Christ was to the point! In dealing with the people of His day, He was not politically correct. He was CORRECT! He wasn’t trying to make friends, He was the sinner’s TRUE FRIEND! Christ didn’t care what they thought, He knew their thoughts. Breaking the Ten Commandments in any way, shape or form was death.
Sin had become so acceptable that no one thought much about it. Same today. It’s acceptable. Just say “I’m sorry” and keep sinning. Back then, just sacrifice a lamb and keep on sinning. What’s the big deal!? Well, ask the lamb that question. It was its life you took. Ask Jesus, it was His life you killed. But today, as back then, we have become so selfish we don’t care about another life, only our own. Breaking one of the Ten Commandments is no different than breaking a window. Just replace it.
Luke 16:18 to Luke 17:37
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
We really don’t believe Jesus. We marry, divorce, marry, divorce, marry, divorce and who cares. Our church will find lots of good excuses to keep us happy in our sins. Just so long as they get your money, they will tell you anything to sooth your conscience. But not many listen to Jesus and understand what He is saying. Why? They don’t want to understand! Otherwise, they would have to stop sinning. And do understand, every time you have intercourse, or think of intercourse with another women, you are committing adultery. Therefore, control your mind!
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
Many today read that and gloss right over it. They don’t think of themselves as a “rich man”. No, they drive around in expensive cars, live in buildings with running water and electricity at the flip of a switch and never think how wealthy they are. We have lots of food to feast on and clothing with lots of colors. But we just don’t think of ourselves as “rich”. Why? Because we are always coveting, wanting more. God looks upon us as very rich. We are that “rich man”.
And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Like the rich man, we probably don’t even acknowledge the “poor man” who is laid at our “gate”. We lift our eyes to heaven and praise God while we walk by the poor man and don’t even see him. However, I want to make this very plain. Many people have very sensitive consciences. They look at every poor man as needing their help and they are in despair. The Bible is very plain between WORTHY poor and the unworthy. Those who voluntarily place themselves on the “poor road” are not worthy. Drug users, alcoholics, gamblers and others who do not want to live the perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life. They are where they are because they want to be where they are. They live off of others without putting forth any effort to change their lives and take responsibility for themselves. They are unworthy. The Bible is very plain on that. In the Old Testament, the “worthy” poor were Israelites who loved and lived in obedience to the Ten Commandments. They did not help the pagans around them unless they turned their lives over to the keeping of the Ten Commandments.
The worthy poor are those who love to work. They love to take care of themselves. They love to do their duties to themselves, their families and society. However, an accident, maybe a sickness or an economic or weather calamity put them in the condition of a “worthy poor”. These we are to help. God’s money is to go to those who want to take care of themselves and live in obedience to His laws. However, again, they must be those willing and wanting to learn and know how to be obedient to Jesus. The world can take care of its own. We, who are stewards of God’s funds are not to waste it on the world. God’s money is to go to those who want to live as God commands. In this case, the “poor man” was an Israelite who knew of and lived by the Ten Commandments. He was a worthy poor. He was not poor by choice, but had medical problems beyond his control.
I have asked many homeless if they would like to stay at the ministry. Oh yes! So I asked them if they would give up alcohol, tobacco, drugs and become vegetarian. Nope! They are not worthy. I want to thank each of you who are dedicated to helping this poor ministry every month. I am searching for the worthy poor who want to change their lives. It is very expensive, but to see a life changed is worth every penny.
The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side.
The Israelites thought of themselves as blessed because they came from the seed of Abraham. They thought of themselves as deserving of someday being carried to Abraham’s side and eating with him at the great banquet. The Jews understood this parable. They understood it had nothing to do with “right now”. The poor man didn’t go immediately to Abraham’s side. They knew it was an allegory of what would happen in the future because of their “birth status”.
However, as they were listening to this parable, it started to disturb them. The poor man was full of sores and in their estimation was not worthy of going to Abraham’s side. The sores represented sin and contamination. They thought of him as an outcast from not only society, but from God. Here he is being carried to Abraham’s side. By angels at that!
The rich man also died and was buried, …
Ok, so far so good. Yes, we all live and we all die. He was buried. Their next thought was that they too would be carried by angels to Abraham’s side. However, did you notice, the rich man had a burial. Yes, probably a very expensive burial. But when Jesus said Lazarus died, there was no burial for him. That is what was expected of one who was a sinner and full of contamination. They were just thrown into the “outcast” pit. But being carried to Abraham by angels, not possible.
… and in Hades, being in torment, . . .
The Pharisees, and the people listening, were not very pleased with that statement. The Sadducees had no problem with it. They didn’t believe in any resurrection. They didn’t care where the rich man was. However, they didn’t believe Abraham was anywhere but dead also. And of course they were right about Abraham. But for the sake of the parable, Jesus used their own understanding of the high status of Abraham for this illustration.
. . he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.
Interesting to note, nowhere are we told Abraham was in Heaven. Preachers, churches and denominations all assume that part. Jesus is simply expressing a concept, not reality of places. The Bible is very plain that when we die we are dead and go into the grave, which means “hell” in Greek, and await the call of Jesus at the end of all time. That is so plain any child can understand it. But those who love to assume, refuse to humble themselves as little children and will not enter the kingdom of Heaven, which, like the Pharisees, they so confidently believe in.
And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’
There will come a day when the wicked will cry out. They will recognize how wicked they have allowed themselves to become and will wish they had relief and mercy from the anguish of the fire that will eventually consume them. Their day of mercy will come to an end. When God’s final wrath is poured out it will be without mercy. The wicked will have passed the line of no return because of their rebellious ways. Mercy would have no effect on their lives.
But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.
And there it is! The wicked are receiving their good things now. We need to be very careful how we live now. Every thought, every word, every action and every emotion must be trained to do good to all around us. Have nothing more than you need and make sure the rest goes to God’s work of comforting the worthy poor.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
Yes there is a great chasm between righteousness and wickedness. It has been fixed by God. There will come a day when none will be able to pass from one to the other. Now, while we live under God’s probationary time, we are to pass from wickedness to righteousness. Unfortunately, the line between the two has become very blurred in the churches.
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’
Many have asked us to send material to their family members in prison. We do. But for most it is too late. Few, not just of inmates, but those not in prison, will be saved. Why?
But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
That’s why! The churches, pastors, denominations, religions and teachers of the Bible refuse to listen to Moses and the Prophets. They listen to Paul while they twist and turn his words. But they refuse to listen to Moses and the Prophets tell them to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get their eternal life, not in this life.
And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
That is almost true. They run around waiting for some big miracle before they will listen to the truth. Members are satisfied with what their churches or pastors teach them. Unless some big miracle hits them in the face, they refuse to listen to the still small voice telling them to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get their eternal life. No, they prefer pastors who yell out, “saved by grace”!
He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”
We are not in the business of convincing people. That is not our job. Our job is to teach, preach and live the gospel in our lives. What others do is on them. You can’t save one person. Each is responsible for their own eternal life or eternal death. Not even Jesus can save a sinner who refuses to turn from sin and live in righteousness. He is not going to beg you. He already gave His life for you. What more can He do? Now it is up to you to get out of your church, bow at the feet of Jesus and listen to every word He speaks in both Old and New Testaments. Then rise up and live in obedience to every word.
And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
Every church, denomination and religion is in that one statement. All are tempting their followers with sins. They don’t teach them to stop sinning. Woe to them! Revelation is full of woes to those who claim to be “Christian” or religions, or churches and teachers of the Bible. They will be cast into hell. The temptations they put out there enticing people to sin are beyond comprehension. Their teachings spew temptations out like water from a firehose. Nothing they teach prepares people to withstand temptations. Only by the Words and the Spirit of Jesus to stop sinning, be perfect and keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life, can a life resist temptation. No, they encourage a life of sin.
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
Get out of your church. Leave your denomination. Say “Good bye” to your pastor. They are leading you to hell. And if you belong to any of those churches, you are causing lots of “little ones” around you to sin. You are not showing them the way to eternal life, but the way to hell.
Pay attention to yourselves!
Are you?!
If your brother sins, rebuke him, . . .
How much of that is going on in your church? Or is no one sinning in your church? Your pastor is sinning by refusing to rebuke your sin. Therefore, you need to rebuke him. Are you?
. . and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
I would really like to hear of a pastor repenting of his sins in not teaching his church to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life. Won’t happen! We think it a weakness to say, “I’m sorry”. I’m not talking about the flippant “I’m sorry”, but the heartfelt “I’m sorry”. Do we recognize the hurt we are causing God in our selfish lives? And the flip side is, “I forgive you”. Again, from the heart. That deep love for others is hard to come by in today’s world.
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
Why did they ask that? They realized how little they loved. It takes a lot of faith to repent and to forgive. That is true faith in a Father who will take care of us when we repent and forgive. Most of the world thinks it a badge of honor to hold back repentance and forgiveness. They think it shows manliness to hold against someone their sins. It doesn’t. All it does is show how small you really are. We need to ask God to “increase our faith” so we can repent and forgive. God will not hear us if we hold the sins of others against them.
And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Is this about uprooting trees or mountains? No, it is about uprooting sin in our lives. Uprooting attitudes that prevent us from saying, “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you”. Sins in our lives may seem like trees or mountains, but with faith in God, you can uproot them. As you can see, not much faith in the world today. Church members have almost no faith. Instead of listening to the pastor drone on and on, we need to have churches filled with sessions of sorrow for sins committed and seasons of rejoicing over forgiveness.
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?
No, that would be silly. The servant serves the master.
Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?
Of course. Humbleness! Instead of an attitude of pride or jealousy against the master, we need to learn true humility. There is power in serving. Jesus said He came not to be served but to serve. In today’s world that is heresy. Everyone wants to be served. How sad. There is more joy in serving than in being served.
Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?
We are to serve and live in obedience to Jesus. He is our Master. Many run around doing what they want for the Master thinking He will commend them for what they are doing FOR Him. He won’t. He will only commend us when we do what He has commanded us to do for Him. We are not to be working for “Thanks”, but because it is our duty. Living the righteous, holy, sinless and commandment keeping life is our duty, not a suggestion.
So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
We just don’t listen. We go to church to be praised for our works for God. We hand out a few flyers, stand in a homeless kitchen and spoon out some food, give some of our old, unused clothes to a second hand store, visit a few inmates and other “good” works and then expect to be patted on the back and be recognized for our “good” works. In all the Bible I can only think of three who were recognized for good works: Ruth, Mary and Dorcas. Ruth because she was a “heathen” who left her heathen ways and helped her worthy-poor stepmother. Mary who poured perfume on the feet of Jesus, and Dorcas because “She was known for her good actions and acts of charity that she was always doing. . . . all the shirts and coats Dorcas had made while she was still with them.” Acts 9:36, 39. The rest of the Bible is about sharing the truth that we must stop sinning, be perfect and keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. Dorcas was doing that in her way. She was involved personally with the worthy homeless and needy. She knew their needs and supplied them from her own funds and with her own hands. This was personal work. And along with her good works she was proclaiming Jesus Christ to all she ministered to. The two go hand in hand. When Paul visited Jerusalem, the leaders “asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” Galatians 2:10. Again, worthy poor, Christians who were being persecuted by Jews and Gentiles for their faith and needed assistance.
On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
These were men who loved God. They had faith in Jesus to heal them. Jesus gave to the worthy poor. His was personal work. He was in touch with them personally. He talked with them, touched them and gave them what they needed most. These recognized Jesus as their Master. They received no mercy from the church. The leaders of the church looked upon them as rejected by God and they were simply complying with that church conception. In our lives we do the same. Our conception of God leads to our actions towards others. If we think God is indifferent to us, then we act the same towards others. Jesus had a different conception of His Father. Jesus and His Father were in constant communion with each other. The Father was constantly providing for the needs of poor Jesus and therefore, Jesus was providing for the needs of the worthy poor around Him. They lifted up their voices. Over and over again in the Bible I read of that concept. I don’t think we do it in sincerity in our lives. Lots of lifting up of our voices, arms and hands in church, but it is just routine and mindless. Nothing but a show.
When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
When we do come to Jesus and ask, we seldom do as He commands us. We ask and then sit around waiting for some sign or big event. When Jesus told them to “go”, they went. They didn’t wait to be healed. They did their duty, which, according to the law, was to go and be inspected by the priests. This they did. It was in doing their duty that they were healed.
We also must do our duty in order to be healed of our physical and spiritual sicknesses. Jesus commanded us to go teach. Matthew 28:20. When the devil attacked me with this illness, I called out to God for healing and then went to work doing my duties. As I do my duties God is providing the healing I need. Faith in God isn’t waiting around doing nothing. Faith equals work.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; . . .
Every day, many, many times a day, I am on my knees praising God for everything we have. I praise Him for the privilege of working for Him in His ministry, for the equipment, for the supplies, the donors and the inmates, for those online who come to our Facebook pages and the ministry’s website. I praise God for touching hearts that are accepting the truth into their lives. I praise God for giving me the energy, motivation and inspiration to do His work.
. . and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
The Jews who had grown up in the church lived with the expectation that God was supposed to give them what they wanted. It was ingrained in them to expect His blessings. Ok, we asked and got what we wanted, great! The Samaritan wasn’t raised that way. When he saw he was healed this was to him an unexpected gift. He went back to thank the Giver. We need to thank the Giver in our lives more often. Look around you and ask, What do I have to be thankful for? Everything you have is from God!
And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
Yes it did. Over and over Jesus reminds people that it wasn’t Him, but their faith that made them well. When we go to Jesus in faith, truly believing, it is our faith that makes us well. That faith will be shown by our actions. With this Epidural Abscess that almost killed me, and tried to make me paralyzed from the neck down, I had faith. There was work for me to do at the ministry. They said I couldn’t go home because I couldn’t walk. I told them I had to walk. I got up and went home and walked. Work had to be done. It was God’s work. He is healing me as I work for Him. I thank Him and praise Him every day for His healing and health.
By the way, did you notice, after the Samaritan came back and thanked Jesus, Jesus didn’t tell him to continue on his way to the temple to see the priests? Why? Because he wasn’t a Jew. He didn’t have to. Jesus told him to “go your way”. Forget the rites, rituals, traditions and services, go your way and live in obedience to Jesus.
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, . . .
Letters, emails and phone calls come to me telling me “Jesus is coming soon!” They are all excited and hung up over His “soon coming”. There is a difference between “Jesus is coming” and the “Kingdom of God”. The Kingdom of God is in the midst of us. The Spirit of God represents the Kingdom of God and wants to reside in us. We must let Him into our lives. Being all excited about Jesus coming isn’t going to do you or anyone any good if you don’t have the Kingdom of God within you. The other point is, it is “in the midst of you”. In other words, they were looking far off and wanting to know the signs that would alert them. But those “signs” of His coming were among them as they are among us now. The Ten Commandments are the foundation of that Kingdom. For them, Jesus was in their midst. He was the Kingdom of God for them. He was their sign. He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. They had eyes that were not seeing.
. . nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
It is amazing how we tend to look over the horizon while the events we want to see are right in front of our faces. God has shared with me events that must take place before Jesus can come back. Some of those events are found in the book, “Change Your Life Biblically” and in our online Bible studies. They are taking place right now!
And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
When those days do come to us, as it came to the Jews, most will wish it did not come because they will not be ready, as the Jews were not ready. They will wish for the days of the “Son of Man” when they could do it all over again and accept Him. Same today. When Jesus comes, those looking for His coming will wish they could go back and learn to see Him again and put Him into their hearts. They will not be ready when He comes. Few, said Jesus, will be saved. “Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.” Amos 5:18.
And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.
People today are running around calling out, “Look here, look there!” and they are missing the events that are showing us His coming. Events that are right in front of them.
For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
This statement has to do with the actual coming of Christ. Those claiming that people are being taken to heaven when they die, or that there will be a secret “rapture” are not listening to Jesus. The dead will not be raised silently or invisibly, we will see the Son of Man come as we see the lightning, visible to all. Then the dead in Christ will rise, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
That was true then, and it is true now. We must “suffer many things and be rejected by this generation”. Has that happened to you? Probably not. Jesus can’t come until that happens to us who claim to be Christian. It is coming! With all this CRT (Critical Race Theory), political Correctness and all the other philosophies that are being taught, it is all against Jesus and His truth. There are only two sexes: male and female. There is only one truth and Jesus is that truth. History teaches what happens when we reject that one truth. Therefore, the Left wants to destroy our history and substitute it with lies. If you fight for truth, you will “suffer many things and be rejected by this generation”.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Interesting thought, why would Jesus give us this comparison when only Jesus was present in “the days of Noah”? Did He expect them to have a knowledge or information that we don’t have today? Here is my thought. Nothing wrong with eating and drinking. Nothing wrong with marrying or being given in marriage. Unless, of course, God is left out of the equation. Today, eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage are mostly done without due consideration to how God wants us to eat and drink and marry. Today you can marry anyone you want of any sex you want. You can eat and eat and eat all the unhealthy foods you want for unhealthy prices and expect the medical profession to save your life. Laws have been enacted that hate righteousness and love wickedness. Let’s see, how was it back in the days of Noah? “They took as their wives any they chose.” “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:2,5. Sounds like the world today. TV, internet, movies, videos and news channels are now propaganda channels for Lucifer and the Left. Any evil you want is now legal. All righteousness is being obliterated from the earth. There is no justice. The wicked are being let out of jails and prison while the righteous are being prosecuted.
However, that is about to change. Watch carefully what is happening. The “Christians” will “win” and eventually take over the earth. Then their attention will be directed at us who keep His Sabbath. Then we will be persecuted!
Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, . . .
Again, nothing wrong with eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. God looks with joy on all of that. What was wrong was the motive. There was nothing about obedience to God. Oh, of course they “believed” in a god. After all, it had only been about 348 years since the flood. Everyone knew that “fable”. So yes, they all had their idols and praised their gods when buying and selling, planting and building. But then there was the little matter of their characters. Without a knowledge of the true God their characters were lacking righteousness. Anything went. Everyone could do as they pleased. If visitors came, they would surround the house and demand, “Send them out, so we can have sex with them!” The Left is doing it today. You are not allowed to forbid them from “surrounding” your children in schools to teach them sex. Nope, we have the right to have sex with them, and you, their parents, have no right to stop us. Let’s see, it was about 348 years from the flood to the destruction of Sodom. It has been about 246 years since the founding of the United States of America. I would be very careful in watching the events unfold in the next 100 years.
. . but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
When all the events leading up to the “Son of Man” are accomplished, probation will close at Passover. Seven months later at the feast of trumpets Jesus will come. The righteous will be pulled off the face of the earth, as Lot was pulled out of Sodom, and then fire and sulfur will rain down upon the earth from heaven and destroy them all.
On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.
Why are we accumulating “goods”? You will only have to leave them. The problem with all these “knick-knacks” is that our hearts are set upon them and it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to let go. So few will be saved. We need to live as if we had to flee tomorrow.
Remember Lot’s wife.
Not many do. She wouldn’t let go of her “knick-knacks”. Here heart was still in Sodom. Where is your heart?
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.
If you are living for this world, trying to preserve your life with the things of this world, you will lose it. But if you have already taken your heart out of this world and put it squarely on Heaven, you will keep your life. Not many truly believe in Heaven. It is a nice fairytale to them. Like Santa Claus. Nice story. But don’t even talk to them about giving up their “knick-knacks”.
I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.
Don’t get into bed with the world. Those you think are wonderful Christians, such nice people and look so good, probably won’t be going to Heaven. You may not either, if you allow your affections to get too comfy with them. Put your heart and your affections on Jesus. Love everyone as Jesus did, but don’t get into bed with them.
There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”
Same with your money. Don’t get yourself tangled up in business affairs with the worldly. Let Jesus be your business partner. Keep your head in all things and keep your eyes looking up.
And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
“Let the dead bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:22. That is what Jesus sees when He looks out upon the world, dead people waiting for vultures. Look around at the “vultures” gathering around making money, child trafficking, teaching sex to children, marrying, selling and building for this world. “Where, Lord?” Just look around!