Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 July 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACIE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACIE BIBLE STUDIES

THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM. Mark iv, 1-20—July 14. “gecrirc with mettneas the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls." —James *. ti CHE SALVATION open at the present time has been obtainable only through faith, and faith is dependent upon a measure of knowledge, or revelation, and this knowledge, or revelation, came to us from God; for, as said St Peter, “Holy men of old spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” God in this Age is calling a class possessed of appreciation for His Message, These are chiefly the poor of this world, rich Ln faith. The point of today’s lesson is to show the injpbrtrince of having the right kind of spiritual fond, and not allowing the new nature to become choked by earthly ambitions. Such as thus overcome will be inheritors with

Jesus of His glori. ous Messianic Kingdom. Jesus gave the parable of the Sower of the "good The disciples were iierplex-' ed and inquired Its meaning. His answer was that it related to

the Kingdom, but it was not to be understood by outsiders. It was for this reason that Jesus spoke in parables, because the masses even of the Jews were not in a heart condition to understand. Only such persons as were willing to undertake the stringent conditions of .the "narrow way” were to fully and 'clearly understand the parables. This is in harmony with all of God’s dealings in the present time. We read, “The secret of the Lord Is with them that reverence Him, and He will show them His Covenant.” In Verse 13 the Master indicates that this parable would serve as a general key to the interpretation of q.ll His parables. “Seed” does not mean literal seed, "birds" do not mean birds, "thorns" do not mean thorns, etc. Proceeding. the Great Teacher expounded the parable as follows; Seed Represents the Kingdom Message. (1) The seed that was sown represents the Word of God; it represents that particular feature of God’s Word which relates to the Kingdom. This is shown by St. Mattljew’s account pf the same parable, (Matthew xiii, 19.) Our lesson says that the Wicked One is Satan. Satan and his evil agents are therefore represented in the parable by “birds,” and the I ration is that we lose the benefit of that fl which we do not understand. Evidently, then, much of Bible study and religions reading is lost. The “good seed”does not enter into the Understanding because the heart is not in a receptive attitude. Like the wayfside path, it is hard. (2i The seed sown In the stony place represents those who, when they hear the Kingdom Message, are delighted. They say. How good that sounds! What a grand time there will be when Messiah rules in righteousness to bless the world. And how great Is the privilege of becoming mem tiers of the Bride of Christ, to be associated with Him in His Kingdom work! But the class represented have little depth of character; they are merely emotional. When they find that the good Seed of the Kingdom is unpopular and that it will bring them a certain amount of reproach and contempt and perhaps persecution, the Kingdom Message fails to produce in them the fruitage desired. (3) The seed sown in the thorny ground represents those whose hearts are divided. Let us note carefully that these thorns do not represent gambling

devices, card parties, saloons and other places of illrepute, nor secret sins. None of these things should appeal to Christians. The Master distinctly tells us that the thorns represent “the cares of this life and the deceitful ness of riches.” Thus every Christian who bag

received the Message of the Kingdom and has allowed the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches to choke and frustrate his prospects of the Kingdom is represented in this parable. (4) According to the parable there will be one class who will attain the Kingdom in the sense that they will bring forth the kind of fruitage acceptable to the Lord; but the difference will be in the amount of fruitage---some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred fold. The Lord does not explain the difference between these fruitages, but the fully appreciative and loving will be the most energetic to know and to do the Master’s will, and will bring forth the largest fruitage and will have the chief places in the Kingdom. St Paul declares that as star differs from star In glory, so it will be with those who attain unto the First Resurrection. Jesus assured James and John that, if they were willing to drink of His cup and be baptized into His death, they should surely sit with Him in His Throne; but as to the chief places of honor, it was not for Him to say. Those places will be given according to principles of Justice and of merit.

Sowing good seed.

Four kinds of ground.