October 2021 – If Not For Grace

31 Oct 202129 Oct 2021

Weekend Reading (October 31)

Dear Heavenly Father – As always, please open eye to see and our ears to hear what you are saying! Lord – open our understanding that we may know you and give us wisdom. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen

MEMORY WORK: This month we have another great verse to pick up and swing when you need a sword in your hand! These memory verses were selected, last year for this year. As many of you tell me of the great attacks on your lives – the timing is perfect! But of course it is, it is God!

Deuteronomy 28:7

NKJV – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
NAS – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.”
ESV – “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
AMP – “The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.”
NIV – “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Matthew 19 & Mark 10 NKJV

Marriage and Divorce

19 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ²And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

³The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who ^[a]made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

⁷They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

⁸He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for ^[b]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

¹⁰His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

¹¹But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ¹²For there are ^[c]eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

¹³Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good^[d] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷So He said to him, ^[e]“Why do you call Me good? ^[f]No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

¹⁸He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ¹⁹‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept ^[g]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

²³Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴And again I say to you, 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.”

²⁵When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

²⁷Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

²⁸So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[h]or wife or children or ^[i]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Footnotes

Matthew 19:4 NU created
Matthew 19:9 Or fornication
Matthew 19:12 Emasculated men
Matthew 19:16 NU omits Good
Matthew 19:17 NU Why do you ask Me about what is good?
Matthew 19:17 NU There is One who is good. But
Matthew 19:20 NU omits from my youth
Matthew 19:29 NU omits or wife
Matthew 19:29 Lit. fields

Marriage and Divorce

10 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.

²The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

³And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

⁴They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

⁵And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this ^[a]precept. ⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. ¹¹So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

¹³Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” ¹⁶And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

¹⁷Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

²⁰And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

²¹Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

²²But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is ^[b]for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

²⁸Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

²⁹So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[c]or wife or children or ^[d]lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, ³⁰who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

³²Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: ³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; ³⁴and they will mock Him, and ^[e]scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³⁷They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

³⁹They said to Him, “We are able.”

So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; ⁴⁰but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

⁴¹And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. ⁴²But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

⁴⁶Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

⁵⁰And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

⁵¹So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said to Him, ^[f]“Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has ^[g]made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

Footnotes

Mark 10:5 command
Mark 10:24 NU omits for those who trust in riches
Mark 10:29 NU omits or wife
Mark 10:29 Lit. fields
Mark 10:34 flog Him with a Roman scourge
Mark 10:51 Lit. My Great One
Mark 10:52 Lit. saved you

30 Oct 202129 Oct 2021

Weekend Reading (October 30)

Deuteronomy 28:7

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Luke 17:11-18:14 NKJV

Ten Lepers Cleansed

¹¹Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. ¹²Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. ¹³And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, ¹⁶and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? ¹⁸Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

The Coming of the Kingdom

²⁰Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; ²¹nor will they say, ^[a]‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is ^[b]within you.”

²²Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. ²³And they will say to you, ^[c]‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. ²⁴For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. ²⁵But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. ²⁶And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: ²⁷They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his ^[d]goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. ³²Remember Lot’s wife. ³³Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. ³⁴I tell you, in that night there will be two ^[e]men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. ³⁵Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. ³⁶^[f]Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”

³⁷And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?”

So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

18 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, ²saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor ^[g]regard man. ³Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ^[h]‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ ⁴And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, ⁵yet because this widow troubles me I will ^[i]avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

⁶Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: ¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ ¹³And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be ^[j]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Footnotes

Luke 17:21 NU reverses here and there
Luke 17:21 in your midst
Luke 17:23 NU reverses here and there
Luke 17:31 possessions
Luke 17:34 Or people
Luke 17:36 NU, M omit v. 36.
Luke 18:2 respect
Luke 18:3 Avenge me on
Luke 18:5 vindicate
Luke 18:14 put down

29 Oct 202128 Oct 2021

Who’s Side are You On?

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52 NKJV

Caiaphas, the prophet and High Priest. Speaking messianic prophesy why setting the hearts of the people to kill the very messianic king they longs to see. What side is this guy on?! Most of you consider yourself to be a Christian. Non-Christians do not seek out blog about Jesus. Some of you share this with Non-Christians hoping they will be saved. Maybe someone comes across this who has never given themselves to God full and started a relationship with Him… But just in case, I give the steps to it every day. (If you do not need them to save yourself, then you have them to help you save someone else.) I wandered off topic. The point is I am speaking to Christians today, but if you are not one, that is ok. You can still get something out of today. Let’s pray then start this:

Today’s reading is from the book of John, chapter 11 (embedded below the image below for your convenience). John the lover who has sugar coated this entire book in the revelation of the LOVE of God and the deeper meat of how God’s love is working in every aspect of the situation. Today is mostly the story of Jesus raising his friend from the dead.

So as believers can we understand the thoughts of this High Priest, right? What? We fail to? I don’t know about you, but I grew up thinking that Caiaphas and the Pharisees were bad and evil. They were called vipers by both John the Baptist and by Jesus. It certainly sounds like Jesus is the good guy and these priest and scribes were all the bad guys.

“So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Matthew 19:17a

So let’s get all this in proper order. God is good – Only God. OK. Jesus and his followers are on God’s team and the Priest are called and chosen by God, not just as the chosen people, the Jews, but to be set apart and trained to minister to God and the people – AND are called to do God’s work!! Well then. Who are the bad guys?

Obviously the fallen who follow satan are the bad guys. We see satan influence players in both the followers of Jesus (looking at you Peter and Judas) as we as in the priests. Here in the opening passage today we do not see if the prophesy comes from the enemy or from God – and it does not matter in this situation – it is true and God is glorified through it.

I am not sure why, but today I thought about this priestly meeting. The men came back and reported, as it is their duty – They LOVE God and someone is pulling God’s children away from the old way of doing things. Yes, some priests are corrupt and maybe these only reported back in order to stir a pot. God let the High Priest prophesy Jesus’s death for the nation – this priest most certainly knew of the messianic prophesies that says Christ will be the ultimate sacrifice. Were his eye blind to what he was suggesting? Who in these priests were really corrupt and who were earnestly trying to serve and please the Lord. Did God reveal it to them after and give them another chance to repent? Maybe upon the death of Jesus when it is reported the vail in the temple ripped. When it is reported that the dead rose from the grave and went into the cities then went to heaven? (yeah – did happen, why do we forget? AND it is not just reported in the Bible!)

Maybe it is because we are reading John, and Jesus is weeping, and all the feels of Lazarus walking out of the tomb – it has me feeling a bit sensitive. Maybe it is all the prayers “Lord make me more like you” that has my compassion showing. And if this is more like God – He loved these priests and scribes and vipers! Which makes this whole story so much more complicated.

I knew Jesus hung on the cross for everyone – EVERYONE. But every time I think about it – it is more than I can comprehend. He still desired that Caiaphas get saved. He even desired that Judas repented. He came for even those who literally drove the nails into his hands.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 ESV

Paul says to guard our heart and mind with peace – and for those that did not know and missed the lesson last year: Peace is a mighty warrior – not a drugged out hippie. Peace guards some of the most valuable things on earth – the hearts and minds of people who are seeking God!!! And we are supposed to as well. Why? Did you see how easily the enemy influenced believers? EVERYONE in this story believes in the same God we do. If they could be wrong – so can we.

Then the children of God were split over the Christ. These days the body of believer are split over repent/no compromise vs and the lies of the devil himself. The vail of deception blankets the earth and it is difficult to help the blind to see when they do not want to – it will mean they are wrong and they need to repent. (Did we forget that repentance is a daily thing?)

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

I hope that those of you who are reading every day, as well as myself all make it through the narrow gate. And if everyone else is doing it, you might want to reconsider your ways. I wonder if any of the priests repented and found it.

Deuteronomy 28:7

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: John 11 NKJV

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. ²It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. ³Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

⁴When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. ⁷Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

⁸The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

⁹Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” ¹¹These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

¹²Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” ¹³However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

¹⁴Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

¹⁶Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

¹⁷So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about ^[a]two miles away. ¹⁹And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

²⁰Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ²¹Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy

²⁸And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” ²⁹As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but ^[b]was in the place where Martha met Him. ³¹Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, ^[c]saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”

³²Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. ³⁴And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

³⁵Jesus wept. ³⁶Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

³⁷And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

³⁸Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

⁴⁰Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹Then they took away the stone ^[d]from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴²And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” ⁴³Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” ⁴⁴And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁴⁵Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. ⁴⁶But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. ⁴⁷Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. ⁴⁸If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”

⁴⁹And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, ⁵⁰nor do you consider that it is expedient for ^[e]us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” ⁵¹Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵²and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

⁵³Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. ⁵⁴Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

⁵⁵And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. ⁵⁶Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” ⁵⁷Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.

Footnotes

John 11:18 Lit. 15 stadia
John 11:30 NU was still
John 11:31 NU supposing that she was going
John 11:41 NU omits from the place where the dead man was lying
John 11:50 NU you

28 Oct 202127 Oct 2021

Repent and Be Saved

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matthew 3:2 NKJV

Do not think the repent message is not for you. It is for each and every one of us daily. Repentance is a daily activity. And do not become complacent failing to see the kingdom of heaven IS ACTUALLY at hand. Moreover, let me challenge you, to pick up your sword in one hand and your tools in the other hand and join me in building it!

Today’s reading is from the book of Luke, chapter 16 through verse 10 of chapter 17 (embedded below the image below for your convenience). Chapter 16 has many surprises for those who dig into each part and do not rely on old sermons they have heard. Like The Parable of the Unjust Steward – if you aren’t paying attention, you might miss that Jesus was telling his 12 that they need to be a little more shrewd and wise – when Jesus leaves they will need to manage kingdom finances on their own. It almost seems like Jesus is telling them to cheat and I once heard it preached that way! Gasp – but no. The man in the parable had to get wise and shrewd quickly out of necessity and knowledge of his own limitations. And the disciples (and us as well) are expected to manage and handle things. And of course the Pharisees heard Him wrong and so Jesus goes on to teach them in: The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom. By extension of that lesson Jesus give as an example the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus. This is a parable and not real people… and I often wonder if he gave the name Lazarus to the poor guy in the parable because he was going to raise Him from the dead. And I have often wondered if this parable is tired more deeply to His friend Lazarus. Questions for God to answer, I suppose.

Here at chapter 17 Jesus’s words seem to begin to get harder. On both His disciples and on the Pharisees. At least in the book of Luke. John definitely has a softer more loving approach.

“Let all that you do be done with love” 1 Corinthians 16:14 NKJV

This verse is on all my business cards of my leather business and I write “made with love” on them all. And every last one IS made in love and every last one is prayed over and every customer is loved.

I say that first to show you some of my heart. Because I do not fear speaking of these hard verses and I am not responsible for how you receive them. I have autism and sometimes I seem more mechanical than loving. Since you cannot hear the tone and flux of my voice and my heart by extension, but even by logic you must call it love – that I would get up and study and pray and write these out every day without any compensation – willingly opening myself up for the spiritual attack so that you can have the word explained. It is love.

So every time I read about offenses, like chapter 17 opens with, I always fear that all the good I do for God’s glory will be brought down by someone’s perception and misunderstanding. I often wonder why God would call me (a bull) into a china shop – because it seems like a formula for offended tea cups. But God can cause people to have their ears open and understand of He can let their ears be closed. I met plenty of people who could translate to me the world to suddenly tell me everything I say is wrong and they do not hear me, even after that have watched other listen to me and not hear.

It is interesting to me that Jesus says offenses must come right before He gets the most firm and speaks more and more in parables – intentionally so some ears will not hear. Because the universal truth, outside of time and space is – people will hear what they want. My job is to say it. If anyone understands or not, it is not on me. If you need more, ask questions or study it yourself, but do not get offended. Can I be wrong about the theologies? YES! Wow, of course I am human – I rely on my God to keep it all in line and sort it all out. And I rely on God for your understanding. This is why I pray daily that you have ears to hear.

Irony, the next passage is exactly this – our duty. All, that I say I do out of love, I also do as my minimal duty to Christ as His servant. It is my duty to obey. It is each of our duties to obey the will of the Father. Is this a great work? Yes. Every act of obedience is a great work – of duty.

I never approve comments that I sense an evil spirit behind, there may be a well-intended person there who will get injured in the spiritual cross fire. But since today we discuss this duty of service, I think I might share about a recent comment that could befall someone.

Someone asked the number of followers, likes and comments or something down those lines so they can measure my damage against the enemy – and there are SO MANY wrongs in this that I will offend in explanation – unless you know my heart. If you know I only use this example because I love ALL of you, and ALL of you deserve to know the measure especially those who pray for me and this and support and encourage me.

It is written: you shall not despise small beginnings. It is written: Man shall not live by followers, likes and comments alone but by every WORD that proceeds out of the mouth of God! It is written: that I should seek God alone and there shall be no other before Him!

Have I not warned you all daily, (maybe I missed that day)? Beware of pride!! Repent and get humble – FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND! Do not come in here asking me to seek the answer of the measure of this by you… no, I seek God for that answer. I seek God for all answers.

You see this question is measured like the temple was measured by the angel in Zechariah – with the wrong tools! The tab in your browser cannot contain this. The internet cannot contain this. This seeps into the heart of men and women all over the world in over 40 countries/nations and seeds are planted and lives draw closer to God and HIS KINGDOME COMES! God is not contained, but He multiples, immeasurably! Immeasurably like the temple in Ezekiel which continued to grow as the poor angel tried to measure and after each measurement it expanded more. Immeasurable like the multiplication of the temple in Revelations. It is not measured or contained in follows, likes, or comments. It is not of the physical world.

Second – I have no concern of the kingdom of the enemy. Not even a thought in my mind. I build for the kingdom of heaven with a sword in my hand like Nehemiah. I declare, repent the kingdom of HEAVEN is at hand – with no regard for any other kingdom. I stand. I show up. The enemy scatters. My Job is not to fool heartedly charge an ALREADY DEFEATED enemy. What measure of damage can there be to attack a defeat foe?! NO I STAND AND BUILD A KINGDOM THAT WILL LAST FOR ALL ETERNITY!

Now, is this a great work? Is this successful? Yes. Let me, humbly, present myself as a testimony. An overcoming testimony as I embrace and am embolden in the victory of the blood of the lamb and having already laid down my life – given fully to Him. If nothing else comes from this blog, ministry and outreach – this is enough to cause joy and rejoicing throughout the kingdom of heaven – This is enough to break out, all of the heavenly, in worship and more love for the Father. This is enough to stir all of creation to glorify the Father through the Son! YES! One life – just one life – one life truly transformed through the blood and grace is immeasurably the greatest build for the Kingdom of Heaven!!!

Didn’t we just read the parable of the lost sheep? The prodigal? Well, here I am and I have come home.

At this point Jezebel, your attacks are only strengthening your enemy. Go away! I am under the wing of my Father and He is moving forward. Step out of His way! I decree as it is written: you shall flee in seven ways!

OK – so, that is how we measure a ministry. Is one life changed? Is the leader in obedience, humbly seeking ONLY the One True and Living God – the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob?

Deuteronomy 28:7

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Luke 16-17:10 NKJV

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

16 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was ^[a]wasting his goods. ²So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’

³“Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. ⁴I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’

⁵“So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ⁶And he said, ‘A hundred ^[b]measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ ⁷Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred ^[c]measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ⁸So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.

⁹“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous ^[d]mammon, that when ^[e]you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. ¹⁰He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. ¹¹Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? ¹²And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

¹³“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

The Law, the Prophets, and the Kingdom

¹⁴Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they ^[f]derided Him. ¹⁵And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

¹⁶“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. ¹⁷And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one ^[g]tittle of the law to fail.

¹⁸“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

¹⁹“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and ^[h]fared sumptuously every day. ²⁰But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, ²¹desiring to be fed with ^[i]the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴“Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

²⁷“Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

Jesus Warns of Offenses

17 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no ^[j]offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! ²It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should ^[k]offend one of these little ones. ³Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins ^[l]against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. ⁴And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns ^[m]to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Faith and Duty

⁵And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

⁶So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. ⁷And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? ⁸But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? ⁹Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded ^[n]him? I think not. ¹⁰So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

Footnotes

Luke 16:1 squandering
Luke 16:6 Gr. batos, same as Heb. bath; 8 or 9 gallons each
Luke 16:7 Gr. koros, same as Heb. kor; 10 or 12 bushels each
Luke 16:9 Lit., in Aram., wealth
Luke 16:9 NU it fails
Luke 16:14 Lit. turned up their nose at
Luke 16:17 The smallest stroke in a Heb. letter
Luke 16:19 lived in luxury
Luke 16:21 NU what fell
Luke 17:1 stumbling blocks
Luke 17:2 cause one of these little ones to stumble
Luke 17:3 NU omits against you
Luke 17:4 M omits to you
Luke 17:9 NU omits the rest of v. 9; M omits him

27 Oct 202126 Oct 2021

Prodigals, Humility, and Surrender

“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 NKJV

Well, look at that – we are back at the theme of humility. And the best way to be humble is? Repentance! Maybe this blog is not well names and maybe it should have been named “Repent and get Humble! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Today’s reading is from the book of Luke, chapters 14-15 (embedded below the image below for your convenience).

And Jesus starts us of strong again today with: A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath! Sometimes I think Jesus liked to antagonize the Pharisees.

Then Jesus tells one of those one point sermons that I am not very good at. He first explains His point with the parable of Take the Lowly Place, then with the parable of The Parable of the Great Supper. In our modern world – the preacher would state the point in some clear and catchy way. Back then, you were supposed to be able to tell what the point was from the overlapping theme and not get caught up in the details. Jesus often clarifies for His disciples but let’s the Pharisees get lost in the details – this is why they did not understand. Don’t be like a Pharisee.

Then the chapter goes on to explain the cost of discipleship with Leaving All to Follow Christ concluded with the Proverb of Tasteless Salt Is Worthless.

Chapter 15 is another one point sermon where Jesus explains His point 3 ways – these three go together, do not ever separate them in your mind: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, The Parable of the Lost Coin, and The Parable of the Lost Son. Now throughout the old testament I warned not to take the word of God out of context and claim certain verses as prophetic for your (or mine) wayward child (or other loved one). Now these three, taken together, gives us the hopes for them. In the first Jesus goes looking for them and we stay out of His way and try not to get ourselves lost and stay with the flock. The second parable the women all gather at the woman’s house who lost her coins and they all get on their knees and look for it. The third, the wayward one comes to his senses on his own after hitting rock bottom. NONE of them are meant to be the example of HOW God will reach them or IF they will accept Jesus when He knocks. The ‘getting on your knees’ one – I suppose if we are on our knees in prayer – we can at least ask God not to give up on them and to keep knocking on our loved one’s heart. Man, I am a buzz kill lately with the scriptures! But it says what it says and it is a sin to corrupt it. So stop trying to make it into something it isn’t. Yes, there is hope – NO there is no promise that our loved ones will ever accept Christ. I know, I wish there was a promise as well. But, we can pray the prayer in Ephesians 1 and we can ask the Lord of the harvest to send the perfect seed planters, and to make the soil ready for the seeds and for Him to send the perfect laborers into the harvest to reach them! We can pray and intercede since we battle NOT against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.

If it is our children, we can break generational curses and cast out familial demons (as we discussed back in Deuteronomy when we spoke of curses).

You see we may try to manipulate our backslidden loved ones with “tough Love” – but manipulation is the sin of witchcraft – so knock it off! And we tell our kids we will only give them help and love if…
When did Jesus ever put a condition on LOVE? Jesus ate with the sinners – well we can’t do that and I am told it is because we are to be ye separate and be ye holy and all that. Well, Jesus was holy and separate and among them. So was Peter, after, and Paul – who said we are in this world but not of it. This is not a popular view point. But Judas was one of the 12 – and the enemy is constantly trying to turn the heart of your closest against you for destruction as well (and many times it is someone who professes Christ.) The entire modern principle of not associating with sinners is so ridiculous. I mean, none of us dispute that the Bible says not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together and we are all sinners! Saved by grace.

So let us repent. Let us get back to the low place at the table (referring to the parable in today’s reading) and maybe someone there around us will be our mission – our outreach. Or maybe God will lift us up.

Let’s talk about my dog, again, for a moment. She is just so cute and could walk all over me if I let her. Anyway, she has a pride problem. Little 10 pound puppy with an ego of a 200 pound dog. She is such a good girl most of the time, it is difficult to notice her subtle dominant actions. Dominance is pride. She thinks she is higher than she is in the pack if she acts like that. She thinks I am weaker (her cuteness does put me at a disadvantage – but I am still the leader). Last night she refused to do our night time routine – climb in her bed and lay down calm and submissive and get a treat. Instead she was excited submissive which turned into all sorts of crazy outbursts when I refused her the treat. 2 hours later, it was midnight and she still wasn’t calm submissive. I at least got her back to submissive (excited) and walked away. At least she submitted. But she did not get cookies.

This morning she remembers. Every morning I call her over to sit on my lap for some love and today she jumped up and stood proud, instead of rolling onto her back for belly rubs like she usually does. She was mad and was going to show me that she is the leader. Well, guess who didn’t get belly rubs and isn’t on my lap?

Here is another example of why we need to be humble with God. If the dog is me and I am God (no, I do not believe I am God – I am drawing parallels) then look what God does for us when we are prideful and want our way over His.

Sweet Lillidog missed out on treats, and belly rubs, and our personal one on one interactions and cuddles for the day. The morning routine is like our secret place time with God. And she came in there jumping and standing and out of place and expected to still receive a soft peaceful exchange of love.

We have a saying: “I am proud of my child” but this usually means I am happy with their choices and want to share the good things they did with you. This is not the pride Jesus and I are speaking about. Pride is first of all, placing yourself above God. But pride is also taking ANY position at the table above the place God set for you.

The parable of the table – it might be fantastic to be in the lowest seat at some tables. I mean imagine being invited to a table full of famous men and women of God… like, there are all these rallies all over the USA happening with multiple speakers and all those great men and women of God have to eat. So what if God invited you to that table?! It would be fine to be in the lowest place to rub elbows, and make conversations with them. Maybe even get an anointed message from God through one of them. (Why does that always thrill and validate us when we can get that message through God directly if we go to the secret place?!) Anyway – you see the point. I hope.

Lilli’s lack of humility means I also didn’t get my snuggle time, that I want. <- God feels that too!!! He wants to spend time with us, but can’t if we come in shacking our fists, making demands, setting things between us and Him, and not leaving behind sin. We “press in” trying to reach Him, all the while we are actually pushing Him away with pride and being stiff necked.

The cost of following Christ – in today’s reading, Jesus says forsake everything. My prodigal son – I had to give Him to God and if He comes back or not – that child is no longer mine as I must leave it all behind to follow Jesus. But how will I forsake my child, if I cannot even forsake my pride?

And you, are you willing to lose your loved ones, your house and even your life to follow Jesus? You will not make the right decisions when the times get tough if you cannot even surrender your pride. And worst, you’ll miss out on the secret place and the refreshing, and protection that comes from being humbly under the wing of God.

Deuteronomy 28:7

NKJV – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
NAS – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.”
ESV – “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
AMP – “The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.”
NIV – “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Luke 14-15 NKJV

A Man with Dropsy Healed on the Sabbath

14 Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. ²And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. ³And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the ^[a]Sabbath?”

⁴But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. ⁵Then He answered them, saying, “Which of you, having a ^[b]donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” ⁶And they could not answer Him regarding these things.

Take the Lowly Place

⁷So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: ⁸“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; ⁹and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. ¹¹For whoever exalts himself will be ^[c]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹²Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. ¹³But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the ^[d]maimed, the lame, the blind. ¹⁴And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

The Parable of the Great Supper

¹⁵Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat ^[e]bread in the kingdom of God!”

¹⁶Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, ¹⁷and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ ¹⁸But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ ¹⁹And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ ²⁰Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the ^[f]maimed and the lame and the blind.’ ²²And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ ²³Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”

Leaving All to Follow Christ

²⁵Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, ²⁶“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— ²⁹lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, ³⁰saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? ³¹Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. ³³So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

³⁴“Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? ³⁵It is neither fit for the land nor for the ^[g]dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. ²And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man ^[h]receives sinners and eats with them.” ³So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

⁴“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine ^[i]just persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

⁸“Or what woman, having ten silver ^[j]coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ ¹⁰Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

¹¹Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. ¹³And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with ^[k]prodigal living. ¹⁴But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the ^[l]pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

¹⁷“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ¹⁹and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

²⁰“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. ²¹And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²²“But the father said to his servants, ^[m]‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ²³And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; ²⁴for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

²⁵“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ²⁷And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

²⁸“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. ²⁹So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ³⁰But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

³¹“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ³²It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Footnotes

Luke 14:3 NU adds or not
Luke 14:5 NU, M son
Luke 14:11 put down
Luke 14:13 crippled
Luke 14:15 M dinner
Luke 14:21 crippled
Luke 14:35 rubbish heap
Luke 15:2 welcomes
Luke 15:7 upright
Luke 15:8 Gr. drachma, a valuable coin often worn in a ten-piece garland by married women
Luke 15:13 wasteful
Luke 15:16 carob pods
Luke 15:22 NU Quickly bring

26 Oct 202125 Oct 2021

Are you in this or not?!

“For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:2-7 NKJV

Are you serious about God? Because He is serious about you. Many are called – like you and I, few are chosen, and you know why? Because we didn’t stand up in the secret place and say: here I am coach, send me in! Like the athlete trains to get ready – we need to go into prayer and fasting to get ready. Like an athlete sacrifices time, energy and self-indulgence to pay the price to be a successful athlete – so must we to be a successful Christian.
Like Marcus Rogers always says: “Casual Christians will be casualties.”
It is time to answer the call to take this serious and not work so hard at compromising (yet trying to make sure you just get into heaven by the skin of your teeth).

Today’s reading is from the book of Luke, chapters 12-13 (embedded below the image below for your convenience).

“because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 NKJV

Can anything unholy be in close proximity to our pure Holy Father? Can un-holiness be under His wing in the secret place? Of course not! Repent!

Can compromise and lukewarm justifications for continuing in sin and grieving grace be permitted in the Holies of Holies?! Romans 6:2a: “God Forbid!…” Repent.

Let’s break it down in the opening verses:
Step one – repent! Seriously, because things are about to get real and God is about to reveal unrepented sin, openly and embarrassingly. Ask for forgiveness for any unrepented of sin right now – before you read any further!
Lord, forgive us for _____ and wash us in the blood of Christ that we may be blameless before you as we continue – in the name of Jesus ~ amen

We need the first couple of verses to happen over our corrupt leaders in our nations, countries and our world! But when we pray, declare and decree the word of God over our people – God always starts with us. The judgement becomes our validation if we are found blameless! Therefore keep yourself in a humble and repentant mind frame – always.

Next – we pray, declare and decree: That Lord, you are all knowing and you have said that “there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever has been spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what has been spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. Lord, expose us, on a global level, expose us on a national level, and expose our localities as well! Change my neighborhood with LIGHT that flushes out the darkness exposing the evil plans of the enemy. Please change my city, state and nation! Please do as your word decrees! In the Mighty Name of Jesus we pray in agreement ~amen

Now things will get interesting around us! Like Psalm 64 decrees, their own tongue will betray them. God will be glorified suddenly! His people, who dwell in the secret place will be vindicated.

The next step is to bind up fear – remember when we studied the word “BIND” and it doesn’t mean to tie up. It means to forbid it. When my dog misbehaves I forbid it by stopping her and changing her mindset. If she is excited, I calm her. If she is fixated, I redirect her to something she can play with and help her do it in a more balanced mindset. So we forbid fear of what man can do to us. We change out mindset. We take on Peace that passes understanding and a more balanced approach.

Man can only take our job – but cannot send us to hell. He can take our lives, but cannot send us to hell. Only God sends the unholy to hell – because unholy cannot be in heaven with Him and His Holiness. I suppose then we are really sending ourselves there by not surrendering to God’s ways. We know the choice. Another man cannot choose for us to be holy or unholy – if that was the case my son and other loved ones would not be backslidden or living in compromise – I would have chosen a better way for them because I love them and want them in heaven.

Speaking of LOVE while I share some of the harder concepts of the Word – The final step in this is understanding and accepting God’s love. It is because He loves us He exposes the truth. It is because He loves us he tells us not to fear man. It is because He loves us, that He wants to restore a relationship with us and is telling us the truth. He compares 5 inexpensive sparrows and how he care for them to us – and how much more he cares for us.
He took the time to count the hairs on our head. I am a middle aged woman beginning a change of life and one sign of that is some hair thinning. And even though more hairs are on my hairbrush than I can count each morning – He still keeps track. And it is not because my hair is important for eternity or anything. It is just because he loves me, watches over me, and counts my hairs while he does. It is one of the many ways He shows tender love and desire to know us – and sets it as an example of how we should love one another and return love to Him. (But do not count someone’s hairs – when we do it, it is kinda creepy – lol)

It is from this love – shared – that we have the boldness to stand against the evil of our modern world. And again, like I said yesterday: this love comes from getting to know Him in the secret place. To bring this full circle – we cannot get into the secret place without humility and repentance. We must be holy for He is holy!

But experiencing the mutual love with the ONE, TRUE, AND LIVING – ALMIGHTY God – is worth any effort put in. And the more effort you put in, the less if feels like effort and the more it feels like wanting to do it and be there.

I do not hear enough preacher saying repent and be humble – or to be holy – or talking about just having a loving relationship with God. Yes, there are benefit to it – but the biggest reward is just to have eyes on Him and be with Him. Not doing it for what you can get – but doing it just be with God in communion with Him (in the Scriptures and in prayer). But we will not fulfill His purpose for our lives and what we are created for – if we do not spend repentant and humble time with Him.

Deuteronomy 28:7

NKJV – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
NAS – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.”
ESV – “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
AMP – “The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.”
NIV – “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Luke 12-13 NKJV

Beware of Hypocrisy

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the ^[a]leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ²For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Jesus Teaches the Fear of God

⁴“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. ⁵But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

⁶“Are not five sparrows sold for two ^[b]copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Confess Christ Before Men

⁸“Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. ⁹But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

¹⁰“And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

¹¹“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹²For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of ^[c]covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

¹⁶Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ ¹⁸So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

²¹“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

²²Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. ²³Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? ²⁵And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶If you then are not able to do the least, why ^[d]are you anxious for the rest? ²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not ^[e]arrayed like one of these. ²⁸If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

²⁹“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹But seek ^[f]the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

³²“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant

³⁵“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; ³⁶and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. ³⁷Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. ³⁸And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. ³⁹But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would ^[g]have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

⁴¹Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”

⁴²And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food ^[h]in due season? ⁴³Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. ⁴⁵But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, ⁴⁶the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. ⁴⁸But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Christ Brings Division

⁴⁹“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! ⁵¹Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. ⁵²For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. ⁵³Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Discern the Time

⁵⁴Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. ⁵⁵And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. ⁵⁶Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

Make Peace with Your Adversary

⁵⁷“Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? ⁵⁸When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. ⁵⁹I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite.”

Repent or Perish

13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had ^[i]mingled with their sacrifices. ²And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? ³I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. ⁴Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? ⁵I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

⁶He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. ⁷Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it ^[j]use up the ground?’ ⁸But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹^[k]And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

A Spirit of Infirmity

¹⁰Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way ^[l]raise herself up. ¹²But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” ¹³And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

¹⁴But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”

¹⁵The Lord then answered him and said, ^[m]“Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” ¹⁷And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

¹⁸Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a ^[n]large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven

²⁰And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? ²¹It is like ^[o]leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures^[p] of meal till it was all leavened.”

The Narrow Way

²²And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. ²³Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”

And He said to them, ²⁴“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. ²⁵When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ ²⁶then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ ²⁷But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ ²⁸There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. ²⁹They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. ³⁰And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”

³¹^[q]On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”

³²And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be ^[r]perfected.’ ³³Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

³⁴“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁵See! Your house is left to you desolate; and ^[s]assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

Footnotes

Luke 12:1 yeast
Luke 12:6 Gr. assarion, a coin worth about 1⁄16 of a denarius
Luke 12:15 NU all covetousness
Luke 12:26 do you worry
Luke 12:27 clothed
Luke 12:31 NU His kingdom, and these things
Luke 12:39 NU not have allowed
Luke 12:42 at the right time
Luke 13:1 mixed
Luke 13:7 waste
Luke 13:9 NU And if it bears fruit after that, well. But if not, you can
Luke 13:11 straighten up
Luke 13:15 NU, M Hypocrites
Luke 13:19 NU omits large
Luke 13:21 yeast
Luke 13:21 Gr. sata, same as Heb. seah; approximately 2 pecks in all
Luke 13:31 NU In that very hour
Luke 13:32 Resurrected
Luke 13:35 NU, M omit assuredly

25 Oct 202125 Oct 2021

Do you know God’s Voice?

“Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” John 10:25-30 NKJV

Do you know which voice is God’s voice? If you do not know His voice you may hear another in your prayer time and follow the wrong voice. Yes, the enemy can be present when you pray! And that is when the enemy is the loudest and most obnoxious. That last thing you want is to come out of prayer having marching orders from the wrong voice – and then obeying those. Or maybe you believe the enemy more than you believe the Word of God – therefore you do not believe as Jesus says here.

Today’s reading is from the book of Luke, chapters 10-11 and the book of John, chapter 10, verses 22-42 (embedded below the image below for your convenience). There is A LOT packed into today’s long reading: The Seventy Sent Out (yes, 70 – many people followed Jesus besides the 12), Woe to the Impenitent Cities, The Seventy Return with Joy, Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit, The Parable of the Good Samaritan, Mary and Martha Worship and Serve, The Model Prayer and two parables that go with it to further the common point shared by all (A Friend Comes at Midnight & Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking), then A House Divided Cannot Stand, An Unclean Spirit Returns, Keeping the Word, Seeking a Sign, The Lamp of the Body, and Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers. And that is just what we read in Luke! Then in John 10:22-42 we read about: The Shepherd Knows His Sheep, Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus and when Jesus flees we conclude with The Believers Beyond Jordan.

But let us talk more about being in the secret place (from Psalm 91) and closer to God in our relationship and the benefits of knowing His voice. Obviously the benefit is that you will not disobey God thinking you heard from Him.

God will never tell you to do something that goes against your initial reaction. For example: let us say your company offers getting a micro chip in your hand and your spirit is uneasy. God is NOT going to go against that original urging of the Holy Spirit. (Lets not get caught up on my example – it was just an example and not something I am saying you should or shouldn’t do. I am saying listen to that initial prompting of the Holy Spirit, the still small voice that you question if you even heard. You heard it – follow it.)

I agree, it is not always easy. I was grocery shopping with a friend and my friend did not see my list. I was at a different store than I usually go to. My friend stopped in front of the display of Jewish foods and thought they should point it out to me. But then they decided it was silly to do, because I am not Jewish. But they did not know I was looking for crackers for communion. I went to the check out without the crackers and said I was going to have to run to another store. That was when they told me. God was teaching them which is His voice.

Now, if we are in a relationship with God and we press into the secret place – the quiet time alone with God – the walking in the spirit kind of relationship, then it is a little different. As I read, and re-read and pray and decree Psalm 91 – I realize in the spirit world you are under God’s wing and then – when you pray it is hidden from the enemy. THEN – the enemy cannot hear, cannot plot against, is not privy to the conversation, cannot interject or cause doubt, cannot condemn and cannot interfere. See, this is why the enemies’ job are to come at you from every side and prevent you from quality time in the secret place. It is called secret, because it is a secret from the enemy! The angels are set around us and keep the enemy from us. We must ask God to help us not be exposed and to lead us into that place. Then we know His voice. Without doubt. We spend time in the Word (the Bible) and we know His voice doesn’t contradict. And it doesn’t contradict the initial gut response of the Holy Spirit. So when we are in the secret place, we have multiple witnesses – the Spirit and the Word (Jesus is the Word).

I like to call this the relational place, because secret place seems almost cultish – BUT GOD SAYS IT IS A SECRET and now that I am learning it is a secret from the enemy – I will probably say it more. But this is where you spend the quality time. It’s like a long car ride without the radio and just the two of us talking. It’s like a long quiet dinner for two in a private dining room. Anywhere you can imagine just being alone and having quality conversation with a loved one or friend – this is what it’s like. Except that your friend just happens to be the almighty God. AND has the power to give you life strategy to succeed, can help set up situations for your good and can do all sort of things. But once you meet Him, once you shed any pretenses and get real, and honest with Him (might as well, He already knows everything), you will forget about the benefits of know in Him and will want to obey His will because you love Him. yes, simply because of LOVE.

I love the middle part of John 10:27 – “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” “AND I KNOW THEM” Let’s be honest, if I ran into Jesus at the market and asked, “Hey do you know my friend, (insert your name)?” Would Jesus reply, “Oh yeah I know them! We talk daily.” If not, we might want to change some things!!!

If you are not yet at the place of knowing this secret place daily and really loving God – then it is time to work on it. It is time to know His voice. I would be lying if I didn’t confirm what we all know – the world is getting worse. If “to get a shot or not to get a shot” shook you – or if “to wear a mask or not wear a mask” shook you… then how will you survive the more difficult tasks ahead? If you do not know or obey His voice now – how will you later?

I once said – just wear the mask. That was for that time, when we did not know what this was and there was no reason to not comply – it did not infringe on our religious rights it was just uncomfortable (applied Roman 13). Now, that we know everything that we know. Now it is time for civil disobedience. Now that the data shows the shot (which isn’t even classified as a vax) doesn’t work as a vax (maybe because it is not made or classified as one?) And now that we know that God in His grace made sure the plague was not that deadly – and statistics never changed and it is still more likely that we will die in a car.

In Romans 13 – they wanted to buck uncomfortable trends. NOW, now we are in Daniel land – where consequences and price of obeying God is high. He gave it all, will you? Only if you love Him like He loved you. And you will only fall that in love if you are spending time in the secret place.

Deuteronomy 28:7

NKJV – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
NAS – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.”
ESV – “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
AMP – “The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.”
NIV – “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Luke 10-11 & John 10:22-42 NKJV

Luke 10-11

The Seventy Sent Out

10 After these things the Lord appointed ^[a]seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. ²Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. ³Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. ⁴Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. ⁵But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ ⁶And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. ⁷And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. ⁸Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. ⁹And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹‘The very dust of your city which clings to ^[b]us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ ¹²^[c]But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

Woe to the Impenitent Cities

¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum, ^[d]who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. ¹⁶He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”

The Seventy Return with Joy

¹⁷Then the ^[e]seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”

¹⁸And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. ¹⁹Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but ^[f]rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit

²¹In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. ²²All^[g] things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

²³Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; ²⁴for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵And behold, a certain ^[h]lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

²⁷So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁸And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

²⁹But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among ^[i]thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. ³³But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵On the next day, ^[j]when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ ³⁶So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”

³⁷And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Mary and Martha Worship and Serve

³⁸Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at ^[k]Jesus’ feet and heard His word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

⁴¹And ^[l]Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴²But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The Model Prayer

11 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

²So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our^[m] Father ^[n]in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
^[o]Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
³Give us day by day our daily bread.
⁴And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
^[p]But deliver us from the evil one.”

A Friend Comes at Midnight

⁵And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ⁶for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? ⁸I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking

⁹“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹If a son asks for ^[q]bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹²Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

A House Divided Cannot Stand

¹⁴And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. ¹⁵But some of them said, “He casts out demons by ^[r]Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”

¹⁶Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. ¹⁷But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. ¹⁸If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. ¹⁹And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁰But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²¹When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. ²²But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his ^[s]spoils. ²³He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

An Unclean Spirit Returns

²⁴“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ ²⁵And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. ²⁶Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Keeping the Word

²⁷And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!”

²⁸But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Seeking a Sign

²⁹And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah ^[t]the prophet. ³⁰For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. ³¹The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. ³²The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

The Lamp of the Body

³³“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. ³⁴The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is ^[u]good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is ^[v]bad, your body also is full of darkness. ³⁵Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. ³⁶If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

Woe to the Pharisees and Lawyers

³⁷And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. ³⁸When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

³⁹Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of ^[w]greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹But rather give alms of ^[x]such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

⁴²“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. ⁴³Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the ^[y]best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. ⁴⁴Woe to you, ^[z]scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”

⁴⁵Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.”

⁴⁶And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. ⁴⁷Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. ⁴⁸In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. ⁴⁹Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ ⁵⁰that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, ⁵¹from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

⁵²“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”

⁵³^[aa]And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, ⁵⁴lying in wait for Him, ^[ab]and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, ^[ac]that they might accuse Him.

Footnotes

Luke 10:1 NU seventy-two others
Luke 10:11 NU our feet
Luke 10:12 NU, M omit But
Luke 10:15 NU will you be exalted to heaven? You will be thrust down to Hades!
Luke 10:17 NU seventy-two
Luke 10:20 NU, M omit rather
Luke 10:22 M And turning to the disciples He said, “All
Luke 10:25 expert in the law
Luke 10:30 robbers
Luke 10:35 NU omits when he departed
Luke 10:39 NU the Lord’s
Luke 10:41 NU the Lord
Luke 11:2 NU omits Our
Luke 11:2 NU omits in heaven
Luke 11:2 NU omits the rest of v. 2.
Luke 11:4 NU omits But deliver us from the evil one
Luke 11:11 NU omits bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for
Luke 11:15 NU, M Beelzebul
Luke 11:22 plunder
Luke 11:29 NU omits the prophet
Luke 11:34 Clear, or healthy
Luke 11:34 Evil, or unhealthy
Luke 11:39 Lit. eager grasping or robbery
Luke 11:41 Or what is inside
Luke 11:43 Or places of honor
Luke 11:44 NU omits scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites
Luke 11:53 NU And when He left there
Luke 11:54 NU omits and seeking
Luke 11:54 NU omits that they might accuse Him

John 10:22-42

The Shepherd Knows His Sheep

²²Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. ²³And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. ²⁴Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in ^[a]doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

²⁵Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. ²⁶But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, ^[b]as I said to you. ²⁷My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰I and My Father are one.”

Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus

³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. ³²Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

³³The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? ³⁵If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), ³⁶do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ³⁷If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; ³⁸but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and ^[c]believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” ³⁹Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

The Believers Beyond Jordan

⁴⁰And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. ⁴¹Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” ⁴²And many believed in Him there.

Footnotes

John 10:24 Suspense
John 10:26 NU omits as I said to you
John 10:38 NU understand

24 Oct 202123 Oct 2021

Weekend Reading (October 24)

Deuteronomy 28:7

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: John 9 & John 10:1-21 NKJV

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

9 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ²And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴I^[a] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was ^[b]blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

⁹Some said, “This is he.” Others said, ^[c]“He is like him.”

He said, “I am he.”

¹⁰Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

¹¹He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to ^[d]the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

¹²Then they said to him, “Where is He?”

He said, “I do not know.”

The Pharisees Excommunicate the Healed Man

¹³They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not ^[e]keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

¹⁷They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” ²²His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

²⁵He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

²⁶Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

²⁷He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

²⁸Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. ²⁹We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

³⁰The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! ³¹Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ³²Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. ³³If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

³⁴They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they ^[f]cast him out.

True Vision and True Blindness

³⁵Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of ^[g]God?”

³⁶He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

³⁷And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

³⁸Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

³⁹And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

⁴⁰Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

Footnotes

John 9:4 NU We
John 9:8 NU a beggar
John 9:9 NU “No, but he is like him.”
John 9:11 NU omits the pool of
John 9:16 observe
John 9:34 Excommunicated him
John 9:35 NU Man

Jesus the True Shepherd

10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Jesus the Good Shepherd

⁷Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All who ever came ^[a]before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹²But a ^[b]hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

¹⁷“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ¹⁸No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”

¹⁹Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. ²⁰And many of them said, “He has a demon and is ^[c]mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

²¹Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Footnotes

John 10:8 M omits before Me
John 10:12 hired man
John 10:20 insane

23 Oct 202122 Oct 2021

Weekend Reading (October 23)

Deuteronomy 28:7

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: John 7-8 NKJV

Jesus’ Brothers Disbelieve

7 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the ^[a]Jews sought to kill Him. ²Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. ³His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. ⁴For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” ⁵For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

⁶Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. ⁷The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. ⁸You go up to this feast. I am not ^[b]yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.” ⁹When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.

The Heavenly Scholar

¹⁰But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. ¹¹Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” ¹²And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” ¹³However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

¹⁴Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. ¹⁵And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

¹⁶^[c]Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. ¹⁷If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. ¹⁸He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. ¹⁹Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”

²⁰The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”

²¹Jesus answered and said to them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. ²²Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. ²³If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? ²⁴Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

Could This Be the Christ?

²⁵Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? ²⁶But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is ^[d]truly the Christ? ²⁷However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from.”

²⁸Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. ²⁹^[e]But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

³⁰Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. ³¹And many of the people believed in Him, and said, “When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?”

Jesus and the Religious Leaders

³²The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him. ³³Then Jesus said ^[f]to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. ³⁴You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”

³⁵Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? ³⁶What is this thing that He said, ‘You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

³⁷On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ³⁹But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those ^[g]believing in Him would receive; for the ^[h]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Who Is He?

⁴⁰Therefore ^[i]many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” ⁴¹Others said, “This is the Christ.”

But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴²Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” ⁴³So there was a division among the people because of Him. ⁴⁴Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

Rejected by the Authorities

⁴⁵Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

⁴⁶The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

⁴⁷Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? ⁴⁸Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? ⁴⁹But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

⁵⁰Nicodemus (he who came to ^[j]Jesus ^[k]by night, being one of them) said to them, ⁵¹“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

⁵²They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet ^[l]has arisen out of Galilee.”

An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World

⁵³^[m]And everyone went to his own house.

Jesus the Light of the World

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

²Now ^[n]early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. ³Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴they said to Him, “Teacher, ^[o]this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵Now ^[p]Moses, in the law, commanded us ^[q]that such should be stoned. But what do You ^[r]say?” ⁶This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, ^[s]as though He did not hear.

⁷So when they continued asking Him, He ^[t]raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ⁸And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹Then those who heard it, being^[u] convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰When Jesus had raised Himself up ^[v]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers ^[w]of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go ^[x]and sin no more.”

¹²Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Jesus Defends His Self-Witness

¹³The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not ^[y]true.”

¹⁴Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. ¹⁵You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. ¹⁶And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. ¹⁷It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ¹⁸I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

¹⁹Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”

Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.”

²⁰These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

Jesus Predicts His Departure

²¹Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

²²So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, ‘Where I go you cannot come’?”

²³And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

²⁵Then they said to Him, “Who are You?”

And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. ²⁶I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”

²⁷They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

²⁸Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift^[z] up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. ²⁹And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” ³⁰As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.

The Truth Shall Make You Free

³¹Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

³³They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. ³⁶Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Abraham’s Seed and Satan’s

³⁷“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. ³⁸I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have ^[aa]seen with your father.”

³⁹They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. ⁴⁰But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. ⁴¹You do the deeds of your father.”

Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. ⁴³Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. ⁴⁴You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. ⁴⁶Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? ⁴⁷He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I AM

⁴⁸Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”

⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. ⁵⁰And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges. ⁵¹Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

⁵²Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ ⁵³Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?”

⁵⁴Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is ^[ab]your God. ⁵⁵Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. ⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

⁵⁷Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

⁵⁹Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going^[ac] through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Footnotes

John 7:1 The ruling authorities
John 7:8 NU omits yet
John 7:16 NU, M So Jesus
John 7:26 NU omits truly
John 7:29 NU, M omit But
John 7:33 NU, M omit to them
John 7:39 NU who believed
John 7:39 NU omits Holy
John 7:40 NU some
John 7:50 Lit. Him
John 7:50 NU before
John 7:52 NU is to rise
John 7:53 NU brackets 7:53 through 8:11 as not in the original text. They are present in over 900 mss. of John.
John 8:2 M very early
John 8:4 M we found this woman
John 8:5 M in our law Moses commanded
John 8:5 NU, M to stone such
John 8:5 M adds about her
John 8:6 NU, M omit as though He did not hear
John 8:7 M He looked up
John 8:9 NU, M omit being convicted by their conscience
John 8:10 NU omits and saw no one but the woman; M He saw her and said,
John 8:10 NU, M omit of yours
John 8:11 NU, M add from now on
John 8:13 valid as testimony
John 8:28 Crucify
John 8:38 NU heard from
John 8:54 NU, M our
John 8:59 NU omits the rest of v. 59.

22 Oct 202121 Oct 2021

Like Children

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Matthew 18:1 NKJV

I can just imagine what must have gone through Jesus’s mind at this time. It seems the disciples missed the whole point! This is not a competition. We can all be close to God and that is what is “great” – not greatest in the way man thinks of greatness.

Today’s reading is from the book of Matthew, chapter 18 (embedded below the image below for your convenience). It begins with Jesus talking about children, then warning NOT to turn them away from God (and maybe an implication that they are children). Then the parable of the lost sheep – so from being offended and chased from the flock to wandering off from the flock in a clean swoop. Then it is rounded by the one who is shunned because he has sinned against a brother and full circle with unforgiveness.

If yesterday we talked about getting into the secret place with God and having that relationship – today we read about having right relationships with other. How can you understand a right relationship with God if you do not understand right relationships with others?

These lessons are pretty clear as you read the scriptures. So let us start with the beginning and study just the opening of this chapter.

Man (or woman) and competition. We are competitive. James and John were competitive and often it seemed Peter provoked them (although it did not take much to get the sons of thunder to start thundering). I can imagine how this whole conversation started. I do wonder who drew the short straw to be the one who went to Jesus and asked.

What is not said here, but is played out throughout the Bible is a warning against this competitive nature. It is usually the one impulsively acting out of competition who sins and exiled. Starting with the brothers Cain and Able. The competitive nature of Cain caused jealousy and then hatred towards his brother, leading to murder and God kicking Cain out.
And Jacob and Esau – Jacob tricked his brother and was exiled for years. He had to come back with a great drama of humility and struggle with an angel to be restored to his brother.
And many modern church splits… Yes, when left unchecked this divides. We cannot be jealous of others gifting’s and ministries. We cannot be jealous of other’s blessings. We are separate parts of a body as Paul later says – so why would a hand be jealous of the heart – they do two different things. Yet – it happens and people perceive conflicts and behaviors… oh this is why we round the chapter up with how to seek restoration! This is a beautifully composed chapter!

Jesus says the answer is to be like little children. Sadly, children today are being indoctrinated with evil and do not have the innocence and purity. The wonderment and love towards one another. The blind trust in adults where Jesus could just grab a random child and say to his disciples to be like this child and the child did not scream, cry and yell out that some stranger touched him.

There is an attack on our understanding by the enemy. Therefore there is an attack on our children and it started long before any of us were born. AS soon as Jesus said to be like a child, the enemy wanted to change the nature of a child so we would misunderstand the scripture and miss the point of what Jesus is saying here. Well, not today satan! We are unpacking it.

I was a child who was abused by adults. At first I would only gravitate toward men as a safe place (my mother was an alcoholic, who already had a young child and she did not want me – to make things worse, I am “special needs” having ADHD and Autism). Then I was abused by men. I slowly pulled away from everyone. A child who is hurt, untrusting and isolated – is this what Jesus meant? Obviously NOT!

“Adonai, my heart isn’t proud; I don’t set my sight too high, I don’t take part in great affairs or in wonders far beyond me. No, I keep myself calm and quiet, like a little child on its mother’s lap — I keep myself like a little child.” Psalm 131:1-2 CJB

So I come across verses like I have to be like a child or this one in Psalms about climbing onto mother’s lap – or even onto Abba Father’s lap and from my broken perspective – how do I overcome and understand how I need to be? Then how do I, translate this understanding for you – who may also e coming from a place of brokenness and pain.

“Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” Matthew 18:4-5

Thankfully Jesus gives us some explanation: humility and receiving one another as if the other was Jesus Himself!

Humility – well if you have been reading this blog for a while you know what I am going to say! The only way up to heaven is down on your face in humility. REPENT AND BE SAVED! Repentance, fasting, staying lowly – THIS IS KEY!!! I have already shared a multitude of verses on this subject and here is just another. Repentance is a daily activity! Humility is learned and practiced – it is not natural.

We must spend time in the secret place to get humility right – to become like little children. Like we used to play secret fort, play secret place with God.

“The secret [of the wise counsel] of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will let them know His covenant and reveal to them [through His word] its [deep, inner] meaning.” Psalm 25:14 Amp

Deuteronomy 28:7

NKJV – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
NAS – “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated by you; they will go out against you one way and will flee at your presence seven ways.”
ESV – “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”
AMP – “The LORD will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.”
NIV – “The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.”

Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

BIBLE READING: Matthew 18 NKJV

Who Is the Greatest?

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

²Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Jesus Warns of Offenses

⁶“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷Woe to the world because of ^[a]offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

⁸“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. ⁹And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into ^[b]hell fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

¹⁰“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ¹¹For^[c] the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

¹²“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? ¹³And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

¹⁵“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

¹⁸“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

¹⁹“Again^[d] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

²²Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹So his fellow servant fell down ^[e]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you ^[f]all.’ ³⁰And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³²Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

³⁵“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother ^[g]his trespasses.”

Footnotes

Matthew 18:7 enticements to sin
Matthew 18:9 Gr. Gehenna
Matthew 18:11 NU omits v. 11.
Matthew 18:19 NU, M Again, assuredly, I say
Matthew 18:29 NU omits at his feet
Matthew 18:29 NU, M omit all
Matthew 18:35 NU omits his trespasses