Last week we talked about God telling Jeremiah to buy land. This took place as the Babylonians were laying siege to Jerusalem. This represented God keeping His promise to return His people from captivity and the power to do as He said He would do. Jeremiah had prophesied, Jeremiah 25:11 “This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 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.” 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.” Jeremiah obeyed and bought the land, but he had a few questions. God answered and said, Jeremiah 32:26 “Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? 42 “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. 43 Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ 44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.” God has the power to turn the land from being a desolate waste to a land of prosperity. Abraham said Romans 4:18 “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
Today the church is a desolate wasteland because the church, like those who went before, have rebelled against the word of God. Just as God told His people destruction would follow disobedience; destruction has followed the rebellion / disobedience of the church. Millions have died thinking they were following truth, but instead most have been deceived and deluded by the church they had given their lives to. The problem is most did not test the spirits to see what they were being saved into. Just because a group of people calls themselves the church, doesn’t mean that it is. Due to the rebellion of the church, great deception and delusion has taken place and millions have died and will die. Jesus said Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive.” Most think that they were saved and would spend eternity with God but will instead hear, Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Jesus made it clear that just because you said Lord, Lord does not mean that you are saved. Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Luke 13:23 “Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’” Deception and delusion have been so strong because of the abomination that causes desolation, that most will die stubbornly holding on to the church built with the hands of man, all the while refusing to submit to God’s word and repent and turn from their wicked ways. The church was warned ahead of time just as Israel and Judah were warned but refused to listen. False prophets and teachers throughout the church have distorted the word of God, so much so that most have accepted a different Jesus and other gospels as the way, truth and life.
The desolate wasteland that the church has become is hard to see. From all appearances everything appears to be as it should be, but the appearances are deceiving especially if you are looking from the world’s perspective which most are. Most people who drive by a church think the building and the property it is built on is the church. The people attending also think that going to this building once a week is the church, but the church is no longer the temple / building as the first two temples were. Down the street there is a church that they have named a temple, but it is just a building. The true church is no longer a temple where people gathered but now the people gathering are the temple. Ephesians 2:19 “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” People could argue that the people inside the church are the church but, in most cases, the people are not actually being the church as they think that going to this building called a church is the church. The people are also not doing as Jesus did. The body of Christ is the temple and no longer the 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.” But you wouldn’t know that based on what we see in the church where so much emphasis, vision and money are focused on the building and most are not doing as Jesus did as there is no power.
In most cases, the building is just a façade very much like Easter. There is lots of talk about the resurrection but no power and lots of talk about Jesus but no authority. People gather weekly to hear the talk but leave powerless and then do it all over the next week. Going to church is not the same as being the church. The enemy continues to infiltrate the church and is not defeated. Paul said, 1 Corinthians 4:8 “Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” When you look at most churches, most look very nice from the outside but there is no power on the inside. I am not talking about being powerful from the world’s perspective as many run their organizations as businesses do and yes many are powerful but it is not the power and authority that was made available to the church at Pentecost. That power and authority was taken away when the church rebelled by turning to different gospels. When talking about false prophets, Ezekiel describes a whitewashed wall. Ezekiel 13:10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” 13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”’ Jesus also said to the teachers of the law, Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Not only is the outside a façade, what is being taught on the inside is false, as each group teaches as they see fit. Each group teaches very distinct doctrines but at the same time say they all worship the same Jesus. That is impossible. Before describing the wall, Ezekiel said, Ezekiel 13:2 “‘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? 8 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.” Jesus said, Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” Acts 20:29 “I (Paul) know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Peter said 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.”
God designed the church to be led by these leaders as described in this verse. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” But because of deceitful scheming, the church has been overrun with what is false. We are told 2 Corinthians 11:13 “For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” satan has infiltrated each of those five positions. Instead of building the church the way Jesus did, man has built buildings and programs which has the appearance of holiness. Colossians 2:20 “Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings.” Mark 7:6 “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” The church worships in vain though it has the appearance of doing as God commands, but when you compare what the church is doing to scripture, it is not even close.
Jesus showed the church what we were supposed to do and the power and authority that would come at Pentecost would enable the church to do as Jesus did. How many excuses are you willing to put up with? People say that was Jesus, of course He healed the sick. They also say that was the disciples who healed the sick, but they never say why is it not happening today. People then respond God doesn’t do that in our day which you will not find in scripture. If the church had continued to do as it was empowered to do, the work of the devil would continue to be destroyed, evil spirits cast out, people would be healed and the good news preached and salvation would come to those who repented of their sins and once again the Kingdom of God would come near. When the kingdom comes near, so does power and authority. Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” This is what the kingdom coming near looks like. 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.” Mark 6:6 “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. 8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.” Luke 10:1 “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 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.’ 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” Acts 8:5 “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.” The church looks nothing like this.
There are churches everyone, some small and some massive and most of the emphasis has been on the building and success is based on what humans hands have built, but what you just read is not happening. Yes, there are small pockets of healing, but you can find the same stories with people who do not go to church. The power to heal as we see in scripture has immediate results. The church says they believe Jesus rose from the dead, so that means Jesus is still the Messiah and still calling and empowering His disciples. 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.” Therefore, since Jesus is the Messiah, all this should be happening, but it is not. The lack of power doesn’t mean Jesus is no longer the Messiah and King, it means the church has rebelled. People gather in their buildings week after week calling themselves the church, but there is no power and most are content to sit for an hour, sing a few songs, listen to a message and go home and do it week after week, month after month, year after year and never question why the church looks nothing like the Gospels and Acts. Yes, there are doctrines of demons to explain it away such as cessationism and many have bought into the lies, but it remains that the church looks nothing like what scripture states it should be, yet that is completely ignored. Read this one verse but if you ask your leader about it, be prepared to have it explained away. James 5:14 “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.”
Jeremiah said Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.” Jeremiah also said Jeremiah 23:16 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. 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.” The false leaders have distorted the word of God and have gone their own way. The only power they had was to build with their own hands, as then it looks like they are doing something and appear to be successful. As the slogan says, “Look busy, Jesus is coming.” With a building and programs, they could say look what my hands have built, but also being sure to give glory to God. Some do this really well, while others try to copy them, but this is not the church as there is no power and authority over our enemy satan. Sometimes we see first-hand examples like Willow Creek why the manmade church should not be copied.
This is the opposite of what Jesus said as Jesus said I will build my church, not man. Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.” The rock was Peter’s confession “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Notice how the Catholic church put all the emphasis on Peter the man, not on Jesus the Messiah. When Pentecost came, great power and authority was given to the church. Acts 5:1 “Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.” They both died for lying to the Holy Spirit. 11 “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” Imagine how many people would die in today’s church in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” This was supposed to be the church but that changed very quickly just as the land that was promised Israel was taken from them by the Babylonians. Today the army is not human but powers of the dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6) The abomination that causes desolation has decimated the church, leaving only a remnant of survivors, yet most are oblivious to the destruction because of the deception and delusion.
The land today is not just the promised land but the whole world. God has given the world to the church. Revelation 12:10 “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.” Revelation 11:15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” John 3:16 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” Instead, the church has lifted high the names of men and women as you can see in most groups that call themselves the church. In order to go to the ends of the earth with the true gospel, the church needs power from on High, not gurus, buildings and programs. Many churches have a global ministry but are only deceiving more and more people.
The church has been given the world to spread the good news, heal the sick and cast out demons but the kingdom of God must come near. When the gospel is preached, signs will follow. Mark 16:15 “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.” Once again, the church will be able to say, Matthew 11:5 “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 (Jesus).”
But as Paul said, the church even while he was alive, began to follow a different Jesus and other gospels. This is exactly what Israel and Judah did when they rebelled against God’s word and refused to listen to His servants speaking the truth. The result of that rebellion was death, destruction and captivity. Jeremiah said Jeremiah 26:15 “in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” The people responded to God’s word and said, you must die and refused to listen. The same is happening in the church today. Most ignore what the bible really says and accepts what the false prophets, teachers, evangelists, preachers and apostles are saying. Therefore, most of the church has been destroyed and survivors taken captive just as Israel and Judah were, accept this is far worse than the Babylonians and Assyrians.
As I was thinking about God saying to Jeremiah, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” and Jeremiah 32:15 “For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land,’” I imagined that many would think about their buildings and land and maybe the possibility of building something bigger, and acquiring more land, developing more programs, then surely the people would be reached by the good news. Some will try to rebuild with human hands. Malachi 1:4 “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.” Isaiah 9:8 “The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. 9 All the people will know it— Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— who say with pride and arrogance of heart, 10 “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.” 11 But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes against them and has spurred their enemies on.” They wouldn’t be thinking about the kingdom coming near. People are already saying God gave me this vision to build this massive structure all to the glory of God. We raised the money and continue to spend massive quantities to keep it afloat. They say we are reaching lots of people, but what are these people being saved into?
The point of this is not to continue in the wicked ways of those who went before us and continue to lead people astray, but to seek the power that enabled the people to return to the land or defeat enemies as we saw in Esther. Esther 9:1 “On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.” Ezra 1:2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. 4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’” This is a return to the power and authority God gave the church at Pentecost. This is God turning His face to the church and dwelling among us and the return of the kingdom of God. This is a return to doing as Jesus did. This is a rebuilding of what was destroyed. Nehemiah said Nehemiah 2:17 “Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. 20 The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding,” To rebuild the church is to return to God’s word and submit to Jesus and then this will happen again. Matthew 16:18 “On this rock (Peter’s confession) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This, unlike with Nehemiah, where the walls needed to be rebuilt and eventually the temple, what we are rebuilding in not what was built with human hands. We desperately need God to turn His face back to the church and empower us once again. God will also give the church success. Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Joshua was told, Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Doing as Jesus did is only possible with power and authority from on High. Jesus before Pentecost told the disciples to wait for that power. Luke 24:46 “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” We too must wait. Isaiah 8:17 “I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.” For this to happen, the church must turn from its wicked ways and repent so that the kingdom of God comes near once again. When the kingdom comes near, there will be power and authority to preach the good news, heal the sick and cast out demons. Once again the church will do as Jesus did. Churches will no longer be buildings but the body of Christ going to the ends of the earth. Yes, people will still gather but the church will be seven days a week and not an hour on Sunday. Turning from wicked ways is a life or death decision that has eternal ramifications. Mark 1:14 “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!” Ezekiel 18:23 “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? 30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!”
Here Isaiah is also describing the church. Isaiah 2:8 “Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.” But there is good news if the church turns from what their hands have made. Hosea 14:1 “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! 2 Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. 3 Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.” Isaiah 17:7 “In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. 8 They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made.” The question is Psalm 4:2 “How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?” How long will you continue to seek entertainment instead of what God’s word is actually saying? How long will you turn a blind eye to what scripture states? Will you say, Jeremiah 3:25 “Let us lie down in our shame, and let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors; from our youth till this day we have not obeyed the Lord our God.” Jeremiah 4:1 “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord.”
Yes, God has the power to do as He said He would. We can choose His wrath or His blessing. God will keep His promise to David and the remnant of the church will rise out of this desolation and destruction. When God turns His face back to the church, power and authority will be restored. Then the church will once again do as Jesus did. Jesus did not build a building / temple, but He built the church. 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. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 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.” The church was to continue with this power and authority. If the church had, this would have sped up the coming of Jesus to take us into eternity, but for 2000 years the church has rebelled and turned away from God’s plan for the church. The only way to be saved now is to cry out for mercy. 2 Chronicles 20:5 “Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ 10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Solomon prayed 1 Kings 8:46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.”
The good news is Isaiah 59:20 “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins declares the Lord.” Though our timeframe is different the church also has this hope. 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.” We have this same hope as this 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.’” 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.”
Many spend their time seeking a church that will feed them instead of seeking the bread of life. John 6:35 “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Look for the church that is not built with human hands. Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
