ONE FAMILY PLAN
IN YOUR FACE!
"...without a parable He said NOTHING to them." (Matthew 13:34, Amplified)
"I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH WITH A PARABLE; I WILL UTTER HIDDEN THINGS, THINGS FROM OF OLD... THINGS WE HAVE HEARD AND KNOWN, THINGS OUR ANCESTORS HAVE TOLD US." (Psalm 78:2-3)
"...HE THAT IS JOINED UNTO THE LORD IS ONE SPIRIT."(1 Cor 6:17)
"...THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU, THEY ARE SPIRIT, AND THEY ARE LIFE." (John 6:63)
IN CHRIST He judges IN THE SPIRIT!
"Ye judge after the flesh; I JUDGE NO MAN." (John 8:15)
Judgment "after the flesh" is hypocritical
"JUDGE NOT, that ye be not judged." (Matthew 7:1) "JUDGE NOT, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned..." (Luke 6:37)
"No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. IT IS GOD WHO JUDGES: HE BRINGS ONE DOWN, HE EXALTS ANOTHER." (Psalm 75:6-7)
THROUGH CHRIST
"...THE FATHER JUDGES NO ONE, BUT HAS COMMITTED ALL JUDGMENT TO THE SON..." (John 5:22, NKJV) "...WE SHALL ALL STAND BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST." (Romans 14:10, KJV) "By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and MY JUDGMENT IS JUST, FOR I SEEK NOT TO PLEASE MYSELF but him who sent me." (John 5:30)
Judgment IN THE SPIRIT
"For my part, even though I am not physically present, I AM WITH YOU IN SPIRIT. As one who is present with you IN THIS WAY, I HAVE ALREADY PASSED JUDGMENT IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS ON THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN DOING THIS. So WHEN YOU ARE ASSEMBLED AND I AM WITH YOU IN SPIRIT, AND THE POWER OF OUR LORD JESUS IS PRESENT, HAND THIS MAN OVER TO SATAN for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord." (1 Cor 5:3-5)
"I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore JUDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE APPOINTED TIME; WAIT UNTIL THE LORD COMES. HE WILL BRING TO LIGHT WHAT IS HIDDEN IN DARKNESS AND WILL EXPOSE THE MOTIVES OF THE HEART. At that time each will receive their praise from God." (1 Cor 4:3-5)
When the Lord is here (IN YOU/IN ME) as ONE IN THE SPIRIT
IN YOUR FACE!!
"Cry ALOUD, SPARE NOT, lift up your voice like a TRUMPET..." (Isa. 58:1)
“…TO REFUTE THOSE WHO CONTRADICT.” (1 Timothy 1:9, NASB)
“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I CAME NOT TO SEND PEACE, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)
"For THE WORD OF GOD is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any TWO-EDGED SWORD, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12)
"And a man’s foes Gk: ‘enemies’ shall be they of his own household." (Matt. 10:36)
"He that loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matt. 10:37)
John the Baptist:
“As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.” (Matthew 11:7-8, NIV)
Did you come out to see a blade of grass, someone prim and proper, unwilling to get his fingernails dirty? This was “in your face” sarcasm! The Pharisees were offended at his appearance:
"…clothed with camel’s hair, and with girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey" (Mark 1:6)
However:
"…Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…" (Luke 7:28)
Who were the Scribes and Pharisees?
The “Pharisees” were professed “law-keeping” church people, continually adjusting the law to fit their own desires. The “scribes” were the “educated” self-proclaimed “law-keepers,” the rulers and lawyers.
"In the modern sense they the Scribes were the religious scholars or theologians … sometimes called lawyers … or teachers of the law …could make judicial decisions based on Scriptural exegesis, occupied important positions in the Sanhedrin … played a major role in bringing on the crucifixion of Jesus" and they "mainly belonged to the party of the Pharisees" (WYCLIFFE Bible Dictionary, p. 1536)
WHAT DID JESUS DO?
Jesus Himself called them [Pharisees and Scribes] both fools, hypocrites (7X in 1 chapter), blind guides, whited sepulchers, murderers, and a generation of snakes! He was IN THEIR FACE!
They were "an EVIL and ADULTEROUS generation," "SERPENTS and SNAKES," and "children of the DEVIL!" He even called King Herod a “fox!” He was on the OFFENSE, takin no prisoners and driving His point home:
“WOE TO YOU, TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23:13, NIV)
“WOE TO YOU, TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” (v 15)
“WOE TO YOU, BLIND GUIDES! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ YOU BLIND FOOLS! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?” (vs 16-17)
“You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ YOU BLIND MEN! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.’” (vs 18-22)
“WOE TO YOU, TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. YOU BLIND GUIDES! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” (vs 23-24)
“WOE TO YOU, TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. BLIND PHARISEE! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (vs 25-26)
“WOE TO YOU, TEACHERS OF THE LAW AND PHARISEES, YOU HYPOCRITES! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (vs 27-28)
“WOE TO YOU, SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, PRETENDERS (HYPOCRITES)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets. Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' sins to the brim [so that nothing may be wanting to a full measure]. YOU SERPENTS! YOU SPAWN OF VIPERS! How can you escape the penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)?”
(Matthew 23:29-33, Amplified)
“Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so UPON YOU WILL COME ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD THAT HAS BEEN SHED ON EARTH…” (Matthew 23:34-35, NIV)
ALL of these comments were spoken to religious scholars and theologians! These same people are religious leaders of today only the church has gotten worse:
"Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the LATTER TIMES some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking LIES IN HYPOCRISY; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (I Tim. 4:1).
"This, know also, that IN THE LAST DAYS, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent [without self-control], fierce [brutal], despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady [reckless], high-minded [haughty], lovers of pleasures more than [rather than] lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away… EVER learning, and NEVER able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Tim. 3:1-7)
It is the “mainstream” church that has "departed from the faith," who "blaspheme God," who have a "form of godliness," or who have "turned away from such."
"For I know this, that after my departing shall GRIEVOUS WOLVES ENTER IN AMONG YOU, NOT SPARING THE FLOCK. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30)
"Yes, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But EVIL MEN AND SEDUCERS [Gk: ‘imposters’SHALL WAX grow WORSE AND WORSE, deceiving, and being deceived." (II Tim. 3:13)
"Preach the word; [the WHOLE Word of God]; be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (II Tim. 4:2-4)
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily SHALL BRING IN DAMNABLE HERESIES, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (2 Peter 2:1-2)
Conditions of the “mainstream” church are MUCH WORSE! - as prophesied!
How did He teach? How are we to teach?
"For He [Jesus] taught them as one having AUTHORITY and not as the scribes" (Matt. 7:29).
His was the opposite of “smooth” as in "pleasing to the ear" to keep the people "happy."
"Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us SMOOTH things, prophesy DECEITS." (Isa. 30:10)
NO! He stirred up the waves with TRUTH!!
SARCASM from ABOVE
“And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." (1 Kings 18:27, ESV)
"Now ALL these things happened unto them for examples: and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (I Cor. 10:11)
"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (II Tim. 3:13)
HOW JESUS ‘UPBRAIDED’ THE CITIES
"Then began He [Jesus] to UPBRAID [Greek: oneidizo] the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not." (Matt. 11:20)
"Blessed are ye, when men shall REVILE [Greek: oneidizo] you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you FALSELY, for my sake." (Matt. 5:11)
Strong’s Greek Dictionary, "#3679, oneidizo, from #3681 *notoriety, that is a taunt (disgrace): a reproach] to defame, i.e. rail at, chide, taunt:--upbraid, reproach, revile, cast in (one’s) teeth" (page 179)"
Christ responding to the High Priest (upbraiding):
"‘Why are you asking Me this question? Ask those who heard me. You have some of them here. They know what I said.’ One of the soldiers standing there struck Jesus WITH HIS FIST. ‘Is THAT THE WAY to answer the High Priest?’ he demanded" (John 18:21-22, The Living Bible).
How are we to answer?
"…because as He [Jesus] is, so are WE in this world." (I John 4:17)
He was NOT a smart aleck! He spoke the TRUTH! He stood up for the widows and the poor! He was NOT a coward!
“But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8, NIV)
"Let this MIND be IN YOU, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5)
MORE “TO THE POINT” SARCASM:
"And another of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, allow me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow Me, and LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR DEAD" (Matt. 8:21-22).
"Or how will you say to your brother, Let me pull out the mote out of your eye; and, behold, a BEAM [a PLANK, a LOG] is in your own eye?" (Matt. 7:4).
A “beam” is a far cry from a “mote!” He makes His point clear!
WOLVES?
"Behold, I send you forth as SHEEP IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES…" (Matt. 10:16)
He was on the offense! “Wolves” is offensive and forthright!
"a great multitude with swords and clubs" "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief [robber], with swords and with staves [clubs] to take me?" (Mark 14:43 & 48)
Why the sarcasm? Answer: to show them the ridiculousness of their ways!
When asked…
"Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread?" (Matt. 15:2 )
"…He answered and said unto them, Why do YOU ALSO transgress the commandments of God by YOUR TRADITIONS?… You HYPOCRITES…" (Matt. 15:3 & 7)
IN YOUR FACE AGAIN!! They asked: "Why do YOUR disciples….?" And Jesus answered with "Why do YOU…"!
HYPOCRISY
"hypocrisy n. 1. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness" (The American heritage College Dictionary p. 683)
Paul was to the point!
"They PROFESS that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being ABOMINABLE, and DISOBEDIENT, and unto every good work REPROBATE." (Titus 1:16)
SARCASM ON SATAN
"…Get thee BEHIND ME…" (Mark 8:33).
DOGS?
Gentiles were commonly referred to as “dogs.”
"It is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it to DOGS." (Matt 15:26-28)
He called her a “dog!?” She played along…
"And she said, Truth, Lord; YET the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table!"
“…GREAT IS YOUR FAITH: BE IT UNTO YOU EVEN AS YOU WILL"! (Matthew 15:26-28)
More exaggeration to prove a point:
"But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for Him that a MILLSTONE were hanged about his neck and that he were DROWNED IN THE DEPTH OF THE SEA." (Matt. 18:6)
LIGHT IS DARKNESS?
"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore, your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light. But if your eye be evil, your whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the LIGHT that be in you is DARKNESS, how great is that darkness!" (Matt. 6:22-23)
So even the “light” in an evil person is darkness!
"…None is good, save One, that is, GOD." (Luke 18:19)
RIGHTEOUS ANGER:
"And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to CAST OUT them that sold and bought in the temple, and OVERTURNED the table of the money-changers, and the SEATS of them that sold doves: And would NOT ALLOW that any man should carry any wares through the temple"(Mark 11:15-16).
They broke no laws but Jesus called them CRIMINALS!!
"And He taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the House of Prayer? But you have made it a DEN OF THIEVES" (Mark 11:17)!
…ACCORDING TO HIS FOLLY:
“Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.” (Proverbs 26:5)
"And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which IF you tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; He will say unto us, Why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, we cannot tell.
And He [Jesus] said unto them, NEITHER TELL I YOU by what authority I do these things" (Matt. 21:24-27)!
