Trump Series: Part I: Without Our Permission, God Has Already Decided Who Will Be Elected President in November.

Folks, as difficult as I thought this post would be, it isn't because God has spoken and jolted me out of political mindset to communicate His will regarding the upcoming presidential election. He actually has an opinion, which does not have to agree with ours: whether inside or outside of the Church. I mean it's usually prudent to choose political candidates based on their political record; Sometimes we get to vote for someone of the same faith and frankly that's what I was doing. I chose a candidate who is on the side of the issues that I hold dear, and who has a confession of Christian faith. That is usually a very good way to determine to whom you will offer your support and vote for president. This is not a bad think. In fact, it is the preferred method over voting according to pure emotion and rhetoric. Yet, God is not limited to the level of information we have. He sees and knows everything about every person on earth, including the candidates for the highest office in this land. 

I realize this particular election was supremely important when I began paying very close attention to news about the race. And in it, I sensed He wanted me to engage much more than I had done in previous elections, especially on the Republican side. After all, that's where all the action was and where my ideology (biblical and civil) aligns best. So I was humming along until the Lord interrupted my flow with who He wanted in the White House.

No doubt, we are living in a new day and in a new America that is rapidly changing. It's not up to me to like the result of God's decisions because He sees the end from the beginning and we only see through a glass darkly. He knows His ultimate plan is best because He looks at the big picture of the entire universe. We only know our limited part, at best. Last night was momentous because God made it clear who his choice is for president was; and as surprising as it is, I am at perfect peace with it. But first a small digression.

WHICH OF THE TWO SAULS, MR. OBAMA?

Before I launch into the revelatory dream on the presidential election, let me share a few things. I believe our current president has had a choice quite similar to the Sauls of the Bible. Of course, this is no an exact analogy, I am simply looking at the types of leaders we have had in history, even back to ancient times. Mr. Obama had a choice to either pattern himself after the Saul of the Old Testament, who started out well but ended badly, or the Saul of the New Testament, who started badly but ended very well. As of yet, he is still like the Saul of the Old Testament, having little to no regard for God and His ways. Unless there is a change in him, his story will not end well. But thank God for hope. I hope and pray He chooses the road of repentance and following Christ. Only He can decide that.

It was very early in Barak Obama's race against Hillary Clinton that the Lord literally dropped the knowledge in my spirit which of them would win. It was not neither a dream nor a vision, but simply a "knowing", these come across as established facts. You just know that you know. However, at that time, Hillary was the "guaranteed" nominee, similar to the current situation, and we barely knew who or what an Obama was. Well, we know now after 2 terms of Mr. Obama who are what he is, with all due respect. God had chosen him and no one was going to do anything about it. Why God chose him is an altogether different issue.

So with just three, quarters of a year to go, which of the two Sauls will you choose to be upon ending your term, President Obama? The choice is yours.

GOD STILL CHOOSES OUR LEADERS AND HE DESIRES A NEW KIND

                  My Choice for 2016

Fast forward to today, the Lord had told me nothing about who He wanted in the White House and I was fine with that. Frankly, I was not expecting to know anything until the elections results came in. And besides, initially, I wasn't that politically engaged anyway ... until I was. It was quite clear that this election was possibly the most important one in American history to date. And a friend had told me God had shared with her that it would be Rubio. I believed her but still backed another candidate to win. Perhaps Mr, Rubio will be at some other point but not this year. Then a candidate, who in many ways, reminded me of myself, a God-fearing man with strong principles and ethics and a strong sense of who he is. This man is a fighter, not very popular among compromisers and sell-outs, as well as standing for the right principles of sanctity of life, morality, traditional marriage, and limited government (the alternative usually results in socialism and communism), and a  relatively free market, etc.  I liked that he is beholden to no one and that he fights for what is right, and is unafraid to go against the grain of his own party. He is my choice of a candidate, nominee, and president.

That is until the dream I had last night, which told me my choice was not God's. For whatever reason,  He alone knows completely, and much to my dismay, the Lord has not chosen Ted Cruz to be president of the United States in 2016.

Are you shocked? As you have seen from my Facebook posts, I have been "campaigning" for this candidate and even donated a few dollars to the cause. That was the first time I had ever done that. I have never donated anything to anyone else's campaign ever before. I guess that's what they call "skin in the game."  So I thought, "surely, this is the man." That is how much I believe in this man as a principled conservative willing to fight to uphold the ideals upon which this country was founded - Judeo-Christian principles. I was wrong.

                God's Choice for 2016

But as God always reminds me when I get so engrossed in something and lose sight of His divine purpose and perspective, I am His servant and prophet before anyone else's sister, child, friend, associate, party-affiliate, etc. And the reason I vote Republican, as a believer and having studied government with access to learning about both party platforms, I cannot bring myself to vote for the Democratic party, one that stands for gay marriage and abortion on demand, voted to remove God from it's platform at it's national convention, with very communistic ideals. I have lived in a Communist nation. It does not work. There is a reason most countries strive to be like America an why this country has historically been so very prosperous. Others, I am sure, I have different view.

But I digress. Back to the dream. Last night as I fell asleep I was really appealing to the Lord for more of Him. Why? Because, I realize that I am not always His best representative and I so want to be at all times, 24-7 a lover of God and of people - even when extremely annoyed. I want to be more disciplined in Bible study and prayer and in finding time to simply soak in His presence. Yet, I somehow sense God is not angry at me. He is such Love. He knew how He made me and He is fine with it. But I can really do better. I want Him to be able to count on me at any given time to have a response He would have in a given situation. It is the reason the Holy Spirit is with us, to enable us with a Jesus-action or response. So, can He count on me? I always want that answer to be a resounding "Yes!".

With that said, here is the dream from the Lord about the one He has chosen to place at the helm of the U.S.,  in the Oval office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue come January of 2017. His name is Donald J. Trump - an excellent representation of How God sees America...unless she (America) repents, and the promise of a great move of God that awaits her when she repents. The Lord says, Mr. Trump will repent and he will become God's man. Right now, Mr. Trump has admitted he has not asked God for forgiveness and normally does not like to ask for forgiveness. Of course, that's a problem unless you are Jesus Christ who was perfect at all times.


THE DREAM:

In the dream, I saw Mr.Trump in my top left view in a very large office with blue carpet and he was not at a desk but standing in a little sitting area with several men. Standing to his left, my right, were 2 or 3 other men with 1 man directly in front of him. I have no idea what the occasion was but this meeting was taking place standing up. They were not speaking normally but in somewhat hushed tones. Perhaps there was some urgency and secrecy was required, hence the tiny meeting. Before they began their meeting, I heard Mr. Trump say: "Wait, let's hear what the Holy Spirit has to say (or "is saying") first." That's less than a dozen words. Then they pause to listen.

I believe they were in the oval office and that Mr. Trump will be president because God wants him to be. I am saying this not just because of the dream only, although it only confirms what I have sensed the Lord saying ever so slightly a while back. Back then, I was not sensing that he would be president, I had no idea who would be. I just knew whenever I thought of him, I thought of King Nebuchadnezzar. I now know, that inkling was from the Lord and that Mr. Trump was more like a King Nebuchadnezzar character. Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon into whose hands the Lord had delivered rebellious Israel and her cream of the crop nobility. The prophet Jeremiah had warned the king of Israel, but as they often did, he was largely ignored even beaten and thrown in a dungeon. Then right on schedule and as the prophet had warned, the King of Babylon took away Israel's  best and brightest.

Now, I know that Mr.Trump is not Nebuchadnezzar and America is not Israel. But these are types and personalities that God uses to teach and to forewarn a rebellious people - like mainstream Americans. Babylon is likened to the world and Mr. Trump represents all that the world esteems: money, power, ego, sensuality, and seemingly no true regard for his fellow man. Although, we are all unique, the basic personalities in the Bible are the same personalities we have today. I will not venture to say I know exactly all of what God is saying about Mr. Trump's life by pointing out the similarities between the two men's lives but I will venture to point out some similarities and what I believe God is saying about what is about to transpire. Based on the story of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, I would venture to make a few comparisons.

1. Warning Dream to Nebuchadnezzar

King Nebuchadnezzar was warned in a dream by a God he did not know. God broke into his subconscious to warn him that he needed to recognize where everything he had gained came from and to repent from his arrogance.

Similarly, Mr. Trump speaks as if he has accomplished everything based on his superiority as a human specimen. He has surrounded himself with countless ministers and I pray they are giving him the truth and not just hanging around for what he can give them. As followers of Christ, they have so much more to offer him than he can offer them. He can offer them only the temporal and fleeting things like money and power. They can offer him a pathway to eternal life and rewards.

2. The Period of Mercy

Nebuchadnezzar had 12 months of mercy and grace from when Daniel interpreted the dream with a warning to repent and glorify God. It appears that as time had passed uneventfully, he had forgotten the warning from the year before. Unfortunately for him, one day after his grace period, he had a burst of appreciating and praising himself for the splendor of his kingdom. There is nothing wrong with appreciation, but patting oneself on the back as the ultimate source of it was offensive to God, and so the very kingdom he was puffed up about was taken from him in an instant. Nebuchadnezzar paid a hefty price for arrogance and pride.

Currently and for quite a while now, Mr. Trump has enjoyed a significant level of earthly success, God's favor and blessings because God blesses whom He chooses. He sees the end from the beginning. Honestly, I would never choose Mr. Trump but God has chosen him to not only enjoy such wealth and influence but a season of grace upon his life that has carried over, to the shock and awe of us all, into his for the presidency of the United States. That means, he will not lose against Hillary. Hillary will never again occupy that White House.

3. The Refusal to Repent and the Prophecy Fulfilled

If Nebuchadnezzar had repented at the time Daniel told him to (Scripture does not tell us that he did but his actions did), chances are he would not have descended into self-glorification, deification, and insanity. He believed his own press, as they say, and it caused him to go down a trail that led to that night on his balcony where he began worshiping the works of "his" own hands. It was then, as the words had not completely left his mouth, that what Daniel warned him against, came to pass. [What is it with people and warnings?] When the prophecy came to pass and his sanity and kingdom were yanked away from him he was the only one to blame. God had shown him mercy and given him a very long grace period. it is important to note, that it was the thing that made him great in his own eyes, the splendor of his kingdom and all that went with it, that was taken away from him. In addition, he no doubt had been gifted with a very keen mind. The reason was that he did not ascribe to God what was His, the glory and honor for the good gifts (victory, riches, etc.), He had given the king. Nebuchadnezzar had not recognized their true source.

Similarly, Mr. Trump's wealth has made him great in his own eyes. From what I have seen, as I do not know the man personally, his only claim to fame and fortune is his wealth, his business acumen, and abilities to "make a great deal." He has used his wealth to create a name for himself. So much so that people purchase the use of his brand, i.e. his name. He has used his money to create an empire. His "glory" is wrapped up in his money and all that it has bought him. He has said on many occasions: "I am rich. I am very rich." Other times, the glory has been in the fact that he is footing the bill for his own campaign. At other times he tells us that he is very smart with a great brain and is an expert on a vast array of subjects. All of this is taking place in a time prophesied by Daniel, the end times when the speed of information has increased exponentially. It is also taking place for all to hear and to see - globally. 

4. The Arrogant Prideful God-Complex

Similar to the previous point. Nebuchadnezzar did not worship God as his Source and therefore lost the thing in which he had the most pride. The God Who gave it to him had to take it from him for him to come to his right mind that God gave him the kingdom. God was the real Source of all good things.

Rom. 13, tells us that God chooses leaders. Let's not think for a moment that he is not choosing Trump. Trump is a great indication of the national pride. When we look at Mr. Trump, we are looking in the mirror as a nation. No one wants to hear what God has to say. Laws that are increasingly a mockery of God's best for us, i.e abortion and gay marriage passed by the Supreme Court, authorities turning a blind eye to the evil of selling baby parts, lawlessness, love of money, and so much more on the rise. Donald Trump is America in God's eyes.

5. The Time of Repentance

At the end of the 7 years prophesied by the dream, Nebuchadnezzar finally look up in humility and recognize his humble position below God.

As shared above,, the area of repentance is one, reportedly, where Mr. Trump has not been in agreement. He has said that he does not like to ask for forgiveness and sees no need to. Most of us were there at some point in our lives, his lack of desire to repent, however, is open for all to see. Yet, should he choose to repent, that too would be open for all to see. I can only pray that perhaps Mr. Trump has a Daniel in his life, chooses repentance, and that he would not have to lose any of the things in which he glories in order to turn to God in sincerity. Jesus told us, "you shall know them by their fruit." Mr. Trump, from what I have seen and heard of his behavior, does not have righteous fruit.

6. Ascribing Glory Where it Belongs

Nebuchadnezzar finally realized his position far below the One Who is almighty. It was not until he had been reduced to nothing that he repented. Again, what if he had repented earlier? We probably would not have his story and example to draw from in the Bible.

I believe this is a warning to us that being quick to repentance would save us from all manner of harm and judgment from God. The key for all of humankind is to take our rightful place in humility and subjection to God. Some people like Nebuchadnezzar and Trump are so used to having others cater to them and subject to them, they have a very difficult time considering the fact that they are not the end all be all. God is the only Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End. 

7. Restoration to Better Than Before

Nebuchadnezzar was restored in both his sanity and his kingdom. What we see demonstrated here is when a person does not recognize the place of God in the human story as Lord of all, there is a lack of a sound mind. With Nebuchadnezzar, he just lost it all together; he had no foundation and no source other than himself - or so he thought. The reality is that God is over all and we are not the source of anything.

I believe Mr. Trump does not have to go the way of Nebuchadnezzar as his type may seems to suggest. I believe and pray that he would advance in life without having to lose all to regain it after much heartache and humiliation. May he be the repentant Nebuchadnezzar. Pride does not lead anywhere but downward because the Word tell us that it comes before a fall.  

At which point will Mr. Trump humble himself before God and man? I have no idea. I pray it will be sooner rather than later and that the plight of Nebuchadnezzar serves as a sobering and loving warning from the Master of the universe to reign-in control on a man who may either continue to be a loose cannon or allow himself to be molded and used as a  weapon in the hands of God. He alone gets to choose. But I have great hope.


Here is the Scripture of Nebuchadnezzar's Story in Daniel 4:

NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S PROPHETIC DREAM:

10“These were the visions of my head while on my bed:

I was looking, and behold,
A tree in the midst of the earth,
And its height was great.
¹¹ The tree grew and became strong;
Its height reached to the heavens,
And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
¹² Its leaves were lovely,
Its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The beasts of the field found shade under it,
The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches,
And all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. ¹⁴ He cried aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
Let the beasts get out from under it,
And the birds from its branches. 

¹⁵ Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
In the tender grass of the field.
Let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
And let him graze with the beasts
On the grass of the earth.
¹⁶ Let his heart be changed from that of a man,
Let him be given the heart of a beast,
And let seven times pass over him.

17‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.’

God does not care about who is Republican and who is Democrat. He does not get caught up in the fray of political debates but only in the formation and execution of His divine plan. Of course, He cares that we chose according righteous rule  when we can, but that does not guarantee that those we believe are righteous will indeed rule, or rule righteously. This world has a purpose; He will once again make His home with mankind in the new earth. Therefore, we are all aligning, whether we want to or not, with His divine plan. Some will, by their own choice to accept or reject the Lord Jesus Christ, be on the outside or inside of His Kingdom.

18“This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Daniel Explains the Second Dream

19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream concern those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!

20“The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the earth, ²¹ whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heaven had their home— ²² it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

23“And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him’; ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: 

²⁵ They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.

26“And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. ³⁰ The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

31While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! ³² And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

33That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

34 And at the end of the time. I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
³⁵ All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

36At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

This whole thing has shown me how very serious God is about His own plan. He only considers His plan because it is always perfectly positioned to accomplish His will. No one can claim to know more than God, have more power than God, or love more than God. The buck stops with Him. So if you have a problem with Him and His choices for leaders, you may take it up with Him. Of course, that would be futile. It is His way or no way. One of you will yield to the other and it will not be Him.

I end with this, Jesus is coming soon. Focus on Him rather than so much on who is president and who is not. If that is your major focus, then you will have a problem with Him in the end, you will be sorely disappointed because man is imperfect, and you will not be ready and found occupying when He returns. This is for all of us. It is close to "midnight" in this creative order and certainly close to the time when "no one can work." So what are you going to do? What am I going to do? Finally, become the woman He wants me to be by spending more time in His presence in worship, prayer, Scripture, and the fellowship of other believers, loving and sharing with the unbeliever, doing what He has called me to do.

I aim to hear: "‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’" Matthew 25:21, 23; Luke 19:17.

May God bless us all as we ready ourselves for what is to come.

The Ephesians 3:20 Power Sandwich - Encouragement for Faithful Saints

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^[c]

¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  

²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I have been wanting to do a peace on this verse that many use to "claim" material prosperity when in fact the Scripture is not about that and it does not apply to everyone. So I want happy when the Lord used a situation to trigger this revelation on Ephesians 3:14-21, particularly verse *20. I am calling it a "sandwich" revelation. It is the victorious result of His love and power. 

My mom's home helper was off one day when at lunch time, I was wondering what to serve her for lunch. Without any prior notices the worker stopped by on their way from NY to introduce us to her family. I was in the midst of prepping my mom's lunch when I noticed her helper put something on the microwave. I simply acknowledged it and kept going.  It was not until she was leaving, and we'd eaten the Trader Joe's pizza, that I peaked in the Styrofoam container. The meal was a Jamaican one: akee and salt fish, cooked green banana and callalloo/greens. We immediately warmed it up and ate it. Over the top delicious!

I heard the Lord speak through this chain of events. He was saying "how many times have you prayed, I provided the answer, you failed to notice and went ahead and prepared your own provision, which paled compared to what I provided exactly in the time that you needed it? In other words, I needed the lunch, God delivered one that was already prepared and delicious but I failed to notice it, asked no questions and simply continued as I was before the visit. He wants us to open our eyes because He has already provided the answer to whatever is our greatest prayer need. (We receive it by faith. Open up our eyes, Lord!!! Amen. (See this great song asking God to open up our eyes. "Open up our Eyes" ). 


The Act of Prayer:

         14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,


Our Position in Christ:

¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

The Blessings From His Limitless Resources:

¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

Our Access Point of Faith Grounded in Love:

¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Crucial Revelation of His Love and Desire to Fully Provide:

¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The Over Abundant Blessings According to His Revealed Power at Work in Us:

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

      THE EPHESIANS 3:20 POWER SANDWICH

Half bread bun: "filled with all the fullness of God" then (end of V. 19)
Meat: we receive the wonderful promises of abundance beyond our comprehension (V.20)
Half bread bun: "according to the power that works in us." (end of V. 20)


Through It all Christ Continues to Glorify The Father Forever:

²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Remember as we operate in faith to God, His promises will find us and His blessings will chase us down. The problem is when some try to claim Scriptures that do not apply to them due to bad teaching and greed. The Bible is not to be used as a "name-it-and-claim-it" gimmick. This relationship is based on covenant and life-time commitment. It is impossible to operate in His true power without first being in a love relationship with Him. His power works through love.

Finally, it's important to always be on the lookout for Him and He will always show up, often in unpredictable ways and at inconvenient times through the most unlikely people.
That's what happened that day when right at lunch time God provided a delicious meal that I did not have to prepare. I pray that when He shows up, not only will you notice Him, but that you stop everything and turn your attention completely to Him that you do not miss the season of your visitation.

God bless you! 

The Encouragement of Betrayal: 10 Lessons We Learn From Jesus' Betrayal in The Garden of Gethsemane

John 18:2-6

2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.

³ Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.  

⁴ Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

5 They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." "And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them.

            ⁶ Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Yes, God can use even the awful experience of a betrayal to encourage us.

This all started with a late-night conversation my sister and I were having about betrayal. She had said something that I'd either never noticed in the Bible nor gave much thought. Whatever the reason may have been, the Lord was speaking by highlighting this fact about His arrest and the chain of events happening at that time. Then I began to notice some interesting facts about His betrayal and arrest.

A few highlights before we get into the lessons Jesus modeled during His betrayal:

• Submitting to God in the betrayal, resisting the temptation to fight back, and instead giving in to God's plan, will yield a major harvest.
• Those who betray us will eventually regret it.
• Even at his time of apparent weakness, Jesus' submission to God invoked the full power of God into His circumstances to the point where those against Him could not stand in His presence. The full force of truth of that "I AM" statement hit them like a ton of bricks.
• The arresting party included a Roman Cohort, which is anywhere from 500 - 800 soldiers. Accompanying the cohort were temple guards and others from the temple --  all to arrest one nonresistant man.
• "The Encouragement of Betrayal" is the perfect title because, like Jesus, we will be betrayed; therefore, we can learn from Him how to walk in victory for a glorious result.

Here are 10 demonstrations we can follow when betrayed by a trusted one:

1. Jesus Did Not Revile His Betrayer But Continued in Love Toward Him

This is huge! A betrayer is really someone, trusted and close, who voluntarily becomes an enemy, often siding with those against us. Yes, Jesus told us to love our enemies. Talk about an impossibility in the flesh! It's not natural to love someone who has purposely harmed us -- at least without the power of God working in us to do it. Notice Judas, His betrayer, was standing with Jesus' enemies. The Bible tells us Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Can you imagine letting your betrayer kiss you knowing they have facilitated your death sentence? Incredible. Yet, Jesus allowed Jesus to kiss Him. What does that say about how we are to treat those who betray us.

2. Jesus did not Cower When Faced With His Enemies

Courage in the face of conflict comes from security in knowing Who you are and Whose You are. He was sent by the highest Authority for the highest purpose and He was not about to cower to any person. Yet, He was humble and meek. He showed no fear because all that was happening to Him was according to the Father's plan and would accomplish the Father's ultimate goal. He did not cower even when He knew the challenge and confrontation would result in His death. Neither are we told He showed any trepidation to the vast amount of Roman soldiers who showed up to arrest Him.

3. Jesus' Power Was Not Diminished Because of the Betrayal

He did not allow the betrayal to cause an emotional downward spiral. Notice when He proclaimed Who He was in verse 5, they all fell over in verse 6. The "I AM" was speaking and who could stand? You would think by that time they would know He was the Son of God. Did they all fall over voluntarily? I highly doubt it. Jesus allowed Himself to be betrayed and arrested. This was in the plan and His purpose from birth. Judas Iscariot played to that plan by allowing himself to become demonized and betraying the Son of God. (As an aside: you can see Judas did not have a very charitable attitude towards service.)

4. Jesus Continued to Honor the Father in His Submission During and After His Betrayal

We return to the subject of submission. (See 2 previous posts on Submission: Part 1 in February 2015 and Part 2 in March 2015) Do you get the idea that submission to God is  the crux of our walk with Him? Following Him requires submission and without it the life in Christ will be unfruitful. Unless we submit our sin knocks and walks right into our lives and sin unchecked leads us in the damnation and eventually hell. Sin is another form of betrayal and is against God Himself. Submitting to God is submitting to Love personified in Jesus. So hell is completely avoidable by placing our lives and trust in God.

His Continued Submission to God Made Him Formidable.

Notice that Jesus had to repeat to those who came to arrest Him several times that He was the One they were seeking. And when He told them, they all fell to the ground. Notice the Bible does not say some of them fell down, it simply states in verse 6 "they drew back and fell to the ground." They all fell. It brings to mind the Scripture that tells us that one day, "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." (Rom. 14:11; Isaiah 4523). Well that day, they all fell.

5. Jesus never insisted on His own innocence.

Jesus trusted His Father, His mission, and purpose in coming to earth. He knew what would befall Him but He also knew it was the very thing for which He was sent. Therefore, He never insisted on His innocence, although He had committed no crime, except to say exactly Whom He was, Who had sent Him, and proclaiming His identity as the only Son of God. He was hated and treated as the worst criminal although He was the Son of the same God the chief priests and temple leaders claimed to serve. Remember when Jesus shared about the master who sent His servants on an errand and they were beaten, then he finally sent his son assuming a son and heir would be respected but the son was killed, treated with even more contempt than the servants. Just as God had sent His servants the prophets, who time after time lost their lives because the people, especially the leaders, did not like the message the messengers brought. (See the "Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers" in Mark 12:1-14).

6. He completed His task by allowing Himself to go with His captors

Jesus went with His captors, knowing what would happen to Him. He was obedient even to death because of what was on the other side of His torture and death. He knew that the other side of His suffering was glory the likes of which are not possible to experience before suffering. Yes, He came from glory, but in order to get back there He had to complete the task for which He was sent including the suffering. Short of that, He would not have been able to go back to heaven as His disobedience would have been sin. No one can enter heaven with sin and since He was the only one by Whom sin can be abolished, He would have had no hope, and the entire world would be damned forever. He would have stayed dead in that case and we would all be dead in our sin. Praise God He obeyed and was raised again from the dead.

7. Through His suffering of this Betrayal and Death Sentence, Jesus was glorified

Jesus was betrayed, suffered, and died but there came a time when He was raised to glory and the glory is eternal while the suffering was only for a short time. Most people would rather skip the bad stuff, like suffering, pain, lack, even inconvenience, and go straight to the glory. However, that is not the pattern and certainly not the case for Jesus. Since the servant is no greater than our Master, we, too, must suffer before enjoying glory.
In this fallen world that is how it works: The blood (suffering) comes before the glory. The Bible tells us that even Jesus learned obedience through suffering. (Heb. 5:8, 1 Peter 1:11, Heb. 2:9) Can you believe that?

7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 

 ⁸ though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. ⁹ And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

Notice the process of being "perfected" involves suffering.

8. Those Who Betray a Man or Woman of God Will Someday Regret it

Look at the story of Judas, who went out and hung himself once the full weight of what he had done fell upon him and literally did him in. Consider on a lesser degree the story of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery only to be in dire need of his help years after their hideous act of brutality. Joseph became vital to their very survival during a time of regional, if not global, famine. They came to regret their betrayal to be point of fearing for their lives.

Imagine those who betray God by falling away from Him only to regret it later on. It happened to Adam and Eve and it continues even today. The betrayer someone knows that he or she is doing something wrong but the desire to exact some form of revenge on the person being betrayed is much stronger.

9. SPECIAL NOTE TO THOSE IN MINISTRY: GREAT MINISTRY OFTEN EMERGES OUT OF GREAT BETRAYAL 

If you are in ministry, keep in mind how Judas betrayal set the course for Jesus to suffer for a short season, but even more so for His eternal reign of glory. No great ministry is without great betrayal. Often, that very betrayal forges the ministry ahead to birthing or greatness as the ministers remain loving to their betrayers and faithful to God.

10. The Two Greatest Betrayals on Earth Both Happened in a Garden

The First Great Betrayal happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve turned their backs on God and their faces to Satan, obeying the evil one rather that the One Who only made them in love and gave them everything good. The Second Great Betrayal occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane to redeem mankind from the First Betrayal. And the perpetrator of the first betrayal, Lucifer, had himself been the very first betrayer when he led a revolt in heaven against God His Creator.

This proves that at the base every betrayal you will find the evil one. That means that somehow betrayers get themselves into Satan clutches and it behooves us to pray for them. Judas because of his own dark and unrepentant heart was beyond even Jesus' help. But our betrayers are not beyond His help. We never know whether they would turn from their wickedness and come to God either for the first time or as a prodigal returning to His Father from a far-off land.

Do you see how we follow Jesus? We look at His life because He experienced everything we do. That is the why the Bible calls Him our Great High Priest who is not without understanding of what we face daily.

When you are betrayed, and if you have not yet experience betrayal you will at some point in your life, don't despair, follow Jesus' example and walk through that valley in divine victory. Then watch how God will use it for your advancement as you remain faithful to Him.