Agape Devotions

Read; Luke 11.14-54 No devotional today (Sunday)

Read: Luke 9.51-11.13 Verses chosen for reflection: Luke 10:38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Reflect We hear the common warning: "Do not be like Martha!" or "Be like Mary!" Well-intended warnings but probably another bumper sticker message taken out of context. Jesus was not saying that what Martha did was wrong. Rather, Jesus was saying that Martha should prioritise the first thing first.  In this context, it was to hear wh...

READ : Luke 9:1-50 REFLECT :  Do you ever have those days when you feel like you cannot do anything right? It is just another one of those days when everything goes wrong and everything you do is wrong. Luke records for us a collection of events where the disciples experience repeated failure. We have reached a pivot point in the gospel of Luke. Up to this point Luke has been asking and answering the question, “Who is this Jesus?” The repeated answer has been that Jesus is the all-powerful King, Messiah, and God. In our last lesson we saw the declaration of the Father himself, “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him!” The focus of Luke’s gospel now shifts to describing who will follow Jesus and how to follow Jesus. In our study today we will look at each of the failures and what we learn from the mistakes made by the disciples. Then we will conclude with considering why these failures are recorded by Luke. Luke records that it is the next day after the transfiguration experi...

READ : Luke 8 Verses chosen for meditation: Luke 8:24 24  And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. REFLECT In this passage, Jesus’ disciples met with a tribulation, in the form of a life-endangering storm. In fact, within this chapter, from Luke 8:22-56, you’ll read of a chain of events, each easily a tribulation in anyone’s life, and how Jesus had control over all of them. Jesus brought his disciples across the lake where they encountered a storm. What greeted them at the other shore was a legion of demons. Jesus then took them back to Capernaum, where they were constantly interrupted by people seeking healing. Among them was a woman with an incurable disease. The disciples continued the roller coaster ride to Jairus’ house, where Jesus barricaded 3 of them with himself and a dead girl. I’m not sure what the disciples were ex...

Read Luke 7, verses chosen for devotion 47-50 47  Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”  48  And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”  49  Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”  50  And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Reflect Jesus was invited for a meal in one of the pharisees house. While reclining at the table a woman (who was a great sinner) approached Jesus. Her tears were welling up so much that they wet Jesus feet. Perhaps the woman was feeling so sinful and remorseful that she finally found love and forgiveness at Jesus feet. She must have already heard a great deal about Jesus healing and cleansing power all over Judea and the surrounding country. Her faith was so strong that she knew her sins were forgiven that she broke out ...

Read   Read Luke 6:12-49 Verses chosen for meditation: Luke 6: 12, 19, 23, 31, 38, 41, 45, 47, 48 ESV 12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.    19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.   23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.   31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.   38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”   41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?    45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil ...

  TEXT TO REFLECT 6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. LUKE 6:6-11 REFLECT The Law concerning the Sabbath was not an optional good-to-have guideline giving details of when to take a holiday. It was a serious law and not to be trifled with. Breaking the Sabbath carried the death penalty. “Six days shall w...

Read: Luke 4.14-44 No devotional today (Sunday)

Read: Luke 3.1-4.13 Verses chosen for reflection Luke 4:1-13 4 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,     and him only shall you serve.’” 9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw...

READ : Luke 2 REFLECT : I would like for you to meditate with me on the annunciation of the angel to the shepherds in Bethlehem. I don't know what the angels look like. Scripture does not describe them very carefully. The best description we have of the appearance of angels tells us that they are like young men dressed in white garments. Those were the angels that appeared at the resurrection. Never once are they referred to as having wings. I don't know where that idea came from, unless it came from the concept that angels are free to move about rapidly, and to us that suggests flying. But the angel suddenly appeared out of the darkness of the night. Around him shone the radiance of glory -- a nimbus -- as the glory of the Lord shone round the shepherds. And as the King James Version puts it, "they were sore afraid." Luke 2:10: But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of ...

READ : Luke 1 Verses chosen for meditation: Luke 1:30-33 30  And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  31  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,  33  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” REFLECT Almost every time an angel appears in the Bible, the first words are “Don’t be afraid”. When the supernatural meets with earth, it leaves humans in fear, as they can’t make sense of what they see. We fear what we do not understand. In the many forms that associates with God’s appearance, be it burning bush, whirlwind or a bright majestic light, it inspires awe as well as fear. But in this chapter, it foretells of God appear...