SOULJournal

Luke 24

SCRIPTURE
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you..."

OBSERVATION
In our darkest moments when all hope is lost we need to remember what God has told us about who He is and what He has done.

UNDERSTANDING
All hope is lost.  Jesus is dead.  The women have come to put spices on the body to preserve it.  This is not a errand of hope but of finality.  The angel at the tomb has to chastise them just a bit, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?"  They were not looking for the living Jesus.  In that dark moment they had to be reminded of what Jesus had said to them, "I will rise.  Death will no hold me down." 
Maybe they had remembered and just did not believe that He was who He claimed to be.  Maybe they half-beleived, taking the spices in the hopes that "maybe" He is not there. 

LIFE APPLICATION
Sometimes we hedge our bets with God.  We believe Him halfway.  Let's take this baggage along in case it does not work out the way God says it will.  Sometimes in the heat of the sorrow and circumstance we forget the promises of God, or lose sight of the big picture and we must be reminded - "Remember what He told you..."  It is always beneficial to remember that the bigger picture is eternity and that this life and it's ups and downs are only a small part of a much grander picture and remember in the end we are victorious because we will have an eternity with  Christ if we persevere and not give up.  Remember.

Luke 23

SCRIPTURE
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.  39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”   42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

OBSERVATION
Will you believe in Him?

UNDERSTANDING
Two thieves.  Both were guilty.  Both heard and saw the same thing as they were crucified next to Jesus.  Both of there were in deep suffering and both of them were very quickly in need of a Savior.  Yet in the end one rejected the chance of salvation and the other took the opportunity that was presented.  Why?  I believe that the thief who believed in Jesus and repented realized his deep need in that moment and did something about it.  The other guy rejected Jesus as Savior, he didn't think he needed Jesus, he rejected the message that was being spoken even at that moment on the cross.

LIFE APPLICATION
Question for you...Do you see your need?  Not only the need for a Savior but even as  Christ-followers we are sometimes presented with truth regarding the areas of disobedience in our lives and we reject it because we dont believe that this applies to us.  We are exempt.  That is for someone else.  Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart and point out the areas of need and acknowlege it so that we can repent and receive forgiveness from Jesus.  And as the thief on the cross exemplifies, it is never too late as long as we are alive.

Luke 22

SCRIPTURE
 ³ Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

OBSERVATION
The crucifixion of Jesus was not just a human struggle between religious leaders and Jesus.

UNDERSTANDING
Notice that Satan was involved in this deception (22:3). The betrayal and eventually the crucifixion involved more than the jealous ambitions of a few religious leaders and the disillusionment of one disciple; it involved a cosmic battle between God and Satan, a battle in which Satan was completely defeated.  Satan’s part in the betrayal of Jesus does not remove any of the responsibility from Judas. Disillusioned because Jesus was talking about dying rather than about setting up his kingdom, Judas may have been trying to force Jesus’ hand and make him use his power to prove he was the Messiah. Or maybe Judas, not understanding Jesus’ mission, no longer believed that Jesus was God’s chosen one. Whatever Judas thought, Satan assumed that Jesus’ death would end Jesus’ mission and thwart God’s plan. Like Judas, Satan did not know that Jesus’ death and resurrection were the most important parts of God’s plan all along.

LIFE APPLICATION
Be careful that we do not become tools of Satan because of disillusionment or misunderstanding.  The Bible constantly warns us to stay alert and be on our guard.  If we are not to fall prey to Satan's schemes we must be knowledgable about God's Word and how to use it properly.  Keep on reading, studying and being taught the Word of God, it protects you against the lies of the enemy.

 

Luke 20

SCRIPTURE  
¹ One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ² “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”

OBSERVATION AND UNDERSTANDING
Soon after Jesus’ cleansing of the temple (according to Matthew this occurred the next day), Jesus returned to the temple to teach and preach. While he was there, a delegation of chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders stopped Jesus. These were representative of the three groups that made up the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council (Jesus already had predicted that the Jewish religious authorities would reject him, see 9:22). Apparently the Sanhedrin had met after the clearing of the temple, enraged by Jesus actions, but unable to decide how to handle him. They then sent this representative group to question Jesus regarding his actions, hoping he would say something treasonous or blasphemous. They demanded to know by what authority he had thrown out the merchants from the temple and who had given him that authority. The innuendo is that Jesus had not been authorized by them (the religious leaders of Jerusalem) and therefore was perceived to be a rebel.

The questions the priests and teachers of the law asked were legitimate questions, but they didn’t really want to know the source of Jesus’ authority. They were simply looking for a reason to accuse or disregard him. While the people were delighted and amazed by Jesus’ authoritative preaching and actions, the Pharisees were enraged. With their great learning and wealth, the religious teachers, Pharisees, and scribes held a great deal of authority over the people. But Jesus challenged their authority, pointing out their hypocrisy, pride, and greed. The delegation knew that Jesus hadn’t obtained his authority from the Sanhedrin or the Romans. The questioners hoped that if Jesus had acted without the proper authority, his actions would discredit him before the people. If he claimed to have acted on the authority of God, they could prosecute him for blasphemy (a crime deserving the death penalty). If he were to answer that he was his own authority, they could safely dismiss him as a fanatic and trust that the crowds would eventually see it as well.

LIFE APPLICATION
In an individualistic and self-centered society such as our own, the individual has become increasingly his or her own authority. Instead of looking to religious teachers, people are encouraged to look within themselves for religious direction. Just as Jesus confronted the arrogant religious authorities of Israel two thousand years ago, Jesus confronts today’s arrogance and hypocrisy. Will you reject his authority and hate him, like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day? Or will you accept his authority and live by his commands?

The Life Application Bible Commentary

Luke 19

SCRIPTURE  
⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house...

OBSERVATION
Zaccheus shows us what true repentance is all about.

UNDERSTANDING
There are many understandings of repentance.  There is a change of mind which produces regret and remorse as a result of sin, but it does not result in a change of heart.  There is the understanding of changing one's mind and purpose as the result of after knowledge.  And then there is what we come to know as true repentance - a change of mind and purpose and life.  A turning away from the actions that are displeasing to God.  It is a true sense of our guilt and sinfulness, an encounter with the love of God that brings about a turning away from our sin and turning towards God, then doing all that we can to live a life that is pleasing to God.  That is what Zaccheus did in this reading today.  It was not just a passive acceptance of Jesus but a radical life change.  

LIFE APPLICATION
Feeling sorry for doing wrong is not repentance, it requires a change of heart and a change in our actions.  When we catch a glimpse of how sinful we are and how great the love of God is towards us it should bring us to a place of radical life change - a compelling desire to obey God and to do what pleases Him.  

 

Luke 18

SCRIPTURE
Luke 18:1-14

OBSERVATION
The answer to our prayers are dependent on our persistence and on our sincerity.

UNDERSTANDING
I often wonder why it seems that so many prayers from God's people often seem to go unanswered.  Jesus gives us a couple of reasons to consider in this passage.  He says that sometimes we must continue to pray and not give up, no matter how long it seems we are praying for something.  The other is that sometimes it is because there are things that are hindering our prayers.
In the example that Jesus gives with the Pharisee and the tax collector, pride and conceit hinders our prayer. 

James tells us that wrong motives hinder our prayers.
James 4:2-3(NIV) 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Unforgiveness hinders our prayers as well.

LIFE APPLICATION
Don't give up on making your requests known to God, keep on praying, keep on asking, keep on seeking an answer.   But even as we continue to do that we need to begin by asking God to reveal where there are areas of our lives that would hinder the effectiveness of our prayers.  That is why I like the ACTS pattern of prayer.
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication/Requests

Keep on praying.

Luke 17

SCRIPTURE
“If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”

OBSERVATION
God calls us to be transformed into His image, which means that we must actively pursue forgiveness because unforgiveness causes disunity.

UNDERSTANDING
Last week in Higher Learning we looked at God being the Trinity - three in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in complete unity.  We discovered that: the is no conflict within the Godhead and that they exist in mutual support of one another accomplishing the mission of the kingdom.  We are to be made in the image and likeness of God and so in this passage Jesus gives us one of the ways that we must do so: do whatever it takes to preserve the unity.  As we heard on Wednesday it boils down to compassionately handling mistakes.  Jesus says that forgiveness will help keep the unity of the believers so that we can continue in mutual support of one another in order to accomplish the mission of the kingdom.  

In choosing not to forgive we hold on to the offenses and that causes there to be disunity - we are now choosing to walk in sin.  We are choosing to no be transformed into the image and likeness of God.  And forgiveness must require letting go of the hurt so that it does not negatively affect the way you interact with the person who may have offended you.

LIFE APPLICATION
Let go of the bitterness and unforgiveness.  Strive for unity within the body of Christ just as we are given the example from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Forgive as Christ has forgiven you because there is nothing anyone can do to us that is greater than our own sin that we have been forgiven.  Don't let the enemy use bitterness and unforgiveness to divide the body of Christ.

 

Luke 16

SCRIPTURE
verse 9:  I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.

OBSERVATION
Jesus encourages His listeners (and readers) to use our creativity for fulfilling the mission of His kingdom.

UNDERSTANDING
Jesus does not condone the wrongdoing of the manager.  He is not saying that we should be shady in our dealings with people and dishonest in our accounting.  Rather He is saying that people of the world use their creativity to plan all types of evil and wrongdoings, and they are pretty impressive when you see what they have come up with.  They see something that stands in their way of getting what they want and they work hard at finding a creative way to get what they want.  Just look at Oceans 11 (the one with George Clooney).  If people can be so creative in doing what is wrong, how much more should we as God's people, on His mission, use our creativity to accomplish the task of multiplying Christ followers everywhere.  Using our smarts to figure out ways to live upright lives.  When we are faced with adversity it should bring out the creativity in us to keep going and thrive instead of curling up and complaining.

LIFE APPLICATION
We who are on the greatest mission possible need to embrace the difficult circumstances of our lives as an opportunity to get creative.  As we pray and seek to see people come to know Christ and grow in His image and likeness, we need to use all of the creativity we have to figure out ways to be successful at it.  Don't get discouraged when there are obstacles in the way, don't give up but keep on pressing on, looking at every angle, using our wits to accomplish the purposes and plans of God.

Luke 15

SCRIPTURE  
Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.'

OBSERVATION
So often we want things that God promises to us but we want them at the wrong time.

UNDERSTANDING
The son's inheritance was his, promised to him by his father.  The problem was that he was not ready for that inheritance.  He was still too immature to understand how to use it properly.  But he insisted and the father gave it to him.  The "blessings" of the inheritance led to his destruction.  Thankfully he was able to come to his senses before it was too late, and thankfully he was not to proud to come back to the father and admit that he made a mistake.

LIFE APPLICATION
Now I know that the bottom line of the story is something different, but as I read it today I am struck by how often we want what is coming to us, demand it as a matter of fact, feel we are entitled to it even; but the sad truth is we are not ready to handle the responsibility and freedom that comes with those blessings.  How often we get angry at God that He is withholding something from us when the truth is we should be thankful that He loves us so much that He has not given it to us before we are ready.  I wonder, are there things that you are demanding of God, that "He promised" and you are getting upset because it is not happening?  Maybe we should trust God and believe that He knows when is the best time to give us that blessing.  Do you trust Him to do things in His time and His way or are we demanding our own way?  

Luke 14

SCRIPTURE  
¹ One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. ² There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” ⁴ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.

 ⁵ Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” ⁶ And they had nothing to say.

OBSERVATION
It is always about relationships

UNDERSTANDING
Every rule, regulation and law of God all has something to do with developing and maintaining real and deep relationships with God and people.  Jesus continues to try and get the Pharisees to see that the Law was borne out of compassion and as desire for man to have deep and reconciled relationship with God and people.  The Law followed to the letter but forgetting the intent leaves us with empty and destructive practices.

Sometimes it seems that following God can get confusing - it feels as though the Bible is contradicting itself.  In those moments the best way to cut through the complication is to come at the issue from a perspective of love - what would love require?  Love will always respect God's rules and will always serve people's best interests (God's plans for their lives).

LIFE APPLICATION
We were reminded of the slogan WWJD on Sunday, and in times of confusion about what to do, ask it this way…What would love have me do?  Fight hard to break out of the tendency to be like the Pharisees, don't follow the rules without holding fast to the spirit of God's law which is generated from love and compassion.  If we don't act from a spirit of love we are missing the mark.