Today’s Scrip-Bit 11 May 2021 Luke 19:10.

11 May 2021 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 19:10.     For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Oh friends, welcome to another beautiful day in the life! Give thanks and praise that we opened two of our most valuable presents this morning; our eyes! And if you don’t believe you should give thanks for what seems a simple action, but what’s truly an overwhelming and most pleasurable gift, then just check the obits and see how many of us didn’t open our eyes this beautiful morning. 

And furthermore, if you can see the beautiful world around you, see your beautiful spouse, your children, family and friends, then you should be even more thankful, because many of us who opened our eyes, couldn’t see any of the beauty around us! And there are plenty of other things and actions which seem so normal to us that we should be extremely grateful for because many others don’t have those things or can’t do those actions. 

So my people, every day we awaken, and can see, walk, talk, laugh and LOVE, with a roof over our heads and bread on our tables, thanksgiving and praise ought to rise loudly from our mouths, hearts and souls! And then, we ought to think about those who can’t do what we can do, or don’t have what we have, and consider how we can help them in their daily journey that’s not as easy and blessed as ours. Yes, as sincere followers of Jesus, some portion of our time, of our day should be set aside for helping others, in whatever way we can. 

Remember how Jesus described His purpose on earth? In Luke, when He surprises everyone, and eats with Zaccheus, the tax collector, who is so touched by Jesus’ attention, that he repents and promises to restore fourfold whatever he has wrongfully gained. Jesus then tells him: ‘This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ (Luke 19:9-10) 

And the scholars offer this explanation: ‘19:10. The words seek, save, and lost all appear elsewhere in Scripture in a shepherd context. This verse may be taken as a kernel statement of the central theme of Luke. Jesus is the compassionate, searching Herdsman who seeks to save those who can by no means save themselves.’ Consequently, my fellow believers in Christ, we ought to help those who can’t help themselves, because that’s what He desires and expects of us. 

Meanwhile, Mark tells us about a time when Jesus was eating in His house with the disciples and plenty sinners, or those so lowly that the supposedly pious, but hypocritical Jews of the time would have avoided. ‘And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them. They that are whole have no need of the physician but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Mark 2:16-17) 

Yes friends, that’s what Jesus was about; helping the sick and lonely, the poor and downtrodden, those in need of help in whatever area(s) of their earthly existence! He came to heal, LOVE and forgive! And being His followers, we need to not only have the same attitude but also put it to work, action it, like He did. For it is only when we action our faith that we truly show the LOVE of Christ. 

And on the biblehub.com website, I found this interesting Pulpit Commentary on verse 17 above. ‘As the physician is not infected by the disease of the patient, but rather overcomes it and drives it from him, so it is no disgrace but rather an honor to the physician to associate himself with the sick, and so much the more, the greater the sickness. So that it is as though Christ said, “I who am sent from heaven by the Father, that I might be the Physician of the souls of sinners, am not defiled by their sins and spiritual diseases when I converse with them; but rather I cure and heal them, which is alike for my glory and for their good, and so much the more, the greater their sins. 

For I am the physician of sinners, not their companion. But you, scribes and Pharisees, are not the physicians but the companions of sinners, and so you are contaminated. Nevertheless, you desire to be thought righteous and holy; and therefore I do not associate with you, (1) because the whole, such as you think yourselves to be, need not the spiritual Physician; and (2) because your insincerity and hypocrisy are an offense to me.” 

Now that sounds just like a scathing remark that Jesus would make to the hypocritical, self-righteous, upper crust Jews. But my brethren, as disciples of Christ, we must do our best not to have those terms associated with us. That means we need to do what we say, practice what we preach, because if we make all kinds of promises and speeches in Jesus’ name, and then don’t fulfill them, we’re only giving the enemy more ammunition with which to embarrass and pull down, or destroy the organization that Jesus is trying to build; His church. 

That brings us to this anecdote of Jesus in Matthew, where He’s telling His disciples about the greatest in heaven being those humble like a little child and goes on to tie them in with a story on the lost sheep. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones perish.’ (Matt. 18:11-14)

And believe me friends, it’s not only the little ones that our heavenly Father doesn’t want to see perish, but also the big ones. (smile) So let’s take some time today and ponder on all that we’ve read and said nuh, and, with God’s help, come up higher, like we so desperately need to do. Now let’s go home proclaiming (smile) our Tuesday Mantra. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’ 

And the obvious consequence to all of that? Why, going out and sharing the marvellous LOVE and friendship of Christ with unfortunate others! Much LOVE!

…our world’s crying out for…help, healing, friendship and…LOVE…please respond positively…                                     

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZJ8              

Today’s Scrip-Bit 27 January 2018 Luke 19:10.

27 Jan 2018 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 19:10.   For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Saturday, oh Saturday! What shall we say about thee eh? You relieve us from the pressures of going to a job outside the home, but then have us working harder there, with all the household chores that we could not do during the workweek. But it’s a day off, you complain! A day off from what? Not your family, or household duties. You don’t have days off from those, especially if you have young children. 

And though the amenities make it somewhat easier, you still have to load and unload the washer, the dryer and the dishwasher, fold the clothes and put them away. Well you don’t necessarily have to go to the grocery any longer, for you can order on line and have your stuff delivered. But for some reason we seem to be busier than we’ve ever been.

Is that just a figment of our imagination, or is it real? An interesting thought for us to ponder this Saturday morning as we sit or lay daydreaming about being a couch potato. (smile) 

But now, let’s see what quotes our friend Anselm sent us this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. And this first quote is a gem. ’The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you LOVE to do, be the best at doing it.’ 

That’s oh so true my brethren. We must not be afraid to take chances, especially if we’re truly and sincerely walking with Jesus. And not trying is indeed the greatest failure you can ever have, because you’ll never know what you might have accomplished, had you tried. Then excellence is a must in whatever you like to do, otherwise you’re just wasting your time. 

Now I’m not so sure about this next quote. ‘I honestly think it is better to be a failure at something you LOVE than to be a success at something you hate.’ My thinking is why would you want to be a failure in anything at all? 

And then there is: ‘Every day we choose who we are by how we define ourselves.’ Unfortunately many of us define ourselves in different ways, and thus show ourselves in different lights. However, there is only ONE true way to define yourself; as a believer in Jesus Christ, and a child of the Most High God Jehovah! And everything else in your life should follow from that. 

So what about this quote: ‘You are not a product of your circumstances. You are a product of your decisions.’ Yes, our decisions play a great part in what we become, but I think that’s cutting the argument a bit fine, because we make so many of our decisions based on our circumstances.  

And then there is this last quote. ‘People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.’ 

Ah mih people, that might be true in the world’s opinion, but for believers in Jesus Christ, if you’re not with me on the straight and narrow road that leads to Jesus, to salvation and eternal life, then you are indeed lost! Oh friends, that’s why Jesus had such heavy emphasis on the lost in His ministry.

As he steadfastly declares in our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’ That was His sole purpose of coming to earth people! To save us from our abominable sins which would cause us to be eternally separated from Almighty God! 

And our heavenly Father LOVED us so much that He couldn’t stand the thought of losing even one of His most precious creations. Thus Bruh Paul could truthfully declare to the Romans: ‘But God commendeth (demonstrated) his LOVE toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Rom.5:8) Imagine that nuh people; Christ died in place of our lost souls. He took our death and gave us His life instead. What a hero! One of extraordinary proportions! 

Now let’s look at a couple of instances where Jesus harped on the lost idea, and the importance of saving those who are lost. But first hear these explanations from the scholars on our Bit. ’19:10. The words, seek, save, and lost all appear elsewhere in Scripture in a shepherd context. This verse may be taken as a kernel statement of the central theme of Luke: Jesus is the compassionate, searching Herdsman who seeks to save those who can by no means save themselves.’ 

And that is exactly who Jesus is! Just check out His parables on the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son, Luke 15:3-32. If a shepherd had a hundred sheep and one got lost, he wouldn’t just forget about it, but he’d leave the ninety nine and go diligently looking for that one lost animal.

And when He found it, he’d throw it over his shoulders rejoicing, then go home and call his friends and neighbours to rejoice with him over the lost sheep that was found. ‘I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just (upright) persons. (Luke 15:7) 

The same goes for the woman who has ten pieces of silver and loses one in her house. She’ll put on the brightest lights and sweep the area clean to find it. And when she finds it, she calls her friends to rejoice with her. ‘Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’ (Luke 15:10) 

And we all know the parable of the prodigal son who returns home after wasting his life and fortune in a foreign country. He comes to offer himself as a servant to the father, but the father would have none of it. And he joyfully declares: ‘For this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.’ (Luke 15:24) 

Oh my faithful brethren, that’s the exact reaction our heavenly Father has when we’re saved, and all heaven rejoices with Him. So please, let’s be wise and get on that straight and narrow road that leads to Jesus before it’s too late nuh. Much LOVE!

…he who is lost…and doesn’t want to be found by Jesus…needs his head examined…

 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 February 2014 Luke 19:10

16 Feb 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 19:10.    For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
 
Well a good Sunday morning to all you Friends and fellow believers out there in Christendom! It is the Lord’s Day, so please let’s treat it as such; with reverence and awe, with praise and thanksgiving, with worship and fellowship. 
 
Let’s get out and fellowship with those of like persuasion… and even with those of a different persuasion, for once Jesus is the focus of our attention, we simply cannot go wrong. Remember He specifically said that wherever two or three are gathered in His Name, that He would certainly grace us with His wonderful presence. (Matt.18:20)
 
And if by chance, or design, you can’t get out to fellowship with other believers and hear the Word, then turn on your television set and tune in to one of the many Christian programmes where  the Word is boldly preached and listen to it attentively. Because to know the Word, you must hear it, and how can you hear it without a preacher? (Rom.10:14-15) For as Bruh Paul proudly proclaims: ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ (Rom.10:17) 
 
And just supposing you don’t have a T.V… Well then get out your Bible and read it aloud to yourself, for there’s plenty of power in the spoken Word. Note that God SPOKE the world and all therein into existence. It wasn’t any abracadabra, simi-dimi stuff. The important thing though my brethren, is that the Word of God comes into contact with your very soul, on this, His day.
 
That brings us to our Bit: ‘For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’
 
And all God’s children gave out a loud and joyous shout of “Glory Hallelujah! All praise to the Lord for His goodness to us undeserving sinners.’ And well we should all be grateful and offer the sacrifice of praise my brethren, for without Jesus coming to search for and save us, we’d still be lost.
 
And I like how the scholars explain it. ’19:10. The words, seek, save, and lost all appear elsewhere in Scripture in a shepherd context. This verse may be taken as a kernel statement of the central theme of Luke. Jesus is the compassionate, searching Herdsman who seeks to save those who can by no means save themselves.’
 
We surely can’t my brethren! Now today I want to share some scriptures where Jesus states His avowed purpose in coming to earth. And He does it several times, in several different ways.
 
Let’s begin with when He talks about lost sheep. ‘For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.’ (Matt.18:11) Then He goes on to explain about a shepherd having an hundred sheep, but one gets lost and he leaves the ninety-nine and goes searching long and hard for the ONE LOST SHEEP, and rejoices greatly when he finds it.  (Matt.18:12-13) ‘Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.’ (Matt.18:14)
 
Oh Friends, yuh see the great importance the Lord attaches to even ONE LOST SINNER! Consequently, if there had only been one single sinner in the entire world, the Father would still have sent Jesus to save him.
 
Now let’s turn to a time after Jesus had eaten with a publican (tax collector) called Levi. (Luke 5:27-29) The scribes and Pharisees are questioning Jesus as to: ‘Why do ye eat and drink with publicans (tax collectors) and sinners? (Luke 5:30) That’s because the Pharisees thought it was beneath them, defiling to have business dealings with tax collectors like Levi, much less to eat with them.
 
‘And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole (healthy) need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32)
 
As the scholars explain: ‘5:32. Jesus is of course not dealing with the question of whether there are in fact righteous people who need no repentance. By ‘righteous’ He refers to the Pharisees, who thought they were righteous, and thus felt they had no need to repent. They were truly self-righteous.’ 
 
In any case, if you came to save sinners, then you obviously need to hang out with them, otherwise how would you teach and testify and bring them to repentance eh?
 
And we’ll close with this instance where Jesus is headed for Jerusalem, but while passing through Samaria is rejected by the people there. At this perceived slight, James and John want to call down fire and brimstone on the heads of the Samaritans. (Luke 9:51-54)
 
‘But he (Jesus) turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.’ (Luke 9:55-56)
 
Ah mih breddren, that’s enough stuff for us to ponder today, to meditate on and write indelibly in our hearts. Please, let’s allow the Word of God to dwell richly in our souls, for ‘it is the power of God unto salvation.’ (Rom.1:16) 
 
And here’s a parting blessing I got from my church in Tobago.  ‘Go now in Peace – Never be Afraid. God will go with you each hour of every day. Go now in faith steadfast and strong and true. Know He will guide you in all you do. Go now in LOVE, and show you believe. Reach out to others, so all the world can see. God will be there watching from above. Go now in Peace, in Faith and in LOVE.’ Much LOVE, my fellow believers!
 
…once you know Jesus…you can’t help but LOVE and glorify and exalt Him…