Luke 13:18-19
18 Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”
God's word grows in us to make us like Christ over our new lives, but it also brings good news to change others around us. So God's kingdom is built one soul at a time until we all who are called out as body and bride are before Him in the new heaven and earth, standing in His presence apart from our sin and the fallen world we brought about by it. What wonder this kingdom will grow into until that day! And what glorious wonders with Him...
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Freed to Rest in Christ's Work
Luke 13:14-17
14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Resting from our works to do God's. The sabbath was made for us; we were not made for it, so it does not rule over doing good and giving Him glory. When we do such good and forego our rest, it should put to shame those who attack or judge...
14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Resting from our works to do God's. The sabbath was made for us; we were not made for it, so it does not rule over doing good and giving Him glory. When we do such good and forego our rest, it should put to shame those who attack or judge...
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Fruit of Changed Life
Luke 13:6-9
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
God looks for fruit of repentance and of a changed life. We receive many chances as He draws us to Himself over the years, but there must be tended to in order to grow deep enough to come to fruition. Likewise, once His we need to rely on grace by faith to feed and cultivate those things that allow fruit bearing. Do we?
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”
God looks for fruit of repentance and of a changed life. We receive many chances as He draws us to Himself over the years, but there must be tended to in order to grow deep enough to come to fruition. Likewise, once His we need to rely on grace by faith to feed and cultivate those things that allow fruit bearing. Do we?
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Sinners, Repent or Perish
Luke 13:2-5
2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
We are all sinners, none born good nor capable of doing good to the level we were made to be. If we suffer catastrophe or live a relatively quiet life, the one thing we have in common is the need to repent, to turn from our sin and turn to the one who took our sentence of guilt and paid our legal price of a death sentence - Jesus Christ. No attempts of good deeds or church membership can help us. We all come short in our eternal crimes and need this mediator to be set free and live.
2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
We are all sinners, none born good nor capable of doing good to the level we were made to be. If we suffer catastrophe or live a relatively quiet life, the one thing we have in common is the need to repent, to turn from our sin and turn to the one who took our sentence of guilt and paid our legal price of a death sentence - Jesus Christ. No attempts of good deeds or church membership can help us. We all come short in our eternal crimes and need this mediator to be set free and live.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Reconciliation
Luke 12:57-59
57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”
Not only do we fail to judge the times, we miss the judgment to come as we judge each other even in lawsuits instead of working out the problems with each other. If we do this with each other, how much more do we need reconciliation with the God we have wronged? Settling with our Father through His Son is the only way to avoid eternal imprisonment, and settling with each other is also needed for the kingdom.
57 “Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? 58 When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”
Not only do we fail to judge the times, we miss the judgment to come as we judge each other even in lawsuits instead of working out the problems with each other. If we do this with each other, how much more do we need reconciliation with the God we have wronged? Settling with our Father through His Son is the only way to avoid eternal imprisonment, and settling with each other is also needed for the kingdom.
Monday, April 25, 2016
Discerning the Times
Luke 12:54-56
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, “There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
Why do many seem to be weather prediction experts, yet fail to see the times around us? There are signs of increasing lawlessness and declining morality and civility, but no grand speeches explaining what will happen tomorrow or next week. Global warming fuels discussions, but God's right to rule and judge His creation and the consequences of sin we reap daily do not. Nor do these times seem to allow speaking of the cure for the global heart cooling - good news of a deliver in Jesus.
54 Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. 55 And when you see the south wind blow, you say, “There will be hot weather’; and there is. 56 Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?
Why do many seem to be weather prediction experts, yet fail to see the times around us? There are signs of increasing lawlessness and declining morality and civility, but no grand speeches explaining what will happen tomorrow or next week. Global warming fuels discussions, but God's right to rule and judge His creation and the consequences of sin we reap daily do not. Nor do these times seem to allow speaking of the cure for the global heart cooling - good news of a deliver in Jesus.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
House Divided
Luke 12:51-53
51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
When people come to Christ, often their families do not all do so, causing division. The peace Jesus brought is not a world where everyone gets along, but peace between individuals and the God they are reconciled with; then some peace with others who have been also made new in Christ (there is a unity among true believers, but it is not perfect). So we find peace with God.
51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”
When people come to Christ, often their families do not all do so, causing division. The peace Jesus brought is not a world where everyone gets along, but peace between individuals and the God they are reconciled with; then some peace with others who have been also made new in Christ (there is a unity among true believers, but it is not perfect). So we find peace with God.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Accountability
Luke 12:45-48
45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
We are accountable for all God gives, and especially how we use our gifts for others. If we do not love others in action we do not love God, and will answer for it. As this parable says, it depends on if we willingly sin against others or knew and just neglected to do what is right, or if we really did not know fully and still did wrong. God sees our hearts and actions, and rewards accordingly. We are not the judge who sentences, but must also know grace and mercy that delivers us, yet understand accountability is written in each of our books.
45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
We are accountable for all God gives, and especially how we use our gifts for others. If we do not love others in action we do not love God, and will answer for it. As this parable says, it depends on if we willingly sin against others or knew and just neglected to do what is right, or if we really did not know fully and still did wrong. God sees our hearts and actions, and rewards accordingly. We are not the judge who sentences, but must also know grace and mercy that delivers us, yet understand accountability is written in each of our books.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Watch and Be Ready!
Luke 12:38-40
38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Are you ready? Jesus told us to constantly watch while we do the things we should, protecting the house - much like protecting this house we are as a body and as individuals. By being holy as He is, by telling of the hope in us, so we please the bridegroom and deter thieves. We do not know when the Lord will be back, but the real motivation should be to please Him every day out of love and thankfulness for buying us at such a great price!
38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Are you ready? Jesus told us to constantly watch while we do the things we should, protecting the house - much like protecting this house we are as a body and as individuals. By being holy as He is, by telling of the hope in us, so we please the bridegroom and deter thieves. We do not know when the Lord will be back, but the real motivation should be to please Him every day out of love and thankfulness for buying us at such a great price!
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Watchful Servants
Luke 12:35-37
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
As the bride of Jesus Christ we must be ready for His return, just as this wedding ceremony had the servants wait expectantly and ready. They watched, waited, and ended up being served and fed by their master as a reward for their devotion. So must we be until Christ returns for us - except we are both servants and His bride, the body of changed believers. Are we ready?
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
As the bride of Jesus Christ we must be ready for His return, just as this wedding ceremony had the servants wait expectantly and ready. They watched, waited, and ended up being served and fed by their master as a reward for their devotion. So must we be until Christ returns for us - except we are both servants and His bride, the body of changed believers. Are we ready?
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Treasure Reveals Our Heart
Luke 12:32-34
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God wants to give us the eternal kingdom in His presence forevermore. So why hold so tightly to riches that we cannot take with us? Our hearts should be aimed at Jesus Christ to serve and run after God's prize of the upward calling in Christ by the gospel that cannot be stolen and never falls apart over time, let alone in eternity.
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
God wants to give us the eternal kingdom in His presence forevermore. So why hold so tightly to riches that we cannot take with us? Our hearts should be aimed at Jesus Christ to serve and run after God's prize of the upward calling in Christ by the gospel that cannot be stolen and never falls apart over time, let alone in eternity.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Trusting, Not Anxious
Luke 12:29
“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Don't worry, be content. By faith we find joy above transitory happiness, knowing God will provide our daily needs - He knows what we require. What this frees us to do is to seek His kingdom, to put our mind, life, and strength into seeking what He told us is good and right, and to do those things that last through the grave into eternity. By ceasing worry and living by faith we find continued peace with and provision of God.
“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Don't worry, be content. By faith we find joy above transitory happiness, knowing God will provide our daily needs - He knows what we require. What this frees us to do is to seek His kingdom, to put our mind, life, and strength into seeking what He told us is good and right, and to do those things that last through the grave into eternity. By ceasing worry and living by faith we find continued peace with and provision of God.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Worry or Faith?
Luke 12:25-28
25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Being anxious by worrying about having what we need cannot make us grow, only feel a wanting for more. By seeing God's hand to care for all this world around us we can rest fully in that care for us made in His image. So, we trust, using faith He gives with assurance of His grace and it's contentment because of who He is and who we are in Christ. We are so much more than birds and plants.
25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Being anxious by worrying about having what we need cannot make us grow, only feel a wanting for more. By seeing God's hand to care for all this world around us we can rest fully in that care for us made in His image. So, we trust, using faith He gives with assurance of His grace and it's contentment because of who He is and who we are in Christ. We are so much more than birds and plants.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
He Values Us Highly
Luke 12:22-24
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Do we trust fully in a sovereign God who works for good in those He has called? If so, why be anxious for the next meal or even clothes to wear? Jesus pointed to the birds that He provides for - they don't work to plant and harvest, only having to expend effort to get the food provided already. That must be Faith's mindset and outworking in us even more, for we are made in His image - to be called, chosen, and faithful.
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Do we trust fully in a sovereign God who works for good in those He has called? If so, why be anxious for the next meal or even clothes to wear? Jesus pointed to the birds that He provides for - they don't work to plant and harvest, only having to expend effort to get the food provided already. That must be Faith's mindset and outworking in us even more, for we are made in His image - to be called, chosen, and faithful.
Friday, April 15, 2016
Bigger Barns or Eternal Riches?
Luke 12:16-21
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Storing up treasures in heaven is eternal investment. Gaining more and neglecting your soul has eternal penalties. So we must be rich toward God above our own collections in storage for temporal benefits. What lasts is loving God and others, collecting grace in showing mercy and love with good news of that which lasts.
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Storing up treasures in heaven is eternal investment. Gaining more and neglecting your soul has eternal penalties. So we must be rich toward God above our own collections in storage for temporal benefits. What lasts is loving God and others, collecting grace in showing mercy and love with good news of that which lasts.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Wanting Things
Luke 12:13-15
13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
We should not fight over and focus on what we will get when our parents die, but on what we will get when we each die. Our lives are not in the visible, but the intangible - the things Jesus spoke of as the kingdom. Do we love God first and in our words and actions love others as we love ourselves? Do we deal with each other by the golden rule, or do we seek only to get more for ourselves at any cost? God tells us to watch out and to count the cost.
13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
We should not fight over and focus on what we will get when our parents die, but on what we will get when we each die. Our lives are not in the visible, but the intangible - the things Jesus spoke of as the kingdom. Do we love God first and in our words and actions love others as we love ourselves? Do we deal with each other by the golden rule, or do we seek only to get more for ourselves at any cost? God tells us to watch out and to count the cost.
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Given Words for Defense
Luke 12:11-12
11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Since we are not to deny the God who bought us at the price of His Son because of fear, so should we also not fear what to say or how we will find the words when bearing witness to the truth of this good news to rulers as well as to adversaries. God lives within us; that presence is what has made us renewed in the first place. So we trust in the sovereign Lord to move our mind and tongue and not rely on our own wisdom.
11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Since we are not to deny the God who bought us at the price of His Son because of fear, so should we also not fear what to say or how we will find the words when bearing witness to the truth of this good news to rulers as well as to adversaries. God lives within us; that presence is what has made us renewed in the first place. So we trust in the sovereign Lord to move our mind and tongue and not rely on our own wisdom.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Confession and Blasphemy
Luke 12:8-10
8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
If we are His, we admit it by telling others; if we deny Jesus, we face that before God. If we say God's work is not by His work and Spirit, we slander God in His work as these did by not only saying evil against Jesus, but by the power and authority of God in the man. Even after being delivered and made new, we must give God the credit - honor and glory for His work in Christ and in us. But we must also test what is said to be His Spirit and discern what is man in disguise.
8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
If we are His, we admit it by telling others; if we deny Jesus, we face that before God. If we say God's work is not by His work and Spirit, we slander God in His work as these did by not only saying evil against Jesus, but by the power and authority of God in the man. Even after being delivered and made new, we must give God the credit - honor and glory for His work in Christ and in us. But we must also test what is said to be His Spirit and discern what is man in disguise.
Monday, April 11, 2016
Fear and Rest
Luke 12:4-7
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
We are to fear God because our lives are in His hands, not men or the devil. But because God offers a certain hope in Jesus Christ, we who are in Him need no longer fear eternal and just punishment, but know we are never forgotten. He knows us and crews for us, so our fear of Him now is awe and trembling in that holy presence, but not for hell anymore. This is our concrete hope.
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
We are to fear God because our lives are in His hands, not men or the devil. But because God offers a certain hope in Jesus Christ, we who are in Him need no longer fear eternal and just punishment, but know we are never forgotten. He knows us and crews for us, so our fear of Him now is awe and trembling in that holy presence, but not for hell anymore. This is our concrete hope.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Hypocritical Yeast
Luke 12:1-3
1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
When the accusers were done, Jesus warned His followers to watch out for hypocrisy in their own lives. He warned them that in the end they cannot hide the thoughts and intents of their hearts, which God's word reveals now and the rest when we die and stand before Him. What words we say and deeds we do will all be seen for what they are - so we must live rightly and transparently before God and man.
1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
When the accusers were done, Jesus warned His followers to watch out for hypocrisy in their own lives. He warned them that in the end they cannot hide the thoughts and intents of their hearts, which God's word reveals now and the rest when we die and stand before Him. What words we say and deeds we do will all be seen for what they are - so we must live rightly and transparently before God and man.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Opposition to Christ
Luke 11:53-54
53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.
People set against God still pursue ways to try to second guess what God says in order to find what may be made into a fault. They seek to accuse God because He accuses them by His words into their conscience with the sheer fact of their guilt. So they blame God and deny Christ, lying in wait to find fault as they ignore their own that is the real issue. So is fallen man. We who know Him must not lose sight of the trustworthiness and holiness of God.
53 And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, 54 lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.
People set against God still pursue ways to try to second guess what God says in order to find what may be made into a fault. They seek to accuse God because He accuses them by His words into their conscience with the sheer fact of their guilt. So they blame God and deny Christ, lying in wait to find fault as they ignore their own that is the real issue. So is fallen man. We who know Him must not lose sight of the trustworthiness and holiness of God.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Ignorance and Disobedience
Luke 11:45-46, 52
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. .. 52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
Experts in religious law, somewhat like today's theology professors or church denomination leaders, here were accused of mandating others do what they themselves felt above lifting a finger to do. They were also accused of keeping people ignorant to keep others from God along with themselves because of their own religious rules that were not even God's. History shows that has continued. We must not. To worship and serve in spirit and in truth by God's standards, not our made up ones, we must rightly cut God's word!
45 Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” 46 And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. .. 52 “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
Experts in religious law, somewhat like today's theology professors or church denomination leaders, here were accused of mandating others do what they themselves felt above lifting a finger to do. They were also accused of keeping people ignorant to keep others from God along with themselves because of their own religious rules that were not even God's. History shows that has continued. We must not. To worship and serve in spirit and in truth by God's standards, not our made up ones, we must rightly cut God's word!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Looking for the Best Seat
Luke 11:42-44
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
In what we call worship and religious acts to please God, how easy it is to fall in this trap of missing the mark by injustice or lack of love shown to others. We can look for the best place and greet the right (or "wrong") people for appearances. Jesus said this is hypocrisy, like spiritual dead men walking - so dead to God that others may pass over your grave unaware. God wants justice tempered by mercy, and love for God and others in spirit and truth.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
In what we call worship and religious acts to please God, how easy it is to fall in this trap of missing the mark by injustice or lack of love shown to others. We can look for the best place and greet the right (or "wrong") people for appearances. Jesus said this is hypocrisy, like spiritual dead men walking - so dead to God that others may pass over your grave unaware. God wants justice tempered by mercy, and love for God and others in spirit and truth.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Ceremonial Washing
Luke 11:38-41
38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
How easily ceremony and tradition wash away the thoughts and intents of the heart! Let us not make the same mistake of looking only at the externals at the expense of where we stand with God and man - in that order. Loving others by meeting needs with the right motive of loving others as ourselves leads to a clean heart and true religion as James says. If we love God, we love others in deed and not for our own acclaim or reward.
38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
How easily ceremony and tradition wash away the thoughts and intents of the heart! Let us not make the same mistake of looking only at the externals at the expense of where we stand with God and man - in that order. Loving others by meeting needs with the right motive of loving others as ourselves leads to a clean heart and true religion as James says. If we love God, we love others in deed and not for our own acclaim or reward.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Light and Darkness
Luke 11:33-36
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
If the goodness of God in the face of Jesus Christ is in is, then we cannot hide it from others - they will see the difference as does God. So we are by God's work in us to put off works of darkness and put on those pleasing to Him, of light. So we shine as stars and are used to bring the light of righteousness to others (Daniel 12:3). Is our eye good, with light behind it?
33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
If the goodness of God in the face of Jesus Christ is in is, then we cannot hide it from others - they will see the difference as does God. So we are by God's work in us to put off works of darkness and put on those pleasing to Him, of light. So we shine as stars and are used to bring the light of righteousness to others (Daniel 12:3). Is our eye good, with light behind it?
Monday, April 4, 2016
Wisdom and Repentance
Luke 11:31-32
31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
When seeking wisdom, how many look to men instead of God? When hearing of God's final judgment, how many turn from sin to Him? Jesus made it clear that God came to men as one of us to tell us these things personally. Even though we listen to the wisest men who ever lived (more than our geniuses, scientists, or philosophers), Jesus is far greater. Even corrupt and immoral Nineveh repented. Yet men still scoff at and argue with their creator and master.
31 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
When seeking wisdom, how many look to men instead of God? When hearing of God's final judgment, how many turn from sin to Him? Jesus made it clear that God came to men as one of us to tell us these things personally. Even though we listen to the wisest men who ever lived (more than our geniuses, scientists, or philosophers), Jesus is far greater. Even corrupt and immoral Nineveh repented. Yet men still scoff at and argue with their creator and master.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Evil Sign Seeking
Luke 11:29-30
29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
Instead of looking for the miracles Jesus could do, the people should have been listening to the words of repentance and faith that lead to never ending life in the Son of God and man. The sign then given was like Jonah for repentance, except the 3 days with Jesus were in the grave (not a fish) before coming to life again. The just will live by faith - not only find eternal life, but live in a daily walk by that same grace by faith with daily repentance (1 John 1:9).
29 And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 30 For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
Instead of looking for the miracles Jesus could do, the people should have been listening to the words of repentance and faith that lead to never ending life in the Son of God and man. The sign then given was like Jonah for repentance, except the 3 days with Jesus were in the grave (not a fish) before coming to life again. The just will live by faith - not only find eternal life, but live in a daily walk by that same grace by faith with daily repentance (1 John 1:9).
Friday, April 1, 2016
Blessed Who Hear and Do
Luke 11:27-28
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
It is not the highest honor we owe to our families, but to have ears to hear and eyes to see from the heart all God tells us - with a mindset of obedience out of love to the one who bought us at such a price. We honor God (without leaving lesser honors undone) and that makes us blessed. We worship God in Christ and not His mother or ours; obeying God trumps all.
27 And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 28 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
It is not the highest honor we owe to our families, but to have ears to hear and eyes to see from the heart all God tells us - with a mindset of obedience out of love to the one who bought us at such a price. We honor God (without leaving lesser honors undone) and that makes us blessed. We worship God in Christ and not His mother or ours; obeying God trumps all.
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