# 698 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:29 Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be." 30 Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." 31 But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all said likewise.”
Good old brash Peter! Even if everyone else scatters Lord, don't you worry I will never leave You! I will die with You if I have to! Have you learned the lesson of “never” from Peter yet?
I know it took some hard knocks in my own Christian life to learn it. Here's the lesson: “Never say never!” I learned it while the Lord was dealing with my temper.
Oh, the times I would lose my temper in front of my wife and my children. It would always end up as a very embarrassing moment. Thankfully, I never struck anyone or even threatened to strike anyone, no one ever got hurt except maybe me when I would attempt to put my hand through a wall. But just losing one's temper, no matter how it is expressed, leaves scars. That's what sin does. It leaves scars.
May I just say here that if you struggle with anger....get help. Ask your pastor about some good anger management programs that are out there and avail yourself of them.
At the end of these embarrassing moments for myself, (and fear filled moments for my family,) I would literally go somewhere and cool off by getting on my knees and asking the Lord to forgive me, and then I would go to my family and do the same. Then I would solemnly swear to myself, “I'll never let that happen again!” Only to fail again in the near future.
No matter the sin you are struggling with, learn to “never say never” folks. It puts too much emphasis on your flesh and your flesh will fail you every single time. Rather, learn to lean on the Lord, and ask Him for deliverance from “never again” behaviors.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Leaving Jesus Behind In the Deadly Box
# 696 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:27 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.' 28 "But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."
The word “stumble” here carries with it the idea of a trap. A crude trap that has bait on a stick and when you go for the bait, the box falls on you and you're trapped. The idea is the suddenness of the springing of the trap. None of the disciples will be prepared for their reaction when the trap is sprung. They will react as any animal would.....scatter....leaving Jesus behind in the deadly box.
This is an amazing prophecy from Jesus for the eleven. He knew of the trap, (the plans of men to arrest Him,) and certainly could not be caught in such a trap if He chose, but He willingly allows Himself to be caught! Joh 10:17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”
This prophecy alone should be mind-boggling to the disciples, but there's more! He tells them that the Scriptures even speak of their scurrying off when the trap is sprung!
But best of all He promises them that in spite of His being caught in this deadly trap, and in spite of their abandonment, He looks forward to overcoming death, being released from the box and being together with them again in Galilee!
Father, thank You again for this sure prophetic Word, may it be a source of encouragement for all who hear it today.
The word “stumble” here carries with it the idea of a trap. A crude trap that has bait on a stick and when you go for the bait, the box falls on you and you're trapped. The idea is the suddenness of the springing of the trap. None of the disciples will be prepared for their reaction when the trap is sprung. They will react as any animal would.....scatter....leaving Jesus behind in the deadly box.
This is an amazing prophecy from Jesus for the eleven. He knew of the trap, (the plans of men to arrest Him,) and certainly could not be caught in such a trap if He chose, but He willingly allows Himself to be caught! Joh 10:17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”
This prophecy alone should be mind-boggling to the disciples, but there's more! He tells them that the Scriptures even speak of their scurrying off when the trap is sprung!
But best of all He promises them that in spite of His being caught in this deadly trap, and in spite of their abandonment, He looks forward to overcoming death, being released from the box and being together with them again in Galilee!
Father, thank You again for this sure prophetic Word, may it be a source of encouragement for all who hear it today.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
In Heaven There Is No Beer
# 696 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:25 "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.
The polka band raucously sings, “In heaven there is no beer,” I think that's a pretty sound theological statement. (Although it is no excuse to drink it excessively while we live here on earth.)
But Jesus says here that there will be wine. Do we take Him literally or figuratively?
I don't know, I haven't been there yet, but I hope to find out! One thing I do know, if it is literal wine, it will make the most expensive bottle of French wine seem like Ripple. It will be beverage without flaw. (As will be all things in heaven.”)
But let's not miss the real point here. The point is Jesus is helping His disciples look forward to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The miracle at Cana should help us understand that weddings and wine are inseparable, because they foreshadow the second coming of Christ.
Jesus has been away preparing a mansion for His betrothed bride, and when He comes to fetch us, the eternal feast begins. All believers will be at table with Him, that is, in perfect fellowship with Him, and in perfect merriment for eternity.
Wine or no wine, what could be better than that?
Father, how we look forward to that day when Jesus will come and restore all things to perfection. Help us to endure until that Day.
The polka band raucously sings, “In heaven there is no beer,” I think that's a pretty sound theological statement. (Although it is no excuse to drink it excessively while we live here on earth.)
But Jesus says here that there will be wine. Do we take Him literally or figuratively?
I don't know, I haven't been there yet, but I hope to find out! One thing I do know, if it is literal wine, it will make the most expensive bottle of French wine seem like Ripple. It will be beverage without flaw. (As will be all things in heaven.”)
But let's not miss the real point here. The point is Jesus is helping His disciples look forward to the wedding feast of the Lamb. The miracle at Cana should help us understand that weddings and wine are inseparable, because they foreshadow the second coming of Christ.
Jesus has been away preparing a mansion for His betrothed bride, and when He comes to fetch us, the eternal feast begins. All believers will be at table with Him, that is, in perfect fellowship with Him, and in perfect merriment for eternity.
Wine or no wine, what could be better than that?
Father, how we look forward to that day when Jesus will come and restore all things to perfection. Help us to endure until that Day.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
We Should Call It the First Supper
# 694 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:23 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.
The phrase, “then He took the cup,” connects His preceding act of blessing the bread with this new act of blessing the cup. Both acts were new and foreign to the disciples. And just as Jesus did something miraculous with the bread, (causing it to become His body) He now does something special to the wine in the cup. It becomes His blood. (What part of “This is” don't we understand?)
This consecrated bread and wine have become the body and blood of Jesus, which is the basis of God's New Covenant with His people. Whereas the Old covenant used the body and blood of animals to seal God's promise of forgiveness and redemption, the New Covenant uses the once for all sacrifice of the Body and pouring out of the Blood of Jesus. (The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
He then distributes His Body and Blood to His disciples (the church) and asks them to continue to distribute it until He comes again. (Do this often in remembrance of Me)
Because of this blessing by Jesus, this same Body and Blood is present wherever the Lords Supper is celebrated, and will be until our Lord returns. But how is that possible?
I don't know, how was it possible for Him to keep on distributing food to the 5000? How was it possible for Him to turn water into wine at the wedding in Cana?
Wine does not remit sins, only the blood of Jesus can accomplish this. And remission of sins is promised in Mt 26:28! "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
We refer to this meal as “The Last Supper.” But you know what? I think we should call it “The First Supper” because it began this night and will continue wherever Christians gather until He comes again!
Listen to what Jesus had to say concerning His flesh and blood in Joh 6:53-55, “Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
This is why Christians everywhere celebrate this meal to this day! Read v55 again. What is He saying? He is saying that His flesh is bread indeed, and His blood is wine indeed. When did this miracle happen?
It happened on this night in which He was betrayed, and continues to happen within the parameters of this meal until He returns. That's why He commanded His church to “Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Cor 11:25) and why He adds in 1 Cor 11:27, “ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
He didn't say one would become guilty of the bread and wine of the Lord, he said “The Body and Blood of the Lord.” This IS His Body! This IS His Blood!
Father, this is such a difficult concept for our minds to grasp, but help us to grab onto these words through faith. Give us a holy hunger for what is promised to us in this Holy meal, namely the forgiveness of sins. Let us not try to figure it out, but just receive it as hungrily as the 5000 received the blessed bread and fish, and let us then leave the table with confident and thankful hearts, knowing that our sins have been remitted.
The phrase, “then He took the cup,” connects His preceding act of blessing the bread with this new act of blessing the cup. Both acts were new and foreign to the disciples. And just as Jesus did something miraculous with the bread, (causing it to become His body) He now does something special to the wine in the cup. It becomes His blood. (What part of “This is” don't we understand?)
This consecrated bread and wine have become the body and blood of Jesus, which is the basis of God's New Covenant with His people. Whereas the Old covenant used the body and blood of animals to seal God's promise of forgiveness and redemption, the New Covenant uses the once for all sacrifice of the Body and pouring out of the Blood of Jesus. (The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
He then distributes His Body and Blood to His disciples (the church) and asks them to continue to distribute it until He comes again. (Do this often in remembrance of Me)
Because of this blessing by Jesus, this same Body and Blood is present wherever the Lords Supper is celebrated, and will be until our Lord returns. But how is that possible?
I don't know, how was it possible for Him to keep on distributing food to the 5000? How was it possible for Him to turn water into wine at the wedding in Cana?
Wine does not remit sins, only the blood of Jesus can accomplish this. And remission of sins is promised in Mt 26:28! "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
We refer to this meal as “The Last Supper.” But you know what? I think we should call it “The First Supper” because it began this night and will continue wherever Christians gather until He comes again!
Listen to what Jesus had to say concerning His flesh and blood in Joh 6:53-55, “Most assuredly, 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 eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
This is why Christians everywhere celebrate this meal to this day! Read v55 again. What is He saying? He is saying that His flesh is bread indeed, and His blood is wine indeed. When did this miracle happen?
It happened on this night in which He was betrayed, and continues to happen within the parameters of this meal until He returns. That's why He commanded His church to “Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (1 Cor 11:25) and why He adds in 1 Cor 11:27, “ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
He didn't say one would become guilty of the bread and wine of the Lord, he said “The Body and Blood of the Lord.” This IS His Body! This IS His Blood!
Father, this is such a difficult concept for our minds to grasp, but help us to grab onto these words through faith. Give us a holy hunger for what is promised to us in this Holy meal, namely the forgiveness of sins. Let us not try to figure it out, but just receive it as hungrily as the 5000 received the blessed bread and fish, and let us then leave the table with confident and thankful hearts, knowing that our sins have been remitted.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Drunkenness; Beware of Strong Drink
# 693 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:23 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.
Wine was a major part of the Passover meal. It was used 4 or 5 times during the ceremony. Now Jesus lifts the cup another time and prays a similar blessing over the wine that He had prayed over the bread.
Something special was about to take place with the wine, just as it had taken place with the bread.
By the way, this WAS wine. It had been fermented and contained alcohol. But it was not your mamas glass of wine. It had about the same kick as a glass of grape juice.
The wine used at Passover was mixed with three parts water. Anything less than that ratio of mixture in biblical times was considered “strong drink,” and strong drink could lead to drunkenness.
With this diluted mixture of water and wine, and the 4 or 5 cups that were part of the ceremony, there was no chance of getting tipsy.
By the way, this explains Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding of Cana. He was not putting His stamp of approval on getting blasted. You can be sure he did not make “strong drink” but He made a good drink, one that was exceptionally tasty even with the watered down mixture.
We could all learn from this in our alcohol crazy society. Stay away from strong drink. Prov 20:1 says: “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”
Father, help us to overcome our love affair with “strong drink.” Let us learn to get high on thy Holy Spirit. As Your Word says: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,” (Eph 5:18)
Wine was a major part of the Passover meal. It was used 4 or 5 times during the ceremony. Now Jesus lifts the cup another time and prays a similar blessing over the wine that He had prayed over the bread.
Something special was about to take place with the wine, just as it had taken place with the bread.
By the way, this WAS wine. It had been fermented and contained alcohol. But it was not your mamas glass of wine. It had about the same kick as a glass of grape juice.
The wine used at Passover was mixed with three parts water. Anything less than that ratio of mixture in biblical times was considered “strong drink,” and strong drink could lead to drunkenness.
With this diluted mixture of water and wine, and the 4 or 5 cups that were part of the ceremony, there was no chance of getting tipsy.
By the way, this explains Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding of Cana. He was not putting His stamp of approval on getting blasted. You can be sure he did not make “strong drink” but He made a good drink, one that was exceptionally tasty even with the watered down mixture.
We could all learn from this in our alcohol crazy society. Stay away from strong drink. Prov 20:1 says: “Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.”
Father, help us to overcome our love affair with “strong drink.” Let us learn to get high on thy Holy Spirit. As Your Word says: “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,” (Eph 5:18)
Thursday, February 16, 2012
An Endless Giving of His Body
# 693 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:22 “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."
“As they were eating.” As they were eating what? As they were eating the Passover meal. The Passover meal had many required parts to it. All of these parts were designed to remind the Old Testament church of God's past deliverance, and they pointed to His future deliverance through the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world....namely Jesus.
And so here He is, on the night that HE would be betrayed, on the night before His body would be given up and His blood spilled for the sin of the world. He pauses and introduces something totally new to the meal. Just imagine the thoughts of the disciples at this time!
What are You doing Jesus? We've never done this before. Why are You taking bread, blessing it, and distributing it to us? What does this mean? This must be something very special. Has this meal not already been blessed? Why take up bread and bless it again?
The disciples thoughts likely returned to the time that Jesus fed the 5,000, and the 4,000. Both times, He prayed a blessing, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples, and they then distributed the unlimited supply of bread and fish to the crowd.
God was about to do something miraculous with this bread. And He did! He said, “From now on, this bread is My body given for you. And just as the 5000 feasted and were satisfied with their meal, so we too have been spiritually fed and satisfied as often as we partake of this meal in remembrance of Him.
Here's a question for you. How many people do you think Jesus would've been able to feed, when He fed the 5000? Do you think He maybe would've run out at 5,001? 10,000? A million?
How many have tasted of the Lord's Table since this night of His passion? Untold millions, and, as many as will come, will continue tasting of it's mystical power until He comes again!
When I partake of the Lord's Supper, I like to put myself in the crowd of the 5000. They were physically hungry, I am spiritually hungry. I eagerly anticipate receiving His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of my sins.
And when I leave the table, I try to put myself in the shoes of the 5000 as well. Perfectly fed, fully satisfied. Thankful that my sins have been forgiven and washed away by His blood.
“As they were eating.” As they were eating what? As they were eating the Passover meal. The Passover meal had many required parts to it. All of these parts were designed to remind the Old Testament church of God's past deliverance, and they pointed to His future deliverance through the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world....namely Jesus.
And so here He is, on the night that HE would be betrayed, on the night before His body would be given up and His blood spilled for the sin of the world. He pauses and introduces something totally new to the meal. Just imagine the thoughts of the disciples at this time!
What are You doing Jesus? We've never done this before. Why are You taking bread, blessing it, and distributing it to us? What does this mean? This must be something very special. Has this meal not already been blessed? Why take up bread and bless it again?
The disciples thoughts likely returned to the time that Jesus fed the 5,000, and the 4,000. Both times, He prayed a blessing, broke the bread and gave it to His disciples, and they then distributed the unlimited supply of bread and fish to the crowd.
God was about to do something miraculous with this bread. And He did! He said, “From now on, this bread is My body given for you. And just as the 5000 feasted and were satisfied with their meal, so we too have been spiritually fed and satisfied as often as we partake of this meal in remembrance of Him.
Here's a question for you. How many people do you think Jesus would've been able to feed, when He fed the 5000? Do you think He maybe would've run out at 5,001? 10,000? A million?
How many have tasted of the Lord's Table since this night of His passion? Untold millions, and, as many as will come, will continue tasting of it's mystical power until He comes again!
When I partake of the Lord's Supper, I like to put myself in the crowd of the 5000. They were physically hungry, I am spiritually hungry. I eagerly anticipate receiving His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of my sins.
And when I leave the table, I try to put myself in the shoes of the 5000 as well. Perfectly fed, fully satisfied. Thankful that my sins have been forgiven and washed away by His blood.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Necessity of Godly Sorrow (Repentance)
# 692 Today's Du-votional comes from: Mr 14:21 "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, must travel this path of agony because that's the way God wrote the script. But woe to Judas. Jesus sees and knows the end of Judas. He sees and knows that Judas will be remorseful over his act of betrayal, and sadly He sees that Judas will not understand that even this act of betrayal is a forgivable sin.
Make no mistake about it, Judas is in hell. In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Judas as the “son of perdition,” which means he belongs to the damned.
Here's the problem for Judas. He had sorrow over his sin, but he did not have godly sorrow. Godly sorrow, simply put, is admitting that your actions have offended a holy God!
It's this kind of sorrow that led to David's restoration with God after his sin with Bathsheba. He confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord!” It is this admission that opens the door to God's healing grace and forgiveness.
Until David made that confession, we read in the psalms that his actions with Bathseba and the murder of her husband really bothered him. Ps 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.
But his focus was on the people he had offended. He forgot that sin is an offense against God! Likewise Judas viewed his act of betrayal as a sin that resulted in harm to another, but he never made the connection that he had sinned against God.
Since he never got to that point, he could not grasp the idea that God could and would forgive him. So you see, the only unforgivable sin is the outright rejection of God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Are you struggling with uncertainty about forgiveness? Many times the post-abortive man or woman fall into this trap of having sorrow over what they did to their unborn baby, but not realizing that the real issue is they have offended a holy God. A holy God who is also a loving God and yearns to forgive and heal them, but relief will not come to them until they join David in his confession. “I have sinned against the Lord.”
I have used the sin of abortion as an example, but this admission applies for every sin in our lives.
It's true that when we sin, we let others down, but until we realize that we have let God down, true forgiveness and healing will escape us.
Beloved, we do not have to end up like Judas. There is no sin that God will not forgive. No sin that Jesus did not pay for. And the starting point of forgiveness is that confession to God, that it is against Him that we have sinned.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus, must travel this path of agony because that's the way God wrote the script. But woe to Judas. Jesus sees and knows the end of Judas. He sees and knows that Judas will be remorseful over his act of betrayal, and sadly He sees that Judas will not understand that even this act of betrayal is a forgivable sin.
Make no mistake about it, Judas is in hell. In the Gospel of John Jesus refers to Judas as the “son of perdition,” which means he belongs to the damned.
Here's the problem for Judas. He had sorrow over his sin, but he did not have godly sorrow. Godly sorrow, simply put, is admitting that your actions have offended a holy God!
It's this kind of sorrow that led to David's restoration with God after his sin with Bathsheba. He confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord!” It is this admission that opens the door to God's healing grace and forgiveness.
Until David made that confession, we read in the psalms that his actions with Bathseba and the murder of her husband really bothered him. Ps 38:3 There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.
But his focus was on the people he had offended. He forgot that sin is an offense against God! Likewise Judas viewed his act of betrayal as a sin that resulted in harm to another, but he never made the connection that he had sinned against God.
Since he never got to that point, he could not grasp the idea that God could and would forgive him. So you see, the only unforgivable sin is the outright rejection of God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Are you struggling with uncertainty about forgiveness? Many times the post-abortive man or woman fall into this trap of having sorrow over what they did to their unborn baby, but not realizing that the real issue is they have offended a holy God. A holy God who is also a loving God and yearns to forgive and heal them, but relief will not come to them until they join David in his confession. “I have sinned against the Lord.”
I have used the sin of abortion as an example, but this admission applies for every sin in our lives.
It's true that when we sin, we let others down, but until we realize that we have let God down, true forgiveness and healing will escape us.
Beloved, we do not have to end up like Judas. There is no sin that God will not forgive. No sin that Jesus did not pay for. And the starting point of forgiveness is that confession to God, that it is against Him that we have sinned.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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