Jesus had been ejected from His Temple, His church, His house. He looked around one last time in great anguish of spirit. They refused His love, His miracles, His healings and His rebukes and now all He had left for His sinking church were His warnings. He had loved them, He had healed them, He had fed them and had offered them everlasting water. But they wanted their church. It fed their pride, watered their ego, arrogance and wealth. They needed a show they could see, feel and attach themselves to. To live as Jesus was teaching was to live by faith and not by sight; to live in humble obedience to the Law, not by show and fame. This, the church could not do.
Even the disciples were still under the influence of their church. They could not imagine that God would allow it to be destroyed. They could not imagine God leaving their beautiful, world-renown religion. God would never forsake the temple He commanded them to build when they came back from the Babylonian captivity. They could point to that command in Scripture. Would God abandon it? Would He forsake it? How would they take the message of the coming Messiah to the world without their church organization?
Matthew 24:1 – Matthew 26:35
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
This could not happen! The church was the pride of the nation. Even the pagan, civil governments gave lavishly for its adornment and beautification. How could this happen? When would it happen? Would it happen when Jesus came to restore Israel to her former glory? Would not that be the “end of the age” as they understood it?
We have the same problem in our day. God has warned us and told us to get out of our churches. However, we just don’t believe God. How can God tell us to get out when they are supposed to represent Him? Our denominations are so “famous” and do so much good, how can God reject them? Getting “church” out of our mentality, as with the disciples, is so hard. So few will be going to heaven.
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
The disciples equated the destruction of the temple with the end of the age. They could not imagine the world continuing after the destruction of their temple. I wonder if we are truly interested in “the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age”. Oh, we go to church and pretend, like the Jews of Christ’s day. But in reality, we do not want Christ to come and put an end to our church, our lives or our world. We love them way too much. We put on a show, but deep down inside, we are praying to God that it never happens; at least not in “my” lifetime.
The disciples would not be able to understand the destruction of Jerusalem nor the coming of Christ. Their church brainwashing was still too deep and pervasive. Christ had to merge the two events into one discourse. After all, the destruction of Jerusalem was, in the eyes of the disciples, the end of their world. In miniature, the destruction of Jerusalem represents the destruction of the world when Christ shall come at the “End of Time”. The same events could be used in illustration for the disciples. If they listened and watched, they would know when the end would come for their time and be prepared for it. If not, if the world and church got in the way of their vision, they would be destroyed. We also, if we are listening and watching, will know when the end of the world will come. Most are not listening and watching. Church is way too pervasive in our psychic. Most are looking to the church to tell them, instead of looking to Jesus.
And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
We just don’t listen! All the churches, all the pastors, all the religions and all the denominations are leading people astray. They come and preach and put on a show in the name of Jesus, but it has nothing to do with leading people to Jesus. They are being led to church. They do not teach the teachings of Jesus to be perfect, to stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. It is all about church. Church is the “anti” Christ. “Anti” meaning “in place of”. We go to church instead of to Christ.
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
From that time on, people have been watching and being alarmed at “wars and rumors of wars”. The early Christians thought the end was upon them with the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and in the breakup and defeat of the Roman Empire about 476 AD. People thought the end was upon them with the wars of the Crusades. Martin Luther, in the sixteenth century, thought the end of the world was upon them because of the atrocities committed by the Catholic Church. The modern prophet of God thought the end of the world was upon them with the upheaval of the nations and the advancement of World War I. People just refuse to listen to Jesus, “See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet”. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
What we are seeing today is the “beginning of the birth pains” now taking place. You see, wars and rumors of wars was not the problem. A war solves the problem by bringing peace and order to the country or world. But when you have nation rising up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, ideology against ideology, now you have the real problem. ISIS against everyone, which brings no order or peace. Democrats against Republicans which does not bring order or peace. Liberal against conservative. The European Union was supposed to bring peace and order. Has that succeeded? But as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Peace, is being rejected by the world for the teachings of humanism, science and Political Correctness, the human heart is left with nothing but wickedness. Everyone is against everyone. Pride, ego, selfishness, “my rights” against “your rights”. “My respect” against “your respect”. “Black Lives Matter” against “All Lives Matter”. Without the humbling, obedient spirit of God in the heart, the heart becomes filled with the spirit of Lucifer who was the first to rebel and bring chaos into the universe. These are the beginning of “birth pains”. How long do “birth pains” last before the child is born?
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
Each generation has had its degree of fulfillment of that warning. Light and darkness cannot dwell together. Righteousness and wickedness cannot live together. Today we see that so clearly. When Donald Trump was elected as President of the United States of America, the Liberals, who were all for liberty of thought and opinion, as long as it was their thought and opinion, now rebelled against a conservative thought and opinion. The educational institutions are working hard to obliterate everything of a religious, conservative nature. And just think, it is all under the guise of “liberty, freedom and socialistic justice”. They do not want a God or a government telling them what is right or wrong. No, everyone has the right to do as he pleases. However, that attitude produces chaos, destruction and devastation.
And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Over the past two thousand years since Jesus, even though there were wars and fights and disagreements, either among nations or individuals, the Spirit of God kept a “gentleman’s” respect and attitude among the combatants. For example, during America’s Revolution against England, many prisoners were simply asked to take an oath that they would not fight again, and then were released. In World War I, many of the opposing forces would get together for Christmas to sing or for other “civil” and respectful associations. During World War II, many of the combatants would send food and drinks to each other across the line of fighting. For the most part, when taken prisoner by the Allies or the German Axis, prisoners were treated humanely and civilly in Europe.
But today, if you are an enemy of ISIS, you will not be treated with civility or humanly. The same goes with ideological prisoners. Look at our liberal media. It is nothing but an uncivil war that is tearing apart the very fabric of society simply because the liberal media has no God in the heart. Through words, pictures and graphics, they demonize anyone with a different belief than theirs. Little by little, as God is being kicked out of our institutions, our governments and yes, even our churches, the human heart is becoming so very wicked – very cold. The churches have been led astray by the modern, liberal theology of “Saved by Grace”. So many “false prophets” have and are arising claiming to have messages from God. But none of those messages are bringing people back to God and His message to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. Therefore, “many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another”. The whole church system has betrayed the gospel of Christ. Hate has become the bedrock of religion under the guise of “freedom”.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
It is at this time that the true “gospel of the kingdom” must “be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations”. Jesus cannot come until the “true” gospel is proclaimed to the whole world. Why? So they understand that without Jesus in the heart, there is no peace, no joy, no order – only chaos. That is why the devil has worked so hard to substitute “The Gospel” of Jesus with his own “church gospel”. Believing in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus is not “The Gospel” as taught by Jesus. That “gospel” will do no good for your eternal life. Lucifer knows and believes it all, even talks about it, but he won’t be saved. No, “The Gospel” that changes hearts and brings peace, joy and order to life, society, governments and the world, is “The Gospel” Jesus taught: to be perfect, stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments to get your eternal life. That is the “testimony to all nations” that must be proclaimed. That way, they will know what is “right” and what is “wrong”, and then they can make a determination as to what they want to believe. God can’t come and condemn them if they have not been given the truth. But once the truth that Jesus taught is given, the end can come? Why? Because they will have made the determination not to accept “The Gospel” as Jesus taught it and their hearts will grow cold and hateful against those who live the perfect, sinless and commandment keeping life.
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!
Daniel 12:11 tells us, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” The Bible is very plain that Jesus is our “daily sacrifice”. Every day, His sacrifice is to be acknowledged and put into our hearts. Every day we are to be confessing our sins and turning away from them, believing in the sacrifice of Jesus to blot out our sins. But the churches today have set up an abomination that has taken away that sacrifice. It is called “church”. Now we go to church instead of to Jesus. Now we do church activities instead of turning away from sin. That is why church is the “anti” Christ of the Bible.
The Bible also tells us that those who are “turning away from the Law of God” are an abomination. Proverbs 28:9. The churches have all turned away from the Law of God. No longer are they teaching people to be obedient to God’s Law. No longer are they taught to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get eternal life. Now it is all “saved by Grace” and the “unconditional love of God”. Churches teach that we can’t stop sinning, can’t be perfect and can’t keep the Ten Commandments. Therefore, you have the abomination set up right in the “holy place” where the Law of God is supposed to be taught and lived.
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
There was a period of time in earth’s history when a “dry run” was attempted in preparation for the end of time. That time lasted 1260 years and was delivered by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church broke up the Ten Commandments by taking out the 2nd command, splitting the 10th command into two parts and changing the 4th commandment from the 7th day Sabbath to the 1st day pagan Sunday. There was great tribulation during that time for anyone who stood up for, lived and taught the Ten Commandments. But God saw fit to “cut short” those days.
However, that was just a prelude to what is about to take place in the world today. You might say the devil was practicing, making sure he had all the pieces in place before the final show. The time of “Jacob’s Trouble”, “end of time” tribulation, will be so great, it truly will have no equal from any other periods of earth’s history.
Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
Jesus is very plain, the Sabbath has never been done away with. The Ten Commandments, including the command to keep the 7th day Sabbath, has never been abolished or done away with. God can never do away with His character of righteousness or justice. The Ten Commandments are His character written out for all to see. He cares about His Sabbath, even today at the “end of time”.
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
How sad. Those who think of themselves as “the elect” have been totally led astray from the teachings of Jesus to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. They run after “false christs” and “false prophets” by going from one church to another. The churches claim to represent Christ. They claim to speak for Jesus. They perform great signs and wonders. All of it is from the devil to lead astray the children of God. And why are they led astray? Because the members refuse to do their own reading and studying. They have allowed the churches, the pastors and the denominations to do the reading, searching and telling. The people are asleep in their churches and will be destroyed unless they get up, get out of their churches and go to Jesus to do their own studying, learning and seeking.
See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
They go from church to church, from DVD to DVD, from TV channel to TV channel, from one internet web site to another, all running around in “the wilderness” looking for the truth. All they have to do is open up their Bibles, read the teachings of Jesus to be perfect, stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments for their eternal life, and all would be made plain for them. Instead of looking into the “inner rooms” of church, secrecy and conspiracy theories, they need to come to the truth and light of Jesus. Then they would no longer be deceived and led to by the devil, the churches and his agents.
For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Whether spiritually or physically, the coming of the Son of Man to you will always be as the “lightening”. God does nothing in secret or in “inner rooms”. He is open in all He does. He told the Sanhedrin that He taught them openly and had nothing to hide; unlike the churches that are hiding the truth and keeping people in the dark.
Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
How people love to sit around a dead corpse feeding on the gossip, conspiracy theories, rumors and ill-gotten gain. Our churches are nothing but funeral parlors.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days, on May 19, 1780, the sun was darkened by a mysterious cloud cover that has never been explained. Its material makeup has never been understood. This “dark day” covered the New England states and parts of Canada. Even during the “day” hours, candles had to be used, and even then, it was very difficult to see. It was a darkness that could be felt. The moon was not able to give its light until the cloud lifted. Then it was reported as blood red. The “stars” falling from heaven took place in November 13, 1833. Estimates of over 100,000 meteors an hour “fell” over the entire region of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.
Why did God choose America and not some other part of the world to demonstrate his closing activities of “those days”? Because America was the focus of the world at that time. It had just gained its independence from England, the world’s only super power at the time. It was the only nation in the West at the time with a democratic government. It was the only nation at the time with separation of church and state. Nations from all over the world had diplomats and representatives in the nation’s capital. From here, the news would spread all over the world and God would get the attention He needed. However, I believe, these events will be repeated in greater and fuller demonstration just before the coming of Christ. The first was a wake-up call. The next will be the final curtain.
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
This is what we are waiting for. The world is winding up. For those who want to know what will be taking place and how soon the coming of Jesus is, please go to our web site and read the Bible studies, watch the videos or ask for the book, “Change Your Life Biblically” and listen to what Jesus is dictating and directing in order to prepare you for His coming.
And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
His elect will be gathered at only one time. There is not a separate “secret rapture” that will take place and then a final coming of Christ. Christ is very plain in His teachings that the wheat and the weeds, the sheep and the goats would be gathered up and separated at the same time. When Christ comes, it will be “loud” and visible to all the world.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”
I can watch my fruit trees come to bud, then leaf and then produce fruit. I know that summer is on the way when these events happen. How my heart rejoices after a long, cold, rainy and windy winter to see nature pointing to summer. So it is in our spiritual lives. We must stay alert and watch, not letting our churches get in the way of truth, so we can see when the summer of Christ’s coming is upon us.
“Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
As far as the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, it all happened within that generation. In less than 40 years their temple would be demolished, and the Jews carried off into exile, killed and enslaved. Those who became Christians and listened to the teachings of the disciples, and kept the teachings of Christ in their hearts, were saved from the destruction. The Spirit of God was able to warn them, and they escaped with their lives. But those who clung to their church were destroyed.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Jesus does not play games. He does not speak out of both sides of His mouth. His Law, His words, His prophecies did not, nor will they ever, “pass away”. They will be fulfilled and remain eternal. Let all take warning. The signs are upon us. Lift your eyes away from your church, the world and man and fix them on Jesus alone.
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
Jesus placed Himself under the authority of His Father when upon earth. He is our example. He was not interested in the day or hour. He didn’t badger His Father to find out. He simply explained what He knew and left the rest up to His Father to reveal when the time came. That time has arrived. We need to keep our eyes and ears open to Jesus and out of our churches.
“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Noah preached, warned and entreated for 120 years. But the world laughed at him and rebelled against the strange, crazy old man out there talking about rain that had never fallen in the history of the earth. They continued in their church and religious ceremonies, their eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage as if God was dead or had taken leave of this planet. The world today just isn’t listening. They run from one fad to the next trying to satisfy their egos, pride and arrogance. But to humbly bow before God and listen to Jesus: not in your life. Since 1997, the Lord has been dictating and directing through this ministry. How much longer will this ministry go on before the door closes?
“Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
The concept here is just what Jesus said, “Stay awake”. There will be no “visible” difference between those who are waiting, watching and praying for Jesus to come and the rest of the world. All will be going about their daily routines. But when probation closes, it will be very plain who is who.
“But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Our churches have been very good baby sitters. They have put the baby to sleep and kept it well fed and entertained with human traditions and theories. But when Jesus comes, that baby will wake up and tear the ministers and church leaders apart for putting them to sleep and destroying their eternal lives.
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”
This ministry is trying to be a faithful and wise servant. God has set this ministry over His household to give it their food at the proper time. But few are willing to partake of God’s food. It isn’t to their liking. No, they love their church food and the food the world has to offer. They are more satisfying and pleasing to the tastes.
“But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The churches have become wicked servants. Oh, they talk about the coming Messiah, the “Second Coming” of Jesus and the 3 Angels’ Messages, but in their hearts they have delayed His coming. They are now beating their fellow servants, drinking and eating and becoming more and more like the world. Jesus will come on a day and at an hour they are not expecting since they have ejected Jesus from their hearts. They have kicked His teachings out of their churches. The Spirit of God can no longer warn them of the coming events that are now taking place and how to prepare for the coming of Jesus. They have accepted the liberal theology of the Pharisaical church system but have rejected Jesus in their lives. No longer do they teach the teachings of Jesus to be perfect, to stop sinning and to keep the Ten Commandments to get their eternal life. The churches of today are doing the same thing to Jesus as the Jews of Christ’s day did. Are you listening?
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
At the end of the 1260-year tribulation period, after the earthquake, the dark day and the falling of the stars, a message went out in the 1840’s to all the world to get ready for the coming of Jesus. All the churches took up their lamps to meet Jesus. But the majority of the churches, the “virgins”, went to meet Him without enough oil. They soon ran out of “light” and rejected the “coming of Jesus” message. They did not like the idea of Jesus coming, so they went off looking for oil from those who sold it. God’s truth is never for sale.
They are still out buying human wisdom, liberal church theology, Pharisaical church systems and rituals that have nothing to do with preparing their lives for the coming of Jesus. Soon the Lord is going to come and take those few home with Him who have His oil in their lamps. Then the others will come and say, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But He will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” He does not know them since they refused to believe Him. They refused to accept His oil, His teaching that we are to stop sinning, be perfect and to keep the Ten Commandments to get our eternal life. Without it, all their church-going, services, rituals and traditions are worthless.
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Jesus, after rising from the grave, spent about 40 days on earth. Afterward, He departed this earth after giving gifts to humanity. The Spirit of God was sent to enable us to meet the challenges, the roadblocks and the difficulties that the devil would put up around His servants. To some of us He has given very few gifts. To some He has given many gifts. Each of us will be judged by what we do with our gifts. If we put them to work for the Master, God will reward us. I am being rewarded mightily by putting to work the few gifts God has given me. I try not to bury one of them. On the other hand, if we bury our talents in a church, or use them foolishly for the world, then the reward we get will not be very pleasant. We will be cast into outer darkness. Most of our churches are teaching their members to bury or misuse their talents. They are not being taught how to use them for the Master. There will be an accounting on that day. Woe be to those who sit in church!
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Christianity isn’t about going to Church. Christianity isn’t about listening to sermons. Christianity isn’t about church rituals, services or traditions. That is all Catholic. Pure and undefiled Christianity is living as Jesus lived, blessing those around us. What have you done today to give a drink to a thirsting one, clothing the naked, taking a stranger in or visiting those in prison? Or have you sat in church all these years thinking you were pleasing Jesus? He will send you away into eternal punishment. There are people all around you who are thirsting for the truth that they can live perfect, sinless and commandment keeping lives. There are people all around you who have been living a naked life and need to be clothed with Christ’s sinless, perfect and commandment keeping robe of righteousness. There are those all around you who are hungering for the bread of life that Jesus taught and are in the prison of lies. What are you doing to feed them and set them free, clothe them and give them the Water of Life to quench their thirsty souls?
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
Still the disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying to them. How like our churches today. I can talk and talk and send these newsletters and shout, and still the churches refuse to listen. They are so deaf to the truth. They just can’t comprehend what Jesus is saying since they have made church their god.
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
And while Jesus is talking about His death and crucifixion, the church leaders and pastors were plotting just that. Events that the disciples at that time could not comprehend, were taking place. The disciples were so full of jealousy, pride, ego and position, they could not hear the words Jesus was saying. How true today. Our churches, church leaders and members are so full of pride, ego, jealousy and position in their churches and the world, they are not listening to what God is saying through this little ministry.
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”
We do the same in our churches today. We see someone “wasting” God’s money on a little independent ministry or feeding the hungry or clothing the naked and we look around at our church and say, “That could be used in this church”. We adorn our churches with wasted money to make us look good in the eyes of our neighbors. We want to feel good in our churches sitting there doing nothing. Oh, how God must love our beautiful, big expensive churches! Then we pat ourselves on our backs for trying to squeeze God into our silly little churches. He will have nothing to do with us or our churches.
But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Oh, the trouble I am given for doing the work God has called me to. I serve Jesus giving the Water of Life to the thirsty, clothing the spiritually naked with the robe of Christ’s righteousness and feeding the spiritually hungry with the Word of God. But I have nothing but contempt for churches that waste God’s money on themselves. God hates our churches.
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
And so it is. Whenever one does something good for Jesus, the betrayers step forward and gripe and complain. They don’t want the “church funds” to be used on Jesus, but only on their selfish, prideful and arrogant churches. If they can’t get their way, they will plot with those who will let them get their way. Judas couldn’t get “his” little independent ministry to bend to his way of thinking so he went to the established “church” and found a welcome reception there.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
As long as we are doing what Jesus commands us, we are safe. The disciples didn’t try to “surprise” Jesus with a Passover feast. They humbly went to Him to find out what He wanted. We need to do the same. We need to humble ourselves and stop trying to think for Jesus. We just need to listen to Him and be obedient. Judas tried to do it his way and lost. Let us never do it our way but the way of Jesus.
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
Even though Jesus knew who His betrayer was, He loved Him. His heart was yearning to get through to his hard heart and closed mind. Jesus even knelt before Judas and washed his feet. But Judas was so full of himself and what he wanted, he had no time to listen, or hear what Jesus was saying. His schemes were far too important to listen to Jesus. He had the “kingdom of God” all planned out in his head. He knew exactly what had to be done to get the show on the road. He wasn’t going to wait around any longer for Jesus to make His move. He was going to “help it along”. Are you doing the same today? Are you in a church so full of itself that it is not listening to Jesus? How we want to move the show along and get the work done, but it is all our own works and none of it as Jesus is teaching.
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
When Jesus told the Jews that “their house was left unto them desolate”, all the feast days, sacrifices and services of their church were done. No longer would God accept the feast days, holy days, sacrifices and services of the Old Testament “church”. All of that was out with the old and now God was bringing in the “new”. The only thing that survived from “old” to “new” were the Ten Commandments. They are eternal and the basis of eternal life. Now Jesus instituted a new service, a new ritual, a new feast that would commemorate the Christian life until the Lord shall come His second time. This new feast did not need a temple. It did not need a church. It did not need an organization. It just needed people who were obedient to the teachings of Jesus. But there are those who refuse to accept the truth and get rid of the old. Their pride and ego want to continue hanging on to the old. It is comfortable, it is good for the ego and makes a great show. That is why Jesus destroyed the temple. They refused to do away with the old and bring in the new.
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Peter truly meant what he said. The problem is, as with us, he didn’t know himself. Neither do we. That is why we must carefully lay our lives at the feet of Jesus each moment of every day in humble submission to the will of God. We need to listen to Jesus and not our churches. We need to recognize that Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. We must listen and then do everything in our power to cooperate with what Jesus is saying.
I pray that each of you will surrender your lives to Jesus and get out of your churches. To become “new” creatures in Christ we must put away the old pagan-Catholic church system and accept the system Jesus wants for us. But to do that, we must study and learn what He wants for us, personally. Lay everything aside until you hear the voice of God in your life telling you what you must do for your eternal life.