Gather the Outcasts

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Warfare Portals 21

Dear beloved: Another example of demonic oppression and possession in the scriptures is that of Jesus disciple, Judas Iscariot. He was chosen by Jesus and walked with him as Jesus ministered here on the earth, so it wasn't for lack of a good teacher that Judas fell into sin and eventually betrayed Him. It just points out that when Satan begins to make small inroads into a person's life, that it can turn into full blown demonic possession with a very undesirable outcome.

Judas started out with the good intentions of all the disciples, but he had a problem with greed and that led him to his demise. John 12:3 Mary therefore took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. v4 but Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, v5" Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to poor people?" v6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it. ... And so we see that Judas was the treasurer for the group, and so Satan attacked him where he was the most vulnerable, through his greed and desire for more money. This then led to Judas making a deal with the chief priests, Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve went to the chief priests; v15 and said, "What are you willing to give me to deliver Him up to you? And they weighed out to him thirty pieces of silver. v16 And from then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him. Luke 22:3 tells us the point in time when Judas actually became demon possessed. v3 And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. v5 And they were glad, and agreed to give money to him. v6 And he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from the multitude. And in verse 47 we find the deal completed and sealed with a kiss. v47 While He was still speaking, behold, a multitude came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was proceeding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. v48 But Jesus said to him, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

Of coarse, Jesus knew beforehand all of this was going to happen, because he knew the old testament scriptures, where the betrayal of the Messiah was prophesied in Zechariah 11:12 And I said the them, "If it is good in your sight, give me my wages, but if not, never mind. So they weighed out thirty shekels of silver as my wages. v13 Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. The end result of Judas betrayal was that his guilt overcame him and he took the money back to the chief priests and threw it to them, but they would not take it because it was blood money and they knew the curses associated with it. And then Judas finished it all by hanging himself, Matthew 27:5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. v7 And they counseled together and with the money bought the Potter's field, as a burial place for strangers. v8 For this reason the field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.

And so we see the escalating nature of sin in Judas' life ended in the betrayal of Jesus and his own suicide. Many times we see this scenario acted out in America; a person trapped in sin ( anger, jealousy, greed, porn,) picks up a gun and shoots his loved ones and then shoots himself. The ultimate goal of Satan is our earthly and eternal destruction, but it all starts with agreement with him in small ways of sin. Beloved, do not agree with Satan in any way in your life, repent of any sin and renounce it and get free from that bondage, you will be glad you did! Tomorrow we will look some more at the life of Judas and others. May God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim

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