DECEMBER 10 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-26 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  10  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-26 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord I am overwhelmed by Your Marvelous Grace and Gracious Mercy that You pour our daily on me and our family. We can see You working in our lives in ways that even exceed our prayers and hopes. Lord Jesus we know that we do not deserve  the blessings You have showered on us so my prayer for us is to be good stewards of all that You have given us both spiritually and physically and make us aware that good stewardship of kingdom treasures is to share them with others! So Lord keep us daily mindful that we are to be Your hands, feet, and heart for those with needs and  when we encounter those needs that we will share with others as You have so generously shared with us! Lord Jesus, keep us safe in the Father’s Hands and strong and secure in Your Love!      AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  10  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-26 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus reveals the Truth of God thereby revealing God the Father through the parables and the Jesus Questions that Jesus asks in order to focus our attention and in this Jesus Question JQ#31 and these Parables of the Ten Virgins and the Talents that accompany JQ#31, we are to focus our attention on (1) the Master/Servant relationship (2) the Master’s expectations of servants that choose to be “His” servants (3) and also Jesus gives us a “How To List” of serving the Master! These are all very important things to know about “The MASTER and King of Heaven and Earth” and “how to” gain favor with the “King” and “how to” gain entrance to and inherit all the privileges of “The Kingdom of God”!!! Jesus gives us details of all these in a special way as He started the Parable of the Talents by setting up the scene for us as we see the “Master” giving “His goods” to “His own servants” and then the “Master” leaves “His own servants” in charge of the Master’s “Goods”. There is an implied “DIVINE TRUST” that the “Master” has imparted to “His own servants” expressed by the fact that the “Master” gave them the “talents…each according to [the servants] own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.” The picture in my mind is in Genesis: “The Lord God [the “Master”] planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there [the “Master” ] put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and food for food…Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” (Genesis 2:8-15) When I read that God gives everything to each “according to their own ability” I learn that God has always given His Personal and Undivided Attention to His Personal Relationship with each person!!!  Since God did it for the first man Adam and now Jesus is teaching that the “Master” gives each “according to their own ability” we must assume that God knows our individual needs and will provide for us accordingly! Jesus is also teaching us that God will make all the necessary provisions for us but then God “Divinely Trusts” us to use them responsibly — God gave Adam the entire Garden of Eden that contained everything Adam needed to live an abundant life and had not Adam “disobeyed” God, Adam would have lived “eternally” for it was Adam’s disobedience to God that was sin and brought death into the world! God had not put Adam into the Garden and then placed a “guard” over him, God gave Adam the Garden and INDIVIDUAL FREEWILL and the responsibility to “tend it”! Then we read that after Adam and Eve had disobeyed God that “they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden…” (Genesis3:8) and since we can assume that God was not with them while they were partaking of the forbidden fruit that God had “returned” to check up on them which is the same scenario we read about in the Parable of the Talents as God gives “His own servants” talents “according to [their] own ability” and then leaves them with His Trust and the responsibility to use them wisely — we can also assume that if God gives us a “talent” or “talents” that He has already made sure they are the “talents” we need to live an abundant, successful and productive life and that like the Loving Father that GOD IS, the “Master” will RETURN to make sure we are OK, at which time we will naturally be judged by our own actions and what we have done with the talents and responsibilities God has graciously bestowed on each of us, “according to [our] ability” — that’s about as “Fair and Equitable” as it gets!!!  

DECEMBER 09 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-25 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  09  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-25 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, praise be Your Name, my God, my Redeemer. Lord Jesus, on this journey You have placed messengers along my path and I pray that You will grant me understanding, wisdom, and good discernment of who the messengers are and what is the message that You have sent with Your messenger to help me on my journey to eternity. Lord today as I awoke, the thought hit me that I need to pray more intently to You, to spend more time in prayer just talking to You and then the thought of God the Father describing His Messiah as “the chief cornerstone” gave me the idea to study in depth all of God’s descriptions of the Messiah in the Old Testament and use them to draw a picture of You in the New Testament — Lord Jesus I pray for Your Wisdom and Light to guide me through Your Word that I may point others to You!!!      AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  09  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-25 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus is teaching about the “responsibility” that goes along with the “privilege” of “THE MASTER” choosing us to be “His own servants” in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and is a complimentary lesson to being “a faithful and wise servant” Jesus had just taught in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) and these two parables are book-end lessons for The Jesus Question JQ#31-25 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45). Jesus begins the Parable of the Talents by introducing the concept of the “man [the master] traveling to a far country” leaving “his own servants” in charge of all “his goods”. Jesus begins the responsibility-lesson of “THE MASTER” having “delivered his [the master’s] goods to [his own servants]” as Jesus starts the Parable of the Talents with: “And to one [servant] he [the master] gave five talents, to another two and to another one, to each according to [the servant’s] own ability; and immediately he [the master] went on a journey.” (Matthew 25:15) As is the modus operandi of the MASTER TEACHER Jesus introduces not just one but several very important concepts contained with His introductory statement so let us look at these concepts individually — (1) the master is giving “talents” to his servants which means that the master will make provision for “his own servants” before leaving the servant in charge (2) the master is wise enough to give each servant “according to his own ability” and (3) the master gives “his own servants” their provisions and then leaves them to live up to their responsibility! It is implied that THE MASTER is leaving but WILL RETURN for an ACCOUNTING of everyone but especially  “his own servants”  ACTIONS!!! I know that sometimes {most often} I do not “desire” the “responsibility” but I “want” to enjoy the “master’s” goods — it sure looks like there is a lot to learn in the Parable of the Talents but we must first be willing to “listen” to “THE MASTER”!!!!!

DECEMBER 08 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-24 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  08  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-24 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, You Lord are Master of the Universe, all Praise, Glory, and Honor to Your Holy Name. Your Word Lord, I have hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee. Lord Jesus, I lift my life up to you in a new way today, as my Faith builds day by day I cannot but be amazed and humbled by the working of the Holy Spirit in my life. I pray Lord that my growth spiritually will continue until one day my life, my thoughts, everything that I am will be nothing but the Holy Spirit. Lord, I Praise You for the opportunity to witness  Your Life with my life, grant it that the testimony of my life will be a Light for those struggling with the darkness. Forgive me where I fall short of Your Perfection and cover me with Your Righteousness.     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  08  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-24 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus again reveals God the Father and His expectations for those that accept His Invitation to live eternally with Him in “the kingdom of heaven” as Jesus first teaches the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) and the lesson of being a “faithful and wise servant” and then Jesus teaches the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and we get a glimpse of The Master’s expectations and provisions for “his own servants”. Jesus introduces the Parable of the Talents, “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.” (Matthew 25:14) Let us now look at the common elements of all the lessons and the teaching question Jesus is using in this section - (1) In His Teaching Question (Matthew 24:45) Jesus informs us that the “faithful and wise servant” is “made ruler over his household” by the “master” (2) In the Parable of the Ten Virgins the “wise virgins [bridesmaids/servants of the bride]” were watching for the “bridegroom [master]” and because they were “prepared/wise/and watchful for the master” they “went in with him” (3) In the Parable of the Talents “the man traveling to a far country/[Master]” gives “his goods” to “his own servants”. These common elements point us to the Truth of God that He is The Master and by Serving Him faithfully that we will be made “rulers” and gain access to His Kingdom and “all His Goods”. When I realize that if I “serve God” faithfully that I will have unrestricted access to everything in God’s Creation, the is a whole different perspective gained when I consider the advantages of “serving others” instead of trying to manipulate them! — Do you think that this is what Jesus is trying to teach us??? There is something difficult from a worldly perspective to understanding that the path to “honor” is through “humility” and if we want to be “sovereign” then we must first learn “servitude” !?!?!?!?  The other unusual thought that these lessons generate in my mind is similar to my boyhood fantasy of getting three wishes when I rubbed the lamp yet I struggled to make sure I made “Wise Wishes” and did not miss that great (but unreal) opportunity and now when I study God’s Word and look at the Promise of God that if I “serve Him” that I will get more than all the worldly wishes I could gain by rubbing that pretend lamp a million times — and with these Jesus Lessons I am reminded that I must “be wise and faithful in serving Him” and thereby I gain the “Favor of The Father” and He WILL “deliver His Goods” and ALL that HE HAS to me!?!?!?!? The more we learn of God the more we will “RESPECT GOD” and through our “RESPECT of THE MASTER” we are walking the path of “humility and faithful service” — truly a win-win-win scenario — and truly a “heavenly” destination!!! 

DECEMBER 07 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-23 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  07  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-23 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, from everlasting to everlasting, all praise and honor to the Lamb who is worthy! Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, both men and angels shall declare that You are the LORD! Jesus, I pray for the sweet peace that can only come by the yielding to Your Call through the Holy Spirit to “Come”  — “Come” to You, “Come” follow You, “Come” and enter Your Rest, O Lord I “Come” just as I am — O Precious Jesus, what a blessing to think that the Lord of Lords would call a sinner such as I to Repentance and then request that I “Come” to Your Precious Bleeding Side and be showered by Your Grace and Mercy! Grant it Lord that I yield completely and abandon my “self” to Your Call and that I will simply “COME”!!!      AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  07  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-23 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus has transitioned from a lesson on “preparedness” of “faithful and wise servants” which He taught in the Parable of the Ten Virgins and now Jesus is teaching of the responsibilities and duties of those that would be “[His] own servant” as Jesus teaches the Parable of the Man Traveling to a Far Country: “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.” (Matthew 25:14) What is common to both parables is that they involve “servants” that are responsible to “The Master” — the Ten Virgins were to watch for the “Bridegroom” and to help prepare for the “Wedding Feast” and with the Parable of the Man Traveling to a Far Country the term “his own servants” makes it clear that the parable is based on the relationship between the “Master” and “his own servants”, therefore before we can learn from the lesson we must search our own hearts and our desires and expectations and deal with whatever feelings that the thought of “being someone’s “servant” draws to the surface of our emotions and self-realization!? When I began my “Journey to Find Truth” I did not expect that my path would lead me through “Servitude and Suffering” but fortunately I was not blinded by my personal aversion to being called a “servant” but I have since learned that being a “servant” to a “Good Master” is far superior to being the “master” of your own soul and steering that soul into disaster on the sea of life! There is much to learn about “serving well” that applies more to being a “Good Master” ourselves than one might believe, and I have learned that being the “MASTER” is a heavier burden than most weak souls like mine can bear! Personally I was initially repulsed by the thought of sitting around on a cloud all day throughout eternity and playing a harp and singing “Kumbaya My Lord” but as I learned more about “My Lord” and “My Master” I have gained a greater “Respect” for what “Great Sacrifice” that had to be made by THE FATHER AND THE SON to truly deserve the title “Lord and Master”!!! I have now arrived at the point in my Journey that I am thrilled at the prospect that “The Master” has called an unworthy soul such as I to “serve Him” and I take great comfort from knowing that being “The Master’s Servant” elevates me to a position greater than I expected were I to be king of the whole earth! There is much to learn about being “his own servant” and that is why Jesus teaches these parables and has lived His own life to reveal “our Father in Heaven” who IS “THE MASTER” and “KING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH”!!! Just imagine being king of a wasteland of despair and then consider what lofty position and wonderful environment that comes with the territory and title of being “THE MASTERS own servant” !?!?!?!? Once your vision of “THE MASTER” is clear, you can better see the advantages of being “HIS servant” — it’s all a matter of perspective and the Truth is that only you can see through your own eyes therefore your perspective is your own responsibility and only your own perspective can open your own eyes to the “honor” of “serving well” — once again Jesus gives us an option and then reveals God the Father by giving us a choice of following “our will of self” or to concede as Jesus did, “Nevertheless, not [my] will but Thine be done”!!! (Luke 22:42) 

DECEMBER 06 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-22 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  06  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-22 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Thou art Holy as is the Father and the Holy Ghost and You have declared that we are to follow You and to be Holy ourselves but Lord I find there are times when I find myself “spiritually” weak and I selfishly think that I need more than just following You, that somehow my “faith” is not sufficient and I need You Lord and the Holy Spirit to be active in my life as I am active in my pursuit to know the Father, for without Your Grace and Infilling of the Spirit in our daily lives we regress into our worldly ways and evil thoughts that take us away from God as we recoil from the Light and pull the covers up over our heads and bury our minds in the sands of darkness — then the Holy Spirit gently reminds me that “waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief” (See Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest” DECEMBER 6) — forgive me Lord of all my shortcomings and worldly ways and I pray to be filled with Your Love. Please give us the strength and discipline to be “faithful and wise servants” for You and the kingdom’s sake and not hide in our worldly-selfishness but to serve others unselfishly in Your Name!        AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  06  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-22 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus started His Parable of the Ten Virgins “preparedness” lesson with “THEN the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to…” (Matthew 25:1) and ended the parable with “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13) The Parable of the Ten Virgins then addresses details of the first part of the question “Who then is a faithful and wise servant…” and now Jesus is going to give us a lesson in the responsibilities of being “…made ruler over [our] household, to give [our household] food in due season…” (Matthew 24:45) God never requires anything from us that He has not given us instructions for and already made provisions for us — for example: God freed Israel from their bondage in Egypt and led them to the “Promised Land” that was already “flowing with milk and honey” and they were to inhabit cities already built and fully supplied with materials — so if God is going to require the “ruler of the household” to give “[the members of the household] food in due season” then God will provide for them as well as giving them instructions which Jesus is doing as He teaches another parable which He starts like the last parable, “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.” (Matthew 25:14)  This “man traveling to a far country” sounds exactly like God is “the master” and God has made “his own servant” the “ruler over the household” and God has provided the “ruler” with the necessary provisions [“delivered his goods to [the ruler]” in order for the “ruler to give [the household] food in due season.”  So we can be confident that Jesus is going to reveal another Truth of God and give us instructions on how to use the provisions God gives us and to use those provisions to provide for our “household” and to have confidence that necessary provisions will arrive in their “due season”! So let us look at the start of this new parable again and observe that the “man traveling to a far country” means the man is going to leave “his own servants” but is making provision for [“delivered his goods to”] them while he is gone — but without reading ahead, if this parable is instruction details for the teaching question “Who then is a faithful and wise servant” then at the end of the parable we can expect the “man traveling to a far country” that at a later date  “HE WILL RETURN” and check to see what “his own servants” have accomplished with the provisions that He has “delivered…to [his own]”!!! This parable in conjunction with the last parable should make us realize the Truth of God that if we want to be “rulers” that we must first be  a “SERVANT TO THE MASTER” and we should ask ourselves the ultimate question: “Am I willing to SERVE God in the manner that He requires of “HIS OWN SERVANTS” and live up to the responsibility that comes with God making you a ‘ruler’?”?!?!?!?!?!? If you cannot come to the conclusion that being a “servant” to God the Father is far better than being a king in the world, then you are well on the way to a day that “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” — just saying — after all it is YOUR CHOICE — but “CHOOSE WISELY” — and that may mean you will need a “servant’s heart” to hear THE MASTER!!!

DECEMBER 05 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-21 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  05  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-21 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, just one more day — “TODAY” — let me walk each “TODAY” that You give me according to Your Ways and follow Your Commandments to Love God with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind, and then each day I will Love others as You have Loved me!  May the Holy Spirit fill my temple with praise that I may truly worship the Holy One. Lord, I am waiting on You Lord Jesus, I seek Your Face and Your Righteousness. Let my every desire be a desire for You. It is only through Your Grace and Mercy that I have any reason to live another “TODAY” — All Praise, Glory, and Honor to the Only Begotten of the Father, Jesus Christ!       AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  05  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-21 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus is teaching around the question “Who then is a faithful and wise servant…” and He opened this lesson that followed His discourse on the “Great Tribulation” and the “sign of the Son of Man” appearing in the clouds and the Son of Man will “send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and [His angels] will gather together His elect…” (Matthew 24:29-31) Therefore the context of this lesson on being a “faithful and wise servant” has to do with the “Son of Man” and the time frame then is AFTER the “Great Tribulation”. Jesus first said, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree…” (Matthew 24:32-33) and then when the sign of the fig tree has occurred Jesus promised, “Assuredly, I say to you…Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:34-35)  So far Jesus lists these events: {1} The world will witness the “Abomination of Desolation” (Matthew 24:15) described in Daniel 7:8 and Revelation 19:20 followed by {2} The “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:22) and then the {3} “sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (Mathew 24:29-31) and then Jesus starts the “faithful and wise servant”  lessons with “this parable from the fig tree” (Matthew 24:32-33) which includes the warning that when the sign of the fig tree is completed that “Heaven and earth will pass away…” (Matthew 24:24-35) Jesus, being the Master Teacher then gives us details of being a “faithful and wise servant”  much like we read in Genesis where we read in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”  and then we get details of that creation in the following chapters so Jesus is doing the same thing with the lesson on being a “faithful and wise servant”  first by a parable about the fig tree, heaven and earth passing away, and then Jesus declares “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36) Jesus explains the warning “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44) followed immediately with His teaching question “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) Jesus then praises the “faithful and wise servant”  but the servants that were not doing as the master commanded Jesus called them an “evil servant” who when the “master of that servant [comes] on a day when the [evil servant] is not looking for the [master’s return] that the [master] will “cut [the evil servant] in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:46-51) Jesus immediately gives more details about being a “faithful and wise servant”  as He teaches the Parable of the Ten Virgins which Jesus stated that “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to…” and then makes it clear that there is a time when all those “prepared” for His Return go in with Him to His Home and the “door [will be] shut” behind them but those that were “unprepared” “at the time [Then]” of His Return will be turned away from the door as Jesus concludes the “preparedness” lesson: “Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”  (Matthew 25:1-13) Jesus has been consistent in describing the event as the “Son of Man” and at the time of HIS RETURN all His “faithful and wise servant”  will be “ready” and “go in with Him to the wedding”. There is great discussion about “when” the “Son of Man will Return” but there is no question whatsoever that He is “COMING AGAIN”!!! Jesus Christ, in His Mercy and Grace is giving us every opportunity to “GET READY” just like Jesus told His disciples and followers:  “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”   (Luke 21:36)  Now that would be considered a “faithful and wise servant”  don’t you think?!?!?!!?

DECEMBER 04 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#31-20 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45)

LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional

DECEMBER  04  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-20 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45) 

365 Prayers to JESUS    

Jesus, Lord help me to surrender myself completely to you. I have no particular desire except to serve You honorably and faithfully, it is the Best and Only choice in my life and I would not want to go back and change anything for today I am here with You and that is all that truly matters!  Lord, I feel the Spirit telling me that I am almost in the right spiritual frame of mind about “self” and “service” so Lord complete the good work You have started and then teach me how to “pour out” myself each and every day as a “drink offering” unto the LORD, that I may be a blessing to You by being a blessing to those that You place around me, by sharing Your Spirit with their “needs” that only the Christ can meet!     AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

DECEMBER  04  THE JESUS QUESTIONS   JQ#31-20 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?”  (Matthew 24:45)  Jesus is using the Parable of the Ten Virgins to show us the Truth of God that there is a “PLAN” and this parable teaches us there will be a time when God, the KING OF HEAVEN who has “arranged a marriage” (Matthew 22:2) for His Son, has sent His “servants” to invite the guests to the wedding feast (Matthew 22:3), will declare that all preparations for the wedding has been made and “the wedding is ready” (Matthew 22:8) and God will send Jesus to get His Bride. Jesus declared “In My Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself…” (John 14:2-3) <<That sounds a lot like the “groom” coming to get his “bride” and take her to the “home” he has prepared for her!>> There are several arguments about who the “Bride of Christ” is but let us not be distracted by names nor over semantics — God clearly has “arranged a marriage” and when all the preparations are complete, God will commence with the ceremony!!!  Remember that the ceremony will occur when God decides the “preparations are complete” and with His Word, God is giving everyone a chance to “prepare” themselves with the proper “wedding garments” (Matthew 22:12) and to keep oil in our lamps to watch expectantly as Jesus Himself announced, “Therefore you also be [ready], for the [Bridegroom] is coming at an hour you do not expect…”  (Matthew 24:44) How often in your own lifetime have you heard the phrase — “A word to the wise!” — well, God has provided an entire book filled with “Words” inspired by His Holy Spirit and in addition God sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus to fulfill God’s Plan for mankind and to “prepare” us for the Victory of God’s Plan over the world filled with evil, sin, and death and we should use these “Words” to “gain wisdom” of the “knowledge of God” and accept His Invitation to the Wedding Feast! God has provided you with a lamp and He has provided “oil” for that lamp, but God requires that we use His Provisions “Wisely” for there is literally “heavenly rewards” for those that have prepared their lives for His Return — however you should “count the cost” of being “unprepared” for the penalty is “eternally” disastrous!!! “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming…” and the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil…’ but the wise answered ‘No, lest there not be enough for us…’ and while the foolish went to buy more oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterwards the [foolish unprepared] virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, open to us!’ But [the Lord] answered the [unprepared] and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”  (Matthew 25:6-13) Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of Man and God the Father has arranged a marriage for His Son Jesus which will bring mankind to a full and complete circle for “In the beginning” on the 6th day after speaking everything else into existence, God formed man with His own hands and breathed life into the man and man became a human being (Genesis 2:7) and then God made a woman from the rib of man and God gave the woman to the man and started the family of mankind with Holy Matrimony (Genesis 2:18-24) — and now at the “end of the age” the Plan of God will be culminated with a Heavenly Marriage joining Christ and His Bride! A word to the wise — PREPARE FOR HIS RETURN AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION!!!