Author: Ben Bourland

Luke 19:47-48 [AMP]
And He continued to teach day after day in the temple [porches and courts]. The chief priests and scribes and the leading men of the people were seeking to put Him to death,
But they did not discover anything they could do, for all the people hung upon His words and stuck by Him.

This ‘hanging on every word’ is a posture that not only produces conviction and peace (yep, both at the same time), but also a dedication and trust that is discernible by the onlooker. When we hang on the teaching of Jesus, we are drawn to where He is going. His ways become our ways. Putting myself in Gods Word everyday possible (even for a short reading) and prayerfully anticipating something He is going to spurn inside of me, is exhilarating. The exhilaration that comes when we see His hand touching our hearts and minds when we know that within ourselves would have never produced the conviction on our own. It builds our faith.

I also hear a slow consumption and prioritization of hearing what Jesus has to say into my life everyday as an indicator of my walk with Him. Hanging on every Word of Jesus produces a steadfastness in Hope for eternity where will spend every moment in the presence those in Jerusalem felt at the time.

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:11 [ESV]

Jesus in this passage gets done telling the followers not to jockey over the best seats in the house. Leave the best seats for those the host has invited to be in seats of prominence. Rather come and sit in the lowest seat and the host may notice and ask you to take one of the better seats.

This is not about taking the lower seat to manipulate the situation, no, it’s a condition of the heart to be humble and see others more highly than yourself.

There are no shortages of situations this can be applied by a follower of Jesus. Am I always taking the lower seat, the last place, the scraps of the buffet? Is my heart constantly looking for the one who needs to be pushed ahead in line by me giving up my spot?

Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, I do not know you, where you are from,’ Luke 13:23-25 [NKJV]

Continuing my reading of Luke 13 tonight, the word that really became impressed upon me is “Strive”. This word denotes a character of continuance. When I read Jesus talking about ‘many will seek to enter and will not be able’, I think they are all of those who will try other things to EARN their way into heaven by some other avenue than putting their trust in the Savior.

I think the narrowness of the gate has to do with the criteria to be met and heart of the seeker. Criteria – surrender of our self and pride and acceptance and worship of the One True King. Heart – singularly focused on obeying and seeking the Lords will alone in their life. Only these people truly know Jesus and can Jesus know them.

And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear. Luke 12:22 [AMP]

Only aim at and strive for and seek His kingdom, and all these things shall be supplied to you also. Luke 12:31 [AMP]

I know I have been quiet the last few days but that has been because the focus has been on sending off Bella on her 9 month missions trip. We are here in Georgia spending two days meeting the rest of her team and their parents. Tomorrow we say goodbye for awhile.

This has been a special time and today I needed the Words the Lord gave me above. I have nothing to worry about as we release Bella into the care of the Lord (psst- He had her the hold time but let’s keep this moment) and face my aim on seeking God’s Kingdom. Not only for Bella but for us; for me!

I will miss my first born girl but I am so excited for her!

Luke 11:23 [AMP]
He who is not with Me [siding and believing with Me] is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me [engage in My interest], scatters.

I’ve been continuing in Luke and reading about Jesus casting out the ‘dumb’ demon. Jesus was speaking against those who witnessed this casting out and accused Jesus of working with Beelzebub and was explaining how preposterous this accusation was.

This verse towards the end of the encounter was impactful to me. It essentially means that you can’t have one foot in the world and the other pointed toward Jesus. It just doesn’t work; you are in fact against Jesus if you operate this way.

He also says that if we are not working to gather those into His Kingdom we are in fact scattering. This is a big deal. That passive Christian who says, “You know, evangelism just isn’t may thing…” should be careful about what this verse is implying about that statement.

I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. Luke 11:8 [ESV]

Jesus was telling this little parable about a person who has a visitor come in the middle of the night but the host has no food for the weary traveler. So, the host goes to his friend’s house to ask for several loaves of bread to feed his guest. Jesus says that the answer from within the house is ‘no’, that the whole family is asleep.

Jesus then says that this friend will finally give the host what he wants and more…not because he is his friend but because the host is persistent. The whole context is persistence in prayer.

The lesson is clear. We must not play at prayer, but must show persistence if we do not receive the answer right away. It is not that God is unwilling and must be badgered to answer. The whole context makes it clear that He wants to give. But if we do not want what we are asking for enough to be persistent, we do not want it very much. It is not mild prayer that is answered.