Category: Jesus Christ

What’s the Bible Got to Do With Me? #1

Monday, May 13, 2013

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8 KJV).

One frequent charge the lost world levels against Christians preaching and teaching the Holy Bible is, “That ‘old’ book has nothing to do with me!” Is this a valid objection?

Genesis 1:1, the Bible’s first complete thought, declares, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Most people cannot get past that first verse, so they struggle to believe the next 31,000. Genesis 1:1 is such a simple verse, and yet it is much too difficult for many to believe. As one dear brother in Christ said, “The Bible is not hard to understand, the Bible is hard to believe!” If one were to believe Genesis 1:1 as is, he or she would have no problem believing God exists, and that He created heaven and earth for an intelligent purpose. These two basic facts would then imply that divinely-ordained laws and principles are in place, a methodical system to accomplish that original purpose of creation. But, sin disrupts this clear-cut scenario….

To avoid accountability, to ease one’s conscience, to blame-shift, and so on, the unbeliever simply ignores the testimony of creation’s existence as confirmation of an intelligent Creator (atheism), and/or he or she pleads ignorance regarding any knowledge of a personal relationship with that Creator (agnosticism). Either way, they discount the Holy Bible (which says there is an intelligent Creator God whose name is the Lord Jesus Christ, who wants us to intimately know Him).

Romans 1:21 summarizes: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” When one recognizes the God of the Bible as the one and only true God, but fails to worship Him, he or she is unthankful toward that God. The only result is an empty imagination and a darkened, foolish heart. It really is that simple.

Now that we know why arguments against the Bible are raised, we can proceed to analyze the common “the Bible has nothing to do with me” assertion….

To Whom Are We to Pray?

Thursday, May 9, 2013

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV).

The Bible says we should be praying constantly, but to whom are we to pray?

Why not let God through the Holy Bible tell us how to pray?

“Giving thanks unto the Father” (Colossians 1:12). “I thank my God…” (Philippians 1:4). “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). “For through him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… that he would grant you…” (Ephesians 3:14).

Firstly, whom did the Apostle Paul address? He directly addressed Father God, not Mary or any other deceased saint, in prayer.

Secondly, how did Paul reach Father God? “In whom [Jesus Christ] we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him [Jesus Christ]” (Ephesians 3:12). “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

We approach God the Father through the merits of Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. Jesus Christ has a perfect standing before God, and we have His righteousness because we are in Him (if we are members of the Church the Body of Christ). We cannot approach God on our own merits; thus, we must come through Jesus Christ. This is what it means to pray “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). Interestingly, when we pray, we are actually praying with the help of the Holy Spirit who indwells us (Romans 8:26-27). The indwelling Holy Spirit links us to Father God in heaven, and when we pray, we are using the “mediatorship” of Jesus Christ.

So, we address God the Father in prayer, but we are using the merits of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit helps us pray when we are “at a loss for words.”

For additional insight about prayer in the Dispensation of Grace, please study the four model Pauline prayers—Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, and Colossians 1:9-12.

You can also see our study “Praying with Paul.”

Twice Healed

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house” (Matthew 9:6,7 KJV).

Many today emphasize Jesus’ miracle-working power, but few ever grasp why He performed those healings….

In the context of today’s Scripture (Matthew 9:2-8), and its parallel passages of Mark 2:3-12 and Luke 5:18-26, four people carry a man who is “sick of the palsy” (paralyzed, although plagued with involuntary tremors) and bring him to Jesus Christ in order to be healed. The Lord Jesus declared, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2; Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20).

Some of Israel’s religious leaders are now irritated: “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth” (Matthew 9:3; Mark 2:6-7a; Luke 5:21). “Who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:7b; Luke 5:21). Jesus, God manifested in human flesh, read their minds (Matthew 9:4; Mark 2:8; Luke 5:22)! Today’s Scripture (cf. Mark 2:10,11; Luke 5:24) is Jesus’ response to their disbelief. His reply affords us an opportunity to see why He healed sick people during His earthly ministry.

Jesus commanded the paralytic to arise from his bed and go to his house: the Bible says the man “immediately” jumped up and walked home (today’s Scripture; cf. Mark 2:12; Luke 5:25)!

Just as illness hinders the physical body from functioning properly, so sin disrupts the soul and spirit from doing what God designed them to do. Those crippled people the Lord Jesus Christ healed depicted Israel’s spiritual condition (impotent due to sin and laden with pagan idolatry), unable to be His vessels to the equally sinful Gentiles.

Why did Jesus heal sick physical bodies? The Jews needed a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22): “That ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.” To prove to Israel that He could heal their souls (forgiveness). The paralytic’s healing demonstrated that Jesus Christ indeed could deliver Israel from the greatness sickness of all—sin!

Messiah’s Feet Shod with Majesty

Monday, May 6, 2013

“And [John the Baptist] preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose” (Mark 1:7 KJV).

What did John the Baptist mean in today’s Scripture when he mentioned Jesus’ sandal straps?

God the Father commissioned John the Baptist to undertake a special ministry: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light” (John 1:6-8).

John the Baptist was Christ’s forerunner, a prophet instructed to herald the arrival of Israel’s Messiah-King, Jesus, the “Light.” Matthew 3:3 expounds: “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah 40:3], saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it” (Luke 16:16). The message John preached was the gospel of the kingdom: “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). John is announcing to Israel that her long-promised Messiah is about to present Himself to her, so she needs to accept Him.

During Bible times, one of the jobs of the servant was to untie and remove his master’s sandals. In today’s Scripture (cf. Luke 3:16), sinful John confessed to Israel that he is so lowly compared to the magnificent and holy Messiah Jesus whom is he is preaching, that he, as Jesus’ servant, is not worthy of even stooping down and untying his Lord’s sandals (John did not think he was good enough to perform one of the lowest types of service!). In fact, John declared in Matthew 3:11, “whose shoes I am not worthy to bear”—John said he was unworthy of also picking up Jesus’ shoes!

John cautioned Israel not to take Jesus’ arrival lightly (which they still did, despite that warning). Sadly, Israel ignored John’s message that even Jesus’ feet were shod with majesty.

333’s 700th – Receive Ye the Word of God as Such

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV).

Beloved, only by God’s grace, we reach another milestone….

According to today’s Scripture, the Thessalonians received the message of grace they heard from Paul, Silas, and Timothy (1:1) and then they believed it. Notice, they recognized that this message was not of human origin, but the Word of the God of creation. The result? Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10: their changed lifestyles “sounded out [‘echoed’] the word of the Lord” to the whole then-known world!

We do not look at circumstances to see God working: today, He is working “in [our] inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). If we want the God of the Bible to work mightily in our lives, today’s Scripture tells us how He does it in the Dispensation of His Grace. He takes sound Pauline Bible doctrine that we study, receive, and believe, and He uses it to “effectually work in [us].”

Thus, for the last 700 days, we have labored to provide you with as much sound Pauline Bible doctrine that we can possibly cram into these brief studies, to the intent that you will place your faith in that doctrine, enabling God the Holy Spirit to work in and through you.

Daily Bible studies such as these allow God to renew your mind, which He will then use to transform your life for His glory: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). Receive ye the Word of God as such, and with the eyes of faith, see Him work mightily in you!

Beloved, thank you for praying for us in this endeavor “to make all men see;” how we thank God for you and pray for you upon every remembrance. Onward to #800! 🙂

The End of Job, Israel, and the LORD #4

Saturday, April 27, 2013

“So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses” (Job 42:12 KJV).

During the Tribulation period, the nation Israel will gain valuable insight from today’s Scripture….

When one trusts the Lord Jesus Christ alone as personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit takes this individual and baptizes him or her into the Church the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). He or she is no longer in Adam, but “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17): this is the new nature, the new identity, the new position the Christian has before God. Lost people even sense a change in the person, and thus, family and “friends” are no longer comfortable around the person. Every Christian has felt that division—(lost) family and “friends” now avoid them.

There is neither fame nor fortune in being a King James Bible-believing Pauline dispensationalist. If one takes a stand for Jesus Christ, and especially for His sound doctrine, family and “friends” will scatter and “depart far hence.” Yes, dear Christian brethren, we have lost the world and its approval, but we have gained much, much more valuable things. We are “known of God” (Galatians 4:9), we are “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), and we are “complete in [Christ]” (Colossians 2:10). We have the Lord’s unconditional love, His grace, His forgiveness, His life—possessions that will last forever!

Just as believing Israel will suffer great loss for Jesus Christ’s sake during the Tribulation (as Job did), they will be restored even more in Christ’s earthly kingdom (as Job was; today’s Scripture). Likewise, we members of the Body of Christ, will lose family, “friends,” fame, and fortune for being Christians zealous of sound Bible doctrine, but we too will be rewarded one day—we will inherit the government of the heavenly places (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 2:6,7; 2 Timothy 2:10-12), just as believing Israel will inherit the government of the earth (Matthew 19:27-30; Revelation 3:20,21).

Beloved, like Job, let us patiently wait for “the end of the Lord….”  🙂

A Doxology of Doctrine During Distressing Days #7

Sunday, April 7, 2013

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” (2 Corinthians 4:17 KJV).

A brief, light annoyance—an everlasting, much heavier weight of praise and worship….

While difficult circumstances are not enjoyable, they can be learning opportunities. Even the Apostle Paul needed spiritual growth. He finally learned how to change his outlook on suffering: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

The “treasure in earthen vessels” of 2 Corinthians 4:7, the “power of Christ” of 2 Corinthians 12:9, and the “inward man being renewed day by day” of 2 Corinthians 4:16, are summarized in Philippians 4:13—“Christ which strengtheneth me.” Hence, Paul wrote, “for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

God’s abundant grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) enabled Paul and Timothy to endure suffering in order to minister to these Corinthian believers: “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15). God strengthened them, which caused other believers to be thankful to God for giving Paul and Timothy provisions in Christ that got them through their difficult circumstances.

The spiritual fortitude and spiritual growth that resulted in these believers helped them to better understand how to deal with their own troubles, and it stored in their inner man the capacity to eternally function one day in the heavenly places for God’s glory. Therefore, this doxology—this praise to God—is not only here and now, but literally “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (today’s Scripture).

Remember, the issue is not the vessels—our frail, perishing physical bodies—but rather the treasure—the life of Jesus Christ—they contain. A doxology indeed! 🙂

A Lesson Straight from the Dog’s Mouth

 Tuesday, April 23, 2013

“For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again” (Psalm 78:39 KJV).

Your earthly life is short—your opportunity to accept eternal life is just as brief….

Recently, I suffered a dog bite on my right-hand wrist, resulting in my first-ever emergency room visit. My wrist was swollen and moving my fingers was difficult. Still, in just a few hours, I was at college presenting my 45-minute thesis proposal; it was challenging with the use of one arm, but by God’s grace, I did it.

For the last five days, I have had to depend entirely on my left hand for everything. My handwriting is reminiscent of first grade (I am right-handed). Common daily tasks are now very cumbersome. Much schoolwork and ministry work cannot be completed right now. I took my right hand for granted—how I miss using it! As long as infection remains absent, and I do not lose the hand (due to the dog’s oral bacteria), I hope to be using it again soon.

We all take common things for granted: we become so comfortable with them—possessions, income, health, family and friends, et cetera—we lose sight of their real value and how blessed we are to have them.

Beloved, take not your blessings for granted. Above all, never take eternal life through Jesus Christ for granted. Many precious souls around the world are spiritually dead and lost in sin, headed for eternal hellfire, but they do not realize their dire state until physical death instantly quenches their breath, and seals their fate forever. They are ignoring the gift of God’s grace, love, peace, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. Be not of this sort! What God wants is your faith alone in Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork as sufficient payment for your sins. Why not trust Jesus Christ alone as your personal Saviour, right where you are?

Your earthly life is short (today’s Scripture), and physical death will end it, so take not God’s offer of salvation for granted. Remember, as the dear Christian brother said, “Eternity keeps you where death finds you!”

Good Riddance! #10

Thursday, April 18, 2013

“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13 KJV).

God’s people have never been welcome here in “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4) because He has never been welcome here. In short, if lost people could utter two words to us Christians after we have been raptured out, it would be, “Good riddance!”

Originally, mankind had the spiritual light of God’s Word. Once he fell into sin in Genesis chapter 3, his heart was darkened. When God gave up the unthankful and willfully ignorant Gentile nations in Genesis chapter 11, in chapter 12, He created a new group of people, Israel, through Abraham, who would accomplish His will in the earth (Adam’s original purpose before sin entered). For 2,000 years, as we Gentiles groped in spiritual darkness (Acts 14:16; Acts 26:17,18; Ephesians 2:11,12; Ephesians 4:17-19), Israel had God’s Word and God’s light (Romans 3:1,2; Romans 9:4,5). Alas, Israel too rejected that wisdom!

And so, we come to today, the Dispensation of the Grace of God, which has been operating for nearly 2,000 years. While Israel is temporarily blinded (Romans 11:25), God is forming the Church the Body of Christ, an agency of people who will do in the heavenly places in eternity future, what Israel will do in the earth in eternity future—rule for Jesus Christ’s glory.

As people who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, we are members of the Church the Body of Christ. When we teach God’s Holy Word and the principles found therein, we are actually publishing the original laws and social structure that existed before sin entered. We are not “bigoted” for opposing the sins of the world; actually, they are presumptuous for defending and engaging in activity that never belonged in creation in the first place!

The lost world wishes we members of the Body of Christ were not here—they want to tell us “good riddance” for being hindrances to “progress.” One day, when the Lord Jesus catches us away to be with Him in the heavenly places, as we leave this earth, we can say, “Good riddance!” to this evil world system! 🙂

Good Riddance! #9

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13 KJV).

God’s people have never been welcome here in “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4) because He has never been welcome here. In short, if lost people could utter two words to us Christians after we have been raptured out, it would be, “Good riddance!”

Let us leap into the future and observe the world’s moral conditions during the Tribulation period: “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, not of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:20,21). Even as God’s wrath is being poured out on earth, mankind just defiantly and unapologetically continues its murdering, its stealing, its idolatry, its sexually-perverted activities, and its devil worship! (This will be the result of today’s “progress,” and believing Israel will confront such a depraved society during the Tribulation.)

As Jesus Christ Himself affirmed, the first person to die for having faith in the God of the Bible was Abel (Luke 11:50,51). Abel adamantly stood for the principles of the God of heaven and earth, and he died because of it. God commanded the blood sacrifice, and his brother Cain willfully ignored that instruction and brought his “alternate” belief and sacrifice. Even after Abel and he talked, Cain was still convinced that his religion was “just as good” as Abel’s, and that he would be right with God without doing it God’s way (sounds just like today’s “everyone will make it to heaven eventually” argument, huh?).

Cain hated God’s testimony that his brother the prophet Abel uttered. Just as lost people execute Christians and silence God’s messengers today (and they will do it in the Tribulation), it all goes back to the first brother of the human race who got rid of his godly sibling who stood up for God’s Word….