Category: works-religion

Satan and Dispensationalism #14

Monday, October 19, 2015

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” (Ephesians 3:1,2 KJV).

Satan knows that Dispensational Bible Study is the key to understanding God’s Word. Thus, he denies it and corrupts it every chance he gets!

If there is confusion about any one Bible book, it is definitely Acts. That book has been so pathetically mistreated, so twisted out of shape—it makes one’s spiritual stomach turn and churn. Sadly, within a growing segment of the “Grace Movement,” we find people who have corrupted the book of Acts to promote their agenda just as denominationalists do with their own traditions.

Friend, learn exactly where all the trouble originates and guard yourself. Dispensationalists often needlessly struggle with Acts chapters 7 through 28. True, therein is much “rapid scene-switching” in the Biblical narrative. Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome. Peter, Paul, Peter, Paul. Israel, Body of Christ, Israel, Body of Christ. Jews, Gentiles, Jews, Gentiles. Strangely, we find Paul engaging in “Jewish” behavior amongst Gentiles. He physically circumcised Timothy, water baptized Gentile converts, raised a dead man, healed the sick, took a Jewish vow, went to the Temple to offer a sacrifice, and so on. What people assume is that our program and our Body of Christ did not operate until Paul ceased those activities. They want to say Paul continued Israel’s covenants and program for a time (Acts). After Acts, they assume our program (dispensation) and our Body of Christ began.

Listen, friends. Let us stop the nonsense. If we are confused about Acts, the best thing to do is stay silent and study instead of babbling about something we know little about. More harm than good has resulted in people prattling about Acts, even some in the Grace Movement. It is quite simple, beloved. Acts is Paul’s provoking ministry to unbelieving Jews! Go read Romans 11:11-14. Paul was not conducting that odd ministry for our benefit. He was doing it for lost Jews to join our program because their prophetic program had been interrupted. Like him, their only hope of eternal life was to join—not Israel—but the Body of Christ.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Who are those ‘afar off’ in Acts 2:39?”

Satan and Dispensationalism #13

Sunday, October 18, 2015

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” (Ephesians 3:1,2 KJV).

Satan knows that Dispensational Bible Study is the key to understanding God’s Word. Thus, he denies it and corrupts it every chance he gets!

There are various “dispensations” in the Word of God, different instructions God gives to a people group in history to believe and obey. The “Dispensation of the Grace of God” is the one that affects us Gentiles today. Paul says in today’s Scripture that the risen, ascended, and glorified Jesus Christ gave him this dispensation so that he could give it to us. That dispensational boundary and change is of critical importance. It involves these last 2,000 years—one-third of human history! It affects the formation and function of the Church the Body of Christ. If Satan can introduce the least amount of uncertainty regarding this dispensation, he confuses the Body of Christ and disrupts two millennia of God’s working in the world.

The most confusion concerning dispensational Bible study is exactly when the Dispensation of Grace began and when our Church the Body of Christ began. Some say Acts chapter 2, others say chapter 9, still others chapter 13, and still others chapter 18, still others chapter 20, or even chapter 28, or even beyond. Confusion! Confusion! Confusion! Some start the Body of Christ in one part of Acts and start the Dispensation of Grace in another part of Acts. We have those who say, “Grace began at the cross but the Body of Christ did not begin until Acts 2.” We have those who say the Body of Christ began in Acts 9 but the Dispensation of Grace did not begin until late Acts or post Acts. We have one group that says the Dispensation of Grace and the Church the Body of Christ both began in late Acts or post Acts. Confusion! Confusion! Confusion!

When did the Dispensation of Grace begin? When did our Church the Body of Christ begin? Unless we have a denominational or “traditional grace” system to promote, we will just agree with the Bible. Let us see what God’s Word says.

Satan and Dispensationalism #11

Thursday, October 15, 2015

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is one of the six key areas that Satan has found to be advantageous regarding confusing God’s people in this Dispensation of Grace, the Church the Body of Christ!

Satan wants ignorant Christians. After all, he can only rule over people who are unaware of what really matters. As one dear brother often says, “Ignorant brethren are the world’s largest denomination!” To add insult to injury, the exact six instances where Paul says not to be ignorant of some doctrine, they are the very doctrines of which Christendom is totally ignorant today! Awful! Shameful! Awful!

The fifth exhortation not to be ignorant is in today’s Scripture. Satan, quite angry with God because of the mystery now revealed, constantly made God’s Apostle Paul suffer and grow discouraged. Today’s Scripture refers to the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41). One of the lowest points in Paul’s life, he was severely depressed (see today’s Scripture). Later, Paul writes how he, throughout his journeys, was often imprisoned, robbed, lashed/scourged at least 195 times, stoned (pummeled with rocks and left for dead), et cetera (2 Corinthians 11:22-33). All for the sake of getting the Gospel of the Grace of God to lost and dying Gentiles! Save the Lord Jesus Christ, no one in the Bible suffered more than Paul.

There is still a satanic agenda today to persecute and discourage grace believers. Friends, let us ever be mindful of it. Paul wanted members of the Body of Christ to appreciate his suffering for their sakes. No fraud or charlatan would endure that much abuse. Religious people will grow angry with us. We preach Paul’s epistles, finding ourselves mistreated by lost and saved alike (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are largely ignored… thus, Christendom is largely ignorant!

Satan and Dispensationalism #10

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (1 Corinthians 12:1 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is one of the six key areas that Satan has found to be advantageous regarding confusing God’s people in this Dispensation of Grace, the Church the Body of Christ!

Satan wants ignorant Christians. After all, he can only rule over people who are unaware of what really matters. As one dear brother often says, “Ignorant brethren are the world’s largest denomination!” To add insult to injury, the exact six instances where Paul says not to be ignorant of some doctrine, they are the very doctrines of which Christendom is totally ignorant today! Awful! Shameful! Awful!

The fourth exhortation not to be ignorant is in today’s Scripture. It is part of Paul’s answers to the Corinthians’ list of questions (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Corinthians 8:1). Chapters 12-14 are his instructions concerning spiritual gifts operating during the Acts transitional period. The Corinthians were so carnal (fleshly, worldly) (1 Corinthians 3:1-3), using their spiritual gifts without charity (chapter 13) and glorifying their flesh with “flashiness” in the assembly. “Look at my gift—I speak gibberish, I heal the sick, I blah…blah…blah…!” (Sound familiar?) Paul had to sternly rebuke them. They were not led by God’s Spirit. Furthermore, they were so unhealthily fixated on those spiritual gifts, their Christian lives would finish falling apart in the coming years when those gifts would finish falling away.

There is still a satanic agenda today to deceive Christians concerning spiritual gifts. So many Christians believe God is currently operating the gifts of tongues, healing, prophesy, knowledge, et cetera. Friends, let us ever be mindful of it. Spiritual gifts were for a sign to unbelieving Israel (1 Corinthians 1:22; 1 Corinthians 14:21,22) and only temporarily (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Christendom proudly refuses to acknowledge those sign gifts fell away when the written Word of God was completed. Like the Corinthians, they are still stuck on selfishness and immaturity—using spiritual gifts to gratify the flesh and glorying in limited Bible understanding. Like Israel in Hebrews 5:11-14, when they should be able to teach God’s Word to others, they themselves must first be taught it. Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are largely ignored… thus, Christendom is largely ignorant!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Does God give us faith?”

Satan and Dispensationalism #9

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is one of the six key areas that Satan has found to be advantageous regarding confusing God’s people in this Dispensation of Grace, the Church the Body of Christ!

Satan wants ignorant Christians. After all, he can only rule over people who are unaware of what really matters. As one dear brother often says, “Ignorant brethren are the world’s largest denomination!” To add insult to injury, the exact six instances where Paul says not to be ignorant of some doctrine, they are the very doctrines of which Christendom is totally ignorant today! Awful! Shameful! Awful!

The third exhortation not to be ignorant is in today’s Scripture. Paul reminded the Corinthians to learn a tragic lesson from Israel’s history. God delivered her from Egyptian bondage (sin, Satan, and the world) to enjoy a new life in a new land, His Promised Land. Paul continued after today’s Scripture: “But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them…. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed…. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them did…. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured…. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples….”

There is still a satanic agenda today to distract us from our new life in Christ. Friends, let us ever be mindful of it. Israel abandoned Moses, God’s spokesman to her; Christendom forsook Paul, God’s spokesman to us. Like the Corinthians, they overlook Paul’s apostleship (2 Corinthians chapters 10-13), preferring pagan philosophy (1 Corinthians chapters 1-3) and devil worship (chapters 8-11). Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are largely ignored… thus, Christendom is largely ignorant!

Satan and Dispensationalism #5

Friday, October 9, 2015

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8,9 KJV).

Dispensational Bible study is the key to believing a clear Gospel message and understanding the Bible canon, so Satan seeks to hide or corrupt it, that he may keep the masses in his snare!

Satan has a twofold plan concerning the Gospel of Grace. Basically, he mixes it with other gospel messages from other Bible dispensations. This is useful to keep lost people lost and Christians confused. Consider the Galatians in today’s Scripture. Take 30 minutes today and read the entire epistle to the Galatians. These Christians had let someone deceive them using the Law of Moses. The Galatians had accepted at least one false teacher. That false teacher had not thrown away the Bible—he had merely thrown away Paul’s writings! The false teacher was using Moses—Scripture! Scripture! Scripture!—to mislead Christians.

Prior to penning today’s Scripture, Paul wrote verses 6 and 7: “[6] I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: [7] Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Thousands of “Christian” groups today are “perverting” the grace of Christ. They are preaching a works-religion message, the same damnable “gospel” that Paul condemned. Like the false teachers in Galatia, they mix law and grace, making the message sound true. The Galatians were duped into thinking they had to work in religion to please God, when God had already accepted them in Jesus Christ because of His work at Calvary. “O foolish Galatians,” Paul lamented in chapter 3. “O foolish Christendom!,” we lament today.

If someone is not using the Bible rightly divided, he or she cannot preach Paul’s pure Gospel. If he or she does not acknowledge Romans through Philemon as God’s Word to us today, we should separate from that person, just as Paul urged the Galatians. Let us not be foolish!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What about Romans 10:9-10?”

Satan and Dispensationalism #4

Thursday, October 8, 2015

“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” (Hebrews 5:12 KJV).

Dispensational Bible study is the key to believing a clear Gospel message and understanding the Bible canon, so Satan seeks to hide or corrupt it, that he may keep the masses in his snare!

Recently, a dear Christian lady told me about her denominational church, “We read the Bible there, we just do not study it as in-depth as you do.” In other words, like most churches today, it is shallow. Just enough verses to keep people interested in supporting the church, but not enough verses to impact their lives sufficiently for God’s glory. Just enough verses to bolster the denomination, but not enough verses to strengthen souls.

It is common in dispensational Bible study circles to hear people who are so disappointed to have learned those simple Bible truths so very late in their lives. They trusted Christ as their personal Saviour 30, 40, or 50 or more years ago, but they spent all those years in shallow understanding and utter Bible confusion. A poor lady once told a Christian brother, “I am over 90 years old. I have learned more from my Bible in six months with dispensational Bible study, than I have learned in 90 years in ‘church!’”

From Moses to Christ, about 1500 years, the Jews should have learned enough Bible to teach the nations. Alas, the writer of the book of Hebrews chided his nation for being spiritually immature and ignorant (today’s Scripture). Verses 13 and 14 continue, “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.”

If we want to avoid Israel’s mistake, and Christendom’s mistake, may we become skilled in the Word of God rightly divided, that we may teach others—lost and saved alike.

Satan and Dispensationalism #3

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Dispensational Bible study is the key to believing a clear Gospel message and understanding the Bible canon, so Satan seeks to hide or corrupt it, that he may keep the masses in his snare!

Recently, my 10-year-old niece told me of a somewhat troubling conversation she had with her teacher, an employee of a private “Christian” school. My niece knows the Gospel of the Grace of God by heart. Unlike many preachers, she can quote it with ease, “Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.” When she asked her teacher, “What is the Gospel of the Grace of God?,” the teacher admitted she had no idea!!

It is sad to say, but I am afraid that the Gospel is hidden from lost people and a lot of “Christians” today as well! There are 40,000 different “Christian” denominations all preaching different Gospel messages. The dominant crowds are preaching: “Get water baptized and keep the commandments!,” “Ask Jesus into your heart!,” “Make Jesus Lord of your life!,” “Confess your sins and ask God to save you!,” “You must be born again!,” or “Repent and say the sinner’s prayer!”

The way Satan keeps lost people lost is to use Israel’s law-performance system (works-religion). Yes, he uses the Bible to deceive. Not only are these lost people blinded by sin, they are misguided when it comes to properly interpreting the Bible. They grab John 3:3, Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9-10, Mark 1:15, Matthew 19:17, James 2:24, Revelation 3:20, or Mark 16:16, as though these are verses written to and about our salvation. They are not!

If lost people want a clear dissertation of the Gospel of the Grace of God, they should read the first five chapters of the book of Romans. No clearer Gospel tract has ever been written to Gentiles in our Dispensation of Grace!

Satan and Dispensationalism #2

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

“…God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Dispensational Bible study is the key to believing a clear Gospel message and understanding the Bible canon, so Satan seeks to hide or corrupt it, that he may keep the masses in his snare!

Friend, have you ever wondered about God’s will for your life? Now that you have read today’s Scripture, you need not search any longer. It discloses God’s will for non-Christians and Christians. The God of the Bible has done everything needed to save mankind from his sins. Why? He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The God of the Bible became the God-Man, Jesus Christ, to shed His rich, royal blood to atone for every person’s sins. “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:6). He wants all people to be saved, that they not go to hell! Lost people need to trust Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork alone, that they go to heaven!

Verse 7 continues, “Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.” When was the “due time” for Jesus Christ’s crosswork to be “testified” as available to all people? It was Paul’s apostleship, Acts chapter 9 onward! This is the dispensational aspect of God’s will, the “coming unto the knowledge of the truth” that God wants for Christians. He wants them to recognize the special ministry and message the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ gave Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul. In Paul’s epistles, we find a clear Gospel message and the doctrine needed for a functional Christian life.

Satan obviously does not want God’s will fulfilled. So, his religious system confuses the various Gospel messages and divine instructions given throughout the Bible. This makes it nearly impossible for any lost person to become a Christian, and nearly impossible for a Christian to become a mature believer. Such people under his control are usually very resistant to hearing God’s truth!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How long should I keep witnessing to the same person?”

Bands of Love

Sunday, October 4, 2015

“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them” (Hosea 11:4 KJV).

Oh, what gracious love JEHOVAH God had for hateful, ungracious Israel!

Have you ever loved someone and he or she just trampled it underfoot? You truly cared for them and they truly could not care less about you. They had no time for you unless they could get something from you. You did a lot to help them and they were so ungrateful. They dragged your name through the mud. They mocked you, hurt you, and slandered you. How did that make you feel? Bitter, angry, sad, disappointed?

“[1] When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. [2] As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. [3] I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. [4] I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.”

It is most pathetic to find, in the context of today’s Scripture, that Israel has thrown God’s love in the garbage! They did not want fellowship with the one true God, the God who had felt sorry for them and who had rescued them from such deplorable Egyptian slavery. They preferred to offer sacrifices to worthless idols that could not think, hear, talk, or love them. This is no different today. We love our religion. Unlike Jesus Christ, our religion never loved us to die for us. Why are we so devoted to denominations? We love our sin. Unlike Jesus Christ, our sin never loved us enough to die for us. Why are we so loyal to our sin?

Friends, may we never throw away the identity that God offers us in Jesus Christ. Let us learn the lesson from Israel’s tragic history. May we be content with God’s grace. With each passing day, let us thank Him for it!