Luke 15-24

Okay, back to blogging.  I'm very excited to go back and blog these books of the New Testament.  It's going to be interesting to see how much I remember and how much I will have to reread to get reacquainted. 

Luke 15:11-32 Is the Parable of the lost Son.  I love this story.  Basically there was a father with two sons.  The youngest one decided that his life was not what he wanted and he asked his father to give him his inheritance now and he headed off to find a better life elsewhere.  Like many of us he thought the grass was greener on the other side of the fence.  Once he was out in life he lost all that he had inherited.  He was lost.  He wanted to go home but feared rejection b/c o f his poor decisions.  He decided to go home and ask for forgiveness.  His father's reaction to his return was very different than he imagined.  His father ran to him and embraced him.  Now, while the youngest brother was off throwing away the money he had inherited the older brother was being responsible and working hard for his father.  When his younger brother returned home he older brother was very angry about the celebration that was taking place.  He felt like his younger brother was now receiving the praise that he deserved for his hard work and faithfulness.  The father answered the older brother by saying, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  but we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."  Luke 15:31

The Parable of the Shred Manager
"No servant can serve two masters.  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 both God and Money." Luke 16:13

The Rich Man and Lazarus  Luke 16:19-31
This is one that has stuck with me ever since Jodi preached about it at church.  How bad is Hell?  This story gives us a glimpse.  There was a rich man who had no pity for the poor.  He lived a very comfortable life on earth....but his eternal life was torment.  It was so bad that he begged Abraham to send someone to tell his 5 brothers how bad Hell really was.  He needed them to know that they needed to change their lives and not end up there. 

If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents forgive hi.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, "I repent" forgive him.  Luke 17:3

 "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  Luke 18:16

Reading about the crucifixion is powerful.  There are several moments that almost can take your breath away.   First when Jesus asks God not to judge those that are persecuting him.  "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."  Luke 23:34
and when the man being killed along with Jesus asks to enter Heaven with Jesus and Jesus tells him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."