Power Went Out from Jesus #2468

And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all (Luke 6:19, NKJV).

We are told of “a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed” (Luke 6:17-18). Significantly, “power went out from” Jesus that healed them all. These healings were not the trickery of an illusionist or a scam artist. Divine power cured the sick and banished tormenting spirits. It is not lost on us that Jesus knew when healing power went out from Him. Jesus knew a woman with faith touched His garment and was healed even as the throng pressed around Him (Mark 5:27-34). “But Jesus said, ‘Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out of Me” (Luke 8:46, 43-48). Here is today’s lesson: God knows when even one sinner reaches out to Him in faith, repents, and obeys His word for salvation (Luke 15:3-7; Mark 16:15-16; Heb. 5:9). He is aware of each of us and saves us one at a time. God’s saving power in Christ goes out from heaven’s throne and heals each lost soul with divine forgiveness (Luke 15:17-24). God cares and knows your plight. He loves you so much His Son died for your salvation (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). Like the woman whose faith compelled her to touch the garment of Jesus for physical healing, may each of us reach out to Jesus in faith, trusting Him to heal our souls from eternal death (Rom. 6:1-4, 16-18, 22-23).

Help Save a Soul from Death #2445

19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19–20, NKJV).

James concluded his exhortation to have a mature faith by challenging the faithful to care for the spiritual well-being of their brethren. The tenor of his instruction is not a self-righteous approach toward the wandering saint but a sincere attempt to turn back the wandering Christian. James describes the wandering Christian as a sinner, in error, and dead in his sins. Yes, Christians can fall and be lost (Gal. 5:4, 7). If not, there would be no need to encourage brethren to turn this person back from the path he has taken. The standard we use to measure whether one is wandering away from the Lord is “the truth,” the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). The wayward Christian has succumbed to the enticements “his own desires” that produce sin (James 1:14-15). Let us be invigorated not to neglect the danger and death faced by faltering brethren. With the mercy and urgency of Christ, let us attempt to pull them out of the fire, looking to ourselves, lest we also be tempted (Jude 21-23; Gal. 6:1-3).

Is Your Soul Prospering? #2355

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2, NKJV).

How healthy is your soul? Would you be in good physical health if it matched your spiritual health? In this age of Covid, we are inundated with information and misinformation about being healthy, safe, and protected. Prudent measures for good physical health are important (1 Tim. 5:23; Luke 10:34). Exercise helps slow the rate of decay of our death-destined bodies (1 Tim. 4:8). But the gospel compels us to look at the health of our souls as more essential (1 Tim. 4:7-8). It is the remedy to our sin and death; salvation in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 5:24-25; Rom. 1:16; 6:23). A cure for Covid would be a worldwide bestseller. Yet, the cure for sin is cast aside by countless souls rushing headlong toward eternal death. Why is that? Why are people more afraid of their physical death than their eternal death (Matt. 10:28)? Because they do not believe God and the words of His Son, Jesus. Why is the death of God’s saints precious in His sight (Ps. 116:15)? Because they are the ones who “take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord,” serving God faithfully all their days (Ps. 116:13-14, 16-19). With Ananias, we ask, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). The remedy for your sins is available through the sacrifice of Jesus (1 Pet. 1:17-19; 2:24; Rom. 6:3-4; Eph. 2:1-10). Believe and obey Jesus and be saved from sin and death (Rom. 6:17-18; Heb. 5:8-9).

The Wise and the Foolish #2349

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall”” (Matthew 7:24–27, NKJV).

Wisdom is achieved by hearing and doing the words of Jesus (v. 24). Why? Because He words of the truth of God (John 8:31-32). Like the wise man who built his house on the rock, building your life on hearing and obeying the truth of Jesus Christ is a solid foundation that weathers life’s storm (1 Pet. 1:6-9). “Whoever is wise will observe these things, and they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord” (Ps. 107:43). Conversely, foolishness follows those who hear His words but do not do them. Life’s uncertainties, sins, and sorrow batter and destroy souls that do not have the solid foundation of hearing and obeying Jesus. God pleads with humanity not to ignore Him. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1). And yet, in unbelief, “Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Rom. 1:22). The choice to be wise or foolish comes down to whether we will hear and obey Jesus. From this day forward, may we all “Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it” (Prov. 8:33).

Do Not Make a Show of Your Faith #2333

16 “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:16–18, NKJV).

After elaborating on prayer’s motive, method, and manner in Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus returns to the motives of personal piety in today’s passage. Fasting often accompanied prayer. Like prayer, hypocrites used fasting as their chance to be praised by others for their voluntary deprivation and affliction of the soul. While not commanded under the new covenant, fasting was (is) a period of intense spiritual devotion. It was associated with recognizing one’s sin with godly sorrow and repentance (Nineveh, Jonah 3:5-10; Luke 11:32; Saul, Acts 9:9-11). The broader principle Jesus taught applies to every action of self-sacrifice. Instead of bragging and displaying religious practices to be praised by others, we aim to please the eyes of our heavenly Father. The reward of human praise momentarily feeds pride and fades quickly. But attentive, faithful service to the Lord will be evident and eternally rewarded. When we love the praise of men more than the praise of God, we confess ourselves, not Christ (John 12:42-43). So, go about your daily service to the Lord without regard for whether others see you. The Father sees you, and that is enough.

Fear God, Not Man #2267

4 And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:4–7, NKJV).

Friends tell us what we need to know because they care for us; they look out for us. Jesus is our truest friend who tells us not to be afraid of those who can kill us. They have no power over our immortal soul. God has the power to judge and punish our sins in hell. That is where we ought to place our fear. God is not a terrorist who threatens us. He cares for us and tells us of the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). He loved us and sent His Son to save us from our sins (John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; Rom. 6:23). Fearing God is an act of faith, not terror. God does not forget the sparrows, and He will not forget you. He knows you better than you know yourself. (Quick, how many hairs are on your head? God knows, even though you do not.) Your value is far greater than sparrows. So, do not fear people who threaten you because of your faith. Confident faith leads us to confess Jesus instead of being afraid (Lk. 12:8-9).

“He Spoke This Parable” #2246

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: (Luke 15:1–3, NKJV).

Simply put, a parable is an illustration of divine truth. The illustration is taken from ordinary life events, from which the spiritual lesson is drawn. Greek dictionaries define a “parable” (parabole) as “a similitude…fictitious narrative (of common life conveying a moral)” (Strong’s, G3850). Understanding the parables depends on the condition of one’s heart. Jesus explained this in the parable of the soils, which He said is key to understanding the parables (Mark 4:13, 14-20). An open, honest heart receives its meaning, holds it fast, and bears good fruit (Luke 8:9-10, 15). Hard, closed hearts do not receive God’s word and fail to understand and apply the parables of the Lord (Matt. 13:10-22). In today’s passage, the scribes and Pharisees complained against Jesus for receiving and eating with sinners. They distorted the truth of the matter. The sinners came to Jesus to hear Him teach. He did not endorse their sins; just the opposite. He taught them the way of God in truth to save them. Jesus answered His critics with three parables. God is compassionate toward sinners (Luke 15:4-7), God values each and every soul (Lk. 15:8-10), and God mercifully forgives sinners who repent and return to Him (Luke 15:11-24). Like the elder son, the complainers were ungrateful of their blessings and unmerciful toward sinners (Lk. 15:25-32). Powerful lessons for those who have “ears to hear” (Matt. 13:9).

Lost and Found #2210

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8–10, NKJV)

I lost a key this morning, a pretty important one. I don’t have nine others, only the one. Frantically searching, I turned on a lamp, looked in drawers, and under every place I could think they might be. Unlike the woman in this passage, I did not find the lost key. So, I can appreciate her joy when she found the lost coin. But of course, her gladness over finding the lost coin illustrates heaven’s joy over one sinner who repents (v. 10). I lost track of that key, and now it is gone. Thankfully, God never loses track of people. They may choose to leave the Lord instead of remaining with Him (see the parable of the prodigal son, Lk. 15:11-24). But God is always looking for lost souls. He does not want one soul to perish. He is longsuffering toward us, granting us time and opportunity to repent (2 Pet. 3:9; cf. 1 Tim. 2:4). Never think you cannot be “found” and saved by the Lord (1 Tim. 1:15-16). His gospel has great power to free you from the shackles and death of sin when you believe, repent, confess your faith, and are baptized for the remission of sins (Rom. 1:16; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 10:34-35). Keep looking for lost souls, and rejoice with heaven when souls are saved.

“I Will Give You Rest” #2192

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NKJV)

Labor produces weariness. Since sin entered the world, the “thorns and thistles” of the cursed soil have been beaten back by the sweat of the brow (Gen. 3:17-19). Indeed, “the sleep of a laboring man is sweet” (Eccl. 5:12). Jesus sees us toiling against an even greater curse, that of sin and death. Sin weighs upon the soul, crushing out the light of God’s presence and suffocating our spiritual breath under its heavy load. Jesus sees us failing to make headway against sin. We do not have the strength to break its bonds and free ourselves from its captivity. Its shroud of death confines us in darkness (Rom. 6:23; 3:23). Jesus knows our suffering, our pain, our distress in sin. He offers relief, repose, and refreshment for our souls. Living water is available that forever quenches the parched heart yearning for life (Jno. 4:10, 13-14; Isa. 55:1-7). Jesus can save you from sin’s eternal turmoil, pain, and death (Acts 4:12). Come to Jesus, and He will give rest to your soul (Matt. 11:29). Be saved from your sins by believing He is the Son of God and obeying Him in faith (Jno. 1:12; Mk. 16:15-16; Heb. 5:8-9).

“Am I worth saving?” Yes! #2037

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8–10, NKJV)

Do you ever feel like you are beyond saving? Like your sins are so many, so frequent, so powerful over you that you say to yourself, “God could never forgive me!” If so, then listen to the parable of the lost coin very carefully. You are valuable to God! He is looking for you! He wants to find you! He is willing and able to forgive you from the storehouse of His mercy and compassion (see Lk. 15:1-7; Eph. 2:1-10). Image if you lost one-tenth of your money. Wouldn’t you look for it diligently and rejoice when you found it? God is like that. He values every sinner. He does not look for sinners so He can condemn us, but so He can save us. The real question is not whether God can save you; it is, “Do I want to be saved?” “Do I want to live differently?” “Do I want to have the sure hope of eternal life?” Earnest faith, repentance toward God from a contrite heart, baptism into the death of His Son, and a life devoted to following Jesus are what God wants from every sinner (Jno. 8:23-24; Acts 17:30; Rom. 6:3-4; Jno. 8:12). You are valuable to God. Value yourself, put your faith in Jesus Christ, and follow Him. He will save you.