Matthew 25:14-30

Matthew 25:14-30, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Evangelist John R. Rice writes concerning this passage of Scripture:

“...the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 does not necessarily refer to saved people only. There is a similar parable in Matthew 21:33-46. It is directly applied to the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders. God had turned His vineyard, the nation of Israel, over to the Jewish leaders. They were held accountable for it. That does not mean that they were saved people. God does hold most people accountable for the things He puts in their hands, the opportunity He gives them, and particularly any place of influence. 

“...it is quite clear that the servant who had one talent and was cast into outer darkness does not represent a saved person at all. God will hold people to account for the way they use what He has given them and for the opportunities they have had. And that is the great principle of the parable of the talents. Two of the servants represent saved people, so here is a lesson of rewards for Christians according to their labor. I think the one man represents a lost man and here is a reminder that God will judge men according to their opportunities. 

When you read the story again you will see that there is nothing about that one man that would indicate that he was a Christian. He hated his master and slandered him. He does not represent a Christian.” —Dr. John R. Rice, “Dr. Rice, Here Is My Question...,” p. 276; 1962

I fully agree with Brother Rice concerning this Scripture passage. Whether saved or lost, the Holy Bible warns that we will all be judged according to our “works.” The difference is on what basis we will be judged. For believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be judged on the basis of being God's redeemed children saved by grace (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11; Romans 5:20). A believer can only fall “in grace,” but never “from grace.” We will be judged as believers according to our “works” (1st Corinthians 3:11-15).

For the unbeliever, they will be judged for the “works” on the basis of the law, since they died in their sins under the curse of the law without Christ (Revelation 20:11-15). Either way, we will all be judged as humans according to our works. I like to compare the two different judgments to criminal court versus civil court. In criminal court you risk being punished if found guilty; whereas in civil court your only risk is monetary loss of rewards or money.

The parable in Matthew 25:14-30 applies to both the saved and the unsaved. We will all be judged according to the talents, resources and opportunities which God has entrusted to us in life.

Hebrews 10:38-39

Hebrews 10:38-39, “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

Dr. John R. Rice (1895-1980) says this about Hebrews 10:38...

“Hebrews 10:38 is partly explained by the following verse. Read the two verses together. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” 

But verse 39 shows that verse 38 is not talking about a believer. Those who draw back unto perdition are not those who believe to the saving of the soul! The “drawing back” of verse 38 means that a Jew who has been faithful in keeping the ceremonial sacrifices, when he comes to know that Christ is the Lamb of God, draws back and will not take Christ as Saviour. So he is lost of course, just as anybody else who rejects Christ. This is not a case of a Christian drawing back, but of a lost man drawing back from Christ.” —Dr. John R. Rice, “Dr. Rice, Here Is My Question...,” pp. 275-276; 1962

It ceases to amaze me how many people foolishly cite and wrest this Scripture passage in a lame attempt to deny the Eternal Security of the believer. As Dr. Rice wisely points out, verse 39 makes it clear that only an unsaved man can “draw back.” Likewise, only a man who attempts to earn Heaven by works (keeping the law) has “fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:14).

Proverbs 24:11-12

Proverbs 24:11-12, “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?”

Pastor Harry Ironside (1876-1961) has this to comment about Proverbs 24:11-12...

These verses seem to refer to a mode of execution once prevalent in Syria and Palestine. Muenscher says, “When a criminal was anciently led to execution, a crier went before, who proclaimed the crime of which he had been convicted, and called upon any one who could say anything in behalf of the condemned culprit, to come forward; in which case, he was led back to the tribunal and the cause was re-heard.” To selfishly withhold information that could save the condemned man's life, would be to stand with Cain and ask, “Am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9) But the great Judge of all who ponders the heart would be witness against the one who acted so perfidiously and would assuredly render judgment. SOURCE

“Perfidiously” means to act in a treacherous or disloyal manner, often involving deceit or betrayal. It is derived from the word “perfidious,” which implies a lack of faithfulness or reliability. To fail to speak up when you posses information that could exonerate an accused person is a grave sin in God's sight. That is what the Bible means in Proverbs 24:11-12.

Romans 11:28

Romans 11:28, “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.”

The inspired Holy Bible says that the Jews today are the enemies of the Gospel. This goes totally contrary to all of the corrupt Zionist churches that support manmade Israel.

The latter part of Romans 11:29 teaches that God loves the Jews, and so should we. It is a sin to be anti-Semite. Racism is a horrible sin. God created the human race, and we are all of one blood according to Acts 17:26, “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” There is no Jewish race, only the human race.

The Bible identifies the Jews today as the enemies of the Gospel. Jews are not just unsaved, they are enemies of the cause of Jesus Christ. It is openly admitted that Hollywood is Jewish owned and controlled. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of Hollywood's filthy movies are saturated with blasphemy of the name of Jesus, cursing in God's name and abominable content. It is almost impossible to find a popular movie that doesn't contain total nudity.

I was watching the film "I-Robot" years ago, which sounds innocent enough, right. Well, there is a wicked scene of actor Will Smith butt naked in a shower. That is evil. Public nakedness is a horrible sin and a shame. I cannot recommend the movie "I-Robot" to anyone, even though I enjoy science fiction. It is not a mere coincidence that ungodly Hollywood producers put nakedness in their films, that's part of their agenda to corrupt the family. Some of the best movies have been ruined by the inclusion of nude scenes, and Hollywood does that on purpose. The Jews who own and control Hollywood and 96% of the media are wicked.

I love Jewish people, Arabs, and all humans. You cannot be right with God and hate anybody. But I am also not blind to the truth that the Jews today are the enemies of the Gospel. The vast majority of Jews today hate Jesus Christ and vehemently reject Him, damning themselves (John 3:18, 36). Approximately 2% of Jews living in Israel today profess faith in Christ.

God loves everyone equally. If you think that God loves Jews more than Gentiles, you are thinking foolishly. Jesus plainly warned Nicodemus (a Jew) in John 3:1-7 that unless a man is born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

Proverbs 19:3

Proverbs 19:3, “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretted against the LORD.”

The Hebrew word for “fretted” in this Bible verse means “to boil up, in anger.” In his The Strand Study Bible, Pastor Strand says the word “fretted” means “to blame,” that is, to blame God.

The foolish of mankind causes us to disobey God. Look at the mess that the world is in today! I love astronomy. It is a truly fascinating science. But it bothers me lately to learn about NASA's future plans to spend billions of dollars to build a space station on the moon, as a means to eventually send a crew of humans to Mars. Since the moon only had one sixth the gravity of earth, it is much easier to launch a mission to Mars from the moon than the earth. Anyway, I have a hard time feeling good about that when according to the United Nations every single day 25,000 people starve to death on our planet. Unbelievably, India has the third largest group of dying victims from starvation, while at the same time being the world's second largest food producer. Clearly, the haves couldn't care less about the have nots. It is greed.

I could write for hours about the plethora of wickedness in the world today. The controversial drug Mifepristone has been in the news lately. A woman commit adultery with a married man and got pregnant. The creep wanted her to abort the child, but she refused. So he spiked her hot chocolate drink with Mifepristone and successfully murdered their child. He should get the death penalty if convicted. One of the greatest injustices ever perpetrated under the pretense of law and order was the 1973 'Roe vs. Wade' decision by our incompetent U.S. Supreme Court, which wickedly did not consider a fetus in it's mother womb as a human being. Proverbs 19:3, “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretted against the LORD.”

The Hebrew word “foolishness” in our text passage of Scripture means “silliness.” The word “folly” in the Old testament is also translated from this word. The Hebrew word for “perverteth” means “to wrench,” that is, to twist something. Man's silliness, his folly and foolishness twists his way, causing him to walk crooked in life.

Such a person oftentimes boils up in anger against God, blaming his Creator for his own situation. I have heard countless sinners throughout my lifetime wickedly hurl accusations at our good God, blaming Him for the world's problems. But I ask you dear reader, who is to blame for the never-ending wars, needless hunger and tyranny? Men are to blame, not God. Ecclesiastes 7:29, “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”

Please just decide once and for all time dear friend that GOD IS GOOD! Psalms 145:9, “The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” The Lord is faithful (1st Corinthians 1:9) and He care about you (1st Peter 5:7). Thank you for reading my ministry blog. Jesus is precious!!!

Proverbs 19:22

Proverbs 19:22, “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”

The longing or delight of a good man is to have mercy on others, to help people; but if he has to lie, make shady deals and commit evil to do so in order to raise the money, he'd be better off just staying poor.

I think a perfect example of this Bible verse is New York City's incompetent mayor Zohran Mamdani. In the fall of 2025 he ran for the position of mayor in New York City, making a bunch of empty promises that any sensible person knew he couldn't possibly fulfill. Mamdani promised free child daycare for all New Yorker parents. Mamdani promised a price freeze on all rental units. Mamdani promised free subway transportation for everyone from now on. He essentially gave away the farm! His plan was to tax the rich and the public ate it up, loving his rhetoric. Well, when Mamdani won the election by a landslide and became mayor, the state's governor refused to go along with taxing the rich, and his plan backfired on him. Proverbs 19:22, “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”

So, to save face and come up with all that FREE stuff that Mamdani promised to give away, he decided to tax the middle-class instead, by raising everyone's property taxes another 9.5% on top of some of the already highest property taxes in the country! Overburdened New York homeowners will now be taxed 19.84% a year!!! That is so criminal! Mamdani should be in prison for lying to get into office, knowing that there was no way he could honor his promises. Proverbs 19:22, “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”

I think Mr. Mamdani had good intentions as a young man, and a horrible socialist I might add.

“Socialism is nothing more than shared misery.” —Winston Churchill

Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) explains Proverbs 19:22 this way...

A kindly, benevolent spirit appeals to all men because it is unselfish and thoughtful of others. But to make great promises while unable to fulfill them is reprehensible. It is far better to be poor and frankly admit one’s inability to do what the heart might desire, than to promise largely and be proven untrustworthy. To be what you are, and not to pretend to be what you are not, is a sound principle. An honest person, even if poor, gains the respect of anyone whose good opinion is worth having. See Peter and the lame man (Acts 3:6). SOURCE

Zohran Mamdani should have told the truth last year when running for mayor, and been upfront and honest with the people of New York. He's a sharp looking fella with a likable personality. I am confident that the citizens of New York would have still voted for him had he simply said they would all work together to find workable solutions, but his plan to tax the rich was doomed to fail from the start. A responsible leader understands that when you're in financial debt as a city, the only reasonable thing to do is cut spending. Sure, a lot of people are going to be angry and upset, but there is no other way. We've become so spoiled rotten in the United States that Americans refuse to do without anymore. Well, tough, that's life!

I love the old adage that was common during The Great Depression of the 1930s...

Use it up,
wear it out;
make it do,
do without

Yes Sir! That's the winning ticket! When you and I don't have the money, we do without. So why should the government have it any different? It's not the government's job to provide free daycare for children. It's not the city's job to provide free train rides. They need to put the petty thieves who don't pay their train fare in work camps; not prison, productive work camps! We are literally destroying ourselves with our freedom! No one should have a “right” to steal, shoot up on illegal drugs, hurt people, loiter in a tent on a sidewalk, or become a nuisance to society. Our reckless federal government has deliberately created this problem by allowing the fraudulent Federal Reserve to bankrupt our nation and run inflation into the stratosphere!

The Fraudulent Federal Reserve Scam is Destroying the United States' Economy

What few Americans understand is how the fraudulent Federal Reserve (aka, Fractional Reserve) banking scam since 1913 harms U.S. economy. It is essentially a giant Ponzi Scheme! Before 1913 all U.S. money was backed by gold and silver, but today our currency is not backed by anything! Literally, U.S. dollars are worth the paper they are printed on. The whole reason why the Fractional Reserve system was concocted in 1913 (see Dr. G. Edward Griffin's 'The Creature From Jekyll Island') was to allow the federal government to print and borrow (from privately owned banking institutions) trillions of dollars. That money is created out of nothing, then lent to the U.S. government (taxpayers) at interest. It's the perfect scam, in league with the gambling casinos in Las Vegas (i.e., the house, banks, always win).

Long story short, the more money that the government borrows from the Banksters, the less U.S. currency is worth and the price of everything (inflation) goes way up. That is exactly why everything is so expensive today, and rent in New York just spiked in 2026 between $4,187 and $7,849 per month! Our country's economy is controlled by criminals, sanctioned by our ungodly leaders who have sold us out!

I hear so many people bashing and hating capitalism, but that is NOT what we have in the United States today! We have a crooked rigged Federal Reserve system based upon dishonesty, fraud, misinformation, and the public's ignorance that makes it all work so well. The thieves behind the Federal Reserve banking scandal are financial scientists ladies and gentlemen! They are dirty thieves! Proverbs 19:22, “The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”

Until the Federal Reserve is obliterated and annihilated permanently, things will only get much worse in the United States financially. Real wages stopped keeping an even pace with inflation after about 1980. That is one major why we see thousands of panhandlers at nearly every major traffic intersection today. They cannot afford to survive on minimum wage when that money won't even pay their rent.

And have you ever tried to rent an apartment? I did, and I felt like I was being interrogated in Nazi-Germany. The questionnaire literally had 75 questions on it, wanting to know what high school I went to, every job I ever worked, my personal bank account information, and a whole lot more. I refused to answer their intrusive questions and walked away with my dignity. There's NO WAY that a homeless person could ever rent an apartment without having a good credit history, without having ample income to cover three times the monthly rent cost, and you must have a clean criminal record, and much more. People cannot make it anymore!

Jeremiah 23:20-40 - The Burden Of The Lord

Jeremiah 23:20-40, “The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD. And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD. And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house. Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD; Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.”

This can be a challenging passage of Scripture to understand. To be honest, Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) helped me to understand this passage in his sermon titled: 'The Burden Of The Lord.'

I've noticed several truths in this passage that I want to bring to your attention:

1. “in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly” (verse 20) - The Jews didn't understand why God was allowing them to be conquered by King Nebuchadnezzar (whom God called “my servant” in Jeremiah 27:6) and taken prisoner into captivity, but the LORD said that they would understand it all in hindsight in the future.
2. “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied” (verse 21) - Just like today in 2026, most preachers are fake! Most men (and ALL women) who preach the Bible today are NOT doing the Lord's work, they are false prophets who wrongly divide the Word of Truth.
3. “But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.” (verse 22) - Those false prophets were encouraging God's people to sin, instead of turning them away from their sinning. There are wicked clergy everywhere today who encourage divorce, sanction women wearing pants (men's clothing), recognize homosexual marriages, allow female pastors, and other wickedness. That is one way that you can identify a false prophet, because instead of shunning sin and preaching against it, they allow and sanction sin.
4. “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?” (verse 23) - I love this Bible verse! God is still God in the bad times, just as He is during the good time. The LORD is still on His throne reigning over the universe.
5. “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD.  Do not I fill heaven and earth?  saith the LORD” (verse 24) - The Jews thought God couldn't see what they were doing in secret. Dear reader, the God of the universe is also the God of your basement.

The Jews were following the false prophets, rejecting THE TRUTH spoken by God's prophet Jeremiah, who had told the Israelites to submit and surrender to Babylon that they might live. Sadly, their wicked pride caused King Zedekiah (who was worried about what his political peers thought) to disobey God. Instead of heeding God's commandments, they imprisoned Jeremiah into a miry pit of clay that almost destroyed his health and killed him. The first thing the invading Babylonians did was to recue Jeremiah and set him free.

The haughty Jews were sinfully complaining about “the burden” of the Lord. But to God it wasn't a “burden” (a bad thing), it was the right thing to do to Israel for their habitual idolatry and spiritual adultery with idols and wickedness. God had had enough! The book of Ezekiel is about Israel's sin of committing spiritual whoredom with idols. For 490 years the Jews had refused to observe the Sabbath Day, which was an important ceremonial law that symbolized salvation by resting in Jesu Christ alone. The defiant Jews were not cooperating at all.

This passage is about Israel foolishly following the false prophets instead of obeying the Word of God spoken by the prophet Jeremiah. Their bad attitudes and complaining doomed them!

In his helpful sermon, Dr. Hyles said to stop complaining and start talking about God's goodness. He says that God's man should not dwell upon the burden. He mentions Brother Lester Roloff crying in tears one day during his own battle with the state of Texas, wearing pajamas...lol. Pastor Roloff wrote on a piece of paper: "Praise God anyhow!" We all have burdens but we should focus on the blessings of God, that we are redeemed, that our sins are forgiven.

Dr. Hyles told his enemies, "My soul is not for sale!" He uses Jeremiah 23:34 as his text. God didn't want them focusing on the burden of the Lord (i.e., the fall of Judah); but rather, Jeremiah 23:35, "Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?" That is, what saith the Scripture? Instead of dwelling upon our burdens we need to focus upon God's Word. Dr. Hyles said that God is tired of whining Christians because of a burden. Don't forget to talk about His goodness. God is good.