TODAY’S DEVOTION (SUNDAY 19TH JUNE 2022)
“Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’
And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ Luke 19:11-19 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 170TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF AMAZING GRACE
It has been 170 days of sleeping and waking up in peace. Our God has been faithful and kind. His love has indeed kept us and made us who we are.
Indeed, if not for the works of the flesh that do inflict sufferings upon us, our lives would have been just what God wants it to be; glorious without a moment of suffering and pain. That is why GOD has designed that we be in the new Heaven and the New Earth where there is no pain, finally.
The Bible says;
“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:3-5 NKJV
When you hear of the blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus Christ, it is the manifestation of these words that are faithful and true that the elects are looking up to!
Personally, I have seen so much trouble in life and look forward to going home to be with the LORD when my days are fulfilled. I look forward to this new life after this life where there will be no more pain, where God will wipe away all tears from my eyes.
I look forward to the promised life where I will not have to fight the flesh because it will be no more. I look forward to where sin, Satan and the evil and corrupt system of this world will be no more
OH, HOW I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THE LORD HAS PROMISED
Yes, I look forward to the life where there will be no more death, sorrow or crying because I have cried a lot in life. Sometimes for the bad things that happened to me, other times for the bad things that happen to others. I look forward to when this fallen life will pass away and usher in the glorious life God designed for mankind.
I look forward to when the LORD will make all things New! That is the blessed hope. Yes, let us all look forward to these things. Let us look forward to our final redemption. Let us look forward to when these words that are faithful and true will be fulfilled.
But as we look forward to it, we will also continue to live and thrive in a wicked and perverse generation. Jesus gave us one major command by the hands of the apostles using a parable. Which brings us to our devotional text for today. The text says;
“Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’
And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’ Luke 19:11-19 NKJV
The command Jesus gave is in the verse that says
“A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So, he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
THE COMMAND SAYS, “DO BUSINESS TILL I COME”
Sadly, preachers who have commercialized the gospel and turned the Church into a money-making machine stand on the “do business till I come” statement to do their evil. But the statement does not mean “commercialize the gospel” or “turn gospel ministry into a money-making business venture.”
In fact, Jesus told the disciples “freely receive, freely give.” Meaning, He never intended that the gospel be commercialized. That is why you will not find any money-making preacher preach or practice that scripture. Or invite someone to teach it accurately. It will close down all they are doing and deliver people out of their hands.
The business Jesus said we should occupy ourselves with until we enter into the age to come, was revealed after His resurrection. It is the great commission – a commission to disciples the nations not exploit the nationals of our nations with the seed faith and altar raising doctrines. You find that in Matthew 28:18-20.
What He gave us to execute the commission with is in Acts 1:8 “the Holy Ghost and power.” That is the mystery of the minas that was given to the servants, the release of the spirit.
We are the servants. We are to use the release of the Holy Ghost and power to do the kingdom business of discipling the nations with the aim of converting hearts into temples for GOD in the Spirit. By so doing, we will be converting the kingdoms of this world into that of GOD and of His Christ.
The call is to walk with His holy Spirit to disciple the nations, standing in our different spiritual families, until He come to take us into the Kingdom He went to collect. The Bible says;
“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.
For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-26 NKJV
When He shall return, death will be finally destroyed, and the kingdom He collected will be established for 1000 years, then we will experience the “no more sorrow, death pain” and etc. promise.
LET ME PUT THESE TRUTHS IN ANOTHER WAY!
When He first came, the authority of the kingdom was collected. That is the authority we are to use in occupying or executing the great commission till He comes. The kingdom was also collected spiritually when He resurrected but now it is a spiritual kingdom that should be busy (and is busy) converting the kingdoms of this world into His through us.
As we look forward to the glorious age of His promise, we are to occupy ourselves with what His spiritual kingdom is doing, using the Mina’s of the Holy Spirit and power, and walking in the authority He collected when He first came.
Now, faithfulness will be required! Fear will not be required. That brings us to the subject of our 30-day journey with the Cry of the Spirit; neutralizing fear. The Bible says one of the ten servants failed to fulfill his destiny because he was afraid.
Ten is a number that represents measure. It also represents test and trails. It is a number of taking responsibility instead of being afraid.
That servant never understood why GOD made him part of the ten.
Instead of using the measure of the Spirit and authority God has given him (his own minas) to do kingdom business of converting hearts into temples for GOD in the Spirit through discipling the nations, he was struck by fear and hid his own measure of the Spirit. That sealed his doom.
Fear will paralyze your potentials and make you a wicked servant or Child of God.
Concerning that servant, the Bible says;
“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.
Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ Luke 19:20-24 NKJV
Enough has been shared for the day. I will teach the full message in this scripture in our apostolic center maybe today or some other day!
But in this scripture, it is clear that even the Christian life was not designed for the fearful and fainthearted. It was designed to favor the bold and strong hearted. That is why the spirit of fear is not one of the things God gives.
Someone defined fear as False Evidence Appearing Real. It has been the reason for the failure of many in life. I pray that God use these words to continue to build us up and increase our inheritance among they that are sanctified. Amen!
LET THIS SCRIPTURE BE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 NKJV