by Kim Josephson

Jesus said in John 12:47-48:
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Can you imagine? Jesus said so many things about His words but this perhaps is the most neglected. The idea that a man will give account to God on judgement day not only for every idle word that has come out of his mouth but that he will also be measured against the words that Jesus spoke should cause us to tremble.

We have bought into the lie that we can sort of pick and choose which things Jesus said that we would like to partake of. His words have become a red letter smorgasbord - a sort of all you can eat buffet of whatever you want. But that's not what Jesus said and He consistently warns against this 21st Century heretical behavior.

Jesus says: “Why call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say” (Luke 6:46). The point of that statement is, that if you don't obey Jesus - then He is not your Lord. Immediately someone says obedience is bondage - “you're putting us under the law” - but that is wrong. In fact, Jesus' words are liberty and life even though obedience is not optional.

Hear Him in John 8:31-32: Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The Jews then questioned Him about this freedom and Jesus explained that He was talking about freedom from sin. But then He spoke harshly to them. Why? Because they argued with Jesus and believed not His words. He even called them children of the devil (vs. 44) because they didn't hear Him (vs. 47). And that is the point. A man's relationship to God is dependent on his relationship to God's Word. It's not enough just to say "I believe." James said the demons believe and tremble. YOU MUST BELIEVE AND OBEY. By now some of you are frothing at your denominational bit but you should be shaking in your doctrinal boots! Hear ye Him!

Jesus said in John 14:15:
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Again in John 14:21:
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Vs.23 continues:
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Then vs. 24:
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

What are we going to do with all these red letters? Do you think we should ignore them? God have mercy! Be warned - you might ignore them or continue to buy into some doctrine that dances around these words, but know this - JESUS' WORDS WILL JUDGE YOU!

So what is your response to this? It immediately causes me to humble myself and ask for grace and mercy. Oh God, give me a poor and contrite spirit and teach me to tremble at your Word. Is there any other rational response?

Amazingly, I've been shown the door for heralding these red letters of Jesus Christ. I thought that anyone who called himself a Christian and said he loved Jesus would accept His words. I was naive enough to believe that the problem was simply that people had overlooked these words and that God had put it in my heart to remind them of these words, that we might humble ourselves together and learn the fear of God.

But I was wrong. Instead of receiving these words and the gift of repentance, many have rejected them outright. That I am rejected is of no importance, but that Jesus' words are rejected is of great consequence. JESUS' WORDS WILL JUDGE YOU!

Because Jesus' words are rejected, judgement is at the gates! Now one can understand the powerlessness of the church. While we have been busy honoring each other, we have neglected Jesus' words and we have grieved away his Holy Spirit. We don't see what He sees. We won't feel what He feels. What we will do, is reap the fruit of our negligence, our carelessness and our self-indulgence. An honest assessment reveals that this harvest of corruption is already breaking out in our families and in our churches. And thus it must be.

I Peter 4:17 says: For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

These are truly frightening words. You and I are witnessing the harvest of our perpetual backslidings as a nation. Without repentance, the harvest to come will be unimaginable. But, back to the Church - what about us? What about these words of Jesus? Will we stay the same? God forbid.

Jesus is the Word of God. His words are the final authority. They are not to be judged. THEY WILL JUDGE US! In Jesus’ name, receive this warning in the love in which it is written. Repent and live in Jesus’ name.