Category: religious tradition

For Students This is Safe

Thursday, August 11, 2016

“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! 🙂

Not a Bother to Satan! #3

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV).

A wise Christian brother observed long ago: “There are some believers whom Satan seldom bothers because they do not cause him too much worry, they do not threaten his program; but strong Christians are always his targets and he puts countless snares and pitfalls in their way.” How appropriate, even today!

Satan does not like God’s truth reaching the masses. So, his evil world system will entice God’s messenger to change the message. If the Christian refuses to apostatize, but rather faithfully continues sharing God’s pure Word with others, then Satan will move from attacking the message to attacking the messenger. The Christian will be persecuted, discouraged, or even killed!

Today’s Scripture describes how Satan had neutralized Israel. Confused and weakened, she was no bother to him anymore. Spiritual ignorance would continue among the Gentiles! But, individual Jews had accepted Jesus as Messiah-King and had separated themselves from their apostate nation. Satan turned his attention to these believers. The Devil and his allies persecuted those believing Jews into the early Acts period. Refusing to change God’s message, those Jewish kingdom believers were thus attacked literally and physically. Israel’s corrupt religious leaders arrested, imprisoned, and even killed Jesus’ followers! That believing remnant in Israel had certainly caused Satan much grief, and God permitted him to take their lives. Nevertheless, they were true to God’s Word to the end.

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). As the wise Christian brother wrote decades ago, friend, you attempt to let Christ Jesus live His life in you, and you will learn that Satan will not like it! Still, may you be a bother to Satan! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Do Isaiah 2:4 and Joel 3:10 contradict each other?”

Not a Bother to Satan! #2

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV).

A wise Christian brother observed long ago: “There are some believers whom Satan seldom bothers because they do not cause him too much worry, they do not threaten his program; but strong Christians are always his targets and he puts countless snares and pitfalls in their way.” How appropriate, even today!

The writer of today’s Scripture, penning it during the Acts period, rebuked Israel of her corporate negligence to learn the lessons of the Old Testament Scriptures. Ignoring the hundreds of prophecies she had heard and read for centuries, Israel had recently and publicly rejected her Messiah and demanded the Roman government crucify Him. Israel had utterly failed to learn God’s Word! Since the Jews did not know God’s Word, they would be unable to teach it to the Gentiles as God intended (cf. Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23). God had called Israel to be separate, so Israel could be a light to the nations. Yet, Israel allowed Satan to deceive her with religious tradition, pagan idolatry, et cetera. Down she went!

Sadly, the professing church finds itself in the same awful predicament today. It too has not learned the lessons of the Old Testament. It has not learned from Israel’s mistakes. It too has abandoned God’s Word to it. Like national Israel, most church members today can only handle spiritual milk, Bible basics. They ask the same old questions they have asked for centuries. Since they never approach God’s Word rightly divided, they will keep asking those same childish questions and never get meaningful answers. Instead of being mature adults in Scripture, able to stomach spiritual meat, they must be taught rather than teach! As Israel will become one day, may they also become a bother to Satan!

Not a Bother to Satan! #1

Monday, August 8, 2016

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV).

A wise Christian brother observed long ago: “There are some believers whom Satan seldom bothers because they do not cause him too much worry, they do not threaten his program; but strong Christians are always his targets and he puts countless snares and pitfalls in their way.” How appropriate, even today!

Recall 2 Timothy 2:26: “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” All lost people are “taken captive by [Satan] at his will” because they are not living as God intended humans to live. God created mankind to fellowship with Him! But, sin entered through Adam’s disobedience, and now, all people are born in sin, cut off from God. Denominational Christians are “taken captive by [Satan] at his own will” because they are not living as God intended Christians to live. They are to be filled with His Word, not traditions of men!

In accordance with 1 Timothy 2:4—“God will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth”—we have a two-fold task as Bible-believing, Pauline-dispensational Christians. Firstly, we preach the Gospel of God’s Grace to lost people so they can be saved from eternal hellfire. Secondly, we preach the Message of God’s Grace to saved people so they can be saved from false teaching.

Re-read today’s Scripture. The Devil knew that if he could wean Israel from the truths JEHOVAH God had given her through the “Old Testament” Scriptures, Israel could never fulfill God’s purpose for her. With Israel being unable to accomplish God’s will in the Earth, Satan could keep on doing what he wanted in the Earth unopposed….

A Grace Study Bible

Monday, August 1, 2016

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2 KJV).

Today, we reflect on four full years of the arC Ministries’ Grace Study Bible Project!

Nearly 100 years ago, the Scofield Study Bible was published. It was a work that popularized—not invented—dispensational Bible study. For a century, the Church the Body of Christ has used this monumental aid to edify itself. It was (and still is) useful in recovering precious Bible truths that had been lost for centuries, doctrines still pushed aside by denominational hierarchies that prefer to be the “authority” with their “tradition of men.”

Four years ago today, after much prayer and consideration, I began the formation of a new grace study Bible. Using the King James Bible, my goal in this project is to build on Dr. Scofield’s foundation laid long ago. We are (and will always be) indebted to that brother for his faithful service, his submission to the Holy Spirit to produce a profitable study Bible. (Incidentally, Dr. Scofield led a missionary to Christ, that missionary led a preacher to Christ, that preacher led a woman to Christ, that woman led Mom to Christ, and Mom led me to Christ.) What took Dr. Scofield decades to learn, we can acquire in a fraction of that time. Brother Scofield did not live long enough to progress any further in Bible understanding, but in the century since he has gone to heaven, a faithful remnant within the Body of Christ has expanded upon Dr. Scofield’s insightful notes. We recognize where he was wrong in certain areas, and we can improve those areas in our understanding and study.

In brief, some stats about our grace study Bible. We seem to be roughly 40 to 45 percent completed with it. How many more years it will take remains to be seen, but rest assured, what cannot be condensed into marginal notes or footnotes, will be, Lord willing, expanded into a full-Bible commentary book series! Stay tuned in the coming years and thank you for your prayer in this regard! 🙂

* You can read more about our Grace Study Bible Project here.

Bible Q&A #290: “Is Luke 16:19-31 a parable?”

A Baptism You Cannot Fake

Sunday, July 31, 2016

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV).

Water baptism can be feigned; today’s Scripture cannot!

Once, a lady was looking through some old documents she had stored at home. She came across the water baptism certificate of her then eight-year-old son. Yet, as it turned out, he never actually trusted Christ Jesus as his personal Saviour until age 21! Friends, we can only wonder how people leading the church allowed a lost person to get water baptized. They evidently never asked him what the Gospel was, or even if he knew why he was getting water baptized in the first place!

Many people in religion have gotten wet at some point. Whether immersion, sprinkling, or pouring; whether as an infant or an adult; almost every professing Christian has experienced some water ceremony—some several! While people, preachers, and denominations continue their centuries-old arguments about which mode is correct, which words should be said, and who should be baptized, they ignore a major fact. Most of the people getting water baptized have not got a clue concerning the biblical meaning of water baptism. They have gotten so hung up on water baptism that 99.999% of the time they never realize the “baptism” in today’s Scripture is the ONLY baptism that really counts for eternity (Ephesians 4:5). Oftentimes, they refuse to see it!

Friends, our “one baptism” does not come by a preacher or priest, but by the power of the Holy Spirit placing the believer into the Church the Body of Christ. The exact moment a person trusts exclusively the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit takes that person and makes him or her one with Jesus Christ forever. That individual is united not only with Father God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit—but with other believers as well.

Unlike water baptism, this baptism by the Spirit of God into the Body of Christ can never be faked! Only God Himself sees it, and He is the only witness necessary to make it valid forever and ever! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Are Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2, and Luke 9:28 contradictory?”

Ungracious “Grace” Leaders

Saturday, July 2, 2016

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them” (Acts 20:29,30 KJV).

Beware of the Devil’s advocates lurking within the Grace Movement!

Recently, I had an enjoyable phone conversation with a new pastor friend. During our three hours of long-distance fellowship, we gave each other our testimonies and a brief background of our ministries. He explained to me how some of our Bible resources (written studies and videos) had recently helped him avoid a most erroneous and confusing “cell group” within the Grace Movement. Being new to the Message of Grace, he was eager to hear from us God’s pure Word rightly divided. Thankfully, he was rescued from a corrupt system we know all too well ourselves!!! (He has now rescued others!!)

He explained to me how some “grace pastor” had tried to force him to accept his warped version of so-called “grace teaching.” My pastor friend expressed how uncomfortable he was as this pastor “lorded” over him. The perverted pastor, during this time of “instruction,” would never let my pastor friend interject more than a few words. My pastor friend, without having time to read the verse for himself, would be asked quickly, “Understand…? Good. Next verse!” That pastor “lording” over him had an agenda. It was not to teach Bible but to teach theology. The will of the pastor disagreeing with the theology, was overlooked. He was being trained to—without question—believe what the “grace preacher” said the verses said rather than believe what the verses said.

Dear friends, I have issued warnings here about various subtle (sneaky) heresies floating amongst and within “grace” circles. It is not grievous to me to remind you again. Teachings that claim to be “dispensational teachings” but, when closely examined, are anything but—unapologetically avoid them (Romans 16:17,18)! These Bible corrupters are marked by their very haughty and aggressive—certainly un-Christian—attitude. Furthermore, please be vigilant about how pastors and teachers handle Paul’s “Acts” ministry and “Acts” epistles. Especially within the Grace Movement, there are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (today’s Scripture). Not all “grace ministries” are created equal—not all are really “grace ministries” either!

Brethren, if you value our grace ministry, you may always donate to us securely at: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux. Thanks!

A Prayer for Enlightenment Answered

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17 KJV).

Friend, if you truly desire to do God’s will, you shall know God’s doctrine!

I recently sat with a new Christian only one year old in Christ. Having grown up in a “Christian” cult, having since come to recognize the errors of that works-religion, having since trusted Jesus Christ alone as her personal Saviour, she was interested in now learning the Bible. The other day, she was so desperate to hear the Word of God taught that she visited a local denominational assembly. She was sorely disappointed upon hearing their noisy, “contemporary worship” service. When I asked her if she learned anything there, she said, “I learned nothing.” She had even met another confused lady who had been attending services there for some time.

This precious new Christian was genuinely searching for the truth. However, like so many, she could not find it. She said she had prayed for God to give her enlightenment. As it turned out, her brother, also a Christian, recommended she and I meet for Bible study. She agreed. When I came to her house, and she told me how she had asked God to teach her His Word, I replied most cheerfully, “He answered your prayers by sending me!” We ended up having a four-hour-long Bible study. After we settled the issue of her soul salvation unto eternal life (just to be sure), she was introduced to the Bible timeline. While she admitted she was a “slow learner,” she was ever so grateful for that Bible study. She heard many strange things, things she had never heard before. Nevertheless, she finally had the answers to so many of her Bible questions.

Friend, there are just so many people not interested in learning anything from Scripture. They have several Bibles in their homes, but they know nothing about the Bible because they do not want to know. This lady, however, wanted to know, and she discovered answers to her questions. She would not find them in religion, but rather in the King James Bible rightly divided! Friend, please never forget that, either.

*NOTE: Today, dear friends, I mark 10 full years in the writing ministry! Praise our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙂

Fast Teaching and Preaching

Monday, June 27, 2016

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now” (John 16:12 KJV).

Jesus said it to His disciples; Bible teachers say it to their students!

Pauline dispensational pastors and Bible teachers are often known for “going too fast.” A Christian sister expressed some concern regarding one such minister. While difficult to follow someone who teaches Scripture very quickly, who speaks faster than most, remember that the Bible is an extremely rich book. Its in-depth topics are not for the average (lukewarm, shallow) Bible skimmer!

Frankly, denominational preachers are often normal-paced in their speaking because they have to draw out the message to cover the allotted period. They know few verses and must fill the rest of the time with stories. I know. One of our former pastors years ago first read a familiar Bible passage (five minutes or less) and then spent the rest of the hour telling jokes and short stories (sometimes unrelated to the passage).

If you have a grace Bible teacher or grace pastor who teaches the Bible quickly, relax. At least he actually teaches the Bible instead of merely talking about it! Honestly, I would rather spend one day in a church where the rightly divided Bible is taught quickly, than one year in a denominational church where a preacher delivers a very shallow, slow-paced message. Pauline dispensationalists teach and preach quickly because they have a limited amount of time to cover in-depth doctrine. On average, they spend more time studying the Bible and preparing messages than denominational people (who simply repeat the same basic verses and ideas every week that the denomination approves).

Friend, if you have a Bible teacher or pastor who teaches God’s rightly divided Word, but you have trouble following him in the verses because he reads them quickly, record him, or listen to his DVDs or CDs or MP3s. Pause and replay the media until you get the doctrine. Follow along in your Bible. It does not matter if it takes you a few hours to watch a one-hour message, do it. It is never time wasted. (By the way, written Bible studies such as these are advantageous in that you can use them at your own pace!) 🙂

Our three latest Bible Q&A articles: “Can you explain 1 John 5:8—‘the Spirit, the water, and the blood?’”, “What does the Bible mean, ‘Jesus Christ came by water and blood?’”, and “What does, ‘Born of water and of the Spirit,’ mean?”.

Ill-Equipped

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16 KJV).

Behold, the solution to Christendom’s spiritual impotency!

A former cult member recently confirmed what I have known for years. The average Bible-believing Christian does not know enough about his or her own salvation to share it with others. Rather, the professing Christian will hide behind the shades when the religious groups come knocking at the front door. These Christians use 2 John 10-11 as an “escape clause”—“If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”

Usually, they are not obeying the verse by faith. Rather, they know two things. Firstly, the religious visitor is greatly skilled in articulating their false teaching. Secondly, they—the so-called “Bible believer”—know little to nothing about the Bible so they are more prone to fall into false teaching when confronted with it! There is nothing sadder than to realize 1 Corinthians 3:2 is just as true of Corinth as it is of today’s professing “Christian” church: “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

Denominations have done an extremely poor job in educating their members in the Bible text; thus, these churchgoers have the Bible understanding of a kindergartner. But, denominations could not have done a better job in educating their members in a church curriculum. These members—having received a “Ph.D.” in the traditions of men—can easily recite pet denominational tenets (whether or not they make sense).

They neither know the “word of Christ” nor do they let it “dwell in [them] richly in all wisdom.” Rather, they wonder what the word of Christ even is and they wander around looking for it. While they condemn the world for thinking and acting like the world, they—professing Christians—are thinking and acting like anything and everything but Christian! How the Holy Spirit is so grieved and the professing Christian so deceived!