PRAY!  AND DON’T GIVE UP! Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’  “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”  And the Lord…

BE WISE WITH WORLDLY WEALTH! For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. —Luke 16:8-9             Being shrewd, insightful or perceptive is something that Jesus said “the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.”  The people of light— brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus— how are we helping others in the Body of Christ who are of “our own…

BEWARE OF GREED Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”  And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’  “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’  “But God said to…

MY NAME IS WRITTEN IN HEAVEN! He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” —Luke 10:18-20             Fellow followers of Jesus, brothers and sisters, our “names are written in heaven!”  That is our home, that is our destiny.  So let us always keep this in mind.  Our road there, the race we are called to run with perseverance, may not all look the same, but we know what…

CROP PRODUCING SEED! Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” —Luke 8:8 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. —Luke 8:15 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. —Luke 8:38-39             Seeds are not meant to remain…

SOW FAITHFULNESS! Do to others as you would have them do to you. —Luke 6:31 Forgive, and you will be forgiven. —Luke 6:37 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. —Luke 6:45 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house,…

 TREMBLE, O EARTH, AT THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD! They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. —Luke 4:29-30 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”  “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the…

THE SAVIOR JESUS! But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. —Luke 2:10-11  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them…  The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. —Luke 2:17-18, 20 For my eyes have seen…

TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD! Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. —Luke 1:1-4             Luke, as he was moved by God (II Timothy 3:16), sought “to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as…

I BELIEVE! Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. —John 20:28-31             I have not seen Jesus, but I believe and therefore, according to His Word, I am blessed!  Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those…