January 31st, Saturday: Luke chaps. 11-12

We'll learn about His generosity.

If Jesus, John the Baptist, the Twelve all needed to pray - how much more do we need to pray?

We must put God's concerns first, because prayer is based on sonship, not friendship – we're part of the family.

God is a loving Father, not a grouchy neighbour.

He gives us what we need.

He neither slumbers nor sleeps.

And He doesn't become irritated when we ask for help.

We'll talk about His authority.

More dangerous than open hostility is attempted neutrality.

An empty life is an opportunity for Satan to move in and take over.

The only sign we need is the sign of Jonah.

Our Lord's resurrection from the dead.

Jesus has won the victory over the prince of darkness.

Obey Satan and you'll let in darkness rather than light, and soon you'll not be able to see or to distinguish between them.

We'll learn about His honesty.

He was a guest in a home, but Jesus did not flatter His host or the other guests by avoiding the truth.

His words, by the way, were kind of stinging.

These were a bunch of religious experts.

He exposed their hypocrisy and condemned them for their sins.

We'll learn about a fearful heart.

See, when you fear people, you start to hide things and this is what leads to hypocrisy.

Being two-faced, you fail to confess Christ openly and depend on the Holy Spirit.

And this silence becomes your witness.

And it silences your witness.

When you fear God alone, you need fear no one else.

And you can boldly witness for Christ.

You're important to God and you're very precious in His sight.

So never fear what people can say or do

We'll look at a divided heart.

The word translated 'worry' means to be 'pulled about.'

And that is what worry does to you.

If your heart is centered on Christ and trusting wholly in Him – you'll have a united heart that fears God alone

If your treasures are heavenly, you need not worry.

No enemy can take them.

We'll read about a cold heart.

We're God's servants, and He expects us to be faithfully doing our work when Jesus Christ returns.

But when we stop looking for His coming, loving it and longing for it – well, our hearts grow cold.

And we become very worldly.

The Lord will deal with careless servants when He returns.

So we are to be ready at all times, looking for His sure and certain return.