Category: Jesus Christ

The Unknown God Made Known #2

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

“O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me” (John 17:25 KJV).

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:10).

As Paul the Apostle traveled throughout Gentile lands, it was Father God traveling in and through him. These idolaters were strangers from Israel’s covenants. They had never heard of Jesus Christ or JEHOVAH. But, like all people aware of some “mysterious higher power,” they were religious. Take, for example, the Athenians.

Recorded in Acts chapter 17, Paul noticed their various “devotions” (objects of worship, such as idols and altars). One particular altar’s inscription caught his attention, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (verse 23). They ignorantly worshiped Him. There was no real knowledge of the one true God, but just in case they had overlooked a deity, they put a shrine for him, too. Paul took advantage of that and said, “Him declare I unto you.” The Creator God would be unknown to them no more. Through Paul, Jesus Christ preached a wonderful Gospel message to these lost and dying heathen (verses 24-31). Many mocked and laughed at Calvary’s finished crosswork, but a few believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and received eternal life (verse 34).

“Paul… saw the city wholly given to idolatry” (verse 16). So religious—so superstitious. So educated—so ignorant. They had their religion and their philosophy, but they had no relationship with the one true God. Note! Neither religion nor philosophy is how we reach the Creator God. We approach Him by way of the Gospel of His Grace. Specifically, He sent Paul to preach Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork to us, that we outside of Israel’s program and covenants could approach Him by simple faith. Writing to the former idolaters not far away from Athens, Paul told the Corinthian believers: “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).

As Jesus Christ made His Heavenly Father known to sinners, as Paul the Apostle made his Heavenly Father known to sinners, may we make our Heavenly Father known to sinners.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Should we pray for the peace of Jerusalem?”

The Unknown God Made Known #1

Monday, November 2, 2015

“O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me” (John 17:25 KJV).

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not” (John 1:10).

Yea, the world is not Christian-friendly. Here, in the United States, once known for its “Christian” values, people are becoming increasingly hostile and hateful toward biblical Christianity. Christians in other countries have it worse.

Lost people have no relationship with “righteous” (holy) Father God. As unredeemed sinners, alienated from God’s life (Ephesians 4:17-19), they cannot know Him on the personal, intimate level we Christians do. His ideas, His deeds, and His words are meaningless to them. When Christ spoke His Father’s words, most common Jews disregarded. Yet, there was a believing remnant—the “little flock” (Luke 12:32). Those few Messianic Jews, they knew Father God sent Jesus to them. They believed His words. Through Christ’s words, Israel’s little flock enjoyed the same fellowship with Father God as Jesus Christ Himself.

As the Apostle John wrote firsthand in 1 John 1:1-3: “[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; [2] (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) [3] That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

Today’s evil world system operated during our Lord’s earthly ministry. Lost people hated Him because they hated His Heavenly Father. Likewise, lost people dislike us. Christian friend, never take it personally. What really bothers them is the Father God who lives in us. The words we speak, the ideas we believe, and the works we do, they reflect our Father’s Word working in and through us. They do not know Him, but through the Message of Grace we preach, they can know Him! May we make Him known to them!

Satan and Dispensationalism #25

Friday, October 30, 2015

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” (Colossians 1:25,26 KJV).

Dispensational Bible Study enables us to see and appreciate the final revelation from God. Satan is thus utterly embarrassed!

It is written down forever in the eternal Word of God. Looks were indeed deceiving at Calvary. Satan, appearing victorious, actually participated in his own defeat! Beloved, the preaching of the cross is that God outsmarted Satan. Jesus Christ’s shed blood can deliver sinners—even wretched, uncircumcised Gentiles such as ourselves—from Satan’s domain!

“[12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: [13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: [14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:12-14).

That God would take Jews and Gentiles who would simply trust His Son’s finished crosswork, and form one new man, the Church the Body of Christ—completely unheard of in the Old Testament! Even Satan could not and did not figure it out. It was not revealed to Satan, his fallen angels, God’s elect angels, and man until God saved miserable Saul of Tarsus and commissioned him as the Apostle Paul. As God’s apostle of the Gentiles, Paul had a special role. He was given the privilege to finish God’s Word (today’s Scripture).

Through the Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon, God has made known unto us “the mystery of his will” (Ephesians 1:9). God had a secret will, friends. Now that God has revealed His secret through Paul’s writings, Satan has an active campaign to keep it hidden. Dispensational Bible Study is watered down, slandered, and ignored by the religious crowd and the modern English versions, that Satan not be exposed as foolish. Let us not be foolish. Lest we miss God’s latest (and final) revelation, may we recognize and hold fast to by faith the Dispensation of Grace given to us by Jesus Christ through the Apostle Paul.

-FINIS!- 🙂

Satan and Dispensationalism #24

Thursday, October 29, 2015

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” (Colossians 1:25,26 KJV).

Dispensational Bible Study enables us to see and appreciate the final revelation from God. Satan is thus utterly embarrassed!

Lucifer was (still is as Satan) the wisest creature. However, that which is created can never be greater than its creator. God knows Satan’s thoughts, but Satan knows not God’s thoughts. While the triune Godhead revealed Their will for the earth and Israel, They kept something secret. Satan was intelligent, but not omniscient (all-knowing); some things were completely unknown to him. The triune Godhead skillfully let Satan participate in Calvary’s crosswork. After Calvary, the Godhead revealed Their original purpose in Calvary.

Had Satan really known what God would do through Christ’s finished crosswork, Satan would have done everything he could to prevent Calvary. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 2: “[6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: [7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: [8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

Colossians 2:14,15: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Through Christ’s shed blood, all sinners can now be reconciled to God. In the future, Israel’s New Covenant can be established, to save her from her sins and make her God’s earthly kingdom of priests. Moreover, the direct divine revelation given to Paul is that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is how (now, in our Dispensation of Grace) all people—Jew or Gentile—can by faith join the Church the Body of Christ and form God’s heavenly kingdom.

Satan and Dispensationalism #23

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” (Colossians 1:25,26 KJV).

Dispensational Bible Study enables us to see and appreciate the final revelation from God. Satan is thus utterly embarrassed!

The Lord Jesus “was crucified through weakness” (2 Corinthians 13:4). On the cross, He looked so hopeless and so helpless. Surely, Satan, in his demented mind, greatly delighted to see the Lord of glory suffer horrifically at the hands of sinful man. Satan was exuberant when Jesus bowed His head and gave up the ghost. As they took Him down from the cross and buried Him, Satan was overwhelmingly pleased with himself. The disciples were heartbroken. The Man who had promised to save them, was now dead. All their hopes and dreams were buried with Him. Yes, Father God buried His Son that day, but certainly Father God did not bury His program that day!

Three days later, Satan got the shock of his life. The Lord Jesus was alive! His disciples were equally amazed. God’s program for Israel had not ended. Jesus Christ began to preach about that kingdom deliverance again. We can imagine how furious Satan became! What in the world could he do to a Man whom he had already murdered, and who had been resurrected? Nothing! But the greatest shock was yet to come!

With the conversion and ministry of the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 9, the ascended Lord Jesus Christ revealed a secret. While God had been revealing prophecy prior to Paul—that “which God hath spoken by the mouth all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21)—He had deliberately withheld the mystery. When we come to Paul, we read, “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest” (Romans 16:25,26; cf. today’s Scripture). What is “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery?” It is the doctrine that exposes Satan as the foolish loser that he is!

Beloved, we glory in Jesus Christ as we present to you our special edition Bible Q&A #200: “What is Acts 9/28 Hybrid Theology?”

Satan and Dispensationalism #22

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” (Colossians 1:25,26 KJV).

Dispensational Bible Study enables us to see and appreciate the final revelation from God. Satan is thus utterly embarrassed!

By nature, Satan is a genius. From his creation, he has operated on a mental level far, far, far beyond every other creature of God. Lucifer was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12). As creation’s song-leader, Satan was to devise ways to glorify his Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. Lucifer became prideful (verses 15-18): his wisdom and beauty made him fall in love with himself. Lucifer concluded that he belonged on God’s throne, that he was wiser, more fit to govern creation. Thus, began the spiritual battle that is waged even today.

Beginning in Genesis chapter 3, Satan involved mankind in usurping God’s authority. Genesis chapters 4-6 were intensifications of that battle. Unbelieving Cain killed his believing brother Abel—the first murder. Man’s wickedness was so great that God finally destroyed that ancient world with a global flood. Next, the disastrous one-world government and one-world religion at the Tower of Babel (Genesis chapter 11). Satan thought he would somehow always outsmart God.

When God created His special nation Israel (Genesis chapter 12), Satan began to focus on corrupting Israel. The rest of the Old Testament documents Satan corrupting Israel. During Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, that spiritual battle reached its highest level of intensity. The bloodlust was so great in Satan that the greatest murder would occur now.

Satan could have sent an evil spirit to work in killing Jesus Christ. But, he did not. The Bible says Satan himself entered Judas (Luke 22:3). Satan was certain the job would be done right, once for all. Israel’s King would die! With Him dead, Israel’s kingdom would never come to pass. Israel was already dead in sin and Satan’s grip. The lost Gentiles could not be saved through Israel, for Israel could not rise to kingdom glory. With God’s Son dead, Satan had won. Or, had he?

333’s 1600th – The Word of God’s Grace

Saturday, October 17, 2015

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32 KJV).

And so, dear readers, we have reached another ministry milestone—devotional #1600!

Firstly, we thank and praise Father God through our Lord Jesus Christ. His bountiful grace has enabled us to continue this ministry project for 1600 days nonstop. Secondly, we thank you, our readers, for faithfully supporting us these nearly 4 1/2 years. We were delighted to serve you in the grace ministry. We look forward to serving you more in the days, weeks, and years to come, Lord willing.

In this world where bad news is rampant, it has been nice to come to the Word of God rightly divided every day and learn some encouraging material that will literally affect eternity. Imagine! We can have God’s Word preserved for us and translated for us, the living words of the living God, in the form of a book, the King James Bible. In this world of instability and uncertainty, it is nice to know that we have a Book we can trust. It does not change every few years like a science textbook or a modern English Bible version.

God’s Word will only go to work in our lives when we believe it but we cannot believe the Bible until we understand the Bible. We cannot enjoy the Bible if we do not understand it. Thus, for these last 1600 days, we have commended you to the Word of God’s Grace. Friends and brethren, we trust that our studies these last 1600 days have led you to understand God’s will for your life. Whether it was salvation unto justification and eternal life, or spiritual growth in your Christian life, it was our honor to provide the necessary verses and expository commentary. Our Lord Jesus Christ was glorified, no doubt. The Holy Spirit did a mighty work in us. We do not see the full result yet, but you can be sure we will see it in heaven. Onward to #1700! 🙂

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 #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?”

The Carpenter from Nazareth (and Heaven) #10

Monday, September 28, 2015

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:1-4 KJV).

Have you ever stopped to consider why Jesus’ earthly trade was carpentry?

A very fascinating portrait has formed. The Lord Jesus’ foster father, Joseph, was a carpenter, and He followed him in the trade. His Heavenly Father, God, was also a Carpenter, and He followed Him in the “family business” also. Today’s Scripture declares Father God was building a house in His creation. Jesus was thrilled to work with His Heavenly Father!

Jesus had studied the “Old Testament” Scriptures to learn that Father God was forming a nation who would learn His Word and then take it to the nations. He also learned, however, that Israel had gotten lost along the way. A vain and corrupt religious system had ensnared her and drawn her away from God’s pure words. The Lord Jesus knew that He had to reteach Israel verses she should have learned and later shared with the nations. As it turned out, they were willing to hear Jesus as much as they were willing to hear Moses. As the years passed, Jesus came to understand that that house Father God was building also involved three iron spikes, a wooden cross, and His sinless shed blood. Israel had to be redeemed from her sinful nature and forgiven of behaviors.

After Jesus taught Israel advanced doctrine built on the “Old Testament” Scriptures, those words were recorded in Matthew through John. This teaching was further developed in early Acts and Hebrews through Revelation. Once our Dispensation of Grace ends, believing Israel is to remain faithful to that doctrine, that the Antichrist not deceive her during those last seven years (verses 5,6). And so, the Carpenter from heaven is there today, to one day come back and finish building His nation Israel! 🙂