Betrayal

Luke 22 tells us the story of the process of betraying Christ. Websters defines betrayal as : “to lead astray ; seduce, to deliver to an enemy by treachery, to fail or desert especially in time of need.”. The Bible says in vs. 4 that Judas went to the religious leaders specifically to “discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them.”

When you fall in love with Jesus and truly recognize all He’s done for you, betrayal cuts to the core of our hearts. Betrayal stifles our walk and progress with Him. Betrayal cuts us off from the fellowship of believers, from intimate relationships with others and from the very mercy seat of God. When I walk or move contrary to His Word or His Spirit (sin) I betray Him! How is it possible that with such a great Lord, Savior and King that we could ever possibly consider betrayal. Luke 22 gives us some insight.

1) Betrayal results when we give an opportunity for the flesh or the enemy to “enter in” to our lives. In John 14:30 Jesus said that the ruler of this world was coming after Him, but that he had no part in Him! There is an old saying that “When you reach out to shake hands with the devil, he’ll bite your arm off!” We must TOTALLY subdue our fleshly, selfish desires and submit to the Spirit of God. There must be no area of entrance into our lives for the enemy of our souls. Do a review in your own life. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal the weaknesses in your walk. Then shore up those areas by fasting & prayer and discipline and denial and accountability with others. Stay Holy!

The best way to kill a giant Oak tree is when it’s an acorn. Do not let it take root! When sin or self knocks at your door…do not open the door! The Bible says in 1Co 10:13 that “There hath no temptation overtaken you that is not common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above your strength, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you are able to bear it.” Have you ever formulated a way of escape? We already know our own areas of weakness, therefore we should have a Divine Strategy already in place for the time when temptation strikes. You don’t wait until fire breaks out before an exit strategy is in place. There’s one in every hotel room! Take some time today, get with God and create an exit strategy. I know one brother who suffered form severe addiction to crack cocaine and lost everything he had. When he got his Divine Escape plane AND put it into action continually…He experienced VICTORY!

When temptation comes…begin to destroy the thoughts immediately…begin to sing praises to God out loud! James tells us that the tongue steers the course of your life (like the rudder of a ship)…When you speak, your thoughts are refocused in another direction. Pull out the Word of God (The Sword of the Spirit) and begin to speak against that “Stinkin thinkin!” Jesus did it! (Matthew 4:4) call your prayer or accountability partner and expose the thought to another…when wrong thinking is exposed to holy air…it’ suffers a violent, swift death!

Remember…you are just thinking about shaking hands…your enemy is considering biting your arm off!I’ll be back soon to continue this message. In the mean time, read Luke 22: 2-6 and see what He speaks to you!

Resting in His Ability Today!

Ken Bombard