In the gospels I have always been interested and surprised by Jesus at times being upset and angered by the unbelief of people around him. Remember
- “you will never believe unless you see signs and wonders”
- “you do not understand because you are not my sheep”
- his ordering the money changers out of the temple – “tear down this temple and I will rebuild it in three days”
- the preaching about the Jews being the descendents of those who murdered the prophets
- all he preached to the religious leaders in the temple and their not understanding
- his reference to people wanting food after they saw him feed the 5000
and much more.
Jesus is the son of God, a member of the Trinity. He walked the earth as the son of man. He knew what was in man, as the gospel of John tells us at the end of chapter 2.
So he certainly knew many would never understand, would never see. When he was talking to the crowds, he knew many could not grasp. He knew Isaiah 6, that many would not perceive, could not understand. So why so upset?
Well, I know all those things too. I’ve read the scriptures. And I’ve read Jesus’ words about how few actually find the way to life with him and the father, eternal life. So I too know that many don’t get it.
And I see when we hold what I think are really valuable programs on important subjects – especially focusing on the fullness of who Jesus is and all the aspects of his imminent return – how few are seriously interested and attend. There are some, to be sure, strongly focused on God and the truth. But so many others?
A friend who often ministers in music at our programs once said after a program that we could just as easily have done that for 10,000 as for the number that came. That’s true. Same effort.
The cities are full of brick building churches. And each teaches some truth. But most never get into the fullness of Jesus nor warn with the urgency needed of his imminent return and present all the prophecies relating to his return now fulfilled. Not many ever go over all that Jesus said about those who would be in the kingdom:
- must be born of water and the spirit
- be like little children
- believe
- narrow is the road that leads to life, and few are they that find it
One of the great gifts of Jesus is divine healing. By his stripes we are healed and made whole. Direct, divine healings happen, they really do, some dramatic and some not so dramatic. Yet even when they happen to people who are members of church bodies, most in those bodies still never come to a healing service even though many of them are sick. Even when we hold a full day of healing program, people who have expressed interest will suddenly go elsewhere – to work on some project at their church, to do something else. While our program is offering the opportunity to health and life, they have chosen a mundane work task. And at those programs people see God operate right in front of their faces and have their lives changed forever.
The fact is, most people really do not know. They just don’t know. All their lives church and the Bible and Jesus and God are just tradition and subjects in a book. They have missed God. The truth is Jesus is coming very very soon. His return is imminent. That means any day now. In Luke, he says after listing events to happen before the return, that when these events begin to happen, look up. Well, those events have long ago begun to happen – wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, frightening oceans, nation against nation, false prophets, deception rampant, etc.
There is nothing to stop the Lord from coming while you are reading this – maybe he will have come before you receive it.
Get the point?
Maybe. Maybe. If you are one of his sheep, one of the elect, you do. I’ll pray you do.
