Hello everyone
I have noticed that a lot of what the church leaders do and teach is anti-Christ, the very opposite of the Messiah (much like their predecessors really).
Ezekiel 34
2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool, ye kill the ones that are fed; but ye feed not the flock.
4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
Almost anti-Christ, as it is the very opposite of what Christ was called to do:
Luke 4:18
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."
The first time I read this passage below I was deeply concerned. Can they really not understand this? Do they think this is referring to some (other) charlatans?
Jeremiah 23
1 "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" saith the LORD.
20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
21 "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words, then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.
24 Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him?" saith the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" saith the LORD.
25 "I have heard what the prophets said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,
27 who think to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten My name for Baal.
28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" saith the LORD.
29 "Is not My word like as a fire?" saith the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30 "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," saith the LORD, "that steal My words every one from his neighbor.
31 Behold, I am against the prophets," saith the LORD, "that use their tongues and say, 'He saith.'
32 Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams," saith the LORD, "and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them. Therefore they shall not profit this people at all," saith the LORD.
33 "And when this people or the prophet or a priest shall ask thee, saying, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' thou shalt then say unto them, 'What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.'
34 And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who shall say, 'The burden of the LORD,' I will even punish that man and his house.
35 Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, 'What hath the LORD answered?' and, 'What hath the LORD spoken?'
36 And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more, for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37 Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, 'What hath the LORD answered thee?' and, 'What hath the LORD spoken?'
38 But since ye say, 'The burden of the LORD,' therefore thus saith the LORD: Because ye say this word, 'The burden of the LORD,' and I have sent unto you, saying, 'Ye shall not say: The burden of the LORD,'
39 therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of My presence.
40 And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten."
But then I remembered that GOD does blind some, and does send them delusions.
Isaiah 56
10 His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
12 "Come ye," say they, "I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant." [Very familiar sounding phrase we have here]
George, I think some know exactly what they are doing and may not believe there really is a GOD to give an account to. But I believe most are deceived, delusional if I may. Otherwise, they would know that the Gospel is not about them & their church buildings but about Christ and His church.
John 21
15 So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me more than these?" He said unto Him, "Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee." He said unto him, "Feed My lambs."
16 He said to him again the second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me?" He said unto Him, "Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee." He said unto him, "Feed My sheep."
17 He said unto him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me?" Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, "Lovest thou Me?" And he said unto Him, "Lord, Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love Thee." Jesus said unto him, "Feed My sheep”.
2 Corinthians 12:14
[KJV] Behold, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
[NLT] Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don’t want what you have—I want you. After all, children don’t provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children.
[NIV] Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
It is all in GOD's Will though. We have to bear this in mind.
kweli