Luke 9:1-2, Mark 14:10–11, John 12:4-6, John 13:27–30, Ezekiel 33:14–16, Luke 22:1–6 and Acts 1:20–25.

From all of our Bible readings today, we will be able to figure out what kind of person Judas is. This is meant to make you think about yourself and to help you choose and be careful about who you hang out with. Most importantly, for anyone who has done wrong to turn around and be saved from what happened to Judas.

Who exactly is this Judas?

Judas means "praise" in Hebrew, but no one wants to give their child that name because of how he died.
When Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was on earth, he had 12 followers, and Judas Iscariot was one of them. He was picked to be in the Lord's inner circle. Once he was saved, he quit his job and went to follow Jesus Christ, just like the other eleven. He worked with Christ in his ministry and was given spiritual gifts and power. He helped Jesus Christ spread the Good News, did miracles, healed the sick, and cast devils away. He went to the place Master Jesus told him to go. He was in charge of the group's money, which is a job that would only have gone to someone who was trusted. This means that our Lord Jesus Christ probably put his trust in Judas. Alas! Judas betrayed Jesus.

Where did Judas go wrong?

Something went wrong with Judas, who was trusted and liked by everyone. One of his flaws destroyed him. He didn't do anything about his weakness, so it ate away at him until it was too late. He was a thief!

Judas was a thief, and this one flaw made him have many other flaws and bad traits. He went from being loyal to not being loyal. He got money so that he could betray Jesus and give his Master to the people who would kill Him. He had a great start with the Lord, but he ended badly. He did something that made heaven sad.

Signs You Are A Judas

1. You know you're backsliding, but you still use your Christian title because you want to be seen as unique.

Judas thought that the fruit of the Spirit was the same thing as the gifts of the Spirit. He really was blessed by God. He and the other disciples were given power, did miracles, and drove out demons. His spiritual life was tiring, though. He was turning away from the Lord, but he couldn't accept it because he had a big job and a big title among the friends of Christ. Maybe the signs and miracles he was still doing led him to think he was still standing, even though he had already fallen. The devil got into him because he liked money, and he did something bad. He went from being good to being bad.

We must be very careful so that the devil doesn't get us, in the name of Jesus Christ. Devil is not sleeping and just waiting for the right time to attack Christian. Just because you're a worker in a church doesn't mean you will go to heaven. Salvation is an individual thing. After being reborn, you need to work out your salvation by letting the fruit of the Spirit do its full work until Christ's image is made in you. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray that the Lord will keep us safe from the devil. Amen!

2. You care so much about money.

You can't have two bosses at the same time; you have to pick one. The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. Mammon is the love of money.
Money is good, and God wants us to have a lot of it so we can live well and even do what we came to the world to do. Poverty is a sin, and you should never want to be poor. God wants us to be richly blessed, and He told us that would happen. The Lord says, "Silver and gold are mine." However, if you think badly about money, you might end up like Judas. Sad to say, many Christians today will do anything to make money, even if it goes against their beliefs. It's for their own good and selfish gain but not God's Kingdom. Judas sold his Master, Jesus Christ, for 30 pieces of silver, money that he never got to spend. He loved money more than he loved Christ.

3. Choosing to make a bad prophecy come true in your life.

No name was given, but it was said that someone would be a "son of perdition" to Jesus Christ. Judas wasn't meant to be that son of destruction, but he chose to make that prophecy come true.

Even if someone tells you something bad will happen, you can and must pray it out of your life and future. Some people in the Bible rejected bad prophecies by asking God to take them out of their lives.
Because of a prophecy, Jabez had to go through pain, poverty, and sadness because of his name. But because he prayed hard to God, God changed the way his life was going (1 Chronicles 4:10). If you want to, you can do the same thing. Jacob didn't bless Esau, but he did say that Esau would always have to beg from his brother Jacob. One might have thought Esau begged Jacob his whole life, but that wasn't the case. He didn't let fate happen to him. Instead, he worked hard to change his fate. Genesis 33:8–9 makes this clear: "He also said. What do you mean by all this chaos I've seen? And he said, "There is to find favour in my lord's eyes." Esau replied, "I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself." Another person who was supposed to die but didn't because he prayed to the Lord was King Hezekiah. The Lord changed the promise and gave him fifteen more years.

No matter how spiritual the person who told you the bad or negative prophecy was, you don't have to fulfil. What can't be changed by prayers doesn't exist! Once you decide you don't want anything bad or evil, you can get on your knees and ask God for help to change your life.

4. Giving the devil a place to start by committing sin.

Through his unconfessed sin, Judas gave the devil a place in his life. As the treasurer, he was still in charge of Jesus' and the disciples' money. He did something bad that he didn't want anyone to find out. He would have told Jesus and the other followers what he had done and asked for their help so that they could pray with him to save him. He tried to hide his sin, fought his fight alone, and died in the end. Beloved, don't forget that the Bible says that a person who tries to hide their sin will not do well. Don't let the devil have a place to start in your life. Now is the time to admit your mistakes and change your mind. Jesus Christ will indeed set you free.

5. Giving up on yourself quickly.

Even when he had the chance, Judas never thought about changing his mind. This is because God knows how weak we are. You can always change your mind, but Judas gave up on Jesus Christ and killed himself. Beloved, there is no sin that God can't forgive, and no matter how far you've fallen in life, God can bring you back. If Judas had changed his mind and gone back to Christ, he would have probably been saved. Nothing in this world should make a Christian want to end his or her life. Suicide is not a choice; only fools, idiots, and people without faith do it. Don't think it's too stupid or embarrassing to go up to the Throne of Grace. God will always be ready to forgive you. Don't listen to the voice of the devil. I pray that the devil doesn't get us, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

God bless you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! Amen!

If you want to give your life to Christ, just say this short prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You now. Come into my life, take control of my life, and change my world. I tell the devil goodbye and enter the Kingdom of Light. Thank you, Jesus! I pray in Jesus' name, amen!

Congratulation!!!

Peace!


Also read Mountain Top Life Daliy Devotional by Dr. D.K. Olukoya, Vol. 8, 9–15 September 2023.