Tag Archives: Religion

Matthew 24- Signs of The End

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And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:1-3

Matthew Chapter 24 is the core of all future end time events and the return of Christ. Now there are many Christians who believe all of Matthew 24 is already fulfilled, however while I believe parts are fulfilled, there are still many things to come, and will break it down in the next verses. The first sign of the end of the Old Covenant is the destruction of The Temple. This is one the of the charges the religious leaders placed on Christ during his trial, his prediction of the destruction of the Temple

We know that in 70 AD , this prophecy was fulfilled and the Temple in Israel was destroyed and never rebuilt , even to this day. Whether your a Christian or not, you can’t deny the accuracy of Jesus’ prophecy. However the destruction of The Temple has even greater meaning, as with the destruction of the Temple, goes the entire Mosaic Worship system, such as sacrifices, high priests, these are all fulfilled in Jesus Christ and his New Covenant (Hebrews 8)

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. Matthew 24:4-9

The disciples asked Jesus “What will be the signs of your return and the end of the age”? Jesus gives his disciples 4 signs, now when you study Revelation 6, the four horseman, they align perfectly with what Christ reveals here

  1. The Anti-Christ- 1rst Horseman White– And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Revelation 6:1-2 

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many Matthew 24:5

Yes many Ant-Christs have already come and gone, but the Son of Perdition(2 Thessalonians 2) will come at the end to deceive most of the world

  1. Wars- 2nd Horseman Red And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. Revelation 6:3-4

          And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom Matthew 24:6-7

Yes there have been wars in the past, but the Anti-Christ will generate a war on a global scale, with casualties never seen in human history

  1. Famine – 3rd Horseman Pale   And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Revelation 6:5-6 

           . For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places Matthew 24:7

Famine will come on a global scale that has never been seen before, and large amounts of the worlds population will die

  1. Death- 4th Horseman Black – And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Revelation 6:7-8

            Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. Matthew 24:9

The Last Horseman will be death and it will been seen on a scale never seen before in the world

Other resources:

Is Jesus The First Horseman?

Is Jesus The First Horseman?

Matthew 23- Whitewashed Tombs

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Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:23-28

As we continue to look at Jesus’ rebuke of the religious leaders of Israel, we see a pattern. As Jesus said “You have omitted the weightier matters of the law” The religious leaders used parts of The Law to make themselves appear holy and righteous , however they neglected the greater parts of The Law because it didn’t benefit them. As the Apostle James said “Whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, is guilty of all” (James 2:10) We can’t pick and choose which parts of the Bible we want to follow, we either Love God or we love the world

Jesus called the religious leaders “Whitewashed tombs” (v27) Why? Because on the outside they appeared very holy and righteous. They sat in the most important seats, and quoted long prayers, and wore nice garments, but inside their hearts were wicked. They have adopted to a false religion, a religion that can’t save anyone, they needed to become Born Again through Christ

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. Matthew 23:29-36

Jesus points out the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, they decorate the tombs of the prophets, yet they are the one who killed the prophets. Jesus goes on to call them “You brood of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of Hell” The religious leaders are guilt of killing Gods prophets and eventually will kill the Messiah, they have brought a great judgment upon themselves and the nation of Israel

What can we learn from the religious leaders of Israel? We should learn not to fall for false religion, just because things appear to be “good” on the outside, doesn’t mean they are righteous on the inside. We have seen the Church today has fallen in the same trap, false doctrine and false teachers have flooded the Church. Don’t be deceived , God will not be mocked!

Worship God in Spirit and Truth, if we truly Love God with all our heart, soul, and strength, then our lives should reflect this Love, Amen!

Matthew 23- Woe to False Religion Part 2

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But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Matthew 23:13-16

As we continue to look at Jesus rebuke of false religion , we must understand the word “Woe” in the Bible is the greatest condemnation you can receive. The word Woe can mean wretchedness or trouble, it basically means judgment is coming upon you. We often think of the Woes of Revelation, it’s the final judgment. So when Jesus is announcing Woe unto the religious leaders and their system, it’s an act of judgement and condemnation

Continually Jesus calls the religious leaders hypocrites, they don’t practice what they preach. They don’t truly love God and they don’t truly follow the Torah, they use man-made rules and religion to elevate themselves. Notice Christ said the religious leaders will receive “greater damnation” , so much for “soul sleep” as false prophets will receive a greater judgment in Hell than others, why? The Apostle James said “Many should not become teachers, because a greater judgment will be upon you” (James 3:1) There is a great duty and responsibility to be a servant of Christ, many have abused this calling and will suffer eternal consequences

Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Matthew 23:17-22

Jesus continually calls the religious leaders “blind”, they are spiritually blind because they don’t have the Holy Spirit. As the Apostle Paul said “The natural man does not  receive the things from the Spirit of God, because they are foolish to them” (1 Corinthians 2:16) Even though the religious leaders know the scriptures and have dedicated their lives to studying the scriptures, they couldn’t properly discern them because they don’t have the Holy Spirit or received Christ as their Lord

People might say “Jesus is being harsh to these religious leaders” these are the same men who crucified The Lord on a cross! If you are going to be a religious leader than you need to make sure you are filled with the Holy Spirit, the false prophets and false teachers of the  Churches today will receive the same condemnation as the religious leaders of Israel, there is a great cost to be a disciple of Christ, make sure you are willing and able to pay that price! Amen!

Matthew 23- Woe To False Religion Part 1

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Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. Matthew 23:2-7

In this Chapter, Jesus goes off on the religious leaders of Israel. Much of this can be applied today in Christianity. There are many people who love their religion but they don’t truly love God. They are hypocritical , not bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Alot of religion today has become a show or an organization, people are more concerned about numbers and titles, rather than saving souls

Jesus starts off by saying the religious leaders “Don’t practice what they preach” They love to quote the Torah, they love to wear their fancy garments, however they don’t follow the same scriptures they are reading. They continually make up man-made rules and religion, to keep people burdened under a yoke. However Jesus came to set us free, that’s why Christ died on the cross, to set us free!

The religious leaders love to put on a public show for people, they love their title and money, they abuse their power of being a spiritual leader of the congregation. However these same people, as Jesus said are “White washed tombs” (v27), they are dead to sin, their hearts are still hardened, they have no love of God inside of them

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:8-12

Jesus said “Nobody should be called Rabbi, for Christ is your Teacher” so much for Judaism, and Jesus also said “Nobody should be called Father, for God is your Father” so much for Catholicism. As we see, man-made religion doesn’t follow the Will of God. They make up their own agendas with their own rules to profit themselves. The religious leaders of Israel are guilty of abusing God’s word and people, to make an organization for themselves.

The greatest among you shall be your servant! Nobody should be exalted except our Lord Jesus Christ, because The Lord is the head of the Church, The Lord is King of Kings, everyone else is just brothers and sisters in Christ , Amen!

Matthew 22- Jesus Is God

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While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. Matthew 22:41-46

People will often say “Jesus never said He is God” however Christ really tried to make it easy for people to understand this, it just seems like many either misunderstand Jesus or just simply don’t want to believe him. Here we see Jesus asking the religious leaders “Who’s Son is the Messiah”? Hint, hint…..This reminds you of when Jesus asked his own disciples “Who do you think I am” (Matthew 16)

The Christ, was standing right in front of the religious leaders asking them about himself, but they still didn’t get it. Even though these men were to be considered the “experts” at scripture and The Law, they didn’t even recognize the Messiah was standing right in front of them. The religious leaders answered that the Messiah would be the biological Son of David. This was based on their knowledge of the Messianic Prophecy of Psalm 110, so it confirms they know Jesus is asking them about the Messiah. 

Jesus said “David in Spirit called him Lord” , When David was prophesying about the coming of the Messiah , he was filled with the Holy Spirit, this was confirmed by Christ. As Jesus was trying to point out, if David was talking about his biological son, he would not be calling his son “Lord” It’s obvious David was actually prophecying about Jesus , and Christ is the Son of God, not the biological  Son of David

A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psalm 110:1

When we look at the original Hebrew it says “Yahweh said unto my Lord” Meaning the Father is talking to the Son to sit as his right hand. Can a human sit at the right hand of God? Can a human die for the sins of the world? Absolutely not, Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:14, Isaiah 9:6) Jesus was trying to point this out to the religious leader , but they just didn’t get it, even though they were experts of the scriptures

Today, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus Christ reigns from his throne as King of Kings and Lord of Lords , Amen!

Matthew 22- Render to God and Country

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Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.  Matthew 22:15-22

Again we see the religious leaders testing Jesus again, this time it was about taxes. Now this was a trick question, if Jesus said the Jews didn’t have to pay taxes to the Romans, then the Romans could arrest Christ. However if Jesus told the Jews to continue to pay their taxes to the Romans, then the Jews would turn on Jesus. So the religious leaders believed they had Jesus in a no win situation, however they underestimated who Jesus truly is, God in the flesh

Jesus answered the question with another question “Whose image is on the coin” Of course the answer was Caesar, so Christ told them “Render to Caesar what is Caesers and Render to God what is Gods” Christ was telling them to Pay your taxes to your country  and Pay your tithes to God. We as Christians are to be good citizens, to be a good example for other people. We must remember that we are just temporary citizens of this world, our Kingdom is not of this world, we are citizens of Heaven through our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20)

When the Jews heard Jesus say this they were marveled or amazed, why? Because many had the wrong idea of who The Messiah was to be. Many Jews were hoping Jesus came to setup his Earthly Kingdom and destroy the Roman Empire, but that was not Christ’s mission. Jesus came to save the sinners , including the Romans, Christ came so we can become Born Again, and set free from sin and death

I’m sure many Jews at this point, decided to reject Jesus Christ, because God was not fulfilling their will. Many people are still like this today, they create a God in their own image to fulfill their own will, this is idolatry. Even if we don’t fully understand Gods will, we must be obedient to Christ. Jesus came to gather his elect, to gather his lost sheep, to set the captives free!

Even today, we are oppressed by our governments, however we as good Christians, we pay our taxes and try to follow the Laws of the government. However if the laws of the government defy the law of God, then the Bible is clear we are to “Obey God rather than Man” (Acts 5:29) A good example is abortion, God hates those who shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17) therefor we as Christians will never support and comply with any abortion laws set by the governments.

Render to God and to Country,  Strive to live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18) Pay your taxes to the government and pay your tithes to God, but live in obedience to your Lord and King Jesus Christ, Amen!

Matthew 22- Parable of the Wedding Feast

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And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. Matthew 22:1-9

Just like the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, Jesus once again is teaching a parable about the New Covenant, the Gentiles now becoming Children of God through the blood of Christ. The return of Christ is compared to a Great Wedding Feast, Jesus is the groom and the Church is the bride of Christ. However in this parable, when the Wedding Feast was announced, many would not come. Israel rejected their Messiah, Jesus. Instead of receiving their Lord they crucified on a Roman pagan cross!

The scripture says “The remnant took his servants and persecuted and killed them” This is describing once again , the treatment Israel did to the prophets of God. When prophets like Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah spoke the word of God and told Israel to repent, they persecuted them and sometimes killed them. God said “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy” How are we worthy to enter the Kingdom of God? Only by being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ and being sanctified with the Holy Spirit in the name of The Father!

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:10-14

The New Covenant is for Jew and Gentiles, who are Born Again through Jesus Christ. Your religion or nationality won’t save your soul, only the blood of Christ can save you! Notice those who reject Christ will be cast in outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth, this is another warning about Hell. Weeping and Gnashing of teeth is not temporary , it’s the eternal destiny of the wicked, those who reject Jesus Christ as their Lord

Many are called but few are chosen, why? Because many refuse to repent of their sins, many refuse to make Jesus their Lord and be obedient to his commands, many are defiled with sin and not filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, be ready for the Great Wedding Feast is coming soon! Amen!

Matthew 21- The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

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Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. Matthew 21:33-39

When Jesus taught this Parable of the Wicked Tenant, the religious leaders were probably cut to the heart, because they knew Christ was talking about Israel. Another thing to point out, is Jesus is once again prophesying about his death, that the Messiah had to die at the hands of sinful men. The Lord also talks about the prophets, that were repeatedly persecuted and killed by Israel , because Israel didn’t want to listen to the warnings by God. 

Israel was God’s elect people, and God provided and blessed this nation. However what happened, they choose to worship their false religion and idols, rather than repent and turn to the living God who delivered them out of slavery from Egypt. Throughout the Old Testament, we see many prophets God sent to preach His word, and time after time we see the same results , Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, ect they were all persecuted sometimes even killed, because Israel refused to repent and listen to Yahweh

So God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Christ, surely Israel would listen to their King and God in the flesh. However Israel rejected their Messiah, and they crucified him on a cross, just as Christ predicted would happen in this parable

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:40-43

The stone which the builders (Israel) rejected is the Chief Cornerstone (Jesus Christ) Israel rejected their Messiah, the Son of God, therefore Christ established his New Covenant with Jew and Gentile, anyone who is Born Again through Christ will be part of God’s Kingdom. As the scripture says “The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you (Israel) Anyone who rejected Jesus Christ as Lord, rejects God. Nobody is saved by their religion or nationality, you can only be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, to wash away your sins

The New Covenant was prophesied by the same prophets that Israel persecuted, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel all foretold about the coming of Jesus and the New Covenant. Everyone who calls upon the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, shall be saved! Amen!

Matthew 21- Parable of The Two Sons

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But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32

How does anyone inherit eternal life? Who will enter into the Kingdom of  Heaven? Jesus makes it very clear in this parable about the Two Sons. As Christ said “Unless you are Born Again , you can see the Kingdom of Heaven” (John 3:3) This is the heart and root of this parable, your religion can’t save you, your family can’t save you, only the blood of Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit can save you! You have to be transformed and renewed, you need to become a New Creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)

The first son, rejected God at first, they were a wretched sinner, however eventually they repented. The word Repent means to change your mind or turn away from, Repentance is vital to your salvation. You must repent of your sins with godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) You need to be Born Again in Christ, you can’t still be the same sinner you were and claim to be Born Again. As the scripture says “As a  dog returns to its own vomit” (Proverbs 26:11) This is the same to someone who claims to have repented yet continues in the same sin, your a dog going back to your own vomit. Remember Repent is to turn away , it’s a change, you need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit!

The other son, claimed to obey God, they claimed to love God, but didn’t do anything God commanded them to do. They are a Lukewarm Christian and Christ said he will vomit them out of his mouth (Revelation 3:15-16) They are the most repulsive people to God, those who claim to be religious yet live like a devil. Those who have not truly repented, have never become Born Again in Christ, they have never received the Holy Spirit, yet they claim they are a Christian. They live for the world instead of Christ, they live for power and prestige, they are not saved because they have not done the will of our Heavenly Father

There is a clear line drawn between the saved and the unsaved. Jesus said “Repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15) From the beginning of Christ ministry, he preached repentance for salvation. Yet today we have watered down the gospel so much, everyone believes they are saved without repentance. They are like the second son, claiming to love God, but their fruits (Matthew 7) their lives tell a different story

Jesus ends this parable with a shocking statement “The tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of God before you” I believe this was directed at the religious leaders listening. Religion won’t save your soul, only Jesus Christ can save your soul, Repent and believe the gospel , Amen!

Matthew 21- By What Authority?

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And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. Matthew 21:23-27

The religious leaders decided to challenge Jesus once again, and said to Christ “By what authority do you do these things”? Now the fact that the religious leaders are even asking this question, proves they witnessed Jesus miracles, they listened to Jesus teachings, they understood who Jesus is claiming to be, the Son of God, The Christ. So instead of the religious leaders acknowledging Jesus is the Messiah and being obedient to him, they decided to challenge him instead

Jesus responded with a question regarding the baptism of John the Baptist, “The baptism of John, was it from Heaven or from Men”? Christ was challenging the religious leaders now, basically asking them was John a prophet or not? Now it was pretty well known that John the Baptist was a prophet from God, however the religious leaders cared more about the opinions of people than the truth. They refused to answer Christ because the scripture said “they fear the people”. They feared the opinion of people more than they feared God

This question can be asked to all of us in our hearts, by what authority is Jesus speaking or performing miracles? Do you believe Jesus is God in the flesh? Or do you believe Jesus is just another prophet or created being? The deity of Christ is still a debated topic within the Church today, how can Jesus be your Lord and Master, if Christ is not God? That would be idolatry if Jesus was just a man or a prophet, this is why most Christians who deny the Trinity, have alot of theological issues with their doctrine. 

Because the religious leaders would not be honest with Christ, then he refused to answer their question about the baptism of John. The important thing is are we honestly seeking Christ with all our heart, mind, and soul? Or are we just trying to fit Christ into our own religion and ideologies? We must unharden our hearts to receive the truth from God, if we don’t humble ourselves first, we can never truly know who God is

The religious leaders witnessed many miracles of Christ, they heard hours of teaching by Jesus himself, yet they still hardened their hearts and wouldn’t receive the true gospel. By what authority did Jesus speak or perform miracles? By His authority because Jesus is God in the Flesh, Amen!