Luke 6:27-37

Do you hear the Word of God?.......Love Him above all and love others as much as you do your family and friends!! It doesn’t get any clearer than this :) In the measure that you give love ... you receive love.

This is a description of being repeatedly vulnerable in the face of injustice. The one who seeks to love will always remain exposed and at risk. Jesus’ instruction here is to forgive and forget. 

Luke 6:27-37

²⁷  “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ²⁹ To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. ³¹ And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 

³² “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. ³⁶ Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. 

³⁷ “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” 

Micah 4:6-7

There is poetic justice in God’s final plan for mankind.....His ways are far above our own.

This wording connects this section with the end times.  Those who were abused by the wicked leaders of Israel would be exalted by the Lord. Those whom God had driven from the land would be the people of His new kingdom. 

This is a remarkable surprise—a surprise of grace. 

Micah 4:6-7

⁶ “In that day,” says the Lord, 
“I will assemble the lame, 
I will gather the outcast 
And those whom I have afflicted; 

⁷ I will make the lame a remnant, 
And the outcast a strong nation; 
So the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion 
From now on, even forever. 

Luke 11:27-28

You may fool others but you cannot fool God.....He sees everything we do and He knows the intent of our heart. Our greatest deception is in fooling ourselves and in so doing losing our soul to the standards of this world. Two commandments Christ gave to us that encompass all the other commandments...love God above any person, place or thing and love others as much as we do ourselves. 

And what does God require of us?

 Micah 6:8 

⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good; 
And what does the Lord require of you 
But to do justly, 
To love mercy, 
And to walk humbly with your God? 

The woman offered praise for Jesus’ mother. Though Jesus always honored Mary, He commented carefully on the woman’s blessing to keep the focus on the word of God. It is easy to allow traditional practices to take the place of the authority of the Scriptures. Jesus offers His blessing to those who respond concretely to God’s will as expressed in the Bible.

Luke 11:27-28

²⁷ And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” 

²⁸ But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” 

Isaiah 55:6-9

There is nothing that can separate us from our Father but us.....seek Him and you will find Him, knock and the door of knowledge will be open, ask Him and He will provide you with the truth of life....the salvation of Jesus Christ. He gives not as man gives for His thoughts far exceed the thoughts of men. His way gives abundant life and takes away the stain of the sins of this world.

God’s gracious thoughts exceed all human imagination. No one can fathom the depths of His wisdom.

Isaiah 55:6-9

⁶ Seek the Lord while He may be found, 
Call upon Him while He is near. 

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, 
And the unrighteous man his thoughts; 
Let him return to the Lord, 
And He will have mercy on him; 
And to our God, 
For He will abundantly pardon. 

⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 

⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 
So are My ways higher than your ways, 
And My thoughts than your thoughts. 

Acts 14:19-20

Hope spring eternal....it isn’t over until God says that it is over. When the world assumes your faith is dead and you are passed over they know not what God has in store for those who love Him and put their trust in Him! Christ within the hope of man that conquers sin and death and gives us life.

The physician Luke may be saying that Paul did not die here. However, some believe that the text speaks of Paul’s resurrection.

Acts 14:19-20

¹⁹ Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰ However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 

Isaiah 29:17-21

The wisdom of the world will pass away and in its place....the Spirit of the Lord will bring true understanding to man and all will rejoice in it! Open our eyes that we may see You, our ears that we may hear you clearly and the wisdom to humbly accept the salvation only You can give.

Isaiah 29:17-21

¹⁷ Is it not yet a very little while 
Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, 
And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? 
¹⁸ In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, 
And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. 
¹⁹ The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, 
And the poor among men shall rejoice 
In the Holy One of Israel. 
²⁰ For the terrible one is brought to nothing, 
The scornful one is consumed, 
And all who watch for iniquity are cut off— 
²¹ Who make a man an offender by a word, 
And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, 
And turn aside the just by empty words. 

The Book of Matthew

Jesus came in fulfillment of the Scriptures. From the beginning He was and the plan was always for Him to give His life in exchange for mankind.....God knew that without Christ within there was no hope for man....he could not do it on his own! Jesus lived in the Old Testament and brought His Breath of Salvation Life into the New. It is all about Him who gave His life so that we could have one!

The Book of Matthew

Matthew discusses the law, ceremonial cleanness, the Sabbath, the temple, David, the Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, and Moses—all from a Jewish point of view. He has 53 Old Testament citations and more than 70 allusions to the Hebrew Scriptures. Thirteen times, the book emphasizes that Jesus’ actions were a direct fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. The genealogy of chapter 1 is recognizably Jewish, tracing the lineage of Jesus back through David to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. Furthermore the Gospel mentions Jewish rulers and customs such as ceremonial washing without explanation, indicating that Matthew expected his predominantly Jewish audience to be familiar with such practices.

Matthew Outline:

I. Jesus’ birth and preparation 
A. Jesus’ birth and childhood 1:1–2:23
B. Jesus’ preparation 3:1–4:11
II. The declaration of Jesus’ principles
A. The beginning of Jesus’ ministry 4:12–25
B. Jesus’ principles: the Sermon on the Mount 5:1–7:29
III. The manifestation of Jesus: His miracles and commissioning A. Demonstration of Jesus’ power: a collection of miracles 8:1–9:34
B. Declaration of Jesus’ presence: the commissioning of the disciples 9:35–11:1
IV. Opposition to Jesus
A. Evidence of the rejection of Jesus 11:2–30
B. Illustrations of opposition to Jesus 12:1–50
C. Jesus’ adaptation to His opposition: parables of the kingdom 13:1–53
V. Jesus’ reaction to opposition
A. Jesus’ withdrawal 13:54–16:12
B. Jesus’ instruction to His disciples 16:13–19:2
VI. Formal presentation and rejection of the King
A. Continued instruction of the disciples 19:3–20:34
B. Formal presentation of the King: the Triumphal Entry 21:1–7
C. The nation’s rejection of the King 21:18–22:46
D. The King’s rejection of the nation 23:1–39
E. Predictions of the rejected King: the Olivet Discourse 24:1–25:46
VII. Crucifixion and resurrection 

Daniel 6:18-23

If we only believe :) 

Trust God with all of your heart, all of your mind and all of your spirit and you will be safe! Everything works out for your good when you place your life into His hands.

Daniel’s faithfulness in prayer to God got him into trouble; his faith got him out of it.

Daniel 6:18-23

¹⁸ Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him. ¹⁹ Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. ²⁰ And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 

²¹ Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! ²² My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” 

²³ Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God. 

Jonah 4

It is all about relationship! Jonah had a real relationship with God. He talked to God, he reasoned with God and even though he still wasn’t totally convinced he listened and did it anyway. In His will for our life He uses us as a lifeline to others that He loves. He sees the whole picture that we only see in part.

In contrast to God, Jonah had no compassion on the people of Nineveh. Jonah’s irritation belied the good news that the city would be spared. Jonah himself had just been spared God’s fair judgment, but he was unable to appreciate the parallel. In his continuing stubbornness and lack of compassion, Jonah held out hope that God would judge Nineveh. This was God’s chief complaint against him.

The Lord had rescued Jonah from drowning; now He wished to relieve His prophet from the misery of the sun. The reach of God’s mercy to the undeserving is a theme that continued to elude Jonah even as he experienced it. Jonah’s anger did not arise from a desire for justice but from his own selfishness. He continued to justify his rebellious attitude. And again, God was merciful. The Book of Jonah ends on this note of contrast between Jonah’s ungracious heart and the kind heart of the Lord.

The same word used to describe Jonah’s feeling toward the plant is used of God’s feeling toward the people of Nineveh. People are of more value than animals, and animals of more value than plants, but the Lord has a concern that extends to all of His creation. 

Jonah 4

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. ² So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. ³ Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” 

⁴ Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 

⁵ So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. ⁶ And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. ⁷ But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. ⁸ And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 

⁹ Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” 

And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” 

¹⁰ But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock? 

1 Corinthians 7:32-34

There are times on both our parts when we disagree on things...but we both try very hard to please the other spouse in our decision making. It works and it brings about a balance in our marriage when compromise exist. 

1 Corinthians 7:32-34

³² But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. ³³ But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. 

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran or any denomination matters not......what matters is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ be preached to ALL who will listen. It is Him through the power of the Holy Spirit who will draw men to Himself when we lift Him up for others to see.

Paul’s gospel to the Corinthians centered on the physical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God who became human yet never sinned.  Paul did not originate the proclamation of Jesus that he delivered to the Corinthians; he simply gave the Corinthians what he himself had received. He viewed himself as a link in a long chain of witnesses to the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ. At the time of Paul’s writing, a person could have verified the truthfulness of the apostle’s statements. The majority of the five hundred people who saw the risen Christ, as well as all the apostles and James (the half brother of Jesus), were still living.

Christ’s death dealt decisively with our sins. He suffered in our place to endure the just wrath of God against us. Christ lived and died in accordance with the prophecies about Him in the OT. The Resurrection verifies the fact that Christ’s death paid the full price for sin. The Greek term translated rose here is in the perfect tense, emphasizing the ongoing effects of this historical event. Christ is a risen Savior today. 

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 

³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 

John 8:34-35

If you don’t have Jesus.....you have nothing of eternal value!

The only way to the Father is through His Son. He alone has the right to set you free and whomever He sets free has eternal life with the Triune Godhead. We have a friend in Jesus :)

Jesus was speaking of spiritual slavery. Such a slave cannot break away from his bondage. He must have someone else set him free. A slave was not a permanent resident of a house. A son remained a family member with family privileges forever. As a family member, the Son can bestow family privileges on others.

John 8:34-35

³⁴ Jesus answered them,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 

³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 

Romans 8:34 
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

Micah 4:1-5

In a nations peace all of its citizens have peace...individually when we abide in the Holy Trinity we have peace eternally! It was always God’s intent to offer peace, love and forgiveness to ALL of His creation...we only need to accept Him and the salvation He freely gives in Christ Jesus! Peace is a promise given and He never breaks His promises :) 

No more pain, no more sorrow, no more lack, no more hunger or thirst, no more fear, no more haves and have nots....it will be a level playing field for ALL who believe...and the Lion will lay down with His sheep! What a glorious day that will be!

The phrase in the latter days is an indication of a prophecy of end times. All weapons of destruction will be recycled into tools of production. There will finally be an end to conflict. War will not even be a subject for study anymore. The vine and fig tree are symbols of peace and prosperity. Fear, like war , will become a thing of the past.

Micah 4:1-5

4 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days 
That the mountain of the Lord’s house 
Shall be established on the top of the mountains, 
And shall be exalted above the hills; 
And peoples shall flow to it. 

² Many nations shall come and say, 
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, 
To the house of the God of Jacob; 
He will teach us His ways, 
And we shall walk in His paths.” 
For out of Zion the law shall go forth, 
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 

³ He shall judge between many peoples, 
And rebuke strong nations afar off; 
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, 
And their spears into pruning hooks; 
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, 
Neither shall they learn war anymore. 
⁴ But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, 
And no one shall make them afraid; 
For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 
⁵ For all people walk each in the name of his god, 
But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God 
Forever and ever. 

Habukkuk 3:17-19

Even in the midst of all things crumbling around you trust God to lift you up and set you in a higher place.....Joy in Him is our strength!

God will strengthen those who trust in Him. He will give those who live by faith the same confidence that a surefooted deer has in climbing mountains. Like a victorious army, the righteous with God’s strength will occupy the high hills.

Habukkuk 3:17-19

¹⁷ Though the fig tree may not blossom, 
Nor fruit be on the vines; 
Though the labor of the olive may fail, 
And the fields yield no food; 
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, 
And there be no herd in the stalls— 
¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 
I will joy in the God of my salvation. 
¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength; 
He will make my feet like deer’s feet, 
And He will make me walk on my high hills. 

The Book of Ezra

The first half of the book of Ezra was written about the historical events that led up to Ezra’s personal experiences dealing with the restoration of the Judeans who returned from Babylonian capture. God is faithful....even when we are not! All believers should be about the work of the Holy Spirit by supporting efforts to restore the lost and broken of God's children.

The Book of Ezra is a remarkable witness to God’s faithfulness to His people. Together with Nehemiah, Ezra describes the events leading to the return of the Judeans from captivity in Babylon and the discouraging experiences of that small community in the harsh world of the Promised Land. But through every experience God proved Himself faithful. Through the leadership of Ezra and Zerubbabel, God fulfilled His promises announced by His prophets to restore His people from Babylon, to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, and to renew their hope that the Davidic kingdom would be restored.

The Jewish people had been exiled to Babylon in three stages, and they returned with the permission of the Persians in three stages. Zerubbabel led the first group of returning Israelites (538 b.c.) and started to rebuild the temple. The priest Ezra led the second group (458 b.c.) and instituted a number of reforms. Finally, Nehemiah led the third group (444 b.c.) and rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem.

While the people were rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, God was rebuilding their hearts so that they would truly obey and worship Him. The restoration of the remnant was a complete restoration. The message for Ezra’s day—as well as for our own—is that the God of Israel is faithful to His promises. He will completely restore His people when they come back to Him.

As Ezra documents the return from Babylon, the soundtrack of forgiveness and restoration plays in the background. It is a melody line that will accompany the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is music to God’s ears to hear His people confess and repent.

Jonah 1:1-7

God has His ways of getting our attention! In His plans for us we have peace...it is time to get with the program. Out of the will of God for our life we are a threat to ourself and those around us.

Jonah’s view of God was too restrictive. He believed that God was the Creator of everything, but that He was compassionate only toward the elect of Israel. Jonah believed that since God had chosen Israel from among the wicked nations, He had to show mercy to Israel, even if the people were rebellious. Jonah had failed to appreciate that the Lord may be equally forbearing with other nations as He was with Israel.

The Book of Jonah affirms God’s freedom, sovereignty, and power. God is sovereign because He is the Creator of everything. His power extends over all creation (the storm, the fish, the vine, the worm). God is free and He can never be bound by human misconceptions.

The self-righteous make the grave mistake of rejoicing only in their own deliverance  and in God’s answers to prayer. They miss out by narrowing God’s grace and mercy to themselves. Like Jonah, they cannot share in God’s delight in saving the sailors and the city of Nineveh, including infants and even animals. They confess that God is Creator and King of the whole cosmos, but restrict His involvement to judgment, justice, and retribution. In this manner they do not see His acts of compassion, righteousness, and forbearance. The Lord’s final proclamation to Jonah sums up the prophetic message of the book: God is free to bestow His mercy on anyone and anywhere He wills. His concern and mercy extend to all creation.

Jonah 1:1-7

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ² “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” ³ But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. 

⁴ But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. 

⁵ Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. 

⁶ So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” 

⁷ And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 

Jonah 2:7-10

Speak but a word and my soul will be healed! Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights so was the Son of Man who came to earth to conquer death, once and for all, to offer eternal life to those who accept His gift of salvation. No matter our past when we turn our life over to the One who loves us most......our present becomes eternity and we return to God who knows every hair on our head and every thought and intent of our soul.....and He loves us back to Him!

Jonah reaffirms his faith in the Lord and renews his commitment to Him. Mercy (loyal love), the term that so often describes God’s faithfulness to His covenant and to His people is used as a name for the Lord. Jonah declares that he will keep his promise, a pledge both to sacrifice and to acknowledge God’s help. It is the Lord who delivers His people. God acts on behalf of His creation and the redeemed community to insure a relationship with them .

Jonah 2:7-10

⁷ “When my soul fainted within me, 
I remembered the Lord; 
And my prayer went up to You, 
Into Your holy temple. 

⁸ “Those who regard worthless idols 
Forsake their own Mercy. 

⁹ But I will sacrifice to You 
With the voice of thanksgiving; 
I will pay what I have vowed. 
Salvation is of the Lord.” 

¹⁰ So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.