Praise the Lord Saints. I know this is a long series, but you cannot let what you have known to be the truth for decades become a lie just because pretty preaching, smooth talking, hooping and hoping preachers sound so good and look so eloquent doing it.
I will close next week with all the scriptures you will need and then it’s up to you.
Romans 9:31-33: “but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”
Galatians 3:7: “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” These are the Gentiles who believe. Both of these are now part of the body as Christ broke down the middle wall of partition to make one new man. (Eph.2) We are one “IN Christ.” Scripture is clear that we must abide in the vine to be in Christ as well as to be fruitful.
There will be two brides, one married to Christ, and the other will be married to the one who looks like Christ but is a fake substitute. One bride follows the Word of God and is watching for His appearance; the other bride uses the Word for its own advancement and looks not to His coming but to the things of earth.
They, by default, will not be ready for His coming. There is the Church married to the lamb and is willing to follow Him anywhere He leads, even into suffering. Then there is the Church that is not willing to give up anything of the world but long for good life they have been taught they deserve.
They know the lamb but are not willing to wholeheartedly give up the world and all the attractions in it, and they see nothing wrong with it. As with the 10 virgins, we are told while the bridegroom delayed, five were filled with the oil and had their lights shining; they were busy doing the work of the Lord.
The other five slumbered, and when the time came for Jesus to gather his bride, they were taken by surprise. They asked the five who had lights and doing the Lords’ work to sell them oil for their lamps. They were unprepared.
Their answer? Go to those who sell the oil and buy it. Here’s the twist, they actually did go to buy the oil, and while they did the bridegroom came. It was too late; no amount of pleading would let them in.
There is a lesson in this. One cannot buy the Holy Spirit, nor can you get the oil (anointing) neither by tithing or offerings nor from another man. It can only come directly from Jesus, and one must follow him to receive it. When Jesus came, and these five unwise virgins called to Jesus the very same way the false miracle workers do in Matt .7:21 saying, “Lord, Lord.”
Jesus answers by pointing to the very same day of his coming back “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME? And in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me.” (Matthew 7:22-23)
Jesus said to these five unwise virgins the very same thing: “I never knew you.”
What a scary thing to have said to those who thought they were doing his work by displays of power and offering it to the sheep. What is Jesus saying? That displays of power in His name do not guarantee one is actually representing Him.
There are many we see to be in this position today. Then many will never have to worry or wonder about being in this position, as they do not try to do any miracles or pursue them. This does not mean God has taken a vacation and does no more miracles. He does!
What Jesus is saying is that there will be a group of people in the end who will try to validate their relationship with Christ by things that the apostles did. Jesus being the one who searches the heart, will know if they were authentic or not.
Some may be reading this thinking what could be wrong with looking for and participating in the exciting ministries concentrating on miracles? This is the ONLY practice Jesus warned of that would be prevalent in the last days INSIDE and OUTSIDE the Church is a deception.
The fact is we are not immune to deception, and if you believe you are, then you are ALREADY DECEIVED! For the first thing Jesus told the apostles (and us) about the time of His coming and the end of the age “see to it that no one deceives you.”
