Good point; with ANYTHING you read (watch, etc.), you go with your interpretation.

 "He said the harvest is plentiful but the laborors are few.  We are to be busy sowing and reaping  as we are given the opportunity to do so."

How many are you KFC, couple of hundred thousand and growing, and lets not forget the few hundred thousand Jehovahs Witnesses, or the thousands of Mormans and various other christian sects out there spreading the gospel as well.  The laborers are few?  I'd say there's a great deal of you out there.  I'm thinking that when Jesus was speaking of laborers he wasn't speaking of either born agains or christians in general.  Few surely doesn't mean hundreds of thousands, even in Jesus's time that was an awful lot of people.

When I read it this passage it was to "spread the good news", not the gospel.  The good news was that Jesus had defeated death by rising from the dead, and in that he paved the way and made it acceptable to God for all mankind to do the same.

No, KFC, I'm not ready to admit to Paul.  And I'm not ready to admit that John the Baptist wasn't Elijah either.   I'm of the opinion that people are more than willing to bend Jesus's words to suit and make it acceptable to our own understanding simply because we don't believe these things are possible.  I tell you that they are possible, not only are they possible but that there will someday be others that will do the same, not prophets, or divine beings but everyday common ordinary people. 

Well I'm thinking that there are far too many of us that "have faith and belief" and the idea that Jesus died for our sins which makes so many of us think that that is all it takes.   It takes effort and it LITERALLY takes walking the path of Jesus, which is not just bible study, spreading the gospel, or tithing for the poor or the church.  Jesus said to sell ALL we own, or give it away and give the money to the poor..........not 10% not 25% percent but ALL of it.  To rely completely and totally on God for our own well being which means ones health, ones food, ones clothing and where one will rest their head each night, and not worry about one's life nor try to save it.  Because he who clings to it will lose it, but he who dies for me will find it, and he wasn't speaking of martyrdom either, but the willingness and desire to leave this life behind, because if one is still attracted to the things of this life they will not enter into the next with that kind of baggage.   Hence the parable of the lilies of the field.  (And this more than anything makes me wonder about Paul, the apostles did this thing, he did not.)  One must leave everything behind, friends and family, including mother, father, brother, sister, husband/wife, and children.  No small feat for anyone, and most are not willing to do this.  Instead they prefer to think that good works, faith, belief, charity. and the mistaken idea that Jesus died for ones sins is enough.  It is not.  Jesus meant every word that he said.  He was dead serious, and it is not open to anyones idea of interpretation either.  One will either do just this and enter into this other world where Jesus dwells as king or they will not enter at all. 

You didn't answer my question about Paul being a prophet.  How come? 

yes and getting fewer.  Many may claim Christ as Savior but are unwilling to work for him.  Quite content to have a savior but not as content in having a Lord over them.  Anyone involved in church business knows quite well the 20/80 factor. 

show me where he told US to do this.  You are speaking of his conversation with the rich young ruler correct?  Now, show me where he told the rest of us to do this.  You've done this?  What about Abraham?  Solomon?  David?  All rich but were all strong men  of God and used of God.  They did not do what you are advocating. 

Children?  leave our children?  Parents?  show me where he said this as well. 

How do you reconcile that with "honor your mother and father?"  And those who don't care for their own are worse than an infidel?  

See this is where you're dangerous.  You're spouting off scripture all over the place without context.  There's context involved that must be adheared to.  A text taken out of context is nothing more than a pretext. 

that is the gospel.  The good news is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  He lives and now we can live.  Maranatha! 

Yes, but there are about 6.5 billion people on the planet.  Put into perspective, half a million Christians would represent 0.0077% of the world's population.

Not just the "rich" man, who by the way was also a righteous man (which didn't help him at all with Jesus, for all his righteousness he still wasn't acceptable), but also of the "widows mite".  What makes you think that these are instructions for just the few?  And that you or anyone else is above taking them and that these instruction are not for all but the few?  The truth is.............they are for all who wish to follow him.  This is what makes you and those like you dangerous, this idea that somehow Jesus wasn't speaking to you or them.  I'd say that you are far more dangerous than I could ever be.  You take Jesus's word at your convenience, I take it as gospel, and definate instruction.  In your convenience you lead others astray.

Honoring one's mother and father does not mean that one can't leave them behind to be with Jesus.  Or don't you understand the meaning of the word "honor"?

No Paul is not a prophet. 

Half a million is still half a million, world perspective or no.

Yes leave your children, or what is not clear about the fact that Jesus stated there "will be no husband and wife"?  Or Jesus's statement about who is and is not his brother or mother?  These rules apply to children as well, they are not an acception.  Have you no faith that god will care for them? 

you are quite right about the rich man.  Jesus met him where he was.  His money was his god and Jesus knew that.  The poor old widow gave all she had and is held up as an example of one who is the complete opposite of the rich young ruler.  She understood that everything is God's even the little she had. 

 Jesus example of her, commending her still is not a command that we all sell all we have and give to the poor.  We should all be willing if we're asked but not everyone is asked.   So I have to ask you, what makes you think we all have to sell all we have?  There are all sorts of good/bad examples in scripture. 

you're taking things way out of context.  No husband or wife?  He's not talking about here but about hereafter. 

Titus 3:8-11

⁸This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

 ⁹But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. ¹⁰Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. ¹¹You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

[quote]Jesus met him where he was. His money was his god and Jesus knew that. The poor old widow gave all she had and is held up as an example of one who is the complete opposite of the rich young ruler. She understood that everything is God's even the little she had. [/quote

Many of us don't understand the real meaning behind both stories.  It was not that the young man's wealth was his god, for in truth he kept all the laws, which would have included worship at temple which means he acknowledged God as his God, it was that the young man didn't trust that the Lord God would provide for him.  Nor was it that the widow realized that everything belonged to God, but that she gave all she had because she trusted that the Lord God would provide for her needs.  For as Jesus said "render unto Caesar that which is Caeser's (material wealth) and unto God that which is Gods" (trust and self). 

There are many examples of the need to trust in the Lord God to provide, in the NT and the OT as well.  In Psalms, David finds favor in the eyes of the Lord when he sings "The Lord is my shepard, I shall not want......."  Those words are an expression of trust that the Lord will provide. Jesus's parable of the lillies in the field is another example of trusting in the Lord God to provide.  He spoke those words to his disciples and to the masses as well.  Obviously the message of the need for trust in the Lord God was meant for all not the few. 

The "Hereafter"?  Jesus said that "the kingdom of heaven is all around you".  What makes you think that it's in the "hereafter"?

Jythier, I assume that you are speaking to me so I say to you:  "Judge not, for as ye judge so shall ye be judged".  Quote me Jesus, or quote me nothing at all.  Titus doesn't mean anything to me.

Actually I was talking to KFC, reminding her to not bother with foolish controversies.  I know Titus means something to her.

My apologies.  You weren't speaking to me but about me.  I should've known.

[quote who="whisper2" comment="491"]

This is rather foolish.  Why would the Bible include anything other than Jesus' words if they were the only ones that mattered?  Besides which, Jesus Himself quoted passages of Scripture from the Old Testament from time to time, so I think it is safe to say He doesn't agree with your view.

[quote who="whisper2" comment="491"]

Jythier quoted Scripture, so actually it is God doing the judging here.  Jythier simply brought it to your attention.

Hmm, the quote function broke.