Coffee With The Lord

Just a word of caution today about an item of spiritual health… BEWARE OF “THE JUDAS SYNDROME!”

This spiritual dysfunction begins to develop when material things and self-seeking begin to occupy and dominate a persons heart. A symptom of this dysfunction often appears when a person sees a random heart-felt act of generosity or kindness and they find themselves questioning its motives or being critical of the person who initiated it (check out Matthew 26:6-13). Another expression of the syndrome appears when a small slight or disillusioning experience occurs and there is no spiritual energy to resist the bitterness that begins to arise within the heart. Given time the “Judas Syndrome is spiritually destructive and deadly (Hey, its spiritual lethal nature doesn’t reveal itself overnight!). I just read about it again today in the Bible… Actually the account from which the “syndrome” receives its name…

“Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver Him [Jesus] over to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:14–16 ESV)

I’m personally convinced that “THE JUDAS SYNDROME” is one of the reasons the Bible warns… “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it!” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV) and in another place tell us… “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (James 3:16 NIV)

“Bartel’s Annual Birthday Prayer Run” … just around the corner (beginning April 1)! This year 78 miles between April 1 and April 8 (approximately a half-marathon daily). Each run devoted to prayer for the prayer requests sent my way. If you have a need or concern you’d like me to pray about either message me or text me @ 972-921-9317 … I’ll make your request a matter of prayer on my runs (in confidentiality of course)

“IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME…”

We remember (and celebrate) our birthdays… We remember anniversaries… We remember other special events and occasions…

Apostle Paul urged us, at the command of Jesus, our Savior, to remember THIS VERY SPECIAL EVENT…

“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.’  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.’  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes!”  (From 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV)

Now there are birthdays I would not think of forgetting, and anniversaries I would not fail to remember… How much more will I relish and remember what my Savior did on my behalf!

“I delivered to you AS OF FIRST IMPORTANCE… Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scripture.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Remembering!  Recalling, Rejoicing!  Responding! …Never forgetting!!