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.

Is the End In Mind?

Begin with the end in mind. I have heard this statement all my life but have not adhered to it in many areas. If I had many things would be different. I would weigh less than 200 pounds, I would be debt free, my children’s college would be paid for, my wife would not have to work, I would have led more people to Christ and in a deeper relationship with Him, I would have spent more time with my mom, dad and brother. I have seen the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, so I understand that side of things. But what if we approached our Christian life with the end in mind. I want to be a faithful follower of Christ. I want my wife to be a faithful follower of Christ. I want my children to be faithful followers of Christ. I want my friends and family to be faithful followers of Christ. I want to see our community become faithful followers of Christ. But, from where I stand it does not appear that these things just happen. Our church needs to approach every move we make with the end in mind. What is the end? Following Christ in all areas of life. Jesus, Paul, Peter and many more clearly understood the end and made their decisions with the end in mind. I go to the gym with the end in mind. I change my eating with the end in mind. I study God’s Word with the end in mind. On a day-to-day scale I see little change but as I look at it from a broader perspective there is a difference. Today, begin to live your life with the end in mind.