Tag Archives: Luke

It’s Not Random

Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. – Luke 1:8-10

Remember, Zechariah’s name means “God remembered” and that means that the time had come for God to fulfill something. In this case, an angel was sent to Zechariah to announce that he and Elizabeth were going to have a child. The one crying out in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3) was going to be conceived in a barren woman who was too old to have children, by her husband, an old man himself.

Let’s zoom in on five words – “he was chosen by lot… “. In our culture today, that would mean it was a random selection. Luck, really. But in their culture, it was understood that in the casting of lots, God was choosing.

“The lot is cast into the lap,
    but its every decision is from the Lord.” – Proverbs 16:33

I think we can easily get pulled into a culture that believes in luck, coincidences, and chance; a culture that does not acknowledge the sovereignty of God. But we are not of this world and their culture is not ours. Ours is a Kingdom culture and in this culture, we know that He stands sovereign over the affairs of His creation.

We are not chosen by chance, nor do we stumble into “lucky breaks.” What may appear random is, in truth, directed by God’s hand and in accordance with His divine will in the unfolding of His divine plans and purposes. Perhaps this realization can mark the beginning of a holy reverence for Him—the awareness that He rules and reigns over every detail of your life. He has left nothing to chance for you.

Lord, help us see You rightly. May we fully surrender ourselves to You, the Master of all creation.

Where Is My Investment? Where Is Yours?

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. – Luke 1:1-4

Luke addresses Theophilus as “most excellent”, indicating he could have been a high ranking Roman official. We really don’t know much about him, but Luke wrote not one, but two letters to him – the gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts. Clearly, Theophilus is a man that Luke was invested in on a spiritual level. He wrote to him so that Theophilus could have an assurance of the truth he had been taught. Perhaps doubts or confusion had been expressed, which is understandable, since Luke addresses the fact that many people have given their account of what had taken place. No doubt there were false stories, conflicting stories, and even deceiving stories, humanity being what it is and all.

I am intrigued, because I don’t think Luke wrote these historical accounts to this man in the hopes that they would someday become part of the holy scriptures. Apart from being called by God, perhaps without even realizing it, to write what would become two books of the bible, I believe Luke was genuinely attempting to disciple Theophilus to be able to walk in truth.

Luke was a physician. A man of science, if you will. And it is with that mind that he undertook this task to lay out the events that had taken place starting from the birth of the Christ, through His death and resurrection, and then the formation of His Church. He would have been thorough, methodical, and given to the gathering of as much proof as possible. Funny how God did that. Brought in a man who had not been one of the disciples, a man of science, to authenticate and document things of the Spirit.

Naturally, I have questions.

Who am I investing in? Who is benefitting from my own eyewitness testimony of God’s power?

We can all shout about what’s going on in the world around us today. We can tell anyone who will listen how horrible/great we think our government is or how we think the Church is failing by either taking too much or too little a stand in the political arena.

Anyone can do that.

But how many of us are quietly investing in someone else’s walk with Christ? Are we speaking more about what God has done and is doing in our own lives and in the world around us than we are about what the government is or isn’t doing wrong, or right?

We are called to endure. To keep going. To keep speaking the truth of salvation, the good news that we can be saved from our sin and from the wrath that will come. I can only speak for me, but I don’t think getting worked up over the latest political issue is enduring. It’s getting distracted by what we think is at stake, from what is actually at stake. Nothing this government, or this world, does is eternal. Souls are eternal. People are eternal, and they will be eternal in one of two places. With God, or without Him. God’s desire is that they be with Him.

Is that my desire? Is it yours? Where is the bulk of our investment of this life God has given to us?

His Disciple: Where Is Your Faith?

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. – Luke 8:22-25

Here is what I see.

It was Jesus who led the way to the other side of the lake, not the disciples, and I remember that, as a disciple, I don’t choose where we go, Jesus does.

Jesus led them into a storm, but the only reason those disciples experienced that storm is because they were disciples, obediently following their Rabbi. Jonah hit a storm too, but it was because of his disobedience. Storms will come, but I’d much rather have it come to my obedience than to my rebellion.

Jesus slept and I bet it’s because He was tired. In His humanity, He knew what it feels like to give of ourselves to the point of exhaustion. So if you think He doesn’t get how dog-tired you are, you’re wrong. He felt it enough to fall asleep on a boat knowing a storm was on its way.

“They were in great danger.” They didn’t just panic for no reason. These were seasoned fishermen who knew the real danger of a sudden squall threatening to capsize their boat. So what did they do in their panic? They did the obvious. They woke Jesus up and let Him know they were all about to die. The point I want to make is that they didn’t try to save themselves. They didn’t get busy doing what they knew to do. Even if we come to Him with our hair on fire in panic, coming to Him is the best possible thing we can do.

Where is your faith? Maybe this is controversial, maybe not, but here is what I believe. I don’t think Jesus was questioning their faith because they were afraid. I think this storm was worthy of a healthy amount of fear, but it was not worthy of their faith. I can’t help but think He was asking them where they were putting their faith during the storm.

In other words, where is your faith? In the storm, or in Jesus?

As His disciples we will experience storms, but we will experience them with Him on the boat with us, not watching us from the shore. May we always trust that the One who is with us is far greater than what comes against us.

Lord, no matter what my storm looks like, You are still the God who commands the waves. Help me trust You to be greater than the storm.

His Disciple: There’s A Cost Either Way

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. – Luke 14:25-27

  • Large crowds were with Him, but not necessarily following Him.
  • They were told that unless they were willing to hate their family, they could not be His disciple. Let’s stop right there.

What is this hate He speaks of? The word is miseō, and like most words, it means different things depending on context. Here, it does not mean to hate in a “you detest me” sort of way. It means to prefer one thing over another, and is used in much the same context as “the impossibility of serving two masters.” In other words, you cannot put anyone, including parents, children, siblings, or even your spouse, above Jesus. Your allegiance is to Him first, otherwise, you cannot be His disciple. There is no murkiness to these waters. Nothing open to interpretation, just plain and simple – Jesus above all things. This is part of the cost of following Him, not just being with Him.

AND (in additon to, plus, also)… if we are unwilling to carry our cross, we cannot be His disciple. If we will not allow yourselves to be crucified to the things of this world, to our own passions and pleasures, to anything and everything that is of us but not of Him, we cannot be His disciple.

Do you feel the weight of it yet?

We all want to be with Him, don’t we? We all want to reap the benefits of His goodness, His power, and His love. And here is truth – we can be with Him and not become like Him, but that is not the life of a disciple. Unless we are willing to pick up and carry the suffering in our flesh, dying to all that opposes His will, then we will be just part of the crowd.

We will not wear the dust of our Rabbi as part of the crowd.

And maybe that’s just fine with you. Maybe you’re ok just trying to walk in the basic teachings of Jesus, trying to be moral and good, but not going overboard on the whole “Jesus thing.” And I’ll be honest, somedays, that sounds good to me too. Somedays, I’m just not all that interested in dying to myself again. But there is one thing that Jesus said that keeps me from staying in that place.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ – Matthew 7:21-23

So, two questions.

Have you counted the cost of being His disciple?

Have you counted the cost of not being His disciple?

Father, help us take up our cross. I pray that each of us will be led by the Holy Spirit to the same conclusion – You are worthy of anything in me that needs to die. Worthy of being put above all else, including family. You are worthy of it all.

Random Thoughts

They come in the middle of the night when I’m awakened by either God or my bladder. Hard to tell which it is sometimes. The thoughts trickle in while I drive, while I work, when I’m knee deep in the gospels, and while I’m cooking dinner (admittedly, a rare event). Thoughts, whole and unfinished they come. Like a dripping faucet of Holy Spirit whispers that I hold close, not quite sure what to do with them. Some are the questions of my own ever searching heart. All of it feels like the hands of the Potter, shaping and re-shaping, molding, and smoothing my rough edges.

make your life a sacrifice. the whole life, not just the parts you don’t mind giving up. in order for it to be a sacrifice, you have to give what you’d rather keep. the best, the most, the prized, the coveted. all belongs on the altar.

big picture – make disciples. the church, working as one to reach the lost. global purpose, global pursuit. but it’s the smaller picture that pushes me back and pulls me in close at the same time. the picture of letting Christ be formed in me, not through performance but through bending my knee again and again. and again. big picture, little picture. He is saving the world and He is saving me. glory.

This earth offers two things: light and momentery afflictions, and light and momentary pleasures. we chase the pleasures and hope to avoid the afflictions but the pleasures do us no good. no room for growth, no reason to change, no faith required. it’s the afflictions that matter the most, because they form Jesus in us. push us to seek Him out, lean into Him, fall at His feet.

we should rather have momentary afflictions and eternal pleasure, than momentary pleasure and eternal affliction.

if you understood the grace that is yours, you would live differently. you just would.

matthew 14:17. “we only have…”. the cry of us all. i only have a little. i only have this much, that much, not much. when will i understand that it doesn’t matter how much i have, it matters what God will make of what i have? who might He feed with my little lunch?

you can’t give someone what they are meant to get from Jesus.

Jesus is heaven’s response to sin. every time.

what the church has built for herself, will come down. I will find My remnant.

Jesus, You fascinate me.

how am I living as though God is not in control?

God does not have dreams. He has unchanging plans and purposes, and they are good.

we need to stop telling people to chase their dreams and start telling them to chase the heart of Jesus.

no one comes to the Father except through Jesus. our destination is a person, not a place.

discipleship isn’t making people look like us. it’s helping people look like Jesus.

Mark 1:23. demons knew who Jesus was, and what He could do. what do demons know and believe that i don’t?

the devil lied, but Eve engaged the lie. how have i been engaging the lies the enemy is telling?

Matthew 14:14. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. not because they asked the right way, or because they had enough faith, or because they did all the right things. they were healed because He had compassion. no other reason.

Jesus, offend the religious spirit in the church. and in me.

i am as in need of Jesus today as i was the first day i met Him.

what has following Jesus cost me?

every need i have is met in Jesus.

marriage is a good thing, but it is not the better thing (Luke 10:42). glory days are good, but they are not the better thing. success is a good thing, but it is not the better thing. i fear we are making idols out of good things because we forget there is a better thing. or is it that, honestly, we value the good thing more than the better thing?

Jesus never changed course or softened His message because people were being offended.

can we just talk more about what God is doing than what we’re doing? goodness, let’s talk about Jesus more, in and out of the church.

Random thoughts that push at the edges of my mind until i write them down. Thoughts that turn into conversations with the Holy Spirit and then into something in me moving out of His way, making room for more of Him and less of me.

Don’t ignore the random thoughts.