Bible Matters 504 Talents

God has given you talents that he is looking for you to use to serve him.  Talents used to serve God and serve your neighbor shows your love of God’s and love of neighbor.  Yes, God wants you to use your talents, not just for the things of this earth, but also for the love of the things of God.

Some of you may have one talent.  Some two talents and some may even have five talents.  In Matthew, the talents being presented were measures of gold.  Your talents are those gifts from God that are gold in the eyes of God.  Your talents are God’s GOLD.  When you use those talents, they will grow to serve God in expanded ways.  If you use one, then God will give you another to develop. 

Matthew 25:16-21,26,29 – Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.  And like wise he that had received two, he also gained other two.  But he that had received one went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckon with them.  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou delivered unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

As you use develop these talents, you will grow in the ability to do good with your talents.  God will give you opportunities to use your talents.  You will either to decide to use your talents for the God of his kingdom or you won’t and God will be waiting for you.  James says to beware.  Failure to use your talents for the fulfillment of God’s Gospel of Love is sin. 

James 4:17 – Therefore, to him that knows to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

In my walk serving God, I had many opportunities to use the talents that I had developed in my years in industry.  I read and studied the New Testament four times year.  I could have stopped anywhere along the way, but I didn’t.  When given the opportunity to take over the jail ministry during COVID, I could no longer use guitar music, doughnuts and chocolate milk to teach the word of God to the guys in the jail and had to resort to online meeting website, ZOOM, to hold our meetings.  I converted his paper lessons to power point slides and held weekly meetings like I had done in a similar manner to the monthly worldwide maintenance meetings. 

2 Timothy 2:16 – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

When COVID restrictions lifted, the lessons for the on-site lessons were now presented using a PC with spiritual you-tube videos and power point slides to teach spiritual lessons.  This was similar to the on-site worldwide meetings that I held monthly in business. 

These power point videos were condensed into hand-held gospel tracks, so the guys could take them with God’s gospel message for further study when they returned to their cell.

God texting me, “Romans 8:28”, told me that man cannot judge, nor can man use a couple of verses out of the bible to “save” you. 

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

God wanted these men to know the truth and not fables.  Fables leads to more ungodliness. 

2 Timothy 4:4 – And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

2 Timothy 2:16 – But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Along the way, God sent me verse after verse to reinforce his will to get the truth out of God’s word.  When Jesus says to judge no one, then you don’t judge anyone.

John 8:15 – Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

When confronted with the need to understand the truth in God’s word, it was my experience in studying contracts and serving in court cases that lead to the preponderance of evidence standard and the truth out of the mouth of two or three witnesses.   God’s instructions in both the Old Testament (four times) and the New Testament (eight times) tells you that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses you shall know the truth. 

The truth in God’s word out of the mouth of two or three witnesses was used to formulate the preponderance of evidence standard, in God’s seventh book, ”A Bride of Christ.” This book was used to witness to over fifty churches.  God set up every witness and showed me that he was in control.  Those fifty witnesses were not easy, but it was what God wanted.  After he woke me in a dream and gave me “Ecclesiastes 4:12-15” I knew my witness to the fifty churches was completed.  The old and foolish king or pastors of those churches deceiving God’s children will no longer be admonished.

Ecclesiastes 4:12-15 – And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.  For out of prison, he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.  I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

 Following the 4/8/24 eclipse, I knew God wanted his web based worldwide church to provided lessons of truth to people around the world.  The Church of Nineveh and the One World Church were born and web pages created to present the truth in God’s word, free of charge to the world, as God intended. 

Nothing shows your love of God more than presenting God’s Gospel of Love to the lost and unbelieving, by being a witness for God.  That epiphany would not have happened, had I not step by step grown my talents and used them to serve God and neighbor. 

The problem with man is that one likes to compare what one is doing and judging it against others.  All to justify a menial service to God.  The common misconception is that you go to church on Sunday, throw a coupe of dollars into the offertory basket and your service to the Lord is done for the week.  You judge this service as acceptable because that is what all the other church goers are doing!  Not long after Jesus rose from the dead and witnessed to his disciples and left, Peter told the followers that he was going fishing and asked if anyone wanted to come along! 

John 21:3 – Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

Jesus arrived at the fishing spot in the morning after a night of catching nothing and he instructed the disciple to fish on the right side of the boat and they caught many fish.  After dinner, Peter was comparing his service to the service of the one that Jesus loved.  Jesus gave Peter a simple instruction, “Don’t you worry about him, but follow thou me.” 

John 21:14-17,19-22 – This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, loves thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Loves thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.  This spoke he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. Then Peter, turning about, sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayed thee?  Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do ?  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tary till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

As seen from the above, the issue with serving God is two-fold.  

1.       Heart is not into it.

2.      Man judges.

God wants your heart and to judge no one.   

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

That man that Jesus loved got the same message.  You are to love one another in deed and in truth.  Not just in lip service.  Starting today, judge no one and be a doer of God’s word by loving God and loving your neighbor. 

James 4:10-11 – Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

Luke 10:27 – And he answering said, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

Out of a pure heart and by judging no one, God is looking for you to grow your talents and fulfill his commandments.  To be a witness and share his Gospel of Love with your neighbor. 

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.