Category: Gospels
Faithful in the ‘Little’!
Scripture reading for March 25th: Luke 16
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 16:10-12 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”
Worldly wealth is given to each person as a trust by the Lord. Some receive little and others receive much. From this teaching of Jesus, He taught that all worldly wealth was ‘little’ in the heavenly view of life and the kingdom. Our faithfulness to use worldly wealth to bless others and give to God’s work is a test that prepares us for ‘true riches’ in the eternal kingdom that is here and soon to manifest. If we are dishonest in our use of money, God will not trust us with the eternal. Our faith is demonstrated in all our dealings with money. If we love money, we can’t really love God! (Luke 16:13) We are stewards of His property not owners!
Observations for over-comers: God calls His people to give the tithe and offerings as acts of worship and obedient faith. Giving is a spiritual discipline that helps keep God first and breaks the love of money. “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9)
The Careful Search!
Scripture reading for March 24th: Luke 15
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 15:8-10 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Jesus enjoyed being with lost people–in fact all humans are lost! (Romans 3:23) The Pharisees were grumbling about the fact that Jesus was eating with ‘sinners.’ Jesus told three parables to help them and the others understand the heart of God concerning the lost. The first concerned a lost sheep and a shepherd that left the herd and searched for the lost. The second is quoted here: the woman who lost a coin from her savings and searched until she found it. The third story was of a lost son who chose to leave home with his inheritance. In this story, the father waited and watched until the lost son made his way back to ask for grace and forgiveness. In each case, there was great joy when that which was ‘lost’ was ‘found!’
Observations for over-comers: Jesus calls His disciples to learn from these parables the importance of each one that is lost. Careful searching and diligence to watch and wait in prayer and hope must mark the disciples of Jesus! “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
Jesus demands first place!
Scripture reading for March 23rd: Luke 14
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 14:25-27 “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them He said: “I anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.””
This teaching of Jesus appears to go against His command for all disciples to ‘love one another’. (John 15:17) But Jesus was really saying that our love for Him must surpass our love for our father or mother and even our wife and children. We must love Him more than our own life–enough to be willing to take up a cross and march with Him to death in obedience to the Father! Discipleship is not a casual pursuit! Jesus calls us into the most demanding of all relationships! It takes our whole-hearted devotion and love to be a disciple!
Observations for over-comers: It is easy to be part of a crowd traveling with Jesus but it costs total devotion to become one of His disciples! It is worth the cost! “I am the Lord; that is My Name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8)
The narrow door!
Scripture reading for March 22nd: Luke 13
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 13:23-25 “Someone asked Him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.”
There was concern among those who heard Jesus teach about the need for repentance that only a few people would actually be saved. They asked Jesus this very question. His answer was to encourage them to ‘make every effort to enter through the narrow door.’ We know that Jesus Christ alone is the gate or door to enter the kingdom of God. (John 10:1,7) (John 14:6) Repentance is the necessary heart condition to enter this narrow door. Jesus had just plainly told the people, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:5) The key to the ‘door’ is repentance and this requires taking responsibility for our sin and turning to Jesus for forgiveness and grace. Through personal faith in Jesus Christ, we enter the ‘narrow’ Door!
Observations for over-comers: Jesus warned that many would try to enter their own way and be left outside knocking and pleading for admittance. They would be denied access because of no ‘key’! “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)
Be dressed and ready!
Scripture reading for March 19th: Luke 12
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 12:35-37,40 “Be dressed and ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. . .” “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”
Jesus knew all men and understood their tendency to become lazy and let down their guard. In many of His last teachings, Jesus emphasized the need for watchfulness and readiness when He returned for His followers. Unbelief in Christ’s return would produce this lax and lazy behavior in those who once were zealous. This would cause great loss because those found not ready would be left out completely!
No one knows the day or the hour of Christ’s return. (Matthew 24:36) He is coming back for those who are eagerly awaiting His appearing and doing the work He commanded them to do. There will be great reward for the faithful!
Observations for over-comers: Guard your soul against falling away and unbelief in Christ’s return by keeping an active faith and obeying Christ daily. The reward is out of this world! “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In My faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.” (Isaiah 61:8)
Be careful that your eyes are good!
Scripture reading for March 17th: Luke 11
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 11:34-36 “Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
In the natural world there are wave-lengths of light that do not illuminate. Some of these are known as “black light.” This light does very little to illuminate what our eyes could see. Jesus warned of ‘light’ that could be inside of us that was actually ‘darkness’. He wasn’t talking about light, but about ideas and understanding that was not based in truth. Man is actually born in darkness and must be reborn through the ‘light’ of the gospel. (1st Corinthians 4:4)
We must carefully guard what we allow into our bodies and souls through our natural eyes. The eye is the lamp of the body and our spiritual eyes are the lamp of our souls. When we allow our inner man to be filled with sin and lust, our bodies and souls fill with darkness. We can be deceived and enslaved by the darkness which leads to eternal darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Observations for over-comers: We must keep our eyes on the Lord and His word, the only source of true light! “Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell.” (Psalm 43:3)
Choosing what’s best!
Scripture reading for March 16th: Luke 10
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 10:39-42 “”. . He (Jesus) came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Life in our culture is busy! There are many distractions that cause distress and worry. In the church, we go from one event to another and the pastor is always preparing for something urgent and for the upcoming ‘urgents’ that will soon be upon him. In the home and family, families are busy and meals come three times a day and cleaning is never done permanently! In business, deadlines and pressure push management and workers with lots of distractions. Jesus is aware of the ‘urgent’ we all face daily!
This short story and Jesus’ response to Martha should speak to all of us about our choices. We may still have to do those ‘urgent’ things, but the better choice is to sit for a time at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him. Listening to His wisdom puts the ‘urgent’ in its proper order and enables us to rest in His provision.
Observation for over-comers: To avoid being over-come by distractions and distress in a busy world, take time each day to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen! “Listen to my instruction and be wise: do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.” (Proverbs 8:33-34)
The desire for greatness!
Scripture reading for March 15th: Luke 9
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 9:46-48 “An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside Him. Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For he who is least among you all–he is the greatest.””
The image of God in us gives us a desire for being known and achieving greatness. We know that we have potential and are called to rule. This desire can be something that leads us to competition and jealousy. When worked out through the world’s ways it can be very destructive. But when led by the Spirit, godly people can achieve true greatness through humble service!
Jesus showed His disciples that the way to true greatness was found in kind treatment of children. The child that Jesus used represented the weak, vulnerable, and impressionable of society. His disciples were to welcome them and treat them with kindness and compassion. As they humbly served the least, they would achieve true ‘greatness’ in the eyes of God.
Observations for over-comers: Beware of jealousy and competing for power or position, even in the church culture. Humbly serve the least and God will exalt you! “Should you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people,” declares the Lord, “but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.” (Jeremiah 45:5)
Imitate your Father (In Heaven)!
Scripture reading for March 11th: Luke 6
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Luke 6:35-36 “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
The prevailing teaching was one of ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!’ God’s people were to show restraint in paying back others who wronged them. But Jesus came along and changed the rules. He asked His people to show love to their enemies by doing good for them. If they were hungry, disciples should feed them. If they were thirsty, drinks should be provided. If they hit you on one cheek, the other was to be turned. The new rule was: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
God, Himself, is kind and loving to the wicked and ungrateful! He provides rain from heaven, the earth and all its bounty for food, and meets the needs of even the atheist and satanist! He gives them grace–the opposite of what they deserve in hopes of drawing them to repentance. He promises to reward those who follow His example!
Observations for over-comers: All revenge belongs to God. It is His goodness that leads people to repent. God is kind and good to all to win some and we must imitate our Father! “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against on of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18)
‘The old is better’–NOT!
Scripture reading for March 10th: Luke 5
Key scriptures for over-comers: Luke 5:37-39 “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.'”
The ‘old wine’ of the Law and Mosaic Covenant was all the Israelites knew up to the time of Jesus Christ. They had this ‘wine’ in their old ‘wineskins’. But Jesus Christ came as mediator of a “New Covenant” of grace through faith. This new covenant was not something that could just be added casually to the old teaching and temple rituals without causing trouble and great loss! Jesus used a parable telling about the ‘old’ wineskins and ‘old’ wine and the need for ‘new’ wineskins for ‘new’ wine!
The Israelites would react to the ‘new’ with “The old is better!” Jesus simply stated this to actually teach the opposite! If we have ears to hear what Jesus is saying we learn that the new is better when we need to allow God to give us “new wineskins” to go along with it! When we cling to the ‘old’ religious ways of legalism, we will fail!
Observations for over-comers: Holding on to the ‘old wine’ and ‘old wineskins’ of our past and even our religious past will hinder us from allowing the ‘new wine’ of the Holy Spirit to give us a completely new life and power to over-come! “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heat of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)