Gifts and Talents

        The word infirmity means an illness or a sickness, it also means a weakness. We all have had a weakness from time to time. When Jesus went to the pool called Bethesda there were many people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed. They were waiting for the moving of the water. There was one man who had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. Jesus asked the man “do you want to be healed?” The man did not answer Jesus. The man made an excuse. He said he had no one to help him get into the pool, when it was stirred up.

      We all make excuses from time to time. We have an excuse for why we are not healed; Or why we cannot do God’s will. When God told Moses to go to Egypt and set His people free, he made the excuse that he could not talk very well. He had been in the desert for forty years and did not have many people to talk to. He forgot that when God asked us to do anything, He will provide a way. God gave us our gifts and talents. He will not ask us to do anything, without giving us the things we need to do it.

      Some people say they believe in tithing, but they do not do it. If they believe in anything, they will do it. When we do not tithe, God says we are living under a curse. We all make excuses for the things we do or not do. We give God a little bit of our time. We give a little bit of our money. We go to church a little bit of the time. If all we are giving God a little bit of what we have, then we have no part of God. God will not take second place in our lives. Either He has all of us, or He has none of us. Jesus said “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of the Father. We have to give to the Lord everything we have. Got wants every part of you, not just the left overs.

      Many people think that once saved, always saved. Many people believe that all they have to do is accept Jesus as their savior, then they are ready for heaven. Then they can do whatever they want. That is not true. We do not stop there, after we are saved. We have to take another step, and that is to do the will of the Father. We cannot do our own thing and expect to go to heaven. We have to submit our selves to the will of the Father. From that point on, we do what He wants, and not what we want. Over time we get over our weakness and become stronger in Him. We want to do His will, because that is where we are the most satisfied, and happy. We want to give Him the glory, that is due Him.

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      New King James Version
John 5:1 ¶ After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"
7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

      New King James Version
Matthew 7:21 ¶ "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 "Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
23 "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'