Stumbling Blocks

 S - Luke 17: 1-4  (NASB)

 Now He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that [a]stumbling blocks come, but woe to one through whom they come! 2 It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he [b]is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to [c]sin. 3 [d]Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

O - Repentance is the key to maintaining a healthy relationship with God and those who are in your life.   As Jesus has said - it is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but don't be a stumbling block for others,  it would be better that you were dead.   But if someone you know stumbles, don't tolerate it but rather rebuke it and if they repent ,  forgive them.  Even if they sin against you seven times a day, and turns and repents seven times, you are to forgive them.

A -  Wow, what an amazing grace God gives us,  even as we sin against our close friends, there is forgiveness through repentance.  A repentant heart, while vulnerable to sin,  is able to restore relationship with God by repenting and turning from sin.  I must follow Jesus example to his disciples and have repentant heart, and turn away from my sins.  Even when I repentant many times in a day,  I must not be discouraged but rather repent after each sin. repent and turn away from sin, and towards God.   Now I have struggled with sin lately and have had to repent many times to God and my wife.   I need to remember that if I give my whole heart to God, he is faithful and just and will make a way for me, one in which the path to righteousness is narrow, yet he stands at the gate ready to let me in.

P - Dear heavenly  Father thank you for today's lesson, may it be sealed to my heart.  Lord I know I lack openness and have not completely given my heart to you but I do not know how to do that, and I ask you show me your ways in your word and through your holy spirit, so that I may sin no more.  I pray all this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Stewarding your gifts to God well

 S -Luke 16:1-13 (NIV)

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

16 Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’

3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’

5 “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

6 “‘Nine hundred gallons[a] of olive oil,’ he replied.

“The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty.’

7 “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’

“‘A thousand bushels[b] of wheat,’ he replied.

“He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

8 “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. 9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

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.”

O - My observation is to learn the lessons of this rejected manager who was not stewarding well his assets.   It became clear to the manager that he was gonna get laid off from his job.  Now the manager was a shrewd man and he went to his masters debtors and forgave them all a portion of his death so that when he left his job he would have people who appreciate the debt he forgave them.  Then the master  commends him for being shrewd with what was not him, and he will find favor with these people who are not children of God.   These people who aren't children of the light follow him but reject the light.   Then he wraps it all up sharing what the parables was saying.  Jesus told them that no one can serve both God and money.

A - The application for me is to look at how I am stewarding my money.   Right now I work hard at making money to support my family, and after making the money I tithe out of my abundance and  leave it to the organizations I donate to steward the money.    God is telling me that while that meets the letter of the law but misses in the heart of the law.  I sense I am to tithe out of an expected abundance and be actively involved in its usage for Kingdom purposes.  I need to go and look at where I am contributing to a organization but I am not actively involved, and I need to volunteer my time and money to them based on their need and my willingness to get involved.

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your revelation on this parable.   I repent and turn back to you lord because I am not stewarding the resources you have provided me to bless others but rather I delegated the blessing to another organization.  Please Lord show me your ways to steward the resources you have given me.  I pray all this in Jesus' name Amen.

One lost sheep

 S - Luke 15 :3-7   (NASB)

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.

O - My observation is that it is so amazing that Jesus leaves the 99 and goes after the one.  The one is usually alone, afraid, and lost.  Jesus' compassion is incomprehendable but real.   He is willing to leave those who are saved and go rescue the one who has innocently wandered off and got lost. 

A -  The application is to realize in this season I am the one.   While I don't feel lost and lonely I know my sin has caused separation from God and His people, including my family.  f

P - Dear Heavenly Father thank you for your commitment to coming after your lost sheep.  I appreciate your consistent and everlasting love.  From this foundation I will build my family up.  I pray that you would grant me peace in times when I feel separated and alone.   I pray that you would find me waiting with a contrite heart.  I pray all this in Jesus' name,  Amen.

Lay down my life for the calling of Christ

 S - Luke 14: 26 -35   (NASB)

26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not [r]hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not [s]give up all his own possessions.

34 “Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be [t]seasoned? 35 It is useless either for the soil or the manure pile, so it is thrown out. The one who has ears to hear, [u]let him hear.”

O - Jesus is speaking to His disciples and the thousands who had gathered to here Him teach and see Him heal the lame and afflicted.   He tells them the kind of people who will be able to follow Him and receive healing from the one who sent Him.  They needed to give up their entire life and follow him,  carrying each their own cross.   He explains to them it is important they count the cost of this choice to follow Him, much like the person who sets out to build a tall skyscraper must count the cost to build the building before they start so they have confidence they will finish it.   Therefore each one of us needs to count the cost of following Jesus and should follow Jesus as His disciples have.  

A -  The application for me is to be sure I understand the cost of following Jesus.   I must consider separating myself from my mother and sister,  from my wife and daughters,  for my fathers and their son and daughter.     I must pick up my cross that I must bare in order to follow Chris for the cause of winning souls for the Kingdom of God.  For what King would fight a war against a far superior army without having assurance they will be victorious,  it would be better for them to surrender and become slaves.  

P - Dear heavenly Father, help me to follow the example of Jesus,  your chosen one.  Help me to lay down my possessions on the alter as an offering to you.   Then equip me in the full armor of God so that I might fight our great enemy Satan who seeks to kill and destroy all of Gods people.   I want to be know as Joseph,  follower of Christ, and warrior for God's elite fighting force and a friend to the sons of Man.   I pray all this in Jesus Christ name, Amen. 

Storing up my treasures in Heaven

 S - Luke 12:33-34  (NASB)

33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

O - Jesus is speaking to His disciples about the treasures of this world that do not last.    It comes from a man who asks Jesus to tell his brother to give him half of the family inheritance.   Jesus tells him not worry about where he will get clothes to wear or food to eat but rather seek to store treasures in heaven that the moth will not destroy.   Instead he tells him to sell his possessions and give the profit to charity.   He says fill his money belt with the abundant treasures in heaven where no thief comes to steal.    For where you treasure is , there your heart will be also.

A - The application for me is to be sure to I am storing treasures in heaven and not on earth.  I must commit to selling my possessions and using the profit to give to charity.   Only then can I begin to store God's gift in storage in bags I will carry in heaven.  This treasure will be protected from thieves and  from the the destroying appetite of the moth.   When I store up my treasure in heaven then there my heart will be in heaven also.

P -  Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's devotion may it be sealed to my heart.   I pray Lord that you would help me to give away my treasures here on earth and give them to charity. I want to seek treasures in heaven to fill the hole in my heart that came from excavation in my heart of the things that I acquired here on earth.  I pray all this in Jesus' Christ name, Amen.

Seeking, Asking, Knocking

 S - Luke 11:9-13 (NASB)

9 “So I say to you, [i]ask, and it will be given to you; [j]seek, and you will find; [k]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now [l]which one of you fathers will his son ask for a [m]fish, and instead of a fish, he will give him a snake? 12 Or he will even ask for an egg, and his father will give him a scorpion? 13 So if you, despite being [n]evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [o]your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

O -  My observation is this we are to do three things to seek the things of God for our life   1) Ask   2) Seek   3) Knock.   Each one is progressive and requires increasing action on our part.   Each one comes with the promise that if we are moved to action God will answer.   Our our Heavenly Father is a good, good Father and he will not give us something we have not asked for, and despite our sin He knows how to give good gifts to us that are beyond our ask.  The most important gift God will give those who ask Him is the Holy Spirit.

A - The application for me is to rejoice in the Lord's love and grace.  He is my good Father and when I asked gave me the Holy Spirit to guide and correct me.    I ask from that which the Holy Spirit reveals.   I seek out God's kingdom on earth and heaven.   I  knock on the door and Jesus opens it and makes a way for me.   

P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for today's word, may it be sealed to my heart.   I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen

A prayer for grace and mercy

 S - Psalm 6      (New American Standard Bible)

6 Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor discipline me in Your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am frail;
Heal me, Lord, for my bones are horrified.
3 And my soul is greatly horrified;
But You, Lord—how long?

4 Return, Lord, rescue my [b]soul;
Save me because of Your mercy.
5 For there is no [c]mention of You in death;
In [d]Sheol, who will praise You?

I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I flood my couch with my tears.
7 My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has grown old because of all my enemies.

8 Leave me, all you who practice injustice,
For the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my pleading,
The Lord receives my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be put to shame and greatly horrified;
They shall [e]turn back, they will suddenly be put to shame.

O - This is my observation that David a man after God's own heart.  It appears that God is angry with David due to what we can assume is David's disobedience or sin but he asked to not be disciplined.  He asks for healing from the effects of his sin so he will not forever be separated from God on earth and in Sheol.

A -  The application for me is to pray the same prayer that David has prayed.   I too know I have done things which have separated me from God and seek to not be disciplined but receive God's grace.  My hearts desire is to spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven and not forever separated from God in Hell.

P - Dear heavenly Father I thank you for this word which is for me my salvation.   I am a sinner in need of a savior.   I have sinned greatly in your eyes by allowing my eyes to fill me with pornography and lust.   I have allowed my heart to be filled with greed chasing things of this world. I pray for your grace and mercy so that I can honor you with my words and actions.    I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.