Lesson 5383

 Lesson 5383)(11-02-26) Luke 13:29-35 

    " And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 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!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." 

 

     Today's quote speaks of people coming from all directions to share in God's kingdom, while warning against rejecting God's timing. For us today, the lesson is a reminder to embrace God's grace and salvation without delay, recognizing that Jesus deeply desires to save us all, much like a mother hen gathers her babies under her wings, before our opportunities pass us by. ~ 

Lesson 5382

 Lesson 5382)(11-01-26) Luke 13:23-28 

    “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." 

  

    In today's quote, Jesus warned us not to rely on the fact that we have occupied the same pew in some church for the better part of our lives as a contributing factor to get into us heaven, but instead we are to urgently make sure we are right with God through faith in the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. He explained that the gate to salvation is narrow and "few there be that find it", and will one day be permanently shut. That means that simply knowing about Jesus or having some religious background is not enough to save anyone if we do not truly repent our ways and turn to Him by absolute faith. For us today, the lesson means that seeking God requires personal commitment and urgency, because the opportunity to accept Him will not last forever. ~ 

Lesson 5381

 Lesson 5381)(10-31-26) Luke 13:18-22 

    " Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem." 

 

     In today's quote, Jesus compared the kingdom of God (the early church) to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and leaven (yeast or baking powder) that permeates through dough to eventually affect all of it. These parables teach us that the church of God began from humble and seemingly insignificant beginnings but has demonstrated an unstoppable, expansive and a profound growth that has come to be permanently entrenched throughout the world. ~ 

Lesson 5380

 Lesson 5380)(10-30-26) Luke 13:10-17 

    " And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him." 

 

     Today's quote describes Jesus healing a woman who had probably been crippled, probably by scoliosis, for eighteen years on the Sabbath day in a synagogue. When the ruler of the synagogue became angry that Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath, Jesus called him out along with those with him, as hypocrites. He pointed out that he and his fellow Jews always untied and watered their animals on the Sabbath and argued that this suffering daughter of Abraham, also a Jew, should be loosed from her bondage on the Sabbath day. ~ 

Lesson 5379

 Lesson 5379)(10-29-26) Luke 13:6-9 

    " He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." 

 

     Today's quote relates the parable of the barren fig tree. A man planted a fig tree in his vineyard and found no fruit on it for three years. He told the vinedresser to cut it down, but the vinedresser asked to give it one more year, to dig around it and fertilize it, to see if it would bear fruit afterward. This lesson illustrates God's patience and mercy toward us all. The fig tree represents those of us who have been given many opportunities to accept Christ, and despite our failing, God grants us a period of grace, offering extra time, and opportunity to change before final judgment comes. God's patience is tireless but not endless. If you haven't done so already, accept His amazing, saving grace today. ~