The Value of A False Friendship

 

MATTHEW 26:14, 15

Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.

Note here, that the chief priests did not seek out Judas but that he came to them offering his services --- for a price. 

    Thirty pieces of silver or thirty shekels appears to be about equal to three months' wages, as there were three denarii in a shekel. For the mere love of the money he would have in hand, Judas betrayed the Teacher he had been following along with. 

Once the heart is fully committed to following Christ Jesus faithfully, there is no turning our backs on Him. But Judas' heart wa not right and therefore he sought out a buyer for his 'friend' and pondered the ways and means of how he would accomplish this betrayal. 

    The Word tells us that "the love of money is the root of all evil" ( 1 Timothy 6:10) and it was this that was already present in Judas' heart. He was not faithful from the get-go when called to follow after Jesus (John 12:6), but still Jesus loved Judas; He even called him a friend at the time of His arrest (Matthew 26:50). Though he had a purpose to fulfill, there was always room for hope of repentance after the fact; but Judas showed only remorse, not repentance ( Matthew 27:3-5). In his despair he hung himself. 

    He saw no value in what he had done. Though his feet followed after Jesus his heart did not. He could not comprehend the forgiveness that was available to him if only he had turned to God for it. For God waits for us to turn to Him for the forgiveness of our sins against Him. He waits for us to be committed and faithful in following after His heart and His Word. God is waiting for you. 

    Let us not be false friends but faithful friends. Let us adhere, stick like glue, to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As the psalmist wrote, in Psalm 63:8 "My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me." Let us know the value of True Friendship with Jesus. Let us persevere in following hard after Him, not allowing ourselves to be distracted from the course He has set before us to run and walk in.

WALK WITH ME - Jesus Culture  

The Lord Is A Friend

 To Those Who Fear Him

Psalm 25:14 (ESV)

The friendship of The LORD is for those who fear Him, and He makes known to them His covenant.

FRIENDSHIP WITH THE LORD

Proverbs 3:32

For the perverse person is an abomination to The LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright.

Proverbs 18:24

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a Friend Who sticks closer than a brother.

John 15:14-15 

You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

THE FEAR OF THE LORD

Proverbs 8:13

The fear of The LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Psalm 19:19

The fear of The LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of The LORD are are true and righteous altogether. 

Proverbs 1:17

The fear of The LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 111:10

The fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have they who do His commandments: His praise endures forever.

Job 28:28

And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of The LORD, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil, that is understanding.' 

Proverbs 10:27

The fear of The LORD prolongs days, but the years of the wicked are shortened.

Proverbs 15:33

The fear of The LORD is the instruction of wisdom,  and before honor is humility.

    So we see that to trust in God and obey His Word brings us both friendship with Him and a desire to learn and be taught by Him in His Word. He teaches us to fear (revere: respect and awe) Him. By our willingness to know and understand His Word, The LORD is able to teach each one who asks to be taught by Him. This is why we need His Holy Spirit. 

    It is The Holy Spirit's job, work, to open our eyes to see and understand what God reveals to us when He reveals it (and not before). These are the steps we take when we walk with Jesus and talk with Jesus and God. His Word tells us that His Word is a Lamp to our feet and a Light to our path: The Light of Christ shines on and through The Word of God. Think of it as solar lights lighting our path at night and the moon and stars shining their lights from above. We see much better with both lights to light our way: the light from above lights our path, the light from nearby lights our steps. So, too, this is how The Light shines in The Word.

    May you find yourself a friend with Jesus. May your eyes be opened with understanding and your hearts opened with wisdom. 

    

MARANATHA! MUSIC - Praise 2

The Lord Is A Mighty Warrior

 

Exodus 15:3

The LORD is a Warrior, the LORD is His Name. 

Revelation 19:11

Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war.

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

Psalm 50:3

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.

YOU DELIVER ME - Selah

    In Exodus 15:3 Miriam is singing to The Lord because she has seen firsthand how God delivers His people. Are we singing to The Lord with such abandonment and joy? Perhaps we have forgotten who we are in Christ and Who CHRIST IS in us. 

    Who am I in Christ? I can say, speaking only in reference to myself, that I am His songwriter and His singer. I am His student and His friend. I am His adopted sister and His bride. I am a voice in the wilderness crying out, as John the Baptist did, "Prepare you the way of The Lord!" No matter what or who I am in Christ, the point is: I AM IN CHRIST AND I AM HIS.

    Christ in me is: Redeemer, Savior, King, Friend, Deliverer, Anchor, Hope, Peace, Strength and so much, much more. 

    I tell you now, as the voice in the wilderness, and beg you in all earnestness, today just might be your day of salvation. From one moment to the next we are sure of nothing other than: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS. And He died on the cross for you and I, taking the punishment each of us should have had. But He didn't stay in the grave. He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave...changed, changed to a new life which is what He promises each person who believes Him and receives Him into their hearts and their lives. We call this salvation and the next person who gets saved could be you.

    The next time Christ arrives on this planet Earth will be when God sends Him to fetch His bride and bring her to the place He has prepared for her. 

    Then, after a period of time, Christ will return to set up His thousand-year reign, more commonly referred to as the millennial kingdom. 

    Not until after those thousand years have passed will Christ return as The Rider on the White Horse. Then, the people who are left who still refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is LORD will perish in their foolishness and wickedness. For it is wicked to not believe God and God's Faithful and True Word. 

REDEEMER SAVIOR FRIEND 

Perfect Replica

I wrote this song 12 years ago on my trip to Ireland with my best friend Jenn. Ireland is so beautiful and I am glad we had the opportunity to visit. Anyway, we were doing our daily Bible Study and she says, "I wonder what God will see when He finishes me?" And, of course, this song just flew out of heaven into my pen and I had to write it down. Now, you can enjoy it, too.

PERFECT REPLICA

I wonder what my God shall see,

When He sees a finished me?

Perhaps I'll be a Daniel,

Content in times of stress.

Or maybe I'll be Lydia

Adorned in purpleness.

Perhaps I'll be Rebekah,

Waiting ever on;

First 'twas by the well,

Then for her two sons.

I wonder what my God shall see

When He sees a finished me?

Perhaps I'll be an Andrew

Who leads my brother to

The One and Only Savior

Who died for me and you.

Perhaps I'll be a vessel,

What let the Son shine in;

Who mirrored God's reflection

To a lost and dying friend.

I wonder what my God shall see

When He sees a finished me?

Perhaps I'll be a fruitful vine

For God to harvest home.

And I shall wear a robe of white

With stars upon my crown.

And when He views the finished me,

I know He'll smile in victory--

"Well done thou good and faithful,

You may enter in,

Here's your gown; here's your crown.

Hello, friend."

I wonder what my God shall see,

When He sees a finished me.

I've gone through the fire,

I've gone through the grind,

I've gone through the waters

Time after time.

God has not forsaken me

In any of my trials.

And when He sees the finished me,
I'll wear a great big smile.

Revealed

Fractal Art Light Symphonia

Revealed

I am Fire

I am Wind

I am Water

I am Friend

I am the God of the ages

the Wisdom of sages

I am Power

to live again.

Take hold of Me

Hang on tight

Never let Me go

Hold on with all of your might

For in your weakness

I am Strong

In your shadows

I am Light

In your moment of truth I am revealed

And in your heart,

My Promise is sealed.

You are Fire

You are Wind

You are Water

You are Friend

You are the God of the ages

the Wisdom of sages

You are Power

to live again.

I take hold of You

I hang on tight

Never let You go

Hold on with all of my might.

In my weakness You are Strong

In my shadows You are Light

In my darkest hour, I can walk in Power

You won't leave me, You are here.