Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The greed and transactional nature of such a betrayal shocks us. Should it? Is that really so unusual in our world? Scripture: 2 Samuel, chapter 18; Psalm 56; Matthew, chapter 27 Matthew 27:1-10 (NLT): Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders of the people met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman... Read more
What happened in Gethsemane? Betrayal, denial, and failure – a snapshot of the world’s response to Jesus. Scripture: 2 Samuel, chapter 17; Psalm 71; Matthew, chapter 26 Matthew 26:47-56 (NLT): And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one... Read more
“Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come!’ I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come!’ And another, a red horse,... Read more
If we want to follow God’s will, we need to make room for him to work in our lives! Scripture: 2 Samuel, chapter 10; 1 Chronicles, chapter 20; Psalm 20; Matthew 22 2 Samuel 10:6-12 (NLT): When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, they sent and hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from the lands of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 from the land of Tob. When David heard about... Read more
Five Observations on Prayer Today is the National Day of Prayer. The first Thursday in May has been celebrated as the National Day of Prayer since 1988, when President Ronald Reagan designated that day. However, the tradition of a national call to prayer dates to colonial times. It is customary for the President to issue a proclamation each year recognizing the National Day of Prayer. Consistent with the history of the United States and its constitutional guarantees of freedom of... Read more
Listening to God is an important part of prayer. But how do we know when God is speaking? Scripture: 2 Samuel, chapter 7; 1 Chronicles, chapter 17; Psalm 2; Matthew, chapter 20 2 Samuel 7:1-11 (NLT): When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out... Read more
We can find all sorts of articles that tell us what things to pray for. But are there things that we shouldn’t pray for? “If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.” (1 John 5:16, NLT) “Pray no more for these... Read more
In his first battle after becoming King of Israel, David demonstrates four principles for prayer that will help all of us to hear God and know his will. Scripture: 1 Chronicles, chapters 14-15; Psalm 132; Matthew, chapter 18 1 Chronicles 14:8-17 (NLT): When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he marched out to meet them. The Philistines arrived... Read more
The parables of Matthew 13 are one example of what Jesus teaches about “the end of the world.” Scripture: 2 Samuel, chapter 1; Psalm 140; Matthew, chapter 13 Matthew 13:47-51 (NLT): “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.... Read more
In a world that is desperately looking for hope, Jesus is that hope! Scripture: 1 Samuel, chapters 30-31; 1 Chronicles, chapter 10; Matthew, chapter 12 Matthew 12:15-21 (NLT): But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, but he warned them not to reveal who he was. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him: “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen. He is... Read more
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