The 24th chapter of Matthew is one of the key chapters in the New Testament that relates directly to the very last of the last days before Jesus returns. There are corresponding chapters in the gospels of Mark and Luke, those being the 13th and 21st chapters respectively. They all relate what was talked about as Jesus and his disciples left the temple complex and walked down the valley and up on the Mount of Olives....in this what has come to be known as the Olivet Discourse. It should come natural to Christians today to refer over and over again to these chapters but have we paid much attention to the preceding chapter where Jesus lambastes the scribes and the Pharisees?
You see the Pharisees locked up the kingdom and didn't let people in. They didn't go in and they wouldn't let anyone else in either. Hmm. That's sounds a little like today where the Pharisees...in this case liberal pastors and teachers....do not preach that one has to be born again.....they don't know what it is.....don't like the sound of it......and they won't let others go near it. What they do is change the gospel itself into an 'easy believism' minus the hard truths of the gospel so that they can not only partake of this gospel that does not save but lead those under their teaching to the same fate.
Jesus was very specific in admonishing these Pharisees and scribes with woe after woe after woe....seven in total....one of which is confusing enough to cause anyone to skip over to the next chapter. The Pharisees said that it didn't really mean anything if the people took an oath on the sanctuary, but let them take an oath on the gold that they put on the altar in the sanctuary. Wow, that really grabs your attention doesn't it? It seems that to the Pharisees, God's dwelling place wasn't the important part in this what was an unbiblical transaction to begin with but rather what was placed on the altar. How does this come into to play for us? The church of today does not value the words that the church of yesterday was built upon. It therefore does not honor He whom gave us those words. The church therefore is not what's holy. The Pharisee of today still misleads the people by failing to distinguish between "the holy and the profane."
Faithful Christians have been martyred throughout the ages....all of whom in one way or another were standing for truth....but stand for truth today and the very people who certainly would if pressed honor the memories of those martyred proclaiming the gospel are ready to denounce anyone who proclaims the very same truths those men of the past did. Jesus continued with......"Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town." Folks that's exactly what the Presbyterian church did to J. Gresham Machen when he called them out for departing from the gospel! Charles Haddon Spurgeon received similar condemnations as have many others, and as do any today who call the church to account for failing to preach and teach salvation by grace alone....through faith alone....in Christ alone....all to the glory of God alone....and Scripture alone as our "sole infallible rule of faith and practice."
The chapter concludes with this..."See 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'." This surely describes the liberal Christian church in the world today along with the accompanying societies..... for they are desolate....but they shall see He whom they have kept from the people...and they shall see the kingdom they will not enter.
Most financial advisors recommend that 10% of one's portfolio be in gold. It would prove invaluable to us to reserve at least 10% of our daily Scripture reading in prophesy....I prefer 50% due to the chaotic unravelling of society right before our very eyes.... for therein is spiritual gold that will still be a treasure through whatever lies ahead.
You see the Pharisees locked up the kingdom and didn't let people in. They didn't go in and they wouldn't let anyone else in either. Hmm. That's sounds a little like today where the Pharisees...in this case liberal pastors and teachers....do not preach that one has to be born again.....they don't know what it is.....don't like the sound of it......and they won't let others go near it. What they do is change the gospel itself into an 'easy believism' minus the hard truths of the gospel so that they can not only partake of this gospel that does not save but lead those under their teaching to the same fate.
Jesus was very specific in admonishing these Pharisees and scribes with woe after woe after woe....seven in total....one of which is confusing enough to cause anyone to skip over to the next chapter. The Pharisees said that it didn't really mean anything if the people took an oath on the sanctuary, but let them take an oath on the gold that they put on the altar in the sanctuary. Wow, that really grabs your attention doesn't it? It seems that to the Pharisees, God's dwelling place wasn't the important part in this what was an unbiblical transaction to begin with but rather what was placed on the altar. How does this come into to play for us? The church of today does not value the words that the church of yesterday was built upon. It therefore does not honor He whom gave us those words. The church therefore is not what's holy. The Pharisee of today still misleads the people by failing to distinguish between "the holy and the profane."
Faithful Christians have been martyred throughout the ages....all of whom in one way or another were standing for truth....but stand for truth today and the very people who certainly would if pressed honor the memories of those martyred proclaiming the gospel are ready to denounce anyone who proclaims the very same truths those men of the past did. Jesus continued with......"Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town." Folks that's exactly what the Presbyterian church did to J. Gresham Machen when he called them out for departing from the gospel! Charles Haddon Spurgeon received similar condemnations as have many others, and as do any today who call the church to account for failing to preach and teach salvation by grace alone....through faith alone....in Christ alone....all to the glory of God alone....and Scripture alone as our "sole infallible rule of faith and practice."
The chapter concludes with this..."See 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'." This surely describes the liberal Christian church in the world today along with the accompanying societies..... for they are desolate....but they shall see He whom they have kept from the people...and they shall see the kingdom they will not enter.
Most financial advisors recommend that 10% of one's portfolio be in gold. It would prove invaluable to us to reserve at least 10% of our daily Scripture reading in prophesy....I prefer 50% due to the chaotic unravelling of society right before our very eyes.... for therein is spiritual gold that will still be a treasure through whatever lies ahead.
