Tag Archives: Luke

Luke 11- You Are The Light

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No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Luke 11:33-34

Jesus said “You are the light of the world, a city on a hill can’t be hidden” (Matthew 5:14) This is the same context, Jesus is teaching us here, you are the light and can’t be hidden from the world. In fact, when the world sees the light inside of you, the world is attracted to you, sometimes for good other times for bad. When you are washed by the blood of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, you shine to this dark world. 

When you light a candle or turn on a lamp, you don’t cover that light, so why do you try to hide the light inside of you! The world is offended by the light, why? Because the light exposes the darkness of sin in this world. Nobody living in darkness wants to be confronted and exposed by the light of Jesus

Don’t allow your light to be put out, don’t allow the darkness of this world to invade your soul. In order to keep the light shining, you need to keep being filled with oil (Matthew 25) The Holy Spirit, let the light of Christ burn brightly inside of You

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. Luke 11:35-36

Take no part in the darkness, therefore you shall be full of light! The world will try to take away your light, the world wants you to be filled with darkness, however put on the “Armor of God” and resist the Devil. Be The Light that Jesus called you to be, show the world the light of Jesus Christ

We have a calling by Jesus, to fulfill the great commission to preach the gospel to all the nations (Matthew 28) Be the Light of the world, shine the light of Jesus to everyone who needs to hear the good news! Amen!

Luke 11- Sign of Jonah

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And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. Luke 11:29-30

Throughout the history of creation , people are looking for a sign. When Jesus was on Earth, the Jews were demanding a sign from Christ, even though Jesus was the sign. He is the Bread that came down from Heaven, the Manna from God (John 6) However either the people didn’t understand the fulfillment of Jesus or they didn’t want to 

So Jesus told them the sign of Jonah was already given to you. Now his Jewish audience would be familiar with the prophet Jonah and his story. However again, they didn’t understand what Jesus was revealing to them, and I think most Christians even today don’t understand the relevance of Jonah with the coming of Christ

A couple quick points to make so you understand how Jonah was a foreshadow of Christ. First, the mission of Jonah was to preach to the Ninevites, who were Gentiles. This is a foreshadow of the New Covenant , and also a reason why Jonah didn’t want to preach to Gentiles. Secondly, the Ninevites came to salvation through repentance and faith in God. God spared the Ninevites based on them repenting and putting their faith in Him, the same that we are saved through Christ. Lastly, when Jonah was swallowed in the whales and spit out after 3 days, was a foreshadow of Christ’s resurrection in the tomb. (Matthew 12:40) 

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. Luke 11:31-32

Jesus is revealing here, that the Old Testament and all of its prophets and patriarchs, are a foreshadow of himself. As we know King Solomon was the wisest man to live (1 Kings 4:30) However Jesus says “ A greater Solomon is here” , revealing Jesus is the wisest man to ever live, of course because He is the Son of God. However Solomon’s wisdom and teachings were just a foreshadow of the Messiah to come

Next Jesus says “A greater Jonah is here” ,  meaning Jesus is going to preach to the entire world about repentance and salvation. Not only that Jesus spent 3 days in the grave, not a whale and rose from the dead forever, defeating sin and death. Jonah was just another foreshadow of the Messiah to come

However that generation is this generation today still demand a sign. Even though Christ rose from the dead, we still demand proof of Gods existence, oh this wicked and perverse generation, Jesus is the sign, repent or perish! Amen!

Luke 11- A House Divided

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But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. Luke 11:17-20

Just to lay the groundwork for this teaching, before Jesus made these statements he removed a demon from a man. Some of the witnesses to this event , accused Jesus of being Beelzebul, which is the prince of demons. Jesus was about to destroy their bad logic of why would satan defeat satan

Jesus said “Every kingdom and house divided will fall” , so how does it make any logic sense to accuse Jesus of being a demon, when Jesus is defeating the demons? This important principle should be understood and applied to the Church today. A Church divided will fall, today we have over 40,000 different denominations. So how can the Body of Christ be successful today , when it continues to fight among itself?

Another strong message that Jesus is sending here, the clear evidence that Satan is defeated proves that “The Kingdom of God is upon you” When Christ came to Earth, he not only defeated sin and death, but Jesus also defeated Satan, forever. The Kingdom of God is present through Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and should be present through you, the Church. The Kingdom of God is at hand!

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. Luke 11:21-23

Jesus makes it clear, Satan was defeated at the cross, and now that he’s defeated he’s dividing his spoils. Satan knows his time is limited and is trying to take as many souls as possible with him. Don’t be deceived by the great deceiver, put your faith in Jesus Christ alone!

Anyone who is not with Christ is against Christ, period. You are either born again or dead in your sins, end of story. There is no middle ground when it comes to salvation. You are either saved or condemned. The only way to salvation is through Christ alone (John 14:6) 

Luke 11- Seek Christ

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And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. Luke 11:5-8

Often people will say “God is so far away” or “ I don’t feel close to God” , however as Jesus’ teaching reveals to us, God wants us to seek him. Are you seeking Christ today? Are you knocking on God’s door expecting an answer? As the Bible says “You don’t receive because you don’t ask” (James 4:3) If you are not seeking God, then you will not find God. You must be seeking inorder to find, and the only way to find God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

Jesus tells us a story about someone who knocks on their friends house late at night asking for food, and the friends response is “its late at night, stop bothering me”. Most likely we would never have bothered a friend or neighbor late at night, unless it was an emergency. However, because the person was persistent in requesting their needs, the friend gave them what they wanted.

What is Jesus trying to teach us here? Well for starters God is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there is never a time when you are “bothering” God. Secondly, be persistent in your pursuit of God. Just as the person kept persistently bothering their friend , keep knocking on the door, keep seeking Christ in all your needs, small or great

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:9-13

Jesus is telling us to seek Him, Jesus is telling us to knock on the door and He will answer. These are promises written by God, even in the darkest hours of the night, even for the smallest reasons, cry out to The Lord and he will answer you. I know you may doubt this or not believe, but if you don’t ask you won’t receive. Faith begins with a step forward, a knock on the door of Christ

Think about how we love to buy people great gifts, why? Because it makes them happy and we feel a sense of satisfaction when they receive them. God feels the same way about you. God is willing to give you the gift of the Holy Spirit, the greatest power in the universe, the same power that rose Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:15) the same power living inside of You

Seek Christ, ask for The Lord to answer your calling, Jesus wants to give you the greatest gift of eternal life and the Holy Spirit! Call upon The Lord and you shall be saved Amen!

Luke 11- The Lords Prayer

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And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Luke 11:1-2

One of the greatest gifts Jesus given to us, was the Lord’s Prayer. Think about it, the words of our Lord given to us so we can repeat them to our Father. The same words the Apostles and the early Church repeated on a daily basis, are the same words we repeat, what a powerful thought. And each one of the lines from the Lord’s Prayer has a powerful meaning and proclamation

Our Father , who Is In Heaven, demonstrates that God is not only your father but he is also in control from His Kingdom. Holy is your name, this is why we often use the words “Lord” or “Adonai” to describe God because his name is so holy, the early Jews refused to even try to pronounce or translate it.

Your Kingdom come and your will be done. This should be our anthem in our daily lives. Living for The Lord’s return and doing the will of God. Your will be done as in heaven and on Earth. If you wouldn’t do something in Heaven, you shouldn’t be doing it on Earth. You should live everyday as Jesus is returning and God’s Kingdom is being established

Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.  Luke 11:3-4

You might start each day wondering what you should do or how to supply your daily needs. However, start by using the Lord’s Prayer and ask God for your daily bread. This is very metaphorical , as it could not only mean your physical needs but your spiritual needs for the day!

One of the confusions with The Lord’s Prayer is when we say debtors or trespasses, these words mean sin. Regardless of which one you say, it means we ask God to forgive us of our sins, and we forgive those who sin against us. Its important we repent of our sins and are willing to forgive others

The gospel of Matthew has another verse “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13) You can check out my complete commentary on The Lords Prayer here. 

Luke 10- Mary and Martha

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Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. Luke 10:38-40

In today’s reading we see two sisters , Mary and Martha. Now these sisters were more famous for their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11) It was well documented that Jesus was close friends with this family, that’s why the raising of Lazarus was very personal for him, as its noted “Jesus wept” over the death of Lazarus.

Martha hosted a gathering for their friend and Lord Jesus. Now while Christ was teaching, Mary took a break from her choirs and sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to his teachings. This made her sister Martha very angry, as she was the only one doing all the work at this dinner party. Now anyone who has hosted a dinner party or takes care of a home, knows how much work Martha was tasked with, so it’s understandable  her frustration with her sister Mary

In fact Martha wanted Jesus to rebuke her sister Mary and tell her to get to work. However Jesus was going to teach Martha and all of us, the importance of a Sabbath rest to be with God

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41-42

Jesus was telling Martha “There are alot of things in this world we can be busy or distracted with, however we must choose time for God” I know this is a complete paraphrase but I think this is the point Christ is trying to make. While Jesus was there, Mary chose to spend time with The Lord, which was a wise choice. Even though Martha’s work seemed very important at the time, she was going to miss out on her time with Christ

I think Jesus was trying to teach us about the “Sabbath Rest”. Often Christians don’t think about a Sabbath Rest or even know about it, because we are too divided on what day is the Sabbath and whether we should we observe it. The point is God wants us to devote a day and time of rest and reflection upon Him. Remember to dedicate some time for God and take a rest from your daily work and burdens in Jesus name Amen!

Luke 10- Who Is My Neighbor?

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But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Luke 10:29-36

This parable begins with “An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus” (v25) We can assume this man was probably a religious leader, a Pharisee or Sauducess, and they wanted to trap Jesus in his teachings, as many of them tried to do. He asked Jesus “What must I do to inherit eternal life”? Jesus knowing he was a religious leader asked him “What does the Mosaic Law say”? The man replied with Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, and strength and Love your neighbor. Jesus simply replied “Yes do this and you will live” , However the religious leader wasn’t satisfied with that simple answer, so he challenged Jesus “Who Is my Neighbor”

We often hear the phrase “Love your Neighbor”, but do we know who Jesus is referring to also? Well Jesus gave us a teaching to help us understand. There was a man who was beaten and robbed laying on the side of the road. Three men passed by him, a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. The priest and Levite ignored the man, while the Samaritan went above and beyond to help and take care of the man. Now to understand this story, you need to understand who the three men were.

The priest we know is supposed to be a mediator between God and the people of Israel at this time. We would have assumed he would have done the right thing but didn’t. A Levite was from the bloodline of Aaron, they were actually the family line of high priests in the Mosaic Law. So again we would have assumed the Levite would have helped, but he didn’t either. Then you have the Samaritan, who were people who were half Jewish and half Gentile. Therefore these people were outcasts during these time periods. This would have been the last person you would have expected to help, but they did

This was a foreshadow of the New Covenant, Jesus was demonstrating. Gods people were not going to just be the Jews but also the Gentiles through Christ. 

And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Luke 10:37

Jesus asks the religious leader, “Who was the neighbor to the man who needed help”? The religious leader replies “The man who showed mercy” which was the Samaritan. Jesus told him “Go and do the same” , Christ is teaching the religious leaders to have mercy on the Gentiles. At this period of time, the Jews wouldn’t even go near the Samaritans in fear of becoming “unclean”

Jesus point is if you truly Love God and Love your neighbor , then demonstrate it. Don’t be a hypocrite like the religious leaders, show mercy because your Heavenly Father has given you mercy Amen!

Luke 10- Thanks Be To God

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In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Luke 10:21-22

Here we see a very beautiful moment, not just because Jesus is praying to The Father, but also because its the Triune God coming together. The Son rejoiced in the Holy Spirit talking to The Father, what a powerful moment. And the relationship that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have is not only mysterious, but very personal.

What was revealed here? That God revealed his wisdom to the “least of these” and not to the religious leaders. Why? Because of their lack of faith, because of their pride, because God is sovereign and can do whatever he wants. The Triune God was revealed to the fisherman, and to the tax collector, and to the prostitute, those who humbled themselves, repented , and believed on Jesus Christ as Lord

And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  Luke 10:23-24

Think about all the prophets and patriarchs that wished to see the Messiah, and Christ was standing right before them at that moment. Throughout the Old Testament, since the promise of the Messiah in Genesis, Israel looked forward to the coming of Christ. However when Christ came, most of Israel rejected Jesus because their hearts were hardened and their ears were closed

But Christ’s Apostles were the chosen ones, they not only seen the Messiah, but lived and experienced with Him. They heard the teachings of God directly from God. They seen the miracles that Christ performed, they saw the Messianic Prophecies being fulfilled. Most importantly they witnessed the death and resurrection of Jesus, who gave us eternal life

From a worldly perspective it didn’t appear that the Apostles were blessed. They were persecuted, they had no money or possessions, and ultimately they died for their faith. But from a Heavenly perspective, they were very blessed, not only did they get to experience and witnesses , everything many generations longed to see, but their names were written in Heaven forever Amen!

Luke 10- Power over Satan

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And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. Luke 10:17-20

As the disciples returned from their mission trip, they rejoiced! Why? Because they had the power and authority over Satan and his demons in Jesus name. So why are we not rejoicing today in the Church? Do we not worship the same Christ? Are we not filled with the same Holy Spirit? Why does the Church today act helpless and defeated against Satan and his minions?

Notice Jesus said “ I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” Remember Satan was thrown out of Heaven (Revelation 12:9) Satan was defeated at the cross, when Jesus said “It is Finished” (John 19:30) the head of Satan was crushed at the cross. The evidence of Satans defeat was evident in the works of the disciples on their mission trip.  As Jesus said “I give you power over the enemy”, the enemy of this world is Satan. All evil is orchestrated and influenced by the evil one

Jesus also said “The spirits are subject unto you” meaning the demons are under your power and control. Often people live in fear, but in Christ we have no need to fear. As Jesus said “Don’t fear the one who can kill the body, fear The One who can destroy the body and soul in Hell” (Matthew 10) Jesus is Lord and holds the key to life and death, when you abide in Christ, you can live a life fearless

The last thing Jesus said in this scripture “Rejoice because your names are written in Heaven” while the disciples were celebrating their victory over evil, Jesus reminded them, the ultimate victory is over death, which Jesus fulfilled for us at the cross. Stay focused on our ultimate victory of salvation which is in Christ alone, not in our works for Christ

As a disciple of Christ, you have been given this same mission, power, and authority, however most Christians don’t fulfill their mission or receive the power and authority given to them. We don’t need to  live in fear, abide in Christ, and Satan will fall before you in Jesus name Amen!

Luke 10- Lambs Among Wolves

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After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. Luke 10:1-4

So now you’re a Christian, so what’s next? Do we just sit around and wait till Jesus returns? No, Jesus gave us marching orders, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:16) So why don’t we see Christians on every street corner preaching the gospel? Good question, they will have to answer to The Lord when he gets back, as Jesus said “The harvest is great, but the workers are few” , there are alot of people who need to hear the gospel but not enough Christians willing to tell them

Jesus sent his disciples out to go preach the gospel everywhere, however notice he didn’t send them alone. He sent them two by two, why? Because the truth is preaching the gospel is not the safest activity. Satan has deceived many in the world, and when they hear the Word of God, they become triggered and convicted of their sin, which causes a strong reaction.  As Jesus said “I send you as lambs among the wolves” 

We know what happens when a lamb is around a bunch of wolves, typically it gets devoured unless the Shepherd is there to protect them. Preaching is not for the faint of heart, this is probably why very few actually do it

And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. Luke 10:5-9

Now notice Jesus said to come in peace, when preaching you want to build relationships and conversations with people. You are not there to just condemn people and go home. Have interactions with people, try to see their worldview and show them how Jesus fits into the entire world’s view. If your not sure how to do this, then you should probably study and get trained more before you go out among the wolves

We notice the disciples were given the power to heal people, can we still do this today? Even though it’s a controversial topic, I believe we can. Is it always God’s will to heal someone? No, we must stay in accordance with God’s plan and will, but it never hurts to pray for someone and teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ! Amen!