Tag: Luke

Luke 17:17 (KJV)
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

• Ten men were in great need
• Ten men came to Jesus
• Ten men cried out for mercy
• Ten men were healed
• Ten men went their way

One man, just one, returned to give thanks.

It is essential to mark that, while Jesus received the praise of the one, He made a note of the nine.

I might question if even one out of ten who benefit from Christ become followers. Most men, at least in the Western world, occasionally cry out for God’s mercy. Everyone who does so (even those who do not) receives that mercy.

The rare exception is that one, having benefited from God’s goodness, returns to give thanks and becomes a faithful follower.

I wonder how many in churches are faithfully there, waiting to receive God’s favor, but then go their ways during the week to live to disregard our Father’s will?

Where are the nine?

Perhaps they are saved. Perhaps they will be gathered in eternity. But where are they now? What part are they playing in an authentic life of faith and obedience to God?

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
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Luke 17:17 Where Are the Nine?

Luke 14:34 (KJV)
Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

The passage begins with a multitude following Christ. But, in this ominous text, we find Jesus pairing down the crowd and distinguishing between the multitudes and the disciple. In fact, Jesus made the standard of discipleship so strict that most professing followers of Christ could not make the grade.

• Jesus said He must be of greater value than family or “ye cannot be my disciple.”
• Jesus said we must bear his cross or “ye cannot be my disciple.”
• Jesus said we must finish our course or “ye cannot be my disciple.”
• Jesus said we must battle to victory or “ye cannot be my disciple.”
• Jesus said we must forsake all when we follow Him or “ye cannot be my disciple.”

I fear modern American Christianity goes for the multitudes, not the disciples. Even when we claim to have discipleship classes, so much of it is merely meant to help the multitudes assimilate. The mark of discipleship is negative. It is a program of exclusion. Only the most ardent and devoted will attain to discipleship. 

Without absolute sacrifice of selfish want, “ye cannot be [Christ’s] disciple.”^[1]

• You can be saved
• You can be a church member
• You can teach a Sunday school class
• You can be a deacon
• You can even be a preacher

But unless you forsake all you have and follow Christ exclusively, you’re fit for little good but to be cast out.^[2]

Certainly, you are no disciple.

---

^[1] The question then is not whether a person can be saved and still worldly. I think that might be possible. But no one can be a disciple of Christ and still be worldly. In fact, no one can be a disciple of Christ and care for the world. Biblical discipleship demands meticulous, extreme obedience to the Word of God. This, in turn, requires earnest, diligent study of God’s Word. It is not a matter of carefully obeying what a church or preacher teaches, but adamantly obeying the Word of God so far as we understand it and working hard to see that we understand it.

^[2] I view Revelation 3:15-16 as a parallel passage.
Revelation 3:15-16 (KJV)
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.)

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5900 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 14:34 Seeking the Few

Luke 13:34 (KJV)
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

“I would; ye wouldn’t“

The setting is toward the Jews, represented by their chief city, Jerusalem. The history of the people of God is replete with accounts of God wooing them to Himself. Consider Jeremiah, begging them to repent and surrender to Nebuchadnezzar. Prophets repeatedly called on them^[1]  to put away idols and trust Him. They killed those prophets too often.

I notice a contrast between God and the people of Jerusalem that indicates a truth concerning our God.

God would have gathered them
He wanted to do it. It was His desire. It was His longing.

They would not be gathered
Though He behaved like a hen gathering her chicks and as a shepherd gathering His flock, they instead scattered.

God was perfectly capable of gathering them against their will. There are plenty of Biblical instances where this is demonstrated. But while God is able, He would not do it against their will. 

A fleeing chick is free to flee.

Even so, God would save any and every soul. He would have all to come to repentance. He is not willing that any should perish. But He only gathers to Himself those who come of their own free will.

The Calvinists hate this doctrine. 
He believes it diminishes the sovereign power of God. 

The religionists reject this doctrine. 
He is anxious to force his perception of godliness upon people. 

In truth, this is the only doctrine that may glorify God. 
He is capable but gracious. He is a Lord and a Father to those who come to Him. He is no despot or dictator. All who call upon and come to Him are immediately and unconditionally received. All who choose to flee His care are freely allowed to do so. 

And even those, should they in the future repent, are free to come under His saving wing.

---

^[1] Through their kings.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5900 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 13:34 Free To Flee God

Luke 12:5 (KJV)
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

I believe Jesus

• I believe Jesus about heaven.
• I believe Jesus about the resurrection
• I believe Jesus about salvation
• I believe Jesus about eternal matters

And

• I believe Jesus about hell

Jesus said hell is a place where “the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”^[1] Hell is a literal place of fire. Those who go there suffer the pains of death eternally.

Jesus also said hell is a place to fear.

Death is something to dread and to fear if, in death the soul is cast into hell. 

• It is not annihilation
• It is not eternal soul sleep
• It is not the end of consciousness

Jesus came for the purpose of rescuing souls from hell. Jesus gave His life in agonizing death to pay the price of death for those bound to go to hell. Jesus rose from the grave and ever lives to make intercession^[2] for those souls and to win for all who call upon Him and place in heaven and not hell.

Let religions make all the claims they please.

I believe Jesus.

---

^[1] Mark 9:44-48 (KJV)
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

^[2] Hebrews 7:25 (KJV)
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5900 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 12:5 I Believe Jesus

Luke 6:49 (KJV)
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Verse forty-seven, Jesus gives three components to a solid spiritual foundation:

• Come to Him
• Hear His Word
• Do what He teaches

Nowhere does Jesus promise we will face no storms if we do these. What He promises is that if we do them, we will survive the storms when they come.

Verse forty-nine, Jesus makes the contrast. Notice that the house on the sand is not built by those ignorant of His Word. The house on the sand is built by the person who hears His Word and chooses not to do what He teaches. There may even be the implication that they have come to Him to hear His sayings.

No one is so foolish as the Christian who knows the truth and knows where to find good counsel for life but chooses instead to do his own will and go his own way.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5900 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 6:49 A Solid Spiritual Foundation

Luke 5:38 (KJV)
But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

Gill says this new wine is the gospel and that the contrast Jesus is making is the difference between the traditions of the Pharisees over the Word of God. The scribes and Pharisees had murmured about the company His disciples kept, and that they did not keep the traditional fasts and vain prayers of the Jews.

The point Jesus made was that the message He came to give could not blend with the traditions of Judaism. They would not receive it and would only grow indignant from it. It would be impossible to patch up Judaism. Those who had grown accustomed to the old would have no taste for the new.

Enter the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a new bottle suited for the new wine of Jesus’ gospel.

The lesson is that the old Jewish faith, though not finished until the end of the seven years of Tribulation, is not the focus of the ministry of Christ. Judaism and Christianity are separate. The New Testament believer must come completely out of the old religion if he would enjoy the taste of new faith in Christ.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5900 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 5:38 The Gospel is Not a Patch

Luke 4:28 (KJV)
And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

So early in Christ’s ministry and already the people were filled with wrath and would have killed Him. Though, for a time, multitudes followed Jesus, the religious crowd in Nazareth and Jerusalem would have killed Him had they the opportunity.

Their anger was stirred,

• Because He said they would not honor His
• Because He said God’s blessings would be on Gentiles
• Because He said the cleansing of God would not come to Israel

This was so early in Christ’s ministry that He had called none out of the synagogue. He had not overthrown the money changer’s tables. Jesus had done nothing to set Himself up in opposition to either the Temple Worship or the Roman leadership. He had done few miracles, if any. He had preached no sermons.

They had just one reason to be filled with such hateful wrath; He had implied that they were of the same nature as those in the past who did not believe God.

No one is so wrathful as the one filled with religious indignation.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

Donate to our cause of “Reaching a world of souls with the Word of God.”

For this and, more than 5900 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Luke 4:28 No One Is So Wrathful

Luke 24:18 (KJV)
And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?

The irony of this text is, I am afraid, mostly lost on us. Here is Cleopas asking Jesus if He was new to the area because he’s asking what had happened.

Cleopas knew all about:

• The ministry of Jesus
• The miracles of Jesus
• The claims of Jesus
• The crucifixion of Jesus
• The burial of Jesus

he even knew about

• The empty tomb of Jesus

But he obviously didn’t know Jesus. At least he didn’t know Him well enough to recognize Him as He walked and talked with him.

I am afraid this is the condition of far too many a churchgoer. We know so much about the faith we could “school” the Lord. But we can’t see Jesus when He is right next to us.

Oh, fools and slow of heart to believe.

Lord, help us.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

Donate to Bible Baptist Church every time you make an Amazon purchase through this link, https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1265824

For this and, more than 5600 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Let’s have coffee?
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Luke 24:18 Can You See Jesus?