel
near the house…a bathroom never entered their minds. So the schoolmaster
wrote the following reply:

Dear Madam,

I take great pleasure in informing you that the WC is located 9 miles from
the house. It is located in the middle of a grove of pine trees, surrounded
by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and is open on
Sundays and Thursdays. As there are many people expected in the summer
months, I suggest you arrive early. There is, however, plenty of standing
room. This is an unfortunate situation, especially if you are in the habit
of going regularly.

It may be of some interest to you that my daughter was married in the WC as
it was there that she met her husband. It was a wonderful event. There were
10 people in every seat. It was wonderful to see the expressions on their
faces. My wife, sadly, has been ill and unable to go recently. It has been
almost a year since she went last, which pains her greatly.

You will be pleased to know that many people bring their lunch and make a
day of it. Others prefer to wait till the last minute and arrive just in
time! I would recommend your ladyship plan to go on a Thursday as there is
organ accompaniment. The acoustics are excellent and even the most delicate
sounds can be heard everywhere. The newest addition is a bell, which rings
every time a person enters.  We are holding a bazaar to provide plush seats
for all since many feel it is long needed.

I look forward to escorting you there myself and seating you in a place
where you can be seen by all.

Sincerely,
Schoolmaster

Check out my other sites:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living – practical ways to learn to live a victorious Christian life

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

Related posts:

1. Another Funny Story!
2. A Funny Hitchhiking Story
3. A funny "first kiss" story!

********************************************************************

Windshield Wipers

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick.

Suddenly, my son Matthew spoke up from his relaxed position in the front seat: “Mom, I’m thinking of something.”

This announcement usually meant he had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that his seven-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

“The rain,” he began, “is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away.”

After the chill bumps raced up my arms, I was able to respond.

“That’s really good, Matthew.”

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would my little boy take this revelation?

So I asked, “Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?”

Matthew didn’t hesitate one moment with his answer: “We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us.”

I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on.

Check out my other sites:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living – practical ways to learn to live a victorious Christian life

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

Related posts:

1. A Wonderful Story – The Daffodil Principle

***************************************************************

A lady died in January, and Citibank billed her for February & March for their annual service charges on her credit card, and then added late fees & interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, now it’s somewhere around $60.00.

A family member placed a call to Citibank:

Family Member: “I’m calling to tell you that she died in January.”

Citibank: “The account was never closed and the late fees & charges still apply.”

Family Member: “Maybe you should turn it over to collections.”

Citibank: “Since it is two months past due, it already has been.”

Family Member: “So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?”

Citibank: “Either report her account to the frauds division or report her to the credit bureau; maybe both!”

Family Member: “Do you think God will be mad at her?”

Citibank: “Excuse me?”

Family Member: “Did you just get what I was telling you . . . the part about her being dead?”

Citibank: “Sir, you’ll have to speak to my supervisor”

Supervisor gets on the phone.

Family Member: “I’m calling to tell you she died in January.”

Citibank: “The account was never closed and the late fees & charges still apply.”

Family Member: “You mean you want to collect from her estate?”

Citibank: (stammer) “Are you her lawyer?”

Family Member: “No, I’m her great nephew.” (lawyer info given)

Citibank: “Could you fax us a certificate of death?”

Family Member: “Sure.” (the fax number is given)

After they get the fax …

Citibank: “Our system just isn’t setup for death. I don’t know what more I can do to help.”

Family Member: “Well, if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her. I don’t think she will care.”

Citibank: “Well, the late fees & charges do still apply.”

Family Member: “Would you like her new billing address?”

Citibank: “That might help.”

Family Member: “Odessa Memorial Cemetery, Highway 129, Plot Number 69.”

Citibank: “Sir, that’s a cemetery!”

Family Member: “What do you do with dead people on your planet?”

Check out my other sites:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living - practical ways to learn to live a victorious Christian life

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

Related posts:

1. 2 Funny Stories – Laughter truly makes you feel better!
2. Good Thoughts Lead to Good Character
3. Are You A Good Soldier For God?

****************************************************************************

TWELVE REASONS WHY I STOPPED ATTENDING SPORTS EVENTS

~ Every time I went, they asked me for money.

~ The people with whom I had to sit by didn’t seem very friendly.

~ The seats were too hard and not comfortable at all.

~ The coach never came to call on me.

~ The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.

~ I was sitting with some hypocrites — they came only to see what others were wearing.

~ Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.

~ The band played some numbers that I had never heard before.

~ The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.

~ My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.

~ Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.

~ I don’t want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

Check out my other sites:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living – practical ways to learn to live a victorious Christian life

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

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But isn’t that what God wants? A person who will trust Him enough to completely step out on faith for something that will totally fail unless God is in it!

Read about this fascinating story below:

A first-hand account of it is in a sermon delivered December 1, 1912 by Russell H. Conwell, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia.
Rev. Conwell said the little girl’s name was Hattie May Wiatt.  She lived near a church where the Sunday School was very crowded and he told her that one day they would have buildings big enough to allow every one to attend who wanted to.  Later, Hattie May Wiatt became sick and died.  Rev. Conwell was asked to do the funeral and the girl’s mother told him that Hattie May had been saving money to help build a bigger church and gave him the little purse in which she had saved 57 cents.  Rev. Conwell had the 57 cents turned into 57 pennies, told the congregation the story of little Hattie May and sold the pennies for a return of about $250.  In addition, 54 of the original 57 pennies were returned to Rev. Conwell and he later put them up on display.  This was in 1886 when 57 cents was no small savings account for a little girl from a poor family.  Some of the members of the church formed what they called the Wiatt Mite Society which was dedicated to making Hattie May’s 57 cents grow as much as possible and to buy the property for the Primary Department of the Sunday school.  A house nearby was purchased with the $250 that Hattie May’s 57 cents had produced and the rest is history.  The first classes of Temple College, later Temple University, were held in that house.  It was later sold to allow Temple College to move and the growth of Temple, along with the founding of the Good Samaritan Hospital (Now the Temple University Hospital) have been powerful testimonies to Hattie May Wiatt’s dream.

Click on the link below to read the full text of Dr. Conwell’s sermon.

The History of 57 Cents

Check out my other sites:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living – Practical ways to learn to live a victorious Christian life

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

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*****************************************************************

Noah’s Ark

Ending his sermon, a preacher announced that he would preach on Noah and the Ark on the following Sunday, and gave the scriptural reference for the congregation to read ahead of time.

A couple of boys noticed something interesting about the placement of the story in the Bible. They slipped into the church and glued two pages of the pulpit Bible together.

The next Sunday, the preacher got up to read his text. “Noah took unto himself a wife,” he began, “and she was” – he turned the page to continue – “three hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high.”

Check out my other sites:

Handbook for Victorious Christian Living – Practical ways to learn to live a victorious Christian life

Blueprint for Victorious Christian Living

Power of the Living Word

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1. Working Replica of Noah’s Ark In SCHAGEN, Netherlands.
2. A Story – The Cowboy and the Church
3. Two Funny Stories