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Tag: judas

  • No Foolin’! Satan seeks christians

    No Foolin’! Satan seeks christians

    April Fools! (Don’t get caught, child of God.)

    Proverbs 10:23 KJV It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

    And note from the definitions that in addition to stupidity, the attitude of a fool could include arrogance. Let us not as Christians believe that only unbelievers are prone to actions of foolishness.

    Easter and Christmas are always a time for rebellious sinners to make light of Christ: with bunnies and Santas, Mardi Gras revelries and crowded mall party madness. Yet even the marginal christian who adds Christ to their resume may show up at church for these two celebrations of the faith.

    Pray for these. I love so many who Satan also seeks.

    What do you suppose happened to the great crowds who shouted HOSANNA as Christ Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? (After all, they were good Jews for their faithfulness to just show up for this annual religious festival.)

    And how many of us who worship the Lord every week believe ONLY an unbeliever (or possibly a marginal believer) can be a fool?

    If we do, would we not do well to ask how easily WE might become one of those wayward christians who all-too-often deny Christ in the crowds and ignore God in our daily life?

    You may think such questions for an ‘April Fools’ day not entirely liturgical and appropriate for the middle of Holy Week (in which it falls this year); yet consider the foolishness of ignoring any scripture of God and deceiving attacks of Satan against you and me when we draw nearer to Jesus.

    Consider that the Passover, to which Christ Jesus and thousands of the faithful of God made their annual pilgrimage, is foremost worship of God. And consider from the Gospels the significance and nature of the sacrifices for their sins.

    Genesis 4:

    3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.

    Even in the beginning, two brothers brought their sacrifices of worship to the Lord God.

    And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?”

    [Now note this, Easter worshiper, as you run back into the world on Monday…]

    7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? 

    And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”

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    The serpent deceived adam and all sons of adam except Jesus. It was more than foolishness for Cain to envy the worship of Abel; it was sin.

    And lest we imagine that our worship might not also turn, as did the HOSANNA’s of Palm Sunday turn into the sinful shouts, CRUCIFY HIM! on Good Friday; let’s look a little closer at some cautions of Christ Jesus.

    Matthew 7:26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a man who built his house on the sand.

    Where have all the foolish ones run the day after Easter?

    Will you be one of these who run to build your week on the sand?

    Even prior to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus had taught tens of thousands of the faithful religious followers of God. He had done miraculous deeds in witness to the crowds.

    Yet when He proclaims His own death and requirement of true obedience to God, how many remain?

    John 6

    15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

    “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

    35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst… 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

    53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

    You have heard it before: You must be born again.

    63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) …

     66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

    68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

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    Now my caution against foolishness for Holy Week:

    Luke 22

    The Plot to Kill Jesus

    Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

    Judas to Betray Jesus

    3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve…

    19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

    20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

    21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

    Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

    31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,

    32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

    33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said,“I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

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    Perhaps you are not so foolish as Judas this day – Judas, who when he repented too late did hang himself and is by his betrayal is sentenced to Hell!

    Perhaps you are not even so foolishly arrogant as Peter – Peter, who would deny knowing Christ Jesus, whom he had called, “Lord,” and asked knowingly, “to whom else shall we go?”

    Yet humbly I ask you – I ask each one of us to set aside our own foolishness.

    Let us humble ourselves as our Lord Christ Jesus did for each and every sinner by His Holy Sacrifice on the Cross.

    For as our Lord prayed for Peter to not be sifted by Satan, the enemy of Christ’s righteousness and Sacrifice, the deceiver who roams the earth and stands in the vestibule of our churches; let us also pray for those we love.

    Let us pray that the Lord would win those hearts and join those beloved weak spirits with our hope in the resurrection and eternal love of Christ Jesus, God our Father and the Holy Spirit.

    Lord may they join us in our worship and Your love, for ever.

    Amen.

  • After the Resurrection

    After the Resurrection

    John 21:14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

    My purpose here is not to convince you of proof of the resurrection, but to convict you with the command of our our risen Lord.

    Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

    16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned…”

    We would do well to study all of the Gospel and what Christ Jesus, our Lord, has commanded His servants, those saved by the Blood of the Cross and sent into all the world as witness of God’s compassionate love for sinners like us.

    Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

    13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

    Dr. Luke, historian recording his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles from the first hand testimonies of Peter and the Apostles probably records this with the most details:

    Luke 24: 

    Jesus Appears to His Disciples

    36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

    37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

    38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

    40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

    44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

    Here is a lesson in Scripture from our risen Lord I would have liked to have heard.

    Trust that Luke and the other scribes of the Gospel have accurately recorded much of this as part of what we have read from the life of Jesus Christ prior to the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

    45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

    48 You are witnesses of these things.

    One witness betrayed, then hung himself. Condemned to Hell, Judas was not present for these commands.

    One witness to the dark night of Jesus’ trial did not flee, but remained near enough to have denied Jesus as His lord three times. John is witness of Jesus forgiving Peter, before sending Peter to follow in His way to the Cross.

    thomasOne witness had to place his hand in the wounds of the resurrected body of Jesus.

    But we would not have been any less skeptical than Thomas, who was also later martyred for His witness of these things.

     

    Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.

    And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

  • Am I the One?

    Am I the One?

    The Plot to Kill Jesus

    ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’

    In the evening, Jesus arrived with his twelve disciples. [from the Gospel of Matthew]

    Jesus has cleansed the Temple, clearing its courts of the money-changers and sinners selling the sacrifice of God for a price of no heavenly value. Now Jesus will cleanse the disciples, in preparation for the sharing of the meal of the Passover.

    Jesus IS the servant. His Disciples are being prepared for their exodus from Jerusalem and journey into all the world to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. And like usual, they don’t even know it. Although they have been with Jesus for worship, prayer, meals, miracles and sermons for three years, they are clueless.  Aren’t we, who ‘go to church’ just like them sometimes?

    John 13:8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

    Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

    9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

    10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said,“You are not all clean.”

    Peter: quick to speak, quick to act, sometimes right, often clueless… like some of us who are bold in our faith, but don’t quite get it when we do not look to what the Lord wants for us to do (or to say or not say).

    Are YOU clean at the Table of our Lord?

    We will return to the scene of this First Holy Communion in a moment, but first, in keeping with our theme of the cluelessness of some followers of Christ (with no intention to betray our Lord), let’s look in on an after-dinner conversation.

    Luke 22:24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you.

    Does this sound familiar? Remember after their witness of Jesus transfiguration how James and John had asked to sit on Jesus’ right and left in His Kingdom? And how the other Disciples became angry at James and John for this? Yet Jesus rebuked them all and told them how this was not in His authority to grant.

    Jesus is with them, in a family meal. And here they are doing things like arguing and bickering. (If this was our table, they would probably ‘share’ their opinions with their ‘friends’ and ‘tweet’ their position to the world.)

    OH, JESUS?  Were You saying something?

    (Sorry, I got distracted.)

    It’s just a ‘family dinner,’ right? Just an ordinary every-day thing, right? I know Jesus and what He wants for me, right?

    OH, JESUS? What was that you said during the toast… that part before one of us is a devil who will betray you?

    (I would NEVER do that.)

     Mark 14:

    Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

    19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?”

    Have you ever been BETRAYED?

    I have…

    I think you have, too. Most of us have been betrayed by someone we love.

    And who betrays us? It is not those for whom we have no love, for they only betray their own.

    It is only the ones nearest to our love who can wound us mortally with the kiss of betrayal.

    Judas was a Disciple, a ‘follower.’ He was one Jesus loved, though the Lord knew who would betray Him. Yet the sin of Judas was against God our Father. This is why after David confessed his sin of adultery and came before God in complete repentance and acceptance of whatever punishment God our Father would impose on him that David said:

    Psalm 51:

    Against You, You only, have I sinned,
    And done this evil in Your sight—
    That You may be found just when You speak,
    And blameless when You judge.

    GOD will judge you! This is why you must be cleansed in the Blood of Christ Jesus. It is only by His grace that we are redeemed and saved from the Pit of Hell, the place of eternal darkness and the punishment we so justly deserve.

     John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

    Do you understand the seriousness of your adultery against the Bridegroom of the Church? Is your sin against the Blood of your Savior?

    If you have never fully understood the apostasy of Judas, look to how you who once walked with Jesus Christ (and called Him ‘Lord’) have turned away from the narrow path of His love, mercy and grace. Sometimes called ‘backsliding,’ often noted as ‘rebellion,’ apostasy is always a turning away from GOD as your Lord.

    Eleven Apostles at the Communion Table with Christ Jesus would betray their ‘Lord’ by word and deed, then later repent and witness forever to His faithfulness.

    One Apostle would turn against His ‘Lord,’ repent too late, hang himself after Jesus Crucifixion and be condemned for eternity to his just reward of Hell!

    Judas said he was a christian, but Judas had never given his soul to Jesus as his Lord.

    Mark 14 NKJV:

    20 He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

    Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

    22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said,

    “Take, eat; this is My body.”

    23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them,

     “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

    25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

    26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

    You have been part of the family and followers of Christ Jesus.

    You have shared in Communion of the Broken Bread of His Body and drunk the Blood of Jesus shed for your sins on the Cross.

    Yet not every one who says, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

    Do you, dear believer, do the will of Jesus, our Lord and Savior?

    For He will he look at one who did not truly worship Him and say, “I never knew you.”

    IF you do not repent, while it is yet today; IF you continue to harden your heart against the Lord, Christ Jesus: what will be HIS answer to you when you ask:

    ‘Am I the one?’