48 lines
2.4 KiB
Plaintext
48 lines
2.4 KiB
Plaintext
LESSONS of FAITH - 1
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It ÿwas ÿin the bag. ÿHe was clutching it like it ÿwas ÿthe
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last ÿthing he owned. ÿAnd it was. ÿThe attendants had to pry ÿit
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from ÿhis ÿhands. ÿWhen they opened it, ÿthey ÿfound ÿover ÿ3000
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dollars, ÿÿmostly small bills. ÿBy some standards, ÿhe might ÿbe
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considered rich, but you see, he wasn't. He was poor, ÿwandering
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the ÿstreets, ÿsleeping in alleys and doorways, ÿbegging for food
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and ÿmoney. ÿÿHe ÿhad found a good area where ÿthe ÿpeople ÿwere
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generous. ÿHe asked and they gave. Yet, when they found him, dead
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from ÿthe ÿcold and lack of good food, ÿhis clothes were old ÿand
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dirty, ÿand his pockets were empty. ÿAll he had was that bag ÿand
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3000 dollars. What happened?
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What ÿhappened is that he failed to follow one of the ÿmost
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important ÿteachings in the Bible. ÿGod's principle of Use. ÿThis
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same ÿprinciple is rarely applied in many of our own lives, ÿÿand
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yet it is easily recognized as "missing" ÿin others. The man with
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the bag failed to apply the principle. ÿHe was keeping all he had
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hid in a paper bag. He was saving for a rainy day. He was so busy
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saving ÿfor an unsure future, ÿhe failed to see the storm ÿaround
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him, ÿÿand he ended up dead on the sidewalk, ÿclutching his ÿonly
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belonging. It was in the bag.
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That which he cared so much about is now useless to him. ÿHe
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didn't use what he had. ÿHe kept it hid in a bag, while he wasted
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away. He didn't spend a cent for food, clothing, or anything. ÿHe
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kept saving, saving, saving! Now it's too late. He didn't use it.
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It was in the bag.
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Are ÿyou holding on to all you have? ÿAre you afraid to ÿuse
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it? Are you saving for a rainy day? Don't! Don't die holding the
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bag! ÿÿGod wants you to use your talents and your resources. ÿÿHe
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gave ÿthem ÿto you, ÿnot so you can hide them in a bag, ÿÿbut ÿto
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display ÿto ÿall ÿfor His Glory! ÿJesus, ÿin the parable ÿof ÿThe
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Talents, ÿÿwas pleased at the servants that used what ÿthey ÿwere
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given ÿand ÿangry at the servant that buried his portion ÿin ÿthe
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ground. ÿ(See Matt. ÿ25:14) ÿJesus even instructs us not to ÿsave
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treasures ÿon ÿearth where moth and dust ÿcorrupt, ÿÿand ÿthieves
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steal, ÿbut to save treasures in heaven, ÿfor where our treasures
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are, our heart will be also. (Matt. 6:19)
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Please, take it out of the bag!
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LRH 10/10/85
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