June 10, 2012 Betrayed

Betrayal Mark 14:10-11 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. “BETRAYAL” is a terrible sin, isn’t it? If you want to hurt someone, betray their trust in you. They’ll harbor hard feelings against you for a very long time, perhaps for the rest of their lives. Betrayal is so hard to forgive. Why do people betray those who love them? Why would Judas betray Jesus? Perhaps the simplest answer was Judas’ greed. He bartered his rabbi’s life for 33 pieces of silver. Or maybe he thought Jesus was blaspheming—betraying—God and deserved death. Maybe he was disappointed that Jesus had failed to take military action to overthrow Rome. Regardless of his reasons, he betrayed Jesus for his own reason. He had no regard for anyone else. That’s the way betrayal works. Someone becomes motivated more about “me” than “we”. Betrayers put their own priorities above the relationship. We may feel superior or inadequate to the other, making a one-sided decision about the relationship or some aspect of the relationship. For example, a teen-aged driver betrays his parents’ trust to drive the car when he hides the truth of a speeding ticket. His main concern is “me” – that they continue to let him drive. Truth hides in the “back seat”. Honesty is relegated to “the trunk”. When dad opens “the trunk” to discover the truth, he feels betrayed. The father-son relationship suffers until forgiveness restores the relationship. Do you betray Jesus? Do you call him Lord, and then put his truths “in the trunk”? Pause and consider Jesus checks the trunk all the time. Seek his forgiveness.

June 9, 2012 Love Legacy

Love Legacy Mark 14:3-9 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. 6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” WHAT DO YOU remember most about people who have loved you? You remember how they showed their love for you. Even when romances break up, after the heartache or even anger have left your heart, you still have a place to remember how they loved you. A woman pours out her love to Jesus through the perfume. Think of her sacrifice. She had poured out a year’s income on Jesus. Perhaps she was wealthy, but if she were, she likely loved money. She found she loved her Lord more. If she were poor, she truly offered a life sacrifice. Apparently the others’ loved the money more. They berated her. But Jesus effectively said, “Stop it. She loves me. Do you?” Pause and consider your answer.

June 8, 2012 Watch!

Watch! Mark 13:30-37 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 32 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back — whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’“ IF YOU knew for certain that someone was going to come into your house to threaten your family and your life, you would be on the watch, wouldn’t you? You would prepare as thoroughly as you could to save your family, yourself and your home from destruction. You would be on the watch, posting all the latest technology and knowledge available to you to know as soon as possible when the invader is coming. In all ways possible you would be awake to recoil the destruction. Are you doing all you can to guard your soul against God’s judgment? Are you “watching” what you read, “watching” what you hear, and “watching” what you believe? Are you “watching” your heart? Are you “watching” your loved ones’ hearts to guard and strengthen them? Pause and consider you must be an alert “watcher”.

June 7, 2012 Cowards

Cowards Mark 14:1-2 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.” WHY would the priests and teachers hide their actions? What guilt and shame defiled their heart! If Jesus were such a terrible threat to the Jews and to the nation, why didn’t they publicly arrest him? Surely they had the power of Rome on their side to keep the peace. Truth is, they knew the truth, and they wanted to kill him. They knew Jesus had spoken truth in all he taught. They had no reply to his truth. They gave up trying to trick him because he made fools of them. Jesus exposed their lies and their false motives. Only one thing motivated them—their love of power. What motivates you? Are you ready to “kill” Jesus because you have no reply to his truth? Yes, you can kill Jesus by avoiding him and what he teaches. Think of lessons you learned in school long ago. Actually, you can’t, can you? You’ve forgotten much of what you learned to pass the tests and to get your diploma. You retain only the information you use. You’ve killed the other stuff by neglecting it and not using it. Jesus’ truth is what you need in your life each day. Are you feeling guilt and shame for killing Jesus? Then pray to him, and ask him to revive his truth in you, to make his truth come alive in you. Pause and consider you must keep the truth alive in you.

June 4, 2012 Jesus' Prayer Request

Jesus’ Prayer Request Mark 13:18-22 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now — and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. DO YOU see Jesus’ “prayer request” here? Or perhaps you could say Jesus is strongly encouraging the people to pray for something specific. And notice, Jesus doesn’t say to pray that God will not destroy the temple and Jerusalem. Destruction is sure. God, the Father, has declared it to the Son, and Jesus prophesies God’s sure judgment. But Jesus does say there is something that praying could change amid the sure destruction. Jesus “prayer request” is taht the judgment will not come in winter. Leading up to this, he has warned that people will flee to the mountains and hide in caves. The winter’s cold would add more misery to the horrible events. As he prophesys destruction, Jesus is also offering priestly advice to pray for some measure of comfort and care amid the destruction. The same is true for you. Jesus came as a prophet to teach the Gospel truth. He prophesys you will face God’s judgment one day. Jesus also came as a priest to save you from the Father’s sure judgment. In his death for you, he takes the Father’s judgment upon himself. When you receive him as Lord, you receive the benefits of his prophetic teaching. You also receive the benefits of his priestly sacrifice for you. Pray for protection in the impending judgment, and you will be saved. Pause and consider the power of prayer to save.

June 3, 2012 What Are You Doing/

What Are You Doing? Mark 13:15-17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! JESUS’ warning continues. His words create a darker and darker picture of the doom to come. What will the people do? Probably nothing—that’s what most people do. As I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ sternly correcting his disciples, upbraiding temple teachers and prophesying this approaching doom, I’ve spoken of the Christ’s judgments over his evil and disobedient people. What have you done? I’ll bet it’s nothing isn’t it? You’ve done absolutely nothing to change your life to more closely walk with your Lord Jesus. How do I know? It’s because that’s what most people do. I know. You tell yourself, “I’m good. Don’t worry about a thing. Keep living life as you are, going through the motions.” Guess what: you’re delusional. The Bible never talks to you that way. God the Father, Son and Spirit calls you to account. He knows sin is your nature, and you must receive Jesus to change your nature. He gives precise commandments and, calls you to a life of sacrificial cross bearing and suffering for his sake. He demands you are righteous—right with him. He tells you to resist evil and calls you to worship him, especially with other believers. Do you think you’re “good” with God? Think again. Get on your knees and ask him, “What would you have me do, Lord?” Then do what you hear him tell you. Stop doing nothing about your relationship with the Living God. Pause and consider you have something to do.

June 2, 2012 Where's the Love?

Where’s His Love? Mark 13:13-14 “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong — let the reader understand — then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” WHILE I’m looking at this scripture, I’m listening to Alan Jackson’s song “Where Were You” (When the World Stopped Turning)? The song reflects on the 9/11 twin towers’ destruction and reminds us amid the rubble that “Faith, hope and love are some good things (God) gave us, and the greatest is love.” Can you really match a God of faith, hope and love with the 9/11 tragedy? Jesus’ prophetic words here foretell Jerusalem’s destruction under God’s authority. Centuries before Jesus, God used Babylon to destroy his disobedient people and their temple. In 70 A.D., 40 years after Jesus’ words here, he used Rome – the new “Babylon” (see Revelation) to destroy his disobedient sinful people and the temple that refused to accept his Son. Rome’s soldiers murder priests and then destroy the temple. It will be a terrible, terrible time in Jerusalem. Why? Even in his love, God must judge his people’s disobedience—you must remember that. God is pure. He cannot tolerate sin. Even as he offers faith, hope and love, God ultimately will destroy the disobedient. In his love, Jesus warns his doomed people, telling them how to save themselves. That is ultimately the Gospel message—the message of “repent and be saved” comes from a loving God, who tells you how to be saved. If you do not repent of your disobedience, even in his love, God will judge you into eternal destruction. Pause and consider: you must remember that—for your sake.