Down-to-earth, deeply practical and always brings me joy STEVE LEGG
WITH LUCAS APPLYING GOD’S WORD TODAY
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2024
Heroes and Villains
A WORD FROM JEFF
WELCOME TO LIFE WITH LUCAS!
Welcome to this edition of Life with Lucas! We will be considering some of the great and not-so-great characters of the Bible. I’ve deliberately chosen some of the more obscure characters of Scripture, because some go unsung, and we tend to ignore the villains, thinking that we cannot learn from their mistakes and poor choices. Eight of the Ten Commandments define God’s law by listing wrong actions and attitudes that we should avoid. And Jesus used the bad examples set by the Pharisees to teach positive principles on fasting, prayer and giving. There’s much that we can learn from the rascals of Scripture. Let’s also remember the heroes were ordinary people, just like us. God only uses ordinary people, because no one else is available! The ultimate hero, Jesus, was without sin, but lived exactly the same way as we do – a man, empowered by the Holy Spirit. He was not ‘God with skin on’, but fully human, tempted as we are in every way, yet triumphing over it. So let’s go, but first, we have an important announcement.
VIDEO INTRODUCTION lifewithlucas.co.uk /intros
We are going into our fourth year of producing Life with Lucas, and we have not raised the price of the notes despite spiralling postage (almost double!) production and printing costs. With immediate effect, an annual subscription will be as follows: £24 (direct debit); £28 (cheque/ credit card); £40 (worldwide); £7 (per next edition when bought in a bookshop); £20 (digital).We trust you understand the need for this adjustment. Thanks to all who donate towards this ministry. As ever, thanks for joining me.
3
© Son Christian Media (SCM) and Novio Published 2024 by SCM/Novio – PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of SCM/Novio. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version® (US version), The “NIRV”, “New International Reader’s Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Publisher. Design by Piero Regnante – Rogfog Creative | rogfog.co.uk Printed by Halcyon
PO Box 3070, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 6WX, UK | Tel 01903 732190
4
INTRODUCTION
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF LIFE WITH LUCAS! CHOOSE A TIME Find the best time that works for you, ideally the same time, same place every day, when you can concentrate and have the least number of distractions. PAUSE AND TALK TO GOD Take a moment to focus on God and ask Him to speak to you as you read and reflect on His word. READ GOD’S WORD Read the daily passage from your Bible. Don’t be tempted just to skip this part. It’s important: who knows how the Holy Spirit might speak to you as you read the actual text? MAKE NOTES
ONLINE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONS, AND GOING DEEPER W hen you see the video icon, this points you to a brief Video Introduction to the subject. Make the most of the occasional Going Deeper resources when you see this icon. They will help you delve further into the passage. GIVE YOUR DAY TO GOD Thank God for what you’ve learned and ask for help if the day’s notes brought to light anything especially applicable to your life at the moment.
Writing slows you down and helps you focus. Write in your Bible, a notebook, or in the white space in the devotions. Don’t hesitate to underline, write in the margins, or circle words. 5
TUES 01 OCT
SAINTS AND SINNERS
READ Acts 22:1-21 Acts 9:26-30 FOCUS I hurt the followers of the Way of Jesus. I sent many of them to their death. I arrested men and women. I threw them into prison. Acts 22:4
GOING DEEPER
lifewithlucas. co.uk/goingdeeper
Friends were talking about a young man who had made some very poor choices, with disastrous results for him and his family. ‘He’s always been bad, that one. I’m not surprised at the mess he’s in.’ I was troubled at the way we can tag people – either as good or bad, saints or sinners. We label them, effectively writing them off. In thinking about heroes and villains, let’s avoid that temptation. There are consummately evil people, who wound and murder without so much as a thought. Watching a documentary recently about the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, I was shocked to see how some humans can be nudged into acts of evil. Others live spectacular lives of service and selflessness: they stand out because of their beautiful goodness. Mother Teresa was a modern example of a life of head-turning self-sacrifice. Most of us, however, sit in between these extremes, capable of good and bad. Yesterday’s good choices are no guarantee that we will live well today, which is why we are consistently exhorted to finish the Christian race well. Let’s never look at the failings of others, either in the Bible or contemporary life, and say, ‘I could never do that.’ We’re all capable when it comes to sin. And let’s not write people off because of failures. Paul the apostle had a terrible track record as Saul the persecutor. But he changed. That’s the power of the gospel. Let’s choose well today, and live heroically rather than selfishly. Prayer: Lord, help me to choose well, and believe in the transforming power of the gospel, both for myself and others. Amen.
6
WED 02 OCT
THERE’S A RIGHT AND A WRONG
READ Romans 3:21-26 1 Kings 16:29-34
FOCUS Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory. Romans 3:23
It’s a simple little phrase, but one that can be quite difficult to say these days. Here goes: ’That’s wrong.’ In an era where it seems that everyone demands personal freedom, and is so easily offended, anyone who dares to call something wrong is likely to be accused of bigotry and intolerance. And if there’s one thing that ‘tolerant’ people won’t put up with, it is those who express a view that’s different from the consensus. Anyone who upholds a moral standard is often called judgmental, which in itself is a judgment… When we come to look at some of the rogues in the biblical story, we will see both their fragilities and flaws, and the courage of those who refused to bow down to them. And we will discover there is such a thing as sin. The writers of the Bible don’t hesitate to make clear moral judgments, the ultimate of which is the biblical truth that we are all sinners who need rescue. One of the repeated statements about the rogues of the Bible is they ‘did evil in the eyes of the Lord’ (Judg. 2:10-12). Kings like Ahab were described in this way: we will consider him later, together with his awful partner in crime, Jezebel. God is not neutral. He is holy, and calls us to live by certain standards, and that means there will be times when we must say something is wrong. In doing so, we’re not being narrow, judgmental or bigoted, but faithful to the truth. Let’s be kind and gentle, but clear and confident too. Prayer: You are holy, Lord. May my life and words reflect Your great love and awesome, holy character. Amen. 7