Luke 19:11-27

v. 11-27 Jesus was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once so he told this parable.  "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king.  So he called his servants and gave them ten minas, 'Put this money to work until I come back.'"  The servants hated him and said they did not want him to be king.  He was made king and when he returned home he sent for his servants to see what interest the money had earned.  The first servant said that he earned ten more mina.  He was praised by the king for being trustworthy in a very small matter and given ten cities.  The second servant said that he earned five more mina, the king gave him five cities.  The third servant came to him and said that he had made no interest on the money because he kept it hidden.  He said he was afraid of the king and that he was a hard man.  The king said "I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant!  You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?  Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?"  Then he told those standing near by to take his mina away and give it to the servant who had ten minas.  "I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away."

The people were looking for a king who would take back their country from Rome, not an eternal King that they could not even imagine.  Jesus was showing that His kingdom would not come like they thought, nor would it come right away.  He had to go away for some time and His followers were to be faithful and productive in His absence.  We have a choice on earth to share what we know with others, yet as we can see the servants did not make the same amount of interest on their money.  Some give 100% to the cause and others might only give 40% or 60%.  This last servant gave nothing so that he would lose nothing in return or so he thought.   Do not be afraid to share what God has done in your life, our reward will be based on our devotion to the task.  We are given gifts to use while here and we will be asked in the end what we did with them.  There are recurring themes all throughout the bible.  I'm losing count of how many time Jesus has said that those who have will be given more and those that have nothing, even that will be taken away from them.  I think we are hard headed by nature and maybe that is why He is repeating Himself so much!

Why was the king so hard on this man:

• he didn't share his master's interest in the kingdom
• he didn't trust his master's intentions
• his only concern was for himself
• he did nothing to use the money

                                                                                                                                                  NIV notes

Luke 19:1-10

v. 1-10 Jesus was passing through Jericho.  There was a man by the name of Zacchaeus who was the chief tax collector and was very rich.  He wanted to see Jesus and was short so he couldn't see and he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree.  Jesus looked up at him and said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today."  When the people saw that they muttered "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner."  Zacchaeus said to Jesus "Look, Lord!  Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."  Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Despite the obstacles, Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus.  Jesus recognized a man who was driven and picked his house to visit that day.  It was customary for the host to invite the guest, yet here it was the other way around.  Did Jesus hear his heart calling what his mouth could not say?  God is looking for those that go above and beyond what the rest are doing.  He wants eager people who will find a way to get to Him, not people who are complacent and are going through the motions.  People tend to judge others so easily, yet they do not hold the same standards for themselves.  The man did not care what the other people said about him or he probably would have never showed up that day to see Jesus.  He was radically changed and didn't care who knew it.  He told Jesus that he would give half of his possessions to the poor, which is way more than required by the law.  He was giving with his heart not out of obligation.  He also said that if he wronged anyone he would repay them four times the amount.  Here is a man who right away pulled a 180 in his life and was changed for the better. 

"Zacchaeus demonstrated inward change by outward action."
                                                                                                                                                  NIV notes

Jesus called this man a son of Abraham and that he was lost, which probably made the people furious.  They would not want to think the tax collector was one of them, a son of Abraham.  They also probably were offended that Jesus would call a son of Abraham lost.  Your not saved by good heritage or condemned by a bad one.  Many who don't know Jesus are offended when told that they are lost because they do not see it that way.  I think a lot of people are trying to share how they felt before Jesus came into their lives.  Saying they were lost and now found is a good description.  You will not think that you are lost before you are ready to be found.

Tax collectors were Jews who decided to work for Rome and they were hated by other Jews.  They were considered traitors since they were known for getting rich off of gouging their fellow Jews.  In every country there are certain groups who are considered "untouchable" or "especially wicked" because of their immoral behavior, political views or their lifestyle.  Jesus loves those people that the world thinks are undeserving. 


 

Luke 18:15-43

v. 15-17 "People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have Him touch them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called the children to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.'"  It was customary for a mother to bring their child to a rabbi for a blessing so these people were not doing anything out of the ordinary.  The disciples rebuked them for taking up Jesus' time.  Rebuke means: to express sharp, stern disapproval of; reprove or reprimand.  Have you ever meet a Christian who tends to rebuke your actions, yet ignoring their own?  There are those who think they have authority and yet have none at all.  Jesus told the disciples to not hinder the children, do not let obstacles get in your way of getting to know God.  Jesus never turned away children.  Those with childlike faith to believe in something they can't see will be welcomed.  Do you remember when you were a child and you believed in things you couldn't see?  A child's imagination is limitless.  If you are young, do not let adults limit your heart and your mind.  That goes for us adults too, don't take away a child's ability to really see.  Those who need proof before they believe will often see too late that they missed something special.  

v. 18-30 A rich young man came to Jesus and asked what he should do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus replied "You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother."  The man relied that he had kept all the commandments since he was young.  When Jesus heard this He said, "You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow me."  The man was very sad when he heard what Jesus had said because he had great wealth.  Jesus said to him "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  Some people asked who could be saved.  The disciples said that they had left everything to follow Jesus.  "I tell you the truth," Jesus said "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

The man had done everything he thought of, but wanted to know if there was anything else that he could do.  Jesus knew his heart and asked him to do something that would be extremely hard.  It seems this man chose to not sell everything to follow Jesus.  What a missed opportunity!  Good works without a Kingdom view are dead works.  There is nothing that we can do on our own to earn eternity.  Salvation can't be earned, it is a gift from God.  You may be asked to give up what makes you secure and what you attach you identity to.  It is worth it!  This man would have been more secure with Jesus than with all his wealth.  Jesus does not ask all believers to sell everything, although we might be asked to give up things that are dear to us.  We are to get rid of anything that puts up a barrier to God.  Jesus said that those who follow Him will receive many times as much in this age and the age to come.  Many faithful die destitute so this isn't meaning wealth necessarily.  What God gives us could never compare to the world's wealth.   

The verse about the camel going through the eye of a needle is easier than a rich man getting into Heaven always seemed to confuse me.  It makes it seem like it is impossible for a rich person to get into Heaven.  As usual Jesus' teaching had multiple meanings.  The eye of the needle is said to describe a gate in Jerusalem, which opened after the main gate was closed at night. A camel could only pass through this smaller gate if it was stooped and had its baggage removed. 

A perfect example of how we are supposed to come to God. 

• we are at the door, we must only knock and it will be opened
• our baggage from our past needs to be removed first in order to fit through the gate
• only by getting on our knees can we pass through
• by humbling ourselves in the darkness, we can enter

Do not dwell on what you are giving up, when you look back you see that it was never worth it in the first place.  The disciples all paid a high price to follow Jesus. 

v. 31-34 Jesus told the disciples that what the prophets wrote about Him would be fulfilled in Jerusalem.  "He will be handed over to the Gentiles.  They will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him.  On the third day He will rise again."  The meaning of this was hidden from the disciples.  Even though Jesus spoke this to them several times, they would not grasp the significance until they saw Him after he was resurrected.  When the movie "The Passion" came out, many were offended that the Jewish crowd chanted for Jesus to die.  I believe they changed that one line after that dispute.  Here Jesus says that He will be given over to the Gentiles (non-Jews).  Yes, many of the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead.  It was the final decision of the Roman governor Pilate. 

v. 35-43 A blind man was sitting on the side of the road begging.  When he found out Jesus was there he called out "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Those with Jesus rebuked him and told him to be quiet, he shouted all the same.  Jesus healed this man after he persisted and did not give up.  Beggars often would sit by the side of the road near cities because that is where they would have the most access to people.  This man was unable to make a living so he had to beg.  This man had hope and no matter what people said he was not going to give up until he got to Jesus.  The man knew Jesus was the Messiah because he called out to the Son of David.  What a poor and blind man could see was something that the sighted religious leaders refused to recognize.  Are you noticing a pattern with the disciples?  As with many today, those that can not see want to deny what others can.

Luke 18:1-14

v. 1-8 "Jesus told the disciples a parable to show that they should always pray and not give up."  The story was about a judge who did not fear God or care about men.  There was a woman in town who would continually go to the judge to ask for justice against her adversary.  The judge finally decided to help her since she was persistent and would not give up.  Jesus said "Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?  Will He keep putting them off?  I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly.  However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" 

"If we persist in prayer then we grow in character, faith, and hope."
                                                                                                                                                  NIV notes

We are to pray at all times and keep our petitions before God.  We are also to believe that He will answer those prayers.  Widows and orphans were some of the most vulnerable people in the bible, both Old and New Testament prophets said that we should take care of them.  If an unjust judge can respond to constant pressure then how much more will God respond since His love is so great for us.  This is sometimes hard to hear since there are many that are not delivered out of their situation right away or for many years.  I do not have an answer to that.  What I know is those that believe in God will be taken care of and have an eternal home one day.  Our heartache here will turn into great love in Heaven.  When Jesus says "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"  I think how sad because there are so many who have this information in the bible and choose to have faith in other things.  That is why I believe it is so important to have faith despite the persistent lack around the world.

v. 9- 14 There were those who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on others.  Jesus told this parable about them.  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself; 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'" Now it was the tax collectors turn.  "But the tax collector stood at a distance.  He would not even look up to Heaven, but beat his chest and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'"  "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The people would go to pray at the temple so there were probably others around when they prayed.  I think the majority of the Pharisees went to the temple to announce how holy they were instead of praying to God.  The tax collectors were considered "sinners" back then so the Pharisees had a low opinion of them.  Works of the flesh are dead works and have no meaning in God's economy. 

The difference between these two men:

Pharisee

• he was proud and prayed about how good he was
• probably prayed loudly for all to hear
• said God's name for self recognition only
• pointed out how good he was compared to "sinners"
• proclaimed his good works of fasting and tithing

Tax collector

• he stood at a distance and would not even look up to heaven
• he was humble before God
• he beat his chest in agony
• he recognized his sin
• he asked God to have mercy on him
• he did not point out other sinners

"Self righteousness is dangerous.  It leads to pride, causes a person to despise others, and prevents him or her from learning anything from God.  The tax collector's prayer should be our prayer because we all need God's mercy everyday.  Don't let pride in your achievements cut you off from God."
                                                                                                                                                  NIV notes

Quote - normal people

"The only normal people you know are the ones you don't know very well."

                                                                                                                                                   Unknown

 

This quote is so true.  We think that we know people so well then when they do something that is "out of character" we are shocked.  I think that we don't really know most people at all.  Some are very good at hiding what is inside for fear what others would think.  We see what is on the outside, but God sees what is in our hearts.

Luke 17:20-37

v. 20-37 The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."  Then He told the disciples "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.  Men will tell you, 'There He is!' or 'Here He is!'  Do not go running off after them.  For the Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.  Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.  People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark.  Then the flood came and destroyed them all.  It was the same in the days of Lot.  People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building.  But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.  It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.  On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them.  Remember Lot's wife!  Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.  I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."  The disciples asked where.  Jesus said "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."

The Pharisees wanted to know when God's kingdom would come, they did not know that it was already here.  God's kingdom boundaries are not like our land boundaries.  His kingdom is visible when you can see people's hearts pouring out to help others.  The Kingdom had come which meant that with Jesus' death and resurrection we would have the Holy Spirit with us at all times.  Over the years many wait to see signs and sometimes they will never see them in their lifetime.  Many have claimed to be the Messiah and people blindly follow.  I tell you the devil is having a field day here misleading people.  When the anti-Christ comes the people will be deceived in large numbers.  Do not be fooled by anyone telling you that Jesus has come back.  Jesus gave warning that such things would happen in the future.  When Jesus returns all will know that something has changed, we will not have to tell anyone since it will be so amazing that there will be no doubt.  It is beautiful to watch lighting, yet when Jesus returns I believe it will be unlike any lightning show we have ever seen before.  Everyone around the world will see and that probably means that it will be a global show of His glory. 

Life will be going on just the same as any other day.  That is what happened during Noah & Lot's time.  No one knows when Jesus will return, we are to be ready at all times.  Jesus had to go through great agony for each of us and be rejected by His generation.  How many in each generation have rejected Him?  He will come swiftly and we are to prepared.  I am not going to get into Revelation stuff now, there are many different ideas for the end times.  There will be many in the same household that will be divided in their beliefs and this shows what will happen.  I will dive into Revelations later down the road.  I believe it is one of the most amazing books in the bible because it hasn't happened yet and the mental images are astounding for a visual person like me.  Although it can scare the heck out of you if you jump into it right after you start reading the bible.  If one vulture circles overhead it doesn't mean much, but if many gather there must be a carcass nearby.  Likewise, one sign of the end might not be that significant.  When many signs occur then the second coming is near.

Luke 17:1-19

v. 1-2 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.  It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin."  Jesus gave warning to those that hurt children.  I don't think there is much worse than someone hurting a child.  With all the stories in the news of people hurting children I usually think of this verse.  We are to protect them from danger, be on guard to what they watch on TV, what they are doing online and their choice of friends.  With the Internet children are being hurt on a larger scale.  God knows that if the enemy can damage us as children there is a good change that it will be harder to get past that to really get to know Him.  The wounds in childhood are deep and lasting.  Although healing is possible and you will no longer be defined by what someone has done to you, if you let Him in.

I also think this applies to those that hurt Christians.  We are God's little ones and He does not like when others hurt us.  Beware if you are in a position of authority and misuse your power, you will be held accountable for it one day. 

v. 3-4 "So watch yourselves.  If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him."  That is why we need to forgive and not hold onto anger.  We have a Father who is more than capable of taking care of the problem areas in our life.  To rebuke someone is supposed to bring attention to the sin so that they can be restored to God, not to just point out what they did wrong.  Before you rebuke someone else make sure you are coming from a place of love and not condemnation.

v. 5-50 The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"  Jesus replied "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."  Jesus continues to speak about a master and how he treats his servant.  He would not ask the servant to sit and eat with him because that is not the servants place.  "Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?  So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"  Like a mustard seed faith starts small and if you allow it to grow it will slowly take root.  Once established, faith will not be uprooted and will be able to destroy competing loyalties.  Although you have to be on guard for forces that want to eat away at the roots to cause the tree to become weak and die.

"If we have obeyed God we have only done our duty and we should regard it as a privilege.  Obedience is not something extra we do; it is our duty.  He is attacking unwarranted self-esteem and spiritual pride."                                                                                                                         NIV notes

v. 11-19 Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem and in a village there were ten men with leprosy.  They called out to Him and said "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  Jesus said "Go, show yourselves to the priests."  They were healed.  "One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him-and he was a Samaritan.  Jesus asked 'Were not all ten cleansed?  Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?  Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'"  Because leprosy was contagious, people were required to stay away from others and had to announce their presence to come close.  Is your faith so strong that you can act on what God says even before you see evidence that it will work?  Only one returned to give thanks to God.  I think that only 10% of the men came back to give thanks is indicative of the percentage of people that receive a gift or healing and don't give thanks to God for what they received.   It is possible to receive God's gifts and healing with an ungrateful spirit.  I think God is glad when we come to Him to give thanks because so many quit when they get what they wanted.  Luke was Greek and was writing for a Greek audience so saying that the only man to come to give thanks was a Samaritan might have been very significant
to non Jews.

Photo - Majestic Clouds

This is a beautiful picture that I love to look at whenever I get a chance.  It's as if the clouds are a rolling river through the mountains.  I am not sure of the location of this picture, but I would be enthralled having that as a scene out the window every day.  God's glory shines down among us in beautiful splendor.

NASA has wonderful pictures on their site from all over our universe, here is the website http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/iotd.html.

Luke 16:19-31

v. 19-31 Jesus tells the story about the rich man and the beggar "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.  The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.  The rich man also died and was buried.  In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'  But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.  And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'  He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers.  Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham replied 'They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them.'  He said 'No, father Abraham, if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'  Abraham said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

"The Pharisees considered wealth to be a proof of a person's righteousness.  The rich man did not go to hell because he was wealthy but because he was selfish, refusing to feed Lazarus, take him in, or care for him.  The amount of money we have is not as important as the way we use it."        NIV notes

This rich man was thinking only of himself when he refused to help out the beggar.  Then when the men died they seemed to switch places compared to how they lived on earth.  There are those who never knew who God was before they died and I believe that they will have the opportunity to change.  Although that is no excuse to mistreat people while they are living.  It is so important to get right with God now instead of waiting for another day.  This Lazarus was not the same one that Jesus brought back from the dead.  I think that the fact that the rich man knew Lazarus' name was very interesting.  Even a stranger deserves better, yet how much worse is it when we know there name and do nothing.  How many will help out someone they don't know but will not lift a finger to help out family or friends?

There is no ability to change sides after all is said and done.  There is a chasm between the two places and no one can get to the other side even if they were desperate and full of regret.  A chasm is: a yawning fissure or deep cleft in the earth's surface, a gorge, a marked interruption of continuity, a gap.  This rich man wanted Lazarus to be sent to his brothers to warn them against the path they were on.  Abraham told him no, if they did not listen to the prophets that spoke on taking care of the poor then they would not listen to someone coming back from the dead. A bit of irony since Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to die and when he was raised from the dead the religious leaders still would not accept Him. 

We have churches on almost every corner in America and there are still many who choose to not hear and will be like the rich man begging for relief if they do not change their ways.  That says volumes that even if someone came back from the dead the man's brothers would still not believe.  There are many that have near death experiences and are forever changed because of it.  We go about our business and just say that the brain shows them what they have seen.  Yet, until something of the spirit realm happens to you it will be easy to deny that it would ever happen to others.  The ones who come back do so for a reason to give us hope and warning.

Luke 16:1-18

v. 1-15 Jesus tells of a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.  So the manager went to the master's debtors and asked how much they owned his master.  For each debtor he reduced the debt.  The master had commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly.  "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.  I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.  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?  No servant can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.  The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.  He said to them 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.  What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.'"

The manager was said to be shrewd, the definition is: keen, artful, bad, and malicious.  "Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."  The Message

Our money is a good test of whether or not we put God first in our lives.  God gave us what we have and we are supposed to make wise choices with it.  We are to use our money to gain friends instead of greed.  Which I believe means to be kind and help people not to show off how much money we make.  When we gain friends we are truly rich and will be welcomed into the Kingdom.  Those who are dishonest with little will be dishonest with a great amount.  How are you with your money?  Are you generous or selfish?  Would you help out someone in need or go buy yourself something you have been wanting lately?  Some look to money as if it were a god, they crave power and control.  You have to choose which one you will allow to lead you in life, God or money.  It is interesting that in the NIV version Money is capitalized.  It is not equal to God, but I think it shows the great influence that it has over people.  The Pharisees were sneering (which means: scorn, contempt, derision, ridicule) at Jesus for how he was talking about money, yet God found their love of money detestable since their heart's were hard to the needy.  Wealth is not a sign of God's approval.  Do not let your worth be determined by your bank account.

v. 17 "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law."  Jesus came to fulfill the law not cancel out the Old Testament.  I believe every part of the bible.  You can not pick and choose what you will believe or follow because it is all true.  It is our guide and warning for our lives so that we can prosper and learn. 

v. 18 "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."  The Pharisees permitted a man to leave his wife for almost any reason and since the women were not able to go out and support themselves they would have to move back in with their families.  I'm not going into detail about this subject now, I will wait for another day since this is such a short subject here.  I believe Jesus was challenging the Pharisees to what was behind their thinking of the Law.

Fill in the Blank

Have you ever thought - I am only good for ________________(fill in the blank).  Whether it's just to do damage, be a loser, be a cheater, be worthless, being beat up, etc.  I have heard many people say this.  We get stuck as if there is a repeating CD in our head that has been playing for decades.  You see what ever you fill in the blank with it is just that to God, a blank.  He is not afraid of the blanks because He can work with any belief, misconception or damage that we have self inflicted or that someone else has caused.   If you are under any label other than free, I pray you will seek out the ONLY ONE who can help you.  I had a few blanks that I believe for years, yet one day I found someone who said no to the blanks and showed me love despite my beliefs.  You might say, but you don't know what I have done or been through.  I have heard some of the most amazing testimonies in the last few years.  Whether you believed you were Jesus walking in gang infested streets, your child was taken from you or you were abused or the one abusing others.  You see these people had some things in common.  They were in positions that most of us would never think we would end up in, the devil using every weapon in his arsenal to attack them, they found love from someone that is unseen, they were forever changed and are living out their faith every day.  I think these people are brave, they get up every morning to face to day and can still find joy in life.  My story pales in comparison to theirs so I have great respect for them.  I look up to those who have come out of the storms of life with peace. 

You see, you can't out sin God's ability to heal you.

Do not let someone else pen your story. 

Luke 15:11-32

v. 11-32 Jesus said "There was a man who had two sons.  The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.'  So he divided his property between them.  Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living."  After he spent everything there was a severe famine and he hired himself out to a pig farmer.  He was so desperate that he wanted to eat the food that was given to the pigs.  He longed to return home so he set out to see his father.  "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  The son said 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'"  The father had his servants get the best robe to put on his son, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  They had a feast for the returned son.  "The older son was in the field.  When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  'Your brother has come, and your father had killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'  The older brother became angry and refused to go in.  So his father went out and pleaded with him.  'Look all these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.  Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours who has squandered your property comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!  My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

The parables Jesus told had several meanings and this is no exception.  This story talks about the lost son who left then can home which is all of us who decide to come to the Father and the older son was the Pharisees who couldn't believe that God would celebrate sinners into His kingdom.  This son was selfish and rebellious.  He must have broke his father's heart, but the father still gave him his inheritance.  This young son left and squandered the money that his father gave him.  The son wanted to be free and lived as he pleased, but there is always a price that in most cases we would never really be willing to pay in the end.  Like many when they hit rock bottom the only direction left is to look up. 

Then he was faced with a decision to go back home humiliated or try and find work.  He went to work feeding pigs.  The Jewish people thought pigs were unclean so having to work with them must have been the lowest job anywhere.  He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the pigs food which put him in the depths of despair.  He was willing to humble himself before his father, yet his father ran to him and showed that he was thankful for him coming home.  The idea that God would run to me after I was away for so long is one of the reasons that I am in awe of Him.  He will not force us to Him, but He is always near waiting for the day that we will return and is full of joy when it happens. 

"In the two preceding stories, the seeker actively looked for the coin and the sheep, which could not return by themselves.  In this story the father watched and waited.  He was dealing with a human being with a will of his own, but was ready to greet his son when he returned.  God's love is constant and patient.  He will search for us and give us opportunities to respond, but He will not force us to come to Him.  The sheep was lost because it foolishly wandered away; the coin was lost through no fault of its own; and the son left out of selfishness.  God's great love reaches out and finds sinners no matter why or how they got lost."                                                                                             NIV notes

A lessor talked about part of the story is the older brother.  I believe this is very important also.  The older brother represents the Pharisees, anyone who is proud, sometimes actual family members, those who can't believe someone else is worthy of being saved because of what they have done.  There are those who do things right, but who are bitter.  When that happens they cut themselves off from love.  This older brother could not be happy that his younger brother returned because all he saw was how unfair he had been treated and his brother should not be celebrated for getting a second chance.  He did not want to forgive his brother.  Do not let anything hold you back from forgiving someone.  If you have thought: How can God forgive those especially wicked sinners?  I would never do that!  Then this story is for you.  When someone turns to the Father we should celebrate them, not look down at them and think they don't deserve it.  The fact is none of us deserve God's favor, yet he gives it anyway just like the father in the story.  He knows we may fall away for a time, but when we come home there is such an amazing celebration that the angels rejoice!

Sometimes what appears to be the worse sinners are actually the best representatives for God.

Easter & quotes

Jesus was killed on Friday and rose from the dead on Sunday.  He endured separation from God for you and I.  If you do not know about Jesus I hope that today you will pick up a bible or check out a site like biblegateway.com and read about His life.  My life has been forever changed because someone I did not know and long before I was born followed His Father's will to die for me.  I am one of those that cry at the drop of a hat so today has been a bit emotional.  Today at church it was brought up that it was not the criminals or low life's that killed Jesus, but the religious leaders that saw Him as a threat.  It had to be done in order for life to be changed. 

God gave us a most wonderful gift.  The question is, will you accept it?

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.  Robert Flatt

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there.    Clarence W. Hall

Easter is not a time for groping through dusty, musty tomes or tombs to disprove spontaneous generation or even to prove life eternal.  It is a day to fan the ashes of dead hope, a day to banish doubts and seek the slopes where the sun is rising, to revel in the faith which transports us out of ourselves and the dead past into the vast and inviting unknown.    Author unknown, as quoted in the Lewiston Tribune

Where man sees but withered leaves, God sees sweet flowers growing.    Albert Laighton
He takes men out of time and makes them feel eternity.    Ralph Waldo Emerson

Angels, roll the rock away;
Death, yield up thy mighty prey:
See, He rises from the tomb,
Glowing with immortal bloom.    Thomas Scott, "Easter Angels"
Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.     Floyd W. Tomkins

Luke 15:1-10

v. 2 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."  Jesus was never afraid of what people thought of Him.  There will be judgmental people throughout out lives yet their opinions are just that - opinions.  They do not reflect reality or truth when coming from a place of hatred or jealously.  The Pharisees went out of their way to avoid "unclean" people.  Jesus knew their hearts were more important than any outward appearances or perceived uncleanliness. 

v. 3-10 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.  Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 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?  She calls her friends to say '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 " 

One of my favorite stories in the bible.  I know I say that a lot, but I have many that are my favorite.  This one is fitting for me since I was the lost sheep who got rescued by the Shepherd.  Some may think that a shepherd leaving the 99 to go get the 1 is foolish, but the Shepherd does not want to lose a single one of His sheep.  The 99 were safe because they were in the fold, the 1 was in danger and needed to be found.  Each sheep is more valuable than they know.  I was a lost sheep and knowing that my Shepherd came and found me to save me is something that still makes me cry.

For those who have been lost like me can you believe that there is more rejoicing when we repent than righteous people?  We are a collective in the Kingdom, but each one of us is so valuable that angels rejoice when we are found!  It's that amazing?  Despite what seemed like a lost cause, we finally are home.  Sometimes when I hear a story about someone who either walked away from God and came back or someone who just found Him for the first time I am so overjoyed that I start crying. 

Palestinian women received ten silver coins as a wedding gift.  Besides their value, they must have been sentimental like a wedding ring today.  What if you lost your favorite piece of jewelry?  You would tear apart your house to find it and would be so happy once it was found. 

In the search:

• No rejoicing - he is anxious for the lost
• No hesitation - despite the time, energy, darkness of night, he still pursues the lost
• No anger - even though the sheep has cost him dearly, he counts it as nothing
• No pause - love makes him forget himself and renews his strength
• No giving up the search - he will not return defeated

At the capture:

• Wanderer found - safe in his arms
• Weight borne - the lamb rides on the shepherds shoulders
• Distance traveled - shepherd traveling painfully the length of road the sheep wandered so wantonly
• Shepherd rejoicing - the sheep is so dear that its weight is a load of love
• Sheep rejoicing - it has been found and now is safe, its perfect restoration secured

In the home bringing:

• Jesus must carry us the distance, we can not make it on our own
• If you are in the fold then you are family
• Jesus loves when others rejoice for their brothers & sisters
• Repentance is being brought home, the angels rejoice for each one of us
• One sinner can make all heaven glad                                     

A little boy, in a Christian family in Amoy (China) wished to make a profession of religion and was told he was too young.  The boy replied 'Jesus had promised to carry the lambs in his bosom.  I am only a little boy; it will be easier for Jesus to carry me.'
                                                                                                                        Spurgeon's Sermon Notes

"General Garibaldi, an Italian officer in the 1800's was on his way home when he met a shepherd sad over the loss of his sheep.  Garibaldi launched a search with his soldiers and they searched through out the night.  The soldiers were ordered back to bed since the sheep was not found.  The next morning Garibaldi's attendant found him sleeping.  He was very surprised since the general was always the first up in the morning.  The attendant came back later and woke the general up.  When the general woke the attendant saw the general pull out a lamb from under the covers and was told to take it back to the shepherd.  The general had kept up the search through the night after everyone else had gone to bed, until he found it."

                                                                                                                         The Preachers' Monthly

Quote - Laura Ingalls Wilder

"As you read my stories of long ago I hope you will remember that the things that are truly worthwhile and that will give you happiness are the same now as they were then. Courage and kindness, loyalty, truth, and helpfulness are always the same and always needed."

Luke 14:15-35

v. 15-24  Someone at the table with Jesus said "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."  Jesus replied "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guest.  At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'  But they all alike began to make excuses."  The excuses were: I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it.  I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out.  I just got married, so I can't come.  When the servant told the news from the invited guests the master was angry and sent the servant out to seek those that were poor, crippled, blind and lame.  There was still room so the master told the servant "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.  I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet."

It was customary in those days to send out two invitations.  The first was to announce the event and the second was to let them know everything was ready.  The guests insulted the host by making excuses for the second invitation.  God first invited the Jewish people through Moses and the prophets.  The people accepted the first invitation that they were to be God's people.  The second was to believe in His son which many had decided to make excuses why they could not accept.  I know that I had accepted the invitation in my teens and the cares of life got in the way so the invitation fell in a deep crevice until one day I found it and opened the long lost envelope and accepted once again.  Many think that they have to clean up their act before God will take them in, that is not the case.  We can never be cleaned up enough without Him in our life.  God takes us just the way we are today.  Then He will start to work with us to make us who He sees us to be.  God's invitation is open to all. 

v. 25-27  Jesus said "If 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."  This line is confusing to me so I looked up other translations.  I use biblegateway.com, when I looked up this verse with God's Word Translation it said "If people come to me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be my disciples."  This version makes more sense to me.  We have to be open to Jesus no matter what the cost.  "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."  The Romans had criminals carry their own cross to their execution site and it also showed a sign of submission to Rome.  Jesus' words were a challenge for those that wanted to go deeper and a warning for those that were not ready to following Jesus. 

v. 28-33 "Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king.  Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?"  The decision to follow Jesus is not one to take lightly.  The cost is too great to not think it out. 

v. 34-35 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?   It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 

"Salt can lose it's flavor if it gets wet and dries.  We are not to blend into the world, if we lose our saltiness then we become worthless.  We are to preserve the good in the world, keep it from spoiling and bring new flavor to this life.  This requires careful planning, willing sacrifice and unswerving commitment to Christ's kingdom."   NIV notes

Just because we have ears doesn't mean we can truly hear. 

Luke 14:1-14

v. 1-6 Jesus was invited to the home of one of the Pharisees, they were watching Him and waiting to trip Him up.  There was a man suffering from dropsy, which was an abnormal accumulation of fluid in bodily tissues and cavities.  Jesus asked "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?"  But they remained silent so Jesus healed the man.  Then He asked "If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?  And they had nothing to say."  These men were confronted with a question that they did not have an answer to.  Many make excessive rules that seem to not be able to fit every circumstance and then they are speechless.  I believe that the Pharisees were so out of touch with the general public and their needs that they were silent on this matter. 

Jesus healed seven times on the Sabbath:

Mark 1:21-28     Jesus sends a demon out of a man
Mark 1:29-31     Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law
John 5:1-18        Jesus heals a lame man by the Pool Bethesda
Mark 3:1-6         Jesus heals a man with a shriveled hand
Luke 13:10-17   Jesus restores a crippled woman
Luke 14:1-6       Jesus heals a man with dropsy
John 9:1-16        Jesus heals a man born blind                                                                        NIV notes

God would not have been pleased if Jesus had ignored those people's needs just because of man made laws.  Our laws have no jurisdiction over God.

People may wonder why Jesus was still around the Pharisees when He had denounced them so many times.  Jesus was not afraid of men or their false thinking of elevated power.  Sometimes we are around people that we do not like and do not have our best interest at heart.  We are not to fear anyone or anything if we have God.  Some might get disheartened that Jesus did not add daughter to the list of things that fell into the well.  Jesus was a champion of women, but during those times and at that place it would not have had the same impact that a son or animal would have had to those Pharisees.  Don't worry ladies, we are highly valued in the Kingdom!

v. 7-14 Jesus teaches about seeking humility.  When He noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, He told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.  If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.'  Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.  But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.'  Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

In our society people are constantly trying to get ahead and be seen.  Whether it is social status, house, car or group of friends, don't let your position be anything but humble.  Jesus is telling us how we should see things differently.  Over and over again Jesus keeps pointing out that the humble will be exalted and those that exalt themselves will be humbled.  He spoke the truth and the most important parts were emphasized.  Should we not pay extra attention to the things He said repeatedly?  Jesus said we should not be exclusive about whom we invite.  I don't think that in today's world you can easily invite people off the street into your home, but I do think that we will not grow much if we don't venture outside our safe circle of friends.  Is there someone new at church or work that you could invite to lunch or to grab a cup of coffee? 

Humility is not putting your self down, that in it self is sin since there is such a focus inward and you are withholding it from God to handle it yourself.    We also need to see the gifts we are given and use them.  I like to look up the definition of words to gain a clearer understand of their depth.  The definition of humble is: not proud or arrogant; modest, having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, low in rank, importance, status, courteously respectful, to make meek: to humble one's heart.

"Humility is not self-degradation; it is realistic assessment and commitment to serve.  Truly humble people compare themselves only with Christ, realize their sinfulness and know their limitations."  NIV notes

Luke 13:10-35

Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues and there was a crippled woman there.  Jesus said to her "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.  Then He put His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God."  The religious leaders were indignant that Jesus would heal someone on the Sabbath.  The Jewish leaders had so many rules for what you could not do on the Sabbath that they were missing an amazing opportunity to see a miracle.  The leaders must have thought that healing was considered work and you were not allowed to do you job on the Sabbath.  The religious leaders told the people to come and get healed on the other six days, not on the Sabbath.  Jesus replied "You hypocrites!  Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?"  The leaders took care of their animals and yet they could not rejoice when this woman was healed from something she had for 18 years.

v. 18-20 Then Jesus said "What is the kingdom of God like?  What shall I compare it to?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden.  It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.  It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."  The people were thinking Jesus would come and fight Rome to free all God's people, but Jesus made it clear that was not the case.  Mustard seeds are tiny.  Jesus was saying that the Kingdom would start out quietly and what would appear to be insignificant at the time.  Also, the yeast that gets kneaded into the dough.  A small amount of yeast gets forced into the dough with time and pressure and that yeast will double the size of the bread.  The Kingdom would eventually start to grow outward and spread all over the world. 

v. 22-30 Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem.  Someone asked "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 to us.'  But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.'  They will say 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'  There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.  People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.  Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."  Jesus was heading towards His death and He still preached.  No matter what we face we are to stay steadfast and follow God.  To enter through the narrow gate takes a desire to know Jesus and we have to follow Him no matter the cost.  We should not put off getting to know Him.  The door will not stay open forever.  One of the saddest things in the entire bible to me is when Jesus says "I never knew you."  Do not profess to others that you are a follower, but are deceptive and evil on the inside.  Many people know things about God, but who will acknowledge their sins and accept forgiveness?  I think that when we get to Heaven it will be a big surprise at who is there and who isn't.  God's kingdom will include people from all around the world.  Israel's rejection of Jesus as the Messiah was not going to stop God from His plan.  I believe that Israel is not just the Jews who believe in Jesus (there are many), but all who follow Him.  I also believe that the Jewish people have a special place in God's heart and I look at them as my brothers and sisters.  I have heard people say that the Jews are irrelevant because of Christianity, beware in that thinking which will lead you down a prideful road.  Can you imagine some of the worst people in history being in heaven or some of the most respected preachers not being there?  Some of the world's forgotten people are great in the eyes of God.  How do your values compare to what the bible says to value? 

v. 31-35 Some of the Pharisees told Jesus to leave since Herod wanted to kill Him.  Jesus told them that He would continue to drive out demons and heal people and the third day He would reach His goal.  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  Look your house is left to you desolate."  The Pharisees were not concerned for Jesus' safety, they were trying to trap Him themselves.  Jerusalem had rejected many prophets and would reject the greatest one of all. 

Luke 13:1-9

Pilate had killed some Galileans and a tower had fallen on others and had killed them.  Pilate might have killed those people because he saw them as a threat against Rome.  The workers that got killed from the tower falling on them, maybe the Pharisees thought that they deserved what they got.  Jesus dismissed the idea that accidents or human cruelties were God's judgment for especially wicked sinners.  If that were the case then all the "bad" people in the world would not stay in power or live long lives.  Your righteousness is not determined by how you die or if you get a miraculous healing.  We all will die at some point.  Jesus did not share why some people live and others die tragically.  So I believe we are not supposed to try to figure it out because we never will.  Jesus decided to take that time to focus on our need to repent.  v. 3,5 "I tell you, no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish."  Jesus was focused on the Kingdom more than anything else because that is the most important thing of all.  Jesus repeated Himself twice.  Anytime He says something more than once I think we should really pay attention. 

v. 6-9 "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.  So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any.  Cut it down!  Why should it use up the soil?'  Sir, the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine!  If not, then cut it down.'"  In the Old Testament fruit trees often represented Godly living.  God is the gardener and He is tending His garden.  Why would He want to keep a tree that is taking up room and soil from another tree that might produce mass amounts of fruit?  God takes tender care of his trees and makes sure they have plenty of light to keep the darkness at bay, He gives the trees living water so they will not wilt, and makes sure that the soil is healthy and is full of what the tree needs.  The enemy tries to pull out the tree by it's roots as if it were a weed because to him we are weeds.  The devil knows that if he can destroy us under the surface at the root then what shows above ground will just be rotten and lifeless.  He will use whatever means necessary to destroy us.

Are we producing good fruit or are we just taking up space?

Luke 12:49-59

v. 49-53 Jesus said "I have come to bring fire on earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed!  Do you think I came to bring peace on earth?  No, I tell you, but division.  From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law." 

He knew what He had to do on the cross and it sounds like He was ready for that part to be over with.  The physical pain He knew would be great, but I think what was even worse was the spirit separation from God.  Jesus said that He had a baptism to undergo which He was already baptized by John in the river earlier.  It almost sounds like that we undergo a second baptism when we die to go be with Jesus since His second baptism was Him dying.  We will undergo a massive change leaving here.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I never really thought about that before.  I love reading the bible because even if I have read something many times before I am amazed how things jump off the page for what I am dealing with in the present moment.  It's as if it was hidden before and has now been unlocked for me to see. 

I did not go to church much growing up, but I never heard that Jesus was hear for anything else other than peace.  Jesus said He came for division.  I believe since this is so huge that it will divide people across the world and even in their own homes.  The battle lines are drawn we just have to figure out which side we are on.  Jesus expects a decision to be made for each person so that will cause conflict if all in one family do not believe in the same thing.  There is no middle ground.  In our world it is pushed to think that there is no one right way for anything.  Lukewarm equals acceptable.  God's economy is different from ours.  Are you willing to risk family and friends approval in order to follow God?  Many have been separated from everyone they know, but now they have a new eternal family that is a comfort.  Every person who follows Jesus is part of one big family.  It does not matter what you look like or where you are.  You are not alone in this world.  When you are a world outcast then you might be doing something right in the Kingdom.  There are many that pray daily for all believers.  So just think, somewhere in the world someone is praying for you today!  It's that wonderful?

Did you ladies realize at the end of those verses the uneven amount of women against women compared to the guys?  Not only mothers and daughters against each other, but MIL and DIL against each other.  Jesus expects division based on our ability to choose whether we will follow Him.  The enemy creates division to keep anyone from choosing Jesus.  He knows that is we keep busy fighting we will never really grow in God. 

v. 54-59 Jesus told the people that they were good at forecasting the weather, but failed at interpreting the present time.  "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?  As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny."

For the longest time most of the world's occupation had been farmers.  They knew to keep an eye on the weather because their job depended on it.  Yet, they could not see the most important thing in all of history.  Today we have all this knowledge and yet many do not choose to follow God.  There are an insane amount of law suits that could be avoided if people chose a different path.  Don't get me wrong, there are real reasons for some lawsuits.  Although some seem completely out of control.  The amount of anger in society is scary.  The world seems to be ok with it, it will only get worse the closer we get to the second coming of Jesus.  The act of forgiving is as if it were in a fairy tale.  Something people did long ago.  It is the key to open the door to healing.

Luke 12:35-48

v. 35-39 Jesus warns about His second coming.  "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning.  It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.  You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him."  Last year was a year full of talk about the end of the world.  I remember a preacher in the US who said he knew when the end was, that day came and went just like any other.  The bible says that not even the angels know the day or hour when Jesus will come so why do we think we know?  Answer: the devil.  The problem with setting a date is that after that day then you look just like one of those crazy Christians and that is not good for the Kingdom.  The point of this passage is to be ready at all times.  We do not know when the end will come, but we are to be prepared all the same. 

This reminds me of the story of the grasshopper and the ant.  The ants were getting ready for winter by storing up food in the fall and the grasshopper was just had fun not worrying about anything.  When winter came the grasshopper begged the ant for food and was denied because they had to make sure all the ants were going to have food for the long winter.  The grasshopper missed out because he chose not to be ready for what was going to happen anyway. 

People who have a true love of God are willing to do the following: be sincere, ready to witness, are trusting, very generous, and diligent.  We are to do these things now, there is no need to wait.  Much of our reward will be in heaven.  If it were instantly given our reward here on earth then don't you think it would go straight to our heads?  We would start to think it was all us and slowly push God aside. 

v. 41-48 The disciples asked if the parable was only for them.  Jesus responded "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time?  It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.  But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk.  The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.  He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.  From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." 

No matter what you are in charge of whether it is a large company or a home, we are held accountable for our actions.  The more responsibility we have the more that is expected of us.  Especially those who are supposed to be representing God.  This blog and my writing are my ministry, I will be held accountable for what I say and I take that very serious.  I want to share God's word around the world so I better be doing a good job of sharing the bible.  Don't think that just because you aren't in a position at a church that you don't have a ministry.  God has placed people in every job imaginable around the world and they have a ministry.  What ever you are passionate about is probably your ministry.  You may love to bake and share food with people, volunteer your time at an animal shelter, rock babies who have no mom or dad, teach your children about the bible, etc.  You see we all have been given gifts and responsibility that we are supposed to be using right now. 

"God will not hold us responsible for gifts that He did not give us." NIV notes 
Although we will be held accountable for the things we should have done while here.  No position is too small in the kingdom, all are equally important.  Big time mega preacher is the same as the cleaning lady at the office.  Because if you are representing God correctly to those around you then you are doing exactly what God wants you to do.

I know that the sentence "He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers" seems harsh yet there is a battle going on all around us.  This is the longest war in history that will one day be resolved.  I know that if you do not know much about the bible then things sometimes come across as harsh.  God is love, however this has eternal consequences that God takes very seriously.  The entire bible is full of people just like us and the choices they have made.  It shows the rewards or consequences based on their decisions.  God wants us to choose Him because the alternative is pure darkness and pain.  After suffering for many years at the hand of the enemy I would not want to choose to join him for all of eternity.

Luke 12:22-34

I have not posted due to being sick so I'm on the road to recovery and I am glad to be back. 

v. 22-28 Jesus said to the disciples "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?  Consider how the lilies grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith." 

I think this is one of the biggest problems that block our faith.  If you give over to worry then you are not giving it to God to handle.  Yes we are supposed to be concerned about matters here on earth, but to worry and stress over things especially those that we have no control over is pointless.  I believe worry is a sin, anything out of balance can be a sin.  By now we know that stress can cause great damage to our bodies yet we keep doing it.  I have seen so many that worry until they are physically sick.  I also worry, but I try to give it to God when I know that I've been thinking about something too long, realize that I have no control over the situation and really see that I am not letting my Father take care of me.  Jesus tells us that we can not add a single hour to our life by worrying, I believe there are many that take hours away due to the stress they put their minds through.  Don't let the cares of this world weigh you down.  The devil knows that if all your attention is on worry then none of it will be on God. 

How to overcome worry:

• Simple trust in God, this is shown by praying instead of worrying
• Your perspective on your problems and how they match up to God's kingdom
• A support team, surround yourself with other people who will pray for you and not join in on your worry party.

v. 31 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.  Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.  Sell your possessions and give to the poor.  Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Do you give God every part of your life or do you keep certain things from Him?  If there is anything you are hiding from Him I pray that you will give it over to Him.  Many want God in their lives yet will keep areas off limits to Him.  He wants to be involved in every area of your life especially the deep dark parts that you don't want anyone to see.  When you release everything to Him it takes it off your shoulders and you feel free.  He does not criticize, demean or make fun of you.  He will show you love, peace and acceptance that the world would never give you. 

I think for most people God doesn't want you to sell everything you own to give to the poor because then how would you be able to help others after that?  I believe helping others is a life long duty that Christians are supposed to do to honor God.  Do you use your money wisely?  Are you willing to give more than just what is asked at the Christmas offering at church?  The Barna Group did a study in 2008 that said that 24% of Evangelicals in the US tithed which was the highest group in that study.  I am not surprised, our country is so ridiculously wealthy and only 1 out of 4 gives back to the church.  That was the same time as our economic crash in the US so the percentage probably dropped after that study.  Can you imagine what we could do if every Christian tithed?  I challenge all of us to give back to the church, charity or someone in need.  If 10% is not an option, then give what you can.  Have you thought of doing any of these: paying for someone's food in the drive-thru line behind you, taking a dinner to someone who has had surgery, dropping off food to your local food bank.  Don't worry that the money will be misused.  Once it leaves you and is given to another you are not responsible for the outcome.  If you give with good intentions, He knows.  I think God is perfectly capable of taking care of those that misrepresent Him for their own gain. 

Growing up my mom would tithe and when my dad did not want to she would give from their total income from her paycheck.  That made for not much take home pay for her, but I have seen God do amazing things because she made a point to give back to Him all those years.  God took care of her when dad died and she was able to sell her house in 2008 in only seven weeks.  The house down the street that was similar took several years to sell.  Back then the market was not that great, but God can amazing things if only we will believe and have faith.

Some of my favorite quotes from - Martin Luther King Jr.

“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

"I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the way our world is made. No individual or nation can stand out boasting of being independent, we are interdependent."
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.”

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
“This is the great new problem of mankind. We have inherited a large house, a great ‘world house’ in which we have to live together– black and white, Easterner and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Muslim and Hindu– a family unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest, who, because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace.”

“The past is prophetic in that it asserts loudly that wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.”