SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
1 Corinthians 9:7-12
John 12:1-9

“The labourer is worthy
of his hire.”

IS YOUR RELIGION YOUR BELLY?

Paul willingly forsook his right to remuneration so that the gospel might advance. The spirit of false teachers, however, is very different. They live for their bellies rather than for the testimony of God’s Word. One such example is Judas who betrayed Christ for money.

The following is the Rev Timothy Tow’s comments on Judas from a sermon on John 12:1-9:

“The one to open the conversation was Judas Iscariot. He had never spoken a word in his three years following Christ, so you could not judge him, humanly speaking. But Jesus saw him transparent through after the feeding of the Five Thousand. He exposed Judas as one who would betray Him. In this 12th chapter, the Apostle John further declares Judas’ betrayal in that while he is Treasurer, he dips into the ‘bag,’ for his own gain. That is why he objects to Mary’s anointing Jesus with the precious spikenard, costing $3,000 today. That sum should have been given to his keeping ‘for the poor.’

Judas is a fake, a false prophet. … Judas is one included in Paul’s warning to the Church, ‘Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple’ (Rom 16:17-18). Judas serves the Lord for his own stomach. Now, I have been principal of Far Eastern Bible College for the last 37 years. We have graduated 350. Have I a Judas from this list? If one serves as a professional, and takes advantage of his position over Church funds, for his own interest, he is a Judas. He serves the Lord for his stomach.”

THOUGHT: (Read 1 Timothy 6:10.)
PRAYER: Help me, Father, not to be taken by the deceitfulness of riches!