Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. It was a decent sum of money, enough to buy a piece of real estate (Matthew 27:3-10). It certainly wasn’t enough to set him up for life. He still was going to have to work for a living. Perhaps it would be easier to excuse his actions if he had been paid millions of dollars to betray his friend, not to mention the fact that this friend just happened to be the Son of God. Yet it only took thirty pieces of silver to convince Judas to turn away from the one he professed as Lord. We turn up our noses in disgust that such a small sum would entice Judas. It’s easy to say that we would never have done such a thing. Until, of course, we look at our own price for betrayal.
Matthew
Leaving Your Mark
Every day begins pretty much the same as the last. For most of us, our lives are filled with routines that breed mediocrity and spiritual malaise. We go to bed too late, get up too early, eat the wrong kinds of food and go to work some place that is less than what we had always dreamed. Into this morass of anonymity we struggle to make a name for ourselves. If we’re really lucky, we might just do something significant for God along the way. Is this how life is supposed to be? Do you truly believe that it was to this that Jesus called you?
Visiting Those in Prison
Kris Weiskittel is taking seriously the words of Christ in Matthew 25:35. On Sunday nights, you’ll find Kris sacrificing his time to go and visit those in prison. This is a thankless ministry that exists under the radar of most of us. As a regular reader of this blog, Kris was kind enough to allow me to interview him regarding what it’s like to go into the prisons and deliver hope and the love of Jesus to those incarcerated there.
Happiness or Holiness?
I am often dismayed by preachers who teach that God wants you to be happy. This places the emphasis on us rather than on God. Life is not about you or me; it is only about our awesome creator God. He does not call us to happiness, but rather to holiness. It is through holiness that love is perfected. Perfected love brings uncontainable joy into our lives. This joy is the result of communion with our Father, nothing more and nothing less. It is not happiness we should be seeking. Instead we must long for the joy that comes from living in authentic relationship with our Savior and Lord.
The Day that Turns Your Life Around
Maybe you’re different from me. Perhaps you accepted Christ and immediately began serving Him with all your heart and never looked back. If that’s your story, then I envy you. My life hasn’t worked out that way. Since accepting Christ it’s been a roller coaster of obedience and outright defiance. Some days are better than others; honestly, some years are better than others. I’ve seen growth, sometimes in small increments, sometimes in leaps and bounds. Throughout the majority of my days has been this uncomfortable thread of sin. No matter how committed I’ve attempted to become, disobedience always seems to creep back in. Can you relate?