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

An Addiction Worth Keeping

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

“I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth” (1 Corinthians 16:15,16 KJV).

The Bible warns, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient [profitable, beneficial]: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). “Brought under the power” is another way of saying “addiction.” While we are under grace, not law (Romans 6:14,15), there are some activities that are inconsistent with our identity in Christ because they will negatively dominate our lives. A “thou shalt not…” may not exist, but that does not necessarily mean that activity is acceptable to God.

God’s grace teaches us to “deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, [that] we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:11,12). Our priority should be the things of God, not the world’s worthless distractions. Addictions are often unhealthy and wasteful. Being controlled and influenced by something other than the indwelling Holy Spirit is very detrimental to your Christian life and even harmful to those around you.

Let us see one addiction worth keeping. Notice today’s Scripture. Stephanas’ house was the “firstfruits of Achaia,” meaning they were the first people to be saved in southern Greece under Paul’s ministry. Furthermore, Stephanas’ house had “addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.” Now, this is an addiction worth keeping!

The believers of Stephanas’ house literally “addicted” themselves to playing a role in the Christian ambassadorship. They were so willing to let God’s Word work effectually in them that they could not help but do the work of the ministry. God’s Word had transformed their minds so they now valued what God valued and were determined to spreading God’s Word.

We should desire to be just as addicted to the work of the ministry as Stephanas’ house. May we never break that habit! 😉

Joseph, a Man of Faith

Sunday, September 4, 2011

“By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22 KJV).

The book of Genesis closes with: “And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (50:24-26).

Prior to Jacob’s death, he told his son Joseph: “God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and said unto me, Behold I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession” (Genesis 48:3,4).

When Joseph died, Israel was in Egypt (recall that Joseph’s brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery, and Joseph’s family escaped famine in Canaan by joining him in Egypt; Genesis chapters 37-46). Joseph had faith in what God had promised his great-grandfather Abraham, his grandfather Isaac, and his father Jacob. Israel would eventually leave Egypt to forever return to Canaan, the Promised Land.

Some 140 years after Joseph died, Moses led the nation Israel out of Egypt. The Bible says, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you” (Exodus 13:19).

Through the eyes of faith, Joseph foresaw the day—over a century into the future—when his remains would lie in Canaan’s soil. God had been faithful to Israel, delivering them from Egypt as He promised. Through the eyes of faith, we see ourselves already in heaven. God will be just as faithful in delivering us.

We Will Not Hearken Unto Thee!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done…” (Jeremiah 44:16,17 KJV).

Israel’s women are “burning incense unto other gods” while their husbands say nothing (verse 15). Shame! So, in Jeremiah chapter 44, the word of the LORD comes to the prophet. God instructs Jeremiah to command Israel to quit worshipping those pagan gods because worse judgment will come (verses 3-5, 11-14). We read the Jews’ response to Jeremiah in today’s Scripture: “No thanks, Jeremiah! We will not listen to the LORD. We will do whatever we want!!”

Noah warned of an impending global flood, preaching for all the world’s peoples to come into the ark for salvation. Millions replied, “No thanks, Noah!” Consequently, only Noah and his seven relatives were saved in the ark (2 Peter 2:5).

Early in Christ’s earthly ministry, many of Israel’s religious leaders refused John the Baptist’s water baptism, a Jew’s only means of salvation from the wrath to come (Luke 7:29,30). “No thanks, John!” And with that, they allowed Herod to behead John.

When God the Son Jesus Christ came, many Jews said, “No thanks, Jesus!” Ultimately, they demanded Rome crucify Him (John 19:15).

As the prophet Stephen witnessed to Israel just a year after Calvary, Israel was still “stiffnecked” (stubborn) and “uncircumcised in heart and ears” (wicked, lost) (Acts 7:51). Israel refused to admit that they murdered their Messiah Jesus. “No thanks, Stephen!” And with that, they stoned Stephen.

God’s messengers have always been ignored, hated, and ridiculed, so we should expect nothing less when we share the message of God’s grace to us in Christ. When confronted with the world’s snide remarks, we Christians reply: “We will not hearken unto thee!” We ignore their silly comments and continue preaching, rejoicing that we can endure the rejection just like the saints of old did.

A Wee Crook with a Large Sin Debt

Monday, August 29, 2011

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” (Luke 19:5-7 KJV).

As Luke chapter 19 opens, the Lord Jesus is passing through Jericho, just north of the Dead Sea. The chief tax collector, Zacchaeus, a short man who cannot see over the crowds, has climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus (verses 3 and 4). Once Jesus calls Zacchaeus to make room for Him in his home, the crowds complain, “Jesus seeks to be a guest in that crook’s house!”

Jesus, being God in the flesh, knows Zacchaeus is the chief publican, the most dishonest tax collector. Of all places, why has Christ chosen to visit a thief’s home? He knows Zacchaeus is genuinely repentant. Zacchaeus confesses, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (verse 8). Lord, whatever money I stole, I will restore it four times over!

The Lord Jesus explains why He went to Zacchaeus’ home: “This day is salvation come to this [Zacchaeus’] house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (verses 9 and 10). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Jesus went because wicked Zacchaeus, like every other Jew, needs salvation!

Christ came to “save His people [Israel] from their sins,” and that included Zacchaeus (Matthew 1:21; cf. Matthew 10:6; Matthew 18:11). Zacchaeus had been a crooked son of Abraham, but now that he trusted in Jesus as His Messiah, he was a righteous son of God (John 1:12)!

So, God can save anyone, even wee crooks with large sin debts….

At Least the Angels Are Listening

Saturday, August 27, 2011

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:9,10 KJV).

In the Old Testament, the Four Gospel Records, and the first eight chapters of Acts, God spoke of His purpose and plan for the earth. That prophetic program focused on the nation Israel and an earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:34) “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

But, during that time, God kept a secret, “the mystery,” “the hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:7,8). When the ascended Lord Jesus Christ saved Saul of Tarsus and made him Paul the Apostle in Acts chapter 9, the Lord revealed that information to Paul: “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 16:25,26a).

Paul’s epistles alone reveal this mystery (secret) program (Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:24-27). Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon speak of God’s purpose and program for the heaven, which encompasses our present-day Dispensation of Grace, a heavenly kingdom, and the Church the Body of Christ (Ephesians 2:6,7).

According to today’s Scripture, we members of the Body of Christ share the goal of the Apostle Paul: “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery….” Our goal is not only to proclaim to people this now-revealed information in Paul’s epistles, but also to make it known to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places.”

God’s angels observe us Christians. They understand what God is doing today by listening to us teach and preach God’s Word rightly divided. While most church members care not to listen to the rightly divided King James Bible, and the denominationalists dislike us for exposing their church tradition, at least the angels are listening to us. 🙂

At a Loss for Words in Prayer

Thursday, August 25, 2011

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26 KJV).

Prayer is simply you speaking to God about your life in light of His Word. The Bible exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But, what about when you cannot seem to pray, when you cannot seem to adequately express your concern in words?

There will come times in your life—if you have not experienced them yet—when your troubling circumstances and your emotions will cloud your thinking. As emotions attempt to dominate your life, your troubled mind becomes confused and fearful. It seems like you forget every Bible verse you memorized. Your mind seems overwhelmed with difficult or confusing circumstances. You are at a loss for words and cannot seem to pray. One Christian aptly termed this “the night season.”

Today’s Scripture explains that one of the roles of the Holy Ghost in our lives as believers is that He prays for us and intercedes for us to God our Father. One of our weaknesses (“infirmities”) is that we do not know for what to pray—the Bible says we “ought” to know, but we do not know. We need to take comfort in that if no one else is praying for us, the Holy Spirit is. He cares enough to empower us to recall rightly divided Scriptures we have learned regarding our situation, and, apply those verses by faith to life.

In such difficult times you need to talk to your heavenly Father in prayer. Tell Him you are confused (Paul used the term “perplexed” in 2 Corinthians 4:8). Tell God your Father that you have no idea what to do in this troubling or complex situation, but that you trust His Word when it says that His Holy Spirit is praying for you and interceding for you. The Holy Ghost knows your concerns, and He will express those concerns to your heavenly Father because He is never at a loss for words in prayer….

Is Mary Really the Mother of God?

Friday, August 19, 2011

“And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43 KJV).

Roman Catholicism uses today’s Scripture to argue that Mary is “the mother of God.” Does the Bible teach this?

In verse 35, Gabriel the angel told Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” While the King James’ rendition “holy thing” is often frowned upon for being an “irreverent mistranslation,” “thing” refers to Jesus Christ’s physical body.

Technically speaking, Jesus Christ always existed. He did not come into existence in Mary’s womb. The King James Bible predicted that Israel’s Messiah would be “from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2)—modern Bibles corrupt this verse! Jesus Christ has no origin because God has no origin.

We must always remember that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He has always been God, but He has not always been man. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Verse 14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us….”

Considering these verses, Mary is not “God’s mother.” She is the mother of Jesus Christ’s humanity: she was the vessel God used to generate Jesus’ physical body. Jesus Christ had always existed as an invisible Spirit until He entered the physical body that was in Mary’s womb. In today’s Scripture, Elisabeth simply acknowledged that Mary would produce Christ’s human body. She knew that Old Testament reference in Micah that spoke of Israel’s Messiah as being “from everlasting” (that He existed prior to His physical body being conceived in Mary’s womb).

To call Mary “God’s mother” is very blasphemous and heretical, for that would be exalting Mary as someone higher than God. If Mary is “God’s mother,” then who would be God’s father? See what difficulties and confusion arise when we insert church tradition into Scripture? Toss out tradition, it has no authority whatsoever!

If Only I Saw, Then I Would Believe

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

“The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25 KJV).

“Doubting Thomas” not only describes a confused apostle of Israel, but also much of the world’s population. Bible skeptics whine, “When you show me some proof that God exists, then I will trust Him!”

From its earliest days, the nation Israel was accustomed to seeing and hearing God perform miraculous works (the LORD sent Moses to Israel with the power to handle snakes and heal; Exodus 4:1-9). “The Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22). Christ even said to Israel, “Unless ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48).

For three years, the Lord Jesus performed an inestimable number of miracles. He walked on water, raised the dead, cast out devils, healed the sick, and yet most of those Jewish witnesses never trusted in Christ. Christ said, “some of you believe not” (John 6:64). Some Jews refused to believe, even after they saw His miracles!

Some Jews were so fascinated with Christ’s miracles that they totally missed the reason why He performed those miracles—to teach them that He was their Messiah-King. John 2:23-25 says: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” Jesus knew these people just wanted to be awed, not saved.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Seeing the Lord Jesus Christ through the eyes of faith, not the physical eyes, is enough “proof” for me.  Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Neither is There Salvation in Any Other

Monday, August 15, 2011

“Jesus Christ of Nazareth… Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:10,12 KJV).

Is there really only one way to heaven? Today’s Scripture gives us the answer—a resounding “YES!” Jesus stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The Apostle Paul declared: “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5,6).

Jesus Christ “gave himself a ransom for all.” The words “for all” indicate that Christ died for every person, since everyone’s salvation depended upon Him. If there was another way to heaven beside Christ, then He died for nothing! Why would Jesus Christ allow Himself to suffer all that physical and spiritual pain if there was another way to save us from our sins? The Lord Jesus Christ endured the shame of Calvary’s cross and His heavenly Father’s wrath because there was no other way to reconcile us unto God.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:14,15: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

Because of Adam’s sin, every human is born spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, separated from God (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3). The only way to be saved from the penalty of sin—everlasting separation from God in the lake of fire—is to come to Calvary’s cross by faith. Have you trusted exclusively in the shed blood and physical resurrection of Jesus Christ as the fully satisfying payment for your sins? I hope you have!

According to God’s Word, salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ of Nazareth… Neither is there salvation in any other.”

Whom the Lord Commendeth

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

“But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth” (2 Corinthians 10:17,18 KJV).

While we enjoy praise from others, today’s Scripture reminds us that only “whom the Lord commendeth [praiseth]” is “approved [of God].” Mega-church leaders and bestselling “Christian” authors are not necessarily approved of God. Our work matters only if God Almighty approves of it!

When we do the Lord’s work wholeheartedly, someone will criticize us. People praise us when we sin and encourage us to do it again. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” We should never puff ourselves up with pride when we do something, because we even deceive ourselves at times. Human evaluation of deeds cannot be trusted: we need an unbiased Judge, whose judgment is unimpaired by sin. We need the Lord Jesus Christ, for He alone can fairly and truthfully evaluate our work.

Some Corinthians criticized Paul’s “weak” physical appearance and despised his speech (2 Corinthians 10:10). Notice Paul’s response: “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (verse 12).

Let people criticize us for doing good. God is the Judge. We let God praise us. We do not praise ourselves. Today’s Scripture says we glory in the Lord, not in ourselves. We boast in the Lord’s capacity, in His ability, in His work, in His wisdom….

In 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 we read of the day when we Christians will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, where the Lord will evaluate our deeds and the sound doctrine we believed. Here, the Lord Himself will give us, individually, a “job well done.” “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:9,10).

“Only whom the Lord commendeth is approved!”