Betraying Betrayal

By Matthew Auguiste

This book is carefully written. It is a classic on exposing the kiss of betrayal. No stone is left unturned as Matthew explores profound concepts and answers questions many are afraid to ask, forbidden questions as "Who is my betrayer? How does one identify a betrayer? Am I a betrayer? What are the heart-wrenching questions of betrayal? How should one cope with the sting of betrayal?"

From the president to the pauper, from the pastor to the member, this book is related in a manner that we all can identify. Betraying Betrayal transcends the borders of hypocrisy, posturing, and speciousness. It brings to light the dark realities of being betrayed. Having felt the pangs of betrayal himself, Matthew offers hope on how to move from being a victim to becoming the victor who eventually betrays betrayal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 29, 2024
• ISBN: 9781098000608

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Betraying Betrayal

Matthew Auguiste

ISBN 978-1-0980-0059-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-0980-0060-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2019 by Matthew Auguiste

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

The Seed of Betrayal

Chapter 2

Signs of Betrayal

Chapter 3

The Scene of Betrayal

Chapter 4

The Strength of Betrayal

Bibliography

About the Author

To my five children, Matthew Junior, Elasah, Maqquel, Malkijah, and Chara, your baby pictures all look alike, but you are each so different. Remember, it is this difference which makes each of you so original .

Preface

I stood at the intersection, overlooking the center of the village where I was born, and I became immediately saddened. There seemed to be so little to admire and less to imitate. What has gone wrong with the society that we are a part of? There may be many prominent people in our culture, yet who determines prominence is decided by an interesting phenomenon. It is a phenomenon which discards truth and embraces allegiance. Daily we are bombarded by lineups of celebrities, but our communities are limited in honesty, truth, and righteousness.

As I looked over my village, meaningful questions flooded my mind. I thought of the lives that were being short-lived and the bills that were being accumulated. There were many vows broken and critical commitments shelved. As I turned away, I asked myself, When will we be prepared to pay our bills, honor our vows, and value our commitments?

Today, little or no value is placed on righteousness, but wickedness is rewarded in quick time. Is the God of creation tired, or has he fallen asleep? Is he surprised by the maneuvering of this generation? Yet when I searched the Scriptures, I found that there were no mass-production techniques. God carefully handcrafted mankind so that no two individuals are the same. We were created from dirt initially but not in futility. We are more than people of potential; we are original.

People who are satisfied to have their names on the payroll are far more than those who simply play their role. Like in a business proposal, you don't often get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate. Negotiators understand that there is something at stake and that death only halts the purpose of the living, like what King Hezekiah said, They that go down to the pit cannot hope for truth.

Satan has blinded the eyes, darkened visions, and hardened the hearts of men way back from the fall of man. Before the Word of God was perceived as the source of life, giving entrance to eternal life, it was thrown to the lions and was trampled underfoot. Many hilariously echoed its sentiments as myths, fables, and some antiquated codes of conduct.

Part of this fury of unbelief stemmed from the fact of simple language. Once a translation is made from another language, great truths of cultural, political, and spiritual understanding often dissipate in the distance. Therefore, to capture a life story of intrigue (such as is offered in the Bible) in its original context can be mind-boggling.

When you survey the writings of the Bible, you will discover that it is nothing like you have ever imagined. It is filled with allegories, metaphors, oxymora, and anthropomorphic expressions. For this reason, many have falsely interpreted the Scriptures, condemned the weak, and some no longer serve the true and living God. For them, life is over. They have been betrayed. Many have measured their place of birth, educational background, geographical location, ethnicity, and failures of the past. They concluded there is not much to hold on to. Sadly, it seemed like their night has kicked the bucket.

It is for those I write. The broken and the forgotten can hope again. The lame man can leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb can sing again. You will discover from the pages of this book that justice does not mean that the guilty is killed or goes behind bars. Justice simply means that someone gets to pay for the crime. The Judge will decide.

Acknowledgments

Names would fail me to make mention of all the people who after twenty-five years of full-time ministry have impacted my life. Yet I am so grateful for all your many sacrifices.

Without much consideration, my family would certainly be on top of the list. Without your unconditional love and strength to keep me focused, this work would be futile.

To Liz, my love, thank you for believing in me. You are a great wife, mother, and teacher. Your editorial work and critical assessment of my works have made me a better thinker.

To Mat, my eldest son, you wanted to be the first to edit. Thank you for the constant reminder, Daddy, you have so much to offer.

To Maqquel, my second son whose respect and honor has brought continuous joy to my heart, thank you.

To Malki, my youngest son, I never know what you are thinking, but you always seem to know where everything is.

To my two girls Elasah and Chara, my pride and my joy who always want to be with me, thank you.

To Mike and Esther Bush for the privilege of spending time at your house where I started this book. Thank you also Granny for taking good care of me.

To Monique and Macy, my typists, your invaluable work must be mentioned.

For all those whose lives were impacted as I gave leadership and who in return gave me the privilege to do so, thank you.

To my pastors, St. Clair Mitchel and Bernard Joseph, I have learned so much from you.

For all who contributed in proofreading this material, for your timely suggestions and indexing contributions.

Because of all that everyone has done, I have learned, unlearned, and relearned to be even more precise. I have grown. My deepest appreciation to all of you.

Chapter 1

The Seed of Betrayal

Some Second Things First

The Bible is the most fascinating book. It is full of intensity and of wonderful variety. It reflects many unexplained sacrifices as the blood of bulls and rams bring chills to the human heart. It is filled with unfulfilled prophecies which pierce through the most delicate of human passions. In this book called the Bible, we are exposed to and encircled by the constant struggle for established, great empires through political intrigue and maneuvering. It soars the height of unsatisfied longings; the scenes are dotted with popular names and dates, for example, Abraham who began his search for a land whose builder and maker is God. Though the Bible is laden with weird symbols, allegories, and anthropomorphic expressions, yet strangely it opens our eyes to historic truths which transcend any other book of learning. Did I say strange? Well, strange things certainly do not mean evil; neither can they be termed as wrong or lacking normalcy. I am discovering that what we term strange is simply different. I am sure you would agree that there are always other ways to look at things.

Though the Bible may seem confusing, it is a wonderful book of life to real and honest people. We are told that the words hapax legomenon is used to describe something of which one instance of usage is given. It is that which occurs only once during a context, whether it is in the written record of an entire language, in the works of an author, or appears in a single text. Luke chapter six and verse one is a good example. Quickly coming to a conclusion, we could term this as utter foolishness.

We are so quick to discard, throw away, and give up on people. If you have discarded people or are tempted to, remember, you would not be the first. Luke 6:1 states, And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. Some great men of the faith thought that this term the second Sabbath after the first is confusing. The phrase in the Greek is actually deuteroprotos. We must not be quick to judge or to discard what we don't understand. Irrefutably, some things that are second in terms of importance, at one point in life, must take preeminence. Life is a learning process. Sincerely speaking, I am not trying to secure my audience; what I do share is not for the religious or the supposed saved. If you felt that this was an entrance to comfort, I'm sorry; this book is not for you.

Many have sought and fought for the removal of passages like Luke 6:1 from the Bible for a lack of insight of what they represent. These passages continue to be a mind twister for the greatest theologians. I have studied both the ecclesiastical and civil implications in these texts. But isn't it ironic that on the Sabbath day, Jesus would pluck corn and rub it with his hands? He further added insult to injury by asking the religious the piercing question that if their Lamborghini was broken down on the Sabbath day—I am sorry, I meant their donkey—what would they do?

Let me reiterate that there are times when supposedly second things in life must come first. I knew my family needed me, but I was on duty, says one man. On duty has destroyed so many marriages. You may have to take care of your loved ones or forgive your wife before going to church. Remember, I did not say before serving God. Jesus did some second things first. He plucked corn on the Sabbath day and spoke about freeing a donkey from a ditch on the Sabbath day. It is as if freedom for his creation is of greater value than his ability to create.

Faces in the Crowd

On one side of the table, the Pharisees shook their angry fists. The conversation was on point; their voices