Joshua 24:13-15 – “And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; and behold, you eat of vineyards and olive yards which you did not plant.¹⁴ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away out of your heart the strange gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

¹⁵ And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

We have considered the account of Joshua’s challenge to Israel.  He challenged them regarding the direction they would take. Would it be God’s gold or the world’s garbage?  He rehearsed what God had done and then placed the decision before them.  We also considered that it is a Personal Decision.  Now we move another step, in consideration of this powerful truth.

IT IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION – It is a decision of Eternal Worth!  It can mean the difference between Eternity with God or Eternity without Him.  It is the difference between Heaven and Hell.

Jesus made it clear that to enter the Kingdom of God and into Heaven, one must be Born Again.  John 3:1-3 – “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to Jesus^[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” ³ Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again^[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

Jesus also said that we must do the will of the Father and serve Him with our entire being, loving Him with body, soul, spirit, strength, and mind.  It is a choice each must make and the earlier in life we make it the more opportunity to impact others and see more souls born again.  God wants to use each one NOW!

We need to not only commit our lives to Him but also believe His promises.  I heard a story about a youth in Bolivia who took God at his word and prayed for a baby that was dying. The baby was healed and over fifty people gave their lives to Jesus as a result.  He dared to believe and receive.

Time is a valuable commodity and once spent cannot be reclaimed.  Some live as though they have plenty of time not realizing that this could be their last day on earth.  They have heard the message, the warning, and the plea time after time and year after year, but still hesitate. 

The reality is that each of us has an appointment with death.  All of us!  It respects no person or age.  Jesus could come at any time, or we could meet our maker at any moment so Now is the Accepted Time and Today is the Day of Salvation.  Therefore, it is imperative that we make the Choice today.  We can choose God’s Gold or the World’s Garbage. 

THIS DECISION IS A DECISION THAT MUST BE MADE – Actually it is being made every day.  Jesus warned that no person could serve two masters.  We either serve God with a whole heart or we follow our own selfish desires and the world’s way.  Salvation is a privilege and is open to ALL. 

In Joshua’s words we must – Choose this day whom we will serve!  We can live off the scraps of the world’s table or feast at God’s banquet table of Abundant Life.  The best the world can offer is passing away, but the Gold of God is Eternal.  Jesus is standing at the door knocking, it is up to us to Open the Door.

So, I ask in conclusion, what will it be?  Will you be content with the imitation, the scraps, the leftovers of the world or will you choose the genuine, fresh banquet of abundance and Life in Jesus?  The choice is ours; will it be Gold or Garbage?

May the LORD direct your steps and may you always seek Him with a whole heart.  Have a fantastic day in Jesus!  God bless each of you is my prayer and desire!

Joshua 24:13-15 – “And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; and behold, you eat of vineyards and olive yards which you did not plant.¹⁴ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away out of your heart the strange gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

¹⁵ And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

As we continue our consideration of this account of Joshua’s challenge to Israel as to whom they would serve we need to examine several thoughts.

THIS IS A PERSONAL DECISION – – There are two choices available to everyone.  The First is, Serve God with a Whole Heart.  In that choice, we make His will our will and His purposes our purpose.  We invite Him to be both Savior and LORD of our lives.  He has invited us and in response, we must invite Him. He is standing at the door of our hearts waiting for us to open the door.

The Second is to follow our own will and live for ourselves.  It is to do our own thing and allow sin to rule in our lives.  It is to give God little or no time.  The Rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden was to disobey God’s directive, believe the Lie of the devil, and Do Their Own Thing.  They choose the devil’s garbage rather than God’s gold.

Some allow themselves to be held back because of their fear or concern about what others think.  For some, the fear of becoming unpopular in a particular circle overrides their desire to commit fully to God.  Being accepted sometimes is such a powerful influence people decide not to decide for Jesus because of their desire to be accepted in their desired circle of friends.  Thus, they become more concerned about the opinion of others than their eternity. 

Some allow themselves to be held back by their desire to please the flesh and embrace the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.  There are more focused on their personal enjoyment than God’s purposes.  They allow their carnal desires to drive them to seek satisfaction in the flesh.  They live without the peace of God because of their desire to have the world and its gold.  In that, they miss God’s gold and live with the world’s garbage.

An example of this is found in the story of the Rich Young Ruler of Matthew 19.  He was held back from following Jesus because of his earthly possessions.  David let his lust for a woman, not his wife cause him to sin.  Felix in Acts 24 was held back waiting for a more convenient season or time.  They all made a choice and only David is recorded as repenting.  The others chose the world’s garbage over God’s gold.

Each person has to make this decision for themselves.  Moses made the decision (choice) to leave the riches, position, and power of Pharoah’s house and follow God, suffering, if necessary, with the people of God.  Daniel considered favor with God more important than life itself. The disciples considered obedience to God a higher calling than obeying the commandments of men.

In this decision, we all stand alone.  We decide our eternal destiny by how we respond to God’s invitation to Eternal Life and the New Birth.  It is our bed, and we will determine what kind of bed it is by our choice to receive God’s gold or to embrace the world’s garbage. 

I want to address this one more time, but will pause here and say, God with God, and God will Go with You. 

Have a fantastic day in Jesus!

Joshua 24:13-15 – “And I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; and behold, you eat of vineyards and olive yards which you did not plant.¹⁴ Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth; and put away out of your heart the strange gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, and in Egypt; and serve the LORD.

¹⁵ And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

This is a fascinating account in the Bible.  God had chosen Joshua to lead Israel after the death of Moses.  He has brought them safely into the Promised Land and now as he neared the time of his death, he challenged them to make a commitment to God.  He placed before them the choice they must make, serve God wholly or turn to other gods.

He reminded the people of all that God had done for them.  He reminded them of how God had delivered them from Egyptian bondage and lead them to the land flowing with milk and honey.  He called to their minds how God had worked His miracle at the Red Sea and allowed them to cross on dry land.  He reminded them of how God had given them the miraculous victory over Jericho and driven out their enemies from before them.  He reminded them of how God had given them cities they did not build and vineyards that they had not planted.  He reminded them of miracle after miracle in God’s fulfillment of His Covenant Promise.

The problem that Israel faced, and history reveals that generation after generation faces is that attempting to rely on the past or someone else’s experience will result in failure.  It must be a personal relationship with God that leads us through to victory.  Sadly, the generation that followed Joshua and the Elders that outlived Joshua had not seen the hand of God as their forefathers and they drifted from Him.

Joshua called the entire nation together and reminded them of God’s faithfulness and the fulfillment of His Promises.  Then, he charged and challenged them to “Put Away” the strange god who is not God and serve the Living God.  God has never been willing to share His children with the devil.  Joshua reminds them of God’s incredible longsuffering and grace to inspire them to cut a covenant with God and serve Him fully.

The Challenge was to make a choice here and now, to either serve God or turn away from Him.  To serve is to be fully committed and obedient to God’s directives.  It is to allow God to have full sovereignty in our lives, choices, and decisions.  It is to seek Him first and make His will our will. 

Service is not a one-time trip to the altar in repentance it is a lifelong commitment.  It is a daily decision to submit ourselves to God and seek His guidance and will in everything.  It is to develop a relationship with Him and commune and communicate with Him. 

Joshua was not asking them to come down and profess their belief in God.  He was challenging them to commit themselves fully to God and then demonstrate that commitment in their daily lives through obedience, purity, and living godly.  He was asking them to consider Who God Is and What God had done and then fully commit their lives and the rest of their days to the Living God.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21 – “It is not everyone who merely says to me, My Lord, my Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.”  He is always seeking a total commitment to Him!  The commitment to God is like being pregnant you cannot be a little pregnant.  Every person has to decide for themselves Who they will serve.

No other person on earth can make the choice for us, we must make the choice to surrender to God fully, or by not making the choice we make the choice to turn from Him.  It is either Gold or Garbage and there is no in-between.

I want to address this more but will pause for now and say, May God Bless You as You Go Through This Beautiful Day in Jesus!

John 14:15 – “If you love me, then obey my commandments.”

Love is a much discussed and often misunderstood subject.  I am sure that were I able to ask each person reading this, “Do You Love Jesus?”  The answer would be Yes in every case.  We would be like Simon Peter, “LORD, you know I love you” and consider it almost offensive that I would ask that question.

The world needs more than our verbal affirmation, they need a demonstration of our Love for Jesus.  Love is more than a feeling, a passion, or a word.  Love involves action, sacrifice, and commitment.  It is in our obedience that the world can see our Love for Jesus.  Obedience is better than sacrifice.  God is not looking for sacrifices but obedience and, in our obedience, we declare that we Love Him.

The 14^th Chapter of John is full of certainties, yet there are an amazing number of times the word “if” is used.  In verse two we read that “IF” there had been no place for us in eternity, Jesus would have told us.  In verse three we read that “IF” He goes to heaven and He has, He will return for us.  In verse seven we are informed that “IF” we know Jesus we know the Father.  Then in verse fourteen, we are told that “IF” we ask anything in the name of Jesus it will be done.

The Word IF in this passage is a very serious word.  It goes to the root of the matter.  It deals with the heart of man.  In the natural medical doctors inform us that diseases of the heart are profoundly serious and nothing to be scoffed at.  Solomon instructed us to “keep our hearts diligently” because out of the heart come the issues of life.  If the mainspring of a watch fails, the watch will not work properly. 

I would contend that LOVE comes before obedience.  A heart that is at enmity with God cannot become acceptable by acts of piety alone.  Jesus said, “IF you love Me…”  If is the keyword and love is the objective.  I am told that among some primitive tribes they kill sacrifices to prophesy future events from the entrails of those animals. The worst report or situation would be that the priest found a small or diseased heart.  The heart is important naturally and spiritually.

It is important to remember that Love is the reason for our obedience, not fear.  It is because of our Love for God that we earnestly seek to follow His directions and keep His commandments.  We desire to please Him.  We demonstrate our Love through our obedience.

The test proposed in John 14:15 is a Judicious Test.  He said, “IF you love Me…”  There is no suggestion of following a Lawless Liberty.  There are commandments that believers are expected and commanded to obey.  Failure to embrace that reality would be to suggest that sin is unimportant and lacks destructive power.  Jesus did not say, “As long as you love me, I do not care what you do.”

The question immediately arises, Why Did Jesus Give Us This Test?  It is for us to prove to us that we Love Him.  He already knows whether we do or not, but it defeats the lies of hell and assures us that we Love Him with our Whole Heart!  Additionally, it proves to the world that Jesus Lives and Lives in our Hearts.  We are changed through the Love and Grace of God.  We are New Creations and Born Again!

True Love Will Endure the Test.  The Revised Version translates it, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”  One of the strongest pieces of evidence that a child loves his/her parents is that they willingly without hesitation, gainsaying, murmuring, or complaining do what the parent requires.

That Love for Jesus leads us to take up our Cross and follow Him.  That Love leads us and motivates us to do all of His will.  That Love enables us to love one another, to deny ourselves, and to follow Him through good reports and bad.  Our true attachment is to Jesus and because we Love Him, we Obey Him.

We are taught some powerful things about Love.

It is Patient (suffers long), Kind (in both word and deed), Generous (devoid of jealousy or envy), Humble (no pretense, airs, or pomp), Courteous (never rude and always polite), Unselfish (never seeking revenge but restoration), Good Tempered (not easily irritated or resentful), Righteous (hates sin), and Sincere (honest, not hypocritical).

If we Love Jesus, we seek to know what His commandments are, and our heart’s desire is to keep them.  We determine that we are going to live according to the convictions of our hearts established and formed by His Word.  We pay attention to every command and seek to understand its concern and application in our lives.

Our Love for Jesus will be expressed in every area of our lives not just in our words.  It is easy to say, “I Love You” but demonstrated Love is seen in action.  That is reflected at our job, in our home, at school, at church, and even on a date. 

Jesus said, “IF you love Me keep My commandments.”  The question we should ask ourselves is, Do We?  How do we know we do and how can the world know we do?

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

1 Corinthians 13:1 – “THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love in my heart, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

The English word LOVE must be one of the most unusual and difficult words in our language for someone learning it.  It is supposedly packed with meaning, yet it seems inadequate when we really want to say something.  Let me explain what I mean.

Edgar Allen Poe said, “We loved with a love that was more than love.”  What?  I believe that the word LOVE like the word Blessed, is overworked in the English language.  Some dictionaries list as many meanings as twenty-five for love.  We use them all in our daily conversations.  Thus, I insist that having just one word for the many kinds and dimensions of Love leads to confusion and absurd comparisons.

We Love our lifelong sweetheart, but we also love things like fried chicken or nice cars.  Thereby comparing marriage with chicken or cars.  Inadequate and almost insulting.  We Love our parents and children, but we also love things like football, fishing, golf, etc.  That puts mom and dad on par with a weekend at Vail or the Golf Course.  It places little Johnny our Suzie in competition with our favorite team.  That is not good!

We love Freedom which is surely more precious than some new shiny vehicle parked in the driveway.  But we love the car.  We love our pets.  We love new clothes, and certain foods, right?  We Love Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, but we love certain music or movies.  Nothing can compare to the Lord and the English word Love leaves us wanting for a proper comparison.

We read books with Love as the theme.  One writer speaks of Love, but he is speaking of sexual attraction.  Another uses the word Love in referring to an abstract ideal and yet another, writes of Love as romance.  Still, another uses Love to speak of intense family loyalty and yet another describes an undying friendship by the word Love.  I suggest that is inadequate to fully comprehend the meaning.

The Greatest Love Story ever is that of John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he even gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  When we study Blood Covenant in the Bible, we discover the power of Love.

The Church (Believers) are the Bride of Christ!  We have a covenantal relationship with the one who forgives us of our sins.  We drink the cup with Him and realize that He paid the ultimate price for our salvation.  That is LOVE!  He promised in John 14:1-3 – “LET not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in me also.² In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and take you to me, so that where I am, you may be also.”

Love is not simply a many splendored thing it is that devotion, commitment, and obedience to Jesus Christ our Savior.  Yes, in English unlike many other languages we have only one word for Love and that makes it an overused and inadequate word to describe our devotion in so many ways.

God bless you as you walk in Love on this beautiful day the Lord has made and rejoice!

Ruth 1:16-17 – “16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.  17 Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”  NKJV

The incredible power of devotion and faithfulness is seen in the Book of Ruth in both Ruth and Boaz.  However, for it to have reached the place where Boaz could take Ruth as a wife, there had to be a commitment by Ruth to make a Covenant with Naomi.  Ruth’s husband was dead, and Naomi had no other sons and no prospect of having sons that could marry Ruth and raise up seed in the name of his brother.  Ruth was released by Naomi as was Orpah, but Ruth refused to desert her mother-in-law and her covenant vows are seen in these verses.

Naomi was moved by Ruth’s commitment and selflessness but more importantly, God took note of her heart which produced her actions.  When they returned to Bethlehem, they were destitute, and among their relatives was a rich man named Boaz Ruth requested Naomi’s permission to go to his field to glean so they could eat.  

There is no evidence that Ruth had a plan to get Boaz to marry her, rather she was seeking to care for her mother-in-law.  It was the custom of the Jews to allow strangers to gather the corners of the fields and even glean the trampled down grain so when Ruth came to the field the workers honored the custom and allowed her to glean.  Boaz took note of her and upon inquiry realized who she was and was, no doubt, moved by her devotion to Naomi.  He invited her to continue day by day gleaning in his fields and instructed the workers to drop handfuls on purpose for her so that she would be sure to have a goodly amount to sell and for Naomi and her to eat.

When Ruth reported what had transpired to Naomi, her mother-in-law sensed the heart of God and knew the Law of the Kinsman-Redeemer, so she encouraged Ruth to return with specific instructions.  Her willingness to comply and her demonstrated virtue moved the heart of Boaz as God worked His plan looking down the road to the Christ being born.  Boaz sought to protect her reputation and took action to approach the Near Kinsman to enact the Kinsman-Redeemer rights.  The Near Kinsman declined for personal reasons allowing Boaz to fulfill the role and duty required by the Law.

Ruth and Boaz had a son.  The child was named Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David from whose line Christ was born.  In the life of Ruth and Boaz, we get a picture of the Kinsman-Redeemer Jesus and in the Book of Revelation Five, we find one of the elders told John that there is one that has earned the right to open the scroll in heaven and that one is Jesus our Kinsman-Redeemer. He, Jesus, has redeemed us, is redeeming us and will redeem us in the Last Days and seal forever our eternal place with Him in glory.

Two thoughts I want to leave you with.  One, the heart of a servant can clearly be seen in Ruth and the servant’s heart was rewarded by God.  Two, it was not enough just to serve but Ruth cut a covenant with Naomi, and God is a Covenant Making and Covenant Keeping God and honors His covenant forever.  Ruth, in my mind, gives us a picture of what we should and can be in Christ!

God bless you as you embark on today’s leg of your life’s journey!

Acts 1:15-20 – “And in those days Simon Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (there were there a number of men, about a hundred and twenty), and said, ¹⁶ Men and brethren, it was proper that the scripture should be fulfilled, that which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that seized Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was numbered with us and had a lot in this ministry. ¹⁸ He is the one who earned for himself a field with the price of sin; and falling headlong, he burst open in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹ And this very thing is known to all who dwell in Jerusalem; so that the field is called in the language of the country, Kha”kal- De”ma which is to say Ko-ri-ath”dem, the field of blood. ²⁰ For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no one dwell in it; and let his duty be taken by another man.”

In the last devotional, we compared Judas to Benedict Arnold in American history and considered the reality that Judas began right but ended wrong.  He had what it takes to succeed but did not follow through on his commitment to Jesus.  The reasons may have been multiple and probably were and his fall did not happen suddenly but over a period of time.

JUDAS ALLOWED SIN TO ENTER INTO HIS LIFE…

When sin is allowed to take root, it controls the life and dominates.  Jesus said in John 8:34, “whosever commits sin is the servant of sin.”  Paul warned in Romans 6:16, “Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey his servants you are…”  Sin never coexists it dominates and controls.

Mortal man lives in one of two camps.  The Camp of the Lord or the Camp of the devil.  Although Judas had fellowship with Jesus for a time, he turned from his calling and commitment and allowed the devil to guide his thinking and his life. 

He Gave Place to the Devil.  There are many today who have the idea that a little bit of neglect is not dangerous, but it is the little foxes that spoil the vine.  If you dropped BBs into a rowboat, nothing would happen with the first few hundred but if you continue to drop them in the boat eventually the weight of the BBs will sink the boat.  Sin is dangerous and its negative effect is cumulative.

Judas apparently failed to deal with one of the deadliest sins known to man – Covetousness.  I suggest that Pride was also a major factor.  Remember his protest when Jesus was anointed with the costly oil and/or perfume?  It was not out of love and compassion for the poor but because he had already become a thief and he had control of the treasury.  He permitted sin to go unchecked in his life and it destroyed him. 

Judas became a faultfinder and that is a sure path to destruction.  The faultfinder often is trying to hide the blackness of their own soul and points the finger at others seeking to tear them down to elevate himself.  He became Jealous and the green-eyed monster of jealousy is incredibly destructive.  Sin always tries to cover itself up, cloak itself in a self-righteous garment, and blame others.  I remind you of the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 6:23, “…the wages of sin is death…”  There is a payday for sin as sure as the sun comes up in the East every morning.

SADLY, JUDAS GOT HIS PAYDAY…

He functioned as an instrument of the devil.  Yes, it was prophesied that it would be, and he fulfilled scripture but that is not a justification or commendation only a reality of what transpired.  God knew and yet loved him.  He had been rebuked by Jesus and it is possible that his wounded pride was a part of his decision to betray our LORD.

His physical or material payment was thirty pieces of silver.  What he got with that payment was guilt that he could not hide or cope with.  His shame drove him to suicide.  He traded his hope for heaven for a few coins.  He lost what he could have had because he did not finish the race set before him.  All because he gave place to the devil.  He allowed sin to enter and take root.

I suggest that he sold out for thirty pieces of silver but got much more than he bargained for.  The devil is a liar and only tells half-truths to entrap the gullible.  Judas sold out for thirty pieces of silver, but some have sold out for much less.  Maybe it was a one-night stand that destroyed a marriage and a testimony and led to a life of corruption.  Maybe it was prestige or promotion that opened the door to destruction because it was never checked, repented of, and rejected.

We need to deal with things in our lives right now!  We need to make things right today.  Do not allow the enemy of your soul to sidetrack and shipwreck you.  Guard against those things which could and would destroy you.  Resist the devil and run to the Cross, Jesus is waiting there. 

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

Acts 1:15-20 – “And in those days Simon Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (there were there a number of men, about a hundred and twenty), and said, ¹⁶ Men and brethren, it was proper that the scripture should be fulfilled, that which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to them that seized Jesus. ¹⁷ For he was numbered with us and had a lot in this ministry. ¹⁸ He is the one who earned for himself a field with the price of sin; and falling headlong, he burst open in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹ And this very thing is known to all who dwell in Jerusalem; so that the field is called in the language of the country, Kha”kal- De”ma which is to say Ko-ri-ath”dem, the field of blood. ²⁰ For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no one dwell in it; and let his duty be taken by another man.”

Many if not most believers who hear the name of Judas Iscariot think of him as a traitor and he is readily seen as a villain.  He betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin for thirty pieces of silver.  Our view of him is justified but we tend to forget that he started well.

In American history there was a general in 1776 who led a regiment into Canada (by the time they arrived they were barely alive), they fought bravely at the Battle of Saratoga.  This general was placed in command of the fort at West Point and was a trusted warrior.  The British in New York seemed in danger, but the tide suddenly turned in their favor when this general sent a message to the British offering to sell West Point for twenty thousand pounds sterling.  Imagine that!

Here was a man who saved the American cause at Saratoga and was now willing to betray his country and countrymen. The very country he had risked his life to save, he was now willing to betray America for a pot of gold.  Who was this general?  General Benedict Arnold.  He died branded as a traitor even though he began well.

Why did he do it?  That would require much speculation but some of the apparent reasons or excuses were because of a root of bitterness.  He was deeply dissatisfied with the American Patriots.  He had married a British loyalist.  He was deeply in debt and had been reprimanded at a court-martial or misappropriation of government property.  There are similarities between him and Judas.

JUDAS HAD WHAT IT TAKES…

Think about it for a moment.  Jesus favored him and selected him to be one of the twelve disciples.  He was hand-picked by Jesus Himself. That is noteworthy.  He was apparently capable of handling money because he was selected as the treasurer of the group.  That suggests that he was capable, trusted, and intelligent.  He had what it takes to succeed.

Even at the Last Supper when Jesus was asked who it was that would betray him, Judas was not suspected by the others.  He had intimate fellowship with Jesus.  He had power over the forces of hell, power over disease, and sickness, and could cast out demons.  In Matthew 10:1 we read, “AND he called his twelve disciples, and gave them power over the unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and sickness.”  In verse four we read the name of Judas, so he was part of the band of brothers Jesus had chosen. 

The Power of God operated in his life!  Remember the words of Jesus in Mark 3:23, “How can satan cast out satan?”  Judas began incredibly well.  He walked with Jesus.

Also, his name was written in heaven.  Before you argue that it was not, I suggest you read Luke 10:20, “But do not rejoice in this that the demons submit to you; but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

Judas was one of the twelve, but He was tempted by the devil, for whatever reason, and lost and left his first love.  He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver!  I suggest that his fall did not happen overnight or suddenly but was progressive.  He began well but did not finish the course.  That behooves each of us to carefully consider our walk, our work, our attitude, and our commitment to Jesus.  We can overcome, He has empowered us to do so but we must continue in Him.

I want to address this a little more but will pause here and pick this up in the next session. 

God bless you as you enjoy your day in Jesus!

Ephesians 4:14 – “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming…”

1 Timothy 4:1 – “The Spirit explicitly says that in the latter times some will fall away from the faith, praying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” NASB

(KJV) – Seducing spirits.

The word doctrine means in its simplest form, teaching. The danger is that those who embrace doctrines not biblical become followers of seducing spirits of deception and fall away from the LORD and live according to the flesh.  False teachers creep into the church and promote apostasies that are inconsistent with the Words of Jesus and the tenets of the Bible.  When you manipulate the Word of God to accommodate your theory and dismiss the value of the Cross and ignore the aspects of God’s Character that include Holiness and Justice but embrace only the dimension of Love, you are heading down a destructive path.

There is one doctrine that has been resurrected from obscurity and is dangerous because it plays to the selfishness of human hearts excusing them from godliness and dismissing the idea of eternal separation from God.  It may sound logical to deny the existence of an eternal hell, but it is taught in God’s Word and although the adherents of this doctrine insist the translators got it wrong and they are setting things right, they are wrong. 

What is that doctrine – “Universalism.”  The followers of this heresy teach that everyone will eventually get into heaven regardless.  That is foreign to the words of Jesus, the teachings of the apostles, the early church, and the entire Bible.  God is a Holy God as well as being Love.  He is just and for God to ignore sin that is not repented of would be to render Him less than genuinely loving and divest Him of His Holiness.  God is Love but He cannot wink at sin. To believe this would make the Great Commission without value.

The misapplication of Acts 3:21 and Colossians 1:20 regarding the restoration of all things as meaning that He will return man to the condition of Adam before the Fall is in contradiction to the rest of the Bible.  They use Romans 5:18 and Hebrews 29 as their proof that everything will be returned to that state through Jesus.  They contend that eventually everyone will be brought into a right relationship with God (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

The Bible says that “ALL who call upon the name of the LORD” will be saved and united with Jesus eternally not that ALL people, in general, will be saved.  Jesus taught that those who reject Him as Savior will spend eternity in hell after they die. 

Matthew 10:28 – “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but who cannot kill the soul; but above all, be afraid of him who can destroy both the soul and the body in hell”

Matthew 23:33 – “O you serpents, and seed of scorpions! how can you flee from the judgment of hell?”

Matthew 25:46 – “And these shall go into everlasting torment, and the righteous into eternal life.”

Luke 16:23 – “And while he was tormented in Sheol, he lifted up his eyes from a distance, and saw Abraham, with Lazarus in his bosom.”

John 3:36 – “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; and he who does not obey the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God shall remain on him.”

Those are just a few of the many declarations of Jesus regarding eternal judgment and separation from God.  We can ignore that, and it may seem rational in the mind of man and meet our need of not being accountable for our sins, but it is not biblical.  We are told that it is appointed unto me, once to die and after that the judgment. (Hebrews 9:27).

Universalism ignores God’s Justice which is as much a part of God as His Mercy, Grace, and Love.  In fact, it is out of the Love of God that He is Just and Holy.  We can deny the self-existing attributes of God of holiness and justice and embrace only His love and we reduce God to a being of our creation for our own purposes rather than being transformed into His image and nature.

The Psalms are filled with references to God’s Justice.  How do we ignore the horrific genocidal maniacs such as Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc.?  How do we so weaken the work of Jesus on the Cross to make it meaningless?  We are told that without holiness we will not see God. (Hebrews 12:14).

If everyone gets into heaven regardless of how they live their lives, regardless of their beliefs, and without repentance, then Jesus died for nothing.  The idea that God would not be a loving Father if He allowed or sent anyone to eternal hell needs to be pressed to the fullest consideration.  If that is the view, and everybody gets in regardless then Jesus died for nothing, and the Father would be incredibly sadistic sending His Son to the Cross for nothing.  Yes, that is ridiculous but so is the doctrine of no hell and that everyone gets to heaven.

They take the Greek word ‘aion’ which means ‘age’ and contend that it has been consistently mistranslated proving that the doctrine of hell is false.  However, if they would be a little more thorough, they would discover that the identical Greek term ‘aionas ton aionon’ which means ‘ages of ages’ is used to both describe the eternal worth of God and the eternal fire of hell. 

Think about it this way.  Based on that translation of the phrase then either God’s worth, like the fire of hell must be limited in time or the fire of hell must be eternal like God’s worth.  You cannot pick and choose when something is limited. It either is or it is not.  If hell is limited, then so is God and we know that God is Eternal.

I remind everyone of Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the LORD.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I have heard some famous people and some nationally known preachers insist that there are many paths to the same God.  They believe that as long as you believe in a supreme being you are okay.  That is foreign to the words of Jesus, that He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Door.   Paul informed us in Romans 10:9, “IF you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made to salvation.”  You cannot avoid the IF because that indicates that IF you do you are saved and IF you do not you are not.

God placed the idea and description of hell in the Bible to warn us. He places that reality alongside His invitation to come and receive His mercy.  He never intended for mortal man to go to hell, but He cannot and will not violate His Holiness and Justice by winking at sin.  He will not and cannot say, “It’s okay, I wasn’t serious in my commandments.”

That would mean that God did not send His only begotten Son to die for mankind if that sacrifice were not required to satisfy the divine justice and make a way for us to be restored to Him and become part of the Family of God through Salvation. 

I have gone long and only touched the high points.  I may do more on this because I see it as an incredibly harmful doctrine that places people are risk of being lost forever.  Teaching people that no matter what you are getting in tosses off all restraints and makes God’s command to be Holy because He is Holy a meaningless doctrine. 

Jesus has provided the way to salvation and invites WHOSOEVER WILL to come.  Will you come? 

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

John 15:5 and John 2:1-22

We have considered what it looks like when Jesus takes over and addressed the fact that Jesus always addresses Himself to our human needs.  The miracle begins at the need and salvation comes at the point of recognizing and acknowledging our failure.

I want to take this another step and consider another of the three results when Jesus takes over.

JESUS INVITES HUMAN COOPERATION

This may come as a shock to some, but God uses human instruments. Whenever there was a human instrument available Jesus used it in every miracle.  In the account, at the wedding feast, He used water pots and people to fulfill the miracle.  Therefore, any old pot that is available to Him could be used in the performance of His miracles.  Are you ready?  Please, don’t take offense at me saying, “any old pot” neither I nor God views you as an old pot, but the saying elicits our embracing the truth.

I also call your attention to the fact that Jesus used what was on hand.  Just because something is old does not mean it has lost its value or usefulness.  It may be an old waterpot, but He can still use it in the miraculous.

It is also important to note that those present and involved did what He said.  He told them to fill the pots with water and they complied.  We tend to debate it and argue with God, but they obeyed.  They filled the pots to the brim with water.  There was no deliberation, no debate, no questioning, they simply did what He said to do!

Then, He told them to draw some of the liquid out of the pots and take it to the head waiter.  I can only imagine what might have gone through their minds, but they obeyed. That is incredibly important.  That is what is required for a miracle!  That is true in every situation of your life.  Jesus is ready to take over, but we must be obedient and do whatever He says. They did what He said, and He did the rest!

JESUS REVERSES HUMAN INCLINATION

When Jesus takes over, He reverses human inclination.  What do I mean by that?  Human inclination is to start with the best and then serve the inferior. The flow of humanity in this world is downward not upward.  That mentality carries over into our ideas and philosophies of Christianity. 

Everything in this world is temporarily new.  It begins to age and deteriorate immediately.  The car depreciates, and the clothes grow old.  Everything in life is progressing from being new to being old and useless.  Everything is in a state of decay.

The process of death is at work in our world.  This is the work of the devil. When sin set in, decay began.  The nature of humanity is to enjoy the best first and then settle for whatever is left. 

The custom at Jewish wedding feasts was to serve the good wine first then when people had imbibed the lesser quality would be served.  Serve the expensive first then the cheap.  That is the method of the devil.  If the devil offered his worst to humanity, he could deceive no one.  He dares not show his true colors until he has his prey trapped and deceived.

John 2:10 – “…Every man at first brings the best wine; and when they have drunk, then that which is weak; but you have kept the best wine until now.”  You have kept the best until the end.  That is the nature and manner of operation by God.  He does the opposite of the world.  He just keeps getting better and better. 

Even in the pollution of this world and the reality that this world is on a downward spiral, there is another direction – THAT IS GOD!  If we will let Jesus take over, we will move with the flow of getting better as the days go by.

Jesus manifested His Glory in the miracle, and He stands ready to take over and work a miracle in your life.  A miracle is the unveiling of the True Nature of Jesus.  It is time that we surrender our lives and Let Jesus Take Over!

God bless you as you embark on this journey of victory in Jesus!