Luke 11:1-13   This passage is slightly different than Matthew 6:9-13 -Jesus teaching His disciples  how to pray:

 "When you pray say:  

Father, hallowed be Thy name. 

Thy kingdom come.  

Give us each day our daily bread. and forgive us our sins, 

For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

 And lead us not into temptation."

This is such a powerful prayer...if we understand and follow the pattern He has given us. We are invited to come into the holy Presence of the Father when we pray. Our Holy God in heaven, sits on a throne surrounded by brilliant radiance and beauty. He is worshiped constantly by saints and angels.  Lightning and thunder and majestic glory surround this holy place.  And it is here that we ask Him to hallow His name.   In a world where the name of the Lord has become anything but sacred.. Jesus teaches us to ask the Father for cataclysmic change in the thinking of mankind. And He tells us that if we ask... we will receive!

The same is true when we ask the Father to come reign.. for His Kingdom to come.  Jesus will say to the Pharisees in verse 20.. "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you."   The Kingdom of God - the reign of God comes with power and authority over everything.  Over Satan. Over darkness. Over evil. Over sickness.  Over poverty. Over pain.  Yes, yes, yes...  please.. Thy Kingdom come, Lord!

We all have two essential needs that God wants to meet.. and that only He can meet :
 daily bread and forgiveness of sins - provisions for life - physically and spiritually.
We just have to ask.

Jesus also teaches us to commit ourselves to forgive others and to ask for His help to keep from straying.  Right relationships with others and with Him are vital.. we need to pray about this consistently and persistently!

He gives us two parables to help us understand how to pray this way:
First, we must learn to pray with "persistence", like the man who needed bread from his neighbor.
Second, we need to learn that God is the giver of only "good" gifts, like a father who gives his son a fish and not a snake, or an egg and not a scorpion.

We are to pray for what we need.  We are to trust that God will give us what He knows we need.
Ask. Seek. Knock.  Repeat!
Trust Him.  Keep on trusting.  No matter what.

Father in heaven, we come to You with our hearts yielded and still before You.  You are the Mighty God and we ask that You would bring glory and honor and praise to Your Name and that Your Kingdom would come in fullness of joy and power and glory. Change the way we pray, that we might truly do as Jesus has taught us. We look to You as the Giver of the Holy Spirit. Come abide in us we pray. Amen.

Luke 10:38-42
It is Martha who invites Jesus into her home.
But, it is Mary who sits at His feet to listen.

It is Martha who was busy with all the preparations and serving.
It is Mary who puts Jesus first and leaves the work to Martha.

It is Martha who complains about her sister for not helping.
It is Jesus who says that Mary has chosen "the good part". 

Like Martha, we become "worried and bothered about so many things..." 
Especially this time of the year...

What presents should we buy?
Who should we buy gifts for?
Will we have enough... money, food, gifts... ?
What if someone is unhappy ..... what if I'm unhappy?
How do we do it all and not be "worried and bothered"?

I don't want to go through the motions... I don't want to buy something for someone that doesn't mean something.. and I end up frozen, unable to decide, fretting.. "worried and bothered".  

Anyone else like that?

Jesus says... choose the "good part".  The part that will not be taken away. What is the only thing that is not taken away... the eternal thing.. ?  Love.   Choose love.

Love sits at the feet of Jesus and listens.
Love doesn't worry about the "many things".. but focuses on the One.

Father in heaven,  help me to choose well, to choose Jesus.  Help me to see as You see and love as You love.  Let Your peace and grace fill our hearts this Christmas season, so that we might enjoy and celebrate the Good News of Christ, who came to save us.  We come to sit at Your feet,  even now.  To bask in Your amazing love.  Come and fill us now with Your Presence... I ask this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

Luke 10:25-37

It is a lawyer, an expert in the Law, that asks the question, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"   He knew the answer already, but he was testing Jesus.  They both agreed that the vital commandments are  " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength , and with all you mind. and your neighbor as yourself."

But, the lawyer was not quite satisfied that this was sufficient.. he had another question, "And who is my neighbor?"  

He thought he knew the answer to this too.. but, he was probably not prepared for the answer that Jesus gave him.  The story of the good Samaritan is well known.
One man beaten and left for dead.
One priest unwilling to stop and help.
One Levite also unwilling to stop and help.
One Samaritan man... "felt compassion".. came.. bandaged. him ... brought him to an inn, paid for his care, and even promised to pay anything else owed.

Jesus said "Which of these three proved to be a neighbor...?"  Who acted as a friend, a countryman.. a fellow human being?  The lawyer knew this answer too.. "The one who showed mercy toward him." 

Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same." 

Who is our neighbor?  It is the one who we can be a neighbor to.. anyone who needs compassion.. and we know that everyone needs compassion...

"Go and do the same." Jesus said.  And His message has not changed.  Love God and love others.

John, the apostle, wrote about this love.. this love that starts with loving God and continues with loving others.  " Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."  ( I John 4:7-8)   He goes on to add.. " We love because He first loved us. If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also."  ( I John 4:19-21) 

Perhaps we find it too easy to say we love God and others. The lawyer probably did.. at first.  But, would he have stopped and helped the beaten man?  Would he "love his neighbor"?   Did he go away convicted?  Did Jesus' words bring him to repent of his lack of love?

How does this speak to us?  John also wrote, "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth."  

Father in heaven, fill us with Your holy love, that we might love You with all of our being and also love others.  May we really see those who are in need and commit ourselves to care for them.  Give us hearts of compassion for others and cast out our fears and worries, for we have become hardened by this world and skeptical of others. Move us by Your Spirit who indwells us as we submit ourselves to Your will once again.  May You be praised and glorified in our lives as we walk in Your light and love.  We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Luke 10: 1-24

 Jesus chooses 70 men to send out ahead of Him. As they go two by two, they are instructed on how to go:

Pray - for the harvest ( v2)
Take no other resources ( v4)
Enter with peace ( v5)
Stay in one place (v7)
Eat whatever is set before you ( v8)
Heal the sick (v9)
And preach the nearness of God's kingdom ( v9)

The city that received the gospel would keep the peace they were greeted with.
But, the city that would not receive it would be cursed.  God will judge according to His measurements - "The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." (v16)

Rejection of God's servants is rejection of Him.  Judgement is certain for the home and the city that refuses to listen to the Truth.  This is true of nations also.  May God help our nation to turn back to Him!

As the 70 return, rejoicing at what God did through them, Jesus cautions them to "not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." 

Jesus rejoiced to see "Satan fall from heaven like lightning".  
He rejoiced that the Father chose "babes' instead of the "wise and intelligent" to reveal these things to.
He rejoiced that His disciples got to see things that prophets had longed to see.

Jesus makes and interesting statement..
" All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."  


The relationship between the Father and the Son was a great hidden mystery until Jesus came to earth, sent by the Father to bring the Kingdom of God near. As we think back through biblical history, there were only a few times that God intervened so powerfully and directly in earthly events - at the flood, at the calling of Abraham, at the Exodus, and at the time of David becoming king of Israel. When Jesus came to earth as a baby boy, grew up, ministered, healed, delivered, and taught the Truth about God's Kingdom - it was the greatest intervention, the most momentous historical event that had ever happened.  Yet, there will be one more time.. when Christ returns.. that will be greater still.

Father in heaven, Your Kingdom come!
Amen.

Luke 9: 49-62  Being a disciple of Jesus - a student of the Master - doesn't come easily.  There are always new lessons to be learned...

In verse 49 John wants to stop those who were using the name of Jesus to cast out demons, but weren't with the twelve.  Jesus accepted those others saying, "Do not hinder him; for he who is not against you is for you."   There are others that Jesus called and used for ministry.  That's good news, not bad. John and the other apostles needed to learn to accept and receive others... So do we. As long as they are "not against" us..

In verses 51-56 Luke tells us that the Samaritans would not receive Jesus in their villages because He was headed to Jerusalem.  James and John wanted to call down fire!  This was not acceptable to Jesus.. " You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."   Another lesson to be learned. Jesus never physically attacked people while He was walking on earth.. where did this idea of calling down fire come from?  Not Him.  Only one kind of spirit tempts us to kill, steal, or destroy.

In verses 57-62  Luke tells of three who wanted to be disciples:

The first said he would follow Jesus anywhere... but Jesus told him that "the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  We are not told if the man still wanted to follow or not...

The second was called by Jesus but wanted to go bury his father first.. " Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but for you, go and proclaim  everywhere the kingdom of God."  Jesus told him.

The third wanted to go say goodbye to his family.  "But Jesus said to him, ' No one after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." 

These are hard things to understand and to do...   We want to put everything else first.. before Jesus - family, homes, jobs, personal opinions.  It seems very natural to want to say goodbye to our family or to bury a father.  Why did Jesus say what He said?  We need to know that nothing is as important as the message of the Kingdom of God. NOTHING.

O Father in heaven, Majesty on high, holy and true, the only God,  forgive us for putting other things, other people, and other purposes before the vital message of Your Kingdom.  Time is running out.  People are dying. The world is full of wars, violence, sickness, and death.  Their only hope is the Good news of Jesus Christ who came to save men.  I want to follow You with steadfastness and devotion... to walk with my face toward You and not turn back.  Heal my blindness at the needs around me and make me bold to speak the Word of Truth.  I pray this in the name of Jesus. amen.

Luke 9:48  "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great." 

The argument started again.. twelve chosen apostles...looking to be greater than each other. To be in charge, to take over the management; to be the best.   Jesus addresses this issue over and over.  Mankind is always looking the wrong direction to define themselves., to promote themselves.... higher, greater, wealthier, smarter... whatever fits our definition of success.

God doesn't define success in the same way. Be -  "the least"... the lowliest.  Jesus tells them again, on the last day.. at the last supper together.. "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors'. But not so with you, but let him who is greatest among you become as the youngest and the leader as the servant." 

Jesus led by example.. "But I am among you as the one who serves."  The King of kings and Lord of lords, the Son of God, the Anointed One... intentionally became a servant.  "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of man. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross." ( Phil. 2:5-8)


It is in serving that we become more like Jesus. This is the direction that God would have us travel in our lives.  Receiving a child in His name. Being like the youngest in the group. Waiting on others instead of wanting to be waited on ourselves. Laying down our lives.. taking up our crosses.. and following Him.

This Christmas season, shall we make this our purpose?  Our choice?  Not gifts or traditions or great and exciting experiences.. but serving. Receiving. Accepting.

Father in heaven, show us the way and help us to walk as Jesus walked, in humble service.  Open our eyes to see the ways that we can receive, accept, and serve others in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Luke 9 :1-45

 Jesus sent out the twelve to preach and to heal.  Even Herod heard about what was happening and wanted to see Jesus.  Herod confessed that he had John the Baptist killed and was "perplexed" because some thought that Jesus was John, risen from the dead.  Others thought that Jesus was Elijah or another prophet.  But, God revealed to Peter that Jesus was "the Christ of God".  The Messiah, the Anointed One.  Jesus referred to Himself as "The Son of Man".

"Son of man" - this man, this particular man of flesh and bone.. who came to bring the good news of God's Kingdom, and to die at the hands of men who refused to believe Him.  "Who is this man..?" 
they asked... He is the One that they never expected.

Jesus fed the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, and then asked the disciples who the multitude thought He was... and who they thought He was. Then He revealed the fact that He would be rejected and would suffer. "But, they did not understand..."  He was transfigured on the mountain before Peter, James, and John.. but they didn't understand that He would suffer before He would be glorified.

God calls us to listen to Jesus.  To let His words sink into our ears. He came to this earth as a man, so that we could be saved. His salvation would come, not by the overthrowing of a government, but by a cross. He would deny Himself, take up His cross, lay down His life and taste death.. for us.  And to follow Him, requires us to do the same.. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."  

Daily.. we must choose to be "all in"...every day.

O Lord, help us to understand and to do Your good will.  Your love is great and we have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ our King. Today.. we commit ourselves to follow Jesus.  Help us to accomplish this by Your Spirit at work in us.  Thank You. Amen.