Greetings in the name of Jesus!

     In this weeks devotional, Scripture leads us to take our

eyes off Jesus and focus our attention on two people who's lives

stand out as complete opposites. As we examine the contrast

between them, it is my prayer that we will strengthen our

commitment to seek and serve God.

     Open your Bible to Mark 6, and read verses 14-29. Now read

it again.

     The combined ministry of Jesus and the Apostles has brought

the knowledge of Jesus, his works and his teaching, into the

palace of Herod Antipas, The Tetrarch of Galilee and Preaea.

     Antipas was a son of Herod the Great, he had 13 brothers and

nine stepmothers. 

     Herod the Great had several claims to fame. First, his great

building projects which included the rebuilding of The Temple in

Jerusalem, secondly, his atrocities, which included the slaughter

of the infants of Bethlehem as well as the murder of three of his

sons and two of his wives!

     Antipas was responsible for the death of John the baptist

and was also the Herod to whom Jesus was sent by Pontius Pilate

for examination at the time of his crucifixion.

     Antipas married the daughter of Aretas, the king of Arabia

Patraea, but lusted for, and married Herodias, his brother

Philip's wife. As we read in today's devotional, he also lusted

for

Salome, the daughter of Herodias when she danced before him at

his birthday party and he offered her half his kingdom for her

"performance."

     History tells us that Antipas' uncontrolled lust finally

bore fruit. When Aretas, King of Arabia learned that Antipas had

spurned his daughter, for Herodias, he amazed an army and

invaded Galilee and Perea and defeated Antipas' army. Antipas

fled to Rome to secure his kingdom and throne but when he got

there, he found that the friends of his cousin Herod Agrippa

opposed him and accused him of treason. The emperor Caligula

appointed Agrippa to be king of Galilee and Perea and found

Antipas guilty of treason and had him banished to Lugdununi in

Gaul (out in the boonies), where he lived out the rest of his

life in obscurity with his wife Herodius.

     Here we have a man who had it all, power, wealth, women,-

but in the end we see that he became a slave to his own self

gratification and surrendering himself to it cost him everything,

and in the end he will have to stand before the judgment seat of

God and make an account of himself.

     The example of his life begs the question, "what are you

living for? On a day to day basis does your life resemble

Antipas'? What would happen if you were to have to give an

account of your life to God for what you did last week? Would

your life demonstrate your love for God or your love of

self?

     Now lets focus our attention on John the Baptist. Scripture

tells us that he answered God's call and forsook the things of

the world to live in the deserted places, eating the natural food

that God provided. He single mindedly served God and fearlessly

spoke the truth of God even when it put him in jeopardy. His only

moment of doubt came while he was in prison Luke 7:18-30, and

in stead of condemning him, Jesus commended him, calling him

Great.

     Read Matthew 5:13-15, read it again! Jesus commanded that

our actions and words should demonstrate our relationship with

God like John's did, come to think of it, so did Antipas'.

     As we close take time to consider your own actions and

words, for they DO demonstrate your relationship with God to

everyone around you. That should keep you busy!



                                   Love in Christ



                                        Greg



                                   gspencer@omnifest.uwm.edu