Category: God’s grace

Brother’s Keeper? #4

Friday, September 6, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

Observe Matthew chapter 23: “[34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: [35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. [36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. [37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

The analogous passage is in Luke chapter 11: “[49] Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: [50] That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; [51] From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”

Abel was both righteous (a believer—Matthew 23:35) and a prophet (one who spoke for God—Luke 11:50,51). Genesis to Malachi, our Old Testament, are rearranged in the Hebrew Bible as Genesis (Abel’s death—Genesis 4:1-8) to 2 Chronicles (Zacharias’ death—2 Chronicles 24:17-22). The evil world system to which Abel’s murderer (Cain) belonged, was the same evil world system of which Zacharias’ murderers were a part… and it was the same evil world system to which apostate Israel (Jesus’ murderers, Little Flock’s murderers) belonged. Obsession with works-religion and blindness in false doctrine caused them all—this generation or issue of Satan’s tools—to do away with God’s people in the most inhumane, devious ways….

Brother’s Keeper? #3

Thursday, September 5, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

Four references toward the end of the Bible canon loop back to the beginning of the Bible canon (Genesis). We would do well to look at them now. Firstly, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4). Secondly, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Thirdly, “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core” (Jude 11).

Lastly, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:10-14). Cain was an unbeliever, a spiritual child of the Devil. It was this fact that drove him to mercilessly take the life of his brother, Abel, a believer or spiritual child of God. This is not “dead history,” but has profound prophetic significance that will be realized only later.

Howbeit, before we address what lies ahead in the ages to come as touching Cain and Abel, we ought to note how the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry interpreted those events in Genesis. Cain and Abel set a precedent or pattern, foreshadowing how Satan and his people would interact with God and His people….

Brother’s Keeper? #2

Wednesday, September 4, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

“And the eyes of them [Adam and Eve] both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Genesis 3:7). However, this was the Law-based acceptance system—and Adam and Eve’s performance in religion was insufficient to address their sin problem. Here now is the Grace-based acceptance system, what God did for them to pay for their sin: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them” (verse 21). Like his parents who tried in vain to cover up their own sin with fig leaves instead of asking the LORD to offer a blood sacrifice in their behalf, so Cain was a works-religionist: he offered whatever he wanted to the LORD God instead of what the LORD God commanded him to offer.

Genesis chapter 4, verses 1-5: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

Abel offered the blood sacrifice (aligning with Genesis 3:21), but Cain brought the fruit of his own hands (matching Genesis 3:7)—what he worked hard to produce in his garden. God accepted Abel and his offering, but He refused Cain and his offering. This controversy disappointed and angered Cain to the point of giving rise to the Bible’s first homicide, the first fratricide, with Abel losing his life in that bitter works-religion war of so long ago….

Living Defensively #3

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,…” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV).

What is the sense of “walk circumspectly” here?

“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). The Corinthians were reminded how just a small quantity of leavening agent (yeast) causes the entire lump of dough to rise. Their allowance of fornication in their local assembly threatened to conquer all of them with sin. This was with respect to evil conduct.

We find the Galatians tolerating evil teaching. The Holy Spirit through Paul cautions them how such “minor” leaven will spread and thoroughly corrupt them. Observe Galatians chapter 5: “[1] Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. [2] Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. [3] For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. [4] Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. [5] For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. [6] For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. [7] Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? [8] This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. [9] A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

As the Corinthians were not walking circumspectly concerning deed, so the Galatians were not walking circumspectly regarding doctrine. The Galatians were permitting legalistic (law-based) teaching when they should have refused it. They ought to have held to God’s grace—how He accepts them in Christ because of His finished crosswork, not because of their religious works. Tolerating just a little false teaching (Galatia) is just as dangerous as allowing a little sinful conduct (Corinthians)….

arC Ministries Is 17!

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV).

To our Lord Jesus Christ’s glory, arC Ministries celebrates its 17th anniversary today!!!

Seventeen years ago, as a 19-year-old college student, I endeavored to use Facebook to create a Bible study group for teens and college students. Thus, “ambassadors for the risen Christ ministries” was born. As I grew more in God’s Word rightly divided, I grew increasingly aware of the need for additional ministry projects. The more I had been learning drove me to share those precious truths with others. That eventually led me to look for supplementary avenues of ministry.

During these past 17 years, God’s grace has enabled us to continue the original group on Facebook. In addition, we have branched out quite a bit in other areas. This devotionals blog has been operating for over 13 years now. For the last 12 years, we have focused on developing and drafting a grace study Bible (now in its thirteenth year). Other ministry projects include a 22-week newspaper ministry column (this devotionals blog’s predecessor), a YouTube channel with home Bible study videos, a Twitter feed, a full-length Bible studies blog, a college campus ministry, a nursing-home ministry, and our Bible-question-and-answer blog. Eight years ago, we launched our new main ministry website and now have a line of printed Bible study booklets available for sale there. Five years ago, we recorded and distributed our Old Testament Survey video series. Later that year, we launched our New Testament Survey video series (which will last a few years). We hear from people all over the world!

Our name says it all: we serve the risen Lord Jesus Christ, not some “dead Jew” and not ourselves. The original motto of our ministry was, “To equip ambassadors, and to encourage others to become ambassadors.” Our primary goal is to teach Christians, and our secondary goal is to evangelize the lost world. Seventeen years later, we still endeavor to uphold God’s Word (King James Bible) rightly divided, whether it be in edifying the Christian brethren or preaching the clear Gospel of the Grace of God to this lost and dying world. For those of you who have been with us from day 1, thank you for your prayer and encouragement. We pray for you upon every remembrance! There is still plenty more for the Lord Jesus Christ to do in and through us, so let us give Him all the praise and glory as we enter Year 18! 🙂

 

Liberated to Serve

Thursday, July 4, 2024 🇺🇸

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 KJV).

Today, as we in the United States celebrate the 248th anniversary of our nation’s independence, we invite our Christian brethren worldwide to rejoice with us concerning our freedom in Jesus Christ.

When we proclaim Romans 6:14—“Ye are not under the law, but under grace”—people tend to assume “loose living.” Does “grace living” really mean we can now live any way we want? Lest anyone be misled in that regard, God the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write in the next verse, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid [May God never let that happen!]” (Romans 6:15). Grace living is not Law-keeping, but it certainly is not Law-breaking either.

God still cares how we live, albeit He is not operating the “weak and beggarly” system of “bondage” (Law) that He once did with Israel (Galatians 4:9). God proved to the entire world that since Israel could not keep His commandments perfectly, no other sons of Adam (the Gentiles) could either: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them [Israel] who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world [Gentiles] may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).

We sinners cannot keep the Law. However, God in His grace provided us a way to escape that condemnation by sending Jesus Christ to offer Himself on Calvary’s cruel cross to pay for our sins. By simple faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the fully-satisfying payment for our sins, we can now be “made the righteousness of God in [Christ]” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can be delivered from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire) and the power of sin (flesh-walking).

Why are we Christians free? To selfishly live any way we want? NO! Today’s Scripture says we are liberated to now serve others, especially our Christian brethren, just as Jesus Christ selflessly served His Father and selflessly died on our behalf. That is grace living!!!!

Please see our 2011 Fourth of July Bible study “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land,” which can be watched here or read here.

Paul and The Pause of Prophecy #12

Thursday, June 13, 2024

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9 KJV).

How is the Apostle Paul connected to the pause of prophecy?

Someone will surely inquire, “Where is Jesus? Is He coming back or not? When? Does not God care about justice? Why are crime and evil still unpunished?” The Bible already answered these questions centuries ago—but gross ignorance prevails because people spend more time studying theology, denominational commentaries, and other distractions than actually reading pages of rightly divided Scripture. It is not God’s fault!

The pause in prophecy and the commencement of mystery allowed the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ to come back to save His chief enemy in the Earth. This is the salvation of Saul of Tarsus and the commissioning of the Apostle Paul (Acts chapter 9), whose ministry has lasted 2,000 years. Never should we confuse “prophecy” (“[that] which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began;” Acts 3:21) with “mystery” (“[that] which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest;” Romans 16:25,26). To believe prophecy is still in effect now is to fail to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

If God could and did save wicked Saul of Tarsus (His chief enemy!), and place him into the Church the Body of Christ, He can and still is saving sinners and putting them into the Body of Christ. This Christ-rejecting world has never deserved grace and will never deserve it—but, through Calvary, God has temporarily granted all people a chance to come by faith in Christ before His wrath does fall. Maybe, just maybe, like Saul so long ago, some of those self-righteous sinners will realize their lost estate and trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour too (see 1 Timothy 1:12-16). Surely, this “Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24)—Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)—is beyond human comprehension. Yet, as long as it is preached, as long as Paul’s apostleship continues, there is a pause of prophecy. In God’s own timing, He will stop mystery altogether and resume prophecy.

Paul and The Pause of Prophecy #11

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9 KJV).

How is the Apostle Paul connected to the pause of prophecy?

Responding to the Thessalonians who were suffering great persecution for their faith, the Holy Spirit through Paul composed these words in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1: “[3] We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; [4] So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: [5] Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

“[6] Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; [7] And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, [8] In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: [9] Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; [10] When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”

It is just, fair, or right that God “take vengeance on” or “pay back” those who harm His children, the believers in Christ. He has reserved that judgment for the final years leading up to and at Christ’s Second Coming, but those days cannot be fulfilled while He is doing something else. He is currently dispensing grace to an undeserving world… and this has been true for some 2,000 years now. However, we must remember this message of “grace and peace” is only temporary. Prophecy has been paused, not cancelled—postponed or delayed, not abolished or nullified. Mystery is for now, not forever.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Paul and The Pause of Prophecy #10

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9 KJV).

How is the Apostle Paul connected to the pause of prophecy?

Turn now to 2 Corinthians 5:14-16: “[14] For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [15] 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. [16] 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.” Not only is this the Lord Jesus’ finished crosswork, but it is His finished crosswork seen from the Pauline perspective. Whereas the crucifixion was bad news in early Acts (Israel murdered Messiah in unbelief! [Acts 2:22-24; Acts 3:13-15; Acts 4:10-12; Acts 5:30,31; Acts 7:51-53]), it became good news starting with Paul’s ministry.

Keep reading 2 Corinthians chapter 5: “[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. [18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. [21] For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Through Calvary as revealed in Paul’s Gospel, God has changed the status of the nations from being His enemies to being His friends (“reconciliation”). For 20 centuries now, He has been offering sinners the chance to place their faith in Christ alone as the fully-satisfying payment for their sins. This is the method whereby the God of the Bible postpones the wrath and war, and extends grace and peace to the world….

Paul and The Pause of Prophecy #9

Monday, June 10, 2024

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9 KJV).

How is the Apostle Paul connected to the pause of prophecy?

Wrath delayed should never, ever be confused with wrath nonexistent (imagined) or wrath abrogated (canceled). Just because God’s current attitude toward the world is grace and peace does not mean it has always been true or will always be true. The Holy Spirit through Paul reminded self-righteous, proud, hypocritical, unsaved Jews during the Acts period of this fact.

Romans chapter 2: “[3] And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? [4] Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? [5] But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; [6] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: [7] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: [8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, [9] Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;….”

Concentrate on verse 4: “…despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering….” For 2,000 years now, God has had mercy upon all—Jew and Gentile alike. Anyone and everyone can approach Him through faith alone in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for their sins (the Gospel of Grace, or Paul’s Gospel, of 1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Yet, many still smugly clung to their self-righteousness, believing they are “decent” or “good enough” without Christ. How pitifully ignorant they are of “the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:… unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;….”

The pause will now cease….