Bible Chapter: Luke 5

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Peter, James and John received an invitation from Jesus to follow Him.  Jesus used an illustration of God’s power in their lives as fishermen to get their attention.  They left all and followed Jesus.  This thought is jumping out to me as I read, Jesus calls people to follow Him.  What does it mean to follow Him?  Does it only mean giving up your livelihood (as they did) and give full time service?  For most of us it doesn’t mean that.  It means submitting to Jesus as Lord and Savior.  We need forgiveness of sins (Savior) and we need to let Jesus take control of everything in our lives (Lord).
    We can follow Jesus as we receive Him into our hearts.  Then we study His Word and learn.  Then we put into practice what we learn and impact our world in the positive way God planned.  We become a conduit for God’s love to the world.  We grow in our personal relationship with Jesus and become more like Him.  Not all are called to be involved in vocational ministry, but all are called to follow and serve Jesus.
    Another person is called to follow Jesus in this chapter, a tax collector named Levi.  Levi held a great banquet for Jesus and invited all his friends.  We learn something important about being a follower of Jesus here.  Jesus was chastised by the religious folks for hanging around with sinners.  Jesus’ reply was that healthy folks don’t need a doctor, but the sick do.  Those still controlled by sin need the “spiritual doctor”, the Savior who can set them free.  If I am a follower of Jesus I need to be helping those in spiritual need find relief from sin.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    I need to apply what I have been writing about already.  I also need to apply verse 16, So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. NKJV.  I keep being reminded of the value and need of a strong prayer life.  I also regularly sense the battle there is to keep me from praying.  I know my prayer life always needs to be strengthened.  Life is a battle.  There is victory in doing things God’s way, and, regular time of prayer is God’s way.  Jesus spent much time praying.  The more God’s people pray, the more they accomplish for Him.  Luke 5 illustrates the power of God to heal.  As the crowds were gathering to receive healing (V. 15), Jesus was often withdrawing to pray (V. 16).

3.  How can I help someone?
    I keep being reminded that the best way I can help people is to live the genuine life of a follower of Jesus.  The more I learn of how to apply being a follower the more I can do that makes a difference.  So, this life is a continual learning process.  I have learned much, but there is always more to grasp.

Bible Chapter: Luke 4

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Temptation.  Jesus was tempted to sin at a very weak moment in His life.  The Bible says that Jesus went through all we go through without sinning.  He knows what we are facing.  Every person alive deals with temptation.  We are pulled with desires to do things to make life easier and more fun, but to do it in such a way that goes against God’s way.  We are tempted with selfish things.  Jesus was tempted to take spiritual shortcuts that seemed to be an improvement over God’s way.  To bow down to Satan rather than go to the cross seems like a great deal and would prevent much suffering.  The problem with temptation is that we don’t see the end result while we are looking at the temptation.  If Jesus had yielded to the temptation, He would have given up His control and authority and the world would be a mess.  Life under people like Hitler and Stalin would look good compared to what it would be if Satan had control of the world.  We need to keep this in mind when we are tempted.  Sin NEVER gives all it promises and ALWAYS costs more than it seems to cost.
    What was Jesus’ method for overcoming?  He quoted scriptures.  “It is written . . .”  This is why we need to be students of God’s Word, so we can use it and apply it in the real situations of life. Jesus also kept an eternal perspective on the issues of life.  He could see beyond the moment to how His decisions would impact eternity.  This will help us as well.  How will my decisions today reflect on what will last forever?

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    I can be honest about the things that come in the form of temptation.  It is common to make excuses and find ways to justify yielding to sin.  I need to always reject any of this.  I need to keep in focus the reality of a personal relationship with Jesus that comes from making Him the Lord of my life.  I can expect to live in victory over temptation because of what God accomplishes in my heart.  This doesn’t mean I can’t commit sin, but that I should expect and desire to reject temptation and live obediently to Christ.
    I also need to strive to understand the spiritual authority that I have as a believer.  Jesus amazed the people with His authority to heal and drive out demons.  He has given authority to His followers.  We must use it properly.  We must never do things selfishly or with a desire to make life better for us at the cost of disobedience to God.

3.  How can I help someone?
    People often expect that they don’t have any choice but to yield to temptation.  They make excuses.  I can help people see the gift of forgiveness and victory that God offers.  When they receive it they will have a life of victory over the destructive lifestyle they live.  This really works.

Bible Chapter: Luke 3

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Chapter three is Luke’s covering of the work of John the Baptist in his preparation to present Jesus to the world.  John was a clear preacher who told the truth, whether people liked it or not.  Just ask Herod.  He called for real changes in the lives of his hearers.  One word that sticks out to me is repent.  He said we are to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
    My picture of repentance is turning around and going the other way.  It’s not just I’m sorry that I got caught, but being sorry I did “it” and I don’t plan to do “it” again.  Fruit of repentance is evidence in my lifestyle that things are different then they were before the impact of Jesus in my life.  My lifestyle is different from the sinful world around me.  I am concerned by the observations I make in the church world today that show a real lack of repentance and separation from active participation in sin.  Instead of lifestyles that express the thought of “how close can I get to Jesus”, I see “how much can I get away with and still make it to heaven”.  That is not grasping the truth of what repentance is.  John said God’s ax is ready to hit the root of the tree that doesn’t produce good fruit.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    I need to grasp the benefits of understanding repentance and applying it in life.  God is not out to take away all my fun.  He knows the difference between real fun and the pleasures of sin for a season.  Sinful things can be fun, but there is always an eventual payday.  Sin costs something sometime down the line.  It is always more than we are willing to pay.  I remember checking in to a motel one time and there was confusion regarding the cost.  The manager said, “Just check in and we will get this settled”.  I refused, lest the price turn out to be something I couldn’t afford to pay.  The tempter is always saying, “Just go ahead and have your fun and we’ll worry about the details later”.  I must refuse if there is any question regarding the rightness of an action, lest the cost show up later and be something I can’t afford to pay.
    Jesus already paid for our sins.  When we receive forgiveness the debt is paid.  I must not incur more debt to sin.  I’m reminded of Romans 6 that says we are dead to sin.  Repentance includes turning from sin.

3.  How can I help someone?
    When I am talking with a person about Jesus, I need to help them grasp the principle of repentance.  Many are willing to say “I’m sorry”, but they want to continue doing what they have always done.  Repentance deals with the issue of Lordship.  Who is the Lord of my life?  Jesus laid claim to that title on the cross.  It’s not just some kind of confession, but repentance that makes the difference.

Bible Chapter: Luke 2

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Twelve years.  That is what is covered in Luke 2.  It starts with the traditional Christmas story, telling the travels of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.  All of the familiar and beloved details fill the early parts of this chapter.  Millions of people have memorized portions of Luke 2.  It ends with a visit by Jesus and His parents to the Temple.
    I want to give emphasis to two other parts of this chapter.  Verse 25 talks about a Godly man named Simeon.  On the eighth day after His birth, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple.  There Simon rejoiced to see Jesus.  Simeon is described as righteous and devout.  I trust that all followers of Jesus desire to make this part of the description of their lives.  He was faithful and sought God in his life.  His heart and actions showed a real relationship with God.  We are not called to simply go through a religious routine, but to live in devotion to and applying God’s truth to daily life.
    One other part of this chapter I want to mention is what Jesus said in verse 49.  He had to be about His Father’s business.  I will spend my life involved in something.  Is it something that will last?  Is it something that is frivolous and worthless?  Does God get the glory?  Does it impact and benefit other people?  Even at age twelve, Jesus was grasping the importance of doing what His heavenly Father wanted Him to do.  God has a plan for each one of us.  We need to study the Bible to learn the basics and also seek God for His specific direction in our lives.  Then we must be busy actually doing our Father’s business, not just talking about it.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    The end of this chapter describes Jesus as growing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.  He was maturing and developing as a person.  He was learning and grasping how to apply what was important in life.  He was growing in understanding and relationship with God.  He was learning how to get along with people.  He was developing as a person that could accomplish the plan of God for His life.
    I must always strive to do the same.  I am never too old to do that.  Whatever age a person may be they must continue to learn and grow.  We must all learn to get along with people and reflect the nature of God through our lives.  This principle says that Jesus learned God’s revealed word and plan for life and applied it.

3.  How can I help someone?
    The more I can be a mature and Christlike person, the more I will help people.  The more I live in a way that pleases God, the more I will help those around me.  The most helpful people are those who learn Biblical truths and apply them in daily life.  So, this means I must continue to study the Bible.

Bible Book: Luke

Because the Bible is practical, here is an overview of the book.

Author: Luke

Type of Book: Gospel

Theme: Jesus: the Divine-Human Savior

Date of Writing: A.D. 60-63

Background
Luke’s Gospel (i.e., his account of the “good news” and true story of Jesus Christ) is the first of two books (the other is the book of Acts) addressed to a man named Theophilus (1:3; Ac 1:1). The use of the title “most excellent” could mean that Theophilus was a Roman official or at least a person of high status or wealth. He may have been Luke’s sponsor, financial supporter or the one responsible for seeing that the writings were copied and distributed. However, the book was also meant to instruct Theophilus personally. Although the author is not identified by name in either book (Luke or Acts), the united testimony of early Christianity and the fact that the writing style and structure are basically the same point to common authorship by Luke.
Luke was probably a Gentile (i.e., not a Jew) who had become a follower of Christ. He is the only non-Jewish author of a Bible book. The Holy Spirit inspired him to write to Theophilus (whose name means “one who loves God”) in order to fill a need in the Gentile church for a full and accurate account of the beginnings of Christianity. To accomplish this purpose, Luke’s writings included two parts: (1) The Gospel of Luke gives an account of Jesus’ birth, life and ministry, death, resurrection and ascension. (2) The book of Acts gives an account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (i.e., God sending his Spirit to collectively empower Christians in the early church) at Jerusalem and the events that followed involving the apostles (i.e., the pioneer leaders of the early churches). These two books contain more than one-fourth of the writings of the NT.
From Paul’s letters to churches (i.e., several of the NT “books”), we learn that Luke was a “dear friend... the doctor” (Col 4:14) and a loyal co-worker with Paul (2Ti 4:11; Phm 1:24; also notice the use of the pronoun “we” throughout Acts, meaning that the author was with Paul when the events took place; see the introduction to Acts). From Luke’s own writings, we know he was a well-educated man, a skilled writer, a careful historian and an inspired theologian (i.e., one who studied about God and God’s relationship to humanity). When he wrote his Gospel, it would appear that the church outside of the Jewish community had no complete, published or widely circulated message about Jesus. Matthew wrote his Gospel initially for the Jews, and Mark wrote a much shorter but full version of the Gospel for the church in Rome. The Greek-speaking Gentile world did have oral accounts about Jesus from eyewitnesses, as well as short written digests (i.e., summary versions), but no complete and orderly Gospel (see 1:1-4). For that reason, Luke set out to investigate everything carefully “from the beginning” (1:3). He probably did research in Palestine while Paul was in prison at Caesarea (Ac 21:17; 23:23-26:32) and likely completed his Gospel toward the end of that time or soon after arriving in Rome with Paul (Ac 28:16).

Purpose
Luke wrote this Gospel to the Gentiles (i.e., people who are not Jewish) to provide a full and accurate record “about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven” (Ac 1:1b-2a). Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Luke wanted Theophilus and other Gentiles who had accepted Christ—or were curious about his message—to know the exact truth about the testimonies and instruction they had heard (1:3-4). The fact that Luke wrote for Gentiles is apparent throughout the Gospel. For example, he traces Jesus’ human genealogy (i.e., ancestry, family history) all the way back to Adam, the first man (3:23-38), and not just to Abraham as Matthew did (cf. Mt 1:1-17). In Luke, Jesus is clearly seen as the divine-human (both God and man) Savior who provided a way of spiritual salvation for all of Adam’s descendants—the entire human race.

Survey
Luke’s Gospel begins with the most complete account of events surrounding the births of John the Baptist (whose preaching prepared the way for Christ, 1:5-2:40) and Jesus. Luke also provides the only glimpse in the Gospels of Jesus’ boyhood (2:41-52). After describing John the Baptist’s ministry and giving Jesus’ family history, Luke divides Jesus’ ministry into three major sections: (1) his ministry in and around Galilee (4:14-9:50), (2) his ministry during the final journey to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27) and (3) his last week in Jerusalem (19:28-24:43).
While Jesus’ miracles are often highlighted in Luke’s record of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, the main focus in this Gospel is on Jesus’ teaching and parables during his extended ministry on the way to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27). This section contains the greatest block of material unique to the book of Luke and includes many well-known stories and parables. The book’s pivotal verse (i.e., the turning point when Jesus sets out for the last time toward Jerusalem, 9:51) and the key verse (stating Jesus’ primary purpose in coming to earth, 19:10) occur at the beginning and toward the end of this section, which describes many things found only in Luke.

Special Features
Eight major elements characterize Luke’s Gospel. (1) It is the most comprehensive, or complete, Gospel, recording events in Jesus’ life from pre-birth to his ascension back to heaven, making it the longest NT book. (2) It is the most literate of the Gospels, revealing a unique style and content, a rich vocabulary and an excellent mastery of the Greek language. (3) It stresses the universal scope of the gospel-that Jesus came to bring salvation for all people, Jews and Gentiles alike. (4) It stresses Jesus’ concern for the underprivileged, including women, children, poor people and social outcasts. (5) It stresses Jesus’ prayer life and his teaching about prayer (see article on Effective Praying). (6) The title most often used to describe Jesus in this Gospel is “Son of Man,” which emphasizes his humanity as well as his divinity (i.e., that he is God). (7) It provides a record of the joyful response and attitude of those who accept Jesus and his message. (8) It stresses the great importance of the Holy Spirit’s role in the life of Jesus and his followers (e.g., 1:15, 41, 67; 2:25-27; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; 12:12; 24:49; see article on Jesus and the Holy Spirit).   

Giving credit where credit is due.  These informational notes about this book come from the Full Life Study Bible, also known as the Fire Bible.  Don Stamps, editor.  Originally published by Life Publishers.

Bible Chapter: Luke 1

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Luke was a careful historian who wrote this account of the life and ministry of Jesus for the Gentile believers in the early church.  It is the longest book in the New Testament.  Combined with the other book Luke wrote, Acts, his writings comprise more than one quarter of the New Testament.
    God knows what He is doing.  The first story in Luke is about the foretelling and birth of John the Baptist.  His parents were old and childless.  The Angel Gabriel came to Zechariah to tell him he would have a son who would be the one to point the world to the Messiah.  Everything happened exactly as God said it would in spite of their doubt and skepticism.
    One of the things prophesied about John was that he would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children.  The very first entity God established after creation was the family.  The first man and woman created came together as husband and wife and they had a family.  God’s plan for an orderly society is a strong family.  Part of John’s mission was to point out the sin of fathers who had failed to love their children and point them to God.  A strong relationship between a father and his children is one of the keys to living and living life for God.  Strong Christlike fathering today would solve many of our culture’s  problems.
    We see another major part of God’s plan in this chapter as Gabriel went to Nazareth to tell Mary that she would have a son.  Her response might surprise the modern world when she couldn’t figure out how she could have a son when she wasn’t married.  Mary and Joseph were pledged to be married, but the wedding hadn’t taken place yet.  They were being obedient to God’s plan and remaining virgins till the wedding.  It was because of their Godliness that God could use them.  Mary could be the earthly mother of Jesus because she was still a virgin.  God can use anyone who is willing to be used.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    God knows what He is doing.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote that God knows the plans He has for each one.  Zechariah and Elizabeth had John according to God’s plan.  Yes, they were old and well beyond the years when they could have children.  That was no problem for God.  Mary was a virgin, but God was not perplexed as to how she could give birth to the Savior.  Both John and Jesus were born after God’s intervention.
    Since God knows what He is doing, He will work in my life and accomplish His goals when I let Him.  Part of Zechariah’s song at the birth of Jesus says: “To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.”  Luke 1:74-75 NKJV  We can serve Him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives.  There is deliverance in God’s hand.  I need to continue to trust Him.

3.  How can I help someone?
    I can help people see that God has a plan for individual lives.  In talking with people over the years it seems that many don’t comprehend the truth that God really has a plan for them.  I remember talking with a Christian man one time.  He expressed the thought that it would be amazing to know that he really was following God’s plan for his life.  The concept seemed foreign to him.  It is sad to live life just rambling along and not having any sense of God’s direction.  People can seek and find God’s plan for life.

Bible Chapter: Mark 16

Because the Bible is practical, here are some statements to get you thinking.

1.  Write one or two key thoughts that come from today’s reading.
    Those who believe in Jesus have an amazing hope because of the resurrection of Jesus.  When the Sabbath was over some of the women came to the tomb to anoint His body.  There they were surprised to find the tomb empty.  It was there they received the message that changed the world - He is not here, He is risen.  And then, there is an amazing addition to the message.  They were instructed to go tell the disciples. And, -- Peter. It is very significant that there was a special message for Peter.  I’m sure he was suffering due to his failure and Jesus wanted to be sure that he got the message of the resurrection.  Peter, it’s ok, you are going to do great things for God.
    I’m reminded of an old song we used to sing, “It’s just like Jesus to roll the clouds away, It’s just like Jesus to keep me day by day, It’s just like Jesus all along the way, It’s just like His great love.”  Kindness, compassion, caring and so many other things are just like Jesus.  And, it is just like Jesus to care for Peter to help him through this terrible time.
    The fact of the resurrection has been historically proven.  Experts who study these things have shown ample evidence that Jesus really did rise from the grave.  One of the proofs that has spoken to me is the fact that, after they saw Him, the disciples were ready to die for Him.  No one is willing to die for a hoax.  Those who saw Jesus alive, then they saw Him crucified and then they saw Him alive again; they were willing to give all for Him.  Everything about Jesus is supernatural.  Since Jesus never changes the supernatural is still alive and well today.  I need to expect miraculous intervention in life.

2.  What can I apply in my life from the reading?
    I must keep eternal hope growing in my heart.  When difficult times come, as the believers were facing when Jesus was crucified, it is important to keep my focus on the miraculous power of Jesus.  I must always apply the power and truths of the Bible in life.  There is nothing else sufficient to carry me through. That’s all, but that’s enough.

3.  How can I help someone?
    Jesus is alive.  He is here for you.  He is sufficient for anything you deal with.  That’s enough.