{"id":2286,"date":"2021-04-26T18:30:55","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T01:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/?p=2286"},"modified":"2021-04-24T21:38:45","modified_gmt":"2021-04-25T04:38:45","slug":"abiding-in-the-lord-luke-ch-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/blog\/abiding-in-the-lord-luke-ch-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Abiding in the Lord: Luke Ch. 13"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

(Translated version, original article written in Chinese by Pastor Mickey Hsiao)<\/em><\/p>\n

Worship<\/strong><\/h3>\n

By singing praises and hymns, awake your soul, open your heart to the Lord, and prepare yourself to welcome the presence of God and receive the Word of God that will be given to you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Thanksgiving<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Petition with thanksgiving to God for a wonderful day and pray sincerely for a focused Scripture reading time! (Do not rush into reading the Bible without starting with prayers!<\/strong>) (e.g., you may start with a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, what will you be speaking to me today?)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scripture Reading<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Get the following items ready in advance: your devotional notebook, paper, pen, and\/or electronic devotional articles so that you can easily write down the Bible verses, questions, and thoughts you have noticed! You are encouraged to open your Bible and vocally read out the scriptures (Try to practice this reading method daily or once a week)!<\/p>\n

Scripture Reading: Luke Ch. 13 (ESV)<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Meditation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Take a moment to quietly reflect on today’s Scriptures. Through such exercises, let God’s Word be gradually written into our hearts and be inscribed to our mind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Devotional<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Read the devotional articles prepared by CBCLWA (*Read the Bible first before reading any devotional materials.<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

(vv.1-9)\u00a0<\/span>Chapter 13<\/span>\u00a0begins with a passage of Jesus\u2019 teaching<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>the public<\/span>, which is an extension of Jesus\u2019 teaching\u00a0<\/span>on \u201chypocrisy\u201d in<\/span>\u00a0the last paragraph of Chapter 2<\/span>\u00a0that we read yesterday.\u00a0<\/span>Some people\u00a0<\/span>felt disbelief about the miserable ending of those who\u00a0<\/span>had been killed by Pilate even at the time\u00a0<\/span>of their offering<\/span>\u00a0and were wondering if th<\/span>ose people\u00a0<\/span>ha<\/span>d<\/span>\u00a0committed any\u00a0<\/span>heinous crime<\/span>\u00a0that led to their suffering.\u00a0<\/span>Jesus referred to another incident,\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/b>\u2026<\/span><\/b>those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them\u201d<\/span><\/b>,<\/span><\/b>\u00a0to tell them that man should seize the opportunity to repent\u00a0<\/span>before\u00a0<\/span>the Lord. This is where Jesus said twice in a row,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cNo, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Likewise, we\u00a0<\/span>too\u00a0<\/span>may\u00a0<\/span>raise similar questions\u00a0<\/span>when there are major<\/span>\u00a0disasters and<\/span>\u00a0casualties:\u00a0<\/span>are they\u00a0<\/span>\u201cworse sinners than all the other\u2026because they suffered in this way?\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Jesus<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>redirected them to reflect on their own\u00a0<\/span>life<\/span>\u00a0instead of focusing on other things that concerned them<\/span>. He said\u00a0<\/span>unless\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>you<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0repent, you will all likewise perish<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are you\u00a0<\/span>overly comfortable in\u00a0<\/span>pointing fingers at others’ mistakes and wondering if<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>other people’s\u00a0<\/span>sufferings are due to their sins<\/span>? Or\u00a0<\/span>will you examine yourself\u00a0<\/span>before God?\u00a0<\/span>It is Jesus\u2019 hope that we\u00a0<\/span>take our life seriously<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0to repent humbly before God, to bear good fruit, lest we be cut down in the end<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>will likewise perish<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(vv.<\/span>10<\/span>–<\/span>17<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Here is\u00a0<\/span>another familiar scene<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>the synagogue\u00a0<\/span>on the\u00a0<\/span>Sabbath where Jesus\u00a0<\/span>performed m<\/span>iracles to heal\u00a0<\/span>the sick, but this time\u00a0<\/span>it was\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>a woman who\u00a0<\/span>had been crippled<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Once again,\u00a0<\/span>Jesus was challenged by others for his\u00a0<\/span>doing\u00a0<\/span>something on a\u00a0<\/span>Sabbath<\/span>\u00a0that others would not do.\u00a0<\/span>This time,\u00a0<\/span>Jesus<\/span>\u00a0rebuked<\/span>\u00a0the other side<\/span>, the synagogue leaders,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>calling them\u00a0<\/span>“<\/span>hypocrite<\/span>s<\/span>“<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As\u00a0<\/span>referenced in the Book of 2\u00a0<\/span>Timothy, such people\u00a0<\/span>were\u00a0<\/span>“<\/span><\/b>having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power<\/span><\/b>“<\/span><\/b>\u00a0(<\/span>2 Timothy\u00a0<\/span>3:5) What they<\/span>\u00a0actually did was to block\u00a0<\/span>the touch of\u00a0<\/span>the Lord of the\u00a0<\/span>Sabbath<\/span>, which kept people enslaved without any relief nor true freedom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How precious\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0<\/span>the Sabbath<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>for believers<\/span>! Have you been resting on the\u00a0<\/span>Sabbath? If\u00a0<\/span>we can<\/span>\u00a0be<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>fully obedient to the guidance of the Holy<\/span>\u00a0Spirit every Sunday, we will be set free by t<\/span>he Word of God<\/span>. Every Sunday to us will be a day that we will be\u00a0<\/span>blessed and strengthened\u00a0<\/span>more and more<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(vv.<\/span>18<\/span>–<\/span>21<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>What the two\u00a0<\/span>parables\u00a0<\/span>have in common is “<\/span>from little things, big things grow<\/span>” The mustard seeds and\u00a0<\/span>yeast<\/span>\u00a0which were so small that they were almost invisible eventually grow into surprisingly large<\/span>r<\/span>\u00a0things<\/span>\u00a0like\u00a0<\/span>trees\u00a0<\/span>or much bigger dough.\u00a0<\/span>We see that Jesus’ disciples were originally a group\u00a0<\/span>of people who were\u00a0<\/span>not valued by\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>society<\/span>\u00a0at that time<\/span>. Yet<\/span>\u00a0in the\u00a0<\/span>K<\/span>ingdom of God<\/span>, his disciples can have a big\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>profound\u00a0<\/span>impact. Brothers and sisters,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>this is the\u00a0<\/span>Kingdom\u00a0<\/span>to which\u00a0<\/span>you and\u00a0<\/span>I belong, and\u00a0<\/span>thorough us, it can\u00a0<\/span>influence the world!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(vv.<\/span>22<\/span>–<\/span>30<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In this passage,\u00a0<\/span>Jesus\u00a0<\/span>said,\u00a0<\/span>\u201cStrive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able<\/span><\/b>.<\/span><\/b>\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>In contrast, if someone was standing\u00a0<\/span>outside to knock at the door,\u00a0<\/span>Jesus\u2019s response may<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>be\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>he does not know where they come from. This shows\u00a0<\/span>there is a time limit for\u00a0<\/span>a person to believe in the Lord, as referenced in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the Book of\u00a0<\/span>Isaiah 55:6<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/b>Seek the Lord while he may be found;<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>call\u00a0<\/span><\/b>upon him while he is near<\/span><\/b>\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>Do you think that there\u00a0<\/span>were r<\/span>eally\u00a0<\/span>people who “<\/span>ate and drank in<\/span>\u00a0the presence of Jesus and received teaching from Jesus\u201d<\/span>, but are not recognized by the Lord and\u00a0<\/span>in the end<\/span>\u00a0be thrown out<\/span>, hearing\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>weeping and gnashing of teeth<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0Yes, Jesus said there were many of them!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is not about eating lunch and listening to the teaching at church<\/span>. It will\u00a0<\/span>actually be more important for us to<\/span>\u00a0build a personal relationship with Jesus. When was the last time you\u00a0<\/span>cried out \u201cLord<\/span>! My Lord<\/span>\u201d<\/span>!<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Was it the time when you follow<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>word from a\u00a0<\/span>worship leader\u00a0<\/span>on stage? Or did you say it in prayer\u00a0<\/span>along\u00a0<\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>your fellowship leader<\/span>? Or are you new to Jesu<\/span>s<\/span>?\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>s\u00a0<\/span>Jesus y<\/span>our true Savior and The Lord of Life?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(vv.31-35)<\/span>\u00a0The Gospel of\u00a0<\/span>Mark 6\u00a0<\/span>recorded t<\/span>hat Herod\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>suspected that John the Baptist\u00a0<\/span>was raised from the dead\u00a0<\/span>(<\/span>Mark<\/span>\u00a06:16)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in the form of\u00a0<\/span>Jesus<\/span>, so he may have\u00a0<\/span>nursed a grudge against\u00a0<\/span>him<\/span>. The Pharisees wanted to use this reason to make Jesus change his mind and return to the\u00a0<\/span>Judea. But\u00a0<\/span>Jesus was determined to\u00a0<\/span>continue his walk to\u00a0<\/span>Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the religious center and\u00a0<\/span>the location of the Holy Temple\u00a0<\/span>at that time<\/span>. Unexpectedly, Jesus\u2019 response was,\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/b>O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,\u00a0<\/span><\/b>the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!\u201d<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Jesus<\/span>\u00a0prophesied about the\u00a0<\/span>path ahead of him and what he was going to accomplish!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The path Jesus took<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0the things he went through\u00a0<\/span>his\u00a0<\/span>disciples ha<\/span>d to follow\u00a0<\/span>along and\u00a0<\/span>they had to go through<\/span>\u00a0the same things<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>It will be a narrow path for us<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0a path to deny ourselves. To follow Jesus on this path, we may need to be<\/span>\u00a0going a<\/span>gainst the flows of this world. Let us set our mind<\/span>s on Jesus,\u00a0<\/span>be prepared to\u00a0<\/span>follow\u00a0<\/span>His\u00a0<\/span>footsteps\u00a0<\/span>and move forward\u00a0<\/span>together!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pray<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Give thanks to God for His enabling us to read the Scriptures and for our response for living out the Word of God today! (e.g., You may start with a simple prayer like this: \u201cDear Lord, what\/where are you going to lead me to today?”)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2111,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abiding-in-the-lord","category-pastor-mickey-hsiao"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2286"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2287,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286\/revisions\/2287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbcwla.org\/home\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}