“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Then pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers, because whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:48-50.
Even today the Jewish people think of their own as “family”. If you are not “family”, you don’t count. You will be used and abused, but never considered “family”. The Catholic church picked up on that attitude and adopted it. From it, all of the Mother’s little whores have adopted the same philosophy. “If you don’t belong to my church, you are not of God.” Every church today is sinking with pagan rituals and services adopted from the “Mother Church” of Pagan-Catholicism.
The Jewish church of Christ’s day was now sinking. It had slipped off the Rock of Christ, landed on the sand of human wisdom, philosophy, ceremonies and rituals. Now the tide was coming in and it was about to be overwhelmed with the flood of evil and sunk into everlasting destruction.
Jesus was literally pointing out the fallacy in such “family” or “church” thinking. To God, all who are obedient to the “family” rules are “family”. The Kingdom of Heaven is one big happy family of individuals from every nation, race and religion who have surrendered their lives to the rules of God’s Kingdom. No church is God’s family. No race is God’s family. No religion is God’s family. Only those who live as Jesus lived: perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping. They are the brothers and sisters of Jesus.
“From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered—
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.”
Shakespeare
Shakespeare had it right. Those who live by the rules of Heaven will be persecuted and hated. They will shed their blood beside Jesus and be counted as His brother. But those who sit in church, sleeping their lives away, far from the battle, will be rejected by God and cast into the Lake of Fire. There is a war going on. We ought to get in it!
Matthew 13:1 – Matthew 14:33
That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach. Such large crowds gathered around him that he had to sit in a boat, while the people stood on the shore. Then he taught them many things by using stories.
Sitting in the “life boat” on the lake and throwing out the “life preservers” to the people of their sinking ship, Jesus was attempting to save their lives. Jesus didn’t take the people to church. Jesus didn’t teach “church”. He didn’t tell them to go to church. The Kingdom of God is bigger than any church or denomination. The Kingdom of God encompasses the whole universe. All who want to be a citizen of that “country” may. But those who have entered illegally through their churches and denominations have become “illegal” aliens and will be gathered up and cast out to destruction. But those who go through the proper vetting process, applying for the proper passport to the Kingdom of God, may obtain one when they fulfill all the legal requirements. Jesus is no respecter of religions, churches, denominations, nationalities, race or sex. His Kingdom is open to everyone who is willing to go through the proper course of action to get there. But all the “illegals” will be “cast out” into a lake of fire.
He said: A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field. While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds.
For over 6,000 years Jesus has been sending out “farmers” to scatter His seed, His Word of truth, to the world. As it is scattered, much of it is scattered along the worldly paths, highways and byways. As people trudge along these broad ways to death, they trample on the seed of life. They ground it into the dirt. They kick it off to the side. When they are done disrespecting the seed of life, it is eaten by the birds. The majority of the world is not interested in the “seed of life”. The majority are too busy searching for worldly entertainment, prideful ambitions and egotistical achievements. Unfortunately, it is church members who disrespect the seed of life the most. The path to Heaven is not desired by churches.
Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn’t very deep.
Some people are “thin-skinned” while others have “hard heads” filled with rocks. At first, they accept the seed of life because it is “different” or makes their ego and pride puff up by “knowing” what others do not. They love to spout the seed of life and show it off. They yell and scream at those who don’t want to bow down to their new knowledge.
But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots.
But when the people begin ridiculing them, insulting them, and they see that the seed of life is not popular and entails too much persecution and trouble, they dry up and blow away. They are nothing but hot air. They did not let the seed of life first grow deep within them, so it could withstand the heat of persecution and the dry winds of ridicule and insults. Therefore, many just sit in church sleeping and accepting what the hot “windbags” teach. They don’t want to get “involved” in the war.
Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants.
The seed that fell among thornbushes is that which was received by those who continued to live among the thorny and prickly places of life. Instead of moving out from their former friends that were thorny and prickly, they continued to live around “bad company” that corrupts good character. Instead of moving away from their churches, they continue to accept the thorns that are choking out their eternal life. Eventually, the influence of the “bad company”, the cares of this world and desires for worldly greatness and things, choke out the good seed and it dies for lack of nurturing. What is surprising is the fact that church seems to grow the most thornbushes. People gather under the cover of their thornbush-churches feeling safe and do not realize the danger they are in.
But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered. If you have ears, pay attention!
However, a few seeds, not many, very few fell on good hearts who nurtured, watered and cared for it. They valued the seed more importantly than anything this world had to offer. Therefore, it grew and produced offspring. If you are not producing offspring, bringing people to the life Jesus has taught us to live, you will die. Are you paying attention? Do you have ears? Sitting in church is not producing offspring. Seed sitting in church is being choked, scorched and withered. It will die for lack of proper Christian activity.
“Everywhere there is a tendency to substitute the work of organizations for individual effort. Human wisdom tends to consolidation, to centralization, to the building up of great churches and institutions. Multitudes leave to institutions and organizations the work of benevolence; they excuse themselves from contact with the world, and their hearts grow cold. They become self-absorbed and unimpressible. Love for God and man dies out of the soul.
“Christ commits to His followers an individual work—a work that cannot be done by proxy. Ministry to the sick and the poor, the giving of the gospel to the lost, is not to be left to committees or organized charities. Individual responsibility, individual effort, personal sacrifice, is the requirement of the gospel.
“‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in,’ is Christ’s command, ‘that My house may be filled.’ He brings men into touch with those whom they seek to benefit. ‘Bring the poor that are cast out to thy house,’ He says. ‘When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him.’ ‘They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.’ Luke 14:23; Isaiah 58:7; Mark 16:18. Through direct contact, through personal ministry, the blessings of the gospel are to be communicated.” MH 147.
The Jews were very good “church-sitters”. They were not producing offspring for God. They were so involved in building up their church they didn’t need God. They hated Him for interfering with their church-building projects and activities. They did not realize that their ship was sinking. Hole after hole was being punched into the side of the ship, not by an enemy from the outside, but from the inside. God gave them a perfect, unsinkable ship, but they did not like it as given by God, and began “remodeling” it from the inside. It had been so long since they had been outside that they did not understand that to put holes into the side of the ship, to hang their gaudy church paraphernalia and human wisdom, would sink their ship.
Jesus’ disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you use nothing but stories when you speak to the people?” Jesus answered: I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don’t have anything will lose even what little they have. I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand.
So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet Isaiah had said, “These people will listen and listen, but never understand. They will look and look, but never see. All of them have stubborn minds! Their ears are stopped up, and their eyes are covered. They cannot see or hear or understand. If they could, they would turn to me, and I would heal them.” But God has blessed you, because your eyes can see and your ears can hear! Many prophets and good people were eager to see what you see and to hear what you hear. But I tell you that they did not see or hear.
How true. We sit in church listening and listening but never understanding. We sit in church looking and looking, but never seeing. Those sitting in church have stubborn minds and ears that are plugged and eyes that are covered.
Sometimes we get so “tunnel visioned” and so concentrated staring at the problem we are unable to see the solution. Church people are so focused on their church that they are not seeing Jesus. By looking away from the church they would see the solution to their problems. Jesus would come into focus. Very few are listening to Jesus. It is all about what this man says, what that church leader says, what that famous church-person says, but none are listening to what Jesus says.
The gentleman who keeps writing me is so focused on his Sabbath-keeping church, he has never seen Jesus. He keeps writing me telling, me about his church leaders and important church people with their degrees and foreign speech have to say. But he completely rejects Jesus and His teachings. That is because he came out of a Catholic church and sat down in a Sabbath-keeping church. No difference, only the day he goes to church on. But it is all Catholic and “anti-Christ”. It takes the eyes off of the teachings of Jesus and puts them squarely on the church.
Telling someone to look away from what they want to see is almost pointless. People are so fixated on what they want, they have a hard time understanding the truth. If people would just look away from their churches, desires, selfishness and egos, they would find the true meaning of life. I just don’t understand why we are not listening. It was church people Jesus was talking to. It was to people who thought they belonged to God. It was to Sabbath-keeping, church-going, tithe-paying people Jesus was addressing. Jesus could not teach the people “straight-up”, they were not ready or willing to hear it. Even today, as the Spirit of God attempts to bring this message to church members, so very few are able to understand it. They are so fixated on their churches and denominations they do not hear, see or understand what Jesus is trying to tell them.
How true that what they think they have, church and salvation, will be taken away from them. They are fighting so hard to hang on to their church, they refuse to listen to Jesus and let go of their selfishness, pride and ego. Church has totally destroyed them as it did the Jews of Christ’s day. Church people keep going to church and listening, watching and doing, but never coming to the truth. A lot of Bible facts are being taught, and a lot of busy church works are being accomplish, but no seeds are being watered, cultivated and nurtured for Jesus. Bible “facts” and Bible “truth” are not the same.
Now listen to the meaning of the story about the farmer: The seeds that fell along the road are the people who hear the message about the kingdom, but don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the message from their hearts.
They do not understand because they do not want to understand. There is nothing wrong with the seed that is being scattered. There is nothing wrong with the watering by the Spirit of God. But the people on the road refuse to get off the broad way, get out of their churches and get on to the narrow path that would give themselves time to hear, study and understand the seed. It is their own fault. God is not to blame. Since they do not give God an opportunity in their headlong rush for the things of the world, the devil is more than happy to snatch the seed from their hearts.
The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away. But they don’t have deep roots, and they don’t last very long. As soon as life gets hard or the message gets them in trouble, they give up.
I have seen this over and over again. So few have deep roots in Jesus. Not one person in a hundred churches is able to defend his beliefs biblically. People get “convinced” and baptized, and then they sit in church. Church people have become so dead sitting in church, all they can do is feebly point people to a sinking church. They have no strength to row the “Life Boat” to Jesus. We must dig our roots deep into the Word of God, not church, and draw the sap from Jesus. We must memorize the Bible and know it or we won’t make it. That is why I keep reading the Bible over and over again. I have now read the Bible over 125 times. You have already given up if you are sitting in church.
The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything.
How wealthy our churches are! Our little, tiny church here in this town, that meets on the Sabbath, has over $100,000 sitting in a bank account. There are only about 6 members in it. It does nothing for Jesus. They could open up the kitchen for the homeless, of which there are many. After school programs would save a lot of kids from drugs and other problems. On and on the list could go, but they are more interested in sitting smugly for a couple hours on Saturday patting themselves on their backs claiming to be “The Remnant”, the “people of God”. They sit there fighting among themselves as to what to eat, drink and wear while discussing the latest in conspiracy theories. How deceived. All seeds sitting in church have withered, dried up and are not producing fruit. Their Titanic is sinking, and they are oblivious to it.
The seeds that fell on good ground are the people who hear and understand the message. They produce as much as a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was planted.
Those who have good seed in their hearts are not sitting in church. They are out, as Jesus was, working the fields that are white and ready for harvesting. They are in the gutters helping those who have stumbled in to stand up and clean up in Jesus. They are looking into prisons to see who has fallen in. They are so busy working for Jesus producing fruit, they have no idea what the inside of a church looks like. While the big ship is sinking, they are rowing off in their Life Boats picking up those who have “jumped ship” and taking them to Jesus. Have you produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times more fruit? Can you point to one person you have personally brought to Jesus and is now living as Jesus commands?
Jesus then told them this story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a farmer scattered good seed in a field. But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and scattered weed seeds in the field and then left. When the plants came up and began to ripen, the farmer’s servants could see the weeds. The servants came and asked, “Sir, didn’t you scatter good seed in your field? Where did these weeds come from?” “An enemy did this,” he replied. His servants then asked, “Do you want us to go out and pull up the weeds?” “No!” he answered. “You might also pull up the wheat. Leave the weeds alone until harvest time. Then I’ll tell my workers to gather the weeds and tie them up and burn them. But I’ll have them store the wheat in my barn.”
Throughout the history of this sinful world, while God has been scattering good seed in the field of the world, the devil keeps scattering bad among the good seeds. The devil is not scattering weeds among the weed seeds. They are already weeds and will be destroyed. No, he is scattering his weed seeds among the places God is scattering His wheat seeds. That is why our churches are so dangerous. They have been advertised as “safe zones” for Christians, while the devil is sowing wild seeds of weed among them. The weed seeds are accepted as “good” seeds and lives are destroyed that would have been saved. Why? because the people in church are sound asleep. Remember, the weed seeds were sown while everyone was sleeping. If they had been awake, they would have stopped the sowing of the weed seed. They are not warning people of the bad seed that is being preached among them. “Saved by grace”, “unconditional love of God”, “can’t stop sinning” and other weed seeds are being scattered about our churches. Get out. Don’t let a weed seed fall on or around you.
When the weed seed begins to sprout and becomes a big weed, the “good” church people of course want to pull them out. When the “weed” gets too weedy the “good” church people can’t stand them. Fingers get pointed and tongues begin to wag, and people divide into cliques and “gangs”. The devil loves this. While the “good” church people are acting like the devil in all of this, good plants are being pulled up and left to die.
Do all you can to prevent the sowing of the weed seeds. If you sit in a church, do everything you can to prevent the satanic teachings of “Saved by Grace”, “Unconditional Love of God” and “We Can’t Stop Sinning”. But once it is sown, we must leave the pulling up of weeds to Jesus. All we need to do is love, sow good seed, cultivate the good and live as Jesus lived. In our own lives, we are to pull up any weed that may sprout. But in the lives of others, leave it alone. Clear your own garden of weeds and others will see your wonderful garden and want to imitate it. If you can’t stop the weed seeds from being sown, you need to get out and take everyone you can with you. I can guarantee that if you attempt to stop the weed seeds from being sown, you will be cast out of your church just as Jesus was. Don’t you want to be like Jesus?
Another point, the weeds will be gathered at the end of time and burned. There is no separate harvest of the good seed and the bad seed. Both are harvested together at the end of time so that the good wheat is gathered to God and the weeds are burned. There is no separate “rapture” of the righteous taking place first and then at a later time another “reaping” of the weeds. The weeds are actually pulled up first in the parable and then the wheat will be free to be gathered up for Heaven.
Jesus told them another story: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a farmer plants a mustard seed in a field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, it grows larger than any garden plant and becomes a tree. Birds even come and nest on its branches.
You see, if you are out busy pulling up weeds, you might just pull up a “mustard plant”, then, where would all the birds go to nest? Where would all the animals find cool shade? If you stop pulling up weeds in others, you could stand up straight and stretch out your arms in love and become a noble tree of refuge for people. No, leave the pulling up to Jesus and you just water every seed with love. You never know which will become what over time. God has a way of turning “weeds” into “trees”. No matter how small the seed is, such as a little book called “Change Your Life Biblically”, if you will sow it, in time, it will produce a large tree that will produce much fruit, shade and rest. What a blessing you could be. Get up out of your church and start sowing. Pull the weeds out of your own life and water the good seeds.
Each one of you, who are reading this, could be a mighty “farmer” for Jesus. Request a case of books and begin sowing beside all rivers, roads and byways. Let God do the weeding, you just keep up the sowing. Get up now and walk out of your church. Stop wasting time there and begin sowing good seed. Think how much more a farmer could sow and produce on his farm if he wasn’t sitting in church.
Jesus also said: The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a woman mixes a little yeast into three big batches of flour. Finally, all the dough rises.
What kind of “yeast” are ye? Are you a “Christian” yeast or a rotten yeast? Do you help people rise to God or fall to church? Does your yeast produce beautiful loaves of Christians or “sour dough” Christians?
Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories. So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “I will use stories to speak my message and to explain things that have been hidden since the creation of the world.”
Stories have a way of captivating the mind and the imagination. God created us with an imagination in order for us to better understand a God we cannot see or fathom. Stories help us to internalize what is told in order for us to “see” it. What can you do to take the “truths” of the Bible and turn them into “stories” for those around you? The Spirit of God will work with you as you begin working for Him. As you give your life to Jesus, to become a “farmer” for Him, He will teach you how to hoe, cultivate and sow. Not many farmers need to be taught how to sit and look at the field. That is what the book, “Change Your Life Biblically” is all about: teaching you how to become a good “farmer” for Jesus.
After Jesus left the crowd and went inside, his disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the story about the weeds in the wheat field.” Jesus answered: The one who scattered the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seeds are the people who belong to the kingdom. The weed seeds are those who belong to the evil one, and the one who scattered them is the devil.
We are to be the “good seed” of Jesus. We are to let Jesus “scatter” us around the world in order to produce fruit for others to see and desire. Of course, if you are producing rotten fruit that no one wants, then you are not working for Jesus. It might be best for you to sit in church, out of public view. If you are seed that is sitting in church, you are not being scattered and therefore, are useless to Jesus. Seed sitting in the seed-bag is good-for-nothing. So get up, climb out of the seed-bag and let God take you and scatter you around your neighborhood with stories that will lighten up the imaginations for good. The devil would love to keep God’s seed-bag closed up. Don’t let him. Get out. Go find the rotten seed the devil is scattering and turn it into good seed.
The harvest is the end of time, and angels are the ones who bring in the harvest. Weeds are gathered and burned. That’s how it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin. Then he will throw them into a flaming furnace, where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. But everyone who has done right will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. If you have ears, pay attention!
We read it, we hear it, but we don’t understand it. We truly do refuse to understand. We love our safe and peaceful churches. We don’t want to rock the boat. After all, down deep inside, we truly do realize that it is sinking, but we have been so conditioned to just ride along, we refuse to acknowledge the fact that we are the walking dead. Everyone who does wrong or causes others to sin will be destroyed. Do you do wrong? Do you sin? If you are sitting in church, you are giving a bad example of Christianity and causing others to sin. You will be destroyed. Only those who live as Jesus commands: perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom.
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when someone finds treasure hidden in a field and buries it again. A person like that is happy and goes and sells everything in order to buy that field.
We sit in our churches claiming to love God and that the world means nothing to us. What a lie. We spend every waking moment of our lives thinking about this world, how to make money, how to spend it, what to eat, what to drink and what to wear. Have you sold everything for the Kingdom of God? How much time, each day, do you spend with Jesus in His Word? What hypocrisy! We have been infiltrated by the Catholic Church that has taught us, “saved by grace”, “unconditional love of God” and “go to church”. We are taught to “just believe”, do a few church things, and you are saved. Jesus loves you. My, my, what a peace and safety message for those who don’t want to get their fingernails dirty for Jesus. The book, “Change Your Life Biblically” is a “Treasure” from God. Who is willing to sell everything to get cases of books and share them?
“What is the condition in the world today? Is not faith in the Bible as effectually destroyed by the higher criticism and speculation of today as it was by tradition and rabbinism in the days of Christ? Have not greed and ambition and love of pleasure as strong a hold on men’s hearts now as they had then? In the professedly Christian world, even in the professed churches of Christ, how few are governed by Christian principles. In business, social, domestic, even religious circles, how few make the teachings of Christ the rule of daily living. Is it not true that ‘justice standeth afar off: … equity cannot enter…. And he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey’”? Isaiah 59:14, 15. {MH 142.3}
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a shop owner is looking for fine pearls. After finding a very valuable one, the owner goes and sells everything in order to buy that pearl.
Over and over again the Lord is trying to press home the fact that Jesus is the Pearl of great price and the Treasure in the field. For some reason, we sit in church thinking we have found Jesus. If you are sitting in church, you haven’t found the Pearl of Great Price or the Treasure. After you had bought it, would you hide it? Would you not show it to every one of your friends? Maybe like you, they don’t care about it. They have their own toys to play with and to show off. The value of the Treasure is simply not understood because our churches have watered it down and buried it under human ceremonies, customs, traditions and philosophies. We show off our worldly treasures and hide our heavenly treasure under our clay church pots. We just refuse to listen to Jesus any more. It is all about church.
The kingdom of heaven is like what happens when a net is thrown into a lake and catches all kinds of fish. When the net is full, it is dragged to the shore, and the fishermen sit down to separate the fish. They keep the good ones, but throw the bad ones away. That’s how it will be at the end of time. Angels will come and separate the evil people from the ones who have done right. Then those evil people will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.
How large that net is. Every single person who claims to be a Christian, or to “follow God” or to “know Jesus” is in that net. But God is separating the fish. And it isn’t by church affiliation. He is separating by character. Are you sinless? Are you perfect? Do you live by the Ten Commandments? If you are taught that belonging to a certain religion or denomination or church will get you into God’s favor, you are lost. Salvation is an individual responsibility. Only you can work yourself into Heaven. Philippians 2:12. No other person, church or denomination can do it for you. Going to church is not “working out your salvation”. Going to church is working out your destruction. You will be thrown into a flaming furnace. If you don’t believe that, you don’t believe in Jesus. Like the Pharisees of Christ’s day, you do not understand these things and will die.
“It has ever been the design of Satan to draw the minds of the people from Jesus to man, and to destroy individual accountability. Satan failed in his design when he tempted the Son of God. He succeeded better as he came to fallen man. The doctrine of Christianity was corrupted. Popes and priests (churches) presumed to take an exalted position and taught the people to look to them to pardon their sins (make them feel “saved”), instead of looking to Christ for themselves. The Bible was kept from them, in order to conceal the truths which would condemn them.” 1SG 108. Open up your Bibles and learn how to obey Jesus.
Jesus asked his disciples if they understood all these things. They said, “Yes, we do.” So he told them, “Every student of the Scriptures who becomes a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like someone who brings out new and old treasures from the storeroom.”
Once I became a “student of the Scriptures” and not church, I then became a “disciple in the kingdom of heaven”. God called me to bring out “new and old treasures from the storeroom”. And that is what I have been doing since 1997. God is using this ministry to try and awaken those who claim to be “His people” and “the Remnant”. But like the Jews of Christ’s day, they just refuse to listen. They have “church”, who needs God? They refuse to get into the Lifeboat.
When Jesus had finished telling these stories, he left and went to his hometown. He taught in their meeting place, and the people were so amazed that they asked, “Where does he get all this wisdom and the power to work these miracles? Isn’t he the son of the carpenter? Isn’t Mary his mother, and aren’t James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? Don’t his sisters still live here in our town? How can he do all this?”
Church people are no different than worldly people. Both are afraid that God is going to come and rain on their parade. They love their lives and the routine they have set up and do not want God to tell them He doesn’t approve. Like Lucifer in Heaven, they want to do it their way and they want God to approve. Therefore, they set up churches to tell them that God said it was all right for them to live as they want. After all, they are “saved by grace”.
So, when the Lord sends a servant to warn them and tell them what He wants, they have to discredit him, try to make him look no different than themselves. Like the Jews of Christ’s day, people today just don’t want to accept the life God demands of them. No, they love the world and what it has to offer. Church is big business. Since the people are unhappy with the servant God has sent, they go to church to listen to what they want to hear. But there is only one way to Heaven. Their church is going the other way.
At the time of Jeremiah, he was the only one in Jerusalem who was teaching the teachings of Jesus. There were many others who claimed to be prophets and teachers, and the people flocked to them since they taught the people what they wanted to hear. Jeremiah, like this ministry, was insulted, hated and ignored. While Jeremiah was telling the people to get out of their church, the church teachers, prophets, ministers and priests were telling the people to stay in church.
So the people were very unhappy because of what he was doing. But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their own family (church).” And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there.
How many are missing out on the wonderful life, and the miracles Jesus offers them, because of their unbelief. Church people are so unhappy with what this ministry is doing. They have a historical belief, but they have no spiritual belief in Jesus. Their “belief” does not motivate them to action. They go to church sitting with the devil and believe as the devil does. But that belief will not get them into heaven any more than it will the devil. The sad fact is, the devil truly does believe in God. He lived with Him. Church people have absolutely no belief in God. They may believe some facts about the Bible: creation, flood, Mt. Sinai, etc., but none of the “facts” of the Bible will get you into heaven.
Over and over again Jesus was attempting to warn the people that their ship was sinking. Over and over again the people refused to listen and believe. The same today. I send out the messages God is giving me, but who is listening? Who cares? Everyone is so involved with their churches, the world and their families, who is listening?
About this time Herod the ruler heard the news about Jesus and told his officials, “This is John the Baptist! He has come back from death, and that’s why he has the power to work these miracles.” Herod had earlier arrested John and had him chained and put in prison. He did this because John had told him, “It isn’t right for you to take Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip.” Herod wanted to kill John. But the people thought John was a prophet, and Herod was afraid of what they might do. When Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests. She pleased Herod so much that he swore to give her whatever she wanted. But the girl’s mother told her to say, “Here on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!” The king was sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. So he ordered a guard to go to the prison and cut off John’s head. It was taken on a platter to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. John’s followers took his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened.
The experience of Herod is much like church people. They have invested so much in their church, as Herod did in his word, that they are unwilling to recognize they have made a mistake and get out of their “word”.
Herod didn’t like being told he was a sinner. The church leaders didn’t like being told they were sinners. The whole church was not pleased that John and Jesus were condemning them in their sins. They loved and wanted their church to tell them that all they had to do was go through their church ceremonies, systems and rituals and they would be saved. After all, they were in the “right” church. And all the time, that “right” church was plotting against those who were sent by God. How many church people have wanted my head on a platter!
After Jesus heard about John, he crossed Lake Galilee to go to some place where he could be alone.
For a very brief time Jesus and the disciples could be alone. Jesus let the disciples talk out their sadness, frustrations and loneliness. He understood and encouraged them to keep their eyes on the Father.
But the crowds found out and followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick.
Do you feel sorry for those around you who are lost in church, lost in the world and lost in sadness, frustrations and loneliness? Today, Jesus pities and feels sorry for all those who are wasting their time going to church. What a loss. Why are you not sharing the good news that all they have to do is go to Jesus? All they have to do is follow Him. All they have to do is live in obedience to His Word and their lives would be filled with joy, happiness and salvation. Have you found Jesus?
That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it is already late. Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the villages and buy some food.”
Too many look around and become discouraged by the need. They do not believe they are capable of “feeding” the multitudes around them. Therefore, they try to get the crowds to leave “so they can go to the villages (churches) and buy some food (truth).” Jesus replied, “They don’t have to leave. Why don’t you give them something to eat?”
Why don’t you give them something to eat? You don’t have to point them to a church. You don’t have to call your minister? All you have to do is know your Bible and Jesus Christ, so you can feed them the Words of Life.
But they said, “We have only five small loaves of bread and two fish.”
Do you feel that your “truth” is too small for the people? Do you feel inadequate to feed those around you?
Jesus asked his disciples to bring the food to him, and he told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples, and they gave it to the people.
If you will take what you have to Jesus, bring the people and invite them to sit in your home, then look up to Jesus and pray for the Spirit of God and He will multiply the truth in your hand to feed those around you. Use the material the Spirit of God has dictated to this ministry. It is waiting for you to distribute to the hungry.
After everyone had eaten all they wanted, Jesus’ disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftovers.
Then, remember to gather up what you have learned. Don’t waste any truth the Spirit of God gave you. When the crowd is gone, be sure to spend time eating of God’s food for yourself so you will have plenty to share with others.
There were about five thousand men who ate, not counting the women and children.
Whether one or ten thousand (counting women and children), don’t be intimidated. God is by your side if you are walking with Him, not church. He will provide and multiply your abilities to serve God.
Right away, Jesus made his disciples get into a boat and start back across the lake. But he stayed until he had sent the crowds away. Then he went up on a mountain where he could be alone and pray. Later that evening, he was still there.
This also is a very important concept to keep in mind when working with people. This is why church becomes so dangerous. “Feeding the people” can become very prideful. In order to keep your head about you, don’t let the people congregate around you making your head swell. After feeding them, send them out to share with others and you go “alone and pray” for strength to keep your head on straight. Our churches and ministers have become very egotistical, prideful and elated with crowds and membership numbers. But they do not know God. The “food” they are feeding the people is rotten, sour and filled with worms.
By this time the boat was a long way from the shore. It was going against the wind and was being tossed around by the waves. A little while before morning, Jesus came walking on the water toward his disciples. When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming. At once, Jesus said to them, “Don’t worry! I am Jesus. Don’t be afraid.”
Working for the Lord can be hazardous to your health. Many think that the “blessings” of God are lots of money, a big house, great car, good job and other worldly blessings. But the true blessings of God are storms in our lives. Going against the wind builds character. These help to produce the life that will fit us for heaven. As Jesus said about Paul, “I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Luke 9:16. Are you suffering for Jesus? The Bible is very plain, if you are not suffering for Jesus, you are not a disciple of Jesus. But if you are following Jesus, no matter what the storm, Jesus bids us, “Don’t be afraid”. He is testing and admonishing and disciplining us to prepare us for Heaven. Just trust and obey.
Peter replied, “Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him. But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Right away, Jesus reached out his hand. He helped Peter up and said, “You surely don’t have much faith. Why do you doubt?” When Jesus and Peter got into the boat, the wind died down. The men in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “You really are the Son of God!”
You see, without storms in our lives, we would forget God. We would become proud and arrogant like our churches. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. Why? He turned to see if the other disciples were watching him walk on water. He got a big head. That is what is wrong with our churches. We are looking at them to see if they are looking at us doing some great work. Our churches are sinking. It is because of the storms we realize we need Jesus and when we call out to Him, He is there ready to reach out and save us. Get your eyes off of church and people and put them firmly on Jesus. Bringing Jesus into your life will calm the storm and bring peace.