Bible League: Living His Word They were all eating. Then Jesus said, "Believe me when I say that one of you twelve here will hand me over to my enemies."— Matthew 26:21 ERV Today's devotion begins with Jesus, our hope of glory, as He sits with His twelve followers having the last Passover meal. While they were eating, Jesus dropped a bomb. This was sudden news that no one expected! Even Judas thought he'd acted in secret. Poor Judas—seemingly he had not grasped that Jesus is all-knowing God! Jesus shared the unexpected news with them, expecting them to believe him, even though it was incredible! He had mentored them to trust Him; however, "one of you twelve here will hand me over to my enemies." Beloved, during the Christmas season there may be temptations to compromise for each one of us. If we remain firmly rooted in the Word, we will be able to resist. Proverbs 23:23 (NIV) says, "Buy the truth and do not sell it." Judas did not buy the truth. Isaiah 55:1 says, "All you people who are thirsty, come! Here is water for you to drink. Don't worry if you have no money. Come, eat, and drink until you are full! You don't need money. The milk and wine are free." To come to Jesus, all we need is faith. Hebrews 11:6 talks about pleasing God with faith. Faith is what every follower of Christ should walk on, not on the suggestions of people. Remember Jeremiah 17:5-8? Read it and discover that our choices bring blessings or curses. Judas chose the wrong way. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide and lead you to the path of righteousness and holiness in Christ Jesus! Beloved, betraying Jesus by compromising a season which should be dedicated to Him is very sad. The disciples on that night of Passover were very sad to hear Jesus' announcement. Each one, including Judas, said, "Lord, surely I am not the one!" (Matthew 26:22). Because of the love Christ had for them, He did not want to embarrass and shame Judas. Jesus responded with love saying, "One who has dipped his bread in the same bowl with me will be the one to hand me over" (v. 23). Jesus even dipped bread and shared it with Judas (John 13:26). Jesus tells Judas that he is the betrayer in Matthew 26:25. It was a moment where he should have repented! Our Lord Jesus Christ is gracious and extends grace for each one to repent. Judas betrayed the Messiah, but the eleven also abandoned Him and fled for their lives (Matthew 26:56). Are you yielding to the power of God's Word in your life or to the temptations that compromise your faith journey? You are called to bring your circle of influence to Christ, including your family and relatives! We must not deny Christ or betray Him by failing to represent Him and witness about Him. May we remember what Jesus had to undergo to redeem us and yield to the power of the Holy Spirit to honor Christ with our lifestyle and choices this festive season. We are called to be the light and the salt of the earth! By Christopher Thetswe, Bible League International staff, South Africa Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingObadiah Obadiah 1 -- The Destruction of Edom; The Day of the Lord Is Near NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 8 Revelation 8 -- The Seventh Seal: Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.Insight We tend to think that doing wrong is sin. But James tells us that sin is also not doing right. (These two kinds of sin are sometimes called sins of commission and sins of omission.) It is a sin to lie; it can also be a sin to know the truth and not tell it. It is a sin to speak evil of someone; it is also a sin to avoid him or her when you know he or she needs your friendship. We should be willing to help as the Holy Spirit guides us. Challenge If God has directed you to do a kind act, to render a service, or to restore a relationship, do it. You will experience a renewed and refreshed vitality to your Christian faith. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice privileges. 1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified Redeemer. 2. He shall go in. He shall be privileged to go in among the divine family, sharing the children's bread, and participating in all their honors and enjoyments. He shall go in to the chambers of communion, to the banquets of love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He shall go in unto the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the secret of the Lord shall be with him. 3. He shall go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the world to labor and suffer, but what a mercy to go in the name and power of Jesus! We are called to bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God; and as the angel said to Gideon, "Go in this thy might," even thus the Lord would have us proceed as his messengers in his name and strength. 4. He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. Going in and out shall be alike helpful to him: in fellowship with God he shall grow, and in watering others he shall be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not. Daily Light on the Daily Path Ephesians 5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 5:6,7,9-11 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? • Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. • I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; • I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. • But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. Philippians 2:15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 2 Timothy 2:20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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