12-26-22 Today in the Word

Betrayed and Denied Monday, December 26 | Luke 22:1–38 Are you willing to take a stand for Christ? As our culture leans further away from God and the Bible, living our faith boldly becomes harder, and perhaps even more important. For Jesus’ disciples, the time had come for them to take a stand. Luke 22 records their preparations for the Passover meal. Everything happened just as Jesus said it would (vv. 7–13). At the table, Jesus spoke with great emotion about His approaching suffering and death. Then, He served the bread, making of it a fresh symbol—His body, broken on their behalf. The cup, too, was given new meanin —His blood, shed for them for the forgiveness of sins (vv. 14–20). But the biggest surprise was when Jesus announced that His betrayer was present (v. 21). The disciples responded with confusion. Who could it be? At the same time, they began a petty debate over who would be the greatest among them (v. 24). Even while Jesus faced betrayal by someone in their midst, they were concerned about their own glory in the future kingdom of God. With unparalleled patience, Jesus reminded them that He had taught them to be different from the world. He did not call them to rule; He called them to serve. And in an act of grace, He still promised them a future place of prominence by His side. In verse 31, Jesus spoke directly to Peter. Satan had asked to test Peter, much like He had with Job. Jesus predicted Peter’s fall and restoration and promised His own prayers of intercession. Peter was taken aback by this information. He denied his own ability to waver and declared complete allegiance. But Jesus knew Peter even better than Peter did. He would deny Jesus not just once, but three times. >> There may be times when you will be tempted to deny or downplay the gospel or your allegiance to Jesus Christ. In our daily prayer time, we can ask God for boldness to speak the truth and to stand for Him no matter what. Pray with Us Lord God, whether we face ridicule or physical danger, we are sometimes tempted to distance ourselves from You. Forgive us for fearing man more than God. Strengthen our faith and boldness in proclaiming our allegiance.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more