Good evening Brethren! Hope your preparation day is going well and you are looking forward to another Sabbath day beginning Friday (tomorrow) evening.

Are we dependable? Sometimes we say or hear “I did not think” or we say “I forgot” or we just bring challenges or problems, on ourselves; but is that dependability? There are so many distractions today. Many times it is hard to really focus but we need to use care in what we say and commit to.

What if Christ had not been dependable? What if He said He forgot to do something or just decided He wasn’t going to go forward with what he had already agreed to do?

Christ had one of those classic moments. The power to change prophesized history was in his hands. He could have easily justified a change and blamed someone else for not continuing on. If that had happened, the entire world would have been lost.

Bible scholars would say: impossible! Exactly, as Christ was not all about Himself (being totally selfless); yet it does cause one to stop and think. His being dependable when all counted on Him made God’s plan of salvation, happen. Christ was that key.

“And while he yet spoke, 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.’”

Here was the “horrible” moment, Christ had to be dependable. What about us?

When situations “push our buttons” are we dependable to this way of life no matter what? Or instead, do we become so overwrought with hate, hurt, anger and upset, that we lash out not realizing we are allowing Satan to “get” to us; and eventually, if we remain unrepentant, we could“open” ourselves up to this unthinkable individual, pulled into his power, influence and maybe as Judas, even worse. Satan is a horribly unhappy fallen archangel, who had a top job in the third heaven, and messed up, appallingly (Ezekiel 28). In doing so he became Satan, a warped frustrated enemy.

God the Father, through the one who later became Jesus Christ, created a beautiful spirit being. He did not create a devil. Satan made his own choices, to be who he is today; full of corruption, deceit and frankly, the complete opposite of righteous dependability. He is however, very dependable, in his line of work: deception and sin.

“And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. ⁵¹And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. ⁵² Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”

Profound words, least any of us assume we should act in a similar carnal way, justifying our own actions to that of what we are commanded to do by Jesus Christ. A dependable Christian then, is dependable in all situations. Christ had the power to call in the troops but gave Himself totally to the Father’s plan in willing obedience, to save all of us. That is dependable!

⁵³ “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” A legion is defined by one lexicon as “6000 troops” and so twelve legions would be 72,000 angels.

Wow, all that backing you up and you have to let them take you, with no resistance! We see why. Christ had to be dependable because a lot was riding on what He did.

⁵⁴ “How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?……But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.” (Mat 26:52-56 KJV/NAS).

Exactly, Christ was dependable to save each of us! Are we the same?

In Las Cruces, Church Services will be at 9 AM at the Golden Mesa Residence Saturday morning in Las Cruces NM. The title of the main message is: “Just How Did it All “Get” That Way?”

Santa Fe and Albuquerque Church Services will be combined together at 3:00 PM in the regular Albuquerque hall at the Best Western Executive Suites. The main message will be on “Salvation is Love Magnified into Service” followed by a potluck/refreshments and a Bible Study on “How Did it All Get that Way?”

In Prescott at 10:30 AM, the main message will be on: “Twelve Tools for the Mission” via DVD by Dr. Winnail. A potluck and Bible Study will follow immediately after on the topic: on the Book of James, Chapter 2, by Mr. Nork.

In Tucson at 10:30 AM the main message will be on: “Are You A Real Christian” by Dr. Meredith via DVD, followed by a potluck/refreshments and a Bible Study. In Phoenix at 3:00 PM, Mr. Lozano will be speaking on: “Know Your Enemy.”

Don’t miss any of it. Please pray for all traveling and have a peaceful Sabbath (Friday) evening!

Sincerely,