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“<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><b>TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE”
MINISTRIES</b></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><b>Jim & Marie Watt</b></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><b>Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><b>Web: <a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></font></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" align="CENTER">
October 15, 2011</p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" align="CENTER"><br></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none;" align="CENTER">
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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="CENTER"><b>MAR
8 - LUKE 16:1-17:10 - PARABLES: SNARE OF RICHES</b></p>
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</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="LEFT"><b>1.
16:8 (16:1-13) RICHES A HINDRANCE TO SERVING GOD. “And the lord
commended the steward of :unrighteousness for doing wisely: for the
sons of this :age are for their :own :generation wiser than the sons
of the light.” </b><span style="">We are to be
as prudent and zealous in our service for You Father, as the steward
in this parable for this age. We apply the principles of Your Kingdom
to our daily lives. </span><b><i>Hallowed be your :name.</i></b></p>
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<b>2. 16:14. RICHES: DESIRED BY THE COVETOUS. “And the
Pharisees, being lovers of money, heard all these <i>things</i>; and
scoffed at him.” </b><span style="">Why is it
that the religiously scrupulous people are so worldly-minded
concerning riches? Father, deliver us from greed! </span><b><i>Your
:kingdom come!</i></b></p>
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<b>3. 16:16 (16:15-18) RICHES: LIKE ADULTERY. “The law and the
prophets <i>were</i> until John: from that time the gospel of the
kingdom of :God is preached, and every <i>one</i> enters violently
into it.” </b><span style="">This Good News is
like the pearl of great price, for which a man sold all that he had
to possess it. It is like the treasure hid in a field. These things
come to us when we put Your Kingdom first. </span><b><i>Your :will
be done, As in heaven, so on earth.</i></b></p>
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<b>4. 16:31 (16:19-31) RICHES: CONTRASTED WITH LAZARUS. “And he
[Abraham] said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from <i>the</i> dead.”
</b><span style="">Father, forgive us that we so
often place more importance upon signs and wonders - than upon Your
written word. O may we feed on Your Word, until we are saturated and
soaked in it, until it drops from our head to our heart, and until we
know that man does </span><u><span style="">not</span></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
live by bread alone, but by </span></span><u><span style="">every</span></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
word that proceeds out of the mouth of God! </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">Our
:daily :bread Give us this day!</span></i></b></p>
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<b><span style="text-decoration: none;">5. 17:3 (17:1-4) OFFENCES:
CANCELLED BY FORGIVENESS. “Take heed to yourselves: if your
:brother sin, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” </span></b><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">We
</span></span><u><span style="">are</span></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
our brother's keeper, Father; You in </span></span><u><span style="">Jesus</span></u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
have made us so. Yet it is redemptive in Your sight, leading to
repentance and restoration. May we always deal with one another in
Kingdom spirit, careful lest we fall in similar manner. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">And
forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our :debtors.</span></i></b></p>
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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-style: normal;" align="LEFT">
<b><span style="text-decoration: none;">6. 17:5-6 LITTLE FAITH:
GROWS BY USE. “And the apostles said to the Lord, Increase our
faith. </span><font style="font-size: 8pt;" size="1"><span style="text-decoration: none;">6</span></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
And the Lord said, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you
would say to this :sycamine tree, Be rooted up, and be planted in the
sea; and it would obey you.” </span></font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">It
takes the obedience of faith to both confront and forgive. The
attitude of continual forgivness is the victory, which grows out of
unconditional love. </span></span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">And
bring us not into temptation.</span></i></font></b></p>
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<b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;">7.
17:10 (17:7-10) HUMILITY: MAKES SERVICE ACCEPTABLE. “So you
also, when you shall have done all the </span></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">things</span></i></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
commanded you, say [that], We are unprofitable bondmen; we have done
what was our duty to do.” </span></font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Father,
help us to </span></span></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><u><span style="">ever</span></u></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
maintain this attitude. We can add nothing to Your Atoning work that
grants merit to us; nor do our good works add to our importance. We
acknowledge Your right alone in this. </span></span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">But
deliver us from the evil </span></i></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;">one!</span></font></b></p>
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<u><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">NOTE</font></b></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>:
16:13 (16:1-13) RICHES VERSUS GOD. “No domestic can serve two
lords: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else
he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.” </b></span></font><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">We
see the analogy Jesus is making here, Father. We submit to His
application.</span></span></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">For
many, this is an objectionable insight. It causes scoffing today,
just as it did among the Pharisees of Jesus' day. And our day is so
oriented to making money and riches, especially in America! And Jesus
makes clear that riches in themselves are not evil - it is the </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">love</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
of money that is our enemy. There are and always have been those that
have made their wealth a blessing to God and His Kingdom. It is that
subtle shift into a </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">love</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
of this wealth - that becomes such an enemy to us.</span></span></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">It
is the entire 16</span></span></font><sup><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">th</span></span></font></sup><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
chapter of Luke that majors on this insidious danger. Luke 17:1-10
strikes out in a different direction. Here our Lord sets before us
our need to forsake the bad spirit of Cain - and to become our
brother's keeper! When our brother sins, we </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">are</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
responsible to rebuke him. It is parallel to disciplining our
children, which to the liberal mind is so unpleasant. But from God's
point of view, both these areas are necessary. We are responsible and
guilty if we fail here - for God chastises </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">every</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
son He receives! He sets us the </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">correct</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
example!</span></span></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">And
Jesus shows how little faith - when exercised - grows into greater
faith. Start out with what you have! Bloom where you are planted!
Increase comes when we accept what we have - and </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">use</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
it!</span></span></font></p>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">And
lastly in this section - we are to understand that </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">all</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
we have is a gift from God - both natural and spiritual. When we
effectively make use of all of our gifts - this for us is </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">not</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
for our glory or credit. We are merely exercising the talents given
to us by God, and to give back to Him all the glory! God says through
Isaiah - “</span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">My
Glory</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
I will </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">not</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
give to another!” Holy Ann learned this through trying to reward a
chicken that merely obeyed God! Let us then make sure that whatever
success God gives us in the exercise of </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">His</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
gifts - </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">all</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
the credit in this - and all the glory - </span></span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="">must</span></font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
be returned to Him! </span></span></font>
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<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">And
our Psalm for the day: </span></span></font><b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;">68:18
(68:1-36) GOD SHALL SCATTER HIS ENEMIES. “You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train and </span></font><u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">receiving
gifts among men</font></u><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;">,
even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.” </span></font></b><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">How
this ascribes praise unto You, O great Jehovah Father! In Christ You
have blessed man with gifts, and given him dominion. You have made
him Your habitation! J.A.Watt</span></span></font></p>
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