Good Morning, Siblings!

Today’s readings are Luke 21-22

Read today’s Bible readings at BibleGateway by clicking here.

Rabbit Trails

Luke 21:1-4 The Widow’s mites

A mite would be the equivalent of 1% of a day’s earnings for most workers at this time. So if everyone made $100 a day, this woman was giving $1. But this woman was a widow, no husband to work and earn money to support her, and it appears she is all but destitute. This was during a time in which so much was done for show in the church of that time. Wealthy folks made a big show of what they gave, etc. Just as Messiah came to fill up the law, He also sought to show us how to give to the Father out of love rather than duty or acclaim. To see this woman giving so generously from what little she owned had to be a great encouragement to Messiah.

Luke 21:8-9  Messiah warns us not to be led astray. 

There is no doubt that the Father is moving today and when the General is on the battlefield, His troops should be laser focused in His direction.

What will the enemy do at times like this? Everything he can to distract them.

The body of Believers has proven highly susceptible to three things in our time: Noble busy-ness, arrogance, and distraction. So when you feel your heart losing its peace as you are pulled by passions and worldly convictions into the fray, remember that the enemy is among us, sowing discord, spreading lies, masquerading as a noble cause, and laughing at how easily we are all duped into following Him.

Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives. Luke 21:10-19

YAY! Christy is finally gonna talk about prophecy! Well yes and no. This will be another point in our notes where I won’t tell you what prophecy means or try to predict if or when it is happening. I hope you know why at this point. But I do want to talk about what Messiah is instructing us to do here. First of all, if you got your theology about the end times from the Left Behind series, I always have to issue this reminder: that series is fiction. If you think tribulation is only for unbelievers, according to the Bible, you’re in for a surprise.

Now, let us pull a few statements out of this. When everything starts going south, what does this mean for us?

This will be your opportunity to bear witness.

Wow. This is an opportunity to serve the Father, to represent His glory to the world. Okay, so what do we need to do when that time comes?

Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

We need to decide, right now, to rely wholly on the Father for the wisdom and words we will need when that pivotal moment comes.

Now, who is Messiah speaking to? Messiah is speaking to believers, hearers, doers, readers and lovers of His word, people who live by that word.

For those, there is this promise: That He will give them the wisdom and words they need when the time comes. In order to receive this promise, we must make sure we place ourselves firmly in this category.

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

I want to submit that for many (according to the Bible, most) of us, there is a great chance we spend more time watching tv and reading things on the internet than we do in the Word – and that is a woefully unbalanced life for a Believer to live.

I fully, wholeheartedly, truly, believe that if we did nothing more than read the word of YHWH each day and prayed throughout our day, we would have all of the information we needed to be prepared for whatever may come.

At the very least I want to challenge us, in these prophetic times, to spend more time partaking of YHWH’s Word than we do man’s word.

Back in Joshua 24:14 we were instructed to choose that very day who we would serve in the future so that we could set our hearts, determining to be on that course ahead of time and not be deterred. This is a time in which the choice we made then should be evident in every area of our lives. If it is not, we have a problem that must be fixed immediately.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. Luke 22:3

While there is no mention of satan entering Judas in Matthew, we do see this same statement in John 13:27.

This is a jaw dropping statement but does it mean Judas was completely absolved of blame in this? If we look at the character of Judas from time to time, I think we can surmise that he allowed weeds to grow in his garden, so to speak, and therefore was more susceptible to this level of bold attack from satan. In other words, while he may not have invited the adversary in, he also didn’t put up a gate to keep him out.

Far too often today we blame satan for things which we do of our own free will. We give satan far too much credit. Most of our sin? That’s all on us.

31“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31

What a loving plea. Messiah tells Simon (Peter) what is coming and His primary concern is that Peter know he is protected and still has a role in the kingdom as soon as he repents and returns. The text the ESV uses is “turned again” which is really what repent means, to turn back. Repent is not simply apologizing or feeling regret for either getting caught or having to suffer consequences. To repent is to turn FROM our sin and to turn TO the Father. Repentance is abandoning rebellion towards the Father and embracing obedience.

Luke 22:35-38 is a steadfast reminder that when we follow His instructions, it is enough. If He instructs us to carry little, He will provide enough. If He instructs us to carry far more, He will strengthen us so that we are able to do that as well. If we follow Him, if we obey Him, if we set our hearts to walk as He walked and serve Him in all we do – He will ensure we have enough.

Gird yourself, siblings. Our Father is moving and if we aren’t careful, we will find ourselves marching with the world rather than in His army. The Bible warns us of this time and again. Let us realize that, no matter the point we are at on YHWH’s timeline, these warnings and examples in the Bible were given to us because we are prone to the same mistakes we see our spiritual ancestors making.

We must be careful never to read the Bible as if it were speaking to someone else.


Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!

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Christy Jordan
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