Category: emotions

Fruit to Behold in the Ages to Come

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:19,20 KJV).

Remember, we will not comprehend the full impact of God’s ministry through us until eternity future….

Invariably, any King James Bible, Pauline dispensationalist has had the thought cross his or her mind, “Is this worth it?” A doubt such as this is prompted by the usual replies, “Who believes that? How could so many people be so wrong? I have been in my [denominational] church for years, and I never heard what you are teaching before! I feel comfortable in my church tradition, so do not bother me anymore with your ‘heresy!’”

In spite of all the opposition you face, you meet someone who is tired of formalism, participating in mindless rites, ceremonies, and rituals just for the sake of “doing religion.” This one soul seeks liberty from works-religion, and you have the message whereby they can be set free from the shackles of sin—the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ!

Despite all the opposition you face, you meet someone who is sick of existentialism, committing the sins of the flesh just to have a “good time in this one life.” This one soul seeks freedom from selfishness, and you have the message whereby they can be set free from the shackles of sin—the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ!

Amidst all the opposition you face, you meet someone who is tired of fanaticism, seeking experiences, emotions, and encounters just for the sake of “doing religion.” This one soul seeks liberty from emotionalism, and you have the message whereby they can be set free from the shackles of sin—the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ!

These precious, few souls who want to hear God’s truth make Christian service and ministry worthwhile, and for their sakes, let us continue so the remaining souls who are interested, can also become “our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing!” 🙂

Others Which Have No Hope

Sunday, April 21, 2013

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13 KJV).

Only by God’s grace, we are not “others which have no hope….”

I know a family that does not have the salvation found only in Jesus Christ, and they are troubled by the recent death of a member. The prospect of exactly what happened to her is completely beyond their understanding. They do not know what to believe. Today’s Scripture describes these people as “others which have no hope.”

When a Christian brother I know spoke to this family, and told them that he was as concerned for their souls as they were for her soul, they responded, “We go to church.” Beloved, this is the mentality of every religious person on earth, billions upon billions of souls who are risking their eternity by relying on some man-made institution!

Just as there is a “synagogue of Satan” in the Bible (Revelation 2:9), there is a church of Satan. It surprises many, but going to church can be just as dishonoring to the God of the Bible as a Jew participating in the devil’s apostate religious system of Israel. The vast majority of “Christian” churches today are apostate, preaching their theological system from a perverted modern “bible.”

Thankfully, we have hope in Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself the penalty for our sin and sins: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and he rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). As individuals who understand that we cannot work for heaven, and who have trusted alone in Christ’s finished crosswork for soul salvation, we have the peace with God. God is not mad at us anymore.

This eternal security is the basis for the peace of God. Our loved ones who have died also resting in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork alone, we will see them again (today’s Scripture). We do mourn their absence, but not hopelessly—we know where they are (“with the Lord;” 2 Corinthians 5:8), and we will be reunited with them one day (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). What comfort! 🙂

Churning, Wringing, and Forcing

Saturday, April 20, 2013

“Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife” (Proverbs 30:33 KJV).

There is more to today’s Scripture than meets the eye….

Today’s Scripture is an example of parallelism. Note the gerunds “churning, wringing, forcing” and their corresponding nouns “butter, blood, strife.” This grammatical structure is a teaching technique that God the Holy Spirit utilizes here in His Word to reinforce both comparison and distinction. He helps us understand deeper concepts by using simpler, more familiar ones.

Interestingly, one Hebrew word, miyts, is translated to render three diverse English words—“churning,” “wringing,” and “forcing.” Nevertheless, these three different English terms convey the same concept: effort vigorously applied to achieve a desired result.

So, what does today’s Scripture mean? It should be pretty obvious. If you churn (stir) milk long enough, butter will be produced. If you twist someone’s nose long enough, blood will gush out. If you anger someone long enough, strife (fighting) will result. (Notice the parallelism in this paragraph.)

“The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with” (Proverbs 17:14). This verse likens the beginning of strife to a giant wall of water rushing forth—you had better leave quickly, or you will literally be swept away by a flood of conflict!

One of the main reasons why sinful man wants to argue is pride. He does not want to admit that he is wrong, that he is not the final authority, and that he is a feeble frame of dust that is subject to fallibility. Having one individual like this is bad enough, but when two such persons are gathered together, our Lord Jesus Christ anticipated the outcome—anger and a disagreement that, if not settled in a Christian manner, may never be resolved.

Today’s Scripture could not be simpler. If you do not want butter, churn not the milk. If you do not want blood to come forth, wring not the nose. If you do not want the argument, force not the anger.

Saint, Why Sayest Thou Nothing? #5

Thursday, January 31, 2013

“Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews” (John 7:13 KJV).

You are not alone in being shy about witnessing for Jesus Christ….

Once the Apostle Paul began his ministry, and started preaching the glorious Gospel of the Grace of God (that we are saved by grace through faith without works), legalism (works-religion/Mosaic Law-keeping) contradicted his message and confused and divided Christians (sound familiar?). Two areas where legalism was dominant were Ephesus and Galatia.

Paul instructed Timothy, a church leader in Ephesus, to “charge [command] some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). They have swerved from “godly edifying” and “faith unfeigned [genuine],” and have “turned aside unto vain jangling [useless, foolish talking]; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (verses 6,7).

Sometime later, Paul writes a second epistle to Timothy. It is the Apostle’s final letter. Paul pens that he is “mindful of [Timothy’s] tears” (2 Timothy 1:4). Timothy is very discouraged in the ministry, as evidenced by Paul’s encouragement: “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (verses 6-8).

Timothy is now ashamed of God’s Word and of Paul’s imprisonment. He once courageously proclaimed God’s Word, but now he is craven. The false teachers in Ephesus have intimidated him to silence, lest they have “competition.” Paul instructs Timothy not to fear the lost world. He should endure the suffering that comes with being a Christian. He should speak up about God’s Word! How can he do this? “According to the power of God!” Dear saints, our flesh is weak, but God’s power is more than sufficient to give us boldness to speak His Word to this lost and dying world.

Decent and Orderly

Sunday, December 2, 2012

“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is straightforward regarding individuals’ behavior within the local church.

A lady recently shared with me her experience of visiting a new local church. After an hour of singing, dancing, shouting, jumping, and tongue talking, there was less than an hour of preaching. While she claimed that she learned “a little” (!) from the Bible, she was overall displeased. Thankfully, she said she was not returning there. (I was then able to share some Scriptural truth with her concerning those matters.)

Emotionalism dominated the Corinthian church. The Corinthians, although Christians, were spiritually immature: they failed to learn and grasp the doctrine found in the book of Romans. They could not function like adult saints because they were “babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1). Consequently, they abused spiritual gifts.

Rather than using their spiritual gifts to benefit the assembly as God intended, these believers were selfishly glorifying their flesh by drawing attention to themselves (the “charismatic movement” is nothing new). The Apostle Paul spent three chapters—1 Corinthians 12, 13, and 14—addressing spiritual gifts. The last verse of that section is today’s Scripture, which summarizes God’s view of the whole issue. We are not to lose self-control under any circumstances.

Dear readers, be not swept away by the charismatic movement. We humans are emotional creatures, prone to fall into the trap of deceptive feelings, and this religious movement appeals to our flesh. Spiritual gifts—even when they operated in biblical times—were never meant to be haphazardly used to lift up the individual Christian, or be utilized to give an “emotional high.”

Lost people are watching us, and is that the impression we want them to have about God? Jumping, shouting, and babbling incoherently? As 1 Corinthians 14:23 says, these lost souls will exclaim, “Ye are mad [crazy]!!!” Remember, everything in the local church should be done “decently and in order.” Let us be grounded in this truth, let us walk by faith in sound Pauline Bible doctrine, and let us not be “children… tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).

Our Secure Identity in Christ

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12 KJV).

Life is dynamic; life in Christ is not!

This life is filled with uncertainty. It is dynamic, constantly changing. In short, it can be likened to a roller coaster. Emotions intensify that ride, too! We hear of people worried about their financial stability; their health; their social life; their education; and the wellbeing of their children, grandchildren, and friends.

As noted in today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul was certainly not exempt from this life’s troubles. Unbelieving Jews followed him wherever he went (as documented throughout the book of Acts). They persecuted him and his Gentile converts (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16). Eventually, these wicked Jews convinced the Roman government to imprison—and finally execute—Paul.

Today’s Scripture is a portion of Paul’s final epistle, written shortly before his execution. Undoubtedly, when he spoke of his “suffering” for the sake of the Gospel of the Grace of God, he was reflecting on his ministry, the last 35 years of his life. We cannot imagine the horrific suffering of Paul, who endured at least 195 lashes; three beatings with rods; one stoning; three shipwrecks; a night and a day stranded in the sea; food, clothing, and shelter shortages; and numerous other troubling ordeals the Bible only briefly recounts (2 Corinthians 11:23-27).

Above all, while writing this final epistle, Paul is in prison again, and he confesses, “Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11a). Over three awesome decades of ministry are drawing to a close, but Paul’s circumstances seem grim. He has been forsaken by nearly everyone, and his beheading is near. Regardless, Paul declares, “I am not ashamed.” He knew, no matter what had happened or would happen to his physical body, his spiritual body was secure in Christ (today’s Scripture).

Dear saints, let us remember this sound doctrine when life is difficult. Our circumstances will change; our identity in Christ never will! 🙂

Brethren, Pray for Us

Friday, November 2, 2012

“Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thessalonians 5:25 KJV).

Today’s Scripture exhorts us to pray for our Christian brethren, and we beseech you to especially pray for this ministry.

Saints, I hope you do not mind, but I must share with you what has been on my heart for these past few weeks (and several months). It is very difficult to express in words, but I have endured (and am still enduring) one of the most heart-wrenching issues life affords. The issue, whose details God knows, has hindered this ministry for nearly 18 months now. From the very beginning, I tried my absolute best to handle it Scripturally, hoping to avoid the disastrous outcome that nevertheless came to fruition.

In short, dear readers, I want to take this opportunity to counsel with you, in hopes that you will spare your Christian brethren the emotional, spiritual, and mental turmoil that troubles me still. I beseech you to take the utmost care in the words you say and the deeds you do, especially to your grace brethren in Christ. The lost world is certainly unkind to us Christians. Why must we too “consume one another?” When we do it to the Christian brethren, we do it to Christ!!!!

We Christians always have forgiveness at Christ’s cross, but the damage we do to our Christian brethren does not magically disappear. We can never take back those harsh words. Thus, let us exercise great care in what words we speak, especially to our grace brethren in Christ. Let us prayerfully meditate on the rightly divided King James Bible before we make rash decisions we will later regret. We do and will make mistakes, but if we persist in those mistakes, we really have not grasped what grace living is all about.

Grace living is not sinless living, but letting God’s grace transform you, and allowing it to correct you when you do make mistakes. Selfishness, bitterness, and bickering are inconsistent with God’s grace to us in Christ; consequently, they do not belong in our lives. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Hope Deferred, Sick Heart Incurred

Sunday, September 2, 2012

“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12 KJV).

Regarding today’s Scripture, we can all shout, “Amen!”

Have you ever had an intense desire to have something (or perhaps, someone)? Your heart was thrilled beyond words, was it not? How you looked forward to that wish coming true. In effect, that want became a crutch, something that you depended on entirely. You had such hope, and you looked forward to that certain event happening (a relationship, raise at work, new car or house, friendship, job, vacation trip, et cetera).

But to your horror, that hope was shattered, as that dream was “deferred” (delayed), or worse, it never even came to pass. Were you not sick to your stomach? Did you not have a horrible feeling inside, like something in you died? Maybe you despaired even of life? Perhaps you felt angry, sad, or both. This is to be expected, since the first part of today’s Scripture reads: “Hope deferred [delayed, overdue] maketh the heart sick.” When we hope for something, and it fails to come to pass, it wounds us emotionally. Our innermost being feels sick.

Now, the second part of today’s Scripture declares: “but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” Here is the flipside to our previous paragraph: suppose that wish or hope did come true. Were you not overjoyed? You wanted to live and enjoy that good time, right? The Bible describes this as “a tree of life,” something that makes you want to live and makes you happy that you are alive.

Saints, life is full of disappointments. While we are emotional beings, we need to be reminded that our emotions should not be in control of our lives. Let us walk by faith in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to us (believing the King James Bible rightly divided), and let our emotions follow us (not vice versa). Above all, let us hope in Jesus Christ and our sufficiency in Him, which hope is never deferred, and a sick heart is never incurred.

To Be (For All Eternity)

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 KJV).

As I celebrate my 24th birthday today, we remember that the axiom, “You only live once,” is true… eternally true….

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). According to this verse, we humans have a visible physical body, made of the elements of the earth’s crust, and an invisible spiritual body.

Our soul and spirit—the “real” us—cannot be seen, but they reside in a visible tabernacle (tent), our physical bodies. The soul is our will, our emotions, and our heart (not the muscle of flesh, but our innermost being, what we use to believe God’s Word; see Romans 10:10). “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24a), so He communicates with and educates us by means of His indwelling Holy Spirit connecting with our spirit, our mind, and enlightening us once we meditate on His Word (1 Corinthians 2:12; Ephesians 4:23).

In today’s Scripture, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul explains that we believers, upon physical death, still exist: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” Physical death is not the end—the human soul and spirit continue, saved and lost alike. When we who have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, physically die, our souls and spirits go to be with the Lord in the third heaven, and we remain there until the rapture, when we all receive new glorified physical bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). However, when those who do not trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, physically die, their soul and spirit literally wake up in hell’s torments, and eventually the everlasting lake of fire (Luke 16:22b,23).

Saved, or lost, you only live once… and that life is for all eternity….

Be Not Blinded by ‘Bright Lights!’

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

“Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head [Christ]…” (Colossians 2:18,19a KJV).

Religious—and even nonreligious—people claim to see heavenly “visions” or angelic creatures (“Mary,” “Jesus,” “deceased relatives,” et cetera). Seeking monetary gain, some have written “Christian” books discussing how they allegedly died, visited heaven (or even hell!!!), and then returned to earth. Are these experiences of God?

“Bright lights” and “supernatural” visits do not belong in our dispensation. Look at today’s Scripture: those people are “intruding into those things which [they] have not seen….” Interestingly, modern “bibles” omit “not,” stating the opposite of the King James Bible!!!

Our sin-tainted minds and our deceptive emotions can get so hyped up about having a particular religious experience that it seems to come to pass (when it actually did not happen). We imagine we see things (“angels,” “devils,” et cetera) that are not really appearing. Beware; Satan and his “seducing spirits” use these phenomena to draw us away from the truth of God’s Word (1 Timothy 4:1).

Notice the Bible’s description of false teachers: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13,14). Satan is the master counterfeiter: he wanted to be “like the most High” (Isaiah 14:14). Satan appears not as an evil-looking monster, but as “an [INNOCENT-LOOKING] angel of light!”

Paul wrote, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). Why would any “angel” “appear” to you in this the Dispensation of Grace? It would only be to deceive you! Angels have no ministry to us; their ministry and appearances belong in Israel’s program.

The Bible is the Final Authority, not emotional experiences. Let no one trick (“beguile”) you with false teaching… that includes preachers, “angels,” and “dead saints!”