“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”
William Shakespeare

If expectation is the root of all heartache, then what can be said of false expectations?
Even worse, right?

I’ve been hand-writing the bible. I’ve completed Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and about half of Numbers so far.
What am I learning?
Expectations are the downfall of many.

In particular, we see the people of the Exodus.  Yehovah appears before them as a pillar of clouds by day, and a pillar of fire by night.
There is no mistaken identity going on.
Yehovah works many miracles before these people.
There is no confusion about who is in charge, and who is making things happen.

And yet…
What do we see?
We see a nation of complainers.
We see a nation of people who have expectations that are not being met.
This happens to everyone at some point, right?
But what about these people?
If you were in the presence of the Creator of all things, who has made promises to you — would you forget Him and His promises?
Would you complain and rebel against Him?

Really.
Seriously.
I’m asking in earnest.
Would you?

We see over and over and over again that the outcome is very bad for those who doubt, deny, rebel, question, disbelieve, complain, and exhibit all sorts of bad behavior.

What bad outcome?
Consumed by fire.
Sucked into the earth alive.
Bitten by fiery serpents.
Fall by the sword.
Fall by the plague.
Smitten with leprosy.
Stoned to death.

And, consider this…
These are Yehova’s chosen people, whom He loves.
Why would a loving God have such consequences for those He has chosen?
Because He is a just God.
Because Yehovah gave us His instructions for living, and those instructions must be followed.
Even God must abide by His teachings.
If He gave us instructions [the law] and told us what the consequences are for not following those instructions, then He has to adhere to the consequences when men rebel. Otherwise, His word is void.

Churches today teach that Jesus loves us and we can do no wrong. Well, we can do wrong, but it will be forgiven, because Jesus loves us.
Is this true?
No, not exactly. It is just a bit different in scripture.
If we truly turn to Messiah, and follow Him, and repent, turn away from, our sins, then yes, He will forgive us, because He loves us.
But what happens if we go through all of this, but continue to sin willfully?
“I’m just a sinner saved by grace.”

Hebrews 10:26-31 paints a horrific picture for those who continue to sin willfully.
²⁶ If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, ²⁷ but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” ³¹ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Did you expect to hear that in scripture?
Churches don’t teach us this truth.
Could I be wrong about this?
What does John 3:36 say?
He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Has your pastor taught you John 3:36?
Has your pastor taught you that obedience is expected and required? Or has your pastor only taught you the promise of John 3:16?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 3:16 is a wonderful promise in scripture, but we have to establish our beliefs and our doctrine on all of scripture, not just the promises.
The warnings are important.  They are just as important as the promises.
What expectations do you have based on mainstream church teachings?  Have you tested those expectations against the truth of scripture? What if they turn out to be false expectations, established by false teachers?
Is this possible?

Jeremiah 16:19-20 refers to end times:
¹⁹ O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Do you understand the implications of these verses?
1. In end times
2. The Gentiles
3. Will realize they’ve inherited nothing but lies
4. The lies have no value in them
5. The result of the lies is that man will make up gods who are not gods.

Could this be describing our churches?
Hebrews 10 and John 3 indicate it could be true about our churches.
Jeremiah predicts this will happen.
Can we trust Jeremiah?
Jeremiah 1:4-9
⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
⁶ Then said I:
“Ah, Lord God!
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
⁷ But the Lord said to me:
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
For you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
⁸ Do not be afraid of their faces,
For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
⁹ Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and
he Lord said to me:
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”

Wow, did you catch that in verse 9?
Yehova put His words into Jeremiah’s mouth.
I think we can trust Jeremiah.

If that’s the case, then we can say the warning of Jeremiah 16:19-20 is true.  Is it true today, or is it true for some time in the future?
This question can easily be answered by studying scripture.
Hebrews 10
John 3
What about these words from Messiah Himself?
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

What commandments is He speaking of?
Scripture will tell us, if we look.
These are the people that will be in the Kingdom of Heaven:
Revelation 14:12
¹² Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Does this describe you?
Do you keep the commandments of Yehovah?
Do you have the faith of Messiah?

Does Messiah say what will happen to those who do not keep the law, the commandments of God?  Our churches teach us the law is done away with.
But what does Messiah say about it?
This is a direct quote of Yeshua Messiah, otherwise known as Jesus:
Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Do you want to hear “Well done good and faithful servant!”
Or do you want to hear “I never knew you. Depart from Me.”?

It is your choice to make.
Has your pastor taught you about these things?
Or does your pastor only teach you that Jesus loves you and you will go to heaven if you pray Him into your heart?
I ask you this:
Show me in scripture where it talks about this “praying Jesus into your heart” stuff. I can’t seem to find it anywhere.

Do you have false expectations?
Do you expect to go to heaven one day?
Do you even know what that means?
Church culture tells us that heaven is some imaginary place up in the sky.  Just look up.  Can’t see it, but it’s up there, right?
Somewhere…
Try reading Revelation 21 and 22.
Learn about the City of New Jerusalem.
Did you know that eternal heaven is in the City of New Jerusalem?
Did you know that it will be here on restored earth?
Does your pastor teach you these things?

If not, then you’ve bet your eternity on the teachings of men, instead of the truth of scripture.
False expectations.
There is but One who can grant you salvation.
Do you know Him?
Or do you just think you know Him?

1John 2:3-6
³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ⁶ He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

I don’t write these things to criticize or condemn.
I don’t write these things to discourage you.
I write these things so you will know what scripture says.
Our churches do not teach the truth.
They teach what they learned from other men in college.

If I’ve shown you some things in scripture that you were unaware of, you need to explore it more. Don’t take my word for it, and don’t take your pastor’s word for it.
Your eternity is at stake.
Do you hear His voice?
John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me.”
John 10:14
 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me”