Love God, love your neighbor. Will you obey? By Jim Herald

Who are the Shepherds of God's people, and why is it so important for them to be doctrinally sound? Why is it so important for a man or woman to make the God's word the final authority? Why is is so important to correctly handle the word of God?

Jesus lamented for Jerusalem. His triumphant entry into Jerusalem was prophesied to THE VERY DAY. He said the religions leadership SHOULD have know the day of their visitation. The religious rulers were declared to be "blind guides".

Mat 23:13-16

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!"

Mat 16:1-4 "The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed."

Why was Jesus's condemnation so severe upon the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the lawyers? God prophesied John the Baptist; the highway in the desert for our God, the voice in the wilderness crying"Repent! For the time of the LORD is at hand", and "Make straight the way of the Lord."

The Pharisees did not believe the testimony of John. Why was it SO important that the Shepherds of the day obey the command of the LORD? Why was Jesus so careful to fulfill every righteousness? Why did God so clearly prophesy the Messiah's coming, and miracles?

Why? Because men's souls were at stake. Due to the negligence of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the lawyers, the builders rejected the cornerstone. Jesus came for the Jew first, but the Jew rejected their Messiah. Father God had to take the vineyard from the Jews and give it to gentiles. Their souls were lost to hell just like the rich man from Jesus's parable. They are still there, in torment, awaiting the last day when they receive full reward for their wicked deeds; The Great and Terrible Day Of The LORD. Just as in Noah's day, God may a way of escape. Noah preached a message of repentance for 120 years, but men chose not to believe, and judgment came, death came, and their souls are still damned

You may think this is not fair. They just missed their Messiah, they just missed the boat. However, they are not being punished for missing the way of their escape, but for their wicked deeds. They are receiving their reward for being liars, thieves, murders at heart, adulterers at heart, being covetous, misusing the gift of God; the Sabbath, blasphemers, idolators, loving self and sin more than the creator of heaven and earth.

Ezekiel 33 warns the watchmen to be alert. If they see danger, they must blow the horn in the correct way to warn the citizens to prepare for war. God warns if they do not watch, do not warn, do not make the horn blow in the prescribed way, and the danger comes, the blood of the citizens will be required of them who were watching. What does that say about the western Church? How does God see our responsibility to our neighbors? Does He excuse our inactivity and wink at it? Can the western church be categorized as an faithful servant?

Mathew 24:32-51 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Are you taking the lesson from the fig tree? Are you seeing what is building around us? Do you see men's hearts filled with fear?

Do you see 2 Tim 1-5 in our American culture? "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away..."

Do you see your countrymen becoming slaves to every kind of debauchery? Do you hate your neighbors so much that you withhold the way of escape? Do you fail to share the gospel because of fear or self embarrassment? Do you not fear God any longer? Scripture says if you deny Christ before men, He will deny you before the Father, and the angels in heaven.

See? The fields are white unto harvest. Pray that the master of the harvest send laborers into the field.

Will you answer God's call? Will you intentionally direct conversations to the spiritual? Will you obey the command of the Lord and go into your local world sharing the word of the Lord?

Revival does not come from only prayer, but attempting to save your neighbors from the flames of hell. Will you participate? Will you learn how to turn conversations to the Spiritual? Will you pass out tracts? Jesus, for joy endured the cross, despising the shame. He ensured the way of escape of the flames of the second death for your neighbor. He did the hard work. Will you risk a little pride for the good of your neighbor?

What are the two great commandments? Love God, love your neighbor. Will you obey?

Jim Herald is a guest contributor with Set The Captives Free Ministries. To contact him, call 1-855-507-0379 or email wneedham@scfministry.com.