Daily Walk Through the New Testament Catch-up Post

Daily Walk Through the New Testament
Catch-up Post
Because we got behind, this post will include July 23 -July 31. This will get us back on schedule. Sorry for the delay!
 
July 23
 
Read Luke 17:5-37
 
A sense of entitlement plagues our nation today. People often feel they deserve more than they have — more money, better health, a higher paying job. The terrible consequence of entitlement is an unthankful heart. Because we have specific good things in mind we’d like to receive, we are not thankful when we receive the good things God chooses to give us. Jesus healed 10 lepers, but only 1 of them felt the need to find Him and thank Him.
If you’ve put your trust in Jesus, He has healed you of the disease of sin. He has touched your life and cleansed you. Are you like the thankful leper? Too often we all forget what it cost Jesus to redeem us and are not as thankful as we should be. Take time today to thank God for His great gift of salvation and for the many other gifts in your life.
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Daily Walk Through the New Testament
 
July 24
 
Read Luke 18:1-25
 
When we read about the life of Jesus, it is clear that the Pharisees hated Him and sought every opportunity to criticize Him and stop His ministry. Their hatred grew to the point where they no longer simply wanted to stop His teachings — they desired to kill Him.
It’s easy for us as believers to have disdain for the Pharisees. We place ourselves on the side of Jesus and presume we would have had nothing to do with the blood-thirsty religious leaders. But we need to examine our hearts consistently as we walk with Jesus. If we’re not careful, we can be judgmental toward other believers, simply because we don’t agree with the way they do things, and wind up having hearts that look more like the Pharisees than we’d expect.
Jesus taught a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who were praying in the temple. The tax collector confessed his sins before God and cried out for forgiveness. The Pharisee never confessed his sins; he only boasted about his religious credentials and thanked God that he was more pious than the sinful men around him.
Don’t let yourself fall into the sin of self-righteousness. Focus on your own life and the sins you need to confess more than the sins of those around you.
 
 
 
 
Daily Walk Through the New Testament
 
July 25
 
Read Luke 18:26-19:10
 
During the current economic recession, gas and food costs have increased while savings and retirement accounts have been depleted. Most of us have been forced to change the way we live our lives, examining every expense to decide what is a necessity and what is not. We have been forced to count the cost of every choice.
We do not have to pay money to come to faith in Christ, but, according to God’s Word, following Christ comes with a cost. It may cost us financial opportunities, relationships, or popularity. In some places, following Christ may even cost a person his or her life.
In our reading for today, Peter told Jesus that he and the other disciples had left everything to follow Him. They had counted the cost and forsaken every hindrance. Jesus said that whatever His faithful followers give up for the sake of the kingdom of God pales in comparison to the blessings God will pour out on them.
Let’s choose to follow Christ today, confident in His promise that His blessings will exceed the cost!
 
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Daily Walk Through the New Testament
 
July 26
 
Read Luke 19:11-40
 
Most Americans have not witnessed the pomp and circumstance of a traveling monarch. American politicians often travel with an entourage of security and assistants, but royal family members usually travel with great pageantry that is worthy of their position.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the day we now celebrate as Palm Sunday, He was treated like a king. He traveled into the city on the back of a young donkey while the people laid down their coats, waved palm branches, and cried out praises to God. Of all the kings who ever walked on the earth, Jesus is the One who deserved all the praise He received, because as He entered the city, He knew He was heading to the cross to fulfill God’s redemption plan.
Jesus is the one true King who is worthy of our praise and adoration, and He is the one true God who is worthy of our worship and complete allegiance. Live like He is your King today!
 
 
 
Daily Walk Through the New Testament
July 27
Read Luke 19:41-20:19
 
What upsets you? Perhaps it’s when you are cut off in traffic or when someone says something unkind to you. Maybe it’s when your favorite team loses a game. We often get the most upset over relatively trivial things.
In Luke 19:41, Jesus was upset about something. Luke says Jesus wept over Jerusalem. It grieved Him that the Jewish people would face judgment because of their rejection of Him. In Acts 17, Paul was extremely upset when he saw all the gods worshiped in Athens while the one true God was rejected. Can you relate with either of these experiences?
As Christians, we should grieve over the things that grieve the heart of God. When was the last time you were moved to tears over the sin in your own life, or deeply upset about the sin in the lives of others? Ask God to show you what grieves His heart and to make your heart like His.
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Daily Walk Through the New Testament
July 28
Answer the following questions in regards to your readings this past week:
 
What are some things in which you tend to trust instead of Jesus?
What has following Jesus cost you?
 
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Daily Walk Through the New Testament
July 29
Read Luke 20:20-47
 
Comedian W.C. Fields was known for being an atheist who was critical of Christianity. When a friend once caught him reading the Bible, Fields said he was “Looking for a loophole.”
People often came to Jesus to ask Him questions. Sometimes people honestly wanted to know who Jesus was and what it meant to follow Him. For honest seekers, He gave simple, clear answers. Others were only looking for some excuse not to believe in Him, some loophole in His claims.
Are you open to the truth? Search your heart to see if any preconceptions not founded in the truth of God’s Word are holding you back. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and he wants to reveal more of Himself to you. Approach Him with a spirit of trust and submission. Read His Word with a heart that is willing to listen and believe, and allow it to be the only authority for your beliefs and behavior.
 
Daily Walk Through the New Testament
 
July 30
 
Read Luke 21:1-28
 
It’s been said that it’s always darkest just before dawn. One does not have to be a Bible scholar or historian to know that this world is becoming darker by the hour. Every day we hear of wars, famines, earthquakes, diseases — exactly what Jesus said would happen.
In today’s news we see Jerusalem being encircled by hostile nations, like a pack of wolves surrounding a little lamb. This city, divinely ordained as the capital of Israel and the Jewish people, is being terrorized by Gentiles. Today, Muslims occupy the most important piece of ground on the earth, the Temple Mount, and vow never to relinquish control. Jesus told us to expect this darkness until the last Gentile who is going to be saved is saved, and He returns to take up His bride.
Do not be discouraged or hang your head when you watch the news. Instead, look up and lift your head (Luke 21:28) — Jesus may come at any time. Things are looking gloriously dark — our Redeemer is coming!
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Daily Walk Through the New Testament
 
July 31
 
Read Luke 21:29-22:20
 
Our Lord commanded us to prepare for His Second Coming and warned us to be guarded against the schemes of the Enemy. The devil can use the cares, comforts, conveniences, companions, and the carousing of this life as bait for his traps. When we become so preoccupied with the events of this world, we’ve walked into his trap without realizing it. When we’re preoccupied, we are not earnestly preparing for Jesus’ return.
If all the signs point to the imminent return of Jesus Christ, what are we to do until He returns? First, we are to be careful to avoid all snares. “Take heed to yourselves,” Jesus said, before describing people with hearts weighed down with the things of earthly life (Luke 21:34). Second, we are to be watchful, just like watchmen on the walls who constantly look for both their enemy and the return of their king. Third, we are to be continually prayerful. Fourth, we are to be worshipful, keeping our focus not on ourselves, but on Him.
Are you preoccupied with the immediate, or are you earnestly preparing for your King?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 22

Read Luke 16:9-17:4

What are you trusting in today? Some people trust in their riches, position, or accomplishments, much like the rich man in Luke 16. These individuals believe that if they just have enough money, possessions, or influential friends, they have all they will ever need.
The rich man appeared to be blessed with all he needed and wanted in life, but at the moment of his death, it became apparent that he did not possess the most important thing — faith in Jesus Christ. Ironically, this one thing is all that Lazarus did possess during his life, and in the end, it was all he really needed. As the one who seemed to have everything entered into an eternity separated from God in constant torment, he realized he had placed his trust in the wrong things. Lazarus entered into his eternal reward, having gained it all through his trust in Jesus Christ.
Today is the day to choose whether your trust will be in the things of this world or in Christ alone.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 21

Answer the following questions regarding your readings this past week:

1.) Recall times in your life when God has demonstrated remarkable love to you in     response to your humble repentance.

2.) What things in your life could be distracting you from having a close, personal             relationship with the Lord?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 20

Read Luke 15:11-16:8

The tragic descent of the lost son began with a bad attitude. He had gotten it in his head that his dad was unfair, strict, and difficult to please. This part of the story can hit close to home. Within our broken natures is a pre-disposition to react to God the same way. Just as with the young man, the moment we question God’s goodness, the bottom can drop out of our lives. So what then? Does God give up on us?
In the hog pen, the son probably thought there was no chance his father would ever love him again. When he humbly returned home, he discovered what he failed to recognize in the first place — his dad was filled with GRACE. The father hadn’t changed, but the boy’s heart had.
Today, thank God that He is such a good Father and that He never gives up on you!

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 19

Read Luke 14:15-15:10

In the age of information overload, perhaps the commodity in shortest supply is personal focus. Most people know how it feels to be with someone who’s constantly checking and sending messages. They’re there, but not really there!
In Luke 14, Jesus conveyed how deeply God cares about the quality of attention we give Him. The master in the story, who represents God, invites guests to enjoy his grace. He’s not asking for the guests to contribute in any way, but he does expect them to take him seriously and give him their wholehearted attention. Their thinly veiled excuses prove their focus is elsewhere.
Where is your focus? Remember how amazing it is that the God of the universe desires your complete focus today. Give it to Him — He is worthy to receive it!

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 18

Read Luke 13:22-14:14

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are beyond ours (Isaiah 55:8). This means that we may think we understand how life works, but we get it backward. In no area is this more true than our quest for personal importance. It’s part of human nature to try to impress others to gain approval, status, and favor. Unfortunately, these attempts often result in embarrassing mistakes, as with the Pharisee’s houseguests who sat in the best seats (Luke 14:7-14). What Jesus wants us to grasp is that this is more than just human clumsiness. God actually sabotages our prideful grabs for the spotlight. He loves us too much to let us be unlike Jesus. When we put Him and others first, He loves to give us surprising favor. How can you make serving God and others a priority today?

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 17
Read Luke 12:57-13:21

Jesus wants us to understand that while God is patient, He holds everyone accountable to His standard of holiness. When some self-righteous people hinted that certain Galileans were murdered by Pilate because of their sinfulness, Jesus confronted them with their own personal need for repentance and salvation. No one should assume that bad things happen to people because they deserve it. Every human being is a sinner who needs to turn to Christ to receive redemption and forgiveness.
The story of the fig tree reminds us that God is not eager to bring judgment on the unsaved, or chastening in the life of a wayward child. He has repeatedly proved Himself to be long-suffering (patient) throughout the history of the world. But no one should respond to His kindness with rebellious presumption. Let your heart turn fully toward Him today in complete surrender. If you do, you’ll find His patient grace.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 16
Read Luke 12:35-56

The scenario of a servant waiting for his master’s return is a frequent theme in Jesus’ teaching. This particular teaching in Luke 12 portrays the servants in a household waiting for their newlywed master to return from the wedding. It was expected in such situations for the servants to be waiting at attention for the unscheduled, unannounced arrival, poised and ready to spring into action to minister to their master in any way he required.
Jesus’ story depicts the master returning in the middle of the night. He’s immediately greeted at the door by his servants. They expect him to be hungry, and are ready to serve him dinner. But the master, delighted to see such loyalty and devotion, does the unthinkable — he takes on the role of the domestic help and serves his faithful servants dinner!
When we, who represent the waiting servants, grasp the impact of what Jesus was saying, we are faced with a serious reality: it is very important to Jesus that we obediently anticipate His arrival with joy. It is that very anticipation that keeps us from forgetting who we’ve been called to be. Remember, the unfaithful servants in Jesus’ parable became cruel, self-indulgent, and careless. May we guard ourselves from developing harmful habits that would disappoint our Master and live in eager readiness for His return.

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 15

Read Luke 12:8-34

It’s natural to be concerned about finances, especially when it comes to personal security. Who doesn’t spend time thinking about things like upcoming bills, college tuition, and retirement down the road? While there’s nothing wrong with prudent preparation, something goes wrong when we begin to stress out over these things. After all, in the context of a discussion on relying on God to meet our needs, Jesus said, “Do not . . . Have an anxious mind” (Luke 12:29). That is stressing out!
Jesus challenged His followers to think about ravens and lilies (vs. 24, 27). Though they are incapable of our kind of thought processes, they depend on their Creator to supply their needs. Jesus’ point is simple. If a bird and a flower can depend on God, how much more can we who are His children? He is our loving Father. He is good and He is able.
Whenever you find yourself stressed about money issues, meditate on a couple of things Jesus said in this chapter. First, look at vs. 30: “Your Father knows that you need these things.” Let that sink in. Then turn your focus to vs. 31:”Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

Daily Walk Through the New Testament

July 14

Answer the following questions regarding your readings this past week:

1.) How have you connected to a neighbor in a way that reveals you are a follower     of Christ? Is there a neighbor in your circle of influence who has a need you     can meet and, in doing so, bring honor to Christ and His Kingdom?

2.) Consider your motivation for serving Christ. If your motivation is anything             other than to bring honor and glory to His name as you continue to be a             faithful follower of Christ, then your spiritual life will never be satisfying or             productive for eternity. What has God taught you about serving Him this             week?