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 Jeremiah 2:2 I remember thee.Let us note that Christ delights to think upon his Church, and to look upon her beauty. As the bird returneth often to its nest, and as the wayfarer hastens to his home, so doth the mind continually pursue the object of its choice. We cannot look too often upon that face which we love; we desire always to have our precious things in our sight. It is even so with our Lord Jesus. From all eternity "His delights were with the sons of men;" his thoughts rolled onward to the time when his elect should be born into the world; he viewed them in the mirror of his foreknowledge. "In thy book," he says, "all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Ps. 139:16). When the world was set upon its pillars, he was there, and he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. Many a time before his incarnation, he descended to this lower earth in the similitude of a man; on the plains of Mamre (Gen. 18), by the brook of Jabbok (Gen. 32:24-30), beneath the walls of Jericho (Jos. 5:13), and in the fiery furnace of Babylon (Dan. 3:19, 25), the Son of Man visited his people. Because his soul delighted in them, he could not rest away from them, for his heart longed after them. Never were they absent from his heart, for he had written their names upon his hands, and graven them upon his side. As the breastplate containing the names of the tribes of Israel was the most brilliant ornament worn by the high priest, so the names of Christ's elect were his most precious jewels, and glittered on his heart. We may often forget to meditate upon the perfections of our Lord, but he never ceases to remember us. Let us chide ourselves for past forgetfulness, and pray for grace ever to bear him in fondest remembrance. Lord, paint upon the eyeballs of my soul the image of thy Son. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 80:18 Then we shall not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. Romans 8:26,27 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; • and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Psalm 119:93 I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have revived me. John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. John 15:7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. 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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