Day 9 Luke 9

Key Verses: Luke 9:3, 9:23-26, 9:35,9:57-61

End of the first full week of this reading thru Luke and as I told someone else the other day when asking me about it, sometimes i think about how many people are actually reading this, and is it worth it, but then as I have gone along doing Luke each day, I have realized this is much more for me than it is for anyone else so I don't really care if anyone else is reading it, if only to hear how God is speaking to you through Luke.

On to today's Chapter The first verse I have above I am not going to talk to much, but just point out that as Jesus sends out the 12 Apostles, He tells them to take nothing. For those guys to do this and obey Jesus took are real act of Faith. As I will talk a little later about, they really didn't know the end of the story, we have the luxury to know what happened that Jesus was who we actually said he was. These others guys didn't know what was to come, there whole lives changed, on the Faith of this Man.

Next part is something that really touched my heart, because I know alot of times this is a real struggle for me, it is the section of Luke where Jesus is talking to his Apostles, about what it takes to follow him, "Take up his cross daily and follow me" Jesus says in verse 23. Deny himself he also says which for me the way I lived my life for a long time is a daily struggle, for many years of my life the soul focus was myself. It's is something I deal with daily is to put others and to put Jesus ahead of myself, it's part of my daily cross that I have to bear. Often times I fail miserably, the only thing I can take heart in is what Jesus did upon the cross for me wiping my sin away.

V.25 is a great verse as well in this sequence of us learning what it takes to be a follower of Jesus. "for what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" What do you gain by in order to get ahead in the world, you sacrifice your integrity, your character, you do whatever it takes to get to the top? But what you are actually doing is not denying yourself and pursuing the Cross of Jesus.

I am going to end with the next verse because to me this is a very chilling warning, and one that should strike a little fear into our hearts. I know for me this is a verse and concept that I have been wrestling and struggling with for a long time, and probably one since I committed my life to Christ that I have struggled with. v. 26 says " for whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of Father and of the holy angles" Maybe the biggest stumbling block for High School Jr. High Students, is this idea that it is not cool to stand up to the word of God. Often times myself included don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable about it, or I become afraid of what others may think of me because of what I say or do. Well reread V.26 and let it sit for a little bit, and it is my prayer that both you and I start to ask God for courage to stand up for him and his word.

Prayer: Lord I pray today that you reveal to me those stumbling blocks in my life where I need to deny and take to your cross, those things that I would rather pursue than pursue a relationship with you and what you call us to do in the Bible. I pray that the spirit would bless me with courage and a desire to stand up for your Word and live a life unashamed for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen