I use the S.O.A.P. method of Bible study:
Scripture / Observation / Application / Prayer



Sunday, January 29, 2012

Luke 23:39-43 - Confession Is Vital

Luke 23:39-43:
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Enduring the pain of his own crucifixion, and knowing his life was speeding to an end -- this criminal understood his place in the big picture. The lifestyle he led, and the actions he had taken, had brought a ripe harvest of pain, suffering, and death.

He knew he deserved it, but Christ did not! And -- when he heard his fellow criminal insulting Christ, he became indignant and told him to stop.

He understood justice. Seeing this righteous man hang on the cross next to his, and suffer the same punishment as his own, was not justice -- it was just wrong!

He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

He had faith in Christ -- and was willing, even as he hung on his own cross -- to make it be known.

And, Jesus replied, "Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

And -- there it was -- the basis of our salvation:

Luke 12:8:  "I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God."

A little over a month later, on the Day of Pentecost, to be exact, Christ's kingdom -- His church -- was established. Luke's Book of Acts tells of its early history and its rapid growth. This principle of confession and action of a believer's faith is a major theme seen played out over and over . . .

The Jews on that Day of Pentecost -- the eunuch from Ethiopia -- Lydia, the seller of purple -- Cornelius, and his household -- even Saul of Tarsus (later, the Apostle Paul) -- all confessed and acted on their belief in Christ.

This faith in Christ is a vital part of our salvation, as Paul wrote to the followers in the City of Galatia:  "Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.
"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  (Galatians 3:23-29)

Confess your faith in Christ, and act on it!  Clothe yourselves in Christ!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Luke 21:2-4 - Even the Smallest Amount

Luke 21:2-4
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

He had been watching. Each one would come up and drop their gift into the collection box. A great deal was made about the sound each coin made as it hit bottom . . . a slight pause passed between each coin.

When a poor widow got her turn, the two coins she dropped in made very little noise -- and then she was gone.

Jesus called His disciples' attention to her -- it took her just a few seconds. If He hadn't pointed her out to them, they would have missed her . . . But He hadn't! He noticed her even before she came up to the box.

He noticed -- not the amount, but the portion she gave -- the intent behind it -- the sacrifice involved. He noticed she gave all she had!

To those behind her in line, she looked like a hindrance to their progress. "If that's all she was going to give . . . why did she bother?"

And yet -- to Jesus, she had given more than the rest of them!

How could this be?

It is a relationship -- one hundred percent is more than any part -- all is the limit. She had given the limit.

There is both encouragement and challenge here. It is not the amount, but the portion – it’s the relationship.

We might see others with more than we have, and see the large amounts they give -- hear each of their coins as it rings . . .

But -- Jesus says we can easily out give them -- if we give in relation to what we have been given.

Be comforted too! If given in the proper attitude and relationship, even the smallest gift -- even from the least of us -- is noticed!

Like the poor widow, if we are doing the right thing -- to the one that matters -- we will stand out from the crowd!

Monday, January 23, 2012

Luke 18:22 - What Is Holding You Back?

Luke 18:22
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

The man had asked Jesus how he could have eternal life. Jesus had even agreed with him -- he had been living a pretty clean life . . .

Adultery?   -- Never!

Murder?   -- Hadn't crossed his mind.

Stealing?   -- Wouldn't dream of it.


False testimony?   -- No way!

Honor his parents?   -- Since his birth.

The other five of the Big Ten?   -- Not a blemish on his record.

So? What was the problem?

Jesus saw beyond the commandment checklist, and saw into his heart -- He could see the true problem…

The man wasn't completely trusting God. He had placed his trust in what riches he had gathered, and was addicted to the power -- the abilities -- the things those riches gave him.

Hebrews 4:12:  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.


We are all different. Not all of us have the same problem as this man. There are many generous people we meet every day, but there can still be something holding their hearts hostage.

How about you? What would Jesus look into your heart and see as your challenge? What are you holding on to?

The physical cravings of your body?   --   A desire for everything you see?   --   Pride in your achievements and possessions?

These are just three major categories of the challenges that can keep us separated from the eternal life the man asked Jesus about.

Be honest with yourself. What are you holding on to -- or what is holding on to you?  What's keeping you from your goal?

Matthew 6:33:   But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Luke 16:10 - It's Just A Small Thing

Luke 16:10
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."

Is it important that a bank manager is focused on details? Would you trust a man to keep your finances if he couldn't remember where he parked his car at the end of each day?

Or, how about a cashier who just gave back paper bills instead of bothering with coins -- two dollars instead of $2.05? Even though it is a small thing -- you would feel cheated.

Sometimes seeing how people handle small things gives us an understanding about how they will handle bigger things. That is just something we have become accustomed to. We see the principle working with our kids -- with employees -- with coworkers -- with ourselves!

We give a small bit of responsibility, and we see what happens. It is sort of a training process -- or a proving ground.

Just a small amount, yes -- but a good indicator of whether we can entrust even more.

We have often heard of a large amount of money being found and returned to the rightful owner by a good citizen. -- It makes you think you could trust the finder with even more . . .

But -- how many times have you stopped to think about how you handle small things?

Do you take "sick days" from work to play hooky?

Do you look for ways to "trim" your tax obligations by being creative on your return?

Do you take one or two extra samples at the counter -- rationalizing that "they put them there for the customers" -- even though you know the intent was one per customer?

These are small things -- not big things. "Who would know,and who would care?", you might say.

Yeah . . .  Who would?

Proverbs 15:3: The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

1 Timothy 5:24-25: The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Luke 13:24-25 - The Party Is Inside!

Luke 13:24-25
“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.'
“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’"

When people get together, it can be enjoyable. A large group of people?  -- That’s called a party!
No one wants to be left out of the party. You don’t even have to know what the celebration is about to have fun! Some of us just want to be “where the action is” . . . whether we know what the "action" is or not.
Here, Jesus urged His followers to do all they could to enter through the narrow door. It would not be easy to pass through -- and once the door was closed -- it would stay closed.
Jesus used this story to suggest that heaven would not be an easy place to enter. It had only one door in . . . a narrow one at that!
It sort of sounds like the door on Noah’s ark . . .  Once that door closed, the best advice for those outside was to grab a good umbrella!
In the parable, some had hung around the house before the door had been closed. They mingled with everyone -- enjoyed the fellowship -- had a great time! They just didn’t pay attention, and never made the effort to go inside.
Now -- once the door closed, they wanted in too. They suddenly realized that the party had moved indoors -- and they were standing outside!
They knocked on the door – they pounded – they pleaded! They said, “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!"
Through the windows, they saw all the people having a great time . . . but they were on the wrong side of the glass!
Jesus brought the story’s meaning home to His listeners:  The time would come when those outside -- those who had seen the door, but never bothered to pass through it -- would see the party get better!
They would see the likes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and a whole host of other “spiritual” celebrities -- but instead of being with them -- those outside would be thrown out!
Where will you be when the door is closed?
Remember this . . . the door is narrow, and not easily entered. If you have passed through it, you will know . . . It isn’t a door you pass through without your knowledge, effort, or understanding.
Don’t be one who just hangs around the crowd -- a kind of party crasher! 

You are invited to join the party too! So come on in . . . while you can!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Luke 12:15 - Guard Against Greed

Luke 12:15
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

"The one who dies with the most toys wins!" That is what it said on the bumper sticker. That seems to sum up the way the world measures a successful life.

Jesus said this way of looking at life is all wrong, and we need to guard against this way of thinking!

That is easier said than done . . .  Our peers remind us of this measuring standard every day. It takes just a few minutes of watching television, reading a newspaper or magazine, listening to the radio, or viewing almost any webpage, to have the world hold up what it says we should see as our ultimate goal:  Wealth. Beauty. Stuff!

This verse is Jesus' response to a man in the crowd who was on the brink of what he thought was success and happiness -- and he could just taste it.

Apparently, his parents had died, and his brother (probably older) was the executor to the family estate. Whether this man's brother was slow about it, or just avoiding it, we don't know, but this man was annoyed at him for not letting him have his portion of the family inheritance, and was hoping Jesus could help convince his brother to do it -- to just give him his happiness!

We have all been in a similar circumstance; having something of value just out of our reach -- wanting it badly -- just knowing it would be the very thing that would make our lives complete! -- "Just give it to me, already!"

That feeling of want -- need -- gotta have -- is greed. In a very real way it causes us to displace our trust and faith from where it rightfully ought to be -- in God.

Jesus warned the man to guard against that feeling -- that greed. He warned him (and us) to not trust things of this world to take care of us -- to comfort us -- to make us feel important -- to love us.

Why? Because they won't -- they can't -- they are incapable of doing any of that!

Jesus told the parable of the rich fool who, after he had a great harvest, reveled in what he had. He wanted to build bigger barns, retire, take it easy...

But -- suddenly -- the end of his life came...

And, too late!

He realized nothing he had -- nothing he had put his trust in -- nothing he had built his life around -- was of any use to him now.

2 Timothy 6:9: Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.



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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Job 9:33 - It's Who You Know That Counts

Job 9:33
If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together...

Sometimes it truly is "Who you know" that counts. Knowing the right person can open doors for you that you thought were closed forever.

Job knew that he was innocent of whatever it was that had caused him all the grief, pain and suffering he had been experiencing. But, he also knew that because God was so powerful, so just, so wise, so mighty, that if he approached God to plead his case, God would have had no reason to hear him.

And -- if somehow God did listen to him, Job said, "Even my own mouth would pronounce me guilty. Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked."

Job felt like there was no help -- like he had fallen so far down that no matter what he did, there was no fixing it.

Many of us have been there right next to Job.

Has there been a point in your life where you thought there was no "fixing it?" Have you reached a new level of low deeper than you thought low could be?

We sometimes find ourselves in situations where there is no way we can get ourselves out of our own "mess." We find ourselves, unworthy, unable, unloved. We look to God for help, and realize He is beyond our reach . . .  He could never tolerate our guilt -- our sins -- our stink!

We find ourselves right next to Job, and cry out with him, "If only there was a mediator between us!" We see a need for someone else -- someone God would listen to -- who could plead our case for us. Someone to stand between us and God's glory -- God's righteousness -- God's justice!

In our darkest hours, and from our lowest depths, we see a need. And so does . . .  GOD!

Even while we were deep in our sins, God saw the same need -- saw the need for someone who could bridge the distance between us and Him -- someone who could answer Job's (and our) plea!

Romans 5:8:  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Timothy 2:3-6:  This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.


Friday, January 13, 2012

Luke 9:20 - "Who Do YOU Say I Am?"

Luke 9:20
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Have you ever had your ear to the grapevine to catch the latest news?  The grapevine-style of news gathering is full of speculation, has lots of ideas, lots of partial truths, lots of opinion, lots of gossip -- but is short on accuracy.

One day when Jesus was finally able to have a few private moments with His disciples, He asked them who people were saying He was. After hearing them talk a lot about the speculation of the crowd, He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

That was -- and is -- a chilling question.

It is always easier to have others do our work for us. It is much less of a risk to stand behind someone else’s opinion because when we find they were wrong, we can easily side-step over and stand behind someone else!

But, when Jesus turned and ask the question again, He wasn’t interested in what they had heard, but was interested in what they believed.

That same question stands across time . . .  “Who do you say I am?”

Sure, we have heard what others have had to say -- some of us may have been hearing what others have had to say about Christ since our birth -- but others’ opinions do not matter. The question was not “Who do others say I am?,” but, “Who do YOU say I am?”

Some say Jesus was a prophet -- a good man -- a good teacher -- a wise man -- a kook! But, it only matters who you say He is.

The brave disciple, Peter, as he often did for the others, stepped forward and said, “God’s Messiah.”

Will we be as brave? Having an opinion and sharing that opinion are two different things. Private knowledge of who Jesus is is useless -- even the demons believe. (James 2:18-20)

Confession and action on our belief -- a living faith -- is the key!

Matthew 3: 32:  “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”

In Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, when the crowds had gathered, had been convicted in their hearts of their guilt of having put Christ to death, and were pleading with the disciples as to what they could do to begin making amends -- the same disciple, Peter, who had stepped forward earlier, offered this challenge to the crowds:

Acts 2:38:  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Luke 8:18 - Paddle On!

Luke 8:18
Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

Have you ever tried to paddle upstream, or go against the current? It is difficult because for every couple of feet you make going upstream, the flow brings you back one.

In this verse, and the ones before it, Jesus was saying to His followers that they need to be diligent and pay attention - and use their understanding. If they did not, what they have would just go away, or be taken from them.

Often in school, we learn lessons that we are eventually tested on, and we might even do well on the examinations. But, after a few years, months, or even days, if we do not work to keep it, our knowledge on the subjects we studied disappears. It is as if we never knew what we knew!

This is what Jesus is saying to us here. Get knowledge, use knowledge, share knowledge, just don't neglect knowledge. Neglected knowledge goes away.

They say "Practice makes perfect," but really practice just keeps our skills from eroding -- a lot of practice can help them increase. An Olympic athlete, even on his worst day, is better at his event than the rest of us, but only because he works at maintaining the momentum he has built up -- he uses his skills -- he practices.

If he stopped working out? His muscles, skills and agility -- everything he has developed -- would deteriorate and go away.

A lamp is meant to shine -- an athlete is meant to perform -- knowledge is meant to be used.

Use what you have been given. Study God's Word to increase your knowledge. Once you have it, don't neglect it, and more will be given you.

To do otherwise is to have worked hard at paddling upstream toward your destination, only to slide back downstream -- to a point even further downstream than where you began!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Luke 6:31 - "The Golden Rule"

Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Often called, "The Golden Rule", these words of Jesus really form the basis of our interaction with those around us. We are not to "look out for Number One," or see to our own best interest. A Christian should really never have, "What's in it for me?", cross his mind.

If we can focus on the needs of others around us, and meet those needs to our best ability, then our life will be a good life. If everyone did that -- then it would be a truly wonderful life for all.

God has set an interesting principle to work, and we see it working here. The opposite of the popular is the proper: strength is seen through weakness; to be exalted, one needs to be humble; the greatest is the least; the first will be the last . . .  How do you help yourself? By helping others.

The proper way to do that is to treat them as you would like to be treated...

Who wants something done halfway? Not me! -- That means I cannot do things halfway for others.

Who wants to be left hungry, cold and thirsty? Not me! -- That means I need to help others when I see them in need,

Who wants to be avoided, neglected, abused, or ridiculed because of appearances, mannerism, race or social background? Not me! -- Then I need be become more aware of how I treat others who are different from me.

This is a serious "command" from our Lord.

It also means that we sometimes must practice what is often called, "Tough Love." When faced with hard challenges, we need to keep the "Golden Rule" in mind.

Would we want someone to not tell us that we are hurting ourselves with our own actions because they were not sure they should get involved?

Would we want someone to not tell us of Jesus because they were uncomfortable approaching us?

The "Golden Rule" applies to all aspects of our lives. The key is to keep the other person's best interest at the forefront.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Rev. 2:5 - It's Head - And Heart!

Revelation 2:5:
Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

What would it be like if the one you married lost their interest in you? That's not a condition that makes for a strong marriage.

Sometimes when I look at those in the church, and even myself, I wonder if we are guilty of being so busy at being "church members" that we lose our interest in the Lord. Not that we don't have a love for Him, but we just sort of let our attention drift away.

Holding fast to traditions and habits is easy. Those in the church in Ephesus seemed to have become used to their ways . . .  They worked hard. They were patient. They wouldn't put up with evil people. They tested those who came around saying they were apostles when they were not. They even put up with suffering . . .  But, they were not doing it out of love -- just tradition and habit.

We are guilty of this same loveless following when we attend services without really thinking about why; when we give regularly, but don't have our hearts behind why we are giving. We can even be guilty when we suffer "because we know we should," but don't understand it to be part of our "reasonable service." (Rom. 12:1)

They say the distance between right and wrong is often 20 inches -- the average distance between our head and our heart.

If we don't take care about how we conduct ourselves in our Christian walk, we can easily be doing the right things, but doing them without our hearts being involved.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Luke 5:11 - Worth More Than Fish

LUKE 5:11
So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

What is your life's material dream? Is it more money? A bigger house? A better job?

A dream of Simon's, I'm sure, was a load of fish so large that the nets would be at risk . . .

After speaking to the crowds from a boat, Jesus asked Simon to take the boat on out to deeper water and cast out his nets. Simon, having fished all night and bringing in little, was a little hesitant to do it, but out of respect for Jesus he went ahead and did as he was asked.

This time, however, the nets came up bulging with so many fish Simon had to call for friends in another boat to come help him before the nets broke!

There it was -- Simon's dream come true . . .

A boat load of more fish than he could count!

I'm not sure we should draw the conclusion that all we have to do to have material success is to do what Jesus asks of us. But, we can rest assured that no matter our situation, we will be much better off. And, according to Paul, Jesus can do more for us than we can possibly imagine . . .

Ephesians 3:20-21: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The lesson we should truly grasp here is that of what Simon did . . .

Now that he had the dream catch of his life before him -- all the fish he wanted in his net -- he left it all behind -- once he understood who and what Christ was. He understood that Jesus was more important to him than two boat loads of fish!

Did Simon (aka Peter) ever regret following Jesus? History would suggest that he continued following Jesus the rest of his life -- literally to his own cross!

Luke 4:12 - Testing God

LUKE 4:12
Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

How often have we been tempted to say things like, "God, if I will do this, then You do that . . .", or "If You will do that, then Lord, I will do this . . ."

We tend to want to put God to the test, when it is usually something we need to do. Maybe we need to change the way we are leading our lives; addictions, bad habits, lifestyles, etc. But, instead, we test God, as if it is something He needs to correct, and not our own fault.

Jesus was not tempted, or at least was able to overcome the temptation because He was fully confident in God's ability, without the need to test it. We need to have such faith.

Instead of testing God, we need to trust God. And, instead of getting ourselves into situations where only God can remove us, we need to be careful about the way we lead our lives, and at the same time, have the confidence that God can remove us from the bad situations.

Our faith is based on a quiet confidence, not a showy exhibition.

Hebrews 11:1; Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Jude 1:3 - Beware of Change

JUDE 1:3
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

Isn't it strange how things often never change? Jude's warning is as vital today as it was 2000 years ago. There is always a need to defend against change. Some areas of life need change . . .  Worshiping God needs no change. God wants us to worship Him as He directs.

Sometimes we step beyond our authority and try to make changes that make sense to us . . .  However, if the changes are not in line with what God wants, no matter what we might think, they will not be acceptable, or do us any good.

Jude's use of the word, "defend," also gives an insight into change . . .  It is something we must actively watch for and guard against. We sometimes make changes that we don't even realize we are making -- even those changes will not be acceptable.

Luke 2:5 - Joseph: A Good Father

LUKE 2:5
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

How little credit we give to Joseph. He had to be a man of great faith, discipline and love. In a time when such things were not acceptable, he was seen as a man who had had sex with a woman before they were married.

Now, at the time and location of this verse, most would have no idea, but back home in Bethlehem, I am sure many knew the dates of events, and doing the math, had a very suspicious thought about the morality of Joseph and Mary.

Joseph could have washed his hands of the whole "mess," and in fact had contemplated how he could leave Mary, and do it in a way that her reputation might not be trashed.

Had it not been for a visit from the angel, Jesus might have been from a broken home. Mary might have had to lead a much different life. Jesus might have been an only child.

However, Joseph was a man of faith and character. When he was presented with the whole situation, he was determined to do the right thing.

What would it be like for him -- knowing his first child was not his? Was it any consolation to him to know who the real father was?

Joseph apparently deserves more credit than we give him, for sure. Jesus followed in Joseph's steps as a carpenter, so He learned a skill from him. Joseph was also the one who modeled what a father was to Jesus. How many times did Jesus refer to God as a father, and yet maybe we were shown a part of that role being played by Joseph?

The role of the father is an important one.  I wish the world's men understood that role better.