71 Days in Isaiah: Day 3 - Isaiah 1:21-31

Isaiah 1:21-31

See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute.  Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.  Once like pure silver, you have become like worthless slag. Once so pure, you are now like watered-down wine.  Your leaders are rebels, the companions of thieves.  All of them love bribes and demand payoffs, but they refuse to defend the cause of orphans or fight for the rights of widows.  Therefore, the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Mighty One of Israel, says, “I will take revenge on my enemies and pay back my foes!  I will raise my fist against you.  I will melt you down and skim off your slag.  I will remove all your impurities.  Then I will give you good judges again and wise counselors like you used to have.  Then Jerusalem will again be called the Home of Justice and the Faithful City.”  Zion will be restored by justice; those who repent will be revived by righteousness.  But rebels and sinners will be completely destroyed, and those who desert the Lord will be consumed.  You will be ashamed of your idol worship in groves of sacred oaks.  You will blush because you worshiped in gardens dedicated to idols.  You will be like a great tree with withered leaves, like a garden without water.  The strongest among you will disappear like straw; their evil deeds will be the spark that sets it on fire.  They and their evil works will burn up together, and no one will be able to put out the fire.

I am disheartened and at the same time encouraged by this passage.  I am disheartened because I am so much like the people of Israel when it comes to serving God.  Not that I want bribes or payoffs, but I want to do it when it is convenient for me.  Isn’t that the same thing as trying to bribe God, “I’ll serve you, but only if it’s easy for me” How easy it is for me to let the distractions that satan throws out there get to me!

But the good news is that God will use us if we just let Him!  He will send us wise counselors that are interested in us becoming a home of justice and a faithful city.  But if we’re not paying attention (or have too much pride), we will miss them.  Let’s not be like those who are worshiping our idols under the trees, nothing but ruin lies that way.

71 Days in Isaiah: Day 2 - Isaiah 1:10-20

Isaiah 1:10-20 (NLT)

 

Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.”  Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”  “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”  says the Lord.  “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle.  I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.  When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?  Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me!  As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false.  I want no more of your pious meetings.  I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.  They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!  When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.  Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.  Wash yourselves and be clean!  Get your sins out of my sight.  Give up your evil ways.  Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Help the oppressed.  Defend the cause of orphans.  Fight for the rights of widows.  “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.  If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.  But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.  I, the Lord, have spoken!”

 

 

Have you ever done something because it was the thing to do?  There was no thought put into it, other than how it made you look?  I’m guilty, I have done things just because they made me look good to someone else.  I have said I was doing something for God, and the fact of the matter is that I only did it because it either made me look good or was the “thing to do”. 

 

All of the things that we say we do for God have no meaning, if there is not heart behind them.  In the verses above, it looks to me like God is calling out the Israelites for going through the motions.  That what they are doing is only for themselves, their hearts are not in it and that He does not want anything to do with what they are bringing before Him.

 

Starting in verse 16, I see a way out.  God calls us to give up our evil ways, to stop sinning.  Then He gives us a charge on how to help others in verse 17.  Do good, seek justice, help the oppressed, defend orphans and fight for widows; to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8).  All of these speak to the condition of our heart.  Do we care for others?  Do we care enough to want to step out of our comfort zone and help someone who needs help?

 

Our heart condition speaks to how we view two words, nice and kind.  They are not the same and I think it’s important to understand the difference.  Nice costs you nothing, everyone can be nice.  Kind, on the other hand, will cost you something.  Kind means that thing you do is going to be a challenge, because it comes from your heart.  Nice means that you will speak to that widow who is struggling and tell her how bad you feel for her.  Kind means that you are willing to do something about her condition.  That’s what I strive to be, to be kind.  To be honest, I’m not always successful, it’s so much easier to be nice.  But, Jesus was way more than nice when He hung on that cross for me.  That was a kindness beyond all kindnesses.  It had a cost!

 

Be kind today,

cej

71 Days in Isaiah: Day 1 - Isaiah 1:1-9

Isaiah 1:1-9 (NIV)


The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.  Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.   The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”   Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the LORD; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.  Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.  From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.  Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.  Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege.  Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.

 

 How often am I just like the people of Israel?  Do I forget who my Savior is and what he has done for me?  It's a sad testimony, but yes...I do.  I forget because if I remembered I could stay out of my sin.  I forget because I don’t keep the word of God in front of me as much as I should.  I forget because sometimes I really like my sin.

 

But I have a way out.  God has given me His word to study, a way to stay connected and in step with Him.  I have heard that prayer is us talking to God and the bible is God talking to us, well...I’m tired of one way conversations.  I’m tired of my “whole heart being afflicted”.  Study is something I have always struggled with, from school to now, I have not liked studying.  Today, my prayer is that I would have a passion to study and share what I am studying with others.

 Would you join me today?

 cej

Defending Your Faith

The last time I defended my faith was...stick with it, read all of it...

 

Mathew 26:57 – 27:31 (NLT)

 

Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. 

Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy.  What is your verdict?”

“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”

Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”  But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.  A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”  Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.

Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.”

“What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”

Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.

The leading priests picked up the coins. “It wouldn’t be right to put this money in the Temple treasury,” they said, “since it was payment for murder.”  After some discussion they finally decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. That is why the field is still called the Field of Blood. This fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah that says,

“They took the thirty pieces of silver—the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel, and purchased the potter’s field, as the Lord directed.”

Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. “Are you the king of the Jews?” the governor asked him.

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against him, Jesus remained silent. “Don’t you hear all these charges they are bringing against you?” Pilate demanded. But Jesus made no response to any of the charges, much to the governor’s surprise.

Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd—anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.  As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)

Just then, as Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Leave that innocent man alone. I suffered through a terrible nightmare about him last night.”

Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. So the governor asked again, “Which of these two do you want me to release to you?”

The crowd shouted back, “Barabbas!”

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children!”

So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

 

John 18:12-19:16 (NLT)

So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?”

“No,” he said, “I am not.”

Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.”

Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded.

Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?”

Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest.

Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.”

But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.

Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?”

“We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted.

“Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them.

“Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.)

Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him.

Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?”

Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

Pilate said, “So you are a king?”

Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?”

But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face.

Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!”

When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

“Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.”

The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.”

When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.”

When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!”

 “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!”

“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back.

Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified.

 

I have never had to defend my faith is the sense that I was not threatened by anyone.  I think this is a misconception that most American Christians have, that to defend your faith means that you should be in dire straits and under threat of death.  By all means, the saints that do live in areas where they do get their lives threatened, are certainly defending their faith; in a big, bold way.  Praise God for them!

But, we can defend our faith here too.  We don’t face the persecution that Christians in muslim countries face, but we have some choices to make that will defend our faith.  Choices that I believe speak to who we are as Christians.  Choices like, will I laugh at that off color joke?  Will I give to the homeless person on the corner, even though I think I know what they are going to do with the gift?  Will I love that person that is openly living is sin?  These seem like obvious things, but I can tell from personal experience, I have not always been faithful.

Life as a Christian is not easy, there are challenges everyday because we live in the world.  The world where satan holds sway.  And to be honest, satan works hardest on believers in Christ.  He has no need to work on those that don’t believe, he already has them.  Sometimes though, our greatest enemy is not satan; but our own sinful selves.  We don’t accidently sin, it’s usually a conscious to proceed with our sin.  If we are to defend our faith to our enemies, should we start with our own hearts?

For me to defend my faith to myself would seem to be an oxymoron, how do you stand up for what you believe in...to yourself?  I said earlier that our sin is a choice that we make, so let start there.  Let’s make good conscious choices, choices that reflect our love of Christ.  These choices start from where our hearts and minds are.  If we allow the world to mold our thoughts by what we read and watch, then the world (satan) will also mold our hearts.  But, if we spend time communing with God; spending time in prayer, studying and acting on what we are studying...then we are defending our faith against our natural selves.

I encourage you to defend your faith today, defend it against your closest enemy...yourself.

 

cej

Sifted

Had I heard Jesus' words I would have....


Mathew 26:17-30

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

“As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’”  So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.

When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples.  While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”

He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me.  For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”

Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”

And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.  Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Luke 22:7-38

Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed.  Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”

“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’  He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.”  They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.  Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.  For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.  For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.

“But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me.  For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”  The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.  Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’  But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.  Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

“You have stayed with me in my time of trial.  And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat.  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.”

But Jesus said, “Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?”

“No,” they replied.

“But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one!  For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: ‘He was counted among the rebels.’  Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true.”

“Look, Lord,” they replied, “we have two swords among us.”

“That’s enough,” he said.

 

I think if you get nothing else out of reading this, you have read the Word of God.  In these two passages Jesus says some pretty profound stuff, but what jumped out at me was Luke 7:31-32 (which I have underlined above).

Jesus said that Satan has asked to sift each of them like wheat.  When sifting wheat, the wheat is shaken to remove the chaff (which is the husks and other junk); to separate the wheat from the rest of the waste.  Sometimes the wheat will fall through the sifter.  When Satan is going to sift them like wheat, I believe satan wanted to shake the disciples up.  To make them question the leadership of the Lord, to make them question their beliefs.  And true to form, they did all these things.  They reactions were out of character for what Jesus taught them.  They ran away and hid, they became violent; all things that Jesus had been teaching them not to do.

But, here’s the cool part.  Jesus prayed for them to be strong in their faith, even though He knew they would fail.  He said, “So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  How awesome is that!  Jesus knew they would fail, He knew they would run and hide; He knew that Peter would deny Him three times.  Jesus didn’t say if you have repented, He said when you have repented; meaning He knew the hearts of the disciples.  He knew that they were just men and when they had turned back to Him, He could use them to build His church.

Fact of the matter is, Jesus knows our hearts.  Webster’s defines repent as to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life, to feel regret or contrition or to change one's mind.  I kind of like the first part of this definition best; to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.  Jesus said when you have repented and turned to me again, this tells me we still have a chance; we can still be used.

I believe we all have a story to tell (a testimony), sometimes we are a cautionary tale and sometimes we are inspiring.  As Christians, Jesus said if we repent and turn to Him again; we can be used to strengthen brothers and sisters in Christ.  Talk about a hallelujah moment!  I have done things in life that I’m not proud of, but God has used them in my testimony to say “we can come back from anything, if we have God in us”.  I think that we shouldn’t be discouraged about our testimony, if we truly have Jesus in our lives; then He can use every part of our lives to encourage others (Romans 8:28).  Don’t hide your testimony; in fact every testimony can be used by God.  It is not just the “wow” testimonies that God uses; even if you have been a faithful follower of Christ you whole life; that’s a testimony that we can live like that, it can be done.

 

Sifted,

cej

Betraying Jesus

I feel like I once betrayed Jesus by....

 

Mathew 26:1-16

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.  “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy.  While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said.  “It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me?  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.  She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.  From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Mark 14:1-11

It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.  “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

Some of those at the table were indignant. “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked.  “It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.

But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me?  You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.  She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.  I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them.  They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

 

The woman with the perfume recognized Jesus for what He was, the Son of God.  She worshipped Him by anointing Him with oil.  There are a lot of thoughts, by folks a whole lot smarter than me as to whom this woman was and at what point in Jesus’ ministry this happened, but I’m pretty simple.  If the bible says it happened at during the Passover, then that’s what I believe.  I just don’t over think it.  I believe the point of this is that the woman was worshipping Jesus, pure and simple.  Obviously the disciples didn’t like it and if you read John 12, Judas Iscariot is named as the one who actually said it; which brings us to last few verses, where Judas starts looking for a time and place to betray Jesus.

I think Judas is sorta interesting.  Think about this, how could a man who has followed Jesus, seen all of the miracles that Jesus did; still get to the point where he sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.  In modern terms these 30 pieces of silver are worth anywhere between $3000 to $6000 dollars (depends on your sources).  Either way, this is a pittance compare to the life of a man.  The world kinda likes to judge Judas, don’t get me wrong I think it was a terrible thing, but sin is sin is sin.  It’s all the same in God’s eyes.  But this is a thought to marinade in your mind, how often do we sin for free?  How often do I betray Jesus and do it for nothing other than a small amount of pleasure?  Am I a whole lot different than Judas?  Aren’t we all a little more like Judas than we want to admit?

But God...gives us grace.  Jesus obediently hung on that cross as payment for my sin debt.  I have accepted that fact, that I am a sinner and my sins were bought with Jesus’ blood.  Even today, when I screw up and willingly crawl into the pit of sin, I know that I am His.  Do you accept these terms?

 

Paid for,

cej

Tears of Triumph

Jesus’ tears in His triumph show me.....

 

Mathew 21:1-17

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.  “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you.  He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.  They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!  Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Praise God in highest heaven!”  

The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.  And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.  The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”

But the leaders were indignant.  They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’”  Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.

 
Luke 19:28-48

After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples.  As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead.  “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.  If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said.  And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?”

And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.”  So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on.

As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him.  When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!”

He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.  “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.  Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side.  They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not accept your opportunity for salvation.”

Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices.  He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him.  But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.

 

I would like to point out that Jesus’ followers put their coats on the back of an unridden colt, and Jesus rode the colt.  Folks, that is another miracle.  It just doesn’t happen, I have rode colts most of my life and have never had one I could just get on from the get go.  Isn’t it amazing how God can relate to everybody!

 God has given us two beautiful daughters to raise, I claim them as mine; but I know they belong to God.  I just get the pleasure of raising them here on this dirt ball we live on.  When I can see them making mistakes that I know will lead to failure, I want to step in and help them.  Sometimes these mistakes have consequences and it breaks my heart to see those consequences lived out.  But, to be honest, that’s how we learn.  At times they make decisions that are contrary to what their parents have requested, these actions have consequences too.  As a parent, we want to protect our children.  When we do not allow our children to learn from their mistakes and always bail them out of bad decisions, we raise up children that grow up to be bad adults (as in adults that are unable to cope with failure).  Not everybody deserves a trophy.  Let me say that again, NOT EVERYBODY DESERVES A TROPHY!  As parents, we have an opportunity to teach our kids to work harder for something better after they have lost; or are dealing with the consequences of a bad decision.  Does it break our hearts to see our kids go through this?  Heck yeah!  Will we weep over it?  Yeah, sometimes.

 So, you ask yourself, what does this have to do with today’s verses?  Here’s the sitch; when Jesus saw the city of Jerusalem, he began to weep.  I don’t believe that He wept for what He saw in His future, but rather He wept for what His people were going to go through.  He saw their future and it broke His heart.  Like willful children we have chosen other things and other people ahead of our Lord.  And when I say we, I mean me.  How many times have I chosen to go into a pit of crud, just because I wanted to?  A LOT.  But God....

 Jesus didn’t love those that were about to crucify Him any less, just because they were about to crucify Him.  They were the children of God and they were about to make a bad decision.  They were about to reject the love and salvation of a great God.  God loves us despite our bad decisions.  Jesus chose to allow Himself to be crucified because we separated ourselves from God with our sin.  I define grace as somebody else paying for our mistakes.  So Jesus, in His grace, paid for our sins (kinda feels like everybody got a trophy, doesn’t it?).  But don’t be mistaken, when we accept the grace that is Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins; our old self should be taken away.  1 John 3:6 says, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”  The problems lies in our commitment, I know that I don’t get up every day and put on the full armor of God.  On those days, I make bad decisions.  Those decisions have consequences that I have to deal with.  God still loves me, Jesus still went to die on that cross for me personally; but on those days I have pushed God behind me.  My day is about me and me only!  That has to change, the story is never about me; it is always about Jesus.

 This is what I do know; I know Jesus loves me beyond all measure.  I know that He chose to let Himself be crucified for my sins.  I have accepted that I am a sinner, but my sin debt has been paid by Jesus’ crucifixion.  Unfortunately I am a flawed, imperfect, vain human being; but my God is working on me to act more like Jesus.  Am I there yet?  Not by a long shot.  I make mistakes and bad decisions; and have to deal with the consequences that arise from them.  But God....STILL LOVES ME.  WOW!  He is a good, good Father and He loves you as much as He loves me.

 

Loved by God,

cej