When Judas approached the High Priests offering to betray Jesus for them…He basically asked them, “What’s it worth to you?” In observance of the Law, which stated in Exodus 21:32, “If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave.”…the High Priests counted out thirty pieces of silver…considering Jesus no more important than a slave.
Tag: daily encouraging devotional
Zechariah 9:9 ” Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. “
The Prophet Zechariah spoke of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday…right down to the details of what He’d be riding. And when the crowds saw Jesus, they laid their clothes on the road before Him and waved palm branches, shouting “Hosanna!” The Prophet Isaiah echoed this prophetic word in Isaiah 62:11, “The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: ‘Say to the Daughter of Zion, See, your Savior comes!’ ” The Word ties this all together as we look at the Hebrew word for salvation which is Yasa. The name Jesus is derived from this root word. The word “Hosanna” that the crowds were shouting is also directly traceable to the word Yasa. That Palm Sunday, Jesus may have entered Jerusalem seemingly as a meek and mild man…but who really rode in was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords…our Messiah and the Savior of our soul.
Psalm 122:1 ” I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ “
There is much to be said about gathering together as a Body of Believers to worship our Heavenly Father. Whether it be in a huge sanctuary, or a quaint clapboard place of worship, or the darkened confines of an underground Church …it’s a chance for all come together. But that’s not the only “house” that God lives in…for the Lord’s spirit lives within us. (I Corinthians 3:16) And Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them.” So if you think about it, we don’t need a “Church building” to have the Lord among us. We simply need to come together in His name. For when we do, God will act, according to His character and purpose, on our behalf.
I Corinthians 1:27 ” But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
God could easily use the powerful and super-intelligent to move His Kingdom forward…but He doesn’t. He could utilize those who are idolized and obsessed over…but He chooses not to. God would rather select those who the world would view as ridiculous to direct the course of redemptive history. Verses 28-29 go on to say, “He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.” God uses everyday, common, ordinary people to do extraordinary work for Him on a regular basis. He takes the nonsensical and creates the incredible. All He needs is a willing heart and spirit.
Acts 10:47 ” Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ “
Peter and the other Believers with him couldn’t dispute what they witnessed in the house of Cornelius. The Holy Spirit was super-naturally poured out on the Gentiles while Peter was still mid-sentence, telling them about Jesus. Now Peter could have questioned this…”But Lord, these people are very different from us! We don’t have anything in common with them. They’re a different race and culture from us! Are You sure You know what You’re doing?” Sometimes, as fellow-Believers, we can find ourselves asking the same questions of those we find different from us. Yes, we may not share a lot…but we do have a common denominator…faith in Jesus Christ. Together we are one Body…one Church…united in our trust of our Savior…joined together eternally by our faith.
Genesis 4:9 ” Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ “
Cain had worked the soil, giving the Lord grain offerings…while Abel kept flocks, giving the Lord fat portions from the animals. On Abel’s offerings God looked favorably, while on Cain’s He did not. But it may have had nothing to do with the physical offerings themselves, but rather in the men’s attitude bringing it before God. Attitude we see here in this verse when God asks Cain where his brother is…(as if God didn’t already know what had happened.) God was testing Cain to see if he would be honest and take responsibility for his actions…but instead, Cain retorted back to God with lies and anger.
Jeremiah 14:10 ” This is what the Lord says about this people: ‘They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the Lord does not accept them; He will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins.’ “
The Prophet Jeremiah’s message was primarily one of judgement upon Judah for their shameful and persistent sins. They seemingly lacked the desire or even control to stop straying from God’s law. The world today still wanders from God…aimlessly roaming, running after whatever has their attention…following a harmful path that can only lead to death and destruction.
I Corinthians 1:25 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
II Corinthians 13:4 tells us that Christ was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. Man looks at the cross and see humiliation, shame, and scorn. They see Jesus powerless as He hangs there dying, seemingly unable to change His situation. But the world can’t comprehend that it was Jesus’ decision to be there. Just as the world can’t comprehend how three days later He rose from the dead. What the world sees as stupid…Believers see as salvation.
Isaiah 51:7 ” Hear Me, you who know what is right, you people who have My laws in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults.”
The world doesn’t understand the trust Christians have in Jesus Christ…to them it is utter craziness. They view Christians as weak-willed people using religion as a crutch. So why wouldn’t the world mock us? It’s at that point though we have to make a decision of whether to allow the insults to discourage us or not. Elsewhere in Isaiah it says, “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:7). Any and all fear can be faced with trust in the Lord.
Galatians 2:13 ” The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.”
No matter how spiritually strong we are, anyone of us can stray from the will of God. Here Simon Peter, nicknamed the Rock, of which Jesus had said, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,” caved under man’s pressure. Peter had been fellowshipping with Christian Gentiles until a group of Jews showed up and started pressuring him to stop. He was afraid that his reputation and standing might be questioned…fearful of what they might think of him…so he separated himself from the Gentiles…taking everyone with him, including Barnabas. Isaiah 51:12-13 asks this question, “Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker?” It’s a dangerous slippery slope when we start fearing man rather than God…afraid of what people may think of us rather than doing God’s will. Peer pressure can be tremendous, for we all want to fit in and be liked…but when it causes us to deviate from God’s plan…it effects everyone around us.
Safetypinlove 