Author: Awake Us Now

Two Year Gospel Study Week 54

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Scripture – Luke 18:1-8; “The Widow’s Plea” 

The Parable: “The Widow’s Plea” is an earthly narrative with a heavenly meaning – We should always pray and not give up!

This is a story that lets us know that there will be challenges and difficulties that we all will face. But in this parable Jesus is teaching us to endure – to not give up and to do so through prayer – leaning into Him and trusting Him.

The parable begins be telling of a judge that didn’t know God and didn’t care at all about people – and there’s a widow that continues to go to the judge for justice against her adversary. Over and over again and again she goes to him and each time he refuses to help her until he gets so tired of her continually pursuing him for justice that he finally gives in so she would leave him alone.

Jesus goes on, “and will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?”

Many interpret this to mean we need to be relentless in pounding on God’s door for what is just and what is right and what we need. But what Jesus is actually doing is challenging us to compare what we know of the unjust judge to what we know about him, the righteous judge,The Living God, who cares for us all.

The unjust judge doesn’t care about this widow, he only care about himself. God is NOT like that!  GOD CARES!

Jesus is saying that if even an unjust judge responds to pleas, don’t you know God who sees His children as precious will care so much more and will respond to His children. God is good and gracious and nothing like this unjust judge.

When things are rough and it seems that God is not listening, that is NOT the case! For our God is a righteous and caring judge!

Let’s compare the two:

The Judge
    ⁃    Unjust
    ⁃    Unloving
    ⁃    Uncaring
    ⁃    Merciless
    ⁃    Evil
    ⁃    Rude

God
    ⁃    Just
    ⁃    Loving
    ⁃    Caring
    ⁃    Merciful
    ⁃    Good
    ⁃    Gracious

God wants us to always pray and not give up. The Lord wants us to bring our needs to Him, our concerns and worries to Him, our struggles, our cries and our pleas and to understand how good He is.

PRAYER MAKES GOD REAL!

When we talk to God and bring to Him the cares and concerns of our lives – His presence becomes real – in that circumstance we are living by faith! We’re not giving up hope – We’re praying by faith to the Living God.

Jesus finishes with, “I tell you, He (The Father) will see that they (His children) get justice, and suddenly. However, when the Son of Man (Jesus) comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Jesus is saying here for us not to give up hope.  Don’t allow the threats of opposition and attacks of the enemy to drive us away from Him, Living God who alone delivers us.

Don’t allow the opposition of others to take our eyes off the goodness of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hang on to your faith!!! Hang on to your faith as never before!

How?
    1.    Pray to God – because prayer makes Him real!
    2.    Listen to and meditate on His Word
    3.    Be encouraged by fellow believers, those who have faith to live for God.

Pastor shares a powerful story of God’s victory in pain from the book “Walk On” by Ben Malcolmson.

In Summary, hang onto the Lord!! It’s a battle out there, but our God has won the victory. We will win because Jesus has already won!!

Our website –  https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. This book written by Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study.

Check out this episode!

Ten Words – And God Spoke

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Scripture: Exodus 20:1-2

What are the Ten Words? We read in Exodus 20:1, “And God spoke all these words.” “Words is referring to the Ten Commandments God spoke on Mount Sinai to Moses. God’s Ten Commandments are found in the rest of Exodus 20 and also in Deuteronomy 5.

Because these commandments are unnumbered in the Bible, there have been several ways these 10 Words have been numbered, but it doesn’t matter how you number them – what matters is whether you listen to them or not.

Exodus 20:2 God continues, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”  He is saying He’s the Israelite’s Deliverer from bondage in Eqypt.  We can also see this truth throughout Scripture as well when God promised to send a Savior and then sent the Messiah, Jesus Christ to Deliver His people from the bondage of sin.
 
Deliverance – God is the One who saves and all commandments flow from this statement of God’s deliverance for His children.

It’s not that we are saved by obeying the commands. It is God who saves us.  He is the Deliverer but in response to His work we desire to do what His 10 Words teach.

We cannot earn His favor, rather it’s God that has shown us His favor by being our Deliverer.  Deliverance is at the heart of all 10 Words.

Two dangers around the Ten Words:
    ⁃    Pride.  Thinking we have been good, or at least better than others. Or that we can earn God’s favor, but we ALL have sinned which means we all need to be rescued. We need a Savior because we cannot measure up to a holy God. (We are not measured against others, the measure is against a perfect, holy God and we all have failed) Only Jesus has obeyed the Father fully. Only Jesus lived the perfect life we could not. Only Jesus the perfect Lamb could shed His blood for our sin and save us.

    ⁃    Rebellion. Some of us refuse to believe there is a god. Others do what they think is “good.” Others may even question is there really good and bad and choose to ignore anything or anyone that says differently. The religious also rebel in thinking that “if God loves me and Jesus came to die for me, than I’m saved by His grace through faith so sin is not that big of a thing – I can do what I please, it doesn’t really matter because I’m saved.” But this too is deception and it is rebelling against the plan and purpose of God.

What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments for those who know God and trust in Jesus?  What about the unbeliever, how do these commandments speak into their lives.

God desires to call us ALL to the truth, to deliver us all from bondage to rebellion and foolishness and pride. His desire is to have us come face to face with Him and His love for each one of us.

Consider God’s commandments as an Owner’s Manual, like an owner’s manual for your car. The car’s maker tells the best ways to care for the vehicle. The Ten Commandments are God’s Owner’s Manual for His people. This “manual” shows us how to care for what our Maker made, how to live well, how to live as a thank You note to God.

Understanding God as our Deliverer, through faith in our Savior, changes how we look at the Commandments. Rather than a list of “dos” and “don’ts” we see them as God’s way of showing us how to have a meaningful life for all and to help us create a meaningful culture for all.

Our Maker knows what’s best for us.  His words give direction and purpose for our lives.

How does God use the Ten Commandments?
    1.    As a CURB – to keep us on the right path.
    2.    As a MIRROR – to show us our faults. As a mirror we see how we need a Savior, especially in a culture that is so far off the narrow path.
    3.    As a GUIDE – for Him to lovingly direct His will over our sinful nature.

The Ten Commandments are a response to God’s deliverance and we can look at them as the Owner’s Manual spoken by our Maker.

Will we use this Owner’s Manual and will we let it be our curb, mirror and guide that points us back to the truth of our need for a Savior?

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Two Year Gospel Study Week 53

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Luke 17:11-19; “Top 10%” 

Today’s teaching is a story from the last weeks of Jesus’ life before His arrest, crucifixion, death and resurrection.  This story speaks with immediacy, power and direction to us today.

Top 10% – what comes to mind is human achievement- we want to be at the top, but God sees things much differently.  When God speaks of the top 10% He’s talking about those who walk by faith in Him and who are filled with gratitude and thanksgiving.

So let’s explore today’s story in light of how God sees the top 10%.

The story is about 10 desperate individuals with a need that was met by Jesus and that will show us the importance of recognizing what God has done and giving Him the glory.

As Jesus is traveling towards Jerusalem 10 men with leprosy cry out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 

Jesus!  Have mercy on us! And Jesus has mercy – He is merciful and He simply responds in love and mercy to them with, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” (Because according to the Law – If you had leprosy and it went away – you had to go through an 8 day purification ritual in order to be called “clean.”)

Jesus’ command to go show the priests was a way of saying – even though you have leprosy – act like you are healed! Before healing began Jesus told them to act healed.

Jesus is saying act on what God has declared!

And then as they walked to Jerusalem they were healed!

The Lord Jesus has delivered us from our sins by His death and resurrection. He provides life forever and He calls us not to simply sit around and wait for God to do stuff in our lives, He calls us to act on what God has declared.  We are to learn from these 10 lepers that it is important to respond to what the Lord says!

Jesus speaks and He calls us to act!

As we read on with the story – 1 of the 10 when he saw he was healed – turned back and went to Jesus praising God in a loud voice and fell in thanks at Jesus’ feet.

10 were healed but only 1 truly understood that healing is more than just healing of the body. Healing is healing of the soul, and the spirit and the mind and that is what Jesus does.  He heals the ultimate need of every person – and that is healing of the disease of the soul that destroys us – and only Jesus brings this healing as the the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

This healed leper showed himself to be in the top 10 because he realized what mattered most was giving thanks and praise to God and coming to know Jesus.

God calls us to gratitude and thanksgiving. Our attitude affects the way we live.  He calls us to be people filled with gratitude because of Jesus Christ and what He’s done for us. Gratitude for the greatest gift of all.

Gratitude verses:
    ⁃    1 Corinthians 15:57
    ⁃    2 Corinthians 9:15
    ⁃    Colossians 3:17
Gratitude changes us!

Walk by faith practicing gratitude to God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Our website –  https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. This book written by Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study.

Check out this episode!

Two Year Gospel Study Week 52

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Luke 2:22-40; “Simeon and Anna” 

What is the meaning of the name, Jesus? Do we fully comprehend what this name means? In Hebrew it is Yeshua. It literally means Yehovah, Jehovah, Yahweh saves. “God Saves.” This is the name given to Jesus.  A precious name. “God Saves” is a powerful name, a mighty name and a remarkable name, a name that blesses all who call upon Him, a name that declares God is the One who saves us.

Every time we speak His name we are reminded of the truth that God has broken into our world and stepped in to save us. We need this divine intervention. It is God who saves us and not we ourselves.

In today’s story we see Jesus, Mary and Joseph at the temple and are introduced to Simeon. The Holy Spirit told him he would not die before seeing the Messiah. Simeon was in the temple as Mary, Joseph and Jesus entered and Simeon was prompted by the Holy Spirit to know this baby was the promised Savior.  Simeon takes Jesus in his arms and speaks, “Sovereign Lord, now dismiss your servant in peace, for my eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.”

Simeon was thrilled to be holding God’s promised Savior in his arms and to know God’s promise was right before his very eyes.

Then Simeon blessed them and to Mary he added, “This child is destined to cause the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against so that the thoughts of hearts will be revealed.”

The good news: God is fulfilling all He promised, but there’s also a warning that the fulfillment of the promise of a Savior comes at a great cost – that many will not receive what God so graciously offers. This is a prophetic word about the later years of Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus will grow in favor with God and men, but when He begins His ministry there will be a division that will occur because many will not receive what Jesus has to offer. This is still true today. Many will not admit their need for a Savior.

God loves humble people. He opposes the proud and pride will get in the way of many from believing.

Simeon also prophecies to Mary, “And a sword will pierce your own soul.” Words that were fulfilled for Mary – a mother that experienced unbelievable sorrow and incredible grief. She would watch her son die on the cross, see Him rejected by many and Simeon gives her a heads up on what’s to come.

In verse 36 – We are introduced to Anna. Anna was a prophet who also recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah and comes up to the group. She gives thanks to God and spoke about Jesus to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Israel. What a day of joy this was as the realization of God’s promises are being fulfilled in Jesus.

This is also for us today, an indication of what is to come. Just as they yearned for Jesus to come, we too yearn for His return.  Through the fulfillment of the promise of a Savior – We too can trust the promised fulfillment of His return.

This day IS coming! There will be a day for us like there was for Simeon and Anna when we behold the One whom the Father promised. And like Anna and Simeon we too will rejoice! 

This story reminds us that God keeps His word! Just as they saw baby Jesus face to face, we too on His return will see Him face to face in His full glory! And there will be endless rejoicing!

Our website –  https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. This book written by Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study.

Check out this episode!

Christmas Sunday: The Great Good News!

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Scripture: Luke 2: 1-20

The Christmas Story is familiar to most of us – a story we’ve heard over and over, year after year.  When something becomes so familiar we can easily be deceived into treating it too casually without the awe and gratitude this story should cause in our hearts.  Familiarity can cause us to forget this is a REAL story, with REAL people and our REAL Savior.  

So let’s look at this very familiar story in Luke 2:1-20 with new eyes and new ears and new hearts. May we experience and receive THE GREAT GOOD NEWS as the best gift ever given.

As Pastor reads the Christmas Story he shares insights about the location of where Jesus was born, and other interesting historical information, even specific insights into the shepherds in the fields and the intended use of their lambs.

Mary and Jospeph arrive in Bethlehem for a census, Jesus is born, and then the angels announce the Great Good News to the shepherds. When the angels broke through the skies the shepherds went from experiencing great fear at the appearance of the angels to great joy because of the Great Good News they were told.

“You will find the Babe wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  The Shepherds hurried off to find Jesus – an encouragement for us, too! Have you found Him? That is our prayer, that you find and know Jesus for The Great Good News has come, Jesus the Messiah!

The host of angels fills the sky above the shepherds singing, “Glory to God in the Highest!” Praising God in this Christmas season is a calling to us as well.

Let us hurry to find Him, seek Him and adore Him. The shepherds’ desire to find Jesus is to be our attitude too. Let this familiar story touch your heart in new ways this Christmas.

After seeing baby Jesus in the manger the shepherds spread the story about what the angels had told them and about the baby they met. May we also, like them, share the Great Good News of a Savior.

The Great Good News is:
    ⁃    Real – this really happened, this is true. There is overwhelming evidence from both believers and skeptics that the Messiah is real. 
    ⁃    Risen – He is risen and this victory is ours.
    ⁃    Returning – the reality is that He is returning. He is coming back – we have a forever life ahead of us!
    ⁃    Response – God loved us so much He was willing to take on human flesh, live the perfect life we could not, willingly give Himself for us on the cross in a most inhumane way as the sacrifice for our sins. Then He rose victorious from the grave….THAT demands a response!  One of repentance and belief. A response of receiving the Great Good News by walking with Him, following Him, surrendering to Him and watching what He will do.

Receive Him today as your Savior!

The Christmas story is not simply a story of our culture – it is the story of God’s love to each one of us.

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