Luke21

14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

I think my concern of looking stupid, lacking knowledge to properly defend my faith or possibly my own doubts prevent me from sharing my faith and the promise of Jesus with others.  I play it safe and don't engage unless I think the opening is to share is very big.

But I don't need to have all the answers.  Its not me that is going to help someone understand and have faith.  God will use me, he will give me whatever message it is that he wants to share.  

I need to forget about my own worries and just share what I believe and maybe even be honest that there are things I just don't understand that may allow doubts to creep in.  

But also to share that any doubts I have are nothing compared to the faith I do have that Jesus did live and die and rise again for me.  Even if I can't explain how God made the heavens and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th and that reading the bible literally does not match up with human carbon dating tools that says stuffs been around for billions of years.  Human tools also don't explain how a rock exploded into life, why do I feel pressure compared to someone making that case?

knut

Luke 20

Only in the human perspective, can I read thru a chapter where the Son of God.....the Messiah.....one of the holy Trinity.....creator of the universe.....is questioned in his authority, and I read right through it like it isn't a big deal.  Can you imagine the irony in that moment?  It would be like us creating an ant. (which I totally cannot do) And then having that ant question whether or not I have the authority to do things in his world.  It sounds completely ridiculous and laughable.  And yet, because I look at the world through the same lens as the religious leaders of the day.....I appreciate how Jesus handles himself and I admire how he navigates their traps.....but I don't always see the absurdity of the situation.  How does he keep from laughing at them?  How does he keep his cool?

Love.  After all of the nutty-ness.....he loves them.  Flaws and all.

tp

Luke 19

47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

I didn't pull much today.  Although, I did enjoy the read.  This is the last verse in the chapter.  I think it speaks volumes for who Jesus was/is and how the people truly felt about him.  He was so popular with the people, that those who hated him couldn't really do anything about it.  If you are "hanging on someone's words.." you are really looking to them for the next right move.  
The leaders were against him, but the followers were with him.  I like that.

tp

Luke 18

Wow!  Shotgun style story-telling again.

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

There's so much to talk about in this one.  From the persistent widow, to the "faith like a child" to the rich young ruler.  So much.

I like the simplicity of the verse I copied.  Most of the message is around this idea.  How we approach God and how we approach others.  It leads back to "Love your God with all your heart and mind, and the second is like it....love your neighbor as yourself."

have a good weekend.

tp

Luke 17

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

Am I one of the 9 or the 1?  I think of all my prayers and all the things I ask God to help me with which is good but then I miss the other end of that transaction very often.

When I pray I do have a long list of thank yous, in fact that is probably most of my prayers.  However when I ask for his help being a good leader or relieving me from difficult periods at work I seem to quickly forget to even recognize I asked for his help once I get past the rough spot.  That's not being in relationship, that's just being self centered.

faith of a mustard seed caught my eye too--it takes so little faith to tap into enormous power.   But it also makes me wonder if my faith is smaller than a mustard seed sometimes.

knut

Luke 16

Carrot or stick
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

When I read this chapter and allow myself to really imagine a perspective of being trapped in hell forever it is a terrifying thought.  Maybe I need to think that way more often because I would not even think of acting in a way that would send me to hell if I was truly believing this was my consequence and how devastating it would be----forever.

I mean if you put a glass of something in front of me and said if you drink this you will have unbelievable feelings and powers out of this world for the next 15 minutes and then you will die the choice would be easy.  No thank you.  But if you put life's daily temptations in front of me, I guess earning lots of money being one of them, I'm not sure I always make the right choices.  I don't like to think negatively but maybe I should picture the stick more often since the ultimate carrot apparently does not always drive my actions.

knut

Luke 15

32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

These familiar parables all tell a similar story and make it clear that there is celebration in heaven when someone who was lost is now saved.  It also made me realize that at our church we probably do not either have that many new Christians or that we are not celebrating those who have recently found Jesus.  
4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

The first parable also tells me we should be active in looking for our brothers who are lost.  We shouldn't just stay in the comfort zone of our friends and family who know Jesus but that we should be active in our effort to bring those home who have not found Jesus.  Maybe more specifically, not just randomly seeking to help anyone find Jesus (nothing wrong with that) but, sharing with those you know best who may not know Jesus.  I'm noting that in this parable the sheep he searches for is one he is familiar with from his own flock.

knut

Luke 14

24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

Not sure if I'm taking this right but it relates to my take from a few days ago.  If I don't have time for him now because I have my own agenda, don't expect to get through the narrow door when the time comes for the ultimate get together.

It makes me uncomfortable because I know as a percentage of my day so much is directed to my agenda, or at least that of this world.  Too much focus on work, quite a trap because I don't know how to get out of it.  I see it being a big chunk of my focus until I can retire.  Sometimes that feels like a trap.  I suppose I could just dial it back, but that just doesn't feel like an option.  

The flip side is if I didn't live in the US maybe I'd be spending even more time working.  So maybe I can simply use my time at work to focus on building relationships where I can have a positive impact on his kingdom.  Maybe instead of saying I don't have time for his invitation its making time for him and then asking him to use me no matter where I am.  Change my focus to him.  I think maybe it can be both, working hard for a job doesn't have to be mutually exclusive of spending time with him.

rambling and going in circles.  lots of words for such a short verse I picked.

hope your vacation was nice, enjoy Easter weekend with your family.
knut

Luke 13

34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[b]”

As we approach Easter Sunday, this section catches my attention.  Don't you think it's strange that Jerusalem is considered to be the Holy city, and yet the most horrible atrocities happen there?   It is the "temple"....and yet so many of the holy-est have been killed there?  The obvious one is Jesus, but wasn't Stephen stoned outside of Jerusalem?  So much hated and evil in a place that is considered to be the center of the world's religion.

tp

Luke 12

20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

I took a theme from this chapter of being ready for Jesus to return.  Don't focus on the future, don't save up for yourself but pour out for God, don't worry it won't add a day to your life----that one is huge for me.  

Jesus could be here any moment.  Would I be happy with myself if he came back today?  More importantly would he be pleased with me?

knut

Luke 11

Wow, he covered some serious ground in this chapter.  Its hard to know where to start.

13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I guess out of all of it this verse touched me the most.  I know that I would do anything for my kids.  Its a struggle sometimes not to give them all their hearts desires.  We certainly have plenty of resources but we don't want to spoil them.  We do give our kids everything we think they need to be successful and Gina in particular drops all of her personal desires to do things for our kids.

So in all this I then reflected on his words where he says as messed up as you people are you still know how to take care of your kids, so don't suppose I'll take care of you my kids?  

But I generally don't spend a ton of time with Him and I don't ask him for whats on my mind unless I get in a pinch or my pain level is high.  As Luke grows and matures and spends more of his time with his girlfriend and others outside our family I miss having him around and having the opportunity to do things for him--how much more does God feel like that about me because I'm busy with my own stuff??  

So my takeaway is I need to spend more quality time with God.  Ask him for what I want--share what is on my mind and heart.  But also recognize that he won't always give me the answer I think I want because just like me parenting my kids there are times I need to protect them from their own desires--he may do the same only better for me.

knut

Luke10

31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 

I felt a little convicted as I read this passage.  Its not that I see someone in need and explicitly try to avoid them, though I have certainly done that with beggars on the street.  The conviction I think I felt is more of a general feeling of not really putting myself in positions to help others in need.  I tend to be pretty focused on my family and friends.  I just don't do a lot of things that put me in a situation where I have the opportunity to help someone I don't know.  I spend most of my life passing down the other side.

But what might I do differently?  I feel in a bit of a trap, I feel consumed with my job.  I don't feel capacity to be very helpful to others.  The thing I try to guard most is my time, but in doing so I don't know that I'm doing what Jesus has instructed.

sorry kind of negative Nelly this morning.

knut