Author: Pastor Howie

09 20 Luke 19.28-44 Crowds flocked to welcome Jesus into Jerusalem believing that He was the Messiah.  They praised God with jubilant excitement.  The Pharisees were none too pleased.  Jesus wept over the city because He knew that their praise was superficial and that they would or had rejected Him as the real king, the one who could deliver them from sin.  They were following the right person, but with the wrong motive.  If we are to follow the king,  obedience is expected.  If we are to follow the king, praise is expected.  If we are to follow the king, opposition is expected.

09 13 Luke 19.11-27 Nearing the final days of His earthly ministry, Jesus is passing through Jericho.  A crowd has followed Him and Luke records that they anticipated that once Jesus reached Jerusalem He would establish a physical, earthly kingdom.  Yet in the preceding passage Jesus explicitly indicated that His purpose for coming was to seek and save the lost.  The correct their erroneous view Jesus told a parable that was about Himself.  The challenge was twofold.  First, it was a challenge to His true followers to be faithful in the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel.  Second, was a challenge not to neglect Him as the rightful coming king.  When He returned He would require an accounting of what was done with the gospel.  Did a person accept it or reject it?  Did a person proclaim the gospel or not? 

What are you doing to prepare for His return?

09 06 Luke 19.1-10 There is someone like Zacchaeus all around us.  Do we see them through the eyes of the crowd – a loser to be scorned?  Or do we see them through the eyes of Christ – lost needing to be saved?  He came to seek and save them.  Are we pointing them to Christ for salvation or are we preventing them from seeing Him? 

08 30 Luke 18.35-43 It was blind ambition that led to the desire of Bartimaeus to want to see on that day Jesus was passing by on His way to Jerusalem.  He called out for the “Son of David” to have mercy on him.  He wanted to see.  How Jesus responded indicated that the blindness of his heart could see, but also healed him of physical blindness.  We may see, but the spiritual eyes of our heart are still in darkness.  Jesus may only be passing by you once.  How will you see Him?

08 16 Luke 18.31-34 Jesus gives some important instructions to the disciples that will help them in days to come.  The news is about what will happen to Him when they reach Jerusalem.  The most important information was about His resurrection.  That is important for us today and for all believers because that even ensures our resurrection and eternal life.  Are you ready?

08 09 Luke 18.15-30 Our passage reminds us of how important it is to bring children to Jesus.  We should do all we can to welcome it and not hinder it.  Jesus encouraged children to come to Him because the kingdom of God is made up of those who are like children in their faith.  We must come with total trust and dependence on the finished work of Christ and by faith receive that gift.  There is nothing we can do to earn eternal life as illustrated in the second section of this passage.  A rich ruler came asking Jesus what he must “do” to inherit eternal life.  There is nothing we can do but believe.  What we need has already been done for us on the cross.  Praise the Lord for the finished work of Calvary.

 

08 02 Luke 18.9-14 Jesus has been talking about the Kingdom of God which is coming soon.  He has encouraged prayer for it to come and to pray for courage until it comes because leading up to that day, it will be like the days of Noah and Lot.  People will be carrying about business as usual, unconcerned about the impending judgment to come.  In our passage today, we find through a parable, Jesus telling us how we can be sure we are a part of God’s kingdom.  “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  That’s the only way.  Two people are described.  Two people offer prayers.  Two paths will be followed.  There is the religious who think they will get in God’s kingdom but haven’t called on God for His mercy, and there is the repentant, who know that is the only way.  Of the two, which are you – religious or repentant?

07 26 Luke 18.1-8 Jesus continues His discussion regarding the coming Kingdom with a parable.  Knowing that events leading up to the coming of Christ will only get worse, what should we do?  There are only two things.  We can either become discouraged and fainthearted by it all or we can pray.  Prayer emboldens and encourages us to remain faithful until the Lord returns.  We must be courageous, committed, and confident in prayer.  With seeming injustice, we are reminded that God will eventually bring judgment.

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07 19 Luke 17.20-37 The Pharisees thought they were already part of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus told them the kingdom needed to be in them.   Because they had rejected the king, they were not part of the kingdom.  They needed to believe Jesus was the Messiah and they would not.  Jesus told the disciples about the physical kingdom that was still in the future.  The Lord will return and bring judgment just as it was in the days of Noah and Lot.  Be ready, it’s about time.