Our responsibilities later depend on our faithfulness now!

Shabbat shalom, Eric.

Eric E Stahl said:

Our responsibilities later depend on our faithfulness now!


Luke 19:12-27
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.


Daniel 12:1-3
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.


(((How bright will you shine?)))

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Bravo! Well said! That's exactly right!

(Now, let's throw the proverbial "monkey wrench" into the works.) What SPECIFICALLY are our responsibilities NOW in which we may be found "faithful" or "trustworthy" that will qualify us for ruling over ten cities? Do you think this is just some generic, general, nebulous faithfulness, or is there something SPECIFIC that we should be learning to do? I hardly think that being a good Sunday School teacher would qualify anyone to be a town's mayor!

To be faithful, and trustworthy, we must do those things that we are commanded to do. We must believe what has been reported to us by those who carried the gospel to us, and we must trust the G-d who ordained the gospel.

Belief and trust are active verbs...they represent not just a belief that we hold, but action based on that belief. The first action is trusting the message, he who carries the message, and the Sender of the message.

The reason that trusting alone is all we need for salvation is that trusting in Yeshua brings the changing agent, the Ruach haKodesh. Salvation is just the first step of a long road of obedience caused by an ever-increasing change within us, taught to us through the actions of the Holy Spirit in ourselves, and in others, so that we learn what YHVH commanded His people to do, and what Yeshua further commanded of those who have salvation in Him.

Picking up our cross is not so much a dying to self, as living to G-d...putting what G-d wants first in our lives. YHVH and Yeshua both want obedience to Torah, the outward walk, and to what Yeshua commanded that is the inward walk.

That infilling of the Holy Spirit makes it possible for actions to be taken upon the Trust we have in Yeshua. The actions that we take, based upon our belief in Yeshua, and our trust in YHVH, must be in accordance with what has been commanded, and it is the Holy Spirit that enables us to walk in obedience.

Our part in this obedience is to learn the commandments in the Scriptures, and make the attempt to apply them to our lives. Our responsibility is to read the scriptures, and apply them to our lives, to obey where YHVH has said obey, to repent of our innate rebelliousness and dislike of obedience to anyone but ourselves, and day by day make the effort to become like unto Yeshua.

As for what qualifies us to become rulers and priests is to apply the commandments to everything that we do, and in love, seek to do what pleases G-d first. In the looseness of the original Torah, uncomplicated by men's customs or rulings based on past actions, man is then free to suit himself, to choose from many things that which shall delight him.

A mayor in the Millenium, for instance, does not need to know all the functions of the township he governs. But if the mayor himself walks in obedience to YHVH, as given in the Torah, and acts in love, as is demonstrated in the New Testament, that mayor will in humility ask the advice of those who have more experience than he, and consider the desires of the people who come to him for guidance. If all are honestly obeying the basic commandments in the Scriptures...not to do anything as men say to do them, but only as how YHVH said to do them, and in amity wish to help one another, the mayor of such a people will act as is best for each problem to be decided. There is no need for laws or rules, for in each thing, men will be seeking the will of YHVH through Yeshua, and the Ruach haKodesh.

Remember, however, that the mayor in the Millenium to come is not elected, but appointed by Yeshua, and that mayor will be in an incorrupt body, filled with the Ruach haKodesh, and acting in the Spirit, able to ask for help from a higher authority where a plain decision is not seen.