truth | The Shadows of My Mind

Good question. What sort of friend am I?

None of us can 100 % say we have never faltered or never hurt anyone. When someone betrays us, hurts us or disappoints us (whether it is intentional or not) we have to remember we too have been in Judas shoes. We too have hurt others, failed to love unconditionally, disappointed others whether it was intentional or not. I asked this question of the Lord today and then went searching (I had a personal reason for asking)… “Lord, Did you still consider Judas your friend after he betrayed you”? I then read in Matthew 26 where Jesus calls Judas ‘friend’ upon greeting him, as Judas led the Temple Guards of the Sanhedrin to arrest him. Judas betrayed Jesus. Jesus called him ‘friend.’ I had to let that sink in.

Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Often betrayal is the act of supporting a rival group, or it is a complete break from previously decided upon or presumed norms by one party from the others. Someone who betrays others is commonly called a traitor or betrayer.
Wikipedia

I began thinking, “Lord, I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. I’ve betrayed trust, and I’ve been betrayed.” There are times, others will ‘feel’ betrayed whether or not that was the heart intent of the ‘betrayer.’ It matters not: the disappointment lingers and we have to fight to overcome the unloving thoughts, and to keep our hearts soft and pliable before the Lord. The only real choice is to forgive if we want to move on. There comes a time where you just ‘have to let go.’ Things may never be the same in the relationship: trust has been broken, though reconciliation is always a possibility. What a powerful image, Jesus, in the Garden, praying and waiting, and has known all along who was going to betray him, and yet he continued to love Judas and called him ‘FRIEND!” When I read this today it blew me away. I’m so grateful that Jesus STILL calls me ‘FRIEND’ when I mess up. Even when I fail, Jesus never fails. He’s constant. Jesus was staying true to His character and being obedient to His Father, to love and forgive Judas, though the relationship was severed forever. Betrayal affects relationships, but forgiveness empowers us to love like Christ did as we submit to Him, and take the ‘high road’. Judas was no longer in the inner circle and he no longer had access to Jesus, due to his own choices, BUT Jesus still loved him! That’s powerful, and amazing to me!

I’m reminded of Proverbs 18:24 : A man of many companions may come to ruin, BUT there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Jesus is that brother!

I want to be that kind of friend, though it is not always easy. The story of Judas and his betrayal has never really been about Judas, it’s always been about Jesus and his overpowering and all consuming love for us. It’s about Him being OUR friend, even when we don’t deserve His love and friendship.

Lord, help us to be more like you.

https://christcommunitykc.org/jesus-and-judas-friend-or-foe-digging-deeper

Psalm 139:13
For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I was listening to this song the other day, and I immediately started thinking about the abortion travesty, and the killing of the over 60 million innocent, precious babies who were sacrificed at the altar of ‘inconvenience.’ So many in our society have lost their moral compass, their conscious having been seared and polluted with the ‘politically correct’ thinking of the day, and humanism: a whatever feels good do it, even if it means the killing of an innocent child, mentality. I am not here to condemn anyone, if by happenstance you, dear reader, have had an abortion (willingly or by compulsion), there is always forgiveness and redemption through the loving heart of our Creator.

As I continued to listen to the song, ‘Abba’ by Jonathan David Hesler ; it was as if I could hear and sense these precious innocent souls singing along ‘Abba,’ I belong to You’. I could see the faces, the beautiful, pure and holy, faces of the children gazing up tenderly into face of their Creator, surrounded by His overwhelming Presence and Love.They still had their own uniqueness, personalities, individual traits and gifts that they were endowed with here on earth; but in heaven they were now complete and perfected. They were not lost, they were safe, and they were waiting, praying and worshiping. They were eternal. They were loved.

The same week that I was listening to this song, I came upon this excerpt from James Nesbit on one of his Facebook pages. It was a prophetic encounter he had with the Lord during a time of corporate intercession. It brought tears to my eyes…such a moving vision:

“As I was leaving that prayer meeting before going to the land assignment, a prophet stopped me and said, “You are going to hear a sound on the land today!”

About an hour later, I was standing in the midst of the intercessors leading worship when all of the sudden we stopped singing and it got very still; And as I felt the wind brush across my face, I heard the Lord say:

“There are over 50 Million babies worshiping around My throne; And the sound of their worship is unimaginable to you. A portion of their worshipful cry is, mercy for their mommies and daddies and their grandparents who counseled their mothers to abort them.”

He said, “Get over this notion that they are dead babies, they are eternal souls who see the beginning and the end!”

He said, “I love these innocents more than you know, and I love their mommies and daddies and grandparents as well.”

He said, “I am going to honor their worshipful cries, and send the Light of My love, and the awakening gentleness of My mercy, to visit their loved ones in the middle of the night, and draw them to me.”

Then He said, “These babies are not angry at them and neither am I, for it is the thief, who came to steal, kill, and destroy their family tree.”

Finally He said, “I need You to stand in the earth and agree with what I have just shared with you.”

What a powerful mandate from the Lord. Let us stand and ‘agree’ dear brothers and sisters, that the ‘Light of God’s Love, and the awakening gentleness of His mercy,’ will go forth into our Nation and soften and heal the broken heart, save and set free. I’m believing that Roe vs. Wade will eventually be overturned, the sanctity of life restored, and righteousness will once again take hold of America, as we turn our hearts toward Him. Nothing is impossible with God. Nothing!