Friday Thought -- October 31, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.’ His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’” (John 13:21-24)

Betrayal: Jesus knew what it felt like. He’d lived with the 12 apostles for three years. He’d taught them. They’d seen Him work miracles. They had the opportunity to look into His heart. They knew Jesus and He knew them. Yet, one of the 12 was a traitor. One of the 12 would betray Jesus into the hands of His enemies.

Scripture says that Satan entered Judas that night. Satan was involved in the betrayal, but Judas opened the door for Satan to enter. What would motivate someone to betray a friend, especially someone like Jesus? It could have been greed, there was money involved. But it’s hard to believe anyone would love money that much! Perhaps he was trying to do Jesus a favor, or so he thought. Trying to force Jesus to declare Himself to be King and take His throne. If that was in Judas’s mind, it backfired. Judas didn’t understand the kind of kingdom Jesus was establishing. There may have been other thoughts and motivations in Judas, but the bottom-line is that he betrayed the Lord, he betrayed his friend, his best friend.

Perhaps you’ve been betrayed by a friend, too. Most of us have at one time or another in our lives. You may even know what motivated the betrayal. I would remind you that there is Someone who knows what it feels like. He understands the hurt, the anger, the disappointment. He’s been there, too. In fact, His betrayal was far greater than yours!

Take your betrayal to the One who has already been through it. He’ll help you work through your betrayal, too.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- October 30, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” (John 13:1)

It was nearly time for Jesus to die. He knew it. How would He demonstrate how much He loved those who followed Him before He went to the cross?

“He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:4-5)

He served them. He stooped to do the dirtiest job that needed to be done for them. He washed their feet. It couldn’t have been fun to do, smelly and dirty feet. He was master, surely there was someone else more appropriate to do the dirty work of washing feet. Jesus loved them and He got up and did what needed to be done. When He was finished, He said:

“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:14-15)

He told His followers to wash one another’s feet. He told us to follow His example. He challenged us to serve one another, even in the dirtiest and lowest ways, whatever needs to be done. That’s how we show our love for others, by doing what they need to have done!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- October 29, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” (John 12:42-43)

None of us wants to stand out as different from the people around us. We long to be accepted and respected by others. We long to fit in with the crowd. That is so easy for us to see among teenagers. Peer pressure is one of the strongest pressures upon young people for either good or evil, depending upon the crowd among which they associate. The pressure is not just upon teenagers. Adults are as susceptible to peer pressure as teens are. We, too, want to be liked and accepted.

Jesus challenges us to put the praise and acceptance of God above the praise and acceptance of men. Some of the leaders who believed in Jesus were unwilling to do that. They wanted to be closet Christians, believing in Jesus, but unwilling to let anyone else know it for fear of rejection and ridicule.

There is a choice to make. Whose acceptance is going to be more important to us? God’s or men’s? Jesus taught that there is no such thing as a closet Christian.

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

If you haven’t “come out of the closet,” why not make that choice today. Look for an opportunity to let those around you know Who you follow!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- October 28, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.’” (John 12:27-32)

A troubled heart can have many causes. What troubled Jesus’ heart was the prospect of what He was about to go through. The physical pain would be terrible. Even worse would be the spiritual pain of the sin He would carry and the separation from the Father that it would cause.

When I have a troubled heart, I want to do what I can to get rid of it. I want to avoid what causes it. But sometimes what causes a troubled heart is the very thing that will accomplish the most in our lives or through our lives.

The prospect of the cross troubled Jesus’ heart. But it was the cross through which men would be drawn to Him and given salvation. Should He avoid the cross to save Himself the pain? To do so would mean He would miss that which would accomplish the most through His life. The pain was worth it to Him because of what it would accomplish.

Sometimes the pain is worth it in our lives, too. Sometimes for what it accomplishes in us and sometimes for what it accomplishes through us.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- October 27, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Jesus said, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.’” (John 12:23-26)

To most, the crucifixion of Jesus seemed to be His ultimate defeat. He was not able to persuade the majority to follow Him. They thought His teachings, though good, would fade with time and He, too, would be forgotten. Even Satan must have thought Jesus was defeated at the cross. He’d won the battle, and the war. God’s own Son was defeated.

That’s what they thought.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. What seemed to be the defeat of Jesus was actually His ultimate victory! He had only a small group of followers in the world while He lived. After the cross, His followers would number in the hundreds of millions. His teachings, far from fading, would be spread throughout the world and throughout time. He would not be forgotten. Instead, He would be loved and followed and worshipped. Satan did not win at the cross. He didn’t win the battle and he didn’t win the war. In fact, the cross sealed Satan’s defeat!

What seemed to the world to say one thing, actually said something quite different.

I was thinking about that with respect to our own lives. To some, perhaps even to many, it seems that Christians give up much of what life is really about, give up much of what makes life fun. So it seems. Nothing could be further from the truth. In following Jesus, we give up nothing of value and gain what is eternally priceless!

What seems to the world to say one thing, actually says something quite different. You just can’t trust what the world says!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- October 24, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the King of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, ‘Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’” (John 12:12-15)

It must have been an exciting day for the disciples of Jesus. This is what they wanted, what they had been dreaming of. The multitudes were praising Jesus, declaring Him to be their king.

Jesus wasn’t so excited! He could see beyond the shallow praise. He knew what was really in the hearts of the people. He knew how quickly their attitudes would change. He knew what would happen by the end of the week. Just a few more days and they wouldn’t be proclaiming Him king, they would be shouting for His execution.

At times there are exciting news stories that come out in the papers and magazines of America. They talk about the beliefs of the multitudes. The multitudes are willing to say that Jesus is the greatest teacher who ever lived. The multitudes say they believe He worked miracles. The multitudes even say they believe He is God. It is exciting for us. That is what we dream of. That is what we really want. We want the world to see Jesus for who He is and worship and follow Him.

Jesus doesn’t get so excited. He sees beyond the shallow praise. They proclaim Him to be the greatest teacher, but they don’t listen to or follow His teaching. They even say they believe He is God, but it makes no difference in how they live, they don’t worship Him or obey Him. He knows, too, that if the situation should change, the multitudes would quickly lay aside their praise and pick up the chant to kill Him once again!

Shallow praise means nothing to Jesus. Only praise that comes from deep within in the heart matters. Only praise that is evidence of a heart and life fully committed to Him counts.

What does Jesus think of your praise?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- October 23, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ‘Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. ‘Leave her alone,’ Jesus replied. ‘[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.’” (John 12:1-8)

What extravagance! Mary took perfume worth a year’s wages -- tens of thousands of dollars in our day -- and wasted it, pouring it on Jesus’ feet. It upset Judas, at least in part because he was stealing from the disciples’ money bag and thought the money should have been put into it. I can see his point, can’t you? Why was such extravagance needed? Without a thought of stealing any of the money, I’d still question the stewardship of it. I have trouble doing anything with extravagance, no matter who it is for.

But, then, isn’t Jesus worth it? Isn’t He worth extravagance?

Of course He is! He’s worth everything we have. A year’s wages is a small price to pay to demonstrate love and commitment to Jesus.

Mary didn’t hold anything back from Him. She was willing to pour out her most valuable possession to Him.

It’s not just about money. It’s about commitment and value. How much value do you place on Jesus and your relationship with Him? In what ways are you willing to be extravagant to demonstrate your love for Him?

His, by Grace,

Steve