Earlier we read how Jesus healed the demoniacs and had allowed the demons to enter a herd of pigs. By entering the pigs and drowning them the demons were hoping to prejudice the people of Gennesaret against Jesus. The people came and saw the destruction of their pigs, their financial loss, and pleaded with Jesus to leave their country.
The two demoniacs, on the other hand, were pleading with Jesus to let them stay with Him. But Jesus asked them to return to their families, communities and villages and share what wonderful things the Lord had done for them. Once given their mission, they obeyed. They went all over the country of the Gennesaret sharing the love and power of Jesus.
I wonder, who do you represent? The church-going people who pleaded with Jesus to leave because of their pigs and possible financial ruin? Or the healed demoniacs who found it a pleasure to share what Jesus had done for them? Do you fear having Jesus come into your life, business and family for fear of some worldly loss? Or have you experienced the healing power of Jesus in your life? Have you experienced the power to overcome sin? Are you so thrilled with His love for you that you are returning it by spreading it to all around you?
Let us now pick up the story as Jesus returns to the country of the Gennesaret. What will the people do? Stone Him? Welcome Him? What would the people around you do to Jesus because of your example?
Matthew 14:34 – Matthew 18:10
Jesus and his disciples crossed the lake and came to shore near the town of Gennesaret. The people found out that he was there, and they sent word to everyone who lived in that part of the country. So they brought all the sick people to Jesus. They begged him just to let them touch his clothes, and everyone who did was healed.
Ah, they spread the word to come and be healed. Are those around us glorifying God because of your example? Are you spreading the word, inviting them to come to this ministry? Or are they glad not to have you around them because you are “church” people?
About this time some Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses came from Jerusalem. They asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? They don’t even wash their hands before they eat.”
Whenever Jesus went about doing good, the church people complained. They just couldn’t stand having “good” being done outside of their church. Therefore, they had to find some fault with Jesus to keep the minds of the people from the good Jesus was doing. Somehow, they had to keep the minds of the people on the rules of the church. For the church, looking good was better than doing good.
Jesus answered: Why do you disobey God and follow your own teaching? Didn’t God command you to respect your father and mother? Didn’t he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they have has been offered to God. Is this any way to show respect to your parents? You ignore God’s commands in order to follow your own teaching.
If we looked closely at our churches today, I think you would find the same attitude and spirit as back then. Church has taken the place of our duty to God, parents, siblings and society. Church has truly become “anti-Christ” since the whole attitude is, “what you do for the church, you do for God”. But that is not from God. Jesus never set up the church system. It came directly out of paganism for the purpose of controlling the worshiper. It was all about church. Jesus is all about obedience.
You see, the fifth command of the Ten Commandments requires us to honor our parents. God set up this system of instruction in order to teach children how to obey God. In the beginning, children learned to respect, obey and honor their parents. In so doing, they would develop the habit of living in obedience, respect and honor to God. When the children got older, it was their responsibility to turn around and support their aged parents. The church was actually stepping in between man and obedience to God. Church rules became more important than God’s commands.
Same today. God commands us to live without sin, to be perfect and keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. But the church has stepped in between God and His truth and has set up the “anti” or “in place of” church system. So now, instead of obeying God, we listen to our churches tell us that we can’t stop sinning, that we can’t be perfect and that we can’t keep the Ten Commandments. Just come to “our” church, pay your money and you get a “free pass” into heaven. To illustrate this point, I want to share a note that a lady wrote me. She stated:
“Hi, I read all your writings. Looks like NOT many will make it to eternal life, as I ain’t perfect and I know of NO ONE that is, unless it’s you. So, I give up!”
First of all, they are not my writings. Yes, I am the secretary, but the Holy Spirit dictates and directs the writings. Would you blame Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses or John for writing what they wrote? Second, the Bible is very plain that very few will “make it to eternal life”. Jesus says, “strive to enter in”. He didn’t say, go to sleep in church. The Bible plainly states that we must work, strive and follow the example of Jesus who sweat great drops of blood in His agony to resist sin. Third, of course she knows “no one” that is perfect, she goes to church. Church was created by the devil to keep you out of heaven. On the other hand, if she had gone to Jesus she would have known One who was perfect. Then she would have fallen in love with His character and would strive to be like Him. But as long as the devil has her in church, looking at people, she will be lost along with all the rest of them. Fourth, the devil is very happy that she is giving up. Paul tells us to be like athletes who never give up. We are to be like Jesus who never gave up. We are to strive, work and do everything in our power to overcome sin in our lives. That is done by falling at the feet of Jesus, confessing our sins and recognizing that without Him, we can’t live perfect, sinless and commandment keeping lives. However, “I can do all things through Him who strengthen’s me.” All we have to do is want His character more than our own. We must hate sin. If church is not producing that hate for sin in you, get out and go to Jesus and begin preparing for Heaven before it is too late.
And you are nothing but show-offs! Isaiah the prophet was right when he wrote that God had said, “All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans.”
The church put on a show of obeying church rules as if they had everything to do with eternal life. They didn’t. But when it came to being obedient to God in living the perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life, not one was obeying God. It was all about church, clothes and food. “It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans.” Even if some of those rules have been revealed by God, man has so mangled them that obeying them is really disobeying God.
Jesus called the crowd together and said, “Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.”
In the Old Testament, when God gave the rules about “unclean” food, behavior and activities, they were very important for that time and place. There were over two million people traveling in the desert in a compacted living space. Keeping them healthy was very important. Making sure that no communicable disease or sickness could easily spread among them was vital for their wellbeing. The Lord also forbade the people to leave their tents (homes) on the Sabbath. (Exodus 16:29). But that was not to be the case when they entered the Promised Land. How we love to pick and choose what we want to obey, but who is obeying the Ten Commandments?
However, at the time of Christ, the Israelites were spread out, living in a well-watered and healthy environment. Being persnickety about those health laws now was a waste of time and energy.
So it is today. Many of the health laws that God gave to His people in the 1850’s was important for that time in the history of society. But today, other than in principle, most of the specifics that were given are no longer necessary because of the changes in health laws and conditions in society. However, many who hold to the “traditions” of the laws given back in the 1850’s will find themselves being “insulted” by such sentiment. They have built their “religious” life around their eating habits and feel quite secure in working their way to heaven by the particulars that are no longer needed today. This concept has been a stumbling block for many who claim to be worshiping God. They are always living in the past. “Present Truth” for one generation isn’t “Present” truth for the next. We must keep up with God as He continues to reveal “Present Truth” for each generation.
However, “Present Truth” will never negate “Eternal Truth” which is: Stop sinning, be perfect and keep the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life. Only the keeping of the Ten Commandments has to do with our eternal life. Everything else has to do with a specific time and place to accomplish what God needs accomplishing for that time. Whether it be building an Ark to float away in, or building an altar to sacrifice your son on, or building a Tabernacle for God to live among you or making a bronze pole with a snake on it for healing. None of those are now “present truth” and are no longer needed for your salvation. But they were needed as “present truth” for those specific places, times and peoples. Because they were “commands” for them at that specific time, their eternal life depended on their obedience to their “present truth”. We must learn to separate “Present Truth” from “Eternal Truth”.
Then his disciples came over to him and asked, “Do you know that you insulted the Pharisees by what you said?” Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots. Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch.”
Stay away from blind churches leading the blind who are insulted by truth. They have not been planted by God and live in the past and have set up church rules based on past “present truth” but refuse to teach “eternal truth”. While churches are busy with church rules of food, women’s ordination, clothes and position, etc., they refuse to teach the people to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep all the Ten Commandments to get their eternal life.
Peter replied, “What did you mean when you talked about the things that make people unclean?” Jesus then said: Don’t any of you know what I am talking about by now? Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.
And how true that is. While churches fight over their food, clothes and rules, their lives are rotten to the core with sins. They get all dressed up and look good on the outside to go to church, “See, I’m righteous and belong to God”. But in their lives, they are breaking God’s laws in their family, business dealings and in society. But the church is happy to keep them as “good” members since they eat the right food, dress the right way and put on the right show. And of course, they pay the church well to tell them that they are doing it “right”.
Jesus left and went to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
The hypocrisy of the church was too much for Jesus. He had to leave, get away, and go where people were “real”. He loved “real” sinners, but hated the “put-on” show the church, hypocritical people were playing. Now He was going to demonstrate the difference between how the church acted towards “sinners” and how God’s true people were to act.
Suddenly a Canaanite woman from there came out shouting, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons.” Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away. Jesus said, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”
How many have treated this ministry in the same way Jesus was treating the woman. He wanted the disciples to see how hateful and hurtful church indoctrination was. So many say to this ministry, “We can’t support you, you don’t belong to our church”. Or, “We can’t support you, you don’t promote our church”. Either way, it shows that church is more important than a life devoted to God. Jesus was very correct when he said that the church people were “like a flock of lost sheep”. How true that is today.
The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, “Please help me, Lord!” Jesus replied, “It isn’t right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs.”
Again, Jesus wants to impress the disciples with the attitude and actions of the church towards those who did not belong to their organization. Up to this point, the disciples saw nothing wrong. Jesus was acting as they had been taught.
“Lord, that’s true,” the woman said, “but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner’s table.” Jesus answered, “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want.” At that moment her daughter was healed.
The example Jesus demonstrated was very simple. It didn’t matter what religion you belonged to. It didn’t matter what church you belonged to. It didn’t matter what you believed. It didn’t matter what you eat. It didn’t matter how you dressed. The only necessity was a humble spirit, willing to accept the fact that she was a “dog” in the eyes of the Jews, if that is what it took to heal her daughter. Faith is all that counts. What a contrast was her simple work of faith in Jesus compared to the church leaders and their constant pride, doubt and unbelief. Her spirit refreshed the spirit of Jesus. She looked to Jesus and not to a church.
From there, Jesus went along Lake Galilee. Then he climbed a hill and sat down. Large crowds came and brought many people who were crippled or blind or lame or unable to talk. They placed them, and many others, in front of Jesus, and he healed them all. Everyone was amazed at what they saw and heard. People who had never spoken could now speak. The lame were healed, the crippled could walk, and the blind were able to see. Everyone was praising the God of Israel.
Unfortunately, the majority were only there for the “blessings” of God. It would be like us going to the circus to be “amazed” by what we see. In a few months they would be crying out, “Crucify Him, crucify Him”. Why? Because their church taught them to be selfish; to get all they could from God but give nothing back. Their lives revolved around the church, not God. How sad. It is the same today. People go to church, not to know and obey God, but to get every blessing they can for their own selfish benefit. The money they give is not recognized by God since it is given from a sinful heart.
Jesus called his disciples together and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days, and they don’t have anything to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might faint on their way home.”
Even though Jesus knew the people would turn against Him, He still had feelings of love for them. He felt sorry for them and wanted to feed them. Do we love those who have, are, or will hurt us? Can you feed your enemy? Can you step out of your church, lift your eyes to Heaven and begin following in the footsteps of Jesus?
His disciples said, “This place is like a desert. Where can we find enough food to feed such a crowd?” Jesus asked them how much food they had. They replied, “Seven small loaves of bread and a few little fish.” After Jesus had told the people to sit down, he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds.
Are you feeding the crowds around you? Do you make excuses for shutting yourself in your church and having pot-luck while people are hungry outside? Does your church waste money bringing people from afar to say nothing that has anything to do with eternal life, while someone sitting in your church may have a few loaves of bread and a few fish to feed the church? What show, what pride, what arrogance. When will we humble ourselves and live as Jesus lived?
Everyone ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets. There were four thousand men who ate, not counting the women and children. After Jesus had sent the crowds away, he got into a boat and sailed across the lake. He came to shore near the town of Magadan.
Our churches are sinking, and we are providing expensive foods, entertainment and novelties trying to keep them afloat. But if we were to feed people the simple Word of God, teaching it in truth, I think we would find thousands flocking to our churches. The world is hungry to know that they can live without sin, perfect and commandment keeping. But since they do not see the Word of God lived, they have no idea that it can be done. How sad. Therefore, we must spend thousands of dollars putting on a show that does not feed or satisfy.
Some Pharisees and Sadducees who came to Jesus wanted to trap him, so they asked him to perform a miracle for them, to show that God approved of him. But Jesus answered, “When the sun is setting, you say, ‘We are going to have fine weather, because the sky is red.’ And early in the morning you say, ‘It is going to rain, because the sky is red and dark.’ You can predict the weather by looking at the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs concerning these times! How evil and godless are the people of this day! You ask me for a miracle? No! The only miracle you will be given is the miracle of Jonah.” So he left them and went away.
Jesus had just finished feeding about 9,000 people with only a handful of bread and fish. He had been healing for three days. Yet, here were the Pharisees and Sadducees asking for a sign, a miracle, to “prove” He was “approved” by God. They could not see the miracles right in front of their faces. Why? Their church got in the way.
The Pharisees and Sadducees had been bitter enemies prior to this. Up until this point in the history of Jesus, you never hear of the Pharisees and Sadducees being mentioned together. The Sadducees came from the line of Aaron, the priest. They were the elite, the aristocrats and wealthy. They held the position of High Priest and most of the seats in the Sanhedrin. They were very conservative and believed only in the written word of Moses. They are credited with preserving the Old Testament in as near perfect condition as possible. The Sadducees were very concerned with keeping the status quo of the nation. They worked with the Roman authorities to keep the peace. Since they were wealthy and of the line of Aaron, they had to keep the nation together in order to preserve their status.
The Pharisees, on the other hand, were more middle-class and businessmen. Think of them as “Democrats” in today’s world. The people could relate to them better since they worked for the “good of the people”. They were not so much concerned with the “Word of God” as they were in how to apply their traditions to daily living. They added a lot of tradition that had been handed down by the “church”. This is why you find the New Testament talking about the Pharisees and their concerns for traditions, church rules and regulations. Even though there were fewer Pharisees in the Sanhedrin council, they had greater influence with the people and therefore, had greater sway in political and religious matters. The Pharisees worked for greater autonomy and independence as a nation and therefore worked to subvert the Roman Government’s influence. This of course worked for their benefit when it came to the people. The people did not want to be under the jurisdiction of Rome and longed to be a free and an independent nation.
By this time in the ministry of Jesus, it was apparent to both parties that Jesus was not “playing ball” with either party and was going to bring down the whole house if He wasn’t stopped. Since they had not been able to find anything theologically wrong with the teachings and life of Jesus, they were going to have to bring some kind of civil law against Him. They could predict the weather, but they could not interpret the signs pointed out in the very book they claimed to know. While they were busy asking Jesus for a sign, they were totally missing the signs. As Jonah went down into the depth of the sea and “died” to the world, then was “cast” out of it alive, so Jesus would go down into the depth of the ground and die to the world, then He would be “cast” out of it, alive. However, Nineveh listened to Jonah, the church did not listen to Jesus. Nineveh will stand in judgment against our churches of today if we do not listen.
When the disciples crossed over to the other side of the lake, they forgot to take any bread. Jesus said to them, “Take care; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They started discussing among themselves, “He says this because we didn’t bring any bread.” Jesus knew what they were saying, so he asked them, “Why are you discussing among yourselves about not having any bread? What little faith you have! Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand men? How many baskets did you fill? And what about the seven loaves for the four thousand men? How many baskets did you fill? How is it that you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? Guard yourselves from the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!”
Even today, whole churches and denominations are missing the point. Churches sit around “discussing among themselves” about the feasibility of this statement or that statement or this point and that point of Jesus and are missing what Jesus is trying to say. Why? Because they are trying to parse it with human wisdom and understanding. They do not have the Spirit of God because they do not want to live in harmony with the Spirit of God and the truth Jesus speaks. Therefore, when Jesus talks about being perfect, living without sin and keeping the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life, how the church loves to sit around discussing what Jesus meant. What they don’t get is, He meant exactly what He said. Our job is not to question what Jesus meant, but to ask how to obey what He commands.
Then the disciples understood that he was not warning them to guard themselves from the yeast used in bread but from the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
The same today, we must be on “guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees”. How are we to do that? We are to get out of our churches and away from the “educated” teachers and leaders of our churches in order to listen to Jesus and Jesus only. Your church is the greatest detriment to your eternal life.
Jesus went to the territory near the town of Caesarea Philippi, where he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” “Some say John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say Elijah, while others say Jeremiah or some other prophet.” “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” “Good for you, Simon son of John!” answered Jesus. “For this truth did not come to you from any human being, but it was given to you directly by my Father in heaven.”
Who do people say Jesus is? What arguments we have over His name, His deity, His mission, His teaching – but none of that has anything to do with our eternal life. You see, while the church was fighting over “who Jesus is”, the disciples simply accepted Him for who He was, “The Messiah, the Son of the living God”. See, He was “living” to them. It was not an abstract, theological discussion. They believed in His “livingness” and listened to Him. They followed Him. They obeyed Him. Are you? Who is Jesus to you? Some historical figure? Some theological concept? A “rabbit’s foot” to rub and carry around with you? Or is He a living reality in your life? Does He talk to you? Maybe you need to get out of your church, stay home and begin listening to Him. Make Him real in your life as the disciples did in theirs.
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I shall build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
Was Jesus making Peter the “Rock” of the church? Was Peter to be the “foundation” we are all to build on? Would Jesus turn over His kingdom to a human? If so, He didn’t need to come in human form and die on a cross. No, Peter is not “the Rock” of our Salvation. He is not the “rock foundation” we are to be building on. Jesus was pointing to Himself when He said, “on this Rock foundation I will build My church”.
Throughout the Bible, right from Genesis, we find “The Rock” as a metaphor used for Jesus Christ. He was “the Rock” for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He was the Rock for Moses and the Israelites. He was the Rock for David. Peter also calls Jesus the “Living Stone” (1 Peter 2:4) we are to be built on. Yes, the gates of hell or “death” did overcome Peter. He even denied his Lord. But death could not overcome Jesus. He rose and is alive today while Peter sleeps in the dust waiting to be called back to life by “The Rock”. Jesus is the only Foundation we are to build on. Why? Because He has the only original, perfect, sinless character that we are to emulate. The Ten Commandments are the character of Jesus written out. The Ten Commandments are the foundation of God’s throne. They were written on stone, rock. They are the foundation we are to be building on. By taking them into our hearts and obeying them, we are building on the Foundation of Jesus Christ, the Rock.
“I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven; what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
But Jesus did give the keys of the kingdom to Peter and the disciples. Why? Because the Israeli nation, whom He gave the Keys of the Kingdom, the Ten Commandments to originally at Mount Sinai, forgot them. The Ten Commandments are the keys to Heaven. Since the Jewish nation refused to live in obedience to them, Jesus gave them to the disciples to give to the world. It is with those keys that heaven is opened or closed for all people. Those who obey, live. Those who disobey, die. The disciples went out with those keys proclaiming a living obedience to the Ten Commandments so that all who should put them into their hearts and live them would have eternal life. That is why Jesus said, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 19:17. Go into all the world “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20.
Then Jesus ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.” Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “God forbid it, Lord!” he said. “That must never happen to you!” Jesus turned around and said to Peter, “Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don’t come from God, but from human nature.”
Ah, now we see why Peter could never be the “Rock”. Within a few minutes of claiming that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus was calling Peter “Satan”. Why? Because Peter allowed the devil to get into him and try to discourage Jesus from finishing His mission. Peter wanted the throne of David, not a cross. His human nature did not want to suffer and be reproached by man.
This is why “the Gospel”, as the churches teach it today, is not “the Gospel” as taught by Jesus or the disciples. The Bible is very clear on this point. While the churches of today teach that the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus is the “Gospel” or “good news”; that is not the “good news” Jesus taught. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus and the disciples went about teaching the gospel. (Mark 1:14). And yet, here we have the disciples being told by Jesus not to tell anyone who He was. Not only that, when Jesus told them He was going up to Jerusalem to die, they didn’t believe it. Therefore, it was impossible for them to have taught the “Gospel” as we teach it today. No, the “gospel” the churches teach today is Satan’s gospel, not God’s. The “Gospel” Jesus taught was: stop sinning, be perfect and keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. Now that is good news. It is also the 3 Angel’s messages of Revelation, just stated a bit differently. But it is the same message. But who cares? Who is listening? People only hear what they want to hear.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me. For if you want to save your own life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake, you will find it. Will you gain anything if you win the whole world but lose your life? Of course not! There is nothing you can give to regain your life. For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward each one according to his deeds.
And there it is. Now you understand why so few will be going to Heaven. I don’t know of any church that is teaching people to “forget yourself, carry your cross and follow Me”. “Me” being Jesus. No, they are teaching, “love yourself, let Jesus carry the cross and you stay with your church”. We build big churches and homes and drive expensive cars and take vacations and on and on and on. Then we go to church and smugly sit thinking we are going to Heaven. That we belong to Jesus.
How are you losing “your life for My sake”? What have you lost for Jesus? We have been so busy getting our worldly education, building our worldly careers, starting our worldly families and developing our worldly futures, we have no time for Jesus. We do nothing He commands us to do. This world is our home, our life and our desires. Look at all the trinkets and toys we have. Is Jesus going to thank you for your vacations, boats, motorcycles, off road vehicles and other expensive play toys that have nothing to do with anyone’s salvation? “He will reward each one according to his deeds.” If you think going to church is a “good deed”, you are lost. The “good deeds” are downsizing, selling your toys, trinkets and other useless things to support God’s true ministries, those who teach the teachings of Jesus to be perfect, stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life. We must begin living with only the bare necessities so our funds can support God’s work, not our selfish lives and churches.
We need to be spending hours each day with Jesus, reading His Word, contemplating what we read and talking to Jesus about how to live His perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life. Nothing else counts. Everything else will be burned up. It is obvious churches do not believe that.
I assure you that there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Son of Man come as King.” Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up a high mountain where they were alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus: his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white. Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.
Peter, James and John saw the “Son of Man come as King”. They saw His glory on the mount of Transfiguration. They did not die before they saw this. This was given to them to encourage them. In only a few weeks’ time they would see their beloved Jesus hanging on a cross. That would be the darkest hour in their lives. But the memory of that night on the mount would keep alive their hope, even if they could not see past the death of Jesus.
As Jesus was soon to enter His final battle with evil, Moses and Elijah were sent to strengthen Him for the fight. As Moses and Elijah also went through battles and struggles in their own lives, they were well qualified to encourage Jesus in His.
So Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “Lord, how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Our churches are much like Peter, James and John. While the destiny of the world is hanging in the balance, our churches are wanting to put up tents, hold a circus or some other form of entertainment. We love the glory, but as Peter expressed, we did not want to partake in the suffering that Jesus has explained to us.
While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased—listen to him!” When the disciples heard the voice, they were so terrified that they threw themselves face downward on the ground.
And so, as the Father said to Peter, James and John, so He is speaking to every church, “Please be quiet and know that, This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased—listen to him!” There is just way too much blather taking place in our churches. No one is listening to Jesus who tells us to live perfect, and to stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. But if you will hear that voice, you will be “terrified”, and you will throw yourself to the ground, get out of your church and then Jesus can come to you and touch you. Then when you look up, you will see no one but Jesus.
Jesus came to them and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid!” So they looked up and saw no one there but Jesus.
No one but Jesus. No church, no pastor, no media super star, no denominational president, no famous speakers, no church papers and magazines are to get in the way of Jesus. Throw out all the religious material that is filling your mailbox. Turn off the religious stations that are confusing you, entertaining you and taking precious time from Jesus. Look to Jesus and Jesus only.
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Elijah truly does come first, and shall restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they desired. Thus also the Son of Man is about to suffer by them.” Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist preformed the mission that Elijah did for the nation of Israel. It is a very sad truth that the Israel of John’s time refused to acknowledge the workings of God through John and therefore, refused to repent and turn back to God. They continued worshiping their idols of fame, money, status, church and position. But to humble themselves and accept the humble life God offered, no! As Jesus said, “they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they desired”.
Today our churches are again refusing to recognize those Jesus is sending to prepare the way for the Kingdom of God. They love their church, fame, money, status and position. They love the idols of the world. Yet they refuse to open their eyes to the times at hand and repent before it is too late. When it is too late, they will see, weep, wail and call for the mountains to fall on them.
And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.”
Too often we are unable to bring healing to those around us because our hearts are not right with God. The disciples were jealous that Jesus had taken Peter, James and John with Him and left them behind. All the disciples were jockeying for the highest place in the kingdom they thought was about to be established. Their minds, their spirit and their focus were not on the work of God, but the work of setting up a man-made church in which they would have position, fame, honor and money.
Then Jesus answered and said, “O unfaithful and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out from him; and the boy was healed from that very hour.
And so it is today, we are an unfaithful and perverted generation of churchgoers who know nothing of truth. Our minds have been so confused by seventeen hundred years of Catholic indoctrination, we, her whores, refuse to put it aside and see clearly through the eyes of Jesus. We need to go to Jesus to have the demons in us rebuked and be healed. We have been falling down far too often into the fire and water of church propaganda and sin. Isn’t it time to go to Jesus and be made whole?
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, ‘Be moved from here to there,’ and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
We need more true fasting and prayer. Not the phony baloney fasting and praying that is going on in our churches. But the true fasting and prayer of Isaiah 58. Read it and ask yourself a simple question, when was the last time your church was teaching you to stop sinning? “Shout as loud as you can! Tell my people Israel about their sins!” Do you see the difference? We as Christians are not to be pointing fingers at the world and pointing out their sins. We are to be pointing our fingers at ourselves, those sitting in our churches, and telling them about their own sins and what must be done to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life. Don’t worry about the gays, lesbians, drug addicts, etc., until you have cleaned sin out of your own church and lives.
You must have faith. What is faith? A belief? No! Faith is an action. When you get up in the morning and take a shower, you don’t even think about “faith” in the water faucet and whether or not water will come out. You just reach out and turn it on and water comes out. You saw and had faith and acted on that faith. When you were ready to leave the house, you did not have to think about “faith” in your car, you just got in, turned the key and drove away. Faith is action. Sitting in your home trying to conjure up faith to get in the car to go to work is a waste of time. Sitting in church trying to conjure up enough faith to “work for God” is a waste of time. Nothing shall be impossible for you if you will just get out of your church, go home, learn what God wants from you and go do it. That is faith.
And while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and on the third day He shall be raised.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Again, Jesus is attempting to prepare them for what is soon to take place. But their minds had been so filled with church interpretation of prophecy, they could not fathom what Jesus was talking about. So it is today. Our churches are not listening to what Jesus is telling them. They have been brainwashed into believing what they want and are not preparing themselves for what is soon to take place. People are just complacently sitting in church not realizing that their ship is sinking.
When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
Money! That is all church is concerned about. They do not care how much you sin, unless of course it is too visible and brings too much disgrace on the church. All they want is your obedience and money. Don’t even think of giving “church money” to those independents that are teaching people to stop sinning and to be obedient to the Ten Commandments. No, your money must go to “The Church” organization.
He said, “Yes.” And when he entered into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, and cast in a hook, and take the first fish coming up. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a coin; taking that, give it to them for Me and you.”
Peter, who was all caught up in status and church organization, was ready to defend Jesus to make Him look like a good “church” man. Peter still didn’t understand that the church was sinking, and they had to get out. He was still thinking that God was going to work through “the church”. After all, hadn’t God set it up? Wasn’t it of God? How could God not work through “His” Church? The church was still huge in the thinking and emotions of the disciples. They just couldn’t see how far under water the ship really was. To satisfy the church, Jesus proved that He was God of all nature. The coin Peter collected from the fish satisfied the church. But Jesus did not support the sinking ship.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them, and said, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child. And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me. “If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea. How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith! Such things will always happen—but how terrible for the one who causes them!
Oh, how we go around pointing our fingers at sex offenders, gays, people who perform abortions or have abortions, smoke, drink and do drugs while claiming what great sinners they are. What we forget is, we are all “children” of God. Therefore, if we treat any one of God’s “children” in such a way as to hurt them or cause them to lose faith in Jesus, we become a “child molester” in the eyes of God. How many of God’s “children” have you molested? Have you offered drugs, alcohol and tobacco to one of “God’s children”? You are a child molester, making him sin against God. Why? The body is the temple of God and God does not want you putting anything in it that will in any way weaken it. Again, let us not point fingers, let us put our arms around them and bring them home to Jesus. Let us all become “like children” in our attitude.
Have you ever watched children at play? One may get hurt by another, but how quickly he is willing to forgive and continue being friends with the one who hurt him. How easy it is for little children to take the hurts, the spills, the tumbles and the pain and dismiss it with a smile and put their little arms around you and forgive. They just want to love and be loved. Forget the past, let’s move on. That is how we are to be. That is what Jesus has done for us. That is what grace is all about. We don’t deserve to be loved, forgiven or “repaired”. But God in His grace is willing, if we will just turn our lives over to Him and do unto others as we want Him to do unto us.
“If your hand or your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life without a hand or a foot than to keep both hands and both feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out and throw it away! It is better for you to enter life with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. See that you don’t despise any of these little ones. Their angels in heaven, I tell you, are always in the presence of my Father in heaven.”
If your church makes you lose your faith in the teachings and commands of Jesus to be perfect, stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments for your eternal life, cut if off. If your church is taking your time away from sitting quietly with Jesus, listening to His voice and His words, cut it off. Yes, it is better to enter life without church than to keep it and be thrown into the fire of hell. If your church has not changed you so that you are continuing to despise the little one’s of God, get rid of church from your life. Join the angels of heaven who love and are working hard to bring God’s wayward children back to Jesus.
The Catholic-Pagan church system and its whores, the Protestant denominations, have done more to destroy souls than any other system in the world. Lucifer is the author of the church system. It was set up by Lucifer to keep you away from Jesus. And how ironic, it is all in the name of Jesus. That is why it is so deadly. People are walking in with their eyes wide shut and refuse to read the fine print. They are selling their souls to the devil while Jesus is holding His arms out for you. Leave the church, go to Jesus. Jesus wants to develop within you the independence that you were created to have. Each of us will be lost or saved individually, not collectively. Your salvation depends on you doing what God tells you to do.
Remember the walk Peter and Jesus had by the lake. Jesus told Peter what would happen in his future. But not being content knowing about his own future, Peter saw John following close behind and asked about His future. Jesus basically told Peter to mind his own business. What Jesus wanted John to do was between John and Jesus. Each of us are to listen to Jesus and Jesus only for what Jesus wants for us personally. Never mind about what others do. That is between them and Jesus. And that is where church has become satanic and “anti-Christ”. It wants to control its members. No human is to have any control over another. We are to be individually responsible to Jesus and Jesus only. John 21:18-23.