Category: comfort

I Am Comfortable! #8

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

As far as Scripture is concerned, the Corinthians were the fleshliest (most carnal) Christians with whom the Apostle Paul dealt. One chief issue was their tendency to form denominations—the four-fold sectarianism divided into followers of Paul, followers of Apollos, followers of Cephas/Peter, and followers of Christ’s earthly ministry.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:10-12).

These basic schisms (Greek, “schismata,”so translated “divisions” in 1 Corinthians 1:10 above) produced a host of diverse opinions and miseries in Corinth. Hence, the Holy Spirit through Paul pled, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me” (1 Corinthians 4:14-16). “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul’s ministry should be their pattern!

In chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians, the Holy Spirit through Paul issued another admonition: “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (verses 37,38). Here anticipated is willful ignorance, people choosing (!) not to regard Pauline revelation….

I Am Comfortable! #7

Monday, January 22, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

Once the LORD God “gave up… gave up… gave over” (Romans 1:18-32) the Gentiles or nations to “walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:14-17) and undergo spiritual “ignorance” (Acts 17:22-30) at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), He isolated the nation Israel unto His purposes beginning in Genesis chapter 12. One of the rights or privileges of Israel in “time past” was their exclusive receipt of God’s direct revelation in the form of the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 4:1-8; Psalm 147:19,20; Romans 2:17-20; Romans 3:1,2; Romans 9:4,5). In stark contrast, the Gentiles or nations were worshipping and serving the Devil (Ephesians 2:1-3,11,12; Ephesians 4:17-19)!

Confronting Israel’s religious “authorities” a year after Calvary in Acts chapter 7, the Holy Spirit preached through Stephen to review their national history of unbelief. Read verses 39-43: “To whom [Moses] our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven [celestial bodies, such as stars and planets]; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.”

To wit, with Israel preferring life without the LORD, like He dealt with the willful Gentiles, the LORD handed Israel over to those same worthless idols….

I Am Comfortable! #6

Sunday, January 21, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

Romans chapter 1 depicts the pagan nations assembled at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9): “[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. [20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: [21] 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.

“[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. [24] Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: [25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. [26] For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: [27] And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

“[28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, [29] Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, [30] Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, [31] Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: [32] Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Here is today’s world….

I Am Comfortable! #5

Saturday, January 20, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

The Holy Ghost, filling the Prophet Stephen, addressed apostate Israel’s religious leaders: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it” (Acts 7:51-53). Christ’s crucifixion was the culmination of several centuries of unbelief in Israel.

In response to the Lord Jesus Christ’s rejection during the Books of Matthew through John, He pronounced an extremely solemn warning: “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive” (John 5:43). With Israel snubbing the genuine Messiah, they automatically set themselves up to accept the counterfeit Messiah (also known as the Antichrist). In short, denying the truth meant taking in the lie.

Commenting on this pitiful situation which has yet to be, the Holy Spirit wrote through Paul: “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). It was what they wanted, and God will make certain they get it!

Again, we are free moral agents—neither robots nor machines. We can exercise our volition (free will) to make good choices or bad choices….

NOTE: Happy 44th Spiritual Birthday to My Mom, who will no doubt read this!

I Am Comfortable! #4

Friday, January 19, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

As Christ commissioned His 12 Apostles, He ordered in Matthew chapter 10: “[14] And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. [15] Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” The shaking off the dust of the feet (cf. Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51) was a Jewish custom, especially amongst the Pharisees.

When a Jew was returning to the land of Palestine from a foreign trip, he would stop at the border and shake his sandals to remove the soil collected from the (neighboring) Gentile lands. It was a sign of disgust, as in, “This unclean Gentile dirt is not coming into my holy neighborhood!” Christ had His Apostles shake the dust so as to signal to unbelieving Israel, “In God’s sight, you are no different from the pagan Gentiles!” In Paul’s case, we know he carried out the behavior after apostate Israel strongly opposed his preaching in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:45-52).

Moreover, when Paul was speaking to the so-called Gentile “intellectuals” in Athens, they negatively reacted to God’s words, so Paul left them in their heathen darkness: “Because he [Father God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus Christ] whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them” (Acts 17:31-33).

God’s attitude is simple: if they want ignorance, let them have it! Let us see what else the Scriptures say….

I Am Comfortable! #3

Thursday, January 18, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

A dear sister in Christ shared some advice with me that I have never forgotten. She said how she used to feel so sorry for people following false teachers. One day, it dawned on her that “this is what they want!” She told me she did not pity them anymore. Having come 18 years in ministry now, that has become increasingly clear to me too. For over a decade, I languished in spiritual ignorance as a believer, but I left that foolishness behind. It was a conscious decision on my part.

I found some sound Bible teachers, and listened to and believed the verses they shared. Therefore, I was able to recover myself out of the snare of the Devil: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). If I and countless others could escape the error, anyone still in that mess can also come out of it. It all depends on free will: do they wish to leave the darkness and step into the light?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” (Matthew 23:37; cf. Luke 13:34). Sure, it grieved or saddened the Lord Jesus Christ that, though He was willing to fellowship with the nation Israel, and He wanted them to be united in Him, they were uninterested in His will. Speaking to their religious capital, Jerusalem, He announced how He let them have their way. He had not chosen judgment for them; they had preferred it for themselves….

I Am Comfortable! #2

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

The King James Bible refers to “freewill offerings” some 16 times (Leviticus 22:18,21,23; Leviticus 23:38; Numbers 15:3; Numbers 29:39; Deuteronomy 12:6,17; Deuteronomy 16:10; Deuteronomy 23:23; 2 Chronicles 31:14; Ezra 1:4; Ezra 3:5; Ezra 7:16; Ezra 8:28; Psalm 119:108). They are also known as “willing offerings” (Exodus 35:29), “free offerings” (Exodus 36:3), and “voluntary offerings” (Leviticus 7:16). The LORD did not require them and no one vowed (promised) to give them, but they were offered out of a grateful human heart and mind.

Observe Ezra 7:13,15,16: “[13] I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee…. [15] And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, [16] And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:….” The Hebrew word translated “minded of their own freewill” in verse 13, was rendered “freely offered” in verse 15. It was translated both “freewill offering” and “offering willingly” in verse 16.

Again, to be “of free will” is something done voluntarily—as opposed to forced or obligatory behavior. Contrary to popular belief, God does not have to make all the decisions in order to be God. He has chosen to delegate some decision-making power to others, allowing people to either follow His plan or formulate their own. Remember, He did not create robots or machines, but free moral agents. They, not God, are responsible for their own choices and their consequences. It is extremely critical that we comprehend this arrangement….

I Am Comfortable! #1

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4 KJV).

Why are they comfortable? Why are we comfortable about their choice?

Over 55 years ago, a member of a works-religion cult came to the stunning conclusion that no matter how “good” he was or how much “good” he did, he still had a sin problem and was totally powerless to save himself from the eternal damnation he deserved. It had taken him a long time (two years!) to swallow his religious pride and admit the family religion was wrong, but he finally believed the Gospel of the Grace of God: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

After he trusted Christ as his personal Saviour, this new believer was so eager to share that Gospel with his cousin who was still joined to the family religion. Nevertheless, his cousin was uninterested—and he even begged that Christian not to share such information with his wife. All these decades later, the cousin has finally died near age 90 (probably a lost man), but his wife remains alive (probably a lost woman). Their son has just died (probably a lost man). As the head of his household, the man is accountable before God for his family’s lost spiritual estate.

Long ago, that Christian held home Bible studies for approximately two years. His sister-in-law attended them, reading and hearing the Scriptures throughout that period. Alas, she continued with the family works-religion. Due to declining mental and physical health, she eventually moved into a nursing home, dying just a few days ago (probably a lost woman). Her husband—the Christian’s brother—died in the family religion many years back (probably a lost man). This Christian was sharing with me how it disturbs him to think about all these deceased family members who are likely suffering the flames of Hell this very moment. Does the Holy Bible give us any consolation here?

Let us study and see….

In Every Thing Give Thanks

Thursday, November 23, 2023

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV).

Dear saints, take a moment this Thanksgiving to learn a valuable lesson from the Holy Scriptures!

God wants “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). To be “saved” here means you have been rescued from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire), and that you have a home in heaven, because you have trusted the death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for your sins. To “come unto the knowledge of the truth” is when a person who has trusted Christ, begins to understand why God saved him or her, and how God will use him or her for His glory. Although soul salvation is instantaneous, spiritual maturity is a life-long process (that is especially true regarding handling difficulties, the grace way!).

It is human nature to avoid difficulties and stress, to flee them, rather than confront them. This self-preservation is advantageous, particularly in “life or death” situations. However, running from troubling circumstances is not the way God has designed our life in Christ to function. Today’s Scripture says, “In every thing give thanks,” not “For every thing give thanks.” We do not thank God for our troubles; we thank God while we are enduring those troubles. This is tough, I know, but it takes time for us to learn it. Even the Apostle Paul had to learn this.

“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).

Be thankful in every thing. God’s grace is sufficient for you, dear saint, in all of life’s circumstances. When you learn this, you are “[coming] unto the knowledge of the truth.”

*Excerpted from our Thanksgiving 2012 Bible study with the same name. That study can be read here or watched here.

You may also see, “What are our spiritual blessings in Christ?”

Living With Others in Mind #8

Monday, July 3, 2023

“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:23,24 KJV).

In what way was Paul self-centered—in what way was he self-sacrificing?

It was by the Lord’s design that Paul stayed on planet Earth as long as he did, for Paul’s earthly sojourn would not conclude until he had written his last epistle, preached his last sermon, and visited his last city. Paul would be a living, breathing example of Christ’s grace life manifested in human flesh… for the advantage of the Philippians and other saints. Therefore, Paul resolved to seek their wellbeing instead of his own. Essentially, it would be summed up as: “Yes, to be with Christ is far better with myself in mind, but it is more needful to stay here with you in mind.”

How sad it is that, despite the Bible’s clear explanation, ignorance flourishes! Christians will ask, “Why has the Lord not yet come? Why are we still here? What is God’s will for me?” While we want to be gentle, we must be frank too: these are truly dumb questions. If we are still in doubt about such basic matters, it is a testament that our pastors, teachers, and churches have failed us miserably. We really have no idea what the Christian life is all about. It is just as unknown to us as if we had no Bible at all.

Dear friend in Christ, if you have not already been in the predicament of today’s Scripture, you will surely be in it one day. You need to have that right answer before you face the question and wonder how to handle it. Read Philippians 1:21-26. Instead of having a pity party for ourselves, whining, “I want to go on to Heaven and leave this wretched place!,” we can remember, “But God wants me here to manifest Christ’s life here, to reach others for His glory here, so any attendant afflictions are light and momentary in the grand scheme of things.” (See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.) It really is that simple, and we do not need to complicate it with endless speculations and worthless denominations. Mature grace living is living with others in mind! 🙂