Category: Roman Catholicism

Emmanuel’s Tabernacle

Saturday, December 24, 2016

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23 KJV).

Using the Scriptures, we can date the birth of Emmanuel, Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, was a priest, “of the course [order] of Abia [Abijah]” (Luke 1:5). Under King David, Israel’s priests were organized into 24 courses (1 Chronicles 24:7-19). A priest from each course served a week in the Temple ministration (and thus served one week twice a year). Israel’s calendar began with Abib/Nisan, equivalent to March 16-April 15 (Exodus 12:1,2; Exodus 13:4). Passover was observed on April 14, starting Israel’s religious calendar.

Passover week (The Feast of Unleavened Bread) lasted from April 15-21. The first course of priests served in the Temple around this time. Zacharias’ course, Abijah, was the eighth course after Passover (1 Chronicles 24:10), thus placing Zacharias’ service roughly eight weeks after Passover (or June 17-23). This was the time when the angel appeared to Zacharias to announce John’s conception (Luke 1:8-22). Once Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth leave the Temple and go home, Elisabeth conceives John (late June; Luke 1:23-25).

Six months after Elisabeth conceived John in late June (Luke 1:26), Mary conceived Jesus—in late December. Contrary to religious tradition, the birthday of Christ is not December 25. Late December is the time of Christ’s conception. The conception of Christ in Mary’s womb, not Mary’s conception in her mother’s womb, is the biblical immaculate conception: it was Christ’s conception, not Mary’s, that was sinless (Luke 1:35).

If a perfect human gestation lasts 280 days (9 months), late September/early October is the time of Christ’s birth. During this time of year, recall that God had Israel observing the Feast of Tabernacles, when Jews would dwell in “booths” (tents, tabernacles) for seven days (Leviticus 23:39-44).

While Israel was observing Tabernacles in September/October, God was born as a man (Jesus Christ) of the virgin Mary, and dwelt (“tabernacled”) with them! Sadly, very few Jews paid any attention to Jesus, “Emmanuel,” “God with us” (today’s Scripture). The rest of Israel ignored “God dwelling among them” (John 1:14).

For more information, see our archived Bible Q&A: “Was Jesus born on the 25th of December?”

You may also see our other archived study: “Why do people use ‘Xmas’ instead of ‘Christmas?’”

The Wise Wise Men

Thursday, December 22, 2016

“…There came wise men from the east… And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:1,11 KJV).

When we see the Nativity Scene, we observe three wise men assembled around Baby Jesus’ manger. Actually, the Bible never indicates how many wise men there were, and the Bible never says they visited Christ as a baby.

According to the Bible, an indeterminate number of wise men from the east (Gentiles) saw the star of Christ in the east, so they travel to Jerusalem, inquiring where to find Christ, the King of Jews (verses 1,2). King Herod and Jerusalem are troubled, and Herod summons Israel’s religious leaders to tell him where the Messiah will be born. They tell him, according to Micah 5:2, “Bethlehem of Judaea” (verses 3-6). Herod then sends the wise men to seek Jesus, hoping to find and destroy Him (lest He become king and end Herod’s reign).

The star leads the wise men to Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary live in a “house”—notice this is not the manger scene. Also, note that Jesus is not a baby here, but a “young child” (verses 9,11). In fact, he is as much as two years old (verse 16). By the way, according to Numbers 24:17, that star—an angel (cf. Job 38:7)—that the wise men saw signified the Messiah-King of Israel… they were wise in that they recognized and followed it!

Interestingly, the wise men worship Jesus, not Mary and/or the angel, and they bring Him gifts of “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (today’s Scripture)—frankincense and myrrh are aromatic gum resins burned as incense. Gold is for a King, frankincense is for a Priest, and myrrh is for a Prophet—Jesus is all three (Isaiah 9:6,7; Zechariah 6:13; Deuteronomy 18:15,18). Amazingly, Isaiah 60:6, written some 700 years beforehand, even prophesied Gentiles would bring God gifts of gold and frankincense. The Bible is an amazing Book!

Sadly, these Gentiles had more respect for Israel’s King than Israel. These wise men recognized fulfilled prophecy… they were wise men indeed!

For more information, see our archived Bible Q&A: “Were there really three wise men?”

To Know Your Apostle Paul

Sunday, November 27, 2016

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office” (Romans 11:13 KJV).

Friend, may you come to know your apostle as God wants you to know him!

Who is your apostle? The average preacher or church member, if not silent, will say, “I follow the 12 apostles….,” “I follow Jesus…,” or “My apostle is my preacher.” Very rarely will they give you the correct answer—today’s Scripture.

Jesus Christ, “the Word” (John 1:1,14), the Godhead Spokesman, speaks on behalf of God the Father and God the Holy Ghost. Not many people know, however, His earthly ministry was to the nation Israel, not us Gentiles. Matthew 15:24 says: “I am not sent [apostello] but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (To wit, Jesus said, “I am not the Apostle of you Gentiles. I am the Apostle of the Jews.”—cf. Hebrews 3:1) The 12 Apostles were sent to Jews, not to Gentiles: “These twelve Jesus sent forth [apostello], and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5,6).

Years later, in Acts chapter 9, outside Damascus, the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Jesus Christ commissioned Paul to go to us Gentiles. Hence, Paul is “the apostle [apostolos—“sent one”] of the Gentiles” (today’s Scripture). Acts chapter 26 documents Christ’s words to Paul: “[16] But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; [17] Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send [apostello] thee, [18] To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

While all of the Bible is for us, Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are to and about us Gentiles (and members of the Church the Body of Christ)!

For more information about Paul’s apostolic authority, you may see: https://ambassadorsfortherisenchristministries.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/pauls-apostolic-authority-verses/.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why are ‘the heavens not clean in God’s sight?’”

To Know Dispensational Bible Study

Saturday, November 26, 2016

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Friend, may you come to know the proper system of Bible study as God wants you to know it!

To refute the position of “Bible only” (and bolster “Bible and tradition”), Roman Catholics complain resorting to Scripture alone only leads to confusion and thousands of Protestant denominations. They argue “Sacred Tradition” must be employed to “correctly interpret” Sacred Scripture. (Of course, they ignore the profound ignorance, worse confusion, and innumerable splits within Romanism!) No, there is nothing wrong with “Bible only.” (“Bible and tradition” is faulty because these two competing authorities end up as “tradition only!”) If you use Scripture as it instructs you, recognizing and esteeming the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry, you will understand it.

Many years ago, two verses helped me grasp the Holy Scriptures. Acts 3:21 first: “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” There is something God has “spoken… since the world began” (since Adam was placed on Earth). The Apostle Peter’s ministry involved this prophetic program. Now, Romans 16:25: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,….” In stark contrast to Peter, the Apostle Paul declared his ministry involved the mystery program—truth God “kept secret since the world began,” but then revealed to Paul so he could teach us Gentiles (Romans 11:13). This eliminates the majority of Bible confusion!

Paul must never be harmonized with the rest of Scripture. Romans through Philemon, his epistles, are not to be conflated with Israel’s verses (the rest of the Bible). Christendom has experienced much trouble through the centuries because it mixed Israel and the Body of Christ, mixed law and grace, mixed heaven and earth, mixed prophecy and mystery, mixed Peter and Paul. They have not “rightly divided”—or properly separated—the dispensations (sets of instructions) God demands we differentiate. The problem is not with Scripture—it is with those misusing it!

For more information about dispensational Bible study, you may see: https://333wordsofgrace.wordpress.com/whats-dispensational-bible-study/.

Increasing Unto More Ungodliness

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:15,16 KJV).

If you do not “rightly divide the word of truth;” you will embrace “profane and vain babblings;” and “ungodliness” will increase, increase, INCREASE!!

One reference book on religion says, “The existence of many religions, albeit sects, confused him, however.” That poor man confessed: “…[T]he teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.” He was “in utter confusion,” wondering which group to follow. (He was already in one denomination.) “God” and “Jesus” then appeared to him and told him that “none” of the religions were right, that all of them were “corrupt.” Joseph Smith thought he finally solved his dilemma of “which group to join”—he started the Mormon Church! (And then he became hopelessly baffled when he joined it!)

What a real shame! Since Christendom has utterly failed to “rightly divide the word of truth” for 20 centuries, denomination after denomination has arisen. They now number in the tens of thousands! Frankly, the Roman Catholic Church would have never started had the Word of God been consistently rightly divided from the first century onward. The Mormon Church would have never started. The Baptist Church would have never started. The Presbyterians, Lutherans, Assemblies of God, Churches of Christ, Nazarenes, Episcopalians, Seventh-Day Adventists, Methodists, Christian Scientists, would have never started!!

Had professing Christians never abandoned the doctrine taught by God’s “apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13), the Apostle Paul, in the Books of Romans through Philemon, they would have never gotten into the mess in which they are. Alas, they grabbed verses to and about Israel, tried to make them fit us Gentiles, and made God’s Word burdensome, nauseating, and repulsive for billions through the ages! We would hate to be in the shoes of those people when they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ in judgment, having to give an account for all those “idle” (empty, worthless) “words” (Matthew 12:36,37), such “profane [wicked] and vain [empty] babblings [gibberish]!”

REMINDER: The 2016 Slidell Grace Bible Conference, being held just north of New Orleans, is only one month away! Speakers are Richard Jordan, John Smith, and I (Shawn Brasseaux). Please refer to the attached flyer for all the details: https://arcministries.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/2016-slidell-gbc.pdf. We’d love to have you come! (Videos will be uploaded to YouTube later this year.)

Arrayed in Hypocrisy

Monday, October 31, 2016

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matthew 23:27,28 KJV).

“Looks can be deceiving” is not only true during Halloweentime, but confirmed year-round within Christendom.

Today is Halloween, when children dress up and feign themselves to be creatures they are not. Likewise, many church leaders today wear “Christian” garbs, but their ministries do not bring the Lord Jesus Christ glory and honor. They promote their denomination, and seek to perpetuate it, rather than serve and exalt the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Bible manifests these who appear to be good, as “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

In today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ exposed Israel’s corrupt religious leaders who misled the nation in His day. In His Parable of the Tares, Matthew 13:24-30,37-43, Christ explained how just as He had sown good seed (wheat, believing Jews) in Israel, Satan had also sown tares/weeds (unbelieving Jews). Tares resemble wheat; unbelieving Jews resemble believing Jews. The unbelieving Pharisees and scribes, for instance, looked like God’s people (believing Israel). Judas Iscariot was another example of Satan’s tares—the apostles never realized who Judas really was until it was too late!

But Satan’s counterfeit believers are not confined to Israel’s program. Today, within local assemblies of the Body of Christ, there are people feigning themselves to be Christians: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Beloved, beware of the church leaders who are arrayed in hypocrisy, “and avoid them” (Romans 16:17b). If their teaching does not agree with the rightly divided King James Bible, you have no business as a child of God to be listening to them.

*This is excerpted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What are ‘phylacteries?’”

You may also see our special study, “Should Christians celebrate Halloween?”

More About Jesus #5

Monday, August 29, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The chorus of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More, more about Jesus,
More, more about Jesus;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.”

Notice how the chorus has “More, more about Jesus / More, more about Jesus.” The hymn writer wants to continue “growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” How greatly lacking is that desire today in the professing church. Lord, deliver us from such appalling ignorance!

I just sat with a dear, confused Christian and taught her the Bible rightly divided. A “babe in Christ,” she has only been saved for about a year. She is a slow learner; however, I did not mind repeating phrases and verses many times. Since she has a lot of unanswered questions, I want to give her as much “room” as I possibly can. After spending over six decades as a lost person in a false religion (!), she is saved and now genuinely trying to learn God’s Word. What is problematic is people who have trusted Christ decades ago, they are still asking their same questions. They have been so busy learning the traditions of men, those worthless denominational teachings got them nowhere in their Christian life! Thankfully, God’s Word is becoming clearer for this dear lady. She has learned “more, more” about Jesus, “more, more” about His Word, and “more, more” about His purpose and plan for her.

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Peter admonished believing Israel to continue growing spiritually. There were apostates and unbelievers in their day (verses 1-17), just as there are today. These believers were to remain faithful to their kingdom doctrine about Jesus Christ, that they not go the way of those Bible scoffers and unbelievers. We too had better take heed, friends. Satan’s policy of evil wants to discourage us from also learning more about Jesus! Let us take our stand on the Word of God rightly divided, that we may learn “more, more about Jesus!” 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Are we praying to God ‘long-distance?’”

More About Jesus #3

Saturday, August 27, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The third verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus; in His Word,
Holding communion with my Lord;
Hearing His voice in every line,
Making each faithful saying mine.”

The Holy Bible is God’s inspired Word to man. No (!) believer should ever (!) have one (!) critical remark about the King James Bible (unless some lost person polluted his or her mind with anti-Bible rhetoric at “church” or “seminary!”). Why?

In every book of that Book of books, we see glimpses of the Lord Jesus Christ—ark of safety (Genesis), faithful Creator (Job), perfect servant (Mark), kinsman-redeemer (Ruth), Son of God (John), Passover lamb (Exodus), et cetera. Without that written record, we have no trustworthy link to Him. We dare not be blasé when people alter the Bible text using “better” or “more scholarly readings.” With every tinker of the written Word of God, the portrait of the living Word of God is being further defaced!

The first and foremost way we commune with Father God is to read His Word—His communication to and fellowship with us. The second way we commune with Father God is to pray—our communication to and fellowship with Him. Notice! Any Christian life lacking sound Bible doctrine and/or sound Pauline prayer is already ruined or soon-to-be ruined!

All of the Bible is for us, no doubt. All Scripture is “for our learning” (Romans 15:4). We can learn from Israel’s mistakes. We can see how Father God was faithful to them, so He is faithful to us (Romans 15:13). We can trust Him. However, not all Scripture is to or about us. In Paul’s epistles alone, we find our doctrine, duty, walk, destiny, and hope as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Friend, if you are not thinking and praying according to the books of Romans through Philemon, you will especially not learn “more about Jesus!” You will be struggling to make everything in the Bible the same. Spare yourself the heartache and confusion!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why does 1 Corinthians 9:6 mention Barnabas, when he did not travel to Corinth with Paul?”

More About Jesus #2

Friday, August 26, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The second verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me.”

Christian people often pray, “O Father, I need Thy wisdom here! What should I think about that? How should I respond in this situation? Show me Thy will!” Friends, this is all well and good. They sound genuine. But, this is the saddest prayer you could ever hear Christians utter. Why? These precious people usually spend little to no time in the Bible! As one would disregard the owner’s manual of a new gadget, and then complain in frustration, “I do not know how it works!,” so people leave God’s Holy Word unopened and cry out, “Give me wisdom, God!”

Second Peter says in chapter 1, verses 20 and 21: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” And, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verses 13 and 14: “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. 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.” Finally, 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Dear friends, the Holy Spirit will certainly teach you His written Word. BUT, you must take time to read and study it first!!!!! Unfortunately, most people refuse to do it. Please do not be like them. Be willing to learn “more about Jesus!”

More About Jesus #1

Thursday, August 25, 2016

“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 KJV).

The first verse of Eliza E. Hewitt’s classic 1887 hymn, “More About Jesus,” highlight’s today’s Scripture.

“More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love Who died for me.”

It only makes sense that we as Christians should be interested in learning more about the most important Person in our belief system. Unfortunately, some professing Christians are not interested in learning about Jesus Christ. Rather, they want you to tell them about religion, the institutions that men have founded (supposedly in “Jesus’ name”). The Bible says that even some true Christians are willfully ignorant, deliberately unlearned in the things of God. They are particularly and willfully uninformed concerning the Lord’s words through the Apostle Paul’s special ministry (1 Corinthians 14:37,38).

Every believer should desire to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (today’s Scripture). We should not remain babes in Christ as the Corinthians—behaving like spiritual children when we should act like spiritually mature Christians. Furthermore, we should most certainly be gracious, courteous, kind to others. After all, that is God’s attitude toward us. The Bible says we should be “gentle unto all men” (2 Timothy 2:24). Colossians exhorts, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (4:6).

Even after nearly 35 years of enjoying salvation in Jesus Christ, Paul confessed he still had not grasped the reason why the Lord had saved him! Philippians chapter 3: “[12] Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. [13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before….” May we learn more and more of Christ’s love for us, “his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4)!