Deuteronomy 31:30-32:27; Luke 12:13-34; Psalms 78:56-59; Proverbs 19:8-9

NT: “He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared — whose will they be?’ “That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing… Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:15-23, 29-34‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Right in the middle of Jesus giving a sermon on some really important spiritual principles, someone in the crowd shouted out to Jesus, “Tell my brother to share his inheritance with me!” Obviously, that person’s mind was not on spiritual things, which prompted Jesus to tell a parable and teach a very important kingdom truth. If our primary focus is accumulating wealth, then we will not only lose everything we have accumulated when we die, but we will also waste the opportunity to make a lasting eternal impact with our lives. Not being concerned with the necessities of life is hard to do – because they are necessities. But Jesus taught that we shouldn’t be worried or anxious about earthly necessities. That doesn’t mean that we should refuse to hold down a job or do work because we are trusting in God to provide. What it does mean is that we don’t allow the cares and necessities of this life to prevent us from walking in obedience to Jesus and the ways of the kingdom. When we seek first His kingdom, accumulation of wealth, pursuing creature comforts, and aiming for the American Dream is not our primary motivation. In fact, those things begin to fall further and further down the list. God knows what we need better than we know what we need, and if we seek first His kingdom – if we pursue His will and purposes above every other, then He will lead us to the provision that we need. He will provide the nourishment that we need. He will direct us in the career path that we are to take. He will give us sweet and restorative rest when we need it. We may lack material things that others in the world have for now, but we will not lack for what we need; nor will we lack in peace, joy, love, and purpose. And all the while, we will be storing up eternal riches that we will enjoy forever.

Deuteronomy 31:1-29; Luke 12:8-12; Psalms 78:40-55; Proverbs 19:6-7

NT: “And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God, but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what must be said.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:8-12‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The word translated here as ‘acknowledge’ is the same word that is usually translated as ‘confess’ – homologeo in Greek. It literally means same words. At it’s most basic meaning, Jesus is saying if you agree with the things that I have said, declare the things that I have said, live by the things that I have said, and don’t reject the things that I have said; then I will relay what you have done in heaven on your behalf. Something that I know for certain: Jesus will never lie on our behalf. So if we reject Jesus and do not follow His example, and the Father asks Jesus if we belong to Him, He is going to tell the truth – He is going to say that we never placed our faith in Him, and that we are not, and were never connected. As far as the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, I must confess that I don’t understand that fully. Thankfully, that is not a judgement that I or any of us have to make. That is a judgement reserved for God to make… But I will say this: Paul spoke about the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) and that there is no law against the altogether good that is evident when the Spirit is at work. Even godless heathens, whose hearts have not been completely hardened, can recognize goodness in the midst of all the evil and darkness in the world. For someone to willingly and knowingly attribute the works of the Spirit to the evil one, they would have to be completely ensconced in their own selfish and demonically inspired agenda, their will would have to completely reject God’s word, will, and ways; and their heart would have to be hardened into unpliable stone. The good news in all of this is that if we acknowledge the Lord, we are His. He defends us and vouches for us in heaven, He ever intercedes for us before the Father, and He sends us the Holy Spirit to help us remain faithful and glorify Him on the earth.

Deuteronomy 30:1-20; Luke 12:1-7; Psalms 78:32-39; Proverbs 19:4-5

OT: “This command that I give you today is certainly not too difficult or beyond your reach. It is not in heaven so that you have to ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ And it is not across the sea so that you have to ask, ‘Who will cross the sea, get it for us, and proclaim it to us so that we may follow it?’ But the message is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may follow it. See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not listen and you are led astray to bow in worship to other gods and serve them, I tell you today that you will certainly perish and will not prolong your days in the land you are entering to possess across the Jordan. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful to him. For he is your life, and he will prolong your days as you live in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:11-20‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Walking in righteousness is not hard – as in, we don’t have to perform great feats of strength or accomplish impossible tasks to walk in righteousness. God has given us everything we need to walk righteously and has implanted it in our minds and in our hearts. The challenge is the choice that is before us. We have control over our will and our bodies. We have the freedom to do whatever we desire – yet the things that we desire are often not the things that lead to righteousness. The challenge comes when we have to choose between what we want (the lusts and drives of our flesh) and what is right. If we choose to follow our desires, walk our own paths, and be led by our own understanding, we choose to live a life separated from the life and blessing of God. If we choose to deny our wants and desires and follow God’s way, we choose to live a life of blessing with the power of God’s life coursing through our veins and radiating from our pores. What helps us make the right choice? Faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ.

NT: “I say to you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear! Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:4-7‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

After Jesus pronounced woes on the Pharisees and Scribes, He turned to His disciples told them to be wary of and on guard against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Eventually, they would be exposed, as will all hypocrisy. That is even something that we are seeing in our day: people and systems exposed for who and what they truly are. We can’t allow ourselves to be driven into hypocrisy and sin through threats from and fear of mortal men. While they are able to and sometimes will end your life, that is where their power ends. The wages of hypocrisy, unrighteousness and sin however, go beyond this life into eternity. If we fear people more than we fear the Lord, we will end up experiencing death for eternity. If we fear the Lord and follow Him, even in the midst of death in this life, we will experience His life and blessing now and for eternity. We are not dispensable commodities to God, nor are we mere pawns in His plans. He loves and highly values us. If we place our faith in Him and choose to follow Him, we have no reason to be afraid. So don’t be afraid of the virtue-signalers, the woke cancel culture, the zealous activists, or the anarchic terrorists that threaten you into submission to their ways. Instead choose life through faith and obedience to our Father in heaven, and His Son (our Savior) Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Luke 11:37-54; Psalms 78:23-31; Proverbs 19:1-3

NT: “As he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him. So he went in and reclined at the table. When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that he did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner. But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil. Fools! Didn’t he who made the outside make the inside too? But give from what is within to the poor, and then everything is clean for you. But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves; the people who walk over them don’t know it.” One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.” Then he said, “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Therefore, you are witnesses that you approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments… Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge. You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were trying to go in.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:37-48, 52‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

It is very possible that the reason the Pharisee asked Jesus over for dinner was not to be cordial, but to try and trap Jesus into doing or saying something worthy of accusation. Instead of Jesus being accused of wrong, the tables were turned and the Pharisees and Scribes were accused of wrong. Saying “Woe to you” is an exclamation of grief and a condemnation of a behavior or action. When Jesus entered the Pharisee’s home, He didn’t perform the ritual washing. Ritual washings were just that: ritual. They were simply norms of tradition not commanded by the Law. They had nothing to do with hygiene, and were expected even if your hands were already clean. When Jesus perceived the Pharisee’s offense, it opened the opportunity for Him to address the religious hypocrisy of the time. The Pharisees were the “virtue signalers” of the day. They were all about signaling their virtue externally, while harboring all sorts of sinful attitudes internally. Micah 6:8 states that what the Lord requires of us is to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. The Pharisees were ignoring those internal requirements while giving their full attention to every manner of nit-picky visible signal of virtue. To truly be righteous and virtuous, you need to be righteous and virtuous to your core – from the inside out. Because the Pharisees weren’t truly righteous, they were like unmarked graves that caused the people they influenced to get sucked into their defilement: leading people to believe that all that is required is external signaling. As long as you appear virtuous (and can accuse others of not being as virtuous as you), you don’t have to deal with your own failures and filth. The scribes were just as guilty. They were all about loading people down with legal requirements (while exempting themselves, of course) without offering any help or relief. They were masters of revisionist history, claiming to honor the prophets while hiding the fact that it was their own that slaughtered them. They claimed to be the experts of God’s law and they alone held the key to knowledge and understanding. They may have “known” the words of God, but they did not know the God of the word, and were just as lost in their knowledge as anyone else. But instead of humbling themselves and becoming teachable, they lorded the mysteries of God’s word over people, keeping everyone in the dark. As I read these woes that Jesus gave, I see that there is nothing new under the sun. We still deal with the same hypocrisy today. It may take different forms, but the spirit is the same. First, we must look at ourselves. Are we more concerned with virtue signaling than we are of being truly virtuous? Do we cover up past indiscretions and undealtwith attitudes by building monuments to the things we secretly despise? Do we resent those who are truly after righteousness (because their holiness may expose our sinfulness) and try to shame them from walking in truth? Secondly, who are our influencers? Are we following virtue signalers and self-proclaimed experts, or are we allowing ourselves to be led and influenced by tested, tried, humble, and integrous men and women of God – who not only know the word of God, but the God of the word?

Deuteronomy 28:45-68; Luke 11:23-36; Psalms 78:1-22; Proverbs 18:23-24

NT: “As the crowds were increasing, he began saying, “This generation is an evil generation. It demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and look — something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s preaching, and look — something greater than Jonah is here. No one lights a lamp and puts it in the cellar or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light. Your eye is the lamp of the body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad, your body is also full of darkness. Take care, then, that the light in you is not darkness. If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:29-36‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

People are always looking for a sign from God, and it’s amazing what they will consider to be a sign. Usually, if they see something that confirms what they want to see, they will consider it to be a sign – and if an actual sign of God conflicts with what they want to see, they won’t attribute it to God and will consider it a fluke – or worse, a work of the Devil. God will perform miraculous acts, but it seems like He prefers to make signs out of people. Jonah was a living miracle and powerful sign of God. He died (was tossed to his death into tempest-tossed seas), was buried (swallowed by a great fish), and was raised to life (spit back up on shore after 3 days). So powerful of a sign was he, that he moved the godless gentile Ninevites to repent of their sinful ways and turn to God. Jesus was an even greater living miracle than Jonah, but He wasn’t the sign that the religious elite were looking for. Solomon was also a living miracle and sign of God. God blessed him with so much wisdom that even the gentile Queen of Sheba traveled great distances to sit at his feet and hear him speak. Jesus wasn’t just a man blessed with wisdom. He was the very Word of God made flesh – but His words weren’t the wisdom that the religious elite sought. God wants to make us signs of God as well. He wants our lives to be full of His blessing and glory so that others will be drawn to Him. It’s not enough for us to be intriguing on the outside. For us to be signs of God, we must be transformed from the inside out. Our blind eyes must be opened to see the truth and receive the truth inwardly. The good news is that Jesus came to bring sight to the blind. He will (if we allow Him) open our blind eyes to let the light in – so that our entire lives can radiate with the glory of God from the inside out. Then we, like Jonah and Solomon of old… and like Jesus, can be living signs of God that draw people to God. We can then shine on other blind people and bring them sight through the anointing of Jesus that rests on us through the Holy Spirit that resides in us.

Deuteronomy 28:1-44; Luke 11:14-22; Psalms 77:15-20; Proverbs 18:22

OT: “Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all his commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. Your offspring will be blessed, and your land’s produce, and the offspring of your livestock, including the young of your herds and the newborn of your flocks. Your basket and kneading bowl will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The Lord will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you. They will march out against you from one direction but flee from you in seven directions. The Lord will grant you a blessing on your barns and on everything you do; he will bless you in the land the Lord your God is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he swore to you, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you bear the Lord’s name, and they will stand in awe of you. The Lord will make you prosper abundantly with offspring, the offspring of your livestock, and your land’s produce in the land the Lord swore to your ancestors to give you. The Lord will open for you his abundant storehouse, the sky, to give your land rain in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward if you listen to the Lord your God’s commands I am giving you today and are careful to follow them. Do not turn aside to the right or the left from all the things I am commanding you today, and do not follow other gods to worship them.” (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭28:1-14‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Ever since mankind fell into sin, the earth has been under the curse of sin and death. The systems of this world and the people of this world are under the sway of the ruler of this world (the devil) and his kingdom of darkness. Death, decay, entropy, anarchy, confusion, chaos, anxiety, selfishness, lust, pride, narcissism (the list goes on and on) are all products of the curse. Darkness is an absence of light. Death is and absence of life. Sin is an absence of righteousness. Curse is the absence of blessing. The only way to overcome the downward, out-of-control spiral of the world is to overpower the vacuous black hole with the light, life, righteousness, and blessing of Creator God. Blessing is not just a nice sentiment you pass on to someone you like. Blessing has overwhelming, overcoming power that fills in the void of fatalism and chance and overpowers the pervasive curse that all have been subjected to. Peace is a blessing that overpowers and conquers fear and anxiety. Joy is a blessing that overpowers and conquers depression and purposelessness. Prosperity is a blessing that overpowers and conquers want and lack. Rest is a blessing that overpowers and conquers strife. How do we receive God’s powerful blessing? We must renounce and reject the ways of self-rule… the systems of the world… the influence of the kingdom of darkness, and fully submit to and embrace the word, will, and ways of God and His Kingdom. Once submitted to His ways, the God of Creation will overwhelmingly overpower the curse over us and in us with His blessing. That was God’s intent with mankind – to overcome the chaos caused by the devil. That was God’s intent for Israel, to be a nation of blessed people that would stand in stark contrast to those of the world and lead people to reject the ways of the world and be reconciled to Him. That is what God wants to do with us – form us into a holy kingdom of priests to proclaim and demonstrate His praises, ministering reconciliation to all who are willing and fill the earth with His glory. He wants to bless us to be a blessing – to overcome the curse by the blessing He gets to us and through us. All we have to do is place our faith in Him, make Him our Lord, and follow Him completely.

NT: “Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say I drive out demons by Beelzebul. And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his estate, his possessions are secure. But when one stronger than he attacks and overpowers him, he takes from him all his weapons he trusted in, and divides up his plunder.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:17b-22‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

One of the times that Jesus cast a demonic spirit out of someone, several in the crowd accuse Him of using demonic power to cast the demon out; and demanded that He show them a sign that He was truly sent from God. This was Jesus’ response to their charges. First of all, Satan isn’t going to overthrow his own kingdom. The idea that Jesus would be casting out demons  by being aligned with the kingdom of darkness is ludicrous. The sign that they were demanding was the fact that He did cast out the demonic spirit. The fact that He cast out the demonic spirit with power and authority was proof that the Kingdom of God had come upon them. The devil is the strong man in this example. He isn’t about to give up territory and souls that he claims as his own. The only way for someone to be freed from the devil‘s grasp is for someone far greater and stronger to attack his stronghold and overpower him. That stronger one is Jesus the King and His Kingdom of God. Just as God’s blessing overwhelmingly overpowers the curse, the Kingdom of God overwhelmingly overpowers the kingdom of darkness. When the Kingdom of God comes upon you, it brings liberation from the grips of sin, the enemy, and the grave. When the Kingdom of God is within you, you are able to bring liberty to others who are chained to sin, the enemy, and the grave. The answer for all the world’s ails is for God’s Kingdom to come as His will is done here on earth.

Deuteronomy 27:1-26; Luke 11:1-13; Psalms 77:1-14; Proverbs 18:20-21

NT: “He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I don’t have anything to offer him.’ Then he will answer from inside and say, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I have gone to bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:1-13‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Throughout the Gospel of Luke, we see that Jesus often took the time to pray – and His times of prayer were always effective. Again, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus took the time to pray. This time, one of His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray the way He prayed. I imagine they wanted to have the same effective prayer life that He had. In answer to the request, He gave them a pattern to follow and a position to take as they prayed. First, Jesus gave them a template for prayer. It was the same pattern that He taught during His sermon on the mount (Matthew 6). We know it as the Lord’s Prayer, but it is actually the disciples prayer – meaning this is the way that disciples of Jesus are taught to pray. He then told them a story to illustrate the position to take in prayer. For clarity, the man who doesn’t want to open his door in the middle of the night is not representative of Our Heavenly Father. Jesus point was that boldness and confidence can move even the most reluctant person. If boldness and confidence will move a reluctant neighbor, how much more will our Father be willing to hear and answer our prayers when we come to Him in faith. We ask (we don’t demand). We seek (we don’t assume that we know what is best for us). We knock (we don’t disrespectfully barge in). We ask, seek, and knock in faith knowing that our Father is a good and generous Father who is always willing to supply what  is needed… and for prayer to be effective, what is needed beyond faith is the leading of the Holy Spirit… and God will give Him to us as well, if we ask.

Psalms: “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. I sought the Lord in my day of trouble. My hands were continually lifted up all night long; I refused to be comforted… Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor? Has his faithful love ceased forever? Is his promise at an end for all generations? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah …I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions. God, your way is holy. What god is great like God? You are the God who works wonders; you revealed your strength among the peoples.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭77:1-2, 7-9, 11-14‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Like many of us, Asaph was troubled at the state of his nation, and it was causing Him to lose sleep. So instead of tossing and turning all night and getting wrought up in anxiety, he lifted his voice to God in prayer. As he began to pray, he asked himself some rhetorical questions about the character and faithfulness of God. Of course, the answer to each of his questions was and is always, “No.” In remembering God’s unchanging faithfulness, his faith was built – and he was able pray with boldness and confidence to the God who hears and is able to work wonders. This is a good example of how we move from despair to faith. This is a good example of how to pray.

Deuteronomy 26:1-19; Luke 10:38-42; Psalms 76:8-12; Proverbs 18:19

OT: “The Lord your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. Follow them carefully with all your heart and all your soul. Today you have affirmed that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in his ways, keep his statutes, commands, and ordinances, and obey him. And today the Lord has affirmed that you are his own possession as he promised you, that you are to keep all his commands, that he will elevate you to praise, fame, and glory above all the nations he has made, and that you will be a holy people to the Lord your God as he promised.” (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭26:16-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This is the big difference between the True and Living God and other idols, gods, and demonic representations. God issues commands to follow, but the reason is not to appease Him. He instructs us to obey His commands, statutes, and ordinances for our benefit – that we may be holy as He is holy – that He may bless us with His abiding presence and abundant life, unto us blessing the world. We don’t have to blindly offer fatalistic sacrifices in the hopes that we have done enough to appease the gods and earn their favor. No – God promises us that if we offer our lives to Him and follow His word, will, and ways, He WILL bless us… He WILL elevate us… He WILL glorify us and cause us to stand out from the rest of the world.

NT: “While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38-42‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

In the time of Jesus, the extended law (full of man-made amendments and traditions) was burdensome and not a blessing. Instead of bringing you closer to God, it was full of nitpicky requirements that stood as a barrier to God. In order to be “righteous,” you had to perform and prove yourself worthy. I wonder if Martha was caught in that system of performing to be proven worthy. When Jesus came to her home, she couldn’t be bothered with what Jesus was saying, for she was driven by her task list. She had to perform. Mary, on the other hand, was able to set aside her tasks to be in the Lord’s presence. Martha, expecting Jesus to be on her side, complained to Jesus and asked Him to set her sister straight. Jesus’ answer to Martha wasn’t what she was expecting. He told her that she was anxious… she was concerned only for her own wellbeing… she was troubled over all the things that needed to get done – that weren’t just right – that made her look like less than the perfect hostess. Only one thing is required. We don’t have to meet all the requirements – we just need to do the one thing that is needed. We don’t have to create an impressive gourmet meal – we just need to feed on the meal that is most important. Unlike you, Mary has made the right choice. She has given up self-righteousness to receive My righteousness. She has set aside her wearying to-do list to receive My rest. It is not wrong to want to accomplish things. It is not wrong to be compelled by a sense of duty and responsibility. The question is, are we compelled because being busy makes us feel important – that our identity is found in what we accomplish? It is better be about the things that the Lord has for us by His grace – working with Him, than futilely ticking off all the boxes that we or society has placed on us. Mary made the right choice. We can, too.

Deuteronomy 24:14-25:19; Luke 10:25-37; Psalms 76:1-7; Proverbs 18:16-18

NT: “Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus took up the question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:25-37‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When an opportunity arose, an expert in the law (a lawyer) posed a theological question to Jesus in order to trap Him. Instead of falling for the trap, Jesus turned the question around to the expert and asked him… “What is your expert legal opinion of this matter?” Of course, the lawyer obliged with an answer that Jesus agreed with. That trap didn’t work so well. So to justify himself and try to trap Jesus in another way, he asked Jesus to qualify what or who is considered a neighbor. He wanted to how far would he have to go to abide by the commands to love God and love your neighbor. Instead of answering the question, Jesus told a story. There is a good chance that the story was a true story that the people in the crowd would have been familiar with. It is the story that we know as the Good Samaritan. It is interesting that when asked about what it means to love your neighbor, Jesus brought racial issues in the mix. There was a deep racial divide between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Jews considered Samaritans to be beneath them: defiled half-breeds. So to illustrate what it meant to love your neighbor, Jesus told a story of a Samaritan caring for a Jew in need – not the other way around. In today’s culture, that would be like telling a crowd of white nationalists a story about a black man showing compassion and taking care of a white supremacist. The point was and still is, there are no conditions to loving your neighbor as yourself. In fact, Jesus taught that we are to not only love our friends, we are also to love our enemies and treat them kindly with respect. The Bible talks about Jesus giving His life for us while we were still trapped in sin and living as enemies of God. Jesus gave everything to save His enemies, and He calls us to do the same. When it comes to loving people, respecting them, and treating them as equals – there are no conditions or limitations. As we continue to abide in Jesus and allow Jesus’ words to abide in us through the Holy Spirit, our lives bear the fruit of Jesus’ character… He develops in us the ability to love the unloveable and forgive the unforgivable. What the world needs now is love – and the only way to fully walk in that love is through the manifestation of Jesus in us.

Deuteronomy 23:1-24:13; Luke 10:13-24; Psalm 75:6-10; Proverbs 18:14-15

NT: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you. However, don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” At that time he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure. All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him.” Then turning to his disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you see but didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.”” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:17-24‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When the 72 followers of Jesus returned from their mission, they were full of joy. Jesus had given them authority, and they witnessed that authority enacted wherever they went. It truly is a thrilling thing to step out in faith and obedience, and then see the Lord honor His word and your faith by working powerfully through you. What a liberating feeling it is to know that the kingdom of darkness, though powerful, is no match for the kingdom that resides in you. Jesus knew all along that Satan and his minions had no power over the Kingdom of God. He was there when Satan was cast out of heaven. As wonderful as it is to know that you have power and authority over your enemies… that you no longer have to live as an oppressed person any longer, the greater joy is knowing that you have been fully liberated and are no longer subject to the kingdom of darkness, but are now an enrolled citizen in the unshakable Kingdom of God. To those who place their faith in Jesus Christ and fully follow Him, He will reveal the goodness of The Father and the mysteries of the Kingdom – and their names will stand written in the Book of Life and forever inscribed as members of the family of God and citizens of the Kingdom of heaven. The prophets and kings of old lived and died with the hope of seeing God’s promises fulfilled, but never did. What a great joy and privilege we have to be able to fully walk in the complete salvation of our souls and the fullness of kingdom life and grace. What an opportunity we have to bring the goodness and glory of the kingdom of heaven to bear on the earth, and see others experience the fullness of liberation and joy that we have.