Luke 19-20

It matters not who you are in the world. Jesus is no respecter of person. He comes to visit any who are willing to open their doors and invite Him in. In the face of political opposition, Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree to gather the attention of Jesus. He would not let the obstacle of life and his personal limitations keep him from getting an audience with the Savior. Zacchaeus was willing to come clean and make right his wrongs to obtain the approbation of Christ. Before one can be found, one must realized that they are lost. Jesus came to save the lost. (Luke19)

It is only fitting that one would praise God for His blessings. The presences of Jesus coming into the city Jerusalem caused the people to cry out in song. For years they waited the Kingdom of God to come and now the time had arrived. We were made to praise God. It is in the very nature of our spiritual being to lifted up our voices to Him. If we fail to do what God desires, then nature will shout out His glory. Surely we are more valuable to God than the rocks of the earth.(Luke 19b)

Christ came to save the world, even the scribes and the pharisees, but the pride of their heart rejected Him. They were threaten by sway that Christ had on the populous. Their power over the people was being challenged. The message of Christ was humility and submission, such was not in the nature of these men. Christ called them out and they were mad. People will find any way they can to do away with the voice of God that causes their hearts to be trouble. Sin stops at nothing. (luke20a)

Because God knows the hearts of men, there are no “trick” questions that He does not already know. Manipulation of God is foolishness. His answers will always cause  the questions to backfire. The scribe and sadducees walked away shaking their heads and the deceitfulness of their heart revealed for all to see. You cannot pull the wool over the eyes of Jesus, He is God and knows the hearts and motives of men. (luke20b)

Luke 17-18

Forgiveness is often a hard pill to swallow especially if we have doubt of the sincerity of the apology. It seems once again to be unreasonable to continue to forgive when the offense is often repeated. It takes an “other world” grace to be able to truly forgive someone who is a repeat offender. I too would cry out, “Lord increase my faith”  My mustard seed is having a hard time sprouting.(Luke17a)

The returning of Jesus is unknown, but Jesus did give some indication that His return will come when many have turned away from God and have left the paths of righteousness. The minds and hearts of man will be immerse in the pleasures of this world, God will be place on a shelf and people will turns their heart away from God and live for self gratification. They will only be concern about the things of this world and taking no though the the Kingdom of God in their hearts. Jesus said they will be left behind when He returns. (Luke17b)

Whose prayer does God hear? For certain, a man who thinks highly of himself and exalts his station in life has no need for God. Such a person is wrapped up in self and self-righteousness. They preceive that goodness is derived from good works. They brag of their life of sinlessness and take credit for their purity. Such a person, God cannot help and they will someday realized that they have come short of God’s Glory. The humble and meek spirit of dependence will cause the ear of God to bend low and take notice. It is the humble that God will lift up and draw nigh. (luke18a)

Mercy, Mercy! The cry of the beggar. Blinded and unable to see Jesus, he was able to recognized that the God in the flesh was passing by and He only had the power to give him his sight. The faith of the mustard seed was blooming in the heart of this blind beggar. He believed, and because of his faith, Christ stopped and paused to listen to the cry of this man. Miracles take place when we cry out to God and believe that He is able to perform that which is impossible to man, but possible for God.(luke18b)

Luke 14-15

The excuses that are given today will fall short in the day judgement. Many will say that I was busy prepare for my life and the future, and didn’t have time for God. Other live to work and there whole life is focus on their job or career, leaving no time for God, and others find that family is more important and put their spouse or their kids before God. All of these reasons have a good cause and we are to be mindful that we do our best to provide for the future, do good work at the job and care for our family, but living for the  kingdom requires that one give it all to God and come to the table of God and feast at the feet of Jesus first.

The price to be a follower of Jesus is not to be taken likely. Claiming to be a disciple of Jesus comes with the willingness to forsake everything in your life that would draw you away from following Him. The decision to follow is more than a mental state of mind, but it is one of action and determination. Yes, before the cross can be carried, one must decide and be willing to carry it. But, the test of discipleship is in the action and not in the intention. There are people full of good intentions, but very few actually will carry their cross to calvary. (luke14b)

The desire of God is to see sinners come to the knowledge of the light of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to be a friend to sinners and went out of His way to reach them. His love for his creation extends to all who are lost and He makes every effort  to meet people at the point of their need no matter their station in life. All have sinned and come short of the kingdom of God, rich and poor alike. He seeks all that are lost to bring them into the fold (Luke 15a)

The wayward son who left his father’s house and his father’s faith and values learned a hard lesson about the real world. The world’s values are to make sure that self is served first. As a general rule, the people of the world are more concerned about self preservation and self interest than the needs of others. The prodigal son soon realized that life outside of God is the pits and it eventually takes you down a road that is desolate and hard. Thank God for His faithfulness to those who leave the fold, and then wake to realized that they missed it. His mercy reaches to the backslider and those who have wander away from their moorings. Those who have lost their way can find their way back to God. (Luke15b)

(Luke 16) ?

John 5-6

It was the Sabbath Day, a day set aside to worship God and give praise to His name. It was a day to administer God’s healing power to mankind, a day set apart to do good toward your fellowman. What better way to worship God than to do acts of kindness and show mercy. May we see more people taking up their “beds” and walking to the house to worship. Keeping the Sabbath goes beyond worship, it should be a time to minister and manifest the love of God. (John5)

Rejecting Jesus is to reject the Father. Many say they believe in God, but don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He is one with the Father and believing in Him is to believe in God the Father who sent Him. There will come a day when the eyes of men will be open and they will see Him for who He is. But, the love of God is not to be found in them, they have rejected the giver of life and are now left behind to die in their sins. (John5b)

God will often put us to the test. Are we earthly minded or heavenly minded? We most often look to solutions in the human. That is our nature to try and solve problems in a practical way. I do believe God does want us to use what is available to us. But through the eyes of faith, He wants us to go beyond the the practical and start to believe that He can take the elements that we hold and use them to accomplish great things. What seems impossible to man is possible with God. Take the two loaves of bread and five fish and give them to God and see what wonderful things He can do. (John 6a)

Hunger is a natural desire of humanity. We all want our stomach and our taste buds to be satisfied. But, our lives consist more of just flesh and blood, but also of soul and spirit. Our spirits crave to be satisfied and we are always seeks ways to satisfied our heart with love and peace. (John 6b)

To whom shall I go? He is the source of life the giver of grace. No man is able to come to the Father except through Christ. I want Him, I need Him. I will not go anywhere without Him! (john6c)

Luke 11-13

Not a person who likes to beg, I find the admonition of the Lord to ask, seek, and knock to be difficult truth for me to understand. I also realize that God knows what is best and it would seem unprofitable to continue asking for something that He knows may not be in my best interest. I could also confess that often my faith would rather submit to His will in resignation, rather than keep asking for Him to do the impossible. This is the part of prayer that I find challenging. Help me Lord to better understand how to pray. (Luke11a)

A distress signal has been sounded out by Jesus, “Woe!” A proclamation of sorrowful warning if not heeded, the future does not look good. The observance of rules and rituals is not the essence of true religion. They are not to be totally discarded, but on the other hand, they are not to be the focus of serving God. Many have high expectation of others, but are not willing themselves to follow the same expectations. Jesus calls these people hypocrites. (Luke11b)

(Luke 12)

How difficult is it to get to heaven? It is so easy that many will struggle to make it. Sounds like a oxy moron. The simple truth is Christ has made it possible through His death and resurrection that not even a fool could error if he desires God. But many will rely on their good works and humanitarian efforts to insist on eternal life. Some will even claim that they were doing such act in the name of religion. It is not is the acts of goodness that given us access, but our obedience to God’s will that allows us to come boldly to His throne. We claim the blood of Christ as our only plea. Christ desires to gather us all under His wing, but many have resisted His love and protection.(Luke13a)

The excuses that are given today will fall short in the day judgement. Many will say that I was busy prepare for my life and the future, and didn’t have time for God. Other live to work and there whole life is focus on their job or career, leaving no time for God, and others find that family is more important and put their spouse or their kids before God. All of these reasons have a good cause and we are to be mindful that we do our best to provide for the future, do good work at the job and care for our family, but living for the  kingdom requires that one give it all to God and come to the table of God and feast at the feet of Jesus first. (Luke 13b)

Luke 9-10

The message of the Kingdom of God is given to those who follow Christ. The power to rebuke evil and cast it out was authorized by Christ to demonstrate His desire that sin and unrighteousness had no part in life of those who claim the Kingdom of God. It was time to move forward and proclaim that Jesus Christ was here, the message of love, mercy, grace, and healing was to be proclaimed. Those who refuse to accept this message were left to their own demise. 

Confessing Christ is not merely an acknowledgment that He is God. A confession of Christ requires one not only to forsake the life of sin they once lived, but to go against the nature of man and deny oneself of their rights in order to see the Kingdom of God come to pass. Leaving self behind is not a decision of determination, it is an experience that is accomplished by the Holy Spirit that empowers the believer to count the cost, pick up their cross and to follow the steps of Jesus. (Luke9a)

Following Christ is more than living by his teachings of morality and goodness. The implication of following Jesus will require one to give their life in full surrender to the whole will of God. To be willing to go wherever He leads, to do whatever He says. In other words, Jesus becomes the priority in a person’s life. Everything is done with Christ at the center. All decision in life are made with the focus, “What would Jesus have me to do” Following Christ also implies that one has already confessed Christ and is now ready to serve Him. (Luke9b)

Seeing God move in miraculous way is awesome, but the greater miracle known to man is knowing that your name is written in the Book of Life. Brought from death to life is the greatest miracle of all time. “I was blind, but now I see” “I was dead in trespasses and sin, but new life through Christ has brought my dead soul into a new beginning. The healing power of God is something to behold, but it is all in vain if your life is still dead in sin. Jesus, said, ”Rejoice that your name is written in heaven“. That is shouting ground. (Luke10a)

Equality is best demonstrated when all men are equally treated with kindness and mercy. God is no respecter of person, and will show mercy to every man who is in need of help. Our neighbor is all of humanity. It is the responsibility of all Christians to show kindness, and be willing to give of our resources to help those that are suffering regardless of their race, greed, or station in life. May I have a heart like the good Samaritan and show mercy. (Luke10b)

Luke 6-8

The test of Christianity is found in the actions and reactions of the believer. Words spoken carry weight, but it is acts of kindness and compassion that show the true nature of a person. Showing love and mercy to those who desire to hurt you is to show the love of Christ. His love is what carries us through to love others in spite of the circumstances or situations that we face. It is only through the grace of God that a Christian is able to obtain the love of God that it may be manifested to others. (Luke 6)

in the prison cells of Herod, John the Baptist sat pondering and wondering the purpose of his life. The greatest prophet of all time began to feel that his work was for nought. Discouraged with the turn of events, locked up in a cell and waiting execution, he seeks to find the answers to his nagging doubts. “Jesus, is it really you? Are you the one? Can you give me some assurance I can hold on to? It is just like Jesus to bring hope to the heart of John. ”You did your job John, you prepared the way, the people are receiving the message and their hearts are open to the gospel.“ (Luke7a)

The measure of gratitude is often seen and demonstrated when the debt of forgiveness is great. It is not until one sees the gravity of one’s own heart condition that one is able to express the depth of gratitude of being forgiven of their sins. We all must see ourselves like the woman who fell at the feet of Jesus in humility and unworthiness. When we come face to face with our sins and realized that we are headed to eternity without God, it is then that God can reach down in loving mercy and grace and give us new life and hope. It is this kind of forgiveness that will cause us to give everything to Him, bow at His feet and begin to wash His feet. (Luke7b)

My faith often goes into hiding. The practically of life and the reality that we live in a world that is fallen makes it a challenge to believe that anything can be done. The storms of life and unanswered questions cause faith to go into hiding. How does one muster faith when one is drowning in the sea of discouragement. Grasping the ore of the boat, endeavoring to steer the boat through the bolstering waves of life. Where is God? Where is my faith? Calm the storm Lord, Let me see the work of God manifested. My faith is weak, help my unbelief. (Luke8) 

To only hear the words of the Savior speak to me, would be the solace of mind to calm the fears that I face. To be able to just touch the hem of His garment and sense the virtue of His power flow into my life, would be bliss. He says. “Only believe” The people throng around me, and it is difficult to find my way through. I know He is able, I have seen Him work miracles, but I need to find a way to push through the cares of life and touch Him that my spirits may be renewed. (mark8b)