My Best Friend

Matthew 26:50

And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

As I think on this scripture this morning it makes me humble. So many times I have looked at Judas as a horrible Benedict Arnold. He betrayed Jesus!  Not only did he betray Jesus, but he did it with a kiss. He actually kissed the face of God with evil in his heart. We know what happened with Judas also. He hanged himself. 

But what makes me humble and broken about this message is the fact of how Jesus greeted him. Jesus knew why Judas had come!  He knew who it was that would betray him. He told them in great detail at the supper so that Judas was revealed. Jesus knew when he was walking toward him with his lips drawn together and before they touched his face why Judas was there. But look at what He said to him..."Friend, wherefore art thou come?"  Oh, the message in this today!

Jesus knowing who Judas was, greeted him with the term friend. How can this be? God hates sin! But God LOVES the sinner much more!  Even though Judas never repented of his sins and took his own life, because scripture says he repented of himself and not to God, that doesn't mean he didn't have an opportunity. He had a friend, His name is Jesus.

Through all my failures and sin, Jesus has remained my friend. Although I've not been the greatest friend to Him, He's always been my best friend.  No matter what you've done, you can have a friendship with Jesus. Is He your best friend?

The Legend of Faith

Luke 17:5

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

In the 1980's a video game system came out called Nintendo. I remember when my buddy up the road got the first system. There was such hype about it. We would stay up all night long playing games like Super Mario Brothers, Excitebike, and others. But I remember one game very well. It was called, "The Legend of Zelda". It was a fantasy game where you had to rescue the princess. This was, and still is, my favorite game of all. 

In this game you could build your weaponry and strength. You had to fight different levels with different bosses at the end of each level. At some levels you couldn't even open the doors to get to the bosses unless you had reached a certain status in your arsenal. I can remember having to buy arrows, potions, and food. I remember mostly having to build your shield strength by purchasing a greater shield. But if you fought a certain enemy it could actually eat your shield and you would have to save more money to purchase the bigger one again. I had to do this so many times!  Grrrrr!

Well as I read today's scripture it takes me back to that little television, playing that crazy game. So many times I allow the enemy to attack my faith. At times even trying to swallow it up. But I'm so glad I don't have to save up for a greater shield. The payment for my faith has already been paid!  I don't pay up, but I pray up!  

Dear Jesus, please increase my shield of faith. When the enemy tries to devour me, remind me that he must go through you. When he tries to steal my faith, remind me that it's your blood that paid for it. I know perfectly that it's not a game when dealing with faith, but thank you Lord for teaching me lessons in the smallest things. I love you!

Oh, I See

Luke 24:24-25

And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

"I'll believe it when I see it..."  Have you ever heard that?  How many times do we need to see something in order to believe?  If I said I had a good coin in my pocket, how quick would you ask to see it?  

The Bible teaches that seeing it isn't faith. 

Romans 8:24

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

WE SHOULD BELIEVE...

  - That He is Christ

  - That He was Dead

  - That He is Alive!

These men that saw Jesus couldn't believe their eyes. They had just seen Jesus crucified and buried. They had lingered around for days after and heard the women say that he had risen. They listened to the stories about the angels they saw at the grave. But yet they believed not. They needed more for some reason. 

Then Jesus appeared unto them and finally revealed himself and they believed. But as they told others...the people they told didn't believe. Jesus then appeared unto them. He said, "Touch me and see". Then they believed. 

You may say I'll trust Jesus and believe in Him when I can see Him. Well look at me!  (No I'm not Jesus). I am saying look at what happened in my life. Look at how I was dead in my sins, but am now very much alive through Jesus. I was a drunken teenager without hope in my lost condition and now a child of The King!  I was broken and now I'm fixed. All because I believe He is the Son of God. I believe He was crucified and died on the cross for my sins. I believe He is now alive forevermore and I will live because of His resurrection. 

I never saw Him like the apostles. I never touched Him like those men that day. But I believe! 

Amazing Grace how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now I'm found,

Was blind but now I see.

Playing in Tune

Psalms 37:4

Delight thyself also in the Lord;

and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

I love playing musical instruments. There is great peace in just strumming a guitar or sitting down at a piano and playing. It's just relaxing. Even listening to music is soothing and takes you away. But something can happen at times. We could be playing and then all of the sudden a wrong note is struck and it makes it sound so bad. Or you could be driving down the road, listening to the radio, and the service just turns into static. Nothing is worse than this!  Your favorite song is playing on satellite radio, the windows are down, everything is going your way, and then it happens...boom, nothing. 

You see, God's word tells us that our relationship with Him is like sweet music to our soul. Our hearts beat to the same rhythm. Our desires are His desires for us. Our delight is actually His delight for us. We become so tuned into the will of God that it's like music to us. There is peace, joy, love and contentment in this sweet music.

But then it happens, a distraction for selfish desires or a demand of something you think you should have, and the music stops. The wrong note has been struck. The satellite feed becomes blocked. All because of our hearts desire. 

That seems to be an attitude among people (Christians) today. We have this sense of demand toward our Heavenly Father. Too many are wrapped up into what they want. Selfish desires of the heart seem to be priority. 

Pray today that we will be in tune with Jesus. Pray that nothing you desire gets in the way of what God desires for you. Stay in tune! 

Come Back Around Rejoicing

Luke 15:9

And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.

I was running this morning, and at a mile in and I saw a penny on the ground. I told myself I would pick it up on the return (even though it was not on the return). But when I came back through that way I couldn't find it. My eyes were scanning every area I thought I was at when I saw it. But I had to keep running, I couldn't stop. So in my mind I was thinking, "I should have picked it up when I first saw it, I will probably never find it now". 

By this time, my heart rate was up even greater because God started teaching me a lesson. I found myself thinking about that penny the whole time I was trying to finish my run. I was second guessing myself if I had actually seen it there in that particular spot or not.  It was almost a worry if I would find it or not. (I know that you must think that I'm crazy)  

Scanning, scanning and more scanning. I would look at my watch and think, "I can run pass there one more time before I finish". So I told myself that I would look harder this time. So as I approached the area where I thought it was the search began again. My heart pounding because of the run and anxiety of the search. Then it caught my eye... I FOUND IT!  Immediately I looked at my running watch. As I approached the penny, my watch turned over and the run was now completed. I stooped down an picked it up, relieved that I found it and excited that my run was finished. 

What if the penny had no value? In a previous devotion, God dealt with me about the value of a penny.  (Many people think they don't have any value)  But in this devotion God dealt with me about the search and rejoicing. What if I had decided not to come searching again? How many times do we pass a life everyday and not see its value? Are you willing to come back around?  

  - Pray today that God first moves on your heart and causes you to be 

    concerned and broken about the value of a soul. 

  - Pray that God gives you the eyes to see them in their condition. 

  - Pray that as you run your race in life, you don't forget to pick up that soul 

    and bring them to Jesus. 

If you live this way, will you rejoice with me today?  Hallelujah!

Clearly Visible

Romans 12:9

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

There are three clear and visible things found in this scripture...

First of all it tells us that love should be without concealment. It should be visible and evident in the life of a Christian. Love is how we are known for being a follower of Jesus. He told us that they would know you by the love you have for one another. We should show the Love of God to all we come in contact with. 

Second, we should abhor that which is evil. The word abhor means, to regard with disgust and hatred. A child of God should hate sin and it's destruction it could do in our lives. Too many Christians today are playing with sin as someone who plays with a snake. Any snake handler (which to me must be crazy) will tell you that when you lose the fear and awareness of what the snake is capable of doing, then you shouldn't be around them anymore. Christians have lost sight of the damaging effects of sin and its destruction it can do. We are told to stay away from evil, to abhor it!

Third, we should cleave to that which is good. Good in this scripture means that which is holy and right in God's sight. We should hold onto that which is good, knowing it is from God.  Knowing that it is for our benefit and growth. 

God tells us these simple truths and maybe we should write them down today on a small piece of paper. Place it in our pockets and study it throughout the day. 

  - Show the Love of God Clearly

  - Hate Sin (not sinner) and its Destructing Power

  - Hold on to the Good Things that God Sends Our Way

Pep Rally

Mark 9:38-39

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

At the microphone our beloved student leader would stand and point to the seventh graders and make his way across the whole assembly doing the Roll, Jordan, Roll wave. The band would be playing and the cheerleaders would be chanting their cheers. "2 bits, 4 bits, 6 bits, a dollar, all for Jordan, stand up and holler..."  Then as the band played we would sing Roll Jordan Roll... 

Then the greatest time of the pep rally came when we would compete with the the "other side". As a seventh grader it was us junior high students against the varsity students. We would scream at the top of our lungs... "We've got spirit yes we do, we've got spirit how bout' you?"  The scene didn't change as we grew older. I can still remember being in the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade scream at the junior high students. 

You know many people do that today in Christianity. They stand on their side of the guitar and shout that their worship is the best. While the others stand on their side of the piano and declare theirs is the way. We are so quick to pick and choose. So quick to forbid people, when Jesus says let them alone. Let every man's work be tried by Christ. 

So stop trying to keep tabs. Stop trying to compete or forbid. Follow Jesus. Serve Jesus. Preach Jesus. And realize that if someone else has Jesus there is no possible way you could have more of Him. He's the same forever and for every one.