Search The Scriptures — Study 24 — Luke 9:18-36

Study 23 of "Search The Scriptures” Is:

Luke 9:18-36 

   1.     Verses 18-27. Trace the connection between the three sections, verses 18-20; 21, 22; 23-27. What does this teach us concerning (a) the goals which Jesus was out to reach, and (b) the demands He makes on those who would follow Him?

   2.     Verses 28-36. What lessons would the disciples learn from this experience about the real character and mission of Jesus? Can you find any connections with the truths they had been taught the previous week (verses 20-27)?

 Notes: 1. Verse 23. “Take up his cross’: like a condemned criminal on the way to execution. 2. Verse 27. See NBCR.3. Verse 30. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets. They were God-given guides whose endorsement of fresh teaching was important. Mal. 4:4-6.

I have copied the Bible verses concerning this study for your convenience.

Luke 9:18-36 

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”

Jesus Predicts His Death

21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. 22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

The Transfiguration

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

COURTESY OF BIBLE GATEWAY 

LESSON 23

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God is Truly our Strong Tower Against All That Is In This World

Today I was reading Oswald Chambers and I went through a self-examination that caused me to be not satisfied with what I found about me at all. I kept pondering “Why is it I cannot get Matthew 6:25 right”? Suffice to say that the conclusion I reached about myself toward God, is not good. I was hard on myself because I felt, by now I should get this main point right and there must be some kind of stubbornness in my heart that causes me to fail God over and over again.

The Holy Spirit showed me that there is a depth in this passage that has escaped me. He allowed me to see with the eyes of my heart, certain things about me and how I have been working them out steadfastly with Him. Then the Spirit of God showed me why there will always be room to teach me this passage of Matthew 6:25, unless I had an opportunity to walk with Him for hundreds of years before my death. He said, try to see this passage as if you were going to school and your intent is to reach the highest level you can achieve in your education. It dawned on me, let’s assume you live in the United States, then, there is one subject that always follows you and you are always improving on, and this subject is English. The same goes for someone who is from Quebec or France, the subject that constantly followed them is French. Then, I understood that I am not that bad. What is true here is that, yes, I am failing Him, but because I am walking with Him, He is constantly teaching me and most of all, REFINING me.  Please note, when I thought I was bad, it was not because Satan forced me to think this about myself, but because of what I know of His word and because of my relationship with Him. I thought, I serve a God who deserves better.

Satan will have the opportunity to use our thinking process against us, when we are not open to God’s teachings. When we insist on living in our ignorance and when our minds are made up about what we want and what we know. As long as our motives and attitude are right with God, then God will NEVER allow Satan to use our examination of the self to his advantage and lead us away or cause us to live in guilt. We should not dread the process of self-examination as if Satan will have the last word. Satan will have as much power on us as we give him. Two years in the wilderness with Him, He showed me how He had become my tower of refuge. It was then I learned to see Satan for who he is and his lack of power on Christians. The difference is found in whether we are living IN HIM (Paul’s words “if indeed you are in Christ” came alive to me.) There is a process there and if I were to share the vision, it, would make this post way too long. But, God needed to teach me the difference between Satan’s power on a true Christian and the ones who are living in accordance with the world. This was such a beautiful moment with Christ when I found out, “IN HIM” we have shelter and the only way Satan can touch us is that he would have to go through Christ, literally. 

Search The Scriptures — Study 23 — Luke 9:1-17

Study 23 of "Search The Scriptures” Is:

Luke 9:1-17

1.     Verses 1-6. A new development in the work. Picture the twelve itinerating as here described. What lessons would they themselves learn, and what would be the impact on those who saw and heard them?

2.     2. Verses 10-17. What light do these verses throw upon the unselfish love of Jesus, and on His concern for both physical and spiritual needs? Putting yourself in the place of the disciples, what would you have learned from the incidents? 

I have copied the Bible verses concerning this study for your convenience.

Luke 9:1-17 

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

9 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

10 When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, 11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

13 He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14 (About five thousand men were there.)

But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

COURTESY OF BIBLE GATEWAY 

LESSON 22 

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Search The Scriptures — Study 22 — Luke 8: 40-56

Study 22 of "Search The Scriptures” Is:

Luke 8: 40-56

    1.     Verses 43-48. Try to enter into the woman’s hopes and fears. What made her touch different from that of the rest of the crowd?  Have you any experience and testimony similar to hers?

    2.     What do these two stories teach us of the importance and nature of faith, and the need to continue in faith? Cf. Heb. 3:14

I have copied the Bible verses concerning this study for your convenience.

Luke 8: 40-56

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak,and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her,“Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother.52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,”Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened

COURTESY OF BIBLE GATEWAY 

LESSON 21 

READ THE PREFACE AND METHOD OF STUDY HERE

Search The Scriptures — Study 21 — Luke 8: 22-39

Study 21 of "Search The Scriptures” Is:  

Luke 8:22-39

   1.     Verses 22-25. ‘Where is your faith’? In what way was their faith defective? What did they learn from the incident?

   2.     Verses 26-39. Compare the man’s condition before and after he met Jesus. What evidence can you find of the reality of the change? What may we learn from this about Jesus’s power to save?

   3.     Verses 35-39. What caused the different reactions to Jesus of the cured man and his fellow-countrymen? Why did Jesus grant the request of those who wanted to be rid of Him, and refuse that of the man He had saved?

I have copied the Bible verses concerning this study, for your convenience.

Jesus Calms the Storm

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Jesus Restores a Demon-Possessed Man

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,[a] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

COURTESY OF BIBLE GATEWAY 

LESSON 20 

READ THE PREFACE AND METHOD OF STUDY HERE

Let's All Be Diligent Together Guys!

“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. 1 Corinthians 2:2

As I was reading Matthew 13 today I got gripped by the truth that it contains. It reminded me of the importance of the ministry that God called me to.  And guys, I know sometimes I can be annoying because I sound like the prophet of doom. I keep pounding on you to live out “true Christianity”. But, know that it is out of love for my Master and love for you to continue the journey in the same way you started it out with Him. I would like nothing more than meet all of you in Heaven and share in His glory.  I wish sometimes I could dress things up to make you feel good. I wish sometimes I could be less deep than I am and write about fluff. But, it is not about you or me, isn't?  It is not about our feelings, ego and what we want, but, about Christ crucified. It is about the God of our salvation, who sacrificed it all for a relationship with us.

I know how easy it is for us to be taken by all the fluff, the glitter, the emotions, the eloquence and everything else that surrounds us these days. I know because I was there too. But, one look at Matthew 13:24-25 tells us that we have to be extremely careful. One look at verse 29-30 tells us how the Church is filled with false Christians. Denying that we are surrounded by them would be pure foolishness. It is not our job to be looking throughout the Church to find who is righteous and who is not, because most of the time we will be wrong in our assessment. As God showed me, there are people who sadly do not even know they are the ‘bad seed’. This is because the enemy is so crafty. What I am saying is that we have to be diligent and live this life in a way, where our lives are taken up with God and His purpose alone.  We are to know nothing but Christ crucified. If that makes me the bearer of bad news, then, I do not mind at all. I have learned to be patient with human being enough to endure my ministry.  Nothing is more honorable to live out a life where we can truly say in unison with Paul, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Once this is your life, everything else will fall into place because the Spirit of God is in charge and He will see to it.

I love you all!