"Live each day as if it were your last...because one day you are sure to be right!" So said 'Breaker' Morant (in the film anyway) and for me, this is the main message of Luke 12 - that we should be living for Christ in the power of the Spirit while we have the opportunity. Now. This minute, and everyone after that.
This requires me to;
This requires me to;
- Fear God above all, and not be "two-faced" in my Christian walk. Because nothing is hid from Him (Heb 4:13), and those things that are unworthy in my life permeate everything (v 2) making me useless for Kingdom work. As Oswald Chambers once said, "My worth to God in public depends on who I am in private". We should get rid of that unworthy 'leaven' now, today;
- Fear God above all and only Him as He is the ultimate reality, and not the things of this world. We can get distracted and disheartened by the things of this life (what C.S. Lewis called the "big red buses") such as terrorism, global warming, [insert favourite fear here], but we should take heart as our beloved Friend loves us above all else (v 7);
- Above all, Fear and Proclaim God before men and instead of men (v 8) because He is worthy of all honour! And the great thing is that we have supernatural power to do so right now, today; the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the parakletos (which is Greek for lawyer) so we have a defense counsel to help us as we proclaim Him before our work mates and friends (v 12). If we trust Him enough to do so!;
- Fear and desire God before all things. The story of the 'rich fool' (vs 13-21) put me in mind of a recent book - "When The Game Is Over, It All Goes Back In The Box" by John Ortbrg - about how seductive (and deceptive) 'getting on' in this life can be, and how in the end, like a game of 'Monopoly', all we have goes back in the box (v 20). Today, now, let us desire God above all things (v 21). Mt 16: 26.;
- Fear God... before fear! Like Vitalstatistix (pictured above) we all have fears about this life; having things we can see, feel, touch, give us a sense security and of wellbeing. A TV producer interviewing Holocaust survivors in a number of countries found that nearly all of them never went out of their homes without a bit of food in their purse or bag...just in case the Gestapo comes for them again! Sometimes our fears seem so real, but in truth may be an illusion...or an excuse. But we have one who cares for His own (v 24), we are heirs to inexhaustible (spiritual) riches (v 32, 33), and taking our eyes of Christ will only lead to incapacitating anxiety (v 25-26). We need to let go of those things that act like the 'food in our purse', and seek the Kingdom of our loving God.;
- Fear God catching me asleep at the wheel. I'm not always ready for Kingdom work, and awake to the calling of God (v 35). I can be off doing my own thing and not available to do the things that will please my Master. When He comes will I see Him in the shape of a hurting co-worker, a despairing homeless person, the lonely, the hungry (Mt 25: 31-46)? "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked." (v 48 ). This verse should thunder in the ears of the Western church.;
- Fear God before my family...which for those that don't know my Mum ain't easy! My parents and one of my sisters are not saved, and every time I talk about Jesus, BANG!, up go the hackles, down come the shutters and the anger starts (v 52). My parents are rapidly approaching the end of theirs lives, yet they can't see the storm approaching (v 53-54). May we always be aware of the shortness of our time...'cause it might be shorter than we think!
Shalom,
JB
- Fear God above all and only Him as He is the ultimate reality, and not the things of this world. We can get distracted and disheartened by the things of this life (what C.S. Lewis called the "big red buses") such as terrorism, global warming, [insert favourite fear here], but we should take heart as our beloved Friend loves us above all else (v 7);
- Above all, Fear and Proclaim God before men and instead of men (v 8) because He is worthy of all honour! And the great thing is that we have supernatural power to do so right now, today; the Holy Spirit is sometimes referred to as the parakletos (which is Greek for lawyer) so we have a defense counsel to help us as we proclaim Him before our work mates and friends (v 12). If we trust Him enough to do so!;
- Fear and desire God before all things. The story of the 'rich fool' (vs 13-21) put me in mind of a recent book - "When The Game Is Over, It All Goes Back In The Box" by John Ortbrg - about how seductive (and deceptive) 'getting on' in this life can be, and how in the end, like a game of 'Monopoly', all we have goes back in the box (v 20). Today, now, let us desire God above all things (v 21). Mt 16: 26.;
- Fear God... before fear! Like Vitalstatistix (pictured above) we all have fears about this life; having things we can see, feel, touch, give us a sense security and of wellbeing. A TV producer interviewing Holocaust survivors in a number of countries found that nearly all of them never went out of their homes without a bit of food in their purse or bag...just in case the Gestapo comes for them again! Sometimes our fears seem so real, but in truth may be an illusion...or an excuse. But we have one who cares for His own (v 24), we are heirs to inexhaustible (spiritual) riches (v 32, 33), and taking our eyes of Christ will only lead to incapacitating anxiety (v 25-26). We need to let go of those things that act like the 'food in our purse', and seek the Kingdom of our loving God.;
- Fear God catching me asleep at the wheel. I'm not always ready for Kingdom work, and awake to the calling of God (v 35). I can be off doing my own thing and not available to do the things that will please my Master. When He comes will I see Him in the shape of a hurting co-worker, a despairing homeless person, the lonely, the hungry (Mt 25: 31-46)? "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked." (v 48 ). This verse should thunder in the ears of the Western church.;
- Fear God before my family...which for those that don't know my Mum ain't easy! My parents and one of my sisters are not saved, and every time I talk about Jesus, BANG!, up go the hackles, down come the shutters and the anger starts (v 52). My parents are rapidly approaching the end of theirs lives, yet they can't see the storm approaching (v 53-54). May we always be aware of the shortness of our time...'cause it might be shorter than we think!
Shalom,
JB
4 comments:
This chapter has some of my favourite words of Jesus - as well as some difficult ones.
6,7 - I love that we are each so infinitely precious to God. beyond our understanding
but that is set amongst the words of challenge - being ready to stand for Jesus in every circumstance (much of which will be tough if we ARE actually standing for Him!)
13-21 - me and my attitude to goods. Aaahh - I find myself getting 'relative' here - and Pharasitical (sp)! I sort of think I am not as hung up on provision for my future as others! Hello!! The truth is I think these things from a position of great material comfort in real terms (Relative to the average citizen in the world)! This is a really tough area!! Does anyone else struggle with this?
22-31 - Yes I love this "Do not worry about.... I am in control" and I have experienced that! But it is amazing how I end that section there and don't get into the 33-34 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
50 - really struck me: I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.
We all have had something we have dreaded coming up. That feeling - I have wished I would break a leg to avoid facing some things! but we have faced nothing on the scale Jesus KNEW he faced. This reminder of his complete humanity hit me.
51-53 - I have found this really disturbing. has anyone else?
Thanks for your honesty Rosaleen. Has anyone else been wrestling with this passage today??
He starts off by warning his listener's about the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy: saying one thing and doing (or not doing) another...ouch! May the grace of God bring me to repentance and more alignment between what I say and what I do.
Rosaleen, you asked whether anyone else struggles with 13-21. I think we have only have two options here in Australia: one is to struggle with (and yield to) the challenge of these words and the other is to become numb (gloss over, explain away or ignore) this message.
Verses 33-34: I think I have heard more justifications for why these words are not to be taken literally than I have heard teaching on how to respond (put into practice) this teaching. Maybe Jesus didn't want all of us to sell all our possessions but perhaps we could start with some of them. When was the last time any of us sold any of our possessions to give to the poor. If anyone knows of an example of someone who has done this over recent years please call me or email me as I would be sooo encouraged!!!
I want to be a faithful and wise manager (v42)
Thanks again Jim for your input over these last few days. May God continue to give you much grace, power, peace and encouragement as you seek to live this stuff out day by day.
Hi JB. I have that fear of being found asleep at the wheel....makes my hair stand up. Funny though, evey time I think I need to rush out and do something for God to earn my place in the kingdom using my own strength God tells me to stop and be patient while he does a work in me. He doesn't have the same perception of time as I do...and never seems in as much of a rush as I am. Perhaps the sooner I surrender to Him and let Him do the work the sooner I'll feel fruitful.
Thanks Rosaleen. As I shared on Tuesday night, God gave me a picture of myself trapped in a spider's web. Each strand of the web was one of the luxuries I experience as a western Christian....and a big spider was on it's way to devour me! My survival depends on my desperation/hunger to get out. May God challenge all of us to examine how much of a hold our comfortable lives have on us.
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