Matthew 24:1 Small talk. Look at the temple architecture. Are you impressed with the sheer size? Pillars of stone will crumble one day. Pillars of heart will crumble one day, too. A man may look really good on the outside, but even pillars crumble.
Nothing compares to what is coming (24:7). Stay with it...that's what God requires (24:13). Then, The Arrival of the Son of Man will come. It will fill the skies---no one will miss it! Be vigilant (24:30)!
Three servants were given large amounts of money. Two servants invested their money. The other servant played it safe and sound---he hid the money. No investment there. "I was afraid that I might disappoint you." Fear. "That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least (24:26)?
What a beautiful sentence---"When HE finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with Him (24:31)" to take His Place on His Glorious Throne, what will HE find in our hearts. Will faith be found in me, in you? Whose Kingdom will we have advanced? His or our own? The King will say to those on his right, " 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:
I was hungry and you fed Me,
I was thirsty and you gave Me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave Me a room,
I was shivering and you gave Me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to Me.'
Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me—you did it to Me.' " As HE knocks on the door of our hearts this very day, will we recognize Him and stop to examine our hearts and advance His Kingdom? Will He find faith? Will He fan the fledgling flames of faith He finds?
This is not about being human "do-er's" but human "beings" whose strong pillars have crumbled. His Strength is made perfect in our weakness. Brokenness. Humility. Faith. Blazing in Beauty, HE is on His Way.
Good Morning, Everybody!
ReplyDeleteI've missed all of you. Last night as I listened to Beth Moore's video and read her post I couldn't help but thank God for her life, her obedience and her blog (I remember when I didn't even know what a blog was). Come to think about it, I can go all the way back to thanking God for my divorce. Because it was then when He got my attention... and my heart. Anyway, if it weren't for Beth's blog I never would have met any of you. I hope you all know how dear you are to me, even when I am absent.
I actually read today and this popped off the page (screen)...
"Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'
Lord, please help us to be intentional about looking for the "overlooked or ignored".
All my love,
Angie xoxo
28 -30"'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.' 13 -14"Staying with it—that's what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry, and you'll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come
ReplyDeleteI keep seeing a theme here, "Stop Playing It Safe". Time for me to stop thinking I have all the time in the world to witness to friends, family and strangers. Christ made the investment in me when He died on the cross. Do I just want to bury the gift, invest it, or double the inheritance. The charge is to "Be a Risktaker". The choice and the challenge is up to me. Time to get going, the Kingdom is here.
I struggle with the playing it safe, too, Jan. As women, we need security. So where is it I'm placing my confidence? To whom much is given, much is expected. I crave simplicity, but I have a lazy fearful heart. It seems like a no-brainer for risk. When we place our whole confidence in Christ, we win eternal reward. When we refuse to trust or put our trust anywhere else, we lose our lives. "It's criminal to live cautiously like that." So why would we? Oh my heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick...
ReplyDeleteLove the majestic picture, too, Bev: When He finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with Him to take His place on His glorious Throne." Until that glorious Day, may we each be found advancing His Kingdom, taking care of the forgotten, the overloked, the ignored with passionate hearts sold out for Him.
People get ready. Jesus is coming!
"The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment."
ReplyDeleteI need to hear this.
I keep thinking about the obvious ways we can bear a double investment for the Lord.
Let's say you are a Christian but your loved one isn't. You lovingly and pointedly are used by God to win them to Christ. I would call that a double earning of investment for God's kingdom.
Or, let's say you place your last ten dollars in the offering plate at church and you pray that God would take that gift and turn it into a blessing of salvation for many. Your ten dollars is added to more ten dollar offerings and soon a ministry is started through this combined investment. Many come to Christ through the combined offerings. Your offering has become a multiple blessing...maybe even a thousand-fold blessing.
And then I think about the ones who give all. They attend church faithfully in spite of persecution in their very own home. They bake a pie for a family who grieves the loss of a small child. They are mocked at home for spending money...wasting hard-earned money. What a costly offering this person has given back to the Lord. And God sees the cost and rewards accordingly.
In these verses, one treasure was KEPT for safe-keeping. Earning no interest.
And another was GIVEN wisely earning double interest.
What has been given to us that God wants us to PUT TO USE?
I keep thinking it's His Spirit.
He gives it to us. We either hide it and play safe with our faith...or we allow Him the opportunity to harvest the seeds we sow.
It's the law of the harvest here.
We either hide the seed or sow it.
God gives the increase.
Welcome to some new friends who joined us!!!
ReplyDelete