Today Our Daily Bread Luke 21 ++

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

If the e-mail text you receive is encrypted at all, just scroll down to the end of all of the text and click on Lena’s Journalin’ , which will take you directly to the web-page where you will be able to read the text quite clearly in it’s purposed form.

Luke 21:1-38
The Widow's Offering
1While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people putting their gifts into the collection box. 2Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two pennies. F96 3"I assure you," he said, "this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. 4For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has."
Jesus Foretells the Future
5Some of his disciples began talking about the beautiful stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, 6"The time is coming when all these things will be so completely demolished that not one stone will be left on top of another."
7"Teacher," they asked, "when will all this take place? And will there be any sign ahead of time?"
8He replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah F97 and saying, 'The time has come!' But don't believe them. 9And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don't panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won't follow immediately." 10Then he added, "Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other. 11There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and epidemics in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs in the heavens.
12"But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will be accused before kings and governors of being my followers. 13This will be your opportunity to tell them about me. 14So don't worry about how to answer the charges against you, 15for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply! 16Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. And some of you will be killed. 17And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me. 18But not a hair of your head will perish! 19By standing firm, you will win your souls.

20"And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. 21Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Let those in Jerusalem escape, and those outside the city should not enter it for shelter. 22For those will be days of God's vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled. 23How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for mothers nursing their babies. For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. 24They will be brutally killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world. And Jerusalem will be conquered and trampled down by the Gentiles until the age of the Gentiles comes to an end.
25"And there will be strange events in the skies—signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And down here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, because the stability of the very heavens will be broken up. 27Then everyone will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds with power and great glory. F98 28So when all these things begin to happen, stand straight and look up, for your salvation is near!"
29Then he gave them this illustration: "Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. 30When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. 31Just so, when you see the events I've described taking place, you can be sure that the Kingdom of God is near. 32I assure you, this generation F99 will not pass from the scene until all these events have taken place. 33Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.
34"Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkenness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, 35as in a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36Keep a constant watch. And pray that, if possible, you may escape these horrors and stand before the Son of Man."
37Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives. 38The crowds gathered early each morning to hear him.
FOOTNOTES:F96: Greek 2 lepta. F97: Greek name, saying, `I am.' F98: See Dan 7:13. F99: Or this age, or this nation.


Copyright Statement: Holy Bible, The New Living TranslationCopyright © 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

~ Lena’s Journalin’ Today ~
Have you noticed that Matthew 24, Mark 11 & now Luke 21 have the same story in them? It’s like being there when 3 different people who were there want to tell you what happened, but they want to tell you the way they saw it, and each one will bring something out that maybe the other didn’t get to say, or didn’t pay attention to as well.
There’s a scripture that says, This will be the third time I am coming to you. "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." 2 Cor 13:1. I used to think this word meant that God would send me proof of a certain word from Him 2 or 3 times and then I would accept it as proof that He’d specifically said it to me enough to now do it. Now I consider this a bit further and see that He allows me to see it at least that many times and about the 3rd time my understanding of it begins to be established, set.
I’ve heard if you say the same thing 10 times you’ll have it memorized. 2-3 times gets us rolling down memory lane, to archive the word in a way we’ll remember it. God is very smart (Laura Lewis!), He actually made us and knows how we think etc. He wants us to “get it”, especially His words. He gave eye witnesses to truth who would tell what they saw, in telling they also remember more and both are edified!
Ever been or felt betrayed? What is betrayal, why so violating?
Here are the definitions, as you read see if God will open your understanding. Did He not say here, as we follow Him this WILL happen to us? Did it not happen to the King of kings and Lord of lords? Why would we be “above” God and exempt from the same pains He’s had on earth? Betrayal has to do with the exercise of the freewill of one on another without the other’s permission or consent of agreement. It’s the opposite of freewill love and of protection of that freedom of the will.
Definition:
to give into the hands (of another)
to give over into (one's) power or use
to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage
to deliver up one to custody, to be judged, condemned, punished, scourged, tormented, put to death
to deliver up treacherously
by betrayal to cause one to be taken
to deliver one to be taught, moulded
to commit, to commend
to deliver verbally
commands, rites
to deliver by narrating, to report
to permit allow
when the fruit will allow that is when its ripeness permits
gives itself up, presents itself
Do remember Jesus said, no man takes My life, I give it up? Did they do things that took His life away? He turned what could have been a betrayal, into a love act, a gift. Same actions taken in the hearts of those performing the “betrayal”, but Jesus’ heart was not betrayed. He dealt with that, as it came His way. I wonder if while in the garden He saw that coming and saw the torment it could have had on violating His soul, and then seeing it coming, dealt with it ahead of time in His heart, then immediately faced the test of His heart in Judas’ actions against Him?
Why does the earth groan and travail? The betrayal of it’s intended purposes.
Jesus sent disciples to turn that world upside down, or rather back to restoration point, right-side up! We are the disciples of this day.
So why not just do our thing, live life as full as we can while we can and have a good time? Because you will not see or know Him and He will not see and know you. You’ll not have become sensitive to His will here, why would you later on?
Be on constant watch. For what? Making Him known. Be the 2-3 times someone hears the truth, be proof of truth by living truth by example, don’t fool people by questionable behavior and have them wonder why you, a sanctified Christian believer, are in the places you are, places worldly people are found often. Jesus went to some of these types of places. He was visiting for a purpose, with the salvation of the people in mind. Is that why you are where you are? Are you strong like Jesus is against evil and any pull it has on you? I pray so, it says here be aware. Don’t make excuses. Love God enough to live holy and love people enough to be holy.

Proverbs 27:17-19
17 You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. 18 If you care for your orchard, you'll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you'll be honored.
19 Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.
Psalm 122:1
1 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy.