7-30-16
It was somewhere around 2007 or 2008 that the discrepancies between what the Churches taught and what the Bible said began to bother me to the extent that I began to study the basic truths of the scripture for myself. The King James Version of the Bible uses the word, “covet,” three times in chapters 12, 13, and 14, of 1Corinthians yet the Church avoids talking about it. I was accused of teaching heresy for pointing out this truth.
Why? The Churches teach that Jesus died on Friday but Jesus Himself said, “Just as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the whale, the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth,” Matthew 12:40. This truth was presented to the Jews because they were asking for a sign to prove He was the Son of God, Matthew 12:38-39. Last I checked there is only one day and two nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, making the sign Jesus offered the Jews a falsehood. John informs us that Jesus died the day before a High Sabbath (John 20:31) and the day after Passover is the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and a High Sabbath day. This fact fits perfectly within the framework of Jesus’ death. He died on Passover. High Sabbaths were designated by date, not day of the week. Church scholars count forward, using the descriptions of Jesus’ last week on earth, to disprove Jesus’ claim to be in the grave three days and nights. They use scripture to prove the scripture to be wrong. I am using the scripture to prove the scripture right. The question is, “Why would the Church teach this falsehood?”
One of my friends stopped by yesterday to check on me. Yea, yea, I know, you didn’t think I had any friends, but after I shared this gospel with him, the one the Holy Spirit has shared with me, he said, “Has anybody ever told you, you are just complicating things?” “Jesus told the man on the cross, This day you will be with me in paradise.”
On the surface, this appears to be a valid argument, but notice the words of the guy next to Jesus. “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Luke 21:42. First of all, the man addressed Jesus as Lord, not Saviour, even though Jesus died on the cross as Saviour and was not made Lord until His resurrection, Phil.2:9. Furthermore, Jesus did not come into His Kingdom until His resurrection, but the man’s faith was in this Lord (a prince who is about to receive a kingdom) who was coming into a kingdom. If Jesus were King, He would have the authority to command His subjects and this man was willing to subject himself to the King.
While the Church preaches the Saviour who takes away the sins of the world, this man placed his faith in the King who was coming into a kingdom, a King that had power and authority to save ultimately, a King that deserved honor. He chided the other guy for ridiculing Jesus and made it clear that he recognized Jesus deserved the ultimate honor, Luke 23:40-41. It is not honorable to disobey the commandments of the King.
While the Church ignores the commandments of the King and dishonors Him, it also recognizes and honors the Saviour but will they make it to paradise? Not by placing their interpretation of God’s Word over the true Word of God. While Paul instructs the Church to covet the best gifts (1Cor.12:31), covet spiritual gifts (1Cor.14:1, desire is the same word translated covet previously), and covet to prophesy (1Cor.14:39), Jesus Himself said, I will be in the earth three days and three nights, making it impossible for Him to die on Friday; yet the world-wide Church ignores these truths and imposes its logic over the truth. How can anyone expect to be saved following these untruths? I checked a dictionary, both Greek and English, the word, “covet,” means, “to covet.”
If Christians are supposed to be coveting spiritual gifts and their leaders instruct them to ignore those instructions, where does that leave Christians when they need something from God? If we despise God’s instructions, how can we expect to receive anything from God? Moreover, in that spiritual gifts are administrated by the Holy Spirit, 1Cor.12:4-7, have we offended the Holy Spirit by our callous indifference to God’s Word concerning spiritual gifts? How can we be successful in our Christian walk by ignoring certain truths of the scripture while embracing the more palatable ones?
Jesus told the Pharisees, “You do not enter the kingdom of God and hinder those who try.” Is it not obvious the Church is making the same mistake? They teach their interpretation of God’s Word for the true Word of God. Jesus could not have died on Friday but the Church worldwide observes Good Friday as the day of His death. Consider the evidence. In John 20:31, we read, “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath was a high day), {this means it was not a regular Sabbath day}, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” Then, in John 20:1, “Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early on the first day of the week (Sunday), while it was yet dark.” The Jews counted their days from sundown to sun up. They were not allowed to work on the Sabbath day so all preparation for the Sabbath had to be done the day before, hence the preparation day. The Jews wanted the bodies taken down before the High Sabbath day because it was holy to the Lord and the two men who buried Jesus were Jews. This means Jesus was buried before sundown the day before a High Sabbath but He was raised from the dead “early, while it was yet dark” on the first day of the week. This would be the first opportunity Mary would have had to come to the tomb because of the restrictions of the two Sabbaths and the preparation day.
According to John, Jesus died on the day of preparation before a High Sabbath day. If we are to take the scriptures for truth, the next day was a High Sabbath day, the day after was the preparation day for the regular Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week, and Jesus arose from the dead very early on the first day of the week. This actually makes three whole days and three whole nights and most of a night but fits Jesus’ sign to the Jews. Jesus didn’t count the piece of a night; such was His integrity. Jesus said, “I will be in the earth three days and nights,” but the Church says Jesus really didn’t know what He was talking about and it knows better. So when Jesus stands in front of the founding members of His Church, having received all power and authority in heaven and in earth, Matt.28:18, and commands them to wait for the baptism with the Spirit, Acts 1:4, it makes sense the Church would know better.
The mainline denominational Churches reject the baptism with the Spirit as a valid experience with God and they reject Jesus’ command to wait for it. All Churches seek to control the gift of tongues. Yet Paul, in addressing the Church of Corinth, said, “I speak in tongues more than you all,” and he was unquestionably the driving force in the early Church. The empirical evidence we have is that the gift of tongues is more important than what is thought by the Church. Only God has the power to save. If we place our faith in the doctrines of men we will fail to attain God’s salvation. What is the truth, did Jesus die on Friday or was it Wednesday? What should you believe; the teachings of the Church or the teachings of the Bible?
The truth is we aren’t saved by faith; we are saved through faith, Ephesians 2:8. We aren’t saved by belief in Jesus’ death; we are saved through confession, Romans 10:10, and Jesus sprinkled His blood over the heavenly tabernacle, which is the new covenant in tangible form. It is the new covenant that washes our sins away, not Jesus’ blood, Hebrews 8-9.
Jesus issued three edicts after He was made King and had come into His Kingdom: Saturate yourself with my Spirit each and every day (Acts1:4); take the power to witness of my resurrection into the whole world (Acts1:8); and disciple the converts (Acts1:8). If He is a King and rules the Kingdom in which you seek to live, these edicts must be obeyed. To ignore these edicts is to say, “I will not have this man to rule over me; I will not bow to His authority.” The Church overall seeks to ignore these edicts or interprets them to have other meanings, yet says, “Trust me; I can lead you to salvation.” Christians bow to the teachings of the Church and submit to its leaders even though the Church can't save you. In order to live in the Lord’s Kingdom, Jesus must be King. He must be given authority to rule over you. This is the unique thing about Jesus’ Kingdom; He does not exercise Lordship over those He delivers from sin.
This illustration of the thief on the cross is perhaps the best illustration we have of salvation. Just what did the thief say to Jesus? You are the Lord, worthy of all honor, and you are about to be King and come into your Kingdom. Remember me when you do. And what did Jesus say back to the man? “This day you will be with me in paradise.” I would encourage you to lay down your confession of Jesus as Saviour and pick up a confession of Jesus as King. Is there any question the thief would have honored His King with obedience of His edicts? I think not!
Therefore, the Church’s disobedience of the Kings edicts cannot override my obedience. It cannot cancel it out. The promise to the individual (Jn.14:21) is not less than the promise to the corporate (Matt.16:18-19). If the thief was guaranteed a home in paradise by His acknowledgement that Jesus was soon to be King, then certainly my faithful obedience of the King’s edicts guarantees my receiving of the manifestation of the King in my life, Jn.14:21, Acts1:8. It guarantees my receiving of the estate of the Son of God. But if I were to listen to the gospel preached by the Church, I would miss this salvation altogether. The Church doesn’t acknowledge that the commandment of the King applies to them and by their disobedience, has bound the new covenant in heaven, Matt. 16:18-19, causing it not to flow out to earth.
The heavenly tabernacle is the written new covenant. Each article of the heavenly tabernacle has been sprinkled with Jesus’ blood. Each piece represents an article of the new covenant. The purpose of each piece is backed by the integrity of the blood of Jesus. The first article is the gate and this article assures that an entrance to God has been provided for all mankind. The second article is the bronze laver, which by looking in, we realize we owe a debt of righteousness to God that we cannot pay, so we sell our lives to God as indentured slaves to His will. This is how Gentiles are allowed entrance to the old covenant where no entrance was afforded us before, Eph.2. The third article is the brazen altar, whereby, if we accept Jesus’ payment for sin on our behalf, the perfect sacrifice; we are made free of our indentured status with God, redeemed from the law and clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. We are no more slaves to God’s standard of righteousness for Jesus has redeemed us from it and clothed us with His very own righteousness, a righteousness we can neither earn nor are worthy of. It is a free gift. The holy place is now before us. The holy place is holy because it is representative of the divinity of Jesus. The Church has decided it is enough to enter the outer courts and be washed from your sins, but to remain in the outer courts is to ignore the edicts of the King.
The new covenant has two parts. This first part is to acknowledge that you need a Saviour and come to Jesus for salvation. It is to realize that you cannot measure up to God’s standard of righteousness and need a Saviour, someone to deliver you from the need to keep God’s definition of righteousness. However, Jesus died twice on the cross. Thus, you have the outer courts and the holy place, which speak of Jesus’ humanity and His divinity. Jesus laid aside His godhood to come to earth as a man might lay aside his coat, Phil.2:6-8. Only a man could save mankind from their sins; but Jesus remained God in essence and was separated from His Father on the cross; to die is to be separated.
New covenant salvation and old covenant salvation is two different things. To be saved under the old covenant was to be saved from your sins. There was no provision of eternal life. New covenant salvation is not just to be saved from your sins; it is to be made a son of God, to spend eternity in the home of God. Thus the new covenant has two parts. The first part completes what the old covenant was unable to complete; a total washing from sin. The second part makes us sons of God, gives us eternal life; making the second part of the tabernacle critical for salvation.
Jesus died on the cross twice, as the son of man and as the Son of God, leaving the estate of both to be inherited by those who follow. Furthermore, Jesus took His divinity back up at the resurrection. Only, He did not take back up the title, Son of God; He took up the title, King of Glory, Phil.2:9, 1Tim.6:15. In order to enter the holy place of the tabernacle you must acknowledge the King and His authority to rule over you. You must keep His commandments, John 14:21, the ones He issued after the resurrection. The first commandment is to be saturated with His Spirit; represented by the golden lamp stand. The fact that this lamp stand was sprinkled by Jesus’ blood guarantees that all who seek obedience to the King’s edict can receive the baptism with the Spirit, though some will receive easier than others. When any soul accepts Jesus’ death on the cross for sin as their substitute, they also receive a well of the Holy Spirit that springs up to salvation, John 4:10,14, but to be saved is to have the well overflow, John 7:37-39. To be saved from your sins is not eternal salvation. To receive the estate of the son of man is to receive Jesus’ righteousness but this is the righteousness of the old covenant and is what delivers you from sin. Eternal salvation is to receive the estate of the Son of God. It is a righteousness you keep. Thus, the new covenant has two parts.
The second article in the holy place is the table of showbread and is representative of the baptism into the body of Christ, which is performed by the Holy Spirit in response to the keeping of the first edict of the King. Finally, we come to the altar of incense; each article signed by Jesus’ blood. Is there any wonder Jesus told the man on the cross, “This day you will be with me in paradise.” His faith was certainly in the Saviour of the world; he believed Jesus could eternally deal with his sin, but his confession was that Jesus was King of the heavens and it was in this truth that he trusted.
We must enter the holy place in order to receive salvation from the King. We must acknowledge Jesus’ right to rule over us and keep His edicts because we love Him. To do so is to inherit the estate of the Son of God and become God’s sons ourselves. This guarantees an eternal home in glory, a guarantee signed in Jesus’ blood.
Jesus said, “I will give to this generation the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the earth,” Matthew 12:40. The Church uses its powers of reason to prove Jesus wrong. He was only in the earth one day and two nights. What good is a guarantee signed in Jesus’ blood if the Church has reasoned the scripture, changing it in the process, till there is no resemblance between what the scriptures say and what we are taught? What good is a sign from God if it is interpreted to be wrong and invalid? No one was looking for the sign of Jesus being in the earth for one day and two nights; one day and two nights does not line up with the sign Jesus gave. If Jesus was trying to reach the Jews and prove to them that He was the Son of God, He gave them the wrong sign. Sadly, I believe it is the Church that has been misled and is following the wrong signs. I believe thousands of Christians will miss the salvation they think they have received because instead of being led by God’s Word, they are following the wisdom of men, Matthew 7:21-24, Mk.7:6-13, the teachings of the Church.
Who are you going to believe; the Bible or the Church? Don’t answer that question too swiftly. The Church teaches things that are not in the Bible and has no authority to guarantee salvation to anyone. Just consider the man who died next to Jesus. Sure he believed in the Saviour who could deal with his sins eternally but his confession was that Jesus was King, a King who deserved all honor and was coming into His Kingdom. Are you believing in the Saviour who can take away your sins; or, are you honoring the King who has come into His Kingdom and rules the heavens and the earth even now? You owe Him your allegiance.
Jesus said, “If any man keeps my commandments, he it is that loves me,” (Jn.14:21). While the Church preaches the commandments of the old covenant, it is not the Saviour of the old covenant who sets upon the throne of heaven; it is the King of the new covenant. Moreover, it is the commandments of the King that we will have to answer for. Jesus redeems us from the old covenant law but then provides a new covenant law to be kept. When you “judge yourself that you be not judged,” (1Cor.11: 23-32) are you judging yourself by the old covenant law or the new covenant law? It is not the Saviour’s supper we are called to; it is the Lord’s. It is not honorable to ignore the Lord’s commandments.