The Churches of today
Churches corrupted
Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus
entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He
overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling
doves. "It is written," he said to them, "`My house will be
called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a `den of robbers.'
Scattering of the Churches
Matthew 12:30-32 "He
who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.
And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the
blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word
against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy
Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
The Judging will not know
Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus
entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and
the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing
these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"
Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will
tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism--where did
it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" They discussed it among
themselves and said, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will ask, `Then why
didn't you believe him?' But if we say, `From men'--we are afraid of the
people, for they all hold that John was a prophet." So they answered
Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you
by what authority I am doing these things.
The First shall be Last and the Last shall be First
Others will understand
Matthew 21:28-32 "What
do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said,
`Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' "`I will not,' he answered, but
later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son
and said the same thing. He answered, `I will, sir,' but he did not go.
"Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first,"
they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax
collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not
believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you
saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Jesus to the unrepentant
Unrepentant
Matthew 11:20-24 Then Jesus
began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed,
because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and
Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell
you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than
for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will
go down to the depths. If the miracles
that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained
to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day
of judgment than for you."
Matthew 18:15-17 "If
your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two
of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will
not listen, take one or two others along, so that `every matter may be
established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to
listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the
church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Matthew 18:23-34 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a
king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the
settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master
ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to
repay the debt. "The servant fell
on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,' he begged, `and I will pay back
everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let
him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him.
`Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his
knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' "But
he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he
could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were
greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
"Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,' he said, `I
canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow
servant just as I had on you?' In anger
his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay
back all he owed.
Matthew 21:33-41
"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He
put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he
rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the
harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his
fruit. "The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another,
and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first
time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son
to them. `They will respect my son,' he said. "But when the tenants saw
the son, they said to each other, `This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and
take his inheritance.' So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and
killed him. "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he
do to those tenants?" "He will bring those wretches to a wretched
end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants,
who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."
Matthew 22:1-7 Jesus spoke
to them again in parables, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a king
who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who
had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
"Then he sent some more servants and said, `Tell those who have been
invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been
butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' "But
they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business.
The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was
enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
Matthew 23:37-39 "O
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, but 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.'
The hardened hearts shall not see
Do not judge the Truth
Matthew 11:25-27 At that
time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to
little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. "All things
have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to
reveal him.
Romans 1:18-19 The wrath of
God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of
men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about
God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Innocence will see the Truth
Matthew 19:13-15 Then
little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and
pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands
on them, he went on from there.
The Prophets
Matthew 12:17-21 This was
to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "Here is my servant
whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on
him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry
out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not
break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope."
Warning of delusions
Work of the Anti-Christs
Matthew 24:5 For many will
come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ' and will deceive many.
Matthew 24:11 and many
false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Matthew 24:23-24 At that
time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the Christ!' or, `There he is!' do
not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great
signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.