The Most Important Aspect of BETRAYAL

In this final posting on lessons of betrayal from the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis, we reach the most important aspect of dealing with betrayal. Read the following words closely as Joseph reveals himself to the very brothers who years earlier, out of hatred and jealousy, had pushed him into the pit of betrayal. Genesis 45:4-5, 14-15 says:

"Then Joseph said to his brothers, 'Please come closer to me.' And they came closer. And he said, 'I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.' Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him."

WOW! Do you see the main aspect of dealing with betrayal in those verses? It can be summed up in one very critical word and that word is FORGIVENESS. You will never experience total victory over the wounds and scars caused by betrayal until you FORGIVE those who hurt you.

The problem is that most people have a very warped view of what FORGIVENESS really is. So in my next series of posts here at "Hope for Hurting Pastors" I am going to write about what true Biblical FORGIVENESS really looks like. If you are a pastor or ministry leader that has found yourself pushed into the PIT of BETRAYAL, whether it be recent or way in the past, these next few posts will be must-reads for you!

Be sure to also read my other blog at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can leave a comment at either blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com.

The BLESSING of BETRAYAL - part 3

In the last two posts we have seen two BLESSINGS that can come out of BETRAYAL. Now let me add a third and final blessing. The first blessing centered around a PLAN. The second blessing centered around PEOPLE. The third blessing centers around PASSION. And by passion, I am speaking specifically of the passion of Christ.

When we think of the passion of Jesus we think of the scourging, the crown of thorns, the crucifixion, and the spear. And all of these were very big aspects of His passion. But there is a part of the passion of Christ that is easy to gloss over without a lot of thought or emotion. Matthew 26:4-50 says this:

"Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, 'Hail, Rabbi!' and kissed Him. And Jesus said to Him, 'Friend, do what you have come for.' Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him."

Part of the passion of Jesus was suffering betrayal. And if you have ever found yourself pushed into the PIT of BETRAYAL than suddenly this part of the passion of Jesus takes on a whole new meaning and intensity. Before Jesus was crucified for me, before He was scourged for me, He was first betrayed for me. Jesus knows full well how deep the wounds of betrayal go. And one of the ways that God can turn BETRAYAL into BLESSING is to give you a new appreciation for this aspect of the passion of Jesus. If you know what the sting of betrayal feels like, you will come to love Jesus even more for His suffering betrayal for you.

Be sure to read my other blog at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can leave a comment at either blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com

The BLESSING of BETRAYAL - part 2

In our last post we saw from the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis that one of the 3 ways that God can turn the PIT of BETRAYAL into the PALACE of BLESSING is through His PLAN! Today we see that the BLESSING of BETRAYAL can also be seen through PEOPLE!

As you read through the story of Joseph as he goes from the PIT to the PRISON and ultimately to the PALACE, you see numbers of people that Joseph was able to impact. These included but were not limited to:

Potiphar
Potiphar's wife
Potiphar's household
The jailer
The cupbearer
The baker
The other prisoners
Pharaoh
Pharaoh's household

Think about this! These were all people that Joseph never would have met - never would have come in contact with - had he not got pushed into the PIT of BETRAYAL! What a BLESSING that BETRAYAL can be as God uses it to bring into our lives people that we can impact because we ourselves got pushed into the PIT of BETRAYAL!

So if you are a pastor or ministry leader that has found yourself lying in the bottom of the PIT of BETRAYAL, take heart! Take your eyes off of yourself and look at the people that God has and will bring into your life for you to impact - people that you otherwise would never have met had you not got pushed into the PIT of BETRAYAL! Let God use your ministry in their lives to turn your BETRAYAL into BLESSING!

Be sure to read my other blog at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can leave a comment at either blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com.

The BLESSING of BETRAYAL - part 1

I've been posting about lessons we can learn from Joseph's experience in the pit of betrayal. From the story of this Old Testament Patriarch we learn the amazing principle that God can turn BETRAYAL into BLESSING. And from this story I see three ways that this can happen. The first blessing deals with a PLAN!

As I have stated several times, few wounds go deeper than those caused by betrayal. But even when we find ourselves pushed into the pit of betrayal, we can know that God is at work - He has a plan. For Joseph, this plan would take him from the PIT to the PALACE as ultimately he would become the 2nd highest in command in Egypt - only Pharaoh himself would be greater in power. And in this position Joseph would be used of God to save Egypt and the surrounding peoples (including his own family) from a devastating famine. That is why years later Joseph could make the following statements when reunited with his brothers, the very ones who had pushed him into the pit of betrayal:

"Now don't be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45:5)

"Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to a Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 45:8)

Even while Joseph was experiencing the horrible pain accompanied by betrayal, God had a plan for him. And it is the plan of God that turns BETRAYAL into BLESSING. Joseph went from the PIT to the PALACE. And if you are a pastor or ministry leader that has found yourself pushed into the pit of betrayal - take heart! God has a plan for you too! God will turn the betrayal you have experienced into a blessing.

But remember, before Joseph went from the PIT to the PALACE - he first had to experience the PRISON. And so might you! Your painful experience may be far from over but stay faithful my drear friend. I believe that God has a plan for you and His plan will ultimately turn your PIT of BETRAYAL into a PALACE of BLESSING!

Be sure to read my other blog at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can also leave a comment at either blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com

The Far-Reaching Wounds of Betrayal

I have said it in just about each posting so far dealing with the pit of betrayal, but let me say it still again. No hurt goes deeper than the wounds caused by betrayal. And those wounds don't just affect the person on the receiving end of the betrayal. It affects others as well. A husband who betrays his wife hurts more people than just his wife. A friend who betrays a friend hurts more people than just his friend. And if you are a pastor that has felt the sting of betrayal, than you also know that the betrayal directed toward you has most likely hurt many other people as well.

Joseph's brothers pushing him into the pit of betrayal didn't just hurt Joseph. In Genesis 37:33-35, after Joseph's brothers killed a goat, sprinkled its blood on his coat, and gave it to their father to convince him that Joseph was dead when they really had sold him into slavery, the Bible says, "Then he (Jacob) examined it and said, 'It is my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!' So Jacob tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. Then all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, 'Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.' So his father wept for him."

If only we could catch a glimpse of the future before we pushed someone else into the pit of betrayal! Maybe if we could see the numbers of other people our act of betrayal will hurt, along side of the person who is the focus of our actions, we would think twice before acting. The wounds of betrayal are far-reaching. They affect more people than simply the person who gets pushed into the pit. That's another lesson we learn from the story of Joseph.

Be sure to read my other blog entitled "Folks, Listen" at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. Feel free to leave a comment at this blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com.

Are you a "LADDER" or an "ADDER"?

I told you in my last posting of hearing a message by Ed Young Jr who said that when you are in the pit of betrayal, instead of asking "Why me?" you should instead ask the question of the Lord, "What now?" But I remember one other aspect of that message. Ed Young Jr asked this question,

"Are you a LADDER or an ADDER?"

In other words, when God brings across your life someone who is in the pit of betrayal, what do you become to them? Do you become a LADDER for them or do you become an ADDER to them?

A LADDER is someone whose response to those in the pit of betrayal is one that offers support, encouragement, and most of all - hope! You become a LADDER for that person, helping them to crawl out of that pit they are in, brush off the dirt, and move forward. Like the Good Samaritan Jesus told about, you are the one whose words can bandage the open wounds of their heart and allow them to see the fingerprints of God that are still in their life.

An ADDER, on the other hand, does just the opposite. An ADDER responds in such a way that just ADDS to the hurt, pain and disparity of the person in the pit of betrayal. ADDERS accept as truth and pass on as fact whatever story they have heard, without taking the time to get both sides of the story. ADDERS spread gossip about the person in the pit. ADDERS judge the motives of the person in the pit. ADDERS can be like the friends of Job who came to console him but really only ADDED to his grief.

So, do you know someone who is in the pit of betrayal? Tell me, have you been a LADDER for them or more of an ADDER to them? If you are a pastor or ministry leader that is currently in the pit of betrayal, than my prayer for you is that God would send someone who is a LADDER into your life and protect you from the many ADDERS who are out there.

Be sure to read my other blog entitled "Folks, Listen" at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can also leave a comment on this blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com

"WHY ME?" or "WHAT NOW?"

A few years back I heard Ed Young Jr, who pastors Fellowship Church down in Texas, speak about the pit of betrayal. As I said in my posting yesterday, no hurt goes deeper than the wounds caused by betrayal. Imagine you are Joseph. Your own brothers have assaulted you and thrown you into a dark, lonely pit. Your future is now in question. What do you say to God from inside that pit? Most people would ask a very simply two-word question:

"WHY ME?"

"Why me, Lord? Why did you allow this to happen to me? Why did you let this hurt and adversity come into my life? Why me, Lord?" And if you find yourself in a pit of betrayal that occurred within your ministry, you might be finding yourself asking God the same question, "Why me, Lord?"

But Ed Young Jr's message still resonates within my heart. He said that "Why Me?" is the wrong two-word question. Instead, when we find ourselves scarred and bruised after being pushed into the pit of ministry betrayal (or any other kind of betrayal) we should ask this two-word question:

"WHAT NOW?"

"What now, Lord? What are you working on behind the scenes that I don't even know about yet? What great plan for me are you fulfilling through these difficult times? What now, Lord?" After all, remember these passages?

"And we know that God causes all things (even the pit of betrayal) to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (even the pit of betrayal); knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." (James 1:2-3)

If you find yourself today in the pit of betrayal, don't ask God, "WHY ME?" Instead ask Him, "WHAT NOW?"

Be sure to read my other blog entitled "Folks, Listen" at www.folkslisten.blogspot.com. You can also leave a comment on this blog or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com

The Pit of Betrayal

I am sure that you are very familiar with the Old Testament story of Joseph found in Genesis 37. In short, Joseph gets betrayed by his own brothers who assault him, throw him into a pit, sell him into slavery, and then convince their father that he was killed by a wild animal. What would cause these siblings to resort to such an act of hatred? The answer is JEALOUSY! Genesis 37:11 makes this very clear when it says:

"His brothers were jealous of him!"

What would produce such jealousy in these brother's hearts and lives? I answered that question in three postings last week in my other blog entitled, "Folks, Listen." You can use the link below and go to that blog and find three reasons that caused such jealousy towards Joseph. You will find them in my blog postings on January 19, 20 and 21. Again, the link is:

www.folkslisten.blogspot.com

If you are a hurting pastor reading this posting, then chances are very good that you know what the inside of the Pit of Betrayal looks like. You also know that few hurts go deeper than the wounds caused by betrayal. Over the next few blogs postings here at "Hope For Hurting Pastors" I am going to share some principles about the Pit of Betrayal that can be learned from the story of Joseph. I hope you will come back as I post a new article each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at skdistler@gmail.com