Every year Easter comes and goes, and the church continues to travel in completely the wrong direction and in doing so remains completely powerless against our enemies, yet content in its ways. Every year the resurrection of Jesus is celebrated, yet the church continues to be satisfied to go their own way and go in their own power, power that is useless against our enemy satan, but the deception and delusion is great and most feel the church is doing as it should, even though the power of the resurrection is not present. Paul described this available when he said Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” That was the power given to the church at Pentecost; the power you read about in those few chapters of Mark.

    As we talked about, the church is filled with unbelief about that incomparably great power and have settled “to finish by means of the flesh?” Paul can still say these words to the church. Galatians 3:1 “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” By the way those miracles are not listed, because miracles were just part of the church, the part today’s church has decided it doesn’t need. I will talk more about that on Sunday after spending hours in emergency with people who don’t really need a healing touch from Jesus. 

    During our Lenten Journey, we talked about a few of the doctrines of demons that have infiltrated the church. The result of rebellion against God’s word is God then allows the enemies of His people to destroy them, but due to His promise to David, a remnant would always survive. Because the church rebelled against God’s word almost immediately, even during the life of Paul, God allowed the abomination that causes desolation to decimate the church just as Daniel prophesied. Daniel 9:29 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” The temple is now the church and not a building. Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.” This is the same as Assyria and Babylon destroying Israel and Judah, but far worse and much longer is the onslaught and destruction. The difference is this is not a war against flesh and blood but against dark forces and this war cannot be won with manmade weapons but only with the power of God. 2 Corinthians 10:2 “I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Jesus described the severity of the destruction just after He also talked about the abomination when He said, Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.” False teachers, and their lies and deception are everywhere in the church and they continue to distort the truth. Included with those lies are delusions brought on by God. 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” Most people in the church will not accept this truth or ignore it because the God they serve is a God of love and He would never do that, and they would be wrong and millions will die in deception and delusion without ever knowing the truth.

    If you think this is not already happening, all you have to do is look at the news. Presently there is a mad man controlling the world, who seems free to do whatever he wants because he is surrounded by those who support his desires to be a god. Where most have made the mistake is, yes God is in charge, Daniel 2:20 “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. 21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others,” but where they went wrong is that Trump is not the savior of the world, he is more anti-christ than there ever has been. Remember the king of Babylon was also God’s servant who He used to destroy His people. God warned His people over and over, yet they refused to listen. Jeremiah 25:9 “I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin.” Many Christians have fallen for this lie.

    You saw this at the Whitehouse Easter luncheon where false teachers like Franklin Graham and Paula White, who compared Trump to Jesus, who gathered around to disgustingly glorify him. We already talked about Paul White comparing Trump to Jesus but Franklin Graham was just as bad as one writer said, “At the event for Holy Week, when Christians mark the last days of Jesus Christ before the resurrection on Easter, the Reverend Franklin Graham told Trump of the Bible's Book of Esther in which he said "the Iranians" -- a Persian king of contested historical accuracy -- ordered the killing of all Jews. "Today the Iranians, the wicked regime of this government, wants to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire. But you have raised up President Trump. You've raised him up for such a time as this. And Father, we pray that you'll give him victory," said Graham, son of famed late evangelist Billy Graham.” You also have false teachers like Greg Laurie and Robert Jeffries in the mix, plus others. These false teachers and those gathered applauded the nonsense that came out of Trump’s mouth. Then just listen to the horrible things Trump said for his Easter message and listen to how he speaks to children at Easter. Trump himself said and I can’t repeat all of it, but he threatened to bomb Iran back to the “stone ages.” This is a madman who has nuclear power. Trump is not the savior as he is a pathological liar, but we should be afraid as to why God has Trump in power. This verse describes Trump. John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

    Not only is there the deception that Trump is somehow the savior of the church, but you also have christian Nationalism and christian Zionism at the highest levels of power. There is also a group called Dominionists who attempt to gain power in all areas of life which is closely tied to Christian Nationalism. “They seek to implement a nation governed by biblical law. Adherents believe Christians are mandated to take control of government, education, media, and business.” Obviously wrong as Jesus did not take over the Romans. Even before Jesus ascended his disciples said Acts 1:6 “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” The answer was not the way they wanted or thought it should be, but yes to the Kingdom of God. These ideologies are far from Christian. You also have the belief that the Israel you see today is God’s chosen people and they have the right to take the land, though they would not be able to if it were not for the weapons and power of the United States. This is not how God wages war. People like Pete Hegseth, in a very powerful position and who has no idea who Jesus is, have made this into a holy war like the crusades which were evil and he quotes Old Testament scripture about war and is clueless that this no longer means flesh and blood but the powers of this dark world. Islam / Muslins are not the enemy. There are Christians in Iran and Trump and Hegseth were prepared to obliterate even them.

    You also have those who believe that the United States was founded on Christian principles and are doing everything in their power to return the country to Christianity. (christian nationalism / Dominionism - Seven Mountains Mandate: A prominent framework that identifies seven key areas of influence—government, education, media, arts and entertainment, business, religion, and family—that believers aim to control.) Whenever these politicians are talking about God or Jesus, this is not the God and Jesus of the bible. Returning the United States to a Christian nation is not true as the constitution clearly states in the first amendment that it never was. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” They would not have said religion, but Christianity as Jesus said John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” By saying religion, that means any religion including Islam is acceptable in their country. Same goes with Canada. All you have to do is look back at some of the beliefs back then like Thomas Jefferson and the bible he cut up, where he took out all the supernatural parts of scripture. The Smithsonian magazine said, “The 86-page book, now held in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, is bound in red Morocco leather and ornamented with gilt tooling. It was crafted in the fall and winter months of 1819 and 1820 when the 77-year-old Jefferson used a razor to cut passages from six copies of the New Testament—two in Greek and Latin, two in French and two in English—and rearranged and pasted together the selected verses, shorn of any sign of the miraculous or supernatural in order to leave just the life and teachings of Jesus behind. Jefferson, who had suffered great criticism for his religious beliefs, once said that the care he had taken to reduce the Gospels to their core message should prove that he was in fact, a “real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.” Basically, that is the bible of most churches today use who have also cut out the supernatural. The church does this by use of doctrines. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” This time has long been here.

    There is wide range of deception, and we have only talked a little about it. There are some teachers where basically everything they say is a lie, kind of like Donald Trump, and there are others where it is some truth and some false and then there are those who sound great except for about 5 % but that is still deadly. It is like having a glass of water with a dose of cyanide that will kill you. Tastes pretty good at first, then you are dead. As I said before there are some false teachers with great nurturing voices like David Jeremiah and people just eat up whatever they say as if they are actually speaking the word of the Lord. This happens because much of what they say appears to be sound, that is until you test the spirits. As I said going down the rabbit hole of end times doctrines of demons, once you start videos start popping up. One such video was from Max Lucado. He is known as a storyteller and really good at it. He has been called a master storyteller and “Reader’s Digest named him “America’s Best Preacher” in 2005, and Christianity Today called him “America’s Pastor” in 2004.” The problem is this master storyteller is talking about a different jesus and teaching other gospels. The video that popped up was from March 29, 2026, and the video clip was the chart of the end times talking about the rapture tribulation and millennial kingdom. In his master storytelling ability and nurturing voice, he told a fictional story about a different jesus and other gospels. One person wrote “Thank you, Max.  Thank you so much for your teaching, your demeanor, your compassion, and being used as His vessel.” The “His” is not God. Another said, “Thank you, you always speak and write in ways that are easy to understand.” Meanwhile they have been led astray and deluded all the while giving glory to God.

    As I was driving today, another false teacher Chuck Swindoll came on the radio, also talking about the end times. He was talking about people who had been deceived by being given a different teaching that was supposedly from the apostle Paul. Paul said 2 Thessalonians 2:1 “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come.” Paul also said 2 Thessalonians 3:17 “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.” This is sound advice to make sure it is actually Paul’s word you are following, but Swindoll is doing exactly what Paul warned against. Peter warned us about people like him. 2 Peter 3:14 “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

    You cannot grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ if you are following a different jesus and other gospels. Jeremiah 23:30 “Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. 31 Yes,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ 32 Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the Lord. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 23:36 “But you must not mention ‘a message from the Lord’ again, because each one’s word becomes their own message. So you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.” Not only does Swindoll teach his many followers doctrines of demons about the end times, he also does not believe all the gifts are available to believers even though scripture clearly states they are. One writer said, “We resonate and agree with Pastor Chuck Swindoll who said: "I believe in divine healing. I do not believe in divine healers. I believe in faith healing. I do not believe in faith healers. There is a great difference. I believe that God in His sovereign grace and power will in fact reach down in some cases and change a condition . . . . And I am of the conviction that God does that apart from any individual who claims to have certain powers" Yes, I am aware he is talking about the charismatics but in doing so he has rejected what scripture clearly states. 1 Corinthians 12:9 “to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers.” So not only do you have people being deceived by the teachers themselves, you have other teachers teaching the same, so the number of people being deceived and deluded is astronomical throughout the church. This isn’t about one person believes one thing and another believes something else, but we all believe in Jesus. That is impossible if led by the Spirit of truth. This is about false teaching, doctrines of demons, other gospels and this is definitely not Jesus but a different jesus. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” 1 Timothy 4:1 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” This is what Paul was saying then. This is the destruction caused by the abomination that causes desolation.

    We can’t say we were not warned about false teachers as there are warnings throughout scripture. 2 Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

    Millions of people who call themselves Christians have bought into these lies and are dying deceived and deluded without ever knowing the truth. As Jesus said after talking about the abomination that causes desolation, Mark 13:20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.” These false teachers have great knowledge of the word, and are wonderful to listen to but they are leading you astray. I have just talked about a few but there are many both charismatic and non-charismatic. You also have Catholicism and many, many other dangerous “isms” that are leading the church astray. The result of this onslaught of false teaching is a lack of power in the church and the refusal to repent and turn from wicked ways continues. People do not repent and turn around if they believe they are going in the right direction. You do not want to find out when it is too late that you were going in the wrong direction. Proverbs 2:18 “Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.” Proverbs 9:17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.”

    Therefore, the church remains in desolation and captivity and people are dying thinking they will inherit eternal life but they have been deceived and deluded into following a different jesus and other gospels just as Israel and Judah followed other gods and were destroyed. God warned them even at the end when king Zedekiah was reigning, Jeremiah 38:17 “Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your life will be spared and this city will not be burned down; you and your family will live. 18 But if you will not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, this city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians and they will burn it down; you yourself will not escape from them.’ 20 “They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. 21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the Lord has revealed to me: 22 All the women left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. Those women will say to you: “‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet are sunk in the mud; your friends have deserted you.’ 23 “All your wives and children will be brought out to the Babylonians. You yourself will not escape from their hands but will be captured by the king of Babylon; and this city will be burned down.” Who are you trusting with your life? Jeremiah 37:1 “Zedekiah son of Josiah was made king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; he reigned in place of Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim. 2 Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.” King Zedekiah did not listen. Jeremiah 39:4 “When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. 5 But the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 8 The Babylonians set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people.” Then imagine this scenario. Jeremiah 40:2 “When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him.” I am sure that Jeremiah would have said I tried to tell them.

    The desolation and destruction of the church is the same as the destruction of Israel and Judah and it is all because the church refuses to obey the word of God. Instead, false prophets are listened too, a different jesus is worshipped and other gospels are followed, just as Israel and Judah preferred to listen to false prophets and follow other gods. Yes, there are difficult subjects, but the power given to the church is not one of them. Because the church has not obeyed, God has turned His face from the church, thus there is no power and truth has been thrown down. Daniel 8:12 “Because of rebellion, the Lord’s people and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground.” Isaiah said Isaiah 59:15 “Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.” Jeremiah said Jeremiah 5:1 “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. 2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” 3 Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. 30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”

    But Jesus said, John 8:31 “To the Jews who had believed him, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Most are not holding on to the teaching of Jesus but the words of false teachers who are saying their words are from Jesus. Jesus also said John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” Since God has turned His face from the church, the Spirit of truth is not guiding and therefore we have all this deception about the end times and instead of truth we have doctrines of demons that people think are true. As I said the other day these false teachers describe their false gospel as if it is the true gospel and don’t even blink an eye.

    At the beginning I asked you to read Mark 1-6. John the Baptist said, Mark 1:7 “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” At Pentecost Peter said, Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Then we see Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:10 “Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Then Jesus said how the kingdom comes near. Mark 1:14 “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Matthew tells us what the available power of the kingdom. Even John the Baptist had to be sure. Jesus answered by saying this is what the kingdom looks like. Matthew 11:2 “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

    Most in the church have been taught that they are filled with the Holy Spirit, but the lack of power suggests otherwise. Paul describes this in Acts 19:1 “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.” Whole denominations have based everything on baptism, yet there is no power. We then see what that power looks like. Acts 19:11 “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Paul also says what it is not. 1 Corinthians 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”