Today Luke 12

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.

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Luke 12:1-59 -
A Warning against Hypocrisy
1Meanwhile, the crowds grew until thousands were milling about and crushing each other. Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—beware of their hypocrisy. 2The time is coming when everything will be revealed; all that is secret will be made public. 3Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear!
4"Dear friends, don't be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill the body; they cannot do any more to you. 5But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill people and then throw them into hell.
6"What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.
8"And I assure you of this: If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God's angels. 9But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before God's angels. 10Yet those who speak against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but anyone who speaks blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven.
11"And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don't worry about what to say in your defense, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you what needs to be said even as you are standing there."
Story of the Rich Fool
13Then someone called from the crowd, "Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me."
14Jesus replied, "Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?" 15Then he said, "Beware! Don't be greedy for what you don't have. Real life is not measured by how much we own."
16And he gave an illustration: "A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17In fact, his barns were full to overflowing. 18So he said, 'I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store everything. 19And I'll sit back and say to myself, My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!'
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get it all?'
21"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."
Teaching about Money and Possessions
22Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, "So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. 23For life consists of far more than food and clothing. 24Look at the ravens. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not! 26And if worry can't do little things like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?
27"Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! 29And don't worry about food—what to eat and drink. Don't worry whether God will provide it for you. 30These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. 31He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
32"So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
33"Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no holes in them. Your treasure will be safe—no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.
Be Ready for the Lord's Coming
35"Be dressed for service and well prepared, 36as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. 37There will be special favor for those who are ready and waiting for his return. I tell you, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. F61 But whenever he comes, there will be special favor for his servants who are ready!
39"Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would not permit the house to be broken into. 40You must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected."
41Peter asked, "Lord, is this illustration just for us or for everyone?"
42And the Lord replied, "I'm talking to any faithful, sensible servant to whom the master gives the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family. 43If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. 44I assure you, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. 45But if the servant thinks, 'My master won't be back for a while,' and begins oppressing the other servants, partying, and getting drunk—46well, the master will return unannounced and unexpected. He will tear the servant apart and banish him with the unfaithful. 47The servant will be severely punished, for though he knew his duty, he refused to do it.
48"But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.
Jesus Causes Division
49"I have come to bring fire to the earth, and I wish that my task were already completed! 50There is a terrible baptism ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. 51Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to bring strife and division! 52From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or the other way around. 53There will be a division between father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law."
54Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, "When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, 'Here comes a shower.' And you are right. 55When the south wind blows, you say, 'Today will be a scorcher.' And it is. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but you can't interpret these present times.
57"Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right? 58If you are on the way to court and you meet your accuser, try to settle the matter before it reaches the judge, or you may be sentenced and handed over to an officer and thrown in jail. 59And if that happens, you won't be free again until you have paid the last penny."
FOOTNOTES:F61: Greek in the second or third watch.
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’
This reminds me of the scripture that says, “I know you not, depart from me you who work iniquity”. This one says, “I will acknowledge you before My Father and the angels in heaven” Then when I read, ”I do not know you” and, ”If you ac-know-ledge” ME….I think there’s a hint thrown out here about knowing Him more.
What makes this knowledge of God evident? That we make Him known is evidence that we know Him and He knows us. Making one known shows a love relationship is developing or has developed. You meet a person you really like, you start telling people about them, you want to introduce them to your parents, the acknowledgement with others shows the love.
Value and success are not measured in how much we have been able to obtain or positions we attain in life or how much we inherited or whatever, it is based on who we know. Do we know Him? Do the things we own keep us from getting to know Him more, or better? Or are they possibly masking over the value of the relationship with Him.
It is a lie form hell that things are ever more important than God or other people’s value and importance. It is a lie, that we have to be able to get things to gain value. We have to silence that lie and no longer serve its call, its desperate call to have our attentions back.
I was recently thinking about how much time alone we spend on the obtaining or maintenance of things. Then there is even the stress factor to get this or that, to pursue it or even shop for it. It is funny to get up higher in your thinking and look down at the human race doing all of this. The observance on an overall scale, kind of reminds me of a bunch of assembled ants in a colony all working for the same thing, spending their whole lives on it really thinking all that they do is so important. I hear the voice of the Lord saying, “Who told you it was important enough to spend your whole life on, while in spending your whole life on it, you don’t even see what is important and you missed what you were really supposed to spend energy on and you gave your life to things that truly meant nothing.” Yet when we found all of that out, we’d already spent so much, had already invested our time, had already given our lives as slaves to that which had no real value, and in being slaves to the world or to sin or to fulfill our own desires and build our own kingdoms we were not found as sons who have an inheritance with a Father. Our Father is who we obey, who through faithfulness gives us, leaves us an inheritance.
Listen to this example, which caused me to see it in my own life and come up higher for a greater view.
We’re remodeling our old house to fit a new addition we’ve put on. I was thinking about getting 10 new cushions for the dining room table. I decided on a color. So, one day I went shopping, went to at least 3 stores looking. I need 10, but most stores have sets of 4 and 4 xs 2 =8, or 3 x ‘s 4 = 12 etc.., then when I decided on the color out of what that store offered and I would buy them individually I found that the store only had like 4 or 5 or 6 in that color, so I had to go to another store like that in another town and found they only had 3. So a few days passed, I went searching online, spent about an hour’s worth of searching online, same thing they come in 4’s, not 5’s or 10’s. Then I thought maybe I could make them, so I could go shop for material, buttons, foam etc and spend time making them…now I’m tired of shopping, internet shopping, thinking and I don’t have any cushions yet. I don’t even feel like sewing them, because I’m tired. Now I think I should take a nap, all the while, what have I done for the furtherance of God’s kingdom?
I looked at that and said – Wow! Wow! It is truly amazing what we spend our lives on and how we spend our time at times. Now I know none of you act this way, but I did and do and it really made me think. It mostly made me think of energy spent in a day’s time, on what? Bible Study? Fellowship with God? Quality time with my family or people? Time in prayer? or do I still have a desire to go to a church service or whatever? Now when I think of any of those spiritual growth tools and options, am I spent already or can’t now spend myself there, because I need to be spent elsewhere later on, and I have to store up for the “future” (spendings)?
A person is only so wide in their capacity to spend themselves, really. Whatever I’m taught to value or have been led to think is valuable, that is what I spend my life on.
I’m gonna try my hardest to be brief here, just want to say something to help our perspective. These days will probably get harder before they get easier if the days we have on earth ever become easy at all.
Ya know when a new baby comes into the family and all is centered around the baby and everything is goo goo gaga and happy go lucky, the baby feels so special and is so special, and the family attends to it? Then something happens with the baby and the family which changes a lot of this, it is called growth. The baby is now scolded, is now disciplined, and as healthy growth continues they are now required to be responsible in the household, as a vital, contributing member of the family. Does this mean they are not loved, no, they are now learning to love in return. They are responding to growth. Things could get hard on the family, finances could be tight, chores could need to be increased, life can be hard work, especially in the maintenance of a family.
This is the best I can do to describe the day we are now in and entering into.
As family members grow up and make independent decisions, they may decide to no longer serve the current growth of the intact family, but to go out on their own and serve or build their own “families independent of the original family unit. Then there are others who will choose to extend the family and become a burden bearer for the family’s growth and continuity. They are more participants with the family, maybe they join in with the family business, help their parents or grandparents, they stay around in vicinity and in attitude and action. They are contributors. The independent are not terrible people, they just have other interests, interests of their own. In their growth they spread wings and fly away, no longer a contributor to this specific family unit.
This time we are in can reveal division.
It is the time of discipleship. The call to discipleship can bring division.
Remember when a young child says, mommy I won’t ever move from you, I won’t ever leave you…then at 18 they can’t remember that and can’t seem to wait to get out on their own?
The discipline and responsibility required to stay at this point may become to high a price to pay for the more mature and especially the independent thinker. The independence would need to be sacrificed in order to serve another man’s kingdom. One would not be all for self, but all for the greater “good”.
There is a terrible baptism of fire coming to the earth, do you believe that? Or think it was just a metaphor and isn’t really gonna happen?
If we believe that, we will get dressed and ready ourselves for the fire to come.
What have we done with God’s Son and in our churches to get and be and stay ready for this serious time?
Do we do what is right in our own eyes, or do we get a higher view of a more mature laborer and of the word of God. Do we see ourselves shedding off any boundaries that are placed around us as though they are a playpen meant to control and contain us, so that we are not free? Or is freedom doing whatever I deem is right? Boundaries or no boundaries, which one is freedom and liberty?
Today in church the speaker said there are certain boundaries, like reading the Bible daily, praying, assembling at church 2 x’s a week, and participation in a home group. These are boundaries set by men around us as guides for us to provide true freedom for us. If we do not value God’s word, we shake off and break off the boundaries and live how we want to live, not accepting what anyone else would tell us to do. We end up disregarding them as mans’ nice suggestions for our lives that we have options to choose or not. With no boundaries, we are lawless. Ought to look that one up in the NT.
It is responsibility time, high time to rise up and account to God, about everything of value. Join in with His family responsibly. What isn’t of value will burn in the fire….

Daily Repetitive Verses:

Isaiah 58:12 You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language