J.I. Loves J.I.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16, Amplified Bible)

For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. (Philippians 3:18, Amplified Bible)

Pastor Martha shared with us about our responsibility to shine as lights in the world. But what do we say about someone like Judas Iscariot? He was empowered to minister the gospel of Christ Jesus. He was a key member of "the core"-- that group of twelve men hand-picked by Jesus to teach, preach, and heal. His ministry was effective and authentic. As the apostle Peter said in Acts 1:17 (Weymouth New Testament), "For Judas was reckoned as one of our number, and a share in this ministry was allotted to him."

And what do we say about the Judas spirit in our own lives and ministries? There are women and men who hold key posts in Christian service, but whose hearts harbor a deep love for self above their love for God. Perhaps we should just say what Peter said: They are one of our number. A share in the ministry has been granted to them. That is the truth. But Peter said something else in Acts chapter 1. He made a brief reference to Psalm 109:8: "Let his days be few, and let another take his office and charge." Such is the consequence for the chronically unrepentant: not administered by us, but by God Himself. (For the full measure of what Peter was saying, read Psalm 109 in its entirety.)

Paul also carried this theme in the book of Philippians. Though that particular letter is famous for Paul's exhortations to be joyful, Paul makes it clear that there are persons whose conduct has broken his heart. Yet, in the letter, Paul does not wallow in sorrow. He instead calls for the people of God to follow after godliness. "I am not perfect, but Christ has taken hold of me! So I keep running towards the prize. I haven't arrived, but I forget the past and move on to what lies ahead... I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. I warned you that some people are enemies of the cross of Christ; they are headed for hell! They worship their own appetites... all they think about are the things of this world. But we are citizens of heaven, eagerly waiting for our Savior, Christ Jesus." (see Philippians 3:12-20)

We are called to shine as lights in the world. Let us pray prayers of deliverance for those in our ministries who have preferred the darkness of their own comforts over the glorious cross of Christ. And let us pray for ourselves, lest we fall into the same trap.