Devotional - April 27, 2022

Written By Ocoos Web Consulting

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Luke 17: 20-21

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

We did it! We made our way through the book of Luke. We've been at it for more than a year and now the journey is complete. I hope it was a blessing. We may not have addressed every chapter, but we did cover the themes that Luke describes in his letter. Luke's letters (books of Luke and Acts) are an eclectic endeavor he worked on by himself and while traveling with Paul Being a physician by trade and of Greek origin, Luke's perspective differs from the others. He was not an Israelite, nor was he raised in the Jewish tradition, but that does not preclude him from having a direct and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To our knowledge, Christ does not appear to him or give him a vision, yet we encounter Christ through his writings. Luke's encounter with Christ comes by way of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God that has been poured out (Joel 2:28) and dwells with the believers both individually and corporately (Acts 2:17). One of the key messages of Luke, for me, is found in the text above. Jesus is teaching about the Kingdom of God. Jesus is being questioned by the Pharisees, whose very name means set apart. Their focus was purity, how one could live out the purest form of Judaism. It took years of training to attain their stature, yet there they are asking Jesus, who as far as they could surmise, had no formal training about the Kingdom of God. Why would they do such a thing? Because, His actions and works spoke volumes and His teachings seemed to ring true, at least to the masses. They wanted to know if Jesus had gleaned any special insight into the coming of the Kingdom of God that they could use. For them, the Kingdom of God meant liberation and reinstatement by God for Israel. No longer would they have to abide or be subservient to the Roman Empire and others. They anxiously bided their time looking for clues and signs from God as to when it would take place. How much energy they, and let's face it, we..., put toward things that work in our favor. Jesus' answer must have been quite perplexing on many levels. First He says, it is here. Where?! God is already doing it! When?! Yes, God was already doing it. The lame could walk, the diseased were healed, the hungry fed, the people had seen a great Light. But, who? Who were these people who had seen this Light? Obviously, it was not the Pharisees, but instead those who sat in darkness and the shadow of death (Isaiah 9:2). The people who had been shut-out from the mainstream. The poor, the foreigners, the outcasts, they were the ones enjoying the Kingdom. They were the ones getting blessed, like Obed Edom when he kept the Ark, and David looked on (1 Chronicles 13: 12-14). Yet, there Pharisees stood, looking eye to eye with the Messiah, asking Him if He could share any insights or clues concerning the coming of the Kingdom of God. Can you imagine it? How could they be so close and yet so far away? Yet, do you ever worry that the answers to your prayers are right in front of you? Do you get concerned that your perspective or bias keeps you from recognizing the Kingdom when you are in it's very midst? I admit, I do. I am sure I have walked right past Jesus and the Kingdom on my way to what I want Him to do, ...or, what I want to do. Let us take a moment and remember that God, in all God's glory and might, is humble (Matthew 11:29) and calm (1 Kings 19: 11-12). We need to be mindful that the concerns in this life can cause us to miss the very salvation of the Lord (Luke 8: 4-15 and Isaiah 30:15). As a physician, we can only imagine that Luke wanted to help people and he did. But, I also think he found the help he needed too (Luke 12:31).

Pray with me ...Holy God, we often forfeit the needs we have trying to fulfill them in others. The things we seek, we miss, due to our mindset or situation. Help us to slow down, turn or return to You knowing You are faithful and loving. Be with our loved one's, bless them in accordance with their needs and be with our church. Bless us Lord, so we can be the blessing You want us to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

God's peace,

Pastor Brian

Ocoos Web Consulting https://www.ocooswebconsulting.com
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