Mee
01-26-2007, 01:39 PM
Receiving
Through years gone by many people have equated receiving with getting, they thought that just because something was given to them that meant that they received it. But there is a difference between getting and receiving and just because something is given to you does not mean that you received it. Allow me to explain, but first let’s look at some scripture:
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave … The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'” (Matthew 25:14, 15a, 20 New International Version)
There was given money to the servants and the first one received. How do I know? Not because it says that, later on it says ‘received’ but the man didn’t receive it, but because he used it or did something constructive with it. Now look at another part of that same scripture:
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid …’ 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For [to] everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Matthew 25:24, 25a, 28, 29 New International Version)
This man, indeed, did not receive the talent that was given to him, he got it, he was afraid. You cannot receive something in faith when you are afraid of it, you might get it but you won’t receive it. Notice that the master didn’t take back the talents from the man to whom he gave five, because he did something constructing with them. But he did take that one talent back from the man he gave that to, because he buried it and didn’t do anything constructive with it. But then the master didn’t keep the talent, did he? No, he gave it, again, to the one who already had the ten talents. There is an old saying, “The rich get richer.” That’s only because they use what they have, if they don’t they won’t.
Now, look at that last line again, “Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” When someone gives you something they are presenting you with a decision. You have to, then, decide whether you will receive what they are giving or not, if you don’t receive it and they leave it with you, you got it. So, what’s the difference? Again, look at that Scripture, Matt. 25:14-29. The difference is what you do with it. The master said that the servant didn’t have the one talent but then he said he had it. Well, just by looking at that tells me that when he said, “does not have,” he was taking about refusing to use or lay hold of or possess. So, even though the servant did, in actuality, have the talent, he did not lay hold of or declare it to be his. Ah! There it is, he didn’t declare it to be his. If you don’t declare something to be yours then you will never do anything constructive with it or cultivate it.
I’m going to say something that you may not grasp right away but don’t argue with it, don’t just say, “Pish-tosh” and throw it away, and don’t throw stones either. When you are going to do something constructive with something you are going to be investing it, hence you are taking a risk.
In many of my teachings and I my one of my books I have talk about a shipping and receiving dock. When the shipping door is open you can send things out such as prayers, praise, worship, giving, helping, … When the shipping door is closed you can’t ship anything. When the receiving door is open you can receive all that God wants you to have, all the results of the blessing that you can handle, and more because—
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 English Standard Version)
But if you close the receiving door you cannot receive these gifts. They might be piled up outside the door but if you never lay hold of and declare then be yours and do something constructive with when the trash man comes those things will be lost.
If you went to a friend’s house and he didn’t receive you but just let you in would you want to stay? If I went to someone’s house and I was not made to feel welcome I would, probably, leave. I don’t like to feel unwanted, do you? Well, it’s the same with a gift that’s not received. If it’s not received why should it stay, it’s not wanted?
We go to church and the pastor says something that’s just what we need so we say, “I receive that.”
Through years gone by many people have equated receiving with getting, they thought that just because something was given to them that meant that they received it. But there is a difference between getting and receiving and just because something is given to you does not mean that you received it. Allow me to explain, but first let’s look at some scripture:
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave … The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'” (Matthew 25:14, 15a, 20 New International Version)
There was given money to the servants and the first one received. How do I know? Not because it says that, later on it says ‘received’ but the man didn’t receive it, but because he used it or did something constructive with it. Now look at another part of that same scripture:
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid …’ 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For [to] everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” (Matthew 25:24, 25a, 28, 29 New International Version)
This man, indeed, did not receive the talent that was given to him, he got it, he was afraid. You cannot receive something in faith when you are afraid of it, you might get it but you won’t receive it. Notice that the master didn’t take back the talents from the man to whom he gave five, because he did something constructing with them. But he did take that one talent back from the man he gave that to, because he buried it and didn’t do anything constructive with it. But then the master didn’t keep the talent, did he? No, he gave it, again, to the one who already had the ten talents. There is an old saying, “The rich get richer.” That’s only because they use what they have, if they don’t they won’t.
Now, look at that last line again, “Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” When someone gives you something they are presenting you with a decision. You have to, then, decide whether you will receive what they are giving or not, if you don’t receive it and they leave it with you, you got it. So, what’s the difference? Again, look at that Scripture, Matt. 25:14-29. The difference is what you do with it. The master said that the servant didn’t have the one talent but then he said he had it. Well, just by looking at that tells me that when he said, “does not have,” he was taking about refusing to use or lay hold of or possess. So, even though the servant did, in actuality, have the talent, he did not lay hold of or declare it to be his. Ah! There it is, he didn’t declare it to be his. If you don’t declare something to be yours then you will never do anything constructive with it or cultivate it.
I’m going to say something that you may not grasp right away but don’t argue with it, don’t just say, “Pish-tosh” and throw it away, and don’t throw stones either. When you are going to do something constructive with something you are going to be investing it, hence you are taking a risk.
In many of my teachings and I my one of my books I have talk about a shipping and receiving dock. When the shipping door is open you can send things out such as prayers, praise, worship, giving, helping, … When the shipping door is closed you can’t ship anything. When the receiving door is open you can receive all that God wants you to have, all the results of the blessing that you can handle, and more because—
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21 English Standard Version)
But if you close the receiving door you cannot receive these gifts. They might be piled up outside the door but if you never lay hold of and declare then be yours and do something constructive with when the trash man comes those things will be lost.
If you went to a friend’s house and he didn’t receive you but just let you in would you want to stay? If I went to someone’s house and I was not made to feel welcome I would, probably, leave. I don’t like to feel unwanted, do you? Well, it’s the same with a gift that’s not received. If it’s not received why should it stay, it’s not wanted?
We go to church and the pastor says something that’s just what we need so we say, “I receive that.”