Category: encouragement

Conferring to Edify

Sunday, November 23, 2014

“As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do” (1 Timothy 1:3,4 KJV).

When grace Bible conferences conclude, a sense of sadness is present because the Christian fellowship must end.

In reality, it is leaving the closest thing to “Heaven on Earth” that the Church the Body of Christ will ever experience. We have been “godly edified which [was] in faith” (today’s Scripture): rather than proclaiming fictitious and moral stories (“fables”), stumbling over personalities (“endless genealogies”), and preaching Law-keeping for Christian living (verses 5-11), we taught sound Bible doctrine, glorified the Lord Jesus Christ, and preached His grace as means for daily victory over sin. How enjoyable! Thus, to part with like-minded Christians is not easy, but it demonstrates the unity, the brotherly love, that should exist between God’s people when they let His Word work in them when they believe it.

Rather than biting, devouring, and consuming one another, we simply “walked in the Spirit,” and enjoyed doctrinal unity and peace between each other. We united around three cardinal truths: the King James Bible as our final authority, the Gospel of the Grace of God (Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for our sins), and Paul’s apostleship and ministry to us Gentiles regarding grace living. We read, studied, and rejoiced in Israel’s verses, but we did not claim them for ourselves because God is doing something else today. We also read, studied, and rejoiced in our verses, Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, recognizing that they described what God is currently doing and what He wants to do with us.

We had wonderful discussions about how the Lord Jesus Christ is working in our lives today, and we gladly shared Him with those who were visiting. While we had a small group, we had more than the seven Noah had with him on the Ark, and we look forward to fellowshipping with one another around God’s Word rightly divided, one last day today! 🙂

NOTE: The 2014 Slidell Grace Bible Conference concludes today! Videos of the messages to be uploaded to YouTube in due time, so stay tuned for updates.

Attendance to Apprehending

Saturday, November 22, 2014

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13 KJV).

Grace Bible conferences are always a joyful and edifying time!

We meet new people and old friends, most of who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They are really seeking God’s truth rather than those who would come to be merely religious or simply entertained. We desire Jesus Christ to live His life in and through us, and it will only come about by God’s Word renewing our minds on a daily basis. Conferences are not simply about Bible study, but Bible understanding so that it can become Bible application to life. While plenty of people read the Bible, very few study it; and of the few who study it, even fewer understand it; and of the few who understand it, even fewer apply it to life by faith. Our goal is to be in that last class listed, that very small remnant.

Father God is doing something wonderful today in creation and He wants us to participate. A grace Bible conference is to grasp the Bible on a large-scale, to the intent that we may see a fuller picture of the Bible rather than just a glimpse of it (as in a regular sermon or teaching session), that we may find where we are in Scripture (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon), that we may then discover how Jesus Christ can give us His life and how He can fill us with it (grace living)!

It is an extremely high plane of living that very few Christians grasp, since organized religion opposes it and hides it from the masses (2 Corinthians 4:1-4), but oh, how we have cast off religious works and our vain performance (Philippians 3:1-21), how we have begun to search the Scriptures for ourselves (Acts 17:10,11), how we have a better understanding of such a wonderful Saviour who not only died that we might live but that we died with Him so that He might live in us! We assemble locally to study the Scriptures rightly divided to learn how Christ Jesus is living His life in each of ours, and we rejoice that it is not us, but Him (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:4)!

NOTE: The 2014 Slidell Grace Bible Conference is currently underway! Videos of the messages to be uploaded to YouTube in due time, so stay tuned for updates.

Time Travel and the Mystery #10

Friday, November 21, 2014

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7,8 KJV).

Satan knows that it will never be possible to manipulate natural laws, to travel back in time and manipulate events, that things turn out differently. Today’s Scripture says he can never undo his undoing—Calvary’s finished crosswork.

Beloved, dispensational Bible study allows us to see, and thereby fully appreciate, God’s wisdom. Rather than the Bible being a patchwork of incongruent and burdensome verses, a jumble of contradictory passages, another volume to advance denominations and the confusion they engender, it is seen as the gradual unfolding of Father’s God marvelous two-fold, yet unified, plan to eternally restore to the Lord Jesus Christ all power and glory in heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:9,10).

We reread in Colossians chapter 1: “[19] For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; [20] And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” In the end, Jesus Christ will have preeminence in heaven and earth. He will defeat and destroy His enemies. He alone will be exalted in heaven (via us, the Church which is His Body; Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 2:6,7) and earth (via the nation Israel; Matthew 5:5; Revelation 5:10).

The Bible says, “[God] taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (1 Corinthians 3:19; cf. Job 5:13). By keeping a secret, God proved to Satan that he was not as wise as he thought, and that His purpose and plan for creation would still be accomplished. While Satan will never forget his self-sabotage at Calvary, he has done—and still is doing—everything to keep that revealed information still a secret (he uses religious tradition to cause people to ignore God’s Word through Paul, Romans through Philemon). To most, “the mystery” is still a mystery!

Beloved, may we tell everyone about “Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery” (Romans 16:25)! 🙂

The Greatest Veteran

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14,15 KJV).

Today is Veterans’ Day in the United States, so let us especially thank the “Greatest Veteran of All Time.”

We thank veterans, living and departed, the often-forgotten men and women who risked their lives to secure our freedom. Just as we remember flesh-and-blood veterans who fought for our physical liberty, we reserve our worship and utmost respect for the least esteemed Veteran, He who secured our spiritual liberty.

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). Through Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary, we have eternal victory over sin, death, hell, and Satan. Everything that God has planned for us is dependent upon Christ’s victory at Calvary.

Jesus Christ nailed the Mosaic Law to His cross (today’s Scripture). His sinless blood covered our failure to obey God’s laws; Jesus’ righteousness annulled our unrighteousness (sin). Christ not only liberated us from sin and its penalty (the everlasting lake of fire), but today’s Scripture affirms He also triumphed over Satan himself!

Christ has “spoiled [destroyed] principalities and powers [Satan’s power], he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it [His cross].” Jesus Christ destroyed Satan’s plans. Through Christ’s cross, God has “delivered us from the power of darkness” (Colossians 1:13), Satan’s evil system of Ephesians 2:1-3.

During a recent cemetery visit, I noticed American flags flying above deceased veterans’ headstones. These individuals can no longer hear or regard our thanks, but Jesus Christ’s body is not decaying in some tomb. If there ever was a Veteran most worthy of our gratitude, it is our Lord Jesus Christ. Though He died in battle, allowing Himself to be executed on a Roman cross of shame and scorn, He resurrected. He is alive and well today, alive forevermore!

Saints, eternity will ring with our thanks to the Veteran worth thanking, the Lord Jesus Christ. 🙂

*Adapted from our 2010 Bible study, “The Greatest Hero.” The Bible study video can be viewed here.

Pets Past, Prayer, and Peace

Monday, November 10, 2014

“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).

What comfort does God’s Word provide regarding pets that have died?

Recently, a Christian brother emailed me for advice. His family had just lost a young pet to an automobile accident, and his distressed children had inquired as to whether pets go to heaven. I too have faced this interesting question posed by young children, and what I have always responded with is that the Bible does not provide any details about that matter. While this answer is valid, it does not provide any comfort, particularly for very young minds. My reply to him was to share today’s Scripture with his children.

If ever confronted by young people asking about pets being in heaven, we should tell them today’s Scripture and explain it to them. God’s Word is so plain that even a child heartbroken by the death of pet, can profit from it. Small children should be reminded that, whenever they remember a pet that has died, they should thank God that He gave the pet to them for the time they had him or her. Part of praying is telling Father God that we are thankful for His provisions; after all, He is “the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

Prayer—talking to God about all the details of life, in every circumstance, in light of what His Word says to us—brings His peace to our worrisome hearts during difficult times. We talk to Him in light of what we read in His Word, and His peace guards our minds and hearts through Christ Jesus. Why do our minds and hearts need protection? Satan will use those awful circumstances to make us miserable, to discourage us, to defeat us. Father God knows how Satan operates, and He has made provisions for us in Christ to withstand Satan’s schemes and scams. Whenever our pets die, let us remember today’s Scripture, such soothing words of God. 🙂

The Three E’s of Bible Study

Sunday, November 9, 2014

“So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8 KJV).

Can you name the three “E’s” of Bible study?

In Nehemiah’s day, 150 years after God deported Judah and Jerusalem to Babylon (their chastisement for centuries of pagan idolatry), the priest-scribe Ezra led some Jews from Babylon to Jerusalem. After Jerusalem’s wall is completed under Nehemiah’s supervision, Ezra preaches to Israel from Moses’ writings (probably Leviticus and/or Deuteronomy). Men are standing with Ezra, explaining God’s Word to Israel. The people are moved, convicted, realizing their sins before God; they are instructed to do right in God’s sight; and they finally obey JEHOVAH’S words by keeping His Feast of Tabernacles (verses 9-18).

Hence, whenever God’s Word is opened and thoughtfully read, these three events should always occur:

  1. ENLIGHTENMENT—“to give spiritual light to; instruct.” Paul prayed for all believers: “[17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,…” (Ephesians 1:17,18).
  2. EDIFICATION—“to instruct or benefit; uplift.” “Edify” is derived from two roots, the first meaning, “to build,” and the second, “house, temple.” The idea is building a structure of sound doctrine inside a person’s soul. Paul and Timothy wrote, “…we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying” (2 Corinthians 12:19). “For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord giveth us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed” (10:8).
  3. ENCOURAGEMENT—“to put courage in; to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence.” Paul wrote to downcast Timothy, “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” (2 Timothy 1:6). “[S]tand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries…” (Philippians 1:27,28).

The Way of All the Earth

Saturday, November 8, 2014

“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;…” (1 Kings 2:1,2 KJV).

Even David, once the mighty king of Israel, must “go the way of all the earth.”

No matter what station we have in this life, the truth is that death is the “great equalizer”—everyone loses every single material possession gained in this life. King or pauper, rich or poor, death claims them all. David, in today’s Scripture, gives a portion of parting advice to Solomon his son and successor, the new king of Israel. (You can read “the last words of David” in 2 Samuel 23:1-7.) Forty years of reigning over God’s people Israel were now finished, and forty years of Israel under a new king had just begun (1 Kings chapter 1). While the entire speech (1 Kings 2:2-9) is an interesting passage, we want to focus on the expression “the way of all the earth.”

David knew that he would die, just as all his ancestors had, and just as all the Gentiles who lived before him had. Still, he knew, according to the oldest book of the Bible, Job, that he would be resurrected one day to enter God’s kingdom on earth (see Job 19:25-27). David did not understand all of the mechanics of resurrection, for God’s progressive revelation was ongoing. He still penned his own resurrection in Psalm 16:8-11—he did not realize the Holy Ghost was moving him to also predict Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:24-31).

Today, we learn through God’s completed Word, the Holy Bible, that Jesus Christ will accomplish our resurrection. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21,22). Short of the Lord’s coming, we members of the Body of Christ will also “go the way of all the earth.” Nonetheless, a glorious resurrection awaits us (verses 23,49-58)!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Was God ‘unfair’ to punish us for Adam’s sin?”

Walking in the Truth

Thursday, November 6, 2014

“I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father” (2 John 4 KJV).

As the Apostle John wrote to believing Israel to commend her of her godly walk, so we rejoice when we hear of you “walking in truth,” too!

In 1 John, the Apostle made several contrasts between Jews believing, and Jews unbelieving; Jews sound in faith, and Jews apostate; Jews physically and spiritually circumcised, and Jews physically circumcised only; Jews true, and Jews counterfeit. Afterward, he wrote two books, 2 and 3 John, to praise and encourage those Jews who had trusted Jesus as Messiah, those who were believing, those who were sound in faith, those who had been born again, those who were true Jews. In the future, the words of commendation will apply to those Jews who reject Antichrist (see 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7).

The two tiny epistles of 2 John and 3 John are best understood as addendums to the book of 1 John. Notice today’s Scripture, from 2 John, and verses 3 and 4 of 3 John: “For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee [Gaius], even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Whether writing to believing Israel in general (2 John), or a believing Jew named Gaius (3 John), it was the Holy Spirit through John that rejoiced in the fact that these Jews did not trample God’s precious words under foot as their unbelieving kindred were doing.

Specifically, the commandment that these Jews had been given by the Father was that they should love one another (2 John 6).

John was thrilled to hear of those to whom he had ministered, so glad to see them progressing in sound Bible doctrine, maturing, becoming stronger in their spiritual understanding. We too enjoy hearing from all of you, who express to us your utmost gratitude for our ministry, how you are learning much, and how you pray for us daily. Praise our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙂

For the Good of the People

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Psalm 45:6,7 KJV).

Never forget that it is only in the Lord Jesus Christ that we find political salvation.

Dear friends, the word “politician” has become increasingly unpopular here in the United States. Many who claim to seek “our best interests” are incompetent, unwilling and/or unable to address the numerous issues still facing our beloved nation. Yes, here, and in nations worldwide, paperwork, political privileges, and partisanship often come before people. The mainstream media does not report valuable stories that inform the public, just “feel-good fluff” accounts that warn the heart and waste the mind. Satan’s agenda is simple: suppress the truth and spread error. The religious, economic, educational, political, and social systems are all “arms” of Satan’s evil world system. But, praise God, those “arms” will be broken one day!

The writer of Hebrews (1:8,9) quoted today’s Scripture to describe when Father God elects Jesus Christ as Earth’s King. Jeremiah 23:5,6 confirms: “[5] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. [6] In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” And, Psalm 89:14, “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”

God instituted national governments in Genesis chapter 9 to maintain order and He established country borders in chapter 10, but Satan is usurping those power structures. A corrupt government is not isolated to this country; every nation has Satan as its “god” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Thankfully, this is not as good as it will ever get. The day is coming when Jesus Christ will reign as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16). He will remove Satan, uphold God’s Word, and execute true justice, forevermore reigning truly for the good of His people! “Come, Lord Jesus!”

Sinner’s Gospel or Scoffer’s Creed

Monday, October 27, 2014

“For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written” (Romans 2:24 KJV).

Dear saints, let us use today’s Scripture and learn a valuable lesson from Israel’s history, that it not be our history.

Someone once commented, “You are the only Bible this careless world will read. You are the sinner’s gospel, you are the scoffer’s creed.” What exactly does this mean? Quite simply, the world is watching us Christians. The lost people of the world, and even the angels, are watching us (1 Corinthians 4:9; 1 Corinthians 11:10; Ephesians 3:9-11; 1 Timothy 3:15,16). What do they see? Do they witness sound Bible doctrine on display, or do they see loose, sinful living? Dear friends, whatever they see, whether good or bad, they perceive it as “Jesus Christ” and “Christianity.” Either they will grow interested to see what you have, or they will laugh and distance themselves from such a hypocrite.

When JEHOVAH God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, He gave them His Covenant of Law to have them display His Word in their lives, for all the Gentile nations to see. He instructed them through Moses: “[6] Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. [7] For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? [8] And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:6-8).

Still, King David later departed from God’s laws by committing adultery with Bathsheba, causing God’s enemies to laugh at Him (2 Samuel 12:14). Israel’s behavior made JEHOVAH a laughingstock in Assyria (Isaiah 52:5). Brethren, the choice is ours—act like Israel and act like the world, or let Jesus Christ live His life in and through us.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Does Matthew 19:27-28 prove Judas is in heaven?”