Monthly Archives: March 2017

We need to be loved (John 14:18-21), March 31, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Have you heard about the studies done in some of the Romanian orphanages? They’ve been going on for more than 80 years and all say the same thing. We need to be loved.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 14:18-21
    2. Jesus: I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.  Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.  On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.  Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.
  4. Devotional
    1. Studies have been going on about attachment and bonding in orphanages since the 30’s and 40’s by psychologists and psychiatrists.
      1. Astounding results
      2. Both physical and emotional impact of not being held and nurtured as infants
      3. 30’s and 40’s studies were on a small scale
      4. Same results are being found today on a large scale with more than 100,000 subjects as part of the study
    2. More orphans than people to take care of them
      1. Same in Jesus’ day
      2. War a part of every generation
      3. Parents killed in battle or part of collateral damage
      4. Parents who cannot care for their children and leave them in the hope  someone else will care for them
      5. These detached orphans grow up with significant emotional problems
    3. They may not have done psychological studies in Jesus’ day, but they knew orphans didn’t fare well
      1. Command was to take care of widows and orphans they need help
      2. Needed someone to love them
      3. Jesus said He wouldn’t leave His disciples or us as orphans
      4. He would not let us suffer the pains of unattachment
      5. He comes to us
    4. What constitutes having Him with us and in us?
      1. He gave us the formula for freedom from the lack of attachment problem
      2. Whoever has His commands and keeps them
      3. Whoever loves Him is loved by the Father and by Him
      4. Whoever He loves has Him living inside him
      5. If He is living in us, we can never be alone
      6. He desires relationship with us in the deepest most intimate ways
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Hidden in plain sight (John 14:15-17), March 30, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Have you ever been around someone you should have known but didn’t? Or you were with someone you thought everyone else should know but didn’t? Today’s lesson talks about that problem.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 14:15-17
    2. Jesus: If you love Me, obey the commandments I have given you.  I will ask the Father to send you another Helper, the Spirit of truth, who will remain constantly with you.  The world does not recognize the Spirit of truth, because it does not know the Spirit and is unable to receive Him. But you do know the Spirit because He lives with you, and He will dwell in you.
  4. Devotional
    1. I do some part-time work training senior medical staffs on the use of some software I was a part of visioning almost two decades ago. At that time, the then future Surgeon General and I were in discussion about what would be useful for commanders to know to better anticipate medical needs on the battlefield.
      1. Wrote the medical support plan for Desert Storm
      2. Commanded medical units in the field
      3. Trained medical units of all sizes
      4. Had a pretty good idea of what would help if the right information could be collected
    2. Enter more recent technology
      1. Higher speed Internet
      2. Hardened machines that could handle the rough treatment of field conditions
      3. Electronic medical records
      4. Processing speeds that could assimilate information rapidly
      5. Databases with the power to analyze information on the fly
    3. I get to teach and train some of those systems for decision making
      1. Retired more than ten years
      2. Senior commanders now were captains and majors when I retired
      3. Many weren’t in the service when Desert Storm happened and those plans were written
      4. Some of their staff weren’t even born
      5. They don’t know me or my expertise
      6. They don’t know I’ve been where they are or authored the changes to doctrine they are using to support the battlefield
      7. Just another contractor to most
    4. But to some
      1. They’ve read the records
      2. They remember the conflicts
      3. They’ve seen the documents that supported the doctrine
      4. They’ve seen my picture in the halls of the schoolhouse
      5. And remember
      6. With those, I often have long after hour conversations during those training days as they ask questions about how I came up with the plans, how the training was orchestrated, how the plans were written, how the communications were executed, how the casualties were evacuated and accounted for under such austere conditions. They pick my brain…what little is left.
    5. Imagine what we can learn from the spirit of God when we recognize Him!
      1. Jesus let His disciples in on the secret and passes it on to us
      2. Believe in Him
      3. His spirit will live in us
      4. We will recognize Him and He will give us incredible knowledge and empower us to become more like Him each day
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town (John 14:13-14), March 29, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Topic Introduction with headline.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 14:13-14
    2. Jesus: Whatever you ask for in My name, I will do it so that the Father will get glory from the Son.  Let Me say it again: if you ask for anything in My name, I will do it.
  4. Devotional
    1. When I was growing up, there was a show in which a multimillionaire went around the country and just arbitrarily wrote a check to people for several thousand dollars.
      1. Not worth quite as much today, but a lot of money then
      2. Never showed the millionaire’s face or mentioned his name
      3. Show focused on what the recipients did with the money
      4. Some squandered the money on frivolous junk
      5. Some spent it on things that seemed like good investments, but only on themselves
      6. Some did charitable things for other people
    2. Sometimes we read these verses with that kind of thought in mind
      1. Santa is coming
      2. Get whatever we want
      3. Just ask and it will appear
      4. All we have to do is tag on His name at the end and it will happen the way we want
    3. Twisted view of these verses
      1. About His name, not ours
      2. About His ministry, not ours
      3. About His plans, not ours
      4. About His wants, not ours
    4. Jesus wants to answer our prayers to bring glory to Him which gives glory to the Father
      1. Goes back, then, to what is the Father’s desires and plans for this world
      2. Desires that all will know His saving grace and follow Him
      3. That all will recognize Him as God and serve Him as God
      4. That all will come to a saving relationship with Him
      5. That all will worship Him
    5. Do our prayers reflect that attitude, that request, that outcome as an end result?
      1. He will answer
      2. He wants the glory
      3. First commandment, He is a jealous God, He will not share our devotion with anyone or anything
      4. He alone deserves our worship
      5. He wants His name untarnished
      6. Ask in His name
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

An incredible story! (John 14:9-12), March 28, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Has anyone ever told you a story that just seemed too incredible to be true? We’ve all heard those before. Put yourself in Philip’s place as he listened to Jesus’ words at that last Passover supper.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 14:9-12
    2. Jesus (to Philip):  I have lived with you all this time, and you still don’t know who I am? If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. How can you keep asking to see the Father?  Don’t you believe Me when I say I abide in the Father and the Father dwells in Me? I’m not making this up as I go along. The Father has given Me these truths that I have been speaking to you, and He empowers all My actions.  Accept these truths: I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. If you have trouble believing based on My words, believe because of the things I have done.  I tell you the truth: whoever believes in Me will be able to do what I have done, but they will do even greater things, because I will return to be with the Father.
  4. Devotional
    1. My father-in-law was an insurance claims manager for many years. Every once in awhile he would bring home a claim story that just sounded too incredible to be true.
      1. Working on the roof
      2. Slipped on the shingles
      3. Hit the ladder and tool box
      4. The tool box hit the chimney and ladder fell back against the chimney
      5. No ladder and fell off the roof
      6. Ladder broke the chimney
      7. Bricks fell on the man’s head
      8. Sounds like Wile E. Coyote
    2. As Jesus closes His ministry and speaks to His disciples, must have sounded much like that story
      1. Going where you can’t go
      2. You’ll look for me but you won’t find me
      3. Soon you’ll see me again and then you won’t see me
      4. I’ll leave but I’ll be with you
      5. My Father and I are one
      6. If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen My Father
    3. How do you put all this together?
      1. Hide-and-seek?; you’ll look but you won’t find me; I’ll leave but come back
      2. Father and Son twins?
      3. This stuff sounds about as crazy as the story of the man fixing his roof
      4. But He says, “I’m not making this stuff up as I go along.”
      5. My father-in-law had to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man on the roof injuries and discovered they were true
      6. When we investigate Jesus’ words by looking into God’s word, we find His words are true.
    4. We can believe all He tells us
      1. It was hard for the disciples on the other side of the resurrection
      2. We have the evidence of an empty tomb to tell us Jesus is who He said He is
      3. He and the Father are One
      4. He invites us to believe in Him and be empowered to live transformed lives as He makes us more like Him each day
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

There’s only one door (John 6-7), March 27, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Why do we argue about the simplest things? If we believe God’s word, then how can we miss the fact that Jesus is the only way to heaven?
  3. Scripture
    1. John 14:6-7
    2. Jesus:  I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you know Me, you know the Father. Rest assured now; you know Him and have seen Him.
  4. Devotional
    1. So I think I’ll take a vacation this summer. I’ve always enjoyed Disneyland in California
      1. Disneyworld is fun, too, but hot and a lot more walking than in Disneyland
      2. Travel plans
        1. Train from San Antonio to New York City
        2. Hop on a ship and sail to Iceland
        3. Catch a plane and fly to London, England
      3. Then enjoy Disneyland
      4. That should work, right?
      5. Doesn’t matter how you get there as long as I’m sincere about going, right?
    2. Maybe a little far fetched so let’s try again
      1. I really will go to California this time, but I decide that I’m going to go by way of a commercial plane, but I don’t have the money to buy a ticket.
      2. Sneak onto the tarmac
      3. Climb into the wheel housing
      4. Fly non-stop in the wheel housing to California on a 757
      5. Only 3 hour flight from here
      6. At 35,000 feet: frozen, no oxygen, dead
    3. If I want to see the original Disneyland, I can only go to one place and I must go through the entrance to that magic kingdom in Anaheim, California to see it.
      1. No other way to see it
      2. No matter how sincere
      3. No matter how else I might try
      4. I need a ticket and entrance through that front gate or I’ll be thrown out of the park as an intruder
    4. If the Bible is true, then Jesus’ words are true also
      1. Every time someone tries to disprove something, they find themselves stuck with circular arguments or proofs of scripture on their hands
      2. If what God’s word says is true
      3. Then Jesus is the only way to the Father
      4. He is the entrance and the only entrance
      5. Any other way is unacceptable, all other means make you an intruder and like the parable of the master of the wedding feast, those not in the proper garments are thrown into the street
    5. We can argue the point all we want
      1. We can argue the sun is not really the source of heat for the earth
      2. We can argue the earth is really flat instead of round
      3. We can argue God is not the creator of life
      4. We can argue Jesus is not the only way to heaven
      5. Just because we argue those things, does not mean we are right
    6. God’s word is true, I want to be on the right side of the argument when He returns
    7. Easy as believing in Him
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Don’t get lost in despair! (John 14:1-4), March 26, 2014

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Have you ever been lost in despair? We probably have all had those moments at one time or another. I found myself in one of those spots many years ago and it took God to pull me out.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 14:1-4
    2. Jesus: Don’t get lost in despair; believe in God, and keep on believing in Me.  My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. If there were not room for everyone, I would have told you that. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival.  I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together.  You know where I am going and how to get there.
  4. Devotional
    1. I’ve told the story before, and you can read the long version in my book “The Dream” which you can find on Amazon if you want to read it.
    2. Desert Storm August 1990, Saddam Hussein crossed into Kuwait
      1. Medical planner for XVIII Airborne Corps
      2. Spent a couple of weeks planning the defense of Saudi Arabian – Kuwaiti border
      3. Started planning the offensive campaign in September
    3. 24th Infantry Division wanted to move across the desert to the Euphrates River with blitzkrieg speed.
      1. Crush anything in their path and move on
      2. Planned to move 635 miles as fast as possible – 5 to 10 days
      3. Intelligence said Iraq would use chemical weapons since they had used them on their own people, the Kurds, in the NW to quell their revolt
      4. With chemical rounds available, estimated 3,000 casualties per day
    4. Army had never moved that fast against that formidable a force according to our intelligence
      1. Soviet weapons systems
      2. Chemical munitions
      3. Dug in positions
      4. Distances would stretch across 600 miles of desert, too far for helicopters to fly without refueling
    5. Medical support for that kind of warfare seemed impossible
      1. My responsibility to write the plan to save those 3,000 lives per day
      2. Casualty meant died or wounded, most would be wounded and need medical support
      3. How do you put the right medical support within reach of the soldiers on the front line when it takes five days to set up a hospital in the field?
      4. Platinum 10 minutes; Golden hour; Surgery in two hours
      5. Moving 600 miles in five days,
      6. no organic vehicles to carry all the equipment required to set up the hospitals, they are stationary once established
      7. Shared vehicles moved ammunition, water, food
    6. I couldn’t figure it out
      1. No precedence in history
      2. No current doctrine to support that kind of move without a lot more assets than were available
      3. If the estimates were right, thousands would die
      4. Despair
    7. October 12, 1990
      1. Awoke from a dream
      2. Maps of the battlefield showing all the medical unit movements
      3. Knew how to support the movement of the corps through their rapid movement
      4. Medical units did treat thousands of casualties, but not American
      5. Wounded Iraqi soldiers abandoned by their units as they retreated under the pressure of the Allied attack
      6. Desert Storm medical support changed Army doctrine in many areas, but especially in the medical support of active combat
    8. Dream came from God, convinced of it
      1. Don’t get lost in despair, believe in God and keep on believing in Jesus. He comes through at just the right time…always.
      2. You can read the whole story in my book, “The Dream” available on Amazon.
      3. God truly is an amazing God.
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Be careful what you promise (John 13:36-38), March 25, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Have you ever made a promise you really intended to keep, but them just crumbled under the enormity of the task? I have to admit, I have more times than I’d like to remember, actually. Peter did it, too.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 13:36-38
    2. Simon Peter:  Lord, where are You going?

Jesus: Peter, you cannot come with Me now, but later you will join Me.

Peter:  Why can’t I go now? I’ll give my life for You!

Jesus:  Will you really give your life for Me? I tell you the truth: you will deny Me three times before the rooster crows.

  1. Devotional
    1. Have you ever made a promise you really intended to keep, but them just crumbled under the enormity of the task?
      1. I have accepted a few tasks that I really wanted to complete
      2. Promised a completion date
      3. Promised high quality
      4. Had to go back and beg for more time or relinquish control of the project completely
      5. Just not able to do it
      6. Overcommitted
      7. Beyond my capability
    2. Peter promised to stay with Jesus forever to support Him and protect Him
      1. Really wanted to
      2. Had every intention of fulfilling His promise
      3. Then the soldiers came in the middle of the night
      4. Judas betrayed their Master
      5. Arrested Jesus to take Him to trial and crucifixion
    3. Peter stood for a moment with sword in hand
      1. Cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear
      2. Jesus put it back and made it new
      3. Peter dropped his sword
      4. Ran rather than be arrested
    4. Peter didn’t want to deny Him
      1. Meant every word
      2. Meant to stand up to the enemy
      3. Meant to stay faithful to the end
      4. Couldn’t take the pressure of feeling alone
      5. All the other disciples fled, too
    5. Peter tried to keep his promise but crumbled under the load
    6. Jesus knows our weaknesses,
      1. Still He forgives
      2. Strengthens
      3. Lifts us
      4. Calls us to follow Him
  2. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

You can’t go (John 13:31-35), March 24, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. My grandson had the thrill of his life last week. This year he is finally tall enough to ride “The Rattler”, the big roller coaster at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. He’s wanted to ride for a long time, but just wasn’t quite tall enough. His plight reminded me of today’s words from Jesus.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 13:31-35
    2. Jesus: Now the Son of Man will be glorified as God is glorified in Him.  If God’s glory is in Him, His glory is also in God. The moment of this astounding glory is imminent.  My children, My time here is brief. You will be searching for Me; and as I told the Jews, “You cannot go where I am going.”  So I give you a new command: Love each other deeply and fully. Remember the ways that I have loved you, and demonstrate your love for others in those same ways.  Everyone will know you as My followers if you demonstrate your love to others.
  4. Devotional
    1. When you were a kid, do you remember those times when your mom or dad or big brother or sister left you behind? “Sorry, you can’t go with me, kid.
      1. Not this time.
      2. You’re not big enough.
      3. You’re not old enough.
      4. You’re not ready.”
      5. How did you feel?
    2. I imagine that’s how the disciples felt when Jesus talked to them about going away.
      1. Closest friends.
      2. Went everywhere with Him
      3. Enjoyed His teachings, His miracles, His company
      4. Wanted to protect Him from the crowds and His enemies
      5. Wanted to be wherever He was
    3. What did they feel
      1. Disappointment
      2. Rejection
      3. Abandonment
      4. Fear
      5. Anger
      6. Confusion
    4. We look back and understand
      1. Know where He was going
      2. Know we can join Him one day
      3. Know how to get to the place He went
      4. Ask His forgiveness
      5. Accept Him as Lord
      6. Follow Him each day
    5. We can’t go there yet, but one day it will be time and we can be with Him forever
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

Visibly distressed (John 13:21-27), March 23, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. How much did it hurt when your friend hurt you by saying or doing something that you didn’t expect. Imagine what it would feel like if they did it and you knew it was going to happen.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 13:21-27
    2. Jesus was becoming visibly distressed.

Jesus: I tell you the truth: one of you will betray Me.

The disciples began to stare at one another, wondering who was the unfaithful disciple.  One disciple in particular, who was loved by Jesus, reclined next to Him at the table.  Peter motioned to the disciple at Jesus’ side.

Peter (to the beloved disciple): Find out who the betrayer is.

Beloved Disciple (leaning in to Jesus):  Lord, who is it?

Jesus:  I will dip a piece of bread in My cup and give it to the one who will betray Me.

He dipped one piece in the cup and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  After this occurred, Satan entered into Judas.

Jesus (to Judas): Make haste, and do what you are going to do.

  1. Devotional
    1. We’ve all been hurt by a friend at some time or other or we haven’t lived.
      1. It’s the way of relationships in a broken world
      2. Misinterpret actions or words
      3. See things from our broken past instead of God’s perfect lens even if Christian brothers and sisters
      4. Marred by the consequences of past sins and the brokenness of this world
    2. Probably never expected the hurt or betrayal, though
      1. We expect our relationships to be good
      2. We expect encouragement and support from friends
      3. We expect our friends never to stab us in the back or give us up to our enemies
    3. Now put yourself in Jesus’ place
      1. Betrayed by His friend and abandoned by the rest
      2. But knew about it ahead of time
      3. Inspired the prophets to write about it centuries before He came to earth
      4. Lived with the reality every day
      5. Had to eat this last meal with His betrayer knowing what would happen next
    4. Jesus was becoming visibly distressed! No kidding!
      1. Had a human side
      2. We all need others to lean on
      3. They were about to desert Him and one would betray Him
      4. He knew it all and it was coming in just hours
      5. His physical, mental, and spiritual agony was about to begin
    5. We cannot begin to understand the stress Jesus felt
      1. But we can thank Him for His sacrifice
      2. We can praise Him for what He did for us
      3. We can follow Him when He calls
      4. We can love Him because He loves us more than we can know
  2. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.


 

Betrayal always carries bad consequences (John 13:12-20), March 22, 2017

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  1. Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
  2. Have you ever been the victim of betrayal? Have you ever betrayed someone? There are always consequences, you know.
  3. Scripture
    1. John 13:12-20
    2. Jesus: Do you understand what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord, and truly, that is who I am.  So if your Lord and Teacher washes your feet, then you should wash one another’s feet.  I am your example; keep doing what I do.  I tell you the truth: a servant is not greater than the master. Those who are sent are not greater than the one who sends them.  If you know these things, and if you put them into practice, you will find happiness.  I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen, but let the Hebrew Scripture be fulfilled that says, “The very same man who eats My bread with Me will stab Me in the back.”  Assuredly, I tell you these truths before they happen so that when it all transpires, you will believe that I am.  I tell you the truth: anyone who accepts the ones I send accepts Me. In turn, the ones who accept Me also accept the One who sent Me.
  4. Devotional
    1. It’s been a lot of years and I won’t mention any names, but a fellow officer in one of the units to which I was assigned was a good friend…I thought.
      1. We often ate lunch together.
      2. We shared techniques in leading our units that worked and those that didn’t work so well so we helped each other.
      3. Families spent time together after work during our leisure hours.
      4. Thought we were good friends
    2. One day things changed
      1. Had an inspection and some things were missing from his unit
      2. Accountable, but consumable
      3. Used up in training, but had to account for their use and replace because of alert status
      4. His soldiers got lazy and didn’t do the proper paperwork to account for the consumables after one training event and so there was a shortage
      5. I was accused of stealing
      6. Took less than an hour to show the paper trail to prove no one in my unit took any of his consumables. All mine were accounted for and a trail for when and where each came from
    3. Pain came from the betrayal
      1. We were friends
      2. He knew my character
      3. He knew I wouldn’t tolerate such behavior from anyone under my authority
      4. Still he accused me to try to cover his soldiers’ failure
      5. “The one who ate bread with me, stabbed me in the back.”
      6. My friend left the service very soon after that event
    4. Nothing of what Jesus felt
      1. Judas sat as His feet continually
      2. Listened to His teaching
      3. Said he believed what the Master taught
      4. Said he believed Jesus to be the Son of God
      5. Would soon betray Him to the high priest and the Sanhedrin
      6. He would die because Judas decided to betray his friend
    5. You just don’t know the consequences that will come as a result of betrayal
      1. My friend ended his career
      2. Judas hung himself
      3. Jesus died on a cross
      4. Be careful of betraying your friends
  5. If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

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