Daily Bible Devotionals

“No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a basket or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in may see the light.  For nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed, and nothing hidden that won’t be made known and come into light.  Therefore take care how you listen.  For whoever has, more will be given to him; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”  Luke 8:16-18 (HCSB)

When I was five years old, my brother and I decided to play with fire, passing our hands quickly through a candle flame.  I don’t remember how many candles we went through that day, but eventually, we got bored and started challenging one another to go slower with each pass.  As the saying goes: Play with fire, and you’ll get burned.

Today’s passage reminded me of the impracticality of putting a candle in a basket or under a bed.  Not only will these practices keep light from shining (which is the purpose of lighting a lamp), but they will also burn down your house!

Jesus told His disciples that one of the signs of a believer is their desire to share the gospel with others.  

Desire and boldness are two different ideas.  We can have the desire to share our faith, but we may not act upon that desire if we are seized with fear.  Jesus is saying, “Go for it!  Be bold!”  

Believers should resist the flesh’s natural bent towards self-preservation with respect to evangelism.  Furthermore, Jesus conveys that it is IMPOSSIBLE for real followers to hide their relationship with Him long-term.  Just as a lit candle in a basket (or under a bed) will eventually ignite its container and spread its fire, a true believer’s relationship with Jesus cannot be hidden for long.

If you are successful in hiding your “lamp,” perhaps you should check and see if there is any flame on the wick!

I have attended several “memorial” events where everyone was given a candle.  Somewhere in the service, one candle is lit.  Then, its flame is shared with the next person, and so on, until everyone’s candle is illuminated.  This concept is the idea Jesus is communicating when He talks about how those “who have” are given more.

Suppose someone tries to recreate the candle lighting ceremony at another congregation across the street, but they never light their “starter” candle.  Instead of a room full of lit candles, there is only darkness.  Eventually, everyone would go across the street, where true illumination would replace the image of it.  “Even what he thinks he has will be taken away.”

Share your light if you’ve got it.   If you don’t have it, please allow me to share my light with you: Jesus is the ONLY Way, and if you turn to Him, you WILL be saved!

“The dead man sat up and began to speak and Jesus gave him to his mother.  Then fear came over everyone, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us,’ and ‘God has visited His people.’  This report about Him went throughout Judea and all the vicinity.  Then John’s (the “Baptist”) disciples told him about all these things.  So John summoned two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, asking, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or should we look for someone else?”  Luke 7:15-19

Jesus was immersed in the Jordan River by John (the “Baptist”).  The apostle John’s gospel informs us that the next day, John (the “Baptist”) told two of his disciples, “Look!  The Lamb of God!” John 1:32-42 One of those disciples was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, He heard John (the “Baptist”) had been arrested.  At this time, Jesus went to the Galilee region and began His public ministry.  Mark 1:14, Matthew 4:12  

In prison, John (the “Baptist”) began second-guessing his message…the primary reason for his chains.  Faith is easy, in theory.  In reality, faith requires whole-self devotion.  No doubt, John (the “Baptist”) was coming to grips with the reality that he would die in prison because of his faith.  News that Jesus had raised someone from the dead must have given John hope.

The concept that a prophet could raise people from the dead was very familiar.  Both Elijah and Elisha had done this.  The people, whom a prophet raises to life, will eventually die of some other circumstance.  When Messiah raises the dead, it has eternal implications.  In essence, John (the “Baptist”) wanted to know: “If my life is required of me, will Jesus raise me up?”  More importantly, “Will He raise me up into eternity?”  

John (the “Baptist”) was created to herald Messiah.  But now, it seems he questioned whether he truly believed his own testimony concerning Jesus.  Perhaps he doubted the Holy Spirit’s testimony in exchange for human reasoning.  That was sin of the worst kind.  Nobody knows if John ever repented and fully believed in Jesus.  Jesus’ opinion on John’s faith, at that moment, was clear: “The least in the kingdom is greater than he.”  Luke 7:28.

This scenario is important to us in light of Jesus’ “Beatitudes” message.  If we seek to follow Jesus to the extent that He calls us, we must take on a prophet’s mission.  If a prophet’s mission we are called to, then a prophet’s wages we will most likely receive: Poverty, Hunger, Weeping, Insults & Slanders because of the Son of Man.  John 6:20-23

But if you lay down your life in order to follow Jesus, even unto death at the hands of men, will you not receive much more than you gave up on earth, in Heaven?  John 6:38

Is serving God becoming uncomfortable?  Rejoice!  Sow a mortal life on earth; reap eternal life in Heaven.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Luke 6. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s Word, He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.  He saw two of the boats at the edge of the lake; the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.  He got into one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land.  Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat.” Luke 5:1-4 (HCSB)*

Many believe that when Jesus called His disciples, He simply said, “Follow me,” and they left everything.  It’s like they were zombies or something.  In Luke 5, we are given insight into five types of “tests” Messiah gave His followers before calling them.

The first test is the “Bias For Action Test.” Jesus had a need, and Simon Peter was naturally inclined to solve problems.  Peter had a bias for action.

“When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’  ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing!  But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.’” Luke 5:4-5

The second test is the “Because You Say So, I Will Test.” Even though Peter was the so-called expert, he submitted to the Lord’s direction.

“When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord!’” Luke 5:6-8

The third test was the “Who Deserves the Credit Test.” While Peter was a master fisherman, he knew only the Lord could have provided such a haul!

“‘Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus told Simon, ‘From now on, you’ll be catching people!’” Luke 5:10b

The fourth test was the “Grander Vision Test.” Jesus was replacing their Worldly goals with Kingdom ones.

“Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him.” Luke 5:11

The fifth test was the “Will you Leave It Test.” Based on all they had experienced with Jesus, they believed in the grander vision and left everything to follow Him.

So, how do you rate regarding Jesus’ job interview?

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*All verses are HCSB

“He also said, ‘I assure you: No prophet is accepted in his hometown.  But I say to you, there were certainly many widows in Israel in Elijah’s days, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months while a great famine came over all the land.  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them – but to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.  And in the prophet Elijah’s time, there were many in Israel who had serious skin diseases, yet not one of them was healed – only Naaman the Syrian.’  When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was enraged.”  Luke 4:24-28 (HCSB)

Many Christians believe it was Jesus’ Messianic claim that enraged the members of His hometown synagogue.  Although the people of Nazareth did reject Jesus as Messiah, their rage mainly was in response to Jesus’ reminder that, in days past, God blessed faithful Gentiles over unfaithful Israelites.

Jesus cites two familiar instances from Israel’s prophetic heroes.  The first was the story of the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17.  In response to Israel’s king Ahab and his queen Jezebel’s idolatry, Elijah pronounced a 3 & 1/2 year drought.  Since the drought brought famine to the entire nation of Israel and surrounding regions, it signified that the vast majority of Israel’s citizens had followed Ahab & Jezebel into idolatry.

With famine comes death, and with death, widows & orphans.  Instead of hearing Israel’s pleas for mercy, God sent Elijah to a Gentile widow and her son.  The Lord provided miraculously for them because their faith surpassed that of Israel.  Meanwhile, Israel suffered in unbelief.

The story of “Naaman the Syrian” is found in 2 Kings, chapter 5.  Naaman was the Syrian army commander.  At the time, Syria was Israel’s most-dreaded enemy.  Naaman was a powerful man of war, but he had leprosy.  To an Israelite, the only thing worse than a Syrian would have been a Syrian with leprosy!  

Naaman’s Jewish slave girl told him that the Lord could heal him.  This led Naaman to Elisha’s front door.  Because of the Gentile’s faith, he was healed.  Meanwhile, Israel’s king had responded in fear, doubting that God would heal Naaman, symbolic of Israel’s unbelief.  While the Gentile was cured, no Israelite was healed.  

With His statement in His hometown synagogue, Jesus revealed the Jewish prejudice against the Gentiles.  By invoking these images from Israel’s history, He essentially said that Israel’s present Roman oppression was due to Israel’s sin.  Jesus was also exhorting that until the people repented from their sin, God would continue to overlook their unrepentant stance in favor of Gentiles who, by faith, would believe.  

Even today, by His grace, God has chosen to save Gentiles who put their faith in Messiah, Jesus, to provoke Israel to jealousy so that they would, by faith, believe in Him and receive salvation.  Romans 10:19.

“[John] went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:  ‘A voice of one crying out.  In the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!  Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see the salvation of God.’ Then he said to the crowds who came out to be immersed by him, ‘Brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?’”  Luke 3:3-7 (HCSB)

The content of today’s passage could be the source of many books.  I would like to focus on just a few observations and parallel scriptures from the Psalms and the Prophets.

First off, John was not preaching “salvation by Baptism.”  He was simply stating the obvious: If you humbly turn from your sin, the Lord will forgive you.  John chose immersion as a way for people to demonstrate the internal externally and publically.  In Jewish culture, immersion has two purposes: 1) when Gentiles convert to Judaism and 2) to make oneself ritually clean for worship.  John’s immersion was an entirely new concept, although, in a sense, an amalgamation of the two.

While John is fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy directly, the concept of repentance coming before Messiah is also mentioned in the Psalms.

“Righteousness will go before Him to prepare the way for His steps.” Psalm 85:13 (HCSB)

It makes the Shepherd’s job so much easier when the sheep are willing to follow!  I recommend you read Psalm 85 in its entirety.  Its Messianic message is so profound.

The whole idea of the “Brood of vipers!” has always intrigued me.  When I read through Jeremiah, I recalled a section of Chapter 8 titled “God’s People Unrepentant.”   It immediately made me think of John the “Baptist’s” message of repentance.  At the end of the passage was this statement:

“Indeed, I am about to send snakes among you, poisonous vipers that cannot be charmed.  They will bite you.  This is the Lord’s declaration.”  Jeremiah 8:17 (HCSB)

In the short term, Jeremiah was speaking of a conquering enemy.  But in the greater prophetic reach, the combination of repentance and vipers is uncanny.

What strikes me (no pun intended) is how well-documented are the Lord’s fulfillment of His prophecies, but so few people heed His prophecies yet to be fulfilled.

“In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock.  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all people: Today a savior who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.” Luke 2:8-11 (HCSB)

On the night Jesus was born, the Lord chose shepherds to be His first visitors.  And what a celebration it was, complete with an angel chorus!  The shepherds found Jesus in the city of David.  If you think about it, the city of “David” was the perfect place for a first viewing of the One who would “shepherd” Israel; perhaps, the safest place for the Lamb of God to be delivered.

Have you ever wondered why the angels first appeared to the lowly shepherds?  If Messiah would atone for sin, shouldn’t the religious leaders have been alerted first?  If the government was to be placed upon His shoulders, shouldn’t the politicians have been invited?

It is safe to say there were two kinds of shepherds in Israel at that time: Good and Bad.

Those who held the “Office of Shepherd” had become compromised by either worldliness or legalism.  That is, the religious leaders were so Heavenly minded that they were no earthly good.  At the same time, the politicians were so Worldly-minded that they were no Heavenly good.  Either way, the sheep (people) were being led astray.

The only honest shepherds left in Israel were the actual ones.  They were in the field, faithfully minding the flocks just as David was when his father called for him and Samuel anointed him king.

“‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!’ This is the Lord’s declaration.  ‘Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have scattered My flock, banished them, and have not attended to them.  I will attend to you because of your evil acts’ – this is the Lord’s declaration.  ‘I will gather the remnant of My flock from the lands where I have banished them, and I will return them to their grazing land.  They will become fruitful and numerous.  I will raise up shepherds over them.  They will no longer be afraid or dismayed, nor will any be missing.’ This is the Lord’s declaration.  ‘The days are coming’ – this is the Lord’s declaration –‘when I will raise up a righteous Branch of David.’” Jeremiah 23:1-5 (HCSB)

No one is worthy of holding the “Office of Shepherd” unless they are willing to do a shepherd’s work: to honestly protect the sheep owner’s assets and personally care for the well-being of each individual sheep.

“Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us.  It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, so that you know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.”  Luke 1:1-4 (HCSB)

The person, Theophilos, addressed in verse 3 as “most honorable” (or in other translations, “Your Excellence” or “most excellent”) was, by most accounts, an upper-classed Greek man.  Luke also penned the book of Acts to the same, Theophilos.  Luke’s purpose for recording these accounts is revealed in verse 4, “so that you will know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.”

There is another opinion as to Theophilos’ identity: The generic disciple.  Some theologians hold that Luke was not writing specifically to anyone but rather to ALL believers.  The reason they give is in the Greek meaning of “Theophilos.”  “Theo” means “God.”  “Philo” means “Love.”

When you combine the two words, “Theophilos” means “Lover of God.”

Whether written to a specific person or all believers, Luke’s letter comes from a sincere desire to communicate the Gospel accurately and clearly.  

In Luke’s passion, we are challenged.  Is there a person you are convinced needs to know God but will never darken the doorway of a congregational service?  God wants YOU to share the Gospel with them from your first-hand perspective.  

You are an eyewitness to what Jesus has done in your life.  You are the expert on His involvement in your personal transformation.   No matter what the World says about God, Jesus, or the Bible, they cannot refute your personal experience.  That is why the personal testimony is the most powerful weapon in a new believer’s spiritual arsenal.  It refutes all arguments.

“But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.” Acts 4:14 (ESV)

Eventually, followers of Jesus should gain knowledge of the Scriptures as they pursue them daily.  But initially, the “testimony” is more than enough witness and has been proven to be a powerful tool of evangelism…even moments after one’s salvation.

How much time have you spent carefully working out how orderly you can articulate the Gospel to a friend?  You don’t have to be a scholar or even greatly intelligent.  You simply have to care, be passionate about seeing souls saved and share your testimony!

“Later, He appeared to the Eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table. He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who saw Him after He had been resurrected. Then He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is immersed will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.’” Mark 16:14-16 (HCSB)

A pastor friend of mine recounted this experience at the national convention of his church’s denomination. The convention was held in Las Vegas, and at the beginning of the week, the city’s mayor came to welcome the pastors. The president of the convention asked the mayor if the city had a need the pastors could lift up in prayer.

The pastor answered, “Well, as you know, Las Vegas is in the desert. We sure could use some rain.”

The pastors prayed for rain and thanked the mayor as he waved & left.

The next morning, when the keynote speaker was introduced, he laid an umbrella on the pulpit. All the pastors chuckled because there was not a cloud in the sky.

“Pastors,” he began, “You should be ashamed! Yesterday we prayed for rain, and not a single one of you brought an umbrella today.”

Similarly, the disciples had heard Jesus predict His suffering and rising from the grave; but none believed the reports of His resurrection.

When Jesus appeared to the remaining eleven disciples (Judas had hung himself), the first thing He did was rebuke their unbelief. Ask yourself, if Jesus was to visit you today, how well do you think He would rate your faith? It’s a little scary to think about, huh?

What I love about today’s passage is how Gracious Jesus was. He didn’t continue rebuking and shaming them once they had gotten His point. Instead, He encouraged them to face the same type of challenge they had each failed.

Take Peter, for instance. After denying Jesus three times, Peter repented and preached the Gospel boldly, even unto death. And Peter wasn’t alone in his martyrdom.

Are you heeding Jesus’ “Great Commission”? I hope so! But if you have fallen short of His challenge, take courage!! Let’s stand back up, repent, dust ourselves off, and get back to sharing the truth He reveals as we commit ourselves to read & live out His Word!