Yeshua answered him, “If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:23
The message of God was interesting to say the least and if the wrong people hear it, it will really upset them. And as usual it involved family members. This time my dad, once again.
Yesterday I showed a video about him being inducted into the hall of fame at a High School he coached at, where I went to High School as well. To listen to these people give praise to my dad left me a little off. Part of me was proud of what my dad did, the other part which knows what the things of God are and the “good works” he expects, it left me void inside. Void isn’t even the right word, but it is the best I can come up with.
My dad had a lot of success in his coaching career, even sending a girl to run in the Olympics. He won the first state championship at Garrigan and they only have one other, just last year. He started the softball team at Garrigan and I remember him being the one who got the field ready before every game, including mowing. Everything said about him was true, he did do a lot for Garriagan, and he should be in the Hall of Fame. And he also helped a lot of kids over the years become better people and more successful in life. When I coached I also did the same, I taught a lot of things that help with life.
However, I also see the other side of it. The side of God and what he expects And as mentioned a lot lately, as the Lord keeps showing it to me. What man sees as good, God sees as bad. So how could what my dad did be bad? He did help a lot of people become better people and more successful.
First thing, he (and myself when coaching) taught people how to be more self confident, many even to the point of being cocky. He did not understand to teach Godly confidence instead. He did it inside the catholic church framework as a teacher and coach in a catholic church, so he supported the worship of idols, and many other evil things the catholic church teaches. The problem with these two specifically and many other things, but focusing on these two. First is when a person gets self confident, they do not need God. They learn to do things on their own. That is NOT Love as God sees it.
As the verse above says, which was interestingly enough the verse of the day. Yeshua says, “if you love me you will keep my word (in other words obey me). What the catholic church teaches is the opposite, pushing idolatry or worship of anyone or anything other than God himself is the most evil thing you can do. And instead of pointing this out he embarrassed it and supported it.
One thing that stands out to me in the old testament, is Adonai could deal with the sins of the Jews and made it work out with animal sacrifices. But the minute they made an idol, and worshiped any other god, he destroyed them. Other nations whom they had their way with, now those nations had their way with Israel. This is the one thing God hates the most, yet that is the thing the catholic church pushes the most.
The second thing is self confidence, where you again do not need to hear and obey God. Self confidence actually makes you able to do things you should not do, thinking because you are so and so you can do it and get away with it. Our current president trump is a perfect example of it, all the way to narcissism. When you feel like that you do not need anyone to tell you what you can and cannot do. And if you do not listen to the voice of men you can see and hear, how are you going to hear the voice of God which is a whisper in your ear?
Now keep in mind, I love my dad, I am currently helping him out because of being disabled and his stroke. I do things for him I never thought I would have to. He is like a baby almost, moody like one also. I have also seen him get deeper into the sin, trying to touch his helpers and even my own daughter. I can list many things my dad has done and still does that are NOT in keeping with the Spirit of God, and he will be judged on those works. I have tried to tell him many times and in many ways to repent and how he is wrong in his doctrine, and especially the point of idols. But instead of seeking the truth and then repenting, he told me I am following an evil Spirit. That is the kiss of death of God, Yeshua said all sins will be forgiven except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. In other words calling the Holy Spirit and evil Spirit.
I can also tell you that his success also caused problems in the house. We hardly saw him, and when he was around he was absorbed in things for coaching. I was around him a lot, went to every practice, rode the bus to the games, I was the team manager until old enough to play for him. But my sister and more so my brother hardly saw him. If that is what God expected of him, great! But knowing God and what he expects of us, it is not how it was supposed to be.
Another point the Lord made this morning was interesting because he reminded me of the parables of the prodigal son and the talents. And also the one where the man goes to the altar and says I am glad I am not this sinful man, I gave to the church and did this and that and the other thing… Trying to pump himself up before God. Where the other man did not even look up and cried out with remorse seeking forgiveness. Keep this in mind.
He then told me about the prodigal son, and how the church system twists the message. As well as the message on the parable above. The church system and its people see that verse and because they see themselves as always sinning, and never able to overcome and stop. They see anyone who has stopped sinning and tries to tell another person how to do it, which is simply to hear and obey Yeshua. They immediately jump to that verse, and another one about “do not judge…”
Yeshua compared the two parables of the prodigal son and talents. He made the point of how the son spent all the money foolishly and when he came to senses because he was a slave and starving. He returned to his Father. But he came asking for forgiveness and only to be counted worthy to be a slave. He was humbled big time. Where the man who received 1 talent was lazy and did nothing with it, he made up excuses for himself and his lazy sinfulness. God hates this, he loves when a man sees his wrongs and repents and seeks the wisdom of God to do it right, but hates it when men make up excuses and blame everyone else including God for the mistake they made.
Do you understand the point? Are you humble enough to seek God and his forgiveness and start to do it his way? Or did you stay where you were and make excuses for your sinfulness or try to change the subject so it points the fingers at someone else? Because when I tell people what Yeshua has done in me, and that we do have our part in the journey. He did say take on my yoke. He did not say sit down over there in the easy chair while I do the work for you. We must do the work according to what he tells us to do. And most lazy christians like the OSAS and grace doctrine which says you cannot do any works to justify yourself with God, just live your normal life. This is almost as big of a lie as the idol lie of the catholics.
Men tend to be very lazy and are OK with the status quo, thinking everyone else should pick up the slack. Let guys like me work hard and pay taxes so they can sit at home and collect government benefits. They want everyone else to do them good, but they do not want to do anyone else good. If a man of God like myself does not do something the way they expect, they will say something like “you call that christianity?” Or “you call yourself a christian?”
Their idea of who God is and what he expects of God’s children, and who God really is and what he expects of his children, are night and day different. And the last thing they want to do is believe that I can really hear God speak and he tells me these things which go against their religion literally. And probably more so how they will be held to the highest standard and expected to be Holy and perfect in God. The people are lazy and do not want to try to do anything like that. They are content in their religious doctrine or traditions.
One last point the Lord showed me regarding a brother in law who is a drug addict and drunk. He lives at home with my mother in law, and causes a lot of problems. They want to put him in rehab, but no one is willing to pay for him, most cannot because they do not have the money. We have the money, but I am not going to throw my pearls to the pigs. He has been in rehab a few times before, but comes out and goes back to the same things.
The other night we were at a birthday party at my mother-in-law and he came in, sat down and started talking stupid things which had nothing to do with our conversation. He smelt like marijuana. I was not too worried about the kids because they have been warned about him, and to stay away.
Anyways I was trying to be in love with him without allowing him to think he was involved with us in any state of mind he wanted to be. I acknowledged him, listened to a few things he said, then diverted the conversation back to a sister in law, and basically ignored his rambling about stupid things which made no sense. And if you let him, and a few other in laws. They will start this poor little old me attitude and how someone like me is supposed to help them out on their terms. No different than the lazy servant who buried the one talent.
So back to the three parables. And who was justified in the eyes of God. It was not the lazy one, it was not the proud one who boasted at the later. It was the ones who sinned the most and came back seeking true forgiveness knowing what they really deserved and were willing to accept it. Two other verses that come to mind are the one about the whore who washed Yeshua’s feet with her tears and hair, and Yeshua said “he who is forgiven little loves little. He who is forgiven much, loves much.” And when Yeshua said “the healthy do not need a doctor, it is the sick that need a doctor.”
Yeshua and I both know that you cannot help a man who wants no help, who thinks they are doing things right and good. Or the person who is lazy and blames everyone else. This is by far the majority of the people.
But there are the few, like me. Who do somethings that are really bad, you dig yourself a deep hole and feel like you cannot get out of it, and you seek help from God. I really was seeking God for help. Like the old lady who begged the evil judge every day for justice, that was me. Even though God is not evil, I was. I know God sits there and watches, and lets your troubles bear down on you to the point of breaking. And when he knows you are ready, he speaks to you and the relationship starts. Where it ends is up to you. Do you follow him the rest of your life like I am, doing everything he commands me to do? Or do you follow maybe for a day or two and return back?
The Lord also reminded me of a lot of people I know who have the form of Godlyness but deny him his power. This is the majority of the people. I see people who say good things, you can tell they have heard God speak. But it is also evident they have not gone the extra mile with him. That there are things they refuse to change in, or give up. It is as if they allow God to tell them things on certain subjects that are good with them and for them. But in other subjects they put a hand in his face and say something like “no I do not need or want you in this part of my life.” It might be in dealing with family, finances or careers. It could be with certain friends or entertainment. It can be almost anything.
They do everything good except they have “not taken down the altar in the high places.”