TRADING WITH THE TALENTS

14 FOR the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

And to one he gave FIVE TALENTS, to another TWO, and to another ONE, to each ACCORDING to his OWN ABILITY; and immediately he went on a journey.
Then he who had received the FIVE talents went and TRADED WITH THEM, AND MADE ANOTHER FIVE TALENTS. 17 And likewise he who had received TWO GAINED TWO MORE ALSO.
But he who had received ONE WENT AND DUG IN THE GROUND, and HID HIS LORD'S MONEY.
After a long time the lord of those servants came and SETTLED ACCOUNTS WITH THEM.
“So he who had received FIVE TALENTS came and brought FIVE OTHER TALENTS, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me FIVE TALENTS; look, I have GAINED FIVE MORE TALENTS besides them.’
His lord said to him, ‘WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT; you were faithful over a FEW THINGS, I will make you RULER OVER MANY THINGS. Enter into the JOY of your lord.’
He also who had received TWO TALENTS came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me TWO TALENTS; look, I have GAINED TWO MORE TALENTS besides them.’
His lord said to him, ‘Well done, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT; you have been faithful over a FEW THINGS, I will MAKE YOU RULER OVER MANY THINGS. Enter into the JOY of your lord.’
“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I KNEW YOU TO BE A HARD MAN, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
And I was AFRAID, and went and HID YOUR TALENT IN THE GROUND. Look, there you have what is yours.’
“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘YOU WICKED AND LAZY SERVANT, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
So you OUGHT to have DEPOSITED MY MONEY with the BANKERS, and at my coming I would have RECEIVED BACK my own with INTEREST.
So TAKE the talent from him, and GIVE IT to him who has TEN TALENTS.
‘For to everyone who has, MORE WILL BE GIVEN, and he will have ABUNDANCE; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be TAKEN AWAY.
And cast the UNPROFITABLE SERVANT into the OUTER DARKNESS. There will be WEEPING and GNASHING of teeth.’ "
Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)

• In the above Bible passage, the servants were given talents, also known as money, to invest for their master (Matthew 25:15).

You have been given a gift or more to invest for God and make profits WITH: "HAVING then GIFTS differing according to the grace that is given to us, LET US USE THEM" (Romans 12:6).
There is no one who does not have any gifted to invest, everyone has been given one talent or more in the Kingdom (Romans 12:6).

• The journey with God starts with being born-again, being genuinely saved; And then you grow in your relationship And fellowship with God. THROUGH this, you come to discover the gifts, talents, that God has deposited in you.

When you discover your talent or talents as it may be, you have to work or trade with it or them, and make profits (Matthew 25:20,22).
You are saved, born into the Kingdom to SERVE, not to be an idler or an onlooker (John 15:2,16; 2 Corinthians 5:18,20; Ephesians 2:10).
You are to trade with your educational skills, your vocational gift or ability, your resources, that is, the Money you have; for the progress of God’s Kingdom on Earth (Matthew 25:16,17).
All you have should be used to work and make profits for Jesus, OUR Master, because those things were given to you by God, and they were given for that purpose to begin with.

• Those who are unfaithful

If you are not faithful with whatever has been given you to trade with, you might forfeit it, such could be taken from you and be given to another person who will trade with it and make profits (Matthew 25:28,29).
God is profit conscious and He wants all His children to make PROFITS with whatever they have been given (John 15:2,16).
God wants you to make impact on planet earth.
HE wants you to affect other people positively with the talents, or the giftedness you have.
You have something to offer, or trade with and make profits, in the Kingdom.
If you are not making profits in the Kingdom, it does mean you are not fruitful; and the person who do not bear fruit would be taken away: "Every branch in ME that DOES NOT BEAR FRUIT HE [God the Father] TAKES AWAY, and every branch that DOES BEAR FRUIT HE PRUNES, that it may BEAR MORE FRUIT" (John 15:2 ESV).
The unfaithful servant who failed to make PROFITS with his talent, the only talent that was given to him; was sent to the outer darkness—the place of punishment (Matthew 25:29,30).

• Good and faithful servants

Faithful servants make profits for their Master.
If you are not faithful in the Business of the Kingdom, you cannot receive any reward from God. In other words, you will not derive the benefits of the Kingdom whilst you are here on earth.
The two servants who made profits with the talents given to them were promoted because of their faithfulness and loyalty (Matthew 25:20-23).
When you were given the opportunity to serve in the vineyard of God, Were you faithful in what you are assigned to do?

WHAT about your Faithfulness in that little assignment given to you lately?
ARE you trading with the talents given to you?
HAVE you made any profit with the talents given to you yet?

• Account of stewardship

The owner of the servants came back from His trip and wanted to settle accounts with them—ask for whatever PROFIT they had made (Matthew 25:19).
God would want to know what you have done with the talents given to you: "FOR we [believers will be called to ACCOUNT and] must all APPEAR before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, so that EACH ONE MAY BE REPAID FOR WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE BODY, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities]" (2 Corinthians 5:10 Amplified).
If you failed to deliver any PROFIT at the end of the day, you will find yourself in the outer darkness (Matthew 25:30).
SALVATION through Christ Jesus gives you access to the Kingdom, you establish A relationship with God the Father (John 14:6; Romans 10:9,10); however, it is the work you do that determines your reward in the Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

• What view or opinion do you have about your Master?

The unfaithful servant sees his master as a hard Man, someone who is difficult to relate with—an austere Man (Matthew 25:24).
Whilst the faithful servants Saw their Master as their Lord, their OWNER, who they owe allegiances, And they had to work and make profits for Him.
If you only think about yourself, without thinking about God and His Kingdom; it means you are in the same category with the servant who was addressed as a wicked, unfaithful, and unprofitable person (Matthew 25:26,30).
Serving God is not about what you get from Him primarily, but what you do for Him, about the expansion of His Kingdom.

• The Wicked and Lazy servant (Matthew 25:26).

Know that whatever you do for God is for your good and promotion (Matthew 25:20-23).
Do not bury the talents given to you in the soil of laziness (Matthew 25:18,26).
God rewards faithfulness. The people who are Unfaithful would not be rewarded, even the little which they do have would be taken from them and be given to another person (Matthew 25:29).
When you have the mindset and thought that God’s principles are hard and difficult, that makes you a wicked servant (Matthew 25:24,26).

NOTE: Time also is a valuable and precious commodity given to every individual by God, which you have to invest IN the Kingdom Business for maximum profits.
HOW do you use your time? AND How much of your time you use for God’s Kingdom daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly?
WHAT are you doing to improve and increase your services in God’s Business—the vineyard of God?
FRIENDS be faithful, there is a reward in it!

• You will not miss your place in Jesus’ name.
Peace!