Luke 12 & an update

Today, my time with the Lord was full of lists...

I read Luke 12 and the commentary that went with it. I thought some of the commentary was really interesting and insightful, so I thought I'd share a few things.

(read Luke 12 if you can :))

Luke 12:1,2
Signs of hypocrisy:
1. knowing the truth but not obeying it
2. living a self-serving life
3. faith is reduced to rigid rules
4. outward conformity without inner reality

"discern you own heart. consider the signs of hypocrisy and make sure you are not guilty. then ask God to help you live rightly."

Luke 12:8,9
We deny Jesus when we:
1. hope no one will find out we are Christians
2. decide not to speak up for what is right
3. are silent about our relationship with God
4. blend into society
5. accept our culture's non-Christian values

We acknowledge Jesus when we:
1. live moral, upright, Christ-honoring lives
2. look for opportunities to share our faith with others
3. help others in need
4. take a stand for justice
5. love others
6. acknowledge our loyalty to Christ
7. use our lives and resources to carry out his desires rather than our own.

are you doing more to deny Christ or acknowledge Him?

Luke 12:22-34
Overcoming worry requires:
1. simple trust in God, your heavenly Father: expressed by prayer rather than worry
2. perspective on your problems: develop a strategy for addressing & correcting problems
3. a support team to help: find believers who will pray for you to find wisdom & strength to deal w/ worries

"Jesus commands us not to worry. Worry is pointless because it can't fill any of our needs; worry is foolish because the Creator of the universe loves us and knows what we need."

Luke 12:40
People who are ready for their Lord's return are:
1. not hypocritical but sincere
2. not fearful but ready to witness
3. not worried but trusting
4. not greedy but generous
5. not lazy but diligent

"May your life be more like Christ's so that when he comes, you will be ready to greet him joyfully."

As I was sitting there reading, there was an older man sitting at a table near me. He saw me journaling and asked if I was writing an essay. I simply told him I was just reading and studying my Bible. From there he proceeds to tell me that He does not believe there is a God. He shared all sorts of other thoughts and opinions that indicated he hadn't based them on biblical or religious study but rather on his own ideas. I had just read Luke 12:11,12 which says, "don't worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said." So I said a quick prayer to myself and asked the Lord to give me the words to say. He didn't give me the opportunity to say much but when I did speak I tried to be as open and honest about my faith as I could. It was a very minor conversation, but I pray that the Lord will cause our paths to cross again at the coffee shop or that the Lord would place someone in his life to speak truth to him. Please pray that this man would have a divine revelation about the God of the universe and his Son, Jesus.

Football update: The BC Lions won again last Saturday, which is really good for their chances to go to the playoffs. Richard did well, but still didn't play as much as he had hoped. On Monday, the head coach called Richard into his office to talk. He told Richard that he likes how he's been playing but they can only travel with 5 defensive lineman and they need a defensive end more than a tackle. He even told Richard that they might have him drop a few pounds next season so that he can play defensive end, which he would love. So anyway, Richard is back on the practice roster this week. We're not sure what that means for the rest of the season, but we'll continue to trust the Lord's plan for us here.

On Wednesday, Richard had the chance to meet up with a guy who has a recording studio in Vancouver. He recorded a couple of new songs and re-did a song he had already written. The guy who has the studio asked Richard to come back to Vancouver on Friday to perform his song and share his testimony with some kids. I wasn't able to be there, but Richard said he wasn't nervous at all and felt really comfortable as he performed and shared his testimony. We are so grateful for the opportunities God has given Richard here.

As we go back and forth on this roller coaster from practice roster to active roster back to practice roster, we continue to remind ourselves that God has us here for a purpose that is greater than football. Continue to pray for us to trust God with his plans for us. Pray we would be content with his plans. And pray that we would desire His plans over our own.

"The Lord will work out his plans for my life--for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever."
-Psalm 138:8