Later, the master told the dishonest manager that he had done a smart thing. Yes, worldly people are smarter \{in their business\} with the people of their time than spiritual people are.
The snake was the most clever of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. {The snake wanted to trick the woman.} The snake spoke to the woman and said, “Woman, did God really tell you that you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”
Now call together all the priests and prophets of Baal. And call together all the people that worship Baal. Don’t let any person miss this meeting. I have a great sacrifice to give to Baal. I will kill any person that doesn’t come to this meeting!”
We must make plans to stop the Israelites from growing stronger. If there is a war, the people of Israel might join our enemies. Then they might defeat us and escape from us.”
Any person that says things against the Son of Man {\cf2\super [175]} can be forgiven. But any person that says things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. That person will not be forgiven now or in the future.
If a person can be trusted with small things, then he can also be trusted with big things. If a person is dishonest in little things, then he will be dishonest in big things too.
Then the manager said to another man, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The man answered, ‘I owe him 60,000 pounds of wheat.’ Then the manager said to him, ‘Here is your bill; you can make it less. Write 50,000 pounds.’
So put your trust in the light while you still have it. Then you will become sons of light.” When Jesus finished saying these things, he left. Jesus went to a place where the people could not find him.
Don’t fool yourselves. If any person among you thinks that he is wise in this world, then he should become a fool. Then that person can become truly wise.
In the past you were \{full of\} darkness (sin), but now you are \{full of\} light (goodness) in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light.
The way these people live is leading them to destruction. They don’t serve God. Those people live only to please themselves. They do shameful things, and they are proud of those things. They think only about earthly things.
But you are chosen people. You are the King’s priests. You are a holy {\cf2\super [20]} nation of people. You are people who belong to God. God chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He called (brought) you out of darkness (sin) into his wonderful light.
So we can see who God’s children are. Also, we can know who the children of the devil are. The people who don’t do what is right are not children of God. And the person who does not love his brothers and sisters \{in Christ\} is not a child of God.