In Matthew 7:13-27 Jesus is concluding what is called “the Sermon on the Mount” in which He was teaching His disciples the “fine print” of what would become the foundation of their ministry.  As He taught them (4:25-5:2) the multitudes that had followed Him from the surrounding areas listened to His message, a message we all should read from time to time for it has much Scriptural “strong meat” (Heb. 5:12-14) that must be ingested, believed and obeyed in order to inherit eternal life.  We pick up the narrative at the 12th verse of chapter 7 where Jesus combines what is called the New Testament’s  “Golden Rule” with “the Law and the (writings of) the (Old Testament) prophets,” saying about the GOLDEN RULE that: “… THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.”  Those who have “nailed the Law to the cross” but proclaim the Golden Rule are proven wrong by verse 12.  Now let us study the focal passage knowing that what is found within it is of vital importance to those who seek salvation.  The subjects of this series (false prophets) are on a mission for Satan which is to SIDETRACK THE SEEKER AND DRAW HIM INTO HIS (SATAN’S) COUNTERFEIT CHURCH SYSTEM.  Read Bait and Switch.  Key word–Bait.  Now to verse 13.

“Enter in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and MANY ENTER IT.”  What Jesus is telling the disciples (and us) to ” enter” is the church He would build upon Himself–“this Rock” (petra–boulder/mountain)–Matthew 16:18.  He had just called Peter a “rock” (petro–small pebble) upon whom He did NOT build His church.  Jesus and His Father are “ONE,” therefore the Church of God (Acts 20:28) and the Churches of Christ (Rom. 6:16) are ONE in the same.  It is the Father’s church (spiritual body–singular).  The Son is the Head (singular) of the world-wide congregations that make up that one body (Eph. 4:4).  The various denominational cults into which religious man has divided himself are an abomination unto the Lord.  Each one claims to be the “Body of Christ” which means that Christ has been divided into hundreds of bodies.  “Is Christ divided?” Paul asks.  “God forbid!” (1 Cor. 1:13).  The two-headed, multi-bodied religious monster known as “the church” is without equal in terms of the spiritual devastation it has wrought on mankind.  The first denomination was founded by Satan in the Garden of Eden (2 Cor. 11:3).  Every cult/faith/order/sect/church/denomination founded since that time has had the same founder and god–the Serpent of Eden (2 Cor. 11:3) and Revelation 20:2.  As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, many would enter the devil’s wide, come-as-you-are gate and walked his broad, stay-as-you-are path.  Few, Jesus said, would “find” His strait (My-one-way-only) gate and walk His narrow (no-alternative) path to eternal life.  Only those who enter His gate and walk His path will inherit salvation (Mat. 10:22/ Rom. 5:21; 6:22).  Read the previous series.

In verse 15 we are told why billions have been enticed to enter Satan’s wide gate and walk his broad way to destruction.  Jesus uses two words to describe his (Satan’s) Instruments of Mass Destruction: FALSE PROPHETS.  False prophets do not know they are false prophets.  They believe that they have been called by God to be His voice to the world.  They also believe that their group’s doctrines are the only ones approved by Him.  The word Jesus uses to describe the devil’s messengers–“prophets”–tells us that these are people who claim to represent Him (Jesus) as did the holy prophets of old (2 Pet. 1:21) who were led by the Holy Spirit of God.  Read The God of the Old Testament.  Key term–Testament.  Paul’s labeling them “ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:13-15) tells us that the “angel of light” (Satan) has them convinced that they are teaching God’s Truth.  They teach what they have been taught by former false prophets, who were taught by former false prophets, etc., etc., ad infinitum.  Why, one might ask, do they not become true ministers by teaching God’s whole Truth as did Paul? (Acts 20:27).  Two statements answer the question: 1) they are not called by God and 2) they are too intent on “headline hunting” to study the other 99% of God’s Holy Scriptures “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” as God commands those whom He can “teach knowledge” and “make to understand (His) doctrine” (Isa. 28:9,10).  The “headlines” keep the pews and offering plates full and the paychecks coming in.  For this reason God calls them “hirelings” (Jn. 10:12,13).  Headlines pay the bills in that they tell the congregation what God has promised those who obey His Word.  The problem is that church obedience is said to be not only unnecessary but impossible.  When shown God’s whole Truth, false prophets summarily reject it, knowing that if they proclaimed it they would soon be out of a job.  Billions of supposedly heaven-bound believers choose as their hirelings those who 1) will tell them what they want to hear (headlines–Jn. 3:16) and 2) will not tell them what they do not want to hear (fine print–Isa. 28:9,10).  It comes as no surprise to me that, since I began proclaiming God’s Truth, I have not once been invited to speak to a congregation.  When I preached Satan’s church doctrine I stayed busy.  I found out quickly that the professing church hates God’s Word.

In Matthew 7:15 Jesus warns Truth seekers to beware of false prophets who are not what they claim to be.  They come as sheep declaring God’s message.  But in reality they are wolves sent by Satan to destroy the flock by wooing them into his Catholic/Protestant Church System.  In John 8:16-20 Jesus says that we can recognize false prophets by their fruits–what they produce in terms of doctrine.  Bad trees produce bad fruit.  False prophets are bad trees who produce bad fruit upon which their parishioners dine–church doctrine.  Church doctrine is abominable by definition.  Why does one need church doctrine (the part of the Bible that is “true”) when one has the entire Bible as Truth (Jn. 17:17).  Both false prophets and false Christians are guilty of rejecting most of God’s Truth/Word.  This in spite of Jesus saying that we must live by “… every Word that flows from the mouth of God (Mat. 4:4).  Our question must be: Who do I believe?  L.J.