JESUS SPEAKING

“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?  Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.  Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.  But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mathew 24: 45-51.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

A sizable Middle Eastern home in the first century had one master (usually the father or patriarch), and many servants who strictly adhered to the commandments and directions of their master.  Often, when the master went on a journey, he placed his most trusted servant in charge of the household.  This parable utilizes a common cultural illustration to describe a heavenly truth.  In the parable, the master represents Jesus, who would shortly ascend in to heaven with the promise of his eventual ‘second coming.’  He left the apostles and all future believers (servants) with his power and authority, and a mandate to serve others, to love others, and to always be prepared for his immediate return.  Jesus describes two types of servants (the faithful and the wicked.)  The Faithful servants are those who follow orders, and who in love, provide for the needs of those they serve; the reward for their service is eternal life.  The wicked servants are those who start out in faith, serving others in obedience to Christ; but who lose heart over his delayed return and begin to mistreat those they are given.  The wicked servants walk away from serving and begin to serve themselves and their own sinful desires.  The reward for their disobedience is eternal death in hell, where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Before I knew the Lord, I had very little respect for anyone, or anything.  One night, after getting drunk with friends and acquaintances, we began to smash everything in my apartment.  We smashed beer bottles, plates, a window, (a car windshield got broken as well, I believe) and the toilet overflowed and caused damage to a lower apartment; the mess was overwhelming (someone had even written something disgusting on my mirror with shaving crème.)  My Dad had been paying for the apartment which was rented through some family friends; he would come through periodically to inspect the apartment.  That night I had passed out, thinking I could clean the mess up in the morning.  Much to my surprise, I woke up to my Dad standing over me, yelling my name.  I jumped up in distress and in shock; there was glass everywhere; I began to frantically clean up the mess.  My Dad had rented the apartment for me and placed it in my hands to respect and take care of; but I abused it.  I thought I would have time to make everything look nice before he could see anything.  I was wrong; he showed up at a time when I didn’t expect him, and in an hour when I wasn’t prepared.  He saw that I was unworthy; in his absence I used my freedom to abuse what he had given me.

Jesus Christ has been gone for nearly 2000 years; and for nearly 2000 years he has appointed servants to represent him in his absence.  The good servants are those who have respected what God has given them; they have kept the spirit of the unexpected return of their master.  A good servant follows commands.  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have been given commandments and responsibilities that require your attention.  Your life is no longer your own, but you play the role of Jesus Christ in this place and in the lives of all those you know.  He loved, he sacrificed, he prayed, he taught, he inspired hope, he healed the broken hearted, he brought light in to dark places, he spoke the truth, he forgave sins, and above all he served others.  How does your life resemble his life?  Are you serving Jesus Christ today, or are you serving yourself?  Are you taking care of what he has given you, or are you abusing it?  Be a good servant; always be ready for the return of your king, and may he find you serving him in a manner worthy of an eternal reward (the reward is well worth the effort.)

“Lord Heavenly Father we come before You and we honor You.  We ask that You make us obedient servants, and give us a heart to serve others, and to continue on in Your work.  Help us to let go of our own lives, and live them in submission to You.  We so desperately want to be the good servants that are continually ready for Your return.  Please mold us and shape us in to the image of Your Son.  Give us opportunities to reveal Your love to others.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

 

JESUS SPEAKING

Then He called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over demons, and to cure diseases.  He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  And he said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money.  Whatever house you enter stay there, and from there depart.  And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.  (Luke 9: 1-6.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus first gave the disciples his power and authority, and sent them out; those who didn’t receive the disciples rejected the Christ who sent them (many today still reject those who come to them with his message.)  Jesus desired the disciples to rely on God for provision.  They were not allowed to take a bag or extra clothing (as many do when traveling.)  They were forbidden to take food for themselves.  They were instructed to leave without money, and to travel without a staff (for protection.)  The disciples were learning to trust solely in God for their provision.

In another portion of scripture, Jesus interacted with a very wealthy man who desired to follow him.  The man found himself in a dilemma when Jesus told him to first sell everything that he possessed.  The man left sorrowful, because he chose the security of his riches over the eternal life.  After the man departed, Jesus said to the crowd, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God.” The wealthy learn to trust in their riches rather than in God.  The world promotes self-reliance, but those who are alive in Christ learn to rely on him.

Today, when a problem arises in your life, what do you turn too?  When you lose a job, do you spend time in prayer, or do you spend time at the local pub.  When you need something, do you stretch out to others before stretching out to God?  When you are feeling rejected, do you look for a relationship, or does God become the love of your life.  God is pleased when you lean on him; when you rely on him; when you trust in him.  Give God the proper place in your life; He is just waiting […] yearning to provide you with whatever you need, all you need to do is ask.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we lift You up, and we praise You and we thank You for Your goodness.  Father, please provide for our needs, and help us to trust in You and not in ourselves or others.  Show us areas where we need to make You our strength, and take away those things that we are trusting in outside of You.  We desire to do Your will, and to carry Your message in to the lives of others.  We need You to guide us, and to give us the words to speak; so use us Lord to do Your will, in this place.  We love You, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

 

JESUS SPEAKING

The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.  And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.  But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.  And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” (Mark 10: 2-12.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The religious leaders asked Jesus a controversial question concerning divorce (controversial even today.)  They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  Jesus’ answered ‘No,’ and referred them back to Adam and Eve to help them understand God’s Will concerning marriage.  In the beginning of creation, God created two people; Adam and his wife Eve.  They were created for one another and designed to be one being in eternal union with God (inseparable.)  They needed one another in order to live.  They had no concept of separation or the desire to be apart.  Divorce is no creation of God’s design; yet God does allow it in only one instance […] in another scripture, Jesus states that “sexual immorality” is just cause for divorce.  Sexual immorality would be any type of intercourse or sexual contact outside of the marriage (which might include idolatry, or looking at others to lust for them (pornography/nudity?))  If a husband or wife commits some act of “sexual immorality,” the spouse who was faithful can divorce and remarry.  The spouse who was unfaithful however, is no longer allowed to remarry.  The bond between a husband and a wife is sacred and if broken has eternal consequences.

Every human being alive today is the product of the union of two people.  When the first cell is formed in the womb, it carries all of the information necessary to create a person.  Half of the instructions come from the mother, and half come from the father.  The child may have the father’s eyes, but the mother’s hair.  The child’s mannerisms and behaviors will partially reflect both parents; they may have dad’s smile but mom’s temperament.  Imagine attempting to separate the child in two once they have been born; half of Dad over here, half of Mom over there.  Can a person be cut in half and still hope to live?  Any attempt would surely result in death.  When two people get divorced they are trying to separate what cannot be separated.  Sadly, many married couples choose to divide themselves and in turn they choose death instead of eternal life.

Today, anyone looking to get married should understand that there is no turning back; there is no jumping ship; there is no division of what God has made one.  Any attempt to separate from a spouse (unless there has been “sexual immorality”) will bring death.  Marriage is meant to be a blessing and a gift from the Lord; but it is challenging, and it is permanent; so take the time to consider what marriage means before you enter in to eternal unity with another human being.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we ask that if we are married, You would give us the strength to continue forward in love with our eternal partner; help our relationships to be filled with true love for one another.  Father, also, for those of us who are not married, provide us with wisdom in making decisions about who we will bind ourselves too eternally.  Help all of Your children avoid the snares of death, and the tragedy and misery of divorce.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.