DATE POSTED: Friday, January 26, 2024, and I was blessed to be at Advent Christian Village, Dowling Park, FL when God inspired me to prepare this devotional. My Footnote will tell you how to find, read or listen to any and all episodes that I have shared over the years.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM THE Amplified Bible (AMP) IS FOUND IN Luke 22:47-48

THE BIBLE TEXT IS: While He was still speaking, a crowd came, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve [disciples], was leading the way for them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him. And Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

APPLICATION OF THE WORD: As I meditated on this very familiar Scripture today, it made me question whether I betray Jesus in any way. Oh my, did that open a ‘can of worms’ as I thought what this could possibly mean today. We come down hard on Judas for being a ‘betrayer’. For this means that someone who has ties to, and a certain allegiance to, may choose to turn them into the enemy, instead of standing up for them and being totally sold out to their safety, their advancement, their profit and their success. So, friends, I want you to stop and consider with me today whether you have anything in common with Judas. Let’s begin by being reminded that Judas was chosen by Jesus as a follower of His, so he was a disciple who had equal access to all things revolving around the life and ministry of Jesus. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you a member of his local church? When we answer ‘Yes’ to both of those questions, I believe that means that we have a certain appreciation for all that Jesus did to provide salvation for us and His promise to welcome us home to glory one day when we graduate from our home here on earth. This should make us ‘float’ around on a cloud every day rejoicing in the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior and Lord. But what happens when we’re put on the spot by our long-lost friend who is obviously apart from Christ and worships the things of this world while also following every evil wish and practice of its ruler? How many of us remain true and faithful to our Master? Or do we tend to cower and, perhaps, avoid even stating the name of Jesus in our conversation, or totally renege on our promise to promote Jesus in our words and our actions? How many of us quickly turn to denouncing the preacher on Monday morning for having stepped on our toes in the sermon the day before just by merely sharing the Word of God with us? Do we promote the name and person of Jesus, or do we more often disassociate ourselves with Him, depending on the circumstances? Have you ever given in to the ways of the world because of your circumstances? Judas did. He wanted to be popular, by being the one who aided authorities in capturing Jesus. He wanted the money paid for helping in the capture, for he was known as the one to watch over the treasury, or money bag for the disciples. To what extent might we go to earn a few extra dollars? Even if we have to look the other way on our faith, our church or our Lord? I believe God would have us examine ourselves and the things that we allow to impact our choices and our decision making. Is there an appearance of ‘betrayal’ in any of that? I believe that we must challenge ourselves to seek Jesus on an ongoing basis and ask Him to show us the ways that we are unfaithful in our allegiance to our Lord and or ministries dedicated to Him. We must be children totally sold out to Jesus, and not ones who are ‘in’ when it’s convenient or no opposition present. It is super important that we not confuse those who are looking to see Jesus in all of His glory working through His children. What might Jesus call our actions? Betrayal, a turning away, questionable as to whose we are, hypocrite, uncommitted, or are we truly a child of the King who will stand for Him in every circumstance of life?

PRAYER BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: Lord Jesus, just as we are quick to ridicule Judas for his disappointing actions in betraying his Lord, I pray that You will continually open our eyes to the times that we tend to disclaim You and perhaps even dishonor You and Your name. We are certainly not ones who remain faithful in every circumstance of life, yes even at times when we know that we should do better in promoting the name and person of Jesus Christ. Please forgive us Lord, and I humbly pray that You will be even more intrusive in our thoughts and decision making to truly get our attention and give us a chance to be more committed. May it always be our growing desire to claim the name and person of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, no matter the circumstances of this world and the darts thrown at us by the evil one. May the world see Jesus in us and hear about Him through our spoken word. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There’s another page on my website, entitled ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading or listening to this devotional, please go to this page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin or continue your walk with Jesus. If you would like to read more of my devotionals, or subscribe for a daily email containing each new devotional, please go online to NuggetsFromGodsWord.org. For my podcast, go online to Apple Podcasts or, using the Apple Podcast app, simply search for Nuggets From God’s Word to hear more episodes, or click ‘Follow’ to be notified of Podcast updates. Friends, please allow me to encourage you to find a church home nearby your home and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!