Our Lenten journey has come to an end. We spent 46 days focusing on repenting and why the church needs to repent. Much of our focus was on the deception and delusion of the church and being powerless against our enemy satan. Our theme this year was waking up from our slumber. Paul said, Romans 13:11 “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” Mark 13:36 “If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” Today the church is filled with people sleeping who are unfaithful, stubborn and obstinate and refuse to repent. During this time, we looked at how satan deceives and how God brings delusion on the church. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. 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.”
We saw that the church began to follow a different jesus and other gospels / doctrines of demons and continue to be deceived by them more so now than ever before. We also saw how false teachers spread these lies in the church all the while claiming they are teaching truth and using scripture to do so. Genesis 3:1 “He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” satan knew exactly what God had said. There are many false doctrines out there and the easiest way to tell whether someone has been deceived / deluded is to find out what they believe about healing. Most people in the church are cessationists whether they use the term or not. This doctrine of demons simply means that God no longer heals the way He did in the early church. This is a doctrine of demons because nowhere does the bible say that. If someone says they do believe, you also have to look at what is happening because satan masquerades as an angel of light. Often supernatural manifestations distract from the lack of actual healing, like people being slain in the spirit (on their backs – scripture says on your face not back) or babbling in tongues. Does it look like the healing Jesus did? Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Jesus healing also includes the word immediately healed. Along with the question about healing is, what do you believe about the end times? If you are being taught about the rapture, (church taken from this world), the tribulation (pre, mid, post depending on what you have been taught and usually a seven-year period and the millennial kingdom, a thousand-year period where Jesus reigns on earth as king, if you are being taught any of this you have been deceived and deluded and are not worshipping Jesus, the way truth and life but a different jesus and other gospels.
As I said, the power to heal needs to be present as that is part of the true gospel as we just read above. “Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” James 5:4 “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” That is also good test.
Because the church rebelled and the abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church, there is only one option and that is to repent and turn from these wicked ways and then wait for God to turn His face back to the church so that the church will once again do as Jesus did Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” In the same passage Jesus said Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 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.” Jesus told us everything Daniel prophesied would happen and we were warned over and over about false teachers, but the church did not listen. 2 Peter 2:1 “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.”
Not only did the church not listen, but the church also rebelled and follow other gospels which is the same as following other gods which brought destruction on the church. Rebellion causes God to allow satan to infiltrate the church. Daniel 9:27 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 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 has already happened, and false teachers and doctrines of demons are everywhere throughout the church. People think they are worshipping God, but it is actually satan standing behind the pulpit. And since satan is the one standing in the church, the church is in captivity and powerless to do as Jesus did.
Once again, the church will go through the motions of another Easter Sunday and some will do it up really well, but the reality is this day is just another date on the church’s calendar. The reason it is just a date is because most do not actually believe Jesus lives. If Jesus was in their heart as they say, then God and the Holy Spirit the Spirit of truth would be also. John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” If that was really happening, there would be power to do as Jesus did as stated above these two verses in John 14:12 “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Most people do not even believe that is possible nor do they believe that same power and authority are available to the church. Plus, most are following doctrines of demons, therefore God is not present nor is the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. 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.” Therefore the church remains in captivity.
If we are celebrating Easter, then we are celebrating the available power to the church. Paul said, Ephesians 1:17 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 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, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” That power is available to all who would believe. Mark 16:5 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Since the signs are not accompanying and there is no power, the gospel that is being preached is not the true gospel. Since it is not present, we must be repenting and waiting while crying out to God to turn His face back to the church. 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” 36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.” Don’t be deceived by those who say the greatest miracle is salvation, all the while they reject the words of God about the power that is available to the church. 1 Corinthians 12:9 “to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers.” Most do not even believe this is possible for today while others who do have been deceived because they did not test the spirits.
This year the Jews are celebrating Passover (April 1-9) at the same time as Christians are celebrating Easter. This doesn’t happen every year, but every once in when the two calendars line up. “Passover (Pesach) commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G‑d (Jewish website spell God this way) passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.” Israel had an option as to whether to believe and obey God’s word or to disobey, rebel and die. Exodus 12:7 “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.” They obeyed and were saved. But ever since they have rebelled against the word of God. So, every year they continue to celebrate, but every year their eyes, ears and minds are veiled to the truth. 2 Corinthians 3:7 “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
The Jews continue to do what their ancestors have done and refuse to believe. Yes, at one time they believed the blood of the lamb would give them freedom but when the Lamb of God did come, they were the ones who killed the Lamb and refused to accept the blood for the atonement of their sins. Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” Some were cut to the heart but most were not and refused to believe Jesus really was the Messiah. But John the Baptist had pointed Jesus out as the Lamb of God. John 1:9 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” Peter said, 1 Peter 1:19 “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”
Another false teaching is that Elijah will usher in the Messiah. That may sound strange after reading John above. But many Jews, including Christians do not believe the words of Jesus. We are told Malachi 4:5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” Then Jesus gives the answer many refuse to believe. Matthew 17:10 “The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” But if you read what Malachi said, “or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction,” that should strike fear in not only the Jews, but Christians also. The Jews refused to listen and in the end, not only did John the Baptist die, the Jews murdered their own Messiah. It is interesting that even John the Baptist had to come to terms with Jesus the Messiah. 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.” Even Mary the mother of Jesus had to come to terms. The family of Jesus had listened to the teachers of the law who said Jesus was possessed. Mark 3:21 “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” The good news is they were present at Pentecost. Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
It is important to go back and look at the unbelief of Israel and Judah. As we talked about, they preferred the words of the false prophets. Jeremiah and Ezekiel talk about how serious this was in Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 13. Ezekiel sums it up when he said Ezekiel 22:26 “Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28 Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says’—when the Lord has not spoken.”
Over and over God sent His servants to the people but they refused to listen to the word of God. Jeremiah 2:4 “Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob, all you clans of Israel. 5 This is what the Lord says: “What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves. 6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and utter darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’ 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.” Jeremiah 7:21 “‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! 22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, 23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.’ 27 “When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.” Jeremiah 11:1 “This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3 Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant— 4 the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’—the land you possess today.” I answered, “Amen, Lord.” 6 The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’” 9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’” Jeremiah 16:9 “For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place. 10 “When you tell these people all this and they ask you, ‘Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 then say to them, ‘It is because your ancestors forsook me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. 12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your ancestors. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying me. 13 So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’ 14 “However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors.”
Today the Jews continue to refuse to bow before their King and Messiah and are still saying “as surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt.” Instead of celebrating their salvation, they are applauding their rebellion every time they celebrate the Passover. Paul would say to them, Acts 13:46 “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” When you reject the words of Jesus as the Jews and many Christians have, the words they read in the Old Testament no longer apply to flesh and blood but to the spiritual forces Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” Zionism believes that the Israel we see today is the rightful heir to the land around them, therefore a war with Iran makes sense to them and to many Christian Zionists in the USA. But the Israel we see today is not the Israel of the bible. It is pretty obvious that Israel would not stand if it was not for the power of the United States military, weapons and financing.
So when you hear someone like Pete Hegseth say no mercy to their enemies, this is not God nor does God condone it, just as the Crusades were not of God. The war we are in today is spiritual warfare, not a war against people or religions like Islam. “The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegseth’s first since the Iran war began, the Associated Press reported. “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth said in the prayer service. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” “I pursued my enemies and overtook them,” Hegseth preached, quoting King David recounting his wars against Israel’s ancient foes and likening them to the Iranian enemy. “Those who hated me I destroyed. They cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them. “Snap the rod of the oppressor,” Hegseth continued in his appeal to God. “Break the teeth of the ungodly” so that “wicked souls” are “delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them.” I said yesterday that his pastor or any of the pastors at the Easter Lunch that I talked about should be admonishing him. I have not seen anything to suggest they have, but if you hear what Hegseth’s own pastor Brooks Potteiger (also include Doug Wilson) is saying, you would not be surprised. They are part of “The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) is a rapidly growing international network of conservative, Reformed churches, often associated with promoting Christian nationalism and a "dominionist" theology aimed at influencing, or controlling, all aspects of society, including government. The group has gained recent attention due to its hardline stances, including in the context of the political sphere and its connection to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.” But that is rabbit hole we are not going down at this point. Christian Nationalist are the type of people leading the United States now and there is nothing Christian about them.
So, if the Jews celebrating Passover is applauding their rebellion, then the celebration of Easter by the church is also applauding the church’s rebellion. A while back I wrote about Easter being a farce. Now obviously I do not believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead, but I do believe that most who say they believe in the resurrection of Jesus really don’t. Every year Easter is just a ritual that takes place once a year and chocolate is involved as we talked about at the beginning of Lent. But as we talked about yesterday, where is the healing power the church was supposed to have. As we read above, Paul described this power Ephesians 1:18 “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.” Then we saw that power in his life. 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.” This power was not only for a few. Jesus sent out seventy and said, Luke 10:8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.” 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” We are not even told what those events were. Think about how many today refuse to listen to God’s word. Acts 8:4 “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.”
We serve a healing God who wants to heal His people. Exodus 15:26 “He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Then when Jesus came, we see the Lord who heals you. Matthew 8:14 “When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Not only did Jesus heal, He gave that power and authority to His disciples. Matthew 10:1 “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.”
If you say Jesus lives, should you not also be saying we serve the God who heals infirmities and diseases. Why in the world would the church not want this especially with all the sickness in and around it. The answer is deception and delusion. But this power is not happening in the church, and most are content with the lack of power as most have been deceived and deluded by false prophets / teachers who say this powerlessness is how it is supposed to be. Most do believe that if God heals that is okay, but He no longer uses disciples. Scripture does not say that, and God’s plan is very clear as we see in the Gospels and Acts that He uses disciples who believe. That was one of the first tasks Jesus did; He sent out disciples to do as He did. Not only do people who actually call themselves cessationists believe the church is to be powerless, but those who do not actually say the word believe the same. Most are so against the charismatics that they reject what scripture actually states. On the other hand, the charismatics say this is possible but even in those circles it is not happening. There may be supernatural manifestations, people speaking in tongues and some ridiculous things taking place, but the healing we see in scripture is not taking place.
Rebellion is refusing to believe God at His word. Since John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus is the word, not just the read letters as some believe. When the church rebels by rejecting God’s word, adding to it and taking from it, the church is rejecting Jesus as our Messiah and King, just like all the verses above about the unbelief of Judah. Paul said 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? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Instead of the Galatians being fools, the church has become fools for not believing what scripture clearly states. Yes, the prophecies are not easy because God has turned His face from the church and false teachers who have been deceived and deluded distort the word of God and lead those following astray. The false teachers have taught many not to expect healing, miracles and those who teach that the church should still distort what scripture says like speaking in tongue. If God had not turned His face from the church, then this verse would be happening and there would be no confusion whatsoever. 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.”
The church should have been doing as Jesus did all along, but rebellion changes that. John tells us, John 21:25 “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” Not everything the disciples did was written down either. Jesus gave the church power and authority to do as He did, so can you imagine how many books it would take to keep track? But instead, there are volumes upon volumes written as to why you should not believe in miracles for today and many others that explain away what scripture clearly states. They probably could also fill the world. There actually needs to be a fire. Acts 19:17 “When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. 19 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.”
We saw Israel and Judah feel the wrath of God, the Jews and now the church. Because of rebellion, God has allowed the abomination that causes desolation to destroy the church and leave it desolate. This verse also applies to the church. Jeremiah 9:11 “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.” 12 Who is wise enough to understand this? Who has been instructed by the Lord and can explain it? Why has the land been ruined and laid waste like a desert that no one can cross? 13 The Lord said, “It is because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my law. 14 Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.” 15 Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “See, I will make this people eat bitter food and drink poisoned water. 16 I will scatter them among nations that neither they nor their ancestors have known, and I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.” Jesus said, Matthew 24:15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 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.” This means the church has almost been completely wiped out but the sun and moon still do as they are supposed to do. Jeremiah 33:19 “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, 21 then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”
The church did not listen, and the devastation has been severe. The abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church but since God promised David as we just read, there is still hope. Daniel tells us this desolation would come to an end and it appears that time is coming just as when Babylon was destroyed and God’s people were free to return to the land of promise. Jeremiah 25:3 “For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 4 And though the Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not listened or paid any attention. 5 They said, “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. 6 Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.” 7 “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.” 8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: “Because you have not listened to my words, 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. 10 I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sound of millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” Jeremiah 29:10 “This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Since Babylon will be destroyed this way, you do not want to have any part of it. False teachers and their doctrines of demons are everywhere in the church and people continue to give glory to God and they continue to worship together. The abomination that causes desolation will come to an end. Daniel 7:21 “As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. 26 “‘But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.” Just as the time of Israel and Judah’s desolation came to an end, so too will the desolation to the church. Jeremiah 25:12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever. 13 I will bring on that land all the things I have spoken against it, all that are written in this book and prophesied by Jeremiah against all the nations. 14 They themselves will be enslaved by many nations and great kings; I will repay them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.”
We do not want to be on the wrong side of God’s wrath. Ezekiel 24:14 “I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” Jeremiah 50:31 “See, I am against you, you arrogant one,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty, “for your day has come, the time for you to be punished.” Jeremiah 51:6 “Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves. 7 Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. 8 Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken. your end has come, the time for you to be destroyed. 24 “Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord. 25 “I am against you, you destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth,” declares the Lord.”
If you are following people who teach end times doctrines of demons and cessationism, don’t accept their teaching as truth and leave them. Jeremiah 23:20 “In days to come you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.” Ezekiel 13:1 “The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. 5 You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. 6 Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words. 7 Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?”
But there is hope Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Over the next weeks we will be talking about the restoration of power to the church so that once again the church will go out and do as Jesus did. Amos 9:11 “In that day “I will restore David’s fallen shelter— I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins— and will rebuild it as it used to be.” Our journey to Pentecost will be about the restoration of power to the church. Take the time to find out if you believe Jesus lives or have you been deceived and deluded. This is important as your eternal destination depends on answering correctly.
