Luke 15

Scripture

Luke 15:4 NLT

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”

Observation-What does it say?

In this chapter, Jesus spoke to all the tax collectors and notorious sinners. The Pharisees and teachers of the law found that quite odd and began complaining amongst one another. Why would Jesus associate Himself with such people? So Jesus responded to them by speaking to them in parables. Each parable would drive across a single point...Jesus’ heart for the lost.

Understanding-What does it mean?

God loves the lost.

Your average person probably thinks God is out to get them. That God is just waiting for that moment that we slip up and...BAM! He got ya! God caught us in the act and now He’s waiting to drop the hammer on us. We couldn’t be more wrong. God loves us...all of us. Now don’t get it twisted. He despises sin, but still loves the sinner. And there are consequences for our sinful actions. But for those who repent from their sinfulness and return to Jesus, there is grace, mercy, and love. These parables that Jesus spoke to the Pharisees here reminds me of that. That God’s desire is for ALL to come to know Him and repent from their sinful ways. For there is great rejoicing in Heaven when just one person turns to Christ! Imagine the celebration that occurs when we all do our part as Christians and multiply Christ Followers everywhere.

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” -Ezekiel 33:11 NLT

“This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” -1 Timothy 2:3-4 NLT

“But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”-2 Peter 3:8-9 NLT

Life Application

When it comes to the Gospel of Christ, don’t discriminate!

Father God, may You give me Your heart for the lost. A heart that breaks over sinfulness. Give me Your eyes Lord to see and ears to hear. May You guide me to whom You would want me to be bold with and share with today. Help me remember how You shared with anyone and everyone. You didn’t discriminate. Instead, You loved all. Help me to be part of that celebration in Heaven when one chooses You and repents from their sinful ways. In Your name Jesus, Amen.

-Moses Gaddi

Isaiah_52

Scripture:

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains    are the feet of those who bring good news,who proclaim peace,    who bring good tidings,    who proclaim salvation,who say to Zion,    “Your God reigns!” Observation:This chapter starts with a call to wake up to the Lord’s redemption of Zion, then a vindication of His name for those who had blasphemed his name. Understanding:We are a called people, a redeemed people. Called to “proclaim peace,” even in the chaos.Called to “bring good tidings,” even in a time where there is a lot of doomsday talk.Called to “proclaim salvation” to those who may be lost.Called to praise and worship, our God who reigns!Life Application: Our calling comes with some action steps.  May we be conscious of that today and be on mission!So what does that look like?  I think it is sharing God’s love through bringing peace through prayer, through kindness, through the tones of our voices, through being a listening ear. Bringing good tidings through encouragement and positive news.  Proclaim salvation by sharing the good news of God’s love and desired redemption of hearts towards him.…and all of that sounds an awful lot like love.  So, put simply, go love on somebody today! <3Rei

Isaiah 51

Scripture  Isaiah 51:2-3  look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.  When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.  The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord.  Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Observation-What does it say?  Isaiah continues to call the nation of Israel out of captivity.  “This chapter is designed for the comfort and encouragement of those that fear God and keep his commandments, even when they walk in darkness and have no light. Whether it was intended primarily for the support of the captives in Babylon is not certain, probably it was; but comforts thus generally expressed ought not to be so confined”(Matthew Henry Commentary).  At the end of the chapter, God reminds Israel he has removed his wrath and it has been passed on to their tormentors.  However, it must not be forgotten that Israel had walked away from God and they suffered His disappointment because of that. Understanding-What does it mean?  Sometimes raising three boys can be a challenge and sometimes requires much coaxing.  Teaching them to swim and jumping into the water, for example, was an interesting experience.  Jen or I would be standing in the pool telling one of them to jump into our arms, while they would be standing on the side of the pool telling us how afraid they were.  Waiting for what felt like an eternity, we would argue our point, “Have I ever intentionally let you get hurt before?”   Of course the answer is no.  But in their mind, the fear outweighed the danger.  And we, just like Israel, often act this same way.  We pull away from God out of fear, even though God’s security is greater than the danger we face. In our world today, we hear a lot of fear being preached to us.  Fear of a virus, fear of a subversive takeover of the government, fear that food is going to run out.  But, God is still calling to us, saying, “Trust me, I will catch you.”  And it can be tempting to pull away, especially since we are experiencing something “new.”  However, God already told us there is “nothing new under the sun”(Ecclesiastes 1:9).  He has been there before, and taken others through this.   It can also be tempting to spread this message of fear, especially when we feel we are right about a subject.  But, we are reminded that our message is to be one of hope.  In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul charges the church to preach only Christ crucified, which is in contrast to the knowledge the world looked for.
Life Application  Jesus, in this time of uncertainty help me to be a beacon of hope and song of comfort to those around me.  Help me to be focused on You and dispel fear.  For you are the one who made the foundations of the earth.  Who am I to question you?   

 

-Tyler Galloway