Show Notes

Thank you so much for tuning in and welcome everyone. I hope you're well. I'm your host. Ben Lively and you're listening to Shaken Awake episode number sixty seven i just wanted to thank you again for tuning in with us today wherever you are and whatever you're doing right this very moment it means everything to me to share the messages that God has laid all my heart to share with you. And I want to give a special shout out to all the new listeners listening to the show today. 

No doubt how this podcast landed in their ears. Brings speed to God for moving these messages to those he wants to touch, and many of them come from you, the listeners. So as always, I promise you another great show. But more than anything, my hope for you. Today, as always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord, not just listening to another podcast episode. So again, quick ask, I ask this every time and I really rely on you, the listeners, if you find value in these, would you just take 20 or 30 seconds after the show? Go submit a quick review and a star rating in your app. 

Then this is what potential listeners look for when deciding whether or not to even give this show a listen. So if you do that for me, that would be great. Again, only if you find value in these episodes for those of you that have, I cannot thank you enough. And also it's just spread the word. It's a great way to spread the message into to plant seeds. Just pass on a link to the show to your friends or family or colleagues that the Lord prompts you to send to. 

There's so many people. They need to hear these messages and Scripture and God will see to it that it gets to them. Remember, the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. Let yourself be the labor that Christ asks you to be so he'll do the rest. So without further delay, let's get ready to invite God in with us right here and right now and allow him to speak directly to your heart and mind. 

So we're going to continue on with Jesus's parables. Today we're going to go with. Three that go hand in hand with one another, just as it's it is said that the more times a statement or sentence is repeated in the Bible, it significant signifies that it's importance that it was written that way. So are the parables that connect to one another. And by the way, do you know that many of the books of the Bible are duplicates of other different books written by two different people? They're a different account of events, but many are written almost to the word. 

The same coincidence, not a chance, but I never knew that because again, I never read my Bible. Imagine that hey, if the shoe fits, kick it off right? So today's topic is on how you may be contributing to your own eternal judgment, and so to better understand today's topic, we're going to be looking at three well known parables. Once again, we'll have some stories given by Jesus himself. 

To show us the way, warn us against. Whatever he's warning us against and also providing us the what if should we not obey yet? How many are a reading these or by keeping them in the forefront of their life? You know, I don't want to speculate, but I would wager to say it's less than 5 % of the professing Christian population on any given day. You know us, the ones that are to dwell in God's word and take it more seriously than anything else that we encounter or have in our lives. So we're going to take a look at three correlating parables today to see the entire picture and to see what the Bible states about all three and those that fall victim to each. 

So we're going to quickly, but carefully, we're going to look at this speck and the log. Then the unforgiving servant. And lastly, the heart of man. So the specular law and the log. Our Matthew 7-1-2-5 do not judge or you too, will be judged. For the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Sounds fair. But sounds a little scary too, because I know I've judged others and I don't judge them lightly. Now why continuing on? Why do you look at the speck of sawdust? In your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye. 

How can you say to your brother? Let me take the speck out of your eye? When all the time there's a plank in your own, you hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye. I don't know about you, but that's pretty straightforward. Not too much misunderstanding or. Metaphorically speaking, it's pretty simple and straightforward, so let's move now on to the unforgiving servant. Matthew 1823 to 35 Therefore, the Kingdom of heaven. Is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with a servant. 

As he began the settlement, a man who owed him 10.000 thousand bags of gold was brought to him, and since he was not able to pay the master order that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this time, the servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything the servants master took pity on him. 

Cancel the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him 100 silver coins. So he grabbed him and began to choke him. Pay back what you owe me. He demanded. His fellow servant photos, knees and begged him be patient with me. And I will pay it back, but he refused. Instead he went off and had the man thrown in prison until he could pay the debt. 

And when the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and they went and told their master everything that had happened. Then the master called the servant in. And said, you wicked servant. He said, I canceled all the debt of yours because you begged me to. Shane, you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had you on you in anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. Coming from Jesus's own mouth and to finish this verse, this is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. 

Again, very straightforward. Easy to understand. We're going to break these down in a minute here. Lastly, the heart of man, Matthew 1510 to 20. So Jesus called the crowd to him and said, listen and understand what goes into someone's mouth doesn't defile them. But what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them. So then the disciples came to him and asked, do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this? Jesus replied, every plant that my Heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots, leave them. 

They are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind both will fall into a pit. Peter said explain the parable to us. I love this Jesus. Are you still so dull? She's just asked them, don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. He stops there, but you and I could continue on and so could he have. These are what the file a person, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them. 

Ok, so. The first is judgment. You know there's judgment built into these. Parables, So what does it say about judging others and what we're supposed to do by judging others? What we're not supposed to do? Rather, Luke six thirty one thirty six says due to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. I remember the first time reading that blew my mind. If you love those who love you. What credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 

Wow, and if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? So even sinners lend the sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies. Do good to them. And let lend to them without expecting to get anything back in return that equal. 

That means love good. And being paid back, don't expect anything back then. Your reward will be great and you will be children of the most high because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your father is merciful. And then lastly to back. Some of those parables up Romans 2. One to three is great excerpt as well. You therefore have no excuse. You who passed judgment on someone else, for whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself because you who passed judgment do the same things. 

I know I'm speaking to some of you today. I'm not God and the Holy Spirit are let me let me retract that. First two, now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. Oh God's judgment against those who do such things. I've done those things. So when you, a mere human being, you listeners, pass judgment on them, and yet do the same things? Do you think you will escape God's judgment? It ends there, but the answer is no. 

And I despise. When I when I see mostly online arguments saying oh that's just taken out of context, that was meant for the fill in the blank. No, it's meant for us. To me it's meant for you and me. Right now it doesn't take a genius to figure this out. We don't want to hear it. And just like the saying goes, everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die. Right, we want to be called a Christian, but we don't want to hear the harsh truths to read that last sentence again because they hit me over the head like a mallet. 

So when you, a mere human, passed judgment on them and yet do the same things, I'm raising my hand my whole life. Do you think you will escape God's judgment? That is a rhetorical question from Jesus Christ. I already know the answer, so do you. So let's talk about forgiveness versus unforgiveness. So what about forgiving verse? Not forgiving Mark 1125 Shed some light on this and I'm going to show you how it how it, how it worked in my life as an example and when Mark eleven twenty five and whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone so that your father also who is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses. 

I remember the 1st. All of these I remember look I thought I could do whatever I wanted because I was a Christian and I believed. Those that believeth in him shall not perish, yeah, but there's some more there are some rules we live by. Forgive if you have anything against anyone. Doesn't mean wow, that person really did me wrong. All that person really abused me. This is that person. If you have anything against anyone he didn't say except if. And here's the hammer. Here's the double edge. Here's where it's condemning you. This is the what. If well, what if I don't? What if I'm not? What if I didn't? So that your father also who is in heaven, may forgive you your trespasses if you don't forgive. 

We've just read it. He doesn't forgive you will pay back in the same measurement you judge someone else's Matthew six fourteen to fifteen. For if you forgive others their trespasses. If you forgive others their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But, and this doesn't come for me, this is the Bible. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses. Neither will your father forgive you your trespasses. Let that sink in and for all those that say, oh, that's you know, that's that was me. 

That's just the people that aren't saved well. He didn't say that. Who do you think he's talking to here? Do you unbelievers forgive? In this day and age, to believers, forgive no it's a command. It's a commandment. The answer is you're not a true Christian if you're not forgiving others. So Colossians three twelve to 13 put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another. 

And if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. There's nothing in anyone that anyone else has done to you. Ok, I don't care what it is. I don't care what it is. Anything that you haven't done yourself. You know why? Because God is so holy that one sin is not greater than another. We you already know that. And if you don't, it's right in your Bible. That's why we can't look at him. No one could ever look at him. He is so holy we can't even look at something that holy. We're all sinful in his eyes. 

The only thing that covers us is the blood of Jesus Christ. But he has forgiven us. So if he has forgiven us for lying and being a liar our whole life. That's the same thing as someone that's. Physically abuse you in his eyes, in the spiritual realm. There's no difference. A sin is a sin. Ok, Matthew 1821 and 22 then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him as many as seven times? And Jesus said to him, I do not say to you 7 times. 

He basically said no, you're saying that I'm going to tell you 70 times 7. Isaiah 43:25 to 26 i am he who blots out your transgressions, for who for my own sake? And I will not remember your sins. I love that he blots out our transgressions for not our sake, his sake, so that he can't remember them anymore. Put me in remembrance. Let us argue together, set forth your case that you may be proved right. That's at the judgment seat. And then lastly of First John, 2-1 to 29 my little children. I'm writing these things to you, so that you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 

He is the propitiation for our sins not only for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him if. We keep his commandments, oh but I hear, oh he's done away with commandments there's no such thing. No, that's not what first John 2-1 at 29 says. And by this we know that we have come to know him. If we keep his commandments I'm going to insert something. Remember there's verses I've said this on a lot of different podcasts. One of the most scary in my opinion. Scary verses in the Bible where he says one day he'll tell people depart from me. 

I never knew you. I never knew you, but we'll get this sentence. And by this we know that we have come to know him. If we keep his commandments so there's one of the clues when people say, oh, I wonder who's he's going to say depart from me. I never knew you what do you mean? He never knows they're confused? Well there's a there's a clue right there staring you right in the face who I'm going back to first John now whoever says quote unquote i know him listen to this but does not keep his commandments. Is a what is a liar and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word in him truly the love of God is perfected, and by this we may know that we are in him. 

Evil hearts. How about evil? Those that have evil hearts are the unrighteous who are the unrighteous and what happens to them us unless we repent. So Mark seven twenty three, says and he said, what comes out of a person is what the files him from within out of the heart of man comes. Evil thoughts, sexual morality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness, some are you. 

And I'm raising my hand. oh. Do we have any of that? Maybe not you can say oh, I'm not sexually immer immoral. I don't steal. I don't murder, i don't have adultery. Ok, how I envy. How about slander? How about pride? How about foolishness? I'll finish the verse all these evil things come from within and they defile a person. Don't tell me you don't. 

Do not tell me you don't. It's not me I'm referencing. Don't try to convince Jesus you don't OK. I'm raising my hand here. I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to myself. You just hear me. Galatians five nineteen to 21 The acts of the flesh are obvious. Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. 

I warn you, as I did before. Listen to this guys, I hope you stuck around for this. Those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. I remember reading that for the first time and all I kept thinking was man John three sixteen had me thinking something else. What do you mean? Surely that can't apply to me? Yes, because if you did. Truly believe in him and you truly love him and you truly follow him. You do not do those things you repent and change those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. There's the punishment. 

There's the judgment. First Corinthians 6-9 to 10, or do you not know that wrongdoers? Will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Do not be deceived. Take that literally. You got everyone under the sun today. Media, social media, friends and family circle coworkers. I don't care. Do not be deceived, they're out there telling you the opposite and he's saying don't be deceived, neither the sexually immoral nor the idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who have sex with men nor thieves, nor the greedy, greedy, nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. 

There is no way to miss. Misrepresent that or read it wrong, or think he's talking to another group. Oh, that must have been for the Israelites or the Jews this. It's for us today. He didn't change. Why would his words change? The Bible was for them and it's for us and for every generation until the end of age. Here we go. Revelations 2178 And then I'm going to flip it. Those who are victorious will inherit all this and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly ohh the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral. 

Those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars. Do you see how he separates? I just want to throw this out. He separates the unbelieving from the idolaters and all liars. Well, there goes the defense for those that say, oh, that's this is for unbelievers, no? Not just cowardly. What comes to mind is those that are afraid to speak my name. I won't speak their name to my father who is in heaven. It's all right here guys. They will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death guys. This isn't a you know, rained down and fire and brimstone message I have for you. 

I'm just reading you the Bible. So if the shoe fits, please kick it off. So here, On the contrary, love from the heart that flows from the mouth. What does the Bible say? First Corinthians thirteen four to thirteen love is patient and kind. Love does not envy your boast. It's not arrogant or rude. It doesn't insist on its own way. It's not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things. It believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never. Hands As for prophecies, they'll pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. 

As for knowledge. It will. Pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part. But when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child I spoke like a child I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man. A Christian, a born again Christian. I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part then I shall know fully, even as I have become fully known. So now faith, hope and love abide these three. 

But the greatest of these is love. You see, I was abused my whole life. If you haven't heard my testimony, which is really the story of how great God is, not what happened to me, it's how he pulled one of the worst, most evil, and I still haven't gotten into the details. I don't even know if I can. It would creep you out. It would disturb you. 

I really mean that. The testimonies about what God did for me I'm going to have a little chat with Paul up in Evan about who's really the worst of them all. I think I was. Oh man. But I went from someone. That I hated my entire life hated i wanted to kill him. I would have killed him had I not gone into the military. I would have murdered him. I didn't don't care about the I didn't. I wouldn't have cared about the outcome. Water murdered him easy. And I'm just going to Fast forward to now. 

The Lord is taken. Everything that's ever happened to me, that's bad. Anything that ever happened to me and turned it into something great. I have no hate for him. I have no resent for him. It's as if none of that stuff happened. The warts just removed it. He helped me see it's not flesh and blood that we truly fight against. It's the principalities and of evil. 

It's not the people. It's Satan doing his thing. He never did anything wrong to me growing up. It was the evil within. That's what I hated. I don't hate him. I have no resent. I can speak about him and what he did and everything. Yeah, it happened. But I don't even care and if I had to change anything, looking back I would change nothing. I would ask God for the same everything growing up because I had no idea then what he had in store for me. If that if that gentleman that abused me and stole away my childhood, or so I blamed. Was here today. I openly forgive him, I have. 

Long since forgiven him, I have no. Remote no hatred in my heart. A total forgiveness. I'd go out to lunch with him. I'd share a conversation with him. I wouldn't bring up the past, and if he did. I'd spend my time telling him not to say sorry. You've already been forgiven by me. You got to worry about Jesus forgiving and you got to ask him but. I have no and that you know some people go their whole lives. And still have hatred for people in their hearts for what they did to them. And you know what? I can't say there is no. 

Reason for feeling that way. Some people have had some really awful things happen. I mean, imagine someone murders your child or rapes your daughter whatever. I mean, that's true forgiveness, but. I just read to you what happens if we don't and if we judge and if we don't forgive trespasses, we are to blame, not them, because Jesus forgave us. And if we choose not to forgive, we're no better than the servant. 

That did not forgive and look what happened to him? Ok, I'm going to wrap this up. First Corinthians six nineteen to twenty. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you? Whom you have from God. You are not your own. I love this. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. I remember the first time Reina wait a minute bought for yeah God came as a human jesus. And he took the blame for our sins. And he was sinless, and he shed his own blood for us. 

We aren't our own, no longer of the world. We are actually his we're here for him, not us. This life once you become saved is no longer yours, because this earth is not ours. We're on the wrong side of heaven right now, but we're charged with doing some things, and those things are with this last sentence in this verse. So glorify God in your body. How do you glorify God? We just talked about it, John 1512 This is my commandment. Here we go. This is my commandment. Hey, if we can't listen to God. What's the use of listening to anyone? This is my commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you. 

He loved us so much he came down on Earth, became sin, who knew no sin, and died for us. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't necessarily die for you guys. I'm not going to my kid, my son die for you, but he did. That's how much he loved you, Luke six thirty five. This is the last passage, and I'm going to wrap things up. But love your enemies and do good and land expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. And you listen to this. You will be sons of the most high, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. So nothing I say in these podcasts mean anything more than just words. 

Except for the words of God that I speak directly from the pages of his instruction manual for us, I'm not preaching to you. I'm taking the wisdom and the understanding given to me by the Holy Spirit, through God's word, and I'm teaching myself out loud. What I've been given. I'm just simply passing this along to you. And anyone else who will listen, I'd rather everyone read their Bibles consistently and daily every day of their life as God commands us through his Bible. But I know by now. This is a desire and a wish of mine, and certainly of gods that will never be fulfilled. So I'm led to share as much as I can. 

In the limited number of heartbeats I have remaining with you and anyone else that's thirsty to hear more. You see, the Bible wasn't created as a symbol. It was created to pass God's knowledge and commandments and instructions to us that we may dwell in it and follow it all the days of our lives. So nothing I say is important. But what God says is the only important things you'll ever hear. Which will last until your last breath here on Earth. 

Don't waste another day judging others being unforgiving. Or as I like to say, being selective in your judgment or allowing your heart and mouth to defile you. By doing so, you're separating yourself from God and are casting judgment and condemnation on yourself. Like the God of this world, Satan will tempt you every minute of every day, if and when he has to. He's had thousands of years to perfect his craft. Don't let it in the hands of Satan. Surrender these areas of your life. Every area of your life to the father. Break the chains that have been holding you back from living the life that God has purpose for you and has died for you in order that you may believe in him and repent. 

Mvc saved. You cannot and will not if you continue and sin be the salt and light in our dark and tasteless world, the world's getting darker so it's time for us to be the lamps on the hill shining brightly. And I would be remiss. I'm closing now. I would be remiss if I didn't share with you this. There again, there are no such things as coincidences. Ok, so i put down my notes a couple days ago for today's podcast and I'm recording it. I had a couple of minutes before recording. I just said, oh, I haven't looked at this one prayer book that I have. It's called 3 minute prayers for men. Could be for anyone. 

Love it and I've got so many books that i keep reading in addition to the Bible that I haven't picked this one up yet, so I'm going to read to you today's or it's actually not dated. It's just. On your own time, which is 1 per day, listen to this talk about timing God's great. I'm going to share it with you. Listen to today is when I open this up. It's called the power of words. Comes from Ephesians. They start with the verse. Ephesians four twenty nine let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. 

But what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers. And here's the author saying he comes up with this prayer loving, Heavenly Father. I confess that I'm not always careful with the words that I speak. I sometimes say things I shouldn't. Words that could hurt other people and damage their reputations. And I don't speak nearly enough words of encouragement and edification. 

I know that needs to change today or please check me when I'm about to say something I shouldn't. Not only that, please give me words that build up and encourage others. Help me to replace my negative, hurtful speech with words that bless, encourage and challenge others. Let every word that comes out of my mouth be helpful. And then they always end with A to do. It's called think about it. So think about it. Do you sometimes find it too easy to say things you shouldn't? What steps can you take to make sure you speak only loving, uplifting words? Man, what a what great timing? What great message. 

So before we end today's show guys I just wanted to thank you all again for tuning in. I hope you were touched by today's message and scripture. If you'd like to reach out to me, please call me directly at 4-0-7-4-9-3-3-2-0-8 email shaken-awake.com or just check out the show at https://shaken-awake.com So until next time take great care of yourself and each other. And God bless you all. 



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