Gospel Journey: Part 7
I just finished Luke's gospel. Here are some thoughts.
I'm so challenged by Luke 16:8: "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." Here's my translation: we're getting beat at our own game! I'm learning more and more to funnel my competitive spirit into the beating the world at it's own game. We're competing for souls. That ought to fuel our competitiveness!
Luke 19:11 is interesting to me. It's the mistake most of us make: "The people thought the kingdom of God was going to appear at once." I am process-oriented because I think God is process-oriented. I think sometimes we lose faith because we expect things to happen to quickly instead of "bunkering down" for the long-haul.
As a communicator, I am awed by Jesus. I wish we had the "audio pages." Luke 19:48 says the people "hung on his words." Lord, I pray for that kind of anointing! By the way, the key to people hanging on "your" words is making sure you are speaking "His" words!
I'm amazed how often the gospels reference "degrees of punishment." For example, Jesus tells the teachers of the law that they'll be punished "most severely." I think there are "degrees of hell." I'm not sure how the dust will settle, but heaven and hell are not "one size fits all."
I'm more and more convinced that our destiny comes back to our decisions and the most important decisions are our pre-decisions. Luke 21:14 says, "Make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves." This is a simple thought: pre-decisions are decisions you make beforehand. But those decisions will determine our destiny. If we don't live by design we live by default.
I had a new thought regarding Jesus and Barabbas. What happened to Barabbas? In a sense, Jesus saved Barabbas. If it weren't for the injustice done to Jesus, justice would have been served on Barabbas. Sometimes the injustices we experience can grace others. That is certainly true of my story. I was saved after watching the Hiding Place. I often think about the injustice Corrie Ten Boom endured. She suffered in a concentration camp for hiding Jews, but her injustice helped me discover the grace of God.
Luke 23:43 is one of my favorite verses. This criminal is about to be crucified. That'd qualify as the worst day of your life. And Jesus says, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus turns the worst day of his life into the best day of his life! What a transition--hanging on a cross one moment to the gates of paradise the next!
Luke 24:25 says, "How slow to believe." I think this reveals "the speed of faith." Some people take a long time and some people take a short time. Faith happens at different speeds. There is an interesting connection between this and the "quickening of the Holy Spirit." It is the role of the Holy Spirit to quicken us so we believe faster! He heightens our "spiritual reaction time." I think our ability to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit is a key measure of faith.
One last thought. Luke 24:41 says, "They still did not believe because of joy and amazement." It was too good to be true. I had a thought a few months ago: if it's not too good to be true it can't possibly be true! The gospel is too good to be true, but it is true!
I'm so challenged by Luke 16:8: "For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light." Here's my translation: we're getting beat at our own game! I'm learning more and more to funnel my competitive spirit into the beating the world at it's own game. We're competing for souls. That ought to fuel our competitiveness!
Luke 19:11 is interesting to me. It's the mistake most of us make: "The people thought the kingdom of God was going to appear at once." I am process-oriented because I think God is process-oriented. I think sometimes we lose faith because we expect things to happen to quickly instead of "bunkering down" for the long-haul.
As a communicator, I am awed by Jesus. I wish we had the "audio pages." Luke 19:48 says the people "hung on his words." Lord, I pray for that kind of anointing! By the way, the key to people hanging on "your" words is making sure you are speaking "His" words!
I'm amazed how often the gospels reference "degrees of punishment." For example, Jesus tells the teachers of the law that they'll be punished "most severely." I think there are "degrees of hell." I'm not sure how the dust will settle, but heaven and hell are not "one size fits all."
I'm more and more convinced that our destiny comes back to our decisions and the most important decisions are our pre-decisions. Luke 21:14 says, "Make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves." This is a simple thought: pre-decisions are decisions you make beforehand. But those decisions will determine our destiny. If we don't live by design we live by default.
I had a new thought regarding Jesus and Barabbas. What happened to Barabbas? In a sense, Jesus saved Barabbas. If it weren't for the injustice done to Jesus, justice would have been served on Barabbas. Sometimes the injustices we experience can grace others. That is certainly true of my story. I was saved after watching the Hiding Place. I often think about the injustice Corrie Ten Boom endured. She suffered in a concentration camp for hiding Jews, but her injustice helped me discover the grace of God.
Luke 23:43 is one of my favorite verses. This criminal is about to be crucified. That'd qualify as the worst day of your life. And Jesus says, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus turns the worst day of his life into the best day of his life! What a transition--hanging on a cross one moment to the gates of paradise the next!
Luke 24:25 says, "How slow to believe." I think this reveals "the speed of faith." Some people take a long time and some people take a short time. Faith happens at different speeds. There is an interesting connection between this and the "quickening of the Holy Spirit." It is the role of the Holy Spirit to quicken us so we believe faster! He heightens our "spiritual reaction time." I think our ability to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit is a key measure of faith.
One last thought. Luke 24:41 says, "They still did not believe because of joy and amazement." It was too good to be true. I had a thought a few months ago: if it's not too good to be true it can't possibly be true! The gospel is too good to be true, but it is true!
2 Comments:
"Luke 23:43 is one of my favorite verses. This criminal is about to be crucified. That'd qualify as the worst day of your life. And Jesus says, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus turns the worst day of his life into the best day of his life! What a transition--hanging on a cross one moment to the gates of paradise the next! "
I never thought of that-- pretty interesting!
...Bernie
I just wanted to express to you how much I appreciated your sermon today! It totally hit right where I am. (a number of my friends expressed similar sentiments) Thank you so much for being obedient to your purpose and for your relentless pursuit of God! It's very refreshing!
By the way- I'm 23 and I would very much appreciate a group that focuses on the struggles that people in my age group commonly face as we try to find God's place for us in this life.
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