By Pastor Layi Bamidele

MATTHEW 26:14-16 says “Then one of the twelve called Judas Iscariot went unto the chief priests and said unto them, what will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they convenanted with him for the thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.”

Judas Iscariot was the apostle infamous for the betrayal of Christ. There are two major factors that made Judas to betray his master. He was greedy and was seeking for political power. Because he was not given the leadership of the group, he was embittered and later turned his bitterness to spite and revenge. Betrayal is the highest and greatest sin on earth.

Pastor Bamidele

Mark 14:18 says: “And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, one of you which eateth with me shall betray me.” Verse 21 says; “the son of man indeed goeth as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born”.

The end of betrayers is always disastrous. Betrayal is the most common thing now in the world today even in the house of God. You often see two brothers going into a joint business and because of greed one party will be seeking ways to outsmart the other. It is very common these days for a junior pastor striving to outstage his senior pastor who has been in ministry for several years.

Psalms 41:9 says: “Yea mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread at lifted up his heel against me.” Betrayal may involve false witnesses being assembled against the subject for what he/she did not do. Psalms 35:11 says “False witnesses did rise up: they laid to my charge things that I did not know.” Also Mark 15:4-5 says: “And Pilate ask him again, saying, answereth thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing, so that Pilate marvelled.”

We are in a world where husbands betray their wives, children of the same blood and close friends betray themselves. I’ve seen hell from the hands of people that worked with me. People are desperately wicked these days. The Bible says, the heart of a man is desperately wicked. This also applied to Judas Iscariot who Jesus made the treasurer of the ministry. There is no pastor that will entrust the account of his ministry to an unfaithful servant.

The more Glory God has endowed you with, the more people will betray you. Remember how Korah, Dathan and Abriam betrayed Moses and Aaron. Jude 11 describes the “Rebellion of Korah in the context of ungodly men.”

Rebellion in the house of God. People have failed to realize that no one can fight the person whom God has exalted. It’s a battle you cannot win. It’s like fighting God who must have sent that person,. You can find the story of Korah, Dathan and Abriam in Numbers 16:28-30.

When a trusted friend and confidant betray you, let it not be a surprise to you. It is common everywhere now. In churches these days, when young and upcoming pastors are employed, after working under the leaders for a few months, they will be seeking to cause confusion, break the church and start a new church. Such ones cannot go far in ministry.

In those days fresh Bible School graduates would serve God diligently for so many years, waiting on his superior’s blessing before taking any step at all. But today young pastors will start building their churches inside the church. Get something right, he that uses another man’s roof to build his own roof, his roof will eventually collapse on his head.

Finally, let me round up with the betrayal within your immediate family as recorded in the Bible. II Samuel 15:12 says: “Absalom the son of David said, moreover oh that was made judge in the land that any man which have any suit or cause might come unto me and I would do him justice.” That is the first son of King David trying to undermine the throne of his father. The bible says: “And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices, And conspiracy was strong: for the people increased continually with Absalom.”

Two major weapons that the devil used against David were his first son and his adviser. You must be careful about those you call your friends. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he hanged himself and died and was buried in the sepulchre of his father. The same thing befell Absalom the partner in crime. Rebellion and Betrayal can be worse than witchcraft.

.Bamidele is General Overseer, Christ Glorious Endtime Evangelical Church, Lagos. Pastor.bamidele@gmail.com