Mar 17
22
Judas and Simon Peter
What was the difference between the sin of Judas and the sin of Simon
Peter? What they did to our Lord seemed similar yet Simon was forgiven
and converted, while Judas hanged himself and was damned. Every believer
has worried at some point that they could turn out to be a Judas. Here
is the difference.
Judas betrayed the Lord while Peter denied Him. There is a difference.
Judas sold the Lord. Judas turned Him over to others for money. Judas
did not care what happened to the Lord but was only interested in his
own gain. He betrayed the Lord.
Many have done just as Judas did. They have taken the world, a job,
home, family, and any number of things in exchange for Christ. In
forsaking the Lord they are telling the world, “I don’t care about Jesus
Christ, you can have Him. Just give me the money … give me my family . .
. give me the world . .. you can have Jesus.” No less than Judas, they
have betrayed Him and will end up like him.
Peter denied the Lord. In a moment of cowardice, in order to save his
own skin, he denied that he knew the Lord. His denial was bad enough and
brought him bitter sorrow and great shame, but because of his previous
pride, the Lord had to show him his weakness, inability and
self-righteousness.
Now every believer has denied the Lord many times. There have been times
when we have kept silence to avoid a confrontation over the truth. We
have sinned and acted foolishly, talking and acting like an unbeliever
and not a disciple of Christ. But later, like Simon, we were very
sorrowful and bitter, then upon hearing the gospel again, we cast
ourselves upon His mercy. All have denied Him, but no true believer
would sell out the Lord. No lover of the Lord Jesus Christ would take
any amount of money in exchange for their soul, for eternal life, for
Christ and His people.
Is it so with you? Would you take anything for Christ?
Paul Mahan.
Betraying Christ with a kiss
Judas betrayed his Master with a KISS! He came to the Lord with evil in
his heart, the price of a compromise in his hand, religious devils at
his side, and said, “Hail Master”, as he planted a KISS on the Lord’s
cheek!
This is how most apostates and compromisers operate: they betray the Son
of God and the Gospel of grace WITH A KISS. They talk of love, humility,
morality, and sugar and spice while they sell out to the religious world
and betray the Sovereign Son of God. Men watch their pretended affection
and hear their words, “Hail Master”, spoken so softly, smoothly, humbly,
and sweetly, and they say, “Can such devout people be ENEMIES of the Lord?”
Do not be deceived; sometimes the most devout looking, religious people
can be the most hypocritical in the world. Do not be deceived by their
kisses. LISTEN TO THEIR GOSPEL! Peter, bearing the sword, had more grace
than Judas, who came with a kiss.
Henry Mahan.
One Of You Shall Betray Me – Master is it I?
When the Lord told His disciples, “One of you shall betray me,” they all
replied, “Lord, is it I?” We should have such distrust of ourselves that
we would have the same reply. But one of His disciples answered
differently, “Master (Rabbi) is it I?” This is the same disciple who
betrayed Christ with a kiss saying, “Hail, Master.” Not one time do we
read where Judas Iscariot ever called Christ “Lord.” Master is a term of
respect for a teacher. But the fact that Judas never called Him Lord
reveals what he was in His wicked heart. To the believer, Christ is
Lord. We recognize His Lordship over all things, and we recognize and
love His Lordship over us. Barnard used to say, “Don’t tell me who your
savior is, tell me who your Lord is. Then I will know who your savior is.”
Todd Nibert.
Tell What Great Things God Has Done For Us
Acts 18:24-28
Drew Dietz
Reading these verses closely you will notice the following words as
written under inspiration of God…”who (Apollos) when he was come (unto
the church at Achaia), helped them much which believed through grace”
(vs.27). My thought is simply this: if you want to help much those of
the church, if you want to really bless the sheep of the living God;
then simply, consistently and boldly…”publicly shewing by the scriptures
that Jesus was Christ” (vs.28). Said another way…determine not to preach
anything other than ‘Christ and Him crucified’. By the faithful
discharge of his calling, this man was of great help and encouragement
to his brethren. Who among us does not need much comfort and assistance
in a cold and dying world? Who among us do not need daily reminding of
the lovely and wonderful atoning work of our glorious Redeemer! I do,
and I must hear of Him who loved me and died for me! I can think of no
other direct and straight forward way to console the bride of Christ
than to tell her about the ONE who did everything necessary and
everything essential to guarantee her eternal happiness. Lord, may we be
found faithful to our calling . . .to tell them what great things God
has done for us.
A Preacher Called John
There are many things that one could write concerning this remarkable
man of God. He was the last prophet of the Old Testament and the first
of the New Testament. He was the forerunner of the Lamb of God and a
fearless prophet who would not soften the word of God; even for a king.
What stands out to me in Gods testimony of John is his office as a preacher.
It is as a preacher he was sent as the forerunner of Christ. All true
preachers, of the gospel, are forerunners of Christ. They all make plain
the way, make straight the path, and tell sinners of the Lamb who has
come to take away the sin of the world. They all speak clearly of the
Christ of the Old Testament and why he must become a man and die in our
stead.
There are some in our day, as there were in his, who doubt the necessity
of gospel preaching. But know this before God would manifest the
glorious person of his Son he would send a preacher to prepare the way.
And so it shall be till the end of the gospel age. We will hear Gods
ambassador of Christ and our hearts will be prepared to see his glory or
we will write them off as something unessential and continue on in the
darkness of traditional religion. When God sends his forerunner it is a
pretty good indication that he is about to manifest the glory of his
Son. May God prepare our hearts to hear them in just that way. — Darvin
Pruitt
The Pillar and Ground of the Truth
The church of the living God as she is seen in her local assemblies is
the pillar and ground of the truth. Though these assemblies are few and
far between they alone have the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
They stand wherever God has gathered them as a light in a world filled
with darkness and ignorance. We are not here to reform the world, take
up its issues, or influence its politics. We are here to preach the
gospel of God’s sovereign grace in Christ to as many as will give us a
hearing. There are four things concerning the church of which I am being
made more aware of every day.
The gospel is the only thing left in this world that can do sinners any
good at all. To change or reform the habits and practices of men by laws
and punishments only leaves men in self righteousness and false hope.
The gospel of Christ regenerates, creates anew, and is sufficient in the
power of Gods’ Holy Spirit to do what all else is doomed to fail.
In order for man to benefit of this gospel it must be received. It must
be published in such a way that he can be confronted with it. What a
blessed thing it is for God to make his gospel accessible to a man! What
a glorious work it is that God was manifest in the flesh, justified in
the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in
the world, and received up into glory. (I Timothy 3: 16) It is a divine
work of grace that enables a person to receive and embrace the Lord
Jesus Christ.
It is plainly declared in the word of God that faith cometh by hearing.
Any hope of salvation, regeneration, conversion, or faith apart from
hearing is an empty and baseless hope. “How shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10: 14) Paul presses this issue to
the conscience of the church at Galatia, “This only would I learn of
you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing
of faith? (Galatians 3:2)
Hearing comes by way of preaching. (I Corinthians 1: 21) Nothing
demonstrates the sovereignty of God in the salvation of a sinner more
than this, “How shall ye hear without a preacher and how shall they
preach except they be sent?”
God give us the grace and determination of heart to be faithful to this
stewardship he has trusted to us. Amen
Darvin Pruitt.
Contending for the truth
Contending for the truth against the errors of modern religion is the
duty of God’s servants. I hope our spirit is one of genuine love to all
the chosen of God; but today’s rule of charity which requires us to keep
silent on certain points in order to avoid controversy, I utterly
despise. It is treason to the Lord Jesus to be silent on any point where
He has spoken and the honor of His gospel is concerned. It is easy on
the flesh to deal in generalities, to denounce hyper-this or hyper-that,
and to claim to be a friend to all; but it is required of the loyal
servant of King Jesus to maintain His crown-rights and to stand up for
His gospel of glory and grace.
Tom Harding.
Worthless Knowledge of the TRUTH
When Knowledge of the truth does not lead us to worship the Lord in love
with a sense of awe, it is evidence that our knowledge of the truth has
not gone beyond our brains – it has not penetrated our hearts.
Divine truth was not given to make us intelligent, but to make us wise
unto true salvation manifested in a heart-felt worship of the God who
made us and redeemed us by his Son. It is true there is no getting to
the heart without going through the brain; for the heart cannot receive
what the brain does not know. But we must strive so that the truth does
not get stuck in our brains and go no further.
Truth in the brain puffs up with pride; truth in the heart bends the
knee to Christ.
Joe Terrell.
In Spirit and Truth
“God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him, Must worship Him in Spirit
and in Truth, (John 4:24).
Here are two principles of worship without which all worship of God is
vain. God must be worshipped in spirit – a heart worship – as opposed to
mere forms and ceremonies, going through the motions with body and lip
service, etc. If the heart does not pray it, the prayer is not accepted.
IF the heart does not sing it, the song is not accepted. If the heart
does not believe it, it is vain to profess it. Those who worship God,
must worship in spirit (Romans 10:10).
Those who worship God in spirit must also worship Him in truth. God has
revealed Himself in His Word of truth as who HE is; how HE saves; by
whom HE saves; the way in which any one must approach unto Him to
worship. All worship that is contrary to truth is vain worship. All who
worship God must worship Him in truth. Someone has said, “How
astonishing is the fact, that man dares to introduce his miserable
inventions to deform the scriptural simplicity of divine; as if God who
makes all things perfect, had, in this most important institution,
forgotten to direct the use of altars – magnificent vestment – pomp and
ceremonies. When will man, with child-like simplicity, follow gospel rules?”
Bruce Crabtree.