A Ministry Should Be Dependendent on God, Not The Church!

     Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need, (Philippians 4:11-12).

     We can learn important lessons by considering God's disciplines in dealing with Elijah. As Elijah fled to the wilderness following his first confrontation with King Ahab, God said to him, "Elijah, go to the brook Cherith, and I will feed you there." God sent big, black buzzards--ravens, scavenger birds--each morning and evening with Elijah's meals.
     What humiliation! All his life Elijah had been self-sufficient. Now he waited on scavenger birds to deliver him his daily bread....
     Elijah was like so many faithful preachers of the Word who are too true and too uncompromising for their congregations.
     "We don't have to take that," the people protest. And they stop contributing to the church. More than one pastor knows the meaning of economic strangulation. Preach the truth, and the brook dries up! But the Lord knows how to deal with each of us in our humiliations. He takes us from truth to truth. Men Who Met God, pp 96, by A.W. Tozer.[Emphasis by this author]
     Once again, great pearls of wisdom from my friend, A.W. Tozer.

     One of the biggest obstacles (and fears) for any minister of the Gospel is the entire issue of financial subsistence. The messenger of God’s word, like any other professional, needs funds to at least purchase food, lodging, clothing and other expenses, be they enough to at least cover the basics.

     As we can clearly see in today’s church headlines, most well-known evangelists and pastors do quite well, many of them even gaining millionaire status with lavish homes, expensive cars and some even with their own Lear jet. But, for the most part, smaller ministries and churches in the country backwoods, barrios and ghettos, nowadays especially, don’t do too well, which is causing many of them to close shop.

     When we examine the ministries in scriptures (like those of the Apostle Paul) we can see that a major decision had to be made as to how those ministers would conduct themselves in order to accomplish their respective mission. In the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 9:1-27, Paul addresses this issue very succinctly, especially in verses 15 through 18, where he states, 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. 16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.

     Many in the ministry will counter and say that this is all very good and noble of Paul; however, we are living in different times which call for different measures. They say that today’s ministers invested much time and money going to seminary or Bible colleges, and they have wives and children they need to care for, thereby a guaranteed salary or a relatively sustainable compensation plan is necessary to minister in today’s world. This may be why Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 should be followed by those who want to be ministers, which has proven to be the case under so many circumstances that a servant is often torn apart between family and God's calling.
     But yet we have to ask this question: “Is the ministry a profession or a calling?” As we have seen in the past 2000 years since Christ ascended to Heaven, most preachers and pastors (regardless of the denomination) have chosen to pursue a profession rather than responded to a Holy calling.

     Once examined carefully, we can see that throughout history, much of the church’s mission has evolved around the financing (and the power gained therein) of this ecclesiastical structure. That man-made and conceived foundational force (of the need for organization) has been the demonic tail wagging the religious dog since at least the formation of what King Constantine called the establishment of the “Church.” Since that time (when Constantine ordered the hatchet to be buried between the pagans and the true followers of Christ) what we conceive as “church” has been the model for this religious cultural entity we perceive to be handed down to us from Jesus Christ Himself.

     When it was stated “do not forsake the assembling of ourselves” in Hebrews 10:25, this had more to do with warning us that we need to exhort one another to avoid apostasy because the return of Christ is imminent. While we do not know the day nor the hour of His return, the ecclesia (a people called out) need to embrace one another The word assembling is only used twice in the Bible, here above and in 2 Thessalonians 2:1 and they were both referencing the soon return of the Lord; once concerning Him “gathering” us for a meeting in the air when He arrives and the other is the assembling of ourselves to exhort and uplift each other because great tribulation is on the rise, and the church of yesterday and today, as we best understand it, unfortunately, no longer has the relevance or commitment to fulfill its initial purpose!

     The days of mega-churches and large Christian organizations are numbered; soon (and hopefully) the “home” church concept will prevail and return to the days when servants like Paul (and the body of Christ) could be found on every block in the neighborhood.
     Once again, my dear friend Matthew Henry explains with deeper and more gracious eloquence than mine, what a true church should look like, what a true church should be doing, as The Day draws near:

     “We have the means prescribed for preventing our apostasy, and promoting our fidelity and perseverance, v. 24, 25, etc. He mentions several; as,

1. That we should consider one another, to provoke to love and to good works. Christians ought to have a tender consideration and concern for one another; they should affectionately consider what their several wants, weaknesses, and temptations are; and they should do this, not to reproach one another, to provoke one another not to anger, but to love and good works, calling upon themselves and one another to love God and Christ more, to love duty and holiness more, to love their brethren in Christ more, and to do all the good offices of Christian affection both to the bodies and the souls of each other. A good example given to others is the best and most effectual provocation to love and good works.

2. Not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, v. 25. It is the will of Christ that his disciples should assemble together, sometimes more privately for conference and prayer, and in public for hearing and joining in all the ordinances of gospel worship. There were in the apostles’ times, and should be in every age, Christian assemblies for the worship of God, and for mutual edification. And it seems even in those times there were some who forsook these assemblies, and so began to apostatize from religion itself. The communion of saints is a great help and privilege, and a good means of steadiness and perseverance; hereby their hearts and hands are mutually strengthened.

3. To exhort one another, to exhort ourselves and each other, to warn ourselves and one another of the sin and danger of backsliding, to put ourselves and our fellow-Christians in mind of our duty, of our failures and corruptions, to watch over one another, and be jealous of ourselves and one another with a godly jealousy. This, managed with a true gospel spirit, would be the best and most cordial friendship. (Matthew Henry Commentary on Hebrew 10)

     You will note, Henry makes no mention about the churches incessant discussions concerning the signs of the times and neither the day nor the hour of our being caught up to meet and greet Him in the air and escort Him back to earth upon His arrival; but rather to exhort and to provoke us all to love one another and to do good works, which is the true religion of God (James 1:27).

     This was Paul’s mission; to preach the Gospel without charge. When he wasn’t preaching he was making tents to support his ministry. He was not a “community organizer” nor was he trying to build a political entity to gain favor from neither Pontius Pilate nor King Agrippa. He was not saving his tent-making money to earn a doctorate in theology because he knew those folks earn bigger dollars, to impress others with titles, nor did he devise the latest income generating sales plans to sustain his job, nor was he devising any unique retirement formulae that would provide him higher dividends when he retired. Paul was not a professional preacher; he chose to be a mere servant of the cross. But, most of all he never once compromised the Gospel to ensure his financial welfare.

     Like Elijah, Paul learned to be content in his being a mere messenger, one who expressed his gratefulness for whatever assistance he received from his brethren, and he thanked them as he said, I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength, (Philippians 4:10-13).

     If we could eliminate those professionals fund-raising preachers (while many may be well intended) from that ministerial fraternity that inconishly presents itself as God’s church, many whose goals are more inclined to fatten their coffers than feeding the sheep, we would find relatively few servants doing God’s will.

     However, those who would remain, because their identity is best reflected by the fruit of the Holy Spirit, would not need spending fruitless time debating doctrinal positions that lead to divisiveness, but rather would be found responding to the clarion call to serve those in need (of both spiritual and physical sustenance) within their respective communities.

     It is from this attention that the needy are fed to rise up and in turn touch the lives of their neighbors, resulting in domino affects wherein revival succeeds from a genuine heart of service. Then we can see “church” as God intended, rather than the traditional theatrical and cultural spectacle that prevades the ecclesiastical community, more reminiscent of the gothic religious behemoth the Puritans fled three hundred years ago, but sadly and yet carried off with it the aesthetic trappings that we see in the spiritless entity we today call the American Christian Church. Sadly, it is still led by those who are more dependent on the provisions from their flock than from the abundance and grace from God!

For more information about this blog, the author and his books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation, please click on Joe Ortiz

Who Are God's Children of Promise and When Did The Church of God Begin?

One of the major problems most Christians have, especially when they deal with eschatological matters, is their failure to recognize who is truly the Church of God and when was it created. They begin their debates and discussions from the premise that Old Testament prophecies should be applied to ancient Israel (the physical descendants of Abraham) and that any promises that should be applied to the so-called 'church' are found primarily in the New Testament, such as those spoken of primarily in the four Gospels, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Book of Revelation.

Many Bible expositors and most of today's 'prophecy' students begin their interpretations based on the foundation that a distinction has to be made between "Israel" and the "church" and then apply the prophecies from either the Old and New Testaments where they believe they fit best. The problem here is that eschatologists fail to correctly identify who is being spoken of in many of the prophecies in reference, such as, when the word "Israel" is mentioned.

Does it speak of the middle east state which is now called Israel, a religious group, an ethnic group (of Jews), either the tribe of Judah (consisting of Judah, Benjamin and Levites), the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel, or the spiritual body we now call The Church?

The same applies to their failure of identifying the entity we now call "church." Is it a building? Is it an organized group of individuals who chose to start a new religion apart from the one they escaped from in Western Europe over 300 years ago? Is it an organization created by King Constantine in the year 330 to bring about peace between pagans and followers of Jesus Christ, which was later hijacked by the inventors of the Catholic religion? Or is it a group of people who believe in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross, who gather together to help their fellow man? Who are those the Bible speaks of when it mentions disciples, Christians, brethren, assembly, congregation, slaves, sons, the Way and sheep? Are they the Christian church or God's Children of Promise?

The inability to correctly identify to whom certain prophecies should be applied to has caused major and historical rifts between believers for centuries; yet Bible scholars and students alike have deduced and developed a myriad of doctrines that continue to divide God's children. What we hope to provide in this message is biblical proof that there is only one group of people qualified to be called God's Children of Promise, and they are the people of faith, those who believe in, trust in and who committed themselves to the Messiah almost from the beginning of time. We (believers) can continue to call ourselves Christians or members of whatever organized church group we align ourselves with; however, as concerns eschatological matters, especially, understanding who are God's Children of Promise is the key to correctly applying any and all prophecies emanating from both the Old and New Testaments.

While some may not be familiar with the term (God's Children of Promise), it can easily be found in Romans 9:8, In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring, Galatians 4:28; Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise; Acts 2:39, The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Once we recognize who the above scripture refer to, and put God's Children of Promise in proper context, we will find that all prophecy was intended (and best fits the application) for this group, rather than trying to apply some prophecies to "ethnic Israel" and others to the the so-called Christian church.

As I demonstrate in my book, The End Times Passover, once we have a clear understanding as to who are God's Children of Promise, then and only then will any particular prophecy be applicable to the entity in question.

[This can be a rather complex subject, which cannot be completely explained solely in this condensed message. The reader will be able to examine scripture that explains the subject matter in greater detail by simply downloading the 85 pages of our Chapter One, Who Are God's Children of Promise, contained in our book, The End Times Passover]

At the outset, we first see in Genesis 12 where God makes the call to a people He seeks to be His representatives on earth, His standard bearers, those who should lead and manifest themselves to the world based on the standards God has revealed and established. As the Bible will clearly show, God’s Children of Promise were called out several thousand years before The Day of Pentecost, a point in time of history where most Christians believe the Church of God was first created (more on this later).That initial call was made to Abraham, the father of our faith:

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

We won’t broach one aspect of the above group of scripture, the part that says God will curse those who curse you, which premillennialists, theorists, dispensationalists and other Rapture devotees claim it is applicable to those who do not support the state of Israel or Jews in general. In another discussion, we will prove this is a most severe doctrine that has had a stranglehold on the majority of Christianity and is greatly responsible for the historical conflict that rages in the Middle East. We will however, turn to Matthew Henry, one of Christendom’s renowned scholars of antiquity, who provides greater insights than mine concerning why the call was made and what is the criteria to be listed among God’s Children of Promise in the following commentary on Genesis 12:

“We have here the call by which Abram was removed out of the land of his nativity into the land of promise, which was designed both to try his faith and obedience and also to separate him and set him apart for God, and for special services and favours which were further designed. The circumstances of this call we may be somewhat helped to the knowledge of from Stephen’s speech, Acts 7:2, where we are told, (1) that the God of glory appeared to him to give him this call, appeared in such displays of his glory as left Abram no room to doubt the divine authority of this call. God spoke to him afterwards in divers manners; but this first time, when the correspondence was to be settled, he appeared to him as the God of glory, and spoke to him. 2. That this call was given him in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran; therefore we rightly read it, The Lord had said unto Abram, namely, in Ur of the Chaldees; and, in obedience to this call, as Stephen further relates the story (Acts 7:4), he came out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran, or Haran, about five years, and thence, when his father was dead, by a fresh command, pursuant to the former, God removed him into the land of Canaan. some think that Haran was in Chaldea, and so was still a part of Abram’s country, or that Abram, having staid there five years, began to call it his country, and to take root there, till God let him know this was not the place he was intended for. Note: If God loves us, and has mercy in store for us, he will not suffer us to take up our rest any where short of Canaan, but will graciously repeat his calls, till the good work begun be performed, and our souls repose in God only. In the call itself we have a precept and a promise.

I. A trying precept: Get thee out of thy country, v. 1. Now,

1. By this precept he was tried whether he loved his native soil and dearest friends, and whether he could willingly leave all, to go along with God. His country had become idolatrous, his kindred and his father’s house were a constant temptation to him, and he could not continue with them without danger of being infected by them; therefore Get thee out, lk-lk—Vade tibi, Get thee gone, with all speed, escape for thy life, look not behind thee, ch. 19:17. Note, those that are in a sinful state are concerned to make all possible haste out of it. Get out for thyself (so some read it), that is, for thy own good. Note, those who leave their sins, and turn to God, will themselves be unspeakable gainers by the change, Prov. 9:12. This command which God gave to Abram is much the same with the gospel call by which all the spiritual seed of faithful Abram are brought into covenant with God. For, (1.) Natural affection must give way to divine grace. Our country is dear to us, our kindred dearer, and our father’s house dearest of all; and yet they must all be hated (Lu. 14:26), that is, we must love them less than Christ, hate them in comparison with him, and, whenever any of these come in competition with him, they must be postponed, and the preference given to the will and honour of the Lord Jesus. (2.) Sin, and all the occasions of it, must be forsaken, and particularly bad company; we must abandon all the idols of iniquity which have been set up in our hearts, and get out of the way of temptation, plucking out even a right eye that leads us to sin (Mt. 5:29), willingly parting with that which is dearest to us, when we cannot keep it without hazard of our integrity. Those that resolve to keep the commandments of God must quit the society of evildoers, Ps. 119:115; Acts 2:40. (3.) The world, and all our enjoyments in it, must be looked upon with a holy indifference and contempt; we must no longer look upon it as our country, or home, but as our inn, and must accordingly sit loose to it and live above it, get out of it in affection, (Matthew Henry’s Commentary of Genesis 12).”

This standard, of which God has established for His Children of Promise, is reiterated ever so clearly also in the dissertation provided to us by the Apostle Stephen in the entirety of Acts 7:1-59, which is the most profound confirmation concerning who has been the Church of God all along before the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, an event most Christians believe was the day in which the Christian church was created. The apostle Stephen clearly identifies God's Children of Promise in verses 37 and 38 when he said, This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people. 38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us, (Acts 7:37-38). [see Greek definition for assembly]

The point the Apostle Stephen is trying to drive home to the Pharisees (and all who fail to understand the true Gospel of Jesus Christ) is that a promise was made to a people who would obey God and His standards. He is telling them that the Children of Promise are not based on fleshly inheritance, but rather on faith. The apostle Paul drives this point home (in Galatians 3:6-14) when he tells the church of that day, that the true Gospel of Christ was actually preached to Abraham in the book of Genesis 18:18-19 and Genesis 22:1-18:

Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit, (Galatians 3:6-14)

Again, we clearly saw in Genesis 18:18 and 19, the type of people God calls out, and for what purpose, which is made perfectly clear:

18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him,"(Genesis 18:18-19).

Abraham and all of his descendants were blessed due to his obedience. As we saw in the great story in Genesis 22:11-18, where God commanded Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice, he was not only blessed for his obedience, that obedience has blessed all of mankind:

God called out to him from heaven:

"Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me," (Genesis 22:11-18)

The standards of God were clearly established within the promises He made to Abraham and to his descendants. The promises were not made concerning a specific race or ethnic group, but solely to those who believed and who follow through on that faith in obedience. The remaining notations in the Bible, where many see eternal promises that God made Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (nee Israel) were always conditional upon obedience. Eschatologists can glean selective scripture to force them into theories they conjure up or repeat from others, but nothing can replace the truthfulness in the clarity of God's words.

God chose a people to bear His banner of righteousness. Grace does not provide us with the right nor the folly to insert assumptions based on the popular and soothing Gospel that prevails in these tumultuous times we live in. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the law and all prophecy. He ever so clearly reminds us what the law and the prophets stated and claimed were all revealed and fulfilled in Him. He also clearly told God's Children of Promise what was expected of them. He reminded them daily about His standards and precepts. He has been with His Children of Promise from the very beginning, from the time God first spoke to Abram near the great trees of Mamre to his final days in Beersheba, up through the over some 400 hundred years of Israel's captivity in Egypt, Christ has been with them and is constantly reminding them who He is and what His expectations are. Christ did not just first appear sometime in 10 BC as Jesus did, Christ was actually with His assembly (Greek, ecclesia=called out ones) during those lost 40 years of wandering in the desert after being freed from Egyptian bondage, as is clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 10:1-5:

1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert, (1 Corinthians 10:1-5).

Sadly, even though Christ was amongst them, as He was among the unbelieving Pharisees during His earthly sojourn in Rome and Judeah, and sometimes even among some doubtful apostles (such as Peter and Thomas), they all lacked the faith and realization that God

(Immanuel) has been with us all along. But, equally important, in the following verses, He tells us, that the Old Testament was not written for us to selectively pull out certain prophecies and apply them to our esoteric eschatological notions, as if we have been blessed with the ability to foresee or predict the future. No, these were recorded as warnings not to commit the same sins that kept them from reaching The Promised Land:

6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry. 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel, 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come, (1 Corinthians 10:6-10). 

It's plain and simple. God's Children of Promise are those who have been called out (the ecclesia) to serve Him. This can only be accomplished by faith that leads to obedience. Abraham believed God could raise the dead and he commenced to perform a murderous act in killing his own son. God stopped him because he saw that Abraham believed and obeyed and it was credited to him as righteousness. Henceforth he is known as the Father of Faith and those who believe and who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. These are God's Children of Promise, who existed before the Day of Pentecost!

As the reader examines the attached chapter, the author goes into great detail to explain what actually happened on The Day of Pentecost. It was during that great event that God poured out the gift of His Holy Spirit, providing His Children of Promise (those who believe by faith) the power to discern His proverbial message and to broadcast the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. The Christian church was not formed on that day (as theorists have posited for centuries); that event merely provided the non-believing nations the opportunity to be united with God's Children of Promise, as we can plainly see in Ephesians 2:1-22, the Christian church was not created on that day; rather, unbelievers were afforded the opportunity to become members of God's Children of Promise, who existed back in the days of Abraham, our Father of Faith:

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit, (Ephesians 2:19-22).

When Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:18 that upon this rock (meaning Himself) He would build His church, He was not telling him that He was going to create the Christian church, he was telling him that the already existing church, comprised of the faith-believing Children of Promise, would be 'emboldened" by the power of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, which is exactly what happened. The word for "build" in this verse is the Greek word oikodomeo, which means to edify, strengthen, to embolden. If Jesus wanted to reveal to us that he meant build, as in to create something new, we would have seen the Greek word ktisis, to create, in that verse. How does someone strengthen something that doesn't already exist?

Finally, there are many who try to separate Old Testament saints from the New (who, supposedly will be the only ones who get Raptured to Heaven and participate in a big wedding banquet), and that Old Testament saints have to wait 1000 years before they can participate in God's Kingdom. However in Matthew 8:5-11, we read the story about the centurion who came to Jesus and asked Him to heal his slave, and, in humble faith, told Jesus he was not worthy to have the Lord come to his house, but just merely speak and his slave will be healed. Jesus responded by saying, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." In these two verses, Jesus tells us that faith is still the main criteria for salvation; plus, we also see that the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be amongst God's Children of Promise in the Kingdom of God!

You can call God's Children of Promise (collectively) the Church, Christians, Israel, Disciples, The Way, whatever; but recognize that those who believe (as did the great cloud of witnesses spoken of in Hebrews 11:1-39, which included Abel, Enoch, Noah and all the patriarchs and Old Testament saints, thereafter, are all that needs to be included among God's Children of Promise. These are they who were people of faith, who suffered greatly and even slain at the hands of unbelievers, who walked with Him hundreds of years before the Day of Pentecost, as well as those of us who today believe in and will hopefully continue to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, regardless of the costs, are God's Children of Promise!


[For an in depth study of this topic please click on Who Are God's Children of Promise to download this first Chapter of The End Times Passover. To access the author's web sites, blogs and other information, please click on Joe Ortiz]

Great Betrayal Will Come From Amongst Our Own Family!

I can think of no worse experience that anyone can suffer other than the pain of being betrayed by a member of their own family; whether it be by a spouse, blood relative such as a mother and father, brother or sister or especially from a member of our church. This message is going to enrage many people; but so be it. It is biblical!

Betrayal is one of the worst words in the human lexicon. It conjures up a pain that can permanently devastate a person’s life probably even more so than murder itself. Betrayal (or the act of being a traitor) has many faces, including to deliver or expose to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty: Benedict Arnold betrayed his country, to be unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling: to betray a trust, to disappoint the hopes or expectations of; be disloyal to: to betray one's friends, to reveal or disclose in violation of confidence: to betray a secret, to reveal unconsciously (something one would preferably conceal): Her nervousness betrays her insecurity, to show or exhibit; reveal; disclose: an unfeeling remark that betrays his lack of concern, to deceive, misguide, or corrupt; to seduce and desert. As we will see, further on, the Bible speaks of a betrayal at the hands of our children that will lead to our very own death. Can there be a more sinister act to commit against any one person, much less friends and fellow church members, by the hand of our own children?

Jesus said that those who do the will of the Father are His brothers and sisters, and recognizing that as much as we try to convince them of the saving grace of Jesus Christ, some of our closest blood relatives will not turn nor trust in Him for their salvation. Most certainly, while most of us abhor any kind of pain and would rather escape the remaining portion of our lives on earth in a quiet and peaceful manner, amongst family members and our closest friends when we succumb, if the signs of the times are as accurate as being reported by modern day prophets, I genuinely believe that believers in Christ will suffer great tribulation, and that acts of betrayal will be among the worst.

As I have said repeatedly, believers have to make the distinction between tribulation/persecution and the Wrath of God. It is true that the children of God are not destined for His wrath, as we are told in Romans 5:9 and 1Thessalonians 5:9; but the Apostle Paul also told us in Acts14:22 and numerous other verses that we believers are going to experience much tribulation.

The first image believers see and focus on when speaking about tribulation concerns the horrors (vials, bowls and plagues) we read about in the book of Revelations. These are not acts of persecution against believers but rather they reveal the wrath that is coming down from God on unbelievers at the End of Days. The acts of tribulation and persecution that believers will suffer may include torture and death at the hands of antichristian forces, as we have seen throughout history during the Crusades and the Inquisitions, many of which are noted in Foxx’s Book of Martyrs and other historical records. Sadly, these acts of tribulation that the believers will suffer (amongst many, many others) include betrayal by family members and some even from our very own church family. Jesus warned us about this in Matthew 10:17-23 (that brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death! vs. 21), Matthew10:34-37, Matthew 24:9-14, and in 2 Timothy 3:12-14.

What can we do when they are told that we (believers) are the true enemies of that now being formed church group (which has morphed into the church-state entity Puritan Americans escaped from Western Europe three hundred years ago), and that we need to be extricated from amongst their midst? There are many who call themselves Christian today that have been seduced to believe that those who don’t abide by the new church party line (Americanism and Christianity are one and the same) are the true enemies of God, as is noted in John 16:2-5, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God!

Nevertheless, I believe that many Holy Spirit-filled believers have actually gotten to a point in their lives, by virtue of their deep faith in Christ, that they are prepared to withstand being tortured for Christ, as so many throughout the world have done so on a daily basis. We do not speak solely about those who throughout history have been tortured and even killed for their faith in Christ, but about those thousands upon thousands who are being persecuted and even dying for Christ as we speak, in places like Pakistan, Darfur, Rwanda, Sudan and numerous other countries, whose governments are run by fanatical religious (Muslim, Buddhist) zealots, whereby declaring their Christian faith is a certain self pronouncement of death! Those who stand up for the cross rather than the flag of their respective countries will be martyred!

Obviously, United States citizens have been fortunate in not having experienced that form of repressive persecution by its government these last 200 years. But, as many Internet prophets who are springing up in more abundance than the rampant growth of wild mushrooms in the People's Republic of China, not a second goes by where these ersatz prognosticators are not flooding the cable wires with predictions that a New World Order is being developed by diabolically-inspired clandestine entities.

Many believe a cabal of US elected officials and secret money-changer types are in cahoots with these demonic forces. It is evident that America is no longer the Christian beacon it has proclaimed to be for the last 200 years. Its government has enacted laws for its financial supporters who demand they be allowed to do as they please, and they dare call Liberty the license to commit crimes against God’s eternal laws.

What can believers do about this? Do we have the ability to counter such a movement? Or is it even our responsibility to address this radical culture-changing or life-altering phenomenon? Who do Christians turn to? If our own government is part of this cabal, can the formation of new political entities turn back a plan that was formed and has been implemented since (or even before) the days Jesus walked down the rustic roads of Nazareth?

We are being warned about this so-called “Black Force” already has in place demonic troops intermingled in our governmental and military infrastructure, ready to unleash unimaginable chaos and terror on humanity at any moment. Many lay claim this dark plague was born and created before the Noahadic Flood that was launched by God to eradicate its progenitors.

Some of these same alarmists are those who hoist the any moment Rapture to Heaven doctrinal flag, which is supposed to provide believers with an escape from these horrors, a polemic which in essence contradicts their clarion call. Some of these are the same prophets who support a Rapture-related doctrine from Hell that a particular race and or religious group is more favored by God based on Bible promises that (unfortunately) have become null and void due to disobedience.

Nevertheless, even if all of these alarming revelations are true, there is nothing any individual believer can do to prevent this hellish onslaught. Neither man-made preparation nor the storing of food, gold and life-saving equipment can save any one person if these diabolical anomalies are real. Their unleashing is the things that God’s wrath represents, not the tribulations the Bible has told us for over two thousand years we would experience.

There is an instinctive reaction we are all born with to survive in dire circumstances; an inherent reaction to self-preservation that is instilled in our persona from the very day we come out of our mother’s womb. No one can deny this. As the days of greater and more intense tribulation than the world has ever seen increase, the instinct to avoid pain and persecution becomes more profound. We see this more so as the economy worsens, as natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, freezing storms and fires) occur more frequently than ever before; fear and panic are becoming the daily catch words in a world heading for annihilation. We can work towards changing the economy, but what do we do with those unexpected anomalies that are being reported more so than ever in world history? What do we do if these predictions of the unleashing of demonic forces are true?

As we enter this season of greater and escalating persecution, we come back to the subject of betrayal. Obviously, our first line of defense is prayer and trust in God firstly and foremost. But, as believers, we cannot escape the fact that we should be able to also trust our friends, family and fellow members of the ecclesia. But, when push comes to shove, will they stand by us to the point of death, or will we be betrayed by their last moment decision to save their own skin?

Judas betrayed Christ!

Peter denied Christ three times (albeit he turned it around in the end). And these are they who physically walked with Christ!

What will some believers do when a gun is pointed at their heads and demanded they deny Christ or die? What will they do if that gun is pointed at their children or their spouses? How will they react if their own children betray them, those who will be forced to choose between their parents or those who can control their future? What can we do when they are told that we (believers) are the true enemies of that now being formed church group (which has morphed into the church-state entity Puritan Americans escaped from Western Europe three hundred years ago) that we need to be extricated from amongst their midst?

I love my children, who are probably the most precious treasures God could ever bestow on any man. I’m certain you love yours just as much. How could we ever imagine they would ever be placed in a situation where they would be forced to make such a horrific choice, the penultimate betrayal?

Hopefully, you and I shall not have to experience such betrayal by our own children, nor from our friends and church family. But, based on the scripture quoted above, especially those horrifying words spoken of in John 16:2-5, that possibility could very well happen.

Let us pray we can escape as much tribulation as possible before the Lord returns. We older guys, who have lived a full, productive and successful life, do not fear death as much as our young and still growing children. Some of us, who are burdened with great physical pain (that most often comes with old age), sometimes welcome the possibility that God will take us out of this decrepit world and be home with Him for eternity (see John 12:25).

Therefore, it is probably easier for many of us not to fear but accept the probability of death. Our children, obviously, want the opportunity to live a full and long life as well. Therefore, their commitment to Christ unto death may not be as profound. This is quite understandable. Let us pray they will never be placed in a position where they will have to make the decision whether we live or die in order for them to stay alive long enough to hopefully fulfill their hopes and dreams.

Lastly, Jesus did tell us in Luke 21:36 to always be on the watch, and pray that we may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that all of us believers may be able to stand before the Son of Man, and also escape betrayal at the hands of our loved ones, a fate I believe will be worse than death itself!




For more information about the author and his books The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation, please click on Joe Ortiz

Why Did Jesus Have to Ascend to Heaven?

     The true ministers of God have only one attribute that qualifies him or her to preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. Regardless of any or all the theology training these persons have been exposed to, if the Holy Spirit does not control their actions, they are for naught.
     The minister may possess verbal eloquence, mastery of the language that is used to reach those entrusted, physical beauty and charm, a prolific writer or possessing knowledge on many topics; seminary certificates and degrees or even a self imposed title such as Reverend or Deacon, Bishop of Pastor, Evangelist or Speaker.  
     However, unless the Holy Spirit controls the activity, it will not reveal God's truth nor His will. In fact, possession of the Holy Spirit is what gives the minister the authority to preach and teach the word of God. If the minister does not possess the power of the Holy Spirit (which becomes obvious and bears witness by the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:13-26), then those ministers are imposters whose only goal is to heap God's glory on themselves.
     Jesus, as He began to ascended to Heaven to sit at the Right Hand of God after His crucifixion and resurrection, told His disciples that it would be better if He left in order that He could send the Comforter, speaking of the Holy Spirit. Some of us have often asked, "Why was it necessary for Jesus to leave in order for us to receive the comfort of The Counselor?" Could not Jesus have stayed and worked alongside The Counselor?
     There is a great answer to this question that many Bible scholars have tried to provide throughout history, most often getting snagged with the issue of the Trinity, which most definitely will not be discussed here. One such individual provides the following in hopes it will be a source of edification. He is not a well known theologian, but God often uses such an individual to confound the many who think they are wiser than others. Enjoy!

"I Am Sending You the Comforting Counselor,"
(John 16:5-11) By Gregg Bitter
      Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who pours out the Holy Spirit on his through his Word and Sacraments. The Word from God that speaks to us today is John 16:"But now I am going to Him who sent me, and none of you are asking me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, grief fills your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Counselor will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. "When he comes, he will convince the world regarding sin, regarding righteousness, and regarding judgment, regarding sin, since they do not believe in me. Regarding righteousness, since I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me. Regarding judgment, since the leader of this world has been judged." (John 16:5-11). This is the word of our Lord!
     Dear friends in Christ, fellow saints washed in the blood of our risen Savior:    
     The police were grilling the suspect hard, trying to coerce a confession out of him. Tensions were high. Emotions, worn thin. But then his legal counsel walks into the room. Imagine yourself as that suspect, beaten down by interrogation. How would you feel seeing the face of your legal counsel coming to your aid? And this legal counsel is not just a hired gun; he's a trusted friend. He's been there for you in the past. He put his arm around your shoulder when you lost a dear friend. He celebrated your wedding with you. He listened and helped as you struggled with career decisions. And, now in your hour of need, he comes, your comforter, your counselor.     
     You have a much greater Counselor at your side. In fact, he is living in you. Jesus, himself, promised to send this comforting Counselor, the Holy Spirit. That's the theme today. Hear Jesus say to you: "I am sending you the comforting Counselor. I am sending him, for I am leaving with my mission completed. I am sending him, for he comes to the world to work conviction." Jesus sends you the comforting Counselor.
     A. "For I am leaving with my mission complete"    
     1) What fills your heart with grief?
     Jesus spoke these words to his disciples on the night he was betrayed. They knew this was a critical time. Jesus had talked about leaving and about the world hating them. Grief filled their hearts. But they were unwilling to take this grief to Jesus, unwilling to ask him to explain why and to help them understand. Rather they wallowed in self-pity. "Why would he abandon us? How are we going to make it if Jesus' leaves? How sad and hopeless we'll be!" So Jesus gently rebukes them. "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief," (John 16:5, 6 NIV).    
     How often we are caught up in our own grief and sadness! We focus on our own troubles and problems spending our time and money trying to fix things. We feel that everything is bearing down on us, that we're in the hot seat in the interrogation room with the heavies breathing down our neck. We try to soothe our sadness's by drowning them in one way or another. We call out to God, but it doesn't seem to work. So why bother, we figure. We fail to seek him in his Word with the quiet confidence that our troubles and sadness's will one day give way to joy and we will better off having gone through them. Rather that day seems just too far off, and grief fills our hearts.    
     But just as it was good for Jesus to be leaving, even though it saddened the disciples, so also our merciful God works good for us. "But I tell you the truth:" Jesus says, "It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7 NIV).
     2) Why was it good for the disciples and us that Jesus leaves, even though it made them feel sad?
     Why couldn't the Holy Spirit, that comforting Counselor, come unless Jesus left? If Jesus did not complete his mission and go to his Father, who had sent him on that mission, then the Holy Spirit would have no work to do, no comfort to give, no counsel to strengthen your heart.
     For what is the Holy Spirit's work? He points you to Jesus, right? Through God's Word and Sacraments he points you to Jesus. Jesus explained that to the disciples just a little bit earlier. At the end of chapter 15, John records Jesus' words, "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me" (John 1:26 NIV, emphases added).
     But if Jesus had stayed and not died for the sins of the world, what good would it do for the Holy Spirit to point us to Jesus? If Jesus had not risen from the dead as God's verdict freely declaring the whole world justified, what good would it do for the Holy Spirit to point us to Jesus? If Jesus' mission to save sinners was somehow incomplete so that he could not ascend in glory but stayed here instead, what good would it do for the Holy Spirit to point us to Jesus?
     3) What comfort does the Holy Spirit bring to you, since Jesus' mission is completed?
     So yes, it was better -- much, much better -- for the disciples and for you and me that Jesus left with his mission completed. For now when the sadness's of life bear down on you, when temptations harass you, when guilt is laid on you heavy under the interrogation of God's holy law, breathing death, torture, and hell down your neck -- look who bursts into your heart and ends this interrogation!
Your comforting Counselor comes. Through the Scriptures and the Sacraments, he says to you: "Take heart! Be of good cheer. I know your sadness. I know your struggle. I know your guilt. But the Law cannot lay a finger on you. For someone else has already paid for your crime.
     Yes, Jesus, your God and Savior. His body and blood carried your guilt. He has suffered the damning curse of the Law in your place. Yes! It's true. For you see, Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended in glory. His mission is completed. See, he has sent me, the Holy Spirit, to be your comforting Counselor, to speak to you through his Word and Sacraments. Find peace and joy in Jesus, for he has completed his mission to ransom you." In this way by pointing us to Jesus, the Holy Spirit works as your comforting Counselor. So in your times of sadness and struggle, listen to him through his Word and Sacraments and see your ascended Savior with his mission for you completed. 
     B. "For he comes to the world to work conviction"    
     1) What conviction does the Holy Spirit work in regard to sin?
     Now to help us understand the Spirit's work, Jesus summarizes it: "When he comes he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8 NIV). How does this bring us comfort and consolation? Well, let's take a look.
     Jesus explains, "In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me" (John 16:9 NIV). The Holy Spirit, although he is our comforting Counselor, he is also like a prosecuting attorney. He convicts the world of sin, including you and me. With God's Law he exposes our guilt. He exposes our utter helplessness to escape the Law's verdict of death, damnation, and hell.
     He did this, for example, on Pentecost as Peter preached. Peter accused the people of crucifying the Christ. The Holy Spirit convicted the people of their sins so that they were cut to the heart (Acts 2:36, 37 NIV).
     In the same way the Holy Spirit has brought you and me to the conviction that we are sinners. We cannot save ourselves. Yes, this brings us grief and sadness, and for those who do not believe in Jesus, it ends in death and hell. But the Spirit has done this only as a preliminary work. For he truly wants to bring you comfort. So he works a different conviction in you as well. So let's listens to what Jesus goes on to say.
      2) What conviction does the Holy Spirit work in regard to righteousness?
      Jesus says, "In regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer" (John 16:10 NIV). The Spirit has worked in you the conviction that Jesus is your righteousness. How can that be? It is because Jesus not only died for you, but rose from the dead and went to the Father. That means his righteousness counts for you in God's courtroom. That's the comfort your legal counsel brings.
     In the first part today, we've already talked about this Good News your comforting Counselor brings as he points you to Jesus. This is the work he wants to do in our hearts. He convicts us of sin and brings sadness only so that he can open our eyes to see our true joy, so that he can work in you the conviction that Jesus is your one and only Savior, your Righteousness. He did that among the 3000 on that Pentecost day. They believed and were baptized. And he has done that in you.
     3) What conviction does the Holy Spirit work in regard to judgment?
     So you can face whatever comes your way with the assurance that your comforting Counselor is at your side. For Jesus continues by saying, In regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned, (John 16:11 NIV). The Holy Spirit has worked the conviction in you that although Satan plots and rages against you, he already stands condemned. You are safe in Jesus.
     So have no fear of the interrogation room. Rather believe Jesus' promise: "I am sending you the comforting Counselor." He has come to you through God's Word and Sacraments. He tells you that the verdict is already in. God has declared you not guilty because Jesus has completed his mission. He works this conviction in your heart, so that you are convinced and confess: "Sinner, though I am, Jesus is my righteousness. Satan stands condemned." What comfort your counselor brings!


Sermon on May 11, 2008, delivered by Gregg Bitter, Pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hancock, Minnesota


Posted on Janaury 15, 2011 by Joe Ortiz, author of The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation