Monday, September 30, 2013

The Widow's Offering

Luke 21:1-4 (GNT) Jesus looked around and saw rich men dropping their gifts in the temple treasury, and He also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins.  He said, "I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others.  For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on."

Memory Verse: I Have Kept the Faith

(Great memory verse) 2 Timothy 4:7  Paul writes... "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Sunday, September 29, 2013

God Made Us Plain and Simple

(Food for thought)  Ecclesiastes 7:29 (GNT) From a King of Jerusalem known as the "Philosopher" in his time...

 This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple; but we have made ourselves very complicated.

Jesus Warns Against the Teachers of the Law

Luke 20:45-47 (GNT) As all the people listened to Him, Jesus said to His disciples, "Be on your guard against the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplace; who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts; who take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers! Their punishment will be all the worse!"

Thursday, September 26, 2013

The Question about the Messiah

Luke 20:41-44 (GNT) Jesus asked them, "How can it be said that the Messiah will be the descendant of David?  For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit here at My right side until I put Your enemies as a footstool under Your feet.' David called Him 'Lord'; how, then, can the Messiah be David's descendant?"

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Question about Rising from Death

Luke 20:27-39 (GNT) Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus asnd said, "Teacher, Moses wrote this law for us: 'If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man's brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children.'  Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children.  Then the second one married the woman, and then the third.  The same thing happened to all seven - they died without having children.  Last of all, the woman died. Now, on the day when the dead rise to life, whose wife will she be?  All seven of them had married her."

Jesus answered them, "The men and women of this age marry, but the men and women who are worthy to rise from death and live in the age to come will not then marry.  They will be like angels and cannot die.  They are the sons of God, because they have risen from death.  And Moses clearly proves that the dead are raised to life.  In the passage about the burning bush he speaks of the Lord as 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'  He is the God of the living, not of the dead, for to Him all are alive."

Some of the teachers of the Law spoke up, "A good answer, Teacher!"  For they did not dare ask Him any more questions.

Monday, September 23, 2013

The Question About Paying Taxes

Luke 20:19-26 (GNT) The teachers of the Law and the chief priest tried to arrest Jesus on the spot, because they knew that He had told this parable against them; but they were afraid of the people.  So they looked for an opportunity.  They bribed some men to pretend they were sincere, and they sent them to trap Jesus with questions, so that they could hand Him over to the authority and power of the Roman Governor.  These spies said to Jesus, "Teacher, we know that what You say and teach is right.  We know that You pay no attention to a man's status, but teach the truth about God's will for man.  Tell us, is it against our Law for us to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?"  But Jesus saw through their trick and said to them, "Show me a silver coin. Whose face and name are these on it?"
"The Emperor's," they answered.
So Jesus said, "Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God."  
There before the people they could not catch Him in a thing, so they kept quiet, amazed at His answer.
Portrayed in the "Jesus" film (1979)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

Luke 20:9-18 (GNT)

Then Jesus told the people this parable: “There was once a man who planted a vineyard, rented it out to tenants, and then left home for a long time. 10 When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest. But the tenants beat the slave and sent him back without a thing. 11 So he sent another slave; but the tenants beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him back without a thing. 12 Then he sent a third slave; the tenants wounded him, too, and threw him out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my own dear son; surely they will respect him!’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the owner's son. Let's kill him, and his property will be ours!’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to the tenants?” Jesus asked. 16 “He will come and kill those men, and turn the vineyard over to other tenants.”
When the people heard this, they said, “Surely not!”
17 Jesus looked at them and asked, “What, then, does this scripture mean?
‘The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
    turned out to be the most important of all.’
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be cut to pieces; and if that stone falls on someone, that person will be crushed to dust.”

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Question about Jesus' Authority

Luke 20 Good News Translation (GNT)

One day when Jesus was in the Temple teaching the people and preaching the Good News, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, together with the elders, came and said to Him, “Tell us, what right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”
Jesus answered them, “Now let me ask you a question. Tell me, did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?”
They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we say, ‘From God,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ this whole crowd here will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” So they answered, “We don't know where it came from.”
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.”

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Jesus in the Temple

Luke 19:47-48 (GNT) Every day Jesus taught in the Temple.  The chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the leaders of the people wanted to kill Him, but they could not find a way to do it, because all the people kept listening to Him, not wanting to miss a single word.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Jesus Goes to the Temple

Luke 19:45-46 (GNT) Then Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out the merchants, saying to them, "It is written in the Scriptures that God said, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer.'  But you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!"

Monday, September 16, 2013

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

Luke 19:41-44 (GNT) He came closer to the city, and when He saw it, He wept over it, saying, "If only you knew today what is needed for peace! But now you cannot see it!  The time will come when your enemies will surround you with barricades, blockade you, and close in on you from every side.  They will completely destroy you and the people within your walls; not a single stone will they leave in its place, because you did not recognize the time when God came to save you!"

Sunday, September 15, 2013

The Triumphant Approach to Jerusalem

Luke 19:28 - 40 (GNT)  Jesus said this and then went on to Jerusalem ahead of them.  As He came near Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent two disciples ahead with these instructions:  "Go to the village there ahead of you; as you go in, you will find a colt tied up that has never been ridden.  Untie it and bring it here.  If someone asks you why you are untying it, tell him that the Master needs it."  They went on their way and found everything just as Jesus had told them.  As they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying it?"  "The Master needs it," they answered and they took the colt to Jesus.  Then they threw their cloaks over the animal and helped Jesus get on.  As He rode on, people spread their cloaks on the road.  When He came near Jerusalem, at the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives, the large crowd of His disciples began to thank God and praise Him in loud voices for all the great things that they had seen: "God bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in Heaven and glory to God!"  Then some of the Pharisees in the crowd spoke to Jesus, "Teacher," they said, "command your disciples to be quiet!"  Jesus answered, "I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting."


Friday, September 13, 2013

Memory Verse: You Do Not Abandon Anyone Who Comes To You

Psalm 9:10 (GNT) "Those who know You, Lord, will trust You; You do not abandon anyone who comes to You."

From Blogger: I absolutely love this one. And I love the Lord for this very reason.

The Parable of the Gold Coins (end)

Luke 19:21-27  (the servant who kept his master's gold coin hidden in a handkerchief continues telling his master) " 'I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man.  You take what is not yours and reap what you did not plant.'  He said to him, 'You bad servant!  I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted.  Well, then, why didn't you put my money in the bank?  Then I would have received it back with interest when I returned.'  Then he said to those who were standing there, 'Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.' But they said to him, 'Sir, he already has ten coins!' 'I tell you,' he replied, 'that to every person who has something, even more will be given; but the person who has nothing, even that little that he has will be taken away from him.  Now, as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and kill them in my presence!' "

From Blogger:  For the life of me, I cannot decipher this parable.  Does anyone else know what it means? Please share if you do.  God bless.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

The Parable of the Gold Coins

Luke 19:11-20 Good News Translation (GNT)

11 While the people were listening to this, Jesus continued and told them a parable. He was now almost at Jerusalem, and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was just about to appear. 12 So He said, “There was once a man of high rank who was going to a country far away to be made king, after which he planned to come back home. 13 Before he left, he called his ten servants and gave them each a gold coin and told them, ‘See what you can earn with this while I am gone.’ 14 Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.’

15 “The man was made king and came back. At once he ordered his servants to appear before him, in order to find out how much they had earned. 16 The first one came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.’ 17 ‘Well done,’ he said; ‘you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will put you in charge of ten cities.’ 18 The second servant came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.’ 19 To this one he said, ‘You will be in charge of five cities.’ 20 Another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief.' "  (to continue...)

From blogger: This one is thinker!

Monday, September 9, 2013

Memory Verse: I love this one!

1 Peter 5:7

New International Version (NIV)
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10 (GNT)


Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.


5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, “Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”

6 Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him with great joy. 7 All the people who saw it started grumbling, “This Man has gone as a Guest to the home of a sinner!”

8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

As portrayed in the Jesus film (1979)



Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Jesus Heals a Blind Beggar

Luke 18:35-43 (GNT)

35 As Jesus was coming near Jericho, there was a blind man sitting by the road, begging. 36 When he heard the crowd passing by, he asked, “What is this?”

37 “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him.

38 He cried out, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

39 The people in front scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

40 So Jesus stopped and ordered the blind man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
“Sir,” he answered, “I want to see again.”

42 Jesus said to him, “Then see! Your faith has made you well.”

43 At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.