Imagebearer’s Weblog

Out Of The Box – Have You Heard Our Story?

January 8, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

In The Zone: Out Of The Box; Wednesday Night: January 13th, 2010

We now have the Devotional Material for the messages that Justin Lookadoo will be preaching from at resurrection 2010. Wednesday night we will start working through the material Justin has provided @ Out Of The Box.

Ronnie

Here is a clip of our trip to Resurrection 2009 7 Justin Lookadoo

Hebrews 5: 11-14 New Living Translation

¹¹ There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. ¹² You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.^[a] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. ¹³ For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. ¹⁴ Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Colossians 3: 12-17 New Living Translation

¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

¹⁶ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Romans 6: 10-18 New Living Translation

¹⁰ When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹ So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

¹² Do not let sin control the way you live;^[a] do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

¹⁵ Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Resurrection 2010
Justin Lookadoo
Action Guide

Session 1
Title: Oh Baby!

Reference: Hebrews 5:11-14; Colossians 3:12-17; Romans 6: 10-18
Lookadoo Resources: Step Off: Your Hardest 30 Days—Group Bible Study that will
force growth by connecting Bible to Real World. Perfect for family Bible studies, group
studies. Not recommended to try alone. 97 Random Thoughts—daily devotional that
will show you how to see God in anything and everything. Doorknobs, duct tape, duck
poop. There is even proof in there that God is a redneck!

Oh Baby will set the tone for Resurrection 2010. We’ll start with those who have been
Christians for a while. We will discuss how we must be able to feed ourselves and what
a drain it is if we can’t. I will tie it into the little girl we have, Aliyeh (8 weeks old) and
also the foster babies we care for. We will also set the foundation that we talk too “big
kid” for some of the Christ followers and not because we are going super deep, but
because they refuse to grow.

Sample Questions:
• If you are a follower of Christ, how long have you been a Christian?
• If that were your real age, what you would you be doing? Example, 3 years old.
Eat with spoon, understand and follow directions, can pick out my clothes but
need help putting them on, etc.
• Connect those dots into the spiritual? Do feed yourself or do you wait for Sunday
for someone else to feed you. Can you but on your on clothes or do you have to
have someone tell you right and wrong?
• If you were going to put an age on your spiritual life what would it be?
• Why do you think you are behind in spiritual growth, ahead or right where you
should be?
• How do you know you have grown spiritually in the last year? Kids learn more,
they go from crawling to walking from goo-goo to talking. What is different
about your spiritually?
Challenge: If you are not growing, you are dying. A baby cannot stay where it is and be
a healthy baby. If you are not growing and you cannot see how, then you are not a
healthy Christian. Ask them, how do you think you can start growing? Do you want to
and what is your plan?
Warning: Don’t accept, read the Bible more, or pray more as an answer. When things
like that are said, your response is “okay, what is your plan. How, exactly are you going
to make that happen.

January 8, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Experiencing God Bible Study

I have been asked by a few people to offer a Bible Study at Out of the Box, during the day. Here is what I am considering, one day each week for 2 hours, probably 11 to 1pm with a crock pot lunch. The lunch would be a simple soup and each person could take a different week, something very simple.

I took this study several years ago and it was a great study and has been life changing for many people. The material has been updated and this looks like the best possibility for this time.

If you are interested in such a study, please let me know ASAP. If we do it, I would like to start about the 2nd week of February and it would run for 12 weeks.

Ronnie

Study Information

While many people ask God to bless their plans, Experiencing God helps lead believers into a deeper love relationship, teaching them to pray to and hear from God, and to join with God in accomplishing what He purposes to do.

This classic study is now revised and offers many new features, such as DVD messages from authors Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King, as well as new applications and stories. The testimonies, some of which are featured on this site, are truly inspiring, but God has more work to do. Will you join Him?

Unit 1
God’s Will and Your Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Unit 2
Looking to God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Unit 3
God Pursues a Love Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Unit 4
Love and God’s Invitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Unit 5
God Speaks, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Unit 6
God Speaks, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Unit 7
The Crisis of Belief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Unit 8
Adjusting Your Life to God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Unit 9
Experiencing God Through Obedience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Unit 10
God’s Will and the Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Unit 11
Kingdom People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Unit 12
Experiencing God in Your Daily Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Names, Titles,

January 8, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Resurrection 2010 Devotion Guide

Resurrection 2010
Justin Lookadoo
Action Guide

Session 1
Title: Oh Baby!

Reference: Hebrews 5:11-14; Colossians 3:12-17; Romans 6: 10-18
Lookadoo Resources: Step Off: Your Hardest 30 Days—Group Bible Study that will
force growth by connecting Bible to Real World. Perfect for family Bible studies, group
studies. Not recommended to try alone. 97 Random Thoughts—daily devotional that
will show you how to see God in anything and everything. Doorknobs, duct tape, duck
poop. There is even proof in there that God is a redneck!

Oh Baby will set the tone for Resurrection 2010. We’ll start with those who have been
Christians for a while. We will discuss how we must be able to feed ourselves and what
a drain it is if we can’t. I will tie it into the little girl we have, Aliyeh (8 weeks old) and
also the foster babies we care for. We will also set the foundation that we talk too “big
kid” for some of the Christ followers and not because we are going super deep, but
because they refuse to grow.

Sample Questions:
• If you are a follower of Christ, how long have you been a Christian?
• If that were your real age, what you would you be doing? Example, 3 years old.
Eat with spoon, understand and follow directions, can pick out my clothes but
need help putting them on, etc.
• Connect those dots into the spiritual? Do feed yourself or do you wait for Sunday
for someone else to feed you. Can you but on your on clothes or do you have to
have someone tell you right and wrong?
• If you were going to put an age on your spiritual life what would it be?
• Why do you think you are behind in spiritual growth, ahead or right where you
should be?
• How do you know you have grown spiritually in the last year? Kids learn more,
they go from crawling to walking from goo-goo to talking. What is different
about your spiritually?
Challenge: If you are not growing, you are dying. A baby cannot stay where it is and be
a healthy baby. If you are not growing and you cannot see how, then you are not a
healthy Christian. Ask them, how do you think you can start growing? Do you want to
and what is your plan?
Warning: Don’t accept, read the Bible more, or pray more as an answer. When things
like that are said, your response is “okay, what is your plan. How, exactly are you going
to make that happen.

Session 2
Title: Is It Holy?

Reference: 1 Peter 1:15-16
Lookadoo Resource: Is It Holy Bracelet—this is the Must Have reminder of the
weekend. Metal bracelet with “Is It Holy” etched into it. ($5.00). 97 Random
Thoughts—daily devotional that will show you how to see God in anything and
everything. Doorknobs, duct tape, duck poop. There is even proof in there that God is a
redneck!

A few years ago it was popular to ask WWJD? Catchy thought be we as humans could
never answer that question. Jesus did the unexpected and in Isaiah 55:8 God even says,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the
LORD. But we do have the foundation that Jesus built all of his decisions on and that is
“Be holy for I am holy.” We get bogged down in this right vs wrong debate. That is not
the question. The question is, “Is it holy?” Should you do this or that? Is it holy?

Sample Questions:
• Can something be considered “Okay”, but NOT be holy?
• Can something be considered NOT okay to us but still be holy?”
• If you filtered every choice through the question, “Is it holy?” would it change
anything that you might do?
• Come up with some scenarios to discuss this. You can start with some softies but
move to some more difficult ones.
o Stealing. Right or Wrong? What if the recession has hit and you don’t
have a place to live. You have 4 kids and your kids are staving. Not just
hungry, but they are malnourished. You have tried everything to get work
but you have nothing. You take fruit off a fruit truck to feed your family.
Is it okay? What would you do? Is it holy?
o Kissing? Is it right or wrong? Good or Bad? Is it holy? Could it be holy?
o Drinking anything with alcohol. Is it right or wrong? Good or Bad? Is it
holy? Could it be holy?
• Do you think it will be hard to live your life by doing what is Holy?
o If they say ‘no’ then press them because they don’t understand what it
means.
• What will happen when you don’t know the answer to “Is it holy?”
Challenge: Ask the question about everything. Do what you think the “holy” thing is.
No matter how tough.

Session 3
Title: The Adoption Option

Reference: Romans 5:8; Romans 8:14-17
Lookadoo Resources: Is It Holy Bracelet—this is the Must Have reminder of the
weekend. Metal bracelet with “Is It Holy” etched into it. ($5.00). Step Off: Your
Hardest 30 Days—Group Bible Study that will force growth by connecting Bible to Real
World. Perfect for family Bible studies, group studies. Not recommended to try alone.
($20 or Bulk Discount)
Foster Care and Adoption. We will take a journey through what it means for Christ to die
for us even when we were yet still sinners. And we will take a real peak into what
adoption means. This will lead us to the emptiness that people search to fill. They are
trying to make their lives complete and the hole remains. You never feel complete.
Drugs, sex, food, video games, popularity, no matter what you stuff in there it doesn’t
work. This is where we will give an opportunity for people to be “adopted” by God.

Sample Questions:
• Tonight I would ask them open questions like, did what Justin said tonight make
sense?
• Did anyone go down front?
• Who needs to talk?
• This is your time!
If you were at Resurrection 2009 you will remember how I end this night. I will have
them come forward. I will lead them in prayer. Then I will tell them to talk with their
youth workers and leaders. I will give them a pretty strong “dare” to do it. I will also
inform the leaders that your job is to ask the people you pray with, “What?” If they don’t
want to confess what then just pray with them that they will get real enough to stop
playing games so they will confess it. Why? Because James 5:16 says, “Confess your
sins to each other, pray for each other so that you will be healed.” Have them confess it,
confront it and then pray for them. If they are not willing to confess it they are not ready
to change it.
Challenge: The challenge here if for the youth workers/sponsors. You need to get right
with God. The second part of that verse is “the prayers of the righteous are powerful and
effective.” If you are not right with God, please don’t pray with them. You get right
first. We had so many adults last year getting prayer before they even started praying for
others. You are the guide, make sure you are on the path.

Session 4
Title: Do Your Job!

Reference: Psalm 37:4; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30
Lookadoo Resources: Chat Room Chatter—Real answers from real questions. Like,
“Do you ever get intimidated talking to someone who doesn’t believe in God?” “When is
it okay to date?” “Why do guys leave the toilet seat up?” And just about anything else
you could imagine. ($15). Is It Holy Bracelet—this is the Must Have reminder of the
weekend. Metal bracelet with “Is It Holy” etched into it. ($5.00)
We will tie in the different desires that God has placed in each of us. And the main
challenge will be for everyone to pick one person to focus on. One person to “witness”
to. But we will not run out and start preaching. The Challenge will be to pick that person
and pray for them for a year before you say anything to them about Christ. Every day
pray for them. Now, if the conversation comes up don’t run from it, but do not focus on
Christ until you have prayed for them for the year. At the same time pray that God will
prepare you and give you the words to say. Do this 365 times before you approach them.
Watch what happens.

Sample Questions:
• Do you know one person you could choose?
• Write their name down.
• Put it everywhere so you can remember. Mirror, phone, computer, everywhere.
• Write the date and start praying for them.
• Pray for them.
Challenge: That’s pretty much it. What is the challenge after the 365 days? Well, it’s
like this. If they are praying for the same person everyday then the topic of Christ will
come up before the time is over because their spirit will be longing to connect with the
person.
You guys are wonderful! Thanks for allowing me to be apart of your journey for two
years now. If you ever need resources or wish to have me come and speak to your group
please contact us at http://www.lookadoo.com or booking@lookadoo.com. I would be
honored.

January 8, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | 3 Comments

This Day In The Life Of Your Pastor – January 7th, 2010

1. Long but wonderful day, going to bed. New details on Holston Evangelism tomorrow. about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry
2. Samuel is putting stickers on my head about 7 hours ago from TwitterBerry

3. Lord fill my mouth with laughter and my heart with sensitivity. about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

4. God has called us during our period of exile in this world, to work to improve whatever corner of the world we find ourselves in. about 9 hours ago from TwitterBerry

5. headed to Virginia, praying for safety about 13 hours ago from web

6. Witness Team is planning the final details of the Holston Evangelism Conference – Details out later tonight about 14 hours ago from web

7. @ Amy Rollins Probst just said “Ronnie, you are kind of unusual” I receive that as a compliment about 14 hours ago from web

8. Pizza for lunch and its great about 16 hours ago from TwitterBerry

9. Little Samuel has had his 3rd shot this week. I believe this has tainted his view of doctors for quite some time. about 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

10. Break time, did you know that Holston has a goal of starting 15 new Churches in the next 5 years? about 17 hours ago

11. In White Pine, ready to start the meeting, I’m not leading this one so I am texting, lol about 18 hours ago from TwitterBerry

12. I miss kids & I just left home, they are precious about 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

13. headed to White Pine Tennessee this morning for Hispanic Ministries Team Meeting about 22 hours ago from web

14. Reading Matthew 21-23 this morning, day 7 in reading the New Testament in 90 Days about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

15. 36 DAYS | 0 HRS | 20 MINS | 54 SECONDS to Myrtle Beach Marathon, wow I have some training to do. about 22 hours ago from web

16. Hope for the Children of Sudan http://imagebearer.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/hope-for-the-children-of-sudan-2/ about 22 hours ago from web

17. Check this video out — Follow You – Leeland & Brandon Heath – Worship Video w/lyrics .wmv http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIS0Exwwrbc about 23 hours ago from web

18. Lord, help me to forgive with the same heart that you forgive me. about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

19. Be kind & compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

January 8, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Day 8-90 Days to read the New Testament (TNIV)

Matthew 24

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

¹ Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. ² “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ ^[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. ¹⁸ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁹ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! ²⁰ Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. ²³ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time.

²⁶ “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days
” ‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ ^[b]

³⁰ “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the peoples of the earth ^[c] will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

³² “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ³³ Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it ^[d] is near, right at the door. ³⁴ Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown

³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, ^[e] but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ ⁴⁹ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

¹ “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ ” ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, ^[f] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ ” ‘Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

January 8, 2010 Posted by imagebearer | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment