Luke 12:49 - Prayer Tents



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Luke 12
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Can’t Hide Behind a Religious Mask

12By this time the crowd, unwieldy and stepping on each other's toes, numbered into the thousands. But Jesus' primary concern was his disciples. He said to them, "Watch yourselves carefully so you don't get contaminated with Pharisee yeast, Pharisee phoniness.G1722G3739G1996G3461G3793G5620G2662G240G756G3004G4314G846G3101G4412G4337G1438G575G2219G5330G3748G2076G5272 2You can't keep your true self hidden forever; before long you'll be exposed. You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.G1161G2076G3762G4780G3739G601G3756G601G2532G2927G3739G1097G3756G1097 3You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.G473G3739G3745G2036G1722G4653G191G1722G5457G2532G3739G2980G4314G3775G1722G5009G2784G1909G1430 4"I'm speaking to you as dear friends. Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies. True, they can kill you, but then what can they do? There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being.G1161G3004G5213G3450G5384G5399G3361G5399G575G615G4983G2532G3326G5023G2192G3361G5100G4055G4160 5Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.G1161G5263G5213G5101G5399G5399G3326G615G2192G1849G1685G1519G1067G3483G3004G5213G5399G5126 6"What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one.G4453G3780G4002G4765G4453G1417G787G2532G3756G1520G1537G846G2076G1950G1799G2316 7And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.G235G2532G2359G5216G2776G705G3956G705G5399G3361G3767G1308G4183G4765 8"Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels.G1161G3004G5213G3956G3739G302G3670G1722G1698G1715G444G1722G846G3670G5207G444G2532G3670G1715G32G2316 9But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?G1161G720G3165G1799G444G533G1799G32G2316 10"If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked.G2532G3956G3739G2046G3056G1519G5207G444G863G846G1161G987G1519G40G4151G863G3756G863 11"When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves—what you'll say or how you'll say it.G1161G3752G4374G5209G1909G4864G2532G746G2532G1849G3309G3361G3309G4459G2228G5101G626G2228G5101G2036 12The right words will be there. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes."G1063G40G4151G1321G5209G1722G846G5610G3739G1163G2036

The Story of the Greedy Farmer

13Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."G1161G5100G1537G3793G2036G846G1320G2036G3450G80G3307G2817G3326G1700 14He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"G1161G2036G846G444G5101G2525G3165G1348G2228G3312G1909G5209 15Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."G1161G2036G4314G846G3708G2532G5442G575G4124G3754G5100G846G2222G2076G3756G1722G4052G1537G846G5224 16Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop.G1161G2036G3850G4314G846G3004G5561G5100G4145G444G2164 17He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.'G2532G1260G1722G1438G3004G5101G4160G3754G2192G3756G4226G4863G3450G2590 18Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods,G2532G2036G5124G4160G2507G3450G596G2532G3618G3187G2532G1563G4863G3956G3450G1081G2532G3450G18 19and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'G2532G2046G3450G5590G5590G2192G4183G18G2749G1519G4183G2094G373G5315G4095G2165 20"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'G1161G2316G2036G846G878G5026G3571G4675G5590G523G575G4675G1161G5101G2071G3739G2090 21"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."G3779G2343G1438G2532G4147G3361G4147G1519G2316

Steep Yourself in God-Reality

22He continued this subject with his disciples. "Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion.G1161G2036G4314G846G3101G1223G5124G3004G5213G3309G3361G3309G5216G5590G5101G5315G3366G4983G5101G1746 23There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.G5590G2076G4119G5160G2532G4983G1742 24Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more.G2657G2876G3754G3756G4687G3761G2325G3739G3756G2076G5009G3761G596G2532G2316G5142G846G4214G3123G1308G5210G1308G4071 25"Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?G1161G5101G1537G5216G3309G1410G4369G1909G846G2244G1520G4083 26If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all?G1487G3767G1410G3777G1410G1646G5101G3309G4012G3062 27Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don't fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.G2657G2918G4459G837G2872G3756G3514G3761G1161G3004G5213G4672G1722G3956G846G1391G4016G3761G4016G5613G1520G5130 28If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?G1487G1161G2316G3779G294G5528G5607G4594G1722G68G2532G839G906G1519G2823G4214G3123G5209G3640 29"What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving.G2532G2212G3361G5210G5101G5315G2228G5101G4095G2532G3361G3349 30People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.G1063G3956G5023G1934G1484G2889G1934G1161G5216G3962G1492G3754G5535G5130 31Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.G4133G2212G932G2316G2532G3956G5023G4369G5213 32Don't be afraid of missing out. You're my dearest friends! The Father wants to give you the very kingdom itself.G5399G3361G3398G4168G3754G2106G5216G3962G2106G1325G5213G932 33"Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on.G4453G5216G5224G2532G1325G1654G4160G1438G905G3822G3361G3822G2344G1722G3772G413G3699G3756G2812G1448G3761G4597G1311 34It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.G1063G3699G5216G2344G2076G1563G2071G5216G2588G2071G2532

When the Master Shows Up

35"Keep your shirts on; keep the lights on!G2077G5216G3751G2077G4024G2532G3088G2545 36Be like house servants waiting for their master to come back from his honeymoon, awake and ready to open the door when he arrives and knocks.G2532G5210G3664G444G4327G1438G2962G4219G360G1537G1062G2443G2064G2532G2925G455G846G2112 37Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He'll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them.G3107G1565G1401G3739G2962G2064G2147G1127G281G3004G5213G3754G4024G2532G347G846G347G2532G3928G1247G846 38It doesn't matter what time of the night he arrives; they're awake—and so blessed!G2532G1437G2064G1722G1208G5438G2532G2064G1722G5154G5438G2532G2147G3779G3107G1526G1565G1401 39"You know that if the house owner had known what night the burglar was coming, he wouldn't have stayed out late and left the place unlocked.G1161G5124G1097G3754G1487G3617G1492G4169G5610G2812G2064G302G1127G2532G302G3756G863G846G3624G1358 40So don't you be slovenly and careless. Just when you don't expect him, the Son of Man will show up."G1096G5210G3767G2092G2532G3754G3739G5207G444G2064G5610G1380G3756 41Peter said, "Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?"G1161G4074G2036G846G2962G3004G5026G3850G4314G2248G2228G2532G4314G3956 42The Master said, "Let me ask you: Who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff to feed them well and on time?G1161G2962G2036G5101G686G2076G4103G2532G5429G3623G3739G2962G2525G1909G846G2322G1325G4620G1722G2540 43He is a blessed man if when the master shows up he's doing his job.G3107G1565G1401G3739G846G2962G2064G2147G3779G4160 44(SEE 12:43)G230G3004G5213G3754G846G2525G1909G3956G846G5224 45But if he says to himself, 'The master is certainly taking his time,' begins maltreating the servants and maids, throws parties for his friends, and gets drunk,G1161G1437G1565G1401G2036G1722G846G2588G3450G2962G5549G2064G2532G756G5180G3816G2532G3814G5037G2068G2532G4095G2532G3182 46the master will walk in when he least expects it, give him the thrashing of his life, and put him back in the kitchen peeling potatoes.G2962G1565G1401G2240G1722G2250G3739G4328G3756G4328G2532G1722G5610G3739G1097G3756G1097G2532G1371G846G1371G2532G5087G846G3313G3326G571 47"The servant who knows what his master wants and ignores it, or insolently does whatever he pleases, will be thoroughly thrashed.G1161G1565G1401G3588G1097G1438G2962G2307G2532G2090G3361G3366G4160G4314G846G2307G1194G4183 48But if he does a poor job through ignorance, he'll get off with a slap on the hand. Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!G1161G1097G3361G1161G4160G514G4127G1194G3641G1161G3739G3956G4183G1325G3844G846G4183G2212G2532G3739G3908G4183G846G154G4055

To Start a Fire

49"I've come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now!G2064G906G4442G1519G1093G2532G5101G2309G1487G381G2235G381 50I've come to change everything, turn everything rightside up—how I long for it to be finished!G1161G2192G908G907G2532G4459G4912G2193G3739G5055 51Do you think I came to smooth things over and make everything nice? Not so. I've come to disrupt and confront!G1380G3754G3854G1325G1515G1722G1093G3004G5213G3780G235G2228G1267 52From now on, when you find five in a house, it will be— Three against two, and two against three;G1063G575G3568G2071G4002G1722G1520G3624G1266G5140G1909G1417G2532G1417G1909G5140 53Father against son, and son against father; Mother against daughter, and daughter against mother; Mother-in-law against bride, and bride against mother-in-law."G3962G1266G1909G5207G2532G5207G1909G3962G3384G1909G2364G2532G2364G1909G3384G3994G1909G846G3565G2532G3565G1909G846G3994 54Then he turned to the crowd: "When you see clouds coming in from the west, you say, 'Storm's coming'—and you're right.G1161G3004G2532G3793G3752G1492G3507G393G575G1424G2112G3004G2064G3655G2532G3779G1096 55And when the wind comes out of the south, you say, 'This'll be a hot one'—and you're right.G2532G3752G3558G4154G3004G3754G2071G2742G2532G1096 56Frauds! You know how to tell a change in the weather, so don't tell me you can't tell a change in the season, the God-season we're in right now.G5273G1492G1381G4383G3772G2532G1093G1161G4459G3756G1381G5126G2540 57"You don't have to be a genius to understand these things. Just use your common sense,G1161G5101G2532G575G1438G2919G3756G1342 58the kind you'd use if, while being taken to court, you decided to settle up with your accuser on the way, knowing that if the case went to the judge you'd probably go to jailG5613G1063G5217G3326G4675G476G1909G758G1722G3598G1325G2039G525G575G846G3379G2694G4571G4314G2923G2532G2923G3860G4571G4233G2532G4233G906G4571G1519G5438 59and pay every last penny of the fine. That's the kind of decision I'm asking you to make."G3004G4671G1831G3364G1831G1564G2532G2193G3739G591G2078G3016


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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