Dear Precious Friends,
On this beautiful new day, this gift from God, I pray you are able to enjoy time with our Lord in the final countdown to Christmas. Our message at church yesterday was very strong about not being too busy to miss the point of Christmas and then share it with others! Even the devo I do each morning called First 15 has this reminder: Through the power of the Spirit you can take ownership of your life. By God’s grace you can walk wisely and make every moment a chance to see God’s kingdom come both in your life and the lives of others. Your ears have been opened to the voice of God by the filling of the Spirit. Your nature as a believer is one filled and fed by the very presence of God. You have life within you, the glory of God manifest as the fruit of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Take time today to hear the voice of God. Find God’s heart that you might be sensitive to what he’s saying and where he’s leading, even in the busyness of today. May you find rest for your soul that transcends your circumstances as God fills your every moment with his loving-kindness..
In our read a chapter a day of Luke challenge for December in Luke 20, I will focus on the Parable of the Evil Farmers:
The parable is about a vineyard. The vineyard was a symbol of the nation of Israel (see Isaiah 5). This was a bit like telling a story about the national flag of Israel. Everyone would have understood its significance. There are tenants. The owner has let the vineyard out to be cared for by tenants. At the appropriate time for the owner to receive rent for letting out the vineyard, he sends a servant to receive the rent due. One after another of the servants are sent and they are all treated shamefully, beaten up, and thrown out by the tenants. The servants represent the prophets sent by God to God’s people asking them to give to God what is his due—true worship.
Last of all, the owner of the vineyard sends his son, thinking surely they will respect his son. But instead, the tenants reason that if they kill the son then the vineyard will be theirs. The son is Jesus, the Son of God. This was literally fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
The hearers of this parable understand what Jesus is saying. By God’s people’s rejection of God’s prophets, and finally the killing of God’s Son, their special place will be taken away. Given all of God’s promises to his people, this is shocking conclusion. But then Jesus looks at them directly, quoting from the most cited psalm in the New Testament, Psalm 118: the stone the builders have rejected has become the capstone. Jesus, rejected, crucified, will rise again and ascend on high, and be the capstone of God’s salvation plan for his people.
In fact, the destiny of all peoples will be determined by whether they believe in the Son or not (20:18). My life will be determined by my response to Jesus whose death and resurrection is a sufficient sacrifice for my sins, the sins of Israel, the sins of all God’s people, the sin of the world.
Rejoice! Accept Jesus as Lord and such joy will be yours! Let us, then, not ignore what God says to us, but be quick to believe his Word and trust him.
May we go out today and shout on on the rooftops!! People must know that Jesus Christ is Lord!!!
Amen and Amen..
Source: God's word, Holy Spirit, God Centered Devo
