Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father God, please give me a clearer sense of what time it is in the world and in my life. Help me feel the sense of urgency I need as I await the glorious coming of Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus said to his followers, "Once there was a rich man. This rich man hired a manager to take care of his business. Later, the rich man learned that his manager was cheating him. So he called the manager in and said to him, 'I have heard bad things about you. Give me a report of what you have done with my money. You can't be my manager now!' Later, the manager thought to himself, 'What will I do? My master is taking my job away from me! I am not strong enough to dig ditches. I am too proud to beg. I know what I will do! I will do something so that when I lose my job, other people will welcome me into their homes.' So the manager called in each person that owed the master some money. He said to the first man, 'How much do you owe my master?' The man answered, 'I owe him 8,000 pounds of olive oil.' The manager said to him, 'Here is your bill. Hurry! Sit down and make the bill less. Write 4,000 pounds.' Then the manager said to another man, 'How much do you owe my master?' The man answered, 'I owe him 60,000 pounds of wheat.' Then the manager said to him, 'Here is your bill; you can make it less. Write 50,000 pounds.' Later, the master told the dishonest manager that he had done a smart thing. Yes, worldly people are smarter {in their business} with the people of their time than spiritual people are. "I tell you, use the things you have here in this world to make friends {with God}. Then, when those things are gone, you will be welcomed in that home that continues forever. If a person can be trusted with small things, then he can also be trusted with big things. If a person is dishonest in little things, then he will be dishonest in big things too. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then you will not be trusted with the true (heavenly) riches. And if you cannot be trusted with the things that belong to someone else, then you will not be given things of your own. "No servant can serve two masters at the same time. The servant will hate one master and love theother. Or he will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time." The Pharisees were listening to all these things. The Pharisees criticized Jesus because they all loved money. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You make yourselves look good in front of people. But God knows what is really in your hearts. The things that people think are important are worth nothing to God.

Related Scripture Readings

So be very careful how you live. Don't live like people who are not wise. But live wisely. I mean that you should use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. So don't be foolish with your lives. But learn what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine. That will ruin (destroy) you spiritually. But be filled with the Spirit.

Now, brothers and sisters, we don't need to write to you about times and dates. You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be {a surprise} like a thief who comes at night. People will say, "We have peace and we are safe." At that time destruction will come to them quickly. Destruction will come like the pains of a woman who is having a baby. And those people will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness (sin). And so that day will not surprise you like a thief. You are all people who belong to the light (goodness). You belong to the day. We don't belong to the night or to darkness (evil). So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping. We should be awake and have self-control. People who sleep, sleep at night. People who get drunk, get drunk at night. But we belong to the day (goodness), so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet. God did not choose us to suffer his anger. God chose us to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him. It is not important if we are alive or dead {when Jesus comes}. So encourage each other and make each other stronger {in faith}. And you are doing that now.

The Son of Man will come again with his Father's glory and with his angels. At that time, the Son of Man will reward each person for the things he has done.