Betrayal

Have you ever felt betrayed? I mean when someone very close to you turns their back on you. Someone leaves you. It hurts. It is most likely that on Wednesday Jesus was betrayed by Judas and Peter (Luke 22:47-62). These were two very different men yet much the same. It is clear that Judas had an agenda to make sure that his relationship with Christ was turned into a personal benefit at any cost. Peter was a man who loved Christ and had proclaimed he would die for Him. Judas betrayed Christ by saying ,“I know Him”, while Peter denied Him by saying “I do not know Him”. Judas’ “I know Him” was tainted with “but He means nothing to me”. Peter’s “I don’t know Him” was tainted with “but I really do”. Neither man made the second statement but history tells us of the truth of them. Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Peter denied Him to save his own life and to fight off pressures. Judas went out and hung himself. Peter went out and wept bitterly. Judas’ life came to a bitter end. Peter’s life turned and made a huge impact in the early church. Will you live a Judas life and try to use Jesus for your own advancement or will you live a Peter life and repent and make a huge impact in the church of today. The choice is yours.

Dancing the Christian Dance

I have watched Dancing with the Stars for the first time ever. It is amazing how difficult it is to learn to dance. It all comes down to getting the steps right. Seems simple until you try. The teachers have done it so long they do it without much thought while the stars or students struggle with it some. This is often seen in the Christian life as well and we dance the Christian dance. We have to get the steps right. Look at Jesus’ advice on dancing the Christian dance.

Jesus began teaching many truths after cleansing the temple. In addition, He found himself challenged by the religious leaders, pronounced the seven woes to the Scribes and Pharisees and taught through parables. There is one teaching during this time that I feel is very important and kind of puts everything else in perspective.

"But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:34-40, ESV.

I like a systematic plan that is clear and concise. The question asked Jesus is basically, "What is most important?"

Concise Answer: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Now that is clear. No ambiguity!!!

Jesus knew we would not be the quickest of learners so he also gave an answer to a question that was not asked.

Concise Answer #2: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Again, it is a clear answer.

The longer you do it the more natural it will become. If this is your first week to try it, you might look rigid or out of step. Stick with it. Listen to the teacher. He will never lead you wrong.

So, this week, Holy Week, make sure you get step one and step two down - Love God and Love others.

Scrubbing Bubbles

My wife, Mary Anne, loves to clean. One of her favorite cleaning solutions is Scrubbing Bubble. You can spray it on all kinds of surfaces and it will clean it. I love the commercials for Scrubbing Bubbles. The bubbles scrub and everything goes down the drain. It is gone! Disappears!! Sometimes I think it would be great if there were something we could drink that would cleanse us. More about that later. Today, by some people’s calculations, would be the day that Jesus cleansed the temple (Luke 19:45-46). As we approach Easter Sunday, let each of us have a day of cleansing – spring cleaning. What is it in your life that competes for your total commitment to Christ? The temple had people that were religious in nature but had lost sight of the purpose of the temple. Paul writes, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor 3:16-17). We as the Body of Christ are His temple. It is you and I. We are a holy place. We are where the Spirit of God dwells What is it in your life that makes you like the robbers in Luke 19? Let us take time today to pray and seek God to show us what it is in our life that is messing up our spiritual life in Christ. “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1). So is there is something we can use as our Scrubbing Bubbles? Yes, John gives us clear direction how to cleanse ourselves. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:9-10). Today, “bring holiness to completion in the fear of God”.

Health Care and other Crap

Health care, bingo, gambling, Sunday alcohol sales, blah, blah, blah. I have heard so much hate over the past several months. It seems people cannot disagree about issues without being mean spirited toward other people and I find myself doing the same thing. It makes me sick. Do we not realize that we are spewing venom (to use my son’s word) about somebody’s mom or dad, daughter or son, sister or brother. Regardless of what someone may think they may even have a friend or two. Behind every issue are people – real people. People that God saw fit to create. People that Christ died for. They are people that do care and need to be cared for. They are people that do love and need to be loved. Right now I don’t care what you think about health care, Obama care, bingo, slots, alcohol, Foxnews, msnbc, CNN, etc. Make my day and let’s show a little kindness, love, forgiveness, and as much as depends on you live at peace with others. Can we disagree and still treat each other like people?

My Take On Yesterday

It is always a great opportunity to see someone come to Christ through salvation. So, to be able to see Jonathon saved just 10 minutes before our worship time was a special blessing.

It was great to then be able to baptize three more as the service started. This year has been a great blessing seeing so many come to Christ and make it public through baptism.

I pray the message was challenging and moves us to realize and live out the live of liners. We are to move the gospel, love, resources and truth. This week let's make sure we do not just go in circles. Fight the tendency of a cruise ship mentality. It is not about what the church can provide for us as much as what we can provide as a church.

Last night was a powerful time of praise. It was so easy to preach after being able to freely go into the presence of God through praise and worship. It was a time that God was really moving in some lives. Oh to have a love so strong for our faith family that it causes us to long for each other.

This week just obey Him. In one of my devotions today it said:

If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will.

That is good!!!

Invisible

How much in your world has become invisible? What color is the house that is three doors down from you? Who did you walk by yesterday and did not see? Who in your world is invisible? We live such fast paced lives that we do not see the world around us. There will be people at work who will show us through our facial expressions that they are hurting. There will be people who wait on us that really need someone to pray for them. A poor person will need just a little for food. A thought for you today - Look around and see who you have not seen. Many who Jesus ministered to were people who had become invisible to society. Who are your invisibles?