Today’s reading: Luke 16:1-18

“He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How we look.
How we feel.
These two things are how most of us make so many of our decisions.

Yet God is looking deeper. He is seeing all the way to the depths of who we are, our hearts.

What others externally value is detestable to God. The word for detestable here is bdelygma in the Greek and can also be translated as horror.

So what does God want? I think the words of Paul speak so we to this:

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 (ESV): Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Let’s let God teach us about looking and feeling. Let’s surrender to His agenda for all things, including money. 🤲💰

Today’s reading: Luke 15

Luke 15:
One of the most well known, well loved, and easily applied places in all of the Bible.

Why? Maybe this parable has what we need to realize who we are and who Jesus is.

We have all squandered and wasted our time and energy on rebellion against God. (Romans 3:23)

Hopefully at some point we “came to our senses” and made a plan to return to our Creator. (Psalm 73:22)

Yet it is another thing altogether to put the plan into play and make the journey home. We can’t just leave it at a thought. (Acts 3:19)

The father sees his son and runs, hugs, kisses and celebrates him. Jesus says that this was driven by two things:

Love + Compassion

Only unconditional love and compassion can drive extravagant acts of grace. God has these in excess and so should we.

The father is bent on comparing the returning of his son to resurrection. “He was dead and now...” This what happens when we come home. (Rom 6:3-5, Eph 2:1-10)

The older brother needed to ask, “What if I had ran and returned?”

Today’s reading: Luke 14:7-35

“In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Following Jesus may cost you everything.

It may cost you those that you love. If they refuse the invitation laid out in Luke 14:15-24, they won’t ever understand why you’ve taken such drastic measures to follow someone who is said to have raised from the dead.

It may cost you your own life. There have been millions whom have lost their lives simply because they chose to follow Jesus. Tertullian, who lived in the 2nd and 3rd centuries said, “...the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

Yet when we count the cost, it is all worth it to gain Christ (Philippians 3:8). What a privilege it would be to give our lives for the sake of the gospel.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliot

Today’s reading: Luke 13:22-35, 14:1-6

Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:24

This is Jesus’ answer to the question about the amount of people who will be saved.

Everything about this oozes with being intentional. Yet proximity doesn’t seem to ensure our entrance into heaven. Driving by churches or being friends with those who follow Jesus doesn’t secure our salvation. Neither does attending (or now watching) church services.

The word for know here is a common word, oida. It is used of mere acquaintances. Yet it doesn’t matter so much about how we perceive how we “know” Jesus, it is more about how he perceives it.

So how to we get to know Jesus, or to be known by him?

We pray, we communicate with him.
We read, study, memorize, meditate upon, and live the Bible.
We care for the marginalized and forgotten (the least of these).

We realize that this can’t be second-hand. It is to be a first-hand encounter, a knowing of Jesus.

Today’s reading: Luke 13:1-21

“Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭13:12-13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

18 years of being bent over and not able to stand up straight. When you are oppressed by a sickness or physical limitation, days do not fly by. The days crawl and almost seem like they refuse to move. This woman had 6,570 of such days.

She chose a good day to attend synagogue.

18 years of frustration ends with one small moment of interaction with Jesus, one touch from his hands.

In verse 13 we see her reaction.
1) Praising
2) Thanking (both words indicate continuous action)

She couldn’t stop with her expression of thankfulness for what Jesus did for her in that moment.

Jesus, we often dismiss or belittle moments with you, not realizing that they have the potential to alter our lives forever.

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me all who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.’” - Matthew 11:28

Today’s reading: Luke 12:35-59

“But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:48‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There are many implications from this verse, but here is the one that really resonates with me today:

We are all stewards. God has entrusted us with all that we have. We don’t own any of it, not even our right to be one of His servants.

The challenge today is simple. When it comes to Jesus’ eminent return, we are to be found:
1) Responsible
2) Ready

It is no small thing to imagine time as we know it coming to an end and Jesus coming on the ☁️☁️ of heaven (Daniel 7:13). At that point, all will be uncovered, laid bare. The only way we will be able to stand is by the blood of Jesus, having a tight grip on that salvation, and extending that message of grace to others.

Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

Get excited.
Get ready.

Today’s reading: Luke 12:8-34

“The purses of heaven have no holes in them.” - Luke 12:33

Fear of provision is a real thing right now in our world. People rushing to grocery stores and buying out many essential items out of fearing the future.

Jesus is speaking to a far more financially oppressed people. They were meal to meal, day to day. Yet he has the audacity to say these things. Either he was losing it or he really meant what he said.

Are we investing too much financial means into our own self preservation or are we taking what we need and investing the rest into God’s kingdom? Do we trust God enough? Or will we tear down our barns to build larger ones?

In the end, we will not regret investing into a kingdom whose heaven has purses with no holes in them.

Jesus, keep challenging us to think bigger and more faith-filled when it comes to our finances. May we realize that you own them and that we don’t want them to own us.

🙏

Today’s reading: Luke 11:37-54, 12:1-7

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God’s knowledge of us is proof of his love for us.

Therefore, we do not fear anyone who tries to intimidate us. If we choose to worship God (fear is a worship word), we will be prevented from worshiping other people’s opinion (or oppression) of us.

Jesus, help us only to fear you and not the supposed experts of this world (even the religious ones).

🤲

Today’s reading: Luke 11:14-36

If you are filled with light,
with no dark corners,
then your whole life will be radiant,
as though a floodlight is shining on you.
- Luke 11:36

Jesus, flood me more and more with this light. May all the dark corners be lit by you.

May this be our greatest witness as Christians: we are those who have been under the floodlight of our illuminating Savior!

🔥

Today’s reading: Luke 10:38-42, 11:1-13

“If you sinful people 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.”

- Luke 11:13

I am reading through this section in Luke 11, getting all excited about being consistent with my prayer life, prayers that won’t quit.

Then Jesus turns the teaching (seemingly) on its head by saying the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. I can see the application for the disciples, who would later have Jesus breathe the Holy Spirit onto them and see the miraculous day of Pentecost — yet what about us?

If we are Christians, we have the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. Why would we need to ask for Him?

Could it be that the Holy Spirit’s leading is the true way to pray and to feel the heartbeat of the Father? Praying to become aligned with God’s will should be our top priority. In that space, 100% of our prayers could be answered.

Father, use your Holy Spirit to teach me more about how to truly pray. 🙏