Talents, Minas', And Branches: The Fruit Of The Kingdom Of God!

Hello Guys and Gals,

Did you ever wonder what the currency in Heaven is? The bible speaks of talents, and minas, and fruit to be both received and returned to their master having increased what is given. Well, God has been speaking to me about these things and I believe that it has finally become something worth writing about.

Lord, please let my understanding of these passages, which was given to me by you through the Holy Spirit, be clearly written and understood by the reader so that it touches the reader's hearts as it has touched mine!

The parable of the talents:

14 "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' 29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ~ Matthew 25:14-30

This is a parable showing that Jesus has invested talents in us and that we should also use that which he invested in us to also invest in others people so that we produce more of the talents which he invested in us. Yet, the wicked, lazy slave did not produce with what he was given and therefore even the talent which was invested in him was taken from him and given to the one who did invest the entrusted talents wisely.

The parable of the ten minas:

11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.' 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' 15 When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. 16 The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.' 18 The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.' 19 And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.' 20 Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.' 22 He said to him, 'By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?' 24 Then he said to the bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.' 25 And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.' 26 I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence." ~ Luke 19:11-27

Likewise, this is also a parable of wise investment with a warning. In this one, the faithful slaves produced more minas with the wise investment of the minas which the nobleman invested in them. Yet again, the worthless slave did not even try to invest the minas he had been given, but instead, just held onto it and did not try and invest it in other people so that it might bring increase for the nobleman's cause.

Jesus Christ is the true vine:

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ~ John:15:1-6

Jesus Christ tells us that he is the true vine of Israel. He is the one through whom the promise of the seed of Abraham is fulfilled in and as such, that seed has become a mighty vine that will produce fruit and be pruned of all the branches that do not produce fruit so that the vine can be a healthy and vibrant vine in which all the branches produce the fruit of the Kingdom of God.

But what is the currency which Jesus has invested in us? Is it truly a talent or a minas? I have come to believe that the currency which Jesus is speaking of is grace and forgiveness. He has forgiven us graciously for our sins, which we did not earn in any way. But have we invested that grace in others in order to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God which is his earnest desire for us. Now we know that it is the Holy Spirit that does the harvesting. But that should never stop us from working the fields from which the Holy Spirit will harvest the fruit of the kingdom. We should all diligently work the fields and the crops so that the Father will see that we, through the help of the Holy Spirit, will be producers of the fruit which Jesus called us to increase.

But take a closer look at the end of each of these three passages. In each one a severe warning exists for the readers if they only understand clearly what is being said.

In the parable of the talents, the worthless slave was thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is clearly a reference to Gehenna, the lake of fire, where the second death will occur: the death of the soul.

In the parable of the ten minas, they were brought before the nobleman and slain because they did not want him to reign over them. This is also a picture of being judged and executed for their defiance against their rightful lord.

In the passage where Jesus states that he is the true vine, the fruitless branch is cast into the fire to be burned. This is like the other two and combines the two thoughts into one. The fire it is speaking of here is also Gehenna, the lake of fire, which will burn those thrown into it for they were not worth anything for not having produced any fruit.

With the currency of God being the grace He has given to us (our salvation), ask yourself this question: will you be cast into the outer darkness for not producing more of that which was invested within you?

Please understand that I am not talking about Calvinism versus Arminianism. Anyone who knows me knows that I am strong in my statement that one's salvation cannot, by any effort of man, be lost or removed from the one in whom the salvation was given. But I am not talking about man here, but instead I am talking about God, the Father.

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." ~ John 10:27-30

Jesus clearly states here that no man is able to snatch out of the Father's hand what has been placed within it. But it also states that his sheep know his voice!

Do you know his voice? Are you one of his sheep? Have you been placed in his hand?

What I am trying to make clear is that, for everyone who has asked forgiveness from God for their sin can only find that forgiveness in Jesus Christ. But have you hoarded that forgiveness and not sought to share what gift of grace you have been given with other people so that they might also receive grace from Jesus and also be forgiven of their sins and join us in Heaven so that they will not be cast into Gehenna?

Are you doing what God has called every one of us to do and striven to produce the fruit of the kingdom?

Or will that which has been given to you be taken away from you because you were found worthless in His eyes?

No man can undo what God has done. But God the Father is the ultimate judge and the ultimate decision on whether or not you have been faithful rests. He will ask His son, Jesus, if he truly knows and is known by the sinner who stands before Him. Do you know how Jesus will answer that question to the Father about you?

May God bless each one of you who reads this with fruit as you labor in His vineyard!

The Treasure Of Grace!

Hello Guys and Gals,

Did you know that the treasure which Jesus spoke of is not money or jewels or priceless art or anything material at all? The treasure Jesus spoke of is the grace he gives to us. Do we strive to increase that grace by applying it to everyone we meet; or do we simply hold onto it for ourselves and do not seek to increase the grace given so that we can return to Jesus more than he has given to us because of our wise investment of other people whom we invest the grace given to us in?

May God bless you all with grace today through His son, Jesus Christ! Go forth and invest it wisely!