Category: works-religion

To Be Seen and Heard #2

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,…” (Matthew 23:5 KJV).

Should we be in attendance at the “Desperate-for-Attention-and-Relevance Conference?”

Read today’s Scripture in context, a long speech delivered just a few days before Calvary: “[1] Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, [2] Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: [3] All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. [4] For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”

Chapter 23 of Matthew is one of the most scathing rebukes the Lord Jesus Christ ever issued during His earthly ministry. (John chapter 8 is another extremely offensive sermon.) He warns His listeners—both His followers and any curiosity-seekers—of the religious corruption that had overtaken Judaism. The nation Israel’s spiritual leaders seem like Moses’ successors, God’s spokesmen, but they are hypocritical. Provided they taught the pure Word of God, the unadulterated Law of Moses, they should be followed. Nevertheless, as Christ Himself pointed out, there is also a counterfeit Word of God and an imitation ministry in Israel: these perverted religious leaders are teaching their words of men and passing them off as the words of God, and they are also failing to “practice what they preach” (“they say, and do not”).

They have watered down God’s commandments with mindless religious tradition. Instead of the LORD’S laws pointing out man’s sin problem, those laws have been “supplemented” with humanistic thoughts and deeds that portray man in a more positive light. God and His precepts are not at the center of attention because man has placed the spotlight on himself. It becomes all the more serious when we recognize this has occurred in God’s nation Israel, His channel of salvation and blessing to the nations in prophecy. As long as Israel languishes in spiritual darkness, she cannot be all that the LORD intended her to be. She is thus incapable of reaching the Gentiles….

Paul in the Synagogues #4

Sunday, March 9, 2025

“…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19b,20 KJV).

What are the three reasons the Apostle Paul went to the synagogues?

By heading the persecution of Israel’s believing remnant (the Little Flock of Luke 12:32, the Messianic Church of Matthew 16:18) in Jerusalem or Damascus or anywhere else, Saul of Tarsus (Acts chapters 7 and 8, and even partly into chapter 9) demonstrated how he regarded Jesus of Nazareth as an imposter or false messiah/christ—certainly not “the Son of God.” Now, in today’s Scripture and beyond, he has since been transformed into the Apostle Paul. He preaches the very truths he formerly detested and resisted so mightily. Having abandoned Satan’s “synagogue ministry,” he is now in God’s “synagogue ministry.” Moreover, he is afforded the chance to see just what his victims endured when he was mercilessly hounding them. Apostate Israel turns on him and seeks to take his life on more than one occasion! The same old unbelief from Christ’s earthly ministry (Matthew through John) has spilled over into Christ’s heavenly ministry (Paul’s “Acts” ministry).

Keep reading in Acts chapter 9: “[23] And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: [24] But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. [25] Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. [26] And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. [27] But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. [28] And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. [29] And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians [Greek-speaking Jews]: but they went about to slay him.”

Paul has many more unsettling synagogue visits ahead….

Paul in the Synagogues #3

Saturday, March 8, 2025

“…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19b,20 KJV).

What are the three reasons the Apostle Paul went to the synagogues?

The Lord Jesus Himself foretold how synagogues—so-called “houses of worship of JEHOVAH God”—would be where His Jewish believers would face extreme persecution (Matthew 10:17; Matthew 23:34; John 16:2). Also see Mark 13:9, Luke 12:11, and Luke 21:12, which are still future from us. Working with that evil world system of Satan, Saul of Tarsus engaged in “synagogue ministry” during the early Acts period.

“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1,2). “And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:…” (Acts 22:19). “Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,…” (Acts 26:10-12).

In early Acts chapter 9, Saul of Tarsus had been en route to the Damascus synagogues to punish Jewish believers in the Gospel of the Kingdom (Jesus is Israel’s Messiah/Christ, ready to bring in God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom). By chapter’s middle (see today’s Scripture), however, Saul is in those very synagogues preaching for Jesus Christ instead of against Him! “But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ” (Acts 9:21,22; cf. Galatians 1:22-24).

Yes, Paul is now in the synagogues, for God’s glory….

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Paul in the Synagogues #2

Friday, March 7, 2025

“…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19b,20 KJV).

What are the three reasons the Apostle Paul went to the synagogues?

The Lord Jesus Christ’s principal objective during His earthly ministry was to lead the Jewish people back to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. He achieved this by preaching sound Bible doctrine, whether teaching Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) verses, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, or performing miracles to illustrate and validate who He was and what He was doing.

See Matthew chapter 4, verses 13-17: “And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” There was such spiritual “darkness” in the land of Palestine, but Messiah’s arrival and ministry would expel that Bible ignorance (see Isaiah 8:22–9:8). In His first recorded sermon of Luke 4:16-21, Jesus Himself used the text of Isaiah 61:1,2 to outline what He had come to do for and with Israel. He was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy right there in that synagogue of Nazareth, and would keep fulfilling it every place He went!

Alas, in spite of Jesus’ influence for three years, unbelief and hypocrisy were rampant in these synagogues (for example, Matthew 6:2,5; Matthew 10:17; Matthew 12:9-14; Matthew 13:54-58; Matthew 23:6,34; Mark 3:1-6; Mark 6:1-6; Mark 12:39; Mark 13:9; Luke 4:22-30 [attempted murder!!]; Luke 6:6-11; Luke 11:43; Luke 12:11; Luke 13:10-17; Luke 20:46; Luke 21:12; John 6:25-71, noting especially verses 26-30,41-43,60-66; John 9:22; John 12:42,43; John 16:2). They had works-religion, human “goodness,” but no faith in God’s words to them, and that led to Christ’s crucifixion on Calvary’s cruel cross….

Something in Which to Glory!

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:12-14 KJV).

In what shall we glory? About what shall we boast? In what shall we find value?

Religion produces people who enjoy bragging all about their “dedication to God.” “Look what I did—the ceremonies in which I have participated, the many prayers I faithfully recited daily, how much I put in the collection plate, see how many pleasures I gave up to please God! Come, see how much I love Him!” Dear friends, the Apostle Paul found great value in something—but that something was not what he did. All that human flesh can accomplish pales in comparison to the work in today’s Scripture.

As Lent begins, the time when religionists temporarily (a mere 40 days) relinquish some pleasant food or activity, let us remember that our performance is often non-performance. Once we place ourselves on that treadmill of “do, do, do,” we are guaranteed to fail at some point. Human flesh is simply too weak to maintain 100 percent—that is sin! Even concerning one rule, we cannot keep it perfectly. We mess up eventually.

If ever we believe that our puny works are worth bragging about, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul in today’s Scripture. While some boast in their religiosity (in the passage, the Judaizers applauding their rite of physical circumcision), and such denominationalists today urge us to obey their church’s instructions so they too may boast in our ability, let us eschew such foolishness. Being imperfect, all their works do not measure up to Christ’s finished crosswork. At Calvary, we find the only sacrifice that will ever please the God of the Bible. If we must boast, let us brag that He did what we could never, ever do!

See our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians observe Lent?”

Lessons from the Biblical Apothecary #7

Friday, February 21, 2025

“And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil” (Exodus 30:25 KJV).

Let us learn some lessons from the biblical apothecary….

From the Book of Hebrews, which enlarges upon Jeremiah 31:31-34, we discover the Old Covenant was temporary and will be replaced by the New Covenant (see particularly Hebrews chapters 8–10). Considering that change, Messiah (Jesus Christ) speaks to Father God: “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:6-8). Hebrews 10:5-9 interprets this as Messiah submitting to Father’s will to sacrifice Himself on Calvary’s cruel cross, the foundation for the New Covenant.

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;…” (Hebrews 10:10-12). This “offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” is described in Ephesians 5:1,2 as: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary was “a sweetsmelling savour”—just as pleasant to God’s nostrils as those aromas of the anointing oil and the perfume or incense (the context of today’s Scripture). The stench of the spiritual decay of our sin debt is overwhelmed by the blood sacrifice of the sinless Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, that does not deter works-religionist man from offering his own righteousness, his reeking “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and stinky “dung” (Philippians 3:8), bragging, “I can be just as good as Jesus!” If nothing else, may the “sweetsmelling savour” of Calvary at least discourage us Christians from resurrecting the buried, rotting old man to boast, “I can live the Christian life!”

NO Bible Ignorance in the Midst of Tragedy! #8

Sunday, January 12, 2025

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).

In light of the recent New Orleans terrorist attack just a few hours away from my home, we are delighted to dispel the associated Bible ignorance….

When Adam and Eve united with Satan in his rebellion against the Creator, the LORD God, Genesis 3:7 states regarding our first human parents: “And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Adam and Eve knew they were wrongdoers, but they engaged in “Operation: Fig Leaf.” They resorted to works-religion, covering their own nakedness instead of seeking God’s intervention. When that failed, they hid from God!

“[8] And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. [9] And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? [10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. [11] And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”

Again, they avoided accountability—by blaming someone else: “[12] And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. [13] And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Adam blamed his wife—or, yet, he blamed God who gave him his wife. Eve blamed Satan. “God made me this way!” and “The Devil made me do it!” are still two popular expressions amongst sinners who refuse to accept responsibility. In fact, according to 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Eve was deceived but not Adam. Eve should have asked her husband who was with her, what God had said in Genesis 2:16,17. Adam chose not to be his wife’s Bible teacher, and she acted independently of him, but he was the federal head and thus the ultimate one worthy of blame….

A Life That Will Please

Saturday, January 4, 2025

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture tells us who alone can live a life pleasing in God’s sight!

Everyone does “good” deeds. Yet, doing “good” is not necessarily good. For instance, people often do “good” just to receive praise/reward, make up for their wrongs, feel good, et cetera. Furthermore, despite our “good” deeds, we have plenty more bad ones! Pride, lying, evil thoughts, being a false witness, and being contentious are some of the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Mankind cannot even keep 10 simple rules from God. However, religion continues to urge us to keep seven sacraments, utter various prayers, give assorted offerings and “tithes,” attend numerous feasts and festivals, and perform sundry other tasks to “hopefully” please God and avoid hellfire. Whether we attempt to keep a church’s laws, our laws, or God’s laws, our flesh is far too weak to ever measure up. Just look at what God’s religion did to Israel—how much worse some man-made religion does to us!

As Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel. He was a nitpicker concerning Law-keeping, and yet, after his soul salvation, he admitted that all of his religion was “but dung” compared to Jesus Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:3-11). Even for the Christian, to live a perfect life is impossible (read of Paul’s miserable existence in Romans chapter 7). Paul had to forsake his vain religion and learn today’s Scripture: the Christian life is NOT the performance of the Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ living and working in the Christian, as the Christian walks in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to him or her!

If we trust a Saviour who will save—the Lord Jesus Christ—and trust a Book that will teach—the King James Bible—we can redeem the year for the great God and our Saviour, “who loved [us], and gave himself for [us]!” 🙂

Redeem the Year!

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV).

What great advice for 2025!

Despite 2,000 years of Bible schools and seminaries, 2,000 years of a completed Bible canon, 2,000 years of Bible reading in churches, several decades of “Christian” television and radio, and a decade-plus of widespread use of “Christian” websites, how sad that Bible ignorance is still quite extensive (it is as if God never gave His Word to start with!).

Frankly, the Church the Body of Christ needs to wake up! The verse previous to today’s Scripture says, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (verse 14). Paul, loosely quoting Isaiah 60:1, reminded us that the spiritual ignorance that gripped Israel in Isaiah’s day seized Christians in his day—and it still grips Christians 20 centuries later. Feel-good sermons, enjoyable “worship” services, and rites, rituals, and ceremonies will NOT solve this problem—they exacerbate it!

“[God] will have all men to be saved…” (1 Timothy 2:4a). Do you want this New Year to count for God’s glory? First, you need to get saved from sins and hell! You need to become a Christian by trusting in and relying on Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). That is only part of God’s will for you, for 1 Timothy 2:4b continues, “[God] will have all men… to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Now, God’s will for your Christian life is daily, personal Bible study to renew your mind, so your faith in those verses can cause God to work in your life—it will be His life, thus making you “perfect [spiritually mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Today’s Scripture urges us to buy back the time Satan has robbed from God (time created for God’s glory). By faith, we need to make that time glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by applying His Word, particularly Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon, to our lives. Have a good year in Christ! 🙂

You can download our free “One-Year Bible Reading Schedule.”

See our archived Bible Q&A: “What Scriptural advice can you give me for the New Year?”

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing #5

Saturday, December 7, 2024

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:14-17 KJV).

The final verse of the classic Christmas carol highlights today’s Scripture.

“Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!”

Religion has done an excellent job (wrongly) teaching us that God likes to rehabilitate humans—that He wants to make us quit doing certain things (“fleshly”) and make us start doing other things (“churchy”). What a very shallow, and actually a false, perception. God wants to do much more than what we could ever do by ourselves.

For good works to reign in our lives, God has to kill us! As sinners, in Adam, we are dead in our trespasses and sins, no life in ourselves (see today’s Scripture). Nothing we can do in our own strength will ever change our (sinful) nature in Adam. However, God offers us death to Adam and a new identity through Christ at Calvary. When we trust that Jesus Christ died for our sins, in God’s mind, we died to sin, too. Christ did not simply die for us but as us. Romans chapters 5 through 8 describe the victory is in Christ, not in Adam or in ourselves. Success is by the power of the Holy Ghost working with the grace doctrines we study and believe, not in our struggles to do right. And so, “Christ [is] formed in [us]” (Galatians 4:19).

Something about which the angels cannot sing, but we can, should, and do! 🙂