JESUS, the Storyteller (25)

In Section Four with

JESUS

the Storyteller

19. The Seed Sower 5/7 20. The Best Boss    5/14 21. The Eye Opener 5/21 22. The Divine Auditor 5/28 23. A Better Financial Planner 6/4 24. The God of Tomorrow        6/11 25. The Life of the Party        6/18 26. A Hospitable Host              6/25 27. The Object of Our Worship7/2 28. The Grace Giver                7/9 29. Discerner of the Heart       7/16 30. A Divine Divider                 7/23

we look into 
"The Life of the Party"
- the lively, amusing person, who is the center of attention at a social gathering -
- someone who brings a lot of energy & enthusiasm!
Perhaps you can recall someone like this or you were; or
perhaps you would never want to be the life of a party 
and are annoyed or prefer not to be around "social animals" like that,
but surely we know that type or someone who fits this role.
{No offense intended to those of you who are so social or like them.}
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Since I am no longer continuing with the Parable Challenge, I still wonder which parable this one would be connected to ... whether the Parable of Jesus for "The Life of the Party" might be one in the book of Matthew or in the book of Luke? (both of these are linked to the blog posts where I listed the Parables back in May 2023). Oh, and regarding the other two Gospel accounts by Mark and John; there are only a few Parables (8-9; 7 repeated from the others) shared by Mark & none in the book of John (some say there are 2). 

The Scripture readings for this week include:

Luke 15:1-10; Luke 5:27-32; 2 Peter 3:8-10; Ezekiel 34:11-16; 2 Timothy 2:22-26

and the chapter segments are:

"Unlikely Companions" (Luke 15) "A Lost Sheep"  "Family and Not-Yet-Family" "A Helpless Wanderer Found" "Cause for Great Rejoicing"

This Week's Prayer:(and it's not "make me the life of the party" for any still aspiring to this)

"Lord, kindle in my heart Your passion for the lost. Give me eyes to see as You see and the will to pursue and invite them into the celebration that awaits them."

and Father, please help the 'life of the party' people to channel their aspiration to being included in Your BIGGEST Party that gives the true & eternal LIFE we all need! And that they accept Your invitation.
Then we can really celebrate with You!
C'mon Let's Celebrate
There's gonna be a Party!
JESUS
    IS & brings
      the LIFE to this
Party
and it truly will be a "cause for great rejoicing"!
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🎶Celebrate good times, c'mon
Let's Celebrate!
There's a party going on right here;A Celebration to last throughout the years...🎶
Kool & the Gang, "Celebration" (1980)
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I cannot think of any party lasting throughout the years other than the one that God invites us!
Hope that you and your loved ones will be there!
<><><>
To ALL the Fathers - Celebrate & enjoy your Father's Day!
After all, our Heavenly Father
wants all of you to emulate
His Love
&
receive His love
Happy Father's Day!

JESUS, the Storyteller (24)

In Section Four with

JESUS

the Storyteller

today

we open to the story on

"The God of Tomorrow"

19. The Seed Sower 5/7 20. The Best Boss    5/14 21. The Eye Opener 5/21 22. The Divine Auditor 5/28 23. A Better Financial Planner 6/4 24. The God of Tomorrow        6/11 25. The Life of the Party          6/18 26. A Hospitable Host              6/25 27. The Object of Our Worship7/2 28. The Grace Giver                7/9 29. Discerner of the Heart       7/16 30. A Divine Divider                 7/23

but first you need to make your guess about which Parable you think this is about
If you need help, remember that I have two previous blog posts that list the
Parables found in Matthew (#22)
and the
Parables found in Luke (#21)
so
decide which Parable you think
James Merritt is sharing this week that he entitles:
"The God of Tomorrow"
The challenge is to choose a Parable, go to the comments & share your guess

after you share your guess 
you can return here & read the rest
to find out if you are right
<><><>

Many of us have concerns about the future
the future of our lives on planet earth
the future of this planet
our future in our nation
and those of us who know 
JESUS
hopefully are more optimistic in our future after life here
because we know who holds our future
we probably don't know what our future holds however
but thankfully 

"The God of Tomorrow'
does
"JESUS Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"
AND
that is enough
The God of Tomorrow is here with us today!
No matter what we may read in the headlines, we need to stand firm on the truths
that God is still in control
God has a plan
and God is working out His plan 
in the midst of what's happening today & what's coming tomorrow.
God has tomorrow under control!
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Here are the Scripture readings for this week:

Luke 16:1-13; Romans 14:10-12; Psalm 39:4-7; Luke 12:35-40; 1 Timothy 6:6-11

with these subtitles

"Preparing for Tomorrow" "Money Lovers" "Accountable for the Management of What We Have" "A Shrewd Dude" "Investments that Last"

James Merritt's final statement:
"Take everything you have, everything you are, and give it to Christ todayso you will be ready for tomorrow."
Excellent advice!

"Lord, All that I have is Yours. Teach me to be a wise steward with what belongs to You and invest in Your eternal kingdom."

AMEN!
Let it be so
today, tomorrow & forever
for Your Glory
King JESUS
my God of Tomorrow
today & every day
🙏
<><><>

Note: I guess that not too many of you find this Challenge deal interesting or want to make a choice & share in the comments; so I will not be continuing the Parable Challenge for the remaining chapters #25-30. I thought that this might involve you a little more in participation with JESUS, the Storyteller. If you still want to guess today's or any of the future ones, just put the # and your Parable guess. Thank you to those of you who are still reading my blog posts because the stats show some are being read. I hope this means that perhaps some of you went to the link I shared so you can receive 52 Weeks with Jesus in your own email & that's why you're no longer with me here.😏💖😉

JESUS, the Storyteller (23)

In Section Four, we read about

JESUS

the Storyteller

with

A Better Financial Planner

19. The Seed Sower 5/7 20. The Best Boss    5/14 21. The Eye Opener 5/21 22. The Divine Auditor 5/28 23. A Better Financial Planner 6/4 24. The God of Tomorrow        6/11 25. The Life of the Party          6/18 26. A Hospitable Host              6/25 27. The Object of Our Worship7/2 28. The Grace Giver                7/9 29. Discerner of the Heart       7/16 30. A Divine Divider                 7/23

Before you read onthink about whichParablemight James Merrittbe writing about with this title of
A Better Financial Planner
Clearly it's a Parable about our finances 
You can look at the Parables from Matthew (in #22) or those from Luke (in #21)in my last two blog posts where I listed them to help you choose
then the Challenge is to go to the Comments & share your guessbefore reading more of today's postso

make your choice of which Parable you think it might be

GO

to the comments & share your guess

then come back and continue

<><><>
I look forward to gaining wisdom from Jesus & this Parable.
Although I am sure I have read this Parable many times,
I rarely made mental note of these points as
planning better financial matters. 
I just so happened to 'google' this title 
which gave me "5 Traits of Successful Financial Advisors"
among other financial points yet I think JESUS probably is the BEST
FINANCIAL PLANNER

Just in case you may need to know  these traits; they are: 1) Passion for financial planning & wealth management; 2) deep Analytical ability; 3) Professional salesmanship;4) putting a Client's interest first; 5) Curiosity Thank you Investopedia!
Truthfully, I don't have enough finances to warrant this kind of managementyet no matter how much or what we have - Kingdom building calls for usto be financially responsible, plan and manage according to the principles that JESUS teaches usthroughout His Word butespecially in the Parables

However, let me clue you in on the first point James Merritt tells us that the

reflections from this Parable & readings are not just for the RICH

then he lets us know

"we are richer than we think"

Let me give you the Scripture readings for this week:

Luke 12:13-21; Romans 12:9-13; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; 1 Timothy 6:6-10; James 2:1-7

and these are the subtitles/segments:

"How Do You See Your Wealth?" "Secret Wanting" "Be Content with What You Have" "Foolish Thinking" "Be Conscious of Where You are Going"

"Lord, thank You for meeting my needs. I agree that what is mine is Yours - guide me as I give to those who need  what I have."

I'm sure that you have heard or learned as I have how much better it is
TO GIVE
than
TO RECEIVE
Giving is an act of worship!
What a great reminder this is for every day
"20 Reasons Why It's More Blessed to Give than to Receive"

JESUS, the Storyteller (22)

In Section Four, we lean in to hear

JESUS

the Storyteller

on a not so popular topic or at least one

we hope to not have to deal with 

"The Divine Auditor"

19. The Seed Sower 5/7 20. The Best Boss    5/14 21. The Eye Opener 5/21 22. The Divine Auditor 5/28 23. A Better Financial Planner 6/4 24. The God of Tomorrow        6/11 25. The Life of the Party          6/18 26. A Hospitable Host              6/25 27. The Object of Our Worship7/2 28. The Grace Giver                7/9 29. Discerner of the Heart       7/16 30. A Divine Divider                 7/23

A couple of weeks ago, I began somewhat of a challenge for you, as the reader, to guess which Parable you think James Merritt will be using in the devotional according to the title that he's chosen & given to this week's Story that JESUS, the Storyteller is sharing when the author gives us the title:

"The Divine Auditor"

Last week, I narrowed down your choices to the Book of Luke to help you out and also to broaden your knowledge of the Parables that were told in the Book of Luke. This week, I am sharing the Parables in the Book of Matthew so that you can choose from this list for this week's Chapter. 

Parables of JESUS in the Book of Matthew

 

1. Parable of the Lamp - Matthew 5:14-16 2. Parable of the Speck and The Log - Matthew 7:1-5 3. Parable of New Cloth on Old Garment - Matthew 9:16-17 4. Parable of The Divided Kingdom - Matthew 12:24-30 5. Parable of The Sower - Matthew 13:1-23 6. Parable of The Weeds Among the Wheat - Matthew 13:24-30 7. Parable of The Mustard Seed - Matthew 13:31-32 8. Parable of The Leaven - Matthew 13:33-34 9. Parable of Hidden Treasure - Matthew 13:44 10.Parable of Pearl of Great Price - Matthew 13:45-46 11.Parable of The Net - Matthew 13:47-50 12.Parable of The Heart of Man - Matthew 15:10-20 13.Parable of The Lost Sheep - Matthew 18:10-14 14.Parable of The Unforgiving Servant - Matthew 18:23-35 15.Parable of Laborers in the Vineyard - Matthew 20:1-16 16.Parable of The Two Sons - Matthew 21:28-32 17.Parable of The Tenant Farmers - Matthew 21:33-45 18.Parable of the Marriage Feast - Matthew 22:1-14 19.Parable of The Budding Fig Tree - Matthew 24:32-35 20.Parable of Faithful vs. Wicked Servant - Matthew 24:45-51 21.Parable of The Ten Virgins - Matthew 25:1-13 22.Parable of Ten Talents - Matthew 25:14-30

Now once again before you read on, I am asking you to stop & make a choice of which Parableyou think this one is and go to the comments to put in your choice to go with
#22. The Divine Auditor

before I continue

CHOOSE & COMMENT

<><><>
You too can join in the Journey weekly with
52 Weeks With Jesus.com[sign-up to receive an email a week of this devotional]
The Book of Matthew, the Gospel written by the apostle Matthew (the Levi), a former tax collector, makes sense that this Parable of The Divine Auditor would be one from Matthew, one of the 12 disciples. It fits - tax with audit, right. Hopefully, you've never had to go through an audit on your taxes. The original audience may have been the church in Antioch, Syria. Its members included Jewish and Gentile Christians. Matthew was probably a Jew of the tribe of Levi. Matthew was not the first disciple chosen by Jesus and he shares his story in Matthew 9.

The Gospel (Book) of Matthew was believed to be the first Gospel written, though we now know Mark dates earlier. Matthew's Gospel comes first because it most intensely is concerned with issues related to Judaism - it is a good bridge between the Old & the New Testament after 400 years. Then, as now, there needs to be a bridge between Christians & Jewish as we learn much from the Jewish tradition & Jews that have become Christians. Our minds and hearts definitely need to be more open and accepting of others. JESUS, as the Servant-Messiah and Son of God, represents the nation of Israel. There is no better author to begin telling us the Story - and His Story. But for this week with JESUS, the Storyteller, we will be looking at: 

 

#22. The Divine Auditor

(no one is a better Divine choice than JESUS, as Auditor)

since none of us really want to be audited, He would be the most fair

and my first choice.

as we continue & read the following

Scriptures:

Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 4:1-16

Clearly with the list of Parables in Matthew, this parable had to do with finances, so that helped to limit your choice but if you had the Scripture reference above,you can easily select the correct choice.
These are the subtitle/segments for this week:

"A Kingdom Melody"; "A God-Given Opportunity to Play Our Parts"; "A God-Given Responsibility to Play Our Parts"; "A God-Given Accountability to Play Our Parts"; "Every Player Matters"

As you can see we have been given by God the
Opportunity
Responsibility
and
Accountability
to do/play our parts
EVERY.ONE.OF.US
MATTER
and
MUST
in God's Kingdom
"... JESUS told this Parable about People playing their parts and how important that is to the Church and to God's Kingdom. Not everyone plays the same instrument and not everyone has the same part. ... It's not how much you have that matters to Jesus; it's what you do with what you have that matters to Him."

"Lord, teach me to be a good steward of the talents You've given to me. Grant me the wisdom to use them wisely and the courage to share them freely."

Reflect on what the particular "talents'' are that God has entrusted only to you
- gifts, resources, treasures, abilities.
Now let's 
PLAY OUR PARTS
DO our PART
just as
JESUS
did
HIS
🕇🕆🕈
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JESUS, the Storyteller (21)

In Section Four, we encounter

JESUS

the Storyteller

19. The Seed Sower 5/7 20. The Best Boss    5/14 21. The Eye Opener 5/21 22. The Divine Auditor 5/28 23. A Better Financial Planner 6/4 24. The God of Tomorrow        6/11 25. The Life of the Party          6/18 26. A Hospitable Host              6/25 27. The Object of Our Worship7/2 28. The Grace Giver                7/9 29. Discerner of the Heart       7/16 30. A Divine Divider                 7/23

Since last week I began giving you an opportunity to make a guess in the comments as to which Parable James Merritt will be sharing in this week's devotional, based on the unique title he's chosen; I decided that I would help you out a little by giving you a list of Parables.

This week, I am listing the Parables given in the Book of Luke for you to make your choice:

1.Parable of The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:29-37 2.Parable of The Friend at Midnight - Luke 11:5-13 3.Parable of The Rich Fool - Luke 12:13-21 4.Parable of The Barren Fig Tree - Luke 13:6-9 5.Parable of The Invited Guests - Luke 14:7-14 6.Parable of The Lost Coin - Luke 15:8-10 7.Parable of The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32 8.Parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31 9.Parable of The Persistent Widow - Luke 18:1-8 10.Parable of The Pharisee and The Tax Collector - Luke 18:9-14

Those Parables are unique to the Book of Luke. Yet you might find similarities of the Story from the other Gospel writers that present JESUS, the Storyteller and these Parables.

So now look over that short list and make your choice of which Parable you think is:

#21. The Eye Opener

Now before reading or even glancing at the rest of this blog

stop, go to the comments, and share your guess

CHOOSE & COMMENT

I must admit, this one is a little difficult for me!

Often as I read God's Word, particularly the Parables

as JESUS, the Storyteller

brings a life lesson to me

through His Story

my

EYES

are

OPEN

and

His Word

becomes relevant to me today

and each of us can apply it to our own life

making it personal & part of our story too

His Story in our story

JESUS

alive & living

in us & through us

if only we allow Him & His Story to

change us

by not only

OPENING our EYES

but our ears and our hearts and our minds

<><><>

Have you ever had the experience of having your eyes opened?

Maybe not your physical eyes (but that too) however your mental or spiritual eyesight?

To have a better understanding or a fresh perspective

perhaps to see things differently from someone else's view?

Similar, to the idiomatic phrase (and Elvis' song & others):

"Walk a Mile in my Shoes"

before judging someone (commenting on social media, etc.)

you need to understand the other's experiences, challenges, thought processes, etc.

The Scriptures for this week for 

The Eye Opener

are

 

Luke 10:25-37; James 2:14-17; Luke 6:32-36; Colossians 3:12-17; Hebrews13:1-3

More than ever, this life lesson needs to be heard and applied in the time we live.
The devotional is broken down into the following segments with these subtitles:

"A Surprising Neighbor"; "A Trick Question"; "Friend in Need"; "Rationalize the Situation in Your Mind"; "Respond to the Situation with Your Heart"

As with most messages, lessons or knowledge;it needs to be understood as we listen and go from our heads to our hearts
When our eyes are opened, I pray our hearts are changed
OPEN to ACT
OPEN EYES - OPEN HANDS
OPEN to SERVE
OPEN to LOVE

"Lord, I admit that I am tempted to pass by those who suffer. Give me courage to recognize a "neighbor" in the face of those in need."

There are so many life lessons taught in this Parable needed today in our world.

"Understanding the ..... Parable"for some in-depth info
So many comparisons and applications for today.
Let JESUS be the EYE OPENER in your life.

Did you guess correctly?

<><><>

My new friend & author, Shirley Alarie has a wonderful Life Lesson on this Parable & others.You can learn so much more from her devotionals at Finding God Among Us.And she will be launching a book at the end of 2023 or in 2024 onPARABLES of JESUS - LIFE LESSONSCan't wait!
Shirley Alarieis an excellent Resource!
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I also found various reading plans on You Version!
I have chosen this one:
JESUS
Parables on Justice

JESUS, the Storyteller (20)

In Section Four, we find

JESUS

the Storyteller

and

what a Story weaver

He is

19. The Seed Sower 5/7 20. The Best Boss    5/14 21. The Eye Opener 5/21 22. The Divine Auditor 5/28 23. A Better Financial Planner 6/4 24. The God of Tomorrow        6/11 25. The Life of the Party          6/18 26. A Hospitable Host              6/25 27. The Object of Our Worship 7/2 28. The Grace Giver                 7/9 29. Discerner of the Heart        7/16 30. A Divine Divider                  7/23

As I looked at the above titles of James Merritt this past week, I was pondering which of the Parables of Jesus might this one be. The first one was pretty obvious but before I share the Scriptures for Week 20, see if you can decide which Parable you think goes along with the title

"The BEST Boss"

If you need help with a list of Parables, I have found a wonderful site & author, Shirley Alarie (who is in the process of writing a book to be released in 2024 "Parables of Jesus - Life Lessons") has listed 38 parables of Jesus here. I have been thoroughly enjoying her site: Finding God Among Us! I'm sure that you will too! Of course, there are other places to find a list of the Parables, like Bible Study Tools, ESV, Christianity Today, the two I linked last week, even Wikipedia and others that you can find my a Google search, too.😏💙😉 but for now, my go-to-site is Shirley's. 

So, put your guess in the comments for "The Best Boss" before proceeding with the reading of the Scriptures and subtitles of this week's content. Each week I will be asking you to do the same. I suggest you keep your list of Parables handy or better yet you can download the pdf of the chart Shirley Alarie shares. Kevin Halloran (?) also shares what he considers to be a "complete list of Jesus' Parables in the New Testament" [the question mark is because I don't know him, but I didn't know Shirley either until starting this Section Four on JESUS, the Storyteller]. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this little additional challenge of matching the Parable of Jesus with James Merritt's titles. I had to chuckle today when I read the "Big Boss", because for most of us believers, our 'big boss' should be God, the Father Almighty. But I better not write too much or I'll give you clues to center your guess on which parable this might be about before you go to the comments and add your guess. Oh forgive me, correction, it's the Best Boss ... well, that made me smile too. 

There may not be too many of us, who think of any boss we've had as the best boss (unless we are that boss)🤣 Let's think about what characteristics we might like in the 'best boss' or have found in the bosses that we consider good or the best possibly. What makes them the best?

I have to share a little more about myself here. I have a relationship with someone very close to me, that went from being in one position/role to me to actually becoming my boss; and then that role was changed to being yet another, however that person still considered themselves as my boss. It doesn't work well that way. That in itself makes that person not the best boss. You cannot continue well in a relationship that's changed if you continue to think of yourself as the boss, or better said, you can't be "bossy" or think you are in control over the actions of another (just because at one time, you were the boss, doesn't make you the boss from then on). Some of us don't ever adjust in life to our role changing. 

When I decided to finally go to Mexico, as a missionary, I was an independent missionary (meaning there was not a church or denomination that sponsored me or trained me or even supported me) but that 'boss' did. However, when asked about it, in Mexico, I would say, "I work for the Best Boss", which was true, because I went directly to God, as my Boss, and it doesn't get any better than that. If the conversation continued, quite often, I would mention that I work for God and He directs my steps, which is what it should be for every believer and in every work place (which by the way, is your mission field) that God is your final authority or Boss AND allow Him to direct your steps. Yes, even a stay-at-home mom or homemaker, is in her place of mission & should be guided by God and done in accordance with His Word & to His Glory, which is your Best that you give to Him, and is done for Him because you obey & follow what your Boss says. This makes Him, your Big Boss and the Best Boss both! If you don't listen closely, you may miss the specific direction He gives you and at times you may not know what to do exactly, but did you ask your Boss, did you seek His direction, His guidance? We all need to follow the Best Boss each day in everything & hope that we are doing whatever we do unto Him & His plan for the good of all, not just ourselves. This makes our Big Boss pleased & He becomes the Best Boss ever! JESUS knew this and so He gives us this story - this parable. 

HERE

and

make your guess in the

COMMENTS

before reading on

<><><>

As I read through the Scriptures, especially the Parables, I like to imagine myself sitting at the feet of JESUS, actually listening to Him tell me this parable. The following are this week's  Scriptures:

 

Matthew 20:1-16; Ephesians 1:3-10; 1 Timothy1:12-14; Romans 11:33-36; Romans 5:15-21

Some of you may be so well versed in Scripture that you can already tell now which Parable is
#20. The Best Boss
Unlike other parables this one is unique to Matthew (only recorded by Matthew) which makes sense since he was the disciple known as the tax collector. a Levi. The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard would be of interest to someone like Matthew. I learned quite a lot from reading the lesson shared by my new favorite author & place to read about the parables (follow that link & see). 

James Merritt uses these interesting subtitle/segments in #20 The Big Boss from JESUS, the Storyteller:
 

"The Boss's Generosity" "Put In Our Place" "God is Gracious" "Gratitude for God's Generosity" "What We Don't Deserve"

As I think about the 20 years in Mexico, claiming JESUS as my Boss (that I work for God)
I truly found out how gracious God is and His Generosity.
I was more than grateful for every provision & direction & His guidancedaily & often, living in Mexico taught me to look at everything I have.
"Not just materially ... even physically & realize that it is all just grace."~James Merritt~
His aMazing Grace!!!
More than enough!
Join me in
This Week's Prayer:

"Lord, give me a heart that is a reflection of Your own generous heart! Let me live out the abundance of Your gracious Gospel of good news." James Merritt

We don't deserve to be blessed with all we have 
just because we've been born in the USA
this side of the border
we've been afforded much.
"To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required"(Luke 12:48)
JESUS
is the
BEST BOSS
yet still there are many not listening & following
His direction, His guidelines
His example
HIM
Think of this as you think of the thousands fleeing their countries
for the opportunities you've been freely given
not by choice just by birthplace
you've received yet want to
withhold from others
unjustly, unfairly
with not an
ounce
of
JESUS'
compassion
and
aMazing Grace!
<>
I hope those of you who are mothers 
or still have your mothers
enjoyed a blessed
Mother's Day!
To those of you who aren't or don't,
my prayers & heart
are with you
&
for you
I do understand!
May you sense God's Presence
comforting you & your grief or loss
wrapping you in His endless love
and filling your hearts with
more of His & Him
💖

Blessings & Hugs
Peggy