The power of faith - Luke 17:5-6 - N. T. -

The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith'. The Lord replied, 'Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, "Be uprooted and planted in the sea", and it would obey you.

Cf. - Matthew 17:19-20; 21:21 - N. T. - Then the disciples came privately to Jesus. 'Why were we unable to cast it out?' they asked. He answered, 'Because you have little faith. I tell you solemnly, if your faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, "Move from here to there", and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.' And if you have faith, everything you ask for in prayer you will receive.'

Cf. - Mark 11:23 - N. T. - Jesus answered, 'Have faith in God. I tell you solemnly, if anyone says to this mountain, "Get up and throw yourself into the sea", with no hesitation in his/her heart but believing that what he/she says will happen, it will be done for him/her.

Humble service - Luke 17:7-10 - N. T. - 

'Which of you, with a servant ploughing or minding sheep, would say to him when he returned from the fields, "Come and have a meal immediately"? Would he not be more likely to say, "Get mu supper laid; make yourself tidy and wait on me while I eat and drink. You can eat and drink yourself afterwards"? Must he be grateful to the servant for doing what he was told? So with you: when you have done all you have been told to do, say, "We are merely servants; we have done no more than our duty".'

Cf. - John 13:3-5 - N. T. - Jesus knew that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, and he got up from the table, removed his outer garment and, taking a towel, wrapped it round his waist; he then poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel he was wearing.

Cf. - Job 22:3; 35:7 - O. T. - Does Shaddai derive any benefit from your integrity, or profit from your blameless conduct? If you are just, what do you give him, what benefit does he receive at your hands?

Cf. - Ecclesiasticus/Sirach 10:26 - O. T. - It is not right to despise a poor but intelligent man, and it is not good to honour a man who is a sinner.

The ten lepers - Luke 17:11-19 - N. T. -

Now on the way to Jerusalem Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, 'Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.' When he saw them Jesus said, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests'. Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 

The man was a Samaritan. This made Jesus say, 'Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.' And he said to the man, 'Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.'

Cf. - Luke 9:51+ - 

Cf. - John 4:9 - N. T. - Jesus disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to Jesus, 'What? You are a Jew and you ask me, a Samaritan, for a drink?' - Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritans.

Cf. - Leviticus 13:45-46 - O. T. - A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, "Unclean, unclean". As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean; and therefore he must live apart: he must live outside the camp. 

Cf. - Luke 5:14 - 

Cf. - Leviticus 14:1-32 - O. T. - Purification of lepers - Yahweh spoke to Moses; he said: 'This is the law to be applied to a leper on the day he is purified........... 'Such is the law concerning a person afflicted by leprosy who cannot afford the means for his purification.'

Cf. - Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:44; Matthew 8:1-4 - N. T. - After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. A leper now came up and bowed low in front of Jesus. 'Sir,' he said 'if you want to, you can cure me.' Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, 'Of course I want to! Be cured!' And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, 'Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them'. 

Cf. - Luke 2:20+, 9:53+, 10:33+ -

                                                          -  PAGE  55  -    

The coming of the kingdom of God     

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom...       -  PAGE  56  -

It is to the Lord Jesus Christ that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name. - Acts 10:43 -

Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless. 

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Just as God originally inspired the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible, He has used this means to preserve His Word for future generations. But behind the writing lay periods of time when these messages were circulated in spoken form. [Oral Tradition] The stories of the patriarchs were passed from generation to generation by word of mouth before they were written. [Written Tradition] The messages of the prophets were delivered orally before they were fixed in writing. Narratives of the life and ministry of Christ Jesus were repeated orally for two or three decades before they were given written form.

It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the Good News of peace was brought by Jesus Christ - But Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. - Acts 10:36 -

The Lord Jesus Christ, promised to us that our mission on this earth is really and utmost important for our own salvation.

"I tell you solemnly, there is no one who has left house, wife, brothers, parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who will not be given repayment many times over in this present time, in the world to come, Eternal Life." - Luke 18:28-30 -

'Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?'

"Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He is like a man who when he built his house dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built.

But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man who built his house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 -

IF WE LIVE BY THE TRUTH AND IN LOVE, WE SHALL GROW IN ALL WAYS INTO CHRIST JESUS, WHO IS THE HEAD BY WHOM THE WHOLE BODY IS FITTED AND JOINED TOGETHER, EVERY JOINT ADDING ITS OWN STRENGTH, FOR EACH SEPARATE PART TO WORK ACCORDING TO IT FUNCTION. SO THE BODY GROWS UNTIL IT HAS BUILT ITSELF UP, IN LOVE." - EPHESIANS 4:15-16 -