onetowone

 Psalm 121

1 I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

last vs says it all

Luke 19 

1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 

2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. 

He was the chief tax collector in the region, 

and he had become very rich. 

3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, 

but he was too short to see over the crowd. 

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, 

for Jesus was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. 

“Zacchaeus!” he said. 

“Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house 

in great excitement and joy. 

7 But the people were displeased. 

“He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, 

“I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, 

and if I have cheated people on their taxes, 

I will give them back four times as much!”

9 Jesus responded, 

“Salvation has come to this home today, 

for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

trusting what/who?

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in people.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. 

Psalm 118:8-9

Maybe, as we go into a new calendar year, we could paraphrase this to make it connect more with who & what we are now in this 3rd decade of the 21st century?

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in celebrities' opinions.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in jumped up football players.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in athlete who thinks they are "all that & a bag of chips".

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in politicians who are only pandering to Christians to get their vote.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in preachers we see on TV who are always begging for money &/or telling us who to vote for.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in comments from people on social media or video platforms.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in things we see or hear.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in people who play to our prejudices or fears.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in people who insist we do the same old things in the same old ways but expect different results.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in positions of power.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in legislated morality.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in any talking head we see on TV or social media.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in people who are always "too blessed to be stressed".

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in people who never seem to be real, or freely reveal who they are.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in me.

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in anything or anybody, because the Lord is the only person who is completely trustworthy.

being a servant

This is Jesus talking here...

Luke 17 

7 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, 

does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 

8 No, 

he says, 

‘Prepare my meal, 

put on your apron, 

and serve me while I eat. 

Then you can eat later.’ 

9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? 

Of course not. 

10 In the same way, 

when you obey me you should say, 

‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

Whenever I hear someone say in a sanguine, wistful voice, 

"All I want to be is a servant of the Lord..." 

I usually think to myself, "you've never been one..."

I think these 3 verses give an adequate summation of our status if we choose to be not just believers in Jesus, but to be a follower of Jesus, totally surrendered - a servant.

It's seldom glamorous, not success oriented, & not often explained. 

It's all about doing what we're told - obeying...

It's all about trust...

challenges

 Paul considered Timothy to be his son.

Timothy I'm sure considered Paul his father.

These are the last instructions of Paul to his son, Timothy, shortly before Paul was executed.

The applied to Timothy, but I think they also apply to us...

2 Timothy 4 

1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, 

who will someday judge the living and the dead 

when he comes to set up his Kingdom: 

2 Preach the word of God. 

Be prepared, 

whether the time is favorable or not. 

Patiently correct, 

rebuke, 

and encourage your people with good teaching.

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. 

They will follow their own desires 

and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 

4 They will reject the truth 

and chase after myths.

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. 

Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. 

Work at telling others the Good News, 

and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

sheep

Jesus hung out with "notorious sinners".

And "notorious sinners" wanted to hang around Jesus.

So then, wouldn't that also mean that we, His followers, should do the same thing - hang out with "notorious sinners"? 

Luke 15 

1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

humility

Luke 14 

7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. 13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

shepherds & angels

Luke 2 

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 

9 Suddenly, 

an angel of the Lord appeared among them, 

and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. 

They were terrified, 

10 but the angel reassured them. 

“Don’t be afraid!” he said. 

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 

11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 

12 And you will recognize him by this sign: 

You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, 

the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

112

 

Psalm 112

1 Praise the Lord!

How joyful are those who fear the Lord
    and delight in obeying his commands.
2 Their children will be successful everywhere;
    an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
3 They themselves will be wealthy,
    and their good deeds will last forever.
4 Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
    They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
5 Good comes to those who lend money generously
    and conduct their business fairly.
6 Such people will not be overcome by evil.
    Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
7 They do not fear bad news;
    they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
8 They are confident and fearless
    and can face their foes triumphantly.
9 They share freely and give generously to those in need.
    Their good deeds will be remembered forever.
    They will have influence and honor.
10 The wicked will see this and be infuriated.
    They will grind their teeth in anger;
    they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

2 unrelated passages

Luke 11 

9 “And so I tell you, 

keep on asking, 

and you will receive what you ask for. 

Keep on seeking, 

and you will find. 

Keep on knocking, 

and the door will be opened to you. 

10 For everyone who asks, 

receives. 

Everyone who seeks, 

finds. 

And to everyone who knocks, 

the door will be opened.

33 “No one lights a lamp 

and then hides it or puts it under a basket. 

Instead, 

a lamp is placed on a stand, 

where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.

34 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. 

When your eye is healthy, 

your whole body is filled with light. 

But when it is unhealthy, 

your body is filled with darkness. 

35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 

36 If you are filled with light, 

with no dark corners, 

then your whole life will be radiant, 

as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”

LGLO

Luke 10

 25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: 

“Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, 

“What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

27 The man answered, 

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

all your soul, 

all your strength, 

and all your mind.’ 

And, 

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

(iow - love God, love others - LGLO)

following

Luke 9 

23 Then Jesus said to the crowd, 

“If any of you wants to be my follower, 

you must give up your selfish ambition, 

take up your cross daily, 

and follow me. 

24 If you try to hang on to your life, 

you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, 

you will save it. 

25 And what do you benefit 

if you gain the whole world 

but are yourself lost or destroyed?

108

 

Psalm 108

1 My heart is confident in you, O God;
    no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
    I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
    I will sing your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
    Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
    May your glory shine over all the earth.

6 Now rescue your beloved people.
    Answer and save us by your power.
7 God has promised this by his holiness[a]:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
    I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine,
    and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
    and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
9 But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
    and I will wipe my feet on Edom
    and shout in triumph over Philistia.”

10 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
    Who will bring me victory over Edom?
11 Have you rejected us, O God?
    Will you no longer march with our armies?
12 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
    for all human help is useless.
13 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
    for he will trample down our foes.

onethreenine

 

Psalm 139

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
    and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
    and when I rest at home.
    You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
    even before I say it, Lord.
5 You go before me and follow me.
    You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
    I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
    if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
    and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
    and the light around me to become night—
12     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
    Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
    before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
18 I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!
    Get out of my life, you murderers!
20 They blaspheme you;
    your enemies misuse your name.
21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?
    Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?
22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
    for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

radical

Luke 6 

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, 

love your enemies! 

Do good to those who hate you. 

28 Bless those who curse you. 

Pray for those who hurt you. 

29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, 

offer the other cheek also. 

If someone demands your coat, 

offer your shirt also. 

30 Give to anyone who asks; 

and when things are taken away from you, 

don’t try to get them back. 

31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

scum

Luke 5 

27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 

“Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. 

28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.

29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

31 Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”

There are 2 questions that come to mind after reading this passage:

Do people thought of as scum find so much of the spirit of Jesus in you or me that they want to hang out around us?

Do we have enough of the spirit of Jesus in us that we WANT to hang with people considered scum?

so...

 Our God will make you worthy of the life to which He called you.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT, 1st ed.)

oneothree

 

Psalm 103

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
    may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
    and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
    and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
    My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

6 The Lord gives righteousness
    and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

7 He revealed his character to Moses
    and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
    slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
    nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
    he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
    like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
    as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
    with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18     of those who are faithful to his covenant,
    of those who obey his commandments!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
    from there he rules over everything.

20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
    you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
    listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
    who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
    everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the Lord.