“And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.” Luke 21:37-38 ESV Reflection: do you consider Jesus your teacher?  I am in the middle of expanding my skills to better help companies evaluate the applicability of automation across their business. This is a rapidly growing field, and most companies will have to tackle topics of automation in order to stay competitive...

“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”” Luke 21:36 ESV Reflection: why is Jesus telling all his followers to pray for strength? If there is one lesson we have learned from the past 5-10 years, is that the world is engulfed in a web of lies. It is hard to find almost anything that you can know for sure is true, that has not been corrupted, or tainted somehow. As soon as you think...

““And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”Luke 21:25-26 ESV Reflection: how much are you concerned about climate change?  There has been an unusual amount of strange and extreme weather over the past couple of years. Destructive storms and floods all over, even in areas...

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.” Luke 21:1-2 ESV Reflection: what do you give to the kingdom of heaven?  Have you ever felt completely empty? Like as if the world around you have taken everything out of you and there is just nothing left. You have been there for others, for those in need. Yet no one has filled your “tank” back up again. You can even only offer a feeble prayer to God, wondering if He...

“And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” Luke 20:34-36 ESV Reflection: why does the Bible consider death an enemy?  It is amazing to read the creation story recorded in the beginning of Genesis, and to really...

“So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.” Luke 20:20 ESV Reflection: what do you consider belonging to you? That you own?  I remember very well buying our first house. It was such an amazing, and also surreal feeling to unlock the door, walk in and try to grasp that all of this was ours. It felt so huge, as we had been living in apartments through our...

“But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?” Luke 20:17 ESV Reflection: how is Jesus your salvation?  You might remember from Luke chapter 19, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. He knows well what is about to happen, to fulfill his mission. Keep in mind that the religious leaders had made a decision that there would be no disturbance during Passover.  But God had a different...

“Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”” Luke 20:18 NKJV Reflection: how has meeting Jesus broken you?  There are some big events in life that demand a decision whether to take a new direction. You have learned something new, that completely change your understanding of the world, or even of yourself, and there is no way of going back. It might be a traumatic event like abuse, or even something very good, like the birth of a child. In recent...

“Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”” Luke 19:45-46 NKJV Reflection: what was the significance of Jesus having to “clean” the temple?  Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem, many days before Passover was to begin. Huge masses of people, from all over Israel and beyond, had come for the Passover celebration.  As a reminder, Passover is based on...

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:38b ESV Reflection: why do so many Christians encourage war between nations?  Yesterday we looked at the mina each of us have been given, to do the will of the Lord. To multiply His investment in us, building and expanding His kingdom while we wait for the return of the King. But it seems like so many are still consumed with war across the world, as opposed to working on achieving peace. Now,...