Your Opportunity
Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers about how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of a crowd.
Luke 22:3-6 (ESV)
This passage highlights the tragic choice Judas made to betray Jesus. Judas had walked with Jesus throughout most of His earthly ministry. He witnessed countless miracles, heard every message, and was even part of Jesus' inner circle. Yet, as I reflect on this, I’m reminded of an important truth: not everyone who is with you is truly for you.
What’s even more striking is that Jesus knew all along that Judas would betray Him. Judas had every opportunity to choose a different path, but he remained a thief and ultimately aligned himself with Satan. Scripture confirms this in John 12:6: "He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money bag and would steal part of what was put in it." (CSB)
Judas’s story also brings to mind the sobering words of Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23: _"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'"
Family, we only have this one life here on earth to get it right. We must be anchored in Christ. This season is our opportunity to live according to His commands. Don’t let a title, a position, or even your works deceive you into thinking they guarantee your place in heaven. Yeshua completed the work for us at the cross. Salvation is not about empty declarations; it’s about a surrendered heart.
I’ve heard our Bishop say many times, "Not everyone sitting in the sanctuary will make it into heaven." Scripture is clear: only those who do the will of the Father will enter His Kingdom. His two greatest commands are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself. And your neighbor isn’t just the person next door — your neighbor is the world.
Listen, Satan is the great deceiver and the father of lies. If you are not fully surrendered to Yeshua, you could be heading in the wrong direction, even if you don’t realize it.
Prayer
Father,
Thank You for the incredible gift of eternal life. We acknowledge that if we are not fully surrendered to You, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Right here, right now, we repent. If there is anything in us that does not reflect You, we ask You to remove it. Fix our hearts so that our focus remains on You alone. We surrender ourselves completely and invite You to have Your way in us. All we want is You.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
Jesus sees every action and knows your heart.
Now is the time to surrender everything to Yeshua.
Jesus stands at the door, waiting for you to invite Him in.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCC Ministries TV: YouTube Channel
My published books are now available at: Amazon - Life’s Journey Volume 2 by Jacqueline Crooks