Written 8/28/21

This morning, when reading about
the arrest of Jesus,
my heart almost stopped.
But God revived it.

I saw so many words
that took me by shock,
and that is probably why
my heart did not stop.

I’m going to show you the scripture I read,
And when I’m done,
I’m going to write down the things
I found confounding, interesting and overwhelming.

But first , let me remind you,
what is taking place in Matthew 26.

Jesus is in the Garden -
crying out to His Father,
“if it’s your will,”
and let this cup of suffering pass from me.

His disciples continue to fall asleep,
even though he continues to ask them 
to stay awake.

By the way, this sounds like
the same behavior we see today.
Jesus warned us to be watching and waiting
for His second coming, and yet,
spiritually speaking,
many followers of Christ
have grown weary and have fallen asleep.

Anyway, here is the passage for today
Matthew‬ ‭26:47-56‬ says,
“While Jesus was still speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived.
With him was a large crowd
armed with swords and clubs,
sent from the chief priests
and the elders of the people.
Now the betrayer had arranged
a signal with them:
“The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.”
Going at once to Jesus,
Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”
and kissed him.
Jesus replied,
“Do what you came for, friend.”
Then the men stepped forward,
seized Jesus and arrested him.
With that, one of Jesus’ companions
(who we all know to be Peter)
reached for his sword,
drew it out and struck the servant
of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
“Put your sword back in its place,”
Jesus said to him,
“for all who draw the sword
will die by the sword.
Do you think I cannot call on my Father,
and he will at once put at my disposal
more than twelve legions of angels?
But how then would
the Scriptures be fulfilled
that say it must happen in this way?”
In that hour Jesus said to the crowd,
“Am I leading a rebellion,
that you have come out
with swords and clubs to capture me?
Every day I sat
in the temple courts teaching,
and you did not arrest me.
But this has all taken place
that the writings of the prophets
might be fulfilled.
Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.”

So here are things
that I found confounding,
interesting and overwhelming:

According to Matthew, Judas betrayed Jesus
and brought with him
a large crowd carrying swords.

He reminds me of Satan -
coming after the Children of God.
And both occurred in gardens,
and both will end in the valley
of Armageddon.

Listen to John -
“I saw demonic spirits that perform signs,
and they go out to the kings
of the whole world,
to gather them for the battle
on the great day of God Almighty.”

Christ says,
“Look, I come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays awake
and remains clothed,
so as not to go naked
and be shamefully exposed.”

“Then they gathered the kings together
to the place that in Hebrew
is called Armageddon.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭16:14-16‬

Most people who read scripture,
want to look behind -
But I’m telling you
I hear the Voice of the Lord
and He says, “Look ahead"
for the Day of the Lord is coming soon!

Matthew said Judas gave up Jesus
with the kiss of death,
whom he called a friend.
At the end of the age,
Satan will come as a man
and pretend to be like God.
Even the elect will be confused and deceived.

Paul said in 2 Thessalonians -
“Don’t let anyone deceive you
in any way, for that day
(the Day of the Lord)
will not come until the rebellion occurs
and the man of lawlessness is revealed.
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.
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, and all the ways
that wickedness deceives those
who are perishing.
They perish because
they refused to love the truth
and so be saved.”
‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:3-4, 9-10
‬
In the Gospel according to Matthew,
we see Peter drawing his sword
and cutting off the ear
of a servant of the high priest.
Then we see Jesus, telling him to stop.
He said,
“Put your sword back in its place,
for all who draw the sword
will die by the sword.”

At the end of age,
Children of God will fight the war
not with sword in hand,
but with martyrdom.

“Whoever has ears, let them hear.
“If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword they will be killed.”
This calls for patient endurance
and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13:9-10
‬
And probably,
the most amazing thing
that Jesus says is this -
“Do you think I cannot call
on my Father, and he will at once
put at my disposal
more than twelve legions of angels?”

Jesus knows that at any time,
He can call on His dad to protect him.
He knows the Father will use
his most ultimate weapons
to dispose of these physical men!

And then Jesus said,
“But how then
would the Scriptures be fulfilled
that say it must happen in this way?”

This shows Jesus is 100% willing
to drink the cup prepared His Father.
He is willing to be the final slaughter -
the Passover Lamb of God.

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:12‬

Jesus said,
“This has all taken place
that the writings of the prophets
might be fulfilled.”
“And I saw a mighty angel
proclaiming in a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to break the seals
and open the scroll?”
But no one in heaven or on earth
or under the earth
could open the scroll
or even look inside it.
I wept and wept
because no one was found
who was worthy to open the scroll
or look inside.
Then one of the elders said to me,
“Do not weep!
See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah,
the Root of David, has triumphed.
He is able to open the scroll
and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb,
looking as if it had been slain,
standing at the center of the throne,
encircled by the four living creatures 
and the elders.
The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,
which are the seven spirits of God
sent out into all the earth.
He went and took the scroll
from the right hand of him
who sat on the throne.
And when he had taken it,
the four living creatures
and the twenty-four elders
fell down before the Lamb.
Each one had a harp
and they were holding golden bowls
full of incense,
which are the prayers
of God’s people.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:2-8‬

You see,
Jesus is the Word of God.
And the Word of God does not change.
No matter how we think or what we say!

Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them
but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you,
until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter,
not the least stroke of a pen,
will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:17-18‬

Do you believe Him?
I certainly do.
And just like Lazarus,
on the day that my heart stops,
I know My Jesus will come and revive it again.
I’m my opinion, this is the meaning
of TRUE REVIVAL.
This is the meaning behind our resurrection.
And it will happen on the Day of the Lord,
when Jesus comes to claim His Kingdom.
Hello Revival - Hello Father God.

Have your ever been betrayed
by a spouse or a friend?
I have. And it does not feel good.
I have also experienced death
of people I love.
And in my own personal experience -
Betrayal is worse.

Betrayal comes in so many forms -
but mostly it means you are severed and hurt
by the people that you love the most.

Truly cut off -
from that which you love...
from that which gives you breath.

Death - well,
that just means people are gone.
Cut for now, from the physical realm.
But if they believe in Jesus,
then I can confident hope
that I will see them again.
That’s how I got through
my baby brother’s death.

Betrayal - well,
that’s a different story.
Like death,
it’s typically accompanied by
intense shock and denial.
But it also includes feelings of hopelessness
related to someone you love and you trust.

It’s one thing if you have time to turn,
or to be able to run -
it’s one thing to be able to respond
to a vicious attack that is about to come.

But to be totally exposed,
in a complete trust position,
Eyes closed and falling backwards,
expecting to be held -
and then unexpectedly feel a blade
slash through your back -
well, that’s just wrong!
In confusion, you’re left wondering,
“What the hell was that?”

That’s what betrayal feels like.
The initial pain is totally bad,
but to turn around and see the knife came
from your wife or husband,
or your best friend -
well - that my friend,
is worse than death.

It’s totally mind-numbing!
How does one come back from that?
The only way is through a repentant heart
and forgiveness.
Something only Jesus can do.

Betrayal comes in many forms -
It can look like a parent
abandoning their children,
or intentionally hurting them.
It can look like a spouse loving,
or lusting after, another man or woman -
completely breaking your vows!
And betrayal can come from a trusted friend,
going behind your back, spreading your secrets,
and selling you out.

In essence, Betrayal is when someone you love,
walks away and denies you.
Betrayal feels like you don’t even exist -
like everything you have trusted in
is a total farce.

Your whole life falls into a pit!

In my opinion,
Betrayal is the ultimate murder weapon.
The blade comes out of nowhere,
from someone you love - someone you trust,
and instead of dying on the spot,
you are left to suffer the horror of it all.

The physical pain is deeply diminished
by the shock of how it happened
and who it happened by.
The emotional pain is truly what kills you -
and it’s such a slow, tormenting kind of death.

How can anyone learn to trust again,
when they’ve been betrayed by
the people they love - 
the people who are supposed to love them?
Who then can they count on?
It’s like they never knew them at all!

Well - this is the story of the Father,
who was betrayed by His children.
And this is the story of Jesus
who was betrayed by His friends.

But there is a difference
between us and Him.
God knows our hearts -
nothing takes Him by surprise.
He knows which vessels will deny him,
but repent and return again;
and He knows which vessels 
are too prideful and headstrong
to apologize.

But for us, our hearts
are the most deceitful of all.
We certainly can not trust in them.
We must hold onto the covenant
that has been given to us.
Our only hope is to trust
and hold onto Jesus.
It’s only through Him
that we can learn to love and forgive -
other people and ourselves.

Listen to this.

“Then one of the Twelve -
the one called Judas Iscariot -
went to the chief priests and asked,
“What are you willing to give me
if I deliver him over to you?”
So they counted out for him
thirty pieces of silver.
From then on Judas watched
for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day
of the Festival of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples came to Jesus
and asked, “Where do you want us
to make preparations for you
to eat the Passover?”
He replied, “Go into the city
to a certain man and tell him,
‘The Teacher says:
My appointed time is near.
I am going to celebrate the Passover
with my disciples at your house.’ ”
So the disciples did
as Jesus had directed them
and prepared the Passover.
When evening came,
Jesus was reclining at the table
with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Truly I tell you,
one of you will betray me.”
They were very sad
and began to say to him
one after the other,
“Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”
Jesus replied,
“The one who has dipped his hand
into the bowl with me will betray me.
The Son of Man will go
just as it is written about him.
But woe to that man
who betrays the Son of Man!
It would be better for him
if he had not been born.”
Then Judas, the one who would
betray him, said,
“Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”
Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
While they were eating,
Jesus took bread,
and when he had given thanks,
he broke it and gave it to his disciples,
saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup,
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them, saying,
“Drink from it, all of you.
This is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, I will not drink
from this fruit of the vine from now on
until that day when I drink it new
with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
When they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:14-30

Can you imagine to be like Jesus,
to know the heart of a person
from the very beginning.
He knew Judas was going to betray him.
And yet, He let it happen.
Jesus let this evil vessel out God’s plan.

From the very start,
Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him.
And yet, He washed his feet
and allowed him to come to His last supper.
Jesus allowed Judas to participate
in the feast of the covenant -
by sharing the bread and the wine
that represent Him and the new covenant.

Jesus said,
“The one who has dipped his hand
into the bowl with me will betray me."

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said,
“Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

You see,
the new covenant meal was an oath.
The bread and the wine
represented God’s blood sacrifice.
No more animals would die.
Jesus was the Passover Lamb of God.
By participating in the meal,
and then betraying Christ -
Judas tied a rope around his own neck.

Peter would also deny Christ.
Jesus said, “this very night,
before the rooster crows,
you will disown me three times.”

But Peter declared,
“Even if I have to die with you,
I will never disown you.”
And all the other disciples said the same.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:34-35‬

What Peter did not even realize his own heart.
He never thought he would deny Christ.
But Peter did exactly as Jesus said.

And yet, Peter repented.
His heart was good.
He loved Jesus, his friend.

Peter would spend the rest of his life
spreading the message of Jesus
until he died -
Peter was hung on a cross, upside down -
fulfilling his oath to pick up the cross
and never again set it down.
Peter would never again betray Christ.
And the blood of Jesus was enough
to save him from experiencing eternal death.

Written 8/25/21
​
Have you ever considered
what kind of legacy you will leave
when your time is up
and you take your last breath?

Will you be known for curing
some horrific disease,
like Covid, Cancer or AIDS?
Will you be known for creating peace
between warring nations
like Iran and Israel?

When it’s time for you to die,
what will people remember you by?
Will you be so successful
that you will leave behind
lots of money?
Will you gift a hospital
or some other important building
to your community or your children?

What will you have done for God?
What will your reward be
in the kingdom of Heaven?

Will you be known
for your outstanding preaching -
reaching large crowds in big stadiums?
Will you be like a Billy Graham?
Maybe your name will be known
all across the globe, for ‘miracle crusades’
and carry on the spirit of Benny Hinn?

What kind of memory
do you think God wants you to leave?
Does is need to be something big,
or can it be something small?

Can it be a memory based on humility?
Like loving a leper, washing feet,
or preparing people for burial.
Just maybe - your legacy will be
even more important than
creating a name for yourself.

Maybe the memory that you leave
will be like the woman who has no name -
but loved Jesus with all her heart.

Maybe you will be lucky enough 
to have a name, like
“the woman with the alabaster jar.”

I want to be a woman
who has no name;
I want to be remembered
for dying to self at the Altar of God.
I want to be a woman
known for pouring out
all of the expensive Words
that were given to her by God;
I want to offer myself
at the Table of the Lord.

“While Jesus was in Bethany
in the home of Simon the Leper,
a woman came to him
with an alabaster jar
of very expensive perfume,
which she poured on his head
as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this,
they were indignant.
“Why this waste?” they asked.
“This perfume could have been sold
at a high price
and the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to them,
“Why are you bothering this woman?
She has done a beautiful thing to me.
The poor you will always
have with you,
but you will not always have me.
When she poured this perfume
on my body,
she did it to prepare me for burial.
Truly I tell you,
wherever this gospel is preached
throughout the world,
what she has done will also be told,
in memory of her.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26:6-13‬

There once was a story about two pens.
Both existed on the same farm.
One was made for sheep
and one for goats.
Both were created
before the animals were born.
One was named Heaven
and the other was Hell.
Both pens were based on
proximity to the Lord.

Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is My throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
Where can you build a house
or resting place for me?
Isaiah 66:1

Heaven was created
to hold all the things of God,
while He refines His permanent home.

And
“when the Son of Man finally comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit on his glorious throne.”

At that time,
“All the nations will be gathered before him,
and he will separate the people
one from another - as a shepherd separates
the sheep from the goats.”

The Lamb of God
will put the sheep on his right,
protecting them from the Father’s judgement -
the place of intercession -
the place of the glorious extension of the Throne.

For Jesus alone is able to sit
at the right hand of God,
for Jesus alone is His beloved Son.

It’s only His blood
that stands between man and God;
between darkness and light.

The Lamb of God
will put the goats on his left,
the place where he does not provide protection -
the place closest to God’s judgement.

Since Jesus sits to the right hand of God
then anything left is in a cursed position.

“Then the King will say to those on his right,
“Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance,
the kingdom prepared for you
since the creation of the world.”

“Then I saw
“a new heaven and a new earth,”
for the first heaven
and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea.
I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride
beautifully dressed for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice
from the throne saying,
“Look! God’s dwelling place
is now among the people,
and he will dwell with them.
They will be his people,
and God himself will be with them
and be their God.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:1-3
‬
“One of the seven angels
who had the seven bowls
full of the seven last plagues
came and said to me,
“Come, I will show you the bride,
the wife of the Lamb.”
And he carried me away in the Spirit
to a mountain great and high,
and showed me the Holy City,
Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God.
It shone with the glory of God,
and its brilliance was like that
of a very precious jewel,
like a jasper, clear as crystal.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:9-11‬

“I did not see a temple in the city,
because the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are its temple.
The city does not need the sun
or the moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gives it light,
and the Lamb is its lamp.
Nothing impure will ever enter it,
nor will anyone who does
what is shameful or deceitful,
but only those whose names
are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:22-23, 27‬

Jesus said,
"For I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat; I was thirsty
and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in,
I needed clothes and you clothed me,
I was sick and you looked after me,
I was in prison & you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will ask Jesus,
“when did this happen?”
And Jesus will say, ‘Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one
of the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Righteous deeds are done out of faith.
There is no ulterior motive than to please God.
Servants of God put faith into action
because they understand
the parable of the Seed.
The are simply operating as an extension of Him.

“Then Jesus will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you who are cursed,
into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels.”
This is the place people call hell.
Is the place where death and Hades
are thrown into the lake of fire.
The lake of fire is the second death.
Anyone whose name
was not found written
in the book of life
was thrown into the lake of fire.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭20:14-15‬

For I was hungry
and you gave me nothing to eat,
I was thirsty
and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger
and you did not invite me in,
I needed clothes
and you did not clothe me,
I was sick and in prison
and you did not look after me.
Truly I tell you,
whatever you did not do
for one of the least of these,
you did not do for me.’
‘Then they will go away
to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:31-46‬

You see,
the pens are just spiritual enclosures,
perfectly positioned to contain people,
UNTIL God is ready
to bring His final judgment down
at His appointed time.

Some will sit
at the right hand of Jesus,
where Jesus is in a position
to protect them from God’s judgement.
They wear the helmet of salvation,
covering themselves with 
the blood of the Lamb.

Those that don’t know Christ
will sit to the left of Him.
Jesus will not be in the middle
of them and God.
Jesus will not protect them
from His magnificent light!

The goats will be totally exposed
to God’s pure light, and they will burn
when in His presence.

The goats will not endure
the wrath of God’s judgement.
The Day will come when He destroys
all that is not of Him.

Where is Heaven and Hell?
Well, isn't it obvious?
The answer lies in one's “position” to Jesus.

Heaven sits to the right hand of Jesus
where the Lamb of God
provides perfect intercession
to God’s final judgement.
He is the only sacrifice that was given
that can atone for sin,
permanently allowing man to receive
God's blessing.

Hell sits to the left of Christ -
where God’s magnificent light
destroys all that is not part
of His glorious body -
​All the impurities that are full of sin.

Praying that all who read this
be renewed in the Holy Spirit.
#Maranatha - Lord, Come!

Do you remember
when you first left your children alone?
Was it hard?
Did you worry about them
when you were gone?
Did you do everything you could
to give them all the information 
they would need
in case of an emergency?

God is just like us.
He is such a good, good parent.
He left his children a Book of Instruction -
to explain and know to handle
every single situation.

He even taught us how to invest - 
How to built up interest
in the Kingdom of Heaven while He is gone.

And He taught us how easy it will be
for His children to be deceived,
especially at the end of age!

He said even the elect will fall
into Satan’s trap!

Children of God,
whom He also calls Servants,
will believe they can take things
into their own hands!

They will lack trust
and stop putting their faith into action.
They will take on the role
of an adulterous nation.

“It will be like a man going on a journey,
who called his servants
and entrusted his wealth to them.
To one he gave five bags of gold,
to another two bags,
and to another one bag,
each according to his ability.”

“Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received
five bags of gold went at once
and put his money to work
and gained five bags more.
So also, the one with two bags of gold
gained two more.
But the man who had received
one bag went off,
dug a hole in the ground
and hid his master’s money.”

“After a long time, the master
of those servants returned
and settled accounts with them.
The man who had received five bags of gold
brought the other five.
‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me
with five bags of gold.
See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied,
‘Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with two bags of gold
also came. ‘Master,’ he said,
“you entrusted me with two bags of gold;
see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied,
“Well done, good and faithful servant!
You have been faithful with a few things;
I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness!’

‘Then the man who had received
one bag of gold came.
‘Master,’ he said,
“I knew that you are a hard man,
harvesting where you have not sown
and gathering where
you have not scattered seed.
So I was afraid and went out
and hid your gold in the ground.’
See, here is what belongs to you.’
‘His master replied,
‘You wicked, lazy servant!
So you knew
that I harvest where I have not sown
and gather where I have not scattered seed?
Well then, you should have
put my money on deposit
with the bankers, so that when I returned
I would have received it back with interest.”

“So take the bag of gold
from him and give it to the one
who has ten bags.
For whoever has will be given more,
and they will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have,
even what they have
will be taken from them.
And throw that worthless servant
outside, into the darkness,
where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:14-30‬

You see, the first two servants
had followed every instruction.
They knew that the Master’s plan,
and they knew how to contribute to His wealth.
They knew the wealth was inside the Seed.
They also knew the heart of the Master.
They knew that His Seed
can spread by the four winds -
onto all types of grounds.

They knew that He would be
harvesting on every ground -
Even the ground
where His seed was not scattered.

So they followed God’s instructions
and diligently did the work of their Master,
with a confident hope that He would return.

The third servant must have skimmed
over the instructions.
He clearly did not know
the heart of the Master, or His plan.

It is true.
He knew the Seed was important.
He knew the Seed had value,
which is why he decided to hid it.
He also knew the Seed was scattered,
and he knew it often falls on hard ground.
But instead of being a Servant of God
and putting his faith into action,
the wicked servant operated 
out of his own accord.

He did not follow or trust
his Master’s instructions.
Instead,
He operated out of fear and deception.
He operated out of his own faithlessness.

God calls him a wicked servant -
which means he was working for God,
but his faith and knowledge of God
was still missing.

Scripture says that
when the Master returned,
the servant was kicked out
and thrown in darkness
because he was
considered worthless -
worthless for sowing SEED
and building up kingdom of Heaven.
He had not trusted.
He did not put his faith into action.
He did not trust
the Father’s Book of Instruction.
Instead he TOOK the valuable seed and hid it!
And when God came,
the Servant thought he did something good.
But this was not true in the eyes of God!

The Master said,
‘You wicked, lazy servant!
So YOU KNEW that I harvest
where I have not sown
and gather where I have
not scattered seed?
Well then, you should have
put my money on deposit
with the bankers,
so that when I returned
I would have received it
back with interest.”
Matthew 25:26-27

Written 8/22/21

​Have you been watching the news?
What have you been seeing?
Is it entertaining?
Is it disgusting?
What are you hearing?
What are you seeing?
While most people
have been watching the tele-a-vision
I’ve been watching in the Spirit.
And I’ve been noticing we are living
“As it was in the days of Noah.”
So, I’ve been thinking -
Shouldn’t we be watching
for the Lord’s Coming?
“the Coming of the Son of Man.”

“For in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day Noah entered the ark;
and they knew nothing
about what would happen
until the flood came 
​and took them all away.
That is how it will be
at the coming of the Son of Man.
Two men will be in the field;
one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding
with a hand mill; one will be taken
and the other left.”
“Therefore keep watch,
because you do not know
on what day your Lord will come.
But understand this:
If the owner of the house
had known at what time of night
the thief was coming,
he would have kept watch
and would not have let his house
be broken into.
So you also must be ready,
because the Son of Man
will come at an hour
when you do not expect him.”
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant,
whom the master has put in charge
of the servants in his household
to give them their food
at the proper time?
It will be good for that servant
whose master finds him doing so
when he returns.
Truly I tell you, he will put him
in charge of all his possessions.
But suppose that servant is wicked
and says to himself,
‘My master is staying away
a long time,’ and he then begins
to beat his fellow servants
and to eat and drink with drunkards.
The master of that servant
will come on a day
when he does not expect him
and at an hour he is not aware of.
He will cut him to pieces
and assign him a place with the hypocrites,
where there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:36-51

“But about that day or hour no one knows,
not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father.
As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be at the coming
of the Son of Man.”
Matthew 24:36-37

Hey everyone!
The Game is On!
You’ve been invited to the stadium!
You are NOT gonna want to miss this one!
It’s the Super Bowl!
And the teams are JESUS, a team of ONE,
and HYPOCRISY, a team of many fat religious men
who altogether weigh a ton!

Come on.  Fill right in!
Jesus is expecting
the biggest crowd He has ever had!

The game starts with the coin toss.
Both teams offer a question
that pisses each other off.

Listen in.
Hearing that Jesus
had silenced the Sadducees,
the Pharisees got together
and tested Jesus with this question:
“Teacher, which is the greatest
commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied:
“Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind.’
This is the first
and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
ALL THE LAW and THE PROPHETS
hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:36-40

Instead of drawing closer, and asking Jesus
to explain what He meant,
the Pharisees gathered together,
in defensive support.
They huddled in together and whispered,
“No Offensive Word 
is going to break through this heart!”

But Jesus tried.
He took the ball and started to run
as hard as he could.
This is the question that He asked.

“What do you think about the Messiah?
Whose son do you think he is?

“The son of David,” they replied.

He said to them,
“How is it then that David,
speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’?
For he says, “The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand until I put
your enemies under your feet.”
If then David calls him ‘Lord,
how can he be his son?”
The Pharisees were stunned.
They all stood silent.
No one could say a word.
They had no answer to give!
And from that day on
no one dared to ask Jesus a question”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:34-46‬

But Jesus did not stop there.
He had more important things to share!
There were so many people watching the game,
He continued to run, gaining yards 
for the touchdown!

Jesus looked up at his disciples,
and to the crowds and said,
“The teachers of the law
and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat”
(meaning the legal seat of authority)

“So you must be careful
to do everything they tell you”
(There were major consequences
for breaking the law - he didn’t want
their freedom to be taken away).

"But do not do what they do,
for they do NOT practice what they preach.
They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads
and put them on OTHER people’s shoulders,
but they themselves are NOT willing
to lift a finger to move them.
Everything they do is done for people to see:
They make their phylacteries wide 
and the tassels on their garments long;
they love the place of honor at banquets and
the most important seats in the synagogues;
they love to be greeted with respect
in the marketplaces
and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“BUT YOU ARE NOT TO BE CALLED ‘Rabbi’ (TEACHER)
for you have one Teacher,
and you are all brothers.“
“AND DO NOT CALL ANYONE ON EARTH ‘father,’
for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. “
“NOR ARE YOU TO BE CALLED instructors,
for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.”

By the way, I must say,
I absolutely love this proof!
We just had this conversation in our women’s group -
NO HUMAN should be given
the authority of Teacher,
Instructor or Father when it comes to God!

In my opinion, and according to Jesus,
God is the only Father
and Jesus is the only teacher to instruct -
because he alone is God!

Anyway, Jesus tells them,
“The greatest among you
will be your servant.
For those who exalt themselves
will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves
will be exalted.”

It is the HUMBLE
who shall inherit the earth!

“Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven
in people’s faces.
You yourselves do not enter,
nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”

And the crowds shout, GO JESUS!
He is showing the Pharisees
they don’t know how to love!
They don’t even know what love is!

“Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You travel over land and sea
to win a single convert,
and when you have succeeded,
you make them twice as much
a child of hell as you are.”

The disciples shout, GO JESUS!
They know who they are!
They have been transformed
by the Holy Spirit.

“Woe to you, blind guides!
You say, ‘If anyone swears
by the temple, it means nothing;
but anyone who swears
by the gold of the temple
is bound by that oath.’
You blind fools! Which is greater:
the gold, or the temple
that makes the gold sacred?
You also say, ‘If anyone swears
by the altar, it means nothing;
but anyone who swears
by the gift on the altar
is bound by that oath.’
You blind men!
Which is greater: the gift, or the altar
that makes the gift sacred?
Therefore, anyone who swears
by the altar swears by it
and by everything on it.
And anyone who swears
by the temple swears by it
and by the one who dwells in it.
And anyone who swears by heaven
swears by God’s throne
and by the one who sits on it.”
Hey crowd - what oath
are you holding onto to?
Have you come to the alter?
Have you come to the Temple of God?
Or are you still holding onto the gold?
“Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You give a tenth of your spices -
mint, dill and cumin.
But you have neglected
the more important matters of the law -
justice, mercy and faithfulness.
You should have practiced the latter,
without neglecting the former.
You blind guides!
You strain out a gnat
but swallow a camel.”

GO JESUS!
The crowds are standing!
Hebrews 11 is coming alive!
The TRUTH is So Offensive!
He is about to make a touchdown!

Listen to that MARANATHA CRY!

“Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You clean the outside of the cup and dish,
but inside they are full of
greed and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee!
First clean the inside of the cup and dish,
and then the outside also will be clean.”

Oh the hypocrisy!
The Law and its instruction
had become so darkened!
Humans are so full of sin!
They did not understand -
The Law was just a mirror for them.
Instead of it being a true reflection,
and changing their hearts
to conform to God’s Holy Spirit -
they darkened it!
Imagine the layers of filth,
the layers of darkness
that now covers men.

“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.
In the same way, on the outside
you appear to people as righteous
but on the inside you are full of
hypocrisy and wickedness."

“Woe to you, teachers of the law
and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You build tombs for the prophets
and decorate the graves of the righteous.
And you say,
‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have taken part
with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
So you testify against yourselves
that you are the descendants
of those who murdered the prophets.
Go ahead, then, and complete
what your ancestors started!
“You snakes! You brood of vipers!
How will you escape
being condemned to hell?”

GO JESUS!
THIS IS LOVE!
Sharing the Sword of the Spirit

“Therefore I am sending you
prophets and sages and teachers.
Some of them you will kill and crucify;
others you will flog
in your synagogues
and pursue from town to town.
And so upon you will come
all the righteous blood
that has been shed on earth,
from the blood of righteous Abel
to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berekiah,
whom you murdered 
between the temple and the altar.
Truly I tell you,
all this will come on this generation.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets
and stone those sent to you,
how often I have longed
to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings,
and you were not willing.
Look, your house
is left to you desolate.
For I tell you, you will not see me again
until you say,
‘Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:1-39‬ ‭

TOUCHDOWN!
JESUS SCORED!
Is your spirit going wild?
Or are you just totally confused?
Take a minute - Think about it.
Because this is a good indicator
about whose team you are on!

You see, Jesus won with the coin toss.
He did not have to prove himself!
But Jesus chose to play the game
for the great crowd of witnesses, in the stands.
The great cloud of witnesses get excited
when they see FAITH IN ACTION being played out!

Jesus did not waste His Words on Hypocrites.
Instead, He looked at the crowds
and His disciples and He spoke to them!

Not only did He show them
the errors in the religious men,
but He explained what is needed
for Him to come again!

What team are you on?
What team do you shout for?
Me - I’m on Team Jesus!