Thursday, September 16, 2004

Christ came to make disciples to himself. He wants us to follow him and strive to become like him. He does not want our religions with our hollow prayers and half-hearted rituals. He wants you entirely and completely as a living sacrifice to him.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1)

I look at many churches today and see how they are lukewarm. Jesus tells us in Revelations 3:15-16, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

If Jesus came today, how many churches and Christians would he find that are lukewarm? I think that fits about 80% of the Christian world. Of course this is my guesstimation and probably wouldn't hold up to real statistics, but I am not here to talk about statistics. You know what they say,"70% of all statistics are wrong." :o)

Jesus, loves us and he died for us and with the knowledge of this Truth we cannot live our lives as we so wish. We can no longer go about our day, only bowing our heads at the supper table, the bedside at night or Sundays and holidays to acknowledge him and give praise and thanks to him. Our days should be filled with praise and honor, our minds always focused on him. If our minds are not on him then they are on things of this world.

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other."
(Matthew 6:24)
Which one do you serve God or the world?


I want to be able to say that I lived a life holy to him, that I used every opportunity to bring praise and glory to his name. That I sought to bring as many as I could to know him through his son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
If you are hit by a bus today and have to stand before God, what will you say to him when he asks you, "What did you do with the life that I gave you?"

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
His master replied, well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!
The man with two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many. Come and share in your master's happiness!
Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' " (Matthew 25:14-30)

Jesus tells us the parable of the wicked servant to describe to us how important it is for us to use that which God has entrusted to us. He has entrusted to us our lives. This life you are living does not belong to you, it is a loan from God. He created you so that you might have a loving relationship with Him. What are you doing with the talent(life) that God has given you? Are you burying it and doing nothing with it or are you using it to profit the Lord?

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