Category: God’s longsuffering

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #7

Monday, January 11, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible?

Let us consider the first point from today’s Scripture: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Remember, the Apostle Peter (1:1) is writing to the nation Israel (Galatians 2:9). The Holy Spirit through Peter wants Israel to “account” something, to “consider” that “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Now, what does this mean? We can answer this by asking, “What are the circumstances that caused Peter to write this?”

Notice the beginning of chapter 3 of 2 Peter: “[3] Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, [4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: [6] Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: [7] But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

In today’s Scripture, Peter provided Israel with an answer to give the scoffers who asked where Jesus Christ’s Second Coming was, His return to consume them in His wrath. He was supposedly coming “quickly,” and yet, at the time of Peter’s writing, Christ had left Earth over 30 years earlier. There had still been no fiery judgment. Why? Was Christ not coming back? Was it all just a farce? In the second point, Peter encouraged his audience to consult Paul’s ministry. We do just that!

The Misunderstood Messiah #5

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Once Christ replied with sound doctrine (verses 42-47), Israel’s religious leaders simply resorted to name-calling again (verse 48): “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” A Samaritan was half-Jew/half-Gentile, and “the Jews [had] no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Notice Jesus was insulted twice more—they called Him a “Samaritan” and “devil possessed.” Throughout the rest of John chapter 8, Israel’s religious leaders continue arguing with Jesus and nearly stone Him to death (verse 59)!

Why did Jesus not simply “zap” these religionists and instantly throw them into hellfire? They belittled and blasphemed Him several times in this one account, and then attempted to murder Him, but rather than Jesus killing them with His spoken word (which would have been justified), He only conversed with them. Why?

Remember, when the Apostles James and John saw how the Samaritans refused to accommodate Jesus, they asked Him if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven and consume those sinners, He replied, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55,56). This First Coming of Christ was His “meek and lowly” coming: He did not come to judge man’s sins, but to die for them!

Even today, God is still not pouring out His wrath on wicked mankind (2 Corinthians 5:19), creatures who still snicker at Jesus Christ, deceive others in His name, persecute His saints, ignore His Word, and “rub His nose” in their sins. Lost mankind is wasting God’s grace and mercy that He is offering so freely. When His grace is finally exhausted, the undiluted wrath that has accumulated will finally be poured out (His Second Coming). May we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour now so we have our sins forgiven now, lest we face that angry, righteous God in judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)!

For more information, you may also see our archived Bible Q&A: “Did God ‘rape’ Mary?”

Joy to the World! #3

Sunday, December 13, 2015

“For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 51:3 KJV).

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

“No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.”

God’s Word to Adam just after he sinned included the following pronouncement, “…[C]ursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee” (Genesis 3:17,18). This is part of the “bondage of corruption” of which Romans 8:21 speaks. Sin tainted creation. Thorns and thistles began to grow, making Adam’s labor in the field even more grueling. Paradise was indeed lost… but not forever!

When God created the heaven and the earth, He selected a special location on Earth as His home. Exodus 15:17,18 say: “Thou shalt bring them [Israel] in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.” Isaiah 40:22 says God “stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.” While Adam’s sinful actions delayed God’s earthly kingdom, God would take care of those mistakes and still accomplish His original intention.

Israel’s mistakes further delayed God’s earthly kingdom. However, God will restore Earth’s ecology to its original, pre-Fall (pre-sin) conditions. This is true especially of Zion, Jerusalem, which will be the global and universal capital city. There will be joy and gladness, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. All believers in heaven (Body of Christ) and earth (redeemed Israel) will join the angels in song. The curse has been lifted, and Jesus Christ has been exalted (Isaiah 11:1-9)!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “‘The fulness of the Gentiles’ and ‘The times of the Gentiles’—same or different?”

Joy to the World! #2

Saturday, December 12, 2015

“Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity” (Psalm 98:5-9 KJV).

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

“Joy to the earth! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.”

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:12), plunging creation into suffering. What God had intended to last forever was now languishing away and dying off! “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth together in pain until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit…” (Romans 8:22,23).

We humans, pinnacles of God’s creatures, are so ungrateful to our Creator. Even in such a fallen state, our universe is amazingly complex and it is a miracle it even functions at all with its abounding impediments! Rather than praising our Creator for giving us life, we complain about our “problems” and then write books, display billboards, and give lectures about His “non-existence.” We mock His name, laugh at His Bible, stick out our tongues at Him, and wag our fingers in His face. Newsflash—God will not tolerate that forever!

In His own time, Almighty God will make all things right. That means getting rid of that which (and who) is wrong/evil. As 1 Timothy 6:14,15 say: “…the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;” No matter what mankind does—cooperate with Him by faith, or protest by throwing a tantrum in unbelief—God has already determined what He is going to do. Jesus Christ, whether people like it or not, will be King over all creation!

Return, LORD! #6

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel” (Numbers 10:35,36 KJV).

Dear friends, we have reached the end of our 12-day devotionals arc!

Some 3,500 years after Moses spoke, with the completed Bible in our hands, we see today’s Scripture in the grand scheme of things. It was not just idle words. Rather, it uses the past to provide a glimpse of the future. Today’s Scripture is a small-scale preview of the large-scale events yet to be. Jesus Christ will “rise” from His Father’s right hand in heaven, to come to Earth and purge His Holy Land of all Jewish and Gentile participants in Satan’s policy of evil. Furthermore, Jesus Christ will “return” to Israel, His Messianic Jews, to bring them into the earthly kingdom their ancestors refused millennia ago.

After Jesus Christ stood in Acts chapter 7, He sat back down. No wrath came because He temporarily postponed that program to initiate ours. Throughout our Dispensation of Grace, the last 2,000 years, He has been sitting at His Father’s right hand (Colossians 3:1). One day, when our dispensation ends, He will stand again, to judge His enemies at His Second Coming. After He rids the land of Palestine of all unbelievers—Jews and Gentiles—and consigns them to eternal hellfire (Matthew 13:37-43), all that remains are Israel’s believing remnant and those Gentiles who blessed them (Matthew 25:31-46). They enter God’s kingdom “prepared for them [from] the foundation of the world” (verse 34).

David wrote interesting words in Psalm 3: “[7] Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. [8] Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” God will not only save believing Israel from the attacks of her unbelieving brethren, but also from her Gentile persecutors. He will bring them into His kingdom, His “rest” (“Selah” is Hebrew for “pause”). But, that all relates to Israel’s program, not what God is doing today in our mystery program.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why are all the tribes of Israel not listed in Revelation 7?”

Return, LORD! #5

Monday, November 23, 2015

“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel” (Numbers 10:35,36 KJV).

What does today’s Scripture mean?

The Berean Bible student notices “return.” Jesus Christ ascended into heaven 2,000 years ago as a royal exile. Israel, favoring and worshiping idols, rejected and crucified Him instead. After our dispensation closes, Israel’s believing remnant will be enlightened. They will return unto God. They will pray for their Messiah-King to come back to and for them. “Our Father which art in heaven,… Thy kingdom come,” Jesus taught Israel to pray (Matthew 6:9,10).

Since Israel left JEHOVAH first, she has to return to Him first, that He return to her. She was unfaithful to Him by worshiping and serving idols. He did not leave her—she left Him! “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations [idols] out of my sight…” (Jeremiah 4:1). “The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God” (Isaiah 10:20,21) “And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7).

Once Israel returns to God, Jesus Christ, who went to heaven to receive the kingdom from His Heavenly Father, He will “return” and establish that kingdom on Earth for Israel’s sake (Luke 19:12). James talked about this “return” of Christ to Israel, which will occur once God quits forming us, the Church the Body of Christ (Acts 15:16). Psalm 80: “[14] Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;…[19] Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”

With Israel’s believing remnant forsaking their pagan idols during the seven-year Tribulation, recognizing Jesus as legitimate instead of an impostor, they will be redeemed and cleansed to enter their kingdom once Christ “returns!”

Preach Not Jesus Christ?

Sunday, November 8, 2015

“Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ” (Matthew 16:20 KJV).

Did Jesus discourage us from witnessing to lost people?

Years ago, a pastor friend was out preaching the Gospel on his city’s street corners. A man approached him and foolishly said, “Preacher, the Bible says you should not be doing that! Jesus told His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Christ!”

It is a real shame that so many have so misconstrued God’s precious Word. Whenever convenient to quote and prove a denominational point, Scripture is used. Whenever Bible rejecters do not want to hear Christians quote Scripture to challenge them, they hastily quote it and use it against Christians (“Jesus said not to judge!”). When the Bible does not prove a denomination, it is ignored. When the scoffers run out of “Bible contradictions” to throw at the Christians, the scoffers just throw out the Bible altogether. Thank God for His grace, that He tolerates such disrespect. He is not mocked, friends. There is coming a day in which such fools will give account to the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, for treating His words so carelessly and irreverently. What a dreadful day that will be!

When we rip today’s Scripture out of its context and use it to discourage evangelism, it is a most dastardly act. What sloppiness! If Jesus did not want His disciples to declare His “Christhood”/“Messiahship,” then why did the Holy Spirit empower them to preach that very message in Acts 2:38, Acts 3:6, Acts 3:18, Acts 4:10, et cetera? The Lord Jesus was not against His followers preaching His name to lost people. But, there came a point in His earthly ministry when that message was not to be preached to all of Israel. By the time of today’s Scripture, Jesus had already been demonstrating who He was to Israel for two years or more. They had so rejected Him that He did not waste His time anymore. He did not want His disciples to waste their time either. In the early Acts, Israel was given one final chance to trust Him. Of course, they still rejected Him. But, they heard plenty of “Jesus is Christ!”

*For more information, see our study, “Why did Jesus forbid others from preaching that He was Christ?”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How many daughters did Lot have?”

God is Not a Recluse

Sunday, September 6, 2015

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6 KJV)

Is God a “recluse?” Certainly not, beloved!

Watching television, reading a newspaper, and/or scanning social media websites, you immediately recognize abundant negativity and distress. People immaturely bickering about stupid topics, calling others names to no purpose. Individuals harming others (robberies, murders, kidnappings, and so on). Trouble brewing at a local church once known for its loving atmosphere. A dysfunctional family waxing worse and worse. Economic, political, environmental, healthcare, and social woes. No matter the country, what a depressing state of affairs!

I recently read online, “The more I deal with people, the more I sympathize with recluses.” (And this complaint came from someone who was not God, someone who had not dealt with 15+ billion sinners and their every sinful deed and their every sinful thought every single moment for the last 6,000 years!) With every passing day, it should constantly amaze us that Father God allows it to continue. Remember, God will not fix just one little problem. If He is to take care of one issue, He must take care of them all. It is not yet time for Him to take care of one issue, so all of these depressing issues still remain unresolved in our world!

What we need to be most thankful for is that Father God knew all this trouble that was coming, long before Genesis 1:1, and He devised a plan to make it right (today’s Scripture). Imagine if you will, knowing full well the colossal mess that would result because of sinful man. Would you create the heaven and the earth still? Let me just say I would spare myself all the headache and heartbreak!

The God of the Bible could have just stayed in heaven. He could have been a recluse, having nothing to do with man. He could have let man stay lost in his sin. There was no obligation for God to do anything. Oh, but praise Him, He was not a recluse, but rather died for the people who had caused Him such grief! Yea, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (today’s Scripture).

#Katrina10

Saturday, August 29, 2015

“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? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasureth up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;” (Romans 2:3-5 KJV).

Exactly 10 years ago today, the worst natural disaster in modern United States history struck the Gulf Coast. Was it really God’s wrath?

On August 29, 2005, a Category 3 (formerly a Category 5) hurricane departed the Gulf of Mexico and struck the Louisiana/Mississippi border, roughly three hours’ drive east of here. Over 1,000 people died. Causing over US$100 billion in damage, Katrina is the costliest hurricane on record. It greatly affected our state (Louisiana) and the rest of the Gulf Coast. The Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area was particularly affected.

Ten years ago, I was steeped in denominationalism. I agreed with the religionists that God’s wrath had finally hit New Orleans. The debauched Mardi Gras parades, violence, racism, murders, sexual immorality, and so on, would be no more there. Friend, let me assure you—10 years ago, I was totally ignorant of the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering!

If one does not “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), all of his or her theology will be unstable. Dispensational Bible study is absolutely critical—not only in understanding the Bible, but also in understanding what God is doing today. The God of the Bible is often portrayed as cruel, yet today’s Scripture says He is a good God, a forbearing God, and a longsuffering God. Not only that, but He is rich in goodness, rich in forbearance, and rich in longsuffering! There is no better Person than Him!

God’s wrath against man’s sin will be revealed one day, but let us not despise His grace, goodness, patience, and longsuffering, today. Grace postpones the wrath! Peace postpones the war! Friends, let us come by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, that we not see that wrath when it does finally come!

Paul and Dispensationalism #1

Saturday, August 8, 2015

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:15,16 KJV).

What can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

God’s wrath that was about to fall on Jesus-rejecting Israel in Acts chapter 7 never came. For 2,000 years now, that prophecy has been delayed. Today, sinful mankind continues to rub God’s nose in his sin. They marry whomever they want, worship whatever they want, steal whatever they want, kill whomever they want, oppress whomever they want, say whatever they want, and do whatever else they want. They replace Jesus Christ’s crosswork with their (meager) “righteous deeds.” Haughtily, they ask, “Just what are You going to do about it, God? Not saying or doing anything about what I am doing? You must not exist, then!”

Paul plainly declared in today’s Scripture what happened to the wrath that was literally moments away in early Acts. As Saul of Tarsus, Israel’s leader in arresting, torturing, and executing Messianic Jews, he was the primary character in God’s crosshairs. God’s wrath could have literally crushed Saul of Tarsus! He was “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious” but he “obtained mercy,” because he “did it ignorantly in unbelief” (verse 13). Saul instead experienced “the GRACE of our Lord [that] was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (verse 14).

Saul’s worthless ministry was finished, permanently suspended. Now, he would be the first member of the Body of Christ. Saul would be the prime specimen of God’s longsuffering. Why has God’s wrath not yet fallen on this evil world? Look at Paul the pattern! The program that allowed Paul to escape God’s wrath is now operating today, that others may also escape that impending wrath. Oh, friend, may you not delay another second. Come by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s shed blood, His death, His burial, and His resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins. Follow Paul your pattern!