Tag: Jesus

Daily Word

Luke 24

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Read Luke 24 – This is a day for awe!  

The women were prepared for a somber and reverent morning of preparing the brutalized body of their Lord for burial.   Can you imagine the agony of tending to each lash and tear with oil and spices?  Yet the stone was rolled away! (:2)

Two men in dazzling robes asked them why they were looking among the dead for someone who is alive? They remembered Jesus had said it would happen, and rushed back to tell the disciples. Jesus appears, teaches, walks beside and eats with them in various settings. 

Beloved, Jesus meets us in the most unique and personal ways too!  Keep your eyes open and your heart prepared.

Jesus prepares them for the Holy Spirits arrival and tells them to wait in the city for him. Then He lifted His hands to heaven, blessed them, and was taken up to heaven. They were filled with great joy and returned to the Temple, praising God. (:50-53) 

Oh Beloved believer!   Our Savior lives!   Hallelujah – Christ is risen! Glory to God. 💖👆🥰😇🥰👆💖

Daily Word

Luke 23

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Read Luke 23 – Lord have mercy!  The human heart is revealed throughout our chapter.

The council of elders, leading priests and teachers of religious law banded together and told 3 lies concerning Jesus: that he led people astray, that he told them not to pay taxes to Rome, and that he claimed to be king. Pilate was a Roman governor being persuaded to crucify Jesus, in whom he found nothing wrong, by the bullying threat of riots. 23:1-5.  Pilate discovered Jesus was Galilean and under Herod’s jurisdiction.

Herod goes from being delighted to see Jesus :8, to mocking and ridiculing him :11.  That is sin nature at its ugliest….being cruel for entertainment’s sake. The mob wins and our Savior lays down his life. 

Can you imagine the restraint it must have taken in the angelic realm? 

Joseph takes the body of Jesus, wraps him in linen and placed him in a tomb.   The women prepared burial spices, but could not anoint his body because Sabbath had begun. 

It is silent Saturday. Oh beloved, you are so loved. Jesus laid down his life for you.   How will you respond? ⚰✝️❤💔❤✝️⚰

Daily Word

Luke 22:35-71

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Read Luke 22:35-71 – It’s getting real. 

Jesus prepares the men by noting the shift, he sent them out with nothing before and now they would need to be prepared for hostility.   They would be counted as rebels(:37). 

Jesus asked them to pray, as he stepped away to pray also.  An angel came and ministered to Jesus as he prayed, and he prayed to the agony of blood.   Beloved, if there were any way to Salvation, apart from the cross, this is the time God would have changed Jesus’s course.  The wrath I deserve, the wrath you deserve and all sinners for all time was in that cup, and Jesus pleaded for another way while still surrendering,  “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. ” 22:42

And when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping and not praying(:46). Beloved, pray fierce and fervently, do not cower in denial, do not sleep when you should be praying. 

Then Judas shows up, betraying Jesus with a kiss.   The disciples are ready to fight; the high priests slave gets his ear chopped off.  Jesus puts a stop to it and heals the man (:51)!  Jesus gives a miracle here in the middle of this betrayal.  Jesus is arrested, Peter denies him, Jesus is beaten with a level of cruelty that is hard to comprehend. 

Beloved, don’t look away, don’t sleep.  Pray.🙏🙇‍♀️🙏 

Daily Word

Luke 22:1-34

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Read Luke 22:1-34 – Sifting gets the lumps out. 

Today’s portion of Scripture covers Judas’s betrayal.  It covers what we call THE LAST SUPPER and COMMUNION.   And it contains a verse that has carried me through many trials.

This is Jesus speaking: SIMON, SIMON, SATAN HAS ASKED TO SIFT YOU AS WHEAT. BUT I HAVE PRAYED FOR YOU, SIMON, THAT YOUR FAITH MAY NOT FAIL.   AND WHEN YOU HAVE TURNED BACK, STRENGTHEN YOUR BROTHERS. 22:31-32

Beloved, have you ever felt sifted? Do you know that Jesus prays for you? Do you recognize that the trial is not your forever, but that Jesus has great things for you to do ‘when you have turned back’?  The Bible tells us that we are to consider trials as pure joy because of the great things they accomplish in us (see James 1:2-4). 

Judas and Simon(Peter) will both fail Jesus,  but only Simon turns back (repents)… and he lives an amazing life for Christ that literally changed the world. Beloved, don’t ever quit before the miracle. ❣↩💖🙌💖↪❣

Daily Word

Luke 21

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Read Luke 21 – It starts small. Be faithful no matter what your starting point is.

Though the widow was poor and the amount she gave was monitarily less than the other people, Jesus commended her. With the Lord, it’s all about the heart. She gave all that she had from her heart and that is priceless in God’s economy.

Next, Jesus speaks about the signs of his second coming. We are seeing things that could fit his indicators. Will he come today? In five years? In 10,000 years? Will that change anything for you?

Beloved, Jesus’s return is not an IF, but WHEN. And since WHEN could be now, live ready. When things get hard, trust Him with the words and the wisdom to endure(:15). Consider 2020 a training ground – Did you fall into some of the things verse :34 cautions about? May today be the day you look up for salvation is near(:28) .❣🙏👆👆👆🙏❣

Daily Word

Luke 20

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Read Luke 20 – Did they want truth or shame?  

Jesus was teaching and preaching the good news in the temple when the religious officials demanded to know by whose authority Jesus taught (:2). 

When I was a skeptic, I (cowardly) emailed the pastor a bunch of questions.   He bought me the book,  The Case For Christ,  by Lee Strobel.  I was a bit irritated that he didn’t personally answer my questions until I began reading the book. I realized:

1) there were answers to all my questions

2) if the pastor would have answered – I would have been so busy thinking up the next question that I wouldn’t have truly heard the answer.

3) I wouldn’t have retained the information the way one does when they pursue truth. 

Like Jesus modeled here, the pastor put the ball in my court, and that book helped me move from a smartypants skeptic, to all-in-believer in Jesus Christ.  Sadly, it didn’t turn out as well for these men. Many more lessons are in our chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it for yourself.🤓📖😍🙏😍📖🤓

Daily Word

Luke 19

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Read Luke 19 – They get it! 

As Jesus enters Jericho, the chief tax collector strives to hear and see him.  He climbs a tree to see better, and Jesus calls to him by name and tells him to climb down because he (Jesus) must be a guest in his (Zacchaeus) home (:5).  Can you imagine???  Zacchaeus’ repentance that night is so pure that Jesus states Salvation has come to his home (:8-10). 

Jesus tells the crowd a parable about a mean king who entrusted 10 pounds to his servants to invest.  The first servant made 10 times the original amount and the king was pleased.  The next earned 5 times and the king was pleased.  The third feared the king so much that he hid the money in the ground and was only able to return the original amount untouched.  The king was furious… to me this represents one who takes their faith and shares about Jesus, winning souls, or taking that same faith and keeping it private, never telling anyone else the Good News.  Beloved, live to please God over man. 

At last, Jesus has his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  Many believers line the street with palm branches and sing, recognizing and revering Jesus as the King who came in the name of the Lord.  Yet, still Jerusalem is blinded and their fate is destruction…. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace.  But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.” 19:42 

Beloved, where do you fit in this?  Is there a song of praise on your lips?  Do you multiply the faith in your heart with those around you?  Do you understand Jesus as the way to peace?  Do you get it too???

Daily Word

Luke 18

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Read Luke 18 – What do you want? 

Consider our parable, when the blind beggar was told Jesus was passing by he began shouting on faith:  JESUS, SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!  This was a cry to be heard.  The crowd didn’t like it and told him to be quiet, yet he shouted all the louder: SON OF DAVID, HAVE MERCY ON ME!   Jesus asked that the man be brought to him and as he came near, Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”  The man was specific – he wanted to see.  Jesus made it so, and the man followed Jesus, praising him with a joy and reverence that was contagious throughout the crowd (:31-34). 

Beloved, learn from this blind beggar.  Cry out!  Shout!  Be heard in your pleas.  Be specific with what you are asking for.  The man’s first request for mercy was broad and when he got specific, that is when the miracle happened.  Is your prayer too broad to even know if its been answered?  Get as specific as you can in your prayers. 

Intercessory prayer, prayers for others, is important, but make sure you pray for yourself as well.  Your own testimony is for God’s glory; your joy for Jesus should be personal. 

In our chapter, we see people with specific needs…The widow wanted justice.  The tax collector wanted forgiveness.  The children wanted Jesus.  The rich man wanted to be good enough on his own terms.  And the blind man wanted to see.  What do you want?  Beloved, pray.🙏🙏🙏

Daily Word

Luke 17

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Read Luke 17 – Just show up.  Jesus takes us through several examples of faith starting with the faith to forgive time and time again.  If a person asks for forgiveness, forgive (:4). 

May your faith be as big as a mustard seed.  Can you manage that, Beloved?  Life will come at you and your faith may take a beating.  When you are weary, remind yourself that Jesus said if you have the faith as small as a mustard seed you can do great things(:6). 

The servant illustration (:7-:10) is rich.  People are always wanting approval and pats on the back, so remember you are simply doing God’s work and there is much more to be done.  You are the servant.  Jesus is Lord.  Keep a clear perspective.  And be like the 10th leper, say thank you(:16). 

Verses :20-:37 speak about the signs for the coming Kingdom of God – you don’t get one – live every day as though it were happening today.  Live trusting that when the day arrives, you will know it, and do not turn back for anything.  Jesus has no tolerance for divided loyalties. 

Beloved, when you pray today, ask the Lord to show you any division in your heart, any idols that you’re holding onto, that are keeping you at arms length.⚠️🚫↩👆↪🚫⚠️

Daily Word

Luke 16

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Read Luke 16 – Make the most of every opportunity.  

We saw the film Sabina last night.   She and her husband, Richard, were missionaries in Romania through Nazi occupation followed by the Russian rule.   They were Jewish by birth, married as atheist, and converts to Christianity. One of the first things they did as new believers was introduce themselves to their neighbors, bringing gifts. It took love and persistence to form relationships during the uncertain times. 

That is what Jesus is expecting of us when he commends the manager for shrewdness.  “I tell you, make friends for yourself by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings, :9.  Beloved, pursue people with every resource.   Love them with the love of Christ.   You have Good News to share; be shrewd and make the most of every opportunity.

Be faithful in little things.   I love that.   We all want to do amazing things, just start with the little things and trust Jesus… he knows your heart and what you can be entrusted with.

Be eternity minded.   Lazarus got it, but the rich man did not.   Success in this life can blind a person.   Beloved, keep your eyes on the prize.🏆👆🌎🙏🌏👆🏆