Faith vs. Sight

Category: Uncategorized

  • Discipline…

    This is a pretty tall order. “To hate your family and love your enemy.”, just doesn’t seem right.

    Luke 14:25-33

    The Cost of Discipleship

    25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will notsit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
    Renouce all. Give it all to Jesus, then you will be free.

    Amen.

     Luke 14:34-

    Salt Without Taste Is Worthless

    34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

    The Cost of Discipleship

    25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
    That one is hard. Renounce all that you have. Count it all as loss. After all, life is only temporary, salvation is eternal.

    Salt Without Taste Is Worthless

     34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
     Get out of your comfort zone. Let Jesus mold you. Get too comfortable, and you lose your saltiness.
    Amen.

  • The Great Banquet.

    Luke 14:15-24

    The Parable of the Great Banquet
    15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

    16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

    18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

    19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

    20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

    21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

    22 “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

    23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. 24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

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    The men the man had invited to the house were required to attend to show their respect. They did not, but instead chose to do things that could wait for another time. This was a slap in the face to the man, and so he instead invited all the poor and crippled to come in. Once they were all taken in, even with room left at the table, the owner refused to allow the ones originally invited to attend.

    My fellow Gentiles, we were allowed into the banquet hall to feast with our Father in Heaven. Do not get hung up on this temporary life and its trappings. Eternity is coming for those who believe. Choose to believe today and allow your life to be transformed.

    Amen.
    DK

  • Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.

    A direct instruction to invite the poor and crippled to your house for dinner or to a party. Get out of our comfort zones…

    Luke 14:12-14
    12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

    The resurrection of the righteous is coming. There are many happenings going on right now that point you toward the idea that the End Times are near.

    Are you ready? Fear should not exist in you as a believer. But are you ready? Don’t be left behind.

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    Amen.
    DK

  • Exalt Yourself and Be Humbled…

    Humility…

    Luke 14:7-11
    7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

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    I love these versus. What a practical message that Jesus plainly gives us. The incredible idea with humility is, if you speak of your humility, then it’s lost.

    Let others exalt you as a humble person, do not seek it. Just allow the Holy Spirit to work from the inside out.

    Lord, we love you. Please continue to work in our lives and encourage us to build a stronger relationship with you. Thank you for your finished work on the cross and the forgiveness of all sin.

    Amen.
    DK

  • Healing of a Man on the Sabbath…

    What’s right is right. No place for law in this case…

    Luke 14:1-6
    1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son[a] or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.

    jesus heal

    So, this verse got me thinking. Would I break the law if I knew it was right, regardless of the consequences? The standard answer would be, “It depends.” That is my answer. Jesus not only gave the answer to the Phariees, He posed the question. Then, without fail, Jesus began to teach at a level that was so understandable, that no question was left to be asked.

    Many verses get my mind moving toward the gift of discernment. This gift must be nurtured and prayed for daily. For when the time comes, it will be a prized gift for many. To be able to know when to be obedient to the urging in your head because you know that it is the Holy Spirit that is prompting you, is exactly what so many will need when Christ will return. Once you know, and you will, be obedient and trust the Holy Spirit. Regardless of the consequences.

    Jesus Saves!
    Amen.
    DK

  • Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem.

    Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Truth…

    31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

    32 He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ 33 In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

    34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[b]”

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    The truth hurt the Pharisees so much, that rather than accept truth, they wanted to kick out the Son of God. Sanctification is painful, many of us have felt it’s piercing blade before. It is a revealing beautiful process. A process that can only be done with the help of the Holy Spirit.

    As Gentiles, you and I were given a beautiful gift. A gift of salvation through Jesus. But we must accept the truth. That means that Legalism must be replaced with Grace. Law must be replaced with the Love for Jesus. If you do not, then what happened at Calvary? What happened on the cross?

    The truth is that Jesus she’d His blood for you and I, in forgiveness of our sins. On that day, our sins became invisible to the Father and we were cleansed. Don’t kick Him out of your city or home or place of business. He wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. Invite Him in. Even into the deepest, most difficult parts. He will cleanse them for you. Jesus already has.

    Thank you Jesus.

    Amen.
    DK

  • Through the Narrow Door.

    How many will be saved?

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    Luke 13:22-30
    22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

    He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

    “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

    26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

    27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

    28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

    The narrow door. There will be many that will not get in. Did you hear that? Where will you be? How to get in the narrow door? It isn’t through sacrifice, it’s through obedience and through relationship building with you God, Jesus Christ. Get to know Him through His word. Read it, learn it, and above all speak it. The words must come out of your mouth.

    Rhema. For an example, look to Mathew 4, when Christ is tempted. Words my brothers and sisters. The Word of God.

    Through the narrow door.

    God bless you.
    Amen.

    DK

  • Just a Little Faith…Goes a Long, Long Way.

    The word that comes to mind is saturation. It will seep into every part of your body and fill you to the point of overflow. That overflow is what will bless all around you…

    Luke 13:18-21

    18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

    20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

    mustard seed

    The emphasis in these verses is squarely on FAITH. What does faith look like to you? Somebody praying on street corner shouting their love for Jesus? Perhaps its a person that took a vow of silence and lives as a monk. Is it a child praying with arms raised? Is it a senior citizen, making their way up to the alter at church to pray?

    The truth is…it is all of these and more. We cannot qualify faith with our eyes. Salvation is sovereign. It requires not justification to any man or woman. It requires not one ounce of work on your part. As a matter of fact, God cannot even see your sin. Jesus covered it with His blood. Amen. Forever putting to rest the idea that you can somehow lose your salvation, or fall from grace. If you fall from grace, it is a personal choice to do so. And while you think you have fallen, the Holy Spirit is right next to you, cradling you in His arms like a new born. He has you. 

    Saturation. It will flow through your veins and spark REPENTANCE. Oh. Wait a minute. There’s that word again. Remember…It is not what you thought it was. Repentance only means change. So, what do you change? Start with keeping your focus on the what Jesus did. If you feel bad for something you did, then Jesus did nothing for you. And that is so not true. He gave His life for you. He bled for you. He saved you. He loves you.

    Let it go and believe. Finally. Tonight. Right now. Amen.

    DK

  • Law or Grace?

    Law is opposite of Grace. Have you ever been pulled over by a police officer for not speeding and handed cash as a reward. I have not. It’s because it doesn’t happen. Law focuses on the breaking of the law, not the prevention. The punishment, not the remedy. The cough, not the infection…

    Luke 13:10-17
    10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

    14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

    15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

    17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

    Law can be blinding. It can create fear. Order is required to function as a society, but the focus is on the breaking. I am not liberal, in fact I struggle not to be overly conservative.  But if all we do is focus on what we cannot do, oppression and stunted growth is what we have to look fore8to.

    Jesus acted because it was righy, not because the law said to. Jesus took human form. He was 100% human. He is us, and now in us. Forever.

    Amen.
    DK

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  • Forgiveness of Debt

    On the heels of forgiveness of sin comes this idea. Money owed and money borrowed…

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    Matthew 18:23

    23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him.”

     A king who decided to wipe out all debt. Nothing owed. Nothing taken away. Nothing lost. Forgiveness.

    As believers of Jesus Christ,  we will enter the kingdom where all debts are paid. As a matter of fact, Jesus brought that forgiveness to us on Earth. He did it by hanging on the cross for us. As He did this for us, he said, “Forgive them, for they no not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

     Even as He hung, bleeding out and in tremendous pain,  He forgave us. Amen Jesus. Amen my Father. Thank you for your gift of life and freedom from all sin. Amen.

     Shalom.

    DK