Luke 20:20-44 Jesus Corrects Some Thinking

The Pharisees and Herodians hated each other, but they joined forces here to try to do away with Christ – their common enemy.  They hoped they’d developed a question that would alienate Jesus from either the Jewish people or the Roman authorities, depending on how He answered, thus taking Him out of their way.

My commentary said, “Yes, our citizenship is in heaven, and we are strangers and pilgrims on earth, but that does not mean that we should ignore our earthly responsibilities … Human government is essential to a safe and orderly society, for man is a sinner and must be kept under control … Governmental authority is instituted by God and must be respected.”

The Sadducees stepped into the ring next.  Their motto seemed to be, “If Moses didn’t mention it, it didn’t happen.”  “They did not believe in angels, spirits, or the resurrection of the dead.  They claimed that Moses didn’t write about any of these doctrines … Jesus pointed out that His opponents were wrong and that their question revealed assumptions that limited God’s power and denied God’s Word … Is God not powerful enough to raise the dead and give them new bodies suited to their new environment?”

Jesus asked the Pharisees a final question:  “What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?”  “They knew the expected reply:  ‘The Son of David’ … Jesus then refereed them to Psalm 110 … a messianic psalm … David was speaking of the Messiah.  But if the Messiah is David’s Lord, how can He be David’s son?  Here was an enigma for them to solve.  They only explanation is that Messiah must be both God and man…  The Pharisees did not believe in Him because their minds were made up, their hearts were hardened, and their eyes were blind …  They led the nation into ruin because they would not admit their sins and confess Jesus Christ.”

Father, thank You for opening my heart and mind and eyes to Your reality.  Continue to watch me, and if You see me exhibiting spiritual blindness, open my eyes, my heart, and my mind to the new reality You want to show me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 20:1-19 Jesus' Authority

Jesus was doing two things in the Temple each day.  He was presenting the Gospel, and He was teaching the people.  My commentary says that the Sanhedrin were becoming indignant because He’d made the Temple His headquarters and they decided to question Him about His authority to do so.  They were sure of their authority and were not afraid to confront Him.  They also wanted to push Jesus into a dilemma so that He’d be in trouble no matter how He answered.

As to His authority to teach in the Temple, they could throw Him out if He claimed none; but if He claimed it came from God, He’d be in trouble with the Romans, who were on the alert for any would-be Messiahs, especially during Passover.

Jesus turned things around and put them on the defensive, asking them about John the Baptist’s authority.  “John had pointed to Jesus and introduced Him to the nation, so their rejection of John was actually a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Secondly, it is a spiritual principle that if we disobey truth we clearly know, God cannot reveal new truth to us (John 7:14-17).”  If they said John’s authority was from God, Jesus would then ask why they didn’t listen.  If they said it was from other people, they risked being stoned themselves.

My commentary said they knew the Scriptures and recognized that the vineyard in the parable represented the nation of Israel; therefore, they also knew that the vineyard owner was God and they were the tenant farmers.  They understood that Jesus was saying they had failed by beating and killing the prophets, and now they wanted Him dead.

“In this parable, Jesus illustrated the insidious nature of sin:  the more we sin, the worse it becomes.  The tenants started off beating some of the servants and wounding others, but they ended up becoming murderers.  The Jewish leaders permitted John the Baptist to be killed, they asked for Jesus to be crucified, and then they themselves stoned Stephen.  They sinned against the Father (who sent John the Baptist), the Son, and the Holy Spirit (by killing Stephen), and that was the end of God’s witness to them.”

Father, it’s tempting to focus on how well Jesus cornered them, knowing their hearts.  But we must realize that we are all too much like the Sanhedrin, wanting our own way and unwilling to give up our holds on areas of our lives.  If You find me doing that, show me and lead me to give You control over that area.  I need You in control, not me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 19:28-48 What Jesus Saw

Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem, being hailed as the King, which forced the religious leaders to act, my commentary said.  They didn’t want to crucify Him on Passover, “but God had ordained that His Son be slain on Passover as the ‘Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,’” my commentary added.

“While the crowd was rejoicing, Jesus was weeping … Jesus looked at Jerusalem and wept because it had destroyed itself.  No matter where Jesus looked, He found cause for weeping.  If He looked back, He saw how the nation had wasted its opportunities and been ignorant of their time of visitation.  If He looked within, He saw spiritual ignorance and blindness in the hearts of the people.  They should have known who He was, for God had given them His Word and sent His messengers to prepare the way.  As He looked around, Jesus saw religious activity that accomplished very little.  The temple had become a den of thieves, and the religious leaders were out to kill Him … As Jesus looked ahead, He wept as He saw the terrible judgment that was coming to the nation, the city, and the Temple … Why did all of this happen?  Because the people did not know that God had visited them!”

Father, knowing all of this in advance as He sat with You in heaven, I’m still amazed at the love Jesus showed, along with the obedience that led Him away from His heavenly throne to be squeezed into the body of a human infant, to witness the extent of sin’s infection in everyone He would meet, and to see how leaders had corrupted the Temple, knowing that these same leaders would have Him nailed to the cross, where He would take upon Himself the sin of all humans and then die to remove it if they believed in His sacrifice!  Such love!  Thank You for drawing me to Yourself so that I could hay hold of His sacrifice and gain citizenship in Heaven!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 19:1-21 Jesus Begins To Show Who He Really Is

My commentary noted that some people following Jesus thought He was going to deliver Israel from Roman bondage.  Some only wanted to watch miracles being performed.  But here, Luke focuses on who Jesus really is:

The Savior Who Seeks The Lost – “Though Zaccheus was a renegade in the eyes of the Jews, he was a precious lost sinner in the eyes of Jesus.”  It noted the changes Zaccheus experienced that day.

A man became a child – Wealthy officials were dignified and never ran in that day, but wanting to see Jesus, Zaccheus ran and climbed a tree!

A seeking man became found – “Zaccheus thought he was seeking Jesus, but Jesus was seeking him.  By nature, the lost sinner does not seek the Savior.  When our first parents sinned, they hid from God, but God came and sought them.”

A small man became big – “Many lost sinners think they are big.  They measure themselves by man’s standards … Zaccheus trusted Jesus … and became a child of faith.  That’s as big as you can get.”

A poor man became rich – “The people thought Zaccheus was a wealthy man, but actually he was only a bankrupt sinner who needed to receive God’s gift of eternal life, the most expensive gift in the world.”

Jesus also told the parable of the pounds in this chapter and “explained that the kingdom would not come until a future time, but that His servants had better be faithful now to do the job assigned to them.”

“The reward for faithful work is always more work … Wasted opportunity means loss of reward and possibly loss of the privilege of service.”

Father, thank You for changing me all those years ago.  Thank You for taking a Zaccheus like me and making me one of Your children!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 18 -- A Study In Contrasts

My commentary said to notice particularly the contrasts in this chapter.

Prayer contrasted with fainting:  “If we don’t pray, we will faint; it’s as simple as that … The word faint describes a believer who loses heart and gets so discouraged that he or she wants to quit … When we pray, we draw on the pure air of heaven, and this keeps us from fainting … Praying without ceasing means to make prayer as natural to us as our regular breathing … Prayer is much more than the words of our lips; it is the desires of our hearts, and our hearts are constantly desiring before Him, even if we never speak a word.”

The widow contrasted with God’s elect:  “Jesus did not say that God’s people are like this woman; in fact, He said just the opposite.  Because we are not like her, we should be encouraged in our praying … If a poor widow got what she wanted from a selfish judge, how much more will God’s children receive what is right from a loving heavenly Father!”

The judge contrasted with the Father:  “Unless you see that Jesus is pointing out contrasts, you will get the idea that God must be argued or bribed into answering prayer!  God is not like this judge, for God is a loving Father, who is attentive to our every cry, generous in His gifts, concerned about our needs, and ready to answer when we call.”

In the rest of the chapter, my commentary discussed the deluded Pharisee and the dishonest rich young ruler contrasted with the determined beggar.  “The beggar was poor, yet he became rich, while the young ruler was rich but became eternally poor.  The beggar claimed no special merit and openly admitted his need, while the young ruler lied about himself and bragged about his character.” 

Father, thank You for helping me see more clearly what Christ was teaching in this chapter.  I need Your clarity to pull out the meat of what Jesus wants me to see.  Thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit to help me with this.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 17:11-37 Cultivating the Grace of Gratitude

Ten lepers were healed, yet only one turned around and thanked Jesus, and he was a Samaritan!  The nine Jewish men simply headed to the priest as instructed.  It wasn’t until they turned to head to the priest that they were cured.  “By coming to Jesus, the Samaritan man received something greater than physical healing:  He was also saved from his sins.  Jesus said, ‘Your faith has saved you.’”  My commentary also said every believer should cultivate the grace of gratitude … An unthankful heart is fertile soil for all kinds of sin.”

The Pharisees asked Jesus when He thought the kingdom of God would appear, which was tragic with Him standing right beside them!  “The Pharisees were preoccupied with the great events of the future, but were ignoring the opportunities of the present … Certainly we should look for His return and long to see Him come, but at the same time, we should be busy doing His work when He comes.”

Father, help me to cultivate the grace of gratitude more in my own life, and help me to be busy doing Your work and not sitting back watching for Christ’s return.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 17:1-10 What Comes Before Forgiveness

Jesus began preparing His disciples for a time when He would no longer be with them.  They were going to find that occasions to stumble are “an unfortunate part of life.”  We sure don’t want to cause others to stumble!

My commentary said, “These little ones” doesn’t mean just children, but also new believers.  Causing them to stumble is so serious to God that we’d be better off drowning than facing Him!

Jesus also foresaw that we might be the ones sinned against by other believers.  “First, we must have a personal concern for each other and obey His warning [to do all we can to keep one another from sinning] … We should give a loving, private rebuke to them.”  This is the opposite of feeling hurt inside, nursing a grudge, and then telling others what happened to us, my commentary said.  “Our aim is not to embarrass or hurt the offender, but to encourage him or her to repent.”  If they do, we must forgive.  And, we must be in the habit of forgiving, ready to forgive others multiple times, for one day we may want them to forgive us.

“Our obedience in forgiving others shows that we are trusting God to take care of the consequences, handle the possible misunderstandings, and work everything out for our good and His glory.”

“True forgiveness always involves pain; somebody has been hurt and there is a price to pay in healing the wound.  Love motivates us to forgive, but faith activates that forgiveness so that God can use it to work blessings in the lives of His people.”

“Not forgiving becomes an opportunity for sin.”

“It is good to have faith to do the difficult and the impossible, but it is essential that we have faith to do even the routine tasks our Master has committed to us.  Privileges must always be balanced with responsibilities.”

“The fact that Jesus will reward His servants is wholly a matter of God’s grace.  We do not deserve anything because we have obeyed Him and served Him.”

“There are two extremes to avoid:  1)  merely doing our duty in a lavish way because we have to, or 2) doing our duty because we hope to gain a reward…. Both extremes are seen in the attitudes of the elder brother was miserably obedient, always hoping that his father would let him have a party with his friends.”

Father, thank You for reminding me that forgiveness always involves pain – that somebody has been hurt and there’s a price to pay in healing the wound.  Help me to activate that forgiveness by my faith.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 16 -- Buying Up Opportunities God's Way

Jesus explains that as stewards, we are only managers of the wealth of our Master, and we must use it in a way that will please and profit Him.  That includes all we earn or receive, not just the 10% we are supposed to tithe.

We are also to be stewards of our time, my commentary said, and the story of the manager, though he was dishonest, is meant to show us that we should be buying up opportunities for God. 

“We’re stewards of the gifts and abilities God gives us, and we must use them to serve others … The Christian must say, ‘What’s mine is a gift from God …. I’ll share it.’”

“We are also stewards of the Gospel, and we must guard this treasure and invest it in the lives of others.”

“God calls us to play the game, not keep the score.”

“Jesus did not commend the steward for robbing his master or encouraging others to be dishonest.  Jesus commended the man for his wise use of opportunity … He admonished us to use our opportunities wisely … to be faithful in the way we use our material wealth, and to be wholly devoted to God and single-minded … If God is our Master, then money will be our servant and we will use our resources in the will of God.”

Father, please help me to grasp Your take on our investments and to know exactly what You want me to do with what You have given me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 15 -- Wow! Wish I Could Type In My Entire Commentary On This Chapter!

Oh man, I wish I could just cut and paste the entire chapter from my commentary here! 

“Jesus attracted sinners while the Pharisees repelled them … He cared for the.  He understood their needs and tried to help them, while the Pharisees criticized them and kept their distance … they had no love for lost souls.”

“There are two aspects of salvation.  There is God’s part:  the shepherd seeks the lost sheep … but there is also man’s part – the wayward son willingly repented and returned home … both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man must be considered.”

“The scribes and Pharisees had no problem seeing the publicans and sinners as lost sheep, but they would not apply that image to themselves.”

“The lost sinner bears the image of God even though that image has been marred by sin.  When a lost sinner is found, God beings to restore that divine image through the power of the Spirit, and one day, the believer will be like Jesus Christ.”

“The people who first heard this must have been shocked.  Jesus was saying that God actually SEARCHES FOR lost sinners!  No wonder the scribes and Pharisees were offended, for there was no place in their legalistic theology for a God like that.  They had forgotten that God had sought out Adam and Eve when they had sinned and hidden from God.”

“In the parable of the prodigal son, the father did not go out to seek the son, but it was the memory of his father’s goodness that brought the boy to repentance and forgiveness.”

“A man’s worst difficulties begin when he is able to do just as he likes … We are always heading for trouble whenever we value things more than people, pleasure more than duty, and distant scenes more than the blessings we have right at home.”

“The prodigal son was lost because of willfulness.  He wanted to have his own way, so he rebelled against the father and broke his father’s heart.”

“The far country scene in verses 11-16 is our Lord’s way of emphasizing what sin really does in the lives of those who reject the Father’s will.  Sin promises freedom, but it only brings slavery; it promises success, but brings failure; it promises life, but the wages of sin is death.  The boy thought he would find himself but he only lost himself.  When God is left out of our lives, enjoyment becomes enslavement … There is an insanity in sin that seems to paralyze the image of God within us and liberate the animal inside.”

Father, there is so much more I could write about today.  You have filled my heart with so much.  Thank You for what You’ve shown me this morning.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 14 -- Five Falsehoods To Avoid

My commentary said that in this chapter Jesus dealt with 5 different kinds of people and exposed what was false in their lives and their thinking.

The Pharisees had false piety.  They invited Jesus to eat only to try to trap Him.  They brought a man with a serious health issue, wanting to trap Jesus for healing on the Sabbath.  Jesus turned it all around on them.

“They couldn’t heal anybody on any day, and everybody knew it … if they said that nobody should be healed on the Sabbath, the people would consider them heartless; if they gave permission for healing, their associates would consider them lawless …They needed a way to escape … so they said nothing … The Lord knew that on the Sabbath day they would deliver their farm animals from danger… they were suggesting that animals were more important than people.”

The guests had false popularity.  They made it a habit of arriving early to get the best seats so people would think they were important.  Jesus wanted us to know that “humility is not thinking meanly of ourselves; it is simply not thinking of ourselves at all.”

The host had false hospitality.  He invited his guests to pay them back because they had invited him or to put them under his debt so they would have to invite him to future feasts.

“Our motive for sharing must be the praise of God and not the applause of man, the eternal reward in heaven and not the temporary recognition on earth.  You can’t get your reward twice.”

The Jews had false security, thinking that their kinship to Abraham would get them into God’s kingdom.  The host invited other people to take their places and then closed the door so they couldn’t change their minds and come in.

The multitudes had false expectancy.  “Jesus knew that most of those in the crow were not the least bit interested in spiritual things … They were expecting the wrong things.”

“Jesus doesn’t coerce us.  There is only one way of being a disciple, and that is by being devoted to Jesus.”

Father, I’m glad You know me better than I know myself, so You can be honest with me about my motivations and actions and show me where I need to change.  Keep working on me to make me more like Christ.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 13 -- This Sure Speaks To Current Events

This chapter sure covered a lot, but I noticed God seemed to have timed it just right to have it speak about current events in Orlando.

“Jesus made it clear,” my commentary said, “that human tragedies are not always divine punishments and that it is wrong for us to play God and pass judgment … The question is not, ‘Why did these people die?’ but, ‘What right do you have to live?’  None of us is sinless, so we had all better get prepared.”

“God is gracious and longsuffering toward people and does more than enough to encourage us to repent and bear fruit.  He has every right to cut us down, but in His mercy, He has spared us.  Yet we must not presume upon the kindness and longsuffering of the Lord, for the day of judgment will finally come.”

Father, help me to understand this tragedy and to see it as You do.  You desire all people to be freed from Satan’s grasp and be saved.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 12:22-59 The Other Two Warnings For Believers, and the One for the Unbelievers

Yesterday my commentary mentioned 4 warnings to Christians from Jesus.  This morning, I read about the third and fourth:

“Worrying:  Faith is always tested… Our word worry comes from a word meaning to strangle … Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.  It gives us a false view of life, of itself, and of God … We get so concerned about the means that we totally forget about the end, which is to glorify God … Worry blinds us to the world around us and the way God cares for His creation … He encourages us to trust Him and cooperate with Him in using the abilities and opportunities that He gives us … How can we witness to a lost world and encourage them to put faith in Jesus Christ if we ourselves are doubting God and worrying?”

There was also a warning from Jesus to us about carelessness.  He wants us to be expecting His return.  My commentary told of a pastor who used to ask, “Do you believe that Jesus is coming today?”  If they said no, he would then say, “Then you had better be ready, for He is coming at an hour when you think not!”

As to the warning he had for the crowds, my commentary said, “If people were as discerning about spiritual things as they are about the weather, they would be better off!  This crowd could predict a storm, but it could not foresee the coming judgment.”

Included in His warning was one about having diligence.  “Anyone will do whatever is necessary to stay out of prison, but how many people will apply that same diligence to stay out of hell?”

Father, again, thanks for the warnings Jesus gave us as believers, and thank You for these very helpful warnings for nonbelievers, too!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 12:1-21 Two Of Five Warnings From Jesus

My commentary says that Jesus issued four warnings in this chapter “that must be heeded by God’s people today if we are to be faithful disciples and a fifth warning that should be heeded by a lost world.”

Beware of Hypocrisy:  A crowd of thousands was wanting Jesus to perform miracles.  Also, the scribes and Pharisees were plotting to kill Jesus.  The disciples could be tempted to please either group or both while fearing what might happen to them.  Fear of man causes hypocrisy – being afraid of what others may say about us or do to us.  We try to impress them to gain their approval.  “We become more concerned about reputation than character, what people think about us than what God knows about us.”

Beware of Covetousness:  “Covetousness is an unquenchable thirst for getting more and more of something we think we need in order to be truly satisfied … Jesus made it clear that true life does not depend on an abundance of possessions … We will not make life richer by acquiring more of these things … Wealth can choke the Word of God, creating snares and temptations and also give you a false sense of security.  People who are satisfied only with the things that money can buy are in great danger of losing the things that money cannot buy … Wealth cannot buy back the opportunities we missed while we were thinking of ourselves and ignoring God and others.”

Father, please keep me ever at guard against hypocrisy and covetousness in my life.  Let me be real and help me to use what You give me for Your kingdom purposes.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 11:29-54 What Was Wrong With The Pharisees And Scribes

At this stage in Christ’s ministry, the religious leaders were bent on destroying Him.  Still, Jesus agreed to eat with a Pharisee, knowing what he was thinking.  “The Pharisees thought righteousness was only a matter of external actions … they ignored the wickedness within,” which people couldn’t see.  My commentary nailed it:  “The way to clean up a dirty vocabulary is not to brush your teeth but to cleanse your heart.”

“Jesus denounced their wrong priorities.  They majored on the minors … They also put reputation above character.  Reputation is what people think we are; character is what God knows we are.”

“The Pharisees were like unmarked graves … they were unconsciously defiling others, when they thought they were helping them become holier!”

“The scribes were good at adding to the burdens of the people, but they had no heart for helping them carry those burdens … The scribes were also good at embalming the past and honoring the prophets who had been martyred by the religious establishment to which they belonged!”

“Finally, the scribes were guilty of robbing the common people of the knowledge of the Word of God… Unfortunately what some people call Bible study today is too often just a group of unprepared people exchanging their ignorance.”

Father, thank You for Your warnings to teachers of Your Word.  Help me to teach only Your truth.  Don’t let me fail to keep my character in line with Your Word.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 11:1-28 About Prayer and About Satan

Even though He is the Son of God, Jesus prayed, and He taught His disciples in this chapter about prayer.  My commentary said this pattern prayer Jesus used to teach them “teaches us that true prayer depends on a spiritual relationship with God that enables us to call Him ‘Father’.”

“True prayer involves responsibilities:  honoring God’s kingdom and doing God’s will … the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth.  Prayer is not telling God what we want … prayer is asking God to use us to accomplish what He wants so that His name is glorified, His kingdom is extended and strengthened, and His will is done.  We must test all of our personal requests by these overruling concerns if we expect God to hear and answer our prayers.”

“When God’s people pray, God’s reputation is at stake … prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His highest willingness.  Persistence in prayer is not an attempt to change God’s mind, but to get ourselves to the place where He can trust us with the answer.”

“Because He knows us and loves us, we never need to be afraid of the answers that He gives.”

Jesus talked about Satan in these verses, too.  He knew Satan is real.  And He left no doubt that “it is impossible to be neutral in this spiritual war, for neutrality means standing against Him.  There are two spiritual forces at work in the world, and we must choose between them … We must make a choice, and if we choose to make no choice, we are really choosing against Him … Neutrality in religion is always cowardice.  God turns the cowardice of a desired neutrality into terror.”

Father, I know I’ve struggled to pray in Your will despite what I might want for myself.  Help me to use what You’ve shown me today to not see it as a struggle to pray in Your will, but instead for that to be the most natural way for me to pray, since You do know me and love me!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 10 -- Vital Information About What We Do With Christ

My commentary says that this chapter shows we are to be ambassadors for Christ, neighbors looking for opportunities to show mercy in His name, and worshippers who take time to commune with Him.  This caught my eye:  “The special power that Jesus gave to His apostles and to the Seventy is not ours to claim today.  These two preaching missions were very special ministries, and God did not promise to duplicate them in our age.  Our Lord’s commission to us emphasizes the proclamation of the message, not the performing of miracles.”

“Our highest joy in not found in service or even in our salvation, but in being submitted to the sovereign will of the heavenly Father.”

In discussing Jesus’ story about the Good Samaritan, my commentary mentioned, “the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho was indeed a dangerous one.  Since the Temple workers used it so much, you would have thought the Jews or Romans would have taken steps to make it safe.  It is much easier to maintain a religious system than it is to improve a neighborhood.”

“The big question is, ‘To whom can I be a neighbor?’”

“What we do with Christ (in our daily devotions) is far more important that what we do for Christ … Few things are as damaging to the Christian life as trying to work for Christ without taking time to commune with Christ … The most important part of the Christian life is the part that only God sees.  Unless we meet Christ personally and privately each day, we will soon end up like Martha:  busy but not blessed.”

Father, what a timely reminder for me today.  Thank You for getting to the point.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 9:27-62 What Was Lacking

After the Transfiguration, Jesus said to His followers, “How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?”  That makes us wonder what caused him to say that.  My commentary said, “He was grieved over the failures of His followers.  He had given His apostles authority over Satan, yet they were too weak to cast out a demon.  In feeding the 5,000, Jesus gave them an example of compassion, yet they persisted in manifesting selfishness and lack of love.  He taught clearly what it meant to follow Him, yet the volunteers turned out to be “me first” disciples.  No wonder He was grieved!”

Regarding their lack of power, it said faith was lacking in their lives (Matt 17:19-20), they were part of an unbelieving generation and had lost the confidence that they needed in order to use their power.  Prayer and fasting were also lacking (Mark 9:29).

As to their lack of love, they were arguing over who was the greatest – just like a bunch of guys!  “In His kingdom, the example of greatness is a little child – helpless, dependent, without status, living by faith.”

They also lacked discipline.  “Three men could have become disciples, but they would not meet the conditions that Jesus laid down … The first wouldn’t deny himself … The second wouldn’t take up the cross and die to self… The third … was looking back … when a loving farewell gets in the way of obedience, it becomes sin.”

How amazing that 2 Tim 1:17 says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”  Exactly what they were missing, and available from God.

Father, help me not to doubt that You have empowered me, taught me how to love, and that You expect self-discipline from me.  Stoke up the areas where I am lacking.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 9:1-26 Rules of Engagement

My commentary said Jesus was sending out His disciples on their solo flights as this chapter opens, and He gave them the equipment needed to get the job done.  He gave them power and authority.  “Power is the ability to accomplish a task, and authority is the right to do it.  They were able to cast out demons and heal the sick, but the most important ministry He gave them was that of preaching the gospel.”

Jesus later began to teach them clearly about His sacrificial death.  He also said, “If people want to follow Me, they must give up the things they want.  They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me.  Those who want to save their lives will give up true life.  But those who give up their lives for Me will have true life.”

My commentary said, “Jesus laid down the stern requirements for discipleship.  We must first say no to ourselves – not simply to pleasures or possessions, but to self – and then take up our cross and follow Christ daily.  This means to be identified with Him in surrender, suffering, and sacrifice.  You cannot crucify yourself;  you can only yield your body … and let God do the rest … To save your life is to lose it, and how can you ever get it back again?  But to give your life to Christ is to save it and to live it in fullness … Discipleship is a daily discipline; we follow Jesus a step at a time; a day at a time.”

Father, thank You for that all-important verse today, “If people want to follow Me, they must give up the things they want.”  Drill that into my brain and my heart, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Luke 8:22-56 Building Our Faith

Jesus’ words to His disciples had helped them to understand “mysteries that were hidden from the scribes and rabbis and even from the Old Testament prophets.  What they did not realize is that faith must be tested before it can be trusted… Satan does not care how much Bible truth we learn so long as we do not live it.  Truth that is only in the head is purely academic and never will get into the heart until it is practiced by the will … Satan knows that academic truth is not dangerous, but active truth is,” my commentary said.

In verses 22-25, Jesus gave His disciples a word of command that was also a word of promise; they were going to the opposite shore.  They forgot this promise during the storm.  “Their problem was not the storm around them, but the unbelief within them.  Actually, their unbelief was more dangerous than the storm!”

“Faith is not believing in spite of circumstances; it is obeying in spite of feelings and consequences … Faith and fear cannot dwell together in the same heart.”

My commentary also mentions a woman who quoted, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee,” to D.L. Moody as a wonderful promise she’d received.  He said, “Let me give you a better one.  ‘Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.’”

Father, thank You for teaching me to trust in You through the many times You have tested my faith.  I have many friends who are going through similar tests of their own faith right now.  Please help them to know that they can trust You absolutely, because You have Your very best planned for them.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Luke 8:1-21 -- The Sower And The Hearer

Jesus was showing His disciples “how to get faith and use it in the everyday experiences of life … faith comes through receiving the Word of God into an understanding heart … Everybody lives by faith in something or someone … The difference is in the object of their faith, for faith is only as good as the object.”

“Hearing means listening with spiritual understanding and receptivity … The sower represents any of God’s people who share the Word of God.  The seed is that Word of God … But the seed can do nothing until it is planted.  When a person hears and understands the Word, then the seed is planted in the heart.  What happens after that depends on the nature of the soil.”

The hard soil:  Illustrates “the person who hears the Word but immediately allows the devil to snatch the seed away.”  The soil is hardened by foot traffic (the word used means wayside).  “Be careful who is allowed to walk on your heart.”

The shallow soil:  Illustrates “an emotional hearer who quickly responds to the message, but his interest wanes and he does not continue.”

The crowded soil:  Illustrates “the individual does not repent and weed out the things that hinder the harvest.”

The good soil:  Illustrates “the individual who hears the Word, understands it, receives it within, is truly saved, and proves it by patiently producing fruit.”  The fruit might be winning others to Christ, money given to God’s work, good works, Christian character, and praise to the Lord, my commentary added.

“It is a serious thing to hear and understand the Word of God, because this puts on us the obligation to share that Word with others.  Everyone who receives the seed then becomes a sower, a light-bearer, and a transmitter of God’s truth.”

“And we must practice what we learn.”

Father, help me to hear in the right way, not simply just marking my Bible and taking notes, but really putting into practice what I learn.  Help me to be a sower for You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford