The bible for many is like a smorgasbord. When you go to a smorgasbord, you look over the food choices and pick and choose what you want and leave behind the items you are not interested in. Many read the bible with that same process. They pick and choose from the bible what to believe and leave what they don’t believe, understand or agree with according to their own personal beliefs / doctrines of their church. In many cases, the bible is humanized and the supernatural is left aside. It seems that whatever can be processed and explained is accepted but what cannot be processed is ignored. Not only is it ignored, doctrines and theology are developed to explain them away.
For example, when you read the Gospels and Acts, they are filled with supernatural power from on High. We see Jesus preach the good news, heal the sick and cast out demons. 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.” Luke 4:40 “At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. 41 Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah.” Most people can accept that the Son of God, the Messiah could do those things. But almost immediately in the ministry of Jesus he chose disciples to do as He was doing. 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.” This then gets a little tougher for people but in the end, they accept that the twelve had those powers. You also had Luke 10:1 “the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two. 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.” They will even accept that a few others like Paul, Stephen and Philip had those same powers but that is about it. The church in the centuries that followed is a different story.
The bible then is read as a story that happened long ago but not as a manual for the present. God’s manual has been replaced with man’s own guidebooks. Even though scripture is clear, the church has picked and chosen what they would believe. Even though Jesus said 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.” We are also told Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. John 15:7 “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Notice that Jesus said, “very truly I tell you,”and yes He was serious but most in the church do not believe Him. I grew up in the Free Methodist Church, pastored in the Free Methodist and Wesleyan Church but the power we see in scripture was not present, not even close, nor were people searching for it. If you did believe there was power available, you would be searching with everything you had. I was also involved in the charismatic movement because like many, I was looking for more but what I found was the same powerlessness, accept there was supernatural deception and delusion like people speaking in tongues, people falling on their backs, prophecy which gave the appearance of God’s presence but there was no power as we read in scripture. People have chosen to accept the powerless church as how the church is supposed to be but continue to ignore the biblical truth about the power that is available to all who would believe. Not only has the church added to and taken away from scripture, much of God’s word has also been ignored because of unbelief, lack of understanding and rebellion because God’s word’s do not fit with their own words. Hebrews 2:1 “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Unfortunately, most have drifted away.
On Sunday I talked about the terrifying subject of hell and yes it should be terrifying to think about. Having said that, if we are truly following God’s word wholeheartedly, there can be peace. The problem is that many think the manmade and demonic doctrines they are following makes them secure when they are not. The fear of God has both fear and peace. Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” When there is no fear of God, there is no peace even though you have been taught that there is. Jeremiah 6:14 “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 37:19 “Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, ‘The king of Babylon will not attack you or this land’?”
The scholars and the intellectuals in the church have basically destroyed the church because they (with the help of satan) have come up with doctrines and theology to explain away the desolation the church is presently in (for generations) and now the church has accepted that desolation as the way the church is supposed to be. Because of this acceptance the church does not repent as most think the church is operating as it should be. The church decided that the old, old stories are just stories and not for today. You can only come to that conclusion if you pick and choose what you want to believe and ignore the rest of scripture. Sit down and read the Gospels and Acts and the church you see there is not the church we see today. What you do see in the church today is the abomination that causes desolation and just as Jesus warned, Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” Think about that verse just for a moment. This attack on the church is so powerful that the church would be totally wiped out if it was not for God intervening. Thankfully there will always be a remnant as God will keep His promise to David.
satan’s power in the church has brought massive devastation. That also means that millions will join satan in hell and not just those who have nothing to do with God, but also those who refuse to believe God’s word. We are told Revelation 12:12 “woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” His fury will not relent until his time comes to an end. But like the power the church was supposed to have to continue to destroy the devil’s work (1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work), the church has decided that God really wasn’t serious when Jesus said, Matthew 25:41 “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Most do not take hell that serious as they think God would never allow that to happen. Most won’t even question what they have been taught and will go to their deaths, confidant in the words of man, all the while ignoring God’s word because His words did not line up with their own words, plus hell just seems a little harsh. Matthew 23:15 “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.” That is still happening today.
Most read the bible and really do not take God that serious because they have been taught that God is loving and would not allow such a thing, even though scripture clearly states that He would. 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. 20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.” Habakkuk 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. 8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; 9 they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. 10 They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. 11 Then they sweep past like the wind and go on— guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”
Don’t think for a moment that God is not serious. The amazing part is that God always gave a way out as we saw in 2 Chronicles 36:15 “sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. We saw the same with Israel. 2 Kings 17:3 “The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets. 14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19 and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. 20 Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.” God still provides a way out but the church must repent.
Hell is void of God’s presence and we cannot even come close to describing that, but what we do know is that God is serious when he said Revelation 21:6 “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” John 3:18 “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. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” You do not want to wait till it is too late to find out that God was serious.
