Category: God: The Father, the Son Jesus Christ, & the Holy Ghost

Refuge! #6

Saturday, October 13, 2018

“Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares” (Numbers 35:11 KJV).

Look closely! Could there be something prophetic here?

The LORD God was very careful to make sure that His land—the Holy Land—was not defiled with the shedding of innocent blood. Therefore, He set up the cities of refuge. If someone killed another accidentally, the slayer could flee to a city of refuge. Once a court of law determined it to be manslaughter, the slayer would be returned to that city of refuge. If he left that city before the high priest died, the deceased person’s family could kill the slayer. (Consult Numbers 35:9-32 if necessary.)

Pay close attention to verses 33,34: “So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.” Jesus Christ was “the innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). Since Israel rejected and killed her Messiah, God will send an avenger of blood to cleanse His land of the evildoers.

Hence, the Apostle Peter preached to unbelieving Israel in Acts 3:22,23: “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people” (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19). The “prophet” is Jesus Christ; unbelievers “destroyed” refers to the seven-year Tribulation (the reign of Antichrist—the avenger of blood!). Such Divine wrath carries all the way to Christ’s Second Coming.

The Little Flock preaches to unsaved Jews throughout early Acts. They must repent (recognize Jesus as Messiah) and be water baptized, to join Israel’s believing remnant. Those in the Little Flock will survive God’s wrath that is coming to rectify the shedding of Christ’s innocent blood….

Our two latest Bible Q&As: “Who are the ‘saints’ in 1 Thessalonians 3:13?” and “How many angels will be with Jesus Christ when He returns?”

Refuge! #5

Friday, October 12, 2018

“Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares” (Numbers 35:11 KJV).

Look closely! Could there be something prophetic here?

Scripture often likens God unto a refuge, a place of safety and shelter where His people can go during vexing times. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them” (Deuteronomy 33:27). “The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence” (2 Samuel 22:3).

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9). “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (Psalm 57:1). “But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble” (Psalm 59:16). “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust” (Psalm 91:2). “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:26).

“For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall” (Isaiah 25:4). Jeremiah 16:19: “O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction….” (See also Psalms 14:6, 46:7, 46:11, 48:3, 59:16, 62:7-8, 71:7, 91:9, 94:22, 142:5).

Finally, Hebrews 6:18: “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:…..” Israel can find refuge in Christ….

Refuge! #4

Thursday, October 11, 2018

“Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares” (Numbers 35:11 KJV).

Look closely! Could there be something prophetic here?

Many are astonished to learn that God did not set the nation Israel aside at Calvary’s cross. Although she deliberately executed His beloved Son, He extended to Israel a renewed opportunity of repentance in early Acts. He poured out His Holy Spirit on her believing remnant (Acts chapter 2). Those believers preached to unsaved Israel to repent and be water baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (verse 38). Divine wrath had not yet been poured out.

The Holy Spirit declares through the Apostle Peter in Acts chapter 3: “[12] …Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this [lame] man to walk? [13] The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. [14] But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; [15] And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. [17] And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. [18] But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”

Verse 17 is highly notable. Indeed, Father God has honored His Son’s request in Luke 23:34. He has demoted the indictment of Israel from murder to manslaughter. They were spiritually ignorant, blinded; hence, they put Him to death. Premeditated killing (murder), according to the Mosaic Law, is punishable by death. Israel deserves death (destruction)! Thankfully, though, God took advantage of a loophole in the Law!! As a “manslayer unaware,” Israel may flee to “the cities of the refuge.” To where should she run? She must abscond by faith to the Little Flock, for the avenger of blood is impending….

Refuge! #3

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

“Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares” (Numbers 35:11 KJV).

Look closely! Could there be something prophetic here?

The LORD God commanded Joshua, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood” (Joshua 20:2,3). If someone in time past killed another accidentally—namely, without premeditation—that manslayer could seek safety in one of the “cities of refuge” (today’s Scripture). These six cities were strategically placed throughout the land of Israel: they were easily accessible, especially since the paths to them were cleared and maintained. Such facts will prove highly important to our discussion later (your patience is greatly appreciated).

Once again, remember the difference between “manslaughter” and “murder.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines “manslaughter” as “the crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought, or in circumstances not amounting to murder.” In stark contrast, “murder” is “the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.”

When Messiah Jesus visited Israel during His three-year earthly ministry, He was overwhelmingly mocked, rejected, and finally crucified. It was downright murder, an intentional killing, for they had already repeatedly schemed to take His life (Matthew 12:14; Matthew 26:3-5,14-16; Mark 11:18; Luke 22:2; John 7:1; John 8:59; John 10:31; John 11:51-54; et cetera). They would not have Him reign over them, they would not admit their sin problem, and they would not relinquish their vain religious system. Christ’s crucifixion was no accident, but a carefully orchestrated event resulting from Israel’s religious leaders conspiring with the Roman government (Psalm 2:1-3; Acts 4:25-28).

Therefore, we are startled to read Luke 23:34. As Christ hangs on Calvary’s cross, greatly suffering and slowly dying, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” In an unfathomable act of compassion toward Israel, the Lord Jesus utters something astonishing. He wants His Heavenly Father to consider this—not murder!—but manslaughter, a killing done in ignorance….

These Three Men

Sunday, October 7, 2018

“Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 14:14 KJV).

These three historical figures—yes, they were real characters—would not have been enough to save Israel’s land from God’s wrath!

Noah lived centuries before the nation Israel was formed. “…Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Second Peter 2:5 remarks concerning the wicked, multimillions of violent people of that day: “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly….”

Daniel, a prophet and descendant of King David, had a ministry throughout the entire 70-year Babylonian captivity and beyond. A believing Jew in pagan and idolatrous Babylon, he risked his life to follow God rather than man. “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8). “Now when Daniel knew that the writing [law] was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Daniel 6:10).

Job was Jacob’s grandson through son Issachar (Genesis 46:13). His immense suffering under Satan’s hand is highlighted in the famous Bible Book that bears his name. Despite his many hardships, he declined to renounce his faith in his God. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” (Job 1:8 cf. Job 2:3). “In all this did not Job sin with his lips” (Job 2:10).

If Noah, Daniel, and Job lived in the land of Canaan, God would still not spare it. Israel had defiled it with pagan idolatry, especially Jerusalem (His capital city). The Lord GOD would remove those three men and then judge the land (see also Ezekiel 14:16,18,20)!

The Hottest Places in Eternity #13

Saturday, October 6, 2018

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:11 KJV).

Are there degrees of punishment in Hell and the Lake of Fire? Indeed!

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Romans 2:16). Verily, verily, the God-Man who died for man’s sins is the Judge condemning unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgment (cf. John 5:22). Christ’s finished crosswork (Paul’s Gospel) ultimately saved all saints of all ages, but they did not know it at the time. However, lost souls do not have the merits of the cross credited to their account, do not have their names written in the Book of Life, and are thus worthy of the Lake of Fire, the second death (Revelation 20:15).

Doubtless, friends, some of you reading these lines sit in unbelief even now. The Gospel of the Grace of God is plain for those who want to understand and believe unto eternal life: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). We pray you in Christ’s stead, be reconciled to God. Rely exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour before it is eternally too late!!

Returning to the Great White Throne Judgment, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). Forced to bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, the lost of the ages now go their way. Justice has been served; they have been given their preference. Banished from His presence forever, they leave to serve out their death sentence in the hottest place in eternity!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why are lost people not judged for their works immediately after physical death?”

The Hottest Places in Eternity #12

Friday, October 5, 2018

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:11 KJV).

Are there degrees of punishment in Hell and the Lake of Fire? Indeed!

Individuals in leadership will be held more accountable before Almighty God (cf. Matthew 23:14): “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

Satan initiated and tirelessly led creation’s rebellion against the Creator God; therefore, he will receive the hottest cell in eternity. Fallen angels, the Devil’s spiritual emissaries, have also practiced evil for 6,000 years—more damage than people. These will be severely tormented. The Antichrist, the False Prophet, and Judas Iscariot are those most consumed by Satan’s policy of evil; they too will be tortured beyond imagination.

Israel’s kings, priests, and false prophets will all be severely punished. They willfully perverted God’s people and His Bible for thousands of years. All other religious leaders (popes, priests, preachers, cardinals), political leaders (kings, queens, princes, presidents, prime ministers, dictators) and educational leaders (teachers, professors, especially educators at seminaries and Bible colleges) will suffer abounding flames. Their temperature will be dependent upon how many they led astray.

Husbands and fathers will face more intense eternal judgment than wives and mothers. It is God’s design that men (not women!) be spiritual leaders in the marriage, the family, and the local assembly (Ephesians 5:23; Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 2:11-15). Indeed, Almighty God will hold men overwhelmingly responsible for broken homes, corrupt local churches, and wicked civilization overall.

All other lost people—from women to young people, right down to the youngest person who died after having deliberately rejected God’s Word to them, and up to the oldest senior citizen who perished after having intentionally refused God’s Word to them—all will be eternally tormented but less severely than the other classes.

Dear friends, Hell and the Lake of fire are most serious matters. Thankfully, in Christ Jesus, we can escape sin’s eternal penalty….

The Hottest Places in Eternity #11

Thursday, October 4, 2018

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:11 KJV).

Are there degrees of punishment in Hell and the Lake of Fire? Indeed!

Lost individuals who received more Divine revelation will be held more accountable before Almighty God (cf. today’s Scripture): “Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

The LORD God gave His Word to Israel and her leaders (Deuteronomy 4:6-8; Psalm 147:19,20; Romans 3:1,2; Romans 9:4,5; et cetera). Gentiles (nations, non-Jews) were not given the Old Testament Bible. As concerning “time past” (or pre-Apostle Paul; cf. Ephesians 2:11-13), God will judge Israel more harshly than He will the Gentiles. Israel had greater spiritual light than the Gentiles, yet Israel lived just as wickedly (Romans 2:17-29)! Of all those in time past, unbelievers during Christ’s earthly ministry will face more serious condemnation than those who lived previously (cf. today’s Scripture).

Out of all the dispensations, frankly, our Dispensation of Grace will carry the worst eternal penalty. Lost people who have died during the last 2,000 years (and onward until the Rapture) have rejected God’s full revelation. They spurned a completed Bible, the most information the Creator ever revealed to mankind (Colossians 1:23-29; 2 Timothy 3:16,17)!!! If Jesus Christ declared His contemporaries would be more strictly judged than Sodom and Gomorrah because they had more spiritual light (Divine revelation) than Sodom and Gomorrah, how much more judgment for those lost today who have a completed Bible and ignored the LORD God’s counsel entirely? Horrors!!!

Friends, the message of God’s salvation available in the Lord Jesus Christ has circulated the globe now for 20 centuries. How kind He has been, how gracious, how longsuffering! With each passing day, unsaved mankind refuses His goodness. “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” (Romans 2:5). Indeed, the lost are rejecting the Gospel of Grace and “treasuring up wrath….”

The Hottest Places in Eternity #10

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:11 KJV).

Are there degrees of punishment in Hell and the Lake of Fire? Indeed!

Returning to Revelation chapter 20, “[11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Focus on verse 12, “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God.” The expression “small and great” is ranking: commoners and royalty, irreligious and religious, simpleminded and brilliant, poor and rich, all the unsaved souls of the ages stand before the Lord Jesus Christ individually. Can you picture them? He lets them plead their case before His majestic throne. Why do they think they do not deserve their looming grim destiny? Can you hear their excuses? “But, I did so many good works!” “I was a successful businessman!” “I was a clever philosopher!” “I led millions as a politician!” “I prayed!” “I ‘believed in God!’” “I went to church!” “I loved my neighbors!”

With all their excuses enumerated, the Lord interrupts them. All of that was not enough. Their names, unfortunately, are not written in the Book of Life!! He reviews the written record of their works, and then renders His verdict. They must go to the Lake of Fire….

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. 🙂

The Hottest Places in Eternity #9

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

“And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:11 KJV).

Are there degrees of punishment in Hell and the Lake of Fire? Indeed!

If God caused a war, and the “watchman” (guardian) alerted the city that he saw danger approaching, those not taking heed would be responsible for their own fate (Ezekiel 33:1-5).

The LORD God continues in verses 6-9: “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. So thou [Ezekiel], O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”

In Acts 20:26-27, Paul, God’s spokesman for the Dispensation of Grace, announced he was “pure from the blood of all men.” As a watchman, he had preached the Word of God’s Grace to lost and saved alike in Ephesus. The warning had been sent to the unsaved—Jesus Christ’s shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection as the sufficient payment for their sins. If they died in unbelief and went to Hell, it was their fault. The admonition had been issued to the Christians—God’s Grace, not Law, was the operating principle for victorious Christian living. If their spiritual lives were wrecked, they would be responsible. Paul, however, was guiltless!

Similarly, in eternal judgment, God holds unsaved leaders liable for not warning their people about Satan’s lie program….