March-ing orders

Listen here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/23308d0f/march-ing-orde...

I was an unlikely character in the urban scene of Long Beach, California. Drawn there because of the raw need of those who lived on the street ... those who needed more than food and shelter--they needed Jesus.

One day, I had gone into the city park where so many of them slept at night, and was talking to a gang member, petting his pit bull... when another guy rolled up on us and thought he would 'put the moves' on me. The first guy stood up, smacked him on the shoulder and said, 'what-a-matter-with you? Don't you know this is the pastor woman?!' To which he responded, "Oh, no disrespect, Ma'am--no disrespect." Just a glimpse of the street, the authenticity, including 'Tex' another Crip who one day said to me, 'Pas-tah, you gotta keep it real, you gotta keep it raw, you gotta keep it relevant.'

Today, I will do just that - taking in Luke 17 in its entirety.

Friends, Jesus knew.

He knew what would be required of his disciples when he was no longer with them.

He knows what is required of us, his children today, and what ought to be true of our lives. We do not try to make our way to God by our good works, but rather because Jesus paved our way to God, love and devotion ought to be our natural actions and reactions, ought form our character and behavior.

Instead of breaking this chapter up in bites, I give you the whole of Luke 17. Note: Jesus highlights several elements that ought be so of the Christian life: forgiveness, FAITH, thankfulness and readiness.

FORGIVENESS and FAITH

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. So watch yourselves! *be certain you are not tempting someone to sin. Perhaps you need to ask God to forgive you if/when you have.

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.  Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” Forgiveness must be a staple in the life of the Christ follower; we must forgive those who have sinned against us.

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Show us how to increase our faith.”

6 The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you! exercise the faith you have . . . pray boldly and expectantly

7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’?  No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’  And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

THANKFULNESS and FAITH

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria.  As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance,  crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. Note: their healing came when they obeyed.

 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Jesus commends his faith, tying his healing back to exercising the (mustard seed?) faith one has.

BE READY for Jesus' Return

20 One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” The Pharisees were looking for the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom at that time. Jesus' ministry does not look like they expected it would.

Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” They were looking at the King!

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see the day when the Son of Man returns, but you won’t see it.  People will tell you, ‘Look, there is the Son of Man,’ or ‘Here he is,’ but don’t go out and follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so it will be on the day when the Son of Man comes. With the Second Coming, there will be judgment. 25 But first the Son of Man must suffer terribly and be rejected by this generation. Referring to himself, Jesus again says he will suffer, be rejected...

 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day.  In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 “And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot. People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building— until the morning Lot left Sodom. Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.  On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. 34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding flour together at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.” Just as Matthew's gospel indicates (ch 24) we are to be ready for Jesus' second coming.

37 “Where will this happen, Lord?” the disciples asked.

Jesus replied, “Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.” Luke 17, New Living Translation

Our Christian lives must surely be marked by:

forgiveness,

FAITH,

thankfulness and

readiness.

How are you doing?

Check it out, More than Anything: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6e7k_46bR8

Christine

PastorWoman.net

Luke, 52