Category: human viewpoint / human wisdom / philosophy

Two Rocks #5

Thursday, June 7, 2018

“For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deuteronomy 32:31 KJV).

There are two rocks in Scripture—one good and one bad. Friend, which is your foundation?

During His earthly ministry, Matthew through John, God the Son was on a mission to rescue Israel from Satan. The nation’s leadership had deceived her with false (pagan, heathen) religion. She was far from God’s path. Therefore, Jeremiah 50:6 says: “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.”

This is exactly where Christ found Israel. He told His 12 Apostles to go not to Gentiles or Samaritans: “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). Jesus said to a Gentile woman in Matthew 15:24: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” His ministry, and by extension the 12’s ministry, was to bring Israel back to JEHOVAH God the Father. Israel had been undermined and destroyed; her foundation was not the Rock but rather everything else. Since Jesus Christ is the Rock, His words are also a firm groundwork.

Matthew chapter 7: “[24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: [25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. [26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: [27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. [28] And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: [29] For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (cf. Luke 6:47-49).

If Israel is to withstand the coming Tribulation, she is to be built on the Rock, JEHOVAH God and His Word to her….

Two Rocks #4

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

“For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deuteronomy 32:31 KJV).

There are two rocks in Scripture—one good and one bad. Friend, which is your foundation?

Some 700 years B.C., Isaiah chapter 8 taught: “[13] Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. [14] And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” JEHOVAH God can serve one of two purposes. Firstly, to believers, He is “a sanctuary”—a place of safety and stability (Rock). Secondly, to unbelievers, He is “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.” This passage is quoted twice in the New Testament Scriptures to apply to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul writes in Romans 9:33: “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (See verses 30-33 for the context—Isaiah 28:16 is conflated here with Isaiah 8:14). Peter pens in 1 Peter 2:8: “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (See verses 3-10 for the context.)

JEHOVAH God, the LORD God, of Isaiah 8:13-14 is Jesus Christ. Christ is God the Son in human flesh. As in the Old Testament economy, the Israelites can believe on Him or they can disbelieve. They can receive Him by faith or reject Him in unbelief. If they have faith in Him, He is their Rock (strength—the foundation of everything God will do with them as a nation). If they refuse Him, they will fall or trip over Him (“stumblingstone,” “stone of stumbling”). They will see Him as a scandal, disgrace, or embarrassment (“rock of offence”).

Romans 9:30-33, looking back on Christ’s earthly ministry, shows us how He was mostly a “stumblingstone and rock of offence.” Israel, fixated on self-righteousness (Romans 10:1-3), ultimately refused Him. Their religious leaders encouraged their unbelief (1 Peter 2:7,8). However, some Jews did believe on Him….

Two Rocks #3

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

“For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deuteronomy 32:31 KJV).

There are two rocks in Scripture—one good and one bad. Friend, which is your foundation?

King David penned in 2 Samuel 23:3: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” Israel has a stable foundation—but only if she avoids pagan idols and trusts the one true God. Remember, when the Israelites needed drinking water after escaping Egypt, JEHOVAH God performed a miracle on their behalf. Exodus 17:6 says: “Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”

The aforementioned miracle was repeated later in Numbers chapter 20: “[8] Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink… [10] And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? [11] And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”

Many times thereafter the Hebrew Bible referred to those two instances when the water miraculously flowed from the rock (see Deuteronomy 8:15; Nehemiah 9:15; Psalm 78:16,20; Psalm 105:41; Psalm 114:8; Isaiah 48:21). Paul appropriately summarized in 1 Corinthians 10:4: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” The Rock from which Israel drank water in the Old Testament symbolized Jesus Christ. Water symbolized life. The living God could enliven Israel, exactly what her dead idols could not do. Her Rock will visit her shortly, so let us see how she will respond….

NOTE: Dear friends, I recently re-taught and re-uploaded three videos from the 2017 Slidell Grace Bible Conference. Sessions 2, 3, and 8 are now on YouTube as they were originally meant to be all those months ago. The first two sessions are two hours total on Daniel’s 70th Week. The last session deals with The Millennium. I hope and pray that these studies will help you better understand Bible prophecy dispensationally delivered! You are welcome! Click here for the playlist. 🙂

Two Rocks #2

Monday, June 4, 2018

“For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deuteronomy 32:31 KJV).

There are two rocks in Scripture—one good and one bad. Friend, which is your foundation?

We read the following of JEHOVAH God: “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). Second Samuel chapter 22: “[2] And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; [3] The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence…. [32] For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? [47] The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.” (Cf. Psalm 18—verses 2,31,46.)

Psalm 28:1 says, “O LORD my rock.” Psalm 31:2-3 calls Him “my strong rock, an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress….” Psalm 42:9, “God my rock.” Psalm 62: “[2] He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved…. [6] He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. [7] In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalm 71:3 reads: “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.”

Also, Psalm 78:35: “And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.” Psalm 89:26: “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.” Psalm 92:15: “To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 94:22: “But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.” Finally, Psalm 95:1: “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”

Despite this, Israel overwhelmingly prefers the counterfeit rock….

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Two Rocks #1

Sunday, June 3, 2018

“For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges” (Deuteronomy 32:31 KJV).

There are two rocks in Scripture—one good and one bad. Friend, which is your foundation?

Notice the contrasting statements in Deuteronomy chapter 32: “[4] He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he…. [15] But Jeshurun [Israel] waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation…. [18] Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee…. [30] How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? [31] For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges…. [37] And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,….”

We see a “Rock” (uppercase) and we see a “rock” (lowercase). Verse 37 defines the lowercase “rock” as “gods” (also lowercase). In verses 4, 15, and 18, the uppercase “Rock” is “God” (also uppercase). Satan—the master deceiver—achieves his end by being the chief counterfeiter. The Devil always attempts to get as close as possible to what God is doing, to pass off his own work as though it were God’s work. We, therefore, should not be surprised to find the following in Scripture: false prophets, lying wonders, false apostles, false gospels, false teaching, counterfeit bibles. There is also an imitation rock!

A rock, non-geologically speaking (of course), is “someone or something that is extremely strong, reliable, or hard.” Concerning the spiritual realm, there is a genuine rock (“Rock”) and a counterfeit one (“rock”). Throughout human history, Satan has successfully tricked man into substituting—or at least trying to substitute—the rock for the Rock. What immense disappointments have resulted!

Return to the verses in Deuteronomy. The nation Israel relinquished the pure religion (Mosaic Law) and the one true God (the LORD God) to take up the false religion (heathenism) and the false gods (pagan idols). The Rock for the rock….

A Miserable “Law-Keeper!”

Thursday, May 31, 2018

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24,25 KJV).

As Paul closes Romans chapter 7, he is miserable and despondent. How he wants to be delivered from daily failures (religious bondage, legalism)! Suddenly, he realizes that he needs to thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Chapter 8 is the key to being rescued from all his daily disappointments and faults. He is to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh! He is to mind the things of the Spirit and not the things of the flesh!

Romans 8:1-6 is the key to Paul’s dilemma at the conclusion of chapter 7: “[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. [3] For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: [4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [5] For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” We are to think the way the Holy Spirit thinks (grace), and that is how we guard against the predicament in chapter 7.

Today, read Romans chapters 6-8 in one sitting. Watch the truths in chapter 6 be ignored in chapter 7. Then, notice how they are reaffirmed and expanded in chapter 8. We are dead to sin (chapter 6), we are dead to the Law (chapter 7), and we are alive unto God by the indwelling Holy Spirit (chapter 8). “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18).

Dear friends, we now close seven full years of “333 Words of Grace!” Only by God’s grace, onward into Year 8! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How did the Law kill Paul?”

Manage Your Time Wisely

Saturday, May 5, 2018

“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” (Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV).

A wise Christian brother recently explained to me that, since he would rather study his Bible, he had not watched television in four years. (I told him he had not missed anything important anyway!)

Thanks to various distractions, we could all study Scripture more (yes, even me). To study more verses, we would have to give up time spent on other activities—movies, games, television shows, vacations, social media, and so on. Indeed, we are to hold down a job and spend quality time with our families: these cannot and should not be infringed upon. However, the fact remains that we should spend our (free) time wisely.

Pleasures per se are not sinful, for God “giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Contrary to popular belief, Christian living is not about how much one can suffer and give up to please God. It is about recognizing the significance and brevity of this earthly life, this “training period” before eternity, with our goal being to have gold, silver, and precious stones (sound Bible doctrine) rather than wood, hay, and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Therefore, some centuries ago, a man declared that he would be locking up all his books for seven years—except his Bible! Those distracting volumes were no longer his priorities. He would finally stress the eternal rather than the temporal!

Today’s Scripture is Paul’s admonition to the Ephesian saints who, in part, have become thoughtless and wasteful. Verse 14, sadly, says they are spiritually asleep. This could have easily been written to today’s professing Body of Christ. They have grown dull to perceiving the Satanic policy of evil working mightily around them in this present world. Their spiritual ignorance means they participate in the Devil’s plans to thwart God’s will for them! Having already had plenty of opportunity to learn, they still lack a clear understanding of what God wants for them. They (we) need to learn and believe sound Bible doctrine. Satan is foolishly wasting his time, but that does not mean we have to join him!

Family!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28 KJV).

When grace saints gather in one place from various parts around the world, these “complete strangers” soon feel like they have known each other for years. This is the bond the Holy Spirit initiates because of sound doctrine.

You could stay with these brethren, studying and conversing with them, for hours upon hours. They feel like family—yea, they are family! It is like a pleasurable reunion of old friends. Today’s Scripture says all who have trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour are “children of God:” regardless of nationality, social status, or sex, they have all been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Church the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13; cf. today’s Scripture).

If sound Bible doctrine is given supremacy—that is, Jesus Christ’s teaching is preeminent—unity will be manifested. Harmony does not mean we agree on every last doctrinal point. It means we agree that the King James Bible rightly divided is our final authority. We have believed on Jesus Christ dying for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). We know that Paul is our apostle (Romans 11:13). We believe that we are the Church the Body of Christ rather than the nation Israel (Romans 11:25). We understand that we live in the mystery program, not the prophetic program (Acts 3:21; Romans 16:25). We appreciate that we are under grace rather than law (Romans 6:14,15).

Sadly, like all families, the Body of Christ suffers from sibling rivalry and infighting. Numerous foreign ideas creep in, are accepted, and likeminded believers thus become increasingly incompatible. Jesus Christ is pushed aside so self can be emphasized. Doctrine is abandoned for the sake of unity. Charity disappears. The Body of Christ becomes an impotent entity, a fragmented group that loses sight of its identity and purpose. However, in due time, Father God, will make it right. After all, they are His family too!

Open Spaces and Empty Thoughts

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

“A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:30,31 KJV).

What is God’s controversy with ancient Israel?

I once accompanied an older Christian on a shopping trip. As he entered the parking lot, an empty lane near the store caught our attention. He told me, “The Lord knew we were coming,” and proceeded to park his vehicle there. God allegedly had cleared the way for us to get a good parking space so we would not have far to walk!

With all due respect, foolishness needs to be called out as foolishness. God is not in the business today of giving us empty parking spaces close to stores. There is not one Bible verse to support it; it serves no eternal purpose. Yet, this is not an isolated incident. Religious tradition has conditioned us the world over to embrace all sorts of wild ideas—beliefs that have absolutely nothing to do with God’s Word to us. It is vain superstition and utter silliness. We have to think like mature Christians instead of small children. If our Christian life is to function as God intended, we must have a renewed mind (Romans 12:1,2).

In reference to “God knowing we were going to the store,” what should we conclude if there are no vacant parking spaces adjacent to the building? Did He not know we were coming? If He knew, why did He not give us an open spot? I have shopped many times and not found a space next to the store. Does God does not love me? Why does He not want me to have an open lane?

Today’s Scripture is God upset with Israel. They have let religious leaders so thoroughly confuse them. Not only that, they “love” it: they enjoy those religious “highs,” feel-good doctrines, emotional experiences, pathetic superstitions! Meanwhile, it does nothing for them but harm their souls. God is righteously angered that Israel has allowed herself to be contaminated. Dear friends, may we get into the Pauline Books, Romans through Philemon, and fill our heads and hearts with that!

Bible Q&A #490: “Who are the ‘fearful’ in Revelation 21:8?”

The Awareness of a Temporary Earth

 Sunday, April 22, 2018

“And, Thou, O Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Hebrews 1:10-12 KJV).

On this Earth Day, let us not confuse the creation with the Creator!

Today, people worldwide celebrate “environmental awareness.” According to the secular, naturalistic worldview, our planet and its sun could last many more billions of years. They claim that we have done so much damage to our planet—climate change, overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, et cetera—that we must change our attitude toward “mother earth” and change our lifestyles before we destroy her and civilization as we know it! You can sense the zeal in their message, can you not? While these people are sincere, they are wasting all of their time, energy, and resources on a temporary planet.

Let us be very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ placed man on the earth, especially the Garden of Eden, to “dress it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Adam was to take care of the Earth: he was God’s representative, God’s king, who had a divine commission to rule this planet for God’s glory (Genesis 1:26-28).

It was not long, however, before Satan distracted mankind from understanding God’s purpose for him. Adam began to focus on himself: like Satan, he began to “worship and serve the creature more than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). Thus began man’s continual downward spiral into spiritual ignorance. He would continually worship himself, as we well know today.

Today’s Scripture reminds us that, because of sin, this creation will pass away. The Lord Jesus Christ, however, will live forever. Why worship that which is temporary? It makes no sense! The Lord Jesus Christ gave you life, not the pagan goddess “mother earth.” Environmental awareness? Indeed, be aware that our world is temporary, as God will one day create “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).