Category: human viewpoint / human wisdom / philosophy

Ye Do Err!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29 KJV).

If Jesus spoke audibly today, He would say this not only to much of the world, but also to 99 percent of “Christian” church members and leaders!

Today, Christianity has more books than ever before—millions and millions of books, millions upon millions upon millions of copies of those books. You would assume that, because of all these “Christian” books, today’s churches would abound with the most Biblically-literate people to ever walk the planet. Alas, this is not so—quite the opposite, actually. They know books, but not the Book! Not long ago a dear, elderly friend in the ministry bemoaned, “The average lost person fifty years ago knew more about the Bible than the average preacher does today!”

For example, a friend and I were recently researching a local church that touts its thousand-plus weekly attendance. When I found their statement of faith online, I discovered that it cited 12 basic Bible verses and one familiar 15-verse-long passage. Yea, it was a very doctrinally-shallow document—one verse supporting almost every tenet.

More recently, I skimmed a “Christian” handbook for teens, published less than a decade ago. The “Bible-believing” author, with denominational approval, wrote: “So when the creation story of Genesis describes the earth as flat, is that true in the sense of factual? Of course not. Did creation take six days as we know them? Not likely.”

While much could be said about his faulty theology (and horrific grammar!), I can only wonder what “creation story of Genesis” (?) he was reading when he claimed God’s Word indicated that the earth was “flat!” Like many today in religion, the author just fabricated an idea (denominationalism), he pretended it was “Scripture” (the average reader would never check the Bible for himself anyway!), and then he demeaned the very God and Book he claimed to adore (“I only believe the Bible verses my church supports literally!”)! As Jesus told the religious leaders of His day, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures!”

Beloved, be on guard against these “wolves in sheep’s clothing!”

Common and Uncommon

Sunday, September 28, 2014

“And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them, derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is proof that God’s ways and God’s thoughts are truly higher than ours!

When God the Holy Spirit formed His human body in the virgin Mary’s womb, He crafted an ordinary frame of dust (minus the sin nature). From all outward appearance, He looked common; lacking external beauty, He was exceptional on the inside, it was the very life of God Himself inside! “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). If Jesus stood in a crowd of Jewish men, you could not distinguish Him!

The secular world has a bias, a paradigm that one must be physically attractive to succeed, be materially wealthy to make a difference, have advanced degrees to be authoritative, and so on. (Little do they know that most Christians who literally changed the world were none of those!) The religious world has its own concept about those whom God would use—a smooth-talking, charming, overly optimistic, unrealistic, seminary graduate dressed in expensive attire. (Little do they know that Jesus was none of those, but He literally changed the world too!)

The God of the Bible always thinks differently from us humans, just as He said in Isaiah 55:8,9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Physically marred beyond the ordinary, on Calvary, Jesus died that our disfigured sinful souls be made stunning (justified) in God’s sight (Colossians 3:1-17), that these ordinary sinful bodies of flesh and blood would one day be fashioned like His extraordinary, glorious resurrected body (Philippians 3:20,21), that we not have a typical life hereafter, but an extraordinary life, “life more abundantly” (John 10:10). What wisdom!

Eternal Life or Folly Forever

Thursday, September 25, 2014

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3 KJV).

Like the Galatians, many today are “foolish,” not thinking clearly, assuming our salvation unto eternal life is gained or enhanced by our frail efforts!

Organized religion always urges us to do something to “enhance” our Christian life—tongue talking, aisle walking, sin confession, holy-day obligation, prayer recitation, generous donation, water rites, visits to holy sites. To varying degrees, every group pushes external activities, either to gain your salvation, to prove your salvation, or to keep your salvation. Undeniably, to arrive at such conclusions, they had to completely ignore the six Bible chapters, 149 verses, and 3,098 words known as “the book of Galatians.” As 1 Timothy 1:7 says, these works-religion people have no idea what they are saying or what they are insisting.

Friends, to corrupt the grace of God into a works-message is the most damnable of all teachings. It is strong language, but here is the plain truth. Either Jesus Christ paid for all our sins at Calvary’s cross, or He did not; either His performance was and is enough, or it was and is not ( He should have stayed in heaven then!).

To put our dirty, sinful fingers around God’s holy collar and demand He give us a place in heaven because we did a few “good” works is utterly silly; Jesus Christ did more than a few good works, and, unlike us, He was no sinner. On Calvary’s cross, He suffered your second death, the pain so deserving us in hellfire. What would take you eternity to do, He satisfied God’s righteousness in just a fraction of a day! God does not want reformation of deeds; He wants Jesus Christ to be in you to do good works (Galatians 2:20,21). We need a new nature, not just a change in lifestyle.

If our dear religious family members and friends could grasp these simple Bible truths, it would literally save them an eternity of regret! Jesus Christ’s shed blood paid the price, and His resurrection gives us new life. We can trust in Him alone, and He will do the rest! (Or we can continue in our folly.)

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Does God intervene in my life? If so, how?”

Canker

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

“And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus” (2 Timothy 2:17 KJV).

Exactly what is a “canker” anyway?

Today’s Scripture confirms that our King James Bible abounds with various and sundry unique terms. We rarely use the word “canker,” but we see in it “cancer” (“canker” is related to the Latin, cancer). As some interesting side-notes, that Greek word is only used once in our King James, and it is gaggraina (from a Greek word meaning “to gnaw”). When pronounced, you can almost hear “gangrene,” and that is exactly what a “canker” is. Medically, “gangrene” is the death of a large amount of living tissue, due to obstructed circulation or a bacterial infection. But the Bible is using “canker” figuratively in today’s Scripture, not literally.

The “canker” of today’s Scripture is, “a malign and corrupting influence that is difficult to eradicate.” As a canker attacks healthy physical tissue, so false doctrine will eat away at a Christian’s soul. The person once alive with Jesus Christ’s life (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:4) is now shriveling spiritually; they are still saved and on their way to heaven, but they have been distracted from the grace doctrines that describe the Christian life. They, having lost sight of their identity in Christ, are now operating in the flesh, on their own, on human viewpoint, cut off from the life-giving words of God.

Just prior to today’s Scripture, the Holy Ghost through Paul wrote, “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness” (verse 16). Notice how the canker not only spreads, but it also consumes more and more. Once a little false teaching creeps in, the whole lump will eventually be leavened, corrupted (Galatians 5:9)—damage difficult to undo. Immediately before Paul wrote 2 Timothy 2:16, he wrote, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (verse 15).

Verse 18 says that Hymenaeus and Philetus were not using the Scriptures dispensationally, and they were misleading Christians regarding the timing of the Rapture (sound familiar?). Yea, “rightly dividing the word of truth” is a matter of life or death, for it keeps out a life-threatening canker!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Were there people ‘in Christ’ before Paul?”

Blind Leaders of the Blind

Sunday, September 21, 2014

“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:14 KJV).

May we not “blindly” follow the blind leaders of the blind!

Once, on religious television programming, a “Christian” author was interviewed to publicize his latest “sensationalistic” book. He alleged that Israel’s religious calendar predicted events in American history, and that our economic-financial future is written in Israel’s Old Testament calendar. While he repeatedly declared that he was “not setting dates,” he did indicate that next year seemed noteworthy in light of a special pattern of events he discovered (?). This gentleman may have meant well, but his theology was unsound. He encouraged us to take Israel’s verses, and try to fit them on us. This is not a reliable way to use the Bible—to insert people, nations, dates, into unrelated verses, is precarious spiritual ground.

While I did not buy his book—I use God’s money more wisely than that!—I did skim through it at a store. Out of his 270 pages, I counted roughly 55 verses quoted (some verses were used two or three times); much of his book was history or idle speculation, not Scripture. He quoted verses from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Joel, Matthew, and John. How many verses directly applied to us? None! How many verses described anything that God is doing today? Not a one! It was all Israel’s verses. His “plan of salvation” verses were John 3:3 and John 3:16. These are the books and authors worth publicizing on Christian television? These people are leading most of our churches? How sad—no wonder Christianity is “in the ditch,” so confused!

In the opening verses of Matthew chapter 15, our Lord Jesus severely rebuked the formalists of His day—the Pharisees who focused more on appearing good than having the eyes of faith to see and believe God’s Word. They had a nice outward show, but they were hypocrites inside. Some of Jesus’ disciples tell Him that His remarks offended the Pharisees. Today’s Scripture was His reply. We can almost hear it echo regarding most church leaders today! Beware!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What is ‘the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?’”

For Students This is Safe

Monday, August 18, 2014

“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. In the near future, I will return to college to hopefully complete my master’s thesis in geology this fall semester. As we students return to the classroom, we 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 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! 🙂

NOTE: You may also see our study “The Spirit-Filled Student.”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Must Christian women wear head coverings?”

An Ear to Hear

Saturday, July 19, 2014

“But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:27 KJV).

May we always keep today’s Scripture in mind when sharing God’s Word with others, lest we grow discouraged and quit.

As King James Bible believers and Pauline dispensational Christians, we receive much criticism from denominational Christians and modern-version Christians. Many times, we learn firsthand that lost and saved alike are not interested in sound Bible doctrine. Lost people (including professing “Christians”) usually refuse to believe (trust) the Gospel of God’s Grace that we preach. Professing Christians usually prefer their long-held denominational doctrines than embrace the clarity of God’s Word rightly divided, and they rather their “easy-to-read” modern versions than have God’s preserved Word in English. Today’s Scripture attests to the fact that such willful Bible ignorance is nothing new.

In today’s Scripture, right at the beginning of the Prophet Ezekiel’s ministry (600 B.C.), Adonai JEHOVAH (“Lord GOD,” God the Father) warned him that some of Israel would listen to him preach His Word, and the rest would not want to hear anything from God. “For they are a rebellious house!”

The Four Gospels record Jesus Christ as saying, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear,” some eight times (Matthew 11:15; Matthew 13:9,43; Mark 4:9,23; Mark 7:16; Luke 8:8; Luke 14:35). In the book of the Revelation, Jesus Christ says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” some seven times (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; Revelation 3:6,13,22). In Revelation 13:9, it is repeated, “If any man have an ear, let him hear.”

God Almighty, Author of the Holy Bible, knew that many would reject His words. If someone does not want to hear His Word, God grants him or her free will, permitting that person to “enjoy” the spiritual ignorance they so desire (1 Corinthians 14:37,38; cf. Romans 1:18-32). Beloved, when dealing with people who do not have an ear to hear God’s Word, may we have an ear to hear 1 Corinthians 14:38, “If any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”

Meat and Bones

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV).

Eat the meat but do not choke on the bones!

A discouraged Christian friend once emailed me to explain his dilemma. He had discovered a source that contained sound Bible doctrine and church tradition. He recognized the doctrinal error, yet he was so disturbed that he was questioning everything in the source (even the sound doctrine). My advice to him was simple, “Eat the meat but do not choke on the bones!” (The same advice conveyed in unique phraseology was also helpful to me when I was in the same predicament years earlier.)

Having visited our local “Christian” bookstore recently, I could not help but chuckle at much of the literature I saw there. There were shelves after shelves after shelves of volumes that had nothing to do with the God of the Holy Bible, nothing to do with the Holy Bible, nothing to do with the Christian life God has given us in Christ. If were were to purge today’s average “Christian” bookstore of everything non-Christian, doubtless the store would soon declare bankruptcy!

Since organized religion has corrupted pure Christianity, Christendom is a spiritual minefield—it is dotted with thousands of gimmicks, heresies, and other traps. If the Christian is to survive Satan’s military tactics and assaults, he or she must be grounded in God’s Word rightly divided. The Christian must always remember that the Holy Bible rightly divided is the “minesweeper,” detecting and destroying the mines that would otherwise destroy the Christian. As today’s Scripture says, we need to sort truth from error. Our standard as English-speaking Christians is the King James Bible rightly divided. That which fails the test is worthless, so we toss it out; that which passes the test is “good,” so we retain it!

Dear saints, we will never find a perfect local church, but that is not our desire anyway. We “make no bones about it”—we seek a pure church, for that is what the Holy Spirit desires us to have (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 11:1-20). We seek neither “milk” nor bones, but “meat” (1 Corinthians 3:2)! 🙂

Cain Came and Brought Shame #1

Sunday, June 22, 2014

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD” (Genesis 4:1 KJV).

Can you identify the very significant phrase our King James Bible contains in today’s Scripture, and why it was said?

Unfortunately, modern English translations water down today’s Scripture (like they do with countless other verses!). The NIV, representative of the modern English “bibles” and their underlying (and corrupt) Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, complete with an extra wresting by minds polluted with textual criticism and its vain theories, reads in today’s Scripture: “Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.’” (And this is “more scholarly” than the “archaic” King James Bible?!)

It is a very subtle rewording, but, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man,” notice how God’s Word is retranslated so that it exalts Eve—Eve did it with God’s “help!” Friends, we sinners do not need God’s “help” to do anything; we sinners need God to do everything for us!

However, unlike many (if not nearly all) of the modern Bible translators, we are people of faith, and we have God’s Holy Spirit to teach us. We do not look at the Bible with unbelieving minds and eyes and “correct” it when it does not make sense to us. God’s preserved Word in English, the King James Bible, says exactly what He wants it to say, and how He wants it said. Re-translation causes us to miss subtleties in vocabulary and semantics; if we simply leave the King James Bible alone and just believe it, it will correct our thinking and cause us to appreciate a seemingly insignificant doctrine.

Indeed, it takes some thoughtful study (which Bible readers rarely do!), but there is something special being communicated in Eve’s words as found in our “old” King James Bible. Take this time to consider why Eve said what she did, and, in the coming devotionals, we will discuss why she said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD….”

No Red-Marker Bible for Us!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

“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” (1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV).

Let us reject the red-marker “Bible,” just as its promoters castoff the Bible!

Years ago, a friend expressed his discouragement for receiving a “C” grade on a school paper he had diligently wrote. He said how he had spent so much time on it, and yet it was still not good enough. To cheer him up, I shared with him a brief history of the English Bible, how God spent so much time on faithfully transmitting His pure, preserved Word to us, and educated man gave Him an “F!” (My friend did not feel so bad after that!) 🙂

Through the centuries, textual critics have assaulted Bible manuscripts and other copies of the preserved, inspired Word of God. Like Satan encouraged Eve to do in Genesis 3:1-5, they questioned it, added to it, subtracted from it, watered it down, and finally, denied it. What do we expect? God’s Word is “foolishness” to people who are not God’s children anyway (today’s Scripture).

Textual critics have especially taken their “scholarly scalpels” to the Divine Words since 1881, when the greatest change in Bible “scholarship” ever occurred. In Great Britain, the Protestant Bible text (the King James Bible, its previous English versions, and the Greek Textus Receptus upon which their New Testament rested) was questioned by “educated,” lost men, and replaced with a so-called “older, better” Greek manuscript tradition that the Church the Body of Christ avoided—and had endured the death penalty for rejecting! Even today, the average church member of every denomination has no idea of the switch! Protestants have no idea they carry under their arms Roman Catholic manuscripts in the form of their modern Bible versions—manuscripts their Protestant forefathers died for avoiding!

Dear friends, when anyone encourages you to “red line” words, verses, or even passages from your King James Bible, you would do well to “write them off,” giving them an “A” when it has come to them encouraging your doubt in God’s Word, and an “F” regarding encouraging your faith!