You hypocrites... This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their hearts are far from me. A hypocrite is someone who talks about religion while still sinning. Their hearts are still full of evil, but they attend religious services, singing, praying, paying, etc. So until you have been cleansed of sin, and then told to whom and what to say about God, or what to write about God, don't; for if you speak or write without his instructions, you will receive his condemnation. You will hear him say: "Who has required this of your hand?" The Lord did not want men to speak about him whose hearts were still full of evil: he did not need any testimony from man, for he knew what was in man, [the evil in their hearts]. John 2:25. George Fox said: "Unless your words are controlled by the Spirit of God, don't even speak the words Jesus or God." After you go to the Lord to hear and obey, repetitively, he will cleanse you and give you a new heart, which will be united with him. Then your worship will be in Spirit and Truth, with words supplied by the Holy Spirit; until then your praying, singing, and praises are abominations to the Lord, for the Father must be worshiped in Spirit and Truth. Abominations for two reasons: 1) your words come from your evil imagination, evil heart, and carnal mind; and 2) because your hypocrisy will be evident to outsiders. Words spoken without being supplied by the spirit will be a stumbling block to the hearers, scattering the true sheep. You scatter the true sheep because he who does not gather with [as under his direction and control] me, scatters. Luke 11:23, Mat 12:30.
2 In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. As today Christendom's worship has man-invented, non-scriptural infant baptism, grape juice and bread, the "Apostle's Creed," the offering, the benediction, sermons, the sinner's prayer, altar calls, confirmation, bible reading, prayers from the preacher, standing to sing, kneeling, bowing to the cross, making the cross with your hand on your body, etc. All are the inventions of man, not scripture-prescribed forms of worship. Besides corrupting worship as described in the Bible, Christendom does not even recognize behaviors that disqualify it members; Christendom has lost sight of sin, calling evil good, good evil, putting light for darkness; Christendom says peace, peace, when there is no peace; Christendom says to the sinner who walks after the imagination of his own heart, "you are righteous because you belong to our sect, no evil shall befall you." From the Voice of the Lord: "Christendom has gutted the teachings of Jesus and have made the Bible an excuse for remaining immersed in their sins." Christendom ignores the Bible's exclusions, requirements, and qualifying conditions. Christendom tells their followers that the law is dead; except of course, they claim you are still required to tithe with your money. Christendom does not understand repentance, the cross, the rest, the light, salvation, or the word; they perish for lack of knowledge. Christendom has changed the covenant - making the blood of Jesus and unholy thing, used to excuse sin in their members. Retribution for this spite of grace looms.
3 Every plant, which my heavenly Father has not planted, will be rooted up. Jesus is speaking of every spiritual plant in a man's heart. The devil has sown his spirit into every man's heart: envy, greed, sexual immorality, pride, anger, profanity, lying, stealing, etc.; and each of these must be rooted out of a man's heart before he can be in the company of God in heaven. Notice, he says every plant WILL BE rooted up: either in this life voluntarily through the inward cross of self-denial, or in the next life's part in the lake of fire.
4 Leave them alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers. In Zechariah, the Lord states his anger against the blind guides: My anger is kindled against the shepherds and I will punished the goat leaders. Zech 10:3. The shepherds of Christendom are all goat leaders. They have deceived their followers to believing a false salvation; so their followers remain sinning goats, rather than sinless sheep. They ignore God's exclusions, his requirements, and his qualifying conditions. The ministers of Christendom think that salvation's Biblically stated requirements of cleansing, purity, perfection, and holiness are impossible. They don't know how to receive the changing power of God. These goat leaders are self-appointed; not appointed by the Holy Spirit for the perfecting of the saints; not taught, perfected, restored, and authorized by the Lord. So the goat leaders of Christendom read the dead letter of the Bible to their followers, rather than speak words supplied by the Holy Spirit, words which give life to their followers, changing them from goats to sheep. The letter kills, the spirit gives life. 2 Cor 2:6; The words that I speak to you are spirit, and the are life. John 6:63. But true shepherds speak words supplied by the Spirit of God; as Paul said: Which things also we speak, not in the words, which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Cor 2:13; and as Peter said: If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles [words] of God; 1 Pet 4:11. But the goat leaders speak words from their carnal minds and from the evil imaginations of their hearts. Even Jesus did not judge, speak, or act without the Spirit's specific prompting.
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, John 5:30
whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak. John 12:49-50
the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord);
but He [the son] is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, John 5:19
He who speaks from himself 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 is in him. John 7:18.
Any man who speaks of God or Christ without the Spirit's specific promptings is seeking his own glory, and he is estimating himself to be greater than Christ,
for Christ said: 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 6:39-42.
Like the evil shepherds of Israel, the preachers today feed themselves, by taking money from their followers. Preaching for a salary is the error of Balaam, which is spiritual adultery, loving wages and profit - both Peter and Jude had some very grave things to say about those who solicit donations or preach for a salary. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children - for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Peter, Paul, and Jesus all spoke strongly against preachers who took money from the flock, feeding themselves at the expense of their listeners; the goat leaders of Christendom. Be you separate, said the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, said the Lord Almighty. 2 Cor. 6:17. Leave them alone and disregard them; they are blind guides and teachers. Come out of her my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues. Rev 18:4-7.
5 Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; these are the things that defile a man. If you lie, commit adultery (even by looking at someone with lust), steal (cheat), murder (hate is murder in your heart), or have impure thoughts — according to Jesus, you are defiled. Look at Jesus. Do you think he is going to join with a defiled man? Do you think Jesus is going to want the company of a defiled man? No - I assure you. You must repent. You must be cleansed. You must be purified, before you can have any part of him.
