Investing Your Talents

James 2:26
     "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."   

Are you living for Jesus? I mean, is your whole heart sold out to Him so that every fiber of your being lives for Him on a daily basis? Or, are you lukewarm in your relationship with Christ? Maybe you love to hear the good news preached - as it tickles your ears. Or, perhaps you really enjoy hearing others testify of their faith. But you? Well, you're just not there, yet. 

The Lord is very specific in the scriptures that He wants our whole heart (Psalm 138:1 & Jeremiah 24:7). He wants our absolute allegiance because He knows that it is only through our complete surrender that we position ourselves to receive the blessings He so lovingly desires to give to each of us.

In thinking of giving him your whole heart, I have a couple of questions for you today:

1) Are you born-again? Do you know the time and the place where you chose to follow Christ and repented from your sin? You must be born-again in order to see the Kingdom of God come to pass in your life! - John 3:3

2) Are you plugged into a Bible believing church? The Bible tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. - Hebrews 10:25

3) Are you using your time, talents and resources for His glory? I am thinking of the parable in Matthew 25:14-30 where each servant is given a certain amount of talents and time, but the person who received only one talent was afraid to invest and so he hid his one talent in the ground until his master returned. This did not make his master very happy - at all.

God has called each of us into His ministry here on earth.  Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that each of us is to be an "official" apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher (Ephesians 4:11),  but it does mean that we each have a unique gift - or perhaps many gifts - that are to be used in the body of Christ for the growth and expansion of the Kingdom of God.  In fact, Romans 12:1 says that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice because that is our reasonable service to the Lord.

So, how are YOU using your gifts for the glory of God?  How are you presenting your body as a living sacrifice unto the Lord?  I remind you that the evil servant in Matthew 25 who was afraid to invest his talent was stripped of his one gift when his master returned (Matthew 25:28).  So, no matter whether you are rich or poor; whether you have many skills or just one; whether you are outgoing or rather quiet in nature; or, whether you are young or old - God wants YOU to participate in His Kingdom Work with what you have!

So, whether giving Time, Talents, or Resources, know that God has placed each of us in His body so that we all work together to accomplish His Will.  Every Christian has something to give.  He has made sure that every individual has something they can do.  Let's not sit back and expect everyone else to do the work of the Kingdom fo God, because God's Word is very clear, He wants our whole heart and He wants us to participate in His daily agenda in this life.

As we use what we have, He promises He will muliply back to us even more!

Matthew 25:14-46 KJV

"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst 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. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, 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.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 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.  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
  

In Christ,
Deborah Ross  

PS - Thank you for donating your TIME, TALENTS and RESOURCES toward this ministry!  You are a blessing!  And, you are the hands and feet of Jesus working through every project, every message, and every gift given by Deborah Ross Ministries!