Monthly Archives: October 2016

Are you ready for this? (Luke 9:26-27) October 21, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Habakkuk

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:26-27
Jesus: If you’re ashamed of who I am and what I teach, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in all His glory, the glory of the Father, and the glory of the holy messengers. Are you ready for this? I’m telling you the truth: some of you will not taste death until your eyes see the kingdom of God.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word ashamed as:
1a : feeling shame, guilt, or disgrace
b : feeling inferior or unworthy
2: restrained by anticipation of shame
But that definition is a little bit circular since it uses shame as part of its definition, so we need to look a little deeper and ask what does it mean to feel shame or guilt or disgrace. If you look at the definition of shame, Webster defines it as:
1 a : a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety
b : the susceptibility to such emotion <have you no shame?>
2: a condition of humiliating disgrace or disrepute : ignominy 3 a : something that brings censure or reproach; also : something to be regretted : pity <it’s a shame you can’t go>
b : a cause of feeling shame
So now let’s apply that definition to Jesus’ words.

Are you susceptible to feelings of humiliating disgrace or disrepute because of following Jesus? Do you have feelings of guilty or shortcomings or impropriety because of your faith in Christ? Does your faith bring you censure or reproach that you regret? Be careful in answering that last question. If you follow Christ, you can expect censure and reproach, but do you regret it? That’s the real question.

Do you let the world push you into their mold or make you think it’s not okay to follow Jesus? Do you let them quiet your voice in sharing the truth that He has freed you from the burden of guilt that enslaved you and now you live with His peace and joy each day? Do you live in hiding afraid to share the news that Jesus is still alive and lives in you?

If so, it’s a dangerous place to be. Jesus told those around Him, “If you are ashamed of Me, I’ll be ashamed of you when the Son of Man comes in His glory.”

We don’t know exactly what that will be like when He returns. We have some hints in Daniel, Revelations, and other eschatological writings, but those are just brief glimpses into what will be. What we know is He will return, not as the suffering servant, but as the victorious warrior over death and evil. Those who fail to proclaim Him as Lord in this life will be banished from His presence eternally.

So Jesus asks a question after His proclamation. “Are you ready for this?” If you’re ashamed of Me, are you ready to face the consequences that will come when I return? Are you ready to feel My shame toward you when I return in My glory and sweep across the earth as the victorious King of kings? Do you understand the wrath that will be poured out on all who cower because of My name when I come back from sitting at the Father’s right hand? Are you ready to face the consequences of your feelings of shame in following Me?

Ouch! Jesus’ words are aimed directly at America’s Christian population, it seems. We have buried our heads in the sand for the last several generations in our unwillingness to seem intolerant of others faith. In our misinterpretation of Jesus’ command not to judge others, we tolerate every violation of His commands among our fellow citizens and even among those who worship beside us with the crazy thought, “we’re not supposed to judge.”

We will not be the final judge and we should be careful how we judge others, but when others clearly behave in ways contrary to God’s word, that is not judgment. That is fulfilling the part of the great commission that says, “…disciple them. Form them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands i have laid down for you.”

Do we stand for Jesus or not? Do we accept our faith in Jesus as the only way to reach heaven and please the Father or not? Do we stand with Him when the rest of the world stands against Him or not? It is always our choice, but these words from Jesus should make us consider carefully the consequences of not standing for Him now. If we are ashamed of Him now, He will be ashamed of us when we stand before Him at the judgment. What will that mean for us? If He regrets He knows us, what does that mean for us in eternity?

I must admit, I don’t know the answer to that question. But I also don’t want to be on the wrong side finding out what it means through personal experience. I don’t want Jesus to be ashamed of me when I see Him in His glory. Paul says the indignities and suffering we endure now is not even worth noting compared to the glory we will receive when we come into His presence on the other side of the veil of death.

Are you ready for this?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Take up your cross (Luke 9:23-25) October 20, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 31

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:23-25
Jesus: If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full. Listen, what good does it do you if you gain everything—if the whole world is in your pocket—but then your own life slips through your fingers and is lost to you?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

From the baby boomer generation on, we have continued down a slippery slope of self indulgence. Almost everything we do as a society and as individuals starts with this unconscious question, “What’s in it for me?” We want to know the payback on everything we do. There are even instructions on how to work a room so that you don’t waste time with people who cannot benefit your long term goals. Conversation tips that help you know if they can add to your bottom line and if not, how to move out of the conversation quickly without making them an enemy.

We want to know the best return on our money and how quickly our investments can double or triple so we have plenty for our comfortable retirement. We want to figure out how we can retire at fifty so we can really enjoy our later years without struggling with the maladies of old age while we travel to exotic places and enjoy that retirement nest egg we’ve built for ourselves.

We want everything and we want it now. Oh, and we want all of it at no cost, no sacrifice to us personally or to those closest to us. We want it all. Period. Each generation seems to get a little worse than the one before. No one seems to want to look out for anyone but number one. That’s the way of the world today. But that is counter to what Jesus tells us to do. He says to take up our cross and follow Him. What did He do? He gave up everything for us. Even His life.

The writers of the New Testament letters continue this same theme. Die to self. Crucify your old life. Take up your cross. Let Christ live in you. Be transformed. Let baptism be the demonstration of death to self and life in Christ. There is this radical change that happens when we really give ourselves to Christ. We give up the rights to our will and let Him decide our course. Where most of the English translations use the same word, life, for the Greek words bios and zoe, they are different concepts in the Greek language. Christ gives us new zoe when He comes to abide in us.

Zoe is the reason for living. It is the purpose and direction behind our biological processes. It is the drive that pushes us toward a given goal in these seventy or eighty years we breath air and consume food on this planet. Bios describes that physiological process that we call life. Breathing, blood circulating through our body, the various processes that make this body move and and respond to various external stimuli. But zoe is why it all takes place. It is the purpose for which we live.

Jesus tells us be willing to suffer for the zoe He gives us. Don’t sacrifice your new zoe in Him for some temporal pleasure your bios might feel. Real life, zoe, is found in Him and that life goes on forever. Our physical frame dies, but our life goes on. And when we discipline our physical life, our bios to do what He tells us, to reach the goals He sets for us, we gain real life, zoe, the purpose He designed for us. But the reverse is also true. If we sacrifice the purpose for which God created us for the simple pleasures of this physical frame, we lose the real life, the real purpose and joy God intends for us. And His purpose and joy last for eternity, not just the few years we remain in these bodies of clay.

So what must we do to take up our cross and follow Him? I think if we focus on the second part, we will understand the first part. When we follow Him, we will find the cross we must bear. When we follow His commands, we will discover the world will not like what we do and we will suffer at the hands of those who do not wish the message of God spread to a world in desperate need of hearing it. It’s not hard now days to find crosses, but it is hard to find the path Jeus would have us follow. There are many false prophets that will tell you what you want to hear instead of the truth in God’s word.

Listen to Jesus. Read God’s word. Read for yourself the truth He gives us in the book that has survived every attempt to snuff it out. You’ll know the truth and the world will give you a cross if you follow it’s path.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How can we fail? (Luke 9:3-5) October 19, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 120-121

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 9:3-5
These were Jesus’ instructions:
Travel light on your journey: don’t take a staff, backpack, bread, money, or even an extra change of clothes.
When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that city.
If a town rejects you, shake the dust from your feet as you leave as a witness against them.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

I wonder if Jesus’ disciples thought He had lost His mind when He gave them these instructions as He sent them out into the surrounding towns and villages to share God’s message that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Are you kidding me? Take off without food or money or even anything to change into so I can wash my clothes from one day to the next? Where am I supposed to sleep? How am I supposed to eat? How will I make my way from place to place? Will God really take care of me as I take this message from one village to the next?

If you read a little further in Luke, you’ll find the reports about the disciples’ success. They were amazed at the provisions of a mighty God. They found listening ears. They found unbridled hospitality. They found villages and towns anxious to hear the good news they had to share as they traveled from place to place. Their challenge was trusting God enough to believe He would take care of their needs from day to day. But when they trusted Him, He took care of them.

It’s not unlike so many of the missionaries’ stories you hear from those our churches send into other places to share God’s word and message of salvation. God provides. Sometimes it’s money at just the right time. Sometimes it’s the right person to give guidance or assistance through a particular problem. Sometimes it’s the right place or property or building that seems impossible to secure for God’s use, but suddenly miracles take place and the spot is in your hands. God works through incredible means to secure the things we need to carry out the tasks He has given us to accomplish. When we follow His will for our lives, we cannot fail because it’s really not our mission, it’s His mission. And He can never fail.

What about this find a house and stay there? No invitation? No prior arrangements? Just go knock on the door and tell them we’re staying for a while? Tell them to vacate a bed and make room at the table?

“Well, how long are you staying?” they ask.

“Oh, until we leave.”

“How long will that be?”

“God will let us know. But thanks for the room until then.”

Now that sounds like a plan, doesn’t it? I’m ready to barge into a stranger’s house and tell them I’m taking up residence until God tells me to leave, aren’t you? But see, that’s the interesting thing about how God works. Sometimes God uses what looks like foolishness to the world to accomplish what He wants just to show us that He is in charge. He is God and we are not. He can make things happen behind the scenes that we have no idea is happening.

Jesus told His disciples to kick the dust off their feet in the towns that wouldn’t accept their message as a curse against them. But as you read their reports, I expect they didn’t use those curses much. That was one of the rules Jesus gave them, but God moves ahead of us when He gives us a job to do. I’m not sure they ever exercised that last rule. At least they never reported using it when they returned.

So the message for us today is to recognize that God gives us jobs to do. He doesn’t expect us to sit idle in our pews and just listen to sermons every week and feel good about what the preacher tells us. He doesn’t expect us to just enjoy the music we hear on Sunday or when we happen to turn on a religious radio station. God has jobs He wants us to do. If you listen for Him, you’ll hear Him and He will give you a mission to further His plans to expand His kingdom. He will put you in the path of individuals that need to hear your story and know that God is good and can free them from the bondage of sin just as He freed you from the bondage of sin.

The world will think you foolish in the undertaking of God’s plan. But the world is blinded by Satan’s lies. Remember God created this place and makes everything work. While the world listens to Satan’s lies about what won’t work, God makes it happen. Just listen to Him. Follow His directions. Do what He says. You’ll find that His instructions turn out well every time. After all, He wrote the book. He does the impossible. He is God. How can we fail if we follow in His path?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Go tell the story (Luke 8:39) October 18, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – 2 Chronicles 21-24

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 8:39
Jesus: No. Go home. Tell your people this amazing story about how much God has done for you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus and His disciples travel to the region of the Garasenes. There they meet a man possessed by an army of demons. I can’t imagine what that would be like. I can’t imagine what being possessed by one demon would be like. I don’t want to find out. I don’t want to know what it’s like to lose control of who you are because of one or more of Satan’s minions living in you. But this man had a war going on inside him. A battalion of demons warred for control. They had him, it was a question of which of them would be in charge at any one time and so the man was driven mad.

You know the story. Jesus comes along and tells the demons to leave the man. They request to go into the a herd of pigs instead of into the abyss prepared for Satan and his demons. Jesus grants their request, but the demons drive the pigs mad also and the animals run off the edge of a cliff into the sea and drown. The town hears about the events and come out to see this man who could deliver their mad-man from his army of demons.

The town comes out en mass and listens to Jesus’ words but then ask Him to leave. They just can’t handle the things He does or the things He says. They want Jesus gone. They are comfortable with their way of life and don’t want any change, even if it means putting up with their demon possessed mad-man. They just can’t imagine giving up their routine for anything or anyone. “Jesus, just go away and leave us alone.”

I’m afraid as I look at our society we, as a nation, act a lot like that group of citizens who told Jesus to go away. “We like our comfort. We like our toys and gadgets. We like to enjoy our pleasures. We like to do what we want. We don’t want anyone to tell us what to do. Go away Jesus.” You might not think that’s what we do, but that’s what our actions as a nation tell me. We are very far from being a Christian nation. In fact, I’m afraid we’ve let that attitude creep into many of our so called Christian churches. We’ve adopted the attitude of the world and want our way more than God’s way. We want Jesus’ picture in the hallway, but we don’t want His direction ruining our plans. So in the back of our minds we say, “Go away Jesus.”

What does that have to do with the words we’re exploring today? Jesus told the man He freed from the demons to stay in his hometown and spread the word of what happened. Many of our churches and denominations spend a lot of money and effort sending missionaries to other countries to spread the gospel around the world. My own denomination has missionaries in 180 countries around the world. That’s a good thing. We should continue to do that. Part of the great commission is to go into all the world. But that’s the last part of the location stream Jesus talked about.

Jesus first said go to Jerusalem, hometown, where you live, the street you call home. Witness there. Jesus knew there were plenty of people all around you that needed to hear the good news. You don’t have to go to a foreign country to find people who don’t know Christ. If I were a betting man, I would bet a month’s pay you have members of your family that have not given their life fully to Christ. Disciple them. I would be a year’s pay you have someone on your block that has not heard God will forgive them of their sins if they will confess and in repentance ask for His forgiveness.

I know there are hundreds, or thousands within a one mile radius of where you live, depending on whether you live in the country or the city, that are not citizens of the kingdom of God and are at this point eternally lost unless someone shares with them the nature of God and His desire to bring everyone into His kingdom if they will repent.

Who will tell them? Do you expect a missionary from some other country to come to your neighborhood that must learn our language and culture to convey God’s message of salvation to them? Do you expect another church to send out invitations to Christ to the people in your neighborhood? Do you expect your neighbors to just happen by the church you attend and give their lives to Jesus because you attend your church?

Those might sound like crazy questions, but that’s the way we act most of the time, isn’t it? The Garasean Jesus freed from the control of that army of demons wanted to go with Him to help share the message that God’s kingdom had arrived in the person of Jesus. But Jesus gave him a mission. Go home and tell those you meet in your village the story of what happened to you. That’s what Jesus asks of each of us, too. Go home and tell the story of what Jesus has done for you. Simple mission. Now go and do it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Nothing is hidden (Luke 8:16-18) October 17, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Deuteronomy 1-3

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 8:16-18
Jesus: You wouldn’t light a lamp and cover it with a clay pot. You’re not going to hide it under your bed. No, when you light it, you’re going to put it out in the open so your guests can feel welcome and see where they’re going.
Hidden things will always come out into the open. Secret things will come to light and be exposed. I hope you’re still listening. And I hope you’re listening carefully. If you get what I’m saying, you’ll get more. If you miss My meaning, even the understanding you think you have will be taken from you.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus’ words remind me of just how powerful and important light is to us. I remember a time when I was in ROTC in college, a buddy and I were on a scouting mission together. We got just a little off track and thought we would get out of the woods and onto some more familiar territory by using a railroad track that bisected the area that enclosed the training area we were supposed to occupy. When we got to the track we decided we would head toward a red signal light we saw in the distance.

Because it was a dark night with no moon, heavy cloud cover, and a light rain falling, we had trouble making out any of the land formations around us. That’s what got us a little disoriented in the first place and caused us to lose our pace count and direction. So when we saw the light in the distance we figured we would be safe and on track once more. We headed that direction.

We didn’t realize then just how far you can see a railroad signal light in the dark. We were accustomed to seeing flashlights and car headlights in the dark. You can see a flashlight a few hundred yards and headlights a mile or so in the weather we were experiencing. But a signal for the railroad? Two hours later at a fairly brisk jog, we seemed no closer to that light than when we started. By then, we knew we were well out of the boundaries of the training area we were supposed to stay in. In fact, we might have even left the installation at that point, but really didn’t know without any landmarks to guide us.

After another hour of moving toward that light, we finally arrived and spent the rest of the night next to that railroad signal. We found out just how bright and how tall those things are. We also felt a lot more secure knowing we would be able to pinpoint our location once the sun came up using that signal along and the terrain around us. We could make it back to our camp from there. We blew the mission. We were embarrassed. But that light helped us make it home. We were happy to have it at 1:30 that morning 45 years ago. I’m so thankful that light was burning and not hidden from view.

Light does that for us. It dispels the darkness and gives us comfort on the darkest nights. It gives us hope and encouragement when it seems there is otherwise none to be had. Light is something we seek and it draws us when we find ourselves in darkness. It pulls us toward it because light tries to bring out the detail we want to see around us. Light comforts us.

But it also reminds us of the second part of the words we’re considering today. “Hidden things will always come out into the open.”

How often have you groped around in the dark for something and then with the flick of a switch, you turn on the light and there the item is right in front of you. I do it all the time. Unfortunately, I’m one of those that need a CPAP or BiPAP when I sleep at night because I have a tendency to stop breathing periodically. But I often put the contraption on in the dark since it’s really easy to operate and I’ve been using it for over ten years. The problem is that it does have a few parts that fit together and if one of those parts happen to slip off, many times I can’t find it in the dark no matter how hard I try. But as soon as I turn the lamp on the nightstand on, I can instantly see that part that lies just beyond my pitiful attempts to find it without that light. Light brings out the hidden things.

The same is true of our lives. Just look at the vitriol that pours out during this political campaign. Look at the candidates’ hidden lives that are coming out in the media on both sides of the aisle. Those evils each have committed are being flashed through the news, twitter, Facebook, and every other electronic media available. Little about their lives over their entire lifetime is being hidden from public view. Even all those alleged sexual assaults from the Republican candidate and the email trail that is shows the selling of favors to our enemies on the part of our Democratic candidate while Secretary of State. Nothing is hidden.

But think of what the final judgment will be like. Not even our thoughts will be hidden on that day. God will expose every act and every thought for the whole world to see. The only question after that display is whether all those acts of disobedience have been forgiven through your repentant prayer. How about it?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Do a little tilling (Luke 8:5-15) October 16, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Hebrews 11-13

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 8:5-15
Jesus: Once a farmer went out to scatter seed in his fields. Some seeds fell along a trail where they were crushed underfoot by people walking by. Birds flew in and ate those seeds. Other seeds fell on gravel. Those seeds sprouted but soon withered, depleted of moisture under the scorching sun. Still other seeds landed among thorns where they grew for a while, but eventually the thorns stunted them so they couldn’t thrive or bear fruit. But some seeds fell into good soil—soft, moist, free from thorns. These seeds not only grew, but they also produced more seeds, a hundred times what the farmer originally planted. If you have ears, hear My meaning!
His disciples heard the words, but the deeper meaning eluded them.
Disciples: What were You trying to say?
Jesus: The kingdom of God contains many secrets.
They keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep observing, but do not understand.
I want you to understand, so here’s the interpretation: The voice of God falls on human hearts like seeds scattered across a field. Some people hear that message, but the devil opposes the liberation that would come to them by believing. So he swoops in and steals the message from their hard hearts like birds stealing the seeds from the footpath. Others receive the message enthusiastically, but their vitality is short-lived because the message cannot be deeply rooted in their shallow hearts. In the heat of temptation, their faith withers, like the seeds that sprouted in gravelly soil. A third group hears the message, but as time passes, the daily anxieties, the pursuit of wealth, and life’s addicting delights outpace the growth of the message in their hearts. Even if the message blossoms and fruit begins to form, the fruit never fully matures because the thorns choke out the plants’ vitality.
But some people hear the message and let it take root deeply in receptive hearts made fertile by honesty and goodness. With patient dependability, they bear good fruit.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

So there are two perspectives from which to view Jesus’ story as He tells it to the crowd that day. Are you the one sowing the seed or are you the soil on which the seed is sown? It’s important to understand that each of us are in both positions all the time if we are part of the kingdom of God. Now why would I say that if we have already heard the word and accepted Christ as Lord of our life? What would make us continue to need to hear this story and apply it to our lives?

Let’s think about the story from the sower’s perspective first. Sometimes and in some places sharing the word will result in only pain and suffering for those who share it with nothing good in return. The hearers are like the hard path Jesus talked about that seed takes no root at all. Sharing the word at those times is a waste of breath and effort. Like arguing with a drunk. Nothing you say will be comprehended or remembered because of the circumstances at the time. Every once in a while you know you’re in that situation, but those don’t come around often.

If I’m honest, most of the time, I think I find myself among rocks and thorns when I’m sharing with people in the world. Either the truth takes little root because of the cultural background of the individual and there just isn’t any comparisons to help make the transition from what they have heard and believed all their life to the truth of God’s word. Or they are so tied to the pleasures of this world and the lies Satan gives us that they don’t want to give them up for any reason. They want the temporary pleasures more than they want eternal life. They want their way and self control more than their willingness to let God control their life. We still should share the message with these because the seed does take root. Some will grow. Most will be choked out because of the rock or the thorns, but some will survive even in that environment. We must share with them and pray that God will rescue them from their situation.

Then there are those you share the word with that are eager to hear. They need to know God’s truth and want hope that nothing and no one can give except God. They want freedom from the burden of sin they carry. The guilt that sin piles on our shoulders that can never be relieved except by the grace of a merciful God. These listen intently to the testimony we give as we share what God has done for us. These are like the rich, moist, fertile soil that produces a bountiful crop at harvest time. These are the people we must find and to whom we must share boldly and openly. These are the ones who will grow to become sowers themselves and reap their own harvests one day.

How about the story from the soil’s perspective? Why would I mention that even believers must take heed to this story? It’s because we never quit learning. God never leaves us as we are because we never attain the perfection He wants us to attain in this life. Remember we live in damaged bodies. We inherited these afflicted frames through the sin scarred world in which we live. So there is a lot of work to be done to help us become more like Christ.

Studies tell us it takes 10,000 of focused practice to become an expert in any field. But to have complete mastery over that same field take much more than that 10,000 hours. There’s a difference between being an expert and having complete mastery over something. God wants us to have mastery by giving Him complete mastery. The problem is we have remnants of that Adamic nature that plagues us as long as we live in these bodies of clay.

So as God gives you instruction, will you be like the hard packed path and not listen to Him at all? Or like the rocky and thorny soil and let your wishes over ride His so that His new truth for your life doesn’t take root and help you become more like Him? Or will you let your life always be like the rich, moist, fertile soil so that whatever God shares with you will germinate, grow, and return a harvest a hundred fold in your life? The good news is you get to choose the type soil you let your life consist of. You’re the farmer of your heart. How about doing a little tilling today?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What will you do in heaven? (Luke 7:44-50) October 15, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Acts 7-8

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:44-50
Jesus: Do you see this woman here? It’s kind of funny. I entered your home, and you didn’t provide a basin of water so I could wash the road dust from My feet. You didn’t give Me a customary kiss of greeting and welcome. You didn’t offer Me the common courtesy of providing oil to brighten My face. But this woman has wet My feet with her own tears and washed them with her own hair. She hasn’t stopped kissing My feet since I came in. And she has applied perfumed oil to My feet. This woman has been forgiven much, and she is showing much love. But the person who has shown little love shows how little forgiveness he has received.
(to the woman) Your sins are forgiven.
Simon and Friends (muttering among themselves): Who does this guy think He is? He has the audacity to claim the authority to forgive sins?
Jesus (to the woman): Your faith has liberated you. Go in peace.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Have you ever thought about what you will do when you get to heaven and have an eternity to spend with Jesus? What’s the first thing you’ll do when you see Him? What do you think it will be like?

Some have written books about near death experiences and what they have described as glimpses of heaven they were privileged to see. Some have talked about people they’ve met, loved ones who passed on before them and greeted them as they entered the world beyond this physical one in which we reside. Some have tried to describe the incredible music that touched their ears as they listened the celestial choirs singing their praises to the King of Kings. Others have tried to describe the array of colors that make our color palates seem dull.

Writers talk about the conversations they have with those around them and the knowledge they have of everyone. No strangers in heaven. There is a familiarity among everyone because we are all brothers and sisters together in Christ. They talk about the indescribable light that floods the place. Brighter than the noon-day sun, yet they are not blinded by it, but rather they are soothed by its warmth and comfort. Writers try to describe the peace and beauty of the place they glimpse in these near death experiences, their glimpse of heaven, but they all tell us they fall short in their ability to adequately tell us of what heaven is really like.

But have you thought about what you will do when you get to heaven? I don’t remember reading any of those authors talking about meeting Jesus or falling at His feet. I think it’s because they only get a glimpse of heaven, not entry into that place. I don’t think we’ll get to see it in full, in all of its glory until the end of time, but I’ve not read any of those authors talk about falling at Jesus feet for some reason.

But I really think that’s what we will all do when we get there. This woman Jesus describes in Luke chapter 7 recognized what Jesus had done for her. She was an outcast to society. Everyone looked down on her. She was a prostitute. She sold her body to survive in a territory that said she should be stoned for such a debasing action. God holds humans in such high esteem, He think treating His personal temple, our flesh, in such a way deserved the penalty of stoning. Or at least that’s what He told Moses to share with the Israelites, His chosen people.

Jesus recognized the potential in her when her sins were washed away, though. He saw who she could be and when she came to Him in repentance, He forgave. He looked beyond her sin and saw who God made her to be. He saw the beautiful creation God intended and lifted the guilt from her shoulders. What could she do but fall to her feet in gratitude and cry those crocodile tears of joy on His feet?

Simon, who thought himself better than the sinner cleaned by the power of Jesus’ forgiveness, still looked down on the woman because he couldn’t see what Jesus saw. Simon was repulsed by the woman, Jesus loved her as one of God’s children. Simon was disgusted with her presence, Jesus welcomed her. Simon chastised Jesus for letting this prostitute come near Him, Jesus elevated her action into the annals of history. What a difference in the way God sees us and the way others see us! Aren’t you glad God doesn’t pass judgment on us the way the rest of humanity does?

But maybe we should be taking lessons from Jesus, too. Maybe we should take care when we are quick to judge those around us and label them with all sorts of names. Usually those labels are given just so we can justify our own less than honorable actions. We look down on others so we can help ourselves think we are somehow better than those around us. We are not. We still far so short of God’s standard and need His forgiveness.

What will I do when I get to heaven? I think I will probably fall face down at Jesus feet and sob like a baby, thanking Him for His forgiveness for the first few millennia. After that, I might find enough voice to begin singing His praises. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

The debt forgiven (Luke 7:40-41) October 14, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Nahum

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:40-41
Jesus (knowing what the Pharisee is thinking): Simon, I want to tell you a story.
Simon: Tell me, Teacher.
Jesus: Two men owed a certain lender a lot of money. One owed 100 weeks’ wages, and the other owed 10 weeks’ wages. Both men defaulted on their loans, but the lender forgave them both. Here’s a question for you: which man will love the lender more?

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

Jesus’ story caused me to do a little research. It made me wonder when the first bank opened. The first institution to make a business of securing other people’s money and using it to provide loans to others at interest, then distributing part of the interest to those whose money was used for the loans and part as profit for the business. Banks are interesting institutions. They do wondrous things for the economy. They create money when there really isn’t any. They loan money that really isn’t theirs to loan and even isn’t there in the first place. Just look at the bank runs of 1929 and you’ll see how little money really exists out there. Ten cents on the dollar would be very generous. It’s probably more like one cent on the dollar. The rest of the funds are found in some liquid and not so liquid assets.

Which leads us to the issue of today’s words from Jesus. Have you thought about how much debt Americans hold today? There are a few families that carry absolutely no debt. Houses, cars, credit cards, all paid off. No debt. They pay everything every month with no interest accumulating. But for those with any kind of debt, credit cards, school loans, mortgages, auto loans, etc., the average American household owes over $130,000 and pays $6,600 a year in interest. Pretty scary isn’t it.

The scariest part is that the $12 trillion dollars that we Americans owe to bankers and businesses doesn’t include the $17 trillion we American tax payers owe to other countries because of the debt our Congress has racked up in its gluttonous spending habits. So add that to the family debt and suddenly we each owe twice as much as we thought we did. Sounds great doesn’t it.

Thank you, whoever came up with the borrower and lender scheme way back in the Old Testament days. Shakespeare got it right, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” He got that from Paul in Romans 13 when he say, “Don’t owe anyone anything, with the exception of love to one another.” What a different world we would live in if we didn’t have debt hanging over our heads every day, don’t you think? Parents could spend more time with their children instead of feeling like they must get that extra dollar to just make it. Maybe one of them could stay home when the kids are young instead of having a child care center raise them. Maybe we could even learn to stop chasing money to make ends meet and save for the future. That would be something, wouldn’t it?

But back to Jesus’ words. So now each of our families owe an average of $250,000 whether we like it or not. Some owe more, some owe less, but that’s the average, and by the way, if you think you are debt free, remember that tax bill out there. You’re still part of that, so that $150,000 that you co-signed as an American citizen still belongs to you. Maybe you’ll want to think about that when you vote in a couple of weeks for the people that want to spend more of our money! We are the ones that have to pay the bill.

So now that we have some parameters about debt and where we stand on what the future looks like for us financially, what do you think about Jesus’ words? How would you like the government to suddenly tell you that you don’t have to pay your part of that $17 trillion? Of course in government, the problem is that someone else has to pay it or the lender has to tell us the debt is forgiven, neither of which is a good idea or likely to happen. But what if? How would you feel for all debts to be paid? Everything you owe forgiven?

What about the penalty for your sins? I recently read through Leviticus again. That book of the Old Testament is pretty scary. It gives the punishments God laid out for unintentional violations of His commands. God assumed in His dealings with His chosen people that they would follow Him, so the punishments prescribed and the offerings administered were to atone for those wrongs that someone unintentionally committed. If you’ll examine those Old Testament scriptures, you’ll find that those who intentionally violated God’s laws were put to death.

But now Jesus comes on the scene. Forgiveness is available. When we ask in repentance, He forgives. Remember repentance means turning away from the old life and turning toward Him, though. It means living His way, not ours. But when we ask the debt we owe because of our sins goes away. It is paid in full, forgiven by the only One able to do so.

Now how do you feel? If He has forgiven that debt for you, you should feel the joy only He can give. 

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

How will they know? (Luke 7:31-35) October 13, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Proverbs 29-30

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:31-35
Jesus: The people of this generation—what are they like? To what can they be compared? I’ll tell you: they’re like spoiled kids sitting in the marketplace playing games, calling out,
We played the pipes for you,
but you didn’t dance to our tune!
We cried like mourners,
but you didn’t cry with us!
You can’t win with this generation. John the Baptist comes along, fasting and abstaining from wine, and you say, “This guy is demon-possessed!” The Son of Man comes along, feasting and drinking wine, and you say, “This guy is a glutton and a drunk, a friend of scoundrels and tax collectors!” Well, wisdom’s true children know wisdom when they hear it.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

People are so fickle when it comes to hearing the truth. We find every excuse under the sun to figure out how to turn away from it and assume the truth doesn’t apply to us, don’t we? That’s what was happening to Jesus and His disciples in this scene.

The Pharisees and the religious leaders of His day didn’t like the crowds Jesus gathered around Him as He talked about the scriptures in the market places and on the hillsides. These discussions were supposed to be taking place in the temple and synagogues under their tutelage and with their interpretations. Not as some unknown carpenter thought the scriptures should be applied. Who did He think He was? But the crowds kept coming. They liked what they heard. They listened with great intensity because what Jesus said made sense and He had such authority in His voice. More so that any of the scribes and Pharisees and priests they heard, anyway.

So once again the Pharisees confront Jesus and try to calm Him down and get Him to stop preaching. They try to get Him to stop these proclamations He keeps making about who He thinks God is and what religions is supposed to be about. So Jesus upends their arguments once again. Did you like John and His message? No, he obeyed your commands too much. He took vows of poverty and ritual cleansing and fasting that you thought went too far. He made your rituals look like movie trailers compared to his practice of real righteousness and you didn’t accept him as authentic in his worship.

You said he needed to dress better, eat more, get around people and behave like they did. Don’t be such a hermit. Don’t spend so much time praying and fasting and preaching. People will think you’ve gone off the deep end on this righteousness stuff. You can’t look too holy or no one will like you. They’ll think you’re better than them or something. Or they’ll think you’re crazy. No one will believe your story if you look and act too much like John.

Then Jesus comes along. Jesus ate with the tax collectors and thieves and rabble of the cities because they needed to hear God’s message of forgiveness. They knew they were far from God and they couldn’t go into the temple and the synagogues because they weren’t accepted there. How were they to find God if they couldn’t get to the altar and hear His message? The religious leaders would have nothing to do with them because they were sinners. They were obviously lost and they were without help from the holy people. So they were without hope…until Jesus came along.

Jesus ate with them. Drank with them. Sang with them. And Jesus gave them a message of hope and forgiveness. One the Pharisees and religious leaders knew was contained in the pages of the scrolls they memorized, but they would never dirty their hands to share it with ‘those people’. But Jesus did. He shared the message God sent to the world. The message of atonement, forgiveness, cleansing from the guilt of sin. These sinners soaked up the message the Pharisees and religious leaders hoarded within the walls of their sanctuaries and refused to share outside the confines of their collective pious gathering.

Is it any wonder Jesus was welcomed by the crowd from the other side of the tracks so often? Is it any wonder He feasted with the tax collectors and prostitutes and obvious sinners? They longed to hear the message the priests refused to share outside the confines of their ‘club of the uber pious’. They needed to hear that they could be freed from the guilt that weighed heavily on their souls. They needed to hear they could be forgiven of the wrongs they committed and weren’t doomed forever with no way to make restitution to man or God. They needed to find a way back into God’s kingdom.

But they couldn’t find a way…until Jesus became their friend and shared the joy of knowing sins can be forgiven for the asking. The chains of sin can be broken for the asking. The slavery to Satan can be redeemed by the blood of the spotless One when we accept His atonement for our sins. We can be made free once again when we live for Him instead of living for ourselves. We can find freedom in Him.

But how will those who don’t darken the door of our churches and synagogues and temples knows that message unless we befriend them and tell them?

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Be great by sharing the message (Luke 7:24-28) October 12, 2016

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Psalms 119

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Luke 7:24-28
Jesus: When you went out into the wilderness to see John, what were you expecting? A reed shaking in the wind? What were you looking for? A man in expensive clothing? Look, if you were looking for fancy clothes and luxurious living, you went to the wrong place—you should have gone to the kings’ courts, not to the wilderness! What were you seeking? A prophet? Ah yes, that’s what John is, and even more than a prophet. The prophet Malachi was talking about John when he wrote,
I will send My messenger before You,
to clear Your path in front of You.
Listen, there is no human being greater than this man, John the Baptist. Yet even the least significant person in the coming kingdom of God is greater than John.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

It’s funny how we get our value systems all turned around in this world, isn’t it? We think big house, fancy cars, clothes and jewelry are the emblems of success. We consider multiple bank accounts, more than one house, long vacations in exotic places, and extravagant spending the things for which to strive in this world. But Jesus points to John in his camel skin cloak, his wild hair and diet of honey and locust and whatever else he can find to eat in the wilderness and says this scraggly looking prophet is the greatest human being on the planet. There is none greater than John the Baptist.

How can that be? He has nothing. He has no home. He has no means of transportation. He has no decent set of clothing. He doesn’t know where his next meal will come from. How can Jesus look at anyone with a straight face and say John is the greatest human being who ever lived? Doesn’t Jesus say that He knows Moses and Elijah and the other great prophets? Doesn’t Jesus talk about David and Solomon and Hezekiah, the great kings of the great nation of Israel? Doesn’t Jesus understand the history of men like these? How can Jesus say this homeless man who says this illegitimate son of a carpenter is the Messiah be the greatest human being who ever lived? Jesus must be crazy!

But Jesus looked into the heart of John and saw what he had done. John fulfilled his purpose perfectly. John took none of the limelight even though he had great opportunity to do so. John began preaching about the coming Messiah and scores of people flocked to hear his message. John had the people’s ear. He could have usurped the Father’s will and made himself out to be the long awaited One. But he didn’t. He stayed on the course God set for him.

That’s where John’s greatness lay. It certainly wasn’t his wealth or his oratory skill or his property or his beauty. The only thing John had going for him was the fact that God chose him for a particular mission and he carried out that mission faithfully. Even when it would have been easy to back peddle just a little and save himself from prison and the executioners axe, John still stayed true to his mission and called God’s chosen people to repent of their sins. He let them know that the kingdom of God had burst in upon the scene and the rules were changing. They had to make up their mind about who they would follow and they had to do it quickly. They must either follow or reject Jesus, but to make the wrong choice meant an eternity separated from the One who could rescue them from the bondage of slavery they felt every day.

Did John fully understand the message He shared with those around him? I’m not sure he did. I stand on this side of the cross’ history. You and I have knowledge John and Jesus’ disciples didn’t have when they received the message John shared. I share the message of repentance and Jesus’ forgiveness often. I try to share it with you in this podcast every day. But do I fully understand the message I share? Not on this side of eternity’s curtain.

There is so much I will not understand about how the triune Godhead works, yet I still believe it is true. I do not understand how Jesus’ blood, shed 2,000 years ago, acts as the payment for the sins I commit today, yet I believe it does when I ask for his forgiveness because I feel the burden of guilt lifted from my heart. I do not understand how God can extend His grace to me when I was His enemy, yet I know He did because I feel His presence in my life every day.

There is so much about the message I will not understand until I can sit as Jesus’ feet and ask Him about it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t believe His message isn’t true. I know His message is true. I’ve seen His hand at work. I’ve felt His presence in my own life and watched Him work His miracles in the lives of others. I know He is God and forgives sins when we ask. I know He can help us live the lives He purposed us to live when we give Him authority over us. I know He can make us greater than we can ever be without Him.

What made John so great? He shared the message unfaltering to a world who needed to hear it desperately. Can Jesus make you great as well? You bet He can. Just share what He has done for you. That’s the message we are to share with others. He commands us to be His witnesses. So go ahead and start today.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.