Category: Bible

Luke 17:7-10, “Suppose someone has a servant who is plowing fields or watching sheep. Does he tell his servant when he comes from the field, ‘Have something to eat’?

v.8 No. Instead, he tells his servant, ‘Get dinner ready for me! After you serve me my dinner, you can eat yours.’

v.9 He doesn’t thank the servant for following orders.

v.10 That’s the way it is with you. When you’ve done everything you’re ordered to do, say, ‘We’re worthless servants. We’ve only done our duty.’ ”

Whatever we do in the service of Christ, we must be very humble, and not think that we merit any favor at the hand of God, or claim it as a debt. Our whole being is to be at His disposal all the time. We are not our own. We have been bought with a price, that being the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Just as the slave in this passage. To think other wise is putting ourselves in a position of rebellion against the most High.

The servant was given duties to perform by his master, with the expectation of completion within a reasonable amount of time. We also are give tasks to perform when we receive the new birth experience. Go into all the world and preach the gospel, heal the sick, cleans the leper, raise the dead, freely we have received, freely give.

Notice, the servant was required to continue serving until the master was satisfied. It is fitting that Christ should be serve before us. A doubting Christian says that they cannot give Christ the glory of His love as they should, because they have not obtained the comfort of it. But this is wrong. First we must let Christ have the glory of it, let us attend to Him with our praises, and then we shall eat and drink in the comfort of that love.

We as Christ’s servants will gird ourselves with the Word of God, to keep from entangling ourselves in this worlds system. Keeping our minds stayed upon the Lord with all His promises. We must first attend to the Lords work. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

As we complete the assignments given to us from the King of Glory our reward will be the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Mathew 25:21. Then we shall be ministered to by the Angel’s of God forever!

Al S

Thankfulness, a word that has lost its meaning in the last few years. People don’t thank others anymore. Children are not thankful to parents or other adults. This is the way of our culture today. I guess it could be put this way, (I don’t have to thank anyone, I did it my way in my strength). It’s all about me, myself, and I.

What a wrong concept that is. If it were not for God and His mercy and Grace, none of us would be here today. Giving thanks has been around since the beginning of time. It can be traced back to the Old Testament, it was called a THANK OFFERING in Lev. 7:11,15. This was given to the Lord for blessings already provided to Israel and their needs.

This theme runs all through the Bible starting with Leviticus and ends in Revelation. These offerings were given at the free will of the peoples. Free Will Offering.

Here are other scripture verses emphasizing giving thanks to the Lord.

Psa. 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

Psa. 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We live in a country that has been blessed abundently. So much so that we can give aid to other countries as they need it. Even now with our current state of the economy, we are not standing in bread lines or waiting for hours at the gas pump. We are blessed.

Has God stopped supplying our needs? Of course not. Then the question arises, are we thanking Him for what we have? Or are we complaining and fretting about what we don’t have? I found this to be a eye opening verse;

1Th 5:18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

The question will arise:

Does this mean we are to bless the Lord for the difficulties we encounter. NO!

In everything give thanks: We don’t give thanks for the problem, but we give thanks in the problem. We recognize God’s sovereign hand is in charge, and not blind fate or chance.

It is a sacrafice to give God thanks while we walk though a trial or test. We all face tribulation, look at;

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

It may seem like a small gesture to thank others and especially to give our Heavenly Father the recognition He so rightly deserves. I fined it necessary to do it for everything, small or great. The giving of thanks to our God who has saved us, delivered us, set us free from bondages and sin is, to me, the very least I can do is honor Him with a thankful heart. I want you to read a story that may clarify what I mean: Luke 17:11-19

In the case of the poor Samaritan, it was clear that he was not only healed, but saved, as his gratitude and worship indicated. Do we thank God, not only for His miracles, but for His daily providence?

Ingratitude did not stop Jesus from healing all 10 Lepers from their diseses, but, thankfulness brought wholeness and salvation for the one who returned and gave thanks for his healing. This man that returned to give thanks, recieved more than those that did not.

We are willing to give God thanks for the great things he does for us. What about all the little things He does every day for us? The parking spot close to the door on a rainy day? The short line at the grocery store when you’re in a hurry? Just to name a few. We need to be more thankful in our daily lives toward others but mostly to our Heavenly Father that blesses us with every spiritual and material gift. (2 Peter 1:3)

Prayer

Father, thank you for all that You provide for us every day. Help us to continually recognize Your gifts and blessings at all times, regardless of the curcumstances we may be facing. Father, we need a fresh awakening of your presence, and your love for us. Your Word says You will never leave us nor forsake us, let us hold fast to those words and secure them in our hearts. In Jesus name. Amen!

Al S.

We all know mankind is living in the digital age with knowledge expanding faster than ever before. The information highway is everywhere with all kinds of interesting facts. Not all being true, of course. We no longer have the need to visit a movie theater, just pop in a DVD or watch one on the TV. The availability of cell phones, computers, satellite TV, and cable, are great conveniences for us today. The important question is, what are we watching on these screens?

Have we ever considered how all this can, and does, effect how we are living form day to day? For example, what occupy’s your idle time? Is it a screen from one of the above conveniences? If this is true, like many of us, what are you watching? How long are we watching?

I have found myself spending far to much time in front of my phone’s screen. The wonderful Holy Spirit brought this to my attention, not as a condemnation, He does not condemn us, but in a way that made me think.

How is this effecting my life, in relation to my Father God? This is what came to light for me.

The Bible, in Matthew 6:22-23, says the eye is the lamp of the body.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is unclouded, your whole body will be full of light.

Mat 6:23, “ But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If the light in you is darkness, how dark it will be!”

Notice where the Holy Spirit placed this verse. Right in the middle of, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (v. 21) Then He put at the end in v. 24, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” The New Testament, taught by Jesus, says holiness proceeds from the heart. This means to forsake any ambition that compromises your commitment to God.

Psa. 119:37, “Turn my eyes away from worthless things. Give me a new life in your ways.”

Are we compromising our time with the God of heaven enamored by something for hours? If this is true, we are slowly distancing our relationship with our Savior and Lord. Our spirit becomes less sensitive to the Holy Spirits leading. Walking in the spirit becomes harder as we spend more time in front of a screen, than in front of the Bible. Remember, what enters the eye has an effect on our whole body. If our eye is light (living in the light of the Gospel) we see clearly. If the eye is evil (looking at things the world enjoy) the body is full of darkness, thoughts and amnitions.

For the ones that are trapped in the lust of the eye, there are scripture verses that apply to this as well. Job made a covenant with his eyes.

Job 31:1, “I have made an agreement with my eyes. Then how can I look with lust at a virgin?”

For those that think the Old Testament is not for today, let me remind you how Jesus repeated this in the New Testament in

Matthew 5:28, “But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart.”

If you are looking, you are lusting. Seek the Lord for deliverance and get set free from that bondage.

Life in this world is trying to compete for our time. There are important needs and obligations that demand our attention and must be met. How much time are we spending with God verses the time spent on other interests? That question is for you to answer!

Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you!

Al S.