Josh1Eight

Scripture: Luke 21:34-36  “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.” Observations: Jesus one at least one occasion spoke to His disciples about what it will be like when the Kingdom of God comes and the world draws to a close. Among the many "signs" that would be indicators of the return of Christ would be things like wide-spread deception, natural disasters, and intense persecution, alongside the destruction of Jerusalem by godless rulers. But Jesus' point in telling them all this was not to scare them or to make predictions about when all this might happen. His purpose in giving this information about the future was to teach them and warn them never to let their gua...

Scripture: Luke 20:17-18 17 Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 18 Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” Observations: Just before He went to the cross, Jesus made one last effort to challenge the religious leaders' hard-hearted rejection of His role as the Messiah by denouncing them in His final parable which portrayed them as the wicked tenant farmers who murdered the heir to the estate. Jesus' pointed remarks got their attention just enough to quote Psalm 118 as a means of implying that their rejection of Him was equivolent to the builder's rejection of the cornerstone (the most important piece of a building's foundation). Coincidentally, Jesus' quotation was a Psalm which was commonly used in celebration of the anticipated coming Messiah. His interpretation of the Psalm quoted in this passage po...

Scripture: Joshua 1:7-8 "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do." Observations: God's first words to Joshua as the leader of Israel instructed him to give special attention to His commands that Moses had written down for the people to follow. By following the plans God had already given to them, Joshua would ensure that the people of Israel would in fact successfully enter the Promised Land and prosper just as God had said they would. But just like the rest of God's promises, this prinicple of success was conditional upon their obedience. Knowing that their success would be determined by His people's obedience, God gave ...

Scripture: Luke 18:15-17 "One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. 16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Observations: Jesus once made a staggering statement that likely shocked His audience- entry into God's Kingdom is best illustrated by observing little children. For one, children in Jesus' day had no social standing and therefore no rights to anything. They were considered powerless and weak. Unless someone acted on their behalf, they would have nothing and no one to help them. They could earn nothing and according to society they deserved nothing. But according to Jesus, human beings are no diffe...