“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Luke 10

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” v23-24

Jesus knows that there are many who will not hear the message that is given to them through the gospel of Christ.  You must first acknowledge a dependence on God...for all things.  First and foremost is for forgiveness of sins.  We are unclean by nature by cleansed in His eyes and made new again - reborn in Christ.  Not all of those who hear the gospel of Christ acknowledge a need for Christ and hence do not accept Christ as their savior and will not experience the fullness of Christ in their life and in eternity.

In Luke 10 you can see that head and heart understanding of the Word is important as is doing of the Word - doing what God says...

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” v36-37

My Prayer: Lord, I KNOW that I am dependent solely on You for all things...first and foremost to cleanse me of my sins and to give me new life in You where I have freedom from sin in that if I truly turn from sin I am transformed to be more like You Jesus.  I desperately seek You and this transformation.  I have seen Your power in my life and desire You to run throughout my life.  You bless me beyond what I deserve.  I am selfish, prideful, etc.  Thank you that You love me Jesus but please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10

"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” v19-20

God is certainly almighty and I have witnessed His power in my life as He has transformed my heart and blessed me well beyond what I deserve.  I must recognize that I have this power daily and in every moment.  It is for more me to believe in this power, have faith in this power, to call on this power and of course understand that this power is for His glory not mine.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You indeed are a great God full of love, compassion, kindness, mercy...all of the fruits of the spirit.  You are not only my Lord and Savior but also the God whom I desire in my heart and my life - the one whom I strive to be more like.  I desperately need You Jesus because I am broken...full of sin.  I am prideful, lazy, impatient, quick to anger and slow to listen.  Please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from this sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?"

Luke 9

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" v23-25

Worldy and earthly influences surround me, yet Jesus asks me to deny myself these earthly urges...this includes physical urges of food, etc.  Pleasure seeking above God is disdained.  I KNOW I am guilty of this.  It is OK to partake of many things but NOT if it is in conflict with God's will for me.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know You provide much for us to enjoy as You love us.  Yet I abuse these gifts because I am selfish...I seek out my own pleasure above Your glory.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

...he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases.

Luke 9

...he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. v1

With our belief in Jesus Christ, we also have the Holy Spirit that provides us access to the same power that the disciples had received from Jesus when He sent them out.

Jesus refers to this after His resurrection:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you"....Acts 1:8

This power is of course for God's glory.

...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Then again we exist to glorify God

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

So I must recognize that:

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength". Phillipians 4:13

I must also recognize that this power with which I have access is for the glory of God and God expects much from us on this.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48

My Prayer: Lord, You are the only power I need in my life because I know all good and glorious gifts come from above...from You.  You provide for all of my needs I will never be in want.  I know You love me Jesus - what a great God You are!  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I am quick to anger, slow to listen, impatient, selfish and these are just a few my sins!  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus but please forgive me!  Help me turn from such sin and help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Luke 8

Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. v56

What is interesting in Luke is how Jesus instructs those who witness His power firsthand:

The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him. v38-39

In the above verses, Jesus tells the demon possessed man to talk about what God had done for him.

Yet Jairus and his wife were told in v56 not to tell anyone what happened.  To me this says that Jesus knows that some are equipped to spread the gospel of Jesus and some are not.  Some will not do so in a way that truly speaks of the power of Christ.  This is the case of Jairus and his wife.  I would imagine Jairus' daughter would be in a different position.

This is NOT to say that we should NOT spread the good news of Jesus Christ...of course we are!  Yet we are also commanded not to "...misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Exodus 20:7).

When we talk about Jesus we should truly speak of the power in our own life...our heart condition matters when we speak about Jesus.  If we don't believe and love others as He loves us our testimony won't matter.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are truly almighty and Your hand is all over my life in only good ways...You have led me through dark valleys to the highest peaks of joy.  You have blessed me and continue to bless me well beyond what I deserve.  I continue to be selfish, lazy, angry, harsh, etc.  Thank You that You love me but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin and help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

Luke 8

“My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” v21

I have often thought of my brothers and sisters in Christ to be those who go to church...but Jesus' words here in Luke cause me to question whether I need to go further with those whom I should associated...I must be doing life as Jesus intends...these are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are holy, pure, and blameless and You provide Your Word and Holy Spirit to me to help guide me....and so much more...without these I would be lost.  You are a great God.  I love You Jesus.  Yet I am not worth the love and blessing You provide.  I am full of anger, impatience, pride, selfishness, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus...help me turn from such sin and help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open."

Luke 8

"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." v17

Who I am in all facets of my life - whether in public or private - matters.  Certainly God knows who I am and I am accountable to Him for my life.  Additionally, it is very difficult - to say the least - to hide your true character from others and God calls us to be a light:

“No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” v16-18

I am called to be a light...I must seek God's help to transform both my heart and my life so that I can better reflect Jesus to others and of course then draw others to Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your life on earth was pure, holy and blameless...yet You gave up Your life willingly (and suffered greatly in the process!) for me.  You call me to draw others to You through my own life and sometimes I do but many times I don't.  Jesus, You bless me well beyond what I deserve.  I am selfish, quick to anger, prideful, impatient, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin.  Please not only help me overcome this sin but transform my heart and my life.  I seek to be more like You so that I can glorify You through my life and bring others to You.

"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

Luke 8

"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." v15

I do thirst for God's word, not only to hear it, but to retain it, apply it and to be strengthened by it.

The parable of the sower here is echoed by James:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror. James 1:22-23

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, there is no doubt that Your Word is truth and the only truth for me...it has already given new life to me and life in abundance.  Yet I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I am lazy, prideful, and I fail to glorify You with my service in this world through my earthly masters at work.  Thank You that You love me anyway but PLEASE forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn and overcome this sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.

Luke 7

But whoever has been forgiven little loves little. v47

I think to myself that I want to love like Jesus does, that I want to please Jesus with my life.  Yet Jesus makes it simple to please Him because we know that the most important commands from Matthew 22 are to love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength and the next most important commands is to love others. Put simply, we are to love...and a key manifestation of our love is forgiveness of others.  

If I don't forgive...I am not loving.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE love....love defined but not bounded by any earthly definition (Ephesians 3:18).  And what is of course great about Jesus is that He loves me...despite my sin.  What a great God.  Yet I am not worthy of such love.  I am selfish, impatient, quick to anger, prideful...among my many sin.  Thank You Jesus that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from such sin and help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength...and love others.

..."Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof."

Luke 7

..."Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof." v6

I have read and heard this passage many times yet what I found new in my reading today was how the centurion was "poor in spirit".  He recognized that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and this recognition is key to our spiritual development.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. v3

Faith starts by being "poor in spirit" and recognizing that we are "all... justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." 

My Prayer: Lord, there is no doubt that I need You for only You provide freedom from being slave to sin and the ultimate consequences of my sin.  I am not worthy of Your crucifixion that nailed to the cross forever my sin - this act of humility, service, grace, love, etc. is WELL beyond what I deserve.  You are a great God and I not only need You...I desperately need You as You are the only way...You are my God.  I sin often...I turn my back on You, I seek other Gods...thank You that You allow 2nd chances - I need one today and every day.  Please forgive me for my lack of being faithful to You.  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built."

Luke 6

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?  As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built." v46-48

Lord Jesus I have personally felt Your blessing despite not getting an offer from Apptio with whom I have been interviewing.  I gained strength through faith and by understanding that You know everything about me and You know what is best for me.  If this was best for me, You would have opened the door for me. 

I have gained great joy through what I do have...Jesus, family, friends, provision, music, tennis, etc.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve and I do indeed have joy right now just as says: 

[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE joy...and peace, and power, and love, etc.  You are all what is great and You suffered and died for me despite my sin!  How great You are!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worthy of such love and blessing Jesus - I am impatient, quick to anger and slow to listen, selfish, prideful, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus!  I desire to turn from my sin - help me!  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Luke 6

 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. v45

I have recently been very focused on the heart condition...of myself and that of Zach as we continue to work through Raising a Modern Day Knight.  I began my focus on the heart (with Zach) after reading about in this book and how the book indicates the importance of the heart condition vs external behaviors that might not be an indication of the heart.

Guarding my own heart is most important than of course that of Lisa's then Zach and Dustin.

My Prayer: Lord, You lived an earthly life that was pure, holy, and blameless.  You then suffered, died for me, than rose so that I would not be slave to my sin and have eternity in heaven with You.  You also gave me the Holy Spirit and access to the same powers You have.  What an amazing God and gift Your are - best gift of all time, bar none!  I am not deserving of such blessing and love and such a gift.  My faith and trust in You often fails and I worry far too much.  Thank You that You love me anyway but Jesus please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Luke 6

A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” v38

I am right now in the midst of concerns about whether I have the right job...the Lord knows and tells me whether I have the right job.  If He wants me to have another job He will provide...that which I must be clear.

I also know that God wants me to use whatever He has entrusted me with for His glory...no matter where I am and what I am doing glorify God.

[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

My Prayer: I KNOW You provide and You provide what is BEST for me.  You know everything about me and You love me more than anyone here on earth can.  Of course, You know what is best.  If You wanted me to have something You would provide it!  What a great God You are that You provide for my every need.  Yet sometimes I lack trust in You.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from my lack of faith and trust in You.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

Luke 6

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. v23

I have struggled much lately because of joy - or lack thereof.  For me it all boils down to where my focus is - Jesus...or elsewhere.  If I can keep my focus on Jesus...there is guaranteed joy.

[F]ixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3

...

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed the only source of joy in this world...I know that if I focus my eyes on Jesus there is nothing but joy.  You are so gracious and merciful and full of love for me...what a great God You are!  I am not worthy of such love and blessing.  I am selfish, impatient, harsh with my thoughts and words, etc.  Thank You Jesus that You love me anyway but please forgive me!  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

Luke 6

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” v9

The Pharisees continue to be obsessed with their own status and power and truly believe that what you do is more important the what is in your heart.  They believe that is unlawful to work on the Sabbath.  Yet Jesus cares more about the need of the man whose hand was shriveled.  In the same way, Jesus cares about our heart condition.  Jesus understands what Solomon wrote in Proverbs:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:3

My Prayer: Lord, You came to earth and lived a pure, holy, and blameless life...for me.  You then died and rose again for me.  You provide Your Word and Your Holy Spirit for me...to guide me and to be with me.  I am blessed with power based in love.  What an amazing gift You are - You are an active loving God who continues to bless me beyond what I deserve.  I am selfish and lazy among my many sins.  Thank You that You love me anyway Jesus but please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

"No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.”

Luke 5

"No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.” v38-39

With our belief in Christ as our Lord and Savior comes a rebirth and new life.  Things have changed...of course we have Jesus in our heart and with that the Holy Spirit, but I think there is expectation that we take steps to create new life...a new community of people, new practices (i.e. spiritual disciplines, etc.), and a leaving behind of old practices, etc.  The Holy Spirit is definitely a part of this process but so are we...

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, as a result of accepting You in my heart and life I have had a rebirth and a new life in You.  With this I have seen true life change and rich blessings.  You have blessed me beyond what I deserve.  I continue to sin - impatience, anger, selfishness, pride, worry, etc. are all top of mind.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus for all of this sin!  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 5

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. v16

Jesus' life emphasizes the importance of prayer - as busy as He was with all of the demands on Him by His followers and those seeking His grace, mercy, and power, etc., Jesus STILL made time for study and prayer.

In Matthew 26:39 Jesus prays fervently to His Father “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  Clearly this is an instance of great difficulty.  Yet in Luke and elsewhere Jesus prays ALL the time.

Also, Jesus wants to us ask for what we want:

 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  Luke 11:9-10

My Prayer: Lord, I know You love me and You are always with me and always hear my call and listen to my prayers.  Yet I am weak - my faith is weak and I worry - far too much.  Thank You Jesus for Your love but please forgive me Jesus!  Help me turn from such sin.  Help me strengthen my faith.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

Luke 4

“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” v43

I exist to glorify God - and to glorify God I must obey Him and use what He has given me - my talents, my treasure, my time - all for His glory.

To start, I must follow the two most important commands:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are indeed great and You certainly don't need me but You not only love me, You chose me, then suffered and died for me - even though You know everything about me and my sin.  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am impatient, I worry, I am mean, etc.  yet You love me anyway.  Thank You Jesus.  Please forgive me though.  I want to be rid of such sin.  Take me and transform my heart and life Jesus - make me more like You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority.

Luke 4

They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. v32

What are people amazed at - they are amazed because Jesus speaks truth - He says what the bible says... 

After He is baptized, earlier in chapter 4, Jesus beat Satan because of His use of scripture...scripture has power.  He then went on to Nazareth - His hometown, and quoted Isaiah, and again people were amazed...scripture has power:

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. Luke 4:22

Scripture has power but sometimes people are confronted by this power because it shines a light on their own lives - see Matthew 8:

Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

 

He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.  Matthew 8:30-34

My Prayer: Lord, I know scripture has power - this is because it is You and You are powerful.  Yet I don't have enough knowledge and faith in Your word because I worry too much.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me turn from my worry.  Help me more fully devote myself to Your word so that I may have greater faith in You and Your power.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph...

Luke 3

Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph...v23

Luke then proceeds to provide the reader with the lineage of Jesus all the way back to Adam.  Jesus is God's son and He was foretold throughout scripture...(see here for useful link) He is the fulfillment of prophecy.  Indeed God is faithful and His word is always true. 

As I have posted just recently also from Luke:

For no word from God will ever fail. Luke 1:37

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are always available to me no matter where I am...I can always reach out to you.  I must be mindful that Your patience is not unlimited.  If I renounce You and fail to come back to You before I die I will be forever lost...my days are numbered.  Yet as long as I claim You as my God here on earth You will always be there for me.  What a great God You are.  I am not worthy of such blessing and love...I worry far too much.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from my worry.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Luke 3

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” v21-22

As I work through rmdk.com, a core focus is on (1) communicating love to my son, (2) indicating that I am proud of him, and (3) specifically praising him for what he is good at.  Ceremonies are highly recommended as a means to formally mark a major milestone...and in this case with Jesus in the book of Luke, Jesus was being baptized.

Jesus' baptism is of course also covered in Matthew, Mark, and John.  In Matthew the ESV translation includes "listen to Him" implying that His words as Jesus the Son are important - praising Jesus for his ability to speak truth.

As I continue to work on RMDK, I stumble from time to time.  I need faith and strength from God to be the father to Zach and Dustin that God intends me to be.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus You are a great God...full of mercy, compassion, love, kindness, gentleness - of course ALL of the fruits of the spirit.  I may have some of these fruits but certainly not to the measure that You do Jesus!  I fall well short of the glory of God.  I know.  For this I know I need Jesus in my life.  I thank You that you suffered and died for me Jesus.  I have weak faith.  Thank You that You love me anyway and for Your sacrifice.  Please forgive me for my worry, harshness with others, failure to work as if I work for You, etc.  Help me be the man You intend for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

 

 

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Luke 2

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?^" But they did not understand what he was saying to them. v49-50

In this book, the author offers wisdom to avoid raising our children by focusing on external behaviors but instead on the heart condition.  The above verses are a great example of how Joseph and Mary focus on how Jesus' did not obey them by joining them as they returned to Nazareth from Jerusalem.

But Jesus rightly points out that He was obey His heavenly father and desiring to spend time with Him.  

My Prayer: Lord, You have blessed me greatly with two wonderful sons.  However, I often get angry with them too easily and I am too easily impatient with them.  I am selfish...and I focus on external behavior and not their heart. These are all sinful...thank You Jesus that You love me anyway but PLEASE forgive me Jesus.  Help me turn from these sins.  Help me focus on matters of the heart - look for You in Zach and Dustin's hearts.  Help me of course as well love You with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength.