Sermons By A Word From The Lord with Archbishop Foley Beach
Episodes
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Jesus Compassion Is for Those Who Are Humble and Faithful; Pray that God Guides Us from Being Judgmental, Self-Righteous, and Self-Centered
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Luke 7:36-50 describes the compassion of God revealed to those who come to Him in humility and faith. In unpacking Luke’s Gospel reference, Luke is relating a dinner party taking place in the home of a Pharisee. The Pharisees’ thought that their attempts at righteousness would earn them more favor with God, but their focus was outward not inward and in their hearts. The Pharisees were always in Jesus’ face attacking Jesus and trying to dismiss His teachings.
In the Scripture references from Luke and Matthew below, Jesus gave strong words of description and condemnation regarding the Pharisees’ hearts and behaviors. However, there were many Pharisees that were Godly and spiritual men. We need to be careful that we do not become twenty-first century Pharisees identified by Jesus in Luke 7. Like the Pharisees, many of us know the Word of God; but we need to be careful that we do not become judgmental and self-surviving, thereby missing the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit and forgetting to apply the love and Justice of God in our lives and relationships. As Jesus tells us in Luke 39-43: “Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. ‘And Jesus answering said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he answered, ‘Say it, Teacher.’ ‘A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.’ And he {Jesus} said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’”.
Also, at this dinner party, in Luke 7, given by a Pharisee, Jesus tells us of a sinful woman who comes into the party. The woman comes up behind Jesus and weeps with such intensity that her tears fall on Jesus’ feet. The woman, after her earlier conversion, is probably overcome with the conviction of her sinful life and remorse, thereby becoming a servant to her Lord. In these actions of conviction and love toward Jesus, Jesus explains, to Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7:47, that: “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”.
Simon, the Pharisee, represents many modern day “church people”. We can get caught up in our personal righteousness. We get used to the presence of God and His peace in our lives, but then we encounter a new follower of Jesus. They, before their conversion, were living in the ways of the world without God’s peace. Now, these new believers are so excited with their new life; and their outward manifestation of their conversion may not “fit” with our personal Christian behavioral norms. Sadly, too many modern Christians judge and condemn these new believers rather than loving, encouraging, and embracing these new believers. After all, none of us deserve the forgiveness of God: “I am who I am by the Grace of God through Jesus. “.
God wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with us. Therefore, if there is anything in our lives blocking this talk with God, we must remove it – we need to open ourselves to what God will do for us if we will just let go of our life impediments. We must pray for God’s guidance that He keeps us from becoming judgmental, self-righteous, self-centered Christians like the Pharisees in Luke 7.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 7:36-50; Matthew 5:20; Luke 11:37-44; Luke 15:1-7: Matthew 23:13-19; Matthew 23:23-36.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “God, the Father, Is Spirit; Jesus Followers Must Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth with Reality and Honesty and Not a Façade”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Put God First and All Else Will Follow
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Who is going to be responsible? God wants us to take responsibility and accountability for that which He has entrusted us. Some would say: “God has not entrusted me with much.”. This person would be wrong! What about his or her life? What about Jesus Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to make disciples? What about the lives of his or her children? What about his or her job? God has entrusted us with much, and God is holding us personally responsible and accountable for these trusts.
In Jesus’ parable from Luke 16 about the rich man’s incompetent manager, Jesus summarizes the meaning of His parable in Luke 16:9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.". in Luke 16:12-13, Jesus summarizes His position regarding our responsibilities and accountabilities, along with the prioritization of our responsibilities, for His trusts given to us as well as the trusts given by others in us here on earth: “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”. Jesus is, also, telling us that if we cannot be responsible for earthly treasures how can we be responsible for Spiritual Treasures.
As Christians, it is imperative that we put God first. If we don’t put God first in our lives, then, in a subtle way, we begin to resent God and His Grace. Proverbs tell us, in Proverbs 19:22, that the desire of every human heart is to love: “What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.". Only Jesus can give us this “steadfast love”, which is a Spiritual gift or entrustment from God. However, most of us go through our lives trying to find substitutes for God’s love to fill our lives; and we can’t find a substitute outside of God. Only God and Jesus can meet out heart’s need for “steadfast love”.
By the way, our earthly riches don’t make it into heaven with us; only our heavenly or Spiritual riches accompany us. We are responsible and accountable for all with winch God has entrusted us – both earthly and heavenly.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 16:1-15; Proverbs 19:22; Matthew 28:18-20.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel’s Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Saturday Oct 02, 2021
Saturday Oct 02, 2021
Put God First and All Else Will Follow
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Who is going to be responsible? God wants us to take responsibility and accountability for that which He has entrusted us. Some would say: “God has not entrusted me with much.”. This person would be wrong! What about his or her life? What about Jesus Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to make disciples? What about the lives of his or her children? What about his or her job? God has entrusted us with much, and God is holding us personally responsible and accountable for these trusts.
In Jesus’ parable from Luke 16 about the rich man’s incompetent manager, Jesus summarizes the meaning of His parable in Luke 16:9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.". in Luke 16:12-13, Jesus summarizes His position regarding our responsibilities and accountabilities, along with the prioritization of our responsibilities, for His trusts given to us as well as the trusts given by others in us here on earth: “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”. Jesus is, also, telling us that if we cannot be responsible for earthly treasures how can we be responsible for Spiritual Treasures.
As Christians, it is imperative that we put God first. If we don’t put God first in our lives, then, in a subtle way, we begin to resent God and His Grace. Proverbs tell us, in Proverbs 19:22, that the desire of every human heart is to love: “What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.". Only Jesus can give us this “steadfast love”, which is a Spiritual gift or entrustment from God. However, most of us go through our lives trying to find substitutes for God’s love to fill our lives; and we can’t find a substitute outside of God. Only God and Jesus can meet out heart’s need for “steadfast love”.
By the way, our earthly riches don’t make it into heaven with us; only our heavenly or Spiritual riches accompany us. We are responsible and accountable for all with winch God has entrusted us – both earthly and heavenly.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 16:1-15; Proverbs 19:22; Matthew 28:18-20.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Jesus Followers Have Eternal Life, Even Before their Earthly Death, Because Whoever ‘believes him {God} who sent me {Jesus}’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
It Is Not that Jesus Does Not Want All To Be Saved but the “Gate”, To Our Salvation, is “Narrow” and Difficult to Enter
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Introduction from “Jesus the Divider”:
While Jesus does bring us “Peace”, Jesus tells us that His ways are not always our ways; and Jesus does not always bring us “Peace”. In the world, we have tabulation; but Jesus has overcome the world. In Jesus, we do have “Peace”; but when we do stand with and for Jesus, “division” and conflict are created. In this passage from Luke 12, Jesus wants His followers to know that following Him will have a cost in terms of conflict and worldly tribulation. Many in and of the world will not tolerate our communication of the Gospel. Jesus is not saying that “division” is good. Rather, Jesus, in John 17:22-23, expresses His desire, to the Father, for His followers to all be one with Him and the Father. However, Jesus is warning us that “division” is inevitable because we are human and sinners.
Jesus ends His message to those assembled, in Luke 12:54-56, with: “He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?’". In this passage, Jesus was pointing toward His purpose on earth and the cross; but no one understood His message at the time period of His teaching in Luke – they could not read God’s signs. Do we see and follow God’s signs, or do we miss them and become party to creating “divisions”?
Today’s Message -- Jesus the Narrow Door:
In our Gospel focus from Luke 13:22-30, Jesus was pointing His earthly ministry toward Jerusalem, the Cross, Resurrection, and His Ascension. Jesus was asked, in Luke 13:23-25, a pivotal question; and He responded: “And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’ And he said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’”". It’s not that Jesus doesn’t want all to be saved, it’s just that the “gate”, to our Salvation, is “narrow” and difficult to enter. As Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Jesus wants all people to be saved: “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.". However, all people will not be saved because some will not come to Jesus – they don’t want to be saved.
In Luke 13:26-30, those rejected by the master of the house argue for admission: ““Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”".
Jesus is the “narrow door” and the “gate” by which we enter the Kingdom of God and our Salvation. Jesus Himself tells us in John 10:9-10: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”. We have been given the job, by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, to help others find the “narrow door”.
As believers in the Gospel and Jesus Followers, we are invited, in Revelation 19:9-10, to the “Marriage Super of the Lamb”: “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.’ For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’".
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:49-56; John 16:36; John 17:22-23; John 14:27; Luke 13:22-30; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Matthew 7:13-14; Hebrews 11:1-40; John 10:9-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 19:9-10.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel’s Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Are Churches Like Jesus by Welcoming Sinners; or Have Churches Become “holy huddles”? Therefore, Are Today’s Churches Missing Their Purpose?
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Penitence means to express such remorse and regret for one’s actions and to change these life actions. Penitence is a moment-by-moment occurrence. Faith guides us to repentance; therefore, we appropriate God’s Grace from the cross through our Penitence.
In Luke 15:1, the Tax Collectors and “sinners” had gathered to hear Jesus speak. The Apostle Matthew was a Tax Collector before he repented his sins and became an Apostle. We are all “sinners”; but each of us, in our own minds, has some level of righteousness or holiness. Also, each of us, in our own minds, has some personal perception of what “sin” is. Therefore, it is easy for us to call someone else a “sinner” based on our personal perception of “sin” – we say to ourselves: “I am sure glad that I don’t live like Joe!”. We are all sinners; but as Jesus Followers, our sins are forgiven. Like many of those in our churches today, the Church Leaders in Luke 15:2 did not think that it was good for Jesus to be associated with and speak to sinners: “And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’”. However, Jesus welcomes sinners into His presence. Are churches today, like Jesus, welcoming sinners; or have churches become “holy huddles”? If churches miss reaching out to those that are lost to Jesus, they are missing their purpose.
In Luke 15:3-32, Jesus shares three parables to illustrate the heart of God: 1) The Parable of the Lost Sheep – one sheep’s loss may mean no profit to the shepherd; therefore each sheep is valuable just as one “sinner” is valuable to God, and efforts must be made, like with the one lost sheep, to recover the “sinner” through their Penitence, which creates joy in heaven; 2) The Parable of the Lost Coin – the women had ten silver coins with each representing great value to her; therefore, the listeners to Jesus understood both the great effort expended to recover the one lost coin and the great joy in its recovery, just as the effort and joy related to the recovery and repentance of just one penitent “sinner”; and 3) The Parable of the Prodigal Son – the youngest son demands all of his inheritance, ahead of schedule, from his father, and then he goes away and squanders the inheritance in “sin”, but when the son awakens to his “sin” he repents and returns to his father, who celebrates, like God, the return of a “sinner” son. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, in Luke 15:32, illustrates the heart of God for Penitent “sinners”: “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”.
God is joyful when a “sinner” is Penitent because God has created us to have a personal relationship with Him, but God cannot abide with unrepentant “sinners”. Therefore, it is imperative that church communities not only lead Penitent lives themselves, but the church communities must focus on the recovery of the “lost sheep” (“sinners”). We must commune with God and repent of our own sins just as we become active in our church to lead its focus on bringing joy to God through the recovery of a “lost sheep”.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:49-56; John 16:36; John 17:22-23; John 14:27; Luke 13:22-30; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Matthew 7:13-14; Hebrews 11:1-40; John 10:9-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Revelation 19:9-10.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Daniel’s Prayer Was “seeking him {God} by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting . . . ‘O Lord, the great and awesome God . . . we have sinned and done wrong’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Jesus Does Not Always Bring Us “Peace” in the World; Rather, Jesus Is a Divider by Bringing Conflict and Division
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Introduction: While Jesus does bring us “Peace”, Jesus tells us that His ways are not always our ways; and Jesus does not always bring us “Peace”. In the world, we have tabulation; but Jesus has overcome the world. However, Jesus tells us, in Luke 12:49-56, that He, also, brings “division”. Today, like in the time period of Luke’s Gospel, we need to pay attention to God’s signs in the world.
Today’s Message: If we are serious about being a follower of Jesus today, we need to listen to Jesus in Luke 12:49-56. Jesus begins His sermon, to many thousands, starting in Luke 12:49, with His “fire of persecution”: “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! In this passage, “fire” does not mean the Holy Spirit; “fire” means the “fire of persecution” – which is “when the Gospel is preached without compromise”. This “fire” is the hostility that occurs when the world hears the Gospel preached without compromise.
Jesus continues, in Luke 12:50, with: “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!”. Jesus uses “baptism” to refer to His immersion in death and His separation from the Father on the cross, but death would not hold Him. Continuing with Luke 12:51, Jesus tells us: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”. How does this statement of “division” rather than “Peace” reconcile to Jesus’ other statements regarding His bringing “Peace” into the world? This apparent contradiction, regarding Jesus and His “Peace”, can be addressed by considering the five ways the word “Peace” is used in the Bible [as presented in the audio teaching]: 1) an attribute of God; 2) fruit of the Holy Spirit: 3) a state of mind; 4) absence of conflict; and 5) being in right relationship with God through Jesus. Therefore, when Jesus, in Luke 12:51, says that: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.”, Jesus is referring to the Bible’s use of “Peace” regarding an “absence of conflict”. Jesus is telling His followers that He, the Gospel, and they have come to disrupt and confront. However, Jesus wants to have “Peace” in the other four contexts of “Peace”.
In Jesus, we do have “Peace”; but when we do stand with and for Jesus, “division” and “conflict” are created. In this passage from Luke, Jesus wants His followers to know that following Him will have a cost in terms of conflict and worldly tribulation. Many in and of the world will not tolerate our communication of the Gospel. Jesus is not saying that “division” is good. Rather, Jesus, in John 17:22-23, expresses His desire, to the Father, for His followers to all be one with Him and the Father. However, Jesus is warning us that “division” is inevitable because we are human and sinners.
Jesus ends His message to those assembled, in Luke 12:54-56, with: “He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?’". In this passage, Jesus was pointing toward His purpose on earth and the cross; but no one understood His message at the time period of His teaching in Luke – they could not read God’s signs. Do we see and follow God’s signs, or do we miss them and become party to creating “divisions”?
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:49-56; Luke 3:21; John 14:27; Judges 6:24; Romans 15:33; Philippians 4:9; Romans 16:20; Ephesians 2:13; John 16:36; John 17:22-23.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “Do You Struggle with Your “Prayer Life”? Find a Quiet Place for Your Personal Relationship with God and Pray to the Universe’s Creator”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
Sunday Sep 05, 2021
As Jesus Followers, We Are Responsible and Accountable for All God Has Entrusted Us – Earthly and Spiritual
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Who is going to be responsible? God wants us to take responsibility and accountability for that which He has entrusted us. Some would say: “God has not entrusted me with much.”. This person would be wrong! What about his or her life? What about Jesus Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) to make disciples? What about the lives of his or her children? What about his or her job? God has entrusted us with much, and God is holding us personally responsible and accountable for these trusts.
In Jesus’ parable from Luke 16 about the rich man’s incompetent manager, Jesus summarizes the meaning of His parable in Luke 16:9: “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.". In Luke 16:12-13, Jesus summarizes His position regarding our responsibilities and accountabilities, along with the prioritization of our responsibilities, for His trusts given to us as well as the trusts given by others in us here on earth: “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”. Jesus is, also, telling us that if we cannot be responsible for earthly treasures how can we be responsible for Spiritual Treasures.
As Jesus Followers, it is imperative that we put God first. If we don’t put God first in our lives, then, in a subtle way, we begin to resent God and His Grace. Proverbs tell us, in Proverbs 19:22, that the desire of every human heart is to love: “What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.". Only Jesus can give us this “steadfast love”, winch is a Spiritual gift or entrustment from God. However, most of us go through our lives trying to find substitutes for God’s love to fill our lives; and we can’t find a substitute outside of God. Only God and Jesus can meet out heart’s need for “steadfast love”.
By the way, our earthly riches don’t make it into heaven with us; only our heavenly or Spiritual riches accompany us. We are responsible and accountable for all with which God has entrusted us – both earthly and heavenly.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD’S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 16:1-15; Proverbs 19:22; Matthew 28:18-20.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “The Old Testament Law of ‘an eye for an eye’ Was Reversed by Jesus in His ‘Great Commandment’ in which Jesus Followers Are ‘to Love’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Eternal Life Is Offered Through God’s Grace but We Only Receive Eternal Life Through Our Personal Faith and Belief
MESSAGE SUMMARY: A Yale Pediatric Oncologist’s (A Window to Heaven: When Children See Life and Death) experienced a life transformation from being an Atheist to an Agnostic and then becoming a Christian because of her involvement with the death and near-death experiences of young children with cancer. These children had no predisposed reason to understand God or Heaven; however, their verbalized near-death experiences are compelling. In Luke 13:22-30, Jesus gives us a glimpse of Heaven because He does not want us to miss out on Paradise: “He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, ‘Lord, will those who are saved be few?’ And he said to them, ‘Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.’”.
Are you going to be saved? Before presenting His Parable of the Narrow Door, Jesus sets up this Parable in Luke 13:24: “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.". in John 10:7-9, Jesus tells us that He is the door: “So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.". Also, Jesus paints the picture, in Luke 13:24, of a feast in Paradise: “And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.”. In this Parable in Luke 13:25, Jesus expresses how difficult it will be to get into Heaven: “When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’". After the door is inaccessible, Jesus tells us in Luke 13:27: “But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’".
Knowing God personally and His Grace, through Jesus on the cross and Jesus’ Resurrection, is what enables us to have eternal life – Jesus the Christ is the door, as Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that He is the only way to eternal life: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’". Eternal life is offered to us through God’s grace, but we can only receive eternal life through our personal faith and our knowing God through a personal relationship with Him.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 13:22-30; Luke 23:43; Revelation 2:7; John 3:16; John 10:7-9; John 17:3; Matthew 7:21-23; John 14:6.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – Jesus Followers Should Fear, Respect, and Praise God’s Power, Sovereignty, and Holiness; but in Life’s Trials They Should ‘fear not for I {Jesus} am with you always’”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
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Sunday Aug 22, 2021
Sunday Aug 22, 2021
If You Knew You Would Die in the Near-Term, Would You, Like Tim McGraw Advises, “live like you were dying” or Would You Live Like “the Rich Fool”?
MESSAGE SUMMARY: Jesus tells us in today’s Lessons from the Gospel of Luke, that acquiring wealth is not, per se, wrong; however, Luke’s Lesson is that we are a fool if we center our life around accumulating wealth. It is difficult for us to have many possessions without these possessions “possessing us”. In Luke 12:15, Jesus says that: “. . . Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Jesus is telling the brothers in Luke 12:13-14 that covetousness (i.e. greed) will wreck all aspects of our lives. In Ephesians 5:3, Paul classifies the sin of covetousness (i.e. greed) with other sins such as “sexual immorality: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.".
Jesus illustrates His position regarding covetousness (i.e. greed) with Parable of the Rich Fool, beginning with Luke 12:16-21: “And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.’”. The “Rich Fool’s” life was all about himself and his possessions and without a consideration of God or the needs of others. Therefore, in this parable, God took the life of the greedy “Rich Fool”.
If you knew that, in the near-term, you would die, how would you spend the remainder of your life? Would you focus on the assimilation of new possessions and experiences; or would you reaffirm your commitment, as a Jesus Follower, to Jesus’ Great Commandment and His Great Commission? Would we, like the country singer Tim McGraw says in his song, “live like we were dying”?
Beginning in Luke 12:22-27, Jesus tells His Apostles about the prioritization of their lives’ focus, especially as their focus relates to their “anxieties”: “And he said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?’”.
In Luke 12:29-31, Jesus summarizes His teaching to His Apostles with a model for our life focus: “And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.".
If our lives are centered on greed and the accumulation of passions and wealth, our lives will not be rich in and toward God.
TODAY’S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM FORGIVEN. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 12:13-34; Mark 7:21; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; Philippines 4:19; 1 King’s 10:4.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “At Jesus’ Crucifixion and Death, the “Temple Vail” Was Torn; After Jesus Easter Resurrection, You Now Pray Directly with God”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
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Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Jesus Tells Jesus Followers in Luke 10:2: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”; Therefore, Jesus Followers Are His Laborers for His Gospel Harvest
MESSAGE SUMMARY:
Introduction from Luke’s Life Lessons on Prayer: Jesus, in Luke 11:11-13, compares asking God versus an earthly father being asked by his son: “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”. God desires to give to us before we even ask Him, but ask we must. Since we must ask for the Holy Spirit, it is good to begin our daily prayers with: “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit.”.
Today’s Message from Luke -- Life Laborers Are Few: As Jesus sends the Seventy-two out on a mission trip (Luke 10:1-20), He tells them, in Luke 10:2: “And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’". Today, as in the First Century, we can make the same observation as Jesus: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” – where are the laborers for His Kingdom today? People all around us are in need.
These passages from Luke 10:1-20 reveal God’s plan and model for our evangelism – the ministry of the Gospel. Jesus instructs His initial “seventy-two” and us to perform God’s “plentiful” harvest: “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves . . . The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”.
This model for the ministry of the Gospel is not just for Clergy, this model is for all followers of Jesus. To meet the needs of today’s plentiful harvest, the Christians in the Church must become the Christian in the marketplace. To be effective in this plentiful marketplace, we must be ourselves and a willing vessel for God’s will. To be successful in the marketplace, we must ask for God to fill us with the Holy Spirit as we enter the harvest. However, we must be a willing laborer for the ministry of the Gospel – the harvest is plentiful. Be God’s hands and feet in His harvest for the Gospel!
TODAY’S PRAYER: Father, to you I acknowledge that I don’t want to go the way of powerlessness and humility. Like Peter, I want to know what you are doing with those around me. I love you. Help me to trust you with this day, with tomorrow, and with my whole life. In Jesus’ name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 92). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12f).
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Luke 11:1-13; Luke 10:1-20; Matthew 28:18-20; Isaiah 6:8.
A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org.
WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH’S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “When Jesus Asked You: ‘Whom do you say that I am?’, Did You Answer Jesus: ‘You are my God and the Lord of my Life!’?”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/
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