FAITH TESTED & THE LOST CALLED And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” —II Samuel 24:16 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the…

JESUS— GIVEN FOR US! This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.  Luke 21:19-20             Remember! Jesus gave His life for us… The illegal trials, the verdict of death, the mocking, the blindfolding, the beatings, the cross carrying, the cruel execution… He was given for us even though His innocence was known! Jesus was God’s GIFT to us— “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). “Nor can…

THE PRIORITY TO LISTEN, LEARN AND OBEY And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him. —Luke 21:8 The people were so eager to hear Jesus that they came early in the morning. How about you and I— how eager are we to hear Jesus? Is this the first desire we have when we wake up? Do we want to hear what He has to say to ready us for the day ahead? — “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of discipleship, to sustain the weary with a word.   He awakens Me morning by morning; He awakens My ear…

JESUS’ COMING IS NEARER! Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. —Luke 21:28             The disciples asked, “When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” Jesus responded— Don’t be deceived. Many will come in My name You will hear of wars and rebellions Nations and kingdoms will rise against each other There will be earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places There will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven Before this they will seize you and persecute you Because of My name they will deliver…

THE SON OF GOD AND MAN But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ 44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” —Luke 20:41-44             Jesus asked a question and He did not get a response? The answer to that question would be an acknowledgement that David called one of his descendants Lord— God in the flesh. This is something the people did not understand. Yes, the Christ would be “David’s son”— a descendant of David,…

OBEDIENT FOLLOWERS OF JESUS MAKE DISCIPLES One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are…

TEMPTATION THAT LEADS TO SIN It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” —II Samuel…

SEEK THE LOST! For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. —Luke 19:10             When Jesus was walking the earth during His ministry years He was very intentional in what He was doing and how He was using His time. His main focus was “to seek and to save the lost.”   That is what the cross is all about!   He came “that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Jesus is “the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).   Jesus is the good shepherd that “has a hundred sheep and…

GOD ONLY IS GOOD! And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became…

KEEP PRAYING!  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not…