THE LAWYER< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 10:25-37

The lawyer who approached Jesus wanted to know how to inherit eternal life. Do you care to know what it takes to inherit eternal life? It is a question that constantly presents itself to believers. Jesus asked of the lawyerÕs reading of the question and the lawyer gave the right answer. Luke 10:27, ÒSo he answered and said, ÔYou shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.ÕÓ Jesus made it known that all the lawyer needed to do is what he has quoted. It is not possible to love God when we do not love our neighbor–absolutely impossible. To love our neighbor is to love the One that gave the command. Our neighbor is not only the next door friend. Our neighbor is the one that has no where to put their head at night; our neighbor is the one that has lost all he has through accident or any form of affliction; our neighbor are the ones that are dying in different parts of the world due to unsolicited diseases. Also, our neighbor is not just the one we invite to come and fellowship with us. Do you remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? Samaritans are not best neighbor to the Jews but when the Good Samaritan saw a fallen neighbor in < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Jericho, the Samaritan could not pass without helping, unlike the Priest and Levites who passed without helping. In our comfort zone, we have chosen a comfortable part of GodÕs command that is convenient with our definition of loving our neighbor. As a believer that has accepted Jesus as Lord and savior, you are now qualified and knowledgeable of the route it takes to inherit eternal life. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. Do not exclude the love of your neighbor. Go for it by the grace of God you shall be enabled to do His command.   

OBEDIENCE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 8:19-21

A believer who is constantly disobedient to the word of God is like a car running in the dark with turned off headlights. It will only take one moment for the driver to have his or her life terminated. How long would the driver continue to drive without the headlights on? The question is important and needs to be addressed. God is a merciful and jealous God that constantly enjoys consistent attention from His creation. Exodus 34:14, ÒFor you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.Ó To constantly gain attention of a jealous God it will require sincere and consistent obedience that is constant before His holy name. It does not matter who you are in the Lord, neither would it matter concerning the role you play in the kingdom God business, if obedience is not in place, your walk with the Lord will be replaced and it will not flourish. JesusÕ mother and brothers received warning that could deny them their access to Him. Luke 8:19-21, ÒThen His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, ÔYour mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.Õ 21 But He answered and said to them, ÔMy mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.ÕÓ Do you desire to see Him when you go and look for Him just like His mother and brothers went to look for Him or do you want to continue ignore Him? You will have a need to go and look for Him by calling on Him make your way unto Him through obedience to His commands. Obeying the commands of God does not have any substitution besides sincere and consistent response. It will take the grace of God for every believer to be in compliance with His commands. Lord God will have mercy.

SERVE HIM< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Exodus 3, 4

Whenever affliction persists it becomes oppression; with oppression in place the ability to serve God is either replaced or misplaced. In < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>Egypt, the children of Israel experienced affliction and oppression that made God call for their service unto Him. Are you under any form of affliction that is in the process of becoming oppression? The experience of the Israelites did not start in a day–it was a gradual build up. Affliction will not announce itself and it will always take its time before it takes your time away from God. The affliction of the Israelites started when a new pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, took over as head in Egypt. With the new king, a new rule was set in place in an attempt to reduce the population of Israel. Exodus 1:11, ÒTherefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh Supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.Ó What is taking away your service unto God? Whatever is occupying a believer from serving God is a plan of the enemy to deny that believer from possessing his or her inheritance among the sanctified. Often, seeking money can bring a believer under affliction. Affliction can show itself in different, often comfortable, ways before it becomes painful and uncomfortable. When it was time for God to deliver the children of Israel, He sent forth Moses to them out of affliction to the land of the Canaanites. Just as God sent Moses, so He has sent His own dear Son to deliver us from every form of affliction. Ask God today to deny all that represents affliction in your life.

PROCLAIM HIM< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 8:26-48

When Jesus stepped out onto the < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>land of Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee, He was met by a certain man who had been possessed by demons for a long time. Jesus casted demon out, and the man who have been possessed by demons, begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus instead sent him away. Luke 8:39, ÒReturn to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.Ó Has He done anything for you lately? In all that God has done, is there anything you want to hide and be silent about? To be quiet when He visits your situation is to disclaim Him. There can never be enough reasons not to proclaim what He has done or what He is doing. The woman with the issue of blood (after twelve years of agony) quietly received her healing by touching the border of His garment. Jesus knew power went out from Him when the woman touched her. Jesus wanted to know who had touched Him, but the woman decided to hide. Luke 8:47, ÒNow when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.Ó Unlike the mad man at Gadarenes, the woman wanted to hide. Has He done something for you lately? He deserves to be proclaimed. Hiding GodÕs miracle is not the best way of moving forward. Regardless of what it is, let the world around you know that God is still in the business of miracles. Someone needs to be encouraged today, be blessed by proclaiming Him. God will give you the grace to be a blessing today. 

BORN AGAIN< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 8:4-15

Jesus Christ made it clear in the parable of the Soils that the seed is the word of God (Luke < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>8:11). The kind of seed growing in us as a believer is what will identify who we are in the Lord. What kind of seed is growing in you? Is your heart full of love or hatred towards other brethren? 1 Peter 1:22, ÒSince you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.Ó If in deed and in truth you are born again you are not of corruptible seed and hate will have no place in your soul. However, if hate, malice, and grudges have taken place in your soul then corruptible seed is what you are carrying. To be born again is to be of incorruptible seed that knows no hate but love. Not having an incorruptible seed will make our confession as a born again is a fallacy. Harboring bitterness to those that have offended you is a demonstration of the fact the seed in you is a corruptible one; you cannot be a born again with corruptible seed growing in you. The standard of the life of a believer is to love each other with a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith– that is what qualifies us as a believer. God has never lowered the standard of love and He never will. If you will ask God today to take away the heart that inhabits corruptible seed and give to you a heart that harbors incorruptible seed He will be faithful to His word that encourages us to ask and we shall be given. Be born again in deed and in truth.