In the First Epistle of the Apostle John we find “the disciple that Jesus loved” (Jn. 13:23) writing to his “little children”–people whom the apostle was leading toward a pure “walk” (life) with the Lord Jesus Christ which, if continued to the end of their lives, would result in salvation upon the return of Jesus Christ. Read Romans 5:21 and 6:22. Notice that salvation is the END RESULT of a life lived in righteousness and holiness. The term “my little children” is also found in John 13:33 where Jesus refers to His 12 disciples as His “little children.” Relative to this title (“little children”) given to church laity, and the laity’s attitude toward church leadership, let us notice something about those whom Jesus refers to as His “little children.”

In Matthew 10:8 Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples (His “little children”), telling them to go among the Jewish people and “… preach the (His) Gospel” (of the Kingdom of God–Mk. 1:14). And as they do so they are also commanded to “… heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers and raise the dead.” As freely as they had received the power and to do all of those things, they were to do them freely (liberally) without regard to the spiritual condition of those people and, as we will notice, the spiritual condition of the disciples themselves. Hint–one of the Gospel-preaching, miracle-performing disciples was Judas Iscariot, who was not only a thief, but was also a traitor who would betray Jesus to the Jewish leaders. Judas, we are told in Acts 1:15-17, had the same ministry as did the other eleven disciples. And yet, Jesus used him to preach, heal, etc. Read All That Glitters. Key word–Glitters.

For the following three years the 12 disciples would preach and perform miracles while watching and listening to their Supreme Leader as He taught them the ways of God. The spiritual condition of the disciples throughout this period would be revealed just before Jesus would die for them and the world. In Luke 22:32 He is speaking to the Apostle Peter about himself (Peter) and his fellow apostles who, for over three years, had been with Him night and day, watching Him, listening to Him and learning from him, then going out and doing what He did and preaching His Gospel. What He says to Peter about the miracle-working representatives of Almighty God will probably shock you. It shocked me many years ago.

If church leaders did today what the 12 disciples did prior to Christ’s death (preach, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, walk on water, etc.), church people would “know” beyond a doubt that such heroes of the faith are saved, born again, rapture-ready saints of God who walk with Jesus and His Father. They would be presented to the world, including the church world, as the perfect example of what salvation in this life looks like.

But how wrong church people would be. In the series titled The Process of Salvation (key word–Process) I explain that salvation is not as it is depicted in the Catholic/Protestant Religious System known as “the church.” As I point out in that series, CONVERSION (not salvation or rebirth) is the point in one’s “walk” (way of living) when the salvation seeker does a 180 degree turn from serving Satan and self to serving Father and Son using the power of the Holy Spirit which is awarded upon true conversion. It is the Holy Spirit that enables the true convert to resist the temptations of Satan throughout the remainder of his/her life which he/she must do in order to OVERCOME him. Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:21 that only those who overcome Satan :… EVEN AS I (JESUS) OVERCAME HIM,” will sit with Him on His throne in the Kingdom of God. Read The Kingdom of God. Key word–Kingdom.

How many people do you know who preach God’s Kingdom message and perform the miracles the first apostles performed? Anyone alive today who could follow in their ministerial footsteps would be described as a saved, born again, sanctified, rapture-ready, super Christian whose mansion in heaven is already prepared and awaiting their arrival at the golden gate where an Elvis-directed choir would escort them along a golden street lined with angels, parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. NOT ONE WORD OF WHICH IS BIBLICALLY TRUE. Read the series titled Born Again. Key word–Born.

Now let us turn to Luke 22:31,32 where we find Jesus talking to the Apostle Peter about himself and his fellow Gospel-preaching, miracle-working companions concerning the near future when He (Jesus) would no longer be with them. Notice what Jesus says to the disciple: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan had desired to have (own) you, so that he can sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail, and WHEN YOU ARE (BECOME) CONVERTED, help your brethren” (DURING THEIR CONVERSION PROCESS). Notice that the Gospel-preaching, sickness-healing, demon-removing, water-walking disciples HAD NOT BEEN CONVERTED. SPIRITUALLY, THEY WERE NO DIFFERENT FROM THE PEOPLE TO WHOM THEY WERE MINISTERING. Read John 15:13,14. Note the all-important IF condition relative to the disciples’ POSSIBLE (not guaranteed) salvation. The condition for their salvation would be no different from those to whom they would be ministering. PRIOR TO THEIR FUTURE CONVERSION, THE GOSPEL-PREACHING, MIRACLE-WORKING DISCIPLES WERE AS LOST AS THE REST OF HUMANITY. Conversion does not guarantee salvation. Notice that Jesus had prayed for Peter not to be deceived by Satan.

Read all noted passages very carefully. As I reveal in the Salvation series, there is much more to being converted (not saved) than walking to the front of a church, repeating a prayer, being baptized, etc. as we have been led to believe. Conversion takes time, and effort. We must die to self totally. We must rid ourselves of our “old man” of sin that we have spiritually put to death. We must allow God to remove him (our old selves) as far from us as east is from west, which He will do if we are totally ready to change lives AND PROVE THE CHANGE BY ALLOWING HIM TO TRANSFORM US FROM WHAT WE WERE TO WHAT HE IS, JESUS OF NAZARETH BEING THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE PEOPLE WE MUST BECOME FOLLOWING TRUE CONVERSION. Read The Message of the Cross. Key word–Cross. As this series will reveal, neither THE MESSAGE of the cross that Jesus teaches us through His prophets and apostles in His Holy Bible is not what you have been told. The change God commands is total. The religious business as usual message you have been receiving in church will not result in salvation upon the return of Jesus Christ.

The totality of change God requires for receiving eternal life is rarely witnessed, as Jesus prophesied would be the case in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14. Many are called to make that drastic, life-altering reversal, but few answer His call to do so. Why? BECAUSE CHURCH PEOPLE ARE NEVER TOLD WHAT GOD REQUIRES. Why? Because their false prophets are following the orders of their god (Satan). OVER THE PAST 1700 YEARS OR MORE THOSE IN PROFESSING CHRISTENDOM HAVE NOT HEARD GOD’S TRUTH ABOUT TRUE CONVERSION, THE CHRISTIAN WALK, ETC. MY COMMISSION IS TO SHARE GOD’S TRUTH WITH THOSE WHO HAVE EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR ABOUT GOD’S REQUIREMENTS FOR TRUE CONVERSION. I DO SO, ONLY TO HAVE MY WORDS REJECTED 99.99% OF THE TIME, EVEN AFTER I PROVE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY GOD’S WORDS FOUND IN THE BIBLE THEY ALL CARRY TO CHURCH ON SATAN’S SABBATH. Why are God’s plainly stated rules for Christian living rejected by the church masses?

The problem has not changed since the Garden of Eden debacle when Satan offered man a better set of regulations life-living regulations. Man looks for the easy way in every instance. As in the case with Adam and Eve, Satan’s version of truth is much more self-determined and user-friendly than the Lord’s version. Satan’s version requires only a mental change combined with a change of location for a couple of hours on Sunday. God requires a total reversal of life, which the church masses reject. Jesus spoke to this Truth in Matthew 7:21-23 where He explains what He said in verses 13,14. Read those verses.

This series is a continuation of my efforts to tell church people what the Almighty wants them to hear-HIS PURE, UNEDITED, UNINTERPRETED, UNDEFILED WORD OF TRUTH EXACTLY AS HE PRESENTS IT IN HIS HOLY SCRIPTURES. He wants them to hear His “fine print” conditions that must be met before His “headlines” can be manifested. Church people love the “headlines” (Deut. 28:1-14), but hate the “fine print” (Deut. 28:15-68). I feel much like Jeremiah who complained to the Lord that the people were not listening to what he was telling them, to which the Lord replied: “Tell them anyway.” L.J.