I haven't written in the blog lately. I usually start reading th Bible in January, and here it 1/21 and I haven't completed my reading from last year. I have been commenting on each and every chapter in each and every book of the new testament. So my log is fairly long. I then review part of the log and post it, judging from comments or the lack thereof nobody is reading it anyway. Work started back as well after the Christmas holiday, and during the Christmas holiday I took some time off. Its amazing what you miss, and that then compounds the feeling that I'm really lazy. God however has used it, making circumstances and my reading coincide (even my late reading). A lot of people when they want a word from God then open the Bible, and not being knowledgeable as to where to look for guidance they usually just open it randomly and start reading. I certainly am a believer in regularly and methodically reading/studying the Bible. its a way to hide His word in our hearts. I also in commenting the new testament have seen similar themes repeated over and over. The perspective is slightly changed maybe but the wisdom is there. I believe God speaks to those people who randomly read through His word.

The passage today (Luke 9) is a perfect example. Read this chapter and Phillipians and watch the perfectly meshed message.

This is Luke's account of Him sending out 12 disciples and hearing their experiences upon return. The feeding of the 5000 is also mentioned.
The verses that struck me are 23-25. It seems to get "things" in this life you must give up on spiritual activities- devotion, prayer, reading, etc. Whereas to be spiritual your opportunities for advancement at work and income possibilities become somewhat limited. So it becomes a choice. A daily choice.
Jesus is asked to cast out a demon causing convulsions, because His disciples could not (He had earlier given them authority), but they could not. You can get worn down, and start expecting a more worldly outcome as opposed to a Heavenly one is that what happened here?
The discussion as to the greatest in the Kingdom comes up, the answer is the servant. We as humans so crave the spotlight and honors, but we should not.
Interestingly verse 50 says whoever is not against you is for you. Earlier Jesus made it clear that not doing anything to promote the Kingdom of God was working against it. It seems to me these two passages complement in such a way that no fence as it were exists. Your actively working for the Kingdom, or your actively working against it. Every activity -which is it?
The verses from 58-62 (the end) have always interested me. In 58 Jesus states He has nowhere to lay His head. He was fully focused on our interests eternally and not His in this world.He is fully Kingdom focused and did not and consequently has not any property like land and houses, etc. He was fully focused on our interests eternally and not His in this world. To follow Him that is the goal. A person said he would follow but needed to bury his father. A funeral is a worldly concern, and probably the one that takes precedence over any other worldly pursuit. A loved one dies and work is usually understanding and placed on hold, vacations change, in short a family death becomes the focal point for our lives for a couple of days. Another said he would follow but needed to say goodbye to family. The other primary influence in our lives is our families. They are the reason we have most of our other worldly pursuits. Our families will also see the least amount of change in a changed life . Jesus wants us to consider our priorities, following Him means putting Him first in all things.
Having Christ come into your heart is a wonderful thing, and following Him is a life of joy. It is also a life of sacrifice and conflict, and that should be realized. There is no other way to go, but the focus of living needs to be consistently and always on Him. Letting other worldly distractions interfere with following Him is like looking backwards while plowing. I guess its like driving while looking in the rear view mirror. We must stay focused on Him (the one who is our head or ahead).