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Read (and listen!) through the amazing story of Luke and Acts!
Immerse: Luke and Acts is part of Immerse: The Reading Bible, which takes you on a new and unique journey through the books of Luke and Acts in the New Testament. This fresh arrangement of the books highlights the depth of the New Testament’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah. The Son of God, who fulfills all the longings and promises of the collected Scriptures. The goal of Bible reading is to understand the sacred writings in depth so we can learn to live with them. Using the text of the New Living Translation (NLT) from Tyndale Publishing, now you can experience Luke and Acts the same way the original readers did and be fully immersed in the most amazing story of all time!
Samantha: Welcome to Immerse Luke
and Acts, Day thirteen, Week three
.
And then someone called from the crowd.
Teacher, please tell my brother to
divide our father's estate with me.
Jesus replied, Friend, who made me a judge
over you to decide such things as that?
Then he said, Beware, guard against
every kind of greed, life is not
measured by how much you own.
Then he told them a story.
A rich man had a fertile farm
that produced fine crops.
He said to himself, What should I do?
I don't have room for all my crops.
Then he said, I know.
I'll tear down my barns
and build bigger ones.
Then I'll have room enough to store all
my wheat and other goods, and I'll sit
back and say to myself, My friend, you
have enough stored away for years to come.
Now take it easy.
Eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said to him, you fool.
You will die this very night.
Then who will get
everything you worked for?
Yes, a person is a fool to store
up earthly wealth, but not have
a rich relationship with God.
Then turning to his disciples, Jesus
said, That is why I tell you not to
worry about everyday life, whether
you have enough food to eat or enough
clothes to wear, for life is more than
food, and your body more than clothing.
Look at the ravens.
They don't plant or harvest or store
food in barns, for God feeds them.
And you are far more valuable
to him than any birds.
Can all your worries add a
single moment to your life?
And if worry can't accomplish a
little thing like that, what's the
use of worrying over bigger things?
Look at the lilies and how they grow.
They don't work or make their clothing,
yet Solomon in all his glory was not
dressed as beautifully as they are.
And if God cares so wonderfully
for flowers that are here today
and thrown into the fire tomorrow,
He will certainly care for you.
Why do you have so little faith?
And don't be concerned about
what to eat and what to drink.
Don't worry about such things.
These things dominate the thoughts
of unbelievers all over the world.
But your father already knows your needs.
Seek the kingdom of God above all else,
and he will give you everything you need.
So don't be afraid, little flock,
for it gives your father great
happiness to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions and
give to those in need.
This will store up
treasure for you in heaven.
And the purses of heaven never
get old or develop holes.
Your treasure will be safe.
No thief can steal it, and
no moth can destroy it.
Wherever your treasure is, there the
desires of your heart will also be.
Be dressed for service, and keep
your lamps burning as though you
were waiting for your master to
return from the wedding feast.
Then you will be ready to open
the door and let him in the
moment he arrives and knocks.
The servants who are ready and waiting
for his return will be rewarded.
I tell you the truth.
He himself will seat them, put on an
apron, and serve them as they sit and eat.
He may come in the middle of the night or
just before dawn, but whenever he comes,
he will reward the servants who are ready.
Understand this.
If a homeowner knew exactly when
a burglar was coming, he would not
permit his house to be broken into.
You also must be ready all the
time, for the Son of Man will come
when least expected, Peter asked.
Lord.
It's that illustration just for us,
or for everyone, and the Lord replied,
A faithful, sensible servant is
one to whom the Master can give the
responsibility of managing his other
household servants and feeding them.
If the Master returns and finds
that the servant has done a good
job, there will be a reward.
I tell you the truth.
The Master will put that servant
in charge of all he owns.
But what if a servant thinks, my
master won't be back for a while,
and he begins beating the other
servants, partying and getting drunk?
The master will return unannounced and
unexpected, and he will cut the servant in
pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
And a servant who knows what the
master wants, but isn't prepared and
doesn't carry out those instructions,
will be severely punished.
But someone who does not know,
and then does something wrong,
will be punished only lightly.
When someone has been given much,
much will be required in return.
And when someone has been entrusted
with much, even more will be required.
I have come to set the world on fire,
and I wish it were already burning.
I have a terrible baptism of suffering
ahead of me, and I am under a heavy
burden until it is accomplished.
Do you think I have come to
bring peace to the earth?
No, I have come to divide
people against each other.
From now on families will be split apart.
Three in favor of me and two against,
or two in favor and three against.
Father will be divided against
son, and son against father.
Mother against daughter, and daughter
against mother, and mother in law
against daughter in law, and daughter
in law against mother in law.
Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said,
When you see clouds beginning to form in
the west, you say, Here comes a shower.
And you are right.
When the south wind blows, you
say, Today will be a scorcher.
And it is.
You fools.
You know how to interpret the weather
signs of the earth and sky, but you don't
know how to interpret the present times.
Why can't you decide for
yourselves what is right?
When you are on the way to court
with your accuser, try to settle
the matter before you get there.
Otherwise, your accuser may drag
you before the judge, who will
hand you over to an officer,
who will throw you into prison.
And if that happens, you won't
be free again until you have
paid the very last penny.
About this time, Jesus was informed
that Pilate had murdered some
people from Galilee, as they were
offering sacrifices at the temple.
Do you think those Galileans
were worse sinners than all
the other people from Galilee?
Jesus asked, Is that why they suffered?
Not at all.
And you will perish too, unless you
repent of your sins and turn to God.
And what about the eighteen
people who died when the
tower in Siloam fell on them?
Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
No.
And I tell you again that unless
you repent, you will perish too.
Then Jesus told this story.
A man planted a fig tree in his
garden and came again and again to
see if there was any fruit on it,
but he was always disappointed.
Finally, he said to his gardener,
I've waited three years and
there hasn't been a single fig.
Cut it down.
It's just taking up space in the garden.
The gardener answered.
Sir, give it one more chance.
Leave it another year, and
I'll give it special attention
and plenty of fertilizer.
If we get figs next year, fine.
If not, then you can cut it down.
One Sabbath day, as Jesus was teaching
in a synagogue, he saw a woman who
had been crippled by an evil spirit.
She had been bent double for 18 years
and was unable to stand up straight.
When Jesus saw her, he called
her over and said, Dear woman,
you are healed of your sickness.
Then he touched her, and instantly
she could stand straight.
How she praised God!
But the leader in charge of the
synagogue was indignant that Jesus
had healed her on the Sabbath day.
There are six days of the week
for working, he said to the crowd.
Come on those days to be
healed, not on the Sabbath.
But the Lord replied, You hypocrites,
each of you works on the Sabbath day.
Don't you untie your ox or your
donkey from its stall on the
Sabbath and lead it out for water?
This dear woman, a daughter of
Abraham, has been held in bondage
by Satan for eighteen years.
Isn't it right that she be
released, even on the Sabbath?
This shamed his enemies, but
all the people rejoiced at
the wonderful things he did.
Then Jesus said, What is
the kingdom of God like?
How can I illustrate it?
It is like a tiny mustard seed
that a man planted in a garden.
It grows and becomes a tree, and the
birds make nests in its branches.
He also asked, What else
is the kingdom of God like?
It is like the yeast a
woman used in making bread.
Even though she put only a little
yeast in three measures of flour, it
permeated every part of the dough.
This concludes today's
Immerse Reading Experience.
Thank you for joining