24 Days and Chapters of Luke – 16

Day 16 and Luke Chapter 16

Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Today, I want to focus on servant and hate.  Let’s dig into what scriptures says about the two. I think one of the many problems today is too many Christians are trying to serve two masters and failing miserable. Why, because if we use the bible as our standard to live by, which is our truth then we read in Luke 16:13 – no servant can serve two masters. What does this mean?

Websters dictionary 1828 – servant – One who yields obedience to another. The saints are called servants of God, or of righteousness; and the wicked are called the servants of sin.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

As Christians, we are to yield obedience to God and serve God only.

1 John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Many ask why do you answer questions with scripture, that’s an easy answer as well: scripture answers scriptures and it’s when “man” tries to come up with ones own interpretations is when one can fall from God’s truths and set of standards.

From my study today, I understand by serving God, I will have to live by his commandments alone.  Many times this is where Christians stumble and make their own choices on how to live their life.  We read in Exodus 20 God’s commandments:

Exodus 20

20 And God spake all these words, saying,

² I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

³ Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

⁵ Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

⁶ And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

⁷ Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

⁸ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

⁹ Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

¹⁰ But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

¹¹ For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

¹² Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

¹³ Thou shalt not kill.

¹⁴ Thou shalt not commit adultery.

¹⁵ Thou shalt not steal.

¹⁶ Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

¹⁷ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

And we read in Proverbs 6:16-19 what God hates:

Proverbs 6:16-19

¹⁶ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

 

Dear reader it’s not easy being a child of God and following him with a world full of “choices” and being “politically correct” but if you remain steadfast in knowing God is merciful and loves you beyond what you can comprehend, it’s then you will experience a joy and peace no one can ever take from you.

May you continue to prepare your hearts to knowing the truth about Jesus and lean not unto your own understanding but search the living word of God.

Thank you for reading day sixteen of my journey through the book of Luke.

24 Days and Chapters of Luke – 15

Day 15 and Chapter 15 of Luke

The importance of parables:

Luke 15: 3-7 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Many times I hear others comment, the King James Bible is too archaic or hard to understand and read . However, this parable is very clear to understand: If one is lost don’t you find that one.  Praise God, Jesus is willing to find even one.  All you need to do is receive his gift of eternal love and rejoice in knowing you have the hope in eternal life in heaven.  How does this happen: believe in the gospel: Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, was crucified, was buried, and rose after three days and nights. Then call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save you.

 

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

And lastly repent.

Websters 1828 Dictionary – Repentence:

REPENT’ANCE, noun

1. Sorrow for any thing done or said; the pain or grief which a person experiences in consequence of the injury or inconvenience produced by his own conduct.

2. In theology, the pain, regret or affliction which a person feels on account of his past conduct, because it exposes him to punishment. This sorrow proceeding merely from the fear of punishment, is called legal repentance as being excited by the terrors of legal penalties, and it may exist without an amendment of life.

3. Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God.

Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2 Corinthians 7:9. Matthew 3:8.

Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God.

 

Act 8: 20-22 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

May you continue to prepare your hearts to knowing the truth about Jesus and lean not unto your own understanding but search the living word of God.

Thank you for reading day fifteen of my journey through the book of Luke.

Come let us adore him.

Feast of the Passover – Unleavened Bread

This past several weeks I have been studying the book of Mark, today I am digging deeper into Mark 14:1 and 2

Mark 14:1, 2

After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

My two main words to focus on are: passover and unleavened.  How do these words apply to me today as a bible believing saved Christian by the blood of Jesus Christ?

What I love about the bible is the answers are always in scripture.  Scripture answers scripture, when we as a Christian start to rely more on man and less on God and his word, it is then we stumble and fall.

We need to head back to the beginning, in the days of Moses, to learn about the feast of the passover.  Exodus Chapter 12 tells us when the passover is and the details of a the passover.  After reading this we know four important pieces:

1. lamb is spotless and unblemished
2. the instructions are to be followed-the first month and the 10th day and kept until 14th day, killed in the evening, with the blood strike on the two sides posts and on the upper door of the house.
3. the blood is a token
4. eat the flesh in night roast with fire and unleavened bread

 

Passover – (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

P`ASSOVER, n. [pass and over.] A feast of the Jews, instituted to commemorate the providential escape of the Hebrews, in Egypt, when God smiting the first-born of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites, which were marked with the blood of the paschal lamb.

1. The sacrifice offered at the feast of the passover.

 

Now let’s look at the word unleavened:

Unleavened – (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

UNLEAVENED, a. unlev’ened. Not leavened; not raised by leaven, barm or yeast. Exo 12.

And let’s look what leaven means:

Leaven – (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)

LEAVEN, n. lev’n. [L. levo, Eng. to lift.]

1. A mass of sour dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough or paste, produces fermentation in it and renders it light. During the seven days of the passover, no leaven was permitted to be in the houses of the Jews. Exo 12.

2. Any thing which makes a general change in the mass. It generally means something which corrupts or depraves that with which it is mixed.

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mat 16.

LEAVEN, v.t. lev’n.

1. To excite fermentation in; to raise and make light, as dough or paste.

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor 5.

2. to taint; to imbue.

I really like using the Webster 1828 Dictionary – as I find it’s importance to the meaning of words as they pertain to the bible.  As a forward progressive society words lose meaning and change; and with change we need to be reminded of our history and what these changes once were.

By reading 1 Corinthians 5: 6-8 we have a clear understanding of why unleavened bread is used at passover.

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

How does this relate to me today as a child of God? Are you surrounding yourself with godly men and women who are faithfully serving the Lord with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth? Or are you surrounding yourself with the old leaven bread full of malice and wickedness? As we read in Mark 14:1, 2 both the chief priests and the scribes knew they could not put Jesus to death on the passover or it would cause the people to roar.  So, do you think the chief priests and the scribes were unleavened or leavened?

 

Again, I love how scripture answers scripture by reading 1 Peter 1:18-19

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

To wrap this up in a full circle – Jesus became our passover – he was without blemish, no sin, without leaven and only unleavened. His blood become our token for our SINS, so that we are to have eternal life with God.  To observe the feast was a duty and privileged but until the crucifixion of Christ there was not a guarantee. It’s because of Christ, God’s grace and mercies we have a guarantee of going to eternity with our Lord.

HAVE you submitted to Christ today?

May you continue to not lean unto your own understanding but search the word of our living God. May you find peace in knowing you can have eternal life.

Times of Distress – My Church Notes

My Church Notes- May 22, 2016

1 Samuel Chapter 30: 1-25

VS 6: And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in theLord his God.

Do you go through distress?  How many times do we blame God for our stress?  Why do we blame God for our distress?  Is it perhaps we need correction ourselves or conviction?

Webster’s definition of distressed–  Suffering great pain or torture; severely afflicted; harassed; oppressed with calamity or misfortune.

What kind of day do you have?

1- Mountain Top Days (these are the best brightest days and nothing is wrong and you don’t have a care in the world)

2- Ordinary Days (these are the uneventful, nothing to exciting, nothing is wearing us down)

3-  Dark Days (drudge and despair, confusion and distressed)

Webster’s definition of despair– 1) Hopelessness; a hopeless state; a destitution of hope or expectation. 2) Loss of hope in the mercy of God.

There are times we need to journey through distress or despair in order to allow us to learn something new.  The good news God always sees us through. If we are in the wilderness of life and don’t know where we are or where we are going, we need our Lord to get us through this journey.  Walking this journey alone is not what the Lord intended for us.

We know this by reading his word-

Deuteronomy 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

and

Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

When you are going through a dark day – reading God’s word, writing a poem, reading Psalms which are praises to God or perhaps write a song may help with your dark days.

Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. Fanny’s work produced more than 100 million copies printed, despite being blind from shortly after birth. 

“Jesus Is Tenderly Calling You Home” by Fanny Crosby

1. Jesus is tenderly calling you home—Calling today, calling today,Why from the sunshine of love will you roam Farther and farther away?

   • Refrain:
     Calling today, calling today,
     Jesus is calling, is tenderly calling today.

2. Jesus is calling the weary to rest—Calling today, calling today,Bring Him your burden and you shall be blest; He will not turn you away.

3. Jesus is waiting, oh, come to Him now—Waiting today, waiting today,Come with your sins, at His feet lowly bow;Come, and no longer delay.

4. Jesus is pleading, oh, list to His voice:Hear Him today, hear Him today,They who believe on His name shall rejoice;Quickly arise and away.

In Job we read how he has many dark days, however, we know by reading Job 13:15 he never gave up on God.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

In Isaiah we read about his dark days, however, Isaiah does not give up on our God.

Isaiah 25:4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

Have you given up on God today?

May you not lean unto your own understanding but trust and read the living word of God and know he is a good God all days not just on mountain top days ………….but all days.

 

Luke Chapter 4 – My Study Notes

S.O.A.K. method – Scripture which speaks to my hear, observation, application and kneel in prayer.

S: 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

O: Jesus is tempted at his weakest moment. He is hungry and tired. However, Jesus still preaches the word of God. As the word is his shield against the devil.

Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

He tells Satan to get behind him.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you).

A: Satan uses our own desires against us in hopes of doing wrong. (

James 1:13,14 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

We may even tempt God and question him.

1 Corinthians 10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

God may test us but never to appeal us to evil.

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.

We need to be strong in the word as Satan may leave us for a short while and work on someone else’s heart and lives but he returns again and again.

K: Lord, I seek your will and your word today to remind me of how Satan tempts us and tries to trick us into seeing something wrong as good. I pray I can be better equipped with scripture to help me fight off those who are evil and against me. Amen.

May you continue to search the word of our living God and not lean unto your own understanding.