Category: human viewpoint / human wisdom / philosophy

For Students This is Safe

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

“Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128 KJV).

As a new school year dawns, let us awake unto spiritual truth!

Although the autumnal equinox is still over a month away here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is finally beginning to wind down for most of us. Students—with long faces and deep sighs—have returned or are beginning to return to school. As students return to the classroom, they need to be particularly mindful of the following.

Firstly, learning in and of itself is not a sin. Moses was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). Luke was a medical doctor (Colossians 4:14). Daniel and his companions were skilled in science (Daniel 1:4). Adam was the first taxonomist (Genesis 2:19,20). The God of the Bible is never against learning new things—remember, He gave us His Holy Bible so we can have plenty to learn for all of eternity!

Secondly, what the God of the Bible opposes is when we believe/trust ideas that do not seek our best interests, that contradict the way He designed our lives to function. Certainly, we Christians should never go around believing anything and everything heard and seen. Just because the professor, preacher, pope, or president says it is true, that does not make it so. Scientific consensus has been wrong before, religion has been wrong before, politicians have been wrong before. Much of the ideas that permeate our world today are wrong.

Lastly, there are many wonderful, exciting ideas and concepts out there—medical advancements, technological breakthroughs, and so on—but there are equally detrimental ideas that will mess up your life—religious traditions, secular humanism, and other philosophies. Daily intake of the King James Bible rightly divided will cleanse our souls of the filth and foolishness that we hear and see day in and day out in this evil world system. We highly exalt God’s Word, we know it is right “concerning all things,” and we hate and ignore the error.

Have a wonderful school year in our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙂

The Jews’ Feasts #5

Sunday, July 21, 2019

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1 KJV).

Thrice, and only in John’s Gospel Record, we read a unique expression. What is it, and why is it significant?

Long ago, someone once aptly stated, “Christendom is a bastardized form of Judaism!” To wit, what is called “Christianity” is really Christendom, and Christendom is essentially Judaism. The candles, altars, priests, holy garments, cups, bowls, sacrifices, holy/feast days, confession of sins, anointing with oil, water baptism, law-keeping, and prayers commonly assumed to be “Christian” are actually not Christian at all. They were stolen from Judaism (Old Testament) and carelessly incorporated into pure Christianity! Moreover, the steeples, mother goddess worship/veneration, sun images, statues, relics, kissing of images, bowing/genuflection, “fatherly” priests, popes, prayers for the dead, and relics all assumed to be part of “Christian worship” are derived from heathen or pagan religion (which apostate Israel herself adopted to corrupt Judaism!!)!

Christianity—how the God of creation would have us worship Him—is described quite clearly in the Bible Books of Romans through Philemon. Friend, read those passages and then notice the “Christian” churches, study “Christian” literature, and converse with “Christian” people. Overwhelmingly, you will realize that Satan’s world system has fooled billions. Most of what is assumed to be “Christian” is either outright paganism, a mixture of paganism and Judaism, or paganism-Judaism amalgamated with Christianity!

The Apostle Paul, “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), never mentions bell towers, candles, statues, confessions, or relics. God the Holy Spirit through him never commands us to place ourselves under the Law system (just the opposite—Romans 6:14-15 and Titus 2:11-14). He says we have no feast days to observe (Colossians 2:16,17; Galatians 4:9-11) and no water baptism to administer in the Dispensation of Grace (1 Corinthians 1:17; Ephesians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13). There are no popes or priests in Pauline doctrine, only elders, bishops, and deacons.

See, friend, to the degree apostate Israel corrupted Judaism over the course of many centuries, so apostate church leaders have watered down Christianity with paganism over the centuries. Unless one is grounded in the Word of God rightly divided, there will be no spiritual discernment to differentiate the true worship system from the false worship system. Beware (Colossians 2:8)!

The Jews’ Feasts #4

Saturday, July 20, 2019

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1 KJV).

Thrice, and only in John’s Gospel Record, we read a unique expression. What is it, and why is it significant?

Man always spoils the works of the LORD God, such as distorting His Word, the Holy Bible: “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God…” (2 Corinthians 2:17). “And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God” (Jeremiah 23:36).

Apostate Israel ruined God’s Jerusalem Temple with their flagrant dishonesty: “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written [Isaiah 56:7], My [that is, God’s] house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12,13). God’s house received a new name, for Christ later denounced Jerusalem (23:38), “Behold, your (!) house is left unto you desolate!” The God of the Bible wanted nothing further to do with the Temple; He was no longer inhabiting it. “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple” (24:1). He gave them over to their false religion!

Why have people selected their particular local church? To hear sound Bible doctrine there? Probably not. (Just ask them if you doubt it.) A friend of mine likes to say, “They want food, fun, and fellowship!” (I like to add a fourth reason—foolishness!) Organized religion and denominations have replaced God’s work with their own. It is not the Holy Spirit working in them because they believe His words to them (for they are ignorant of His principles of grace). Rather, they are striving to duplicate Christ’s life by using man’s fallible interpretations. Furthermore, they want material food, not the bread from heaven. They crave amusement, not truth. They seek to be friends with the world, not friends of God. They have childish wishes, not mature desires. It is Christendom, not Christianity….

The Jews’ Feasts #3

Friday, July 18, 2019

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1 KJV).

Thrice, and only in John’s Gospel Record, we read a unique expression. What is it, and why is it significant?

Judaism as it existed in Jesus’ day was certainly not the unadulterated Word of God given at Mount Sinai. During the 15 centuries since Moses, the rabbinical scholars had corrupted it. Ironically, what God had given to Israel to indicate her sin problem was now the very system she was using to advertise her “righteousness!”

Take, for example, Matthew chapter 9: “[10] And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. [11] And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? [12] But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. [13] But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Did you notice how the Pharisees considered others to be “sinners?” These religious leaders themselves were—they assumed—to be without sin! Such Old Testament “scholars” so totally void of Scriptural understanding! What had they been reading? They had the Hebrew Bible (our Genesis through Malachi) but they had read it through the lens of religious tradition. Hence, they could not see what they should have seen. Yea, they did not want to see what they should have seen.

Read this sardonic rebuke the Lord Jesus had for Israel’s religious leaders in Matthew 23:23: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” They focused on dividing the tiny herbs and spices into tenths—their tithes as instructed by Moses!—but they ignored the more important principles of the Law. Judgment, mercy, and faith (!) were absent from these religionists’ hearts and lives. Indeed, it was no longer God’s religion….

Bible Q&A #630: “What does the Bible say about lunar exploration and settlement?”

The Jews’ Feasts #2

Thursday, July 18, 2019

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 5:1 KJV).

Thrice, and only in John’s Gospel Record, we read a unique expression. What is it, and why is it significant?

Friend, you have doubtless seen religious busyness. People are quite active in attending church services, participating in water baptisms, partaking of communion, walking aisles, knocking on doors and “proselytizing,” shaking preachers’ hands, listening to and uttering confessions, reciting prayers, reading denominational literature, singing and dancing, clapping and raising their hands, giving large donations to this group and that group, and so on. It all appears so decent and spiritual. Surely, God is pleased, right? Well, not exactly. How much of all that is done with an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to them? Frankly, very, very, very little!

Romans 14:23 concludes with, “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” This concept is wise Christian advice regardless of the issue. What would God want us to do here or there, in this situation or that? The verse answers it. If we cannot point to a clear verse from the rightly divided Bible, and say on the basis of that verse that we are a taking certain course of action, it is best to reconsider our options. Faith is simply believing God’s Word to you. If that is the definition of “faith”—and it is—then there is actually almost no faith among most so-called “Christians.”

No matter the denomination, the average church member depends too heavily on clergy. It is far easier to let others think for us, and most convenient to say, “Let the preacher study the Bible. He can tell me what it says and what I am supposed to believe.” Hence, doctrinal confusion and Bible illiteracy are so pervasive within Christendom. The preacher is only interested in telling us what the denomination says, what the denomination says the Bible says, and not what the Bible really says. (Many have learned this “the hard way,” shocked to finally realize their denominational leaders withheld a great deal of Bible truth from them!!)

What is passed off as “Christianity” today is often anything but. Likewise, the religion in Israel during Christ’s day was not pure Judaism….

Days of Usefulness #5

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;…” (Ecclesiastes 12:1 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

Current average global human lifespan is between 70 and 80 years (women being the elder). Seventy years translate to 25,550 days or 613,200 hours; eighty years are 29,200 days or 700,800 hours. Here is the maximum amount of time most people have to serve the Lord on Earth. Unfortunately, much—usually all—of that is squandered. Decades spent seeking knowledge in philosophy, but the Bible is ignored. Lavish parties, exotic vacations, and pricey entertainment bought, and no lasting peace. Several marriages later, but they still look for happiness.

No, dear friends, we cannot revisit the past, we cannot undo mistakes, and we cannot reverse aging. We know it as well as Solomon. Yet, we have more Divine revelation than Israel’s wisest—and most foolish—king. If we have trusted Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins, then we are forgiven of all our sins: “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32), “having forgiven you all trespasses” (Colossians 2:13).

We are saved forever, justified eternally, bound for Heaven, but we will not be spared the earthly consequences of sins. Saints, never do we as members of the Body of Christ have to worry about going to Hell, the eternal penalty for sin. Yet, reckless earthly living will indeed pay off in this life: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7,8). It is important to learn this fact now, especially as young people, before we age and find ourselves forced to deal with the outcomes of horrible decisions.

Dear readers, grow familiar with Romans through Philemon, the principles of grace, as soon as possible in life. Apply them to life by faith as much as possible. Reach as many young people with those truths as you can. You therefore maximize your days of usefulness… and their days of usefulness, too!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How did Eli honor his sons more than he honor God?”

Days of Usefulness #4

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;…” (Ecclesiastes 12:1 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

In one succinct rephrasing, aged Solomon thus recommends: “Before you waste your life like I did, let me tell you something important. While you are still young—before you grow old like I am now—do not forget your Creator. Before you engage in those ‘evil days,’ that prolonged period of ungodliness, I know firsthand it just simply is not worth it. It will be fun and thrilling, but it will also be transitory. At death, the appealing façade crumbles, and Satan’s evil world system is realized to be perpetually displeasing. There is nothing of eternal worth; it all amounts to zero.” Let us bring it up to our modern world.

How tragic it is to find an unsaved person, having lived for self for many decades, now old and debilitated. Drug and alcohol abuse have irreversibly damaged their bodies. Their energy is drained. Vision diminished, hearing nearly gone, crippled and bedridden, they finally trust Christ as their personal Saviour. Having a burning desire to serve the Lord, the physical strength just is not there as it was when they were serving sin. They find themselves quoting Solomon in today’s Scripture, repeating to defiant youth what they too learned “the hard way.” It is comparable to the phrase, “Yes, Mom and Dad knew better. They are gone, I am old, and now the younger generation ignores me as I disregarded my elders.”

Romans 1:25 is the core of Satan’s policy of evil: “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Here are Lucifer before he became Satan, Adam when he led man’s fall into sin, the nations at the Tower of Babel, Solomon in his final decades, the Antichrist, the unsaved billions today, and most Christians today (sadly). They live for self—the creature—at the expense of the Creator. Jesus Christ the Lord—the Creator—is snubbed. The days of evil present, the days of usefulness wasted….

Days of Usefulness #3

Monday, July 8, 2019

“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;…” (Ecclesiastes 12:1 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us?

Long ago, he was a wise, young king (1 Kings chapter 3). However, he was not immune from sin. Making literally hundreds of terrible choices, Solomon fully aligned himself with Satan’s lie program—false religion (chapter 11). Now, in his final days, the Holy Spirit moves him to write Ecclesiastes. A parent desperately tries to reason with a rebellious child: “I have been there, I have done that, take my advice. Please do not do what I did!” Solomon warns those who are living for self (sIn!). These instructions carry significant weight in the prophetic program. Israel should resist the seduction of Antichrist and his “natural-man philosophy.” That evil world system exists now, tempting us to engage in ungodliness too.

Ecclesiastes documents man’s futile attempts to conduct his earthly life without following the Creator God. While this is atheism, agnosticism, and skepticism, it is also works-religion. As long as it is not God’s Word rightly divided, it is Satan’s lie program. With Antichrist, it will be pagan idolatry—not the absence of God but the replacement of God (Daniel 11:36-39; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). Antichrist and his followers will be their own rulers, doing their pleasure while appearing religious. In the end, it will be dying Solomon—sorely disappointed because, after all those years of work, nothing of eternal value was produced!

Departing Solomon confessed (my paraphrase), “I learned philosophy but did not find meaning. I amassed great material wealth but did not find happiness. I toiled acquiring entertainment and other pleasures but found no lasting peace. I found religion but no hope.” See Ecclesiastes 12:8 (the context of today’s Scripture): “Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.” “Worthlessness! Emptiness! I lived apart from the Creator God’s guidance for years. Here, this earthly sojourn is over. Now, I lose everything I have gained in this natural world. All my selfish efforts have profited me nothing. My physical body is falling apart, and I wasted so much precious time. Alas, I cannot return to my youth and redo life….”

Waste Not Your Time!

Friday, July 5, 2019

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;…” (Ephesians 5:15-18 KJV).

A brother in Christ recently informed me that he had cancelled his cable television subscription. He had grown tired of getting upset with the filthy programming and sensational news shows! Whether 20 centuries ago, or right now, today’s Scripture is sound advice….

With the various technological advancements in recent decades, the Holy Spirit is that much more likely to be ignored. All too often, the Bible is set aside. Radio, television, computer and internet, smartphones, and social media increasingly take away precious time from reading and studying God’s Word. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying electronic devices, Christians are spending far too much time concentrating on trivialities and nonsense. They are more familiar with the world’s affairs than with the Scriptures. Preoccupied about this and that and everything else but the Bible, they are exactly where Satan’s evil world system was designed to bring them. Divorced from God’s Word, they are without His power, and thus no bother to Satan!

Even during Bible days, the saints of God were falling for various distractions. This necessitated the Apostle Paul to issue today’s Scripture. Satan himself and all the actions he endorses have—his evil world system has—stolen the time that would have been used to glorify Jesus Christ. By understanding and following God’s will, we can “redeem” (buy back) that time. Saints, if we are not careful though, if we waste time, then we are just as negligent as the Devil himself. We are cooperating with his lie program.

When we are “filled with the Spirit,” thinking like God Himself thinks, that will empower us to walk according to the verses we read and believed (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Let us heed today’s Scripture, now more than ever, dear brethren. Be quite careful to make wise use of your time. Watching news programming for hours on end, is wasteful. Endlessly playing smart-phone games is not wise. These will profit us nothing in eternity!

Human Eyes Versus Divine Eyes #6

Saturday, May 18, 2019

“And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth” (Matthew 27:39-44 KJV).

It is the same event, viewed from two different perspectives. Which assessment is reality and which is folly?

Chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians: “[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Here is what God saw at Calvary. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Isaiah continues, “…[8] for the transgression of my people was he stricken…. [10] Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. [11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.…”

According to Philippians 2:5-11, Jesus, the second Person of the Godhead, took a place of servitude to the first Person (the Father). Had the Son come down from the cross, He would have spurned His Father’s will (cf. Hebrews 10:1-22). His blood would have not been shed to pay for Israel’s sins—or ours. Scripture had to be fulfilled… and, glory to Almighty God, we through God’s eyes see that it was (Matthew 26:45-56)! 🙂