Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / January 13 - Luke 12

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January 13 - Luke 12 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it's Sean here and it's Tuesday.
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  It is the 13th of January. Great to have your company.
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  Thank you for inviting me into your day.
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  No matter what you're up to, no matter what part of the day
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  you're up to, we are going to spend this special day, this
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  celebration birthday. Did you realise that today is
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  actually the 138th birthday of the National Geographic Society?
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  That's right, those do you remember those yellow magazines?
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  That I don't know. I used to be a subscriber back
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  in the day when I had time to read magazines and flipping
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  through all those incredible pictures and stories about the
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  world. 1888 is when National Geographic first formed and hear
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  this. Their mission was to increase
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  and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation
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  of the world's cultural, historic and natural resources.
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  That sounds like a wonderful goal, doesn't it?
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  And yeah, I'm sure there's politics and drama within the
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  society, but I have certainly enjoyed my National Geographic
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  interactions. But that is this world that we
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  live in and we are today going to read story about how this
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  world intersects with the universal and the incredible and
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  the theological far beyond the bounds of our world as the God
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  of the universe reduces himself to human form and comes to live
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  amongst us. And today's reading there is
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  lots of Jesus teaching and challenging those around him.
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  So let us step back, open our hearts and say, Come Holy
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  Spirit, may the words of Jesus touch us fresh today so that we
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  can hear your message for us and our life and be humbled,
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  motivated and arrested by all you have to say.
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  All right friends, nothing left to do then to read together.
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  Luke chapter 12. Meanwhile, the crowds grew until
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  thousands were milling about and stepping on each other.
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  Jesus first turned to his disciples and warned them,
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  Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, their hypocrisy.
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  The time is coming when everything that is covered up
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  will be revealed and all that is secret will be made known to
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  all. Whatever you have said in the
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  dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered
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  behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for
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  all to hear. Dear friends, don't be afraid of
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  those who want to kill your body.
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  They cannot do any more to you after that.
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  But I'll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to
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  kill you and then throw you into hell.
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  Yes, He's the one to fear. What is the price of five
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  sparrows? 2 copper coins.
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  Yet God does not forget a single one of them, and the very hairs
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  on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid.
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  You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.
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  I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly
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  here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the
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  presence of God's angels. But anyone who denies me here on
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  earth will be denied before God's angels.
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  Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but
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  anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
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  And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and
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  before rulers and authorities, don't worry about how to defend
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  yourself for what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you
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  at that time what needs to be said.
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  Then someone called from the crowd, Teacher, please tell my
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  brother to divide our Father's estate with me.
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  Jesus replied, Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide
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  such things as that. Then he said, beware.
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  Guard against every kind of greed.
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  Life is not measured by how much you own.
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  Then he told them a story. A rich man had a fertile farm
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  that produced fine crops. He said to himself, what should
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  I do? I don't have room for all my
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  crops. Then he said, I know I'll tear
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  down my barns and build bigger ones.
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  Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheats and other
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  goods. And I'll sit back and say to
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  myself, my friend, you have enough stored away for years to
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  come. Now take it easy, eat, drink and
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  be merry. But God said to him, You fool,
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  you will die this very night. Then who will get everything you
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  worked for? Yes, a person is a fool to store
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  up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.
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  Then turning to his disciples, Jesus said, that is why I tell
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  you not to worry about everyday life, whether you have enough
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  food to eat or enough clothes to wear.
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  For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.
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  Look at the Ravens. They don't plant or harvest or
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  store food in barns. For God feeds them, and you are
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  far more valuable to Him than any birds.
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  Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
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  And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's
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  the use of worrying over bigger things?
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  Look at the lilies and how they grow.
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  They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his
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  glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.
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  And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today
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  and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care
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  for you. Why do you have so little faith?
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  And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink.
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  Don't worry about such things. These things dominate the
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  thoughts of unbelievers all over the world.
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  But your Father already knows your needs.
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  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you
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  everything you need. So don't be afraid, little
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  flock, for it gives your Father great happiness to give you the
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  Kingdom. Sell your possessions and give
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  it to those in need. This will store up treasure for
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  you in heaven, and the purses of heaven never get old or develop
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  holes. Your treasure will be safe.
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  No thief can steal it, and no moth can destroy it.
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  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will
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  also be. Be dressed for service and keep
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  your lamps burning as though you were waiting for your master to
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  return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open
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  the door and let him in. The moment he arrives and
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  knocks, the servants who are ready and waiting for his return
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  will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, He himself
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  will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and
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  eat. He may come in the middle of the
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  night or just before dawn, but whenever he comes, he will
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  reward the servants who are ready.
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  Understand this, If a home owner knew exactly when a burglar was
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  coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.
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  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will
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  come when least expected. Peter asked.
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  Lord, is that illustration just for us or for everyone?
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  And the Lord replied, A faithful, sensible servant is 1
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  to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his
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  other household servants and feeding them.
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  If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good
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  job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master
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  will put that servant in charge of all he owns.
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  But what if the servant thinks my master won't be back for a
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  while and he begins beating the other servants, partying and
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  getting drunk? The master will return
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  unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in
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  pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
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  And a servant who knows what his master wants but isn't prepared
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  and doesn't carry out those instructions will be severely
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  punished. But if someone who does not know
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  and then does something wrong, he will be punished only
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  lightly. When someone has been given
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  much, much will be required in return.
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  And when someone has been entrusted with much, even more
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  will be required. I've come to set the world on
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  fire, and I wish it were already burning.
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  I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me and I am
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  under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.
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  Do you think I've come to bring peace to the earth?
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  No, I have come to divide people against each other.
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  From now on, families will be split apart 3IN favour of me and
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  two against or two in favour and three against.
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  Father will be divided against son and son against father,
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  mother against daughter, and daughter against mother and
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  mother in law against daughter in law and daughter in
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  Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right?
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  Try to settle the matter before you get there.
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  Otherwise your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will
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  hand you over to an officer who will throw you into prison.
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  And if that happens, you won't be free again until you have
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  paid the very last penny. Ah, Jesus, thank you for your
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  words of truth, Your words that help sharpen our focus and shift
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  our hearts away from everything that our lives here tell us is
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  important so that we can focus on you and your Kingdom.
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  You say again and again here that we are not to be overly
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  concerned and worried about building up a treasure here for
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  us in this world, but instead to rest in Your arms, to work hard
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  for Your Kingdom and to know that as we do that you've got
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  our back and that You will care for us.
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  So Lord, shift our focus. Shift our focus from our
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  superannuation balance here to our superannuation with you.
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  And not that that means that we kick back now and do nothing,
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  but to know that it's your Kingdom that we work for that
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  will bring eternal change and eternal good.
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  So we just pray that you continue the work of
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  recalibrating our hearts and drawing US ever closer to you,
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  oh our wonderful, wonderful Saviour and our loving God.
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  And we pray all of this in your mighty name, Jesus, Amen.