Josh1Eight

Scripture: Luke 13:181-9 "Then Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches. 20 He also asked, “What else is the Kingdom of God like? 21 It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Observations: When Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, He explained that although God's purposes and His plans are huge, from a purely human perspective they never start out that way. Like a seed that goes in the ground or yeast put in some dough, at first there's just not much to look at. No one is impressed and most people don't even notice. But even the smallest things can become significant in the eyes of both man and God when it has to do with the spreading of His Kingdom. The only reason a farmer or a baker woul...

Scripture: Deuteronomy 19:8,10; 20:1, 15 “And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he swore to your ancestors, and gives you all the land he promised them...10(He will give you this land if you are careful to obey all the commands I have given you—if you always love the Lord your God and walk in his ways.)...“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!...15 But these instructions apply only to distant towns, not to the towns of the nations in the land you will enter." Observations: Hundreds of years before Moses ever was God had already promised Abraham's descendents that they would inherit the Promised Land (Genesis 13:15). When Moses came along, he led the Israelites out of Egypt en route to make God's promises a reality as they were now on the verge of actually entering it. Here, before they ever set foot i...

Scripture: Deuteronomy 16:16-17 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him. 17 All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your God." Observations: A vital part of Israel's worship revolved around the concept of sacrifice and offerings they were commanded to present to the Lord at regular intervals throughout the year as an expression of their alliegence to Yahweh and their recognition of their covenant relationship with Him. On special occasions God required His people to celebrate Him with week long festivals in recognition of how he had saved them (Passover), His provision (Harvest), and His guidance (Tabernacles) in their lives. At each of these festivals God ...

Scripture: Luke 12:16-21 "16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17 He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19 And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ 21 “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” Observations: Jesus once told a story about a guy who had so much money he didn't know what to do with it, who suddenly died unexpectedly, leaving his money behind. His basic philosophy of life was that at least money was something he could count on to give him everything in life he thought was valuable...