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I was out walking my dog this morning and talking to God about my Christian walk and whether or not anyone had come to the Lord and been saved because of something I shared, said, or did.
As I was talking I was reminded about the parable of the talents.
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling 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.’
I felt the Lord say to me that if the talents were gifts, or fruits of the Spirit, some will be given more than others. But we are to use those gifts. Bare with me on this.
The Lord gave us a great commission in Matthew 28:19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
I was telling the Lord that I didn't think I had done much since I became a Christian in 1999. I was telling Him that I had done things in the church, but as for bringing people to the Lord and them being saved, well that's something only He knows. I am not aware that anyone had come to the Lord and been saved because of me.
So if we were to change the word "talent" to "Gifts" we are to use them. Could it be, as the Lord reminded me this morning that even if we have one gift like being able to spread the good news and we don't use it, then we are not keeping His commandment.
In Ezekiel the Watchman and a warning is mentioned:
The Watchman and His Message
33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
My thought is this, if we as Christians - Watchmen, are given a commission - command, and gifts or gift which we are to use, if we are not warning people about the coming tribulation and the "Way" of escape then we are like the servant who buried the talent the Lord gave him, and they saved no one. Similarly, if we are watchmen and we warn no one, isn't their blood on our hands, or is my understanding of the watchmen slightly amiss? What do you think?
Whilst this is just what came to me this morning, one thing is sure, the Holy Spirit will open a persons heart to the Lord, but if we don't go when we are sent, how can He, the Holy Spirit open that persons heart through us?
I have prayed that God would lead me where He wants me to go, and as He did with Moses, give me the words to say.
Another thought just came to me. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
I must let my light shine in the darkness of this world and reveal the Lord and His good news. How fast does darkness move? As fast as the light. It cannot exist where there is light. It is also much weaker than the light. Light always wins. Jesus is the Light.
If only one person were saved because God used me, not only would I be ecstatic, but I would be giving God the glory only He deserves.
I so want to hear your thoughts on this. I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me and I just want to do His will.
May the blessings of God be poured out upon you all, today and every day.
As I was talking I was reminded about the parable of the talents.
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling 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.’
I felt the Lord say to me that if the talents were gifts, or fruits of the Spirit, some will be given more than others. But we are to use those gifts. Bare with me on this.
The Lord gave us a great commission in Matthew 28:19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
I was telling the Lord that I didn't think I had done much since I became a Christian in 1999. I was telling Him that I had done things in the church, but as for bringing people to the Lord and them being saved, well that's something only He knows. I am not aware that anyone had come to the Lord and been saved because of me.
So if we were to change the word "talent" to "Gifts" we are to use them. Could it be, as the Lord reminded me this morning that even if we have one gift like being able to spread the good news and we don't use it, then we are not keeping His commandment.
In Ezekiel the Watchman and a warning is mentioned:
The Watchman and His Message
33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?” ’ 11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
My thought is this, if we as Christians - Watchmen, are given a commission - command, and gifts or gift which we are to use, if we are not warning people about the coming tribulation and the "Way" of escape then we are like the servant who buried the talent the Lord gave him, and they saved no one. Similarly, if we are watchmen and we warn no one, isn't their blood on our hands, or is my understanding of the watchmen slightly amiss? What do you think?
Whilst this is just what came to me this morning, one thing is sure, the Holy Spirit will open a persons heart to the Lord, but if we don't go when we are sent, how can He, the Holy Spirit open that persons heart through us?
I have prayed that God would lead me where He wants me to go, and as He did with Moses, give me the words to say.
Another thought just came to me. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
I must let my light shine in the darkness of this world and reveal the Lord and His good news. How fast does darkness move? As fast as the light. It cannot exist where there is light. It is also much weaker than the light. Light always wins. Jesus is the Light.
If only one person were saved because God used me, not only would I be ecstatic, but I would be giving God the glory only He deserves.
I so want to hear your thoughts on this. I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me and I just want to do His will.
May the blessings of God be poured out upon you all, today and every day.
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