The Lord seems to keep our attention on Jesus’
teachings or warnings about His return.
Before I continue, I would like to mention a
comment I had from a reader of our previous message about the wise and foolish
virgins. The wise virgins wouldn’t give some of their oil to the unwise
virgins. In the light of the previous message; anointing to act within our
gifting (letting our light shine), which is represented by the oil of the
virgins, cannot be passed on, our reader said, we need to receive it from the
Holy Spirit ourselves. My child cannot act on my anointing and I cannot act on
the pastor’s anointing. The anointing is made available only through an
intimate relationship with the Lord through obedience.
Today I would like to look at Luke 12:35-48 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2012:35-48&version=NIV1984
and in particular at verses 42-44: “The
Lord answered, ‘Who then is the faithful
and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them
their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the
master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth; he will put him in charge of all his
possessions.’”
We
are all called to manage something for the Lord, which is why we have been
equipped with the gifts we have. What is it that you are responsible for? Maybe
you would like to seek the Lord’s face and enquire of Him what it is He would
keep you accountable for when he returns. If you read these passages in Luke 12,
and in Matthew 24-25 we are told that Jesus’ coming would be sudden and the
message is clear that we should be ready at all times.
The
picture we receive from these passages is one of where the people carelessly
continue with life the way they like to, with no regard for when the Master
would return to check up on them. They have been given responsibilities and
when the Master returns they will have to answer to Him. Yet, they are
unconcerned.
Where
do we stand in this regard? What will we answer the Lord Jesus if He suddenly
returns today? In the light of our previous few messages, will we actually join
Him in the clouds or are we going to stay behind because we were not ready? If
we are to answer to Him, will we be able to account for what we have done with
our anointing and gifts, and with every opportunity that has been put before us?
You
may now say that I focus too much on accountability and that we are living under
grace. We cannot ignore the Word of God, can we? If it is written, so it will
be and we will not escape it, which is why the Holy Spirit considered it
necessary to raise prophets and watchmen to make His people aware of what is to
be. Luke 12:48b says: “From everyone who has been given much, much will be
demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be
asked.” What are you gifted with?
I
wish I could put it more gently. We keep praising the Lord for His kindness and
grace in church and I am not sure whom we try to bluff, since these words of
Jesus are all but gentle. We are now living in a time of grace, but we should not
abuse it for it certainly is going to turn into a time of judgement. Jesus said
in Luke 12:45: “But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a
long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and
maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.” Would ignoring the
needs of others and only living for ourselves, being the judges of the less
fortunate, count amongst such abuse?
What
did Jesus say in conclusion to this prophecy? “That servant who knows his
master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will
be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving
punishment will be beaten with few blows,” (Luke 12:47-48a)
I
wonder what He meant by it, but prefer not to find out... and you?
Lord,
help me live as if you may turn up today.
Thank you Lord that your Word went
out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you
empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which
you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may
benefit by it.
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