"Judah or Judas"

I found out yesterday that Judah and Judas come from the same root word.

Judah - Praiser or one who praises.

Judas - One who betrays.

Judah praises God. (Face kisser)
Judas kisses men (praises men)(butt kisser)

Judah is a yes God.
Judas is a yes man.

Judah has God motives.
Judas has self motives.

Judah is one who praises with all his might.
Judas is he that worships with his lips but his heart is far from God.

Judah has pure motives.
Judas has impure motives.

Judas attacks or judges in Judah what he is guilty of in himself. That's why the bible says do not be quick to judge, judge yourself, take the plank out of your own eye before you try to take the splinter out of their eye.

Whatever you attack in others is where you struggle yourself. You are quick to see in others what is enemy (in me). That's why Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. Paul only list one offensive weapon out of all the armor that is mentioned (Eph. 6). Why?

Our greatest enemy is not others, our greatest enemy is in me. God says I will take care of the enemies on the outside if you will take care of the enemies on the inside. The enemy destroys from the inside. Wherever you are quick to react is a place where you have not been healed. Wherever you are quick to judge is a place where you are guilty. Wherever you condemn others is where you are condemned. It is a heart issue. That's why the writer of Proverbs tells us to guard our heart with all diligence for from it flows the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Meaning that most of our issues our self created.

Why do we need the armor of God if the battle belongs to the Lord. This sound contradicting but in reality God is saying of you can whip it in your head and heart you can whip it anywhere. God says I got it covered out here, you just take care of it in there.

Let me use King David for example. He had never lost a battle, He was successful in his reign, rich, powerful, famous, he was riding high. Then one day because of his own pride, complacency, when the Kings were to go to battle, he stayed home. In a moment of his own comfort he removed the guard from his heart and there began his downfall. He then begins a cycle of generational defeat in his lineage as he lusts after a woman, commit ts adultery, murders the husband, lies and covers it up... He later writes in Psalms 51 create in me a pure heart. Why?

If you keep your heart, God will keep your life. You can only be defeated from the outside. So when critics attack, talk about you, lie on you, manipulate situations to set you up, shoots darts out of secret places, exalt themselves when you have been faithful, you are passed over for a promotion for the lazy bum... Guard your heart, don't become a Judas, be a Judah. Don't complain, grumble, and judge them, judge yourself and praise God any how. If you take care of you, God will take care of them. The Battle is not yours, it is God's. Fight your battle, that is the battle of self.

Lastly how do you deal with the inside enemies and the outside enemies.

Gen 49:8-12

8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father's children shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.

* Judah (praise) puts his hand on the neck of the enemy (choke hold).
* The enemy is paralyzed by praise.
* One of the words for Praise means to rip the enemy apart piece by piece.

The Scepter will not depart from Judah... Until Shiloh comes.

* The Praiser always wins, he dominates.
* You can't lose when you praise.
* Praise until perfect peace (Shiloh) comes, why because as you praise the God of peace will crush the enemy under his feet.

How do you guard your heart and overcome the spirit of betrayal, praise your way...

Blessings,
Craig Sloan