Mon, Oct 31st - 11:08PM

Luke 16:19-31

^{Luke 16:19}There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

This is the most vivid description of hell in the Bible.  This is no parable, no fantasy, no story, this is very real.  And it what awaits those who reject Christ as their Savior since Christ is our only escape from the penalty we are due.

Sun, Oct 30th - 10:59PM

Luke 16:15

^{Luke 16:15} He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. (NIV)

God doesn’t care about your money, He doesn’t care how successful you are, He doesn’t care about your expensive jewelry and fancy clothes, He doesn’t care about your booming stereo and your shiny rims.  This is the stuff the world cares about.  God knows your heart.  You can fool the world but you can’t fool God. 

Sat, Oct 29th - 11:09AM

Luke 15:1,2

^{Luke 15:1} Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. ² Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (NASB)

I take classes online classes with a Christian University and one of the classes I am taking is a class on evangelism and in this class I have to write a paper on Friendship Evangelism, the idea of building relationships with the non-believers in your life so they may see Christ in you.  What I was shocked about was the level of criticism to this approach in the Christian community.  Really?  One of the most common objections is that we are not to be yoked to unbelievers.  Yes we are not to partake in their sins.  But I bet you we all have non-Christian co-workers, classmates, relatives, or neighbors and most will never hear the Gospel unless you tell them and they won’t let you tell them the Gospel unless you have some kind of rapport with them.  They certainly won’t let you tell them the Gospel if you act like they have the plague to be isolated from.  This was the attitude of the Pharisees they isolated themselves from anyone they consider unclean but then you have the example of Christ who went out of His way to approach those that society considered unclean.  What example will you follow?

Fri, Oct 28th - 12:17PM

Luke 12:57

^{Luke 12:57} “And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right? (NASB)

Matthew 7:1 is one of the most misused verses in the Bible, ¹ “Do not judge so that you will not be judged

We are not to judge others.  God is the judge but we can according to Luke 12:57 judge what is right.  I know according to the Bible homosexuality is sin, so is any sexual fornication.  I know according to the Bible abortion is wrong.  God will judge the individuals partaking in sinful activity but we can judge for ourselves rather these activities are sin or not.  Don’t let someone bully you out of taking a stand against sin by misusing scripture to justify their activities. 

Thu, Oct 27th - 12:23PM

Luke 12:54-56

^{Luke 12:54} He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. ⁵⁵ And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time? (NIV)

The Pharisees claim they had been waiting for the appearance of the Messiah but yet when He came they failed to recognize Him.  Their hearts were hardened to the truth.  They claim to be close to God when in reality their hearts were far from Him.  They failed to understand the events unfolding before them. 

Well today most Christians fail to understand the events unfolding before them.  Some would be shocked to learn that prophecies of the end times have already started to unfold.  Did you know that the re-birth of the nation of Israel is prophecy?

Other prophecies include the increase of knowledge, Daniel 12:4 ...'even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.'

There is no doubt that knowledge has increased but also I have the ability to sit in my home and talk to people from around the world via the internet.

Increase in sin, Matthew 24:12 ...'And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.'

Turning away from the faith, Timothy 4:3-4 ...'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.'

Paul also predicts a great turning from the faith which we are already seeing.  There was a time when you could that the U.S. and the nations of Western Europe were Christian nations.  Can we say that now?

The Gospel reaching the whole world, Matthew 24:14 ...'And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.'

The Gospel is reaching out to the ends of the world as we speak now.  Other things predicted in Revelation includes the coming of a one world government, which there are organizations trying to bring this about, a one world religion, we see this doctrine creeping in with the teaching of Unitarianism, that all religions lead to God.

There has always been hostility toward Israel but now we see Israel’s few allies, Western Europe and the U.S., start to turn their backs on Israel.  This must happen according to prophecy so Israel will feel compelled to make a 7 year peace treaty with the anti-Christ.

According to prophecy the anti-Christ will stand in the Jewish Temple and declare himself god.  There are plans already made for the re-building of the temple.

I in no way claim to be a prophecy expert this are just a few examples I know but the point is:  Bible prophecy is true and it is unfolding as we speak.  We have to be ready for the coming of our Lord and try to reach as many of the lost as we can before Christ does return to judge the world of its sins.

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Wed, Oct 26th - 12:21PM

Luke 12:15

^{Luke 12:15} Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” (NLT)

Boy doesn’t these go against the values of our modern society where we do measure people on how much they own.  Our kids in school are not popular unless they have the right style of clothes or the newest phone.  Sports stars and Hollywood stars show off their wealth and our kids pay attention.  Look how much money people spend on have shiny rims for their cars or the loudest stereo all in an effort to show off our wealth.  God doesn’t care about your wealth.  When you stand before the judgment seat of God all that is going to matter has your sins been washed in the blood of Jesus.

Tue, Oct 25th - 11:18AM

Luke 11:1,2

^{Luke 11:1}And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

²And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

I want to key in on one phrase, “thy will be done.”  To many times we come to God with a list of demands.  God isn’t some magical genie sitting in heaven waiting to grant our wishes.  This is God Almighty who are we demand anything of Him.  One of the reasons I have a problem with this idea of name it and claim it teaching.  If I ask for a million dollars just because I want to be rich I am showing greed and selfishness.  Why would God grant that pray?  But if I need money to pay the rent that is a different story.  There is a difference between need and greed.  God hears our prayers but we need to pray His will be done and not in an attitude of selfishness and greed.

Mon, Oct 24th - 10:46AM

Luke 10:21

^{Luke 10:21} At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. (NASB)

I was having a conversation with an atheist last night.  He was telling me who couldn’t believe in God because there is no scientific proof of God, which isn’t true by the way.  He was trying to explain to me the teachings of Hawkings and other scientists when I told him they were all fools.  Of course that threw him for a loop.  Here is what Psalms 14:1 says, ^“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”  Hawkings and these other scientists are smart guys but yet they have missed the mark in the biggest of ways.  They have failed to recognize God.

Sun, Oct 23rd - 11:24PM

Luke 10:2

Luke 10:2 And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (NASB)

The world is the harvest and we are the laborers.  If you are a Christian then you are a disciple and if you are a disciple then you have the same job as the first disciples, tell the world about Christ.  There are billions of non-Christians in this world that need to know the Gospel and they will never hear it unless someone tells it to them.  You don’t have to travel around the world to do this.  Did you know that the U.S. has the fourth largest population of non-believers after China, India, and Indonesia.  I know we all have non-Christian relatives, neighbors and co-workers that need to hear the Gospel.  The point is people need to hear the Gospel and those who know about Jesus have responsibility to tell those who don’t. 

Sat, Oct 22nd - 10:56PM

Matthew 16:26

^{Matthew 16: 26} For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

How much is your soul worth?  Can you place a monetary value on your soul?  Is it worth being popular?  Is it worth being liked?  Is it worth a few minutes of sexual pleasure?  Is that drink or drug worth giving up your soul over?  The things of this world are temporary.  Don’t lose your soul over the temporary. 

Sat, Oct 22nd - 12:12AM

Luke 9:23,24

Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. (NASB)

These are hard verses for a lot of people to swallow.  Being a Christian means complete surrender to God.  It means we give ourselves completely to following the will of God for us.  It means we give our lives completely to God.  A lot of people try to saddle the fence, with one foot living in the world and one in the Kingdom of Heaven.  It doesn’t work like that.  God requires complete surrender to Him. 

Thu, Oct 20th - 8:53PM

Luke 8:22-25

^{Luke 8:22} One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. ²³ As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

²⁴ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. ²⁵ “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”  (NIV)

Who is Jesus to you?  Is He some mystical figure, a myth, a legend?  I heard one guy who claimed to be Christian say Jesus was an awesome guy that did great things and we should try to be like Him.  Well Jesus is more than that.  He is the Son of God and the one and only Way to heaven.

Wed, Oct 19th - 5:26PM

Luke 8:16

^{Luke 8:16} “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light. (NASB)

We are to let the light of Christ shine through us into a very dark world that all might see the light and come to Christ.  We are the representatives of Christ in this world.  We are His ambassadors.  As such we have a responsibility to represent Christ in such a way that all might be attracted to the light and not driven away from the light.  All Christians have this responsibility of reaching out to those living in spiritual darkness.  Who would want to sit by and let those around them that they love die in their sins without Christ knowing that those without Christ will spend eternity in hell. 

Tue, Oct 18th - 5:19PM

Luke 8:11-15

^{LUKE 8: 11} “Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. ¹² Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. ¹⁴ The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. ¹⁵ But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. (NASB)

What type of soil are you?  Are you the soil beside the road that doesn’t let the Word of God in so that you might be saved?  Are you the rocky soil that has no root and fall away when tempted?  Are you the soil among the thorns that lets the things of the world choke out the Word of God?  But are you the good soil that holds fast to the Word of God and allow it take root in your heart and produce fruit? 

Mon, Oct 17th - 1:51PM

Luke 7:50

^{Luke 7:50} And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (NASB)

It is not enough just believe there is a God or that Jesus is real.  Satan and his demons know firsthand that God is real.  As Paul says we are saved by grace through faith.  The grace of God and our faith in Christ as the risen Savior.  I can say Christ is my Savior all day but if I don’t have faith that this is true they are just empty words.  If I don’t put my faith in Christ then I am still lost. 

Sun, Oct 16th - 10:58PM

Luke 7:40-43

^{Luke 7:40} And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” ⁴¹ “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” (NASB)

Some of the hardest people to convince that they need a Savior is those who in their own eyes consider themselves good people.  It is not about being a good person it is about accepting Christ as your Savior.  You can never be good enough to earn heaven on your own.  Christ is the only Way to heaven.

Sat, Oct 15th - 11:29PM

Luke 7:30

^{Luke 7:30} But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. (NASB)

The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jewish people but yet they failed to accept Christ as their Savior.  It wasn’t so much unbelief then fear.  They saw Christ as a threat to the status quo.  The status quo where they had power of the people.  They were more interested in power than serving God. 

Fri, Oct 14th - 4:26PM

Luke 7:24,25

^{Luke 7: 24} When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! (NASB)

John lived in the wilderness wore camel skins and ate locusts and honey.  That might be a bit extreme but look at Jesus and His disciples.  They were not rich men and they never became rich men.  If you are following God expecting material awards you are following for the wrong reasons and your heart is not truly following God.  As children of God we are seeking heavenly awards not earthly. 

Thu, Oct 13th - 8:45PM

Luke 7:23

^{Luke 7:23} Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” (NASB)

It amazes me how the very name of Jesus can stir up such strong reactions from non-believers.  They claim not to believe in Him but get so upset at the name of a person they claim doesn’t exist.  Why is that?

Wed, Oct 12th - 2:12PM

Luke 6:47-49

^{Luke 647} Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” (NASB)

If you don’t have the Word of God as your foundation you are going to crumble.  When life’s storms come at us money will fail you, family and friends will fail you.  The only sure foundation is the Word of God.

Tue, Oct 11th - 11:34PM

Luke 6:46

^{Luke 6:46} “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (NASB)

What a powerful statement.  We call Him Lord but don’t do what He says.  We claim to be followers of Christ but don’t follow His teachings.

Sat, Oct 8th - 5:25PM

Luke 6:39

^{Luke 6:39} And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (NASB)

You have to know the Bible for yourself.  There are too many false teachers and to many false doctrines out there not to.  People fall for false teaching because they don’t know the Bible.  They assume the person standing in the pulpit telling them what they want to hear is telling them the truth.  But actually a lot of telling people what they want to hear is going on.  Know the Bible for yourself don’t be blindly led by some slick talking slick willy in the pulpit.

Thu, Oct 6th - 9:10PM

Luke 6:27-30

^{Luke 6:27} “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. (NASB)

We all know this isn’t easy to do.  Our normal reaction when we are attack is to attack back.  One thing I have learned is life is too short to go through life carrying grudges or living with a list of enemies.  We probably all know people who live for drama.  They are always in some kind battle with someone who has done them wrong or someone they have differences with.  They are constantly looking for something to fight over.  This is not just non-Christian but is not healthy behavior.  Life is too short to always be angry at someone.  If I can’t get along with someone I avoid them and go on with my life. 

Wed, Oct 5th - 5:20PM

Luke 6:22,23

^{Luke 6:22} Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. ²³ Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets (NASB)

Jesus was warning His disciples what awaited them.  They soon would feel the hatred of their own people and the Roman Empire once they started to preach the Gospel.  If you are standing on the Word of God you are going to meet opposition.  The world hates the Word of God because the Word of God convicts them of their sin. 

Tue, Oct 4th - 4:19PM

Luke 6:12,13

Luke 6:12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: (NASB)

Who were these 12 men that Jesus chose?  They were fisherman, tax collectors, and regular guys.  They probably had no idea that they would be chosen for such an important mission.  For it would be these guys that would be tasked to spread the Gospel to the world after the death of Christ.  God has a plan for all of his children.  We all have a role in spreading the Gospel.  I am a Sunday school teacher and at 39 years old a student at a Bible College.  20 years ago I would have never imagined myself here but this is where God has lead me.  God has plans for you if you are faithful to follow His will for your life.

Sun, Oct 2nd - 11:45PM

Luke 5:31,32

^{Luke 5:31} And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. ³² I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” (NASB)

The Pharisees thought they were righteous when in fact their hearts were far from God.  I tell you I am a sinner.  I am a sinner saved by the grace of God.  I am not perfect.  In fact I am far from it.  I have a lot of weaknesses but I know my strength is in the Lord.  One of the most destructive roadblocks to the spreading of the Gospel is a self-righteous Christian who looks down on the faults of others.  These are the ones driving people away from the church instead of drawing them in.

Sun, Oct 2nd - 12:33AM

Luke 5:10,11

^{Luke 5:10} and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹ When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. (NASB)

Who were these men Jesus choose as His disciple?  They weren’t scholars, they weren’t rich and powerful, they weren’t saints.  They were regular guys, at least on the outside.  Jesus knew their hearts.  Jesus knew what they were made of.  God knows our hearts.  He knows where we truly stand.  God doesn’t care about your social status, how much money you have, how popular you are.  God wants people who are willing to serve Him.  These men left everything to follow Jesus.  They would be responsible for spreading the Gospel after the death of Christ.  And they all gave their lives for the Gospel.