Be Not Whitewashed or Woked - Steve Martin

 

Be Not Whitewashed or Woked

 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.  "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Jesus Christ, Matthew 23:27-28, NASU

 

With the watered-down gospel preached in many churches these days, Jesus (Yeshua) will never be quoted saying what He said when He walked the land in Israel in 30 A.D. In fact, much of that being taught, if you want to call it that, from the pulpits in the churches where many don’t read the Bible for themselves, Jesus is portrayed as an “all-loving”, “don’t rock the boat” type of nice man. And thus, you can do what you want, when you want, how you want, and He will always love you no matter what.

Truth can easily be lost when you mix it with deception and lies. Those who don’t teach the full truth are as deceived as those who stay and listen to it.

How do I know? During the COVID months years ago, how many, after being “locked out of their churches for those months” (some with no fight or push back at all against government control) have returned to fellowship and solid teaching? You know the lost numbers too as well as I do.

Many Christians will fall away during these times, in these last days, because they have not been taught Who Yeshua (Jesus) actually is. They have been fed a “love me for who I am” gospel, which is not THE Gospel.

And thus, we have “wokeness” abounding even in so many American churches. Tickle the ears of the people, and when reality hits home, they will lose what faith they had and fall away. Their hearts have been made cold because men and women have chosen to water down what Jesus truthfully said and did when He came the first time.

He previously asked if He would still find faith when He returns the second time. He was right.

“Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'

"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice — otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black and blue by her pounding.'"

Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?" Luke 18:1-8, THE MESSAGE

“Persistent faith”, or as it is simply stated in the NASU version in Luke 18:8, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" will not be found in as many Christians as we would hope. These have been quietly, routinely, regularly been fed too much pablum, baby food, and no meat to chew on, and thus will not have the faith to stand when the heat gets turned up. As it is certainly these days.

They looked for the “worship experience” rather than the One Who is to be worshipped.

Preachers and teachers who do not give out the truth are whitewashed, having a “clean looking” appearance on the outside but nothing worth keeping on the inside.

Wokeness will eventually kill what faith you have if you are not founded on the truth of the Bible, and the faith that comes from reading it.

Cold hearts will not be able to pump out faith when the time is most needed. No solid foundation produces weak and soon fallen buildings.

Be not whitewashed nor woked. Have faith. In Yeshua (Jesus) and His Word only.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin, Love For His People founder