Month: January 2014

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:18-30 (day seven) 
“You will have treasure in heaven.”  (v 22)  I am reading the autobiography of a wealthy man.  Interesting.  His co-author writes,  “It is a game for him, money is the way he keeps score.”  Not sure that Jesus would discourage this competitive urge.  Very sure that he would point to the importance of gaining “true treasure”.  I have met Christians who have no ambition.  Not for themselves, not for their family or church or nation.  I do not think this honors God.  It is not synonymous with humility.  “If any man ASPIRES to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”  (1 Timothy 3:1)  “He (Paul) was HURRYING to be in Jerusalem by Pentecost.” (Acts 20:16)  Jesus doesn’t criticize the RYR for his ambition.  He redirects it to the pursuit of something eternal.  A lesson here and for us all.  What is your ambition, friend?  Are you aiming for treasure in heaven?

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:18-30 (day six) 
“One thing you still lack: sell all you have and give it to the poor. . .and come, follow me.”  (v 22)  I cannot imagine that anyone was comfortable.  It was an awkward moment, for sure.  Hard words!  Unpleasant.  Unexpected.  Full of Love.  Jesus was not willing for this young man to stay a stranger to LIFE.  So He gave him a hard assignment.  Sell. Give. Come. Follow.  Not something He said to everyone, because money is not always the issue.  The timeless truth?  In order for the heart to be healed, it must be rid of its idols.  To be saved, our lower hopes and loyalties must be destroyed. “Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can stand”, says Harvard professor, Ron Heifetz.  “Salvation is hard for rich people”, said Jesus as he watched the young man walk away.  Hard for everybody.  New dreams come only when old ones are disappointed.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (Day Five)
Ever wonder why Jesus didn’t talk about money or possessions to Nicodemus or Zaccheus (both wealthy and successful)?  Because He knew their hearts.  The kingdom of God is not about money, it is about the heart.

It’s an amazing conversation between the rich young ruler (RYR) and Jesus.  As Jesus addresses the question posed by the RYR (with the scripture), He leaves out one of the commandments.  I suspect the RYR knew the commandments by heart and maybe thought Jesus left out # 10 to cut him some slack.  But Jesus interprets and applies #10 to his circumstances and his (RYR) heart.  Brilliant!!  Beautiful!!  Alarming!!  (That’s exactly what the Holy Spirit does now in the heart of the New Testament Believer)

God knows our hearts.  He is aware of our motives, fears, pride, insecurities, failures, and weaknesses.  God is not intimidated by the sin or darkness in our hearts.  He challenges, questions, and confronts it.  God’s design and desire is to have reign and rule over our hearts. Proverbs 4:23.   “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day four)
The rich young ruler came to Jesus with a valid question…what must I do to be saved?  Whether he was sincere or not, he needed to know the answer.  Jesus gave him the general answer, but then pinpointed the need in the young man’s life.  He needed to give his entire life to Jesus.  When the rich young ruler heard Jesus’ answer, he was faced with a choice.  We all have them.  When confronted with the truth of Jesus’ response, the young man had to decide if he was willing to pay the price.  Just knowing the answer is not enough.  We must choose whether we will follow Jesus or not.  The pull of the world may be great.  We may have riches, status, authority, or maybe just pride…but we all have to make a choice.  The choice we make in answer to this question is our most important choice in our whole life.  Will you follow Jesus?

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (Day Three)
“Who then can be saved?” This question is a good one as far as it goes, but it doesn’t go very far.  Despite its passive voice, it’s still concerned with the detection of some quality, some attribute of a person that would signal his acceptance by God.  The question looks for its answer among men.  But it won’t find the answer among men, for that is the realm of the impossible.  When we seek God, when we lay down our efforts to impress him, when we ask him to “forgive me, a sinner”, we’ve begun to turn our eyes to the realm where all things become possible.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (day two)
The Sunday before Christmas we looked at Luke 12 and the parable of the Rich Fool who also decided to put treasure on things he could possess and hoard.  Didn’t end well that time either.  Pastor Don very shrewdly also included Luke’s version of the birth of the Christ-child.  As Mary, surely still weary from a long journey and a delivery, saw the events unfold around her she made a choice; she treasured.  The visit from the angel, the star, the shepherds, and the wise-men all came to adore this child.  Her response was simple, she put her joy in her heart and to the Lord.  No excuses for the condition of the barn or an apology to the Kings for the meekness of their clothes.  She treasured this where it would be eternally valuable.

Re: Verse reading–Luke 18:18-30 (day one) 
Strange math, don’t you think?  The rich, young ruler (RYR) comes to Jesus.  Sincerely interested.  Has much.  Obviously wealthy. Considerate. Conscientious.  Nevertheless,  he is still hungry for eternal life.  Jesus says, “You still lack one thing, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me.”  (v 22)  Notice the verbs?  Sell! Give! Come! Follow! FOUR things which are actually only ONE thing.  “And you shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind, and all your strength.”  It is the last ounce of courage or energy that often means a medal or a victory for an athlete.  Much will not be enough.  All!  Why would God be any different?  Not perfection, but certainly full surrender is what God requires. Like the RYR, most of us just lack one thing.

RE Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (day seven)  “Whoever humbles himself as this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”  (Matthew 18:4)  Our RE Verse reading this week is familiar.  Jesus defending the children.  Allowing them access.  Permanently elevating their value in the church.  The primary truth, however, is not about children.  The Lord’s main focus was on adults, teaching them (us) humility.  How do children illustrate the absence of pride?  Soft hearts.  Easily moldable characters.  Could we get back to this place with God?  Jesus believed that pride is the problem and humility is the solution. In a few hours we will meet together for worship.  I have  great expectation that the Lord will use this passage to teach us “the path of life”.  “This is the one to whom I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit and who trembles at my word.”  (Isaiah 66:2)  Praying for childlike hearts and the blessing that comes with it.

RE Verse reading–Luke 18:9-17 (day six)  “Will not God bring about JUSTICE for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:8)  “I tell you, this man went to his house JUSTIFIED rather than the other.”  (Luke 18:14)  The Bible is filled with people who pray when in trouble.  When life is unfair.  When justice doesn’t come.  “I waited patiently for the Lord. . .He heard my cry and brought me out of the pit of destruction.”  (Psalm 40:1)  Valid use of prayer. ( See Luke 18 — story of the determined widow)  Our reading this week is a second story.  Deeper story,  I think.  Subject still prayer.   Rather than ask that for JUSTICE ( for his circumstances to be made right) the tax-collector seeks to be JUSTIFIED (made right with God).  It is a rare prayer.  Harder.  Different focus.   Most of us blame life and others for our misery or ineffectiveness. This man knew.  What needed to be put right was his own heart.   

Re: Verse reading – Luke 18:9-17 (day four)
If you drive a car, you know about blind spots.  They are those areas around your vehicle that you cannot see with your mirrors or by turning your head around.  Your blind spots are visible to everyone else with a different perspective, but as the driver, they are invisible to you.  We all have spiritual blind spots as well.  Attitudes or character flaws that those around us can clearly see…but we are oblivious to them.  In this parable, Jesus explains the danger of a spiritual blind spot.  This Pharisee took pride in his own righteousness…he trusted in his own ‘good works’.  What was obvious to everyone else was the tragic failure of his not trusting in Christ.  Often times, we think we can do it on our own.  We don’t believe we need Christ, or worse, we never even consider Him.  The tragedy is that our false righteousness will not bring true justification.  Ask God to give you His perspective…ask Him to show you your blind spots.  The result of your humility will be genuine forgiveness and true justification.