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The Kingdom of God Starts Now As I've studied it, I've noticed that the Gospel of Luke talks far more about ways we can change the world today than I used to give it credit for. Growing up, my concept of the Christian life had its main focus on either heaven or the second coming of Jesus. That's the "end game".   Between now and then, our goal is to do as much good and as little sin as possible. Feed a homeless person, suppress a lust. Day by day, deed by deed, get through this life until we get to the "good stuff."   In Luke, that's not how Jesus talks about things.   Consider Zacchaeus. In Luke 19 we read about this wealthy, probably corrupt, tax collector. After he experienced Jesus, our Lord declared,  "Today salvation has come to his house."  This "salvation" was more than the fact that his eternal destination had changed from Hell to Heaven. Salvation was also seen in the fact that he was going to change his business practices and bring justice to those he'd wronged. He wasn't going to sit back and wait for God's Kingdom to come. He was going to actively make God's kingdom known that very day!   This theme continues. Later in that same chapter Jesus drives the money-hungry opportunists who had turned God's temple into a den of robbers. Crowding out gentiles and women, they capitalized on people's desire to know God. God's house must be a house of prayer; not just in heaven. Jesus helped that happen on that very day.   If we maintain this perspective, we are forced into action. Christianity can't be a passive "save me from hell" religion. Following Jesus is active. Jesus is building a church that the gates of Hell can't stand against. That's a church on the move. Gates don't attack entrenched forces. Gates try to stop armies that are acting, moving, and attacking.    One of the reasons I love to read the Bible every day is that it motivates me into daily action. Let's move our faith forward!   With you;   Pastor Tim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysanh1p6k-8 For the Lost People didn’t like that Jesus associated with “sinners and tax collectors.” The religious insiders (aka Pharisees and teachers of the law) expected Jesus to only hang out with other insiders. The clean can only keep clean if they didn’t associate with anyone “dirty.” Almost everything about Jesus challenged that assumption.   Using language they could relate to, he compared the “sinners” to objects the religious insiders would have found valuable. As an agrarian society, their livestock was their biggest investment. If 1% of your 401K went missing, you’d be motivated to find it. Though the loss wouldn’t break you, life is better with all 100 sheep safely in their pasture.   In the next story, Jesus talks about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. The loss has jumped from 1% to 10%. Of course, she searches carefully and is full of joy when the coin is discovered.   Do you notice how the math progresses? From 1/100 to 1/10 to … a son. The father had two sons and one runs away. 50% of his lineage. This is an unspeakable loss. Additionally, the father would have been humiliated by the way his sons treated him. This would be a total loss.   This story highlights that God values people. A loss to our financial security would hurt. The loss of reputation could devastate us. The loss of everything would cripple many. God cares about the lost. He values people. I can’t stress this enough. More than tradition, financial security, or reputation; God values sinners.   This gives me so much comfort. If God loves sinners then I can be confident that God loves me.   This also gives me motivation. If God cares more about the lost than he does about money, religious traditions, or social stigma, then I must follow suit.   In the 1700s, a group of bold missionaries would risk their lives to bring the gospel to unreached people groups. Once, as a ship carrying two missionaries to a distant land was leaving port, one of the young men raised his arms and said, “May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of his suffering.” That call became their rallying cry.   The Lamb gave up everything so that He could win the lost.   So will I. Pastor Tim