Maranatha Grace Church

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Book of Luke Challenge – March 1 – Luke 1(Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷  and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
 For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹ for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
 and holy is his name.
⁵⁰ And his mercy is for those who fear him
 from generation to generation. (Luke 1:46-50)

“My soul magnifies the Lord.” Mary magnified the Lord and it made a lot of difference for her. We can magnify (focus) on our problems or we can magnify (focus) on the Lord.  What you focus on becomes your reality. It is easier to walk on a narrow path on the ground, than when it is lifted up five feet from the ground. In the first case we are focusing on walking, the second on not falling. That is why we must discipline our minds to stay focus on God and on his promises. Our success depends on our focus.

Every blessing of the Lord comes with a challenge. Mary could have focused on losing her fiancé Joseph. She could have been stoned to death in that culture. But she chose to focus on God, we must do the same in order to experience the joy of being at the center of the will of God. We should never fear when the Lord is directing us, “For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37).”

Mary was blessed, so are we. We can say our own “Magnificat.” In Luke 21:18, a woman who put unduly importance to the fact that Mary gave birth to Jesus was corrected by Jesus. He pointed her to God to let her know the true source of blessings, obedience to God. ^“As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it (Luke 11:27-28)!”” 

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 2 – Luke 2 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[f] 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:48-52)

We can learn a lot about how family should work from the short story of Luke 2:48-52. First, we know that Mary was not a mother who yelled. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” I really don’t understand how Mary and Joseph could stay so calm in such a nerve racking situation. Three days of searching, and this mild rebuke! Most parents would have lost their cool, not Mary and Joseph. We don’t have to keep yelling at our children.

Second, Jesus was a real teenager. Why were you searching for me? He answered his parents.  Teenagers are fearless. They don’t see danger where we see them. Mary and Joseph were worried sick about Jesus, while Jesus was just happy having a good time sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Third, Jesus demonstrated that teenagers don’t need to be rebellious. The story tells us that “Jesus was obedient to them.” We hear people compliment teenagers about how tall they are growing. The emphasis should not be on height but on wisdom and stature [reputation, position, prestige, influence.] This kind of growth brings favor with both God and man. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” We know his secret, the same Holy Spirit he had,  we have.

 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
 the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
 the Spirit of counsel and might,
 the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.(Isaiah 11:2)

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 3 – Luke 3 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

²³ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,

the son of Heli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi, the son of Melki,

the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

.

³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,

the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,

the son of Kenan, ³⁸ the son of Enosh,

the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God. (Luke 3:21-38)

One day I was praying the “Our Father” with my children, as I realized that we were addressing the same Father in Heaven, I said, “we are brother and sisters.” That did not sound right to them. No, "you are our father." I agree that a father on earth is very important, but still this is a transitory relationship. The best is the fatherhood relationship that is eternal, the relationship of our Father in Heaven with us his children.

The whole human race is made up of “brothers and sisters.” The sooner we realize that truth, the better off all of us will be. We note that when the people came to John the Baptist to be baptized, they inquired what they should do to flee from the coming wrath. He told them to ^“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Luke 3:8).”  Not to live religiously, but to live as true brothers and sisters (Luke 3:10-14).

The genealogy of Jesus as presented in Luke shows that every single human being can trace their genealogy to Adam, and eventually to God. “…The son of Adam, the son of God (Luke 3:38).” Jesus came to reconciled us to the Father, he paid the debts of our sin in dying on a cross for us.  Every child of God can turn back and head home to the Father.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 4 – Luke 4 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted^[a] by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’^[b]”

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^[c]”

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
 to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
 so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[d]”

¹² Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[e]”

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.(Luke 4:1-13)

The story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness teaches us that there is a sure way to overcome every temptation that comes our way. “Stay focus on the word of God.” Jesus overcame the devil’s temptation by staying focus on the Scriptures. We need to stay focus in obedience on the word of God in order to overcome temptations that come our way.

There is a verse you can hold on to for every temptation. That is why we encourage each other to keep on with the Challenges. We need know the Bible to be able to say, “It is written” just like Jesus did.

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’^” (Deuteronomy 8:3)

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^”(Deut. 6:13)

¹² Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^” (Deut. 6:16)

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 6 – Luke 6 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”(Luke 6:37-38)

God is the only one who can judge perfectly, because he is the only one who understands perfectly. Human actions are so complex that it is very difficult for even the individual to fully understand his own actions. If we cannot judge ourselves accurately what does that say about our judgment about other people? We just don’t know. Blaise Pascal said it right, “Le coeur a des raisons que la raison ne connait pas.”

The best sensible approach then, when it comes to passing judgment, is to follow Jesus’ recommendation, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” This is good for the person whom we avoid to judge. This is also good for us since we free our subconscious of the burden of avoiding being judged in the future.

How do we avoid a judging attitude? Compassion is the key. Jesus shows us the way out in the story of the woman caught in adultery. She was on the verge of being stoned to death by the judging crowd, she was presented to Jesus for judgment. However, because of Jesus’ compassion for her, he saved her, and let her go free. ^"10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more (John 8:10-11).”

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 7 – Luke 7 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁴¹ “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹ Then those who were at table with him began to say among^[h] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” ⁵⁰ And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”(Luke 7:41-50)

“Jesus’ compassion for people is demonstrated in Luke chapter 7.” He shows to us what our priority should be in his church and in the world in general. Jesus intervenes on the side of the oppressed and excluded. He helps the poor, sinners, tax collectors, women, Samaritans, and Gentiles. We should sincerely seek to see with Jesus’ eyes, and to feel with Jesus’ heart. We must be compassionate.  

^“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little (Luke 7:47).” The only test of our service to the Lord is our love for him. Do we love much? Even in the Old Testament, the Law of God was based on love.” Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

The more one understands forgiveness, the more love he will have for Christ. Humble service stems from a heart of gratitude for God's grace. We all can develop more love for the Lord by adopting an attitude of humility and of gratitude.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 8 – Luke 8 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. ¹⁷ For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. ¹⁸ Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” (Luke 8:16-18)

“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open (Luke 8:17).” This advice is both spiritual and practical. For the reality of our natural and physical lives is closely matched with the reality of our spiritual lives.

I believe that the Lord Jesus here was not merely speaking about our actions that can be open or secret. He was talking about our hearts. We cannot keep think secret in our hearts. Sooner or later our lives will show what is really in our hearts, by words and deeds.  As a man think in his heart so is he. So we must cultivate good hearts.

We need a heart in tune to the word of God and to the Holy Spirit, if we want to show Love, Joy, and Peace in our lives. We need to remove all bad dispositions and negative thoughts from our hearts. This work is hard, but fortunately we are not left alone to do such a hard work without direction. “Therefore consider carefully how you listen (Luke 8:18a)”.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 9 – Luke 9 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²⁸ About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. ²⁹ As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰ Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. ³¹ They spoke about his departure,^[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

³⁴ While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” ³⁶ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen. (Luke 9:28-36)

"Take delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4)?" Our heart can desire a lot things, unfortunately most of the times our heart desires too little. We ask for a glass of water while we could have easily ask for a fountain and get it. We have to reach for the source.

One of the boldest requests in the Bible is found in Exodus 33:18, “Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” What do we desire most? Whether we know it or not, the greatest longing of our soul is for God. We may as well be bold and ask God to show us his glory.

Heaven and earth are not so far apart as we may tend to believe, God is near. His glory is all around us to be revealed. Listen to Jesus. Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”(John 11:40)

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 10 – Luke 10 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Seriously Lord – indeed only one thing is needed? All of us could easily give a long list all of things that we think that we need. However, we must trust Jesus when he tells us that only one thing is needed. Listen to him. We open our heart to listen to Jesus as the Father told us to do in Luke 9:35: “listen to Jesus. When we do listen to Jesus we get everything that is needed.

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  Martha cried out for fairness from the part of Jesus. But we need not make that same mistake, since we know the whole story. The Bible tells us that the Lord is a just and righteous God.  

The Lord is just, the Lord is not fair. He opens doors where there are none. He promotes and demotes. He takes our name at the bottom of the pile and puts it on top of the pile (remember Joseph).  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matthew 6:33).”

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 12 – Luke 12 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ ²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:13-21)

Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Most people think that if they get enough money they would be happy. But that cannot be true, because Jesus tells us life does not consist in abundance of possessions. Indeed someone can have a lot of money and be miserable at the same time.

Possession is more than money. It could be education, prestige, family background and a lot of other things that the world values. In itself having material possession is not wrong. Jesus didn't say that possession is wrong. But the danger stays that most of the time, the more possessions one has the more he wants to have more. Greed is always one wrong thought away.

The solution then to the temptation of  greed is generosity. The rich and the poor must practice generosity so they can both become rich toward God. Generosity allows us to go beyond a faulty sense of scarcity to the certainty of abundance.  God is a God of abundance.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 13 – Luke 13 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” ⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” (Luke 13:5-9)

God created all of us for a purpose, and we must wholeheartedly pursue that purpose. Otherwise we must repent of our unbelief and our unfruitfulness.  Jesus told his disciples in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”

Those words of Jesus are his expectations for his followers. We must bear fruit so the Father can be glorified. One of the fruits that we should bear is the fruit of the Spirit, ^“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (Galatians 5:22)”. Another kind of fruits is the proclamation of the Gospel and healing of the sick.

Are we bearing fruit? God is patient, and Jesus is helping us reach our full potential.  "Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it." Jesus is digging around us and fertilizing us all the time. Once we become aware of Jesus being at work in us and around us, we are ready to bear fruit.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 14 – Luke 14 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”¹⁶ Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’¹⁸ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’²² “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” (Luke 14:15-24)

There are so many signs pointing to the greatest event yet to happen to mankind, the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, still a lot of people are missing those signs. One of those signs is the increase in technological advances in the last few decades. The Bible predicted the increase of knowledge that we are seeing, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Daniel 12:4).”

We cannot make excuses, God has summoned us to his great banquet. He wants his house to be full. Not only we were invited, but we are also told to invite others. Our brothers, our sisters, our friends all are invited, and there are still room. We can increase the joy in heaven from our lowly earthly existence. Compel them to come in, never give up praying for them. God wants his children back home. All of us.

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.(Luke 15:7)

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 15 – Luke 15 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:1-7)

What the Pharisees and the teachers of the law thought was an insult, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them,” is what attracts us most to the Lord. Indeed if Jesus did not welcome sinners who would be able to be around him. If he did not eat with sinners how would we dare to come to the table of Lord, weeks after weeks, months after months, and years after years.

We are glad that he welcomes sinners and hangs out with us, and slowly but surely he is transforming us into his image as he did for all the sinners of time past, even his apostles. The stories of Luke 15 are fascinating. We all know and love the story of the lost son, because we can see ourselves in spite of failings we are being drawn back to God by his love.

When I was a young boy in elementary school I used to cry each time we read the little children story, “La Chèvre de Monsieur Seguin”, upset with Monsieur Seguin to have let the big bad wolf eat Blanquette. I understood afterwards that he deeply loved the goat but was powerless to save it. We are glad that the Lord Jesus our shepherd is not a Monsieur Seguin. He will turn mountains to save us, he even gave his life for our salvation.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 16 – Luke 16 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁰ “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ¹¹ So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? ¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

¹⁴ The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. ¹⁵ He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:10-15)
 

We need to encourage the youth of this generation to desire character more than fame. Character is what matters to God. What we do when no one is looking, when there is no one to judge us or to applaud us, is what builds us into the kind of people that God can use. Adults commitment to their family, their faithfulness to their spouses place them in position to receive true riches.

Character must be developed. A little child must be taught that the drill of making his bed first thing in the morning is an exercise in character building. A young person seriousness with his studies and the wise use of his time is an exercise in becoming the person that will change his environment.

The Lord Jesus in the parables of Luke 16 taught us that there are true riches, and there are false riches. True riches bring peace and contentment, false riches bring pain and suffering. God wants us to have true riches, he has given us multiple sign posts along our life journey. One of those sign posts is Luke 16:10b, “What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.”

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 17 – Luke 17 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹¹ Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy^[b] met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” This quote is attributed to Albert Einstein. Imagination allows us to see beyond the past to imagine a better and brighter future for us and the whole humanity.

Jesus did a lot of miracles then, and he is still doing miracles now. The miracle stories of the Bible are not stories to rush through. They are stories that we need to see in the theater of our minds. They are for us, they can be our own stories of healing and deliverance. "Jesus, Master, have pity on us! Would Jesus ever ignore such a cry for help?

We can imagine something even better than physical healing. The healing of our spirit, soul and body. An attitude of gratitude was the key to the greater blessing received by the Samaritan former leper. He returned to praise God and to say thank you to Jesus. An attitude of gratitude can also be the key for our own success and prosperity in our prayer life.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 18 – Luke 18 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

³⁵ As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”³⁸ He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”³⁹ Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”⁴⁰ Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?”“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.⁴² Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” ⁴³ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. (Luke 18:25-43)

In Luke 18, Jesus encourages his disciples to persevere in prayer. We must never give up in prayer, for we are living in the time of the impossible possible. Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God (v. 27).” He is telling us that with enough prayer we can overcome any situation. God will not keep putting us off when we cry out to him day and night!

We persevere in prayer not to force God’s hands, “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom,” we read in Luke 12:32. We persevere in prayer so that our lives may be transformed by our closeness to him. He is our Father in Heaven, so we must resemble him. As Moses’ face shone by his exposure to the glory of God (Exodus 34:29), so our lives will reflect the glory of God the more we stay in prayer.

God wants us to pray, he wants our free will to cooperate with his perfect will. Jesus asked the blind man of the history, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew what the man wanted, but as loving and respectful act he asked the man to articulate his need. We always have a choice, we are never powerless since we can pray.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 19 – Luke 19 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”^[b]“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”(Luke 19:35-40)

In the Passion Week, we find out how much Christ really loved us by going resolutely to the cross to die for our sins.  But before the cross came the adulation of the people.  The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen (v. 38). They were praising God for what he has done.

What miracles have we seen today? Miracles are all around us, can we see them? We must pray to the Lord: “Open our eyes so we may see.” When we see them we cannot help but praise God. "Mwen pa capab pe, fem chante Alleluia," a joyful song we used to sing back home . We will not let stones take our place in praising God because he has indeed sent us the king of peace, Jesus.

At the birth of Jesus the angels sang ““Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14).”. At the beginning of Passion Week, the disciples cried: “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (v. 39)” Peace in heaven and peace on earth. The war is over, the separation has ended and reconciliation has begun. God is not angry with us anymore. That is really good news.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 20 – Luke 20 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

¹⁷ Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
 has become the cornerstone’^[a]?

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

 ¹⁹ The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. (Luke 20:17-19)

Once we know Luke 20:18, we are able to sing “Anba gwo roch la, roch ki pi gwo pasem la” with more understanding and confidence. Jesus is the stone the builders rejected that has become the cornerstone. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we are placed automatically under the rock for protection and security.

I used to feel uneasy when they say “Ale di enemi yo pou mwen, le Segne cache-m anba gwo roch la.” Why tell the enemy about your hiding place? Why looking for trouble? That is no looking for trouble at all. This is a song of confidence, knowing that under that rock nothing can touch us.

We declare and confess that we are under the rock of the ages. “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” We don’t have to fight any battle, all we have to do is just stay under the rock. Jesus is the rock.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 21– Luke 21 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. ² He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ³ “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. ⁴ All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

Everybody can give, and everybody should give since generosity carries us into the abundant life. It is a difficult concept for most people, but it is true. The Word of God is straight forward about the principle of giving and receiving, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6).”

Jesus never discourages anyone from giving. It doesn’t matter how pricey the gift is as in the case of Mary with the perfume, Jesus gladly accepts her gift.  It doesn’t matter that one gives everything he has, as in the case of the widow in the story of Luke 21, Jesus would gladly receive it. Why is that so? Because Jesus knows that no one can lose what they willingly give.

We are blessed when we give, but there is an open secret in the art of giving. One needs to give with a cheerful heart in order to receive the spiritual reward of giving. That reward is a special love of God for the joyful giver: “God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).” One thing we must always remember about giving is that we cannot out give God. God gave us his best, he expects our best.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

 that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16)

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 22 – Luke 22 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²⁴ A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶ But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. ²⁷ For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ²⁸ You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:24-32)

No one can regulate love. Love must come from the disposition of the heart and from the practices of love. Jesus demonstrated over and over real and true love for his disciples until they understood it. That love is based on humility and putting the interest of our brothers and sisters first since they are children of God.

In John 13, “Jesus talks the talk and walks the walk” of humility. He washes his disciples’ feet. “⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:4-5).” 

 To complete the lesson, Jesus added, “¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (John 13:14-15).”  It is by thinking and practicing acts of humility that we will become humble citizens of the kingdom of God.

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 23 – Luke 23 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

²⁶ As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. ²⁷ A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸ Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹ For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰ Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’^{[b] 31} For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”(Luke 23:26-31)

“As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus (v. 26).”  The movie “The Passion of the Christ”, dramatizes the story of Simon who was forced to help Jesus carry his cross. At first, Simon was very reluctant to help Jesus, but after taking a few steps with Jesus, falling together with Jesus, and having Jesus looked into his eyes, his attitude changed.
 

This can also be our own paradox, we started with Jesus hesitantly but the more we get closer to Jesus the more we suffer with him, the more we love him and sacrifice for him. Jesus needed Simon in his most tying moment, the way to crucifixion. He still needs people, he needs us now very urgently. Jesus' brothers and sisters are suffering. They are hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, and oppressed. Jesus needs our help.

^“35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” (Matthew 25:35-40)

May the Lord richly bless you!

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Book of Luke Challenge – Day 24 – Luke 24 (Please click on the blue links to be directed to the Readings)

We have now completed the Books of Luke Challenge, tomorrow March 25, we will start the Book of Philippians Challenge.

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. ² They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. ⁵ In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ⁷ ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” ⁸ Then they remembered his words.” Luke 24:1-8)

On Easter Sunday, most churches are filled to capacity.  Why is that so? Because deep inside everyone knows that the Easter story, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the greatest event, the most beautiful that ever happened to mankind. Because Jesus lives, we live.  That is why we come together to celebrate.

We celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, because we find in his resurrection the hope of our own resurrection. We can live a life of optimism even during the darkest moments of our lives. We know that there will be always Easter Sunday after Good Friday. There will always be joy after our tears.

The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that light is stronger than darkness, good always overcomes evil, and that love will always triumph over hatred. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? ⁶ He is not here; he has risen! ^“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-15)”

May the Lord richly bless you!