Month: November 2026

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #162

Thursday, November 5, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Denominationalists have been programmed to “pick and choose” assorted passages rather than regard contexts and do serious Bible study; this is particularly true with prayer. For instance, they cite Matthew 7:7,8: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Also, Mark 11:24: “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Plus, John 14:13,14: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” These are truly wonderful prayer promises, and they are forever “named and claimed” in Christendom. Souls seize upon these Scriptures and ask for practically anything and everything, particularly miracle healings and material riches. Yet, they are so extraordinarily disappointed when no health or wealth comes! What happened? Was it a lack of faith? Yes, it was… for, in unbelief, they stole Israel’s verses.

The above prayer verses have limitations. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14,15). Asking in prayer must be “according to [God’s] will,” not our will, as Paul himself learned in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10! Moreover, Christ’s words must “abide in [us],” meaning we have to know what He tells us before we can expect Him to do something. Since “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” given to Paul governs God’s current dealings with man (Ephesians 3:1,2), we must appeal to Romans to Philemon to ascertain God’s words to and about us….

Saints, please remember this work of the ministry requires monthly financial support to operate (Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:16-17; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Those who prefer electronic giving can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux. Anyone who wishes to donate by regular mail can visit https://333wordsofgrace.org/contact-us-mailing-address-for-donations/ for details. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! Unfortunately, since our ministry audience is so large and our ministry staff is so small, I can no longer personally respond to everyone. Thanks so much for understanding in this regard. 🙂

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #161

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Under the Law of Moses, hardships (sickness, drought/famine, pestilence, military defeat, exile, and so on) were signs of Divine displeasure, the LORD God unhappy with sinful Israel and punishing her. These various curses are meticulously itemized in Leviticus 26:14-46 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. (Conversely, blessings were received for obedience, exactly as promised in Leviticus 26:1-13 and Deuteronomy 28:1-14.) Again, this is the agreement the Jewish people willingly made with God at Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:1-8.

As Saul of Tarsus, being a rabbinical scholar and religious fanatic, the Apostle Paul had grown up in Judaism and under the Law (Philippians 3:4-6). Watch how he suffers an enigmatic “thorn in the flesh” and repeatedly prays for deliverance from it—and be sure to note the Lord’s reply and Paul’s response. Second Corinthians 12:7-10 reads: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. [Paul reacts] Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Paul indeed received an answer to his prayer… just not what he expected. The Lord would not deliver him from that suffering. Prayer did not change Paul’s circumstances, but it did change Paul in his circumstances. The Apostle embraced a new outlook on suffering, for God showed how He had switched the program from Law to Grace. Behold! Contrary to what we learn in works-religion, prayer is not about manipulating God to do whatever we want. As mature people, we conclude that it is far better for us to pray in line with what God is doing, rather than assuming He is doing something else and praying in ignorance….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #160

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Elijah the Prophet lived during great apostasy, Israel departing from the LORD. In 1 Kings 16:29-34, King Ahab and Queen Jezebel declared Baal worship to be the official state religion. This was an egregious violation of the Law of Moses! “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1). The duration of this drought and famine was three years and six months (Luke 4:25; James 5:17; cf. 1 Kings 18:1,2).

When James 5:16-18 indicates how Elijah “prayed earnestly that it might not rain” (and how “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”), it recalls that the Prophet had simply asked God to do what God had already promised to do in response to such idolatry! “And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the LORD’S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you” (Deuteronomy 11:13-17).

As the LORD’S preacher, Elijah knew the contract national Israel had made with JEHOVAH God at Mount Sinai. Disobedience meant wrath and judgment, so Elijah prayed to God what God had written centuries prior in the Law….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #159

Monday, November 2, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Our initial step in growing up with regards to prayer is to read and believe this: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should never stop praying. If this is true, and it is, that means prayer is more than simply kneeling, folding hands, closing eyes, and bowing heads—otherwise, we would spend our entire lives on our knees, with hands folded, eyes closed, and heads bowed! Prayer is defined in the Scriptures as “pouring out our heart before the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:12,13,15; Psalm 62:8). Moreover, it does not necessarily have to be audible; we can pray quietly, inside, for God still hears us, as in the aforementioned case of Hannah (Samuel’s mother).

Mark it well. No matter the place on the Bible timeline, God speaks first and then His people talk to Him according to what He told them. Complications develop when souls either have no idea what God said (unawareness of the Bible altogether), or they believe they can apply to themselves what He told someone else (usage of the Bible, but no right division). Prayer must be done in faith, taking God at His Word. Therefore, we have to first know His Word to and about us before we can believe it and pray in light of it.

To see how prayer works, ponder the example of the Old Testament Prophet Elijah. James relates to us in chapter 5, verses 16-18: “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias [Greek version of his Hebrew name] was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” What caused Elijah to pray these specific words? Of all the things that he could have asked, why did he articulate this? The only way to answer such inquiries is to search the Scriptures for cross-references, precisely what we will do now….

ARCHIVED: “Should Christians observe All Souls’ Day?”

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #158

Sunday, November 1, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Prayer is an additional realm that is truly most perilous, for Christians and non-Christians alike. Seldom is anything known about it other than two instances of mindlessness. Firstly, there is the vain repetition of The Our Father Prayer of Matthew 6:9-13, recited over and over and over again today no matter the circumstances (church, athletic events, concerts, and especially medical emergencies, fires, and police investigations). Secondly, there is the taking up of a book of manmade prayers, endless chanting which can be reduced to nothing more than, “Gimme, gimme, gimme.” Save for these two cases, prayer is unfamiliar to most.

It is through prayer—yea rather, through a gross misunderstanding of it—that so many heresies and apostasies have overcome (thoroughly defeated) hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of millions. Adhering to their denominational suppositions, people expect God to prove Himself to them when they pray. In fact, they will even utilize prayer to “threaten” Him… for, if He does not give them their way, they warn that they will no longer believe in Him, or stop going to church, or no longer read the Bible, et cetera. Frankly, these are but little children, exactly like those sitting on Santa Claus’ lap and demanding he follow the wish list they have so meticulously laid out for him!

Brethren, until our dying day, or until the day the Lord returns for us, it would do us well to pray upon every remembrance, “Father God, deliver me from Bible ignorance!” This is far more important than most of the prayers Christians have offered for 20 centuries. If prayed sincerely, it would have spared us an incredible amount of headache, heartache, and heartbreak. Of course, in our sinfulness and willfulness, we have formed our own versions of prayer, utterly failing to align ourselves with a scriptural and dispensational view of it. This negligence has been quite costly, but, again, it is our fault rather than God’s. So as to remedy the situation, we have to start mastering the fundamentals of prayer, learning what our denominational leaders should have taught us but did not….

ARCHIVED: “Should Christians observe All Saints’ Day?”