Day 75 ~ pass the buck to Herod

• Luke 16:16 - the law of the prophets lasted until John. Since then, the King of of God has been preached.
• 16:19-31 - Did you ever notice how when you see really poor people interviewed on TV that they have a deep devotion to God. They have so little, yet they are so appreciative. I was watching a TV show about diamond mines yesterday and there was a man in Sierra Leone working for like a dollar a day in the muddy pits and living in a mud hut with a grass roof. And he continually talked about God's will in his life.
• 17:5 - Apostles ask Christ for what they need - to increase their faith.
• 17:20 - what are our duties to do without thanks - spiritually and in daily life? This fits well with the sermon this morning about how we grumble about the little things.
• 19:11 - the apostles thought that the Kingdom of God would come immediately - I wonder if they were constantly thinking - "okay, this is it" like Fred Sanford "Oh, this is the big one 'lizabeth!"
• 19:37 - Jesus and the Mt. of Olives. - Here is a panoramic photo of Jerusalem taken from the mount of Olives. On the wall below and to the right of the golden dome of the rock and the foreground spruce tree is the eastern gate, sealed over. Directly in front of the gate is a graveyard. Some think that this will keep Christ from returning through the eastern gate as announced in Revelation because a good Rabbi would never cross over dead bodies (or something like that). I don't think it will stop Him! Also, note that close proximity - just a valley away from the main walled city. Jesus will return to this hill to pray in the garden of Gethsamane. http://www.hatzphoto.com/Jerusalem/index.html I have some really good photos of this as well from 1998.
• 21:9 - "But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.” This passage adds a bit to the end times info - don't be terrified, and it will not come immediately. Did you know the concept of the rapture, that Jesus would take away His believers before the tribulation, was first gained popularity in the early 1800s and most famously by John Nelson Darby in 1837. If the tribulation is to occur in my life time or the lifetime of my child, I hope Christ snatches us away first, or that we will be dead.
• 21:36 - watch and pray - don't be caught unaware!
• 22:3 - how was Judas, who was with Jesus and and heard and learned so much from him, able to betray Him? Satan entered him.
• 22:30 - the apostles would judge over the tribes of Israel in Christ's kingdom
• 22:35 - the tides have changed - no longer can the apostles count on the welfare of others - be prepared and armed.
• 22:43 - an angel came and strengthened Christ while He prayed in Gethsamane. Did we hear that yet? When does he step on the snakes head like was so well portrayed in the jolting image from "The Passion of the Christ" movie. Must come in John. Or was that Hollywood?
• 23:6-12 - a little more info on Pilate (Roman governor of Judea) and Herod (tetrarch of Galilee and Perea). I don't know if they were equal in authority, but they ruled different territories. I don't know if Herod was a ruler over Pilate or not. Herod was not the same Herod from Jesus' birth who killed all the babies, but his son. Herod was the one who killed John the Baptist. I think you would liken Herod to the roman governor of Israel, and Pilate was the mayor of a large territory
• 23:48 - where are the apostles? the women are near the cross.
• 24:21 - "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel" the apostles after Jesus is discovered missing from the tomb. What did they expect Jesus to do? They still fundamentally didn't get it. They said this to Christ who met them on the road and walked with them but they didn't know it was Him.
• 24:27 - "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" - I wish they would have written that down!
• 24:49 - stay in Jerusalem until you are given power from on High - in Acts 2

I read one chapter into tomorrow's reading to end Luke