The Future in His Control

Prepare: What is your hope for the future?
Read: Luke 21:5-19

The day of the Lord was one of the basic conceptions of religious thought in the time of Jesus. Josephus, the historian says that an incredible number of 1,100,000 people perished in the seige of A.D. 70 and 97,000 were carried away into captivity. The Jewish nation was obliterated; and the Temple was burnt and became a desolation.

Living stones: Two events are discussed in these verses the destruction of the temple and the end of this world age.The temple at Shiloh and Solomon's temple had been destroyed, earlier and now the Lord says that this  magnificent temple would also be destroyed. Praise God that He is building His church with living stones which will never be destroyed! We certainly admire the architecture of cathedrals built to the glory of God in our cities. It was so sad when a year ago the cathedral in Christ Church, New Zealand was razed to the ground by an earthquake; but such events remind us to look beyond material things to the eternal.

Symptoms of our age: The symptoms described are characteristic of every age of the Church. In the early Church there were counterfeit Messiahs (Acts 5:33-37) and from that time to the present, every century has seen international conflicts, earthquakes, famines and persecution.

Anxious about the future? : It is natural to be alarmed when we read of persecution in our country and other parts of the world; but what does Jesus say? 'Do not be frightened', 'You will be a witness', 'Don't worry', 'Stand firm and gain life!'.

Respond: Pray that believers who are suffering persecution or conflict will stand firm and know that our sovereign Lord is in control.

Living The Fantasy

Prepare: In asking tricky questions, they hoped he would say something wrong; but His answers only exposed their folly and increased their guilty.
Read: Luke 20:19-40

The leaders even failed to escape present responsibility. They were fighting a losing battle and would not surrender. Everyone from 14-65 had to pay tribute simply for the privilege of existing. This tribute was a burning question in Palestine, and had been the cause of more than one rebellion.

There should be no better and no more conscientious citizens of any state than Christians; and one of the tragedies of modern life is that Christians will not take their part in the government of the state. If they abandon their responsibilities and leave materialistic politicians to govern the country, they cannot complain about what is  happening. Nonetheless it remains true that in the life of the Christian, God has the last word and not the state.

Sadducees and Pharisees are often mentioned together, but in beliefs they were poles apart. Pharisees were entirely a religious body. The priests and the aristocrats were nearly all Sadducees. They were the governing class; and were with Rome. The Pharisees accepted the scriptures and the resurrection of the dead, whereas the Sadduceees accepted only the written law of the Old Testament and said there is no resurrection. Life after death will be quite different, because we will be quite different, because we will be quite different. It would save a mass of misdirected imagination, if we ceased to speculate on what heaven is like and left things to the love of God.

Respond: The voice of conscience is louder than the voice of any man made laws. 

Retribution

Prepare: Truth is incontrovertible. Panic may resent it; ignorance may deride it.; malice may distort it; but there it is - Sir Winston Churchill
Read: Like 20:1-18

A man may find it difficult to face the truth; but to refuse to face it may land him in trouble, out of which there is no escape. The emissaries of the Pharisees refused to face the truth, and they had to withdraw, frustrated and discredited with the crowd. In spite of their evasive and hypocritical reply, the leaders could not escape the past. They had rejected the ministry of John the Baptist, and that led to their refusal to trust Jesus Christ. You may forget your wrong decisions, but they will return to haunt you. When you turn to God in repentance, God will forgive you and give you peace of mind.

Sin consists in the failure to give God His proper place in one's life and in usurping the power which should be His. Sooner or later a man is called upon to give an account of that which was committed to his charge. The tenants in the parable thought they could have their own way but finally met their doom.

This parable tells us of the patience of God. He gave them a number of chances to do the right thing. However much a man may seem to get away with his unbalanced behaviour, the day of reconing comes. They would reject the Son and the Stone, and that would bring about their ruin. Christ either saves you or judges you; there is no middle ground/

Respond: Beyond the power of wicked man stands the un-defeatable majesty of God. 

Living in God's Presence

Prepare: Are you living in the presence of God and enjoying His blessings?
Read: Psalm 36:1-12

Man's wickedness: David has seen a good deal of life and knew what human nature was like. He knew his own heart as well! But in this psalm, he shared a special oracle that God gave him. The sinner flatters himself and plots against the godly. His words and his works are evil, continually.

God's faithfulness: What a vivid contrast to the unfaithfulness of the sinner! God can be trusted always to do what is right, and the safest place in the world is under His shadow in the Holy of Holies.

The believer's blessedness: God satisfies His people with the water of life and the light of life. He protects them from the enemy and provides for their every need. The word "pleasures" in verse 8 is Eden in Hebrew. Verse 12 refers to the place of pride of verse 11 in which the wicked fall and will not rise again. It was pride that caused Lucifer to fall (Ezek. 28:11-17). Pride is one of the chief causes of men being lost (v.12; Pr.16:18, 1 Jn.2:16).

God's loving kindness addresses your human weaknesses. You have the promise of His care. He protects, satisfies and guides. Is your life holy and acceptable before Him? As a believer, never settle for what the world has to offer. Are you living in the wickedness of sinners or in the blessedness of believers?

Respond: Remember, His mercy is always available to you.

Christ's Triumph

Prepare: What a tragedy that the Jewish nation did not know their own King when He came to them!
Read: Luke 19:28-48

We have to note certain things about this entry into Jerusalem.

It was carefully planned. He had His arrangement with the owners of the colt. "The Lord needs it" was a password chosen long ago. It was also an act of glorious defiance, and of superlative courage. By this time there was a price on Jesus' head. It is amazing to think of a man with a price upon His head, an outlaw, deliberately riding into a city in such a way that every eye was fixed upon Him.

It was a deliberate claim to be king, a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9. The ass in Palestine was not a lowly beast as in our country, but a noble beast. Only in war did kings ride upon a horse; when they came in peace, they came upon an ass. Our Lord wept, for He saw the terrible judgement that was coming to the city and the people.

The tragedy was that if only they had abandoned their dreams of political power and had taken the way of Christ, it need never have happened. The tears of Jesus are the tears of God when He sees the needless pain and suffering in which men involve themselves through their foolish rebellion against His will. Jesus cleansed the temple with such violence because the House of God was being used to exploit the worshiper.

Respond: Jesus left us an example that we should never be ashamed to show whose we are and whom we serve.

Trust, Test, Reward

Prepare: There is no such thing as standing still in the Christian life.
Read: Like 19: 11-27

This parable is quite unique, because it is the only parable part of which is based on an actual historical event. When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., he left his kingdom divided between Herod Antipas, Herod Philip and Archelaus. Archelaus became ruler of Judea thought the Jews did not wish to have him as king. The parable tells us about certain great facts of the Christian life.

It tells us of the king's trust. He gave his servants money and then he went away and left them to use it as they thought best. That is how God trusts us also.

It tells us of the king's test - whether or not a man was faithful and reliable in little things. Had Jesus not discharged with absolute fidelity the tasks of the carpenter's shop in Nazareth, God could never have given Him the supreme task of being the Saviour of the world.

It tells us the king's reward, which they could not enjoy by sitting down and doing nothing. The reward of work done was more work to do. The great reward of God to the man who has passed the test is more trust.

Finally it concludes with one of the inexorable laws of life- either get more to lose what you have. If we give up the battle and take the easy way, even the resistance power we once possessed will be lost and we will slip back from even the little height to which we had attained.

Respond: The best thing about God is that He trusts us to do so much by ourselves.  

Putting the Right Foot Forward

Prepare: A testimony is utterly worthless unless it is backed by deeds which prove its sincerity.
Read: Luke 19:1-10

Dr. Boreham has a terrible story. There was a meeting in progress at which several women were giving their testimony. One woman kept grimly silent. She was asked to testify and she refused. She was asked why and she answered, "Four of these women who have just given their testimony owe me money, and my family and I are half-starved because we cannot buy food."

Zacchaeus was a man who had reached the top of his profession and was also the most hated man in the district. He was wealthy but not happy. Despised and hated by men, this tax collector was reaching for the love of God. He was determined to see Jesus, and would let nothing stop him. So he ran on ahead and climbed a fig-mulberry tree. And Jesus saw him and said that He would visit his home. That visit changed Zacchaeus completely.

 In his restitution he went far beyond what was legally necessary. Only for robbery and a destructive act was fourfold restitution necessary. (Exodus 22:4,7., Leviticus 6:5, Numbers 5:7). He was determined to do far more than the law demanded. His deeds showed that he was a changed man. It is not a mere change of words which Jesus Christ demands, but also a change of lifestyle.

Respond: A man is lost when he wanders away from God; and he is found when once again he takes his rightful place as an obedient child in the household and family of His father. 

Hit Strategy

Prepare: Without a cross there can never be a crown.
Read: Luke 18:31-43

Two children were walking along a road playing a game. One said to the other, "when you're walking along the road, do you ever pretend that there is something terrible just around the next corner waiting for you; and you've got to go and face it?" Many a man is capable of heroic action on the spur of the moment; a man shows supreme courage to go on to face something which haunts him for days ahead, and which by turning back, he could escape.

Jesus never spoke of the Cross without referring also to the Resurrection. He knew that shame lay before Him, but He was equally certain that glory also lay before Him. It was in the certainty of ultimate victory that He faced the apparent defeat of the Cross.

The blind man refused to be silent and restrained. The word used for the shouts of the blind man is quite different in verse 39 from 38. In verse 38 the word describes an ordinary loud shout to attract attention. In verse 39, the word is used to describe the instinctive shout of ungovernable emotion, a scream, an almost animal cry. His sense of need drove him relentlessly into the presence of Jesus. It is not just a gentle, sentimental longing that really taps the power of God; but the passionate, intense desire of the very depths of the human heart will never be disappointed.

Respond: For Jesus, it was always more important to act than to talk and that's  why He is still one of the most heroic figures of all time.

Passport to the Kingdom of God

Prepare: What are child-like qualities?
Read: Luke 18:15-30

It was the custom in Palestine for mothers to bring their children to some distinguished Rabbi on their first birthday that he might bless them. Such small children have not lost the sense of wonder, and are trustful. They are naturally obedient and have an amazing faculty of forgiveness. To keep alive the sense of wonder, to live in unquestioning trust, instinctively to obey, to forgive and to forget-that is the child-like spirit, and that is the passport to the Kingdom of God.

In all the Jewish religious literature there is no record of any Rabbi being addressed as, "good teacher." It is not a sin to have much wealth-but it is a great danger to the soul and a great responsibility. The rich ruler's god was comfort, and the thing he really worshipped was his own possessions and his wealth. 'For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?' Matt 16:26

It is said that beside the great gate into Jerusalem through which traffic went, there was a little gate just wide and high enough for a man to get through. That little gate was called the needle's eye, and the picture is that of a camel trying to struggle through that little gate, which is impossible. Similarly, it is impossible for a man whose heart is on his riches, to enter the kingdom of God.

Respond: Once someone, thinking of the trials David Livingstone had endured, the sorrows he had borne, how he had lost his wife and ruined his health in Africa, said to him, "What sacrifices you have made!" Livingstone answered, "Sacrifices? I never made a sacrifice in all my life."

Making a Connection

Prepare: The revelation of our spiritual standing is what we ask in prayer; sometimes what we ask is an insult to God; we ask with our eyes on the possibilities or on ourselves, not on Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers
Read: Luke 18:1-14

In Russia, a Christian asked his pastor, "How must I say the words, 'Lord have mercy?'". The pastor answered, "You do well to ask. It is a short but important prayer and is not easily said. When you say the words, evoke the image of the cruicified Lord. Look at Him with nails driven into His body and remember His words, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' If you say the simple prayer like this, you will glorify God, serve men, and grow in grace yourself."

If prayer is really standing before the awesome majesty of God, bowing to Him and speaking with Him, all desires which you had before that moment will play no role in it. Only love remains - love to God and love for the eternal salvation of others.

Often a father has to refuse the request of a child because he knows that what the child asks would hurt rather than help. God is like that. Only He knows what is good for us in the long run. That is why Jesus said that we must never be discouraged in prayer. The widow had one weapon - the weapon of persistence. The Pharisee did not really go to pray; he went to inform God how good he was. When you say again and again that simple prayer, "God, have mercy," He will be merciful to you.

Respond: We, beg often our own harms, which the wise powers deny for our good, so we find profit when we lose our prayers. - Shakespeare.

God's Deliverance

Prepare: Like David, you and I are in need of God's deliverance from two different enemies.
Read: Psalm 35: 1-28

Those who attack you: There are places in this world where it is dangerous to be a Christian, and their number may increase. After all, Satan is a murderer (John 8:44) and would destroy all of God's people if he could. But the Lord fights for us. He has effective weapons and knows the enemy's plots. If you belong to the Lord, He is responsible to care for you. When dealing with your enemies, your best response is to pray. As God's child, you can turn your enemies over to Him and claim His help and protection.

Those who accuse you: Satan is an accuser as well as a murderer (Rev 12:10), so David had to move from the battlefield to the courtroom where his enemies were lying about him. His prayer changed from "Fight for me!" to "Vindicate me!". But his concern was the God's name, not his own, be magnified. When the enemy slanders your name, he attacks the name of the Lord as well. It's often difficult to do good to those who have wronged you. But God wants you to live on the divine level and return good for evil.

Christians are on display before the world. What an opportunity and responsibility you have to influence others for Christ! If you love the Lord, you will want to magnify Him. Watch your words and actions.

Respond: Are you living for Jesus? Is it your goal that He may be magnified through you?

Roots and Fruits

Prepare: Lord, open the eyes of my heart.
Read: Luke  13:1-17

Time for introspection: One problem that plagues today's church is self-righteousness. When we hear of someone suffering a dreaded disease/a severe crisis, immediately we recount the story of their sins. Jesus however, reacts in a peculiar way to the report of the massacre in Galilee. He clearly tells the people that the Galileans who died were not worse sinners than they. They must introspect within themselves, and repent to avoid a similar fate.

Roots of righteousness and fruits of compassion: The parable of the fig tree and the vine dresser represents the compassino of Jesus interceding, waiting for the fruit of our repentance. The question in verse 7 must stir us to bear fruit in correspondence with the grace of God we enjoy so freely.

Abundant life: The account of the healing of a woman in verses 10-17 raises three issues. Firstly, what does Jesus consider disease/sickness? Have we become resigned to the physical ailments that we suffer? We must in Christ's name cast out Satan's bondage under any disguise in any sphere of our lives. Secondly, what is our reaction towards the good things others receive of God? The healing on the Sabbath led the religious leader to criticize Jesus indirectly but others rejoiced at the glorious acts of God. Thirdly, what is our perspective of religion? God doesn't  appreciate hypocrisy. Christianity is more than just a religion, it is the movement of the Spirit of love in action.

Respond: Lord, help me to bear fruit and remember that Your axe is at the root.

Wise or Only Weather Wise?

Prepare: Lord, give me spiritual discernment.
Read: Luke 12:49-59

War without, but peace within: New Christian converts from other faiths experience rejection by their families, being robbed of their inheritance, and being expelled from their communities. Jesus' arrival into this world has been to 'set fire on the earth'. All those who accept Jesus into their heart to be their Lord and Saviour will experience a constant conflict with the world, be it within their families or in other spheres of their lives. If we are complacent and do not feel the heat of this spiritual warfare around us all the time with every decision it only shows how conformed we are to the world. Light cannot exist with darkness, thus we should dare to differ and stand up for the Lord and do his will (Matt 12:48-50). The challenge is to maintain our lives, being in the world but not to the world and to endure the hatred toward us knowing that we do not belong here (John 15:19).

Workout your own peace: Jesus derides people for being weather wise but not discerning the times. We must distinguish right from wrong. Through the illustration in verses 58 and 59, Jesus tells us that reconciliation with one's adversary is better than confrontation.

Respond: Lord, give me wisdom to follow You and to discern the times.

Earthly Pleasures - Heavenly Treasures

Prepare: Lord, help me seek the things above.
Read: Luke 12:13-34

Disputed riches: Almost every family, neighbourhood and nation is guilty of this weakness of acquiring possessions, sometimes, cheating the other legal heir. A man pleads with Jesus here to solve one such agonizing issue. Doesn't Jesus care? He does! He puts the problem in proper perspective, that it is more important to know that we cannot tell our own future (Eccl 4:14)


Philosophy of life and after life: Jesus presents the absurdity of accumulating materialistic possessions. The question in verse 20 and the indictment in verse 21 are relevant to all of us even now in this 21st century rat race for acquiring things. We should set our priorities right and learn from the lilies to rely on Him to enhance our life. The promise is that if we seek Him and his kingdom first, all things will be added unto us. The secret to acquiring true riches lies in our knowledge of God and His unfathomable glory. We should not forget that the riches and glory of Christ are all ours (Col 1:27), if we invest in sacrificing and sharing what we have with those that are less privileged.

Celebrate life and the giver of life: A person who is selfish and thinks only of the earthly pleasures to enrich his life has a tunnel vision of life. We need to take a broader view of how life consists of much more than what a man owns.

Respond: Lord, help us have You in our life so that we will have all the good things for the asking (James 4:2).

Confessing, Professing as well as Practising Christians

Prepare: Lord, let my light so shine before men that they may see it and praise You. 

Read: Luke 12:1-12

Professing or confessing before others: Most of the time, our intentions and our actions do not match. However, what we think deep within ourselves identifies our character more than what we say and do publicly. Therefore Jesus warns us to beware of hypocrisy. 

Nothing in the past or in the present or in the future is hidden from our Lord. He is aware even of the unspoken words, and He is going to make all the inner thoughts also public and bring them to judgement. Therefore it is important to live our lives inside out, courageously confessing the Lordship of Jesus for all to see. Because: "If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue (publicly and in private, amounting to blasphemy), you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless" (James 1:26)

Professing or confessing to ourselves: While it is important not to fool others with our hypocritical lives, it is even more important to have faith in God to take care of us always, in all circumstances. We should confess to ourselves every morning saying, "I am valuable to God, He has a purpose for my life and I exist for His pleasure". Then we would be flying high with lesser weights pulling us down, knowing that He provides the wind beneath our wings.

Respond: Pray that our lives will truly profess that we are Christians.