"Divisions"

N.T.#580 "Divisions"

June 30,2025 

Luke 12-Part 8 

LET IT GLOW

 We must watch for Jesus, work diligently, and obey His commands. Watchful and faithful leaders will be given increased opportunities and responsibilities. (Life Application Study Bible)

It is hard when folks make fun of you being different, whether it is how you dress, things you don't participate in, and beliefs. Jesus warns us about it.

Jesus was talking about the future events in verses 49-50. Jesus' earthly ministry and purpose for coming included His crucifixion, burial, resurrection, commission, and ascension. 

One day this earth will burn up and there will be a new heaven and new earth. (Rev. 21:1; 2 Peter 3) When that occurs, there will be no more sin and evil. Period. Can we imagine that? 

In the meantime, Jesus had to contend with sinful humans. He was under such a heavy burden knowing His suffering was just around the corner.

Are our family members ready?

LET IT GROW

Jesus is the ultimate divider in relationships of family members-believers versus unbelievers. He didn't come to bring peace, but salvation. Faith in Christ and divine truth will divide folks. The lost will refuse to admit they are sinners in need of a Savior. 

You need to understand, you will be misunderstood. This is what Swindoll tells new believers. 

LET IT GO

Keep us faithful to You, Lord Jesus.

Help us to love the unlovely.

"Faithful and Unfaithful Servants"

 N/T.#579 "Faithful and unfaithful Servants"

June 27, 2025 

Luke 12-Part 7 

LET IT GLOW

We have a woman in our church whose son, wife, and two sons are joining. It has been a few years in waiting for answered prayers for this family. Now we can rejoice in the Lord's moving in their hearts. Are you doing kingdom work? Which kind of servant are you?

Are you ready with expectancy and preparation for the return of Jesus? We do not know when, but we know it is to be. Therefore, we must all be ready for His return anytime. It can be when we least expect it.   Blessed is the servant who is watching for their Lord to return, as in the parable. (verses 40, 43) 

Peter asked Jesus if His parable applied to the disciples or if it was for everyone.  He didn't answer the question, did you notice? A faithful, sensible servant carries out their responsibility in managing the master's household servants and feeding them. He gets a reward. However, the irresponsible servant who beats those in his care and parties until the master returns, he will be banished with the unfaithful.

LET IT GROW

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (verse 48b)

Believers will be judged if they are worthy or not to receive rewards in heaven. Unbelievers will be judged whether or not if they are saved and know Jesus.

If we have been given much, then much will be required of us. Are we using our spiritual gifts in the church? Are we working diligently for the Lord, spreading the Gospel? Are we watching for Jesus to return? Do we teach the Word which we know?

Things to consider.

LET IT GO

When activities or material things take away our time from the Word or the church or Christian service, then we need to stop and reevaluate. 

Thank You Jesus we can put everything in Your hands and lovingly serve you.

"Jesus is Returning"

N.T.#578 "Jesus is Returning"

June 26, 2025 

Luke 12-Part 6 

LET IT GLOW 

Where do we put our time, money, and energy? What do we think about the most? Is kingdom work on our priority list? Jesus is coming back again, whether people believe it or not. We must be ready.

Jesus spent much of His ministry teaching His disciples about their ultimate future-the kingdom to come and their eternal citizenship in it. He commanded them not to worry nor be anxious, not to seek what the world seeks nor to be concerned with the things you can buy or touch or feel. (Swindoll)

What are some things we should be dong?

• Expectancy. Be dressed in readiness for action. (verses 35-40) As a servant of Jesus Christ, we must be about our Master's business until He comes. He is returning one day to reign as King.
• Preparedness. We are to have things in order-know Jesus as our Savior, have a clean heart toward God and others.
• Rewards. Faithful, obedient servants will be rewarded. (verses 43-49) (Falwell)

Live as if this is our last month to live. Be ready to meet a Holy God. We don't know when our Lord will return, so keep His Word, love God and others, help the needy.

LET IT GROW

For whosoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (verse 48b)

Believers will not be judged, but our obedience and faithfulness will determine our rewards in heaven. 

Are you a believer in Jesus? Have you surrendered everything to Him for His glory?

LET IT GO

May we love You, Lord Jesus, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Thank You for Your provisions, Protections, and love.

"Do We Own Possessions or Do They Own Us?"

 N.T.#577 "Do We Own Possessions or Do They Own Us?"

June 25, 2025 

Luke 12-Part 5 

LET IT GLOW

When we hear or see a bird, do we consider that they do not work for their food, but the Heavenly Father provides for them? When we see a lily, or pretty flower, do we consider that they do not toil to be clothed, but God provides for them? How much better does God take care of His children?  

How are you pouring your energy time, money and resources? Are they spent investing in God's kingdom work? When we do, then He will feed us, console us, and give us access to all that is His. The requirement is to seek God's kingdom first in our life and surrender to His will, doing it His way.

Here are a few more important teachings of Jesus found in this chapter:

• All will one day be revealed as to how we lived our life. (verse 2)
• Fear God, not man, who can cast our soul into hell. (verse 5)
• The very hairs of our head are numbered, for God knows all. (verse 7)
• Confess Jesus as Lord and Savior before people so He will not deny knowing us. (verses 8-10)
• Do not blaspheme (defame or speak evil) of the Holy Ghost, lest you not be forgiven. (verse 10)
• When persecuted, all the Lord Jesus to guide your words. (verses 11-12)
• Beware of greed, for our life is more than our possessions. (verse 15)
• Be rich in mercy, grace, faith, and love toward God. (verse 21)
• Life is more than food and clothing, so seek God's kingdom first. (verse 31)

Now that is a lot to soak in for us, a lot of homework, too. How are we doing so far in applying those principles?

LET IT GROW

Keep your heart where your treasure is-heaven and kingdom work for Jesus. Are we depositing in heaven by giving away money and possessions? 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Are we allowing God to guide us as we trust in His providing for us? 

When one dies, temporal things matter no more. Career, money, power, possessions, hobbies, habits, and ambitions-become irrelevant then. It is what we do with Jesus counts. Is He our Lord, as well as our Savior? 

LET IT GO

Help us give generously when we are bless with much, Lord Jesus.

When we plan for the future, remember it may be short, so enjoy possessions, but keep them in perspective.

Hold everything loosely, whether we have much or little. (Swindoll)

Invest in God's kingdom work, for it has an eternal effect.

"Food and Clothing Provided"

 N.T.#576 "Food and Clothing Provided"

June 24, 2025 

Luke 12-Part 4

This time of year the wildflowers are in bloom on our country road. The orange lilies and yellow black-eyed Susans, white daisies, tiny buttercups, pink wild roses, and white tiny violets. God clothes the land with His beauty for us to enjoy. (However, the purple flower on the thistle is not welcomed, for they spread in the field and are harmful to the cattle's eyes.)

In the parable about the barns and abundant crops, we learned the man was greedy. He was ready to sit back and enjoy his wealth, taking it easy, eating, drinking, and being merry. (verses 16-20) this man was a hoarder for himself with no thought about God or eternity. We know that wealth cannot secure one's salvation and eternity in heaven, but it can be used for kingdom good. I'm sure the listeners got the point Jesus was making.

Jesus went on to teach some profound teachings:

• Laying up treasure for our self does not makes us rich toward God. (verse 21) 
• Trust God for food and clothing and the soul's provision. Faith frees us from anxiety and worry caused by greed. Our Creator knows our needs and is able to meet them. We can do our part by working and planning, but leave it in His hands, following His directions.
• Consider the birds, for God feeds them. Consider the lilies, for God clothes them. We often spend too much time taking care of our bodies, spend too much money on lotions, sprays, perfumes, and name brand shoes, as well as clothing. That money could be used in mission work spreading the Gospel. (I'm not against looking our best, just not being too extravagant.)

LET IT GROW

But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. (verse 31)

Are we keeping God and His Word the center of our life? Thank you friends for joining me in Bible study. Life can be busy, yet we need to be grounded in our relationship with God.

Let me share how God has provided for a need of mine lately. I spent 4 hours each day last week at church putting up decorations for Vacation Bible School. (Except for Friday) Each evening my feet were aching so badly. I had struggled in finding my brand of shoes to purchase a new pair. Finally, I found them, but they were not going to arrive until Wednesday this week. I groaned. I prayed. Then, when I went to water my flowers on the front porch Thursday last week, there was my package of shoes. The heavenly Father came through for me, answered my prayers, met my need. He is so, so good!

Are you doing kingdom work? God will provide what you need. He has for me. We have to keep our focus on Him.

LET IT GO

                              ... of selfishness, greed, our needs.

Help us see the needs of others, Lord Jesus.

"Greedy"

 N.T.#575 "Greedy"

June 23, 2025 

Luke 12-Part 3 

LET IT GLOW

For a long time I resented a family member inheriting 4 times the land that I got. Yet, that was how the will stated it. They ended up selling part of theirs and I still have mine. We used mine to buy a business and tripled our money in the long run. Guess we really came out better off in the end. They died and now the kids get to sell and enjoy the money, which the person didn't. We still have the land and are going to build a house on it so we can live back in the country. The Lord has blessed us for retirement as we remained faithful in serving Him. We all have to be careful of greediness, though.

The guys must have moved on, for I don't think they are still having dinner at the Pharisee's house. Anyway, a man asks Jesus to do something for him-tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. (verse 13)

Essentially, Jesus reply was, "If you choose Me as your judge and arbitrator over material matters, are you aware of what you're asking?" (Swindoll)   

The man should prepare for God's kingdom rather than his rights under the law. Besides, the eldest son inherited double portion, according to Jewish law. Besides, Jesus was on a spiritual mission, not to settle earthly matters.

Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (verse 15)

Covetousness means greediness; fraudulency. 

Are we careful not to get greedy?

LET IT GROW

Jesus knew the man's problem. He went on to tell the man a parable about greed. A man had an abundance of crop and was going to tear down his barns to build bigger, yet his life was required of him that night. The man could have shared his abundance with the needy.

Life does not consist of stuff. What we possess has nothing to do with what life is all about. (Tony Evans)

God blesses us, not so we can have bigger and better, but so we can bless others.

LET IT GO

Lord, we surrender all we have to Your kingdom work.

Show us who we can bless today, for You have already blessed us.

*Please pray for salvation of children, parents, siblings, and grandparents during our VBS this week.

"Living as a True Disciple"

 N.T.#574 "Living as a True Disciple"

June 20, 2025 

Luke 12-Part 2 

LET IT GLOW

Shall we dig a little deeper into the four things Jesus tells us to do?

First of all, we are to not live as a hypocrite like the Pharisees did. Their words spoke one thing, but they did another. It was like they wore an actor's mask. They tried to conceal their sins and cover up evil intentions. One day everything will be revealed. I hope our sins are not shown on a giant screen, but we have a private talk with the Savior instead. (verses 1-3)

Secondly, don't be afraid of people, for their harm is only temporary. In contrast, people can only kill the body, but God can send a person to hell. Birds are insignificant, yet the Father values them and cares for worthless birds showing He values and cares for us, too. (verses 4-7)

Next, we are to confess Jesus as Savior openly and claim His teachings as our rule for life. When we do, Jesus will confess us before God. Are we confessing Jesus to others openly, boldly, and freely? (verses 8-10)

Lastly, we are not to be distracted about defending ourselves, for God will stand in our defense. We are not to take thought as to what we will say, for the Holy Spirit will guide the child of God in our hour of need. (verses 11-12)

LET IT GROW

As Christians, we need to be careful how we live, what we say, and how our relationship with God is. 

Are we trying to live appearing holy when our heart is far from God? (hypocrite)

Do we fear opposition or ridicule? We are to fear God, who holds eternity in His hand, instead of fearing people. Are we living morally, sharing the Gospel, helping and loving others, loyal to Christ and His Word, and doing kingdom work?

Do we turn the other cheek and let God defend us?

I read that people don't care how much you know until they know that you care for them.

LET IT GO

Help us not be a phony, but surrender to Your will, Your way, today, Jesus.

May we let go of worry and pray.

"Things to Ponder"

 N.T.#573 "Things to Ponder"

June 18, 2025 

Luke 12 

LET IT GLOW

Luke describes the setting, the circumstances surrounding the teaching of Jesus for His followers-hostile, large crowd, short time, and important.

Swindoll summarizes the message like this:

• Beware of living as a hypocrite. (verses 1-3)
• Don't fear physical pain; fear God. (verses 4-7)
• Confess the Son of Man openly, boldly, and freely. (verses 8-10)
• Don't become distracted about defending yourself; God will stand in your defense. (verses 11-12) 

Jesus warned His disciples and us to not live saying one thing and doing another (hypocrisy), which is sinful. Nothing is going to be hidden forever, Things will be uncovered, even motives, brought to light. Whispered words will one day be public knowledge. Nothing is hidden from God.

We must guard our hearts, minds, lips, and hands. (Falwell)

LET IT GROW

The soul is more important than the body, so we are to fear not those who can kill us, but to fear God who can send our soul to hell. 

The child of God is secure in Christ, both now and forever. Nothing can ever harm a believer in this life, apart from the permission of God according to His perfect will. (Falwell)God even know the number of hairs on our head, showing us we are more valuable than sparrows. Birds are insignificant, yet God cares for them. How much greater are the children of God.

Whosoever shall confess Me (Jesus) before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God. (verse 8)

On the other hand, if we deny Jesus, then He will deny us. (verse 9)

Believers will be persecuted, but don't be distracted by it. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide in the day of trouble. Those are some things to ponder on and not take lightly.

LET IT GO

Help us guard our words, thoughts, actions.

You alone are Holy, not us.

*Pray for Israel, God's Beloved One and for this blog to continue. Many are trying to stop the Truth from spreading.

"Clean Inside and Out"

 N.T.#572 "Clean Inside and Out"

June 17, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 10 

LET IT GLOW

Jesus had accused the religious leaders of cleaning the outside of the cup, but inside they were full of greed and evil. (verse 39) The washing wasn't done for health reasons but as a symbol of washing away any contamination from touching anything unclean. They made a public show of their washing and commanded others to follow the practice, yet it was originally meant for the priests only. The Pharisees loved to think of themselves as clean, but their stinginess toward God and the poor proved they were not as clean as they thought. (Life Application Study Bible)

Jesus didn't stop with the cup metaphor. He let the Pharisees and scribes have it with truth and woes. They were the religious leaders in Israel, yet they were called fools and hypocrites by the Lord. I wonder if the host regretted having invited Jesus to dinner. (It seems like there must have been more Pharisees present, but we aren't told.)

Then Jesus spoke of 6 woes for the Pharisees, accusing them of:

1. deceit (verses 41-42) They failed to show justice to neighbors and love for God. Yet they tithed garden herbs and loved the front seat in the synagogues. 
2. pride (verse 43)
3. inconsistency (verses44-46)
4. condone murder
5. condone conspiracy (verses 47-51)
6. hindering people from being saved. (verse 53) (Liberty Bible Commentary)

Luke tells us the Pharisees were trying to provoke Jesus to say things that enabled them to put Him to death. They opposed Jesus, questioned Him, plotted against Him, and sought to trap Him in His answers. Yet they were no match for the Savior. (verse 54)

LET IT GROW

What can we learn from this?

 Covering up wrong within by cleaning up the externals of our life does not work. God sees all and knows all about us. Keep a heart check. What is our motive for doing things? Confess sin so we have a clean vessel for the Lord to use. How is our relationship with the Heavenly Father?

LET IT GO

We are Your servants, Lord. Tell us what You want us to do today.

"Clean Cups"

N.T. #571 "Clean Cups"

June 16, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 9

LET IT GLOW

A particular Pharisee invited Jesus to his home for lunch. Ok, what's the catch? He must have had some hidden motive, right? Although, it seemed innocent enough. Maybe the guy was experiencing some conviction that his theology was wrong all those years. More likely he was wanting to challenge Jesus in his environment. 

You know Jesus did things on purpose, with a purpose. He knew it was a practice for a Pharisee to wash their hands before eating as a ritual. Yep. Over 500 years of such a practice. It had become ceremonial or ritual practice, not for hygiene. What borders on an obsessive-compulsive behavior was the expression of love for God's law by the Pharisees. 

So when Jesus reclined at the table for the meal instead of washing His hands, it must have stunned His host. At any rate, the host marvelled (to wonder) that Jesus had not washed before dinner. (verse 38) Jesus has a way with words, doesn't He? (Of course, He could read the mind of the host.) 

LET IT GROW

In verse 38, Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees were more concerned making the outside of the cup and platter cleaner than the inside. In other words, the Pharisees observed the rules and regulations of ceremonial cleanliness with polluted hearts. Also, they believed their outward deeds could cleanse their inner corruption. 

Jesus used the terms ravening (extortion) and wickedness (sins). 

Wow! Jesus let the guy have it and rightfully so. God is more concerned with the heart of a person, with their motives, and not over what is clean and unclean. Our good deeds can't clean up or forgive our sinful heart. Only Jesus' blood can do that, faith in Him as Savior, and repentance.

I wonder if Jesus ended up eating dinner or leaving the house.

LET IT GO

If we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

*Pray for Israel during this time.

"Light Versus Darkness"

 N.T.#570 "Light Versus Darkness"

June 13, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 8 

LET IT GLOW

Did you notice that Jesus said someone greater than Solomon and Jonah was there with the people? He was referring to Himself, the Messiah. (verses 31-32) Jesus had performed healing, miracle, and showed wisdom in answering the Pharisees, scribes, and lawyer. 

The people of Nineveh and the queen of the south had turned to God with far less evidence than Jesus was giving His listeners-and far les than we have today. If a wicked nation and a Gentile woman could believe in Jesus as their Savior, why do more people not believe too? After all, we have access to the Bible, His church, and the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus brings up the metaphor about light. No one lights a candle or turns on a lamp to conceal its light. Doing so removes its purpose, to light up a room so others can see clearly. Christ is the light, the divine truth. The Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to be the spiritual light and divine truth into a sin-darkened world. 

Are we allowing the LIGHT to shine in our life?

LET IT GROW

When the light of God's Word shines on us, nothing is hidden from the Lord-not our intentions, desires, values, or agendas. He sees all and know all. Jesus could have looked into the soul of each person present and openly revealed everything, but He didn't do so. Instead of exposing the hearts of the people and Pharisees, Jesus challenged them to let the light of God's revelation flood their souls to reveal everything, as well as the Holy Spirit convicting them of sin. Some repented and some did not.

Are our eyes taking in light or darkness? What are we allowing ourself to see, hear, think on, do? Are they things of darkness or things of light? Something to consider.

LET IT GO

Help us let go of those things not pleasing to You, Jesus.

May we see our self as You see us.

Shine, Jesus shine is us today.

Open our eyes to see the needs of others.

"Do You Need a Sign in Order to Believe?"

 N.T.#569 "Do You Need a Sign in Order to Believe?"

June 12, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 7

And when the people were gathered thick together, He began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. (verse 29) 

LET IT GLOW

What word is repeated in this key verse? This group of people which Jesus encountered want a sign. (It is used 5 times in this chapter.)

In the Greek language, sign means indication; miracle; wonder. 

It was like a token of heavenly assurance that Jesus would indeed win. They wanted to enjoy all the benefits of the kingdom without having to risk life, limb, or even their own comfort. Some followed Jesus for what they might gain. Some were uncommitted because they wanted assurance. Some had their own ideas of how the King should rule and how His kingdom should be like.

Jesus called this generation an evil generation.

Evil means wicked; sinners; vicious; guilt.

Jesus used two examples from their history in which Gentile people of questionable character responded correctly to the Word of God without any visible assurances:

First was Jonah preaching to the wicked Ninevites, who repented of their sins. Jonah performed no miracles. (verse 30)

Secondly, the queen of the south traveled to hear Solomon's God-given wisdom. He offered no heavenly signs.  (verse 31)

Yet the crowd's sin blinded them to the miracles Jesus performed, the wisdom in His teachings, and His perfectionism as the Messiah sent from God. They needed more proof? These two examples of faith and righteousness on the part of Gentile pagans must have sent the Pharisees into a rage.

[Resources: Swindoll's Living Insights on Luke; The Tony Evans Bible Commentary]

LET IT GROW

What can we take home from this? Salvation is not only for Jews but for Gentiles, too. Jesus would die and rise after 3 days, just as the prophet Jonah was rescued after 3 days in the belly of the great fish. There were eyewitnesses as to seeing the Risen Savior. The Perfect Son of God came to the people He dearly love, yet they rejected Him. 

Will you accept Jesus as your Savior or reject Him? 

LET IT GO

Fill us with Your love, joy, peace, forgiveness so we can treat others with the same.

Glory to God in the Highest!

"No Middle Ground"

 N.T.#568 "No Middle Ground"

June 11, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 6 

LET IT GLOW

Here is the third accusation of blasphemy for Jesus and His second debate. The second time is found in Mark 3. We are reading about the battle between light and darkness, Jesus and Satan. This is how Luke connects the Lord's healing ministry for the first time. These people claim Jesus is using the power of Satan to cast out demons from a man. This is ridiculous because Satan would want the man to remain demon possessed. It would be counteracting his own purposes. Jesus used the power of God not the power of Satan. (verses 14-19)

One day the devil will be vanquished at the hands of King Jesus. (Rev. 20:10)

In this case, the demon controlled the man's vocal cords, preventing him from speaking. Yet, Jesus is all-powerful and has all authority, so when He cast out the demons, the man began to speak. Jesus performed His ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit of God. 

As it turned out, the delivered man became possessed by an unclean spirit again, since the man was not filled with the salvation of Christ. His life was worse than before the encounter with Jesus, since 7 evil spirits conquered him. (verse 26) 

We learn from this that a person needs to fill their mind and soul with the Word of God, His Holy Spirit, and surrender to God's will. Whose side are we on? There is no middle ground nor any neutral ground.  We are either on the side of Christ leading God's kingdom or we are on the kingdom of darkness led by Satan. The results are eternal.

LET IT GROW

There are some profound statements which Jesus says in this chapter:

• But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. (verse 20)  Jesus is the Messiah, in other words. The Messiah was with them that day.
• He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me sattereth. (verse 23)
• But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. (verse 28)

A person's obedience to God is more important than his or her place on the family tree. Consistent obedience is more important than the honor of bearing a respected son, which the woman was valuing more for Mary. Mary had to trust Jesus as her Savior, too. She has no more ranking than you or I do. Mary was just an instrument through which God used for Jesus to take on human form.

Those who hear God's message and then heed it are the ones most deserving of honor. (Swindoll)

LET IT GO

Help us let go of stuff and surrender to You, Lord Jesus.

Help us hide Your Word in our heart so we don't sin against You, Holy God.

May we follow You today, Sweet Jesus.

"Free Gifts"

 N.T.#567 "Free Gifts"

June 10. 2025 

Luke 11-Part 5 

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given unto you: seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (verses 9-10)

LET IT GLOW

Who doesn't like a free gift? If a friend offers you a gift and wants you to have it, it has already been paid for; all you must do is accept it. (Billy Graham)

In this chapter we have studied the Lord's Prayer as Jesus taught us how to pray. First praise God, then make our requests. Then He showed the contrast between God answering prayer and a friend who eventually opened the door to meet a need. Our Heavenly Father will certainly hear our requests and grant them more readily than the man who had gone to bed. He desires to give us freely all things. We have the Holy Spirit today, which the Old Testament saints did not have.

We are not to sit back and wait for things to happen. We are to seek God in prayer with faith. Jesus' followers can expect a positive response from the Father. He will answer our prayers with a "yes, wait, no." I like to use the acronym for prayer:

Ask

Seek

Knock

Another way of putting this is given by Charles Swindoll:

If only you will ask the Father, then your request will be given to you.

If only you will seek the Father's will, then you will find it.

If only you will knock, then the Father will open the door to your request.

Notice that God's provision is daily, not all at once. We cannot store it up and then cut off communication with God. And we dare not be self-satisfied. If we run low on strength, ask ourselves, "How long have I been away from the Source?" (Life Application Study Bible)

LET IT GROW

Jesus illustrates this showing that earthly faither gives good gifts to the children, and so will the Heavenly Father. (verses 11-13)

... how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? (verse13b)

Human fathers, though sinful, intuitively give food to their children rather than something that will harm them. How much more, then, will our perfect, holy, and righteous heavenly Father discriminate and give good gifts to His children? The best heavenly gift God gives to those who ask is the Holy Spirit, who in the new covenant delivers God's will to His children. Thus, the Holy Spirit is available to operate on God's behalf through our prayers for our benefit and through us for the benefit of others. (Tony Evans)

Did you catch that? The most important gift God could ever give us is the Holy Spirit. You can read more about this topic in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit can give us words, works, strength, God's will, conviction of sin, and more than we can think or ask.

Friend, have you received the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? 

By His death on the cross Jesus paid the price for our salvation-completely and fully. Now He offers it to you as a free gift-and all you have to do is receive it. (Billy Graham)

LET IT GO

What do we need to let go of so we can trust God today?

Thank You Father for all you give and do for us!

To You be the glory forever and ever!

"In Need"

N.T.#566 

June 6, 2025 "In Need"

Luke 11-Part 4 

LET IT GLOW 

Where do we go when we have a need?

I like how Tony Evans summed up the Lord's Prayer: Forgiveness is the cancellation of a debt. We must forgive everyone in debt to us.  We confess our sins to Holy God, He forgives us, then we are called to forgive one another. (Eph. 4:32) Then we ask God to protect us from any situation that we can't handle. The purpose of prayer is to prepare us for a trial so we can face it, honor God, and grow spiritually as a result.

LET IT GROW

Then Jesus gives a parable of a friend who came at midnight, inconviencely asking for food because his friend dropped in on to him while traveling. The provider and family were already in bed. Yet, the beggar needed help, for he had nothing to feed the traveler. Eventually the first guy opened the door and gave his begging friend bread. (verses 5-8)

As a comparison, God is our friend who hears our pleas. However, He is more than a friend and grants answers to our requests according to His will, not ours. We can go to our Heavenly Father any time and He hears us, His children. What an encouragement for us!

We are needy people, in need of salvation, which Jesus has already provided for us. All we need to do is ask Him for it. It is a costly free gift awaiting those who will ask for it. Friend, have you asked?

LET IT GO

Thank You Father for hearing our prayers.

You are a good, good Father. 

We are loved by you.

"Forgiveness"

 N.T.#565  "Forgiveness"

June 5, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 3 

And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (verse 4)

LET IT GLOW

Obviously, this is the example for the Christian to pay to our Heavenly Father. We have reverence for God's name, we yield and conform to His will, praying for it to be done here on earth, and ask for daily provisions.  

The next step in prayer, which Jesus spoke of is asking God to forgive our sins. 

Forgive is to send forth; lay aside; put away; leave.

Indebted is to be under obligation; owe; guilty.

We must confess that we are a sinner in order to be saved, to get to go to heaven. Since we have a sin nature, then we sin daily and need cleansing of our soul, God's forgiveness daily. This is how we continue our spiritual growth-by acknowledging our sin in particular. We are to seek forgiveness in the same way we forgive others, according to Matthew 6:12. And in turn, we are to forgive others for their sins they committed toward us.

Just as our bodies need food to survive, so our souls need nurturing-daily cleansing and feeding. We feed upon His Word, praise and thank God for everything, surrender to His will, seek forgiveness of our own sins. We grow in obedience and faith trusting in God. 

When we offend others, we need to ask their forgiveness, to. On the other hand, when one offends us, we should forgive them.

Jesus joined the request for God's forgiveness to our extending forgiveness to others. Truth is, we all deserve blame for harming and/or hurting someone else. In the same way that someone is indebted to us for wrongdoing we are indebted to God all the more!

[Resources: Liberty Bible Commentary; Swindoll's Living Insight on Luke]

LET IT GROW

The Lord does not lead us into compromising situations. The Greek phrase "lead us not" is saying, Do not permit us to be led into temptation. 

May we not succumb or yield to temptation to sin. Cause us not to give in to temptation. 

We know the One True God always leads away from temptation, and frequently against our will. We want to unity our will to God's will. 

Luke omitted what Matthew 6:13 ends with:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 

Our challenge is to pray like Jesus told us. We seek His mercy, forgiveness, guidance, and deliverance daily. 

LET IT GO

Lord, help us to let go of pride and self-dependance and turn to You for forgiveness of our sin.

We are sinners in need of a Savior today.

Use us in kingdom work, sharing Your love.

For Thin is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

"Who is Providing?"

N.T.#564 "Who is Providing?"

June 4, 2025 

Luke 11-Part 2 

LET IT GLOW 

How has God provided for you lately? Read on to hear about my latest experience.

One of Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. They heard Jesus pray and saw the results. This is known as the "Lord's Prayer. 

First of all, we are praying to our Heavenly Father, not to Mary.  We must know the One to whom we are praying. We come to God as children of faith. Regardless of what our earthly father was like, our Heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus first praised God, then He mad His requests. 

Then we acknowledge He is holy.  God's holiness separates Him from His creation. It is God's chief characteristic. His love is holy; His justice is holy; His mercy is holy. We honor God's name as holy, Therefore, God alone is to be worshiped and obeyed. (Tony Evans)

The third element is praying for :

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (verse 2)

Are we praying for God's will to be done in our life, in the life of others, in our country? As people of the King, we are called to follow His kingdom agenda. As the Creator, God rules over the world, and His priorities are to be our priorities. (Evans)

Are we submitting to God's agenda, obeying His Word, accepting His plan for us and carrying out His purposes? The Lord cares about the big and small things in our life. He cares about our concerns. Are you at peace as you fulfill His and not our will?

An example comes to my mind as to what happened last week in my life. Our son and family spent the week at the beach. So he left us in charge of the cattle on our farm and his farm. Since 3 cows were expecting babies soon, we got on the 4 wheeler opening and shutting gates, dressed in our blue jeans and boots and caps and rode through the tall wet grass almost daily. We searched over the back 40 acres. Sure enough, the cows gave birth without any problems. Yet, there was a surprise-the white cow had twins. She ended up rejecting one, so we had to get the pick up and haul it to our son's barn and give it a bottle. (We had to go buy two different kinds of milk for it being a newborn.)

I said all of this to show that God answers prayers. I acknowledged Him as the Good Shepherd, but asked Him to be our Cowboy and help us find the second baby. (Mamma abandoned him on the hill in the hot sun and alone.) Our prayer was answered. It was a big thing to us, because losing a calf could cost our son a thousand dollars after it grew up. God hears our prayers whether big or small to us. So I thank the Lord for this blessing. God is so good. (I got to feed it the first bottle of milk, having to teach it how to take it. He is so cute, too.) Certainly, I am a country girl living by faith. 

LET IT GROW

Give us day by day our daily bread. (verse 3)

Do we ask for our daily food? Do we give thanks for what we have to eat? We should not hesitate to ask our Hevenly Father for our needs. We need food, clothing, and shelter, plus water in order to survive. Like the children of Israel in the wilderness, God provides for us. Come to think about it, He sends rain to water the seeds, sends the sunshine to make it grow, and multiplies it for our good and His glory. Without Him we would have nothing. God is the Creator of all things. (If it is man-made, then He provided the materials and know how to do it.)

LET IT GO

Let go of pride that says we worked hard to put food on the table. We are just God's instrument.

Thank You, Father, for all You have provided for us.

To You be the glory forever!

"Only One God"

 N.T.#563 "Only One God"

June 3, 2025 

Luke 11

LET IT GLOW

Have you noticed that Luke uses a lot of this phrase, "and it came to pass?" Because of this, I counted 49 times Luke uses that phrase. As I wonder why, I think it was a way of saying he was writing about something different now. They didn't have chapters or paragraphs in the Greek. Also, it could have been a way. 

The disciples had heard Jesus pray several times. They had observed Jesus' commitment to prayer and the results of His prayers. They wanted to have the same experience. So one disciple asked Jesus to teach them to pray. 

We know this as the Model Prayer or the Lord's Prayer. It is not for a vain repetitious prayer for us to say each time we pray. We can change the words, while following the same format:

1. Recognize God for who He is and glorify His name.
2. Pray for His program and
3. His will to be accomplished.
4. Ask for daily food,
5. forgiveness of sins, 
6. and deliverance from sin and evil.

[Resource: Liberty Bible Commentary]

First of all, to whom are we to address our prayer? Our Father which art in heaven. (verse 2a)

Did you notice that Jesus praised God, recognized who He is first of all? Our heavenly Father is to whom we are praying. 

In 1 Corinthians 8:6, Paul states, But to us there is but one God, The Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him: and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him.

This is important due to the fact that other religions worship many gods or man-made idols, so we are to acknowledge our Creator and Heavenly Father, God. 

In this verse, God refers to the supreme Divinity; a deity.

In Exodus 20, God's name is Elohiym in Hebrew language, which means Supreme God.

I am guilty of not reverencing God's name when I pray. How about you? To actually pray to the One and Only God, The Creator and Sustainer of my life is astounding.  He is the One who sits on the throne ruling over heaven and earth, souls, life and death. What an Awesome God He is. I think we all should get back to this realization. Wow! And to think Elohiym hears my prayers through Jesus. It is astounding. Are you with me?

Do you have a serious prayer time in the morning and a relationship with God, our Heavenly Father?

LET IT GROW

As we continue to mature in our faith and in prayers, we should be able to pray anytime, anywhere, under any condition. 

First, we acknowledge God as our Heavenly Father when we begin to pray. That is who God is to us. 

Next, we glorify His name. Hallowed be Thy name. (verse 2b)

Hallowed means to make holy, purify, or consecrate; sanctify.

No wonder the angels say, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty.

LET IT GO

We bow down and we worship You Lord God, Elohiym, our Supreme God.

Holy is Your name. 

There is no other God but Thee. 

You alone are worthy of worship and praise. 

Worthy of love and devotion; worthy of all the glad songs that we sing; worthy of all of the offerings we bring.

Father, Elohiym, You are worthy.

Are You Frazzled by Being Too Busy Today?

N.T.#562 "Are You Frazzled by Being Too Busy Today?"

June 2, 2025 

Luke 10-Part 7  

LET IT GLOW

It is only 3 weeks before our VBS starts. I can let it frazzle me or I can enjoy the time spent serving the King. Basically, everything is ready, so I can relax at our family reunion later in the week. I'm taking my Bible with me, though. Martha had a problem that frazzled her. Read on to see what it was and how Jesus solved it for her.

So far in this chapter, we have read about the 70 who went out witnessing, the lawyer asking how to get eternal life, and now we sit down at the home of sisters Mary and Martha for another lesson by Jesus. The lawyer learned from a parable how to treat others like you want to be treated. (The Golden Rule) I wonder if he had a change of heart. 

There are two good principles to live by according to Charles Swindoll:

• What you are determines what you see, and what you see determines what you do.
• People will not care how much we know until they know how much we care.

Come sit with me as we observe what is taking place at M and M's house:

• Martha received Jesus into her home in Bethany (2 miles northeast of Jerusalem). 
• Apparently, Jesus had often stopped in for a visit with Marha, Mary, and Lazarus when in the vicinity. It seems He considered them family.
• Jesus and His disciples were comfortable there. We don't know how many were in this company, but enough to put Martha in a frazzle.
• Martha's problem was her paying more attention to meal preparations for her guests that she stopped paying attention to The Guest.
• Was Martha a perfectionist? Did she feel abandoned by her sister? Was her feeling overwhelmed justifiable?
• Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His teaching.
• Martha expected the Lord to rebuke Mary for not helping her sister with the meal, but He did not do so. 
• Martha was cumbered about with much serving and questioned Jesus, Lord, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. (verse 40)

Cumbered means to drag all around; to distract (with care). 

Martha must have been dragging around resentment, self-pity, and perfectionism far too long toward her sister Mary. It came out here for all to hear. Sure Mary could have pitched in to help her sister in the kitchen. Martha was distracted about minute things. 

Just give them a sandwich, girl. Get out of the kitchen and listen to what the Savior has to say. He wasn't going to be around much longer. That's my thinking, though. Jesus was kinder.

LET IT GROW

Martha's dispute backfired on her. Rather than affirming Martha for her sacrificial service, she heard a mild rebuke. Jesus was showing compassion by expressing the doubling of her name. Martha had a sincere desire to serve others, but she was worried about it and that led to her being upset. Everyone in the room was with Jesus, except for Martha. 

On the other hand, Jesus praised Mary for her example. She had chosen the good part of Jesus' unexpected visit, the part that cannot be taken away. Instead of temporal things to focus on, Mary focused on eternal things. She ignored trivial matters to listen to the teaching of Christ on the kingdom of God. 

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (verse 42)

What is the good part? A relationship with the King Jesus Christ. We don't obey the Law to become His citizens. We obey the King because we are His citizens. It is out of love we serve, follow, obey, sacrifice, give, and do for our King. How wonderful it that He even accepts us.

Be careful to spend time with Jesus. So many things keep us busy, but He will determine what is important for us to do. So go to the King and ask Him what He wants us to do today for His glory and kingdom work.

LET IT GO

When Jesus interrupts our plans, it is for a good cause.

Listen to the King and obey Him.

Watch Jesus work through us and experience joy in serving Him.