Tag Archives: Religion

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!

Luke 9- The Cost of Christianity Part 2

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And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:57-62

Previously in this chapter, Jesus taught us what the Cost of Christianity was going to be, to deny ourselves, carry our crosses, on a daily basis. The fact is to be a true Christian, will cost you everything. Why? Because Jesus is your everything, He is your Lord and King, and you are his servant. If you don’t understand that then you haven’t come to a true understanding of the gospel message. 

Many people today want Jesus to benefit them. How can Jesus make me more wealthy, how can Jesus make me more successful, how can Jesus make me more happy. They come to Jesus for the wrong reasons, and receive a false gospel becoming false converts. This is why you see alot of dead churches, with dead pastors preaching dead messages. There is no life without the Holy Spirit, you need to be baptized by the Water and Spirit, become Born again in Jesus Christ

In Jesus teaching today , we see more examples of people creating their own agendas and Jesus given them the harsh reality. They say I want to follow Jesus, but I will follow him on my own terms. We might even be guilty of that ourselves, but as Jesus said “Nobody put his hand on the plow and looks back, is worthy of the Kingdom of God” You can’t become Born Again and then think well maybe I was better in my sin. Well maybe I’ll serve God ,if they pay me the right money. Or maybe I’ll be a Christian if I feel a positive experience. 

Pushing the plow is not a glamorous job, its not a self fulfilling job, its not a job anyone dreams about being a child, but its a calling and you fulfill the mission. You might say this has nothing to do with me, if has everything to do with anyone who calls themselves a Christian. Jesus commanded us to “Preach the gospel to all the nations” you are to sow the seeds of the gospel, you are plowing the fields of the world. So yes as a Christian, your hand should be on the plow and not looking back

Another man said Jesus I’ll follow everywhere you go, I want to see your fame and power. But Jesus said “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” meaning even though Jesus is Lord of the Earth, he owned nothing on this Earth. He humbled himself as the suffering servant to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. You honestly believe you can be and go like Jesus? As Jesus said to his disciples “Nobody can drink from the cup given to him” There is only One Son of God, and you need to serve and worship him, not try to be him. 

So what is the Cost of being a Christian? It will cost you everything including possibly your life. But as Jesus said “Anyone who wants to save their life will lose it” Put your hand on the plow, follow Jesus , and never look back Amen!

Luke 9- Who Is The Greatest?

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Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. Luke 9:46-48

One of the greatest challenges of ministry or Church, is to remain humble and “Christlike”. Often we see many Ministries or Churches, when they start to have some success, the egos really start to grow. Soon that humble servant of Jesus, who started in ministry for the right reasons, grows into a false teacher who is in it for all the wrong reasons. 

We seen this even with the early Apostles, a fight broke out about , who is the greatest of the Apostles? Yes, even the Apostles can fall into this deceptive trap of flesh and ego. Jesus knew the sin that was in their hearts and was going to cut them down to size quickly. He promoted a child as the greatest in the Kingdom. That must of made the Apostles look and feel pretty embarrassed. 

Jesus said “Whoever receives this child in my name, they will be great in Gods Kingdom” But what about all of our theological debates, and commentaries on the Bible? No receive this unlearned , innocent child as a disciple. Why? Because they truly love Jesus with all their heart, and you simply dont

And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. Luke 9:49-50

Then one of the Apostles was like, hey what about that guy who was casting out demons in Jesus name, he’s not an apostle, we should rebuke him! Jesus is like “Hey whoever is preaching in my name, let them preach, for they are for us and not against us” Its very common also in ministry and Churches to be competitive, even though we are all on the same team! 

We need to remember its all about building Gods Kingdom and not building our egos. Whoever is the least among you , shall be the greatest in Gods Kingdom, that’s something our human flesh can’t comprehend or accept. We must be like on of these children, faith like a child Amen!

Luke 9- Faithless and Perverse Generation

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And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. Luke 9:38-40

Here we see a boy possessed with a demon, and his father brought him to Jesus to be healed. Now from the details it’s clear that this is a demon possession. It’s described as the boy is screaming, convulsing, and foaming from the mouth. As you continue to read through the New Testament, its clear a spiritual battle was going on. There were many demon possessions and people being tormented by demons. So why would we think this is still not going on today? 

Another interesting note is the disciples were unable to exorcise the demon. It doesn’t give a reason why the disciples failed, perhaps its the same reason today many Christians fail to have power over demons. Perhaps its lack of true faith, or lack of understanding, whatever may be the reason they were powerless against the demons at this point

And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.  Luke 9:41-42

Jesus sounds really annoyed at this point, he said “You faithless and perverse generation, how long do I have to stay with you” Wow, so much for the watered down Jesus the liberals try to portray these days. Jesus was disgusted with the lack of faith and perversion of that generation. Imagine what Jesus must think of this generation? 

Jesus rebuked the demon and healed the child, demonstrating his deity as the Christ, the Son of God. But the disciples failed to do this even though Jesus gave them power and authority to perform this duty. Why did the disciples fail? Why do we the Church fail today?

Well since we know the power comes from Christ, then the answer is Christ. If we are failing to have power over demons, then we must examine our relationships with Christ and reveal where we are lacking. We don’t want to be the perverse and faithless generation, we want to be the well done servants generation Amen!

Luke 9- The Transfiguration

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And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:28-31

The Transfiguration, one of the most mysterious events in the Bible, yet one that reveals so much about the past, present , and future. First we notice the scene is on a mountain. There is very similar to when Moses went up Mt Sinai to talk to God and received the Ten Commandments. Another fulfillment on how Jesus is the greater prophet of Moses, fortold by Moses himself (Deuteronomy 18:15)

Secondly we see Jesus come into his glory, being transformed into pure white. This is the same we see Jesus in Revelation Chapter 1 and Daniel 7. If you read Revelation 1 you can get the further description of how Jesus probably looked at this moment, eyes of blazing fire, his feet were like bronze, and his voice was like roaring waters. This must of be a terrifying moment for the disciples that were there

Third, we see Moses and Elijah there, now for those who believe in “Soul Sleep” how are Moses and Elijah there? They are still alive and well. I believe Moses represents The Law and Elijah represents The Prophets here. This is a revelation of the New Covenant through Christ, the Law and Prophets have been fulfilled through Jesus

But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. Luke 9:32-35

Then the voice of God The Father is heard from a cloud “This is my beloved Son, Listen to him” Imagine the terror of hearing God speak, this is looking more like Mt Sinai. As Peter asked Jesus “Is it good for us to be here”? Imagine as a sinful human standing in the presence of the Holy God, reminds you of Isaiah 6

And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. Luke 9:36

Jesus told them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen” why? Because remember up until this point, Jesus wasn’t revealed as the Messiah to most. We just heard Yahweh confirm Jesus is the Messiah, so that would have made it clear cut. But Jesus wanted people to come to him, and learn more about him, have a desire to know God.

The Transfiguration was a unique moment in history, that should be pondered. What would you have done if you were up on that mountain, face to face with the transfigured Lord, in the presence of Moses and Elijah, and hearing the voice of God? Pretty intense, but get ready, because Christ is coming again soon Amen!