A Merry and Blessed Christmas To Everyone!

The Birth of Jesus - final verse

Matthew 2:12 (GNT) Then they (the three wise men) returned to their country by another road, since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

The Birth of Jesus - The Wise Men Follow the Star to Bethlehem

Matthew 2:9-11 (GNT) And so they left, and on their way they saw the same star they had seen in the East.  When they saw it, how happy they were, what Joy was theirs!   It went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was.  They went into the house and when they saw the Child with His mother Mary, they knelt down and worshiped Him.  They brought out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and presented them to Him.

The Birth of Jesus - Herod's Instructions to the Three Wise Men

Matthew 2:7-8 (GNT) So Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions: "Go and make a careful search for the child; and when you find Him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship Him."

The Birth of Jesus - King Herod Learns of Jesus

Matthew 2:3-6 (GNT) When King Herod heard about this, he was very upset, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem.   He called together all the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them, "Where will the Messiah be born?"

"In the town of Bethlehem in Judea," the answered, "For this is what the prophet wrote:
'Bethlehem in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least of the leading cities of Judah; for from you will come a Leader who will guide My people to Israel'."

The Birth of Jesus - Visitors from the East

Matthew 2:1-2 (GNT) Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the time when Herod was king.  Soon afterward, some men who studied the stars came from the East to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the Baby born to be the King of the Jews?  We saw His star when it came up in the east, and we have to come worship Him."

The Birth of Jesus - Joseph Named Him Jesus

Matthew 1:24-25 (GNT) So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to.  But he had no sexual relations with her before she gave birth to her Son.  And Joseph named Him Jesus.

The Birth of Jesus - He Will Be Called Immanuel (God is with us)

Matthew 1:22-23 (GNT) Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, "A virgin will become pregnant and have a Son, and He will be called Immanuel" (which means "God is with us").

The Birth of Jesus - An Angel Visits Joseph In A Dream

Matthew 1:20-21 (GNT) While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.  She will have a Son, and you will name Him Jesus - because He will save His people from their sins."

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1:18-19  (GNT) "This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place.  His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a Baby by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.

Jesus Is Sentenced to Death

Luke 23: 13-25 (GNT)

¹³ Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ¹⁴ and said to them, “You brought this Man to me and said that He was misleading the people. Now, I have examined Him here in your presence, and I have not found Him guilty of any of the crimes you accuse Him of. ¹⁵ Nor did Herod find Him guilty, for he sent Him back to us. There is nothing this Man has done to deserve death. ¹⁶ So I will have Him whipped and let him go.” ^17 [a]
18 The whole crowd cried out, “Kill Him! Set Barabbas free for us!” (¹⁹ Barabbas had been put in prison for a riot that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)
²⁰ Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he appealed to the crowd again. ²¹ But they shouted back, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
²² Pilate said to them the third time, “But what crime has He committed? I cannot find anything He has done to deserve death! I will have Him whipped and set Him free.”
²³ But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices that Jesus should be crucified, and finally their shouting succeeded. ²⁴ So Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus that they were asking for. ²⁵ He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder, and he handed Jesus over for them to do as they wished.

Next Week _ scriptures on the birth of Jesus

Since we are nearing Christmas, I thought it best to start posting scriptures that tell about the birth of Jesus to have a good meaningful depiction of Christmas from the time Mary heard from the angel Gabriel until the visit of the Wise Men.  So I'll start that Sunday, December 15.

Jesus before Herod

Luke 23:6-12 (GNT)
⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked, “Is this Man a Galilean?” ⁷ When he learned that Jesus was from the region ruled by Herod, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸ Herod was very pleased when he saw Jesus, because he had heard about Him and had been wanting to see Him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some miracle. ⁹ So Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus made no answer. ¹⁰ The chief priests and the teachers of the Law stepped forward and made strong accusations against Jesus. ¹¹ Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus and treated Him with contempt; then they put a fine robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. ¹² On that very day Herod and Pilate became friends; before this they had been enemies.

Jesus Before Pilate

Luke 22:71-71

Good News Translation (GNT)

⁷¹ And they said, “We don't need any witnesses! We ourselves have heard what He said!”

Luke 23:1-5 (GNT) Jesus before Pilate

23 The whole group rose up and took Jesus before Pilate, ² where they began to accuse Him: “We caught this man misleading our people, telling them not to pay taxes to the Emperor and claiming that He Himself is the Messiah, a king.”

³ Pilate asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“So you say,” answered Jesus.
⁴ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no reason to condemn this Man.”
⁵ But they insisted even more strongly, “With His teaching He is starting a riot among the people all through Judea. He began in Galilee and now has come here.”

In Praise of God's Goodness (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107:39-43 (GNT) When God's people were defeated and humiliated by cruel oppression and suffering, He showed contempt for their oppressors and made them wander in trackless deserts.  But He rescued the needy from their misery and made their families increase like flocks.  The righteous see this and are glad, but all the wicked are put to silence.

May those who are wise think about these things; may they acknowledge the LORD's Constant Love.

In Praise of God's Goodness (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107:33-38 (GNT)  The LORD made rivers dry up completely and stopped springs from flowing.  He made rich soil become a salty wasteland because of the wickedness of those who lived there.  He changed deserts into pools of water and dry land into flowing springs.  He let hungry people settle there, and they built a city to live in.  They sowed the fields and planted grapevines and reaped an abundant harvest.  He blessed His people, and they had many children; He kept their herds of cattle from decreasing.

In Praise of God's Goodness (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107: 23-32 (GNT) Some sailed over the ocean in ships, earning their living on the seas.  They saw what the LORD can do, His wonderful acts on the seas.  He commanded, and a mighty wind began to blow and stirred up the waves.  The ships were lifted high in the air and plunged down into the depths.  In such danger the men lost their courage; they stumbled and staggered like drunks - all their skill was useless.   

Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and He saved them from their distress. 

He calmed the raging storm, and the waves became quiet.  They were glad because of the calm, and He brought them safe to the port they wanted. 

They must thank the LORD for His Constant Love, for the wonderful things He did for them.

They must proclaim His Greatness in the assembly of the people and praise Him before the council of leaders.

In Praise of God's Goodness (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107:16-22 (GNT) He breaks down doors of bronze and smashes iron bars.  Some were fools, suffering because of their sins and because of their evil; they couldn't stand the sight of food and were close to death.  Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and He saved them from their distress.  He healed them with His command and saved them from the grave. 

They must thank the LORD for His constant love, for the wonderful things He did for them.  They must thank Him with sacrifices, and with songs of joy must tell all that He has done.

In Praise of God's Goodness (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107:10-15 (GNT) Some were living in gloom and darkness, prisoners suffering in chains, because they had rebelled against the commands of ALMIGHTY GOD and had rejected His instructions.  They were worn out from hard work; they would fall down, and no one would help.  Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and He saved them from their distress.  He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and broke their chains in pieces. 

They must thank the LORD for His constant love, for the wonderful things He did for them.

In Praise of God's Goodness (Psalm 107)

Psalm 107:4-9 (GNT)  Some wandered in the trackless desert and could not find their way to a city to live in. They were hungry and thirsty and had given up all hope.  Then in their trouble they called to the LORD, and He saved them from their distress.  He led them by a straight road to a city where they could live.  They must thank the LORD for His constant love, for the wonderful things He did for them.  He satisfies those who are thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

In Praise of God's Goodness

Psalm 107:1-3 (GNT)
"Give thanks to the LORD because He is good; His love is eternal!"  Repeat these words in praise to the LORD, all you whom He has saved.  He has rescued you from your enemies and has brought you back from foreign countries, from east and west, from north and south.

Jesus before the Council

Luke 22:66-70 (GNT)

⁶⁶ When day came, the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, and Jesus was brought before the Council. ⁶⁷ “Tell us,” they said, “are You the Messiah?”
He answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe Me; ⁶⁸ and if I ask you a question, you will not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of Almighty God.”
⁷⁰ They all said, “Are You, then, the Son of God?”
He answered them, “You say that I am.”

Peter Denies Jesus (continued)

Luke 22:58-65

⁵⁸ After a little while a man noticed Peter and said, “You are one of them, too!”
But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!”
⁵⁹ And about an hour later another man insisted strongly, “There isn't any doubt that this man was with Jesus, because he also is a Galilean!”
⁶⁰ But Peter answered, “Man, I don't know what you are talking about!”
At once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know Me.” ⁶² Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Just a nice thought...

What Jesus Came To Do

I wanted to share our notes and scriptures from a sermon entitled "What Jesus Came To Do" that our pastor, Brian Campbell, at Gateway Church gave a few weeks ago because I was so distressed this morning over something and when I read it, the combination of them all, allowed me to feel Jesus' Love and it freed me from all my distress. He loves us all so much!  May it will free your spirit too.  God bless you.  (I will also include notes I took of Brian's sermon in red)

Luke 4:14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit of Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.

Luke 4:18-21 (Jesus read from the Scripture in the synagogue to the congregation)  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

5 Things Jesus Wants to do for You and Yours:

1. He wants to meet your deepest needs.  "He (God) has anointed Me (Jesus) to preach the gospel to the poor."

Mathew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

Next Step: I acknowledge an area of poverty in my life and I'm believing God to meet it.

2 ThingsYou Can Count On (I only got one - sorry!) :
Jesus will help you endure.
Jesus will help you _________

2. He wants to set you free from whatever has a hold on you. (an emotion, an addiction or obsession)
"to proclaim liberty to the captives."  The NIV (version of the Bible) says, "to proclaim freedom to the prisoners."

What Jesus came to do: to help us see. God says, "I want to show you things you don't know."

3. He wants to give you a new outlook on life.
"recovery of sight to the blind."
Ask God to help you see through His eyes.  Do not try to walk it alone.  Walk in a church fellowship, with other believers.

4. He wants you to feel good.
"to set at liberty those who are oppressed." The KJV says, "to set at liberty them that are bruised." (emotionally bruised too) He wants you to feel good about your life.

Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice.   I will walk along side you.  I will not abandon you. - Jesus says.  Note at end of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says that He will be with us to the end of time, always.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Hallelujah! I love this one)

5. He wants you to experience God's favor.
"to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." NIV says, "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (in your life! God is of: Love, Mercy, Grace, Forgiveness, Patience. He loves us!  He wants to overwhelm you with His favor!  He wants you to love Him like He loves you!

Next Step: I'm making a decision to receive all that God has for me right now.
Just turn your heart to Him and you will receive His favor.

Peter Denies Jesus

Luke 22:53-57 (GNT) (Jesus continued)  "I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me.  But this is your hour to act, when the power of darkness rules."

They arrested Jesus and took Him away into the house of the High Priest; and Peter followed at a distance. A fire had been lit in the center of the courtyard and Peter joined those who were sitting around it.  When
one of the servant girls saw him sitting there at the fire, she looked straight at him and said, "This man too was with Jesus!"

But Peter denied it, "Woman, I don't even know Him!"

The Arrest of Jesus

Luke 22:46-52

Good News Translation (GNT)

⁴⁶ He (Jesus) said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

The Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷ Jesus was still speaking when a crowd arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”
⁴⁹ When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the High Priest's slave and cut off his right ear.
⁵¹ But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man's ear and healed him.
⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders who had come there to get Him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw?

I Will Never Leave You; I Will Abandon You

A good memory verse:
Hebrews 13:5 (GNT) Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you."

Our children's ministry made paper watches that say, "Jesus always has time for me."  I want a watch that says that! Always remember, Jesus always has time for you.  He is always there for us.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

Luke 22:39-45 (GNT)

³⁹ Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples went with Him. ⁴⁰ When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
⁴¹ Then He went off from them about the distance of a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed. ⁴² “Father,” He said, “if You will, take this cup of suffering away from Me. Not My will, however, but Your will be done.” ⁴³ An angel from Heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. ⁴⁴ In great anguish He prayed even more fervently; His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[a]
45 Rising from His prayer, He went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief.

Footnotes:

Luke 22:44 Some manuscripts do not have the verses 43-44

Purse, Bag and Sword

Luke 22:35-38

³⁵ Then Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out that time without purse, bag, or shoes, did you lack anything?”
“Not a thing,” they answered.
³⁶ “But now,” Jesus said, “whoever has a purse or a bag must take it; and whoever does not have a sword must sell his coat and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that the scripture which says, ‘He shared the fate of criminals,’ must come true about Me, because what was written about Me is coming true.”
³⁸ The disciples said, “Look! Here are two swords, Lord!”
“That is enough!”^[a] he replied.

Footnotes:

1. Luke 22:38 That is enough; or Enough of this.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial -- (Your Faith Will Not Fail)

Luke 22:31-34 (GNT) "Simon! Simon! Listen!  Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail.  And when you turn back to Me, you must strengthen your brothers."

Peter answered, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you and die with you!"

"I tell you, Peter," Jesus said, "the rooster will not crow tonight until you have said three times that you do not know me."

The Argument About Greatness

Luke 22:24-30 (GNT) An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest.  Jesus said to them, "The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers are called 'Friends of the People'.  But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant.  Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves him?  The one who sits down, of course.  But I am among you as One who serves.  You have stayed with Me all through My trials; and just as My Father has given Me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right.  You will eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel."

The Lord's Supper

Luke 22:14-23 (GNT) The Lord's Supper

¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus took His place at the table with the apostles. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.”
¹⁷ Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.”
¹⁹ Then He took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of Me.” ²⁰ In the same way, He gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God's new covenant sealed with My blood, which is poured out for you.^[a]
21 “But, look! The one who betrays Me is here at the table with Me! ²² The Son of Man will die as God has decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays Him!”
²³ Then they began to ask among themselves which one of them it could be who was going to do this.

Jesus Prepares to Eat the Passover Meal

Luke 22:7-13 (GNT)

⁷ The day came during the Festival of Unleavened Bread when the lambs for the Passover meal were to be killed. ⁸ Jesus sent Peter and John with these instructions: “Go and get the Passover meal ready for us to eat.”
⁹ “Where do you want us to get it ready?” they asked Him.
¹⁰ He answered, “As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, ¹¹ and say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?’ ¹² He will show you a large furnished room upstairs, where you will get everything ready.”
¹³ They went off and found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

Fill A Shoebox, Change a Life - This Christmas Receive the Joy of Giving!

Please visit: samaritanspurse.org

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Luke 22:3-6 (GNT)

³ Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples. ⁴ So Judas went off and spoke with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them. ⁵ They were pleased and offered to pay him money. ⁶ Judas agreed to it and started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them without the people knowing about it.

In Praise of God's Goodness

Psalm 34:1 (GNT)  "I will always thank the LORD; I will never stop praising Him."

Give A Poor Child Their First Christmas Gift!

THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!!! Want to feel REALLY good? Then you MUST do this! You will help make many little ones happy too! Please make a shoebox! And please SHARE this with others! Let's make it viral! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKLz5u-ErW8. Website is: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/

I Look To the Lord For Help At All Times, And He Rescues Me From Danger

The Lord is the friend of those who obey him and he affirms his covenant with them. I look to the Lord for help at all times, and he rescues me from danger. Psalm 25:14-15 GNT

The Plot Against Jesus

Luke 22:1-2 (GNT) The time was near for the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover.  The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were afraid of the people, and so they were trying to find a way of putting Jesus to death secretly.

The Need to Watch (end)

Luke 21:37-38 (GNT) Jesus spent those days teaching in the Temple, and when evening came, He would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives.  Early each morning all the people went to the Temple to listen to Him.

And Stand Before the Son of Man

Luke 21:36 (GNT) (Jesus continues) "Be on watch and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man."

The Need to Watch

Luke 21:34-35 (GNT)

³⁴ “Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may suddenly catch you ³⁵ like a trap. For it will come upon all people everywhere on earth.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

Luke 21:29-33 (GNT)

²⁹ Then Jesus told them this parable: “Think of the fig tree and all the other trees. ³⁰ When you see their leaves beginning to appear, you know that summer is near. ³¹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the Kingdom of God is about to come.
³² “Remember that all these things will take place before the people now living have all died. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Coming of the Son of Man

Luke 21:25-28 (GNT)

²⁵ “There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. ²⁶ People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. ²⁷ Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. ²⁸ When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near.”

Because He Is Faithful To Us Too

Follow the Lord and honor Him; obey him and keep His commands; worship Him and be faithful to Him. Deuteronomy 13:4 GNT

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Luke 21:20-24 (GNT)

²⁰ “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that it will soon be destroyed. ²¹ Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills; those who are in the city must leave, and those who are out in the country must not go into the city. ²² For those will be ‘The Days of Punishment,’ to make come true all that the Scriptures say. ²³ How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! Terrible distress will come upon this land, and God's punishment will fall on this people. ²⁴ Some will be killed by the sword, and others will be taken as prisoners to all countries; and the heathen will trample over Jerusalem until their time is up.

Unforgiveness (Part 1) - the condition of your heart is of primary importance to God.

Leprosy Of The Heart

And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Then He put out His Hand and touched him, saying, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' Immediately the leprosy left him.

Luke 5:12-13 (NKJV)

From Carey Lewis, founder of AMTC (Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ)  She sends me these and I'd love share them!

Consider heart leprosy. In the Bible, God calls its victims, 'Impudent and hard-hearted' (Ezekiel 3:7). They become unfeeling: 'Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart' (Ephesians 4:18).

'Lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them' (John 12:40). Heal them? Yes! Internally and externally. Mentally healthy minds and physically healthy bodies come from spiritually healthy hearts. Therefore, the condition of your heart is of primary importance to God.

Leprosy of the heart is caused by unforgiveness, which is caused by anger, which is caused by pride: the sin of Satan, who grew to consider himself equal with God.

Being equal with God would mean that He (and we) believe we know what is best: we are qualified to determine both crime and punishment. Because when we refuse to forgive anyone for anything, we make ourselves equal to God--or even superior to Him.

Because He commands us to the opposite behavior. Because He put His Money where His Mouth was: by Jesus, He forgave us.

Therein, harboring unforgiveness causes leprosy of the heart, and we who live with this evil spirit are indeed 'Unclean! Unclean!'

I Alone Am the Lord, the Only One Who Can Save You

“I alone am the Lord, the only one who can save you. I predicted what would happen, and then I came to your aid. No foreign god has ever done this; you are my witnesses. Isaiah 43:11-12 GNT

Troubles and Persecutions (continued)

Luke 21:10-18 (GNT) He (Jesus) went on to say, "Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.  There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky.  Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be brought before kings and rulers for My sake. This will be your chance to tell the Good News.  Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.  You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends, and some of you will be put to death.  Everyone will hate you because of Me.  But not a single hair from your heads will be lost.  Stand firm and you will save yourselves."

Troubles and Persecutions

Luke 21:7-19 (GNT) "Teacher," they (Jesus' disciples) asked, "when will this be?  And what will happen in order to show that the time has come for it to take place?"  Jesus said, "Watch out; don't be fooled.  Many men, claiming to speak for Me, will come and say, 'I am He!' and 'The time has come!' But don't follow them.  Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen first, but they do not mean that the end is near."

He went on to say, "Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another.  There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky.  Before all these things take place, however, you will be arrested and persecuted; you will be handed over to be tried in syngogues and be put in prison; you will be brought before kings and rulers for My sake.  This will be your chance to tell the Good News.  Make up your minds ahead of time not to worry about how you will defend yourselves, because I will give you such words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to refute or contradict what you say.  You will be handed over by your parents, your brothers, your relatives, and your friends; and some of you will be put to death.  Everyone will hate you because of Me.  But not a single hair from your heads will be lost.  Stand firm, and you will save yourselves."

Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple

Luke 21:5-6 (GNT) Some of the disciples were talking about the Temple, how beautiful it looked with its fine stones and the gifts offered to God.  Jesus said, "All this you see - the time will come when not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one will be thrown down."

"I Trust In God Wholeheartedly and My Needs Will Be Met"

Just sharing this 'cause it melted my heart. THIS is an example of having a strong relationship with the Lord:

Today I reading in an article in the Los Angeles Daily News about the U.S. government shutdown and in the midst of it when it got to talking about the impact on some government employees, it quoted one employee as saying:

"I know some other employees, if you don't have money saved, it's going to be difficult," said Thelma Manley, who has spent seven years as a staff assistant with the Internal Revenue Service during a 30-year career in government.  As for herself, she said, "I'm a Christian.  I trust in God wholeheartedly and my needs will be met."

It so good to hear in the newspaper what is written in scripture how many times? And even written on our money: In God We Trust!

If you feel the same way, please share! 

God bless you!

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."

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!"

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?"

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.

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)

The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard

Luke 20:9-18 (GNT)

⁹ 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.”

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 ² and said to Him, “Tell us, what right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”

³ Jesus answered them, “Now let me ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴ did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?”
⁵ 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?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ this whole crowd here will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” ⁷ So they answered, “We don't know where it came from.”
⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.”

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.

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!"

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!"

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."

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.

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!

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.

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10 (GNT)

1  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)

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.

Scripture will continue Next Weds. Sept 4

I won't be able to post for the next week due to limited online access but please feel free to view two highly recommended films about Jesus  ("The Jesus Film" popularly known as that is entirely from the Gospel of Luke) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pGEv9qXVaY (in more languages too)


 and "The Visual Bible: The Gospel of John"  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reM-Wbzzp2g

God bless you!

(Favorite) To Him Who By Means of His Power...

Ephesians 3:20 (GNT) To Him who by means of His power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

Memory Verse: When You Seek Me With All Your Heart...

Jeremiah 29:13 (The Lord says)... "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."
(a good one to memorize!)

Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Death (end)

Luke 18: 34 (GNT) But the disciples did not understand any of these things; the meaning of the words was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about.

Jesus Speaks a Third Time about His Death

³¹ Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. ³² He will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of Him, insult Him, and spit on Him. ³³ They will whip Him and kill Him, but three days later He will rise to life.”

³⁴ But the disciples did not understand any of these things; the meaning of the words was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about.

The Rich Man (end - "What is humanly impossible is possible for God."

Luke 18:26-30 (GNT)

26 The people who heard Him asked, “Who, then, can be saved?”

27 Jesus answered, “What is humanly impossible is possible for God.”

28 Then Peter said, “Look! We have left our homes to follow you.”

29 “Yes,” Jesus said to them, “and I assure you that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God 30 will receive much more in this present age and eternal life in the age to come.”

The Rich Man (continued)

Luke 18:21-23 (GNT) The man replied, "Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments."  When Jesus heard this, He said to him, "There is still one more thing you need to do.  Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in Heaven; then come and follow Me.  But when the man heard this, he became very said, because he was very rich.  Jesus saw that he was sad and said, "How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God!  It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."

The Rich Man

Luke 18:18-20 (GNT) A Jewish leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"  "Why do you call Me good?" Jesus asked him, "No one is good except God alone.  You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not accuse anyone falsely; respect your father and your mother.' "

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Luke 18:15-17 (GNT)

¹⁵ Some people brought their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. The disciples saw them and scolded them for doing so, ¹⁶ but Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the children come to Me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷ Remember this! Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke: 9-14 (GNT - Good News Translation)

⁹ Jesus also told this parable to people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else. ¹⁰ “Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed,^[a] ‘I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. ¹² I fast two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all my income.’ ¹³ But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, ‘God, have pity on me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.”

As illustrated in The Jesus Film (1979)

"Will the Son of Man Find Faith On Earth When He Comes?"

Luke 18:6-8 (GNT) And the Lord continued, "Listen to what that corrupt judge said.  Now, will God not judge in favor of His own people who cry to Him day and night for help? Will He be slow to help them?  I tell you, He will judge in their favor and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when He comes?"

The Parable of the Widow and the Judge

Luke 18:1-7 (GNT) Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.  "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, "Help me against my opponent!"  For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or respect man, yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights.  If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!' "

The Coming of the Kingdom (end)

Luke 17:31-37 (GNT) (Jesus continues) "On that day the man who is on the roof of his house must not go down into the house to get his belongings; in the same way the man who is out in the field must not go back to the house.  Remember Lot's wife!  Whoever tries to save his own life will lose it; whoever loses his life will save it.  On that night, I tell you, there will be two people sleeping in the same bed; one will be taken away, the other will be left behind.  Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken away, the other will be left behind."  The disciples asked Him, "Where, Lord?"  Jesus answered, "Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather."

In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life

Recommended reading!  Authored by Sinclair Ferguson.   FREE on Kindle at Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0022NGDVS/ref=nosim?tag=micssupsto01-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549

The Coming of the Kingdom (continued)

Luke 17:26-30 (GNT) Jesus continued... "As it was in the time of Noah so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man.  Everybody kept on eating and drinking, and men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the boat and the flood came and killed them all.  It will be as it was in the time of Lot.  Everybody kept on eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. On the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from Heaven and killed them all.  That is how it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed."

The Coming of the Kingdom (continued)

Luke 17:22-25 (GNT) Then He said to the disciples, "The time will come when you will wish you could see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.  There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, over there!' or, 'Look, over here!'  But don't go out looking for it.  As the lightning flashes across the sky and lights up from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in His day.  But first he must suffer much and be rejected by the people of this day."

The Coming of the Kingdom

Luke 17:20-21 (GNT) Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come.  His answer was, "The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen.  No one will say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!'; because the Kingdom of God is within you."

Jesus Heals Ten Men

Luke 17:11-19  (GNT) As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem, He went along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  He was going into a village when He was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease.  They stood at a distance and shouted, "Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!"  Jesus saw them and said to them, "Go and let the priests examine you."  On the way they were made clean.  When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thanked him.  The man was a Samaritan.  Jesus spoke up, "There were ten men who were healed; where are the other nine?  Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?"  And Jesus said to him, "Get up and go; your faith has made you well."

A Servant's Duty

Luke 17:7-10 (GNT)  "Suppose one of you has a servant who is plowing or looking after the sheep.  When he comes in from the field, do you tell him to hurry along and eat his meal?  Of course not! Instead, you say to him, 'Get my supper ready, then put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may have your meal.'  The servant does not deserve thanks for obeying orders, does he?  It is the same with you; when you have done all you have been told to do, say, 'We are ordinary servants; we have only done our duty.' "

Faith

Luke 17:5-6 (GNT) The apostles said to the Lord, "Make our faith greater."  The Lord answered, "If you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself up by the roots and plant yourself in the sea!' and it would obey you."

Another from Gospel of Luke about the Kingdom of Heaven on the "Jesus" film (1979)

Sin

Luke 17:1-4 (GNT) Jesus said to His disciples, "Things that make people fall into sin are bound to happen, but how terrible for the one who makes them happen!  It would be better for him if a large millstone were tied around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.  So watch what you do!  If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in one day, and each time he comes to you saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

The Rich Man and Lazarus (conclusion)..."If They Will Not Listen"

Luke 16: 27-31 (GNT) "The rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father's house where I have five brothers.  Let him go and warn them so that they, at least, will not come to this place of pain.'  Abraham said, 'Your brothers have Moses and the prophets to warn them; your brothers should listen to what they say.'  The rich man answered, 'That is not enough, father Abraham!  But if someone were to rise from death and go to them, then they would turn from their sins.'  But Abraham said, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone were to rise from death.' "

The Rich Man and Lazarus (continued)

Luke 16:24-26 (GNT) "So he called out, 'Father, Abraham!  Take pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and cool off my tongue, because I am in great pain in this fire!'   But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things.  But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain.  Besides all that, there is a deep pit lying between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, nor can anyone cross over to us from where you are.' "

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16:19-23 (GNT) "There was once a rich man who dressed in the most expensive clothes and lived in great luxury every day.  There was also a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who used to be brought to the rich man's door, hoping to eat the bits of food that fell from the rich man's table.  Even the dogs would come and lick his sores.  The poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in Heaven.  The rich man died and was buried, and in Hades, where he was in great pain, he looked up and saw Abraham, far away, with Lazarus at his side."

Sayings of Jesus (continued)

Luke 16:16-18 (GNT)

¹⁶ “The Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets were in effect up to the time of John the Baptist; since then the Good News about the Kingdom of God is being told, and everyone forces their way in. ¹⁷ But it is easier for Heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest detail of the Law to be done away with.
¹⁸ “Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery; and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Some Sayings of Jesus

Luke 16:14-15 (GNT) When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.  Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts.  For the things that are considered of great value by man are worth nothing in God's sight."

The Shrewd Manager (end)

Luke 16:13  (GNT) Jesus continued..."No servant can be the slave of two masters; he will hate one and love the other; he will be loyal to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money."

The Shrewd Manager (continued)

Luke 16:9-12 (GNT) And Jesus went on to say, "And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home.  Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones; whoever is dishonest in small matters will be dishonest in large ones.  If, then, you have not been faithful in handling worldly wealth, how can you be trusted with true wealth?  And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what belongs to you?"

The Shrewd Manager (continued)

Luke 16:5-8 (GNT) Jesus continued..."So he called in all the people who were in debt to his master.  He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'  'One hundred barrels of olive oil,' he answered.  'Here is your account,' the manager told him; 'sit down and write fifty.' Then he asked another one, 'And you - how much do you owe?' 'A thousand bushels of wheat,' he answered.  'Here is your account,' the manager told him; 'write eight hundred.'  As a result the master of this dishonest manager praised him for doing such a shrewd thing; because the people of this world are much more shrewd in handling their affairs than the people who belong to the light."

The Shrewd Manager

Luke 16:1-4 (GNT) Jesus said to His disciples, "There was once a rich man who had a servant who managed his property.  The rich man was told that the manager was wasting his master's money, so he called him in and said, 'What is this I hear about you?  Turn in a complete account of your handling of my property, because you cannot be my manager any longer.'  The servant said to himself, 'My master is going to dismiss me from my job.  What shall I do? I am not strong enough to dig ditches and I am ashamed to beg.  Now I know what I will do!  Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes.'  "

The Lost Son (end)

Luke 15:31-32 (GNT)  Jesus concluded...

³¹ " ‘My son,’ the father answered, ‘you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ ”

The Lost Son (continued)

^{LUKE 15:25-30 (GNT) Jesus continued...
25} “In the meantime the older son was out in the field. On his way back, when he came close to the house, he heard the music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him, ‘What's going on?’ ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come back home,’ the servant answered, ‘and your father has killed the prize calf, because he got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ The older brother was so angry that he would not go into the house; so his father came out and begged him to come in. ²⁹ But he spoke back to his father, ‘Look, all these years I have worked for you like a slave, and I have never disobeyed your orders. What have you given me? Not even a goat for me to have a feast with my friends! ³⁰ But this son of yours wasted all your property on prostitutes, and when he comes back home, you kill the prize calf for him!’"

The Lost Son (continued)

Luke:20-24 (GNT) Jesus continued...

"He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. ²¹ ‘Father,’ the son said, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’ ²² But the father called to his servants. ‘Hurry!’ he said. ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. ²³ Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.’ And so the feasting began."

The Lost Son (The Prodigy Son)

Luke:11-20 (GNT)

¹¹ Jesus went on to say, “There was once a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the property now.’ So the man divided his property between his two sons. ¹³ After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. ¹⁴ He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. ¹⁵ So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. ¹⁶ He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. ¹⁷ At last he came to his senses and said, ‘All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against God and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers.”’ ²⁰ So he got up and started back to his father."

The Lost Coin

Luke 15:8-10 (GNT) Jesus continues...

⁸ “Or suppose a woman who has ten silver coins loses one of them—what does she do? She lights a lamp, sweeps her house, and looks carefully everywhere until she finds it. ⁹ When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says to them, ‘I am so happy I found the coin I lost. Let us celebrate!’  

¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, the angels of God rejoice over one sinner who repents.”