#Luke9 #Luke10 - Following Jesus

Click here to read Luke 9-10:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Luke 9 and 10 talk a lot about the costs of discipleship and Jesus teaching the disciples. When I think of the word, discipleship, I think it could most simply be described as following Jesus. Not just literally walking around with human Jesus, but letting Jesus lead you in every facet of your life. Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship and that sometimes we are called to give up things we thought we would have or want, or do things that are out of our comfort zone. He tells us to give up ties to our worldly possessions and trust that God will provide for our needs. He encourages the disciples to pray for God to send workers into the harvest field. One of my favorite shirts I own has the words, "Following Jesus" on it, and I love the simplicity of it.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

The last few verses of chapter 10 talk about Mary and Martha. In this instance, Mary is committed to being with Jesus, while Martha is distracted by the chores and preparations. So often, Martha gets sort of a bad reputation as being a busy-body. But there is another place where we see both Mary and Martha together. In John 11, Mary and Martha's brother Lazarus has just died, and in a conversation with Jesus, Martha is the first to declare that Jesus would receive whatever he asked of God. She stated her faith in the resurrection. And she declared that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. So Martha really is a woman of incredible faith, despite a temptation towards being just plain busy.

3. What does this mean for my life?

The parable of the Good Samaritan really struck me as I read it this time. The question is asked of Jesus, "Who is my neighbor," hoping to narrow it down and love in the most minimal way. But Jesus "answers his question", I suppose, by saying that instead of figuring out who our neighbor is, we should instead invest our energy into being a good neighbor to others.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

I wonder if James and John thought they could call down fire from heaven to destroy Samaria. It's ironic that even though they had a strong pull against the Samaritans, Jesus rebukes them and tells a parable where the Samaritan is  the hero.

Those are my thoughts for this chapter. I'd love to hear yours. God's blessings to you and KEEP DIGGING IN!

In Christ,
Dan

image from http://sowhatfaith.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/FollowJesus.jpg

#Matthew10 - Be Afraid!

Click to read Matthew 10:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

Almost every time a heavenly being (angel) speaks to a human, the first words out of their mouths are, "Do not be afraid." Here in Matthew 10, we hear Jesus telling us not to be afraid of anyone on earth, no matter what they may do to us. However we should fear God and serve Him, who is the judge of all. It seems weird to fear God, when 95% of the time we hear, "God loves you. He's our father. Prince of Peace." Those are absolutely true, but God is also all-powerful, mighty, ruler of the universe, and is above all kings. I think of someone appearing before a king in the medieval times. Even before a good king, people would bow out of honor and fear because whatever the king said would happen. That is how we ought to treat God. This is also one of the clearest passages that references being condemned to hell. It describes hell as a place where body and soul are destroyed in judgment. Hell is not a fun concept, but we can't just ignore it. In fact, earlier in the chapter Jesus said that it will be more bearable for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than those who are judged by God to be condemned (because of their rejection and rebellion) to hell.

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

Even in other places in Scripture we hear God and Jesus say, "Do not be afraid." There are only a few places in the Bible that we see the words "Be afraid..." And as far as I read, they are all talking about God. One of the best examples of that is Proverbs 1:7, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." In Deuteronomy 6, God commands the Israelites to "Fear the Lord your God."

Hell is also mentioned and described in other places in the Bible as well. In fact, Jesus talks about hell more than any other person in the Bible, and he talks about hell more than heaven. Here are a few other references to hell and judgment: Matthew 5:22-30, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 23, Mark 9:43, 2 Peter 2:4, Revelation 20. It is described as a place of continual torment, a sort of prison for the devil and demons, but also for those who reject God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. It's not a fun thing, and IN NO WAY am I to play judge over another's destiny. But I believe we as a church are dangerously close to just erasing hell out of the Bible for the sake of tolerance.

3. What does this mean for my life?

This whole chapter is certainly not about hell, but that is just what caught my attention. As a whole, this chapter is about following Jesus. For personal application I was both convicted and encouraged by Matthew 10:18-20. Jesus says that when we go out and are persecuted, don't worry about what we are going to say to witness to the gospel, for the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say. I think I have been silent too often when I should have spoken, mostly because I wasn't sure what I should say. We should certainly be wise with our words and quick to listen to others, but we shouldn't be afraid to speak.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

I have quite a few questions, actually. Many of Jesus's teachings here are just a little unnerving. Probably the hardest for me is in verses 34-39. He says that he came to turn family members away from others, and to bring a sword not peace. And yet in Matthew 5 he says, "blessed are the peacemakers." I understand that there will be families where someone follows Christ, and they are rejected, or shunned, or at least not understood. My real question I guess is, "What did Jesus mean by this?"

Have a great day following Jesus.

In Christ,
Dan

#Matthew4 - 3 Simple Steps to Fight Temptation

Click to read Matthew 4:

1. What stood out to me from this chapter?

I am always struck by the immediacy of the disciples decision to follow Jesus. I have learned that this encounter in Matthew 4 where Jesus calls them from their boats is probably not the first time they have ever seen or heard Jesus. They have likely heard about him or seen him by this point. But that makes their reaction even more astounding and believable. One thing is for sure, they left a lot behind to follow Jesus: family, familiarity, dependability on jobs and income. What did they get out of it? A LIFE THAT IMPACTED ALL OF HUMANITY FOR ALL OF ETERNITY!

2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?

In John 1:35-42, we see that some of John's disciples, (Andrew being one of them) encountered Jesus and went to get his brother Peter for a closer look. So this is part of the reason we believe that Matthew 4 was a follow up invitation to follow this rabbi for good. Immediately following that chapter in John is how Jesus called two other disciples, Philip and Nathanael.

3. What does this mean for my life?

It is strangely comforting to know Jesus actually did face temptation, so that I know he can relate to us in that way. Yet throughout the time Jesus was being tempted, he was unwavering. His means of fighting temptation was not simply toughing it out, nor was it finding something else to distract him. The way Jesus "dealt with" temptation was to recall Scripture and resolve to let that be the final word of authority in his life. I wish I could say I've had the same method of fighting temptation, and especially the same track record as Jesus. Unfortunately I have given in too many times out of fatigue, stress, or just plain old selfishness. I need to remember to follow Jesus's game plan when temptation comes my way: Recall Scripture, Resolve to Obey, Repeat as necessary. 3 simple (but not easy) steps. When I do sin, I need to repent and remember that God's grace is much bigger.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

As Jesus began his earthly ministry here in Matthew 4, it says that Jesus healed "EVERY disease and sickness among the people." (v. 23) My question is, "Is it always God's will to heal people? Do we have that same authority and responsibility to heal others if the answer is yes?" I know the Holy Spirit resides in each of us, and I know that people have both prayed for healing and "declared healing" and experienced real healing from God. I also know faithful followers who have prayed for healing for themselves or others and not received it. I don't know that this question really affects how I live my life, as I will keep praying for healing. I'm just curious to understand God's heart in this.

That's it. God bless.

In Christ,
Dan

image from http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2013/02/first-sunday-in-lent-2013-invocavit.html . 6 Jan. 2015

Acts 18 - Intentional Discipleship

Acts 18

1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?

One quick funny thing from verse 18 - Paul cut his hair "because of a vow he had taken." What? Did he lose a bet or something? "Hey Silas, betcha my hair that Priscilla and Aquila won't come with me to Syria..." :)

On a more serious note, at the risk of sounding redundant, I really noticed again in this chapter that wherever Paul went, he went regularly, "religiously," obediently to the synagogues to reason with the Jews and Gentiles from the Scriptures to convince them that Jesus is the Messiah. There's a definite pattern: Relocate - Preach Jesus - Experience Persecution - Relocate. :)

2. How does this relate to any other scripture I know?

As I read these last few chapters in Acts, especially those of Paul availing himself to the Jews, pleading and reasoning with them, I get a sense of his heart. He clearly has a heart for the Jewish people (his own people) and even upon persecution goes back to them time and time again. But in Acts 18, we get this sense that his patience has run out and at the same time he is deeply saddened by the Jews' persistent rejection of the gospel. This insight really reminded me of Paul's letter to the Romans. In chapters 9-11, he talks about God's love, God's grace, God's favor upon the Jews, but the rejection by many of the Jews that leads to their destruction. Romans 10 especially shares the big picture thoughts: "My heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved...But not all the Israelites accepted the good news." I love that the book of Acts gives us insight into the New Testament books of the Bible written as letters by Paul, Peter, James, and Jude. Acts is the story, the letters are the doctrine, and both reinforce each other. 

3. What does this mean for my life?

Despite the insights into this chapter from the first two questions, the most profound "take-home" lesson for me comes from the end of Acts 18. Beginning in verse 18, we see how Paul remained very close with Priscilla and Aquila, a husband and wife team of close friends and supporters during his ministry. That much is not uncommon, but what stood out to me is that after Paul had left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and Apollos shows up. He is a learned man, speaking boldly in the synagogues, but not really knowing the full message of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. So Paul's two friends took him in and gently encouraged him and "explained to him the way of God more adequately." It was an act of discipleship, of training and equipping and encouraging, that must have happened from Paul to them. So indirectly, it was Paul's investment in Priscilla and Aquila, that was "payed forward", which helped shape Apollos into a powerful preacher. By the way, Apollos is referred to in 1 Corinthians 1-3 as one who came after Paul to teach the Corinthians. So for me, I need to keep my eyes open for opportunities to intentionally disciple younger believers (which may not be a matter of age either). It might be a one time encounter like in this passage, or it may be for a season or my whole life.

4. What questions do I have about this chapter?

I don't really know how to phrase this question. But when God told Paul in a vision, "Keep preaching, don't be afraid, I have many people in this city," that was nice. Paul knew he was in the right place at the right time. Why does God sometimes say those things and sometimes leave us questioning and wondering, "Am I supposed to be here? Is this still valuable? Should I be investing my time and money somewhere else?" I think most people would like a vision telling them to stay where they are or go to a new place. But I guess that question came to my mind.

I'd love to hear from others. Whether you're able to join me for a day or for the duration of this project, I hope you take time to read the appropriate chapter (the book and chapter reference are linked to a site where you can read the chapter online.) I'd also really love to hear your own answers to any or all of these questions, and/or to my own thoughts. God's blessings.

In Christ,
Dan