Be ready

MATTHEW 25:1-13

^[1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ^[2] And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ^[3] They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ^[4] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ^[5] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ^[6] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ^[7] Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ^[8] And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ^[9] But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ^[10] And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ^[11]Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ^[12] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ^[13] Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. 

Stewardship, Oct 2015 General Correspondence

October 25, 2015
My Dearest Brother in the Lord:
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
I wanted to share a word with you.  Let me begin by saying that I am “confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” and also that he will complete that same work in me. 
Heard a message today from Pastor James McMinnis from Word of God Ministries in Shreveport, LA about the steward.  His text was from Luke 16:1-3. 
1  And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3  Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed
He began the sermon by defining the words steward and lord.
•Steward – Manager
•Lord – Owner
Just with this one revelation he could have stopped.  “Jesus is the owner of my life.”  He taught well the position of steward and the fallacy of taking ownership and of living in abundance and/or lack.  He said that a steward never lives in either abundance or lack, that he is always supplied what is needed to be stewarded.  He began to explain how we always look to what’s missing: “When I get this job, I’ll tithe.”  “When we pay this off, I’ll spend more time with my family.” and that we miss it entirely when we do...  Our fulfillment is not in the things we don’t have, it’s in the stewardship of what we do have. 

“You cannot manage what you don’t have.  Pointing to what you don’t have shifts the responsibility you should take from yourself to the thing you don’t have.”  That’s unfaithful stewardship. 
Luke 16:10: 
10  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Spiritual Law of Stewardship.  This is true for any one at any time!  More is not the answer, management is!

Continued:  Happiness is not locked up in what you don’t have.  That is the message of the enemy.  Matthew 14 the disciples said “We don’t have enough.”  WRONG FOCUS!  Jesus said, “What do you have?” – HE MADE WHAT THEY HAD ENOUGH!
13  When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 14  And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. 15  And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16  But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17  And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18  * He said, Bring them hither to me. 19  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20  And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21  And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Stop waiting for better and be faithful where you are!  There are 2 positions (perceptions) here that keep people from honoring God:
1.Insufficiency (lack) – “I ain’t honoring God, He don’t do NOTHIN for me!”
2.Abundance (surplus) – “I have all I need, what do I need to honor God for?”
Stewards don’t live in either Insufficiency or Abundance, nothing is theirs, nothing is owned, what they have is sufficient.
Ref Proverbs 13:22:
22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
And Job 27:16, 17:
16 Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver.
In Matthew 21:1-3 we see the Lord (owner) in action.  The Lord sent for an ass and colt that were tied, one who somebody thought they owned.  Imagine that you had an ass and a colt and had it tied outside while you took a break from your work.  Now imagine some men coming up to them and untying them!  That man thought he owned those animals but the owner had sent a Word:
1  And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2  Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3  And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say , The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
We are always quoting Philippians 4:13:
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
And we forget the context:
12  * I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Paul said that there’d been times when he had steak and there were times when he had mayonnaise sandwiches and that at BOTH times he had found how to be content.
Pastor McMinnis closed with I Corinthians 4:2:
2  * Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Genuinely,
Jasper D. Pierce
President
Christ Carries Me Ministries

Morning! Alert and Ready

Pray

Heavenly Father, may Your holy Word speak clearly to me today, and may I willingly go forth to obey it.

Read

MATTHEW 24:45-51

[45] Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? [46] Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. [47] Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. [48] But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; [49] And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; [50] The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, [51] And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version, Public Domain

Meditate

Consider: We must always be ready to give an account of ourselves to God.

Think Further:

It is intriguing that the book of Acts begins with the story of bewildered disciples being asked: "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" (Acts 1:10-11). The implication? Jesus is coming back, but there is work to be done.

Today's parable continues Jesus' teaching about the fact that his return will be unexpected and speaks of the need for faithful stewardship. The master leaves home, entrusting the care of the household to two servants. One is responsible, honoring his master--even in his absence--by sustained and undistracted service. The wicked servant, in contrast, thinks quite differently, with no urgency or sense of accountability; only the exploitation of others motivated by self-interest. Being ready for Jesus' return does not mean passively waiting: it is an energetic commitment to good stewardship, obediently serving others. Being faithful leads to higher responsibilities, but being unfaithful leads to punishment (51; Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50) The unfaithful servant is condemned, just as the hypocrites of the previous chapter heard Jesus' repeated "woe" of condemnation.

Our calling is to live our lives faithfully, acting responsibly towards the Master and being ready for the day of his return. It might be the way we carry out our responsibilities in our business life or the challenges of living according to God's kingdom in a secular environment; the way we do the menial tasks which have been entrusted to us or the way we handle difficult relationships, serve as a parent or caregiver--in all of these ways we must serve with steady faithfulness in the light of Jesus' return.

Apply

In addition to your own areas of service, pray for those close to you who carry responsibility, that the joy of the Lord's return might energize both them and you.

Pray

Gracious God, I long to serve faithfully and to wait expectantly. Infuse me with Your strength to serve and Your patience to wait.

Do you believe?

Good morning!  Today we are dwelling on the idea of inheritance according to Scripture.  The word inheritance is in the KJV 203 times!  The message today is about the inheritance that Jesus afforded those who believe through the cross:  Do you believe?

Eph 1:11 "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
n1 trusted: or, hoped
13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

The Holy Spirit is like a check written by God, by His Hand, signed in His Blood, that is stored folded in your breast pocket.  You KNOW the check is good! When we finish out this life, God will even cash it for you!  Check your pocket.  Do you have one?

2 Peter 1:10 "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall."  ( Read 5-11)

Bro. Billy Shoffner

His Blog

Overcoming the World

Good morning!  Many days have come and gone and all of them we've been able to look upon as a whole with some sense of accomplishment (survival at the least...).  Remember that as you keep your focus on the Lord and your faith is being tried, you are growing in Him.  If you are  not meeting resistance in telling others about Jesus Christ of Nazareth then you simply aren't doing it enough.  Jesus promised us that the world would balk but He also said He had overcome the world.  Where are you in this process?  How much more Christ needs to be formed in you to get there?  Personally, the don't have a measuring tape long enough to measure the distance between me now and the perfection that God sees thru the Blood.  Thank God He is faithful because we would NEVER be without Him.  
Philippians 1:6, John 16:33

No Doubts

Testimony of God's covering!  These guys were driving to a prison to minister with a big truck and trailer.  Check it out.

ChristCarriesMe.org/NoDoubt

Doubting Towards Faith

INTRODUCTION

Doubt is not a Christian problem. Doubt is a human problem. We are all at some point going to deal with doubt. It is where you let those doubts lead you that matters most.

Doubt means to be in two minds. Doubt never stays put, it’s always going somewhere. It pulls you in two different directions. Which direction do you follow? Do you follow your doubts toward unbelief or do you follow them toward faith?

For Christians, doubt can either serve us or sink us. It can drive us to seek truth or it can drown us in despair, hopelessness, and confusion. If ignored or left unchecked, it can bore into our brain, releasing a virus of unbelief, infecting and eventually destroying every healthy thought about God. It can take us to the place where nothing else matters. Where we find ourselves loathing even life itself. If left unchecked, intellectual doubt metastasizes, seeping its way into our emotions and collecting a wide array of fears, worries, anxieties, anger, confusion, depression, and ultimately despair at the thought of being played or duped or envisioning a life without our once “cherished belief” in God.

In this study, based on the new book "Doubting Toward Faith" by Bobby Conway, we will dive deeper into where doubt comes from and how it affects each one of us. By the end you will have a better understanding of your doubts and how to deal with them.

Join me as we learn to DOUBT TOWARD FAITH.

Reflection

Take time to identify the doubts that you struggle with the most. Ask God for guidance and wisdom as you learn to address your doubts in a way that will lead you closer to Him.

For additional video content visit,OneMinuteApologist

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 1:16-17 KJV 

http://bible.com/1/rom.1.16-17.KJV

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Galatians 3:11 KJV

http://bible.com/1/gal.3.11.KJV

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV

http://bible.com/1/2co.5.7.KJV

A Different Kind of King

Pray

Living God, refine the dross of my life and this day into gold. May my life be a worthy gift to You.

Read

MATTHEW 21:1-11

^[1] And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, ^[2] Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. ^[3] And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. ^[4] All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ^[5] Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. ^[6] And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, ^[7] And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. ^[8] And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. ^[9] And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. ^[10]And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?^[11] And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 

Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version, Public Domain

Meditate

Consider: "'Safe?' said Mr. Beaver, 'Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe, but he's good. He's the King, I tell you'" (C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe).

Think Further:

Jericho to Jerusalem was no afternoon stroll--15 miles and a climb of 3,500 feet--but the hardest part lay ahead. Jesus' journey was moving to a climax. Jerusalem would be physically challenging, but the spiritual challenge would be even greater. Jesus' request for a donkey (2) has nothing to do with the tiring journey. His carefully prepared entrance into the city (the only recorded instance of him riding) was intentionally conspicuous. It was an acted parable, like those of the Old Testament prophets.

Although Mark and Luke also record this incident, only Matthew refers to two animals. The mention of a king "riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (5; Zech. 9:9) is an example of parallelism--only one animal--but it was common for a colt which had not yet been ridden to travel with its mother, possibly explaining Matthew's account. Again, Matthew points to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (4). The upside-down kingdom was predicted long before: "See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey" (5). That's not how kings usually entered cities. This will be no triumphal procession.

Meanwhile the crowds (had they travelled with him from Galilee?) are clear about what they think. Recognizing the symbolism, they prepare the way for his entrance, cutting branches from the trees, spreading them in the road along with their cloaks (8). For them this is the Messiah, arriving in Jerusalem to begin his reign (9). For those in the city it is much less clear (10). The scene is being set. Adulation won't last for long. So our own priorities are challenged. Are we ready to worship a king who is "gentle and riding on a donkey"? Or would we prefer a different kind of kingdom?

Apply

How is Jesus' example being followed by you? By the leaders in your church? Pray for "the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:1).

Pray

Lord Jesus, release Your power in me. Take my ordinary life to do extraordinary things through me.

Now

Lol.  Carpe diem!  Sieze the day!  I am learning (from yesterday's alone time with me and my grill) that my happiness is dictated by my perception.  It's kind of like our reality is set up by how we see things.  If I see things bitter, they are to me bitter, even though they may be anything I choose: Sweet, Sour, bland, but to me they are as I say they are.  My thoughts create my reality.    God governs it all and to Him it is good but to me it is what it is.

Kingdom Economics

Pray

Loving Lord, in sorrows and anguish, in life and in death, You are with me. That is enough.

Read

MATTHEW 20:1-16

^[1] For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. ^[2] And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ^[3] And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ^[4]And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. ^[5] Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. ^[6] And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? ^[7] They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. ^[8] So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. ^[9] And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. ^[10] But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. ^[11] And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, ^[12] Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. ^[13]But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? ^[14] Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. ^[15] Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? ^[16] So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. 

Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version, Public Domain

Meditate

Consider: "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me" (John Newton, 1725-1807).

Think Further:

"It's not fair!" Imagine the media frenzy: the employee who works one hour is paid the same as those who do the same job all day. Kingdom economics, however, are different: "The last will be first" (16). This very Jewish story builds on Jesus' previous teaching: God's bias to the poor and lowly (14) and his overwhelming generosity and grace (15; Eph. 2:8), which do not depend on what we do but on who he is.

Peter's question, "What then will there be for us?" (Matt. 19:27),  shows that he hasn't yet understood that God's kingdom doesn't work on a consumer model. Jesus tells this story in response. In those times, workers without permanent jobs would stand in the marketplace available for work. In this story, the landowner agrees the usual day's wage with the first people he employs (2). Subsequently, he simply says, "I'll pay you whatever is right" (4). Those who started work later probably assumed they'd be getting less, especially those hired at 5 pm whom no one else had wanted all day. The ones who'd worked through the heat of the day certainly thought so (12)! Imagine their surprise when, having seen the last employed being given a denarius, they were then given the same (10).

It seems wrong. I have been serving God all my life--yet God welcomes the person who has ignored him most of their lives with the same generous grace as me (Luke 23:39-43)! Kingdom economics don't depend on anything we can do. This story upends our understanding of what is right and just (4; 13-15). Jesus wants our lives to be characterized by his grace, which attributes dignity and worth to those our society (we?) may regard as lowly, ignorant and unworthy. Yes, in the kingdom, before God our King, we are all equal (12).

Apply

What does this parable teach us about ourselves? What does it teach us about God's generous grace?

Pray

Merciful God, sometimes I get things mixed up. Help me to accurately see my life through Your eyes.

Capacity and Credibility

Pray

Mighty One, You are the God of this and every world, of this and every time. I glorify Your name.

Read

ECCLESIASTES 1:12-18

^[12] I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. ^[13] And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. ^[14] I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. ^[15] That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. ^[16] I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. ^[17] And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. ^[18] For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. 

Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version, Public Domain

Meditate

Consider: "Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise... But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom" (Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892).

Think Further:

The second part of The Teacher's introduction is about capacity. Ecclesiastes is written at a time of limited literacy. Education is only available to the wealthy--those with access to learning or the scope to pursue it. Most people are too busy staying alive--fighting poverty, disease and misfortune--to have time for book learning. The writer provides an alternative. Here is a man who has the time, the money and the opportunity to look at life. Solomon has access to all kinds of learning. He has traveled. The world's best and brightest have come to visit him. He has the capacity to devote himself to learning (13). He is well-placed to share with us his reflections on life.

Not only that but he is also committed to it. He has dedicated his wealth and freedoms to the quest for wisdom (13,17). Where other kings might indulge in wearisome wars and pointless parties, this king is determined to gain wisdom. This reflects the prayer on which Solomon's throne was founded (1 Kings 3:9) and represents a leap forward in human civilization. Solomon aspires to move away from a warrior culture in which might alone is right to a peaceful society governed by the rule of law. His is a civilized approach to kingship.

All of this helps to establish the credibility of The Teacher. He is trustworthy because, like his reader, he is determined to find wisdom--but, unlike his reader, he has had the opportunity to do so. This makes his initial, very negative conclusion easier to bear (18). Increased knowledge brings increased sorrow. Why? Because we need something more. Wisdom is not simply knowledge multiplied. It is knowledge lived out in righteousness. "Trust me," Solomon says, "I've studied all the knowledge in the world. I know it's not enough."

Apply

What do you make of verses 16-18? How can a better education (greater wisdom) lead to more pain and difficulty?

Pray

All-Knowing God, although I do not always understand what is going on around me, as Your child I am determined to trust You.