Sunday, December 6, 2015

Matthew 23 - Woes to the Pharisees, Part 2

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Matthew 23:37-39.  

Once Jesus stilled the mouths of the Pharisees and Sadducees, it was time to pass judgment. These scriptures where Jesus prophesied the impending doom of this wicked Jewish generation are particularly hard to read and study, but they are important because they show the righteousness and holiness of our God.

After numerous opportunities to repent and believe, the leaders of the nation of Israel would not accept this spiritual kingdom that God was offering. They still reject it today, but it is available! Still available...anyone who believes with their heart and confesses Jesus as Lord is born again as a new creation in Christ Jesus, they become a child of God with all the rights, honors, and privileges that come with being part of the godhead.

That's right! Salvation means you become filled with His spirit, you are part of the body of Christ, you have the mind of Christ, you spiritually hear His voice leading you and guiding you, and, amazingly, in the spirit realm, you are seated with Jesus Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of God the father! Study the Bible on your own and discover these wonderful truths!

Matthew 23 - Woes to the Pharisees, Part 1

But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Matthew 23:13-15

Once Jesus stilled the mouths of the Pharisees and Sadducees, it was time to pass judgment. These scriptures where Jesus prophesied the impending doom of this wicked Jewish generation are particularly hard to read and study, but they are important because they show the righteousness and holiness of our God.

After numerous opportunities to repent and believe, the leaders of the nation of Israel would not accept this spiritual kingdom that God was offering. They still reject it today, but it is available! Still available...anyone who believes with their heart and confesses Jesus as Lord is born again as a new creation in Christ Jesus, they become a child of God with all the rights, honors, and privileges that come with being part of the godhead.

That's right! Salvation means you become filled with His spirit, you are part of the body of Christ, you have the mind of Christ, you spiritually hear His voice leading you and guiding you, and, amazingly, in the spirit realm, you are seated with Jesus Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of God the father! Study the Bible on your own and discover these wonderful truths!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Matthew 22 - Jesus Answers the Pharisees

Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questionsMatthew 22:42-46.  

The Pharisees tried one last time to trip Jesus up in His words, but it was He who used their subterfuge against them to still their mouths. He asked them a very simple question - what did they think of Messiah - whose son is he? They knew from 2 Samuel 7 and other scriptures that David was the father of Messiah. Jesus then asked, how then could David, in the spirit (Psalms 110), refer to Messiah as his Lord? In particular, David spoke of a vision where he heard God the father tell Messiah to sit at His right hand until He had made His enemies a footstool.

David lived a thousand years before the time that Jesus stood there speaking to the Pharisees, and still (as far as the Pharisees believed), Messiah had not yet been born. How then could David have spoken of Messiah as his Lord? David was king and would never refer to any man as his Lord, much less an unborn son of his. No, this Messiah must be more than a flesh and blood son of David. He must also be a God-man, a spiritual being that existed long before David.

That makes most of us stop and think, doesn't it? And it made the Pharisees think as well. They shut their mouths and did not question Jesus again. I believe they knew He had crossed over into the spiritual realm, the realm of God, where they had absolutely no understanding and never would.

Religious people will always clam up when spiritual truths are espoused!

Monday, November 23, 2015

Matthew 22 - Resurrection into a Spiritual Kingdom

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Matthew 22:29-32.

When the Pharisees failed to entrap Jesus in His speech, the Sadducees tried in their own way. They did not believe in the resurrection, and yet they came with a hypothetical question regarding the resurrection. In their scenario, a woman who marries seven brothers in quick succession after their untimely deaths dies herself and is then resurrected with all of her husbands. They asked, "Which husband would she belong to in the resurrection?"

Jesus answered by informing them that they erred, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. Can you imagine how insulting that was to these learned men of the Law? They probably smarted at being put in their place by such words, but Jesus was correct in His assessment. As He explained, in this new kingdom, people would not be given in marriage as in their earthly lives. Women would not be subject to their husbands with very little rights and privileges as was the practice in the Levitical/Mosaic system. As a new creation in Christ, all born again children of God become a new man in Christ without regard to gender, ethnicity, or religious background. Like the angels, new creations in Christ are only subject to God.

Jesus also challenged their beliefs regarding the resurrection, explaining that God is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the God of the living and not the dead. God had always referred to Abraham as being alive and not dead, even though his soul had left his earthly body long ago. Death was and always has been an enemy of God. God has always spoken of and embraced the preciousness of life.

The multitudes marveled at Jesus' teaching while the Sadducees were silenced into submission.

Friday, November 20, 2015

Matthew 22 - Surviving these Evil Days

Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. Matthew 22:19-22.  

Because the Pharisees could not kill Jesus in their own timing, they sought to discredit Him by entangling Him in His words. Anyone who has taught the Word for any length of time has come across modern-day Pharisees who desire to entangle us in our speech in order to discredit us as teachers, but more importantly, to discredit the truth of the Gospel.

The Pharisees came to Jesus with flattering words, a Roman coin in hand, and a question for which they believed there was no good answer; they showed Jesus the coin which bore Caesar's image and superscription and asked whether it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. (We saw earlier how they had come to the disciples earlier and asked for their temple tribute, which Jesus paid). Their desire now was to have Him speak insurrection against Rome, thereby giving them a reason to call Him a traitor and lawbreaker. Jesus, knowing their wicked motives, called them hypocrites, and instead asked them a question - "Who's image and superscription is on this coin?" Well, of course, they answered "Caesar's." Then came the answer - "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and what is God's to God."

This answer astonished them - they could not accuse Him of any wrongdoing with this reply. But what was He really saying to them? He was telling them that this kingdom of God was a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly kingdom where He, the Messiah, would come as a vanquisher, set on putting the Roman Empire down and restoring the earthly kingdom that Solomon once had. No, this was a spiritual kingdom that would coexist with the evil, earthly kingdoms of the world. All men would have the opportunity to exercise their free will, believe in Messiah, be born again and enter into this glorious spiritual kingdom.

We see that this has been true for the past 2000 years. As the kingdom advances, nations are influenced by the Gospel, and in turn, physical manifestation of spiritual truth is manifested on the earth! The problem is that so much false doctrine has crept into the church over the years, mixing the truth of God's wonderful grace with law, legalism, works, and heretical teaching called dispensational or end-times theology. None of that is supported by the Word!

Monday, November 16, 2015

Matthew 22 - The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew themBut when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. Matthew 22:4-9.

Jesus continues His confrontation of the Pharisees' unbelief with the parable of the marriage supper of the lamb, which is described in chapter 19 of the Book of Revelation.

In this parable, a king makes a marriage for his son and sends his servants to invite those who were bidden (Israel) to come, but they would not. The king sent other servants to the remnant (the last days generation of Israel during the time of Jesus), but they rejected the invitation and killed the servants. The king was very angry and poured out his wrath on the remnant, sending his armies to destroy their city. We  know from history that this is exactly what God did in 70 AD. The Roman armies came and destroyed the city and literally dismantled the temple. That wicked generation who rejected their Messiah was destroyed and the kingdom was given over to those who would believe - mainly the Gentiles of the world.

What a tragedy! And yet, in the parable, a man improperly dressed tries to sneak into the marriage supper, obviously thinking that his lineal heritage and/or good deeds will get him a place at the table. But Jesus explained that the proper wedding garments are crucial; anyone found without the correct attire will be thrown outside, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth. God calls this the second death, which is a horrible spiritual demise that continues forever in the lake of fire.

God was offering something so wonderful and beautiful for His people, but they wanted nothing to do with it. As Paul explains in Romans 9-11, they sought a righteousness of their own, based on works and not faith.

All of us who have been born again IN HIM are clothed with the robe of God's righteousness, and we have a place at the table of this marriage supper! Dig into this Bible and find out all you have inherited IN CHRIST as His bride, the wife of the lamb!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Matthew 21 - Jesus, the Rejected Cornerstone

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Matthew 21: 42-44. 

When the Pharisees were unable to tell Jesus whether John's baptism was from God or man, Jesus responded by telling them several parables which prophesied their doom in 70 AD. He told the story of a husbandman who had two sons, both of whom were asked to work in the father's vineyard. One initially rejected but then repented and did the work, while the other son agreed to work but then failed to honor his word. The Pharisees knew that the obedient son was the one who would enter the father's kingdom, but Jesus surprised them by saying that this son represented the publicans and harlots who repented and believed - not the Pharisees and leaders who took pride in their seemingly rightous acts . While these publicans and harlots were obvious sinners and clearly broke the law, they were willing to change from their wicked ways and follow Christ.

Another parable was even harsher in that it told of the landowner who rented out his vineyard, watchtower, and winepress to men who rejected and beat the landowner's servants, stoned and killed his other servants, and then eventually killed the owner's son, the heir. Jesus declared that the owner would destroy those wicked men and rent his land to others who would bring forth fruit in its season. Jesus went further by declaring that this event would be the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy (Psalms 118 and Isaiah 28:16) of the stone that the builders rejected becoming the chief cornerstone for this new building God was erecting (the church); that all men would come to that stone, either to stumble upon it and be humbled (repent) or be crushed by it (judged).

The Pharisees perceived Jesus was speaking of them and desired to lay hands on Him and kill Him. Ironically, they sought to fulfill the very evil deed that Jesus had just spoken of in the parable! They had hardened their hearts, blinded their eyes, stopped up their ears, and stiffened their necks. They would not believe, and there was nothing to be done about it.

How tragic! God desires that no one perish and be lost to Him. Pray that the father would use you to be that light in a dark place to help someone in your sphere of influence who is blind, deaf, and ignorant of God's wonderful salvation!

Friday, November 6, 2015

Matthew 21 - Withered at the Root!

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Matthew 21: 19-22.

As Jesus prepared to enter the city of Jerusalem again, He did something very strange - He cursed a fig tree beside the road. The Bible says that He was hungry and desired to eat some of the fruit resting under the green leaves, and yet when He lifted the leaves, there was nothing there. And so He cursed the tree, declaring "No man eat from you ever again!" The tree dried up from its roots and died, astonishing the disciples.

Why would Jesus do this? It was another metaphorical, spiritual teaching that revealed a profound truth. The fig tree represented Israel, God's holy people who were to shine forth His truth to the whole world; they were the ones charged with spiritually feeding the nations around them. But sadly, like this tree, they had the green leaves, but underneath all the artifice and religious rituals, there was no fruit. None of their law keeping and religion could save people and set them free from the bondage of sin.

Jesus, acting as God, cursed that system at its root, because it bore no fruit and it never would. Sure, the system would linger for a time, just as a tree or plant will do when its root dies, but eventually destruction came. The temple system lingered from 30 AD to 70 AD, a full 40 years, before it was destroyed by the Roman armies. God judged it for its unfruitfulness and ushered in the New Covenant.

Jesus told His disciples that the things that are impossible with man are possible with God. He told them that they, likewise, could be able to speak to the mountain of persecution, oppression, and hindrance IN FAITH, and tell it to be removed, and it would come to pass as they believed. This entire teaching of the fig tree was a prophecy that the cursed temple system would be destroyed, but that before its final removal, the world/religious system would be vehemently opposed to the Gospel message. We know this is true historically, as many in Jesus' generation were martyred for their faith and suffered terrible persecutions from their fellow Jewish kinsmen and the Roman government (the Antichrist, Nero) before 70 AD.

Today, there are many Christians who suffer terribly for their faith in Jesus. But praise God, we can speak to those mountains that stand in the way of the kingdom, tell them to be removed, and they will be removed. It may take some time, but that mountain must go. All of us must stand firm and believe! Our heavenly father will show us exactly how to pray and reveal to us exactly what we are to do. He has not left us as orphans - we have His wonderful spirit living inside of us!

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Matthew 21 - The Triumphal Entry

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Matthew 21:6-9

When Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He announced Himself as Messiah in a way that may seem very strange to us Americans living in our day and time. Instead of making some huge proclamation and stating, "I am Messiah, I am the Son of David, etc." He announced Himself in the proper Jewish way, in that He entered in fulfillment of prophecy. Israel had always been told that the true Messiah (and there were many false ones!) would come in fulfillment of what God had told the prophets of old. God always delivered His Word through the prophets and then manifestation of that Word would come later - sometimes thousands of years later, as is the case with the prophecies speaking of Jesus.

And so, as Jesus entered the city gates, He did so riding a donkey (a sign of peace), in fulfillment of Old Testament scripture. He was also proclaiming Himself as the promised Anointed One who the prophets of old said would be rejected by His people. Acting on behalf of God, He then did something that might seem strange at first, but it makes perfect sense - He went to God's house and examined what was going on there. Instead of finding a house of prayer, He saw sin, corruption, thievery, that the leaders of Israel had turned His house into a nasty, evil business! As any of us would do in seeing filth in our houses, He set out to clean His house - and if we would react with violence in seeing corruption in our houses, how much more a holy God!

Jesus took the spiritual authority He had as God in the flesh and declared judgment against that wicked generation who had forsaken their obligation to be God's representatives on the earth. They turned a blind eye to God's truth, hardened their hearts, stiffened their necks, and stopped up their ears, ignoring God's pleas for them to repent. Finally, His great patience ran out, and all was destroyed in 70AD!

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Matthew 20 - The Last Shall be First!

And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:11-16

Jesus' parable of the goodman of the house hiring workers to work the field at various times during the harvest period is a great explanation of how the kingdom of God is NOT like the hierarchical system we know here on earth. In this spiritual kingdom, anyone who desires to be great must be a servant to all. That flies in the face of what we are accustomed to here on this planet. Many people, even professing Christians, claim that their greatness requires others to serve and dote on them, to offer them money, gifts, special treatment and the like. There can be nothing further from the truth when it comes to God's kingdom.

Jesus is the prime example of the master, king, son, and heir being servant to all. Regardless of when one comes into the kingdom, he or she becomes a child of God with the FULL rights and authorities that come with that status - immediately! Those who have labored and done good works in this world under religious systems are upset when they hear this, because they believe their righteousness is a reward for all of their goodness. The reality is that there is no reward for goodness - only a reward for BELIEVING in the goodness that was done by Jesus on the cross.  This is a total paradigm shift from the norm under the Mosaic temple system of the Old Covenant!

Friday, October 23, 2015

Matthew 19 - The Rich Young Ruler

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19: 23-26. 

The rich, young ruler is one of my favorite Biblical characters, mainly because I so relate to his plight to DO all the "right things" in order to be righteous before God. All of us who are Type A, first-born, high achievers can relate to this fleshly desire to complete our checklist of "to dos" in order to feel good about ourselves. Many times, we look over all our accomplishments and accolades and pat ourselves on the back, convinced that God must be equally pleased with us. While it may be true that God is pleased, it certainly will NOT be because we have kept the law. On the contrary, it will be because we have BELIEVED with our hearts that Jesus was raised from the dead and CONFESSED that He is lord!

Jesus, in His compassion, did not turn this ruler away when he refused to humble himself and own up to his shortcomings. I believe this ruler was sincere in his belief that he had kept the law as best as one could keep it, and that his riches and prestige were proof of such obedience. And yet, he came to Jesus, calling Him the Good Master, inquiring as to what more must be done to gain eternal life. Jesus did not rebuke him but, instead, led him down the path of revelation - that it was his riches and worldly accolades that were the hindrance in receiving truth. By selling all of his stuff and giving away the proceeds to the poor, this man could rid himself of those worldly things that weighed him down and kept him tied to the yoke of the Law and from ACCEPTing BY FAITH the grace Jesus offered. But unfortunately, this was too much to ask, and the man went away sad.

In that wicked generation of Jesus' day, there were many like this young ruler who viewed what Jesus was offering as too great of an obstacle to overcome. Can you now see how God, through the prophet of old, defined Jesus as the capstone upon whom men stumble? There are those today who cannot accept what the Gospel offers; they, too, are unable to throw away their religion, with all of its rules, laws, and traditions, and accept the Truth of salvation solely and completely BY GRACE!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Matthew 19 - Marriage, a Picture of the Church!

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. Matthew 19:4-6

By the time we reach Matthew 19, we see a continual pattern of Jesus healing and delivering the multitudes who throng Him, the disciples being amazed at His miracles and teachings, and then the Pharisees trying to trick Him with the Law. I'm sure Jesus experienced frustration in having to deal with these stubborn, nonbelieving, religious zealots who refused to open their spiritual eyes. I know I suffer from this frustration today from the modern-day Pharisees who cross my path!

In this chapter, we see the Pharisees come to quiz Jesus on the issue of marriage and divorce. Moses allowed the Jews to divorce, but Jesus explained that God's best from the beginning of time was for marriage to be forever --  male and female would leave the families of their youth and be joined together as one unit to procreate and fill up the earth with God's holy people. Paul explains to us in his many letters that this institution of marriage is a picture of the wedding between the bridegroom, Jesus, and His bride, the church. As a wife becomes one with her husband, the church becomes one with Jesus Christ, with all the rights, privileges, power and authority of her husband. That is very good news!

Those who desire to redefine marriage are in direct contradiction to God's Word and the Gospel message. Yes, people may feel love with the opposite (or same) sex and/or experience fleshly desires that mimic love, but the divine, marital love between husband and wife is very different. It is a union that is firstly spiritual, being God ordained, and then manifested in the physical through intimate consummation and procreation.

We need to look at the Word and the Gospel message with spiritual eyes and put away the thinking of the flesh. After all, we are born again, spirit-filled children of the Most High!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Matthew 18 - The Blessing of Forgiveness!

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22.

Jesus described this new kingdom as one where man would be forgiven by God and then he, in turn, would be able to share that same power of mercy and forgiveness to his brethren. Peter, still with an Old Covenant mindset, wondered how many times one would be required to forgive his brethren under this new paradigm, and Jesus answered 70 times 7, which was the exact number of years in Daniel's prophecy that God would deal with His people (490 years) before everlasting righteousness was ushered in. This was a spiritual clue that the end times of that old world/temple system were upon them; forgiveness in this new kingdom would be ongoing, never ending, eternal.

Forgiveness is a blessing that is available to us as new creations in Christ Jesus. With the Holy Spirit living inside us, we now have the power and authority to do that which most of us could never do in our own flesh -- forgive those who have hurt us deeply. But in this new kingdom, with the Spirit of God living in us, we now have the privilege and joy of releasing OURSELVES from the bondage of anger, bitterness, and hatred toward others. We now become truly free, which is exactly what God did with us. While we were His enemies, He obtained forgiveness for us so that there is now NOTHING separating us from His love. He holds no record of wrong against us, He does not count our sins against us, He does not want us to be even conscious of sins but to be conscious of our righteousness IN Christ. This is one of the wonderful beauties of the Gospel! Such good news!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Matthew 18 - Don't Cause the Little Ones to Stumble!

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Matthew 18:4-7

Jesus explained to His disciples that this new spiritual kingdom was one that had to be received as a little child. We as parents understand how a little child believes anything a parent will tell them. The kingdom works in like fashion - one must believe what God says about His plan for righteousness; it is a plan that comes by believing and resting in the finished work on the cross, and NOT on the works of man under the Old Covenant/temple system.

Jesus also has harsh words for those during His day who would put obstacles before God's little children who had come to believe. The Bible and history tell us that many Jewish people who came to believe in Jesus were subject to great pressure from their families, community, and the rulers of the synagogues to fall away from their faith and go back to the sacrificial system. 'Woe unto that man by whom the offenses come,' is what the Lord said. Judgment was waiting for these people in 70AD.

Today there are many who put obstacles before believers to give up on their faith and go back to religion and the world's way of doing things. All of us must stand firm under opposition and hold fast to the truth, no matter the cost!

Friday, September 25, 2015

Matthew 17 - A Coin From a Fish's Mouth

He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Matthew 17:25-27.

Jesus taught his disciples a spiritual lesson regarding payment of tribute to the kings of the earth. In the natural, it is understood that the earthly kings levy tributes and taxes against their subjects in exchange for protection, peace, harmony, etc. and NOT from the royal family. Therefore, the sons of a king are free from tribute obligation because they are able to bask in the blessings of being part of the monarchy.

The same is true in the spiritual realm. Sons of God are free from any payment or obligation but partake in all the rich inheritance of their Heavenly Father. This is made clear through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. By Him going to the cross, He took all of our payment, penalty, obligation for sin, leaving us free to live as children of the Most High God. Religious people and people of the world have no understanding of this freedom and so they will demand  from us, many times in the form of work or deeds and even an earthly tribute or tax.

Jesus told Peter to go ahead and pay the tribute, lest they offend the leaders of Israel who had no understanding of spiritual things. For us today, who live some 2000 years after the cross, we also must pay earthly tributes and taxes to the governments of the countries in which we live. Even though we are spiritually free sons of God, we must abide by the natural laws of the land in which we dwell.

God will provide all of that for us, and He will do it through the world system, whether it be through a job, business, or discovering treasure, or perhaps receiving a windfall of some kind. But it will not create harm to the world, in that He will not be taking from the world in order to bless us, like some divine Robin Hood.

No, as He blesses us, we in turn will be a blessing to all those around us, such that everyone will have an abundance that exceeds anything they could ask or think! The Gospel always brings prosperity in greater abundance than anything the world could do in their own strength. God is so good!

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Matthew 17 - The Mount of Transfiguration

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. Matthew 17:5-6.

The Pharisees had asked Jesus for a sign from heaven proving He was Messiah, but He refused, stating that the only sign to be given Israel was the sign of Jonah. Fortunately, for three of the disciples, Peter, James and John, they were about to witness an amazing sign from heaven that would've made the Pharisees salivate! On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus was transfigured before them as the God-man, His face and clothes brighter than the whitest white, just as the prophets of old had seen in visions and dreams! And what's more, even Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus. What an amazing opportunity for these three men!

Peter, in his zeal to worship the Lord, made the mistake of putting Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. As he was proclaiming his seemingly wonderful plan to build three tabernacles, the Heavenly Father interrupted his speech, declaring, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!"

What a wonderful message that is so true for us Christians today. We are to listen only to Jesus, for He is the exact representation of God the Father. Moses and Elijah are wonderful, but they are not on the same level as Jesus; instead, they point to Jesus! They represent all the Law and Prophets, which lead us to the person of Jesus. Praise God for that!

Jesus is the most wonderful gift that the Heavenly Father could ever give mankind. Sadly, there are many who are blind to this truth and needlessly suffer in sin, condemnation, and death. That's why it is so important for born again believers to advance the kingdom and share the good news of the Gospel!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Matthew 16 - Take Up Your Cross!

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26.

Peter's wonderful revelation of Jesus being the Christ, the Son of the Living God was somewhat short-lived. As Jesus began sharing His future persecution and death on the cross, Peter used his natural thinking, as all of us would under the circumstances, and was understandably confused. In a moment of pride, Peter turned to Jesus and rebuked Him. Jesus, in turn, spoke back to Peter and rebuked Satan, claiming that he had in mind the things of man and NOT of God.

Satanic thinking always desires righteousness with God based on MAN's WORKS and not on GOD's WORK. God's righteousness comes from Jesus' final and complete work on the cross!

At that moment, Peter was speaking from his natural thinking and not from his newfound spiritual revelation. Because he wasn't yet born again, he had no true revelation of the coming spiritual kingdom, and so Jesus' death and resurrection made no sense to him. The natural mind cannot understand the things of God, because God is spirit and requires spiritual revelation.

The plans of God are always better than anything we could plan for our own natural lives. At the time Peter rebuked Jesus, the cross sounded like the worst plan in the world! But the reality is that it was the BEST plan in the world! It would establish the church and bring forth a multitude of born-again children of God filled with His Holy Spirit!

To be part of this wonderful spiritual kingdom, all of us must lay down our earthly dreams and desires and live the life the Heavenly Father has planned for us. When we "lose our lives" and take up our cross to follow Jesus, we FIND our spiritual lives. The spiritual life is what matters, for it will live on forever!

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Matthew 16 - Authority to Bind and Loose

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:15-18.

Jesus begins sharing with His disciples the deeper revelation of who He truly is. While the Pharisees and the multitudes offered possibilities of Him being John the Baptist, Elijah, or even Jeremiah, the Heavenly Father wanted the disciples to know that Jesus was more than the promised Messiah; He is God's son, the very essence of God in the flesh. Revelation knowledge from the Holy Spirit came over Peter and he proclaimed this truth by saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" This is a revelation that does not come from intellect or learning, but by divine revelation from above.

Jesus proclaimed that upon this rock (which is the revelation knowledge of Jesus being the Christ, the Son of the living God AND the proclamation of such truth), He would build His church. Don't be fooled into thinking that the church is built on the man Peter, because it is not! It is built on the Savior Jesus! We see this explained by the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans 10 - if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead AND you confess Him as Lord, you shall be saved. Revelation and proclamation are the keys to being born again!

The gates of Hell did not, cannot, and never will prevail against Jesus' church. People who are trapped in sin, guilt, and condemnation need deliverance and the church has the authority and power of Jesus Christ to deliver the message and set the captives free. What an awesome privilege and responsibility!

Matthew 16 - Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees

Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Matthew 16:6-12.

After the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter and the feeding of the second multitude of 4000 in the wilderness, the Pharisees come back again, questioning Jesus. They knew very well that this amazing feat of feeding some 20,000 people with seven basketsful of leftover food was a sign by Jesus to the rulers of Israel that one greater than Moses had come. Moses fed Israel manna in the desert when they fled Egypt, but here was a man who feed them a super abundance of fish and loaves! God had never done anything like this before! Jesus was declaring that He was not only an anointed Jewish man (the Son of man), but that He was also divine, of God ( the Son of God). For that reason, the Pharisees came asking for a sign from heaven that would prove this truth.

Of course, Jesus was not going to provide any such thing, because the evidence was already there and in abundance. He answered that a wicked, evil, and adulterous generation requests signs when the evidence is as plain as the nose on one's face. In this new kingdom, revelation of truth comes by faith and not continual natural proof. Besides, even if Jesus had provided them with some sort of sign, they never would've believed it! Their hearts were hardened and calloused; they were blind and deaf and doomed to destruction (in 70AD).

Jesus warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, meaning the man made doctrines that make the Gospel of no effect. At first the disciples thought He was talking about bread, but Jesus always speaks of spiritual things before dealing with natural issues. The spiritual sin or leaven of this Pharisaical/temple system would be the greatest obstacle to the Gospel message advancing forth. This is still true today. Religion (even some facets of Zionism), Christian watch-dogs, and denominationalism are the greatest hindrance to the advancement of the Gospel of grace. All of us need to examine the teaching we are sitting under and purge out anything that does not line up with God's precious Word!

Friday, September 18, 2015

Matthew 15: Hearts Laid Bare

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Matthew 15:18-20.

After the miraculous feeding of the multitude, the Pharisees came to Jesus asking why He and His disciples didn't ceremonially wash their hands in accordance with the tradition of the Jewish elders. The implication was that Jesus and the disciples were defiling themselves by eating without washing.

Jesus confronted them with their hypocrisy and then turned and taught His disciples re spiritual cleanliness. Here is the lesson: It isn't what goes in to a person that makes him or her unclean, but what comes out of his or her mouth, ie his or her words. Why words? Because the words and the ensuing actions (which are the manifestation of those words) reflect the condition of that person's heart. Yes, there are religious people today, just like the Pharisees, who say all the right things, but their conduct is very different from their speech. I'm sure that if you stuck close to them for any length of time (as a fly on a wall) you would probably hear very different words come out of their mouth from what is espoused while attending church functions.

God is all about giving us new, clean hearts that speak His words and perform His actions. The condition of one's heart is based on what he or she believes, and that belief is based on one's thinking. How does one change his or her thinking to line up with God's thinking? Meditate on the Word and keep meditating, even when circumstances and people pressure you to give up, cave in, and quit!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Matthew 14 - Rise Above the Wind & Waves!

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:28-31. 

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus directed His disciples to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to the land of Gennesarat while He went up to a high mountain to pray. A wonderful spiritual lesson was about to unfold; as the wind kicked up and the waves began to roll, the disciples found that they could not maneuver their boat toward their destination. Circumstances were against them, and they were doomed to fail without God's intervention.

Jesus knew of their circumstance but waited until after 3am to come to them - not as a rescuer who would snatch them out of their predicament, and not even as one who would calm the wind and the waves. No, He came as one who would show them HOW they were to RISE ABOVE the wind and waves and do what they had been called to do. He came to them walking above the wind and waves, revealing Himself as not only an anointed flesh man, but also an anointed, spiritual God man.

What is the message to us on the other side of the cross? Persecutions and obstacles will be there, and they may be huge, both from the spiritual realm and the natural realm. But we, as born again children of God, are to rise above all of that, with our spiritual sights set on Jesus, and do as He has called us to do. We cannot let fear stop us, but must push through our fleshly hesitancies and things that defy our natural reasoning and move forward in faith. Those of us who are bold like Peter will do supernatural, miraculous things, provided we step out in faith AND keep our eyes on Jesus. This is impossible to do in our flesh, but with and IN the spirit, all things are possible!

Jesus casually walked above a wild and tumultuous sea, and Peter did too! The same power and authority IN CHRIST is available to the church today! How exciting!

Monday, September 14, 2015

Matthew 14 - The Feeding of the Five Thousand

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves tohis disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. Matthew 14:19-21. 

After John the Baptist was killed, Jesus knew His march toward the cross was nearly upon Him. We see a change in His teachings toward His disciples, mainly a "ramping up" of spiritual laws and truths where these natural men would be required to live and operate supernatural lives long after Jesus was gone from the earth.

The first of such teachings was the feeding of the five thousand. Here, Jesus revealed to them that this new kingdom operates under the seed principle, meaning that the smallest of things, when placed in Lord's hands and offered to the Heavenly Father, will reap a great abundance. All they had to feed these five thousand men plus their wives and children were two small fish and five loaves of bread. But this was more than enough in the hands of the Savior! That day, the multitudes ate till they were full and even had twelve filled baskets left over to bless others! Moses had fed Israel manna in the wilderness, but this was greater than manna! One greater than Moses had come.

This historical account is a great spiritual lesson for us in the body of Christ, some 2000 plus years beyond the cross. If the Lord has called us to do something that in the natural seems impossible, then we are to offer the small little bits that we have and place them in His hands. The Heavenly Father will bless it and there will be an abundance. Give it time, but the harvest will surely come. It is a spiritual law!

We live in a wonderful kingdom! It is a kingdom that will continue to grow, flourish, and bear great fruit. It is a kingdom that will never end! Amen!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Crucifixion Week via Daniel 9:24-27

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Daniel 9:24.

In this video, I present my chart laying out what I believe the Bible (along with history) supports as the timeline for the Crucifixion week, particularly in connection with the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27.

After years of believing the Dispensationalism, Left Behind view regarding end-times prophecy, I finally did my own search through the scriptures and discovered that this teaching is NOT supported by the Bible! In fact, it wasn't even considered truth until the mid 1800s after a so-called "prophet" had a vision of an end-time rapture, great tribulation, antichrist, etc.

Putting all of this teaching aside, I set out on a two year exhaustive examination of the scriptures and history, and eventually had to repent and reject all of this wrong theology. Unfortunately, it has become the standard position for most mainline denominations in the US, as well as the majority of pastors and teachers on television. This is quite shocking to me; how can so many teachers and preachers of God's Word reject scripture AND what was the predominate view of the church fathers up until the mid 1800s for an unbiblical theology? How has this heresy been able to continue?

It is my experience and my belief that this wrong teaching works beautifully into the enemy's hands, in that it puts many in the church in great fear of a coming world calamity, paralyzing them from praying and taking all the actions necessary to advance the kingdom. Others are lulled into complacency, believing that Jesus will rapture them out of the earth before such events occur. Dates are prophesied by professing prophets and supposed watchmen, and yet the kingdom continues to advance as it always has.

Yes, it is wise to be aware of the enemy's schemes, but we, the church, are not to hide in unbelief and false teachings. We are to pray and use all the mighty gifts of the Holy Spirit to thwart the devil's plans and advance the Kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ! Lets believe the Heavenly Father and DO what He is calling us to do!

Study this on your own and be convinced of the truth!

Monday, September 7, 2015

Matthew 13 - Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Matthew 13:41-44. 

Jesus explained to His disciples that at the day of Judgment (which was 70AD) the angels of God would separate out the fruit-bearing wheat from the weeds or tares. The tares would be bound together and thrown into the lake of fire, whereas the wheat would be allowed to flourish and grow.

Jesus went on to explain that the wheat represent the sons of God, the offspring of good seed (the Gospel of Jesus Christ), whereas the tares represent the sons of the enemy, the offspring of the enemy's seed. He had warned the Pharisees, scribes, and Sadducees of this to their face, declaring that they were of their father, the devil, always speaking lies, asking for signs and failing to believe. If they had really been the offspring of Abraham as they claimed, they would've done what Abraham did - believe.

Jesus used other wonderful parables to explain the nature of this new kingdom being ushered in. It would not be an earthly, powerful kingdom like what Israel had experienced under King David and Solomon, but a spiritual kingdom that would start out very small. Like a mustard seed, it would begin very tiny, then would grow up as an herb, and then later become the greatest of trees.

This kingdom was a mystery that had been buried away, but like treasure in a field or a costly pearly in an oyster, it would be dug up and exposed for all the world to see. And that's exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did when He sent to the cross, died, and was raised up. He is the man in the parable who found the treasure in the field and the merchant who discovered the pearl of great price, and we, His body, are that treasure and that pearl. We, His offspring, make up this wonderful kingdom! Selah!

Friday, August 28, 2015

Matthew 13 - The Parable of the Sower

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Matthew 13:16-17. 

The parable of the sower is one of the most important parables told by Jesus, because it explains the fundamental elements of the kingdom of God. The good soil of one's heart, free from the rocks, thorns, and weeds of this world system, as well as the holy, inerrant Word of God are all that is needed to reap a thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold blessing in one's life!

Rejoice that you, as a born again believer, have been given eyes to see and ears to hear the deep, revelatory truths of God that the prophets of old longed to understand. To natural men and those steeped in religion, God is a mystery, something or someone that can never be understood. But for the born again believer, there is revelation and understanding! God is a person made manifest in the savior Jesus Christ, He is alive, and He loves us. He is our heavenly father who desires to lead and guide us into all truth.

Study this parable and examine the soil of your heart. Make sure God's Word is planted in good, soft, pliable ground, then sit back and watch the harvest come in!

Matthew 12 - The Sign of Jonah

Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:38-40.

Despite all the miracles, signs, and wonders performed by Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes of Israel could not believe He was Messiah, but instead asked for a sign. Jesus called them evil and adulterous for asking for additional proof, because as God's covenant partner (Israel was considered God's wife), they of all people should've had eyes to see and ears to hear. The only sign they would be given was the sign of Jonah, who was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights.

I'm sure the prophet Jonah had no idea that his life was a prophetic metaphor for the coming savior, and yet it was. Jesus declared that as Jonah was in the whale's belly, He, the son of man, would likewise be three days and nights in the belly of the earth, meaning the tomb. But then after that time, He would be resurrected and would preach the Word to Israel and the world, just as Jonah was spit forth from the whale's mouth and preached repentance to Nineveh!

So many of us have been taught that Jesus died on a Friday, was in the tomb on Saturday, and then was raised up on Sunday. For years I had wondered how Jesus could've been in the belly of the earth for three days and three nights if He died in accordance with this time line. Fortunately, after some research and digging into the truth, I discovered what many have come to believe, that He in fact died on  Passover of 30 AD, which is a Wednesday, making the Scripture absolutely true!

Friday, August 21, 2015

Matthew 12 - Blaspheming the Holy Spirit

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against theHoly Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Matthew 12:31-32

When the Pharisees saw how Jesus delivered all the multitudes from demonic diseases and afflictions, they attributed this power and authority to Beelzebub, a demonic entity. Of course, this defied logic, because even Satan understands that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. Jesus declared that these signs and wonders were evidence that the Kingdom of God has come to Israel AND that Satan, who was the god of that world system, had been bound. Jesus and his disciples were spoiling the strong man's house, right and left!

One would think that the leaders of Israel would be rejoicing at this wonderful work of God, but instead, they hardened their hearts all the more. Jesus warned them of the coming judgment; those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. How does one blaspheme the Spirit of God? By rejecting what the Spirit offers: the salvation of Jesus Christ!

We who are born again in Him know that we have been forgiven of all sins, past, present, and future. We can never blaspheme the Holy Spirit, since we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, and we are completely forgiven! That is very good news!

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Matthew 12 - Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath

But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. Matthew 12: 6-8.

After rebuking the cities in Israel for not believing in Him, Jesus gives a spiritual explanation of faith, relaying that no one can truly know the Father unless He is revealed by Jesus. And in order for Jesus to reveal the Father to anyone, that person must first come to Jesus and desire the yoke that He offers, one that is easy and burden-free.

Unfortunately, as in the first century, many people in our day do not desire what Jesus has to offer. Simply put, knowing the heavenly Father requires coming to Jesus as a little child and believing what He has to say! This is easier said than done for many people.

In Chapter 12, Jesus seemingly violates the Sabbath by picking grain from the corn fields to feed His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they accused Him of violating the law, as this was considered work. Jesus replied that good works should always be done on the Sabbath; just as one would rescue his or her sheep that had fallen into a pit or well on the Sabbath, God rescues His sheep (mankind) from the pit of sin and despair on the Sabbath. In fact, believing in Jesus is honoring the Sabbath, because when one is born again IN HIM, that person has entered into the Lord's Sabbath--the place of rest where one ceases trying to please God through works but instead rests on what Jesus has done on the cross.

Doing good on the Sabbath is not a violation of God's law--God has always desired mercy more than sacrifice. This was demonstrated in the Old Covenant when David took the shewbread from the Holy Place, which he was not allowed to do under the law, and fed it to his men. Likewise, the Levitical priests were constantly working on the Sabbath, having to fulfill their temple duties, and yet they were not considered to be in violation of the law. Do you see how religion is blind to the true meaning behind God's Word?

To demonstrate that He was superior to the temple system, Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees responded by seeking to kill Him, not giving praise to God for His goodness in sending Messiah as He had promised through the prophets. They loved their law more than they did the mercy and loving kindness of God.

That is the calling card of religion: mean, condemning, merciless, cold, harsh, and hard. God never has had anything to do with man's religion.

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Matthew 11 - No Shades of Gray!

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. Matthew 11: 25-26. 

Chapter 11 reveals a very tough Jesus who upbraids and rebukes the villages in Israel who saw His miracles, yet refused to believe. He pointed the finger in judgment and claimed that some of the surrounding, evil cities like Sodom would've repented long ago had they seen the signs and wonders that Israel had seen. He even insinuated that those wicked cities would fare much better on the day of judgment.

Can you imagine the Savior speaking such words? But He did. He was very serious about belief, and He still is today. Israel was harshly judged in 70AD and the temple system and the city came literally and figuratively crashing down. Jesus wants all men to come to Him and believe. We are to follow where the evidence leads and believe what truth reveals. The Gospels clearly show that Jesus is Messiah!

Fortunately, since the cross and resurrection, we who have been born again IN Him are not subject to judgment, since He took our sin away when He died on Calvary's hill. That is very good news. We have to come to Him like a little child, trusting in His word, and then a fuller revelation of what all that entails comes as we walk out our faith.

That is exactly what happened to the disciples. When Jesus sent them out to minister, they marveled that they, too, had authority over demons in His name. He rejoiced to the Father that this wonderful revelation of the power of Messiah had been revealed to little children.

Wise, learned theologians try to understand the things of the heavenly father and the Holy Spirit, but they will always come away looking like fools. The truly wise will receive in faith, trusting as a child.