Luke 4B "Elijah was sent to none of them"

S = Luke 4:24-27 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

O = After marveling at his words of grace rather than the expected words of judgment from the selected passage in Isaiah, the people are confronted with this inconvenient truth. Jesus sought to deal with their real need--to see all people as children of God, and heirs of the covenant with Abraham. In Nazareth, their nationalistic zeal went too far. Jesus came to bring light, not just to the Jews, but to the gentiles as well!

A = I don't want to be guilty of the same kind of ethno-centric blindness. I remember that after we filmed the video on the cliff above Nazareth, just as the Muslim call to prayer ended, we were disturbed by a woman who cried out in a spirit of judgment, that "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!" Very true but also very wrong-hearted for when shouted in judgment not in love. I don't want to every get to the place where I can proclaim judgment without tears in my eyes.

P = O Lord, let me be more compassionate than ever before. Let me listen to your word, the Bible, more closely than to my own pet ideas. May your love be evident in my life today.

Luke 4:14-15 "In the Power of the Spirit"

S = Luke 4:14-15 "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all."

O = How did Jesus return to Galilee after his baptism and the time of temptation in the Judean wilderness? Well besides the obvious, "He walked!" He returned in the power of the Spirit. The Spirit descended on him in bodily form in 3:22, then "full of the Holy Spirit"  (4:1) he was "led by the Spirit into the wilderness." I wonder if it is possible to function in the power of the Spirit without first experiencing the "descending on" (indwelling), the "full of", and the "led by" even through testing and wilderness seasons? The Holy Spirit provided power, a favorable report sent all over, an opportunity to teach, and glorification too. Really a much sweeter deal than he would have gotten from the devil earlier in v. 7.

A = If I am a Christian then I know that I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit. There is no question about that. However, I think I should take time to ask, the following questions: Am I full of the Holy Spirit today? Am I willing, or even better, seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit today? How trusting am I when I follow and it seems to lead into arid and empty lands? How will I react when people think highly of me, and when those who should think the best of me despise or dismiss me because of God's work in my life? I need to be immersed, baptized, in the Holy Spirit or not only will I fail the tests I will face this week, but full of myself I will be pretty stinky by the weekend!

P = O Lord, may your power be evident and effective in my life today! May I not only surrender to your Spirit's leading, but may I rejoice in it. Transform my heart and mind, bring to remembrance the words of Christ, convict me and correct me when needed, and never let me forget that I am loved, accepted, chosen, redeemed, and adopted into your family! May your Holy Spirit produce his fruit in my life this week...enough to share! (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen!

Luke 4 "A Better Meal & A Greater Vision"

S = Luke 4:1-7 “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’”

O = The devil came to Jesus and asked him to use his power to meet his own needs, for he was hungry after fasting for 40 days. What the devil didn’t understand was that Jesus was surrounded by a better feast than any bakery could provide. Bread alone is not enough for us to truly live. I remember the time in John 4:34 when Jesus’ disciples thought someone had brought him some food but “Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” He was “eating” from a better meal (see Matt. 4:11)! The devil also presumed to show Jesus all the glorious bling and authority found in earthly kingdoms thinking to lure Jesus with the shock and awe of it all. However, Jesus had just seen heaven opened and heard God, his Heavenly Father speak in 3:21-22. How could worldly kingdoms compare with heaven, and how could the cringing of subjects compare to the love and approval of the Father? As my daughter would say, “That’s a Fail!”

A = The questions I have to answer are: “What is the true source of my life and strength?”, and “How clear in my mind/heart/spirit is my faith’s vision of heaven and my knowledge of God’s love and faithfulness?” My “heavenly vision” needs to come regularly or I will be stained and softened by the muck and the marinade of worldly thinking and values. I have taught for years that all temptation I experience will come at this point…my trust in God’s faithfulness (He will meet my needs. Heaven is better than this broken world. He will bring his plans to pass.). So in what areas will I commit myself to trust, even desperately, in his faithfulness, rather than my own efforts to meet my own needs, this week?

P = O Lord, may I be confident in your love today! May I only serve and worship you…may you be not merely a list of rules to discipline myself to attain in some kind of sanctified self-help, but may your person be the greatest passion in my life…so that I cannot help but follow! Help me to keep your acceptance and faithfulness towards me in mind no matter what tests I might face!

Luke 3-B “What then shall we do?”

S = Luke 3:10-14 “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’ Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, ‘Teacher what shall we do?’… ‘Collect no more than you are authorized to do.’ Soldiers also asked… and he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation and be content with your wages.’”

O = John the Baptist answered the repeated question, “What shall we do?” simply and to the point. Share with people, don’t take more than you should, don’t abuse your power by extortion—simple social justice issues that probably hit his audience right where they lived in selfishness, greed, and brutality. He called on them to repent (a change of mind & heart that produces a God-ward direction). It also seems that these are somewhat parallel to the temptations of Christ in Luke 4:1-13 over food, authority, and an extortion-like demand for a miracle.

A = How is my heart when I come to church? Who am I trying to please? What is my motivation? John challenged his audience to not play games with God but to only come for baptism if they were serious. Is there any area of my life, internal or external, that is not submitted to living and loving like Jesus? What one thing is He asking me to do today because I have been saved and forgiven?

P = Lord, help me to be generous even when I don’t have much; help me to be honest in my dealings and live under your authority, and may I be content with what you provide! May Worry and her cousin Schemer, not find a dwelling place in my heart today!

Luke 3 "The Last Prophet..."

S = Luke 3:1-3 “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

O = In the very specific historical context of v. 1-2a …the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Philip, Annas & Caiaphas, something important happened that had nothing to do with the political/power structure of men—the Word of God came to John…twice! This was the message of God and the wording is the same as many of the Old Testament prophets (Abraham, Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Jonah, Micah, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, etc.) and I believe this is the last time it is used. John the last prophet preparing the people for the Kingdom of God, to reveal the Messiah to them. Jesus, the Word of God, also came to John to be baptized. As the people repented and then were baptized, it made a way for Jesus to come to change them. They couldn’t hear the message of salvation until there was awareness of personal sin. This moment was pivotal in the history of the world…

A = Do I bear fruit in keeping with repentance or do I just give lip service to God? John’s instruction to the people was in essence to be generous, be honest, and to be just in the way they lived and handled their possessions. I need God’s word to come to me… but it has in the Bible and in Jesus by the indwelling Spirit. I need only to remember to give time to listen to his message to me today. I need to go to the word with my daily question, “What shall I do?” Whose shall I be today? Will I live for me or for Jesus and will people be able to tell the difference? I am pretty sure that they can!

P = O Lord, you desire me to speak your good news, your word, in every area of my life. Give me voice and vigor to do so today! May I be changed on the inside by your grace so that it makes a difference for others on the outside!  Amen!

Luke 2-C “Treasured Up”

S = Luke 2:19, 33, 51b “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart…And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him…And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.”

O = Mary and Joseph marveled at what shepherds, prophets and prophetesses had said about their son Jesus. Mary wisely made sure to remember these fulfillments to prophesy, etc. She kept them in her heart as she would a treasure—and she made it a practice to think and meditate upon them.

A = I need to do a better job at remembering the times that God has touched my life in some supernatural way or speaks into my life in a profound way. I also need to really take time to think over what God is doing in, and through me. This is one reason why journaling is so important to me. It gives me an opportunity to write down what the Lord says to me in my devotional times and then I am able to go back and ponder the things I have treasured enough to write down.

P = Lord, remind me to store up and value your work in my life—it is a real treasure! May it lead me to trust you more completely and worship you more consistently! Amen.

Luke 2-B "They went in Haste"

S = Luke 2:15-18,20 “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying…And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

O = What I notice is that they believe the angels’ message referring to what “has happened” and that they go to see it, “with haste,” evidences enthusiasm for the coming of Messiah! It was just as they had been told (So why not the rest—peace, joy, Savior?). They shared what had been told them (no secret) and concluded their evening by going back to work worshipping God!

A = I need to be available to hear God’s message of good news (gospel= good news), pursue the presence of God by faith, share his message with others and glorify God as I go about my work. 

P = O Lord, help me to respond to you with at least the shepherds’ level of faith, and enthusiasm, and share your love with others. Help me not to forget what you have done

Luke 2 "In the City of David a Savior"

S = Luke 2:11-12 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

O = The promise of a Messiah had come! It was no longer a promise for the future, but a present reality. Luke makes it clear that Jesus is Savior and Christ, born in the city of David—Bethlehem. I wonder what this meant to the shepherds…if their mind traveled all the way back to Boaz playing the go-el (Kinsman Redeemer) to Ruth and Naomi in that very village. Or to David the great shepherd king back in the day; or only that the Messiah had come to them, unclean shepherds (in the eyes of the priests…an ironically Egyptian sentiment!). Lying in a manger—the bread of heaven—even in birth not demanding a place of honor, but taking the low seat at the “table”.

A = Let us join the angelic fulfillment of Psalm 148:1 and praise the Lord! I choose to come and see, to go and tell!

P = O Lord, you are awesome in all that you are and in how you have manifested your love in what you have done for us. We have been validated by your claim on our lives and commissioned as heralds. Hallelujah to the king born in a stable…who after the glory of heaven came down to us, wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Luke 1 “But they had no child”

S = Luke 1:6-7 “And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.”

O = Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s lack of a child was not a result of personal sin or disobedience on their part. A lack of child would have been a great disgrace and burden in that time and culture. People would have looked at them and wondered what sin God was punishing them for. But the text says that they not only were declared righteous and blameless, but had been living that way for a long time (text says they were “advanced in years”) despite having no child. The text indicates that there was not a direct tie between their physical circumstances and some personal sin. This doesn’t mean they were perfect, but they were also not people who sinned willfully. It is to these that God’s angel brought a message of good news…at a time no longer hoped for. It was probably something for which they no longer prayed.

A = I need to remember that circumstances are not necessarily tied to personal sin, or to God’s rejection of me. His plan will be announced and unveiled at the time of His choosing…but will I believe it and act on it when it comes?

P = O Lord, let me walk in trust despite any apparent lack of answers or blessings. May I remember who I am in your grace! You have made me righteous and You will use me for your kingdom purposes…no matter what other people, or my own emotions, might say to the contrary! You take away my reproach! Lord I want to be expectantly available today.

Welcome to this blog!

This blog will contain a number of my journal entries based on the Gospel of Luke. These journal pages are not intended as deep theological essays but rather a simple, and personal, devotional element to accompany our study of Luke. I hope that you will begin to take time to do your own journaling and that you will find it as much of a blessing to your life as I have found it to be for me!
I will be using the SOAP journal format. For those of you who don't know what that is, let me explain. SOAP is an acronym for the four elements of our Bible journaling.

• S= Scripture. What one or two verses really stood out to you presonally from today's reading?
• O= Observation. What can you observe in these verses? What is happening? What do they mean?
• A = Application. What questions should I ask myself as a result of this reading? What should I do differently today and this week? If while journaling you are distracted by the things you need to remember to do today, make a check-box at the bottom of the page and write it down...then go back to journaling. God may simply be giving you "marching orders" for the day!
• P = Prayer. End in a prayer to the Lord in response to what He has been speaking to you through His Word.

SOAP Journaling is best when the writting does not take up more than 1-2 handwritten journal pages. However, it it totally up to you how much you write.