October 20–Luke 18-19

“Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night. . .However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”(18:7-8).

I must remember. God expects me to CONTINUE in prayer. It is a duty I must carry way past the level of my own comfort. A generation ago we called it importunate prayer. Unceasing. Persevering. Prayer that never gives up, even to the point of becoming an annoyance.

None of us wants to be a “bother”. Especially not to God. Scripture, however, urges something different. “Please bother Me!” commands the Most High. Ask! Stay on your knees! Pray without ceasing.

The Jesus story makes this lesson clear. A woman refuses to give up her pursuit for justice (legal). Her persistence pays off. In the same way the judge responded to her request, the Father WILL bring justice for His elect who call out to Him day and night. Note the implied sense of patience and perseverance in the words, “day and night.” The Father hears us when we pray, but REAL prayer is a COSTLY enterprise, proven in persistence. We must ASK, risk the fear of failure and make our requests known to God. With undiscouraged resilience we must also KEEP ASKING.

“Will the Lord find faith (such as this woman had) when He returns?” Jesus wondered aloud. Will He find saints in prayer meetings and private closets, making use of their great privilege, calling out for His great justice and peace to come? Not selfish prayers. Prayers for justice. Prayers for the world to be restored.

Will you take a moment and reflect on what you ASKED God this morning in your quiet time? Did you ask for something great, or did you just worry in His presence? Did you cry out for Christ to return in power? With undiscouraged confidence, will you cry out again tomorrow and the next day, until He comes?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

October 19–Luke 16-17

“And the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly”(16:8).

Strange story. Challenging. At first reading, it almost seems that Jesus is approving the actions of an unethical manager. Does our Lord commend dishonesty? No. Does He teach intelligent action? Yes!

In this brilliant story, our Lord urges us to use our heads. He gives us permission to think and to act, to not be paralyzed when life becomes difficult. Intelligent, resilient courage. Jesus calls it “being shrewd”(phronimos, “prudence, wisdom, use of the mind.” The root is phren, “mind”).

Early in my years as a follower, a friend taught me a process for making decisions. 1) Think hard–consider all possibilities, logically, honestly, practically. 2) Pray hard–in full surrender of will, submit all choices to the Lord in prayer. Be still. Wait. 3) Make a decision and act–take steps and trust the Lord to bless. Over the years, I have used this counsel with great benefit.

The enemy works to convince believers that the use of our minds is contrary to faith. Not true! God made us to be flesh and Spirit, natural AND supernatural. We are to be citizens of both worlds, living in the dynamic tension between them. The Spirit is superior to logic, but no substitute for it. When it is time to wait, action is a mistake. When it is time to act, further waiting is unbelief. As we seek Him, the Spirit helps us know which wisdom to use in each situation.

Looking at your life and circumstances, what is the wisest way forward? What actions should you take? Wise as serpents AND gentle as doves (Matthew 10:16). Not timid (2 Timothy 1:7). Our Lord calls us to be SHREWD.

“Make a new plan, Stan. You don’t need to be coy, Roy. Drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free”(Paul Simon).

“If you are not willing to move your feet, don’t go asking God for help” (Germany Kent).

“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).

October 18–Luke 14-15

“You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous”(14:14).

Salvation is a gift. No question. The necessary power for a restored relationship with God flows from His infinite strength to helpless men. The credit is HIS alone.

Even so, we are not a passive participants. God created us for good works. “Faith that works,” says James 2:18. By His Spirit, God restores us for disciplined participation in His world. In union with Him, we will make imprints in the material, emotional, social world. In a display of infinite grace, our Father rewards us for this labor!

In Luke 14, Jesus motivates the Pharisees with this potential. Carrot. Incentive. Not unspiritual think this way. Ministry from merciful hearts will be REPAID. Just as sin has wages, so does obedience and service. Paul reasons similarly in Philippians 3. “I press forward for the goal of the PRIZE.” Double mercy. God makes righteousness possible and then rewards us for doing it.

Specifically, Jesus urged the Pharisees to offer ministry to the poor. Help for those who cannot help in return. God notices mercy. He repays His people for acts of generosity.

A focus on the coming resurrection is a great blessing to the believer. “The great gittin’ up morning,” the early American hymn writers called it. The resurrection will be a day of celebration and recognition for the faithful! A day when wise use of talents will be publicly honored! In Philippians 3, Paul expresses his hope, “that I may attain to the resurrection of the dead”. It was his goal. It should be ours, too.

Friend, how much of your life is a conscious and courageous investment in the day that is coming? Does your confidence in a coming day inspire you to action and service?

“In the future, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing”(2 Timothy 4:7-8).

“The twenty-four elders will fall down before Him. . .and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God to receive glory and honor and power”(Revelation 4:10-11).

October 17–Luke 12-13

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known”(12:1-2).

It is a description more than an insult. Hypocrite translates two Greek words. Hupo meant “under”. Krites meant “to judge or decide”. A hypocrite, therefore, is a person whose decisions and life-directions come from under a mask. The true person and motives are hidden. The hypocrite is a pretender. Surface rather than substance. Self-deceived, often.

When Jesus saw this tendency in the Pharisees, He warned His disciples (us) of the danger. An easy mistake, hypocrisy teaches us to concentrate on appearance, on outward compliance. If others approve of me, I must be fine, right? See the sad story of the rich, young ruler in Mark 10. He never faced the deeper truth of his own sinful heart. No mourning. No contrition. No crisis of true faith. As he had been taught to do, he “cleaned the outside of the cup” (see Matthew 23:25), but never faced the true disorder in his heart.

God’s wisdom calls us to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7). Commands us to stand regularly in the healing light of God’s revelation of Himself and His Law. Painful path. Life-giving! See 2 Corinthians 7:10 and Psalm 51. “Truth hurts,” says the world. “Truth heals,” says the Lord.

Jesus’ argument for this honest approach to life is that EVENTUALLY NOTHING WILL BE HIDDEN. At the end of life and time, everything will be out in the open! No secrets. If all things will be ultimately revealed, what possible benefit is there in pretending now?

Friend, do you hear the Lord inviting you to drop the mask? To confess sin and find true acceptance in Him? Hypocrisy does not heal the soul. Christ does, and honest repentance/faith is the path to Him.

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced” (James Baldwin).

” ‘Come, let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow’ “(Isaiah 1:18).

“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin”(1 John 1:7).

October 16–Luke 10-11

“Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come”(10:1).

His greatest mercy! Our highest privilege! Following the Savior, our lives gradually take on a Christ-like shape. We are conformed to His image. We share the life and purpose and character of our Master.

We become VOCAL like Him. Only the twelve at first (see Luke 9:1-2), soon Jesus appointed seventy and sent them out in pairs. Bold advocates and witnesses. Unashamed. Friend, as you follow Christ are you becoming more vocal? Do you increasingly perceive your assignment to TELL a life-giving truth? You shall be my witnesses. . .

We become QUIET like Him. The balancing truth of Christian activism is Christian rest and reflection. See 9:10. Like a pendulum, we move toward the world in active engagement and then retreat from the world to hear from the Lord. Both. Always both. In 10:41 the Lord commended Mary for understanding this truth. Friend, are you regularly quiet before the Lord? Receptive and attentive, patient to pursue His will, soft to the direction of His word? Be still and know. . .

WE become PRAYERFUL like Him. By this point, the disciples are fascinated with the prayer life of Jesus. See 11:1-13. Prayer was the source of our Lord’s power and effectiveness. Note carefully the six things that Jesus teaches them to say daily as a structured guide for a new life of prayer. 1) Father. 2) Your name be hallowed. 3) Your kingdom come. 4) Provide (our needs). 5) Forgive (our sins). 6) Lead us (in the ever-present battle with the enemy).

Friend, is the Lord daily making you more vocal, more reflective, more prayerful? His goal is for you to be like Him.

“Lord help me be a little more like mercy, a little more like grace; a little more like kindness, goodness, love and faith; a little more like patience, a little more like peace; a little more like Jesus,a little less like me” (Zach Williams).

“After a pupil has been fully trained, he will be like his teacher”(Luke 6:40).

October 15–Luke 8-9

“The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to maturity”(8:14).

Fruit is God’s goal. I must never forget or get distracted. He intends my life to be productive. I was made for a purpose. God’s grace doesn’t change this expectation, just makes it possible. See Matthew 3:8 and the preaching of John the Baptist.

The Bible says that we will be judged by our deeds. See 2 Corinthians 5:10. Genuine faith is to be expressed in obedient effort. See James 2:18. God-given talents are to be employed in intelligent, intentional, productive service. See Matthew 25:14-30. The material world is to bear Spiritual fruit.

In the parable of Jesus, four soils receive the seed (God’s word. His commands. His decisions. His guidance.) Only one of the soils welcomes the seed in a way that ultimately produces fruit.

The third soil is particularly troubling. A healthy and promising start, then worries and riches and pleasure crowd in. The seed is CHOKED by things that distract and dilute. Not bad things, just things other than God’s high purpose. Schedules and social obligations, politics and pleasures, suck the oxygen, spend the energy. No harvest ever comes.

Friend, is His passion your passion? As a child of the King, are you active in and committed to your Father’s business? Have you embraced His purpose for your life? Will you?

“Don’t focus on being successful. Focus on being useful” (Peter Drucker).

“And do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”(Matthew 3:9-19).

October 14–Luke 6-7

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied”(6:20-21).

They called it “reality TV”. First aired in 1992, The Real World was a much-copied, category-shattering experiment for MTV.

We will borrow the title, because it aptly captures the words of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount. The real world, says Jesus, is invisible (now) but soon coming.

With clarity and courage, Jesus taught the reality and value of an invisible world. He described the kingdom of God, present now but coming eventually in future glory. A world of order and peace, all things in right relationship to a good and glorious Creator. Someday the things that now hide God’s presence and beauty from our eyes will be stripped away. “Earth and Heaven will be one,” says the old hymn.

Jesus was (is) a future thinker. The certainty of the coming world determined His actions and decisions. He taught us to shape our lives in the same way.

In the real world, poor people are blessed. See James 1:9 for another expression of this same idea. Jesus is not advocating poverty. He is, without any apology, saying that poor people are rich if they are participants in the coming kingdom. Money is temporary. Eternal life is durable.

In the real world, hungry people are blessed. Needs will be satisfied when the kingdom comes. Note, please, Jesus’ frequent use of the future tense. You shall be satisfied. You shall laugh. Your reward will be great. True success must be measured against the permanent outcome. Believers are blessed now, even in moments of intense suffering, because, in Christ, all things lead to a great end.

For our Lord, the highest value is the coming age and our preparation for it. Christ does not deny the importance of the present world. He does, however, compare the permanence of the world to come to the temporariness of the present one.

For Jesus, the coming world is the REAL one. It is the one that deserves our greatest attention and confidence.

“The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof” (Barbara Kingsolver).

“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever”(1 John 2:17).

“Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:23).

October 13–Luke 4-5

“New wine must be put into fresh wineskins”(5:38).

Jesus often used metaphors. The insightful comparisons of our Savior are very helpful for those who would walk in Him.

“New wine” is a metaphor for the gifts of God. His sweet blessings and provision. “Wineskins” is a metaphor for human response. Our efforts to receive, contain, use, enjoy God’s generosity.

Jesus is the NEW wine, God’s greatest gift! “Behold, I do a new thing,” says the Lord in Isaiah 43. Christ and all that comes from our union with Him is greater than anything we imagined! Forgiveness. Freedom from shame. Power over forces of darkness. The Holy Spirit’s real presence. Belonging. The privilege of prayer. In His Son, the Father has poured out unspeakably sweet, new wine for us! Delicious. Joyful!

It makes no sense that our response to such newness would be the old rules, the old wine skins. Whether Jewish tradition or old patterns of thinking, ALL patterns of life and thought should be renewed and redeemed as the Spirit carries us forward into God’s new chapter. Shouldn’t we change, dear ones? Gradually, courageously, joyfully? His mercies are new every morning, shouldn’t our affections and patterns be new as well?

Humans are habitual creatures. I can (do) get stuck in a rut. As powerful as the past may be, new wine requires a fresh and congruent response. Are you repenting dear one? (metanoia, to think again, to reconsider.) Will you?

Change is not only God’s demand, it is another of His great gifts! It is our privilege at the beginning of faith, but also in each stage of progressive sanctification. Are you eager and open to growth in Christ? Is your life a fresh wineskin?

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced” (James Baldwin).

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

October 12–Luke 2-3

“And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased’ “(2:13-14).

Angels. Messengers from a parallel and connected world. Powerful servants of God. They play an essential role in the stories of Scripture. Near us. Often unseen. Who knows how regularly we encounter unaware these ministering spirits?

In Genesis, angels with flaming swords are posted to guard the way to the tree of life (3:24). In Exodus, angels guide the people through the wilderness (23:20). In 2 Kings they form an invisible army of protection around Elisha (6:17).

No surprise, then, that angels are present and active at the birth of the Savior. The angel, Gabriel, announces the birth of John to Zacharias (1:11). Six months later, he comes to tell Mary of the coming birth of Jesus (1:26). In the fields of Bethlehem, on the night of the Savior’s birth, an angel declares the news to shepherds and is joined by a heavenly army praising God.

“Glory to God,” they shout. Great enthusiasm! With pure souls, these powerful beings shout the goodness and worth of the Creator. Their only focus is His goodness. May we be like them!

“Peace on earth to men with whom He is pleased.” Some caution is necessary here. Christmas hymns often use these words to declare a universal good will (general approval) of God toward all men. Scripture denies this idea. The peace offered by angels comes to those reconciled to God through faith in Christ. These, and these only, are men “with whom He is pleased,” to whom He offers the gift of peace.

After a time, the angels, “go away.” But, not really. The chapters of church history give testimony to their continued presence and participation. Angels stand near Christ in His temptation. In Acts 12, an angel opens the prison door for Peter. Scripture predicts angels will be sent to the earth to gather God’s people before the end the age. Friend, do you realize that you live in a vast and supernatural world? Do you find courage and assurance knowing that you are surrounded by angels?

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it”(Hebrews 13:2).

“While I was speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness. . . He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, ‘O Daniel. . .at the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed’ ” (Daniel 9:21-23).

October 11-Luke 1

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. . .And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word’ “(1:35, 38).

Mary is an inspiration. Our hearts should be like hers.

She received the word of God. Without resistance or hesitation, she surrendered her life to God’s path. Twice in this reading, Mary calls herself a “bond-slave”. See also Paul in Romans 1:1. Redeemed people do not press their wills against the plan of God. We are soft clay.

Without pride or fear, Mary allowed her life to be pulled into the wake and work and victory of the Christ. She accepted life on God’s terms. She was humble.

Her cousin Elizabeth called Mary’s unborn Son, “My Lord,” (v. 43). She supernaturally knew His identity. She also understood what had been required of Mary in order to be participant in this eternal moment. “Blessed is she who has believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord”(v. 45, italics mine). Mary believed. It saved her. It allowed her to serve.

It is a mistake, I am convinced, to pray to Mary, to regard her as having a share in the work of redemption. It is NOT a mistake, however, to respect this courageous young woman, nor to learn the lessons of her godly life. Despite the biological impossibility of a virgin birth and the sociological improbablity of the Messiah being born to humble Galilean girl, she surrendered her will to God. She believed and became central in an eternal story. What human ever had a more significance?

Moderns often have strong egos. We have been trained to trust in self-effort, to make our own choices. Mary believed something entirely different. She believed God was (is) good and wise, that nothing was (is) impossible for Him, and that the way forward for her (for everyone) was to unite with God through faith. She exalted God, not self. See v. 46. Doing so, she became an example to us all.

Friend, is your heart open and soft and courageous to the purposes of God? Is God great in your eyes? Do you have humble faith?

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).

“Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God, and allows Him as God to do all” (Andrew Murray).