Luke Chapter 11

Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Jesus set the example and they wanted to follow. "Lord, teach us to pray." How many of us sometimes wonder how to reach the lost, how to pray or how to understand the word and immediately we think, "I go to a certain seminar or enter college." There may not be anything wrong with that approach but we may miss something. Why can't we just say to the Lord, "Lord, please teach me how to .........?" I don't believe for one moment that the Lord will let us down.

Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Start out our prayers recognizing the king of kings and lord of Lords in His splendor and greatness, giving glory to Him for His works and being thankful for His mercy toward us.

Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

Not worry about food but trust God for necessary supplies. Also even greater is to ask God for our daily bread, meaning spiritual bread or food for the soul. The word of God.

Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

If we want our sins forgiven, we must forgive others who have sinned against us. We cannot be forgiven if we don't. Ask God's help in times of temptation because we can't go through it on our own.

Luk 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
Luk 11:6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
Luk 11:7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
Luk 11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

This person was helped because of his need, not because he was a friend to the supplier.

Luk 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Luk 11:10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Luk 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
Luk 11:12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Luk 11:13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

So many use these verses to justify the name it and claim it doctrine. They say that whatever you ask, shall be given. This is not what Jesus is saying. He is talking mostly of spiritual things and necessary things for our existence while on earth. He is talking of the Holy Spirit that is given to those who believe. When the church stopped seeking the spiritual things and majored on the material things, we started compromising with sin. We need the Holy Spirit and we need to always seek God for more of His spirit.

When I use to go to the altar to pray as a child, I never dreamed of asking for a new sled or a bike, it was always for the things of the spirit. We somehow got away from this and that is why we are having so many problems with sin.

Luk 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
Luk 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
Luk 11:16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.
Luk 11:17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
Luk 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
Luk 11:19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.
Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Either we are for God or against Him. How can one cast out devils and be doing it for the devil? A house cannot be divided. Let us be careful not to be an accuser of the brethren in spiritual matters. If someone is doing great works of God, let us not accuse them of operating by the power of the devil. That is so dangerous. If they are out of God's will, He will take care of it. We must pray continually for these things but not be accusers. Yes we must correct false doctrine but not attribute works of God to the devil. If we are not sure, leave it to God rather than be a false accuser.

Luk 11:21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Luk 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.
Luk 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.
Luk 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
Luk 11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Luk 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

The state of a backslider is worse if he forsakes God than before He came to know God.

Luk 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

One of the most important verses in the bible is, "Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it."

We must not just go to church and hear but read the bible, study the bible and do what it says.

Luk 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet.
Luk 11:30 For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
Luk 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Luk 11:32 The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and, behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

All the judgments in the Old Testament against evil cities will not be anything compared to the judgment against a city that rejects the very Son of God, Jesus Christ. Had Sodom, Nineveh, and others heard what we have heard, they would have repented. We are responsible to do well with what we have received. So many have not yet heard. We must be thankful and take advantage of every opportunity to live how God wants us to live. We have heard of Jesus, we have read the word, we have access to the fullness of God. It is us that hold back, not Him.

Luk 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Luk 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

If we are living and walking in the spirit, our light will shine. We cannot hide love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

Luk 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

Make sure we are walking in truth and not just have a religion with no life, compassion or truth. Cast aside tradition and walk in truth. To find this truth, read the bible. 

Luk 11:36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

That light is Jesus Christ. Those without Christ are in darkness.

Luk 11:37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
Luk 11:38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner.
Luk 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Outward cleanliness has its place but it is not the gospel. These things are good but they are not important compared to the spiritual things. The gospel is not an outward religion of works such as washing, or ceremonies; the gospel is a changed life in the inner soul and spirit of mankind. We become cleansed by the Spirit of God and "born again."

Luk 11:40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
Luk 11:41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Outward religion rears its head again. Ceremonies, rituals, candles, sacrifices etc., is not the gospel. Judgment, love, mercy, compassion, faith and truth is the gospel. It is inner not outer.

Luk 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 11:45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
Luk 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

This is teaching others but not living it ourselves.

Luk 11:47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Their hearts were exactly like their fathers but outwardly they appear to be religious. They would have and did do the very same things.

Luk 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers.
Luk 11:49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

This is because that generation had the very Son of God which was greater than any before Him. There is no excuse. God sent prophets, teachers, and preachers to turn them from sin. They rejected them all. At last He sent His own Son. They rejected Him too so they are without excuse.

Luk 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

The biggest woe is to those who not only refuse to believe in Jesus Christ but forbid others to hear Him also. I fear for those in the countries which do not allow the mention of Jesus Christ, prayer or the bible reading. 

Luk 11:53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
Luk 11:54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

Let us not be as these. Do we love to hear the word of God or do we like to try to trip up those that speak? They did this to Jesus.  They found fault with the one that came to take away their sins, heal their sicknesses and deliver them from bondage.  Jesus came to give, yet they found fault. 

Luke 12

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