Category: indwelling Holy Spirit

Redeem the Time to Do a Great Work

Saturday, October 22, 2011

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15,16 KJV).

From 606 B.C. to 536 B.C. Israel was exiled from Palestine, taken captive by the Babylonians (the 70-year judgment God warned Israel about in Jeremiah 25:11,12). Exiled Nehemiah desires to rebuild Jerusalem and its city walls, which had been destroyed 150 years before. Circa 445 B.C., Artaxerxes king of Persia grants Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem with a party of exiled Jews (Nehemiah 2:1-9).

Not surprisingly, Arabs dwelling near Jerusalem are opposed to the Jews’ construction, so they begin to distract the Jews from their task of rebuilding (Nehemiah 2:10; Nehemiah chapter 4). One of these wicked Arabs requests Nehemiah to stop his work and come meet with him. Nehemiah’s response was simple (6:3): “And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

Nehemiah understood that God’s work was important. He was not going to waste his energy and time on an asinine matter like arguing with a fool! Likewise, as today’s Scripture declares, we should not waste our time, money, and energy. We have been given a limited amount of resources and a limited amount of time on earth. There is no time for frivolous living or arguing with individuals who care not to hear God’s Word.

God is doing a great work. We participate in that work by faith. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6). We submit ourselves to God and allow Him to use us to reach everyone we can with the good news of Jesus Christ. When we allow God’s Holy Spirit to work within us as we believe His Word, we will focus more on publishing His Word, and less on silly distractions like watching TV all day or wasting our lives with drugs and alcohol.

The Ever-Luminous Beacon

Saturday, October 15, 2011

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105 KJV).

Life is sometimes a lonely, dark, confusing maze. During these disappointing and chaotic periods, where should we turn for advice? Today’s Scripture enlightens us. The Bible is a beacon shining brightly in the midst of life’s troubles.

Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.” The Bible is “given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16): it came from His mouth (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). Scripture gives us God’s wisdom regarding marriage, the workplace, parenting, friendships, enduring difficult times, but most importantly, how to be saved from our sins and obtain eternal life through Jesus Christ.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalm 119:130). God never intended His Word to answer every possible question. Contrariwise, God gave us His Word to teach us what we need to know—information that is of eternal value. We need sound doctrine that will carry us through this earthly life and right into eternity. The Bible does not give us all the answers, but it does educate us about God’s purpose and plan for the heaven and earth. Furthermore, Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon teach us what God is doing today.

God has “magnified [his] word above all [his] name” (Psalm 138:2). “The word of the Lord endureth for ever” (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). The Bible is “truth” (John 17:17). God’s Word is unlike any other book. The King James Bible is God’s preserved Word in English, so it should serve as your final authority in life. As we study God’s Word rightly divided as 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs—understanding what Scripture is written to and about us versus what is written to Israel—and place our faith in what we read, God the Holy Spirit will then take His Word and use it to work within us for His glory.

With the King James Bible in hand, we always have the (free!) counsel of God, the ever-luminous beacon, literally at our fingertips….

Whose Praise Do You Love?

Thursday, October 13, 2011

“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42,43 KJV).

How much are willing to risk (and perhaps lose) for being God’s child, a member of the Body of Christ? This present evil world, despite its religious façade, is not God’s friend. It will not be a Christian’s friend either. The world hates Christ living in us just as it despised Christ living during His earthly ministry!

We Christians face great opposition. Wanting the world’s acceptance, our sin nature gravitates towards mimicking the world’s actions. Satan takes full opportunity of this, encouraging us to live in rebellion against God’s will for our lives. Lest we be condemned for being “Bible nuts,” we are intimidated to keep silent about God’s Word. At this point, we have abandoned the grace life for the disgraceful life.

In today’s Scripture many of Israel’s “chief rulers” had trusted in Jesus as their Messiah-King. Fearing the unbelieving Pharisees would belittle and ostracize them, and loving “the praise of men more than the praise of God,” these believing chief rulers kept silent about their salvation. Sadly, they were unwilling to lose their social standing for Jesus Christ!

Daily, we Christians feel peer pressure to believe the world’s foolishness, go where the world goes for “entertainment,” and converse like the world speaks. Our sin nature wars inside each of us, fighting against the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 7:24,25; Galatians 5:16,17).

If you let the Holy Spirit do His mighty work in you, expect the criticism. Be willing to risk it all for Jesus Christ. We may lose “friends,” our jobs, even our lives, but we have a far better inheritance in heaven. Saints, never will we receive “the praise of men” for being King James Bible grace believers, but we do have what matters most—“the praise of God.” We walk by faith, content in that regard.

Seeing the World With a New Perspective

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV).

Yesterday, after 10 days of being unable to use one of my eyes, I was exuberant to hear and “see” the world from a new perspective. As it is in the physical world, so it is in the spiritual world. Just as infection rendered one my physical eyes useless, and thus my being unable to see with it, so sin renders man’s spiritual eyes useless.

Several passages in the Bible use the word “darkness” to describe lost mankind in his natural spiritual blindness (for instance, Psalm 69:23; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 60:2; Matthew 4:16; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:21; Romans 2:19; Romans 11:10; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Ephesians 4:17-19; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9-10). In this the Dispensation of Grace, Israel’s spiritual eyes are temporarily blinded (Acts 13:6-11; Romans 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

The heart of a lost (unsaved) person is totally dark, spiritually blinded. A lost man’s spirit is dead, unable to function and commune with God (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). He knows nothing about God and avoids God.

Suddenly, the glorious light of God’s Word shines brightly, penetrating that callous, dim soul. As that lost soul hears and believes the Gospel of Grace—how that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)—it is regenerated and “quickened” (made alive; Ephesians 2:1,5). God’s Holy Spirit illuminates that soul so that it realizes what it never knew before: it was destined for hell, but by God’s grace, it is now “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

Before we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, our souls (minds) were dark. Now that we are in Christ, the indwelling Holy Ghost teaches us through His written Word that which we knew not in our natural (lost) state (1 Corinthians 2:9-13; Ephesians 1:17,18). We “see” the world from a new perspective—God’s perspective.

333’s 100th: Be Ye Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

Thursday, September 8, 2011

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2 KJV).

The Bible is “the mind of Christ” in printed form (1 Corinthians 2:16). God does not want you as a Christian to be conformed to the world’s profligate example. He wants to take His Word and renew your mind so that you will think like He does, and then your life will reflect the “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The key to the Christian life is not obeying a list of rules, but rather placing your faith in sound doctrine so that sound doctrine can transform you from the inside out for God’s glory!

Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me….” “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Christ lives His life in and through us: we do not live the Christian life because we cannot live the Christian life.

As we Christians study and believe the Holy Scriptures “rightly divided,” using dispensational Bible study, the indwelling Holy Ghost will utilize that sound doctrine to transform us. The more sound doctrine we store in our inner man, the more material the Holy Ghost will use inside of us to spiritually mature us. “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Spiritual growth requires a daily study of God’s Word rightly divided, and our minds need to be cleansed daily by God’s Word, as taught in Ephesians 5:26, and daily devotionals fulfill both. The Scriptures we discuss daily will make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you if you will study them and, most importantly, if you believe them.

[*Beloved, we rejoice in the Lord that this is our 100th devotional. We trust that these devotionals, despite their brevity, have been a great help and blessing to your inner man, and that they have contributed to your spiritual growth and enlightenment, as they have to ours. It thrills our hearts to prepare these devotionals and hear of the wonderful work that God is accomplishing with them. It is our great hope and prayer to continue this project for many years to come, Lord willing. Thank you for your continued prayer regarding this ministry endeavor.  –in Christ, Shawn Brasseaux]

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! 😉

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….

Do You Really Need an Easy-to-Read Bible?

Monday, August 22, 2011

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (Proverbs 8:8,9 KJV).

The most frequent complaint raised against the King James Bible is that it is “hard to read.” Modern Bible publishers, seeing opportunity to make some quick cash, pass off their products as “easy-to-read revisions” of our Authorized Version. Sadly, the masses have accepted that lie.

Honestly, my research these past few years shows that modern Bibles tend to read harder than the King James Bible. The King James’ simple Anglo-Saxon words have been replaced with harder, multi-syllable Latinized words (for instance, “provoke” is now “exasperate,” “schoolmaster” has become “disciplinarian,” and “swelling” now reads “bombastic”).

According to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula, used here in the United States to gauge the grade level of reading material, English Bibles read at these grade levels:

  • King James Bible (KJV): 5.8
  • New International Version (NIV): 8.4
  • New American Standard Version (NASV): 6.1
  • Today’s English Version / “Good” News Bible (TEV/GNB): 7.2
  • New King James Version (NKJV): 6.9
    (Source: Gail Riplinger’s New Age Bible Versions, 1993, p. 196)

Will the modern Bible publishers ever use this information when marketing their Bibles? Obviously not, for modern Bibles would never sale! Consumers would observe that modern Bibles read harder, contrary to their claim of being “easier-to-read.”

We always hear of “easy-to-read” English Bibles. Interestingly, we never hear of “easy-to-read” Greek Bibles, Hebrew Bibles, or Latin Bibles. Why? English Bibles make more money because English is most commonly spoken and read!

“Easy-to-read” English Bibles is Satan trying to discredit the King James Bible. If children have understood and memorized the King James Bible for 400 years now, then why do modern-day “educated” theologians decry the King James Bible for its difficult reading? That is silly to the utmost.

Get the indwelling Holy Spirit by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, study the King James Bible, and then you will see it is not as difficult as most would have you to believe.