Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus 10-19-2011 Vol. 5 Part 11b (Matt. 25:35-46)

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Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus

10-19-2011 Vol. 5 Part 11b

Psalms 48:1-14 NKJV A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge. For behold, the kings assembled, They passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; They were troubled, they hastened away. Fear took hold of them there, And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, As when You break the ships of Tarshish With an east wind. As we have heard, So we have seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple. According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. Let Mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of Your judgments. Walk about Zion, And go all around her. Count her towers; Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generation following. For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death. Father we praise your name, we give you all the glory. Jesus we ask that you bless us and unlock your holy and true word to us so that we can have a deeper relationship with you. Open our ears, mind, and heart to your blessed voice. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!

Matthew 25:35 – 46

Matthew 25:35-46 NKJV for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Last week I covered verses 31 – 34. This week I will finish the rest 35 - 46. Just reading through the rest, it all seems very simple and easy to understand, but as I read the verses I receive a totally different message than what is on the surface and what I have gotten from these verses in the past.

First of all a person can get the idea that if they did all six things; feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, give shelter to a stranger, give clothes to the naked, visit the sick, and visit the imprisoned they can earn their way to Heaven. That is not what the verses are saying or even implying. There is only one way to Heaven and that is putting faith in Jesus Christ and what He did on the Cross. In other words you must have a spiritual birth. John 3:5-6 NKJV Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

The results of a spiritual birth, faith in Jesus, will produce the six items listed above. James sums it up pretty good with this verse. James 2:14-17 NKJV What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. John also makes a similar statement in first John. 1 John 3:16-19 NKJV By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

If we only give lip service to others that we care for them, but don’t do anything to help them, we are only fooling ourselves. God knows what is in our hearts and if we can’t show genuine love by our actions which is a product of our faith in Jesus Christ, then one must examine themselves and ask the question, “Am I truly Born Again and a child of God?” If I die today will I be going to Heaven? Am I living for God or my flesh? Jesus has this to say about his brethren; John 13:35 NKJV By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Now that we know these acts of love, charity, and kindness are a product of being a disciple of Jesus through faith, does that mean all people? Yes it does, and Jesus states this in the following verse, (Matthew 5:44-45 NKJV  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  45  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.) but Jesus is speaking of something a little bit different when he states, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” The key word here is brethren. Who is Jesus referring to when he states, “brethren”? Is it everyone in the world? The answer is no, he isn’t referring to the world in this instance.

In this instance, brethren is referred to as persons united by a common interest; persons united by a common calling; the disciples, and so, by implication, all believers. Jesus loves everyone, but has a special place in his heart for those that are Born Again followers of His. Scripture states this in a number of verses. John 17:9 NKJV "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.

When a person has a Spiritual Birth and becomes a true believer and follower of Jesus, they are adopted into God’s kingdom and become Jesus spiritual brother and sister, along with God being our spiritual Father. Romans 8:15 NKJV For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." Galatians 4:4-6 NKJV But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Ephesians 1:5-6 NKJV having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. So you see, when you are Born Again you are adopted and the Holy Spirit comes and lives in your heart. You receive special treatment and privileges that non-believers don’t.

You ask, how can this be, Jesus has to love everyone equally? Stop and think about this and maybe it will put it in perspective. If you have brothers and sisters, do you love your friends and neighbors more than them? Do you give your friends and neighbors more love and gifts at Christmas times than your brothers and sisters? The same analogy goes for fathers and mothers. Does a father or mother give more love, care, and gifts to their neighbor’s children than their own? Why wouldn’t God treat his adopted children and Jesus treat his brethren with a greater love and rewards than the rest of the unbelieving world? We are made in God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit likeness and when a person comes to Jesus and gives his life to Him they are rewarded in many, many, ways.

The following verses is a discussion Jesus had with the Pharisees, which also points out that many people claim to be Christians, because they believe in their ideas and laws, but don’t know the truth and they belong to their father the devil. John 8:35-44 NLT A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill Me because there's no room in your hearts for My message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with My Father. But you are following the advice of your father." 39 "Our father is Abraham!" they declared. "No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. 40 Instead, you are trying to kill Me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 No, you are imitating your real father." They replied, "We aren't illegitimate children! God Himself is our true Father." 42 Jesus told them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on My own, but He sent Me. 43 Why can't you understand what I am saying? It's because you can't even hear Me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

So what Jesus is alluding to is that if you see someone in need, and you ignore them, and they are a true believer, then Jesus will not look favorably on you come judgment day. Not knowing whether the person is a true believer, causes us to treat all with the same love and kindness, because Jesus is the only one that can see what lies within our hearts. This is a difficult thing for some people but very easy for others to show kindness to all at all times. Who would have thought the beggar Lazarus was a brethren. Luke 16:19-23 NKJV "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 and his soul went to the place of the dead……

So I leave you with these final thoughts. Tomorrow when you are out and about and you see someone in need. Will you pass them by or look at them with a whole new look and offer to help them? Do you have a sibling or a parent that you don’t have a very good relationship with or have turned your back on? What if that stranger, sibling, or parent is a brethren of Jesus Christ, how will your actions affect your eternity.

Mark 9:40-41 NKJV For he who is not against us is on our side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth,

Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: After studying this right and left hand of God, was the thief on the cross that stood up for Jesus on His right side?

Answer: I don’t have an answer for you on this one. I’ve read and search scripture and can’t come up with an answer. If anyone knows, let me know, but I would venture to say the thief that went to Heaven was on Jesus right side. What do you think?

This week’s Trivia: Was the Queen of Sheba saved? 

10-12-2011 Vol. 5 Part 11a Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus (Matthew 25:31 – 46)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the above title and when the Google Document window opens click on the word "File" under the word Google.

Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus

10-12-2011 Vol. 5 Part 11a

Psalms 47:1-9 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted. Father we praise your name, we give you all the glory. Jesus we ask that you bless us and keep us all healthy during this upcoming winter time. Give each of us the insight of what and how we are to prepare for the winter months. In Jesus name we pray! Amen!

Matthew 25:31 – 46

Matthew 25:31-46 NKJV "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' 45 Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

In Mathew 24:3 the apostles came to Jesus and asked, “…. when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" They got a pretty lengthy answer in Chapter 24, but they also got some words of wisdom as to what we are to be doing while we wait, in Chapter 25.
The two parables, one about the ten virgins and being prepared, and the other about the servants and that we are to use our God given talents while we wait, was probably more than what the disciples bargained for. Now Jesus is going one step further and telling us something else we are to be doing while we wait, and that is obeying the second greatest commandment. Matthew 22:39 NKJV And the second is like it: 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'  

Verses 31tells us who is going to be sitting on the Throne and who will be judging all nations, and that person will be none other than Jesus Christ our Saviour. Most people think it will be God judging, but scripture tells us it is Jesus.  John 5:22 NKJV For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, …. It is throughout the whole Bible, it is stated who will be the judge, just take a few minutes and look up these verses. Joh_5:27, Joh_3:35, Joh_17:2; Psa_9:7-8, Psa_96:13, Psa_98:9; Mat_16:27, Mat_28:18; Act_10:42, Act_17:31; Rom_2:16; 2Co_5:10; 2Th_1:7-10; 2Ti_4:1; 1Pe_4:5. Did you know there are seven judgments in God’s word? 1) The Judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross for our sins. John 12:30-31 NKJV Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 2) The Judgment of Believers Works. 2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 3) The Judgment of a Believers Life and we should be judging ourself. 1 Corinthians 11:31 NKJV 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 4) Judgment of Israel. Ezekiel 20:35-37 NLT I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face. 36 I will judge you there just as I did your ancestors in the wilderness after bringing them out of Egypt, says the Sovereign LORD. 37 I will examine you carefully and hold you to the terms of the covenant. 5) Judgment of Fallen Angels. Jude 1:6 NKJV And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 1 Corinthians 6:3 NKJV Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 2 Peter 2:4 NKJV For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 6) The Judgment of Nations. Matthew 25:32,33 NKJV All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 7) The Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:11 NKJV  Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

The second coming of Jesus is immediately after the Great Tribulation when He comes on that white horse with Heavens Armies and the battle of Armageddon takes place. Heavens Armies will return with Jesus, meaning his angels, and His Born Again Saints dressed in fine white linen. After the battle of Armageddon is over there will be people that survived the battle and this is the judgment that will take place to rid the earth of evil and corruption. The people that are alive will be those that accepted Jesus as their saviour during the Tribulation and those that don’t believe and took the mark of the beast. This is the judgment, verses 32 – 46 is referring to. So don’t get confused and think this is the Great White throne judgment. That takes place right after the Millennial Reign.

This judgment will take place here on earth. Verse 31 states Jesus is returning and taking his place on the throne and that throne will be here on earth, and he will be seated on it during the Millennial Reign. Jesus will be the one sorting the people out like a shepherd sorts his flock at shearing time. This analogy that Jesus uses with the sheep and the goats of course represents sheep being his believers and the goats being those that took the mark of the beast.

Let me explain the difference between sheep and goats so that you can get a better understanding of why sheep and goats were selected in this analogy to represent God’s chosen ones and those that aren’t. If you have a farm background and know the nature of sheep, you can understand why we are considered sheep. If a sheep gets sick it will just lie down and die. Sheep need a lot of care and a constant vigilant eye of the shepherd to keep his flock healthy and out of danger of the enemy. If a sheep is attacked by a predator, they just go down without a fight. They have no defense mechanism.  A goat on the other hand will fight for his life. He has a set of horns and can fend off one dog or a coyote. Many times a shepherd will put some billy goats in a flock for this purpose. A goat has the character of fending and living for themselves, where as a sheep depends on the shepherd for life. This is the same for believer and non-believers. Believers put their total faith and trust in Jesus Christ and live for the Kingdom of God, but non-believers haven’t come to that dependency state. They think they can solve all their problems on their own. They live for worldly things and self satisfaction of what the world gives them. They live for the kingdom of Satan who has free reign of this world at the present time. In fact Satan told Jesus he would give the world to him, if he would bow down and worship him. Luke 4:5-6 NKJV  Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  6  And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.

The sheep are the elect of God, and true believers, they will go to the right of Jesus. They have the grace of God truly implanted in them. The sheep the Father gave to Jesus, are under his care and He is in charge of them. He is the good shepherd and laid down his life for us. His sheep know his voice and follow him in the way of his ordinances and appointments. His followers are comparable to sheep for their meekness and innocence, their simplicity and usefulness, and their harmless and inoffensive lives, and conversations. These Jesus will set on his right hand, as a token of his affection for them, and a mark of respect and honour shown them, and as a pledge of that exaltation and glory he will be giving to them.

The goats will be on the left, that is, the foolish virgins, wicked and slothful servants that bury their talents, graceless people, who, because of the impurity of their hearts, the filthiness of their lives, and their offensiveness to Christ, are compared to goats. These people are as a token of his dissatisfaction and non-affection for them. With a brand of disgrace upon them (the mark of the beast), and an allusion of honour they portrayed toward Jesus and what he did on the cross for them, they will become miserable in the condition they will quickly be in.

These different situations plainly pre-signify how things will go with each, that one will be acquitted, and made happy, the other will be condemned, and become miserable. Those on the right hand, are those that believe and have done well, their sins are forgiven, and those on the left hand are non-believers and have corrupt heart and are condemned to Hell.

I’m going to have to continue the explanation of the rest of the verses (35 – 46) next week. So until then keep Praising the Lord!

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth,

Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: What happened to the brass serpent on the pole that the Israelites looked at to be cured and saved from death after the serpent bites?

Answer: The Isrealite began worshiping the bronze serpent, they turned it into an idol. 2 Kings 18:4 NLT He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. The Isrealites did this time and time again in the Old Testament. Even today people still pray and worship statues, cattle, manmade saints, the stars, etc, instead of just praying and talking to Jesus our Saviour.

This week’s Trivia: After studying this right and left hand of God, was the thief on the cross that stood up for Jesus on His right side?

9-28-2011 Vol. 5 Part 10 Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus (Matthew 25:14–30)

Note: To download/print the document, click on the above title and when the Google Document window opens click on the word "File" under the word Google.

Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus

9-28-2011 Vol. 5 Part 10

Psalms 46:1-11 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song For Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.  Father we praise your name, we give you all the glory. Jesus we ask that you bless us and keep us all healthy, protect us when we are traveling in our vehicles, and protect us at our places of employment.  In Jesus name we pray! Amen!

Matthew 25:14 – 30

Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Last week’s parable was all about being prepared and having the right attitude at all times. It pertained to a lot of mental readiness. This parable has multiple messages for us to harvest:

1.    It is about action, us doing something.

2.    It is about someone going on a trip to return at a later time.

3.    It is about wisdom, knowledge, obedience, trust, faithfulness, and what we do with them.

4.    It is about ability, skills, and gifts we have.

5.    It is about wickedness, selfishness, laziness, and fear.

6.    It is about love, joy, and rewards.

To get the impact of what the master entrusted to his servants let’s define what a talent is worth. In modern times a talent could be worth well over one million dollars depending on whether it was gold or silver. A talent was a weight measurement. Some bibles say bags of gold, some say bags of silver, and others just say talents. The only thing we know for sure is that it was a substantial amount of money to be entrusted with in those days.

The master in this parable is Jesus and it is referring to when he ascended to Heaven.  Acts 1:9 NKJV  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. The return will be after the Tribulation when he returns on a white horse. Revelation 19:11 NKJV  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

The rest of the parable is about us and what we are to do while we wait for Jesus to return. Jesus is giving us a strong message about what we are to be doing to occupy our time. We are to be working for the Kingdom of God so when he returns we will have something to show him. We are to be carrying out his commands. After all did he not commission the apostles to carry on with his work to go out and make disciples in all nations? As believers we are also to carry out this commission.  Mark 16:15-20 NKJV And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

The master gave each of the servants money to manage during his absence. What he gave each servant was what that servant was capable of handling. Scripture doesn’t state what each servant is to do with the master’s goods, it just states he gave it to them and then left. I’m sure the master expected the servants to care for his estate and invest the money. The master didn’t tell the servants that the money was theirs, he was making the three servants stewards of his estate. He was leaving it up to the servants to figure out what they were to do. Look out for the best interest of their master, or for their best interest.

So it is the same with Jesus leaving. He not only commissioned us to spread the gospel, but also gave each of us gifts (talents; bags of gold) to carry out his will. These gifts that we are given are different for each believer. 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 NKJV 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,  10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  Romans 12:6-8 NKJV  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;  7  or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;  8  he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  We are to take everything God has given us as a stewardship and invest it for His glory. We can use our gifts that God has given us or not use them and bury them like the third servant, but at some point in time each of us will have to stand before Jesus and give and account for what we did with the gifts we were given. Romans 14:12 NKJV So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

Each of us have been granted a gift, some of us more than one gift. We are only given what we can handle. Does that mean that the one talent servant was less than the five talent servant, not at all. In real life some of us are good at multitasking while others are good a handling only one or two things at a time. Some are great coaches and can coach multiple youth team at the same time while others are good at only coaching one team. Some people are good at thinking on their feet and others aren’t. This is the case with Charlotte my wife. She has the gift of asking all the right questions at appointments when it comes to matters like health, insurance, loans, etc. I might think of some of the same questions, but it will probably be a day or two later. This is what scripture means we are all one body and are to work as one for the glory of God. Romans 12:3-5 NKJV For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. God has determined the distribution of wealth, and the believer has to recognize that his body and all he has belongs to the Lord. That is stewardship. Life is a stewardship, not an ownership. Life is a trust, not a gift. With a gift, you may do as you please. With a trust, you must openly give an account of your management. Whether it is your time, your talent, your treasure, or your body as a temple, you are going to have to give an accounting before the Lord.

What did the master say to the two talent servant? It was the same thing he said to the five talent servant. “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” The master was equally pleased with both servants. This will be the same when we stand before Jesus, it doesn’t matter how many gifts we have, the question is did we use them? If we used them, He will say well done, come into my kingdom and receive your reward. God owns everything we have including ourselves. To become a true servant of His, we must recognize that fact. We were bought with a price. He owns us and all we have, but He lets us use these things for His glory and expects us to use them. If the one talent servant would have done something like letting the money earn interest, he probably would have gotten the same praise as the others.

Why did the one talent servant go bury what he was entrusted with? Was out of fear of failure? Is this what keeps too many people from serving the Lord wholeheartedly? His irresponsibility and lack of faith revealed that he had little regard for his master, and as a result, he was severely reprimanded. His reward was Hell. When we have no regard for God, the result is believing the Ten Commandments and the Bible is a thing of the past, and not for today. People put their faith in themselves by comparing themselves to others and living for the things of the world, meaning Satan. Fear sets in when the topic comes up to give to a church, take a leadership position, getting involved with some sort of ministry. Why does this fear grip people, because they are thinking of serving themselves and not God. They might be afraid of failure, or what people might say, or what people might think of them. They think if I give to the church I can’t buy that new dress, golf clubs, 12 pack of beer, or bottle of wine. If I give my time I won’t have time to go to the ball game or mall. Getting involved with some type of ministry might mean learning something new, and change is a big issue with a lot of people. One principle that is evident in this story is that stewardship involves some risk. The servants who succeeded were vulnerable to failure. God given talents require hard work and risk if they are to produce gain.

God takes it seriously when Christians don't multiply the gifts He has given them. Opportunities given to us by God are lost if we neglect them, and then we have no further opportunity. The lazy servant ended the story with no talent whatsoever. On the other hand, if we are faithful in the use of our abilities, God will multiply our opportunities for service. Isn’t that what verse 29 is saying? (29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance;….) The way to grow in influence and service is to use what we already have then the Lord will reward us with more opportunity. We can’t out give God.

Remember, as Born Again Christians, we will have to give an accounting at the judgment seat of Christ. We won't be judged for our sins, as believers, they have already been forgiven. But we will be judged for the stewardship of those things God has given us. And our judgment will be for faithfulness, not fame. We'll be judged on quality, not quantity. We have been given incredible potential for serving God. When a person has that Spiritual Birth and becomes a true believer in Jesus Christ, their talents are brought into clear focus like an eagle’s sight from a mile high. What we do with the talents given to us, is our free will. I pray that you don’t bury yours!

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth,

Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: What does this verse mean? Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.

Answer: This verse is in the parable about the blind man in chapter 9 of the book of John, where Jesus restored his sight, and the Pharisees were questioning how this happened. If the above verse were re-worded this way would it make more sense? John 9:41 NLT "If you were blind, (Meaning not knowing the Gospel.) you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. (Meaning self righteousness and not being open to the truth.) What it boils down to is this; the Pharisees thought they had all the answers and were spiritual, but in reality in their blindness (stubbornness and stupidity) they were complacent, self-satisfied, and blind to the real truth and wouldn’t accept Jesus for who he was. Can this apply to our life? You bet it can, if we are blinded to what the Bible teaches and believe only what a religion teaches, then we are just like the Pharisees and are living as a non-believer.

This week’s Trivia: What happened to the brass serpent on the pole that the Israelites looked at to be cured and saved from death after the serpent bites?

9-21-2011 Vol. 5 Part 9 Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus (Matthew 25:1–13)

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Signs Of The Second Coming Of Jesus

9-21-2011 Vol. 5 Part 9

Psalms 44:1-7 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation Of the Sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old: You drove out the nations with Your hand, But them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out. For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. Through You we will push down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us. Father we praise your name, we give you all the glory. Jesus we ask that you bless us and keep us all healthy, protect us when we are traveling in our vehicles, and protect us at our places of employment.  In Jesus name we pray! Amen!

Matthew 25:1 – 13

Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

When you start reading this chapter it all seems to be out of place at first, but then you come to verse 13 and it all makes sense. If you don’t know the customs of a Jewish wedding in Jesus day there are parts that don’t seem to be relevant. So let me explain the custom of a wedding over 2,000 years ago.

In a Jewish wedding, there were three stages to the wedding. Stage one included the parents agreeing on the marriage of their children and a dowry being established. Stage two occurred when the bridegroom, accompanied by friends, or could be referred to as groomsmen in modern day, would go to the home of the bride to claim her as his own. That procession, which was part of the ceremony, usually took place in the middle of the night. The bride, prepared for his coming, would join the procession, which would then return to the bridegroom’s parent’s home. Stage three would be a huge party, similar to a modern reception, but then it usually lasted at least a week. The couple would participate in the feast, then return to their own home and set up housekeeping. Jesus, knowing the story would resonate in the minds of His listeners, uses a wedding to illustrate an important truth.

Ten virgins (modern day bridesmaids, unmarried friends of the bride or groom) were awaiting the appearance of the groom, bride, and the groomsmen from the home of the bride so that they could join the festivities. According to custom, they brought with them olive oil lamps or torches fitted with poles so they could hold them up high and illuminate the way of the procession. It was, in a sense, their ticket to the procession and admission to the celebration. Five of these virgins were wise, and five were foolish. The wise had brought enough oil to light their lamps at the right time for the procession. The five foolish virgins took no oil with them. All ten looked alike on the outside, and they all came to the home where the procession was going to begin, but in reality five were unprepared for the occasion.

When there is a shout that the groom is on his way, the virgins go to light their torches. Five of them realize they have no oil and ask the others to share their oil with them. The wise virgins don't have any extra oil to share, so the foolish virgins have to go off in search of oil in the middle of the night. While they are gone, the bridegroom comes out with his bride and they proceed to the home of his parents to start the wedding feast. When they arrived they enter the home and the door is shut and locked to keep out intruders. When those five foolish unprepared bridesmaids arrived, they can't get in. The host didn’t know who they were since they were not with the wedding party. There is a celebration for those that are prepared at all times and for all circumstances. Jesus told this story to His disciples to illustrate some important principles for the end times.

Jesus warns His followers to watch for Him because they won't know when He is coming. Jesus is coming soon, but we don’t know exactly when. We must be like the 5 wise virgins and be prepared at all times. We know by studying Bible prophecy that the time is drawing near, just like birth pangs, as they come closer together and with greater intensity (wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes), we know the time is close at hand.

This story is about those who really know Jesus and those who merely profess to. Oil has an important element in the story because oil in the Bible is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. The five wise virgins with oil represent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Born Again Christians). The five foolish ones without oil represent people that claim they know Jesus. There is no such thing as a Christian who does not have the Spirit of God. If you are truly a Christian, God's Spirit resides in you. John 14:20 NLT When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.

In our modern world where "religion" often replaces what Jesus did at the Cross, and where church membership conforms to their denominational doctrine, often the genuine work of the Spirit is hampered. It is possible to look like a Christian, talk like a Christian, act like a Christian, but not really be a Christian? The Bible says to "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV 5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. The Bible says the Spirit witnesses with your spirit that you are indeed a child of God. So I think it's fair to ask yourself, "Am I genuinely in the faith? Or am I like one of those young virgins, not ready for the hour?" In Matthew, Jesus says, Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'  23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' It's not possible for a Born Again Christian to sin just like everybody else in the world and have no conscience about it. I have known people who claim to be Christians, but their faith doesn't make any difference in their life. They're as comfortable with the things of this world as any unbeliever. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, it will be difficult to be comfortable with the things of this world. Before I got saved, I could sin and it didn't bother me. But after I got saved, my "sin alarm system" started going off! That's because something was changed inside me, God had changed my heart. I'm still a flawed human being, but the Spirit of God lives inside me and witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of God. When I sin, it grieves me and it grieves God; and I have to take care of it right away by going to Jesus and asking forgiveness.

When the foolish virgins asked for oil, the wise ones didn't have any to share. So it is with the Lord Jesus. The saved cannot transfer their spiritual lives to others. I can't take the Holy Spirit from my life and plant Him in yours. You've got to get the Spirit from the same source I did, just as the 5 wise virgins bought oil from a source the unwise have to use the same source for their oil. So it is with salvation, it is through Jesus in repentance for sin and the invitation of Christ into your life.

The point of Jesus' story is that when the call to the judgment seat comes, there will only be one way you'll be able to stand before Him. You must have made yourself right with the Lord. You don't become a Christian just because you were born into a Christian family, or because your parents were Christians, or because you belong to a certain religious denomination, but because you made peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ and what he did on the Cross for us. Each person must have his or her own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

When the foolish maidens returned from their search for oil and requested entrance, the bridegroom answered, "I do not know you," their hearts sank. When one dies, and as they ascend to Heaven and see those pearly gates, but the gates are not open, it's going to be a moment of sheer terror when the so called Christian faces a holy God and realizes with absolute certainty that they are eternally lost. They'll be like the people standing in neck high water outside the doors of Noah's ark. The moment for salvation will be past and all hope will be gone forever.

In a way, that's exactly what Jesus is saying to us. We are to be constantly ready for His second coming, and not just for His second coming, but also when our human heart stops beating. Do you stay ready for Him, or are you like a foolish maiden thinking you will have time to make a change?

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth,

Unless you are Born Again, you cannot enter into Heaven, the Kingdom of God."

http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/

Bill

Last Week’s Trivia: What lesson can we learn from the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon?

Answer: We need to believe and not doubt. Just because the Bible was written many years ago doesn’t mean that it doesn’t pertain to today. We need to believe and put our trust in what Jesus tells us and not what we perceive the truth is. 2 Chronicles 9:6 NKJV However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard. You can read more about her visit in 2 Chronicles 9:1-8 or 1 Kings 10:1-9.

This week’s Trivia: What does this verse mean? Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains.