When a person begins to develop the desire to search for and find a close relationship with God and His son, the majority of people’s first thought is to consider which church or religion they should attend. Others take the more prudent approach by doing some personal research on the matter. When something is read that appears rational and truthful…. before it’s accepted, they must know where it came from, who wrote it, and what religion’s theology it represents. In many cases, regardless of content, if the source is not a person they think it should be, or presented in the manner they expected, the material is quickly discarded and considered flawed. (Jeremiah 8:6)
This type of thinking, though somewhat petty, seems to be a natural human tendency. Jesus himself was a victim of this type of prejudice many times throughout his ministry. One of the first times occurred when Phillip told Nathanael they had found the promised Messiah…. His name was Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. Even though Nathanael was a man with no deceit, his first thought was identical to people in today’s world. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:45, 46)
Why did Nathanael react this way? …. Because Nazareth was occupied by very poor, very insignificant people! It was certainly not a place anyone would expect the promised King of Israel to come from! He was expected to wear the frilled robes and possess the pious self-serving attitude Israel’s esteemed leaders were noted for. (Luke 20:46, 47) However, he was the exact opposite of what everyone expected him to be! Instead of building up all the traditions Israel had established…. His words tore them down! (Mark 7:6-9) Instead of joining them in their prosperity endeavors, he placed no value on money whatsoever, calling them a den of thieves! (Matthew 21: 12, 13)
This would certainly place him on thin ice in the midst of the pious atmospheres and money-making schemes found in today’s churches, would it not? Today’s expensive buildings and high salaries are a long way from the closet Jesus recommended! The money schemers even say they will pray for you…. Then send you a bill! (Matthew 6:1-8)
Revelation 22:17 is carefully…. Never Spoken! “And the spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. “Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely.”
The forerunner to Jesus also had unexpected beginnings. His dress, his diet, his overall way of life was very crude in comparison to normal life during that era. The man chosen by God to make His ways ready…. to give knowledge of salvation to the people…. and to make sure they were aware the Messiah was in their midst…. actually lived his life in the wilderness of the desert. He remained in this solitude position, completely apart from the rest of the world’s worship activity, while growing and getting stronger in spirit until the day of showing himself openly to the people. (Luke 1:66-80) He gave the most valuable Godly message in history, yet was not connected to men’s religious systems in any way! (Matthew 3:7-9)
No one could legitimately deny that John the Baptist’s preparation message was a prototype for the Elijah message God promised He would send to the world before the coming of His great and fear-inspiring day! (Malachi 4:5) There are just too many visions, stories and scriptures describing why a forerunner will always precede the Messiah! Jesus himself said at Matthew 11:14, 15 & 17:11 “And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.” “He that has ears to hear, let him listen!” “Elijah indeed is coming and will restore all things.”
In the previous precept, John’s message of “metaneo” or “change your thinking” was explained in a way anyone should be able to understand. The last day’s Elijah message will provide truths beyond the teachings of every religion in this world! (John 16:12-15) These truths will eventually allow everyone on earth the opportunity to obey God and “Change their Thinking.” (Acts 17:30) The dilemma facing all people will be: Recognizing and distinguishing this truthful end-time knowledge from the scripture twisting teachings all religions of men have developed in their attempts to justify their handed down doctrines! (2nd Peter 3:16-18)
This recognition will be a big problem for many, many people! The majority will find it absolutely absurd to even consider their life-long beliefs need to be investigated and even pushed aside. Proud, self-righteous people find it very difficult to accept the fact they are wrong! It will require a humility that many simply, do not have. This is why the bible constantly condemns pride and stresses the importance of being humble. The following 2 scriptures in Isaiah, addresses both of these modern-day issues.
“Who say, ‘Keep away, do not come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ (God then says) “Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.” (Isaiah 65:5)
“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:2)
The overcoming people who will become the ecclesia Jesus described in the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Revelation will be those who are humble and take The Word of God to heart! They will not care if truth comes from the poor streets of Nazareth! They will not care if the Elijah message initially comes from someone unattached from the churches and religious organizations everyone considers essential for salvation! These people will recognize accurate bible explanations when they see them! They will not ignore the end-time knowledge because it doesn’t come from highly paid, well known, high society ministers, or leaders in their own religion. The ones called out of the darkness and captivity of men’s religions will understand that The Word of Truth will come in the very last days…. from someone unknown, crying out in the wilderness…. exactly as the bible has foretold! (Isaiah 40:3-5) This end of time fact concerning “the water of life” is clearly detailed at Isaiah 41:17-20.
“The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
“I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.”
“I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together,
“That they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.”
The final ecclesia will begin to drink “the free water of life” immediately before the 2nd seal is opened and plagues sent by God begin causing a world-wide unrest! It will be a time period when peace of mind for all people will be a struggle.
These called out ones of the last days, may not be who everyone expected. They may not be the highly respected clergy who prematurely glorify themselves as being the church. They may not be the organization idolaters who have claimed for decades, the 144,000 exists only in their religion. These unripe grape-pickers…. have no clue…. that number will be chosen from among the called out people after the real end-time movement of truth occurs! (Revelation 7:1-4) As God has many times declared; this world’s premature application of bible prophecy will stop!!! (Ezekiel 18:1-3) The noble and mighty religious leaders will no longer intoxicate people with wine before its time! (Isaiah 28:1-15)
1st Corinthians 1:26-29 puts God’s method of choosing into a very clear perspective: “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.”
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
The authentic church, and the authentic number of teachers, (Revelation 14:1-5) will be those who will recognize the end-time Elijah message and accept the truth of its words! They will not question where it came from or who wrote it! They will realize it teaches with the authority only real truth can provide and does not glorify men or the churches and organizations they represent. (Matthew 7:28, 29)
The chosen people of God will have the same type of heart condition…. not the same man-made religion! These currently unknown people will come from every part of the earth and all walks of life! Their common bond will be love! They will have love for God and other people…. as the newly found “water of life” binds them, and guides them, to the narrow path that sets them free from the broad and spacious road that leads to destruction. (Matthew 7:13, 14) (Hebrews 8:6-13)
The many people who daily make the claim “we are the church” make this claim because they have been taught that today’s churches are a continuation of the teachings Jesus established. The fact is this: Nearly all of the New Testament writers predicted that changes would occur in key beliefs after their deaths! Many of their writings confirmed people would fall away and that “apostasy” would enter the body of believers. 2nd Timothy 3:1, 4, 5, 7 describes this world-wide development.
“But know this, that in the last days, critical times hard to deal with will be here. Betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having a form of Godly devotion but proving false to its power, always learning and yet never able to come an accurate knowledge of truth.” “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
Paul spoke of our day concerning the coming of Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him at 2nd Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
The religious leaders are actually the ones guilty of fulfilling this prophecy! They set themselves up in temples, claiming that people must first go through them before they can find God. By advocating and building their own dynasties, they are, in effect, exalting themselves above God. Jesus is our mediator! The Word is the only connector of men to God, not the sayings of other men! In order to qualify this prophecy and place the guilt elsewhere, many of the guilty ones say this is an individual who is yet to come called the antichrist. Paul completely knocks their conjured up theory in the head when he goes on to say; “The mystery of this lawlessness is already at work!” Also 1st John 2:18,19 tells us many antichrists have already come!
The restraining factor against the true teachings of Jesus (which is the real antichrist!) became more dominant and widespread after the death of the apostles. The established body of Christ’s followers were infiltrated and deceived by false ideas. History shows that the early church changed its stance on core doctrines quite early on. The “mother” church, in its eagerness to grow, brought in many pagans and began to perform pagan rituals and accept ideas that had originated in paganism. Many split-offs from the church began to occur, but unfortunately they all adopted most of the changed and corrupted doctrines of the “mother” church. This process has been full blown and nonstop since the demise of Christ’s apostles. The real facts about the origin and development of the institutions of worship found on the earth today are totally different than the many unsuspecting followers have been led to believe!
Down to this day, the celebrations of pagan holidays; (Jeremiah 10:3-5)…. the shunning of the coming Kingdom Jesus said was the hope for all mankind; (Matthew 6:33)…. the adoption of the pagan Greek philosophy that the soul of man is immortal; (Ezekiel 18:4)…. the merchandising of God for personal gain; (Micah 3:11)…. These and too many other horrific doctrines and practices to list, continue to dominate today’s institutionalized worship known as Christianity!
So when the desire to be intimate with God comes into your heart, will you pursue the accepted ways of the world, (James 1:27) or search for the end-time knowledge that God has promised to send? (Isaiah 42:1-4) Will you burn incense on the altars of brick, where learning equates to eating swine’s flesh…. (Isaiah 65:3) or will you drink from the fountains of the water of life, God has provided in the midst of the wilderness? (Isaiah 41:18, 20)
If your decision is to seek spiritual guidance from the popular courses controlled by highly revered, intellectual men, consider these profound words spoken by Jesus. These comments were made immediately after he had revealed that Elijah was destined to come again! He then explained that during the time of the final Elijah message, many would not take heed or listen, just as they hadn’t listened to him.
(Matthew 11: 24, 25) “Consequently I say to you people, it will be more endurable for the land of Sodom on judgment day than for you.”
At that time Jesus said in response: “I publicly praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intellectual ones and have revealed them to babes.”
Jesus also indicated in the 12th chapter of Luke that his teachings would not be like the pious, song-singing atmospheres (Amos 5:23) that have become the hallmark of today’s traditional worship…. but would burn with the vengeance of a fire…. Causing confusion and division! Burning up the chaff as it separates the wheat from the weeds!
“I came to send a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49)
THE DIVINE PROMISE IS BEING FULFILLED!!!!
THE VOICE OF THUNDER HAS BEGUN TO ROAR LIKE A LION IN THE WILDERNESS….
“IS NOT MY WORD LIKE A FIRE? SAYS THE LORD, AND LIKE A HAMMER THAT BREAKS THE ROCK IN PIECES?” Jeremiah 23:29
THE FIRE IS KINDLED……. THE ROCK WILL BE BROKEN!!!!