Category: human viewpoint / human wisdom / philosophy

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #6

Monday, September 15, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

“Busy in ministry” in early Acts, Saul of Tarsus was a Hell-bound, self-righteous Jew, obsessed with his own “goodness.” Filled with religious pride, he nonetheless finally gave up his “dung” and “filthy rags,” and came to faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour (check Philippians 3:1-9). Through his subsequent years as an Apostle, Paul encountered many other such lost Jews in synagogues in the Roman Empire (Acts chapters 9–28). These were the very Christ-rejecting Jews about which he wrote in Romans chapter 2 (the same sinful Jews who looked down upon the “sinful” Gentiles of chapter 1).

Romans chapter 2: “[1] Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. [2] But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. [3] And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? [4] Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? [5] But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; [6] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: [7] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: [8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, [9] Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;….”

Try as hard as they might, the Bible thunders how no one without the righteousness of God will “get away” from the righteous judgment of God….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #5

Sunday, September 14, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Another useful method of evading culpability before God is known as “relative righteousness.” In this scenario, someone points to another and declares, “I am not as bad as that person.” They, of course, are probably referring to people such as inmates confined to the cells of maximum-security prisons—prostitutes, drug dealers, pedophiles, murderers, rapists, thieves, and so on. We can summarize their boast with the ditty, “I neither smoke nor chew, nor run with the girls who do!” They puff out their little chests and lift their noses up high. Many such goody-goodies could be found in ancient Judaism.

The classic Biblical example of this is Luke 18:11,12: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican [tax collector]. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” Unfortunately, there are people who are better than we, so, our bragging must cease when they come into the picture. Moreover, the fact of the matter is, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). No one is as good as He is or sinless like He is!

I once had an “intellectual” friend and college classmate who joined a strange Eastern religion. The topic came up as we were eating lunch in the school cafeteria one day. I had never heard of this philosophical system before, so I asked him quite bluntly an extremely simple question, “What will you do with your sin?” After a brief pause to think, he replied, “I will get back with you on that.” Some 15 years later, I am still waiting for an answer from him—and I know one will never be forthcoming. To my knowledge, he is still dodging accountability before God, trying to achieve a state of “spirituality” without coming through Calvary’s cross.

Alas, time is running out for him and all lost sinners, and they will not get away….

The Social Club with the Steeple #6

Monday, September 8, 2025

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV).

Is our local church building the meeting-place of people filled with God’s life, or just “a social club with a steeple?”

Read 2 Timothy 4:3,4, an excerpt from one of Paul’s “pastoral epistles” (church handbooks of 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon): “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

In order to have turned away from the truth, they had to first have/know the truth. Now, they want nothing to do with it. They prefer hearing fables or “feel-good” religious stories (speculations and opinions of men), not sound Bible doctrine. If this does not describe many of our “Christian” churches and “Christian” schools today, nothing does! In the midst of that apostasy, the Holy Spirit through Paul directed Timothy in verses 1 and 2: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

There will be no great revival before Christ returns. Anyone who says otherwise contradicts the Bible and entertains wishful thinking. This should not discourage us though. Regardless of what dreadful events take place (even in the so-called “Grace Movement”), we should keep teaching and preaching sound Bible doctrine, dispensational truth—even as those who support it become fewer and fewer. Indeed, we will not turn the apostasy around, but we can slow it down ever so slightly. A few souls here and there can be saved from that inevitable, universal slide into doctrinal error. Let us go about our Father’s work sharing His rightly divided Word (King James Bible in English!) with those who want to hear, as we wait for our Lord’s return to get 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 Social Club with the Steeple #5

Sunday, September 7, 2025

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV).

Is our local church building the meeting-place of people filled with God’s life, or just “a social club with a steeple?”

As a preacher observed long ago, some local churches have actually not had any controversy in many years. Holding services and implementing programs, they are nevertheless spiritually dead churches. Whenever the Spirit of God works, the flesh opposes (Galatians 5:17). Therefore, if no doctrinal disagreements exist, it is because of one of two options. Either everyone in the assembly knows everything (highly unlikely!), or they do not discuss doctrine because they fear conflict. In the latter case, emotions, speculations, stories, and/or experiences take preeminence. Though the local church should be alive with God’s life and serve as “the pillar and ground of the truth” (today’s Scripture)—elevating the truth and supporting the truth—doctrine frequently means nothing to professing Christians. They want error instead! Remember, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Talking with people of various persuasions all these years, I conclude the vast majority are not attending church services because they hear the truth there. Instead, it is a cultural motivation. They were raised in that belief system, their parents went to that church, their friends go there—and they visit for social connections rather than doctrinal reasons. Hence, they react with indifference when you show them the church’s false teachings. Unconcerned, they elect to keep going. Why? Doctrinal integrity was never their incentive anyway! They liked eating the potluck suppers, felt happy with the amusement (music, singing, dancing, joke-telling), had great joy with the foolishness (tongue-talking or ecstatic utterances, hand-raising, “supernatural” storytelling, snake-handling, healing miracles), or liked reducing the Bible to an “intellectual” or literary work (analyzing its arguments, terms, grammar, historical/cultural background). They do not actually believe or appreciate the Holy Scriptures as the living Word of the living God. Brethren, may we identify them and withdraw from them for our own spiritual health’s sake!

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

The Social Club with the Steeple #4

Saturday, September 6, 2025

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV).

Is our local church building the meeting-place of people filled with God’s life, or just “a social club with a steeple?”

Once, a family member announced online how she had just returned from “fun” church services during which she “learned some new dance moves.” She had gone there for amusement! I accessed the website of the church of another relative of mine. Their Sunday School, named after a famous “thinker,” was nothing more than a “philosopher’s club:” they had “intellectual” discussions instead of actual Bible study! In his biography on the church’s website, the “worship leader” actually named some of the worldliest, vulgarest musicians as his inspiration!

Several years back, a churchgoing woman notified me her local assembly was, in her words, a “social club.” When she asked the pastor to intervene regarding the false doctrine one of their Sunday School teachers was promoting, the pastor refused to get involved. Once she moved to Heaven, three new pastors were installed in a span of just a few years… and the congregation really went on a downward spiral doctrinally. The first new preacher threw out the old members (loyal to the former pastor) and brought in new people to support him and his “modern reformations.” I spoke with those next two new pastors: they are apostates, having no desire to hear Bible truth.

If it is not sound doctrine, it is not teaching or information worthy of our faith or trust. One fact is clear from the Bible Books of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. The local church must not change the doctrine; chiefly, it is not to throw away Grace to take up the Law. We must continue in sound Bible doctrine. This—not entertainment—is (should be) the focus of the local assembly. Yet, it has become increasingly common for pastors, teachers, and denominations to not make an issue of doctrine because “doctrine divides.” “Narrow-mindedness” offends! Instead of worrying about doctrine, they wish to broaden their audience with various errors and thereby increase revenue (the love of money!).

Yes, they are running “social clubs with a steeple….”

The “Friends” of Jesus #5

Friday, August 22, 2025

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

With “friends” such as these, did Jesus need enemies? (NO!)

In today’s Scripture, the “friends” of the Lord expressed their negative opinion about Him. They alleged He was insane. Another one of these so-called “friends” is also found in the context: “And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him:…” (verse 19).

“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;…. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me…. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me” (John 13:1,2,18,21). Psalm 41:9 is indeed Messiah Jesus talking about Judas Iscariot, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

The “friends” of Jesus in today’s Scripture disappear from the record just as suddenly as they surfaced. Who they were and whatever became of them are unknown. Down through the 2,000 years of church history since their time though, many such “friends” of Christ have come and gone, also speaking inflammatory or incendiary words about Him. Usually, these so-called “friends” of Jesus—the people serving in “Christian” churches and at “Christian” schools—have ridiculed Him, lied about Him, and contradicted Him. Such individuals have filled our hearts and minds with so much error that it would take many earthly lifetimes just to begin fathoming it. They pillaged and killed in His name, led billions of people in their religious smugness to an eternal Devil’s Hell, imprisoned hundreds of millions in spiritual kindergarten, and on and on and on. It is they who oppose the truth in us, who seek our elimination, these purported “friends” of ours….

The “Friends” of Jesus #4

Thursday, August 21, 2025

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

With “friends” such as these, did Jesus need enemies? (NO!)

Read 1 Corinthians 2:9-14: “[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. [10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. [11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [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.”

The Greek word for “foolishness” in verse 14 is “moria” (as in “moronic”). Unless a person accepts the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry, God’s words (the Bible) are nonsense to that individual. That man or woman has no natural capacity to know the truths of God because such information is “spiritually discerned [judged, evaluated, perceived].” As Spanish is unintelligible to a French speaker, and Arabic is unknown to a Mandarin reader, so the Scriptures are written in a language foreign to the natural man.

Bewildered and intimidated, all the lost person can do at this point is make fun of the Bible—when the problem lies with the person rather than with the Book. Hence, Jesus’ “friends” believed He was “beside himself [crazy]” in today’s Scripture! Whatever words they heard from Him were irrational or ridiculous to them. Like children struggling to understand adults, they (spiritual children) simply could not figure out what He (a spiritual adult) was saying or doing….

The “Friends” of Jesus #3

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

With “friends” such as these, did Jesus need enemies? (NO!)

Unless they have eyes of faith, people are totally incapable of seeing spiritual truths. They cannot judge our study and teaching/preaching of the Bible as anything more than “a waste of time.” Much like Paul’s critics at Corinth dismissed him, they assume we are mentally ill! “For whether we be beside ourselves [crazy!], it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause” (2 Corinthians 5:13). Whatever they would label us, we know “it is to God” (our service is to please Him, not them, so we let Him critique it). Listening to Paul give his testimony (Acts 26:1-23), irritated Judaean Governor Porcius Festus loudly interjected in verse 24, “Paul, thou art beside thyself [insane!]; much learning doth make thee mad [lunatic]!”

I once had certain longtime “friends” in ministry—until I refused to stand with them after they departed from grace truth. They had the audacity to call me “self-righteous,” “know-it-all,” “full of myself,” and one controlled by “hubris” (excessive pride). Other abusive language was used against me. Vicious lies were told about me. Though I forgive them as God forgave me for Christ’s sake, it is far better that we have no contact with each other. They and their nonsense pose threats to my spiritual health and the spiritual health of those to whom I minister. With “friends” such as these, no one needs enemies.

The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:10-12, references similar slandering of saints: “Blessed [Happy] are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile [insult] you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Just a few years later, Christ Himself was tried and convicted in a corrupt court of law and finally crucified as a common criminal—the culmination of all the evil words they unjustly spoke against Him….

The “Friends” of Jesus #2

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

With “friends” such as these, did Jesus need enemies? (NO!)

Although the Bible never identifies these “friends” of Christ, we infer they were people near Him, with Him, or connected to Him in some intimate way. In other words, they were no strangers to Him. Hearing about the multitudes around Him, these “friends” went out to take Him into custody—probably going to tell Him something along the lines of, “Come on home, Jesus, and take a rest now. All this excitement is too much for You! We cannot have You roaming around like this, making a fool of Yourself in front of all these people!”

They seem to be looking out for His personal wellbeing, wanting to take care of Him; howbeit, it is their unfavorable assessment of Him that forces us to conclude they were operating on nothing more than (worthless) natural-man wisdom: “for they said, He is beside himself” (today’s Scripture). These “friends” regarded the Lord Jesus as being out of His mind, insane, mentally unstable! These were definitely not people of faith, but people of unbelief. To them, His preaching was nothing more than the ravings of a nut, and He needed to withdraw from the crowds and quit embarrassing Himself with this “negative publicity.”

Incidentally, John chapter 10 records another occasion where many in the Lord’s audience supposed He was not worth listening to because they thought He was crazy: “[19] There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. [20] And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad [lunatic]; why hear ye him? [21] Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?” Again, look at the unbelief in Israel!

Brethren, it should therefore not surprise or discourage us if our “friends”—even our “Christian friends”—malign us for serving in God’s ministry. They may not be justified in speaking evil words about us, but they say them anyway because they have no real spiritual discernment….

For Students This is Safe

Friday, August 8, 2025

“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! 🙂