Luke 11:37-54, Luke 12, Luke 13:1-17
Luke 11:39-41 – This time through the gospels I am struck by how much Jesus emphasizes the inner verses the outer, more specifically our heart verses our outward obedience. I, of course, knew that this was our Lord’s message, but lately I’ve become increasingly aware of how quickly and easily we slide into relying on our own actions and rule following for our sense of righteousness. More so, we look at other’s lives and evaluate them by their outward actions. We fail to take a true measure of them, at heart level, which requires infinitely more work than summing them up by some outward checklist or standard of behavior.
Luke 12:13-15, 13:1-5 – Jesus always takes a situation directed at others and turns it back on the questioner. “What about so-and-so who did such-and-such?” “Nevermind them, I tell you that unless youstop doing such-and-such you will perish.”

Matthew 8:5-13, 11:2-19, 12:22-50, Mark 3:20-35, Luke 7:1-50, 8:1-3, 8:19-21, 11:14-36
Matthew 8:8-13 – He understood Jesus’ authority, obviously more than most because of Jesus’ reaction. But think about this. He didn’t even meet Jesus and his request is granted. Do I have such faith? Am I willing to take Jesus at His word like this? I think about all my wrestling of the last year or so and I’m not sure. I feel that I am constantly looking fro proof, for evidence.
Luke 7:19 – But even John had his moments f doubt, looking for reassurance.
Matthew 11:15 & Luke 7:29-30 – This is the constant challenge, to have ears that hear. And in Luke we see the consequences of not doing so. The Pharisees refused to give up their preconceived notions and see the truth.
Luke 7:49 – This type of forgiveness, at a man’s command I suppose, was foreign to them. I don’t think that it was the idea of forgiveness, but the idea that it could be granted in this way.
Matthew 12:33-37, Luke 7:35 – Jesus in his ministry constantly was concerned with the heart. But it’s in scriptures like these that he ties our actions to our heart.

After a three month absence, my quiet times have resumed. there were actually a few days on vacation in August that never made it on the site, but it’s been too long since I had a regular QT. Thanks to Justin for the prompting and the accountability to do what I know is good for me.
Mathew 5:1-7:29, Luke 6:20-49
Mathew 5:3 – Humility seems to be something I lack these days. I’ve had this uncomfortable realization that I think myself more highly than I ought. I’ve been frustrated by the lack of recognition at work and thinking I ought to be more respected in general. In a performance review at the office, one of my peers (anonymously) said that I think that my way is the only right way. Ouch.
Luke 6:24-25 – I can’t help but wonder what these woes mean for us in the USA. We are so amazingly wealthy. I fear that many will miss God because of their wealth. I can only pray (as I type on my laptop in my easy chair in my living room, wirelessly connected to the internet) that I will not be one of them. With wealth comes great responsibility, I think. It makes me wonder, what am I doing with my riches besides making my self comfortable? What good am I doing with them? How can I do more?
Mathew 5:13 – May I never loose my ‘salt’, that is, may I never blend in with this world.
Mathew 5:19 – What does this mean? Breaking God’s law and promoting the breaking of God’s law, yet they are in heaven. Or is ‘the kingdom of heaven’ referring to something else? If so what? It seems odd.
Mathew 5:27-30 – One of the hardest scriptures for a man to reconcile with. Jesus’ teaching here gives insight into how important our actions, our deeds, are to God.
Mathew 5:44-48 – Why love our enemies? Because that is what God does. You don’t see God withholding blessings or good things from non-Christians. If so, we’d be able o tell easily who was God’s by their blessings. “Did you see the Smith’s lawn? God must not love them.”
Mathew 6:33 – I’ve heard ‘His Kingdom’ in this verse equated to the church, or rather this church or that church. But is Jesus referring to the church, even the universal church, here? Or is it a bigger concept of just seeking God and His ways. I suppose that those two, God’s church and God’s ways, are somewhat interchangeable.
Luke 6:37 – Is Jesus telling us, as some would believe, that to judge is a sin? It’s not really what he says. But put this verse with those that follow and there’s a clearer picture of what he’s trying to teach. If we insist on being overly critical and judgmental, that is how God will judge us as well. And the fact of the matter is that the most trivial of sins in others are obvious to us while we cannot see the glaring iniquities in our own lives. We must be careful how we look at others.
Matthew 7:7-8 – What a promise! If we are looking for answers, we are promised that we will find them. The question is, are we open to the answer which is outside of the possibilities we see? Or will we only be content with the answer we think we’ll find?
Matthew 7:24 – Jesus’ words is the solid foundation upon which we should build our lives. Our opinions and reasoning change, but his words do not. Actually, it’s not just his words, it’s our following them. The difference in this parable between the wise and foolish was not the lack of His words, it was the lack of keeping them.

Matthew 3:1-17, 4:1-11; Mark 1:2-13; Luke 3:1-18, 21-23, 4:1-13; John 1:19-34
Luke 3:3 – How is John’s baptism different? His was for forgiveness and repentance but without a connection to Jesus, it is only temporary at best. It’s truly an ‘act’ as some characterize baptism today. This baptism cannot save us because it is not connected to God’s perfect sacrifice.
Luke 3:4-6 – John came to make Jesus obvious and the way to God easy.
Luke 3:7-14 – At Radical Conruency there was a post about whether our lives need to produce anything or not. John seems to think so.
Luke 3:16 – Another distinction between John’s baptism and ours – the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)

Matthew 2:1-23, 39-52
Matt. 2:2 – It’s interesting that these men, ‘Magi’, would come looking for Jesus. Where did they learn about him? Where did they learn that it was his star? Certainly not in the scriptures, for they would have then known that they should be looking in Bethlehem, not Jeruselem. (I’m not even sure that the OT predicts that there would be a star.) I suppose the easy answer here is that the spirit made it known to them. For some reason I find that reason not good enough. I want something more concrete, less mystical or miraculous. Why is that? Why is it that I want to make things practical and easily explained? Why can’t I just leave it at face value, God made it known to them. I think this way of thinking spills over into my spiritual life. I want all of my Christianity to be neat and tidy, easily figured out. Do I miss much of what the spirit is trying to tell me? Is it trying to lead but I won’t follow? I want to be led by God’s spirit, to be receptive to it’s proddings. I’m not looking for magical stars here, but I think I’m a little too skeptical.
Matt. 2:3 – Why was all Jeruslem disturbed? What were they afraid of? Political unrest? Potential trouble with Rome? Fear of the unknown? Or maybe just perplexed or confused rather than fearful or worried.
Matt. 2:12 – Warned in a dream, perhaps a clue to how this all was revealed to them.
Matt. 2:16-18 – How can one man have such a selfish and cold heart as to do such a thing. Can you imagine having to carry out his order? The wailing of mothers and the anger of fathers (and probably the reverse as well). I wonder, if I were a Roman soldier, would I have carried out the order? I think of evil men like Hitler, Sadam, bin Laden and others. None of these men could have carried out their massive evil schemes without dozens, even hundreds of others willing to do the dirty work. History does not look at these men in the same light as their evil masters, yet they were the ones actually doing the killing. And even here, no mention of the soldiers doing the killing, just Herod who ordered it. I bet he did not kill one child. How many soldiers refused to carry out the order, I wonder? They did it, so if I were there, would I have gone through with it too?

Luke 1:5-80. Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-28
Luke 1:15 – Filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. As apposed to …? I wonder what the wisdom of the day was regarding the Holy Spirit. We now have the Bible that teaches that we recieve the Holy Spirit when we are saved, but what did they think about that then?
Luke 1:17 – Turn the fathers to their children. I never noticed that before. I would have assumed the opposite, turn the children to their fathers. Perhaps it signifies a return to proper priorities?
Luke 2:25-27 – More on the Holy Spirit. This man was filled with it and it revealed things to him. This is the same spirit we posess today. What is it trying to do through me that I’m not aware of? I need to be more in tune with it’s desires and attempts to reveal things to me. Not that I expect to have visions like this man, but I bet I’m not in touch with it like I should be.

My Chronoligical Bible was moving into Law of Moses and I didn’t think I was up to that right now. I’ve been wanting to get back into the NT again, so Viola! It’s mid-October and I’m reading the Gospels. Well, at least my Bible thinks it’s October, but it thought it was mid-February back in Deuteronomy. 🙂
Mark 1:1, John 1:1-18, Luke 1:1-4, Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:22-38
John 1:12-13 – It sounds so simple, recieve him and become children of God. There’s a lot of depth in these couple of phrases. What does it mean to recieve him? To believe in his name? That’s what the rest of the NT is about, I guess. I’ve always thought it was cool the distinction here. We are not merely of ‘natural decent’, as my daughers are of me, nor is it of any human decision. We are born of God’s decision.
John 1:14 – Fulll of both grace (forgiveness, mercy) and truth (justice, the law). It’s an interesting dichotomy, but Jesus is full of both grace and truth. I think as Christians we are more one than the other. Jesus was neither the stereotypical black and white conservative nor the stereotypical “I’m OK you’re OK” liberal, He was both.
Matthew 1:1-17 – Jesus geneology. Most of these lists are not much fun to read over, but Jesus’ is interesting because of who it includes. Not only men, but women too are listed, and two are notorious for their sin. The are Gentiles, a Canaanite and a Moabite, ancient enemies of God’s people. And not only is the great King David here, but also the wicked King Manasseh. God, who could have hand picked his ancestors, seems to have let the cards fall where they may. He is truly one of us. It reinfoces my thoughts on God’s involvement in the world. He is not the orchestrator that we would sometimes like him to be, but instead seems mainly to let things flow as they may. If we draw him in, through prayer, He will come and act, but if we ignore him He’ll let us alone.

Deuteronomy 9-11
Deut. 9:15-21 – One man’s action moves God’s heart and saves the people from destruction.
Deut. 9:25-29 – And again!
This whole set of passages is a reminder, a call to remember who God is and what he has done. Remember so that we will continue to seek him.

Deuteronomy 4:44-49, Deuteronomy 5 – 8
Deut. 5:29 – God longs that we would give Him the respect he deserves, for our own good. He is not like us, where we must consider the motives of man behind the desire to lead. No, he knows what we need and what would be best or us. We live contrary to that because of our own pride and lack of fear and respect for God. When we do, it hurts God because he sees His children making a mess where none needed to be. After all, he’s given us the way to go. What parent does not want to rush in and save their children from hurt when we can see it coming? That God does not do that for us does not mean he does not want to. Nor does it mean that He is not, like a parent, there to help us pick up the pieces when we screw it up.
Deut 6:4-9 – Put God first, always first.
Deut 8:1-5 – Even though things seemed hard during those 40 years, God was with them and was actually caring for them. Much like a man looking back over his chilhood years and seeing all that discipline and restrictions and now seeing the wisdom in it.