Good morning to all from Bainbridge Georgia. Waine and I have spent the weekend in Middle Georgia while I covered a pediatric practice. Previously the best hotel here was the Days Inn but the new Holiday Inn Express was completed so we were able to luxuriate in a 1 bedroom suite. They have this new contraption --a motion sensor fan in the bathroom! Every time you walk by the bathroom the fan comes on which is quite annoying. Why would anyone think that was a good idea? Waine and I head off to Jamaica next week so keep us in your prayers. Continue to keep ET and his family in your prayers as he starts chemo-therapy tomorrow. Prayer is healing and is good always!
I am continuing my journey in Matthew verses 47-68, "While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the Man; arrest Him. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested Him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way? At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture Me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest Me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
Those who had arrested Jesus took Him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put Him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, "This Fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are You not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against You? But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to Him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered. Then they spit in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?" May the Lord add a blessing to the reading of His Holy Word, Amen and Amen!
What was Judas and the High Priests afraid of that they would have to make up lies to kill Jesus? What were they trying to protect? How did they allow themselves to be used by Satan in this manner? Judas walked and lived with Jesus for three years. He witnessed the miracles; he saw the dead rise; he saw the multitudes fed; he saw the sick healed; more importantly Judas experienced the love of Jesus and still focused on the wrong thing. Judas never saw Jesus through spirit filled eyes!
This let's you know how Satan works. Satan convinces you that the very thing that will save your life is not good for you. Satan looks for the person who is "seeking" truth and believes in his own powers of reason to find the truth. This type of reasoning will trip you up. The measuring stick of moral people is flawed--we can not measure the love and power of God through our moral eyes. We have to see God and experience God through our spiritual eyes. When you rely on your own reasoning you become like Judas--someone that is able to be convinced that Jesus was just a "good man"; a good teacher; a man like Buddha or Siva. You may even be convinced that there are many paths to God and that your job is to live a good life. You would be wrong. As Christ said, The scriptures and prophets have to be fulfilled and the scriptures say that Jesus is the only path to God and all that want to see God's face must be covered by the "blood of the lamb".
Buddha was born, lived and died. Mohammad was born, lived and died. John the Baptist was born, lived and died. Elijah was born, lived and died. Jesus was born, lived, died,,,,,,,,,,, and rose again to live at the right hand of God! Hallelujah! He rose again so that you and I might see the face of God. Moral people will live and die and never see the face of God. Christians will see the face of God not because of our works or deeds, not because we are worthy but because we have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Jesus indeed is the Christ, the Son of God who instead of calling on the Legion of Angles to rescue Him, willingly sacraficed Himself that all of us could be "passed over" by the Angel of Death. We will live forever with the God who loves us because we confessed with our mouths and lives that Jesus is Lord. Do not be fooled by Satan. There is only one God and the path to Him is His Son Jesus the Christ who takes away the sins of the world. He was not worthy of death but died so that we could live. Have you ever sacrificed to that level? Died to yourself so that a higher good could live. When we resist temptation and the Devil flees from us, we are dying to our selfish nature so that a higher good can live. With the Power of the Holy Spirit, we can all be like Jesus and die to our selfish nature daily so that a higher good can come forward. I love you in Jesus name, amen and amen.
Stephanie
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