Jesus Wasn't Talking to You!

There is a joke so old that by now, probably every preacher in America has told
it at least once. It involves the resurrection of Lazarus. Had Jesus said Come fo
rth, every person in every grave would have arisen; but what Jesus did say was Laz
arus, come forth, so only Lazarus arose. Had you been in your grave at that time,
you would have stayed right where you were because:Jesus wasn't talking to you.
When someone very much like you attempted to speak to the Lord Jesus Christ in M
atthew fifteen, he answered her not a word because He wasn t talking to her either.
When she persisted, Christ explained: I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of th
e house of Israel. (Matthew 15:22-24)
Like you, she was a Gentile; and not only was Christ a minister of the circumcisi
on(Romans 15:8), later we learn from Paul that in Christ there is neither Jew nor
Greek, and that Christ was a minister of the circumcision. From that, it becomes cl
ear that what Christ had to say in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John belongs of Israe
l and not to us the Body of Christ.
What would Jesus do? is not a good question then, since when you read the red lett
ers in your Bible you know Jesus wasn t talking to you.

Introduction:

When two people are talking and a stranger butts in, we know that was rude and w
rong.
Christ came not but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:6, 15:2
4, Romans 15:8), yet we who are strangers(Gentiles) (Ephesians 2:12) butt in as
if Christ were speaking to us.
When two people are eating at a restaurant and a stranger comes along and takes
things from each plate, we know that was rude and wrong.
Christ had only crumbs for us Gentile dogs (Matthew 15:27); yet we would push Is
rael from the table and take their portion for ourselves.
When one person gives something to another person, but a stranger comes along an
d steals that item and claims it for himself, we know that was rude and wrong.
Christ taught Israel about its kingdom which would come to this Earth (Matthew 6
:10); yet we the Body of Christ who inherit heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) want
to steal Israel s earthly kingdom as well.
Christ was a minister of the circumcision (Romans 15:8). Christ sent Paul to us
(Romans 11:13, 15:16, Acts 26:17).
Christ chose Paul and delegated to Paul that he be our pattern (I Timothy 1:16).
We are to preach Christ according to the revelation of the mystery that Christ
revealed to Paul (Romans 16:25), not according to the red letters in the Bible,
which were spoken to Israel.
We listen to Paul because Christ s instructions for us come to us through Paul (I
Corinthians 14:37). We are not obedient to Christ if we fail to follow Paul (I C
orinthians 4:16, 11:1, Philippians 3:17). Pure and simple, Jesus wasn t talking to
you
about PRAYER when He said After this manner therefore pray ye, and that should be
obvious from the fact that Israel was God s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22) and Gentil
es were strangers (Ephesians 2:12); so that we could not even say Our Father as Go
d was not our father and we were part of the first Adam s sinful family. (I Corint
hians 15:22)
We expect to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17) when we are absent fro
m the body and to be present with the Lord (II Corinthians 5:8) in heavenly place
s, so it would be silly for us to pray Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in eart
h, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10) when it is not our kingdom and we won t be on
the earth.
Jesus wasn t talking to you about prayer when He said Whatsoever ye shall ask the F
ather in my name, he will give it you (John 16.23); and you would be the wrong pe
rson to have such authority in prayer for we know not what we should pray for as
we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning which c
annot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)
Jesus wasn t talking to you about prayer when He said whatsoever thou shalt bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall
be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19) Christ was talking to Peter, the same Peter
who did not understand the cross, the same Peter who failed the first time he tr
ied to bind something. (Matthew 16:21-23)
Jesus wasn t talking to you about faith as a grain of mustard seed or mountain moving
faith (Matthew 17:20) and you know that because you cannot even turn to the next
page in this book without using your fingers.
Jesus wasn't talking to you about your SALVATION when He said For if ye forgive m
en their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgi
ve not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (M
atthew 6:14-15)
On this side of Christ s cross, we know that God is not even imputing trespasses t
o us (II Corinthians 5:19) because God imputed them to Christ. (II Corinthians 5
:21)
Jesus wasn t talking to you about your salvation when He said Marvel not that I sai
d unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:7 Rather than a new birth, we become an
entirely new creature (II Corinthians 5:17); and our life is hid in Christ (Col
ossians 3:3) and begins with our crucifixion (Galatians 2:20) and our death to t
he old man (Romans 6:4-6), not with a second birth.
Christ was talking to one man, Nicodemus, and we know that because the words thee
and thou in our King James Bibles are always nominative singular. Christ, who was
sent not but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), tells Nic
odemus about what all Israel must do, and we know that because the words ye and you
in our King James Bibles are always nominative plural.
Jesus was saying to one man what all Israel must do, to which Peter agreed. (I P
eter 1:23) And we know that Peter was not talking to Gentiles (I Peter 2:12) and
that neither Peter nor Israel were in possession of God s grace. (I Peter 1:13)
Jesus wasn t talking to you about your salvation when He said But he that shall end
ure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13) The whole of Matthew 2
4 involves Christ s explaining elements of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) t
o the Hebrew people.
Miles Coverdale said in 1535 that It shall greatly help ye to understand the Scri
ptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom,
 with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances,
considering what goeth before and what followeth after.
Christ s statement about enduring to the end is in the context of Daniel s abominati
on of desolation (Matthew 24:15) and the gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14),
not the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be
lieveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
This most popular and most familiar of all Bible verses is not the gospel by whi
ch your soul is saved: we get that from Christ, but through Paul: Moreover, breth
ren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... how that Chr
ist died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and t
hat he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1-
4)
John 3:16 is about the Hebrew people (John
4:22), and is conditional upon performance. (John
5:29) It relates to Israel s receiving its Messiah (John 1:12) to which they testi
fied by being baptized in water (John 1:30-31).
While new translations say that Jesus was God s only son or one and only son, we know
that s not true (Exodus 4:22, Galatians 4:6). And we know Christ was not begotten
in Bethlehem because Paul tells us Christ was begotten at the cross (Acts 13:33)
which confirmed the prophecy in the Second Psalm.
If, then, you have tickets to the ballgame and you have painted John 3:16 on your
chest: keep your shirt on.
Jesus is not talking to you about HEALING when He said Heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (
Matthew 10:8) Neither you nor your Pastor nor the Evangelist who showed up in hi
s half-million dollar bus can cure acne pimples, much less cleanse lepers. Stori
es are told about the dead being raised, and many claim to have cast out devils;
but those events never seem to be independently verified and you never read suc
h things in your newspaper. All you d need to do to convince the gainsayers would
be to hold a Healing Meeting with all the greatest Faith Healers in America, and cur
e just one acne zit: just one nasty little pimple.
The men Christ sent to heal were not to go to Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) but only t
o Israel, and that was because the Jews, the Hebrew people, require a sign. (I C
orinthians 1:22)
Signs, including healing, served the purpose of providing proof of a man, his me
ssage, and his ministry. While there are literally dozens of examples in your Bi
ble, this one stands out:
And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art th
ou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him,
they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should
come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infi
rmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave
sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what thin
gs ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preache
d. (Luke 7:19-22)
The purpose of the healings which Christ performed was not about the sick people
or about sick people being healed: the purpose of the miracles performed in the
passage was to provide proof to John that Jesus was in fact the Messiah.
Jesus ministry to Israel was the issue when Isaiah prophesied that ...with his str
ipes we are healed, (Isaiah 53:5) for the we in the passage most certainly would no
t include Gentiles. When Peter quotes Isaiah (I Peter 2:24) he was speaking to I
srael (I Peter 2:12); and since we do not requires signs, we should know better
than to expect healing miracles.
Jesus instructed the apostle Paul to tell us that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
(Romans 8:18)
Christ updated Paul with respect to healing when Paul learned My grace is suffici
ent for thee: (II Corinthians 12:9) Paul had prayed three times to be healed; but
after Christ gave him this new information about the sufficiency of grace, Paul
immediately adjusted: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, i
n necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am w
eak, then am I strong. (II Corinthians 12:10)
Paul says that he is taking pleasure in what most people who attend healing meeti
ngs want to go away: someone is wrong, and it s not Paul.
Jesus Christ existed before Bethlehem (John 1:15), was born to Mary (Luke 2:7),
grew up as a child (Luke 2:34), became a man (Romans 5:15) and arose from the de
ad (Luke 24:34). These facts make it clear that Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8) could not possibly be about anything phys
ical.
Christ is unchanged in His holiness, in His sinless perfection, in His godly att
ributes: Christ s dealings with people changed, and that should be as clear to see
as a zit on someone s nose. about your ABUNDANT LIFE when He said The thief cometh
not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might h
ave life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
The thief is going to be the antichrist (Matthew 24:43) and they are the lost sheep
of the house of Israel to whom Christ came. (Matthew 10:6, 15:24)
Christ instructed the apostle Paul to tell us to learn in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content, (Philippians 4:11) and that because godliness with conten
tment is great gain. (I Timothy 6:6)
The story is often repeated of a man who gained great wealth, but lost it all. H
e did not give up; he worked hard, and he amassed an even greater fortune. His t
estimony was I ve been rich and I ve been poor: rich is better.
Paul said that the issue was not being rich or bring poor but serving Christ reg
ardless of circumstances. (Philippians 4:11-13)
We are not here as subjects of the King of Kings (Revelation 17:14), busily esta
blishing the kingdom of heaven on earth. (Revelation 11:15)
We are here as God s ambassadors (II Corinthians 5:20) in this present evil world
(Galatians 1:4) in a time when Satan is the god of this world. (II Corinthians 4
:3-4)
Everything changed when Israel fell (Romans 11:11) so that salvation could come
to the Gentiles by God s grace, not by works of righteousness.
The plain truth that too often has be neglected or denied is that we are not Isr
ael (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11) and Israel s place and position are not ours
to usurp. (Ephesians 2:12) Our inheritance is in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3
) not on this earth, which explains why we are told to Set your affection on thin
gs above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
Now might be a good time to read the Prayer Requests in your church s bulletin or in
your Prayer Journal to see how many of them are about eternal things and how many
are about the things on this earth.
How many Prayer Requests start with thanksgiving (I Thessalonians 5:18) rather tha
n Lord please do this and Lord please give me that. Instead of hearing prayers of th
anksgiving, the Lord more often must endure our selfish whine.
When we are given a list of items that cannot separate us from the love of God,
of course we are thankful for the enduring connection rather than having to suff
er separation.
That said, note the items that we might endure, even though we are not separated
from the love of God:
...shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or pe
ril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we
are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more
than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither deat
h, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:3
5-39)
Rather than sitting by the pool, enjoying the abundant life, it would be wise to
be prepared to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (II Timothy 2:
3) Believers who think they have Israel s promises for an abundant life are AWOL r
ather than fighting the good fight of faith. when He gave the SERMON ON THE MOUN
T which is a very good thing since you have disobeyed or assiduously avoided mos
t of what He taught in that message.
Christ taught That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be i
n danger of the judgment: (Matthew 5:22). We ve all been angry lots of times, but w
here is the judgment?
And Christ taught whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council. (Matthew 5:22). Well here goes: Raca, Raca, Raca to you and the hor
se you rode in on. Now what? Where is this council to which Christ referred?
And Christ taught whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire
. (Matthew 5:22) Does that mean Paul is in danger of hell fire because Paul said
some people were fools? (Galatians 3:1-3)
Have you ever been angry, maybe at a family member, but you still went to church
? Did you leave your gift on the altar, make up with the person who was the obje
ct of your anger, and then return to church and give your gift?
Have you ever seen or heard of anyone in any church ever doing that which Christ
explicitly instructed in Matthew 5: 24?
For reasons only he could explain, former President Jimmy Carter allowed himself
to be interviewed by Playboy magazine and gave this infamous quote: Christ set som
e almost impossible standards for us. Christ said, I tell you that anyone who lo
oks on a woman with lust has in his heart already committed adultery. I ve looked
on a lot of women with lust. I ve committed adultery in my heart many times.
That being the case, what was he doing teaching Sunday School when the penalty f
or adultery is death? (Matthew 5:28, Leviticus 20:10)
When President Carter said Christ set some almost impossible standards for us he w
as wrong twice.
Our 39th President should have omitted the word almost because the standards Chris
t gave in His Sermon on the Mount are impossible for us.
And that is because the standards Christ set forth were not for us, but rather f
or Kingdom Israel. The whole of the Sermon on the Mount is about thy kingdom come
and when the Kingdom does come, Israel will be able to meet Christ s standards, ha
ving been enabled by the Holy Spirit.
...I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye
shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:27)
If you are holding fast to the Sermon on the Mount and protesting that you are d
oing the best you are able to be that person with the right attitudes, (beatitud
es), now might be a good time to ask you to put your money where your mouth is.
Nothing personal, mind you, but how about sending a gift of $50,000.00 to the Di
spensational Bible Institute to aid its ministry of equipping new preachers to t
each with Pauline dispensational understanding?
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not tho
u away. (Matthew 5:42, Luke 6:40)
You have just been asked to give, and your gifts will be used by a 501c3 not-for
-profit corporation, so that you can deduct what you give from your income taxes
.
Although you might spiritualize verses so as to pretend that you are following t
he Sermon on the Mount, we both know you have no intention of sending a gift, wh
ich is why we did not give you a mailing address: we knew you wouldn t need it. ab
out your FORGIVENESS when He said ...if ye forgive men their trespasses, your hea
venly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
The good news is the basis for our being forgiven is the cross of Christ and not
our attitudes toward other people. Of course when Jesus said what He did about
forgiveness it was 21 chapters before His payment for sin took place.
Millions upon millions of people are led in their churches to pray for their tre
spasses to be forgiven and to forgive those who trespass against them, thinking
that assures them of God s forgiveness.
Such prayers and such thinking were rendered inappropriate nearly two thousand y
ears ago because of Christ s payment for sin with His death, burial and resurrecti
on.
It makes no sense to pray for forgiveness of trespasses when God is not imputing
their trespasses onto them. (II Corinthians 5:19)
Our trespasses and everyone else s trespasses were imputed to Christ, which is why
they are no longer being imputed to us. (II Corinthians 5:21)
Because Christ was made to be sin in our place God could impute our sin (trespas
ses) to Christ so that an acceptable payment for sin could be made. That is how G
od was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespas
ses unto them, (II Corinthians 5:19) but make no mistake: reconciliation is not s
alvation.
While it is true that everyone s sins were imputed to Christ, His payment for our
sin must be accepted before Christ s righteousness is imputed to us. Reconciliatio
n is available to everyone, but no individual is reconciled without faith in Chr
ist s payment for his or her sins.
The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16), the gospe
l of Christ is the preaching of the cross (I Corinthians 1:18), the gospel of Ch
rist is His death, burial and resurrection as payment for our sins. (I Corinthia
ns 15:1-4)
Asking God to forgive us because we forgive other people evidences a failure to
appreciate what Christ accomplished for us by shedding His blood on that cruel c
ross.
Similarly, millions are depending on If we confess our sins, he is faithful and j
ust to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1
:9)
Since we already have forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14) and have alre
ady been cleansed (II Corinthians 5:17), what would our point be in asking for f
orgiveness and cleansing? Clearly, I John 1:9 must be instructions for people wh
o are lacking what God imputed to us on the merits of Christ s cross.
First John is an Hebrew epistle and we are not the Hebrews. John agreed to commu
nicate with the circumcision and not with Gentiles (Galatians 2:7-9); and we kno
w that Israel must await its grace (I Peter 1:13) until Christ returns to this E
arth and their prayer of thy kingdom come (Matthew 6:10) is answered.
We are saved by grace through faith now (Ephesians 2:8-9) and have a present pos
session of complete forgiveness (Romans 5:1, 5:11, Colossians 2:13).
Our response to sin (trespasses) should not be asking for the forgiveness we alr
eady have, but rather putting an end to the bad behavior (Ephesians 2:22, 24) an
d being who God has made us in Christ Jesus (Galatians 2:20-21).
about your FINANCES when He said ...If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that tho
u hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come a
nd follow me. (Matthew 19:21)
When people who aren t selling everything to give anything to anybody claim to be f
ollowers of Jesus (I Corinthians 11:1), it is probably not that they mean to be h
ypocrites: more likely they simply don t know that following Jesus is the wrong thin
g for us to do. They think Jesus was talking to them when He was not.
One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the po
or, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and fol
low me. (Mark 10:21)
Every spring there are people who make a big show out of dragging a cross around
; and while they might get publicity, those same people not only have not sold w
hatsoever they owned, they would think you were crazy if you suggested such a co
urse of action.
Clearly, Christ s instructions were for a different setting and not for present da
y application.
When Israel s kingdom is in place, God promises to feed and clothe His kingdom peo
ple.
We have no such promise:
...this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. (II
Thessalonians 3:10) So much for having our daily bread given to us.
The fact that things in the Bible change from time to time is not difficult to s
ee:
And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip,
neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. (Luke 9:3)
Later, Christ changed His specific instructions:
Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likew
ise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
(Luke 22:36)
The but now tells you that what had been the previous instructions (Luke 9:3) had
been replaced.
Consider what this but now teaches us:
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preac
hing of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures o
f the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith: (Romans 16:25-26)
These verses clearly state that the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the r
evelation of the mystery is a but now activity which can happen because that whic
h had been kept secret has been made known.
The apostle Peter makes it clear that what Peter preached at Pentecost was nothi
ng new but rather was a continuation of Israel s prophetic program:
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when th
e times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall sen
d Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive
until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mout
h of all his holy prophets since the world began. (Acts 3:19-21)
Peter says he was preaching that which everyone knew since the world began and Pau
l says he was preaching that which had been kept secret since the world began. The
content of their messages simply cannot have been the same.
Understanding that Jesus wasn t talking to you about FINANCES then, is greatly hel
ped by separating Israel s prophecy information from Paul s mystery information.
Jesus Christ is our Savior, and so it is right for us to pay attention to every
word He said; but since He was not talking to us, we do well to look to Paul for
our doctrine because it is in Paul s writings alone that we find Christ s instructi
ons for us. (I Corinthians 14:37, Romans 11:13, I Timothy 1:16))
Every verse in our Bible has three applications: (1.) historical, (2.) spiritual
(3.) doctrinal. When it comes to the red letters, just as in the Old Testament,
just as in the Hebrew Epistles, only two of the three applications work for us:
 our doctrine must be entirely Pauline.
And here might be a good place to make another point that hardly anyone seems to
have learned: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are Old Testament books.
The fact that you have a title page in your Bible between Malachi and Matthew wh
ich supposedly separates the Old from the New Testament means less than nothing
when we have it from God that where a testament is, there must also of necessity
be the death of the testator. (Hebrews 9:16)
From that we know that the first 27 chapters of Matthew, the first 15 chapters o
f Mark, the first 23 chapters of Luke and the first 19 chapters of John are befo
re the death of the testator (Christ); so they must be under the Old Testament.
No less important than the separating of Israel s prophecy program from our myster
y program is the issue of separating Israel s legal covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) a
nd our freedom from the law. (Romans 6:14, Galatians 5:1)
This affects your FINANCES in that you would be wrong to tithe and that when Chr
ist taught tithing (Matthew 23:1, 2, 23), He was not talking to you.
Under the law, giving was a necessity (Malachi 3:9-10) which is not true for you
. (II Corinthians 9:7)
What is really terrible about teaching the tithe, however, has nothing to do wit
h money or the fact that no one can tell you what to give because you are to pur
pose your giving in your heart.
What is terrible is that teachers of the tithe put you under God s curse if you do
n t give:
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed the
e? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, e
ven this whole nation( the Body of Christ is not a nation but a new creature). (M
alachi 3:8-9)
Not only have you not robbed God by not tithing, you cannot be put under a curse
:
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for
it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3:13)
It is bad enough for preachers to put people under the law when they are suppose
d to be at liberty (Galatians 4:9-11), but it is reprehensible to threaten peopl
e with a curse when Christ took our curse upon Himself.
When Jesus said: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down
, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For wit
h the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6
:38) not only was Jesus not talking to you, He wasn t even talking about FINANCES.
Pressed down, shaken together and running over is about grapes, and grapes are u
sed as an illustration of what the Lord was speaking about in the context, which
was love and forgiveness.
Giving so as to get something in return is actually condemned in the same contex
t. (Luke 6:34) You might be uncomfortable hearing that
Jesus wasn t talking to you but isn t

that better than pretending you are obedient to what He said when you are not? H
aven t you always been bothered by the many things the Lord said to which you pay
no attention? Don t you get tired of making excuses? Have you noticed that you tre
at some Bible verses as if they did not even exist?
When you enjoy that great feast of turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving time, do
you obey the Lord s instruction that When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call no
t thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; l
est they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makes
t a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:? (Luke 14.:12-13)
Of course not: but why not? And why continue to say that you are following the Lo
rd when you are not and would be wrong if you did?
The principle involved here is sometimes called dispensationalism, is sometimes ca
lled progressive revelation, and is almost always called weird or scary.
However, it is really quite simple: after the Lord ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9)
, after Peter preached how terrible it was the Christ had been crucified (Acts 2
:33), and that the Great Tribulation was about to take place (Acts 2:16-17), the
Lord Jesus Christ did something no one was expecting: He made a return to this
Earth, and it wasn t the prophesied Second Coming (Acts 9:3-5).
It was then that Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle, and Christ gave our mar
ching orders to Paul (I Corinthians 14:37), and Paul wrote them in the thirteen
books of the Bible in which Christ does speak to you through Paul.
When Paul got his instructions from the Lord, Paul was the last person to see Ch
rist (I Corinthians 15:8) and the first person to be saved by grace alone, so as
to be our pattern. (I Timothy 1:16)
When Paul writes to or about Israel, likely you will know it, (Romans 2:17). For
the most part, however, when you read Paul s books is

when Jesus was talking to you

In the four gospels (Luke 1:70) and in Peter s preaching in the book of Acts, the
message was that which had come from the mouth of all God s that which had come fr
om the mouth of all God s 21)
Christ gave a mystery message to Paul that had never been preached because it had
been hidden since the world began. (Romans 16:25-26)
That those two messages cannot be the same is obvious; but what must not be as o
bvious is that Christ is talking to you in Paul s epistles, not in the gospels, no
t in the red letters.
Perhaps this still seems a bit weird and more that a bit scary: that s to be expec
ted. After all, there are no denominations teaching this concept and there are n
o accredited schools you could attend to learn it.
So what is a person to do?
Having read this material, should you pluck out your eye? (Matthew 5:29) Having
held this weird and scary booklet in your hand, must you now cut off your hand?
(Matthew 5:30)
Are you determined to continue to take the place of a Jew and listen to Christ w
hen He wasn t talking to you? Or will you learn from Christ (through Paul) that in
Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, but a new creature? (Galatians 3:28)

Jesus wasn t talking to you in the red

letters is actually very good news (once you get over the shock). When He was not
sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel, (Matthew 15:24) Christ said
that Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his fr
iends. (John 15:13)
When Christ taught Paul the revelation of the mystery (Ephesians 3:1-10), we lea
rn of a love even greater than that which had been revealed in the gospels:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. (Romans 5:8)
That is very good news, because we heathen Gentiles most certainly would not hav
e been numbered among His friends in the gospels. That means that Christ s love fo
r us is revealed to us by Christ, but only through Paul s writings.
When Christ was talking to His friends (Israel), we were His enemies. That means
that what Christ tells us through the apostle Paul is the best possible news in
that when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, mu
ch more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)
The Lord Jesus Christ was made under the law (Galatians 4:4) and instructed those
who listened to Him in the gospels to follow the teachings of those who sit in M
oses seat. (Matthew 23:1-3)
When Christ taught Paul the revelation of the mystery (Colossians 1:25-26) we le
arn that we are not under the law (Romans 6:14) and should stand in our liberty
(Galatians 5:1) because the law is now weak and beggarly. (Galatians 4:9)
Just as Jehovah God spoke to Israel through
Just as Jehovah God spoke to Israel through 10) speaks to us through Paul. (Roma
ns 11:13) Starting in Acts chapter nine, Christ actually met with Paul several t
imes (Acts 26:16-17) and He gave Paul our doctrine. (I Timothy 1:3).
When the Lord Jesus was talking to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He tol
d them to search the scriptures because they spoke of Him. (John 5:39) Christ wa
s Israel s prophesied Messiah and so when Jesus was doubted, He sent His doubters
to the scriptures.
None of Paul s thirteen books were written when Christ was challenged by unbelievi
ng Jews; and that time, Paul was still Saul, and Saul was also an unbeliever.
After Christ dealt with Saul in Acts nine, Paul emerged with information that wa
s so new and different that it could not be found by searching the scriptures. T
hat is why Paul says that what he wrote included unsearchable riches of Christ (Ep
hesians 3:8) which had been kept hidden. (I Corinthians 2:7)
Admittedly, it is hard to look past the red letters, especially when we see such
juicy verses as and all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye
shall receive. (Matthew 21:22) No doubt you haven t even one selfish bone in your
entire body, but even so you have to admit that is one prayer promise you would
rather not look past.
And what could be better than getting whatsoever you ask? We learn from Paul tha
t now we actually get exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, accord
ing to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20)
Our prayer promise is better than the one Christ gave to kingdom Israel in that
we get God s best for us; and that is very good since we don t even know for what we
should ask. (Romans 8:26)

Jesus was talking to you in the books

that Paul wrote means that you have been disobedient to Christ when you failed t
o pay attention to Paul.
Ooops. What Christ said to Israel, under the law, about Israel s earthly kingdom,
was spoken of by all the prophets, and...
What Paul said, to the body of Christ, free from the law, about a heavenly home
according to mystery information that no one knew, are...
Mutually exclusive. You can t have it both ways.
You can t be both a friend and an enemy. You can t get whatsoever you ask in prayer
while not knowing for what you should pray. You can t accept Christ s having been ma
de a curse for you and still think you can be cursed for not tithing.
That is such good news, especially when you learn from Paul s preaching of Christ
according to the revelation of the mystery that:
1. You are the church, not just a member of somebody s man-made organization. (Col
ossians 1:24)
2. You are complete in Christ, without water baptism, without the membership s app
roval, without living it, without enduring to the end. (Colossians 2:8-10)
3. You are not under the law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)
4. God is at peace with you, even when you mess up. (Romans 5:1)
5. God forgives you because of Calvary, not because you asked. (II Corinthians 5
:19, Colossians 2:14)
6. You are reconciled to God and God saves your soul when you trust Christ s payme
nt for your sins, not because of your good works. (Titus 3:5)
7. God sees you as a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17) crucified with Christ. (
Galatians 2:20)
8. Rather than inheriting Israel s kingdom on the earth, your blessings are in hea
venly places. (Ephesians 1:3)
9. You give because you want to and you give what and when you are able, not a c
ertain amount because you have to. (II Corinthians 9:7)
10. Just as God has provided our salvation by grace through faith in His words,
God would have us to walk in newness of life by grace through faith in His words
: not by sight, signs, wonders or works. (Colossians 2:6)
The logistics are simple. When we turn our backs on Paul, we turn toward either
Christ s dealing with Israel in the Old Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John (Hebrews 9:15-17) or we turn toward the Hebrew epistles which are written
to Tribulation Israel to help them during their Great Tribulation. (Hebrews 2:5)
We would be wrong to turn our backs on Paul since Christ would have Paul to be
our pattern. (I Timothy 1:16)
We know that the Old Testament was given to Israel (Exodus 19:5-6) but what we m
ay have missed is that Israel also gets the New Testament. (Jeremiah 31:31-34, H
ebrews 8:8-10)
The term New Testament Christian is not in the Bible and is actually an oxymoron s
ince the New Testament belongs to Israel and in Christ there is neither Jew nor
Greek. (Colossians 3:11)
We know that the Old Testament does not start at Genesis 1:1 but rather 69 chapt
ers later, and we know the New Testament does not exist before the cross. (Hebre
ws 9:15-18) And now we know we are in neither the old nor the new, we are (drum
roll please) The Church of What s Happening Now.
So, how did we get in this mess whereby almost every church and every almost chu
rch-goer has missed the plain and simple truth that:

Jesus wasn t talking to you

You may want to verify what you are about to read in books that deal with the hi
story of the church for the past twenty or so centuries, but here is a summary o
f a digest of the Cliff Notes:
After three centuries of Ante-Nicene church fathers posturing competing positions,
doctrinal declension went from bad to worse after the Council of Nicaea in 325A
.D.
Peter was said to be the pattern, our church was said to have begun with John an
d Peter, and our instructions were said to be all about What Would Jesus Do? as we
follow In His Steps.
When the Emperor Constantine declared himself to be the Summus Pontifex, what fo
llowed was more than ten centuries of Dark Ages, during which time people who pr
ofessed Christ rather than Mary or the Popes, people who denied transubstantiati
on, were fed to lions or burned at the stake.
During the Dark Ages, for a common person to read the Bible was a sin for which
there was no forgiveness; and so the people were spoon fed from the papist pulpi
t.
The Bible was said to exist only in the Latin text and the common and largely il
literate people could learn the stories that were in the Bible from paintings an
d stained glass windows.
Those who first made the Bible available in the language of the people were kill
ed for their trouble; but when Martin Luther quoted Paul, of all people, the Pro
testant Reformation began.
Sad to say, the Protestant acorn did not fall far from the shade of the tree tha
t produced the Dark Ages; and so the recovery of Pauline doctrine has been tedio
us and slow.
Since no personage in the history of the world is as important as the Lord Jesus
Christ, it is easy to see why Christ would be given more attention than Paul. W
hat has been missed is that Christ delegated to Paul those doctrines which const
itute our marching orders; and when Christians do not follow the Pauline pattern
, they are being disobedient to the very Lord Jesus they claim to follow.
If that is or is not a reasonable synopsis of how Paul s books became so neglected
, the undeniable fact is, they were and still are.
In defense of his support of same-sex unions, President Barak Obama, at a campai
gn event in Ohio said: If people find that controversial, then I would just refer
them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, mo
re central than an obscure passage in Romans.
When our forty-fourth Commander-In-Chief purchased his Bible, all sixty-six book
s of the Bible were included, all equally accessible, none of them obscure.
Romans became obscure, no doubt, because Romans was not being read as much as Matt
hew. Might that be partly because while in Chicago, President Obama attended a c
hurch oriented toward community organizing based on Israel s kingdom, thus renderi
ng Romans obscure?
Rather than imagining there s no heaven, no hell beneath us, above us only sky as Jo
hn Lennon would have us to do, imagine if Paul s books had been central for the pa
st fifteen hundred or so years, rather than obscured by making Christ s message to
kingdom Israel the center of attention. Most certainly, this would be a very di
fferent world, and hell would not be littered with water baptized people who tri
ed to follow in Jesus steps.
The first red-letter New Testament ever printed was published in 1899 and the fi
rst complete Bible with Christ s words in red came out two years later.
Lous Klopsch came up with the idea, and this is what he said about printing Chri
st s words in red: ...the reader is enabled to trace unerringly the scarlet thread
of prophecy from Genesis to Malachi. Like the Star which led the Magi to Bethleh
em, this light shining through the entire Word, leads straight to the person of
the Divine Messiah, as the fulfillment of the promise of all the ages.
And so the red letters were ever and always intended to point to the Messiah and
His fulfillment of prophesy s promise, and that is exactly what they have accompl
ished. The problem with that is when He served as Israel s Messiah and as He fulfi
lled prophecies promise
Jesus wasn t talking to you

None of this matters if the Bible is nothing more than an history of ancient peo
ples, interesting only for its corroboration of historical accounts. One might j
ust as well use books by Flavius Josephus or Edward Gibbons.
None of this matters if the Bible is nothing more than a source of pithy sayings
used to garnish devotional talks. One might just as well use Benjamin Franklin s
Poor Richard s Almanac or Charles Schultz Theology of Peanuts.
However, this matters greatly if the Bible is God s words of wisdom and instructio
n to be believed and acted upon. (Colossians 1:9-10) At that point, knowing when
the Lord is speaking to us and when He is not matters because acting upon His i
nstructions has eternal consequences.
There are millions upon millions of people who own very nice gilt-edged genuine
leather bound Bibles that they never read much less study.
There are millions upon millions of people who have no use for the Bible except
at weddings and funerals; and even then they don t much care about the contents be
yond Psalm 23.
There are millions and millions of people, and their number increases each year,
who no longer see the Bible as relevant, having relegated it to the scrap-heap
of the outdated and outmoded stories and myths of a bygone era.
And while this booklet has no meaning to those millions, if you are one of the f
ew who cares about what Jesus said and to whom He said it, learning that

Jesus was talking to you in Paul s

writings may be the most important truth you learned since the day you were save
d. Jesus was asked ...what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? (M
atthew 19:16); and Jesus did not say anything about His death on the cross, His
burial for three days, or His resurrection. What Christ did say was ... if thou w
ilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17)
Our salvation is a gift given by grace through faith and not by works. (Ephesian
s 2:8-9) The gospel by which our souls are saved does not appear in the red lett
ers and is not stated in any of the four gospels. We must go to Paul, as our Lor
d would have us to do. It is Paul and only Paul who will: ...declare unto you th
e gospel By which also ye are saved how that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day ac
cording to the scriptures: (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
It is Paul who teaches us that we have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:2
0), it is Paul who teaches us how to pray (Colossians 1:9-10); it is Paul becaus
e the Lord Jesus Christ gave to Paul the doctrines that we need to act upon so t
hat we do all that we do, not for Paul, but for Christ.