A look at the Book #257

by Jesse Abel

The Devotional

What does Papa “J” Say?

People seem to find a way to do anything their heart desires! Even if they seem to be stumbling in the intrigue of darkness. This is possible because the dark path of evil is well worn, slippery and down hill. Proverbs 4:19. Why not let Jesus show you the Way? John 14:6

The first ship I was stationed on was a ship that was equipped with radars that could pick up enemy threats to the United States of America. The ship was old, so hull maintenance was an ongoing battle to keep rust from overrunning the ship. One very high mast that held a very large radar was in need of preservation. Four of us young sailors were assigned to chip away the rust and repaint it. To us young inexperienced men this seemed impossible. So the boatswain mate in charge climbed the mast with a safety belt and attached a block and tackle to the top of the mast. Then when he returned to the deck he attached a wooden (boatswain's) seat to the rope coming from the block and tackle. He sat on the wooden seat and threatened our lives if we dropped him and had us new-bees haul him to the top of the mast and back down. When he got back to the deck, he said. “Each of you will take your turn with paint chippers and strip the mast of paint. Then each of you will take your turn at preservation and repainting the mast, you have one week!” (We did it!) The task of restoring this nation to one that glorifies God is not impossible. It took only fifty-two days for Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. There are instruction from men like Ezra, Nehemiah, David and even God Himself, all we need to do is follow their instruction and challenge. 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Gospel of John

John 13:22-30 It is perplexing to all of us that there are enemies of God who sit at our fellowship tables and partake of God's grace. So clever are these people that they will go undetected until the time for them to carry out their plans is at hand. Yet, I would like for us to see that God's grace always gives a person like Judas a way to escape from the temptation of sin and evil.

First, Jesus warns that within their fellowship there is one who is capable of betraying Jesus in a most critical way. As you know each disciple left Him during His mocked up trials and His death. But this one whom Jesus speaks of at this moment does not betray out of fear, but out of selfish aggression and personal desire of gain. Judas was looking for Jesus to take the kingdom of the Jew away from the Romans and set Himself and the twelve as leaders over the new kingdom.

Jehovah provided Cain a means of escaping sin. Sin takes a process of time to complete, Genesis 4:1-8. Jesus provided a process of time for Judas to betray Him to the men seeking to have Him arrested and killed. Sin is not God ordained, nor can anyone say that the devil makes us sin. Sin is a personal choice to destroy the grace of God. Legalistic and new age fundamentalism are personal choices of men who sin against the grace of God. Galatians 5:1-6