Read Luke 4

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and
news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
(Luke 4:14)

Thoughts… It seems that the god of our age is fame. People would do just about anything for their fifteen minutes of it. Just watch any one of the fifty reality shows that you can now choose from on any given night, or even the evening news, and you will see a half dozen goofballs pushing their mugs into the camera or offering their mindless drivel on a talk show just to get their shot at being in the spotlight. And, unfortunately, we have a mindless media that is all too happy to oblige these fame seekers.

People want to be famous, but for all the wrong reasons. Fame itself isn’t bad, but there is a better way to achieve it. Just notice how Jesus attained fame in Luke 4.

The setting for this chapter is the launching of Jesus’ public ministry. He has been baptized in the Jordan—and in the Spirit (Luke 3:21-22), and he has been tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1-13).

Now he launches his ministry as Israel’s Messiah in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14) by going into their synagogues to teach the Word, heal the sick, and deliver those oppressed by demonic spirits. And we are told that everywhere he goes people are simply and utterly amazed by him:

“News about him spread through the whole countryside.” (Verse 14)

“He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.” (Verse 15)

“All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.” (Verse 22)

“They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (Verse 32)

“All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!’” (Verse 36)

“And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.” (Verse 37)

How did Jesus become famous? He was full of the Spirit’s power and overflowing with God’s grace! That is probably not what you were expecting, but it is the best way to attain the kind of fame that really counts. Allow the Spirit to empower you and then just go about your day exuding the grace of God in every circumstance.

We live in such a graceless world that when one of God’s servants spreads a little Divine grace around, people notice.

Do that enough, and people will begin to talk about you too!

Prayer… Lord, if fame ever comes my way, may it be because I am full of your Spirit and overflowing with your grace.

One More Thing… “Grace is but Glory begun, and Glory is but Grace perfected.” —Jonathan Edwards

Read Luke 3

John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water;
but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am
not worthy to loose. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(Luke 3:16)

Thoughts… John the Baptist launched his ministry as the forerunner to the Messiah with preaching the likes of which people had never heard before. His messages were so confrontational and penetrating that the crowds were convicted to the core of their being. People from every dimension of Jewish society began to repent and return to the God of Israel. Israel was in the midst of a great revival.

This spiritual awakening was so powerful that people began to wonder if John himself was the long-awaited Messiah. But John quickly put those rumors to rest by letting them know that his ministry was simply to lead people to repentance in preparation for the Messiah. It would be the Messiah’s ministry that would empower them with the very Spirit of God.

The Message version of Luke’s account offers this rendering:

“I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in
this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the
kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing
you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—
make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place
everything true in its proper place before
God; everything false he’ll put out with
the trash to be burned.”

The ministry of the Messiah was not simply to announce and launch the Kingdom of God on Planet Earth, it was to so immerse his followers in the Holy Spirit that they themselves would embody the words and carry out the works of Jesus, and as King’s agents, extend his Kingdom “to the uttermost parts of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Now the real question for those of us reading these words today is this: Is the baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire something you just read about historically, or is it an experience that is personal and fresh in your life today?

The truth is, despite all the misgivings and discomfort modern Christians may have about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, we cannot simply erase this important dimension of Christ’s ministry from the pages of Scripture. To paraphrase D.L. Moody, to remove the work of the Holy Spirit from the Bible is like using a sun dial by moonlight.

Jesus is still the baptizer with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is still the one who empowers believers to do words and works of Jesus.

And Paul’s question to the Ephesians in Acts 19:2 is as critically important for you today as it was for them nearly 2,000: “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?”

If you haven’t, perhaps you should spend some time with the Great Baptizer and ask him for the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus himself has said,

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be
with you forever—the Spirit of truth … how much more will your
Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
(John 14:16-17, Luke 11:13)

Prayer… Lord, give me a fresh baptism of the Spirit and fire. Cleanse me and empower me so that I can embody your words and carry out your works in my world.

One More Thing… “If Christians are forbidden to enjoy the wine of the Spirit they will turn to the wine of the flesh….Christ died for our hearts and the Holy Spirit wants to come and satisfy them.” —A.W. Tozer

Read Luke 2

But Mary kept all these things and
pondered them in her heart.
(Luke 2:19)

Thoughts… That statement has always intrigued me, and I am not exactly sure what it means. It is stated again at the end of the chapter in verse 51 as Luke gives us a glimpse into the life of Jesus as a growing boy at about the age of 12.

We don’t know a great deal about Jesus’ early life beyond what we read here, but to say the least, it must have been quite interesting for Mary to be the mother of God. I think it is safe to say that, on the one hand, Jesus was like any other baby who needed to be changed, cried when he was hungry, developed a cute little personality as the months passed by, and became an inquisitive little boy.

On the other hand, he was the Son of God. Angels attended his birth, shepherds came to worship him, wise men from afar brought him expenses gifts, prophets prophesied over him during the customary temple ceremonies, and he carried on a spirited dialogue with the intelligentsia of his day during a family visit to the temple.

I am sure that most mothers and fathers would have bragged incessantly and shamelessly to the neighbors about their son’s many outstanding qualities and unusual experiences. But not Mary; she simply treasured all these things that were said about Jesus and all the things that Jesus did as he grew, and pondered them in her heart. In other words, she gave them a lot of thought; she kept them between herself and her Lord.

That is not such not a bad idea, wouldn’t you say? We probably ought to do that a lot more often. Rather than blurting out everything that happens to you or in happens in you, perhaps you ought to just meditate on those experiences and keep them between the Lord and you.

When someone comes to you with a “word from the Lord”; when you have a dream that seems to have an unusual spiritual dimension to it; when you have an extraordinary encounter with God, and you are not quite sure how to respond to these experiences, why not just treasure them and ponder them in your heart. Keep them between you and your Lord and just watch over time to see how God uses them.

I have a feeling that this, in part, is how we grow deeper in our spiritual lives. Likewise, I would not be too surprised to find out that when we give in to our need to blurt out all of these holy things to anyone within earshot, we have spent the entire capital of that experience, and it will go no further than that.

Some of the things that may happen in your life this week will be of a truly rich nature. Ask God for the wisdom to discern if that experience is of the kind that should simply be treasured and pondered in your heart.

Prayer… Lord, teach me to understand the difference between the things that need to be shared and those experiences that are so rich that they are meant only to be shared between you and me.

One More Thing… “How pleasant, how delightful, to sit alone and in silence, to converse with God, and so to enjoy the only chief good, in whom all good things are found!” —Thomas A` Kempis

Read Luke 1

Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because
he has come and has redeemed his people.”
(Luke 1:67-68)

Thoughts… Over the years the church has given Zechariah’s song the title, “The Benedictus,” or The Blessing. The lyrics of this brief song, which we read in verses 67-79, were sung by one of the proudest and oldest first time fathers of all time. But more than being just a happy little diddy from a happy old daddy, Zechariah verbalizes two timeless and timely truths about God’s character that you and I probably need to hear again today.

First, we are reminded that God never breaks a promise! John’s birth was living proof of God’s faithfulness. In His song, Zechariah belts out to all who will listen, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.” (v. 68)

God keeps his promises—every one of them. He can’t help himself; it is just his nature. He had promised through the prophets a redeemer for Israel hundreds of year before, and 400 silent years had passed since the last prophet Malachi had uttered the oracles of God until the time the angel Gabriel revealed God’s plan to Zechariah. Though God’s promise had been ever so slow in coming, it was nonetheless fulfilled.

Zechariah’s song reminds us that even though God may be slow, he is never late!

Second, God never forgets. “Zechariah” name meant “God remembers”. And in his song Zechariah exploded with the joyful realization that God does remember: “God has remembered his oath…” (vv. 72-73)

Zechariah must have been discouraged. He was a priest of a nation that had turned its back on God. He and Elizabeth, whose name meant “the promise of God,” had been faithful to God all their lives—they lived up to the meaning of their names. Yet God had not blessed them with a son, and wayward Israel continued to be oppressed by its pagan enemies.

But Zechariah clung to this truth: Our Creator remembers! God knows who we are, where we are and what we need. He remembers us. He remembers his promises, and God graciously acts at the proper time.

Isaiah 49:15-16 reminds us, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

God can’t forget!

You may remember the name of Tom Sutherland. He was taken hostage by radicals in the Middle East and held in captivity for four years in the mid 1980’s, mostly in solitary confinement. He existed in deep darkness during that long ordeal.

Sometimes he could hear is captor’s radio when they tuned it to the BBC, and Tom would listen intently hoping and praying to hear his name mentioned on a newscast. But he never heard it, so he figured that people back home didn’t even know he was alive, much less imprisoned.

Finally, Tom was released. He flew back to the US and landed in San Francisco, and he was amazed as he got off the plane to see a huge crowd, people waving signs, cameras, reporters, and TV lights. He turned to his wife and said, “There must have been a famous person on this plane with us. See if you can spot them.”

She said, “Tom, they’re all here for you!” At that, Tom broke down and cried like a baby.

After he regained his composure, he said, “I thought everybody had forgotten me…I felt abandoned…I didn’t think anybody cared. Thank God I was wrong.”

If you are reading these words today and feeling a little forgotten by God, thank God you’re wrong! Zechariah reminds you from first hand experience through his song that God remembers you and will fulfill every single one of his promises to you at the proper time!

So be faithful!

Prayer… Thank you Lord for your unfailing faithfulness. You remember your promises to me, and you will fulfill them all. I will rejoice in you this day and offer my life faithfully back to you.

One More Thing… “God often gives in one brief moment that which He has for a long time denied.” —Thomas A` Kempis