Category: False Teaching

Entertainment Versus Edification

Monday, April 18, 2016

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (Psalm 119:162 KJV).

If a saint should rejoice at God’s Word, what does that say about someone who finds it “boring?”

When commenting on the services of a local grace church—especially the actual study of the Bible—a lady said, “Boring!” Why, of course, what do we expect from somebody who goes to church to be entertained with a concert of arm swaying and toe tapping? The professing church has plenty of entertainment and yet it is still so weak and disoriented. What does that demonstrate? Entertainment is not the answer; it is the problem. As a Christian author wrote decades ago, “I went in the world and found the church. I went in the church and found the world!” My, how much more now that actual Bible study has largely given way to “contemporary” “worship?”

Notice what the Holy Spirit instructed young church leader Timothy: “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:6-8).

Rather than indulging in the flesh with religion (whether formalism with its ceremonies, or fanaticism with its “concerts”), which is utterly useless, we are to be “nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine.” Sound Bible doctrine is spiritual nutrition; you have to actually read and study the Bible to grow. Friend, jumping, singing, dancing, rolling on the floor, et cetera, will profit nothing in eternity. In the closing chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul mentioned “wholesome [healthy; nutritional] words, even the words our Lord Jesus Christ, and… the doctrine which is according to godliness” (chapter 6, verse 3). Words! Words! WORDS! You have to get in God’s Word for yourself, friend, to find God’s words. If your local church does not encourage you to do it, find an assembly that does. Your spiritual health depends on it!

The Old Rugged Cross #2

Saturday, April 9, 2016

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV).

The second verse of George Bennard’s classic 1913 hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross,” highlights today’s Scripture.

“Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above,
To bear it to dark Calvary.”

Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork at Calvary means nothing to most. The religious crowd believes they can “be nice” and “do good” and score points to “make God happy with them” as much as He was happy with Christ on Calvary. Salvation by grace through faith without works, us relying on Someone else to get us to Heaven, Someone who lived 2,000 years ago, and us not making an effort to “do right,” my, they think it absurdity to the extreme. (If they think their “good deeds” will make up for all their sins, that is absurdity to the extreme!)

Intellectuals—willfully ignorant, of course—may (notice I said “may!”) acknowledge the historicity of Jesus but most would never dare discuss the merits of Calvary. It would make them appear “bigoted” and “intolerant” of the world’s religions that place no emphasis (or outright deny) Calvary’s efficaciousness. Rather than becoming the laughingstock of “scholarship,” they ask, “How can a dead Jew help me?” Indeed, we agree that a “dead Jew” can help no one. But, our “dead Jew” did not remain dead!

The message of Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary, the hell-bound lost world considers it “foolishness” (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14). But, the flipside, we who are saved, we recognize that Gospel of the Grace of God is “the power of God.” The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the price of redemption, our rescuing from sin and Satan. Jesus Christ left the glories of Heaven, His worship and praise in Heaven, to come to this wretched world of worthless sinners, to be mistreated by them, mocked by them, and finally, murdered by them. Christ left Heaven, came to Earth, that we may one day leave Earth, and go to Heaven. Yes, Calvary “has a wondrous attraction for me!” 🙂

They Believed Not the Truth

Thursday, April 7, 2016

“That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12 KJV).

Refuse the Word of God—enjoy the wages of sin!

Someone in Christ recently attempted to share the Gospel of the Grace of God with a friend dying of cancer. Having been in a works-religion for so many years, her friend objected, “But, I have been ‘so good’ to so many people.” The dying lady, assuming that her “good” deeds would merit her heaven, refused to hear anything about those works being “filthy rags” before God (Isaiah 64:6). She wanted nothing to do with Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. Days later, she still refuses to answer the Christian’s phone calls. I encouraged that Christian lady that she did everything she could except pray. The only thing left to do is to “believe for her friend,” and that she cannot do. At this point, unfortunately for her, the works-religion woman has made that very clear the door is closed.

Friends, if we could believe Christ on their behalf, literally billions of loved ones would be spared the eternal wrath of God in hellfire. Yet, salvation unto eternal life is a personal choice. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). This one verse would put 99 percent of so-called “Christianity” out of business. All their “goody-goody works,” “goody-goody ceremonies,” “goody-goody rites,” “goody-goody rituals,” and “goody-goody prayers,” would pass away. Nothing but “dung” (Philippians 3:8)!

Beloved, God is looking first and foremost for faith, trust in His Word. For us to go around striving and working to get into heaven, that is the very opposite of faith, for God’s Word says He is looking for faith and not for works! If you think your righteousness will get you into heaven, you have nullified Jesus Christ, for the Bible says Jesus Christ is enough to get you into heaven! But, dear friend, if you really are determined to stand before God with “all your goodness,” go right on ahead. We will warn you but no one will stop you. Free will! Free will! Free will!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Is John 20:29 applicable to us today?”

When Right Division Brings Clarity

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

“Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 2:7 KJV).

People may dislike dispensational Bible study, but they are forced to admit it brings tremendous “understanding in all things!”

For a few years now, I have dealt with a Christian lady who has been “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). She came to a few of our home Bible studies. Once, she even accompanied our group to a grace Bible conference. Completely offended by the verses she heard there, she refused to attend another one and laughed when invited again.

This woman declined to let dispensational Bible study in, for letting it in would mean tossing her denominational biases out! An ardent reader of “modern ‘Christian’ literature,” and a frequent “church-hopper,” this sweet lady’s mind has been scrambled through and through. She loves her “miraculous demonstrations,” especially her so-called “gift of healing” (although she and her friends suffer from failing health). In accordance with 1 Corinthians 14:38, I left her “ignorant” because that is what she preferred. Maybe, just maybe, she would come to her senses.

Recently, while I was visiting at a mutual friend’s house, this Christian lady unexpectedly showed up with some Bible questions. So, for an hour, we sat over open Bibles and talked about those particular matters. This time, she was very receptive to the truth. She let me teach her the Bible dispensationally for the umpteenth time. Later, she commented that she really enjoyed it. Using right division greatly helped her grasp the topics that she could not understand and caused her to respect the verses and passages when they said different things. Yea, we leave them in their proper dispensations, being especially mindful of what the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul, and the Lord will give us understanding in “all things” (today’s Scripture).

In closing, I told the lady to come some other time with more questions. I would love to talk however long she wants and about whatever she wants. She still has a long way to go, but we have resumed ministries with her and we hope and pray she is willing to learn God’s Word, God’s way! 🙂

Biblophobia and Christophobia

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19,20 KJV).

Behold, the phobias from which all lost sinners suffer!

In recent years, “homophobia” (fear of homosexuals), “Islamophobia” (fear of Muslims, or Islamic theology), and “xenophobia” (fear of anything foreign) have entered common English vernacular. These terms have been fashioned into clubs to beat Christians over the head. Actually, this sort of name-calling can be summarized as: “childish playground antics with a multi-syllable twist.” The Christian is chastised when speaking out against sin and false religion. Those who cry “foul” and “bigotry” then spew their hatred with, “Homophobe!,” “Islamophobe!,” “Xenophobe!”

Fellow Bible-believing Christians, when we are called names with the suffix –phobia, may we kindly point out that our critics suffer from conditions “Biblophobia” and “Christophobia.” They fear and hate the Holy Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ whose will it exalts. Whatever they believe and say is their business, and whatever we believe and say is ours. If they want to embrace vain lifestyles and pursuits, God will gladly let them (Romans 1:18-32). May they “enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Hebrews 11:25)!

Today’s Scripture with its context: “[18] He that believeth on him [the Son, Jesus Christ] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

So, really, when people talk about “homophobia” and “Islamophobia,” they are really saying, “Do not shine the light of God’s Word! Keep it dark! What is done in the dark no one sees!” They have a phobia… a fear of the spiritual light God’s Word casts on their sin!

Perishing Versus Renewing #2

Sunday, April 3, 2016

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16 KJV).

As we physically “perish,” may we spiritually “renew!”

One Christian brother always aptly states, “All ‘healing’ claims aside, the death-rate is still one a piece!” We can claim Israel’s verses all we want—Exodus 15:26, Matthew 10:8, Mark 16:17, James 5:14-15, et cetera—but we will only deceive ourselves by grabbing verses that have absolutely nothing to do with us and absolutely nothing to do with God’s current operations! No matter the modern-day “miraculous healing,” that “healed” person is still going to experience the worst disease—physical death. Beloved, there is something better than temporary physical healing in a body destined to rot anyway. It is a brand-new body in which the “renewed inward man” will reside in eternity!

Romans 8:18-25: “[18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. [19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. [20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, [21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. [23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. [24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? [25] But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

These physical bodies will pass, but a most glorious (resurrected) body will be granted us at the Rapture. Until Christ takes care of the “outward man,” may we take care of the “inward man!” Let us spend more time in God’s Word rightly divided, renewing that which will never perish! 🙂

Teach, Not Take

Friday, April 1, 2016

“And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him” (Acts 8:30,31 KJV).

Teach the Scriptures to others; do not take them!

Recently, a dear sister in Christ received a phone call from a man she had not heard from in many years. Of course, she was quite eager to talk when “religion” was brought up. The man has been in a certain “Christian” cult all of his life—still a faithful churchgoer. At this point, someone would say, “Oh, well, it may be a cult, but at least he hears the Bible there!” Really? What was most appalling was when he said he had recently approached his minister about reading the Bible. The minister told the man, “Do not read the Bible! Here, read this!” And, the minister handed him some “religious” book! (The dear lady in Christ, upon hearing this, reassured him it was okay to read the Bible.)

For some so-called “minister of Jesus Christ” to outright forbid someone from reading the Bible is a most dastardly thing. To yank the precious words of God from a man’s hand, and replace it with a worthless book of men’s traditions, is the epitome of Satan’s policy of evil. When the angel of the Lord saw that the Ethiopian eunuch was reading the Isaiah scroll with much difficulty, He instructed Philip to meet him (verses 26-28). “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot” (verse 29). Philip was so excited to share God’s Word with a lost person that he literally “ran” to the prospective convert (today’s Scripture)!

If you continue reading in Acts chapter 8, specifically verses 32-35, you will learn that Philip did not rip the Isaiah scroll out of the eunuch’s hand saying, “No, oh no, do not read that!” In fact, Philip read the Bible passage with the eunuch, and Philip taught him all about “Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (verse 37). May we do the same!

Nearly a year in the making, we release special-edition Bible Q&A #250: “Can you explain Peter and the 11’s ministry from Acts 7-15?”

Questions to Avoid

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

“But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes” (2 Timothy 2:23 KJV).

Bible questions are okay, provided they are neither “foolish” nor “unlearned.”

Sadly, in so many religious circles, Bible questions are largely forbidden. For instance, read this: “When I contacted ____ he was very nasty to me and said I was wasting his time with my questions.” Someone wrote this to me a few years ago, after a so-called “grace” Bible teacher rudely discouraged Bible questions that his teachings generated. Why was that teacher so uninterested in questions that I was glad to answer for the dear man? Call me crazy, but I think that teacher refused to be “cross-examined,” or, frankly, “challenged.”

Many years ago, a seminarian training to be a priest was curious about his church’s true teachings. Well, as he put it, “The more questions I asked, the cleaner the seminary became!” His professors, unwilling to “suffer” “tough” questions (they had no answers for him), gave him “work-detail.” He had 32 hours straight of cleaning the seminary, including scrubbing floors with toothbrushes, before having to return to class hungry and tired. Oh, I forgot. With 152 acres of trees located behind the seminary, each student was also given an acre of leaves to rake. A truck would then carry the leaves over to the same place. After the leaves were re-spread, they had to be re-raked! (With this cycle of repetitious duties, there would be no time for “wandering minds” and “silly questions” to challenge the religious institution.)

Oh, but you see, dear friends, the Bible never discouraged questions. Today’s Scripture prohibits “foolish and unlearned questions.” Questions help us to learn; God wants us to learn His Word. The Bible never says, “But questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.” It says “foolish [moros, as in ‘moron’] and unlearned questions.” These are pointless, absurd questions that cause people to bicker, with more time arguing than answering. Spiritual maturity allows you to “rate” questions asked of you. You spend your time doing it long enough, and you can you most definitely identify the “foolish and unlearned questions.” Avoid them, but, by all means, use the Bible to answer the rest! 🙂

Vain Worship

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esais prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6,7 KJV).

Friend, do you worship the God of the Bible “in vain?”

The reason you should ask yourself this pointed question is because many people have no idea what is true worship of the triune God. For example, consider the nation Israel’s condition in today’s Scripture. Or, better yet, travel back to Isaiah’s day, 700 B.C., and see the original quote: “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (Isaiah 29:13).

Over 2,700 years ago, empty, worthless religion had already crept into Israel. The Jews, the sole custodians of the Word of JEHOVAH God, traded it for the silly religious tenets of their heathen neighbors. Yea, they traded gold for “fool’s gold!” Oh, it was such a shame, and yet, they were too senseless to recognize the difference. They said, “How we love Adonai! Look, we keep His laws, we observe His feasts, we have His Temple, we have His priesthood,” on and on. But, there was no heart faith in what they were doing. They began to worship the religion than the God who had given them that religion! Furthermore, they had watered down that religion with the Talmud, rabbinical writings, manmade ideas passed off as “God’s Word.” (Sound familiar?!)

Recently, I talked with a church-going Christian who believed she was “worshipping God” while preforming a certain religious action. When I told her Scripture said nothing about that activity—that it was not “of faith” and thus vain (empty)—she was flabbergasted. Are we shocked? Nay! Millions worldwide have no clue what the Bible says. They are so busy in “vain worship,” just going through the motions with no genuine faith. Friend, I hope you are not one of these people. Back to Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, or onward to more vain worship!

The Bible’s Season of New Life

Monday, March 28, 2016

“God that made the world and all things therein… he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;” (Acts 17:24,25 KJV).

May we never forget the true meaning of Eastertime!

Satan is the master counterfeiter: from Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures reveal how the devil schemes to “be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14). Whatever God does, Satan defiles that work by introducing false doctrine, distracts mankind from God’s truth by mimicking His actions, discourages God’s people from His ministry by using incorrect thinking patterns, and so on. Why? Satan wants the worship that God alone deserves (Matthew 4:8-10; Luke 4:5-8).

Consider Christmastime. Centuries before Christ, Satan had pagans worshipping the birth of the sun god in early winter—near the date that Jesus Christ (God the Son) took upon human flesh in the virgin Mary’s womb! Now, consider Eastertime. Centuries before Christ, Satan had pagans worshipping fertility deities and new life in early spring, near the date that Jesus Christ (God the Son) died for our sins and resurrected victoriously over sin, death, hell, and Satan to give us new life! (To Satan’s delight, today’s average church member is not mindful of relevant sound Bible doctrine during Christmastime and Eastertime—the devil’s distractions have never lost their efficacy!)

The God of the Bible instituted in Israel a festival, Passover (the killing of a spotless lamb and its bloodshed in early spring), while they were still in Egypt (Exodus chapter 12)—Passover’s annual observance reminded them of JEHOVAH delivering them from Egyptian slavery unto new life. Israel did not understand its meaning until 1,500 years later. The true Passover lamb, Jesus Christ, died and shed His sinless blood during that annual Passover feast (early spring), and He resurrected in new life to give them spiritual life and liberty.

Yes, the pagans may have “hijacked” this time of year for the devil’s glory, but we can disregard their ignorance: spring is God’s season for new life. We can still use this season to bring the God of the Bible glory by remembering that He has given us physical life (today’s Scripture), and He offers us new life (that is, spiritual life) through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Whose ‘faith’ is in Romans 3:25?”

Our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians celebrate Easter?”