Luke 20:17-19

Luke 20:17-19 But [Jesus] looked at them and said, What then is this that is written: The very Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Stone of the corner [Cornerstone]. Everyone who falls on that Stone will be broken [in pieces]; but upon whomever It falls, It will crush him [winnow him and scatter him as dust].

Ephesian 2:20-22 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

1 Peter 2:4-8 As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him — you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message — which is also what they were destined for.

The cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a building made from stones. All other stones will be set in reference to the cornerstone. This stone determines the position of the entire structure. Jesus is the chosen and precious cornerstone in the house of the Lord. In the Luke passage, Jesus warns the Jewish religious and secular leaders that if they fail to recognize him as the Messiah and do not build upon him as Lord and Master they will be crushed by God. However, if they allow themselves to be broken on the cornerstone, their lives will be useful in the construction of the house of the Lord and blessed by God.

Peter tells us that if our self-willed, rebellious lives are broken, we will become living stones built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Paul says that IN HIM we are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. In other words, we collectively are a living, vibrant dwelling place of the MOST HIGH. Our place in the house of the Lord is secure because of Jesus Christ's work, not ours. When we trust and rely on his work, we place our faith in the one who is the true cornerstone. He alone orients us correctly to God. No other philosophy, ideology, theology or man is acceptable to God; only Jesus Christ and his works open the door to God's dwelling place. When we place our full trust and faith in Jesus Christ, we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. We are home at last!

But Jesus warned the elite of that day: if they did not build on him and his words, judgment would follow. If they rejected him as their Messiah, God's Son, they would be smashed and their residue scattered as ashes. His warning was fulfilled a short time later, for the Romans smashed the rebellion of the Jews thirty years later and scattered them throughout the world. The Jewish elite could not accept Jesus as the chosen one because if they had, their lives would have been broken; they would have lost their position as leaders. They would have had to come under the authority of Jesus. Because they were unwilling to have their lives broken on the cornerstone, they lost out with God, and judgment befell them. Consequently, what they feared came upon them, a lack of power and a loss of position and authority.

For each of us, we must repent of our sins and build our lives on Jesus and HIS LIFE, not ours. We must be willing to be broken, to die to ourselves and come alive unto him. If we are willing to yield completely, we will find acceptance by the LORD, and He will use us in his household. In Christ, we will find rest from our struggles as we cease for our own works and accept his finished work at the cross. We will find joy and peace. In his household the purpose of our lives will be realized: bringing glory to God. As we sit at this breakfast table today, may we seek him while He can be found. Place your trust in THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE--build on him today. He will bless you and make your life worth living.

Luke 20:9-16

Luke 20:9-16 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never be!”

Acts 7:51-53 “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him — you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

From the beginning, the children of Israel had trouble obeying God's commandments, his laws. Stephen affirms this reality by saying to the Jews, And now you have betrayed and murdered him (Jesus) — you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it. Stephen observed, You always resist the Holy Spirit! The Luke parable shows a man renting out his vineyard to some farmers. This depicts God giving the Jewish people a special place to live with divine inspiration, the Law, to instruct them. But rather than producing fruits of righteousness and goodness, the people (the Jews), produced rebellious and bitter fruit. Instead of praising the owner for the gracious gift of this bountiful vineyard, they rejected his ownership of the land (their lives) and lived for their own gain.

When the owner (God) sent his servants to remind the people of their responsibilities and to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard, they abused his servants (the prophets) instead of heeding them. Stephen said, Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? The Jews did not accept the admonitions of the prophets of God; instead, they listened to their own false prophets who said it was all right for them to use the blessings of God for themselves. In their stubbornness, they rebelled against the owner of the vineyard, thinking because of his goodness he would not judge them for their selfish lives.

Finally, the master sent his son (Jesus), believing they would respect him. Surely, the son who owns everything would be respected by the people of the vineyard. However he was rejected, even though he performed miracles, did only good, and loved the inhabitants. They not only rejected him, they murdered him, as Stephen points out. This dastardly act of betrayal led the owner of the vineyard to punish the inhabitants and to give his vineyard, his blessings, to others. This act of rejection by his chosen people brought redemption to the whole world. Now the call is that whosoever will can receive the vineyard: the indwelling and fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, do we use God's vineyard for our own purposes or for his? Are we using the blessings of God, his peace and the indwelling Spirit, for our flesh or for the Lord's work? Do we view his wonderful gifts as a means to get ahead in the world or do we use them to bless others? I have known many Christians with wonderfully gifted children. The vineyard, the presence of the Holy Spirit in their families, has produced a good harvest. These children do well in school, having profited from a blessed household, a peaceful and orderly home. Now, how will we use this blessing of God? Will we direct our children to get the most from this world or will we point them toward a sacrificial life for God? Sometimes, I have seen Christian parents wanting their children to have more of the world than they have, to use the blessings of God to attain more and better things, to get further ahead in the world.

Do we want our blessed children to inherit the world or to win the world for God? Do we want them rulers or servants who live for him? He wants his blessings to flow back to him from every life as the fruit of the Spirit. If our children's lives produce only the material things of this world: bigger houses, better cars, more vacation trips, their lives will lack godly fruit. God's spirit does not abide and prosper in self-willed, self-directed lives. The children of Israel tried that way of life. Therefore, God searched for a people to use his vineyard for HIS PURPOSES. Let the blessings that we receive be directed towards serving him and not ourselves. Let us teach our children to seek and to serve God, not to serve themselves, for this is his vineyard. We are his people who should produce HIS FRUIT for his glory.

Luke 20:1-8

Luke 20:1-8 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John’s baptism — was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Matthew 5:20 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 11:11 I Tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

The people viewed John the Baptist as a prophet of God, a holy man. They considered him a mouthpiece for God; his lifestyle fulfilled the letter of the Law and the words of the Prophets, a validation of his authority. Since he was recognized by the common people as a righteous man above all other men, the Jewish elite could not say anything against John. Jesus said, there was not anyone greater than John the Baptist. Jesus knew the elite did not appreciate John's ministry or his position of respect with the people, so He put the leaders on the spot by asking them where John received his authority. Regardless of their answer, the leaders would have been condemned; therefore, out of fear they would not answer Jesus.

The Jewish leaders considered Jesus a troublemaker, a law breaker. According to them, Jesus was breaking the law when he allowed his disciples to pick grain and when he healed on the Sabbath because these acts constituted working on the Sabbath. Additionally, He ate with sinners, and He associated with the wrong people, even Roman collaborators (the tax collectors). He touched lepers. For sure they knew Jesus did not respect their authority as priests and teachers of the law. To them Jesus was not a temperate man; He was a man out of control, bucking their authority and leading men away from them. Therefore, they wanted to harass Jesus by asking who gave him the authority to act as He did. But Jesus did not answer their question directly.

Who do we follow, John the circumspect man or Jesus the rule breaker? Both were God's instruments; both served God in everything they did. But John said that he was not worthy of even tying Jesus' shoes. However, as far as the Pharisees were concerned, Jesus broke the commandments of God. He should not have been performing any activity on the Sabbath. In the Old Testament, a man who picked up wood on the Sabbath was stoned for his activity. Jesus said, Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Should Jesus have allowed his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath? The Pharisees asked Jesus where He received authority to do these things, to break the rules of God. Jesus knew they would not understand, but He could have said that He was the Lord of the Sabbath, the completer of the Sabbath.

Jesus is the Sabbath rest for all mankind. As God ceased from his work on the Sabbath, IN CHRIST we cease from our works, from our efforts to please God because IN HIM we are pleasing to God. At his baptism and again on the Mount of Transfiguration, God acknowledged Christ's authority. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5 KJV) He is not the law breaker the Pharisees supposed; He is the complete fulfillment of the Law. He satisfies every requirement of the Law, and He brings his righteous, HIS HOLINESS, to his people. THAT IS WHY WE CHRISTIANS PUT OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS: He satisfies God's commandments for righteousness. He alone completely pleases God the Father; HE ALONE PAID THE PRICE FOR OUR SINS. It is his works not ours that purchased our salvation. It is not John, the man, and his efforts to please God, it is not the works of man, but it is the works of God that we trust as our Sabbath rest. IN CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD, WE FIND RIGHTEOUSNESS; IN HIM WE ARE KNOWN AS THE CHILDREN OF GOD. Today walk in grace and speak confidently of God's sufficiency in your life. Spread the good news that Christ died to save sinners.

Luke 19:47-48

Luke 19:47-48 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

Titus 3:1-2 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Romans 13:1-2 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Jesus was in a maelstrom of hatred during the final period of his ministry. Jewish religious leaders and teachers of the law hated Jesus so much they wanted him to disappear; they wanted him dead. Are you in a maelstrom of hate? As I listen to the health care debate, I think some Christians are following people who preach, discord, hatred, and disrespect. These self-acclaimed leaders loath our President; they want him gone; they seek any pretext possible to destroy him. If Jesus returned today, what would he find in your heart? Would He find the works of the flesh: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions or would he find the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? (Galatians 5:20-23) Does the world's spirit or the Holy Spirit reap a bountiful harvest in your life?

Embracing negative spirits quickly overwhelms our minds and behaviors, preventing us from winning the world for Christ. These powerful characteristics of sinful man, these dark attitudes, have been evident throughout the centuries. Mankind constantly exhibits a lack of love, a warring mood. An angry spirit can also control or motivate good or religious people. Such power within religious people is extremely dangerous and destructive, for religious people claim they are fighting for godly principles, for God himself. In our most religious war, The Civil War, almost 700,000 people died. Both factions claimed God for their side, but these wicked spirits of control and discord decimated the country. If we willingly entertain sinful attitudes in our minds, Christians can be overwhelmed easily by these negative spirits. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel? Cain could only ask if he was his brother's keeper, for he dared not confess the evil in his heart. The innate, negative works of fleshly man caused Jesus to say there will be wars and rumors of wars until the end.

Jesus' message of love, service, and sacrifice turned the world upside down. He talked about being a caring servant, about first judging yourself instead of judging others. He talked about giving to others, about loving our enemies. His ministry revealed God's long suffering love for a rebellious people. He came as God's sacrificial Lamb for mankind's sinful nature. He came to make us children of God, to cleanse us of our self-centered, self-willed nature, a nature that yielded to the serpent, saying, Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden? We can observe the contrary nature of man in many contexts, such as at athletic events. I often see Christians booing the officials, yelling at them angrily because they supposedly did not make the right call for the chosen team. (It seems that most calls against the favored team are the wrong calls.) I have watched Christian basketball players pretend the ball did not go out-of-bounds from their hands, blatantly lying about the situation. I have listened to good Christian people skew almost every situation to their advantage.

A selfish or self-willed attitude in a small group or in one person may appear somewhat harmless, but extended to the world scene, such anger and deception leads to wars, discord, hatred, lust, and evil desires of every kind that are not like God. We must remind ourselves that our attitudes, our demeanor, our actions should always reflect God's holiness, his righteousness, his nature. God knows who touched the ball last. He knows who is right and who is wrong in every situation. He views each scene correctly and judges rightly. As Christians, we cannot substitute our view of things for his; we cannot substitute our will for his will, our nature for his nature. He is always supreme, right, and holy! Paul gave these instructions: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 KJV)

The religious leaders in Christ's day wanted to kill him because He undermined their authority with the people, their view of life. They feared losing their leadership positions, and to win back worldly power and influence, they took drastic action: they crucified Jesus. Are we Christians yielding to worldly desires even though the Bible says, Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15 KJV) What is the outcome of following the ways of the world? Death. Sin produces death, rebellion produces death, war produces death. Are we people of death or of life? Of course, we seek life, life everlasting through Jesus Christ! We are to love, to care, to help, to go the extra mile, even to love our enemies. We are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. If we are not, we are worthless, and worthy to be cast aside. If you are troubled by an angry, self-serving, controlling approach to life, turn to Christ today. He will free you and put his nature within you.

Luke 19:45-46

Luke 19:45-46 Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Jesus was upset with the economic activities people were conducting in the temple. These transactions were necessary because the people needed to buy animals and birds for the required sacrifices. They also needed to change their standard currency into temple currency to pay their temple tax, but Jesus did not want these activities within God's temple, for it was designated by God as a place of prayer: Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. (Isaiah 56:7b) The temple of God was not intended as a market place, but a place of worship.

In the New Testament, we are known as the temple of God; we are the body of Christ where the Spirit abides. We are an example of his kingdom. We are the living Word, his visage here on Earth. Are we that temple or have we desecrated it with the activities of commerce, with self-willed concerns? Are we more a market place than a place of worship? Are we individually and collectively a house of prayer, a people who pray and worship continually? I sometimes believe rather than being a house of prayer, Christians have become a subculture; having our own schools, stores, theme parks, books, radio and television stations, campgrounds, and so on. When the world views us in this way, we are just another group, another pathway to living with a particular lifestyle somewhat different from theirs. The world should not be able to ignore us in this manner. We are not just another subculture, another lifestyle; we are God's temple, the people of God. Our lives should depict this reality. However, if our lives are lived in a self-willed way, doing our "Christian thing," the world will never perceive the temple of God; they will see us merely as a subset to their society.

According to the Bible, our lives as a body and as individuals should be a house of worship, a place where God dwells. Out of our innermost beings should flow continual songs of worship, words of praise, and prayers to God. Each of us should be God's temple; together we should reveal God's presence on Earth. Christianity is not an activity or an attitude; it is not an alternative lifestyle: not stores, schools, radio stations, or anything else of this world. We are the demonstrable House of God on Earth. Christians are to epitomize God's nature in a dark and dreary world, a world of death. Consequently, we definitely should not isolate ourselves in our own little "Christian world." As ambassadors for Christ, intimately involved with the world, we can reveal Christ to needy and hurting people. When we desire to isolate ourselves, to run to the hills or to set up our own institutions because we are afraid of the world, we must be careful what we are doing. Instead of creating a little "Christian Oasis" here on Earth, we should let our lights shine for Christ wherever we go. To be a light, we must be in the world, but not of the world. Jesus set the example: He mingled with the sinners while sharing the hope and peace of the Father.

In the midst of the world, our lives should be places of prayer, revealing the saving grace of God through Christ. Jesus will not accept any other temple environment. Putting the Christian stamp of approval on an idea or activity does not ensure God's blessing or his presence. Therefore, in every situation regardless of what we are doing, our temples should be places of worship, lighthouses in a dark world where people's lives constantly crash into the rocks of sin. As a collective body of Christians, living in the darkness of the world, let the church, the temple of God, shine brilliantly. Lord, show us how to make our testimony steadfast and holy, so the world will recognize that we are the body of Christ, the temple of God, holy and righteous in his name with room for all in the fold.

Luke 19:41-44

Luke 19:41-44 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"

Jesus wept because the city of peace did not receive the giver of peace. Instead, throughout history, the Jewish elite rejected God's authority and his messengers. The above passages reveal God's great love for the Jewish people. He loved them as a mother loves her child, but they refused to obey his commandments and to come under his authority. This rebellious nature led to their demise. In the Luke verses, Jesus reveals the future of Jerusalem, and it was not a pretty picture. He knew the Romans would crush Jerusalem; He knew the Jewish people would be scattered throughout the world. He knew the complete devastation of Jerusalem was going to happen in the immediate future, and it did in 73AD.

Jesus did not preach rebellion, He preached peace. The people of Jerusalem wanted a king to throw off the yoke of the Romans. Jesus was not the administrator of this kingdom but of the kingdom of heaven. His kingdom was one of the spirit where He would reign forever. Jesus said this kingdom is within you if you abide in him and He in you. The Jewish people could not accept that kingdom because their reality was slavery to the Romans. The diabolical Romans could request anything they desired from them, and they had to obey or pay the consequences, punishment or even death. Jesus did not promise them earthly deliverance; He promised deliverance from sin and life with God, eternal life. The majority of the Jewish people would not accept his nebulous kingdom. They could not stretch their minds around faith, around a spiritual kingdom. The Zealots among them wanted rebellion against the Roman rules, and Simon the disciple was from this group. They wanted force, they wanted retribution, they wanted the sword. But Jesus was not that leader. He brought freedom from sin, peace for the soul, and eternal life with God. What a great disappointment He was to the Jewish elite, to the Zealots amongst them. They wanted a leader of men, not a servant of men, a sacrificial lamb.

Today, as many Christians frequently lament current events, they often shackle their spirits with fear and hatred toward what they oppose or reject in this world. Vocal leaders predict terrible things will happen because of certain elections and governmental policies. This kind of spirit must make Jesus weep for we seek earthly solutions rather than his wisdom through the Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit. As we try to establish an earthly domain to our liking, we act like the Jewish Zealots who rebelled against the Romans, causing the Romans to wipe out the Jewish nation. Jesus brings everlasting peace and inexpressible joy. He alone provides the answers for our souls, bringing contentment to the inner man. He holds the answers to life.

If our souls are stirred to anger and fear by other people's ideas or actions, we should examine our thinking, guard our spirits. Are we loving, caring, peaceable, and long suffering or are we angry, disturbed, bitter, and volatile? Do we really love our enemies or do we make ourselves liars, hypocrites, by saying we love, but not really loving with God's unconditional love? What kind of fruit do we bear? Jesus wept over Jerusalem when they did not know their day of peace and deliverance had come. He wept because He knew through their own efforts, they would try to establish peace and freedom. He wept because they were unwilling to come under his kingdom authority, obtaining eternal peace and true security. What does Jesus do when He looks at our lives and our choices?

Luke 19:37-40

Luke 19:37-40 The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Psalm 98:4-9 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn — shout for joy before the LORD, the King. Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD.

Job 38:6-7 On what were its (the earth's foundation) footings set, or who laid its cornerstone — while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy.

Since the day of my salvation, I have sung songs of worship and praise to the Lord. I believe the celestial bodies are singing, even earth itself sings honor and glory to the Creator of all things. Luke records Jesus saying if people will not use their voices to praise God, the stones themselves will audibly praise him. We humans do not hear the song of praise the universe emits, but the Bible says they are there. If the universe praises God, then let all who have voice praise the Lord; let all who are in the light of God's grace and mercy praise him; let all of us who have strength praise the Lord. Sadly, when our voices are stilled by the shadow of death, we will lose our volition to sing of God's glory; therefore, while we still have breath, let us praise the Lord with words and songs.

How sad to see a congregation unwilling to praise the Lord wholeheartedly. If the stones will cry out, if the sea will resound, if the rivers will clap their hands, if the mountains will sing, how much more important it is for us, God's children who are made in his image, to sing and rejoice in his presence. Why would we keep silent and not rejoice with our whole being? Are we tempting the stones to cry out? Are we tempting God himself to set us aside because we don't realize what He has done for us? A true awareness of our great redemption should cause us to dance, sing, and shout praises. How can we be silent when we behold such a great redemption? No casino winnings, athletic feats, achievement gains, or anything else the world offers are more worthy of our exultation than Jesus Christ and his redemption story. How can we keep quiet! Jesus allowed his disciples to express their joy because the universe had been waiting for the redemption of man. If the disciples did not praise him, the universe, all that is, would. All of heaven rejoices when sinners come home to God. The father greets all who turn from their sins and toward home. Jesus paid for that redemption; He paid for the fatted calf; He paid for the father's forgiveness and generous welcome. Jesus paid it all, and all to him we owe.

How great a salvation, how great the redemption! Who would not shout for joy! I love the new songs, for God is still in the creating business. He fills his children with new songs, new praises. Yes, the old songs are good, the songs of past centuries were good, but God is also contemporary, in the now. Beautiful new songs created by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers are sung everywhere today. I am sure the stars and the heavenly bodies also rejoice in these new songs of the Spirit. Consequently, let us rejoice with the new songs as well as the old. Let us hear what the Spirit is saying today as well as in the past. Let us praise God with all our heart, soul, mind, and spirit. Let us praise him with our whole being just as the whole universe praises God with all of its essence. We are made to worship, we are made to sing, we are made to rejoice. Let us worship the Lamb who is worthy of all praise. If they (we) keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Do not rebuke the passionate voice of others, but enter into the songs the Spirit sings today.

Luke 19:28-38 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

Jesus does not claim to be just a teacher, a guide to God, He claims to be "the Lord." The Lord needs it. The world does not mind acknowledging Jesus as some guru, a holy teacher, but they do not want to claim him as the Lord. If He is Lord, then they must address how they live, whether or not they are pleasing to Jesus. By claiming lordship, Jesus makes people accountable to his words, his revelation. The Jewish people were uncertain about recognizing Jesus' divinity, but they were absolutely sure they wanted a king to throw off the yoke of the Romans. They needed a miracle-working king, and Jesus performed miracles. He did things no man had done from the beginning of time. Why not choose him as Lord and King; maybe the miracle worker could get rid of the hated Romans. Therefore, they greeted him joyfully as He rode into Jerusalem: Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

However, a week later when they found Jesus was seemingly a mere man in the hands of the Jewish elite and the hated Romans, they vehementedly turned against him. The people were totally disillusioned, and they must have felt betrayed by Jesus. He made them think He was Lord, but now it was evident TO THEM that He was but a man with no real power. Consequently, their hatred for the Romans and their disillusionment made them cry out angrily against this imposter, "Crucify him, Crucify him." They would rather see the Romans release Barabbas the murderer than Jesus the deceiver. Their disappointment was great because their hopes had been dashed. It was evident to them now that Jesus was powerless to help them.

Has Jesus disappointed you? Has He failed to deliver you from all your troubles? Are you still a captive in your soul, in your sadness? Is He the deceiver in your life? If we read the Word incorrectly, with purely fleshly expectations, we might consider Jesus the Lord as the deceiver. We might lament, why hasn't He come to my rescue? Why doesn't He make my body strong? Why doesn't He heal my sick loved one? Why am I not successful in the world? Why doesn't my mate love me the way I should be loved? Why are my children rebellious? Why do I have such long sleepless nights? Why do I have to worry about making a living? We might cry, "Jesus, aren't you Lord; can't you do these miracles?" Every day the multitudes ask Jesus these questions and many more. Silence is often the response to these queries. But Jesus did go into Jerusalem as Lord. He was crucified as Lord.

As we read of the many troubles believers have faced, scriptures tell us this world is not our home. Paul, the apostle, laments, To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. Do you not think Paul prayed? Do you believe that he alone endured hardship, depravation, fear, anxiety, and trouble? Christianity is not a panacea for our troubles here on Earth. Yes, God answers prayers and is concerned about our life IN HIM, and yes, we can endure all thing through Christ Jesus. But, to use Jesus as a cure-all for all of our troubles is to read our fleshly desires into scripture. Christianity is a spiritual journey, an intimate experience with the Lord himself as we abide in the Holy Spirit. Paul gave his life totally to God regardless of his situation or experiences because he knew Jesus intimately. He knew Jesus was with him, preparing the way to heaven. Paul was a spiritual being, as we all are IN CHRIST. He was and is a citizen of another world known as the Kingdom of God. Basically, this life, this earthly kingdom, was irrelevant to him, had no hold on him. He declared he had learned contentment in Christ in all circumstances.

We who wholeheartedly love and submit to Christ are new creatures, made to fellowship with the King forever. We are no longer bound to the things of this world. Yes, we will get old, develop wrinkles, and experience pain in our bodies. Yes, we may stoop over from the weight of this world, but WE ARE NEW CREATURES in Christ who loves us. People might look at Christians and say we look like everyone else with the same troubles as everyone else, but praise God we are not bound to this earth. We are heavenly creatures, full of the Holy Spirit with his attributes: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) God, in Jesus Christ, has rescued us from sin and death. The Light of the world has brought light to our souls. Praise God, we do not weep alone in the darkness, hopelessly despairing our circumstances, for we know by faith that He is always near. He always praises our efforts and encourages us to keep going. There is victory in Christ Jesus. Our destination is the kingdom of God. By faith, dwell in it now, believe in it, and know it in your hearts! For the kingdom of God is within you: Jesus is near!

Luke 19:11-27

Luke 19:11-27 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them — bring them here and kill them in front of me.’"

The Jewish people expected Jesus to establish his kingdom on Earth quickly, but Jesus tells this parable to correct that impression. He tells them about a man of noble birth who goes away for a while and then comes back as king to take control of the land. Many of his subjects did not like him and did not want him to be their king. Jesus is referring to the Jewish people who would reject him as the Christ by crucifying him. They would crucify him, but someday He would return as Lord and King.

The minas in the parable were worth approximately 2,000 dollars each in our money. One servant multiplies his mina to twenty thousand dollars, another multiplies his to ten thousand dollars, but a third hides the coin. The latter chose to hide the mina rather than use it for the Lord. He figured it was a waste of time to multiply the mina, for the master would take the profits, leaving the servant with nothing for his efforts but the gift of the mina. However, this man was judged harshly for his laziness. The two thousand dollars he was given was taken away and placed in the hands of the one who earned twenty thousand dollars. The king made the profitable servants rulers over cities, but he gave the unprofitable servant nothing. The king also dispensed with those in his kingdom who hated him, who chose to rebel rather than coming under his authority. Jesus is telling the Jewish people that He will return as king in the future to reward those who are faithful to his Word, but those who reject him or who are unprofitable He will judge harshly.

We are those servants. How will we use the minas that we receive? Are we willing to serve Jesus even if He is far away in another country? Of course the answer is yes, we will serve him. We who are in the Kingdom serve him now. We might not be as profitable as we want, but we serve him with our words of praise and with our dedicated lives. If we are not serving him as willingly as we should, the Bible says we will come under discipline. We can receive that discipline in many different ways. The Lord wants us to commit more of ourselves to him, to actually use the minas fully for his benefit. In this parable, the servant who was lazy received nothing and was chastised for his laziness.

Laziness in the Christian world is living our lives as WE DESIRE: hiding our talents, our gifts of strength, the essence of our lives, away from God's service. How many of us are doing that? How many of us think we can serve God in isolation at home, away from people, away from gathering ourselves together with believers? Do we smugly believe we are part of the church of God without community or without testifying of Jesus in the wider world of the unbelievers? Unfortunately, if we think we can live that way, we are hiding our mina; we are deceiving ourselves. God did not breathe spiritual life into us for our benefit alone; it was given for God's purposes. That knowledge challenges me. The Bible says we have been bought with a HIGH PRICE, Jesus Christ's suffering and crucifixion. Therefore, we are not OUR OWN: we are his. We no longer have the right or the privilege to hide from God in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces. If we do, we are hiding our mina and failing to reap a harvest for our Lord.

Eventually, our lives will be exposed to God's righteous light. Nothing will be hidden. We might be able to deceive ourselves, but we will not deceive God. Consequently, my fellow servants, seek him while it is yet day, or while you can still work, for the night comes when no one can work. Each of our hearts will stop one day; our work for the Master will stop as well. What we have done while it is day will be exposed for the Lord. If we have done little or nothing because of fear, doubt, and unbelief, our hearts will weep because our mina has been wasted as we lived our lives for ourselves. But none of us need to follow that route: we can pray in our closets, we can write emails and notes of encouragement, we can visit the sick; we can be servants to all through Christ in us and the power of the Holy Spirit. Consider your gifts and your responsibilities today and praise God for the gift of life and the strength to serve him.

Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner." But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Can bitter and sweet water come out of the same well? People who divine for water seek sweet water or that which is healthy, that which is not too alkaline or salty, but Jesus did not seek for sweet water or obedient people: He came for the sinners. And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone." (Mark 9:18) Jesus came for needy people, all of us: the bitter, the angry, the thief, the murderer, the rapist, the disillusioned, the wayward, the ornery, and the confused. He came to save and to serve sinners: US.

The crowd was unhappy with Jesus, for He was going to the house of a well-known sinner, Zacchaeus. I suspect this would be like going to a mafia don's house in our day. Jesus said to him, I must stay at your house today. Jesus wanted Zacchaeus to understand that God was telling him to stay at his house that night. (Jesus did only what the Holy Spirit told him to do.) God was telling Jesus to interact with Zacchaeus, to commune with him, to eat BREAD at his house. Jesus' willingness to stay at his house touched Zacchaeus' heart so dramatically that he exclaimed, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount. Sweet water had begun to flow from his heart and his lips.

Zacchaeus found redemption that day. His immediate response was to recognize Jesus as Lord. He repented of his own life and literally said, I am going to turn my life around by righting the wrongs I have done. In a few words, he told Jesus he believed in him as Lord and Savior, and he was going to travel in a new direction in his life, on a path of repentance. Out of the well of bitterness that was Zacchaeus' life came sweet water. Out of a well of inconsequential activities came life-giving words of dedication and purpose. Can bitter and sweet water come out of the same well? Yes, if a bitter well finds God, sweet water can flow from the innermost being of any individual who accepts God and chooses to follow him.

Does that mean there are no areas in our lives that produce bitter water? No, we have ongoing dysfunctions and sin problems, but we must always allow the Holy Spirit to go deeper in our spirits to find the sweet water and to take away the bitter. We want the water where the Holy Spirit flows, the water of the still, small voice, the water reflecting God's nature. This water is healing, cleansing, and restorative water. This water makes us at home with Jesus. This water allows us to know our guest as Lord. Today, my friends, seek the sweet water within you; seek the Holy Spirit. Repent of your contrary actions AND THOUGHTS. Put on the whole armor of God in every part of your spirit to drive away the flesh, so the sweet water might flow in your life. My wife, Jacqueline, wrote this little song as a prayer when she spoke at a women's retreat. It fits our study today: "Let there be sweet water, flowing from my soul. Let there be sweet water, words to make me whole. Take the bitterness away; let your Spirit come to stay. Let there be sweet, sweet water in my soul." Amen!