Dear Explorer,
Read Luke 13:18-21
Remember that the people and probably the disciples were expecting (based on the prophecies in the Jewish Scripture, (our Old Testament) that Jesus would establish His Kingdom and be crowned the King of Israel. But He continually taught them to think differently.
Jesus says in Luke 13:18-19 that His Kingdom will be like a seed that dies and then grows bigger and bigger because of its amazing root system. We talked about mustard seeds on Day 105.
Have you ever read the Poem, “One Solitary Life,” attributed to James Allen Francis? It talks about the amazing impact of this one man, Jesus. You can find it on-line. It's pretty cool.
Jesus also says His Kingdom is like yeast – remember we talked about that before, too, on Day 105. We talked about how just a tiny bit can multiply forever!
Read Luke 13:22-30
Someone in the crowd asked a question. What was it?
I believe they were asking if only a few people were allowed to invite Jesus into their God-shaped vacuum. We've seen over and over in Scripture that Jesus' invitation is to everyone, all, any, who-so-ever-will.
Jesus answers the question with a warning. I believe He was saying that we need to invite Jesus in now, because the Owner of the house will do what?
Who is the Owner of the house and what does the house represent?
I believe the Owner of the house is God and the house represents Heaven.
Does Jesus say when He will shut the door?
Now there are two different beliefs on this matter. I will simply share both with you.
One group teaches that God can shut the door for any individual at any time. If that person has heard the Good News and chosen to reject Jesus, then God can shut the door at any time.
Others believe that God shuts the door for any individual only at the time of their physical death.
Jesus does not say when God will shut the door, so I beg you not to delay in inviting Jesus into your life. No one knows when the door will be shut.
Once the door is shut, what are some of the responses of the people on the outside?
What is Jesus' reply and why?
He doesn't “know” them because they did not invite Him into their God-shaped vacuum and as a result, they are empty. They had excuses, but they were empty on the inside.
Jesus says there will be a great feast for all His followers. These followers will be from every time period in history, every nation, every race, every religion, every background.
I want you to be there. Jesus wants you to be there! Today is a great day for you to invite Jesus into your God-shaped vacuum. Invite Him to come in and begin to direct your life. You don't know when the door will be shut. This is the message of this passage.
In His service, dale
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