Luke 5:17-26 Study 25 "Jesus Forgives A Sinner"

Luke 5:17-26 "And it happened, on one of the days, that He was teaching; and Pharisees and teachers of the Law were sitting, the ones having come from every village of Galilee and of Judea and of Jerusalem, and power of Lord was for to be healing them. And look! Men carrying a man on a cot, had been paralyzed, and they were trying to bring in and to lay him before Him. And not having found by what they could bring him in because of the crowd, having gone up on the roof, they lowered him with the stretcher through the tiles into the middle before Jesus. And having seen their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins have been forgiven you.”
And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who is able to be forgiving sins, except God alone?” So Jesus having known their thoughts, answering, said to them, “What are reasoning in hearts? Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you?’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk about?’ But so that shall know that the Son of Humanity has authority on the earth to be forgiving sins”--He said to the one having been paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, and having taken up your stretcher, be going to your house.” And immediately having gotten up before them, having taken up on which he was lying, he went away to his house, glorifying God! And astonishment took hold of all, and they began glorifying God and were filled with fear, saying “We saw remarkable today!”

Good Day Child of God! One of the more interesting things to remember about the Scripture above is that in Matthew's account, this is where Jesus' Mother, Brothers, and Sisters were outside wanting to see Him, and thinking He had lost His mind. Keep in mind, Luke is obviously was not present at this event. The reason we know that is by how Luke writes of this. You can tell he is relating something he heard, not something he saw. The passion in the verses is missing.

Also realize, that by this point, Jesus is getting quite a reputation, so more than the two or three events that we have been told has been occurring. How do we know that? By the fact that Rabbis and Jewish leadership from many towns are coming this night to see Him speak and to see what happens when He does.

Today's easy lesson: Let's start out with the question. For what reason does Jesus make the statement "Man, your sins are forgiven you?" It's underlined above. You probably picked up on that while reading, but just to be sure, that is the reason. The next logical question is, how is sin related to a person's health? There are a dozen ways, especially for a Jew. The Law was, in effect, part and parcel of a healthy way to live. When we think of the Law, the Ten Commandments come to mind, but there is also the food portion of the Law. That is, don't eat animals that are bottom feeders. In other words, animals that eat rotting meat, feces, and so on. Like lobsters, or pigs, or shellfish, or even sucker fish. All these eat what other, so called game animals, will not eat. That is waist. Why not eat them? They are full of disease. In today's world, we have ways to cook them properly, and it is not such a danger, yet it is still taking a bit of a chance when eating these animals. That's one way. How about sexual diseases? There are many STD's, and they are not new, so there you have two easy ways sinning can cause sickness. At least for a Jew, two thousand years ago. So Jesus' comment is reasonable. You forgive the sin, you cure the result of the sin, the sickness, and the man can go on his way.

But that's logic and intellect speaking. It isn't important. What is important is that Jesus is stepping up His stature. It is one thing to be a great prophet, to be a healer, a man of God with untold wisdom, but to position yourself as God's Son, that is a whole other matter. This is why, in Matthew's Gospel, he mentions Jesus' family thinking He is losing it. They are as astonished as anyone. Keep in mind, we're no different. Sure we read this stuff and think, "How dumb can you be? He is the Son of God, can't you see that?" Well do you remember that when you are in a snit about one thing or another? Do you walk around worry free and thinking, "Well Jesus is in control, His Father is my Father, the Spirit indwells me, so it's all going to be fine." Or do you get upset first, and have a hard time giving that up? Truth is we all have a hard time giving in to natural, long time trained, feelings. They not only come and we cannot seem to jump away from them, they come with natural hormones that make the situation much worse than it seems, and that too makes it harder to change our thinking.

WWJD? He would challenge the problem, the thinking, back to where it belongs. Remember, Who is in control if you want Him to be? OK, God. So take a moment and stand back. Giving Him a chance to bring calming reality back in place. Jesus would do as His Father directed. Only that, and no more. Doing more is doing it on your own, and that may or may not work. This is where Faith meets the world, and it is where on this earth, you have the most to gain. Again, "Let go and let God" is easy to say, but in all Truth, it is a discipline that is not easy, but is the way to peace, love, and joy. Again, it is hard to be consistent in that thinking. But you Child of God, you, give it to Him, even the difficulty in remembering what to do and what to think. He will do His part. He is telling you that above. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: We are taking a one or two day unexpected break. No additional Studies this week, and maybe part of early next week. In the mean while, remember you are Blessed! And if you are up to it, please start reading the Book of Colossians. Take it slow, and you will find out how large Jesus truly is, not only in the Bible, but within the context of how your Life can be.

Brother Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 5:12-16 Study 24 "The Word Spreads Quickly"

Luke 5:12-16 "And it happened, in His being in one of the cities, that look!, a man full of leprosy, and having seen Jesus, having fallen on face, he implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me.” And having stretched out His hand, He took hold of him, having said, “I am willing. Be cleansed!” And immediately the leprosy went away from him! And He gave strict orders to him to tell no one, “But having gone away, show yourself to the priest and bring as an offering for your cleansing (purification) just as Moses directed, for a testimony to them.” (Lev 14:1-57)
But all the more the report was going about concerning Him, and large crowds were gathering to be hearing and to be healed by Him of their sicknesses. But He withdrawing, or, would often withdraw, into the desert places and be praying."
Good Day Child of God! Where to begin. First off, we spoke of the idea that Jesus started the miracles to gain attention. The premise might have escaped some of you, but reading the last paragraph above should give you a better understanding. Besides, billboards were way to expensive back then. Forget radio or TV, oy vey!

Secondly, the guy that was purified from leprosy, which could be any skin disease anywhere leprosy is mentioned, didn't march through the crowds with Jesus saying, "Praise God! he is HE-aled! Go now, walk among the people and tell them your Faith is strong and God has moved within you-ah!" No, quite the opposite. No tent or large ministry building mentioned either. And I bet no billboards announcing the time and place of the next service.

Today's easy lesson: This group of five sentences are meant for only one reason. OK, Jesus healed a man, but that is not new. OK, he sent the man to the Temple to keep the Levitical Law. Jesus is not here to change the Law, nor is He here to undo what God had put into effect, that is that the people obey the Law, follow the lead of their Priests and Rabbis, and be good Jewish Believers. Most people were illiterate. They couldn't spell scroll let alone read from one. So their lives were completely left to the leadership, and we will see soon that Jesus will have a different word with them.

What this text is all about is that Jesus would OFTEN withdraw from the people, and go alone to a private place to speak to His Father. Why? After all He is part of the Godhead, He is the Word, the Father is the Power, and the Spirit is the extension of both. On a plain of existence, Who is above it all, Jesus walking the earth, or the Father above with the Plan? Of course the Father has the advantage. He can see things that a man-God cannot. He can tell Jesus where and what is going on here or there, moving Him along in a direction that will complete the work set out for Him. And, Jesus is so dependent upon this structure, He says Himself, that "I only do what the Father tells Me to do, and I only say what the Father tells Me to say."(paraphrase from John 5) Thus He needs alone time with the Father to know what is next, to be assured that He is on the right track. Jesus is taking His equality, and subordinating it to the will of the Father.

How does this relate to your daily Life? Simple. Let's say you have a situation, something has to be said to someone about something, and you really don't know how to approach the conversation, or even if you should. WWJD? He would go to the Father, ask Him to take this into His will and control, and then go forward. When the time comes for the situation to unfold, maybe nothing is said. Jesus has done that. Maybe there is direct confrontation, with stern words. Jesus has done that. Maybe there is a moment of silent compassion, a loving touch, or an open ear. Jesus has done all of that. This is what happens when you give it to Him. Whatever the outcome, you are OK with it, because you have allowed the Spirit to Live and Love through you. It is as practical a Christian way to Live, than any you will ever learn. And it's filled with God's knowledge and foresight, which you do not have. So wonderful this Life the Lord Graced to you. Now you know why "You are Blessed" is a proper salutation. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: The surgery I told you I would be having is not going to happen at this time. I want to thank you that have prayed and asked the Lord to be in this for me, as I did. His answer is evident, and what comes next I am not sure, but for one thing. It's in His will, and I am good with that. You are Blessed!

Brother Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 5:1-11 Study 24 "Jesus Begins Calling Apostles"

Luke 5:1-11 "And it happened, while the crowd pressing upon Him to be hearing the word of God, that He had stood beside the lake of Gennesaret. And He saw two boats standing beside the lake, but the fishermen, having disembarked from them, were washing their nets. Then having stepped into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And having sat down, He began teaching the crowds from the boat. Then when He ceased speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down nets for a catch.”
And answering, Simon said to Him, “Master, having labored through the whole night we caught nothing, but at Your word I will let down the net.” And having done this, they caught a great number of fish, but their net began breaking. And they signaled to their partners, the ones having come in the other boat, to help them. And they came and filled both the boats, with the result that they were being sunk.
But Simon Peter having seen, fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, “Depart from me, because I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For astonishment seized him, and all the with him, at the catch of the fish which they caught, and likewise also James and John, sons of Zebedee, the ones were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Stop being afraid! From now, you will be catching people.” And having brought the boats to the land, having left all, they followed Him."

Good Day Child of God! I sincerely hope and pray that your week is starting out with joy in your heart. We begin the week with Chapter 5 of Luke's Gospel, and it seems in the reading that there is nothing much in these verses. Except a lecture from a practical position just off land, Jesus helping the fishermen catch some fish, and telling them their new life will be catching people, instead of fish. The location is unknown, except to say the whole of the verses take place on the Sea of Galilee.

There is a deep lesson within the text, but you would have to know something of how Rabbi's called those they wished to enter the Rabbinical Priesthood. It is similar to how it is done today in our Christian world. Jesus breaks ranks in this area, and along with everything else He does and has done, shows that the usual thing to do, is not necessarily the right thing to do. Tradition is going to get a wake up call once again in this Study.

Today's easy lesson: "So young man and young woman you want to come to our University to study to become a missionary, a pastor, or even to serve the Lord in another way? Am I understanding this correctly? OK then, let's look at your grades, your background, and of course your finances. Um, I see you accepted the Lord at an independent Christian Church. Can you give your your testimony then? I need to be sure you are saved, of course. Then you seem a bit light on some of your grades but you have volunteered enough at the local Church in various ministries to overcome that. Well, I will bring this to the board, there is no guarantee of course, we here at Christian U, are very strict and want only the best and brightest to attend to prepare to serve the Lord. We'll let you know."

WWJD? He would look at the childlike faith shown by the Apostles above, mere fisherman, and take them on to teach them the meaning of Agape' Love and Grace. Which is to say, Grace is Agape' Love unleashed. Just think about those five words for a few seconds. In Luke's presentation, he is right to the point, very concise. Notice he doesn't get into the sermon from just off the land. I have heard countless comments and sermons on this practical way to talk to the people. As though it is the point. The point is simple. Words going from the water to the land are easy to hear. Ever been on shore and see fisherman a hundred yards away? You can hear them talking in a normal voice as clear as a bell. It's simply a practical thing to do. Contrast that practical idea to speak to a group of people, to Jesus having finished His sermon, telling the experts to go out and cast their nets after they had fished all night. This is akin to you telling an engineer that runs a mining operation to dig to the left five feet, and he'll find all the ore he is looking for. When he listens and it comes to be true, the engineer will be astonished. There is one thing different however from that and what Jesus did to the boys. They knew Him as a teacher, a Rabi if you will, and having Him tell them similarly to follow His idea and direction and finding so much abundance, they recognized Jesus was more than an itinerant teacher or a young Rabi. They were humbled and felt unworthy at such Grace.

This is what God is telling everyone in these verses. He isn't looking for grades, testimonies, or how many works you may have done in His name. Intellect, if you will. He is looking for people that understand He has provided so much that they are humbled and at first feel unworthy of such Grace. Here in our time and place, we have become so expectant of good times, nice lives, and given into our personal wants, that Grace is not even recognized. The Church teaches by and large that you have it coming to you, IF, you do this, that, or another. Oscar Mayer! Grace, unmerited favor, is spread around the whole Bible like spring flowers. Yet, instead of being humbled at the vastness of it, most take it that there is more, and they want it. Just tell us how to get it. Wrong, wrong, wrong. God Loves you so much that He, He, He, does, does, does. And are you deserving? Do you do the right thing all the time? Do you even recognize His Grace in your Life? Do you recognize that such Love should or would be honored with a similar commitment and containment of your worldly wishes? A humble heart, speaking to a Father that cares for you in terms of unimaginable commitment, is the reason Jesus did what He did. He came and freed you from sin and death. You are alive in Christ, able to allow Him to Live and Love through you, with a heart filled with humility and Grace towards others. And you don't have to do anything to prepare to be given such a gift. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: How many Apostles were called in this Study? Three. Peter, James (the first martyred apostle) and John. Also, there has been a very subtle change within the Studies lately. Do you see what it is?

Brother Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 4:38-44 Study 23 "Jesus At Simon's House"

Luke 4:38-44 "Then having risen from the synagogue, He entered into the house of Simon. But mother-in-law of Simon was being afflicted with a high fever, and they asked Him about her. And having stood over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her! Then immediately, having risen, she began serving them.
Then the setting of the sun, all, as many as were having ones being sick, various diseases, brought them to Him. Then having put His hands on each one of them, that One healed them! But demons also were coming out from many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And rebuking, He would not allow them to be speaking, because they knew Him to be the Christ.

Now day having come, having gone out, He went into a deserted place, and the crowds were seeking Him, and they came to Him and were trying to restrain Him, not be going from them. But He said to them, “It is necessary Me to also proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the other cities, for this I have been sent.” And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee."

Good Day Child of God! This portion of the Gospel of Luke is brought to you by "Miracle Touch". Available at your local church. You know, many many people believe that. How many thousands, no tens of thousands, follow preachers, revivalists and others that proclaim, like Oral Roberts, that they have the gift of healing! Sure they do, and medical doctors have the gift of rotating your tires during an operation.

Time is moving very slowly as Luke goes through this most important part of Jesus' ministry. There is a reason He is healing, as He is witnessing, and staying up late, getting up early and moving through the local area He knows best. Remember Jesus told the Apostles, "Preach the Gospel, first in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the out parts of the world?" (paraphrased) On the practical side, you start with those where you know the people the best, and working your way to people you have no idea of their lifestyle nor the way they speak nor think. But by starting at home, you gain a sense of confidence and candor, that allows you to continue to more difficult tasks. That being said of the practical side of learning on the job, Jesus did this more for than that reason alone. Yet, it still is a comfort zone.

Today's easy lesson: Much to much has been made of the miracles that Jesus did. First off, why do you think He did miracles to start with? He just left the Synagogue where He refused to do anything more than speak. Now, a few hours later, He is happy to have the people come to Him and begin to heal, cast out demons, and speak to them about the Kingdom of God. It's simple really. First off, this is why He was sent, to preach the Gospel. Do you think His Father might have had Him push a bit more than He thought He would? After all, it was His mother Mary who got Him started, (Remember the water to wine wedding?)and it seems that with John the Baptist being harassed, He has to step up. But more, He is the messenger, not John. John was the preparer. So Jesus had to begin somewhere, and the healing? They offered two things. A show of compassion from the Father, and it was great advertising, if that is the right word.

Keep in mind, if you go back two thousand years ago, leave all of your electronic devices here. Forget anything that runs on electricity. Forget running water, a bathroom, hard floors of any type or style. Forget your glasses, your windows, and even your underwear. Place a hole in a common sheet, preferable an old one, put your head through it, stitch together out of whatever bark or cloth you may have, because your shoes and socks aren't going either, and leave the make-up, razors and deodorants. Now you're about ready to go. Just one last thing. Forget most of the language you know, give up everything but nouns and verbs, punctuation, and the idea that you can read or write. You don't need any of that stinking stuff to live at the time that Jesus was walking around your neighborhood. So what is the point? How do you get the word out, that the Messiah is here? You do something special. No, not sell Mary Kay, you do miracles. And people will talk. Oh yes, if you ever lived in a small town, you know what I am saying.

Have you ever thought what a miracle your Life is? Have you come to that place where you understand that you, when the Father looks at your life, He sees His Son? Have you come to realize that He isn't expecting anything from you, but that you would want to show your Love, commitment to Him, because of such great Love towards you? That's why the Apostle Paul spoke of Grace as not a license to sin, no, instead it is a license to mature and do what is right, because it is what you want to do. Either way God is pleased with you, now you need to become pleased with you. Not by Law, or rule, or rite. But by realizing how wide, and how long and how deep is the Love of the Father for you. The moment you see the Lord work through you, I guarantee once realized, your joy will be unmatched. But don't push it, rest in it. Allow Him the time and the place, and in the mean while stay close, build that relationship with conversation and trust. You will never want to turn back to the world you used to live in. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: Do you know that the most popular tool for sales training and motivation in the twentieth century was based on how Jesus worked His way through the Bible? There were several people that saw the comparison of getting people to pay attention and present a product one on one by how Jesus and the New Testament treated the Gospel. It was the root of PMA, positive mental attitude, and confidence with unmatched skill and belief in oneself they got from these verses. Just telling you something I know for certain, as I was one of those that read the books, went through the seminars, and the training. Shows how off base anyone can make the Gospels and the Bible.

Brother Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 4:31-37 Study 22 ''Jesus Begins His Ministry"

Luke 4:31-37 "And He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were being astonished at His teaching, because His word was with authority.
And in the synagogue was a man having a spirit of an unclean (defiling) demon. And it cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Away! What to us and to You (What have we to do with You), Jesus, O Nazarene? Did You come to destroy us? I know You, who You are--the Holy One of God!” And Jesus rebuked it, saying, “Be silenced, and come out from him!” And the demon having thrown him down into midst, came out from him, in no way having harmed him! And amazement came upon all, and they were conversing with one another, saying, “What this word, that with authority and power He commands the unclean (defiling) spirits, and they come out?” And a report concerning Him was spreading into every place of the surrounding region."

Good Day Child of God! Jesus is going from "Hi, how are ya, I have a new message for you," to "Do you believe in miracles, well here you are, here you are!" It's dramatic what is happening. From that humble beginning of bringing attention to the change that God would like to see, to moving forward with power and might. The verses above are just the beginning of what will be a great deal of attention getting, as we continue on in Luke.

There is one thing to take notice of in these few verses, and frankly from the beginning of Luke. Who is it that Jesus is speaking to, and when or where is He doing that. He is speaking to Jews, and specifically those that would profess to be religious in their daily lives. That is no small message to put into your thinking as we study Jesus. He is NOT speaking to you and I in 2012.

Today's easy lesson: One of the most serious mistakes many Christians make is taking the Gospels as their guidance for their walk of Faith. That kind of thinking will not set you free, it will bind you up. It will also give you the idea that a Believer, born again, Christian can be possessed by the devil, or evil spirit. Let's look at these two things one at a time.

First off, WWJD. He wouldn't follow Himself in a post Cross, post Resurrection world. Jesus came to bring the Jewish people back to what God intended for them to begin with. A freedom of religion, being able to trust in His provision at all times, with no man leading them, but God alone being there leader. In fact, God resisted giving them an earthly king until He decided to teach them yet another lesson, when He gave in and allowed Saul to be their first King. Saul was a wild, stubborn donkey of a man, that at one point walked around on all fours for two years and ate and acted like an animal. Great king. Yet the Jews persisted in their want to have that earthly leader. It's called being soulish, not spiritual.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit NEVER indwelt anyone except Adam and Eve prior to Pentecost. Adam and Eve lost their Spirit in death that day they decided to go it their own way, and that was death of their direct relationship with God as well, in Spirit. The Spirit left them, leaving them as the walking dead, if you will. Jesus was the second Adam, and He was conceived by whom? The Holy Spirit. Thus Jesus was both God, in Spirit, and man, in Mary. And even in that, as an aside, He didn't dare do anything without hearing it from the Father first. But additionally, once a Christian is a Believer, there is no room, way, place, or enough power, to overcome the Holy Spirit that indwells a true Believer. So that kind of thinking is simply religious and superstitious.

We always get back to: Jesus came to set you free. It is pivotal in your understanding of how God wants you to relate to Him. Freely. Not through any man or woman, as though one man or woman is more holy than another, and certainly not through any rite, ritual, or any other action. If that were the case, that is, you could get to God by some type of prayer, or ritual, or reading, whatever, who has the power, and who is the subject of that power. You would have it over God, and He in turn would respond to your doing. Does that sound like logic, or even close to what a Loving, Caring Father has in mind? No. Just reading the words tells you how wrong this kind of thinking is. Yet, it is common belief among many so called Christians today. You Child of God don't want to get your thinking mixed up in that kind of dilemma. It is a dilemma to be sure, because if God answers don't come, or are different than your request, all kinds of things will be said and done to reason why. God is always right, and it is much easier and freedom reigns when you just follow His lead. WWJD? Follow the Father. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: Thought for the day. When Jesus walked and talked while on earth, is there any place that He states that He is to be worshiped, or is it that He always pointed to the Father? Jesus always pointed to the Father, never taking credit for anything He said or did. Funny how that obvious fact alludes so many.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 4:25-30 Study 21 "Jesus' First Recorded Sermon" Part 3‏

Luke 4:25-30 "But I say to in truth, many widows were in Israel during the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three years and six months, when great famine came upon all the land; and to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath the of Sidon, to a woman, a widow. And many lepers (people with a skin disease) were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.”
And all in the synagogue were filled with rage, hearing these things. And having risen, they forced Him outside the city and brought Him as far as brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down from the cliff. But He, having passed through middle of them, went away."

Good Day Child of God! Unless you are a Biblical Scholar or Jewish, the verses in this Study will mean little to you. Except to see that whatever it is Jesus said to the "congregation", it was really insulting. Quick background. At the time of Elijah, the Jewish Nation had wondered so far off course, that the worship of the One True God, was gone. They were killing prophets, gross worship services to idols were common, and God had told the Jewish people that if this happened, He would stop the rain for three and one half years. Elijah was stunned at what was going on with the Jews, so he prayed a prayer of reminder to God of His warning, of course at the same time, as though God didn't know it, that they deserved to have the rain stop now. And it did.

However, since the Land of the Jews was going to go into a deep famine, it wouldn't be prudent to leave Elijah there, so he was directed by God to go to a Gentile city to be cared for by a Gentile, and not just any Gentile, a woman. Ahhhhhg! The "congregation" was quite familiar with the story, and being compared to disobedient Jews and suffering the consequences, would necessarily make them think that Jesus was getting just a little to big for His sandals, and His small town as well. Killing Him seemed like a good idea at the time.

Today's easy lesson: Now it becomes clear why Jesus said "A prophet is not accepted in his hometown." He wasn't just speaking of Himself, He was speaking in general terms. Expectations, a problem for prophets, and for everyone who believes one thing should be happening, and the Truth leads to something completely different. This is how we get off course in our Faith. We build in a set of expectations, most of which are fostered by the church, that if we do this or that, follow this dictate or that rite or church rule, things will go well with us. Right, and the verses above show that to be not so true.

Keep in mind, that your freewill did not expire when the light went on in your head that Jesus is the Messiah, and that you accept that, and want Life. You can still go it alone, and often do, I am sure. How do I know? I am still trying to break that bad habit, making me just another human with faults. Ah, but God Loves me so, that He had the Apostle Paul warn in Romans, by telling all Gentiles, not to get stuck on your style and ways of worship or belief system, for that is worshiping whom? God or you? You. Idolatry in a human body. It is easy to do. It is natural, and your calling as His Child is not worldly, but Spiritual. Expect a relationship. That endures, and your expectation will be satisfied. If you want worldly gain in any way, shape, or form for your Faith to be grounded and strong, you will be weak and working harder and harder each and every day to gain that which you already possess. Give up your freewill to your Father, and trust that He will lead you to the place He knows you will find love, joy, and peace. For when you are weak(in control), you are strong(in Him). Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: I never thought I would see the day when Grace would becoming the New Reformation in the Church, but the calling is beginning to happen within the Traditional Church. Yes, there are Pastors out there, few and far between, that have recognized the error in mixing Law and Grace. But among those that don't I would recommend a book that is fairly new, written by Billy Graham's Grandson, Tullain Tchividjian: Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Start with Chapter 3 if you don't like to read. It's a short book which can be found on Amazon.com for about $12 in hard cover. You will be very encouraged. We are witnessing the very beginning of what could be a less important roll of the Roman Church and all of its subsidiary offshoots, and the real Truth that the Apostle Paul was given to teach to the Gentiles.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 4:20-24 Study 20 "Jesus' First Recorded Teaching" Part 2‏

Luke 4:20-24 "And having rolled up the scroll, having returned to the attendant, He sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were looking intently on Him. Then He began to be saying to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in ears.” And all were bearing witness to Him (were speaking well of Him), and they were wondering at the gracious words, the ones having come out from His mouth. And they were saying, “This is the Son of Joseph, is it not?”
And He said to them, “Certainly, will say (quote) this allegory (proverb) to Me, ‘“Physician, heal yourself”--as many as we heard having been done in Capernaum, do also here in Your hometown.’” Then He said, “Positively, I say to (you), no prophet is accepted in his hometown."

Good Day Child of God! First off this Study, I once again am seeming to make the Studies a bit too long. I apologize for that! The format is supposed be: verse(s), background, lesson, encouragement, and some factoid of one sort or another. All this to be read within two minutes. I know your all busy, and even though we get deep into the subjects, I don't want to wax on without meaning.

Secondly, at this moment, I am scheduled to have back surgery on the twenty second of this month. I have had three others, so where this one is expected to be fairly extensive, I don't know what to expect. There will be a short interruption of our time together and maybe when we restart, lessons that won't necessarily follow our current Gospel of Luke endevour. This is all in the Lord's hands and could change. I am completely open to what may come next, but I want you to be informed so that there are no surprises. We all like prizes, no one I know loves surprises, at least not unexpected news that isn't fun.

OK, having said all that, I am already behind in this Study for time. But I want you to notice something of this group of verses that should be all to familiar to you. That is, they don't come with an explaination of why Jesus baits His homies, and then gives them a reason to be angry with Him.

Today's easy lesson: Don't you find these four verses absolutely incredible, since they start with Jesus handing the Scroll of Isaiah back to the attendant, and then telling the crowd, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled...". The attendee's at this Sabbath's worship service are all impressed, they even take pride in the fact that "This is the son of Joseph (and Mary)." They're happy as can be, thumbs stuck under their would be lapels, and thinking they have got a hometown hero in their pressence.

Now wait a minute. How in the world do they come to this conclusion given one Scripture reading, and one statement from Jesus, a kid they knew growing up, as is the case of a town as small as theirs, five hundred or so people? They heard something of Jesus. They knew He and John the Baptist were working together, they knew of the miracles and the new teaching. They had too, and of course, they expected some healings and great signs done right there at home, just like Jesus had done elsewhere. Jesus knew why so many came to "church" that day, and His only interest is in promoting God's Plan, not their wishes to see great works. So He tells them in so many words: "Sorry people, nothing to see here, move on with the service. All you are going to get out of me is the fulfillment of Prophecy, and that is it. There's no respect I tell you, no respect. You have known me your whole life, and all you can look for are miracles? No deal!"

People do that to this very day don't they? They come to Jesus for the first time because they need a miracle in their life. Even if they don't come to Jesus the first time for that reason, they are told that Jesus is the go to Guy for the miracles needed in your life. That's what He's for, doing something for you that you perceive is needed right now or at least as soon as possible? That is not why Jesus came. He came to "fulfill the Law", which ends it as a tool for judgement, and He came to give Life. Who needs Life? Dead people. So the greatest miracle of all is given at the get go, you, a dead person, come to Jesus, trust in His death, burial, and Resurrection, and what do you get? Forgiveness of your sins? No. That's already a non issue, all the sins of the world were nailed on the Cross. To get your physical health and wellbeing put back together? No, that's not it. What then? The Apostle Paul puts it this way: "In your sins (which is unbelief), you are dead, but in Christ Jesus, you are made alive." So you get Life. Is there a greater miracle or a greater gift? You decide that. All I know for sure is that once you receive the Greatest Gift, you have the Blessed honor of a relationship with your Father, and in that, Grace never stops flowing through your Life. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOIDISH: Speaking of what Jesus is for: I PRAY FOR...

Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents.

At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the
youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs, "I PRAY FOR A NEW BICYCLE.
I PRAY FOR A NEW PLAYSTATION. I PRAY FOR A NEW DVD..."

His older brother leaned over and nudged the younger brother and said,
"Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn't deaf."

To which the little brother replied, "No, but Gramma is!"

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 4:14-19 Study 19 "Jesus' First Recorded Teaching" Part 1‏

Luke 4:14-19 "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news went out through the whole surrounding region concerning Him. And He began teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And He entered, according to His custom, on the day of the Sabbaths into the synagogue, and He stood up to read aloud.
And a scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it had been written:
'Spirit of LORD upon Me, on account of which He anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to poor; He has sent Me to heal the ones having been broken heart (who have become despondent), to proclaim deliverance to captives and recovery of sight to blind, to send away having been oppressed, with deliverance, to proclaim acceptable year of LORD.' (Isaiah 61:1,2)"

Good Day Child of God! When reading the Scripture for this Study, the whole of it is so long, that it I had some concern of how the Lord would want this to be taught. Then it occurred to me to ask Him, since He writes them, I type them, to see what He had in mind. Probably three parts in this lesson. That is the simple answer, so I started to read it again, and the "Stop" signal was given at this point. The reason is so obvious, that it is too easy to miss.

There are really two lessons in one in the words above, both rendering themselves back to one issue. The Holy Spirit and God's Grace. I know that's two in the sentence, but they are one in the same. Keep in mind this is not Jesus' first sermon, I guess He took a practice or two before getting back to where people knew Him well, and where He felt it was important to start. The reason? There is a significance to the time, message, and place, as you will find out in Studies to come, Lord Willing. Now, I know some of you are annoyed with the Lord Willing business I use. But I said it three Studies ago, and the Lord gave a different lesson two days ago than I thought would be coming. So, you see why it isn't me, it is Him.

Today's easy lesson: The first thing that is easy to see in our verses this Study is that: "...Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee...". What does that mean in plain English? It means Jesus was following, not leading. It was the Holy Spirit, just as with the Apostle Paul in his missionary journeys, and later on in Luke, in Jesus' own ministry, following the Spirit or Will of God was as normal as eating a meal. It is a lesson well realized.

The second lesson we find, is that Jesus came to whom according the reading from Isaiah? Was it the poor in finances? Was it those that felt love lost and had a broken heart? Was it those in jail for deeds they may or may not have been responsible for? How about people that could not see, or people who were kidnapped, or had be sold into slavery? It says all of these does it not? NO! It says none of these. You see, pardon the pun, that for the first time in the lives of those at the synagogue that Saturday, they were being preached to about Spiritual matters, not worldly matters. At first the crowd is all impressed, but later on when they begin to understand that Jesus isn't talking about people's pocket books, or the scrawny chicken in their pot, He is speaking to them of the Grace of God, they aren't all that impressed. Grace may sound great, but in many people's mind, it doesn't pay the rent.

There is an argument to be made that Grace doesn't pay the rent. But equally it could be found that Grace finds a way to get the rent paid. There are many ways that can get accomplished, but in God's economy, He has ownership of everything, the ultimate Landlord as it were, and these worldly issues are easily dealt with. Part of it has to do with expectations. We'll take a look at that in depth another time, but for now, the issue that Isaiah and Jesus by reading these verses are trying to make is that God is looking for those that thirst for the real things of Life: peace, love, joy, gentleness, kindness, patience, self-control, and faithfulness. This list comes at the end of Galatians, and it really is a substitute for the nature of our Father. At your acceptance of His Gift in Christ Jesus, these attributes are available to you. I know, I usually keep the list to peace, love, and joy, but that is for expedience sake, not for any other reason.

So there you have it. The One and only Son of God being lead by the Spirit, always. He didn't even pick up Isaiah without direction from the Father. This I can assure you. And then what is the message? Those of you that are poor in Spirit, those of you that have obeyed what you have been taught in the Law but feel so empty, those of you that are blinded to the meaning of the Scripture, those of you that have been taken captive by religious activity, and feel there is no freedom in view, Jesus has the Good News for you. Grace is here! Again at first blush, the crowd loves the message, but there is much more to this story.

In the mean while, please keep in touch with your Father, please? There is happiness all around you, there is true joy only in Him. We all strive for only one thing, and it is to be filled with peace, love, joy, gentleness, kindness, patience, self-control, and faithfulness. If you look deeply in your heart, everything else: home, cars, money, and everything life has to offer, have no comparable place when sitting next to the list of God's Gifts to you. It is what is universally sought after, but we will use others things, and sometimes other people to make up for the what is missing in life. That is why Jesus said, "I come to give you Life, and it more abundantly." He wasn't talking about the rent, He was talking about you being fulfilled in meaning and purpose, love and joy, and steadiness in you being. OK, the rent as it were, will get paid too. But maybe not the way you expect. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: Something else easily missed when reading the Bible: It is a Book about a Spiritual things, not worldly things. Oh sure, there is history, intriguing stories, and all kinds of unusual happenings, but it all leads to one thing. Who is behind all of this, and Who initiates all and finds a way to get His Will done regardless of what is going on, so that you and I can benefit? Right. God. From the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelations. The Alpha and Omega is the Center of all things.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 4:1-13 Study 18 "The Temptation Of Jesus"

Luke 4:1-13 "Then Jesus, full of Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted forty days by the Devil. And He did not eat anything in those days, and they having been completed, afterward He was hungry. And the Devil said to Him, “Since You are God’s Son, speak to this stone that it shall become bread.” And Jesus answered to him, saying, “It has been written, ‘A person will not live on bread only, on every word of God.’” (Deut 8:3)
And the Devil, having brought Him into a high mountain, showed to Him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in a moment of time. And the Devil said to Him, “I will give to You all this authority and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I shall be desiring. Therefore, if You prostrate Yourself in worship before me all will be Yours.” And answering, Jesus said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! It has been written, ‘You will prostrate yourself in worship before LORD your God, and Him only you will sacredly serve.’” (Deut 6:13)

And he brought Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, “Since You are God’s Son, throw Yourself down from here. For it has been written, ‘To His angels He will give orders concerning you, to guard over you’, and, ‘They will lift you up on hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” (Psalm 91:11,12); (Note: Satan omitted the words “in all your ways” which indicate “normal ways” not going out of your way to “test God.”) And answering, Jesus said to him, “It has been said, ‘You will not put LORD your God to the test.’” (Deut 6:16) And having completed every temptation, the Devil departed from Him until another time.

Good Day Child of God! It is interesting to note that many theologians and commentators on the Bible have little to say of the verses included for this Study. It is too simple and I suppose self explanatory, but still, it is unusual that this group of what is an intense back and forth between God's Son and God's former, arguably favorite, angel.

It is also interesting that the negotiations, for that is what this really is, starts relatively small, and the ante is upped with every further offer. In the end, simply put, Jesus rejected Lucifer, and He chose God. I chose God, whatever the circumstance. Sounds good doesn't it?

Today's easy lesson: We find Jesus just having been Baptized and is now ready to begin His earthly ministry. However, He feels the need for one more preparation, knowing full well He is not going down an easy road. And even if He did feel He was confident enough in what He had learned from His Father, His teaching from others here on earth, and in His own abilities, the prudent thing to do is to be sure that being ready for what may come, is more important than walking out, puffed up, and thinking He can do it, finding that winning a battle here and there is not winning the war. He needs the courage and the wisdom, and the words of the Father, prioritized in reverse order to pull this off, and we know that to be true. Look at His reactions at going forward at the Garden before His Crucifixion. He wasn't laughing at death.

The first negotiation is pretty simple. Hungry? How about some bread? Think of two things. Either Lucifer is not sure Who he is talking to, which may be the case, or he has an ego so large, he thinks he could be God. Jesus answers simply by quoting Scripture. Next negotiation. Lucifer gets way more serious here, and offers Jesus the world from that moment forward to the end of it. He says it's his to do with what he wishes, and can give it away if he wants, it's his prerogative. Do you think Lucifer is lying, or does he have that power? It seems he does. The reason to believe so, even though Lucifer speaks lies like it is his natural tongue, is in one of the parables. We'll leave it at that for now, and keep it in mind that it was Lucifer that got Adam and Eve off course. And again, Jesus simply brushes the whole idea aside by using Scripture. Now the final offering. It's one thing to offer the people of the world, it is yet another to offer those that would seek God, and His Chosen. Does Lucifer have the ability to do that? I don't think so. He certainly has had a chance to pervert the Gospel, but to take control of God's Possessions? No! Then, in his offer he, as is normal, misquotes Scripture, the note about this is in brackets in the text. And of course Jesus' response? Scripture. There's nothing more for Lucifer to offer at this point, but he has learned one thing for certain. If he wasn't sure Who Jesus was before this all started, he knows now. He's going to have to regroup and come back, if he can, at a time that he may see a crack in the armor.

What do we take from this? There is safety in being a Child of God. There is still temptation, perhaps not from a devil, but from the world, yet regardless of where it comes from, there is a simple answer to rid yourself of it. Stay close to the Father, ask Him to overcome it for you, and remember Scripture that solidifies your standing before the Father. In the end, you know on what side you would rather be. It takes a bit of experience and maturity to do this, and it takes some "guts" as well. What did Jesus do before He truly began to speak to the people, the leaders, and those that wanted to know and worship God? He prepared Himself one last time, by spending some quiet time with the Father. That is a great habit to get into, and truthfully, for you and I, some experience in failure, because there is no better teacher than failure, to get you to do the right thing. Your Father is always there waiting, watching, and wondering when you two are going to discuss your life and everything in it. At some point, your immediate reaction is going to be Father, this-that-and everything, and that is when failure will not be an option. He is God! Is there anything He cannot teach you, guide you, or live and love through you? No. That is what to take from this. Challenges? Sure they'll come. Solutions? They'll come too, but you have to invoke your freewill to give it to your Father, or do it on your own and find the going not so easy. I know I keep telling you this, but if it was important to Jesus, why wouldn't it be important to you as well? Remember, as a Christian, a Child of God, living a life that reflects His thinking is important. We all fail at this, but still strive to allow Him to do what is needed so that your life glorifies His Love for you. Sinning should not be on your front burner as a concern, but doing the right thing, with the Father leading the way, should be. OK? Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: Lucifer, Satin, the Devil, and whatever other names can be used to reflect who he or more, it, was since he was first introduced as an angel, and still is for that matter. Where is Lucifer first spoken of? No, not Genesis. Job. Job is thought to be the oldest Book in the Bible, predating the first five books, which are taken to be dictated by Moses. Reading Job then will give you a real insight into how God, Who is the same from the beginning to the end of time, thinks and works. You will learn so much more about your Loving Heavenly Father Who's Spirit indwells you. I highly recommend taking the time to read Job.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 3: 31-38 Study 17 "Jesus Begins Preaching and Teaching"

Luke 3:21-38 "Now it happened, while all the people to be baptized, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, heaven (the sky) was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came out of heaven saying, “You are My Son--the Beloved--in You I am well-pleased!
And Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began, being, as was being supposed, son of

Joseph, son of Eli, of Matthat, of Levi, of Melchi, of Janna, of Joseph, of Mattathias, of Amos, of Naum, of Esli, of Naggai, of Maath, of Mattathias, of Semei, of Joseph, of Judah,
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, of Zerubbabel, of Shealtiel, of Neri, of Melchi, of Addi, of Cosam, of Elmodam, of Er, of Jose, of Eliezer, of Jorim, Matthat, Levi, of Simeon, of Judah, of Joseph, of Jonan, of Eliakim, of Melea, of Mennan, of Mattatha, of Nathan, of David, of Jesse, of Obed, of Boaz, of Salmon, of Nahshon, of Amminadab, of Aram, of Hezron, of Perez, of Judah, of Jacob, of Isaac, of Abraham, of Terah, of Nahor, of Serug, of Reu, of Peleg, of Eber, of Shelah, of Cainan, of Arphaxad, of Shem, of Noah, of Lamech, of Methuselah, of Enoch, of Jared, of Mahalaleel, of Cainan, of Enos, of Seth, of Adam, of God."

Good Day Child of God! This Biblical Text looks complicated and boring, and there is some truth to that. There are two lists in the New Testament that bring to the time and day of Jesus' beginning of His Public Ministry (as underlined), the one in Matthew from Mary's side of the family, and in this one from Joseph's side of the Family. Except, as noted in the underlined words above, Joseph in only the supposed father of Jesus. Both he and Mary knew that wasn't true.

There are many names within the list that you are probably not familiar with, so I underlined those you would or should recognize. Jesus had to come from the Tribe of Judah, and notice His heritage do not go through Cain nor Able, but Seth. As we have learned over and over and over again, put a stumbling block in front of God's plan, and He'll find a way around it. At one time I took the time to study both sections of Matthew and Luke going through the list of names, and believe it or not, finding out who is who above is quite interesting. We won't go that far, but are we now beginning the beginning of what will be a whirlwind of preaching and activity from Jesus.

Today's easy lesson: To clarify first part of the Scripture above, it simply says that as people were being baptized by John, Jesus showed up to be baptized, and the Father spoke, whether intelligibly to all or not, His joy in watching His only begotten as He grew up, and to the day of His baptism. Which we could look at as some kind of graduation day. Keep in mind, that Jesus and John took that Old Time Religion, and spoke of turning it on its head. They don't look at the Priests and other leaders as having been successful. No, rather they take it that they have missed the point and need to have the proverbial compass settings re-aimed so that they would honor the Father properly.

There are so many preachers, teachers, and ministry leaders that focus on times and dates within the Bible, that it seemed good to underline the fact that Jesus was not exactly thirty years old at the start of His Ministry. Looking at the Bible for key dates and times so that one could predict this or that, or perhaps the end days is a fools journey. There are so many generalizations in the Old Testament alone, it makes no sense to try to focus on such things. Remember, the "science", or better the physics, of the birth of the Universe, as well as its unique workings is so complicated that the Apostle Paul's statement that there are two ways to know there is a God still ring true to this day. One is the Universe, "we don't understand it", and we don't! And two, conscience, we have a conscience. Why? Because we are unique beings that God Created, and no other being has a conscience. Wonder how science can explain the evolution of that? Oh yes, they don't even bother pointing towards it. Ever notice that? And Paul wrote that fact in the First Chapter of Romans two thousand years ago. Yet, nearly every scientist, so called, and preacher that looks into the Bible and can tell you and I that "aliens" helped with the construction of the pyramids, or that the number years, if not days or hours, are spelled out for us is so much bunk. I am not against science, in fact I embrace it. But challenging the status quo is much different than trying to prove you are a genius, and calling every new "discovery" a new fact, with the old fact fading away. That is called: ego. We all know preacher after preacher that has made a fool out of his ministry and his life by trying to predict the end of time. And that is important to your relationship to the Father for what reason?

OK, let's move forward. We are now going to find Jesus, a mature man, walking about, taking on the religious leadership in every way possible. He starts at home in the next Study, and there we find out if He has the right stuff, because it doesn't go well. Lord Willing, that comes tomorrow, but in the mean while, remember that the Bible is the Good News, the Good Book, but also that the thrust of the teaching is in the over-all theme of the Book. And that starts right at the beginning with Adam and Eve failing, yet God finding a way to go forward and work out a way that He can walk and talk with us on a one on One basis. That's called Agape' Love fellow Students. Never, ever giving up on you, never turning away from you, and providing regardless of how you may feel at the moment. That kind of Love is so deep there is no science, or date, and certainly not enough time to study and put a value to it. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: Not to pick on any certain group, but the Jehovah Witnesses are special. They read the Bible for the sole purpose of living in such a manner, that they will be prepared in their soul, when the Lord comes. They have predicted that date several times, and have been wrong every single time. Does it makes sense to ignore the Love of God over your living "right" so you'll be here the day you think He is coming, and you find it is always wrong? Would you think, as a group, or as a leadership, you would wise up and perhaps look for another way to look at the Bible? Sure you would, but somehow the blind are leading the blind right to Hell (death). Unfortunately this is a group that rejects Jesus as the Messiah, and right now as God has it, that is the only unforgivable sin, especially when you are presented with the choice.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 3:19-20 Study 16 "John Goes To Jail"

Luke 3:19-20 "But Herod, the ruler of the quadrant, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias the wife of his brother and concerning all the evils which Herod did, added also this to all, and locked up John in prison."

Good Day Child of God! We have two simple sentences to read, and what can you see in, or say of, these verses that make any sense? That is, considering where they are placed within the text of this letter, what can the meaning of what they say be determined by you or I if we got this letter, alone, just today? I think we would be stumped if we didn't know certain themes and the writing structure of the Bible, and have more text to read.

You recall, the Bible is often written with an introduction, as we have in meeting John the Baptist, then once the overview is given, more details are meted out later. Again, Genesis Chapter One, then Two. In this case however, since Luke's primary reason for writing to Theopholis is to inform him of the Life of Jesus, and substantiate His Bona Fide as the Messiah, John's ministry and life will come out of the letter in parts. It must have been something of a gossip situation, concerning Herod and Herodias, as the words are left locked without the details, yet to one point, that it is true. It also could have been that Luke didn't feel any need for details, the story going around the various palaces and places of power and already well established.

Today's easy lesson: John the Baptist was one tough dude. What is clear, is that he did not come in meekness of speech and message and heap praise on anyone. Including the ruler of the district, nor the rulers wife. This can be a good trait, being straight forward and all, but in time he will pay the price. The "live by the sword, die by the sword rule" applies everywhere, including doing God's work. Keep in mind none of the Apostles "lived large" as the saying goes in this modern day. They all died in obscure and in many cases obscene ways. But then again, so did the only begotten Son of God.

What's the point? Is this to scare you? No. This is to bring a reality to your thinking. Your Life. When your life is going along quite well, maybe a hiccup or two, nothing you cannot handle, you "feel" you are in God's Will and His good Graces. Things go to far out of control, and all of a sudden there is a special need for real prayer, searching your conscience for things you might not have done right, perhaps you have been too complacent, not thankful enough, and the run for reasons and how to get God to put things back in order begins. Am I close? Yes, I know I am. I too am human. The thing we all need to come to terms with is that that type of thinking is simply - superstition. Perhaps veiled in religion. What, you, a favored Child of God, all of a sudden need a test? The Father that Loves you so much that His number one Son died and was raised that you might have Life, and it more abundantly, so that when He sees you He sees His Son, needs to toughen you up? Oh, you are fading in your Faith, so God Who is Faithful when we are not, is letting you suffer so that others can pray for you, and that you get serious about your walk with Him? This only makes sense in some crazy, moonbeam kind of weird trip.

Do you see the simple message that life is what comes your way, and by Faith you take it, deal with it, live with it, and work with it. Good times and bad, yet keeping in mind that your Father wants to build that relationship with you? He doesn't need to put anything in your path to make it harder than it already can be. The world is fraught with landmines of various and sundry problems, and even when good is trying to make its way through the dark, bad things can happen. You keep your Faith regardless. That is your only job. Sure you may worry, congratulations, you're human. You have hormones, some make you feel great, others make you want to run away. But the Truth is the world, and God's Provision, neither, are changed because you may be experiencing great success, or great frustration. The world does what it does, that is why you are told not to judge it. You don't have enough wisdom nor foresight. God does, and He Provides the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and more. He will bring you through the "valley of the shadow of death" in victory, you're being worried or not. The joy, the peace, the love, these are your gifts, given by Him, because you can trust Him. There is no need for soul searching, extraordinary prayers, or any kind of works, actions, special giving's, whatever. What is needed then? How about an honest talk with your Father? How about an honest appraisal of the situation, and Who has power, means, and wisdom? How about giving that freedom to be frustrated to Him, and take a vacation, as the movie "What about Bob", suggested from, well, your concerns. That old saying, "Let go, let God" is too trite. It isn't that easy. Except when you stop and think what is really different and how it really matters in your Life. The calm will come, the love will re-appear, and the joy will return. Because you my fellow Grace Student, are His Child. Nothing can ever stop that, and you know it! He Loves you so much, prayers of thanks should be where your heart is at all times. Nothing more is needed. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: After our last Study on Hell, there were some very encouraging words, and some who came with real concerns and confused thoughts. I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and comments. Everyone has been so respectful and honorable in their words. The subject will come up again, and we will delve into it again, but please keep this one thing in mind for those that are struggling with the issue. Whether or not you believe in a place that forever punishment and torment exists, it doesn't matter to God. He didn't say, "By the way, I sent my Son, had Him punished for your sins, had Him killed in the most gruesome manner, then buried in a borrowed cave, then in Power and Might raised Him so that you might have Life, offering this gift to you for the sake of acceptance only. And, oh yes, you have to believe in a terrible place I happen to really get into where people who miss out for one reason or another, regardless of age or location, will burn and suffer forever. OK? Only that, and, ah, water baptism, and, OK, one last thing, confess your sins to one another, and nothing else. OK, church EVERY Sunday, not on the Sabbath, I'm giving you a break there. So that's it then. Look forward to seeing you improve every day or you'll have to suffer in order to get my approval. Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention that, and the speaking in tongues to make the grade as well. But look just those few things. Oh yes, then I forgot..."

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 3:15-18 Study 15 "Is John The Christ?"

Luke 3:15-18 "Now the people are anticipating, and all are pondering in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ (Messiah). John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize in water (with water), but mightier than I is coming, of whom I am not worthy to loose the strap of His sandals, He will baptize in (with) Holy Spirit and fire; whose winnowing shovel in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and will gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn the chaff in unquenchable fire!” So then urging many other, he was proclaiming the Gospel to the people."

Good Day Child of God! Finally we are getting to some really interesting text. Not that the historical portions of Luke's Gospel are not important to prove the writings to be accurate, but by and large I think we are past that. We understand that the Gospel of Luke are his writings, and that he did his due-diligence to make sure that what he is reporting is Truth. But now! We have verses that seem to tell us one thing, and have indeed been characterized by many as easily understood, yet we need to seek out what is Truth as opposed to what looks like Truth.

This is a fairly quick introduction to John, is it not? I mean in a few sentences, we have gone from a man preaching in the wilderness against the status quo, to a man that many are pondering whether or not he is the Messiah. John's answer is quite clear, unambiguous, and to the point. Nothing controversial within his statement. But what of the baptism and the unquenchable fire? There's something to this that may not be so easy to grasp.

Today's easy lesson: We have to wonder if Luke knew Matthew was writing a Gospel similar to his. Why do I say that? Look at Matthew's Gospel, and see how differently he treats John the Baptist. Much more detail. Seems like Luke either had an idea that was coming, or that his focus on the Life of Jesus was much more important than those that surrounded Him. Could be the later, as Luke really does focus on Jesus continuously.

To the Scripture above, what does it mean to you when John says: "I indeed baptize with water, but mightier than I is coming, of whom I am not worthy to loose the strap of His sandals. He will baptize in (with) Holy Spirit and fire; whose winnowing shovel in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor and will gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn the chaff in unquenchable fire!”

1) If John baptizes with water and Jesus with the Spirit and fire, is baptism with water necessary?
2) If Jesus is going to thoroughly clean out His threshing floor...but He will burn the chaff in unquenchable fire, does that mean those that are not gathered into the barn are going to burn in hell forever?

These questions need to be asked, and more, they need to have answers. If you answered question one with a yes, you do not understand what Jesus said about baptism when He said, "A man or woman must be born of water and of Spirit."(John 3:5) This is a play on words. First off baptism is a sign of what? Repentance, or a turning away from one way of life to another. In this case turning away from a life of doing so that you may receive, but additionally, it simply means, that to be born of water is that you have to be born, period. Kind of a joke. You are born through your mother's womb through water. Nature provides the water, God provides the Spirit. Now do you think you must be baptized in water?

The second question is much more insidious. The idea of unquenchable fire is used on simple people by so called leaders for the sake of controlling people that are looking to these leaders for guidance. If you answered yes, those not in the barn are going to burn in hell forever, again, is that what it says, or is that what your prior thinking brought to the text? What does fire do? It burns away completely. It destroys completely. There is nothing left when fire has its way for an unquenchable time. So hell is a teaching that is complete? The concept of hell, if I can say it that way without insulting any of you, is not Old Testament. It is like many things brought to the Church Age. As we discussed before; Is an eternal punishment in the context of what is a whisper of time within the character of a Loving and Caring God that is saddened by anyone that does not see His Provision? A) As an opinion I don't see it, and B) the Bible doesn't teach it. It talks about Gehenna, but that has two possible meanings. One is a valley in or around Israel that is burning like a dump all the time, and the other is an extrapolation of theological thought, that if you are not good, you will burn or be punished forever. Believe what you will, but death, the end of all you are and all you ever were, is enough punishment for anyone, and that thought was basically what the Old Testament Rabbis thought. I don't see a change within these writings. We'll be back to this subject again, because it will come up again. But I would like you to take the subject to the Lord and have Him reassure you of what is Truth on this subject.

Whatever your belief at this moment, keep in mind it makes no difference to God. He isn't concerned about what you believe about death, hell, or eternal punishment. He is very concerned that you know His Son, His Provision to bring to the Table as a Child of God. For those that have a heart for God, will God willy nilly throw them outside? That is not for you and I to judge. God will make decisions based on His Will, not on your thinking. What is taught is that you will be judged by what you know, not by what you do not know. In other words, if Jesus is presented as God's Son, died on the Cross and was Raised from the Dead so that you might have a Relationship (go to heaven) with God, you have a choice to make. Either you accept or reject the Truth. That you don't hear it, you are too young to understand it? This God will punish you forever and ever? Does this even remotely make sense to you knowing that from the beginning He is the One doing, and we are the one benefitting? I know you have heard that God is a righteous God, and He cannot come together with a sinful man or woman. Show me the verse, and I will show you that Jesus went to the Cross to end the sin issue between God and man. To prove the point, in terms of perfection, do you after you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior lead a sinless perfect life? No! Yet you are fully and acceptably a Child of God. Childish thinking of fear of what will happen to you if you don't do this right or that rite, will not help you build a Trusting, Loving Relationship with your Father. Jesus always pointed to the Father. Don't forget the Truth. It is meant to set you Free! From what? Worry, works, superstitions, and unnecessary rituals. The Curtain was ripped in two, you are Free to enter at anytime for any reason, to talk to your Father, sharing both your heart of gladness and possible sadness, and you will both come out smiling. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: The word translated as Hell, is used a total of 13 times, all in the New Testament. This alone tells you something.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/

Luke 3:7-14 Study 14 "John's First Message"

Luke 3:7-14 "Then he began saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized ( immersed) by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, produce fruits worthy of repentance (i.e., a change of mind and desire leading to change of behavior), and do not begin to be saying within yourselves, ‘We have a father, Abraham,’ for I say to, God is able to raise up children to Abraham out of these stones. But also the axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into fire!”

And the crowds began questioning him, saying, “What then will we do?” Then answering, he says to them, “The one having two tunics must share with the one not having, and the one having food must be doing likewise.”
And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what will we do?” Then he said to them, “Be collecting no more than that having been instructed to.” Now ones serving as soldiers also began questioning him, saying, “And what will we do?” And he said to them, “Violently extort money no one nor accuse falsely for money, and be content with wages.”

Good Day Child of God! Meet John the Baptist. At first glance you can see why they didn't name him Gentle John or something more appropriate to his demeanor. He isn't exactly a soft talking guy. This ultimately will cause him to lose his head, not mind, but his physical head. That comes down the road a bit. Frankly, there was little need for John to be so direct all the time, but as my wife says of me, he was passionate.

Keep in mind that God has not sent a prophet to the Israelites for four hundred years, and thus John coming out of nowhere, and preaching out in nowhere land got people thinking. This is so unique in method and in message that the community didn't take long to gather a crowd around him and to give him a reputation of man of a different sort-perhaps even the Messiah. The Jews were used to being just like everyone else, that is, me first, me second, oh, and let me include me in the third spot as well. So John's message was touching a nerve, so to speak.

Today's easy lesson: We get the sense from reading this that John was instantly educated, then instantly brought to the people who surrounded him with admiration and obedience. Hardly true. Remember that John and Jesus are considered to have been Essene taught Jews. Both Jesus and John believed the Word in a more Spiritual reality than the simplicity of what was intended in the Law. The Jews missed the point on both accounts, and they had been hard headed since they were freed from Egypt so many centuries earlier. It would require a front man like John who spoke with both authority and aggression, along with a Messiah that does the same and adds compassion to get the people to stop and take notice. In these eight sentences, John is speaking to everyone from the very common man and woman to the tax collectors and soldiers. Do you think these diverse groups hung out together. Hardly. There is a cast system of sorts within any society, and the Jews two-thousand years ago were no different. Oh yes, anyone that was going to be taxed wanted to have the tax guy over for dinner. Sure, just like they were close friends of the "police" that extorted money and goods out of just about anyone at their whim. You get the point. The time is compressed here, or again, Luke would be writing a series of Books just on the Life of Christ.

The most curious question of all though is why and how John got the idea to baptize for repentance? By and large, theologians have no clear answer for this question, but there is an answer that makes some sense. The Jews used baptism in two ways. One was to take a non-Jew and they would be Baptized in the process of becoming a proselyte, or converted, Jew. The other is that on a regular basis some Jews would immerse themselves as a cleansing and a show of renewal. There is no evidence however that one person of any position or stature would Baptize another. What happened here, I believe, is that John saw the raw hypocrisy of the community, and keeping in mind that he spoke around the gathering place of the people, that is a place where water was plentiful, that he decided that to show true repentance to a new message with a new direction would require a new format, and he took it upon himself to baptize Jews. No Gentiles within these texts, you must keep that in mind.

So the journey has begun. We are no longer going to be looking at just historical data that would prove the bona fide of Jesus as the Messiah. We are now going to begin studying how He went about the job of getting God's Chosen to pay attention to what He intended for His people, not what was the result. If you are not in tune with God's intentions, His Provision, His thinking, you are going to miss what the reality is, and make Jesus out to be a great prophet instead of the Messiah. I hear it all the time. "Jesus was showing us how to treat each other, to create a world of equality and sharing." Yes, reading John above, and of course what Jesus is going to say as we go along, you could come to that conclusion. But then you would not grasp "How high and how wide and how deep is the Love of God." These next few weeks together are going to be so wonderful. We will all learn so much about the Truth and how it is meant to set you Free. Have a Grace Day!

FACTOID: In researching the word "baptism or baptize", there is not a single reference to either word in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the use of the words both in physical and spiritual terms ranges from 25 to 50 times.

Pastor Glenn
http://gracehouseministry.blogspot.com/view/flipcard#!/