JUDAS!            DO 71            3/71

         1. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT JUDAS? DO YOU SUPPOSE HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN PETER'S SON? Of the 37 times that the name Simon is used in the New Testament, 16 of the 20 times it is used alone it refers to Peter. The other 17 times the name Simon is used, THAT Simon is always specifically identified as being someone other than Peter. But whenever the name Simon is used alone, it's always Peter.
         2. THEREFORE WE CAN ONLY LOGICALLY CONCLUDE THAT, OF THE FOUR REMAINING TIMES IT IS ALSO USED BY ITSELF AS BEING THE FATHER OF JUDAS, THAT THAT SIMON IS ALSO PETER! Therefore Judas Iscariot can only most likely have been the very son of Peter himself! Could the Lord have chosen him because he was Peter's son--a relative--at Peter's insistence, even though the Lord knew he would betray Him?
         3. HOW COME WE HEAR SO LITTLE ABOUT JUDAS IN THE CHURCHES, WHEN THEY'RE SO FULL OF PEOPLE JUST LIKE HIM! Maybe that's why they don't preach about him. Sermons on traitors, ratters & critical, disloyal followers would hit too many of their parishioners too hard--& yet Judas is such an amazing personality! Jesus even said he was "the Devil", Satan himself, in Judas himself! Why should the Devil want to be one of Jesus' disciples? Why didn't he leave it up to one of his lieutenants? Why did HE want to get Jesus?
         4. THE DEVIL'S ALREADY GOT THE OLDER GENERATION: HE'S AFTER THE YOUNGER! You know, when you put these things back in the past (Jesus & His disciples & Judas), they're like fairy tales. They've no real reality to them. But when suddenly it's brought up to the present, the fact that this sort of thing could happen today really shakes you!
         5. NOW WE'RE SHAKING THE WORLD & SHOWING THAT THE THINGS OF THE LORD CAN STILL HAPPEN TODAY--that He's just as real & can still do the same & even more so & He can have the same kind of disciples, who can do the same things & greater works--which can again shake up the World! Where do you know of anybody like us that is as great a threat to the Devil's business as we are, in this whole World?
         6. IF WE CONTINUE AS WE'RE NOW GOING, WE STAND TO BE THE GREATEST THREAT ON THIS EARTH TO THE DEVIL'S KINGDOM! The Devil's got to rule our generation, because they're going to be his kingdom on Earth & he's going to be their Anti-Christ!
         7. THEY KILLED PEOPLE LIKE US IN JESUS' DAY: THEY GOT THE LEADERS FIRST & then the others, one by one, to try to stop it, because it was sweeping the World! Do I resemble Jesus? Does the World situation today resemble that of Jesus' day? Is the attitude of the church today similar to the church then? Do you think that perhaps maybe the Devil is still alive? Do you think he's still working?
         8. BUT THE DEVIL IS NOT LIKE GOD OR CHRIST OR THE HOLY SPIRIT: HE'S NOT OMNIPRESENT. He's somewhat limited in his scope of operation, because he's only one of God's creations & limited to one personality in one place at any one given time. Therefore, he has to carry on most of his business through his demons & evil angels, such as the Prince of Persia & the various Satanic princes of this World.
         9. BUT IF HE WERE LOOKING FOR ONE PARTICULAR JOB FOR HIMSELF, as the most important job, to try to destroy the most serious threat to his kingdom, who do you think he'd be looking for right now?--Us!
         10. AND IF EVERYTHING NOW IS LIKE EVERYTHING THEN, if we are like THEM & the situation is like THEN & Jesus & the Devil are still the same as they were then, how do you think Satan would try to destroy us--just like he did then? Why did Jesus choose Judas even if he wasn't YET possessed of the Devil, even though He knew he was going to be?
         11. GOD ALLOWED IT TO FULFIL HIS PLAN. It was needful that Christ should die & therefore He had to die somehow. Why should the Scribes & Pharisees have to pay one of His Own to betray Him? They must have had pretty good security, those disciples. Why did the Scribes & Pharisees want to take Him at night in a lonely garden where just a FEW of His disciples were there? Why not in broad daylight? Because it might have started a riot! So the safest way to get Him was when He was alone!
         12. BUT WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHERE HE WAS AT SUCH TIMES AS THAT? It had to be through some very close associate who knew His security habits & His schedule. It had to be an INSIDER! The Lord knew Judas was going to betray Him, wasn't gonna make it, & go back--& yet He chose him, knowing it was going to accomplish His plan anyway.
         13. SOMETIMES JESUS' DISCIPLES ARGUED WITH HIM OR QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND--but WHICH OF THEM DO YOU EVER RECALL MAKING OUTRIGHT CRITICISMS OF HIM & HIS POLICIES IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT COULD HAVE BROUGHT DIVISION? In the 12th Chapter of John, for example, we find Judas questioning Jesus' permitting Mary to pour the pound of costly ointment on His feet. Wasn't that a rather stinging criticism of Jesus and His policies--that Jesus was rather wasteful? Wasn't this something that could have brought division? Why did Judas say it unless he was TRYING to bring division?
         14. WHAT WAS JUDAS' MAIN CONCERN? WHY DID HE DECIDE TO JOIN? I'm sure he didn't know he was the Devil & I doubt very much if he even knew he was possessed BY the Devil! Most people who are used by the Devil don't know it. But as far as his own natural reasoning was concerned, he is said to have belonged to the sect of the Zealots & WAS REALLY HOPING JESUS WOULD BECOME A KING; & therefore, IF JESUS TOOK OVER HIS KINGDOM, HE'D BE HIS RIGHT HAND MAN! This was possibly Judas' motive--we don't know.
         15. SINCE THE DEVIL IS LIMITED & NOT OMNIPRESENT, operating in & out of the material World--if the Devil were to decide he wanted to put a stop to this Movement, if we resemble Jesus & HIS Movement & the World situation IS similar today & the threat to the Devil's control of it is similar--then who would he have tried to get into at times NOW?--One of our most intimate or top leaders!
         16. WHAT IF A STRONG INFLUENTIAL LEADER--ONE OF OUR TOP MEN--SHOULD SUDDENLY TAKE A STAND AGAINST ME FOR REASONS OF HIS OWN & begin to voice his doubts that quite a few of the weaker ones have had already? Do you think he would gain some followers--enough weak ones, enough disloyal ones, enough doubters "that know not Joseph"--who would be willing to follow him, particularly if he had strong backing & there was quite a bit in it for him & them--a great deal of power & gain at stake?
         17. SO THEREFORE, THE DEVIL WOULD TRY TO GET INTO ONE OF OUR MOST INTIMATE ASSOCIATES FIRST, TO TRY TO BRING ABOUT DIVISION, cast doubts on our policies, practices, teachings & whatnot--to voice those doubts, weaken the convictions of others--to question us & criticise us, PRIVATELY at first!
         18. WHO WOULD THE DEVIL CHOOSE? SOMEBODY VERY CLOSE TO THE TOP WITH AUTHORITY, power, influence, a good smooth talker & one who had already been proven before to be weak & disloyal--a good tool for him to use & at the same time weak enough for him to get into--one who has a proven record of doubts; demonic susceptibility; weakness of the flesh; pride; disloyalty; already critical of leadership; already prone to question; & already known to be jealous & covetous--who has already doubted in his own mind & questioned & voiced these to others!
         19. DOUBTS ARE NOT JUST A LITTLE NOTHING THAT YOU PUSH ASIDE AS NOT VERY IMPORTANT! Doubts are monsters that devour & destroy you & things around you! They are the Devil's thoughts & Satan's words!--And when you're doubting in your own mind, you're thinking the Enemy's thoughts! When you're voicing your doubts to others, you're spreading Satan's propaganda--& it's all designed to bring division & through division, destruction of the Word of God!
         20. NOW APPARENTLY SATAN WAS NOT ALWAYS IN JUDAS, because, as I recall, in one place He says, "Satan entered into him"-& that was a long time after Jesus said, "One of you is the Devil." Because, apparently, to carry on his business, he was in & out of Judas. So apparently Judas wasn't always like that. Sometimes he must have been a very likeable fellow to be able to stick around for three & a half years. So apparently it was only when it suited the Devil's occasion to possess & use him that he was another man! But the Lord knew this & still gave him a chance & let him make his own decision. g
         21. SO THE DEVIL USED HIM FIRST TO TRY TO BRING DIVISION & DISSENSION, to destroy confidence in leadership; but when this failed, what was Judas' last resort? He sold Jesus out to the System!--And why? Probably to save his own neck! Maybe Judas was smart enough to know the political situation & maybe have influential friends on the other side to let him know when the noose was tightening & the net was closing in on Jesus--that if he DIDN'T get out, he was going to get caught!--And it was either die with Christ, as far as he could see, or sell Him out & save his own neck.
         22. THE DEVIL HAS TO USE LOGIC ALSO, LIKE: "WELL, YOU KNOW HE'S NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!" I'm sure Judas must have thought this many times, along with a lot of other people who probably thought the same, doubted the leadership, was critical of it, so the Enemy was able to move in & give him an excuse for disloyalty!
         23. ANYBODY WHO WILL SERIOUSLY QUESTION IS A DOUBTER: Questions are the result of doubts. Doubts are the voice of unbelief. Unbelief gives rise to doubts. Doubts voice questions & the questions become criticisms. Criticism is disloyalty & it brings division. And anyone trying to divide us will take advantage of it.
         24. WHY DID ESAU WEEP SO? WHY DID JUDAS COMMIT SUICIDE? They were sorry, but as my Mother used to say when I broke something when I was little & I'd say, "I'm sorry, Mama", she'd say, "I'm sorry, too, but sorry doesn't fix it!" Saul wept too, time & again, but he never changed!--No matter how many times he was sorry, he never repented. He never really changed his ways. He was still the same. A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
         25. TRUE REPENTANCE IS NOT JUST BEING SORRY: It is "metanoia", Greek for a complete change of mind & heart & direction--a whole new man--a new personality--a new creature in Christ Jesus--born again! Hallelujah!
         26. ONLY GOD CAN DO IT, BUT WE MUST BE WILLING & YIELDED TO HIM & make the decision that we WANT to be delivered WITHOUT reservations!--NOT with a "But the Lord pardon thy servant in this one thing"--like Naaman, who was never heard of again; but like Peter & David, who STOPPED being disloyal!-Not like Judas, who gave up, quit & copped out! Don't be a Judas!--Even if you're tempted to be LIKE him!
         27. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN FREE WILL--THE GOD-GIVEN MAJESTY OF CHOICE! I believe everyone is given a chance to choose to do good or evil, just like Adam & Eve in the Garden. You can choose--you don't HAVE to be evil! God didn't MAKE Adam & Eve fall--they fell because of their lust for evil--they CHOSE to fall, for the power of knowledge, education, both good & evil--because they lusted for power, more than human power, the Devil's power, to be as gods--or literally, like the devils or demons or the fallen angels of Satan--anything for power.--And knowledge represents power, education in both good & evil.
         28. SO THE TWO MOST PERFECT PEOPLE THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN, LIVING UNDER THE MOST IDEAL CONDITIONS THAT EVER EXISTED, WERE DISSATISFIED because they lacked one thing--more power! Satan himself had been Lucifer, the Light-Bearer, the mightiest of all Archangels, next to God Himself--but he was not satisfied! He wanted to BE God! Adam & Eve did not HAVE to fall--they CHOSE to, because of their lust for power! Judas didn't have to fall--he chose to! You don't have to-the decision is yours. It's up to YOU!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family