JUDAS< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 22:1-6

Jesus declared in John 10:10, ÒThe thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.Ó The thief that Jesus was talking about was active then and is still active today. He is actively active more than ever before. A thief will not announce its time or the way he will strike. When a thief comes, he will have a need for an entrance. In order for thief to gain an entrance, an opening will have to be in place or he will create the opening if you allow him. That thief is the Satan himself. When the thief visited the disciples of Jesus looking for whom to use in selling Jesus, it was in Judas that he was able to found an opening to gain entrance Luke 22:3, ÒThen Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve.Ó Satan was able to enter Judas because there was an opening for him to enter. Judas, a disciple of Jesus, left himself opened for Satan. Are you having any opening that Satan could enter into? It does not matter who you are or how long you have been following Christ, when he spots an opening, he will enter and camp inside you until you loose your number among those that are called. The effect of SatanÕs gaining entrance into Judas is stated in Luke 22:4, ÒSo he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.Ó SatanÕs entrance caused Judas to go out of the Way into his own way. Your own way is the way of death. Proverb 14:12, ÒThere is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.Ó Judas took to his own way and he conferred with the agents of Satan how he was going to betray the one and only Master of all masters. Are you seriously paying attention to your self so that there will be no any conscious or unconscious opening that will give a place for the thief? Ask for GodÕs presence to fill every opening in your life.

KEEPING DISTANCE< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 22:54-63

Keeping your distance away from the Living Word of God will keep you away from standing and cause you to fall and deny Him. Peter saw and heard it all in his walk with the Lord Jesus Christ yet, he entered into a big stumble. Despite the fact that Jesus warned Peter ahead of time that he was going to deny Him, Peter could not avoid denying Jesus. Peter denied Jesus not once but three times. It is challenging for us that are claiming Jesus as our Lord and Savior to think of a man that had spent time with Jesus, a man that had seen miracles and not just read of miracles and a man that had touched Jesus to fall into the kind of falling that Peter fell. This race is only of grace. Only the grace of God can see us through in the race of life. If a man like Peter could at a crucial time deny Jesus, what will happen to believers of today when challenges show up? PeterÕs denial had a gradual process and it was not sudden. Luke 22:54, ÒHaving arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priestÕs house. But Peter followed at a distance.Ó PeterÕs denial started at the point when he started to follow Jesus and the trouble maker that arrested Him at a distance. At every time or in every situation you chose to follow the Living Word of God at a distance, during challenges you are bound to fall a big fall. Today, do not let your situation or your challenges dictate how or when you will spend time in the Living Word of God. If you will turn to the pages of the Scripture, then you will eliminate distance and be able to maintain standing in the Living Word of God. The Word of God is True and Amen.

DETERMINATION< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Mark 14: 22-31

It is only salvation, not determination that will see any believer through in this journey of life. No matter what you determine, it only becomes established when it is backed by the Spirit of God. It is good to desire because God will deposit and make desire become a manifestation. Through the pages of the scripture, there are evidences of where men have taken to determination but the end result was a failure. However, this is not a suggestion that man should not have determination, but to make it clear that manÕs desire by looking up to God will always prevail. Peter walked with Jesus, prayed with Jesus, ate with Jesus and witnessed stunning miracles with his two eyes. What he received from Jesus was not in written form but in direct contact while he traveled from city to city, over land and water. With PeterÕs entire walk with Jesus, he confidently assumed determination to operate after Jesus. At the LordÕs Supper with His disciples, Jesus made known what was going happen, including His resurrection. Jesus went further by mentioning that all His disciples will stumble. Peter was too determined to reject the LordÕs revelation. Mark < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>14: 29-31, ÒPeter said to Him, ÔEven if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.Õ 30 Jesus said to him, ÔAssuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.Õ 31 But he spoke more vehemently, ÔIf I have to die with You, I will not deny You!Õ And they all said likewise.Ó Peter was determined that He will not stumble. But it was clear to Jesus what was going to happen. Peter stumbled and he denied Jesus. Are you facing your mountain with determination? Do not forget: determination will fail, but by the Spirit of God only will your mountain be moved.

SELL IT ALL< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Luke 18:18-27

A certain ruler approached Jesus to ask about what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responded that the young ruler should know the commandments. JesusÕ response was good for the young ruler because he had kept the law from his youth. Just like the rich young ruler, you also have kept all the law from youth. Above all, you have been constant in the church, you know all the praise and worship songs, and you and your pastor are very close. This is JesusÕ answer to the rich young ruler: Luke 18:22, ÒSo when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, ÒYou still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.Ó One thing, just one thing, is enough to terminate the journey into eternal inheritance. The rich young ruler had it all except for one thing which is difficult. It was difficult for him to sell all and then follow Jesus to receive all that it takes to inherit eternal life.  What or how many things do you lack? God cannot be deceived because His eyes go to and fro. Be honest with yourself in identifying what you lack. Jesus requested from you and the young rich ruler to go and sell all that you have. Selling all means that you will have to follow Him fully and nothing should hold you back. After selling all, you we also give your attention to the neediest ones. The determination to sell all and follow Him will not prevail except by the spirit of God. Ask God to deliver you from anything that will deny you from your inheritance in His Kingdom. Be encouraged; you can do what Jesus requested if you will always remember Luke < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>18:27, ÒBut He said, ÔThe things which are impossible with men are possible with God.ÕÓ

NOT BY LABOR< ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>

Psalm 127

A building without its foundation in God will not stand. Disciples that followed Jesus did not find Jesus; it was Jesus that found them and He called them to follow Him. In following Jesus, they were built by His word; they had foundation in the Lord and they were committed to the Word of God. As a < ?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>temple of God, who is building you? Whatever is in place that is building up a believer for the kingdom glory should not be outside of God. Psalm 127:1, ÒUnless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.Ó It is clear that any one who does not have foundation in the Lord cannot be built in His word and whatever is considered a building will not stand. Paul, the apostle, also recognized the need to be built by the Word of God when he made a recommendation in Acts 20:32, ÒSo now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.Ó Give the Lord a chance to build your house. He will not come down to build you, but He has sent forth His Word to build each and every one that He has called. Are you giving yourself to His Word? There is only one way to be built outside the Word of God; it is a way no one wants to be and the end of that way is destruction. When He builds you, you will be like a city; a city that has no need for watchman. Give time to the word of God and allow His word to build you. Give way to sacrifice and no way to laboring in vain.