Taken Away – Praying Pint

37.x. “Whatever God has said to you, do.”

Genesis 31:8 If he said, The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

Even though Laban tried to cheat Jacob, God protected him all the time. God showed Jacob that He was greater and able to overcome what any man might do to Jacob. God’s presence was with Jacob, just as God had promised. Jacob not only believed that he had acted properly toward Laban, but he also believed that his wives knew of his righteous conduct and Laban’s unfair treatment of him. It is good to remember times and places where the LORD did great works for us and has met us in wonderful ways. As we remember them, God reminds us He is still the same God who met our needs then and wants to meet our needs now. Rachel and Leah noted that their father Laban had already used any potential inheritance they may have once received (also completely consumed our money). This meant they were happy to leave their homeland with Jacob and return to Bethel and the land promised to Jacob. (Guzik)

Jacob believed the dream from God to leave Laban. However, he has a young family and the journey is 450 miles. He will need the support of his wives – well least he wanted their support. Explaining the dream and their fathers treatment of his wages for the last 6 years really said it all. Still there appears to be a bit of greed or cultural inheritance expectations in the response by Leah and Rachel. This may have been how God moved them to think about the last six years; our inheritance is gone, we are treated like foreigners rather than family, our father has taken away money of which should be ours through inheritance and has been given to you by God, it belongs to us, we don’t need anymore evidence that God is leading and blessing you (us), Whatever God has said to you, do!! Understand this fully and apply it fully.

We might be thinking, “if God would speak to me in a dream I would surely do what He says”. Remember we are pre-Moses and there is no written word of God, no nation of Israel, only promises made by God through a dream. However, we live in a time where there is the written Word of God, by men inspired by the Holy Spirit, for our knowledge and understanding of God’s s awesome power, love, mercy, grace, promises, plans, purpose, will, commands, guides, direction, eternity, heaven, hell, judgment, wrath, anger, Jesus Christ, redemption, salvation, repentance, obedience, trust, resurrection, faith, and hope, etc… We have been given the Word of God so that we might honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do.

IS OUR RESPONSE STILL THE SAME????? “WHATEVER GOD HAS SAID, DO IT?????

If only we would have a deep heart desire to know Him more and more with a seeking mind, and a firm determination to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, maybe then we would consider LISTENING FOR AND TO God speaking into our lives. There should be no room for neglect and complacency that is so common in today’s Christian.

35.n. “So that the whole world may be held accountable to God.”

Genesis 3:17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Romans 3:19   Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

Jeremiah 7:23-24   But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’  But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.

Isaiah 24:5-6    The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.  Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

Ecclesiastes 1:2-3   Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.  What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 1:13-14   And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with.  I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Romans 8:20-22   For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Job 1:21   And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Eve was deceived but Adam was not. He chose to willingly disobey God’s command. Such is life. We either are deceived like Eve or we willingly, like Adam, choose to disobey God. Being given the free will to choose does not remove the consequences of choosing paths apart from God’s desire and purpose for our lives. Our single purpose is to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Anything short of this by deception or willingly disobedience is sin against God, our Creator. Neglect, complacency, or flat-out rejection and denial of God is no excuse. If we neglect, become complacent, reject, or deny God’s Word, if we do not see it as food for our soul and water for our hearts and minds, if we find little to no time for His word in our lives, if we allow the busyness of life to consume our minds and time, if we desire more of what this world has to offer rather than honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ we deceive ourselves into a false sense of security willingly in disobedience to God our Creator. We choose every day that which does or does not honor and glorify Jesus Christ. It was in paradise Adam and Eve chose to sin. How much easier is it to sin in this world full of deception and lies. Satan still tries to deceive by claiming that the things of this world are much sweeter and gratifying than the things of God. Lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and ears are all deceptive temptations placed before each person every second of their lives. These deceptively lead people to conclude self-worth, self-reliance, self-gratification, self-grandeur, self-pleasing, self-satisfaction, self-justification, self…………….. is more worthy and satisfying than following after God.

Do we think for a second that half-hearted head nods toward things of God honor and glorify Jesus Christ? Do we think Godly words from our lips that never reach our hearts and minds honor and glorify Jesus Christ? Do we think being lukewarm is better than cold to things of God? It is safe to say that your life will reflect that which fills it. Do we think for a moment that God does not see through and know our neglect and complacency toward Him in our thoughts, words, and actions? Do we think we can bluff God with our lack of commitment or half-hearted commitment? When our hearts desire and seeking is to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, it is then the deceptions of this world will not only become apparent but more importantly, they will have less and less influence in our lives.

34.m. “‘Well done, good and faithful servant”

Matthew 25:14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Christ keeps no servants to be idle: they have received their all from him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The day of account comes at last. We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have enjoyed. It is not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. It is the real Christian’s liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer’s servant, in promoting his glory, and the good of his people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him that died for him, and rose again. Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose in religion. They complain that He requires of them more than they are capable of, and punishes them for what they cannot help. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. The slothful servant is sentenced to be deprived of his talent. This may be applied to the blessings of this life; but rather to the means of grace. Those who know not the day of their visitation, shall have the things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. His doom is, to be cast into outer darkness. It is a usual way of expressing the miseries of the damned in hell. Here, as in what was said to the faithful servants, our Saviour goes out of the parable into the thing intended by it, and this serves as a key to the whole. Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their perishing possessions. (Henry)

The manifestation of the grace of God in believers is for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ. Though this manifestation might be in the form of helping others, giving, kindness, generosity, serving, proclaiming the Gospel, works of the hands, or wisdom of the mind they are all singularly for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. Any intent we have to keep some of this glory for ourselves robs its intended glory and honor from Jesus Christ. From Him, the talents are given and to Him, they belong with all their accumulated interest.

Pray that God would open your eyes and ears to your heart, mind, and soul to the talents He has given to you, and then be a workman that uses these talents for His honor and glory. Anything kept for our own glory and honor is stealing from the King of Kings.

34.u. “He will put those wretches to a miserable death”

Matthew 21:33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.

These are, of course, the prophets, whose office was not only to foretell, but to plead for obedience and trust, the fruits sought by God. The whole history of the nation is summed up in this dark picture. Generation after generation of princes, priests, and people had done the same thing. There is no more remarkable historical fact than that of the uniform hostility of the Jews to the prophets. That a nation of such a sort as always to hate and generally to murder them should have had them in long succession, throughout its history, is surely inexplicable on any naturalistic hypothesis. Such men were not the natural product of the race, nor of its circumstances, as their fate shows. How did they spring up? No ‘philosophy of Jewish history’ explains the anomaly except the one stated here,-’He sent His servants.’ The hostility of the husbandmen grows with indulgence. From beating they go on to killing, and stoning is a specially savage form of killing. The opposition which began, as the former parable tells us, with polite hypocrisy and lip obedience, changed, under the stimulus of prophetic appeals, to honest refusal, and from that to violence which did not hesitate to slay. The more God pleads with men, the more self-conscious and bitter becomes their hatred; and the more bitter their hatred, the more does He plead, sending other messengers, more perhaps in number, or possibly of more weight, with larger commission and clearer light. Thus both the antagonistic forces grow, and the worse men become, the louder and more beseeching is the call of God to them. That is always true; and it is also ever true that he who begins with ‘I go, sir, and goes not, is in a fair way to end with stoning the prophets. (MacLaren)

The message of this parable is clear enough. With this answer, the chief priests and elders understood what the wicked servants deserved. Truly, those who rebel against their master this way deserve judgment. They knew the owner of the vineyard had the right to expect the fruits in their seasons. In the same way, God looked for fruit from Israel’s leadership, but found little (Guzik).

“Oh, that the Lord may raise up a race of men ‘who shall render him the fruits in their seasons!’ The hallmark of a faithful minister is his giving to God all the glory of any work that he is enabled to do. That which does not magnify the Lord will not bless men.” (Spurgeon)

his parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God’s people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. How can we, if faithful to his cause, expect a favourable reception from a wicked world, or from ungodly professors of Christianity! And let us ask ourselves, whether we who have the vineyard and all its advantages, render fruits in due season, as a people, as a family, or as separate persons. Our Saviour, in his question, declares that the Lord of the vineyard will come, and when he comes he will surely destroy the wicked. The chief priests and the elders were the builders, and they would not admit his doctrine or laws; they threw him aside as a despised stone. But he who was rejected by the Jews, was embraced by the Gentiles. Christ knows who will bring forth gospel fruits in the use of gospel means. The unbelief of sinners will be their ruin. But God has many ways of restraining the remainders of wrath, as he has of making that which breaks out redound to his praise. May Christ become more and more precious to our souls, as the firm Foundation and Cornerstone of his church. May we be willing to follow him, though despised and hated for his sake. (Henry)

22.d. “Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn”

1 Corinthians 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Matthew 13:11-17 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Romans 8:5-8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The natural man – one who lives in a natural state, and under the influences of these natural passions, lives in opposition to things of God and things taught by and through the Holy Spirit. Instead of living with knowledge and understanding, they live void of God. They have blocked their own eyes from seeing and their ears from hearing things of God. Their heart has become like a stone to things of God. They choose to live in this state of blindness and deafness. Everything they do is void of doing it for the honor and glory of God. Even the good that they do is done out of selfish desires. All of us were born in the natural state, with natural desires, and lives that were in opposition to and void of understanding things of God. There is not a single person who can claim a birth other than this. “For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”

The amazing and awesome Good News of Jesus Christ is that, in the grace, mercy, and love of God, He made a way, a mystery, for us to have a “New Birth”, “Born Again”, “A New Creation”. This mystery can not be understood or found by the wisdom and understanding of the natural man. The heart and mind of the natural man are void of this understanding. Somehow, God, is able to soften the heart and mind of the natural man with the “Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have no comprehension of how this works, but I know the most stone-hardened heart can be changed by hearing the Good News. I was lost but now am found, I was blind but now I see, I was deaf but now I hear. Somehow the Gospel penetrates through the hardness and the heart and mind are able to understand the Gospel. At that moment, in that very second, that person makes an intentional choice to believe it or reject it. In that very moment a once hardened heart, that intentionally chooses to believe, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ, is changed and is “Born Again”, becomes a “New Creation”, and is a “New Birth”.

Everyone will make an intentional decision to believe and trust God or to reject deny or reject Him before they die. In this decision, they choose eternity in heaven or eternity in hell. There ought to be a difference in how the lives are lived of those that are “Born Again” compared to those who are spiritually void.

9.o. “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.”

Joel 3:17 “So you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it. “And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim. “Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations. I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the Lord dwells in Zion.”

Zephaniah 3:14-16 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.

We live in a time when it is hard to see God’s hand at work in our world. But if this pandemic is not from the hand of God then what are we thinking it can be from. God is sovereign and has plans and purposes far above our understanding. Do we think He needs to explain what He is doing for our approval? The fact that we do not know should not lead us away from God. Whatever His plans, whatever His purpose, we can rejoice in the fact that He is our God. He loves us. He sent His Son to redeem us. He called us unto Himself. He has promised eternal life. He has promised us refuge, hope, peace, rest, love, power, and courage through faith in Him alone no matter what the circumstance. We are to rejoice in Him. In times of trials, our voices of praise and worship of God should grow louder, not weaker. Our trust and faith are more strong. Our resolve to trust Him more, more firm. Our home is not here. Our home and destination is in heaven with Jesus Christ. I wonder if we too often consider this our home and lose focus and vision of our eternal home.

No matter what comes our way we can be assured God is in control and His plans and purposes will be accomplished. We can be assured of this.

6.p Stricken for the transgression of my people?

Revelation 5:6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Isaiah 53:7-8   He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

John 1:29     The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:36    and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

1 Peter 1:19-20     but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

The Lamb of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Lamb without spot or blemish, the Lamb led to the slaughter, the Lamb cut off fro the land of the living, the Lamb stricken for the transgression of My people. Jesus was the Lamb of God sent to redeem those who, aware of their sin, aware of their need for redemption, and aware of their need for forgiveness, believe (trust in, cling too, and rely on) in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for their sin.

We see Jesus as the Lamb stand and as though it had been slain, and ever a reminder of the price that was paid and that He lives. The church in Ephesus was scolded for the loss of their first love. That first love would be the purest grateful, thankful, and relieved heart realizing their sins had been forgiven. We will do well to remember the Lamb of God that was slain for our sin with this first love forever remembered in our daily lives.

58. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

Deuteronomy 29:4   But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.

Proverbs 20:12    The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.

Isaiah 6:9-10    And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 63:17   O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants

Matthew 13:11-15     And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

John 8:43    Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

2 Corinthians 3:15    Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.

Ephesians 4:18    They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12     and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

James 1:13-17     Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.  Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.

2 Timothy 2:25    correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

Ezekiel 36:26   And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

There is quite a bit said in these verses that show the heart of man. God knows the heart, mind, and soul of each person. He knows those who do/will and do not/will not desire and seek Him. He knows those who will believe and those who will not. He knows. It appears to say that God will send a delusion and a hardening of the heart, ears, and eyes to those whose heart and mind and soul are dull to things of God. It also says that God will give a new heart and new spirit to those who truly seek and desire Him.

I get a bit lost in how these two outcomes are applied to people. If I were to look at my conversion and what it took to bring me to my knees before Jesus Christ, it was only by the grace and mercy of God that my eyes, heart, ears, and mind were opened to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the need for forgiveness and repentance. I would easily have been one who’s heart was like that of stone, whose eyes and ears were shut to things of God. Yet God opened them and gave me a new heart. He gave me understanding and pulled the veil from my eyes. He opened my deaf ears. He softened my heart of stone. He put a new spirit within me.

I know I deserved to be alienated and left in my ignorance for I was living in the pleasure of my sin giving no thought about God. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

It is the time to recognize neglect of His word and that complacency that has filled our hearts. Confess, repent, seek, desire, and run to Him for the time is short for us to serve, honor, glorify, follow, and obey Jesus, the author, creator, awesome, mighty, powerful, loving, and steadfast redeemer of our soul.

Living for Jesus

“To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

John 20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Luke 24:46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Forgiveness of sin comes to all who believe and are called. Our lives are no longer without purpose. We are to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We are to make disciples. We are to receive the Holy Spirit. We are to walk in humbleness. We are to follow and obey. We are to honor God. We are to be thankful in all circumstances. We are to seek and desire Him. We are to be different from those who do not know or live for Jesus Christ. We are to be the light to those in darkness. We are to study His word. We are to keep our focus on Him and eternity. We are to pray. We are to be kind. We are to communicate hope, peace, love, and joy. We are to find our purpose in humbly serving, honoring, following, and obeying God for His glory. Our life is no longer ours to live but His to live through us.

Faithful to the Master

Enter into the joy of your master

How much has God entrusted with you? What has He placed within your control to use the talents He has given you? How do we use these talents? Are we using them in a way that honors and glorifies God? Or are they buried way down within us and never to see any fruit? God has given us great promises in light of His grace and mercy. He has entrusted each of us with talents to be used to honor and glorify Him alone. These talents take on many different forms – generosity, kindness, patience, love, joy, hope, encouragement, discipleship, teaching, gentleness….. Notice I did not say any profession… that is because no matter what vocation we are in we are given these other talents to be used in what we do every day to bring honor and glory to God. To have talents given to us and then not use them for His purpose, honor and glory is to fall into the category of “Wicked and Slothful servant”. Choose this day to live for Him with your talents.

Matthew 25:14
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more. ’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. ’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more. ’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master. ’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours. ’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth