Luke 6:27-31

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

Personal Challenge

Jesus does not pull His punches on how we are supposed to love others. He knows that all of us have the capability to love those who are close to us, our families, our dear friends, those who have loved us in return. But his expectation is that we extend that love to those who are our enemies, those who have, or would do harm to us. We are to love the unlovable. This is not a request from our Lord but a command. Are we really stepping into His footsteps and loving our enemies this way? If we are not, then we must be willing to acknowledge that we are not following Him. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Nehemiah 6:16

And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

Encouraging Words

Amazing things happen around us when we submit to God and do what He asks us to do, In most cases, people recognize that we had nothing to do with the results of His using us to do His work. We know the truth and can relish that, but we should never use it to turn the spot light on us. All glory belongs to God all the time because all is done in and through him. Glory be to God!

Luke 6:20-23

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,

Nehemiah 4:7-8

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall in the sheltered areas, and I positioned the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember our God, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

Personal Challenge

One very large mistake that we often make in our modern Christian experience is to boil down whether or not we are a Christian, a follower of Christ, to a single decision or a prayer that we repeat. This can lead us to a place in our journey through life where we quickly veer away from a vibrant, living relationship with Jesus, to being connected to Him only by a name and not our actions. We must be ready at all times to serve our Lord when He calls upon us. We must remember that our God, great and awesome, stands with us when we serve Him. Glory be to God!

Luke 5:31-36

Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Then they said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?”

And He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days.”

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.

Personal Challenge

There is much history in the church, as well as the Jewish nation, related to fasting and praying. Before the incarnation of Jesus, the fasting and praying was in anticipation of the coming Messiah. As Jesus was here on earth as a man, He fasted and prayed so that He could be close to His Father. After Christ departed, we fast and pray in remembrance of Him as we look for his return. These are all practices that point us to Him and draw is closer to Him and the Father. Glory be to God!

1 Esdras 9:54-55 (Ezra)

Then everyone went on their way to eat and drink, to gladden themselves, to give gifts to those who were lacking, and to heartily rejoice. For they were inspired by the words which were taught to them, and they gathered together.

Personal Challenge

In this event in Esdras (Ezra), the people have just finished listening to the reading of the Law, the words of God. They did not leave this event going their own way and doing what they did every other day. They were moved by God’s presence in His living word to go away inspired to do His works, to live differently in a way so as to be the hands and feet of God. They were inspired to change the world for him. We too have the opportunity to here His living Word every time that we participate in a service of our church. Do we listen close enough to go out inspired to do His work? Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

Luke 5:27-28

After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

Personal Challenge

The focus of the commentary on this verse is usually about how Jesus was willing to call upon a tax collector to join his band of followers. What strikes me here, is how Matthew dropped everything, and immediately followed Jesus. This is a characteristic that has been exhibited by most of the Apostles of Jesus. None of us fully knows the circumstances of their lives and why they dropped everything to follow Jesus, but this is what is expected of all of us. We are to take up our cross and follow him. Are we willing to do this? Am I willing to do this? Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Esdras 4:59-60 (Ezra)

“The victory and the wisdom are from You, the glory is Yours, and I am Your servant. Blessed are You who granted me wisdom, and I give thanks to You, O Lord of our fathers.”

Personal Challenge

So many times throughout our lives we choose to take the glory for what God has done in our lives or for how He used us for His work. God deserves all the credit and all the glory for everything that happens in our lives. Every victory, all wisdom, all blessed results, are from Him, and Him alone. Glory be to God!

Luke 4:18-19

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

Encouraging Words

Jesus launched His ministry with this proclamation from Isaiah. He was not here to liberate the Jewish nation from the tyranny and oppression of the Roman empire as so many looked for the Messiah to do. He was here to liberate all of mankind from the shackles of death. Even today, we have different Christian faith practices calling out for God to liberate them from the tyrannies of this society that they are against. And again God proclaims that His Son became a man so that these blessings could be bestowed upon all of His creation and that our role as his followers is to spread His Good News to all and to not condemn them. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!