Since the second day of the 21-day fast that began on January 9, we have been immersed in the study and meditation of the Gospel of Luke. Everyone has been enriched. We have deepened our knowledge, and we also hope that people who are unfamiliar with Him will come to know Him through these studies.
Toward the end of last year, it became clear to me that this year's 21-day fast would require us to do something different. Last year, the three weeks of daily teaching were certainly physically challenging, but also extremely empowering. And everyone who followed received powerful revelations for their lives and service to the Lord. But I knew things had to be done differently this year. And as we prayed and waited in the Lord's presence, it became clear that we needed to focus on a book of the Bible.
At first, I was leaning towards the letters of John, which we had not yet studied, but while I was reading the Gospel of Mark for my personal meditation, the study of a Gospel became necessary to contemplate Jesus at length. And this is also particularly because for us, this year is the year of the proclamation of the Gospel. So we began the study of the Gospel of Luke. We are, as I write, on the 11th day and what an extraordinary richness!
Why did you choose the Gospel of Luke? Certainly by inspiration, and also because this Gospel was written by a man who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, decided to create a coordinated, orderly, and meticulous compilation of the accounts of Jesus' life. It is in no way superior to the other Gospels, each with its own perspective, but it also has the advantage of being written to non-Jews by a non-Jew. Luke is concerned with authenticity, truthfulness, accuracy, and credibility. He provides historical, geographical, and social details that are extremely useful for situating events and understanding the issues at stake.
Luke presents Jesus as the Savior and the Son of God. He is the only one to recount the exact circumstances of Jesus' birth, his presentation at the temple, and his proclamation to the shepherds. Luke, coupled with the Gospel of Matthew, provides a vision, if not entirely exhaustive, at least extremely clear, of the conception and birth of Jesus, as well as the prevailing circumstances.
We learn interesting details about Zechariah's ministry, the fact that he belongs to Abijah's class, what does that mean? And what a capacity God has for orchestrating seemingly natural circumstances to accomplish His supernatural purposes! Zechariah's story demonstrates this. The improbability, given the large number of priests, that he was the one who burned the incense in the temple where the angel announced the birth of his son.
And what a character this young woman, Mary, is. In the teaching on the announcement of Jesus' birth, I spoke of the respect due to Mary. In the Christian world, we sometimes move from venerating the biblical name to disrespectful indifference, but Mary deserves our attention, she deserves our respect and our admiration.
We also discussed the great faithfulness of Zechariah and Elizabeth despite their difficult circumstances. Both are descendants of Aaron. One could imagine that they were doubly qualified to be blessed by the Lord, but at an advanced age they still had no children. Interestingly, Elizabeth said that when she finally became pregnant and had her child, she declared that God had removed her shame.
Another important point is that the angel Gabriel told Mary about Elizabeth that the one who was called 'the barren one' was going to have a child. We make irresponsible and thoughtless remarks about people, other Christians, servants of God, often people whom God Himself esteems, appreciates, and honors. I was struck by the fact that heaven was aware of Elizabeth's reputation, the suffering she experienced, the wickedness of people towards her, and the mockery she suffered. Heaven was also aware of those who were responsible for this mockery.
We need to be very careful about what we say about others, about the judgment we make about people who are well-liked by God because we don't understand the situation. Sometimes these are judgments about another church, about their way of doing things, about what we see as 'anomalies' in their operations. Like Elizabeth, they may be people who please God, who are simply going through a difficult season. Still, I have encouraged people to ask themselves what God hears from them and how they view the people God views.
Another important point we have discussed is the respect of Jesus' family for the obligations of the Law, in His circumcision, in the time of Mary's purification, and in His presentation at the temple. Everything required by the law was done. Jesus later affirmed that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
The study on Jesus' visit to the temple was rich in revelations. The passage is short, but the lessons are numerous. I even did a short sketch of Mary explaining to Luke the Evangelist how things had unfolded. (Mary is considered one of the reliable sources Luke consulted for his Gospel.) Watch it here.
And what a time we've had with John the Baptist. Luke painted a clear picture with a description of the political and ecclesiastical authorities, all corrupt. Three ruling families: the Caesars, the Herods, and the family of Annas the high priest. John the Baptist's message came at the right time: repentance. What a message of righteousness for God's servants. Look here. Jean-Baptiste, a man like no other.
We prayed for them afterward. This touches me particularly because the Lord had recently given me a prophetic word for the restoration of God's servants and I gave a series of teachings including one entitled 'How to overcome challenges in ministry and never give up.)
The next part focuses on the baptism of Jesus, and the spotlight is on Jesus' absolute obedience. How did the sinless Son of God agree to stand among sinners to be baptized! I explained why this was important and the lessons for us today. And what lessons. So far, on Day 12 (that's the teaching of Day 11), this must be the message that shook me the most. Watch it for yourself. here. The baptism and genealogy of Jesus.
These teachings have been very rich and varied, and we will continue until the end of the 21 days. Everyone can follow us in the evening at 7 p.m. on my Facebook page, @bolaoged, the ABBA HOUSE page, on the YouTube channels: Passion for God And ABBA HOUSE TV. For prayer lovers, we of course also have a morning prayer time at 6 a.m. which is broadcast on the same channels.
For anyone reading this article before January 29th, you can join us live, but if you arrive after January 29th, do not hesitate to go to the YouTube channels to watch the entire teachings and also participate in the prayers. We have had testimonies of people who have been touched by the power of God after participating in the prayers on demand.
Watch the videos below. Click the playlist icon in the right corner of the video to see all the videos. The message usually starts after 30 minutes.
You must be logged in to post a comment.