Jesus' Ministry

Today let's read Luke 5:12-26.

I've got a question for you to ponder, and ask God about... Why did Jesus heal and cast out demons? It was obviously a major part of His ministry, and we've now read about 5 different stories of healing and spiritual freedom. Look closely at each one and pray that God will show you why He performed those miracles.

Left Everything...

Today we'll read chapter 5:1-11. You'll discover how Jesus called his first disciples. I love this story. I actually did a post on it a few months ago, but God's Word is deep. Please share with us the other things God reveals to you.

Jesus Heals

Today's passage is Luke 4:38-44.

Please forgive me for not keeping up with the posting... I'm just struggling a little bit lately. I promise to do better from now on, with your help and prayers! Thanks for staying loyal, even when I haven't set a good example.

Pray for God to teach us more about how Jesus can and does minister to our needs...

Authority

Today's reading is Luke 4:31-37. What does the Holy Spirit want to teach you? Ask Him.

Keep adding your comments to past posts... don't feel the need to skip any. What's great about this format is you can go at your own pace, if needed. But hopefully the more you read, the more you'll be hungry for His word every day!

The Truth Hurts

Love hearing your thoughts! Hope you all are finding great power in your heart-felt searches of the scripture...

Today's reading is Luke 4:14-30. Pray for wisdom.

I apologize for not posting this yesterday. But maybe you didn't wait for me and have already read through it. And now is your chance to leave your comments!

Jesus Gets Tempted

I'm going to try something different this week... I'd like us to read a passage each day, and then post ANY thoughts or questions you have regarding that particular reading. If you don't get to it today, that's fine, but just post comments when you do read it.

I guess I'm just hungry to hear what God is telling all of you through these scriptures. Don't worry, I'll be posting my own comments too.

So today, read Luke 4:1-13. But first pray that God will reveal His wisdom to you, and then meditate on what you've read. I'm looking forward to what He will show us!

More About the Fruit

I thought of another question yesterday that I thought would be good to discuss...

John specifically described an important quality of the fruit: the fruit was "in keeping with repentance."

What does that mean to you?


ps. In the last post, Tracy asked about the verse where he talks about cutting down the trees that don't produce fruit. Do you think it is similar to this passage in Matthew?

I think it all ties into a faith that is living and producing fruit... but I suppose the question is, who are the trees being cut down, or the goats? Are they believers that aren't producing fruit? Is there even such a thing? Can there be a faith without works? Is that an important question?

Phew, lots of question marks there...

Fruit Trees

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a few days... I got kind of stuck on the last part of chapter 2. If any of you have any thoughts on that passage, please leave some comments. Maybe that's what I should do when I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere. Next time I get stuck, I'll see if God is revealing something to you guys instead!

But moving on to chapter 3, we see the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry: a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. I think we might all be familiar with the repentance preaching, but then Luke tells us a bit more of what John preached.

"Produce fruit," he says, "in keeping with repentance." So after you come up from the water, it's not over.

"But I've got my ticket -- I'm in the family."

But faith without works is dead. There's no fruit on the tree.

Notice the contrast in the analogies John uses. Children of Abraham can come from the rocks, but God wants fruit-producing trees, not dead rocks. John is telling us there is a responsibility that comes with repentance and forgiveness. He even gets specific about it when talking to various groups: the average person should share their resources, the tax collectors should be honest, and the soldiers shouldn't use their strength for dishonest gain and should be content with their financial situation.

If he were talking to you, what kind of fruit would he suggest you show?

Following Tradition

What an emotional day for Joseph and Mary. What hope they must have had in imagining how Jesus would fulfill his destiny. I'm not a parent, but I've heard and can easily imagine how parents dream for their children, and how much greater Mary and Joseph's dreams must have been for Jesus!

They probably didn't have a clue that the tradition they were following: an atonement sacrifice, consecrating the firstborn, and even the event that brought these laws, Passover, were all pointing to the "dream" Jesus was to fulfill.

And who could have imagined Simeon's words: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Here's a deep question: How has Jesus fulfilled this destiny in you?

Gotta Tell Somebody

If angels are anything like humans, I imagine they were bursting with excitement over what God had just done. In just one moment, the earthlings were now hosting Heaven's Greatest! In the flesh! They would get to have Him and have access to God the Father through Him! What a gift! What a treasure! We've got to tell everyone!

So God told them they could give the news to one small group of guys: shepherds, living out in the fields with a bunch of sheep.

Shepherds. Why do you suppose God picked shepherds?

Springtime Christmas

I think I've heard before that historians say Jesus' birth probably took place in the spring. We only celebrate it in December because of other holiday traditions. So I think it's kind of cool to be reading about the Christmas story at the time of year that it may have occurred.

Anyway, God choose probably the most stressful time of Joseph and Mary's life for Jesus to be born: away from home, in a crowded city, dealing with government bureaucracy, not to mention the stress of gossip, rejection and negative opinions because Mary was pregnant before they were married.

Definitely not how I would have planned Jesus' entrance into the world. Yet how accessible it makes Him.

Accessible.

God.

Okay, I guess it was way better than I would have planned.

Take a moment to pray for a new realization of what God did for us...