Month: January 2024

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Epiphany

Prov 1 Today, many worldwide will celebrate Epiphany or Three Kings Day, marking the supposed day that the three wise men from the east came bearing gifts, asking, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we…have come to worship him.” [Matt 2:2]. Upon finding this infant King Jesus, they “bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes” [and presented three precious gifts] of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

As we open Proverbs, we begin with three precious gifts God places before us: “wisdom and moral instruction, and to discern wise counsel” [Prov 1:2] so that we may be “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,” [2Ti 2:15] Gleaning these precious gifts begins when we fear or reverence the Lord God Almighty and “seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” [Matt 6:33]. The contrast is the fool who despises wisdom and instruction. The caution is given in [Prov 1:8]: “Listen…to the instruction from your father; do not forsake the teaching from your mother.”

Today, which of these three Proverbs gifts do you have to present to him as you worship him?

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“inside the box or outside the box?“

Luke 4&5: Amazing and astonishing are two words used by Dr. Luke to tell about how people reacted to the teaching of Jesus. In the Nazareth synagogue, he is selected to read the scriptures. The listeners were amazed at his gracious words, but as soon as they realize He is pointing to their lack of compassion, they were transformed from meek and mild and sought to kill him. They were like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Leaving Nazareth, he heads to Capernaum and encounters a crowd by the seashore. “Borrowing” Peter’s boat, he challenges Peter to let down his nets. It had been a night of poor fishing, but with some reluctance, Peter let down his nets and soon was astonished. The net was so full that it was about to break. Yet, Peter responds: “go away from me; I am a sinful man.”

As He is busy teaching, he encounters the religious leaders and uses a parable about wineskins and garment patches as evidence the religious leaders were unwilling to change; they were comfortable with the old ways.

Luke sums up these amazing, astonishing encounters with these words: “The old is good enough.”

Do we, too, respond, “The old is good enough?” Jesus is challenging us think outside the box.

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John the Baptist and the Lamb of God

Jan 4th Luke 3 Dr. Luke wants us to see God’s perfect plan unfolding for His Son Jesus to be the perfect “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” [Jn 1:29]

John will fulfill Isaiah 40:3: “A voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.” It was not in the temple where all religious rituals were being performed but in the stillness of the desert that God spoke and prepared his heart. His prayer may have been what the psalmist prayed: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.” [Ps 19:14]

The wilderness was where the Holy Spirit prepared him to preach “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin.” John bore fruit in his “season” to prepare the people for the entrance of the Lamb of God, the perfect Lamb, Jesus. As the people listened, their hearts were turned, and they inquired, “What shall we do?”

Where are you today and is God preparing you to present the Lamb of God to someone this day? That is the question God is asking each one of us. Our answer should be the same as John’s.

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Faith or Facts?

Luke 1 Many echo the sentiment that they would believe if only they could see. They want facts before their faith. Yet Jesus said to Thomas,  “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” [Jn 20:29] Thus, with those thoughts in mind, Dr. Luke, as a researcher, begins his account with these words: “So that you may know for certain” that which was spoken by the prophets is true and fulfilled just as God said.” [Luke 1:4] And was true in Revelation, so it is as true today: “Blessed [are those] who believed that what was spoken… by the Lord would be fulfilled.” [Luke 1:45]

God’s words are true and will be fulfilled just as He said it regardless of our belief but so that we may believe with certainty that God, who is trustworthy and faithful, and “every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him;….[ 2Co 1:20] has chosen to give us an account by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word and now recorded for us by Dr. Luke.

And what is it that we are to believe? “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” [John 20:31] This is the message of the book of Luke.

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