Despicable Me - Luke 9:23-25

"Then he said to the crowd, If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?" If you think Jesus is saying you should quit being selfish or start hating yourself, then you are completely missing the point of this teaching. Jesus is talking about a shift in lifestyle, not getting rid of a flaw in your personality. Jesus is saying that to be His follower your life must change from "it's all about me" to "it's all about Him." That's a big deal for most of us because as human beings we are wired for self-preservation and self-actualization. We want to be our own boss, make our own plans, do things our own way. Now Jesus is saying He's the boss, He makes the plans, and we do things His way. By denying yourself, you cease to make your own will the object of life and make God's will the focus of your life. Oswald Chambers paraphrases this important teaching of Jesus like this: "If you would be My disciple, give up your right to yourself to Me." The moral ground on which you form a relationship with God is only through Jesus, His Son, and not your own will or personality. Therefore, the sacrifice of the right to yourself represents a change in the direction of your life that must be absolute--self is put to death so that the life of God may live through you.

Your God Is Too Small - Luke 8:53-55

"But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died. Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, My child, get up! And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up!" In Luke 8 Jesus calms a storm, commands a large number of evil spirits to come out of a man, heals a woman who suffered from a bleeding condition for twelve years, and raises a little girl from the dead. This series of events in Luke 8 demonstrates Jesus’s authority over disease, the elements of this earth, and death, and illustrates the power of faith. It is during the last event in this chapter, the restoration of life to the little girl, that He is laughed at by a crowd of people who had seen or heard from those who had seen that the little girl was already dead before Jesus arrived to heal her. But then Jesus arrived and changed the facts! When we distrust or mistrust God's sufficiency for our lives, it is almost like we join with this crowd in laughing at the divine power and authority of Jesus. God can and will infiltrate our lives and handle our problems if we trust Him. However, the way God handles our problems and the subsequent outcomes aren't always the way we anticipate. In fact, God's possibilities and solutions often seem incomprehensible to us, even absurd. But that's because our false conceptions and low expectations of God limit our faith in Him. When we don't have faith in His omnipotence to rule and reign over our daily lives, it's like we put God in a box. In our minds we make God too small to handle the big and complex events of our our lives. However, if the modus operandi for Jesus, in addition to saving souls, is to calm storms, drive out the devil, heal disease, and restore life, then is there any misfortune we can encounter that He can't handle? Jesus has the power and authority, if we have the faith! "For the Lord your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God" (Deuteronomy 7:21).

An Amazing Story - Luke 8:38

"And all the people in the region of the Gerasenes begged Jesus to go away and leave them alone, for a great wave of fear swept over them." In this story Jesus deliberately went to a Gentile region and ministered there. As He got out of the boat after crossing the Sea of Galilee, a man possessed by many demons ran up to Jesus screaming and begging Jesus not to torture them or send them to the underworld prison of evil spirits. Jesus gave them permission to possess a herd of pigs that was nearby and the entire herd plunged down a hillside and into the lake and drowned. The herdsmen saw all this and fled to the nearby town and told the people what happened. A crowd of people from the town gathered around Jesus. They observed the man who had been possessed by the demons and had terrorized the countryside now was sitting at the feet of Jesus, fully clothed and perfectly sane. It is at that point they begged Jesus to leave! This story has some amazing events take place in it, but none is more amazing than people who see the great goodness, mercy, and power of God and completely reject it! No, we can't have Jesus here they say, because He will hurt the economy, He will change the way we do things, He will change people. So Jesus returned to the boat and left, but fortunately He did provide them with a second chance: "The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying, No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you. So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him" (vs. 38-39). Now, the really amazing part of this story is the love God has for all people: in the same way as this man that Jesus delivered, you are the second chance that God provides for people when you proclaim the great things Jesus has done for you!

Thinking About Death - Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

"A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born. Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time." My wife recently passed away and so I have been thinking a lot about death--not only my wife's death, but death in general. While my considerable thoughts about death may indeed be a psychological and emotional response to my grief, in the book of Ecclesiastes the Teacher says it is wise to think about death and doing so has much spiritual value. The sadness we suffer from the loss of friends or loved ones refines our character; it develops us spiritually; it prepares us for eternity. Contemplating death helps us focus on living for God! The only way human beings enter into eternal life is through the death of the physical body, unless you happen to be living when Jesus returns. In other words, you have to die to live eternally--death is the means by which we enter into eternal life. So the Teacher is saying that when you fully process the fact that physical death is your entrance into eternal life, then you will more closely consider how you live your life in this world to be certain you are being all that God wants you to be for eternal life with Him.

Destined for Greatness - Luke 7:28

"I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is!" Jesus praised John the Baptist as one of the greatest people who have ever lived. However, Jesus contrasted the eminence of John with that of people who become citizens of God's Kingdom. Jesus said that even the least important person in the Kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. In other words, the free and complete forgiveness of sins, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and having an intimate knowledge of God give Kingdom citizens a position with God greater than even John the Baptist enjoyed. As a citizen of God's Kingdom, you are surely destined for greatness.

Seize the Day - Deuteronomy 1:8

"Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants." In order to prepare the Israelites for the conquest of Canaan, Moses reminded them of life in Egypt, of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and of their past fearfulness that resulted in disobedience to God and rebellion against His promises. He warned them to obey God’s covenant and assured them that God’s grace would follow them as they learned to trust and obey the Lord. The land of Canaan was already Israel’s because God had promised it to the nation’s ancestors centuries earlier (Gen 15:18-21; 26:3; Exod 23:31). Israel was not seizing new territory from its rightful owners but was taking possession of land occupied by squatters. God has a plan and purpose for you. Don't let the threat of giants or walled cities prevent you from fulfilling God's will for your life as the Israelites did (and all who did died in the wilderness). Go forth and occupy the territory God has given you. In other words, capture the opportunities God creates for you; fulfill the assignments God entrusts to you; accomplish the plans God sets before you; receive the promises God makes to you. Seize the day--carpe diem--in the name of the Lord!

The Biggest Catch - Luke 5:9-11

"For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people! And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus." In this story that is the first call of disciples recorded in Luke's gospel, Peter, James and John had just fished all night with no results. When Jesus told them to go back to even deeper water and cast their nets (vs. 5), the prospects of catching fish were much more unlikey because it was daytime and the fish moved to the bottom of the lake (which is why they fished at night). Yet, they had the biggest catch of their career! But this biggest catch was not meant to enrich Peter, James, and John; it was a demonstration of Jesus's supernatural power to them. He was sending them a clear message about who He was and what He wanted them to do. They seemed to get it because they were awestruck and then left everything including this biggest catch to follow Jesus. Thus, in God's Kingdom, blessings are not so much a matter of what God can give us as what we are willing to give up for Him.

The Kingdom Journey - Luke 4:43

"I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent." Christ’s coming inaugurated His Kingdom on Earth. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is a spiritual nation that is active in this world now to prepare its citizens for an eternal, heavenly Kingdom that is to come. The gospel of Jesus is a message of an everlasting Kingdom that extends its reign from the creation of the universe to this present age and into the ages to come. Christ's mission is a search and rescue operation—finding and redeeming the lost citizens of the Kingdom. The proclamation of God's Kingdom is not that it is something to die for but something to live for. Jesus came to this world not only to die for our sins, but also to teach us how to live in His present and future Kingdom. When Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6a), He was describing God's Kingdom as a journey, not a destination.

The Golden Rule on Steroids - Proverbs 25:21-22

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you"  (Proverbs 25:21-22, ESV).

This advice from Solomon goes way beyond the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

t's almost like the Golden Rule on steroids!

While it's one thing to help a family member or friend in need or even to help the disadvantaged, according to this counsel you should give sustenance to your enemy-to a person who hates you!

When Jesus said, "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" (Matthew 5:46) in the Sermon on the Mount, it's clear that He was somehow reminding the Jews of this advice because He mentions the reward.

The Apostle Paul also makes attribution to this counsel in his letter to the Romans where he describes the characteristics of a true Christian (see Romans 12:9-21).

While biblical scholars may differ on whether "heaping burning coals" is an attempt to reform your enemy by heaping shame or by heaping blessings, what is clear is that you are admonished to exceed the minimum requirements of God's love by helping not only those who love you but also those who hate you.

And if you do it then God will reward you.

Battle Plan - Proverbs 24:5

"The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger." The following verse (vs. 6) provides insight into the application of this verse (vs. 5) in ancient times. The next verse advises not to go to war without an effective strategy because a good war plan can defeat even the strongest army. The proverb is applicable to us in the same way today. Although we may not be fighting in an actual war with another nation, we have many spiritual battlefronts in our lives: at work, at home, in our community, and in our nation. Wisdom is a mighty foe and in the chess game of life, wisdom defeats strength! When it seems that the opposition has greater strength--professionally, socially, politically, financially--you have a distinct advantage when you confront situations using godly wisdom instead of participating in a clash of personalities to see who has the most influence, prestige, or money to get their own way. When spiritual wisdom guides your behavior and actions rather than the force of your own will, you can achieve conquests and win victories through the events of your life for the Kingdom of God. "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness" (James 3:17-18).

God's Private Investigators - Luke 1:1-4

"Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught." Luke was not the first to put the history of Jesus into written form. Scholars believe that Luke used Mark’s Gospel and other written and oral sources in his writing. Like a private invesigator, Dr. Luke carefully examined everything about Jesus from the beginning in order to present a reliable case to his patron, Theophilus. God's plans and purposes can withstand our scrutiny. It is incumbent on us as God's people to know and understand God's redemptive plan. You should be like a private investigator of the gospel. Read and study your Bible to learn God's truth for yourself. But don't just read the Bible like a novel. Follow a Bible study plan or methodology. Examine and scrutinize God's Word using Bible study aids as needed, and then like Dr. Luke you can be certain of everything you have been taught and can accurately report your findings to others!

Two Ways to Disobey - James 4:17

"Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." This verse is probably a maxim that James expected his readers to recognize. Its source is unknown, but it is consistent with the teachings of Jesus. For example, in a parable about a faithful servant Jesus said: "And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished" (Luke 12:47). We all know that it is sin to do what we know we should not do, but for Jesus's followers it is also sin to know we what should do and not do it. Both behaviors (or misbehaviors) are aspects of disobedience that apply to us--one just as much as the other. It is disobedience to do what you know is wrong and it is disobedience not to do what you know is right! Jesus holds His followers to a high standard of behavior: do right things as well as don't do wrong things.

Between the Dead and the Living - Numbers 16:47-48

"But Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped." Numbers 16 is the record of yet another rebellion by the Israelites against Moses' leadership and God's authority. This rebellion seemed to be a power struggle that was a more egregious challenge to God's authority than any of the previous rebellions. This rebellion was led by certain Levites who had some of the most important duties related to the upkeep of the Tabernacle. Essentially these rebels were trying to usurp Moses and Aaron's priestly functions. Therefore, these religious leaders and the Israelites that followed them suffered deadly consequences as a result of their rebellion. In fact, in the final stages of the rebellion God even threatened to destroy the whole nation of Israel: "Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, and the Lord said to Moses, Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!" (vs. 43-45). Moses and Aaron acted quickly to rescue the Israelites from God’s wrath and total destruction. In an unusual ceremony, Aaron carried an incense burner with burning coals among the people and stopped a plague that killed 14,700 Israelites. Aaron stood between those who died or were dying from the plague and the living to make atonement for the people. Aaron's act of atonement for the rebellious people of Israel served to stop God's immediate wrath: "Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle" (vs. 50). When Jesus died for our sins, He stood between the living and the dead and made atonement for all of us. When we share the gospel with others, we are essentially standing between the living and the dead offering the Lord's atonement. As a child of God you have the awesome responsibility to stand between the living and the(spiritually) dead and share the gospel with so that the (spiritually) dead won't receive God's wrath, but rather join the (eternally) living and receive God's blessing.

Missing the Blessing - Numbers 14:31

"Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised." Moses sent twelve men on a reconnaissance mission to the land of Canaan. When they returned, ten of the twelve reported to Moses and the people of Israel that even though the land was rich and fertile, it was inhabited by potentially formidable foes. The testimony of the faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb, which as to conquer the land immediately, was rejected and rebellion against Moses' leadership and threats of violence against Joshua and Caleb spread through the entire Israelite community. God marveled that Israel had not yet learned to trust Him, even after He had miraculously rescued them from Egyptian slavery and provided for their needs as they traveled in the wilderness. Israel’s lack of trust in God's promises--"what you have despised"--was rebellion against God. Only Moses’ intervention saved Israel from complete destruction. God punished Israel with a forty-year wilderness sojourn, one year for each day the spies explored the land of Canaan (vs. 34). All the adults who despised God's promises died during the forty-year wandering, but their children trusted in God's plans and promises and conquered the land of Canaan. When the challenges of life cause you not to trust in God and pursue His plans and promises for your life, then you may miss the opportunity to receive and enjoy His blessings.