“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 NKJV)
The undertakers are people whose profession is the preparation of the dead for burial or cremation and the management of funerals; funeral directors (Collins Eng. Dict.).
Unfortunately, many so-called ministers of God today are nothing but spiritual undertakers who make much material or financial gains from pampering, entertaining, and preparing spiritually dead souls for an eternity of sorrows, pains, and torments in hell fire.
The Church no longer needs the service or ministry of spiritual undertakers whose only interest is to manipulate and exploit God’s people, amass much wealth, and make sinners feel very comfortable in their present terrible spiritual condition.
But we urgently need great revivalists who can wake us up from our deep spiritual slumbering. We have certainly enjoyed or endured long enough the empty or superficial charismatic displays and performances of spiritual undertakers.
In the first part of this series, we began examining the ministry of spiritual undertakers by drawing parallels from how the physical undertakers attended to the remains of Lazarus even though the Lord Jesus was on His way to revive him.
The Scripture revealed they wrapped Lazarus’ face with a cloth, bound his hands and feet with graveclothes, buried him in the cave, and laid a stone against its mouth (John 11:44).
Let us consider the spiritual implications of their actions.
First, they wrapped the face of Lazarus with a cloth:
Similarly, spiritual undertakers in our days have cast veils or coverings of religion, human tradition, and philosophy upon the minds of many believers in the Church today so that they might continue to manipulate, dominate, exploit, and defraud them.
Spiritual undertakers are ministers who constantly feed the people who gathered to them with mere fables, enticing words of human wisdom, philosophy, or vain traditions rather than providing them with the truths of God’s Word.
Their goal is to keep the people spiritually blind, ignorant, undiscerning, or immature so they may continue to exploit, manipulate, defraud, and abuse them.
Second, they bound Lazarus’ hands and feet with graveclothes:
Likewise, spiritual undertakers in our days have bound or kept in perpetual bondage many souls with their improper use of the Old Testament laws as a basis for having a loving and intimate relationship with God or as a means of earning God’s love, acceptance, salvation, or blessings.
As a result of the false teachings of spiritual undertakers, many believers today are struggling and striving hard under the laws of Moses rather than thriving and flourishing well under the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:14).
Spiritual undertakers spoil, cheat, make prey, seduce, or lead astray spiritually immature, ignorant, and undiscerning souls “through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ…” (Col. 2:8 KJV).
The Scripture warns about them, saying, “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” (2 Pet. 2:3 NKJV).
Third, they laid Lazarus’ remains in a cave:
Having wrapped Lazarus’ face with a cloth and having bound his hands and feet with grave clothes, the undertakers laid him in a cave for his remains to decompose away from the sight of men.
Many of our churches, gigantic cathedrals, or impressive worship centers today are merely “modern spiritual caves” constructed, designed, and run by spiritual undertakers to host, hold, or contain spiritually slumbering people or spiritually dead.
Sadly, today, many “churches” can be aptly described as “the valleys of dry bones.” While the people inside today’s modern spiritual caves are full of physical or religious life, they are void of Christ’s life.
However, God is raising and calling forth a prophetic generation to storm these caves with God’s Word and Spirit to revive the spiritually dead and dry souls trapped in these caves and release and deploy them as God’s end-time army (Ezek. 37:1-14).
Lastly, they laid a huge stone against the mouth of Lazarus’ cave:
Having laid Lazarus’ remains in the cave, the undertakers laid a massive stone against the mouth of the cave to secure it and contain his stench within the cave.
Even when the Lord Jesus commanded that they take away the stone, Martha, Lazarus’s sister, protested and said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” (John 11:39 NKJV).
However, Martha’s protest or unbelief could not stop the Lord Jesus from reviving and calling Lazarus from the cave. Praise God!
Similarly, many souls are trapped in many “spiritual caves” today because spiritual undertakers have laid “huge stones” against the mouths of their caves.
Many believers today, though famishing, starving, or dying spiritually, cannot leave their “caves” (churches or denominations) because of fear of their spiritual undertakers (pastors or prophets).
Many souls are shut inside their caves by diverse stones employed by spiritual undertakers, such as threats, curses, strange oaths or covenants, bogus prophecies, strange visions or dreams, human doctrines, enticing words, titles, or positions.
Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming very soon to revive, restore and deliver His sheep trapped in several caves (churches or denominations) owned and run by wicked spiritual undertakers in our generation.
Despite huge stones, they have laid against their caves or the means they have employed to secure God’s people in their caves to keep them in perpetual darkness and bondage. Yet, when the Lord comes, He will command the stones to be taken away, and as He called Lazarus to come forth, He will call His people to come out from their caves (John 11:43-44).
Ezekiel 37:12-14 – NKJV
12 “Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 “Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves.
14 “I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.'”
Friend, are you presently trapped in a spiritual cave with a huge stone laid against your cave?
The Lord Jesus is calling you now to come forth from your cave or bondage, just as He called Lazarus to come forth from his cave.
John 5:25 – NKJV
25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
Like Lazarus, may you hear the Lord’s voice today and come forth from your cave to enjoy complete liberty in Christ and to begin to dine with the Lord and proclaim His praises as Lazarus did after his resurrection (John 12:1-2).
Prayer: My Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me from the cave where the spiritual undertakers have hidden me. I declare today that I am out of the cave of false religion, human traditions, and doctrines of demons to enjoy complete liberty in Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.