Monday, August 22, 2016

KINGDOM LIVING - BE WISE AS SERPENT

Dear One,
    In My teachings through Jesus concerning having My kingdom living in the earth, I taught many lessons relating to every day occurrences.  I told you through the parables how to attract your inheritance to you in a story about a rich man who had a manager of his finances who was mismanaging his money.  The lesson in the story is that you cannot be loyal to the devil and also be loyal to Me.  You will always hate one and love the other.
    In the story that Jesus told, the rich man called his manager into a meeting and told him that there were finances missing and that because of the mismanagement that the manager was fired.  The manager was shrewd but dishonest.  He went to people who owed goods to his former boss and manipulated them into giving to him a portion of what was owned to his former boss.  He didn't want to work digging ditches for money to feed himself and certainly didn't want to beg on the street.  His method was shrewd and cunning but it was dishonest.(Luke 16:5-7)  The shrewd man's master complimented him for his prudence and wisdom and also told him to make friends with unrighteous people so that if he fails again that the unrighteous people will take him in and invite him to live with them.  He said that the children of the unrighteous spirits in that age were wiser than the children of light. (Luke 16:8) 
    This parable is a picture of the two kingdoms at work in the world, My kingdom of love and the kingdom of evil, led by the devil.  When one of My children falls for a temptation of the devil to do something illegal, often when that person is prompted by Me to do good, the person will continue to fall for the devil's temptations and do more evil in order not to have to turn completely to Me and be healed of the desire to do evil.  The devil's temptation will encourage the evil doer to continue to bind himself or herself to evil in order to exist instead of turning to Me and become like the prodigal son, crowned with My kingdom living.  The pull toward doing evil is often stronger than the pull toward doing good.
    My Holy Spirit wrote that you must be cautious that your minds are not deceived by the serpent's cunning so that your mind is not led astray from your pure devotion to Me.  (II Corinthians 11:3)   You must be more insightful than the devil is in his temptations.  You must recognize his temptations in your mind.  I give you the Spirit of discernment that judges which voice in your mind is mine and which is the devil's.  My Spirit called His own voice the umpire which determines who is speaking in your thoughts, whether they are My words of the devil's temptations.  If they pull you into doing more evil after having fallen for a former temptation, then it's not My voice.
    In the parable Jesus concluded with the wisdom He wanted to impart.  He said that a person who is dishonest and unjust in little things is dishonest in big things.  BUT, He said a person who is faithful in little things is faithful in big things.  He went on to say that if you are faithful in unrighteous actions, that you cannot be trusted with My true riches.  Further, He said that if you have not proved faithful in what belongs to another person, who will give you your own riches to manage? (Luke 16:12) 
     The truth of the teaching was encapulsulated in the truth that you cannot serve two masters, that you will hate one and love the other, that you will stand by and be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve Me and at the same time be devoted to the devil and to doing his evil works, always seeking for riches by taking advantage of someone.  (Luke 16:13)  Following evil temptations will result in your being completely destroyed, penniless and forlorn. 
    This teaching followed the teaching that Jesus gave about the prodigal son who was a good example of seeking riches and riotous living to the point of being penniless and depressed.  When he returned to his father, he was welcomed home and given riches that were more than he imagined.  
    The wage of sin is death.  The gifts that I have for My children are the abundant life and peace for their minds. (Romans 6:23)
    Learn to discern the voices of evil temptations in your mind that lead to poverty and death.  Learn to recognize the voice of Truth in your mind which leads to the abundant life and soul peace, which is My voice.
     Your Father of Wisdom and Peace
      
    

No comments: