¹ Because Jesus restored a man's hand on the Sabbath, the Jews were filled with rage against him, considering him to be working on the Sabbath, which was forbidden by the Law. The Jews calmly listened to their priests reading the scriptures to them every Sabbath, and they calmly watched their priests circumcise infants on the Sabbath; they did not consider a priest fulfilling their religious duties to be in violation of working on the Sabbath. Yet, Christ was only fulfilling his religious duty in healing the man's hand; however, Jesus did not have the black robes of the Pharisees, nor had he been educated in their formal religious training — to them he was just a carpenter. Anything that Christ did was a religious duty because he only did what he was told to do by the Father; his duties, including to heal, took precedence over the Law. The legalistic Jews could not comprehend that someone healing, (obviously doing the work of God), on the Sabbath was exempt from that restriction — they were even filled with rage against him. The Jews had the scriptures, but they did not have the Spirit that gave forth the scriptures; therefore they could not properly apply the scriptures to novel events. They had the scriptures, but they had not been listening to the Word of the Lord, the Word of the Lord within. Yet their own Old Testament scriptures had scores of severe warnings and consequences to those who failed to listen to God's voice; so their understanding of the scriptures was superficial and flawed, lacking the Spirit's personal teachings to themselves. Despite the Bible experts of today believing they have understanding, they are ignorant of what is "the gospel," what is "faith," what it means to be "saved," what is "grace," what is "the word," what is "the return of Jesus," where is "the kingdom of heaven," etc.; because they have been taught by men and not taught by the Holy Spirit's revelations. They are just like the Jews of old. When the true Spirit of Christ was revealed in the early Quakers, just like the Jews, the so called "Christians" were filled with rage at the Spirit of Christ's teachings; and so Christendom will be again be filled with rage when the Spirit of Christ is revealed in regenerated men and women of this age. Christianity will severely persecute the Spirit of Christ, wherever it rises.

² Woe to you who are rich! For you have received your comfort. If you think you are rich in spirit, woe to you. Unless you know you are poor in spirit, your only comfort is in this life. If you are rich in the world's goods, and you fail to open your hand to the poor, giving generously, you will suffer in the next life.  If you are not faithful with the least of riches, (money), you will not be trusted with the greatest of riches, (spiritual riches). From Revelation:

I will spew you out of my mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, and increased with possessions, and am in need of nothing;' and do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, I counsel you to buy from me gold tried in the fire, so that you may be rich; and white garments, so that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see. Rev 3:16-18.

Woe to you who are full! For you shall hunger. He is saying, woe to you if you are not hungry for righteousness, and feel you have everything you need. He is saying that if you are satisfied with this life, and have no desire for something better, then in the next life you will certainly be hungry, famished, and starving for righteousness. And so, your reward is limited to having been full in this life; and in your next life, you will deeply hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now! For you shall mourn and weep. Here He is not saying that laughing is a sin; (even though revelry or partying is). He is saying that if we are laughing, we don't understand how far removed from the approval of God we are. He is saying that if we could really see the state of our selfish, greedy, angry, lustful, envious, covetous, immoral, beastly self — we would be in mourning for our condition. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are those who are poor in spirit. When we go to him, after he encourages us, and after he identifies himself as a friend, then he will show us our slavery to sin. Then we are sad. Then we don't laugh. Then we have godly sorrow for our conditions, which produces repentance. But until a man goes to the Holy Spirit to be shown the sins in his heart, he really doesn't understand how deep his slavery to sin is. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of merriment. Ecc 7:4. If you continue to laugh and make merry in this life, you will weep and mourn in the next life.

³ Give to every man who asks of you. This command applies to individuals asking for help for themselves or their family. While giving to charities that help the poor is looked on with favor by the Lord, this command doesn't apply to solicitations by organizations. For individuals the only exception is when you know the person who asks of you is pretending they have needs. For example, in my home town there are 3-5 free meals served every day; so if their sign says they are hungry or need money for food, I know they are not sincere. Many homeless advocates tell us not to give money to the normal homeless beggar on the street, rather to offer them a meal or to contribute to the homeless charity in your area; and they even tell us that giving money to such people harms them, (and harms the poor people with genuine needs too). If a panhandler is aggressive; or if you see the same person begging for weeks, months, or years; or if you see them passed out on the side of the street; or if you see them partying; or if you see a group of people taking turns begging with a sign; or if they smell of alcohol; all those show the scam of their pretended need. However, if you are in doubt or uncomfortable in declining, then give; and if you feel someone has a sincere need, then give liberally and with the joy of helping someone that really needs help.

⁴ Therefore, in all things, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Mat 7:12, Rom 13:8-10, Gal 5:14, Lev19:18 - strive to always obey this.

⁵ Then he spoke a parable to them, "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into a ditch? Luke 6:39.
The disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect [purified, restored to the spiritual image of God, specifically authorized, and perfected] will be like his master. Luke 6:40.
Why do you look at the spec that is in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the log that is in your own eye? Luke 6:41
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the spec that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, [to become perfect like the master] and then you will see clearly to remove the spec that is in your brother's eye. Luke 6:42

So who is spiritually blind? Any unperfected disciple.

Notice! Blind leaders cannot lead. Jesus is speaking of spiritually blind leaders. A blind leader is anyone who has not been perfected.
From the Word of the Lord within: "I work with the blind; but if you think you can see, and you are not with me in heaven, I will make you a laughingstock."
But everyone who is is perfected will be like his master (Jesus). Perfection takes the log out of your own eye.
So he wants us freed from sin and purified so we can help our brothers, but until then, we can't even see how to help — and if we think we can, we are more blind than those we are trying to help — we have a beam in our eye, and he only has a spec — who is more blind? Only when Christ has perfected us, has removed our log; only then can we preach or teach, after we are readjusted, restored, perfected and set to rights, and authorized; then we can help — until then we just harm those we try to correct. To be restored, is to be renewed into the image of God, as was man before the fall in the Garden — which is Christ's job with all of us — to reconcile the whole creation back to God, as it was, even better, than before it fell due to the disobedience of Adam. For we cannot be reconciled back to God in our fallen state, we must be purified — restored, and perfected before union can take place — union that is only possible between two like beings. Only then can we teach or preach, or witness, or reprove our brothers. A perfected disciple clearly hears what he is told to do, when he is told to do it, and what words to speak just before speaking; then it is not really the disciple who is speaking or acting, it is God through that disciple; and God supplies the energy to perform any task ordered too; because God is in control of that disciple, who in obedience speaks and acts, then that disciple's works are perfect — God is really the one doing them.

In the next three verses, Jesus explains the necessity of attaining change to become good, before reproving others:
For a good tree does not bring forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
For every tree is known by his own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorn bushes, nor do men gather grapes from a bramble bush.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil. For out of the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:43-46
From the Word of the Lord within: "A good tree is a holy tree."
And in Matthew, Jesus tells us that those with corrupt fruit, (those unperfected disciples), are false prophets that call him Lord, but still sin, Mat 7:15-23

James echoes the same message about unperfected preachers and teachers: My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment; For we all err in many things; and if any man does not err in his words, he is a perfect man. James 3:1-2.
(James is saying, until you are perfected, what you teach will have errors; and errors will be strictly judged.)

It is the Lord who is supposed to appoint by gift his preachers, teachers and evangelists, whose sole purpose is the perfection of the saints. Eph 4:-11.
No unperfected person can fulfill the ministry's function, which is the perfection of the saints; any unperfected teacher/preacher has not been appointed or gifted by God.

It is the Lord who is supposed to send the workers to the fields of harvest, Mat 9:38, but today's ministers have not been appointed nor have they been sent by direct orders; they are man-appointed and man-sent, and as such they are not Christ's. Instead, they are Satan's ministers transformed to appear as ministers of righteousness, 2 Cor 11:14-15.

Even Jesus did not judge, speak, or act without the Spirit's specific prompting. Jesus said:

• Of my own self, I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, John 5:30
• The Son can do nothing of Himself [by his own will], but only does what he sees the Father do. John 5:19
• But so that the world may know that I love the Father, I only do exactly as the Father has instructed me to do. John 14:31
• I have many things to say and to judge about you; but he who sent me is true,
  and I speak to the world only those things that I have heard from him. John 8:26
• For I do not speak from myself [not my own words], but the Father, who sent me, himself commands me what I should say and what I should speak.
  And I know that [to obey] his command is life everlasting. Therefore, whatever I speak is just as the Father tells me to speak. John 12:49-50
• He who speaks from himself [speaking his own words] seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of the One who sent him, that man is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. John 7:18
   Jesus confirms righteousness only exists in a man if:
      1) he is sent to speak to specific person(s), and
      2) he does not speak from himself, (his own words).

But any preacher or teacher has to first be pure and perfect to hear the Father tell him what to say in real-time. The unperfected ministers seek their own glory by speaking from their own carnal minds and imaginations, just as Jesus said: "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory," John 7:18. Jesus only spoke words, judged, and performed works as He was ordered by God. If you are speaking and/or working for God without being specifically ordered in each and every word and action, you are essentially claiming that your own words and deeds are superior to what Jesus' would be if he made his own decisions about what to say and do. Anyone without perfection, not having been sent, and speaking without God providing his words to speak, is a blind guide seeking his own glory, your money, and/or your admiration of him.

So, any man who speaks of God or Christ without the Spirit's specifically supplied words is seeking his own glory. Take no thought how or what you will answer or what you should say; for the holy spirit at that moment will teach you what to say. Luke 12:12. Note! You cannot just open your mouth and start speaking extemporaneously, assuming the Holy Spirit is speaking through you; you are supposed to hear from the Holy Spirit what to say first. Many people read this and assume if they don't plan a speech, the Holy Spirit will control their mouth — not true! Jesus said: take no thought; this is only possible after the Holy Spirit has destroyed your carnal mind, which is enmity with God, and your mind has been renewed to the mind of Christ. All words spoken must first be heard; and only words heard at that moment are to be spoken. Think about it: if it is not all words, is it one word from Him and then one hundred from your carnal mind; or is ten words from Him and then ten from your carnal mind? From the Word of the Lord within: "all and only words from Him are to be spoken;" and only at that moment. Realize, you will be tempted by the enemy many times to preach before you can hear so well as to speak only words heard at that moment for there are many voices; beware of false prophets; and beware of becoming a false prophet yourself, speaking from your carnal mind about Jesus or God.

The following is what the word of the Lord within has spoken concerning the blind guides of Christendom today:

"Beware of false prophets. There are millions of blind guide preachers. How can the ministers claim to be mine, when inside they are full of deceit and hypocrisy? They do everything for show. The gregarious make a living teaching the scriptures. Those who preach against perfection have a lack of earnest faith. False prophets appeal to unstable souls. I am against the shepherds, who have prophesied a false salvation. They have taken the Bible and made it an unholy thing used to justify their immersion in sin. Much of the Bible has been trivialized. They gutted what Jesus had to say; Jesus is ad tunes. They forget about me and teach errors. They teach the commandments of men; in vain do they worship me. They throw the word 'righteousness' around without any understanding of what it means. There is no hope; there is no guidance, other than 'study the scriptures.' Woe be to them, for they have coupled an external form between the love of God to man. Ten words from Him are better than ten copied letters. They cannot understand what the Spirit is doing. Their preaching only conveys the pride of Samaria. Outside the faith, they are teaching an equilibrium between good and evil. The leaders of Christianity are dogs — blind, dumb, ignorant dogs; professing to know everything, they know nothing; professing to know everything, they live their lives as fools. Those who follow the advice of these unpurified leaders, their life is like a bubble. I refuse to answer them. We deliberately ignore those of great repute. The leader of their army is Lucifer. They want to be sons; they recognize the scripture, 'he that is born of God has no sin,' but they blithely go on. These people are far from me, living in sin and teaching others the inevitability of sin until death. I further decry those who make a living preaching the scriptures."

"Just like Judaism was taken over by the enemy, so has Christianity, which is corrupt, through and through. Like Daniel, you are captive of the Chaldeans. Your place of worship is filled with unclean birds. Babylon is great and mighty. Babylon the great: aggrandizement of self. Oh Christendom, be not at ease in Babylon! Woe to those who try to bring good from evil. In your worship service look around you; do you see the Holy Spirit? Proper worship is for two or three to speak as moved by the Spirit. There is no church in the world that Christ set up specifically; none of the churches reflect true Christianity. Christianity has no idea what I am or for what I stand. The leaders of Christianity are dogs — blind, dumb, ignorant dogs; professing to know everything, they know nothing; professing to know everything, they live their lives as fools. Despite his record, the world regards Augustine as the foremost expert on religion. The Catholic church is medieval; it is a beast. Those of the Aegean Sea, their counsels are thick and dark; their hearts are callous and cold. The Protestant sects have invented nothing new except instant salvation by grace; it is twisted, pernicious lies, a fatal flaw that turns aside the just. Do you agree with any who in their arrogance have stated that God excuses evil in believers? It's not fair, but they don't care."

The preachers of Christendom stand condemned for seeking their own glory and then accepting pay for their worthless words; when to even charge for true words of life like Balaam, spoken from the spirit of God, is expressly forbidden by Peter, Paul, and Jesus. Seeking their own glory, the preachers of Christendom speak their vain opinions from their carnal minds, the nature of death, and from the imagination from their evil hearts.

There is a web page, How to Identify a Blind Guide or False Prophet, devoted to the doctrines of false prophets/blind guide preachers vs. true prophets/ministers to help you distinguish a true preacher/teacher from a false preacher/teacher.

Before George Fox had entered the second stage of perfection and the kingdom, for about three years he was sent on limited, specific assignments by the Lord. But he only did what he was specifically told to do, exactly when he was told to do it; he then returned to his residence and continued waiting on the Lord. Plus, he was sufficiently perfected that he was able to preach, debate, and pray with words supplied by the Holy Spirit; so powerful were his words that even churches shook when he prayed within them. So limited teaching or preaching can be instructed by the Lord before you are completely perfected; but be careful to only do what he tells you to do, nothing more, nothing less; then return to your home to continue to wait on the Lord's further imparting of his Spirit by his words that you hear him speak to you.

Think about it. Only a perfect man can properly do works for God. To do works for God, a man has to be able to hear and see precisely how God wants the works done; he has to be able to speak only words supplied by God. Otherwise the works would not be perfectly done; and if works were done imperfectly, they would reflect poorly on God, making God appear unrighteous and imperfect. And so, no imperfect works are acceptable by God: Wake up and be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die. For I have not found your works perfect before God. Rev 3:2

But he who practices truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be shown to have been produced [formed and powered] through God. John 3:21

Now the God of peace..Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ. Heb 13:20-21

Even worldly corporations extensively train their representatives before letting them loose on the public to "represent" the company. And so God insists that he should teach and perfect his representatives, (disciple them himself), that "represent" him before sending them.

Regarding the unperfected ministers and preachers, the Word of the Lord within stated: "We rendered them children to be incapable of being followed."

Those who ignore or depart from the way of the cross to preach and teach before being perfected, authorized, sent, told or shown what to do, and supplied with all words to be spoken, are purposely made to become immature children in appearance to those who love the truth, preventing those who love the truth from being deceived and following them in error. The preachers/teachers' immaturity shows in their child-like disregard of many scriptures including those that precisely define the conditions, the requirements, and the exclusions of salvation; all making their so-called Christianity to be like a child's make-believe, (as perceived by those who love the truth).

I can remember the day I discovered in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus saying that some then standing with him, 2000 years ago, would see his glorious coming with the Kingdom before they died; and in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus also saying all the end times prophesies would be fulfilled before the generation of 2000 years ago died, (click here to see all). I was shocked that the countless thousands of preachers/teachers who had spent their life searching the scriptures could possibly have ignored these verses, and I immediately heard the Word of the Lord within state, "they are children;" children, not men — children who easily repeat fables, filthy children dreaming they are righteous, children who have trivialized sin, children who preach the gospel of prosperity, children who are immersed in the pleasures of the world, children who are sexually immoral, children full of words, children full of vain opinions and pride, children soliciting money from their captive flock, and children with many marks of the beast.

⁶ Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Calling Jesus Lord does not make Him your Lord. He is your Lord if He has freed you from all sin, if he has destroyed your carnal mind, if He has purified you, and if He supplies all your words to speak, all your thoughts, and all your actions to be done. If you are still sinning, you are a slave to sin, John 8:34, and if you are sinning, Jesus cannot be your Lord because you cannot serve two masters. You can call Him Lord; you can call Him Master; but so did Judas. Do you not know that to whom you yield yourselves as slaves to obey, you are the slaves of whom you obey; whether of sin that leads to death, or of obedience that leads to righteousness? Rom 6:16.

You might be thinking, "but he has never told me to do something; I haven't been disobedient." However, every person is anonymously called by God to depart from evil on their day of visitation when Christ, the light given to every man so that he might believe, preaches the gospel in them; He knocks at every person's door, (heart). The vast majority of people ignore His anonymous call to turn from evil because they love their selfish lifestyle and have no love of the truth about their evil ways. Thus they deny and hate the truth; thus they deny and hate Christ. The few who do heed His anonymous pleas, loving the truth, turn from evil to then be chosen by God to receive more of His Spirit in return; God gives them a taste of His goodness by revelation, which creates the hunger and thirst in them for more of Him — thus to seek Him with all their heart and soul.

From the Word of the Lord within: "All men are without excuse. If I were silent, they would have an excuse; every man has heard the call to repent."

But it is a gentle, anonymous call to forsake their evil ways. You might ask, "why anonymous?" What a man hears and/or sees is the truth of his ways; if he heeds the call, he has an appreciation and love of the truth; if he ignores the call, he hates the truth. Thus it is a test of those who love the truth or love their evil ways. From the Word of the Lord within: "Many people use the visitation of this web site to remove the blocking of past visitations. People can't come in fear; they have to come in love. " Only through love, can the cross be endured to death of one's selfish spirit.

"If anyone hears my words, and does not obey [carefully attend to, observe] them, I do not judge him; for I came not to judge the world [every man], but to save the world [every man]. He who rejects me and does not receive my words, has one for his judge — the words that I have spoken [to him] will judge him in the last day." John 12:47-48.

Jesus is not happy with those who have never met him: they have never seen His face, nor seen His form, and yet they call Him Lord, while still sinning:

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but [only] he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name cast out demons? And in your name done many wonderful works?'
And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who work iniquity' [sin, lawlessness, or wickedness]. Mat 7:21-23

Jesus rejected those supposed Christians who had prophesied in his name, cast out demons, and done many wonderful works — because they still sinned, and He never knew them because they had never met with Him: they had never exposed themselves to God's commands by sitting and waiting on God while listening to His spoken words that impart the life of God and are engrafted into their hearts, which in sufficient quantity would have freed them from sin.

Who is is that has truly made Jesus their ruling Lord?

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh [the sinful nature] with its passions and desires [lusts and affections]. Gal 5:24
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity [lawless deeds, sin], and purify for himself a people who are his very own, zealous for good works. Tit 2:14
He who is of God, hears God's words. John 8:47
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me [they obey]. John 10:27
Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. John 18:37

⁷ Whoever comes to me, and listens to my spoken words and does [practices, obeys] them, I will show you what he is like. The man who comes to Him, listens to His spoken words, and then he obeys what he hears, builds the temple of God, (Christ), in His heart; and when Christ is fully formed through persistence to the end, the day of the Lord comes while he is still alive on the earth, (which is a joyous occasion for the obedient), and his works of obedience survive the fire that all men must go through, which works are then forever to his credit, reputation, and reward.

But those who hear His words and fail to obey, for them the day of the Lord at their death, (which comes on all men), is a horrible, frightening experience; all their life's works are burnt up in the fire that all men must go through. The words they heard, pleading to depart from evil, but which they failed to obey, will judge them in the last day, John 12:48. Because of their disobedience, their earthly life was spent in no benefit to them, and their many shameful acts are their eternal regret. From the Word of the Lord within: "I am the terror to most people. Everyone will be known by what they have done and said."

Jesus says unless we practice his teachings [obey], we are not to call him Lord. He can't make it any plainer! He said: come to me, listen to My words (listen to him speaking from the word within your heart), and do them (practices them in obedience). The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life-giving. John 6:63. From this sure foundation he builds true faith and hope which purifies you. You must go to him. You must wait on him — listen silently, with the humility of a sinner in need of his changing power — grace. Wait, watch, listen, hear, obey... wait, watch, listen, hear, obey..... seek, listen, obey. You must abide in him. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; (love, peace, joy, patience, kindness,...Gal 5:22-23). If a man does not abide in me, he is cast out like a branch, which withers.... into the fire. John 15:6.

Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your power. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words. Deu 33:3
Jesus said: "There is only one thing needed.
Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her" —
to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his word. Luke 10:39-42.

His spoken words that you hear and keep, (practice, obey, hold true), are spirit and impart the life of God to you. Works of the flesh profit nothing; reading the Bible is a work of the flesh. Only words heard, as spoken by the Spirit, will give life. You can hear and grow spiritually by hearing the Word of Life spoken by the Holy Spirit in your heart if you wait in humble silence, as you listen, watch, hear, believe it to be true, and then obey what you are told to do. It is the words you hear from God and obey that actually create the new spiritual life within you, which life is Christ, the life. Those words heard are engrafted to take root in your heart to change you to become more like him, forming Christ within you; until Christ is fully formed and resurrected in you to be your true Lord, ruling your thoughts, your words, and your deeds.

The Lord Jesus said: Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Luke 6:46. Faith without works of loving obedience to the commands of the Lord, is make-believe Christianity; their faith is dead. Faith that doesn't purify is the hypocrites' faith. Salvation claimed while still sinning, is the devil's covenant of death, a lie: Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with hell will not stand. Isa 28:18. For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but to holiness. 1 Thes 4:7. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Heb 12:14. By your steadfast endurance do you possess your soul. Luke 21:19. What steadfast endurance? Steadfast endurance on the cross, steadfast endurance in tribulation, steadfast endurance in obedience, steadfast endurance in seeking, steadfast endurance in self-denial.

There is a very instructive page devoted to the expansion of this command from the Lord; see Come, Listen, Hear for the details.

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