O JERUSALEM

Today’s Reading: Luke 13-14

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion on the right-hand side).

This is a Somali wild donkey with the signature horizontal black stripes on its legs. This was photographed at Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve in Israel, where you can see a variety of biblically referenced animals. From time to time Jesus used His creatures (today, a hen and her brood) to illustrate His message. James 3:8 says that no man can tame the human “tongue,” and it is said that this wild donkey cannot be tamed. In today’s reading Jesus refers to the tamed variety of “donkey.”

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where Reynold took the photo, click HERE.

Key Verse: Luke 13:34

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!

At the beginning of chapter 13, Jesus repeats for emphasis His call to repentance. Repentance essentially means that we are to turn from our own way and go God’s way. It means a Godly sorrow for sin, sorry enough to quit sinning; sorry enough to ask God’s forgiveness immediately when we sin. God reaches out to us as individuals, and He also reaches out to entire communities. The woman with the spirit of infirmity was ministered to individually. She responded, but Jerusalem, as a whole, did not. The heart of Jesus yearns also for our city, for our country, as well as each precious person. Jesus points out the hypocrisy of many religious leaders in the way they keep the Sabbath. He cares about donkeys and oxen (14:5), and how much more for people? Judgment and justice are inevitable. We need to come to Jesus humbly in repentance.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, You’ve invited me over and over to come to You. I do this now in repentance for my sin. Grant me a constant attitude of repentance. I fervently desire to live this life pleasing to You. I pray these mercies in Your Name. Amen!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Fall is in the air. I marvel that God, who put stars in place and arranged the seasons, would care for me individually. The story is told of the astronomer who spent his life studying the stars and who came to the conclusion that a God big enough to create the stars could not possibly care for him as an individual. As a retirement gift, he was given a microscope. As he studied that which was too small for the naked eye, he came to believe that a God who would create the molecule was even bigger than he had thought. He concluded that God cared about the little things, as well as the great big universe, and therefore, God cared about him. He opened his heart to the fact that God became Human in Jesus Christ.

Yours, marvelling at God’s great universe and marvelling even more at His care for me,

David

[NOTE: The P.S. below was written by David on September 20, 2016]

P.S. Yesterday was the 58th wedding anniversary for Norma-Jean and me. Some of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren came together to celebrate with us at the hospital (see photos below).  At such times I get to speak what’s on my heart. Yesterday I shared with my family my deep love for Norma-Jean and how blessed I’ve been to have her by my side for these 58 years.  I also shared that in the last few weeks I’ve been meditating a lot on the historical accuracy of Holy Scripture. There is much evidence from historical writers that the Scriptures give us factual information. For example, Jesus was executed by crucifixion (a fact denied by Muslims). The fact that this happened is stated by the Roman historian Tacitus, who was not a believer. He wrote that this happened during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, and that Pilate was the Governor of Judea at the time…confirming what scripture says. Be assured, the writings chosen for inclusion in the Bible are historically accurate!