A Friend’s Betrayal: Lessons in Serving Love

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the rebroadcast blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

  • This time of year, many Christians are especially remembering the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior.
  • As we recall the events leading up to the death of Jesus, it’s important we examine how He treated people, including Judas.

KJV Scripture references

Matthew 5:43-48

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 26:14-30; 47-50

14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,

15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.

21 And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.

24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.

30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.

49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him.

What I marvel at, BCUFam is this:

Jesus knew Judas.

Jesus chose Judas.

Jesus served Judas——all while knowing that Judas would betray Him. That’s love.

And even when Judas delivered Him to the chief priests and elders, Jesus still called Him friend. Not in a snarky, sarcastic way, He meant it. That must have moved Judas, along with watching Jesus being brought to Pilate, because the Scriptures say he realized he betrayed an innocent man. After he confessed, Judas threw the money down and hung himself (Matthew 27:1-5).

BCUFam, as trying as it is sometimes, we are commanded to walk out Matthew 5:43-48 in all our challenging interactions. If Jesus in the flesh continued to love, bless, do good, pray for and serve the man who would betray Him, how much more should we be doing? It’s a challenge, yes, but we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Amen? Amen!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for this lesson and reminder. As we go through this life, we know offenses will come, and along with those offenses, the opportunities and inclination to retaliate. Please strengthen us to continue to love, bless, do good and pray for those who have offended, hurt, or betrayed us, according to Your instruction, so You will be honored, and we will be called Your children. We thank You for continuing to bless and keep us, and we will give You all the praise and glory, in Jesus Name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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The Widow vs. The Unjust Judge

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • I was taught a parable is “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning”—-and so began my love of the parables.
  • The “Unjust Judge” is a story about a widow who had a situation that only this judge could rectify.
  • The judge was corrupt, but her insistence eventually wore him down.
  • This parable is a good reminder that persistence in prayer in the face of adversity will keep us from fainting and, that God, our Just Judge will always avenge His elect.

Scripture references:

Luke 18:1-7

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Job 14:1

1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

Isaiah 40:31

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I Thessalonians 5:17

17 Pray without ceasing.

Proverbs 24:10

10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

BCU Fam, persistent prayer is a necessary staple in the Christian’s life. We want to keep in mind that sometimes, our prayers are not answered “in our favor” (meaning, the way WE want) because our Just Judge has a better way of doing things. There are several things I “thought” were good for me, at the time, but thanks be to God HE KNEW differently and answered accordingly. So, when we pray consistently and persistently, God hears us, yes, but if we listen, we will hear Him, and in that, our hearts will acquiesce to His perfect will for our lives. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for Your Word today and for You being our Just, Holy and Righteous Judge. Thank You for reminding us that nothing escapes Your knowledge and that You will always take care of Your elect. Bless us to remember that when we are wronged, You will right the wrong in Your way and on Your time——and that rather than us being consumed with how and when You avenge us, we want to continue praying and living so You are pleased with us in all that we think, say and do, in Jesus name, we thank You, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Obedience is a Requirement

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • When one of the kiddos was younger, he informed me that there were things we HAVE to do, even if we don’t WANT to.
  • I recall a time where someone requested me to take care of a task their way, rather than my way.
  • Naturally, my way was “better”, and I was prepared to do things the way I wanted to. Period! 😆
  • The Lord spoke to me about the situation, so I’d like to share that conversation with you.

KJV Scripture references

I Kings 13:1-26

And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.

3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lordhath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.

5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lordcame unto the prophet that brought him back:

21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.

BCUFam, this was a sobering WORD! While we are grateful for living in the dispensation of grace, with the help of the Lord, we still need to follow what He tells us to do. Because Jesus is a Good Father, He would never misguide us, so this is where we have to trust that God knows what is best. Now, in our zeal to get things done right away, coupled with our finite and limited capacity to see ahead, we can easily lean to our own understanding. Our understanding is faulty, short-sighted and will not ever be more wise than the Lord’s way of doing things. In fact, His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). So the wisest choice is to follow the Lord’s leading, so we will always get His results. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the Word that has corrected us today! We bless Your name and thank You for loving us enough to remind us that we need to be obedient in every area of our lives. Lord, as we come before You, we thank You for helping us follow Proverbs 3:5-6, that admonishes us to trust in You with all of our heart, lean not to our own understanding, and that we acknowledge You in all of our ways, so that our paths will be directed. By doing things Your way, the outcome will be perfect, because You, Jesus are perfect. Please continue to bless and keep us, and we will continue to give You all the praise and glory! In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Where Is Your Faith In God?

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • The Lord has been sending encouraging words a bit differently this month!
  • Last time, we had a sermon excerpt from Pastor Brian Robinson on following Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • This week, my “baby” brother, Pastor Garry J. Anderson is bringing us a word on these turbulent times and faith.
  • Listen in and allow our amazing God to encourage your heart today!

KJV Scripture references

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Pastor Garry J. Anderson

BCUFam, this was a WORD! With all this uncertainty, turbulence, policy changes, disasters, food shortages and other situations happening, from the natural eye, these ARE scary, faith-testing times! We also know that because God tells us without faith, it is impossible to please Him, He rewards those who diligently seek Him, AND the size of our faith only needs to be the size of a grain of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20) we can continue to put our trust the the Author and Finisher of our faith to take care of His people. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You, for the Word that has corrected, challenged, convicted, taught and has lifted us up! We pray that as we go through these turbulent times, that we will continue to put our faith and trust in You Jesus, who knows everything, rather than people who have limited knowledge. We thank You for meeting all of our needs, and keeping our hearts and minds stayed on You. For those who may not be saved, we thank You Jesus, for speaking to someone’s heart to repent and be baptized in the Name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and You filling them with the gift of Holy Ghost, with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues as outline in Acts chapters 1 and 2.

We thank You for the privilege and honor of serving and representing You in these end times, Jesus! Please continue to help us to be faithful servants, and we will continue to give You all the praise and glory! In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Faithful Servants and Our Faithful God

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • Last month, we attended service at where Pastor Brian Robinson was asked to deliver the message.
  • Thankfully, the Lord gave me presence of mind to record part of the sermon to share it with all of you.
  • Among other things, this portion of the message speaks about examples of servanthood and ensuring we follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • Listen in and allow our amazing God to encourage your heart today!

KJV Scripture references

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?

Genesis 22:1-19

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.

15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,

16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

Pastor Brian Robinson, Sr.

BCUFam, as you can tell, the congregation was stirred up by the Word of God, and God gets the glory for it all! With all that was said during the message, what stood out to me, is that we want to hold on to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—-even in and especially in trying times. If we stay faithful and committed to doing what God says, we will get perfect results, because we serve a perfect God. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You, for the Word of God coming from the man of God. Our prayer is that we want to be faithful to, and walk up right before You, as Mary and Abraham demonstrated in the text. With Your help, we want to clearly hear Your voice and follow Your directions right down to the letter, so You will be glorified in our lives.

We thank You for all You have done for us, all You have brought us through, and the privilege and honor of serving You, and Your people in full capacity. Please continue to help us to be faithful servants, and we will continue to give You all the praise and glory! In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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