“When you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.’” (Luke 17: 10, HCSB)
Slavery in the first century Roman world was much different from slavery in early American history. Roman slaves were either taken as the spoils of war or were slaves because they sold themselves into slavery, called bond-servants.
“When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court. For the people of Israel belong to the Lord; Jacob is his special possession” (Deuteronomy 32:8-9, NLT).
These verses describe God’s sovereignty over His created order. They are part of a song that Moses composed under divine inspiration as a witness to God’s covenant with Israel (see 31:19-22).
“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster.” (Deuteronomy 30:15, NLT).
We begin each day by making a choice between walking in the way of life or walking in they way of death. It’s a life or death choice!
No, I’m not saying that you have to get saved everyday, but, in a way I am.
In these verses Jesus tells the parable of the dishonest manager. Although difficult to interpret, the parable of the dishonest manager can teach us a valuable lesson in developing spiritual maturity.
In the parable Jesus described a dishonest manager who mishandled the business affairs of his boss and knew he was about to be fired. But the business manager possessed a capability best described as acumen. Acumen is insightfulness–the keen insight one uses for making quick and accurate judgments. “Shrewdness” is the more common word we use to describe this capacity but usually carries a more negative connotation that acumen doesn’t.
“What sorrow awaits you who say, If only the day of the Lord were here! You have no idea what you are wishing for. That day will bring darkness, not light” (Amos 5:18, NLT).
In these verses Amos confronts the distorted view of the Israelites concerning their status as God’s chosen people.
In Luke 15 Jesus told three lost-and-found parables in response to complaints from the Pharisees and scribes that He consorts with sinners even to the extent of eating with them. To the Jews tax collectors were turncoats and, consequently, the worst kind of sinners because they worked for the Roman government to extract taxes from their Jewish brothers.
In the parable of the lost sheep the owner leaves the flock behind to search for one sheep that has become separated from the flock. In the parable of the lost coin a woman loses one of her ten silver coins and searches her house until she finds it. Both the sheep owner and the woman report the good news to friends and neighbors so they can share in the joy of their search and recovery efforts!
“O Israel, be quiet and listen! Today you have become the people of the Lord your God. So you must obey the Lord your God by keeping all these commands and decrees that I am giving you today” (Deuteronomy 27:9-10, NLT).
Israel was preparing to enter the promised land when Moses made this declaration to the Israelites.
Although the Israelites were already God’s people, each time they affirmed themselves to be God’s people and renewed the covenant with God, they became God’s people in a fresh, new way!
Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you” (Luke 12:31, ESV).
Having security and achieving happiness are important priorities in life for almost any human being. In fact, they are like co-dependent conditions for a fulfilling life. You can’t really have one without the other.
“Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish: I called to the Lord in my distress, and He answered me” (Jonah 2:1-2, HCSB).
You probably have a quiet, peaceful place where you like to go to pray.
Jonah’s place wasn’t quiet or peaceful. He tried to run from God and ended up being thrown overboard from a ship into the ocean and swallowed by a large fish.
“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own” (Luke 12:15, NLT).
A man from the crowd of people who constantly gathered around Jesus called out for Him to tell his older brother to divide up the estate of their father so he could receive his inheritance.
Jesus replied that He was not a judge who makes decisions about legal matters.
