Red Letters

“Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people…

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  Psalm 23:6 (NKJV) We are being pursued by the goodness and mercy of God.  God wants to love his children and do good things for them.  His mercy or unconditional love is also always with us.  No matter where we go, they are there.  Even when we blow it, God’s goodness and mercy are there.  Everywhere…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) Life is full of choices.  Each of the choices we make leads us down a path that we may not fully understand when we are in the middle of making the choice.  All of the choices arranged, they make our life story.  When we get to…

The LORD is my shepherd. I shall not want.  Psalm 23:1 (NKJV) Shepherds play an important role in the lives of sheep.  The shepherd makes sure the sheep have all the food and water they need.  He protects them from wild animals and also guards them at night no matter wherever they are.  We have a  shepherd that provides everything we need.  He knows what we need before we know ourselves.  When we look at God as our shepherd, we…

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way… Isaiah 53:6 (NIV) Sheep aren’t the smartest creatures.  They can wander into places of danger by moving away from the group.  They may not even be aware they are in trouble or of the dangers around them.  We can be like those sheep also.  God has a path laid out for us but we think we know better and do things our way.  But…

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 (NKJV)  Have you ever come upon a diary or love letters from your grandparents or someone who lived long ago?  Have you held these precious pages written in their…

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than…

51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:51-52 (NKJV) JESUS IS MAKING A POINT ABOUT A “SCRIBE” SCRIBE: A person trained in writing skills and used to record events and decisions.  An ancient Jewish record-keeper, a professional theologian, and jurist.  A…

51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” 52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” Matthew 13:51-52 (NKJV) We will look deeper at the scribe in tomorrow’s devotional.  The householder is the owner of the home or head of household.  The treasures of new are the mysteries revealed by Jesus…

51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” Matthew 13:51 (NKJV)  Jesus began teaching in a new and different way.  Jesus began teaching in parables.  This style included taking a known truth and an unknown truth and putting them alongside each other.  The disciples noticed right away that Jesus had changed things up and asked Jesus about it.  Jesus explained three reasons for using parables:  To reveal truth to the disciples, making known the secrets of heaven…

12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ Hosea 10:12 (NLT) You reap what you sow is a very common saying that most of us know. It’s about karma, you get back what you put into the world. It is actually a biblical statement. When you…

Let’s do a quick recap about this lesson that Jesus is teaching. It starts with the original parable which talks about the farmer and where he is planting his seeds. That is verses 1-9. Then the disciples question the meaning of the parable. They didn’t understand. Jesus explains it’s not about just hearing, it is about truly listening, that it’s not about just listening, it’s about working to understand. This is verses 10-17. Then Jesus explains the verse in bigger…

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall…

10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” 11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these…

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell…