Luke 12

1 – 2

Many thousands of people had gathered. There were so many people that they were stepping on each other. Before Jesus spoke to them, he said to his followers, “Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees. They are hypocrites. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known.

Jesus was warning them about how the Jewish leaders will try to plant an evil seed in their minds. The Jews had just made a suggestion that Jesus could do some miracles but maybe these things were not from God. The devil will attack you in the same way. When you do not know what to think then go back to what you do know and remind yourself of Bible verses that God has proven to be true in your life.

3. The things you say in the dark will be told in the light. The things you have whispered in an inner room will be shouted from the top of the house.”

If we try to hide our secret sins then someday then will be seen by everybody.
Never make fun of the king, even in your thoughts. And do not make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said. Ecclesiastes 10:20

4 – 5

Then Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of people. People can kill the body, but after that they can do nothing more to hurt you. I will show you the One to fear. You should fear him who has the power to kill you and also to throw you into hell. Yes, he is the One you should fear.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and worry, but of power, love, and a calm mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

6 – 7

When five sparrows are sold, they cost only two pennies. But God does not forget any of them. Yes, God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Do not be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.

Why would God send His Son to die for us and then forget to take care of us? He cares about even the small things in our lives!

8 – 9

I tell you, if anyone stands before others and says that he believes in me, then I will say that he belongs to me. I will say this before the angels of God. But if anyone stands before others and says he does not believe in me, then I will say that he does not belong to me. I will say this before the angels of God.

If we are not willing to pay some kind of price for following Jesus then we are not really following Him. Would it be fine with you if you could say that you are following Jesus but you never give up anything?

10. “If a person says something against the Son of Man, he can be forgiven. But a person who says bad things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

The only sin that cannot be forgiven is turning away from Jesus. Anyone who will not listen to the plain truth of Jesus is getting close to a sin which cannot be forgiven.

The devil tells some people that they have done something that cannot be forgiven. These people will go around in circles saying that there is no use trying to live for Jesus because they have gone too far. The truth is that if they really had done a sin that could not be forgiven then they would not even care about it. Unless they have pushed away Jesus they can be forgiven!

11 – 12

When men bring you into the synagogues before the leaders and other important men, do not worry about how to defend yourself or what to say. At that time the Holy Spirit will teach you what you must say.

There are times when God puts words in your mouth and you do not have to think about what you are going to say. Walk close with the Lord so that He can use you in this way.

13 – 15

One of the men in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide with me the property our father left us.” But Jesus said to him, “Who said that I should be your judge or decide how to divide the property between you two?”

Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. A man’s life is not measured by the many things he owns.”

Wanting more than you need is rebelling against God. It is acting as if God has cheated you and not given you enough already.

16 – 21

Then Jesus used this story: There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop of food. The rich man thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’

Then he said, ‘I know what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones! I will put all my grain and other goods together in my new barns. Then I can say to myself, I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!’

But God said to that man, ‘Foolish man! Tonight you will die. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’
 This is how it will be for anyone who stores things up only for himself and is not rich toward God.

May families have been destroyed because they wanted more than they needed. They thought that if they gave their children everything then they would be happy. Too often these families are destroyed because making money was the most important thing and they did not spending time knowing each other and knowing the Lord!

This man thinks very highly of himself and he wants the best of everything there is in the world but not what is best for his soul and spirit. James 4:13

22 – 23

Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, do not worry about the food you need to live. Do not worry about the clothes you need for your body. 23 Life is more important than food. And the body is more important than clothes.

Put God’s things first and He will add to you everything that you need! Matthew 6:33

24 – 25

Look at the birds. They do not plant or harvest. They do not save food in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are worth much more than birds. None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it.

Worry does not add to your life but makes your life shorter.

26 – 31

If you cannot do even the little things, then why worry about the big things? Look at the wild flowers. See how they grow. They do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field like that.

That grass is living today, but tomorrow it will be thrown into the fire. So you know how much more God will clothe you. Do not have so little faith!

Do not always think about what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not worry about it. All the people in the world are trying to get those things.

Your Father knows that you need them. The thing you should seek is God’s kingdom. Then all the other things you need will be given to you.

The best way to live is to trust God as a little child. A baby does not worry about how to pay the bills or find some food. He trusts his father to take care of these things. When we see this and live this way it makes God happy.

Prove to yourself that you are living this way by trusting God about some hard thing and watch what happens!

32 – 34

Do not fear, little flock. Your Father wants to give you the kingdom. Sell the things you have and give to the poor. Get for yourselves purses that do not wear out.
Get the treasure in heaven that never runs out. Thieves cannot steal it in heaven, and moths cannot destroy it. Your heart will be where your treasure is.

Do not hold onto the things you have very tightly. God may ask you to give them to someone else. Prove that you can live this way by giving something that you would like to keep to someone who has a real need. You will feel like you are floating on air! God will give you back more than you could ever ask!

35 – 37

Be ready! Be dressed for service and have your lamps shining. Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants immediately open the door for him.

Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them.

It is amazing to think of Jesus serving us! There are no words to tell how this will feel except to say that He must love us very much!

38. Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when he comes in and finds them still waiting.

It will embarrassing if Jesus comes and finds us wasting our time. It will be so beautiful to be found working for Him and hear Him say, “Good job!” when He comes!

39 – 40

Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house. So you also must be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you do not expect him!

The thing that makes the most sense is that God does a lot of things during the feasts of Israel. Be awake in these last days to see what God may do during these times! We are being warned as we see these things growing and we cannot sleep through these last days!

Here is the best way to be ready: make sure that you have given your life to Christ and then watch and pray! Keep watching! For you do not know what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

41 – 44

Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?” The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? Who is the servant the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time?
When the master comes and finds his servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy. I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns.

We do not really live as if Jesus was coming this week. The very idea that we do not know when He is coming means that He may come this week!

45 – 46

But what will happen if the servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk.

Then the master will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who do not obey.

Be careful of people who say that Jesus cannot come back until something happens first. Nobody knows when He is coming. This kind of talk makes people lazy and they will listen to the devil telling them that they should do many stupid things before Jesus comes back and they never get the chance to do all that they wanted.

47 – 48

The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows! But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows.

Everyone who has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”

You will not be in trouble for what you did not know. The one who knew what he should be doing and did not do it will answer to God for that!

Remember, it is sin to know what you should to do and then not do it! James 4:17

49 – 51

Jesus continued speaking, “I came to set fire to the world. I wish it were already burning! I must be baptized with a different kind of baptism. I feel very troubled until it is over. Do you think that I came to give peace to the world? No! I came to divide the world!

Some religions will have a funeral for your child because they have given their lives to Jesus and they say that these children are dead to you now. This is an opening for demons to give these families a hard heart as they have to pretend something that is not true!

52 – 53

From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three. A father and son will be divided: The son will be against his father. The father will be against his son. A mother and her daughter will be divided:

The daughter will be against her mother. The mother will be against her daughter. A mother–in–law and her daughter–in–law will be divided: The daughter–in–law will be against her mother–in–law. The mother–in–law will be against her daughter–in–law.”

Today we already see family members hurting each other. The devil wants good Christian children to be hurt by their parents or each other so that he can fill them with bitterness.

Walk as if you are in a field of bombs! Ephesians 5:15

54 – 56

Then Jesus said to the people, “When you see clouds coming up in the west, you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And soon it begins to rain.

When you feel the wind begin to blow from the south, you say, ‘It will be a hot day.’ And you are right. Hypocrites! You can understand the weather. Why do you not understand what is happening now?

God loves people and He will show many warnings in the sky to get people to pay attention. These things will cause some people to start looking for God and other people will believe that these happen for some other reason.

This is why the world wants to make people believe that there are other kinds of life on other planets. This way they can explain away everything that God does and say that these things came from somewhere else. Isaiah 13:10; 34:4

57 – 59

Why can you not decide for yourselves what is right? When someone is suing you, and you are going with him to court, try hard to settle it on the way. If you do not settle it, he may take you to the judge.
The judge might turn you over to the officer. And the officer might throw you into jail. You will not get out of there until they have taken everything you have.”

If things are so bad that you have to go to court, then it destroys the fellowship of the church. It makes people take sides and split the church. It would be better to lose the case. Would you really want to win a court case if it destroyed your brother?