Category: LUKE

RE Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (day six)  “Will not God bring about JUSTICE for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:8)  “I tell you, this man went to his house JUSTIFIED rather than the other.”  (Luke 18:14)  The Bible is filled with people who pray when in trouble.  When life is unfair.  When justice doesn’t come.  “I waited patiently for the Lord. . .He heard my cry and brought me out of the pit of destruction.”  (Psalm 40:1)  Valid use of prayer. ( See Luke 18 — story of the determined widow)  Our reading this week is a second story.  Deeper story,  I think.  Subject still prayer.   Rather than ask that for JUSTICE ( for his circumstances to be made right) the tax-collector seeks to be JUSTIFIED (made right with God).  It is a rare prayer.  Harder.  Different focus.   Most of us blame life and others for our misery or ineffectiveness. This man knew.  What needed to be put right was his own heart.   

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day four)
If you drive a car, you know about blind spots.  They are those areas around your vehicle that you cannot see with your mirrors or by turning your head around.  Your blind spots are visible to everyone else with a different perspective, but as the driver, they are invisible to you.  We all have spiritual blind spots as well.  Attitudes or character flaws that those around us can clearly see…but we are oblivious to them.  In this parable, Jesus explains the danger of a spiritual blind spot.  This Pharisee took pride in his own righteousness…he trusted in his own ‘good works’.  What was obvious to everyone else was the tragic failure of his not trusting in Christ.  Often times, we think we can do it on our own.  We don’t believe we need Christ, or worse, we never even consider Him.  The tragedy is that our false righteousness will not bring true justification.  Ask God to give you His perspective…ask Him to show you your blind spots.  The result of your humility will be genuine forgiveness and true justification.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (Day Three) 
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled.”  Why is this so?  Does God do this in order to teach self-exalters a lesson?  Yes, but not if by “teach them a lesson” we mean “give them their comeuppance”.  The essence of these words is more about how God rules this universe and less about anticipating the fate of the proud.  When we look forward to the haughty getting theirs, aren’t we exalting ourselves over them?  Let us proceed with great care.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day two)
What a blessing it is to watch and help cultivate the formation of my two daughters.  One of the things that struck me when I became a father was the absolute devotion my girls show to us.  As children, especially my toddler, they know nothing of fear, hate, pain, disappointment.  They know trust, love, and joy.  When I look into the eyes of my baby, you can clearly see what Jesus was talking about in Luke 18.  Her eyes are clear, bright, and undiminished.  They carry none of the pain that colors all who try to live apart from His perfect will.  Those eyes are to me a reminder of how far my faith still has to grow, but what an excellent reminder.

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day one) 
Our scripture this week is about prayer and preschoolers.  Luke puts these two stories together.  Same lesson.  God’s help moves toward humility.  Ego= problem.  To be a sinner and know it (and be humbled by the failure) is actually a better position than to be a respectable person trapped in pride.  The story of the children illustrates the same truth.  No one in ancient society had less standing than a child.  No disqualification, this native, intuitive humility gave a child special advantage in the eyes of Christ.  Maybe coincidence.  Maybe not.  This weekend our search team will recommend a candidate to become FBC’s Minister to Preschool and Children. Welcome Jimmy Gunn!  (and Ashley and Ezekiel)  A huge step forward in the “Next Gen” strategy approved last spring.  My prayer?   As we think seriously about what/how we will teach children, we also think about what they can teach us.  If my people will humble themselves. . .

Re: Verse reading – Luke 14:25-35 (day seven) 
The confusion is deep.  Inside me.  A twisted motive to love God in pursuit of self.  To make Him a “means to an end”.  Better family, life, eternity.  The end game, however, is still ME.  Jesus didn’t think this way.  He warned against it.  “Which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the COST?”  (v 28)  Early on the true follower of Christ must have an honest conversation with himself.  Is this about God or me?  Is God worthy of my love even when His path costs me the things I hoped for?  Must I truly hate (comparative word) all other things in order to give him the exclusive love He deserves?  “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:7)  NOT a means to an end, God is a brand new reason for living!

Re: Verse reading – Luke 14:25-35 (day six) 
I did not have to persuade her.  She understood.  29 years ago, when I proposed marriage to Holly Holm and she accepted (cue LOUD, HAPPY music!) she agreed that I would be her only love.  I agreed the same for her.  Since that day, she and I have faithfully hated, denied, rejected and broken the heart of every other suitor for our affections (personal, professional, circumstantial).  Essential! Beautiful!  Necessary part of the marriage equation.  No room for anyone else.  Exclusive.  I think this what Jesus meant in Luke 18.  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.”  (v 26)  Those who follow Christ into the life of the Spirit must be prepared to reject all other lovers.  Nothing and no one can come close to the loyalty we have for Him.  He desires/deserves an exclusive love.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 14:25-35 (Day four)
Thank you for participating in our ‘40 Days of Prayer’. Yesterday concluded our emphasis, but we invite you to continue to pray for the needs before us as a church. We want to be found faithful. As our Re: Verse study resumes, it is appropriate that this week’s passage deals with the cost of following Christ. Does Christ expect us to pray and seek guidance as an individual…as a church? Let me answer for you…YES. Jesus is teaching in some very strong terms of what is required of the believer. If we could sum it up in one word, it is everything! Some preachers these days would have you to believe that all you have to do is ask Christ into your heart and the circumstances of your life will be great and nothing else is required of you. Wrong. To follow Christ costs us everything. Yes, our life is eternally changed, but the circumstances of our life may include persecution and suffering. Whatever the cost, obedience must be absolute.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 14:25-35 (Day four)
Thank you for participating in our ‘40 Days of Prayer’.  Yesterday concluded our emphasis, but we invite you to continue to pray for the needs before us as a church.  We want to be found faithful.  As our ReVerse study resumes, it is appropriate that this week’s passage deals with the cost of following Christ.  Does Christ expect us to pray and seek guidance as an individual…as a church?   Let me answer for you…YES.  Jesus is teaching in some very strong terms of what is required of the believer.  If we could sum it up in one word, it is everything!  Some preachers these days would have you to believe that all you have to do is ask Christ into your heart and the circumstances of your life will be great and nothing else is required of you.  Wrong.  To follow Christ costs us everything.  Yes, our life is eternally changed, but the circumstances of our life may include persecution and suffering.  Whatever the cost, obedience must be absolute.