The Devotional

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 181 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So, when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so, it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So, Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah Lest we forget, Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to accomplish His Father’s will.

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 180 Luke 17:5-10 – And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” So, the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? “But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. “So likewise, you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah Faith is not a duty or a work, faith is a personal exercise or reaction of the human will ! Not

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 179 Luke 17:1-3 – Then said he unto the disciples. It is impossible but that offences will come but woe unto him, through whom they come! It would be better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah An offense is hard to overcome, it could be the very thing that hinders our relationships with others. The truth, at least from my personal experience is that offenses from me, or from others toward me, is the stumbling block I face on any encounter with other people daily. There are many types of offense, but I wish only to look at one this morning. That being; the offe

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 178 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us an

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 177 1 Corinthians 2:9-12 – But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah First – I will be on vacation starting tomorrow until Thursday, May 31, 2019, so there will not be a devotional during this time .  Today and before we continue in Luke 16 concerning the rich man and Lazarus I thought it necessary to take a look at the heart of man, which according to the LORD Jesus

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 176 Luke 16:9-18 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. “Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? “And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. “The

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 175 Luke 16: 1-10He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. “So, he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. ‘I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ “So, he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So, he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ “Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So, he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures - 174 Luke 15:1-2; 28-32 – The all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying. This man receives (lit. welcomes) sinners and eats with them… “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him. “So, he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ‘But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah Luke Chapter 15 contains three parables concerning ‘repentance and

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures - 173 Luke 14:25-33 – “Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? “It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Mark 9:49-50 – “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. “Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace with one another.” Matthew 5:13 – “ You are the salt of the earth ; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah The passages above are spoken at various times throughout the ministry of Christ, He challenges those following Him that if they intend to remain true to His calling them, that they must be fervent in faith. The apostle Peter and others like Thomas struggled. Also,

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures - 172 Luke 14:25-33 – Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it —“lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? “Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsa

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures - 171 Luke 14:15-24 – Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, “and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ “Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ “So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and t

 The Devotional - Search the Scriptures - 170 Luke 14:15-24 – Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, “and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ “Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ “So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 169 Luke 14:7-14 - So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; “and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Then He also said to him who invited Him, “When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. “But when you give a fea

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 168 Luke 14:1-6 – Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him and let him go. Then He answered them, saying , “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things,  Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah All sin and religion is sin, is the result of “Coveting for something you do not have or coveting to protect something you do have.”! I ask that each of us think about this, that is; whether true or false. Coveting is “Worldly mindedness.” All of the kingdoms of the world are controlled by “Coveting”.

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 167 Luke 13:34-35 – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house has been left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!’” Jesus, the Christ of God/Messiah I have been waiting for this passage of scripture ! For better than three years, the LORD, Creator of the heavens and earth has sought to bring His chosen people to the Light of the Living Word. There were moments, like when Jesus was born. Remember the song of Elizabeth to Mary? Remember, John the Baptist recognizing who Jesus is? “Behold the LAMB” the Lamb of God – who takes away the sin of the world . Up to now, we have been looking at various events of the life of Christ! “Beh

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 167 Luke 13:22-30 – And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ “then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ “But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. “They will come from the east and the west, from the nort