Angie Benjamin

Jesus' Authority is challenged {Luke 20}

3:43 AM




The religious and political leaders question Jesus.
Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?" (vs 1-2)
We read in the previous chapter how Jesus boldly entered Jerusalem and drove out the corrupt merchants from the temple courts. This action, made the religious leaders want to know what right or authority He had to do such things.

Jesus replied by asking them yet another question. 

Jesus was not trying to evade the question of the religious leaders. Instead, He used the question to explain who He is and to expose the hypocrisy of the leaders. If John was from God, then he was right in proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah-and if this is true, then Jesus had all authority.

Jesus then proceeds to tell them a story, a parable about a vineyard.

Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.' But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.' So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.”-(vs 9-16)

Through Scripture, a “vineyard” is used as a metaphor for the nation of Israel. In Luke 20, the crowd listening to Jesus’s parable would have recognised that symbol. With this story, Jesus proclaimed that if the Israelites rejected Jesus, the promises and inheritance of God would go to new owners. In other words, God was about to offer His grace, kindness, and salvation to the Gentiles. The chief priests, scribes, and elders reacted quickly, shouting, “That must never happen!” (v.16).

I think in all these cases the lesson is the same.

If we want answers from Jesus, we must deal rightly with the truth that has already been revealed. These men knew that John said Jesus was the Messiah, and were not willing to accept it. Are you willing to accept Him today? Are you willing to receive the testimony of His glory in your life??

For more on Luke chapter 20, you can follow this link for a previous study we made.

Looking forward to hearing your comments!

Have a blessed weekend
Angie

Becky Austin

A Life Changing Encounter ( Luke 19)

12:30 PM




Our Reading: Luke 19

When I was a little girl, I was privileged to have a grandmother who taught me and the other children in her kindergarten memorable children’s songs about the Bible. She added acting out gestures as well and one of my favorites was about the wee little man Zacchaeus who wanted to see Jesus so much that he climbed up in a tree. 

Zacchaeus was a wee little man
And a wee little man was he
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see

And when the Savior passed that way
He looked up in the tree
And said, 'Zacchaeus, you come down!
For I'm going to your house today!
For I'm going to your house today!'

Zacchaeus was a wee little man
But a happy man was he
For he had seen the Lord that day
And a happy man was he;
And a very happy man was he

I may only have been a child, but I understood that a special event took place in that song. It was a big deal event. It was a life changing event. I knew that It was important to Zacchaeus to see Jesus but he didn’t expect for Jesus to see him. And he certainly didn’t expect for Jesus to call him by name and ask to be a guest at his house that day. And I wonder, do I take for granted how special it is that Jesus “sees” me too, personally seeks me out, knows my name and wants to spend time with me?

What I didn’t understand when I was a child, was that Zacchaeus was considered by the religious people of that day to be “a bad person”. He was a tax collector, the “ scum” or “lowlife” of Jewish society. He was disliked and even hated because of the power and corruption of his position. In that time period, tax collectors could overtax the people and become rich themselves off the profits. They had the full support of the Roman government to do so and the people were powerless victims. Zacchaeus was at the top of this food chain “....He was a chief tax collector and was rich.” (v2)
No wonder the people were shocked when instead of choosing to stay with a respectable member of society, he chose to go to the home of Zacchaeus. “And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."” ( v7)

But Jesus didn’t care that Zacchaeus was a sinner. Jesus saw his heart and knew that his heart could be changed. He didn’t expect Zacchaeus to have his life all polished and perfect. He didn’t expect him to be “ a good man” in the eyes of society. He had only one expectation....a repentant heart willing to acknowledge the wrong and desiring to make it right. Zacchaeus truly repented “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."”(v8)

That’s all Jesus asks of any of us. He wants us to see Him and when he asks us to invite Him in, he wants us to accept that invitation and allow Him to change our heart. He already knows the selfish, sinful choices we have made and He offers us a new beginning. He offers us salvation from who we were so that we can be what He designed us to be.  We can’t discount any one. Even the “scum” and “ lowlifes” of society can be changed by an encounter with Jesus. Sometimes the ones who seem to be living a life that would be most displeasing to Him are the ones who value what He offers the most. 

 “And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."” ( v9-10) 
Today could be the day that Jesus calls to you. Today could be your day for a life changing encounter with Jesus. 

beggar

Luke's Lessons on Prayer {Luke 18}

10:00 AM

Scripture Reading: Luke 18


Is there something your heart is longing for? Perhaps something you've been praying for... for years! Have you entertained thoughts of giving up on asking?

"Maybe it's such a small thing in comparison to all that's going on in the world!" 
"Maybe I'm not worthy enough to be asking. Perhaps I'm not praying correctly. Perhaps He's not listening, or perhaps God doesn't really care."

If you've entertained any of these thoughts in the past, take heart, for you are not alone! Dr. Luke masterfully put this chapter together to deal with all these thoughts! He begins by giving us some guidelines and finishes up with a wonderful example of someone who put all of them to practice and was granted what he had longed for all his life.

First we must persevere in prayer and not give up! Luke uses the story Jesus told of the persistent widow and the judge who did not fear God. (Luke 18:1-9)
What is so haunting about this passage however, is Jesus' final question, "... when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Will He find us faithful to the end; not willing to give up and in, but persevering; trusting and taking Him at His word?

 Secondly, we must pray humbly before God. Lowering ourselves in our own estimations and exalting God, and knowing that He is able. Luke uses Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. (Luke 18:9-14)
Thirdly, we must come to Him full of faith and fully trusting Him like the children in Luke 18:15-17. Come with arms outstretched and our hearts and souls open, surrendered and wholly dependent on Him.
Finally, we must set Him above all else as illustrated in the story of the rich, young man. (Luke 18:18-30) He is to take preeminence in our lives; above everything else, for anything less would be asking Him to step off His thrown in our hearts to grant the things you're asking of Him. Is He your everything- your All in all? 

Luke then closes the chapter with the story of a blind man who sat by the roadside begging each day to demonstrate to us exactly what it will take to receive the things we've been praying for in Luke 18:35-43,
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
__The blind man persisted in asking (calling out to Jesus) even though others were rebuking him for doing so. (verses 38-41) 
__The blind man humbled himself before Jesus, calling Him, Lord (v. 41)
__The blind man asked in faith, believing that Jesus was able to give him the sight he so desired. (v. 41)
__ The blind man left all else and immediately began to follow Jesus. (v. 43) 

 I like to think this was the man's message from that day forward:


Now, back to my original question... is there something you long for like this blind beggar? Has all that Luke put together in chapter 18 helped you to see what you need to do or keep on doing?

I pray we all will forever remember this chapter and one day, not only thank Dr. Luke for setting it all down on paper, but will share with him all that came about in each of our lives because we followed the example he set before us! 

Blessings,
sue

Lisa Thayer

More Faith? {Luke 17}

12:11 PM




 Image result for luke 17:6

Aren’t Christians supposed to have faith?  Shouldn’t we be showing great faith?  Last week I shared about being Dressed and Ready.  Jesus wants to find us doing what He has put us in charge of.  So, are we supposed to have more faith or more obedience?  Let’s take a look at Luke 17 to find out.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to write on both Luke 12 and 17.  I have struggled with understanding mustard seed faith because so many people have different views, but this time, I was able to study it’s meaning.  I have several friends who have described me as strong and faithful, yet I feel very weak and I have questioned my faith often.  Perhaps, you’ve had someone tell you that they wish they could have as much faith as you do.  What’s your reaction when someone tells you that?  Do you respond with, ‘aw thanks, it’s nothing?’  My question is, who gets the glory?  You do!  You’re the one with such great faith; the focus is on you!

Which is why Jesus follows up with the next passage with the servant (Luke 17:7-10).  Are you only following Christ because you want to hear that often quoted line, “well done…”?
There is in a sense no such thing as great faith; there’s only faith or no faith.  Yes, Jesus commended people for their great faith.  And, He often rebuked the disciples because of their little faith.  But in each case, He was commending a person who simply took God at His word and He was disciplining men who did not believe God concerning the matter at hand.  So, the matter is not so much great faith in God, but rather faith in a great God.  The smallest amount of faith links us to Christ, who is mighty.

There is no one more trustworthy than God!  He has a track record of never failing anyone who trusted in Him throughout human history.  Either we take Him at His word, or we don’t.  If we do trust Him, it is no credit to us.  All it takes is a little grain of faith in Him, because the issue is not our great faith, but our great God. 

I believe that Jesus’ point is that it is not a matter of how much faith you have, but rather, do you have faith in the living God?  If so, it can accomplish great things, not because of the size of your faith, but because of the power and ability of your God.  He will do mighty things through the person who trusts in Him, even if their faith is seemingly small and weak.  Then the glory goes to God.

How does this apply to trusting God when we’re faced with the difficult commands of Scripture as in verse 4?  Suppose someone has wronged you and has asked for your forgiveness, but you are deeply hurt and you’re struggling with obeying God by granting forgiveness.  Maybe the root of bitterness is as entrenched as the roots of this mulberry tree.

How much faith do you need to forgive the other person?  I believe the answer is, ‘as much faith as it takes to believe that God has forgiven you’.  You could begin by praying to God and letting Him know that you are having a difficult time obeying Him by forgiving this person.  And acknowledging that you know He has forgiven you, and that He forgave you not because of your great faith, but that God is faithful and keeps His promises.  Ask that He be glorified by enabling you to forgive this person.  Uproot this bitterness from your heart and plant it in the sea.  Mustard seed faith is recognizing that we must get our eyes off ourselves and onto God and His great mercy and faithfulness, He is glorified.  And in this case of forgiveness, God can use your mustard seed faith to uproot your bitterness and bury it forever, and He then gets the glory!

Jesus uses this graphic illustration of casting the mulberry tree into the sea to say that even small faith can do what is humanly impossible because it is none other than Almighty God who works through our faith.  Everyone who has truly believed in Christ for salvation has enough faith to obey the most difficult commands of scripture, because the issue isn’t our great faith.  The issue is our great God.  Look to Him and He will be glorified as He works His mighty power through your weakness and small faith.

So really, when we encounter the difficult commands of scripture, our focus should be more on obedience and humility.  We should view ourselves as God’s slaves who owe Him obedience in all things.  Jesus has a sense of humor here to make a point.  In that culture, something we don’t quite grasp, slaves had a very simple job description:  Do everything your master commands.  Period!  Slaves did not give orders, they took orders.  They did not negotiate with the owner what their privileges would be.  Slaves had to obey.

So, when they came in after a hard day in the fields, they did not expect their owners to have dinner ready for them.  They couldn’t tell the owner, “I’ve had a rough day.  Get your own dinner!”  They were expected to come in and serve their master.  And they didn’t expect him to thank them for all their hard work.  It was their duty to serve him.  Only after that, could they eat their own dinner. 

Duty is not the only picture.  Remember last week in Luke 12:37, Jesus showed us how He as the Master would graciously reverse roles and wait upon His faithful servants.  The focus there was on His grace!  But here in chapter 17 He is emphasizing our responsibility to do what He commands us to do.  Our focus cannot be on our feelings, but rather we must focus on our duty. 

We live in a day that encourages us to focus on our feelings.  We’re even encouraged to rage against God when we feel angry because of how He has treated us!  Yes, the psalmist sometimes poured out his complaint before the Lord, and I’m not suggesting that we deny or suppress our feelings.  But there is a right and wrong way to let the God of the universe know how we feel!  We always need to remember our lowly position before Him.  We are but dust and ashes in His presence and we should be willing to crawl on our hands and knees.  He owes us nothing; we owe Him everything.  He does not owe us; He owns us as His slaves.  As such, we owe Him obedience, even when His commands seem difficult.

There is no praise or glory in doing your duty.  Duty is that which is expected of a person.  I bet that if you show up to work on time, your boss does not say, “thank you so much for being here on time!  It’s just wonderful that you do that day after day!”  You are expected to be at work on time – it’s your duty.  You don’t squawk about paying your bills, do you?  You owe that money; you are expected to pay.  The point I’m trying to make is, we don’t earn brownie points with God for doing what He has commanded us to do.  It’s expected for slaves to do what the master commands. 

We should view ourselves as God’s slaves who are unworthy of any of His blessings.  Just read 17:10, “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’.”  Charles Spurgeon says that the Lord here is pouring cold water down our backs, but it is therapeutic.  We need that dousing to remember our place before Him.  Sometimes we get so puffed up about our years of sacrificial service or our forgiving spirit or how much we have loved others, that we almost think that God owes us something.  But we have no claim on God.  All that we have, we have received by grace.  We were lost and on the fast lane to hell when God’s mercy rescued us.  He graciously gave us the privilege of serving Him.  Should we really be congratulating ourselves when we obey His commands?

Nowhere in the bible are we told to grow in self-esteem, but many times it exhorts us to grow in humility.


  
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future

Commending a Crook {Luke 16}

5:00 PM





Monday Jan. 27, "Walking in Wisdom”


Jesus often taught earthly stories with heavenly meanings, called parables. And usually the stories He told were clear in meaning. But the parable of the “Unjust Steward” upon first glance appears to find the Lord commending a crook. For in it we find Jesus seemingly condoning the dishonesty of an unrighteous manger. Yet in truth, Jesus uses the story to teach the importance of caring about our futures, and to warn against the worship of wealth above God. 

The story begins with a wealthy man who hires a steward to manage his finances. When accusations arise against the steward, the wealthy man fires him, asking for a final account of his records before the steward leaves. Panicked because his hands are too soft for physical labor and his pride too big to beg, the steward concocts a plan to secure his future and ensure that, “when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.” (vs. 4) He calls together those who owe the rich man money. And after asking what each one owed, he made new, fraudulent bills reducing the amount due. So what does the wealthy man do when he discovers he’s been cheated? He gives the “unrighteousness steward” a pat on the back for being so clever. To which Jesus follows with, “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.”(vs. 9) Wait...what? Did Jesus just say that we are to model the behavior of a thief? Well...yes and no.

We know of course that Jesus isn’t telling us to emulate the dishonesty of the steward. But He is telling us to practice the shrewdness of the steward in providing for the future. “The sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light.” (vs. 8). As wicked as he was the steward, knowing he was going to have to give an account of his actions to his master, was shrewd enough to first secure his future. Jesus instructs us to do the same. Romans 14:12 reminds us that one day, “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” And before that day comes, unlike the steward who set his sights on wealth for earthly gain, we as Christians need to be setting our sights on wealth for heavenly gain; storing up for ourselves, “treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matt. 6:20)

“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (vs. 13) Each of us are God’s stewards. And the wealth He blesses us with, whether it be in the form of money, the ability to teach, a tender heart, or a giving spirit, He expects us to be faithful in managing for the glory of His kingdom. Righteously serving God with our riches, also keeps wealth from taking God’s place in our hearts and leading us  into trouble. For as 1 Timothy 6:10 warns, “the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

So until the day when we stand before God, may we each, as the Lord’s just stewards, joyfully and faithfully continue to go about the Master’s business remembering, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col. 3:23-24)





Broccoli

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken & Broccoli Rice

9:09 AM




Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken & Broccoli Rice

1 ½ pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – cut into 1’’ cubes
2 Cloves Garlic – minced
1 ½ tsp Grated Ginger Root gently packed
½ Cup Honey
1/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 ½ TBS Sesame Oil
1 TBS Rice Wine Vinegar
1 TBS Light Brown Sugar
4 tsp Cornstarch
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
2 large Heads Broccoli – roughly chopped into large florets (about 28 ounces)

Make the sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, and brown sugar. Cook the chicken: Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place them in the slow cooker. Pour the honey mixture over the top of the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3-3 ½ hours or HIGH for 1 ½ - 2 hours*, stirring halfway through. (Chicken will continue cooking in next step). In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 ½ tablespoons of water to combine. Carefully add the cornstarch mixture to the slow cooker and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened. Meanwhile, make the broccoli rice: Place the broccoli in the food processor and pulse until it resembles the texture of rice. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the broccoli rice and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes, or until the “rice” is golden brown and slightly crispy. Serve chicken over rice.


















II Peter 3:9

Lost and Found! God's love for the sinners!

12:00 AM


Friday Jan. 24th       
Walking in Wisdom!
Lost and Found!  God’s love for sinners!

Image result for Luke 15:7

Luke 15
It starts out with the tax collectors and sinners coming often to listen to Jesus teach. 
Tax collectors were men who collected taxes for the Romans and had a bad reputation for extortion and malpractice.  Sinners were those whose daily occupations rendered them ceremonially unclean and not to be associated with. [foot note in my bible]
Read Matt. 9:10-13
[Interesting that they asked the disciples instead of asking Jesus who was right there with them.]
Eight times in this chapter the "lostness" of man is emphasized
vs. 4-What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 
:6 -And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost
:8-10 Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
:11-13-A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his  wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
:17-But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!
:24-for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate. 
:32-But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

The Lost Sheep
A shepherd cares much for his sheep.  He nurtures, heals and leads them.  If he finds that one is lost, he will leave the rest [who are still being cared for] and goes and finds the lost one. 

The Lost Coin
Here is a woman who lost a precious silver coin.
She searches for it till she finds it.
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The Lost Son
Here we have a son who chooses to leave and go out on his own.  He is given his inheritance and squanders it to the point that he has nothing left and no one is giving anything to him.
He comes to his senses and realizes that he can return home to his father.  He will repent before his father and ask to be accepted as one of his father’s hired servants. 
Well, his father does more than that.  His father sees him in the distance and has compassion for him and runs and embraces him and kisses him.  He welcomes him with open arms and plans a feast for him.  The father is rejoicing because his lost son is found.
We have 3 examples of Christ’s love for the sinners and the lost. 
In the first two stories what was lost was sought after till found. 
In the last story there was no seeking for that lost one but a waiting.  I can only think that this father prayed for and eagerly awaited the return of his son.
When he saw his son coming he had great compassion for him and ran to him and embraced and kissed him. 
Read Luke 15: 25-32
Here we have the brother of the prodigal son, who is very much like the Pharisees and scribes.  Not happy about his father’s reaction when his brother returns. He was not rejoicing!
In all 3 stories there was great rejoicing when the lost was found.  So much so that they partied and invited friends and neighbors.
It is the same with us.
Did we wander off?
Did we lose something?
Did we make a choice?
Know this-
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.  II Peter 3:9
Image result for II Peter 3:9
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
God is a loving heavenly Father who is not willing for any to perish without repentance.  He sent His Son Jesus to live on this earth to save us from our sinful lives.  He gave His own life for us while we were yet sinners.  When we come to Him, repent and turn from our sinful way of life and follow Him there is much rejoicing in heaven.
Lyn