God: The Father, the Son Jesus Christ, & the Holy Ghost – Page 119

Neither Hearkening Nor Inclining #1

Thursday, April 23, 2020

“And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear” (Jeremiah 25:4 KJV).

We will scrutinize today’s Scripture to find out just how stubborn sinners are….

Read it in its context: “[1] The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; [2] The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, [3] From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

“[4] And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. [5] They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: [6] And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt. [7] Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

“[8] Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, [9] Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.”

The LORD God is not happy with Israel, and it is easy to figure out why….

The Awareness of a Temporary Earth

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

“And, Thou, O Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Hebrews 1:10-12 KJV).

On this Earth Day, let us not confuse the creation with the Creator!

Today, people worldwide celebrate “environmental awareness.” According to the secular, naturalistic worldview, our planet and its sun could last many more billions of years. They claim that we have done so much damage to our planet—climate change, overpopulation, deforestation, pollution, et cetera—that we must change our attitude toward “mother earth” and change our lifestyles before we destroy her and civilization as we know it! You can sense the zeal in their message, can you not? While these people are sincere, they are wasting all of their time, energy, and resources on a temporary planet.

Let us be very clear that the Lord Jesus Christ placed man on the earth, especially the Garden of Eden, to “dress it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Adam was to take care of the Earth: he was God’s representative, God’s king, who had a divine commission to rule this planet for God’s glory (Genesis 1:26-28).

It was not long, however, before Satan distracted mankind from understanding God’s purpose for him. Adam began to focus on himself: like Satan, he began to “worship and serve the creature more than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). Thus began man’s continual downward spiral into spiritual ignorance. He would continually worship himself, as we well know today.

Today’s Scripture reminds us that, because of sin, this creation will pass away. The Lord Jesus Christ, however, will live forever. Why worship that which is temporary? It makes no sense! The Lord Jesus Christ gave you life, not the pagan goddess “mother earth.” Environmental awareness? Indeed, be aware that our world is temporary, as God will one day create “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).

Careful—But Not Careful! #15

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6,7 KJV).

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

Even as Christians, we are never, ever guaranteed a life without pain, suffering, hardship, sickness, grief, or loss. Still, that does not mean God does not love us or care about us. We look to Calvary’s cross—not our circumstances—to see God’s love for us. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

No matter our surroundings—good or bad—Father God has fully equipped us with His grace to handle everything. Second Corinthians chapter 12: “[9] And he [the Lord Jesus] said unto me [Paul], My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Philippians chapter 4 again: “[11] Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12] 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. [13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Contentment is not automatic but rather something “learned.” Sound Bible doctrine must be continuously absorbed. It also takes a long time to sort through the deception, misinformation, and confusion that often distract us from God’s Word rightly divided. The more difficult the situation, the harder it is to correct the distortion associated with it. Remember, we must be prepared for Satan’s attacks. That evil work is subtle, but with Romans through Philemon, we have “the mind of Christ” and can thus overcome the Adversary (1 Corinthians 2:16)! 🙂

-FINIS-

Careful—But Not Careful! #14

Monday, April 20, 2020

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

We should always use common sense. Being careful, or alert, is wise. We should do our best to preserve our health and life, and protect the health and lives of those around us. However, being “careful”—as in worrisome, consumed by hypervigilance—is unwise. Anxiety is actually counterproductive, as it weakens our health and shortens our life. Living in fear or paranoia is the very last thing God wants for us, members of the Church the Body of Christ.

Instead of fretting, we should take advantage of the provision our Heavenly Father already put in place for us. Worrying is the result of not knowing the future. However, if we are already familiar with Paul’s Epistles, Romans through Philemon, we know what God is doing with us now and what He will do with us later. Whatever else happens to us really does not matter. Eternity—that which never ends—outweighs anything and everything that could possibly come our way in this temporary world.

Taking a firm stand by faith in the sound Bible doctrine we have read, we now talk to our Heavenly Father. We know that He, as we keep reading that Divine revelation, will supply what we need—strength, wisdom, and so on. Since we have that assurance, we thank Him for it in advance. As long as we prayed the “Pauline way,” we will be neither surprised nor disappointed. If we failed to read and believe His words through Paul, then we had better go back and look to see what God is doing (lest we try to force Him to do something else, and wind up spiritually ruined!). Finally, we have God’s peace, inner tranquility, something far beyond human reasoning or explanation. Protected internally from all of Satan’s attacks—doubts, questions, concerns, and so on—we have the victory over every circumstance!

Let us now conclude this devotionals arc….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Can you explain Titus 1:12?”

Careful—But Not Careful! #13

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

When we scan Christendom—the professing “Church,” the tens of thousands of denominations that all claim to serve Jesus Christ—we see no spiritual strength. Some two billion church members worldwide all appeal to the Bible… and, yet, there is practically no unity among them. It is quite easy to figure out why! For the last 20 centuries, we have not been consistent in our handling of the Holy Scriptures. What we have done is treated the Bible as a buffet.

Snatching a “plate” in a frenzy, we grabbed from Scripture a little of “this”—but not too much! We clutched a little of “that” from the Bible—but not too much! Then, we simply “retranslated” or outright ignored whatever verses we found unappealing. Next, we heaped to ourselves assorted traditions and opinions of men. Finally, with our plate full, able to receive no more, we ran to sit and eat. Gobbling up that mess like starving animals, we violently wrench with sudden stomach pains. Expectedly, there is such disorder, disability, and disease!

We have utterly failed to obey 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Instead of “rightly dividing,” we have combined everything in the Bible and then “picked and chose” from that jumbled chaos. Had everyone simply followed the Apostle Paul as he follows Jesus Christ, there would be stability and unity. Christians could handle life’s problems—if they had only listened to and believed Pauline doctrine, Romans through Philemon!

Read Philippians 4:9: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Here is the Holy Spirit writing through the Apostle Paul. Provided we listen to this sound Bible doctrine, “the God of peace” will be with us. Let us summarize this devotionals arc….

Careful—But Not Careful! #12

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

Let us read today’s Scripture with its subsequent verses: “[6] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. [8] Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. [9] Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Remember, our “mind” affords us the ability to know; our “heart” is what we use to exercise faith or trust. We can know information without actually believing it; however, if it is in our heart, it is communication we trust. Through Christ Jesus—knowing and believing the sound Bible doctrine that defines what He did for us at Calvary and all its resultant realities—we are protected. Provided we are concentrating on God’s Word rightly divided, Satan’s lies cannot penetrate our inner man.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” These are descriptions of the Holy Bible—whatever is “true” (factual, trustworthy), “honest” (honorable, dignified), “just” (right, correct), “pure” (uncorrupted, wholesome), “lovely” (acceptable, pleasing), and “of good report” (well spoken of). We are to think on that which is virtuous (upright) and praiseworthy (exemplary). Again, at all times, it is crucial for us Christians to have clear thinking in order to nullify Satan’s lies that threaten us….

Careful—But Not Careful! #11

Friday, April 17, 2020

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

Satan cannot harm the Lord Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, he can do the next best thing—harm us, the Church that is His Body. We Christians are at war! Consider Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10 now: “[3] For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: [4] (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; ) [5] Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;….”

The evil world system attacks us internally—mentally. Just as in a physical battle, there are injuries and casualties. Usually, Christians are not thinking as their Heavenly Father designed them. They are not renewing their minds with His Word rightly divided. Hence, their Christian lives are functioning improperly—if at all. Romans chapter 12 reminds us: “[1] 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. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Instead of wasting our time with human wisdom, we enjoy God’s peace that exceeds human understanding. We “mind [think about] the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). Consequently, our Heavenly Father “shall keep [guard, protect from Satan’s assaults] [our] hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” We have victory with God’s power, and we have God’s power when we arm ourselves with His words to us….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Who was ‘Caesar?’”

Careful—But Not Careful! #10

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

Human nature is weak. While we in our sinfulness like to think of ourselves as “gods”—independent, self-reliant, self-sustaining—we know deep down inside we are but feeble creatures. Once disaster strikes, we are jolted out of our fantasy world and have no choice but to see our many limitations. When there is no more strength and health in our physical bodies, no longer money in our bank account, and so on, then we realize we have to look beyond ourselves for stability and security. It is time to set our focus on something outside of this time-space continuum!

As Christians, we are absolutely not immune to suffering. Just like they trouble lost people, economic downturns, physical illness, natural disasters, and other traumatic experiences eventually affect us all. While our lot is the same, our response should be different. Whereas non-Christians have no personal relationship with the one true God, we do. In prayer, we may freely come to Him with our worries and give them to Him instead of carrying them around.

“What is happening? Where is God? What have I done wrong? Why me? What does the future hold? Will this ever end? How will I escape?” As opposed to such nagging questions besetting or overcoming us, we have “the peace of God” (today’s Scripture). That is because we read His Word rightly divided first, and then spoke to Him concerning our circumstances in accordance with that Word. Prayer underpins in our hearts and minds what we already know He said. We already know exactly what the future ultimately holds. We already know exactly where the Lord is. We already know precisely what He is doing. The Holy Spirit used Pauline doctrine to show us!

Instead of approaching our dire situations and circumstances with human wisdom, we encounter them having “the peace of God.” It is here that inner tranquility—that “which passeth all understanding,” an attitude beyond human description—becomes ours….

Careful—But Not Careful! #9

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Friend, as we live in these strange times, let us “be careful for nothing!”

Luke chapter 10 again: “[39] And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. [40] But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. [41] And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: [42] But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” As opposed to fretting about her circumstances, Martha should have been paying attention to Jesus Christ (like her sister Mary). Likewise, we should follow Mary’s example instead of Martha’s. We now listen to the Lord’s words spoken to us through the Apostle Paul.

Romans 5:1-5: “[1] Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: [2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope: [5] And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Through Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, we have “peace with God.” As we pray according to that truth, we have “the peace of God.”

Today’s Scripture again (verse 6): “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Provided we follow this, the result is (verse 7): “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Instead of being nervous or fearful, we have “the peace of God….”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What is the ‘potter’s field?’”

Extraordinary Easter

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Dearly beloved, this Easter was certainly memorable. With the coronavirus pandemic, family gatherings were small and church buildings were closed. For the first time in world history, “church” was largely an online experience. Yet—even in the midst of global illness, suffering, uncertainty, and death—we can rejoice that the Lord Jesus Christ has conquered the grave forever!

Roughly a week before Jesus’ death, He received news that a dear friend, Lazarus, was sick (verses 1-5). The Lord deliberately tarried in the same place for two days, before finally waiting until Lazarus dies to visit him (verses 6-17). Lazarus’ corpse has been laying in the tomb for four days now, and his sister Martha expresses her disapproval of Jesus’ tardiness (verses 18-22). “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (verses 23,24). Today’s Scripture is Christ’s magnificent reply.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” What we actually see here in deceased Lazarus is the nation Israel dead in trespasses and sins, unable to function as God’s people. However, Jesus is “the resurrection” and “the life.” Not only can He bring Israel out of her spiritual and functional grave, He can give her the capacity to enjoy a whole new life. It is all possible through His own death and resurrection—approximately a week away. So as to demonstrate His power over sin and its resultant death, He calls Lazarus out of the tomb to continue life as normal (verses 27-46). Never forget that, that first Eastertime 20 centuries ago, Almighty God’s power brought two men back from the grave!

While national Israel must await her resurrection, we believers in the Body of Christ can partake of His resurrection power now, victorious over daily sin… and—one day—triumphant over physical death too! 🙂

Saints, please remember us in your monthly giving—these websites do cost money to run! 🙂 You can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux, or email me at arcministries@gmail.com. Do not forget about Bible Q&A booklets for sale at https://arcgraceministries.org/in-print/booklets-bible-q-a/. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! By the way, ministry emails have really been backed up this year. I am handling them as much as humanly possible. Thanks for your patience. 🙂

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