Luke 9:1-5
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
Would I go like the Apostles did? Would you go? Would we go together? Jesus has given them great power and an amazing calling, but with that, He requires great faith and obedience. They aren’t to rely on the things of this world but rather on the One Who created it. He calls them to put their lives in His hands and to trust that He can and will provide for them while they are out there serving in His ministry and sharing the Kingdom of God.
This not only speaks of their faith but shows us that their faith is proved genuine through their obedience. If they were to say yes, Lord, but then turn around and pack a bag, their faith would be proved to be false. But since they listen and obey, their faith is proved genuine and pleasing. Obedience is crucial in so many areas of our walk; we show we fear God through our obedience (Genesis 22:12), we show we love God through our obedience (1 Kings 3:3), and here we see that we show our faith in Him by obeying what He says!
Jesus is still calling us to this today! He calls us to leave our reliance on the world and place it fully in Him, the only One who can completely provide both in this life and the next! Will we go where He sends us and serve how He tells us with a genuine faith displayed through our obedience? The disciples did, but now it’s our turn!
Luke 9:6- So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
God bless! I love you all, but His love is unfailing and everlasting. Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Luke 9:22
And He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
Luke 9:23- Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
I separated these verses here to help make a point, but they can’t be separated in our lives! In the first verse, Jesus says the Son of Man must be killed and rise again. He must do this not for Himself but for us! The second verse then says we must deny ourselves and follow Him; this is not an option but a requirement.
Too often, we celebrate and receive the first verse while denying the second. We want all that Jesus has for us, but we don’t want to give Him all of us. Brothers and sisters, this just can’t be. How can we expect to partake in all of His goodness while holding back part of our hearts or lives? He has paid such a high price for us, one so high no man could afford it. There is no wealth in this world that can buy what Christ paid for and gives to us so freely! Yet, at times, we want to ride the fence and dip our toes in the world.
This ministry of “must” is really a beautiful thing. Jesus said He must do it, and it wasn’t out of compulsion or forced obligation but out of love. And He wants and deserves the same from us. If we focus more on who He is and all that He has done, is doing, and will do, then it will be easier to obey Him from a heart of love. But if we focus on our flesh and this world rather than that obedience from love, we’ll turn to a resentful or restless obedience.
So today, let’s focus on Him and how He has saved us! Not because we deserved it or earned it but because of who He is! You and I were a must-have to Him! Let that fill our hearts and lead our worship of Him today through our obedience to His perfect word!
Philippians 4:8- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Nothing points to this verse more than our God! He is all of these things and so much more!
God bless! I love you all, but His love is a must-have! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Luke 9:51-53
As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And He sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for Him; but the people there did not welcome Him, because He was heading for Jerusalem.
Their prejudices kept them from having a personal and probably life-changing experience with Christ. Will the same happen to us?? As Christ was heading towards the cross to set us all free, He desired to go through this village, but because He was a Jew heading to Jerusalem, they turned His people away and would not receive Him! How close they were to Christ and yet so far away! Is this happening to us? You may say, “I’m not prejudiced. I don’t care if you are black, white, or purple,” but do we fall victim to other types of prejudices?
Often times in our denominations or cliques, there are prejudices that are openly accepted and widely practiced. We don’t fellowship with the Pentecostal brothers because they (fill in the blank). We don’t serve with those Baptist brothers because they believe (fill in the blank). Or maybe it’s just the way, style, and type of worship they have that doesn’t fit our idea of how it should go, so we cut them off and tie a neat little Christian bow on it. We have to stop dividing what Christ called to be united in Him: One God, One Son, One Spirit!
This Samaritan village missed out on a personal, unique, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Jesus Christ. Let us not do the same. Welcome those who welcome Christ as the Living Son of God who gave His life as a sacrifice for sin and raised to life through the Holy Spirit, Who was sent for the redemption of all those who would believe!
Luke 9:49,50- “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Luke 11:23- “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
God bless! I love you all, but His love bridges the gap, draws us near, and brings us home! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
Luke 9:51
As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
Sometimes, we have to fight to get to the cross. The Bible is full of verses about persevering and enduring, but the Holy Spirit brought this one to mind today. Jesus set out undeterred by the cross in front of Him. He set out with one purpose in mind, to pay our penalty and reconcile us to the Father. Jesus set out with His eyes fixed upon eternity, not on price it would cost Him. He didn’t mess around or buy time by making excuses or worrying about the pain, humiliation, or price but rather set His heart, His mind, and His eyes upon the finish line and would not be deterred.
I imagine that for most of us, the closer we got to the cross, the more the temptation would have been to call it off. To say, “Actually, I changed my mind and don’t want to go through that.” But not Jesus. He leaned into the Father, clung tighter to Him in the Spirit, and walked the only path that led to our forgiveness and freedom!
We have to be like Jesus and dig in when times get tough. We can’t let the heaviness of this life, the pain in front of or behind us, or the attacks from the enemy stop us from reaching the cross and leading others there! We are called to be warriors, not through physical violence but through spiritual warfare, and sometimes, that can mean walking through the storms of this life. But remember, we never walk through them alone! Cry out to the Lord, lean into Him, and do not fear, for our God never fails! He has given us His Son, His Spirit, His Presence, His Armor, and His Sword. So, let’s give Him our best and leave it all at the cross. Jesus did!
Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
2 Peter 1:3 - His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit who leads us daily!
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