The Missing Gift

Pro 6:1  My son, don't make yourself responsible for the debts of others. Don't make such deals with friends or strangers.
Pro 6:2  If you do, your words will trap you.
Pro 6:3  You will be under the power of other people, so you must go and free yourself. Beg them to free you from that debt.
Pro 6:4  Don't wait to rest or sleep.
Pro 6:5  Escape from that trap like a deer running from a hunter. Free yourself like a bird flying from a trap.

 

I was given a thumb drive with 250 old hymns with parts for a quartette several years ago. Yesterday the one who gave me the music

asked to have it back. I could not find it! I did not want to take something that belonged to another, so all day the missing computer thumb drive was on my mind. I searched every important place that it could be. In the evening my daughter was off work and helped me look for the small thumb drive. I returned to the drawer that I had searched twice before and there it was, bright red, but I had overlooked it twice. I wrote an email to my friend that I would bring the drive to him at our next meeting. I did not want to be in debt to a friend.

 

Many of us have been responsible for a debt of a family member. I see this as a gift to them. Jesus paid for all of our debts of sin and transgressions of the laws of God. Jesus paid for it all and in returned gave us gifts to be used. When he returns he will reward us as to how we used these gifts. May we not have hid it and never found it, he expects a return on his investment that he has given to us. This is explained in the parable of the talents. (Matthew 25:14-30)

 

Have you lost the gift that was entrusted to you?

New Heaven and a New Earth

Isa 65:17  "I am creating a new heaven and a new earth. The troubles of the past will be forgotten. No one will remember them. 
Isa 65:18  My people will be happy and rejoice forever and ever because of what I will make. I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy, and I will make her people happy. 
Isa 65:19  "Then I will rejoice with Jerusalem. I will be happy with my people. There will never again be crying and sadness in that city. 
Isa 65:20  In that city there will never be a baby who lives only a few days, and every older person will live for a long, long time. A person who lives 100 years will be called young. And whoever doesn't live that long will be considered cursed. 
Isa 65:21  "In that city whoever builds a house will live there; whoever plants a vineyard will eat the grapes from that garden. 
Isa 65:22  Never again will one person build a house and another person live there. Never again will one person plant a garden and another eat the fruit from it. My people will live as long as the trees. My chosen people will get full use of whatever they make. 
Isa 65:23  Never again will a woman suffer childbirth and have her baby die. Women will not fear childbirth. I, the LORD, will bless all my people and their children. 
Isa 65:24  I will answer them before they call for help. I will help them before they finish asking. 
Isa 65:25  Wolves and little lambs will eat together. Lions will eat hay like cattle, and snakes will eat only dust. They will not hurt or destroy each other on my holy mountain." This is what the LORD said. 

Isaiah speaks of the Millennium and beyond to when there will be a New Jerusalem come down as an eternal dwelling place for the Lord and his people. Earth will be restored and a new earth and a new heaven will be made. We do not know the details. Jesus makes all things new.

2Co 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

He has given us his inheritance and it will be wonderful.

1Co 2:9  But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"—

Rom 8:16  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 
Rom 8:17  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 
Rom 8:18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 
Rom 8:19  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 
Rom 8:20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 
Rom 8:21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 
Rom 8:23  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 

What was promised will come about, so do not give up hope.

Finish It!

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

 

Jesus is speaking of those who would be his disciples. He gives a parable of building a tower. First comes the foundation.

 

1Co 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
1Co 3:10  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 

 

The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ. We who are on the foundation are building together a building, the church is the building of God. Peter describes us as lively stones. The building we are building is a spiritual house. We are the temple of the Living God.

 

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1Pe 2:6  Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 

 

Have you given up; have you quit? Is the building in disrepair? Are you off center, off your foundation? Return to your sound foundation and walk in truth until you are complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not give up, keep going.

 

Do we lose our salvation? Are those who do not continue by going to church, reading their Bibles, fellowshipping with other believers, are these lost? For sure the devil and his people may mock you or even have you mocking the Lord which you were trusting.

 

In the parable of the sower, four sowings of seed (the word of God) were recorded. Only one sowing fell on good ground and multiplied.

 

Mar 4:3  Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Mar 4:4  And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Mar 4:5  And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
Mar 4:6  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
Mar 4:7  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Mar 4:8  And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
Mar 4:9  And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

 

According to this parable only one in four continue to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. I think a lot of people allow the cares of this life to choke out the word of God. Stay in the word of fith and trust God to the completion of this life on earth. Then you will be with the Lord forever. Salvation depends on our works? No, but our works after salvation experience will show if it is the real thing.

Eaglewings Ministries