Edition 326: August 24^th 2016

The modern betrayers:

The modern betrayers:

Introduction:

Who will be the modern betrayers of our Lord? Who fits the “Judas” bill? Will you be one of them?

This edition is about the heart and soul of betrayal and why it’s so dangerous, specifically in these prophetic days. This is about those who are and will betray our Lord when the pressure is on, but it’s also about those who will betray fellow believers and turn on them. It’s also about those who will betray Israel.

This edition is about the root causes and how you can be safe and free from falling for this terrible reality with eternal consequences.

Betrayal is a terrible thing for the betrayer.  It often leads to depression and suicide. It gets many people twisted and bent out of shape to the degree that they can’t even see or be objective anymore. It sometimes even leads to murder.  It alienates, causes division and destroys trust.

Within the kingdom of God, it’s even more intense.

Sometimes people betray other people without really thinking things through, and just blunder selfishly into it. But many times it’s a deliberate, wilful, calculated, intentional thing, which is the subject of this edition.

A horror warning:

While sitting on the side of the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to our Lord privately and asked Him what would be the signs of His coming.

Matthew 24:10-11 “Many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will arise and deceive many.”

This is one of the specific signs of the times and its backed up and added to in many other verses in the Bible.

Note that the cause is people getting offended. The verse implies that they are offended because others won’t join or support them in their deception.

In one single most powerful verse, here is the answer:

Psalm 119: 165 “Great peace have those that love Your word and nothing causes them to be offended.”

Betrayal almost always goes hand in hand with deception. Do we have deceivers out there today? You would be surprised how many people operate in deception, including big business, commerce and industry.

Spotting the betrayer:

Jeremiah 12:6 “Even your brothers, the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you; yes they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, even though they speak smooth words to you.”

People often soft-soap you with sweet talk, praise and fake flattery, but their ulterior motive is to bring you into agreement with them and their legalistic view. When they discover that you can see through their motives, or won’t join their party, they turn on you and kill you. Not with a bullet, but with their words.

I can’t tell you how many times that’s happened to me right here in this publication.

Many people elevate their beliefs to a position of idolatry and when you confront their idols, just like Satan himself, they freak out and attack you.

But when does a false belief lead to problems? It’s always when it’s mixed with legalism.

Religion is the counterfeit of relationship. Religion is based on law and works, while relationship with our Lord is based on faith and grace. But humanistic religion, law and works have within them a powerful satanic force –it’s the force of legalism.

This is why religion is always on a collision course with living relationship. This is why those of, in and under the power of religion hate true believers. There’s a spiritual clash at the foundational level.

Satan wants you. But he also wants you to be like him. Religion is one of his most powerful tools.

When you have a religious belief, you want others to be like you. You don’t like it when people reject your belief, laws or works. The most powerful example of this is in the story of the Pharisees saying that they wanted to kill our Lord because he broke their Sabbath law. (John 5:18)

Do you see the powerful message here? The Pharisees wanted our Lord to obey their laws their way. They wanted to bring Him under their control. They wanted to bring our Lord under and into their religious deception. As soon as they saw that they could not, they wanted to kill Him.

Note in this story that before the confrontation, they greeted Him with nice friendly, sweet-talk – hidden lies! They will praise you until you see through them, then they turn on you.

But the shock for these types is that they are the ones who are cursed. (Galatians 3:10) Their works are as witchcraft. (1 Samuel 15:23)

My job is to present the truth. It’s not to make you, or force you to believe it.

Modified truth:

Today we are in a world which has highly esteemed the variable values of the god of this world, Satan. There is no such thing as absolutes anymore. Truth has been effectively “cast down in the street” (Isaiah 59:14), except for a small group within the church who are surrendered to our Lord first and foremostly.

Here’s the tragic story: If you cast down the truth, the truth will still stand, but you won’t. As you cast down the truth, you are casting yourself under God’s judgement and into Satan’s hands.

Romans 1:18 “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness of men, who suppress (Lit=hinder) the truth in unrighteousness.”

The rest of the above verses go on to condemn homosexuality and other sinful lifestyles in the most severe way possible. These people are told three times in the chapter that they have been “handed over.” Let me tell you that if God has handed you over, even heaven won’t help you! You are lost!

One of the most powerful and important verses in the Bible is Proverbs 28:4 “Those who forsake the word, praise the wicked.”

Today we are in a wicked-praising world and when you won’t join them they hate you. – Many Christians too!

There is a very powerful, counterfeit, evil spirit that operates in these people. When the pressure is on they will not accommodate truth loving believers. They will hate them and betray them if they can.

It’s like the toothpaste tube law...when you squeeze it, what’s inside comes out!

These people say they are loving and tolerant. They are liars. They are only tolerant of what suits them. They do not tolerate a Christian standing for his rights to the truth. They are intolerant, blinded, deceived liars – doomed.

On one hand this is quite funny, especially if you have a dumb sense of humour like me, but on the other hand it’s a deep, shocking, eternal tragedy. Imagine spending half your life defending, believing and pushing for a gross biblical error, and for the rest of eternity seeing how wrong you are!

Human rights versus God’s rights:

Do you know what the big problem is with human rights? It is actually Satan’s rights. You see, unsaved humans have the still-cursed, unredeemed blood of Adam infused with Satan flowing in their bodies.

Of course there is nothing wrong with basic human rights, but when you remove the truth from the arena of life, Satan manifests and his rights come into play and take precedent, and it all becomes charged with evil.

One thing the world is finding out the hard way, fast, is that man can’t save himself. Things are getting progressively worse while man tries to build world peace. Man is essentially helpless, at Satan’s disposal and hand.

The problem is that modern man is trying to build world peace with his co-worker Satan, whom he can’t even see.

Many churches today are no different to the world. They have no godly power. Because they are world-focused, their power is the “kosmokratos” or world -power of Satan.

But the churches that are on the right track have God’s power working in them. They are getting better, stronger, and richer in relationship with our Lord. They are full of purpose, meaning, hope, confidence, strength, and victory.

Some organisations, churches and individuals operate by presenting what appears to be truth. You can always tell which ones are safe and which are not. Look at the fruits of the truth they present and most importantly, their own fruits, seen in how they present their beliefs.

Wherever you encounter a legalistic, judgemental presentation – run away from them!

Some to be avoided because of their legalistic, judgemental operations are: The Hebrew Roots Movement, Sacred Name Movement and some sections within the Messianic Movement. They have the characteristics of witchcraft which is legalism, pride and hatred for those who won’t join them.

The greatest enemy we, and Israel, have, is not really ISIS, Obama, the Palestinians and others. It is as always, Satan himself. But have you considered that Satan is the world champion in oratory. He is more skilled in presenting his message than any human ever.

He is wiser than many. He knows the Bible backwards. He knows how to appear as an angel of light and how to camouflage and disguise his very existence. He knows how to counterfeit truth and present it with just enough poison to kill.

But how does Satan do this? Satan uses the things which the world has surrendered to, idolised and exalted. He uses the world’s mass media, the voice of the world system and its related off-shoots like the entertainment world.

In just a hundred years or less, Satan has totally re-characterised modern man, using the frog in hot water principle and the world has bought it all. So too have many Christians who compare themselves with the world instead of the word.

Just yesterday I heard the Canadian Prime Minister say that he was now going to introduce a new free sex policy for the country, in which it would be legal for anyone to have sex with anyone they wanted, anywhere at any time. Funny thing is, it went down as no big deal, with no protests.

But guess who would have been attacked if they complained?

Being properly equipped:

The ten virgin’s parable of Matthew 25 is not five believers and five unbelievers. All ten are believers (virgins). Five run out of oil, which is always a type of the Holy Spirit. This is a clear reference to those outside of the baptism of the Spirit. They are not able to endure.

Those outside of the full baptism of the Spirit always come up short in terms of the gifts of the Spirit. All of the gifts are more needed now than ever before. The revelatory gifts are most important. This is why people without them can never properly and clearly distinguish between many things of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world.

They are unprepared to deal with the devil. They are always behind the curve, and ill-equipped to see into the future.

I know a woman who has been a non-Spirit-filled believer for many years. She married an unbeliever thinking that she would bring him to the Lord. Because of her shallow, half blind, powerless position, the verse “don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers” meant nothing.

She turned with a vengeance on those who warned her and criticised her. Of course God’s word endured but her marriage didn’t, and he is still unsaved.

The Bible describes these people without endurance. “When alone they go to their own company” (Acts 4:23). When the pressure is on, they retreat to the fellowship of the world. When the pressure is on, and they’re out of the sight of believers, their weakness becomes evident.

Have you considered the future of the five foolish virgins? Running out of oil is a minor thing compared to the big message. They were shut out of the kingdom. The door was closed with them on the outside.

Don’t gamble with your eternal future!

The betrayers are:

●Those who are under the law, or who operate using legalism to manipulate others: These are the ones who set out to kill our Lord because He didn’t do what they wanted.

●Those who are a law unto themselves, or have elevated their interpretation of their laws and doctrine will come against those who resist them.

●Those who have been handed over by our Lord to demonic forces: Romans chapter one condemns homosexuality three times, saying that they have been “handed over.” Because this is such a characteristic of the modern world, be sure it will cause the betrayal of Christians who heed God’s word.

●Those who are ignorant of the Bible and its primary doctrines: This is not such a problem for new believers, but those who have been believers for a fair time and have never bothered to study the word, will potentially become betrayers of those who have warned them for ages.

●Those who do not know the ways and works of the Holy Spirit: Again, this is a foundational requirement and if neglected, will open you up to attack and turn you into a betrayer when pressurised to move forward with our Lord.

●Those with a grudge to bear and who can’t forgive others: The Bible warns against letting a “root of bitterness spring up and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15). People who are bitter and twisted can’t be trusted. There is always trouble brewing in and about them.

●Those who have opened themselves to direct satanic activity or involvement, even if it’s in their past: In most cases this leaves an evil seed or root within them, which often comes to life further down the line.

●Those who are of, or support the interfaith movement: They have a solid belief in the inherent goodness of man, believing that they can bring about world peace. No they can’t, just as they couldn’t at Babel. But these people will turn against those who come against them.

The modern betrayers of Israel:

The modern betrayers of Israel are actually betrayers of God’s word and our Lord Himself.

Jeremiah 3:20 “Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, says the Lord.”

Tragically, church history shows that many churches, starting with the Catholics, and running right through to Calvin and the reformers, have taken this verse above and developed the horrific doctrine of replacement theology to undermine Israel as a result.

They claim that God has finished with Israel and “divorced” her because of Israel’s “treacherous” unbelief.

The verse above is a tragedy, but is not the end of the story. God will again “choose Israel”, forgive and save her.

Isaiah 14:1 “The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will still chose Israel, and set them in their own land...”

Do you know that once a person has served his jail time he is free? Israel has served nearly 2000 years of “jail time” and is now on the very verge of true freedom. Don’t dare stand in her way, or continue to betray her!

Nearly 2000 years of anti-Semitism and replacement theology are now coming to a grand conclusion. As Israel’s “prison doors” are swinging open there stands many foolish Christians and satanically inspired churches just waiting to throw her back in jail! It will all culminate in Israel coming into severe troubles, then to salvation, and these churches being cut off by God.

Isn’t that amazing? The betrayers will themselves be rejected and cast out while the subject of their betrayal, Israel will be saved.

These churches of replacement theology should all change their names to “The Judas Church”!

 Will you be a modern betrayer?

This is a very sobering question.  We all have within us the propensity to fall. We all need to be upheld and kept on course by the Spirit of God. “But for the grace of God, there goes me.”

Within all of us believers there’s an ongoing battle in the spiritual realm for our souls. There is an ongoing battle between the sin-diseased blood of Adam and the redeemed purified “blood” of the new birth.

Satan is contending for us. Angles and demons are all about. But Satan is a defeated foe already. We simply have to enforce that. Imagine getting to the end of your life and discovering that you were defeated by a defeated foe!

There is one very powerful way to prevent yourself from betraying our Lord, His word, His people and Israel...and that’s to die. Die on your cross. Apply His cross, and take up your own cross daily. Apply that principle of death and resurrection to every area of your life.

A unique time:

Encroaching, living darkness wants you. You must decide to be different, to be a living active child of the living God, unmovable and unshakable.

Let your face be set, your goal determined in deep commitment. You may become unpopular with a world charging down the wrong road – but that’s just fine.

As a radical Christian you’ll be hated by the modern professing, lukewarm church, but that’s just fine.

Teaching on its own will not sustain you. This is why many people can be well-taught biblically, and still be defeated. It’s also the cause of backsliding. To be secure and able to endure, you need to be well-taught and have a soft, broken and surrendered heart before our great King and Messiah.

If the church that you are in is feeding you poison, or you are spiritually malnourished, you need to change it or get out. But be careful; don’t ever leave a church because you have a submission problem.

Many people with no church identity or affiliation are eternal rebels with a pride problem. But, on the other hand, due to the state of the modern church today, there are many churches that you want to have nothing to do with at all.

You should always seek to be at least identified in some way with a few believers. It does not always have to be an organised institutional church.

Finally

In these days betrayal will be a very real thing. Even family members will turn on each other. The family of believers will see an increase in betrayal.

One thing you must not do is succumb to the pressure of the betrayer. Don’t become a “yes-man”, stand your ground and use your spiritual gifts to defend and attack. Attack with spiritual weapons, that is. Always remember that God says, “Vengeance in mine, I will repay.”

These end-times, including the forerunner period, are going to produce so much turmoil, and drama, but be aware that it’s all a very, very short period of time, compared to eternity, which is just around the corner.

Don’t succumb to the pressures, they will make you strong!

I took this elephant close up out in the African bush, broke up the image with some filters and merged the moth, also with some added effects into the overall picture.

Shalom and grow in His Grace!