In Luke 19:11-17, Jesus tells His followers the parable of the nobleman who divided among his servants 10 minas to invest while he was away to be crowned king.
Just as the nobleman in this parable expected his servants to work diligently on his behave until his return, Jesus expects no less from Christian believers. The nobleman in this parable represents Christ, and the servants represent His followers. Like the servants who were given the ten minas, every Christian believer has an equal opportunity and responsibility to invest his or her life in the Great Commission—that is, Christian believers have the obligation to share the gospel with all people. Upon examining this parable carefully, we notice three different levels of investment by the servants which we can liken to Christians today.
The first is the servant with the biggest gain. He gave the returning king ten times more than he had been given. It can be said that he was a true disciple. He can be likened to a Christian who actively shares his or her faith with every person and takes them under his or her wing to help them grow in their faith.
The second is the servant with only modest gains. He was a less ambitious than the first, but did mange to give the king back five times what he was given. He can be likened to a person who is somewhat satisfied with the status quo. He or she shares gospel on occasion, but doesn’t achieve great results. This person fails to recognize and use the full potential God has given him or her and falls short of his or her full potential.
The last is the servant with no gain. He played it safe and buried the mina the king had given him. He claimed the king was hard and unfair. He can be likened to a Christian who does not truly understand God. He or she sees witnessing as a duty rather than a privilege and is motivated out of fear of God rather than love for Him. This Christian knows little of the Savior her or she serves.
God expects investment as well as results. In other words, use the talents God has given you for His glory and use every opportunity to witness for His kingdom. God is not asking you to work for Him. He is asking to work through you. Yield to the power of the Holy Spirit and ask God how you can be used by Him.
Adapted from the New Believers Bible notes and reading tracks copyright © 1996 by Greg Laurie. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Great I AM
Besides proclaiming His role as the Savior of the world and proving it through sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus referred to Himself as the great "I AM." As we will see, these I AM statements are found in several books of the bible, especially the Gospel of John, and serve to remind us that Jesus, the Lord our God, meets our needs in many different ways.
- God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exodus 3:14)
- "This is what the Lord says—Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty; I AM the first and I AM the last; apart from me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)
- "I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)
- "I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)
- "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was, I AM!" (John 8:58)
- "I AM the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." (John 10:9)
- "I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
- "I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." (John 11:25)
- "I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
- "I AM the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
Billy Graham Library
I recently had the privilege of visiting the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. My visit was filled with awe, spiritual inspiration, and a renewed interest in living for Jesus Christ.
The Billy Graham Library and the Graham Family Homeplace are bordered by beautiful trees and include a tranquil garden where Ruth Graham was buried in 2007.
I could not help but to be inspired by how God used a farm boy from the dirt roads of North Carolina to take the message of salvation to nearly every corner of the globe. Billy Graham’s life is truly a "journey of faith" and obedience to God. His ministry impacted the world and brought millions to salvation in Jesus Christ.
The Billy Graham Library is filled with numerous exhibits that feature historic moments in Billy Graham’s life and ministry, including multimedia displays and presentations of his ministry, exhibits reminiscing his relationship with political and spiritual leaders, the restored Graham Family Homeplace, treasures from he and his wife’s life, and amazing films depicting the power of a life changed through obedience to God that both touch and inspire. I was especially inspired by Bessie, the talking cow, in her dairy farm setting. It has been said that Billy Graham even preached to her!
The highlight of my visit, though, was the reminder that God can do great things through lives that are surrendered to Him. Ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact in our world through Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15).
For driving directions and to learn more about the Billy Graham Library, visit BillyGrahamLibrary.org.
The Billy Graham Library and the Graham Family Homeplace are bordered by beautiful trees and include a tranquil garden where Ruth Graham was buried in 2007.I could not help but to be inspired by how God used a farm boy from the dirt roads of North Carolina to take the message of salvation to nearly every corner of the globe. Billy Graham’s life is truly a "journey of faith" and obedience to God. His ministry impacted the world and brought millions to salvation in Jesus Christ.
The Billy Graham Library is filled with numerous exhibits that feature historic moments in Billy Graham’s life and ministry, including multimedia displays and presentations of his ministry, exhibits reminiscing his relationship with political and spiritual leaders, the restored Graham Family Homeplace, treasures from he and his wife’s life, and amazing films depicting the power of a life changed through obedience to God that both touch and inspire. I was especially inspired by Bessie, the talking cow, in her dairy farm setting. It has been said that Billy Graham even preached to her!The highlight of my visit, though, was the reminder that God can do great things through lives that are surrendered to Him. Ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact in our world through Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15).
For driving directions and to learn more about the Billy Graham Library, visit BillyGrahamLibrary.org.
Respect God: Obey His Commands
Far too many Christians today show up for worship services on Sundays and participate in a few religious acts yet fail to respect the God they have come to worship. The singings of hymns, customary prayers, or exclamations of "Amen" are meaningless without respect for our One and Only God.
Christians respect God by living their lives according to His will. This necessitates living a lifestyle that emanates a reconditioned heart and mind. A reconditioned heart and mind requires us to fear God and live according to his ways, to love and serve him with all our heart and soul, and to obey his commands and laws (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Christians cannot worship God on Sundays and engage in worldly living the rest of the week.
If Christians want to respect God and have an honest relationship with him, they must not only love him but obey what he commands. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Anyone who does not obey God's commands and claims to know God is a liar and does not live in the truth (1 John 2:4).
The Bible says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength...and love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12: 30-31). The Apostle Paul later defined love as the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10b). Living a life of blatant sin is not an example of fulfilling the law and is surely not an example of love and respect for God.
God desires us to have a loving and respectful relationship with Him. We were created for that purpose, not for our own sinful human desires, but rather for the will of God (1 Peter 4:2). And whoever loves and does the will of God, rather than the things of this temporary world, will live forever (1 John 2:17).
1. George Barna, Think Like Jesus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) p. 21.
Christians respect God by living their lives according to His will. This necessitates living a lifestyle that emanates a reconditioned heart and mind. A reconditioned heart and mind requires us to fear God and live according to his ways, to love and serve him with all our heart and soul, and to obey his commands and laws (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Christians cannot worship God on Sundays and engage in worldly living the rest of the week.
If Christians want to respect God and have an honest relationship with him, they must not only love him but obey what he commands. Jesus said in John 14:15, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Anyone who does not obey God's commands and claims to know God is a liar and does not live in the truth (1 John 2:4).
If someone claims "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. (1 John 2:4-6, NLT)Jesus lived his life by doing the will of God; that is, Jesus obeyed the Word of God. In His sermon on the mount, He told the crowds that "not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" (Matthew 5:18). In other words, the Scriptures, in their entirety, were—and still are—valid. Yet, we see more and more Christians behaving as if God’s laws are outdated, old fashioned, or just plain "behind the times." According to George Barna in his book, Think Like Jesus, only 25 percent of born-again adults rely on the Bible for their moral decisions.1 The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, warned Christians about their moral choices, particularly those relating to sexual immorality and greed. Sexual immorality, greed, vulgar language, or any impurity should not even be heard of among Christians, for persons engaging in such acts have no inheritance in the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:3-5, paraphrased). And if I may add, such actions show no respect for God.
The Bible says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength...and love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these" (Mark 12: 30-31). The Apostle Paul later defined love as the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10b). Living a life of blatant sin is not an example of fulfilling the law and is surely not an example of love and respect for God.
God desires us to have a loving and respectful relationship with Him. We were created for that purpose, not for our own sinful human desires, but rather for the will of God (1 Peter 4:2). And whoever loves and does the will of God, rather than the things of this temporary world, will live forever (1 John 2:17).
1. George Barna, Think Like Jesus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) p. 21.
Hades, Hell, and Holy God
Is hell real? If so, is it really a place of burning torment and suffering? And why would a loving and forgiving God send anyone there to live in torment forever?
Atheists as well as some religious faiths deny the existence of a literal, fiery hell. Some believe that after a person dies they cease to exist and thus have no knowledge of the afterlife, while others consider hell to be a symbol of evil or the common grave that awaits those who are not bound for heaven. Though seventy-one percent of adults believe in hell, only one-third believe hell is "an actual place of torment and suffering where people’s souls go after death." Another thirty-nine percent believe hell is just "a state of eternal separation from God."1
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus speaks of an "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" and in Luke 16:19-31, He tells the story of a rich man who suffered torment in a place called Hades (verse 23) and complained of "agony in this fire (verse 24)." In Revelation 20:14, the apostle John mentions the "lake of fire" that death and Hades are thrown into. These verses, especially the latter two, lead us to conclude that Hades and Hell are different places. Dr. Charles Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries, describes Hades as the the "loathsome holding tank" where those who have died without trusting Christ await the final Judgment, whereas hell is the final destination of those who have been "judged and found guilty" of not trusting Christ.2
There are literally millions who believe that God with His saving nature would not send anyone to hell.1 But such thinking contradicts biblical teachings. People are not sent to hell for being bad any more than they are sent to heaven for being good. All of us are sinners and deserve hell (Romans 3:23). It is only by grace and through faith [in Jesus Christ] that we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8). People are sent to hell because God is holy and man is unholy. Holy God and unholy man are incompatible; they cannot coexist. If God allowed unholy man into His kingdom, He would have to change His very nature, and since God is unchangeable, his laws governing heaven and hell are unchangeable. To fix this dilemma, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to change us and make us holy.3
What matters most is that we have two options as to where we will spend eternity after we die. Those options are either heaven or hell. Choose heaven by trusting in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and living a life that honors Him and His commands.
1. The Barna Group, "Americans Describe Their Views About Life After Death" (www.barna.org, October 21, 2003).
2. Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996) p. 245.
3. Ibid, p. 246.
Atheists as well as some religious faiths deny the existence of a literal, fiery hell. Some believe that after a person dies they cease to exist and thus have no knowledge of the afterlife, while others consider hell to be a symbol of evil or the common grave that awaits those who are not bound for heaven. Though seventy-one percent of adults believe in hell, only one-third believe hell is "an actual place of torment and suffering where people’s souls go after death." Another thirty-nine percent believe hell is just "a state of eternal separation from God."1
In Matthew 25:41, Jesus speaks of an "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" and in Luke 16:19-31, He tells the story of a rich man who suffered torment in a place called Hades (verse 23) and complained of "agony in this fire (verse 24)." In Revelation 20:14, the apostle John mentions the "lake of fire" that death and Hades are thrown into. These verses, especially the latter two, lead us to conclude that Hades and Hell are different places. Dr. Charles Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries, describes Hades as the the "loathsome holding tank" where those who have died without trusting Christ await the final Judgment, whereas hell is the final destination of those who have been "judged and found guilty" of not trusting Christ.2 Hades: The place of torment and agony where unbelievers go to wait for the final Judgment.Whether an unbeliever is in Hades, the lake of fire (which is another term for hell), or hell itself is irrelevant because these are places of eternal separation from God. The graphic reports of hell given in Scripture—such as the abyss (Revelation 9:1-11), the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14), the blackest darkness (Jude 13), the gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30)—divulge the bleak reality of this eternal separation. Even Jesus when He was crucified experienced the reality of this separation when He cried out to His Father, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Hell, no matter what you believe about it, is a place where all hope is lost. The Scriptures reveal that those who enter cannot return, for a great chasm has been fixed (see Luke 16:26).
Hell: The final abode of Satan, his angels, and anyone who dies without trusting Jesus Christ as Savior.
There are literally millions who believe that God with His saving nature would not send anyone to hell.1 But such thinking contradicts biblical teachings. People are not sent to hell for being bad any more than they are sent to heaven for being good. All of us are sinners and deserve hell (Romans 3:23). It is only by grace and through faith [in Jesus Christ] that we have been saved (Ephesians 2:8). People are sent to hell because God is holy and man is unholy. Holy God and unholy man are incompatible; they cannot coexist. If God allowed unholy man into His kingdom, He would have to change His very nature, and since God is unchangeable, his laws governing heaven and hell are unchangeable. To fix this dilemma, God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to change us and make us holy.3
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NLT)Consider the account of Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6. Uzzah reached out to keep the ark of God from falling to the ground when the oxen stumbled. As a result of his action, God struck him dead (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Holy and unholy came into contact and unholy perished. The two were unable to coexist. Like Uzzah, we too are unable to coexist in the presence of a Holy God; that's why God sent Jesus Christ to bridge the gap between us and Him. Through believing in Jesus Christ, we are cleansed of the sin that makes us unholy. Think of it this way: God is perfect, but we are imperfect because of our sin. If God allowed us into heaven without a covering for our sins (Jesus Christ), heaven would be made imperfect and unchangeable God would have to change to coexist with sin. But the truth is God cannot change His nature, for He is holy and His laws are perfect. Nothing, not even time, can change that. We can change, but we must first believe that Jesus Christ came and died for our sins. Only then can we avoid being forsaken by God (in hell) and inherit eternal life in heaven.
What matters most is that we have two options as to where we will spend eternity after we die. Those options are either heaven or hell. Choose heaven by trusting in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and living a life that honors Him and His commands.
1. The Barna Group, "Americans Describe Their Views About Life After Death" (www.barna.org, October 21, 2003).
2. Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley’s Handbook for Christian Living (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996) p. 245.
3. Ibid, p. 246.
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