INTRODUCTION
Original Link - THE CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUS’ APOSTLES - The first Blog post has been destroyed by the Chinese, Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis so I have to re-post this one. Thanks for your understanding. It is Kingdom against kingdom. We just look to the back of the book to see who wins. All my passwords have been compromised. It does not matter how many times I change them.
Well mon people, it is that time of the month again! Before we go any further let us correct this grave oversight of last month. Did you not realize that March 2018 was the second anniversary of the BLOG ‘I AM GOD?’ We will not overlook any milestone we will not despise the days of small beginnings. If it was not for the criminally challenged Canadians and those pawns the mutant Africans otherwise known as Bro. Anancy Nigerians I would have finished volume one of the book and been working on volume II. It is too early for us to be upsetting ourselves with thoughts of those people. Well I did celebrate. I ate thirteen donuts in two days. Lord help my Holy Ghost. Sorry ladies and gentlemen you have all seen the pictures I just give God thanks that everything is working and working most effectively. I tell you sometimes a little too effectively. I am very fortunate to be a prayer warrior. When in doubt, just call on the Holy Ghost. Let God be praised! We will continue to give God thanks for his goodness and mercy that endures forever and for His revelation knowledge. The Bible says that God reveals His secrets to His friends and I have indeed come to find out that it is so. That is why the Apostles said we cannot give ourselves to be waiting on tables when we should be spending time in the word.
Well I started this month’s blog in Louisiana when I was trapped by the Mississippi River Bridge, I am now in the Houston Public Library on Montrose typing the Blog. I am trapped again. Persons have held on to my monies. I am now looking for a day job to get my bus fare to vamoose out of here. Houston, Texas is nice but I wish I could find one black person in the States who seems excited about where they live. I met a lady on the bus who says she has been here for over fourteen years, lived in other states and returned because of the milder climate. How do you like the state? So, so I can take it or leave it. New Orleans was not bad; I am still waiting to hear some French in the French Quartier. You should see me walking in the red-light district in New Orleans in the middle of the night, Baton Rouge was nice also. I cooled down my feet in the water fountain at Repentance Park like a child. In comparison, to those other cities though Houston is quite extensive.
However, let me share some cryptic thoughts with you before I proceed further. I hear this section of the United States being described as the ‘Bible Belt’ of the Union. I am wondering to what avail. Here is my reason for thinking this, most of the cities I enter, in this part of the world the Lodge halls are at the entrance of the cities. In Gulfport right across from the court house, in Kershaw at the middle of main street and on and on. In Kenner, Louisiana there was a building with the Rosicrucian Order sign, right near the highway. Some Psychics have their stores right beside the churches as if to say church people were their best clients. In fact, in New Orleans I went to visit a famous church and right in front of the church was a line of psychics plying their trade, most proudly saying how long they have been in business. The churches in my estimation are more closed than open while guns are easily accessible and prayer is not. No wonder the devil is shooting them out of the churches or is it God? I leave the deductions up to you! As Ron Kenoly would say there is no demilitarized zone. Just wanted to share some of my thoughts with you in this area, maybe we should start saying the ‘Church Building Belt of America.’ There are certainly a lot of churches.
Congratulations to me on my second anniversary of blogging. You can say it if you want I have already said it. Love Yah!!
REFLECTIONS
More and more it is about Jesus and Him crucified so as I get the topics I just record them and go do the research. God is just saying Raphleta there was a time you used to receive now it is time to give. In addition, this cop out behaviour that I am experiencing in the church leaves a lot to be desired. Good talent is coming and leaving and we are all over the place because Princes are walking while beggars are riding horses Ecclesiastes 10 verse 7.
We will look at the original twelve Apostles from their calling to their death based on what is revealed in the scriptures of St. Luke 6 verses 12 - 16.
CRITICAL DEFINITION
Characteristics- The meaning we are interested in is: a feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing and serving to identify it.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES OF JESUS
We find the names of the 12 apostles in St. Matthew 10 verses 2 - 4, St. Mark 3 verses 14 - 19, and St. Luke 6 verses 12 - 16
And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas [also called Thaddeus or Jude] the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Jesus Christ selected 12 men from among his early followers to become his closest disciples. After an intensive discipleship course and following his resurrection from the dead, the Lord fully commissioned the apostles (St. Matthew 28 verses 16 - 20, St. Mark 16 verse 15) to advance the kingdom of God and carry the gospel message to the world.
These men became the pioneering leaders of the New Testament church, but they were not without faults and shortcomings. Interestingly, not one of the chosen 12 disciples was a scholar or rabbi. They had no extraordinary skills. Neither religious, nor refined, they were ordinary people, just like you and I. However, God chose them for a purpose—to fan the flames of the gospel that would spread across the face of the earth and continue to burn bright throughout the centuries to follow. God selected and used each of these regular guys to carry out his exceptional plan.
I. SIMON PETER
The indomitable Simon Peter; what can one say about Peter? The name Peter means rock and was given to him by Jesus. When Andrew introduced Simon to Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus renamed Simon Cephas, an Aramaic word meaning "rock." The Greek word for rock, "petros," became this apostle's new name, Peter. He was he first to give a retort even, contradicting Jesus on a number of occasions. He was the only one that walked on water. He denied Jesus thrice. He got the revelation as to who Jesus is. “Thou art the Christ the son of the living God.’ Shortly after that confession Jesus had to rebuke Satan out of him.
Peter was an uneducated fisherman when Jesus found him. As such, his thought processes were not complex and sophisticated. It came to his mind he said it. He knew nothing about protocol or diplomacy. He was also one of the apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration and it was he who wanted to go into building construction by building three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. One can identify with Peter, a perfect scene on the mountain who wants to return to the drudgery that was everyday life. However, God Himself intervened in that scene ‘Shut your mouth this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye Him!’ So in addition to all the other awesomeness God spoke on the mountain .
In St. Luke 5 verse 5 It was Peter that said nevertheless at thy word after Jesus had used their boat for fishing. Just to indicate that they were not perfect human beings and had their hang ups like all of us. Jesus told Peter to let down their nets and he only used one net resulting in the net breaking. He had to call for others and their boats. One word from Jesus can turn around any situation. Daddy give us all our word today!
Peter, it was that asked Jesus about the payment of taxes. Peter, it was that told Jesus He would never allow Him to wash his feet. However, when Jesus told him the significance, Peter not only wanted his feet to be washed but all over. Peter was a member of Jesus' Inner Circle along with James and John who all witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter.
It is said that when Peter was to be killed he told them to crucify him upside down he did not feel worthy to be crucified like his Master. Apostle Peter wrote I Peter and II Peter.
II. ANDREW
The Apostle Andrew, whose name means "manly," was the first apostle of Jesus Christ. He had previously been a follower of John the Baptist, but when John proclaimed Jesus "the lamb of God," Andrew went with Jesus and spent a day with him.
Andrew quickly found his brother Simon (later called Peter) and told him "We have found the Messias." (St. John 1 verse 41 ) He brought Simon to meet Jesus. Matthew notes that Simon and Andrew dropped their fishing nets and followed Jesus as he was passing by.
The Gospel records three episodes involving the Apostle Andrew. He and three other disciples asked Jesus about his prophecy that the Temple would be torn down (St. Mark 13 verses 3 - 4) . Andrew brought a boy with two fish and five barley loaves to Jesus, who multiplied them to feed five thousand people (St. John 6 verses 8-14). Philip and Andrew brought some Greeks to Jesus who wanted to meet him (St. John 12 verses 20 - 22) .
It is not recorded in the Bible, but church tradition says Andrew was crucified as a martyr on a Crux Decussata, or X-shaped cross.
III. JAMES
James and his brother John who were fishermen in their father Zebedee’s business were two other prominent Apostles of Jesus. They along with Peter comprised the inner circle of Jesus as such, they were present on the Mount of Transfiguration St. Matthew 17 verses 1 - 3 and also in the Garden of Gethsemane St. Matthew 26 verses 36 - 37 and the healing of Jairus' daughter St. Mark 5 verses 37 - 43. They were named sons of thunder Boanerges, by Jesus because they wanted to call down fire on a village that rejected the message. Their Mother also decided that one of them should sit on either side of Jesus in heaven. Jesus told her it was not His decision to make. James was the first Apostle martyred. He was killed by King Herod because the church got lax Acts 12 verses 1 - 2.
He is responsible for the epistle of James. Fantastic illustration about the tongue and the helm of a ship James 3 verses 1 - 11. He was the first Apostle to be martyred. James' zeal for Jesus resulted in his being the first of the 12 to be martyred. He was killed with the sword on order of King Herod Agrippa I of Judea, about 44 A.D., in a general persecution of the early church.
Two other men named James appear in the New Testament: James the son of Alphaeus, another apostle; and James, the brother of the Lord, a leader in the Jerusalem church and author of the epistle of James.
IV. JOHN THE BELOVED
The Gospel of John is usually the scripture that is recommended for new Christians because John saw Jesus through the eyes of love. He was the Apostle on Jesus’ bosom at the Passover. Apostle John along with Peter and James completed the inner circle of Jesus and were on the Mount of Transfiguration, in the garden of Gethsemane, healing Jairus' daughter. Of course, the Apostle John was a part of the sons of Boanerges (Sons of Thunder) as Jesus called them. Wanted to call down fire on a city that did not believe in Jesus. He was also the one whose Mama wanted her sons one to sit on either side of Jesus in glory. This is the Apostle that Jesus loved. He was the huggy huggy one to be found on Jesus’ bosom. Apostle John was also a very prolific writer. He wrote the Gospel of John and three epistles I, II, III John. The quality of his writings was not didactic but indicated someone who clearly had a relationship not just a superficial relationship but an intimate one. Apart from Apostles Peter and Paul he was the only one who had a deep revelation of Jesus. He was not pedantic in his writings just recounting events or recording stories. He said, 'come taste and see this is what I have found and these are my experiences. He is all read letter get it from the horse’s mouth.
John's Gospel is strikingly different from Matthew, Mark and Luke, the three Synoptic Gospels, which means "seen with the same eye" or from the same viewpoint.
John continually emphasizes that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, sent by the Father to take away the sins of the world. He uses many symbolic titles for Jesus, such as the Lamb of God, resurrection, and the vine.
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase "I am," unmistakably identifying himself with Jehovah, the Great "I AM" or eternal God.
Although John does not mention himself by name in his own gospel, he refers to himself four times as "the disciple Jesus loved."
He was on the mountain of transfiguration St. Matthew 17 verses 1 - 3 when Apostle Peter wanted to go into building construction. He was one of the heavy-eyed fellow in the garden of Gethsemane at one of the hottest prayer meeting that ever took place on Earth. Mon peuple, at these all-night prayer meetings you have nothing to be ashamed about when you can't go the distance. Jesus had a prayer meeting and all his partners slept through most of it St. Matthew 26 verses 40 - 43. I tell you this Bible is a book for all seasons.
John's enormous impact on the early Christian church and his larger-than-life personality, make him a fascinating character study. His writings reveal contrasting traits. For instance, on the first morning, with his typical zeal and enthusiasm, John raced Peter to the tomb after reported that it was now empty. Although John won the race and bragged about this achievement in his (St. John 20 verses 1 - 9) , he humbly allowed Peter to enter the tomb first.
Legend has it that Apostle John was also the person who was boiled in oil when this did not destroy him he was cast away on the Isle of Patmos where he wrote the book of Revelation. He lived to a ripe old age as Jesus said he would have lived long. A popular series with a number of churches is Revelation 2-3 which deals with the seven types of churches. It is both historic as well as prophetic. In addition, it is an easy sermon series to preach. Lord deliver us from Lazy Pastors!!
John was especially loyal to Jesus. He was the only one of the 12 apostles present at the cross. After Pentecost, John teamed up with Peter to fearlessly preach the gospel in Jerusalem and suffered beatings and imprisonment for it.
John underwent a remarkable transformation as a disciple, from the quick-tempered Son of Thunder to the compassionate apostle of love. Because John experienced the unconditional love of Jesus firsthand, he preached that love in his gospel and letters.
V. PHILIP – THE EVANGELIST
Philip the Apostle was one of the earliest followers of Jesus. Some scholars speculate that Philip was first a disciple of John the Baptist, because he lived in the region where John preached.
Like Peter and Peter's brother Andrew, Philip was a Galilean, from the village of Bethsaida. More than likely they knew one another and were friends.
Leaving his old life behind, Philip answered the call. He may have been among the disciples with Jesus at the wedding feast in Cana, when Christ performed his first miracle, turning water into wine.
Philip recruited the skeptical Nathanael (Bartholomew) as an apostle, leading Jesus to reveal that he supernaturally saw Nathanael sitting under a fig tree, even before Philip called him St. John 1 verse 45.
In the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus tested Philip by asking him where they could buy bread for so many people. Limited by his earthbound experience, Philip replied that eight months' wages would not be enough to buy each person one bite St. John 6 verses 5-7.
The last we hear of Philip the Apostle is in the book of Acts, at Jesus' ascension and the Day of Pentecost. Another Philip is mentioned in Acts, a deacon and evangelist, but he is a different person.
Tradition says Philip the Apostle preached in Phrygia, in Asia Minor, and was martyred there at Hierapolis.
VI. NATHANAEL OR BARTHOLOMEW
Nathanael, believed to be the disciple Bartholomew, experienced a jarring first encounter with Jesus. When he called him to come and meet the Messiah, Nathanael was skeptical, but he followed along anyway. As Philip introduced him to Jesus, the Lord declared, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Immediately Nathanael wanted to know, "How do you know me?" St. John 1 verse 47.
Jesus got his attention when he answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." Well, that stopped Nathanael in his tracks. Shocked and surprised he declared, "Rabbi, you are the; you are the King of Israel." St. John 1 verse 49.
The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning "son of Tolmai." Nathanael means "gift of God." In, the name Bartholomew always follows Philip in lists of the Twelve. In the synoptic gospels, Bartholomew is not mentioned at all; Nathanael is listed instead, after Philip.
Nathanael garnered only a few lines in the Gospels, nevertheless, in that instant he became a loyal follower of Jesus Christ. Church tradition says Nathanael carried a translation of Matthew's Gospel to northern India. Legend claims he was crucified upside down in Albania.
VII. MATTHEW
Matthew was a dishonest tax collector driven by greed until Jesus Christ chose him as a disciple. We first meet Matthew in Capernaum, in his tax booth on the main highway. He was collecting duties on imported goods brought by farmers, merchants, and caravans. Under the Roman Empire's system, Matthew would have paid all the taxes in advance, then collected from the citizens and travelers to reimburse himself.
Tax collectors were notoriously corrupt because they extorted far and above what was owed, to ensure their personal profit. Because their decisions were enforced by Roman soldiers, no one dared object.
Matthew was named Levi before his call by Jesus. We don't know whether Jesus gave him the name Matthew or whether he changed it himself, but it is a shortening of the name Mattathias, which means "gift of Yahweh," or simply "the gift of God.
Let us analyze Matthew’s calling by Jesus according to St. Luke 5 verse 27-32. Levi was in the middle of a very busy business day when Jesus said ‘Follow me’ and he got up and left everything, which suggests that he was very impressed with what he had witnessed thus far. Having found this new way, he made a conscious decision to share with his brethren and threw a party for his friends to meet Jesus. We will not look at the response of the Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees.
Matthew wrote the synoptic Gospel of the same name. The Accountant or figures person or as the personality gurus would say the mathematical spatial concept came to the fore in the writing of his book. He began by locating Jesus with the documentation of the genealogy of Jesus. You can’t get more practical than that from Abraham to Jesus.
The account of Herod’s slaughter of the children in order to kill the baby Jesus is reminiscent of Pharaoh killing little Hebrew boys in order to kill the deliverer.
Instead of collecting tax money, Matthew collected souls for Christ.
Despite his sinful past, Matthew was uniquely qualified to be a disciple. He was an accurate record keeper and keen observer of people. He captured the smallest details. Those traits served him well when he wrote the Gospel of Matthew some twenty years later.
By surface appearances, it was scandalous and offensive for Jesus to pick a tax collector as one of his closest followers since they were widely hated by the Jews. Yet of the four Gospel writers, Matthew presented Jesus to the Jews as their hoped-for Messiah, tailoring his account to answer their questions.
Matthew displayed one of the most radically changed lives in the Bible in response to an invitation from Jesus. He did not hesitate; he did not look back. He left behind a life of wealth and security for poverty and uncertainty. He abandoned the pleasures of this world for the promise of eternal life.
The remainder of Matthew's life is uncertain. Tradition says he preached for fifteen years in Jerusalem following the death and resurrection of Jesus, then went out on the mission field to other countries.
Disputed legend has it that Matthew died as a martyr for the cause of Christ. The official "Roman Martyrology" of the Catholic Church suggests that Matthew was martyred in Ethiopia. "Foxe’s Book of Martyrs" also supports the martyrdom tradition of Matthew, reporting that he was slain with a halberd in the city of Nabadar.
VIII. THOMAS /DIDYMUS – DOUBTING THOMAS
Thomas is famous for his doubt and unbelief. The saying doubting Thomas came from this character. Having not been one of the Apostles who was present at the tomb or on the road to Emmaus. Thomas on being told that Jesus was alive promptly said ‘Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe’ St. John 20 verse 25. Jesus appeared eight days after and allowed him to do just what he requested. After the actual experience Thomas Believed but Jesus reproofed him and said ‘Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed St. John 20 verse 29 .
The Apostle Thomas traveled with Jesus and learned from him for three years. Tradition holds that he carried the gospel to the east and was martyred for his faith.
IX. JAMES –SON OF ALPHAEUS
James the Less is one of the most obscure apostles in the Bible. The only things we know for certain are his name and that he was present in the upper room of Jerusalem after Christ ascended to heaven.
The Apostle James, son of Alphaeus, was also known as James the Less, or James the Lesser. He's not to be confused with James the son of Zebedee, brother of the Apostle John.
A third James appears in the New Testament. He was the brother of the Lord, a leader in the Jerusalem church, and writer of the book of James.
James of Alphaeus is named in each listing of the 12 disciples, always appearing ninth in order.
The Apostle Matthew (called Levi, the tax collector before becoming a follower of Christ), is also identified in St. Mark 2 verse 14 as the son of Alphaeus, yet scholars doubt he and James were brothers. Never in the Gospels are the two disciples connected.
Many believe that it is James the Lesser who first witnessed the risen Christ in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 7 Beyond this, Scripture reveals nothing more about James the Lesser.
X. SIMON THE ZEALOT
Who doesn't like a good mystery? Well, the Scriptures introduce us to quite a few riddles that scholars have yet to solve. One of those puzzling questions is the exact identity of Simon the Zealot, the Bible's own mystery apostle.
Simon the Zealot, one of Jesus Christ's twelve apostles, is a mystery character in the Bible. We have one tantalizing bit of information about him, which has led to ongoing debate among Bible scholars.
In some versions of the Bible (Amplified Bible), he is called Simon the Cananaean. In the King James Version and New King James Version, he is called Simon the Canaanite or Cananite. In the English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, and New Living Translation he is called Simon the Zealot.
To confuse things further, Bible scholars argue over whether Simon was a member of the radical Zealot party or whether the term simply referred to his religious zeal. Those who take the former view think Jesus may have chosen Simon, a member of the tax-hating, Roman-hating Zealots, to counterbalance Matthew, a former tax collector, and employee of the Roman empire. Those scholars say such a move by Jesus would have shown that his kingdom reaches out to people in all walks of life.
Scripture tells us almost nothing about Simon. In the Gospels, he is mentioned in three places, but only to list his name with the twelve disciples. In Acts 1 verse 13 we learn that he was present with the eleven apostles in the upper room of Jerusalem after Christ had ascended to heaven.
Church tradition holds that he spread the gospel in Egypt as a missionary and was martyred in Persia.
X1. THADDEUS OR JUDE (JUDAS THE SON OF JAMES)
Listed together with Simon the Zealot and James the Less, the Apostle Thaddeus completes a grouping of the least known disciples. In Twelve Ordinary Men, John MacArthur's book about the apostles, Thaddeus, also known as Jude, is characterized as a tender-hearted, gentle man who displayed childlike humility.
Some scholars believe Thaddeus wrote the book of Jude. It's a short epistle, but the closing two verses contain a beautiful doxology, one of the finest expressions of praise to God in the entire New Testament. Jude 24-25.
Compared to more prominent apostles in the Scripture, little is known about Thaddeus, one of Jesus Christ's twelve apostles. Part of the mystery stems from him being called by several different names in the Bible: Thaddeus, Jude, Judas, and Thaddaeus.
Some have argued that there are two or more different people represented by these names, but most Bible scholars agree that these various names all refer to the same person.
In lists of the Twelve, he is called Thaddeus or Thaddaeus, a surname for the name Lebbaeus (Matthew 10:3, KJV), which means “heart” or “courageous.”
The picture is confused further when he is called Judas but is distinguished from Judas Iscariot. In the single epistle he authored, he calls himself "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James." (Jude 1, NIV). That brother would be James the Less, or James the son of Alphaeus.
Little is known of Thaddeus' early life, other than he likely was born and raised in the same area of Galilee as Jesus and the other disciples — a region which is now part of northern Israel, just south of Lebanon. One tradition has him born into a Jewish family in the town of Paneas. Another tradition holds that his mother was a cousin of Mary, mother of Jesus, which would make him a blood relation to Jesus.
We also know that Thaddeus, like other disciples, preached the gospel in the years following the death of Jesus.
Tradition holds that he preached in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Libya, possibly alongside Simon the Zealot.
Church tradition holds that Thaddeus founded a church at Edessa and was crucified there as a martyr. One legend suggests his execution occurred in Persia. Because he was executed by ax, this weapon is often shown in artworks depicting Thaddeus.
After his execution, his body is said to have been brought to Rome and placed in St. Peter's Basilica, where his bones remain to this day, interred in the same tomb with the remains of Simon the Zealot. Armenians, for whom St. Jude is the patron saint, believe that Thaddeus' remains are interred in an Armenian monastery.
XII. JUDAS ISCARIOT – THE BETRAYER
Judas was the treasurer for the group which causes me to realize that a group of twelve men who are poor men cannot have a Treasurer. What would they be treasuring? The myth about Jesus being poor is only that. Judas rebuked Jesus for allowing Mary to use her bottle of perfume to wash His feet.
Judas Iscariot is the apostle who betrayed his Master with a kiss. For this supreme act of treachery, some would say Judas Iscariot made the greatest error in history.
Down through time, people have had strong or mixed feelings about Judas. Some experience a sense of hatred toward him, others feel pity, and some have even considered him a hero. No matter how you react to him, one thing is certain, believers can benefit greatly by taking a serious look at his life.
Judas Iscariot is remembered for one thing: his betrayal of Jesus Christ. Even though Judas showed remorse later, his name became a symbol for traitors and turncoats throughout history. His motive seemed to be greed, but some scholars speculate political desires lurked beneath his treachery.
One of Jesus' original 12 disciples, Judas Iscariot traveled with Jesus and studied under him for three years.
He apparently went with the other 11 when Jesus sent them to preach the gospel, cast out demons, and heal the sick.
An outward show of loyalty to Jesus is meaningless unless we also follow Christ in our heart. Satan and the world will try to get us to betray Jesus, so we must ask the Holy Spirit for help in resisting them.
Thinking it was too late for him, Judas ended his life in suicide.
As long as we are alive and have breath, it's never too late to come to God for forgiveness and cleansing from sin. Sadly, Judas, who had been given the opportunity to walk in close fellowship with Jesus, completely missed the most important message of Christ's ministry.
It's natural for people to have strong or mixed feelings about Judas. Some feel a sense of hatred toward him for his act of betrayal, others feel pity, and some throughout history have considered him a hero. No matter how you react to him, here are a few biblical facts about Judas Iscariot to keep in mind:
- Jesus knew Judas' heart was set on evil and that he would not repent - St. John 6 verse 70, St. John 17 verse 12.
- Judas' act of betrayal was part of God's sovereign plan - Psalm 41 verse 9, Zechariah 11 verses 12-13, St. Matthew 20 verse 18 and 26 verses 20 - 25, Acts 1 verses 16, 20.
Believers can benefit from thinking about Judas Iscariot's life and considering their own commitment to the Lord. Are we true followers of Christ or secret pretenders? And if we fail, do we give up all hope, or do we accept his forgiveness and seek restoration?
CONCLUSION
In concluding, Jesus had to deal with a myriad of personality types not only his disciples but the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees and all the people who ate his fish and bread and then said crucify him.
My question to Pastor’s in today’s churches would be why do you want to kill initiative by only dealing with ‘yes’ people or clones of yourselves. Jesus just taught the guys the stuff and everyone in their own unique way manifested through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said I go but I send the comforter who will teach you all things. You need no other helper.
Reminds me of a thought that came to me after I had written the previous blog. So Pastors you don’t want to wash feet if I were you I would remove my US$10,000 ties and my Chinese Gucci and Armani (not attributed to me I heard it from a Pastor) and go and get some dirty feet to wash on a weekly basis especially in North America. The statistics of what is taking place in the pulpit, is not encouraging. The unfortunate situation is that it is business as usual, par for the road.
- Attrition of Pastors
- Immorality of all types in the pulpit
- Homosexuality
- Sheep abuse
You will note that the Bible did not give any specific criteria used by Jesus to choose the Apostles or His inner circle. The only criteria that was used was prayer. Jesus prayed all night and then made His choice as shown by the Father. The Apostles and Disciples were ordinary men who did extraordinary things because they got hold of a vision and got supernatural empowerment. These were the same men who denied Jesus, abandoned him at His crucifixion except for Apostle John who hung around in the background. However, once they got the vision and decided to fulfill the purpose for which they were sent they were unstoppable.
Remember, please do not be a Judas there is always room at the cross. Though millions have come there is still room for one. If anybody condemns you come to me. It is something I have to deal with on a daily basis so my tongue is a ready writer. I will give you the scriptures. Some Caucasians have made it their life mission to tell me what I am not and what I am unable to do; like the Scribes and the Pharisees. I love a challenge!!
Next month promises to be exciting do not miss it!!
Let us listen to this song as we go Room at the Cross!!
More anon!!
This is me, Lillene's baby girl coming to you from I think I should be in Dallas, Texas at present I am in Austin in a fantastic Library, USA. I tell you a good Library is like heaven on Earth. You can even sleep if you are not being watched like Raphleta. Published from Dallas!!
À bientôt!!
REFERENCES:
