Don't Crucify the Word of God — Bruce Berliner

Can you hear me? The book of John chapter 5, beginning to read verse 43. Book of John chapter 5, verse 43, Jesus is talking and I'm listening and it says this, You come in my father's name and ye receive me not.

If another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe which receive honor one of another and seek not the honor that comes from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father.

There is one that accuseth you, even Moses in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

The Crucifixion of Christ and the Rejection of the Word

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Mark chapter 13. Give me a strong amen when you're there. Mark 13. Please look up. Friday is we celebrate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Why do they call it good? They call it good because it's good for us and if he did not come, we would be bound for hell.

But this is amazing. I'm a Jew for Jesus. And in that day, the Jews were going to their Passover as they are this week. And they wound up then being crucified. They wound up passing over the Passover.

They didn't recognize the Christ. They crucified the Christ. So listen to this. They didn't recognize him and what did they also do? I don't hear you. Now John says, listen to this, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

So one of Jesus' name is what? The Word. You also find that in Revelation 19. His name is the Word. So if they didn't recognize Jesus, they didn't recognize the Word. If they crucified Jesus, they crucified the Word.

And that's what they're doing in this day and age. They're crucifying the Word, ordaining sodomites. Nobody's gay. It's sodomy. We're not haters. For them to say that is a manipulative spirit. We love the adultery.

We love the adultery. But adultery is sin. We love someone who thinks they're gay. Nobody's born gay because God doesn't make any mistakes. Say to your neighbor, God doesn't make any mistakes. So it's an affront to God.

We love people, but not all behavior is acceptable unto God. It's a manipulative and a deceiving spirit. Say, I will be manipulated and deceived. They crucified Jesus and Jesus is also called the Word.

That means they crucified the Word. And they're crucifying the Word and that's why Amos 8 .11 comes to fruition. That there's a famine in the land because they're crucifying the Word. They didn't recognize Jesus in that time and they don't recognize that the Word is free and preached.

People saying that no, that Word was for then, not now. Recognize Jesus? Then? And Jesus is called the Word? So they didn't recognize the Word? And that's why there's a famine in Amos 8 .11, not by bread, not by water, but of hearing the Word of God.

It's hearing because it's a process. It's not heard or to hear. It's hearing. And each day we need, that's why I've been getting up 4 .30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I wanted to roll over, but afterwards, no.

God is so real to me. This is so real to me. I need to hear from God before I can give my wife, my children their marching orders. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knoweth not what they may bring forth.

That's why we're here today. We're only a remnant, but you'll see. If what we're doing is of God, and I believe it is, very soon. Not because we want to be big. Why? Because there's a famine in the land.

And the invisible famine, by crucifying the Word, by rejecting the Word, because Jesus is the Word, that's going to manifest in a natural famine. It always starts in the spirit. If somebody understands what I say, just say, Hallelujah unto God.

Watchfulness and the Imminent Return of Christ

Now look with me, won't you, my beloved? In Mark chapter 13. 13 verse 36. Jesus is talking. I'm listening. Let's start in verse number 33. Mark 13, 33. It says, Take heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is.

You have a man on the radio that has perhaps thousands and thousands of listeners. And yes, I'm going to call out people's names in these meetings as the Holy Ghost gives me utterance. Anybody ever hear Charles Campion?

Family radio? God says no man knows the hour, but here, when I first gave my life to the Lord 23 years ago, he was predicting the coming of Christ, and people are supporting his ministry, and people are listening to the Word of God.

Now I'm not throwing the baby out of the bath water, because what he says, some things are true. Because for a lie to be a lie, it has to be mixed with truth. You see, did you know rat poisoning is 99 food and 1 poison?

If not, it couldn't kill the rat. It's not 99 food that kills the rat, it's the 1 poison. He's preaching some truth, but he predicts the end times, and he was embarrassed, and people still listen to him, and now he's on TV, he's a deceiver.

These meetings are called perilous times, and I'm not despising small beginnings. We are watchmen on the wall, and watchmen on the walls, as I spoke about last week, is when the city slept, there was a watchman on the wall that watched impending danger.

And when the danger was approaching, because listen to this, most people, most people don't see the danger when it's just before them. And I'm talking about believers. Watchmen would blow the trumpet while the city slept.

So here, in Mark chapter 13, Jesus Christ says, Take heed, Mark 13 .33, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far off journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, and even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing in the morning. Least come suddenly he find you. That's why we're here in New York City.

That's why we're making an investment to get this location. Humble beginnings in a gym, but we're paying for 64th and Park, because it's in the middle of the city. And I believe, if a man writes a better book, as Emerson says, if a man preaches a better message of the real word of God, that even he may live in obscure area, people will make a beaten path to his door.

For the Son of Man, verse 34, taking a far off journey, who left his house and gave authority to look up. He left his house, which was earth, and gave authority to trample on serpents, his authority to his serpents.

It's not your power, it's his power. But if you and I are filled with pride, if you and I are filled with human effort, if you and I are filled with self-confidence, he can't release his power to you.

If you and I have unforgiveness that people that have hurt us, he can't release real power to you, because you will use it for yourself. So later on, as I read the Scriptures in the next 15 minutes, before we close, you'll see he'll say, Take heed to yourself, because judgment begins in the house of the Lord.

Touch your heart and say, I'm the house of the Lord. You want Scripture for it? 1 Corinthians 6, 19 and 20, God's talking to the Apostle Paul, to the Church of Corinth, and to us now. And he says this, What?

Know you not that your body is the temple, is the house of the Holy Ghost? I'm quoting exactly out of the King James. I'm taking no liberty out of the Scriptures. What? Know you not that your body is the house, the temple, of the Holy Ghost that is within you, and you're not your own?

But you've been bought, 1 Corinthians 16, 20, you and I have been bought by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. So if he says you're not your own, how can you be your own thoughts? Even all the thoughts come in your own voice.

Every thought, without exception, is either from heaven or hell. You have to separate the wheat from the tares. What is bread made out of? Starts with a W, ends with a T. Wheat. Jesus says, Man does not live by bread alone.

Now what's the analogy for bread? But by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. So wheat is how you make bread. By hearing the word of God, it develops word, and you have bread. You have sustenance.

Bread is the staff of life. But listen to this. The wheat and the tares, tares look like wheat. The word of God is tares and is tearing up the people. It's not wheat. So God says he went on a far off journey.

Where was the journey? To heaven. But he came from heaven. He came down, the creator, coming for his creature. And the creature did not recognize him. He created every DNA and RNA in our body. Holy Ghost, fill your Holy Ghost Spirit in every area of our DNA and RNA.

He created our thyroid glands. And what did they do with it in that day? And what did we do with it that day? We excrete saliva, and we spit in his face. Imagine, he created your thyroid gland, and you spit the creature into his creator.

They said, he saved others. He didn't save himself. If you'll be the son of God, I'll believe, come down off the cross. But the natural mind thinks, listen to this, it was the nails that held him. It wasn't the nails, it was his love for you.

Jesus, as I said in this morning's service, doesn't have an insecurity problem. He doesn't, if somebody's in a man's face, and someone challenged you, come down off the cross. Who are you talking to? Jesus hung there.

His love hung there for you. But they passed over the Passover. And Jesus is the word, and they're passing over the word. And that's why it's a famine in the land. And that's why God's judgment's coming.

But there's a warning, but his judgment is his mercy. If you just but omit your sin, it says in Amos 3 .3, how can two walk together unless they agree? But the church now is bringing a diluted word, a deceptive word, not lined up to the word of God.

They're crucifying the word, just like they crucified Jesus. So he went on a far north journey and left his house. And gave authority to his servants, verse 34. And to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

Guarding the Heart and Responding to Christ's Knock

You know what the porter is? The porter is one that watches the door. Jesus says in Revelation chapter 3, I stand at the door and knock. The knock is the knocking of the Holy Ghost. It's the conviction of your conscience.

Never knock, never ignore the knock, the conviction, the unction of the Holy Ghost on your conscience. That's why we're recording these messages. That's why it's on our website. That's why we have CDs available for you.

We want these CDs, we take the copyright over so you can burn a hundred and give it out. To be fruitful and multiply. Because people in your family, your father, mother, sister and brother are dying. And the word and people in churches are saying they are okay.

No, they're not okay. He left his house. He went on a far off journey. And you have to be the porter, verse 34. The watchman of the door of your heart. He stands at the door and knocks. And then it says, if any man opens up, look up.

This door only has one door handle. It's all the inside. He knocks, but he doesn't open the door. Jesus doesn't impose himself. He's a perfect gentleman. He wants you to live in freedom. The great gift of choice.

The choice is you turning the doorknob. It's only a doorknob on the inside of your heart. He knocks of the Holy Ghost, but you must open the door. And if you think I'm taking liberties, I'm quoting exactly out of the King James.

That if you open the door, he says, he doesn't come into the room. Look at Revelation chapter 3. He will come into him. He says him. And look at the intimacy. Then he finishes up the verse. He says, and then I will suck with him.

You want to get to know somebody? You have some food with them. That's what communion is. Communion means communication. It's not a religious act without the reality of the Holy Ghost. Come, Holy Ghost, right now.

Perilous Times and the Deception of Having More Time

Verse 35, watch ye therefore. For ye know not when the master of the house cometh. Will it be evening? You don't know. Or midnight? You don't know. Or at the cock crowing or in the morning. He's coming suddenly.

He finds you what? Sleeping. That's why we're here. Because people are sleeping. Because we're in perilous times. 2 Timothy chapter 3, connecting last week's message to this. It's a whole series we're going to be doing.

Not preaching to the choir, but we want to bring New York City in here. People are walking overhead, but we are in the foundation. Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. You contribute to this ministry in finances and prayers.

When people come in, as they walk overhead, I see them walking right now. Look at this. Look at this person walking through here. Look at the last window. You'll see the feet. That person may be dying.

We don't know what's going to happen to that person tonight. Nor to you. Because when he comes, you won't know. The deception is you think you have time. Verse 37. And what I say unto you, I say unto all.

Did God run out of words? He says it again in the end of verse 37 of this same Mark 13. He says, watch. If you die to yourself. If you die to your pride. If you die to using your finances only for yourself.

If you die to your unforgiveness. Then you're going to experience the resurrection. But he can't resurrect what's alive in itself. You must die to your own way of thinking. To my own way of thinking. Because he only touches what's dead.

We learned this morning in our first service in Englewood, New Jersey. That the high priest wore a bonnet. Aaron and his first born Eliezer. They wore linen bonnets and linen gowns. It requires in the law not to wear wool.

Why? Because wool perspires. And I said to the Holy Ghost, why does it say that? And the Holy Ghost told me Saturday as I was studying this. He says because perspiration represents human effort. But in this.

Because the same spirit. All you and I have to do is die. Die to our own way. Die to our unforgiveness. You wouldn't invite a mass murderer into your home. Why would you invite unforgiveness and fear into your heart?

That's the house. That's where he's going to return. Matthew 15. Verse 13. Says this. But he answered and said, every plant which my heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted up. All these churches, they may have thousands of people.

But because they have thousands, it doesn't mean they're up in there with God. If God did not plant them because of their preaching the unadulterated word of God. God's going to uproot them.

Let them. Verse 14.

They be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Why are we here in New York City? To Matthew 24 .15. Tribulation. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation.

Referring to the Antichrist. Spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Stand in the holy place. Whoso readeth, let him understand. Then verse 16. Matthew 24 .16. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains.

He's talking about Basra. A place in Israel. It's called now Petra. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. Look up. You think you have time? God says, listen, if you had valuables in your house.

I'm talking only in the natural. And your house was on fire. I dare say if you could, you would run and try to grab that valuable. A thousand dollars hidden. A piece of jewelry. An ornament. God says, don't be deceived.

You may not even have time to get it. And he's warning you, don't go back. Go forward. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah. This city has turned into Sodom and Gomorrah. I was born on Park Avenue. A good 40 blocks uptown on East 96th Street.

Little did I know that God will spring me back here. Symbolism. Park Avenue. Why do they call it Park Avenue? Because in the middle of the avenue, there's a little park. And there's trees planted. And it says in Psalm chapter 2, The man is like a tree planted by the rivers of water.

And whatsoever he does, he prospers. And what's not planted of the Lord, he will pluck up. So here in Matthew chapter 24, my beloved, He says in verse 17, Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.

Neither, verse 18, let him which is in the field return back to his clothes. You won't need them anyway. Verse 19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that did suck in those days. But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time. No, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be short, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be short.

Verse 23. That if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, plural, and false prophets. And shall show great signs and wonders. In so much that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Touch your heart, and by faith say, I am the elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not.

For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even on to the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will be, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Endurance, False Prophets, and the Need to Persevere

Matthew chapter 24. But look at verse 5 with me. Who's talking here, my beloved? It's in the red letter. Won't you tell me, please? Jesus is talking. I'm listening. The Word is talking. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nations shall rise against nations, the kingdom against kingdom.

And there shall be heavens manifest in the natural, because first it manifests in the spirit of hearing the Word of God. I reiterate intentionally. Amos 8 .11. And earthquakes, and divers places, means various places.

And all these things are beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you. And ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

And many false prophets, verse 11, shall rise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax what? But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Look up. So much for once saved, always saved. My Bible says, he that shall endure to the end shall be. We think it's a one-time confession. Well, God says, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

We must endure to the end, saints. The Wall Street service Wednesday, me being up 4 .30 in the morning and praying. Me having a Sunday morning service. I can convince my flesh to stay in bed and not come into New York City.

But if there's three people that show up, we have 32 today. If there's three, I'm going to come in for three. If there's one, I'm going to come in for one. If there's no one, I'll preach to the chairs.

But I'm going to do what God would have me do. And I'm not trying to work up a crowd. But I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that these seats are going to be filled. And in a very few months, we're going to be upstairs.

And we're going to be able to afford the sanctuary and fit a thousand. And I believe they're going to be lined up around the block. Why? Because that old church, as many churches are preaching the Word of God, but many are false deceivers.

And we need to preach the Word of God. One man plants, one man waters, but God will give the increase. It's not for us to bring them in, but it's for us to feed them, because it's a famine of hearing the Word of God.

The Word, the Blood of Christ, and Access to the Father

In closing, I want you to turn back, because I want to read you something that occurs to me in retrospect. Turn to John 5 .43 again, and that's where we'll close. John 5 .43. Give me a strong amen when you're there, please.

Who was here last week? Raise their hands. Because of God. Was that a powerful message last week? There's only one first. All the meetings are significant because God's here. Not any human perspiration, but inspiration.

Get the CD. This CD will be next week. Copy it. Burn it. Give it to people. Give it to our website. It's already up on our website. After I was on with Bishop Wellington Boone, we've gotten more hits.

We've gotten about 40 times the hits we've gotten on an average day. John 5 .43. Father's name, and you receive me not. If another shall come in his own name, him he will receive. The name of our ministry is Encouragement in Christ.

It's not named after someone. There's names like T .D. Jake's ministry, Joyce Meyer ministry, and I'm not saying those aren't significant ministries. I'm not here to judge anybody. I'm here to judge myself.

Even though the Bible says a spiritual man judges all things, yet he himself is judged. But people have ministries, and they come in their own name, and people are going to see people instead of meeting the Word of God, which is Jesus.

Who connects you to heaven? Jesus. Are you sure? The propitiation by the blood of Jesus Christ, you have access to heaven. That's not the Holy Ghost's job. The Holy Ghost's job is, Jesus says, it's good that I leave you because I leave you the comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth that leads you into all truth.

So when you read the Word of God, you have to ask the Holy Ghost in the Hebrew, Kadesh, say Kadesh. Ruach. The Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, to give you the truth. Because you can read the letter of the Word, but the letter of the Word kills, Corinthians says, but the Spirit gives it life.

The Holy Ghost leads you into all truth. You pray to God the Father. What gives you access to God the Father? Is it the Holy Ghost? It's the blood of? So Jesus Christ gives you and I access to? God. Jesus is also known as the?

Word. So the Word connects you to heaven. Jesus is the Word. Jesus connects you to God. When you read the Word, you're connected to God. In a practical way, when you read the Word, it connects you to the mind and heart of God.

Watching and Praying While Guarding the Heart

So he says to us, watch and pray. Where did he say that? You're in Mark 13, 36, remember? Go back to it. Start at verse number 35. Mark 13, 35. Watch ye therefore. For ye know not when the master of the house comes.

This is what watch means. This is watch ye therefore. Who's talking here, my beloved? And what is he telling us to do? This is what watch means out of Webster's Dictionary. I looked it up. Here it is.

It means to be or stay awake. Intentionally. It means to keep vigil. It means watch patiently as by one's bedside for one ready to die. There he says watch and pray. To be on the lookout for danger or to be on one's guard.

To keep guard, watch outside the door. I'm reading out of the Dictionary. He says watch the door. Where's the door located? Where the doorknob's only located? Where? It's the heart. My beloved, look up.

Keep your heart with all diligence. For out of it are the issues of life. A man thinking in his heart, so he is. Watch and pray. Invite somebody next week. Get the CDs and burn them and hand them out to people.

For we live in perilous times. And the times are short and they're evil. Pastor Joe, would you close us with prayer? I want you to close in prayer. Yes, no, it's going to do it after you pray. You can do it now and then close in prayer.