Who do You Resemble More, Judas or Jesus?
Pastor J. R. Wilhite, author
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There are about 3 different types of Christians today. There is those who are of the law, those who border on the line of the law (warm, not cold or hot) and those of the spirit. Unfortunately there are 3 different types, we are dealing in this study with the first 2 (more of the first). What if I told you that having things in your life is not just nice, but culd be necessary to help those lost find their way to God? There are those who would say I am far away from God with a coment like that, but that same coment was talked about in the New Testament between Jesus and Judas. Matthew 26 6. Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7. There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9. For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always
12.. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial
.13. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her
.I understand some will say that this is Jesus we are talking about not us or that it was for His burial, and they are right but aren't we also children of God, and as such just as deserving as any other child.
Romans 8
14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
The word Abba means daddy, another form of father. When we call God, Father we are talking about God as an authoritative figure in our life. The disciplinary part of our life, but when we call Him Abba we are talking about the caring loving daddy in our life. When we call Him God or by one of His many names from the Old Testament we are not acting very close to Him at all, these names are used by those who only see Him as God, the creator of all and only as God.
That is one of the real shames there is for people, that they do not know Him well enough yet to call Him Father and Daddy.
Strong's Ref. # 5
Romanized Abba
Pronounced ab-bah'
of Aramaic origin [HSN0002]; father (as a vocative case):
KJV--Abba.
I call God Father more than Daddy and have not called Him God or by any other name other than Father or Daddy for a long time. When you were growing up you did not call your father by his name, as your friends did. I never called my dad Mr. Wilhite, but my friends always called him Mr. Wilhite.
How many verses do you need to read to understand you are His child, and as His child an inheritor of all He has? As any child, who is an inheritor of a father that has a lot of money or things, you live as the inheritor with more than some.
Revelation 1
5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
5. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Matthew 27
35. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
I show the above verse to show Jesus was not as poor as some want to make Him. To cast lots over his robe, it must have had a value to it.
Actually there are more verses; Judas was in-charge of the funds, most do not even realize that there were funds and those that gave.
I honestly believe Jesus mocked us and the apostles of the day by how easy it was to have the funds we need for all things in life when Jesus sent a man who had spent his life fishing to go fish for the funds needed to pay their taxes and it came up in the fish's mouth.
Matthew 17
24. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
25. He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free
26. Peter saith unto him, Of strangers.
27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
You see we put too much emphasis on money, and things. Actually we, as children of God, should have more than those who are not.
If we truly understood how blessed we should be and how to be blessed we would be shocked. If someone can prove to you that if you spent the next 8 years with God and afterwards be more blessed than Bill Gates, I bet all of you would figure a way to do so.
This is totally possible. To understand this to be true, let's review the word of God, and as always, with anything I write you can read all that proceeds the verses I use and all of the verses that follow as well.
Mark 11
22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
In the above 5 verses we are told by Jesus as long as we have faith, believe without doubting and forgive all we can have mountain moving type of faith.
Now I will add one more thing that I have found to be needed and that is not judging or actually replacing judging with forgiveness. True forgiveness is also forgetting as well.
Below we look at what even Jesus said about what happens when one gives to the poor.
Matthew 19
16. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17.
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the comandments.18.
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not comit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness.19.
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.20
. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?21.
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.22.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.23.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.24
. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.25.
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?26.
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.27.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?27
. And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.28.
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.29.
But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.Before I go on let me explain something that is not well known about a part of verse 24. The eye of the needle, 2,000 years ago, referred to the smaller door in the large doors that would allow men to enter a walled city without opening the larger doors.
Above Jesus tells any who believes and follows and loses or gives up anything at all will get it back 30, 60 or 100 fold return.
The problem for most like the rich young fool above is that money and things are above their place in life even to the point of being before God.
If you use things and money as a tool and like a tool treat it like a tool then you are more likely not to just have more, but have 100 fold more.
Let's look at one more set of verses to understand the relationships of money and things in life.
Genesis 13
14. And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
15. For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
16. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
17. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Genesis 15
4. And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Genesis 17
7. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
9. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
Galatians 3
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
If you have read Genesis 12-25 you understand just how blessed Abraham was. He was one of the 5 riches men ever. You are inheritors of Abraham, but to have the fullness of the blessing that is yours you have to know that you are. Now you do! Next you need to know how to receive that which is yours already. It is waiting for you. I know you have heard this so many times before and nothing still has happened. It is like a man I once heard say he tried faith and it did not work for him. I asked him how long did he give it, he said a day. Well guess what a day is not long enough, neither is a week, a month, or even a year. Maybe if you are really devoted 2 years, but for Paul it was 8 before he went forth. Did it take him all 8 years for his faith to grow and work at this level? I do not know, but I played it safe and spent 8 years, and I can tell you now I have found my faith is working at higher levels than ever before. I actually am seeing things happening that I never thought I would see.
So what is the big deal about having all we are talking about in the first place?
Other than making life easier and better for you and your loved ones, there is blessing others better than ever before. How many really will listen to a person living on the street or in a shack verses a mansion? Now, you do not need a mansion, but if you get one, I am all for it, because so many will want to know how you got there.
Which is easier to get the word across?
Going door to door or on the street corner?
Having them come and ask you?
For me it would seem a person would be more receptive to what you have to share if they ask you versus your trying to get them to hear you when they don't want to.
Remember if you have money and things in their right perspective in your life, they are great tools.
Also remember in 100 years will any one really remember any of us? Will any of the things we have matter? When you were born up until now do you remember anything of your life in the womb? Well, guess what the next life to this, is like this to the womb. There are 3 steps to our life, the womb (male or female), this life (lost or saved), next life, eternity with God or without.
Also, remember Jesus showed us if He wanted money all He had to do was go fishing, for food all He had to do was bless it. He did not need as much as is needed today. If He came now for His first time, He might use more money.
The following verses I add for two reasons, one is that they tell what Jesus came for, and that they are some of the best for lack of faith in man 2,000 years ago. Are you any better as far as faith in your life?
Matthew 17
17. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
22. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
23. And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Other studies that will help you grow and learn more as well as they were a huge help with this study.
Christ
Church
Life Starts Here
God's Plan
Hearing from God
My prayer for you is:
3 John 1
2. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth
Remember to show faith when you pray, then praise and give thanks.
God Bless You as you hear His words and follow His leading.
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