Category: church leaders

He Was One of The World’s Richest! #16

Thursday, September 21, 2023

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20 KJV).

He was “one of the world’s richest,” but now he is among its poorest!

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). The context is a greedy minister “serving God” (HA!) with the primary goal of, not teaching the truth, but providing himself with earthly gain. Such departure from sound Bible doctrine results in a metaphorical impalement (“pierced themselves through”), with “many sorrows” (numerous long-term distresses/griefs) being the weapon and the materialistic souls being the stabbing victims!

Most regrettably, the professing church has often allowed moneymaking to take precedence over sound Bible doctrine. Consider so-called “Christian” publishing houses marketing all kinds of “Christian” literature. These companie$ offer products covering a wide range of theological persuasions. Only a fraction of this material is actually Christian. The remainder is denominationalism and/or paganism in disguise. Why? Had they restricted their materials to the truth, doctrinal debates would have been settled, and those preferring to maintain their favorite theological errors would not buy from such a “limited, narrowminded” product line!

During the last 130 years, over 200 modern English Bible translations have been produced. This diversity is a bu$ine$$ model. Selling just King James Bibles would be meager proceeds. Now, if a company retails a dozen different translations, the consumer has many “final authorities” from which to choose. Do not forget: “the love of money” (profit$!) prompts the company to offer this assortment of translations in the first place! To attract crowds, megachurches cannot offend anyone, so their teaching is shallow and able to accommodate various positions. Church attendance and funding are thus maximized. Neither can denominations afford to support sound Bible doctrine, for their revenue would also vanish. Preachers and professors often decline to take a stand for the King James Bible and dispensational Bible study because it would mean losing pensions and retirement funds, and becoming outcasts at their colleges and churches. If you doubt, ask them!

Friends, we are left with one final caution from Paul to Timothy about earthly wealth, so let us hear it well and believe it….

He Was One of The World’s Richest! #15

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (Luke 12:20 KJV).

He was “one of the world’s richest,” but now he is among its poorest!

Re-read 1 Timothy 6:6-9. Now, verse 10: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Unfortunately, this is commonly misunderstood and misquoted. Moreover, not only have modern English Bible translators failed to adequately capture the thrust of Paul’s Greek words, they have contributed to the confusion surrounding the verse. They soften “For the love of money is the root of all evil” (King James Bible) to “For the love of money is a root of all kinds/sorts of evil.” Their usage of “kinds” or “sorts” is totally unwarranted, and a blatant perversion of God’s Book!

First Timothy—like Paul’s other three Pastoral Epistles (Second Timothy, Titus, and Philemon)—is a handbook for ministry workers. These words are the Holy Spirit’s instructions for maintaining a local assembly. The context of 1 Timothy 6:10, “the love of money is the root of all evil,” is ministry. Not “having money” but rather “loving money” is the root of all evil in ministry. Misconduct in ministry (compromise, false teaching, and so on) originates because someone seeks profit. They love the little “g” god, not the big “G” God (remember Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13!). Ministers must take extreme caution here, lest Satan conquer them.

Listing qualifications for bishops (pastors) and deacons (helpers), God the Holy Spirit required men “not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Timothy 3:3,8). Titus 1:7 says “not given to filthy lucre.” Think of a “lucrative” bu$ine$$ operating according to corrupt or unethical principles. God’s ministry, including the local church, will become such a cesspool for greed if the wrong leaders are appointed. This iniquity is what Paul warned Timothy about in 1 Timothy chapter 6! Remember well the thieves robbing people in the Temple in the name of “God” in Matthew 21:12-14, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17! The “religious leaders” also cheated widows in Matthew 23:14, Mark 12:40, and Luke 20:47! Such false teachers want the fortunes of those they lead astray (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 16).

Yet, there is more….

Spellbound! #16

Sunday, September 3, 2023

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17,18 KJV).

Let us analyze these “good words and fair speeches.”

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3,4). Having “itching ears”—an uneasy or restless desire or longing to hear something that pleases the ear—the professing church rejects rightly divided Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15) so as to believe, teach, and do what they want!

When advising the elders (church leaders) of Ephesus, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul declared: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:28-32).

After “marking,” or fixing our eyes upon, false teachers for the purpose of identifying and avoiding them—even if their message sounds good! (cf. today’s Scripture)—we are to then “mark” sound teachers so as to follow them. “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Philippians 3:17). We protect ourselves from the “spells” of today’s false teachers (cf. Ephesians 4:14-16) by having a firm understanding of and faith in “the word of [God’s] grace” (Acts 20:32), the Pauline epistles of Romans through Philemon.

-FINIS!-

Spellbound! #15

Saturday, September 2, 2023

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17,18 KJV).

Let us analyze these “good words and fair speeches.”

After giving us 16 chapters of fundamental grace doctrine—the entire Book of Romans—God the Holy Spirit wrote today’s Scripture to call to our attention the fact we should guard that information delivered us. If we truly (!) were thankful to Him for what He had taught us through our Apostle Paul, we would make every effort to maintain or uphold it, protect it from loss or alteration, and to never drift from it. Moreover, we would be vigilant regarding those who sought to pervert it.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” Paul asked us to “mark” (Greek, “skopeo,” as in “scope”) them. That is, “take notice of them, fix your eyes on them.” This is in contrast to, “Overlook them, pretend like nothing is wrong, excuse them.” We are to “avoid” those kinds of people, these who refuse to unite around grace teaching and who discourage others from gathering around it. Not only do they cause “divisions” (disunity, rifts, denominations), they create “offences” (Greek, “skandala,” as in “scandals,” or “causes of stumbling/fall/sin”) contrary to the sound doctrine we have learned from Paul (especially in Romans).

“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Provided here is the reason why we distance ourselves from false teachers. It has to do with the fact they are self-serving instead of Lord-serving. If we have chosen to do the Lord’s will, then it is ridiculous for us to sit under the “ministries” of those who have not. However, unless we have mastered sound Bible doctrine, we will be easy targets and fall into the error ourselves. Their elegant or fine words, and their praise-filled sermons, will seduce us.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Spellbound! #12

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17,18 KJV).

Let us analyze these “good words and fair speeches.”

Read Matthew 15:1-9 and Mark 7:1-13. The scribes (Hebrew Bible copyists and teachers) and Pharisees (strict works-religionists) were influential leaders in Judaism. They were greatly agitated when they saw the Lord Jesus’ disciples ignoring the rabbis’ religious tradition of washing hands with a trickle of cool water. Christ countered by asking why they—the scribes and Pharisees—had ignored Father God’s commandments!

The “Corban [Gift] tradition” was a clever manmade invention to bypass the LORD’S orders. As opposed to honoring father and mother (see Exodus 20:12), including financially supporting them in old age, the rabbis granted a man permission to declare his wealth as a “gift” to God and the Jerusalem Temple, thereby freeing the man from the economic obligation to his parents. Of course, “God” was given all the credit—and these religious leaders embezzled “God’s” gift! Such kind of false teaching polluted Judaism and warranted Christ’s repeated condemnations (see Matthew 15:6-9,12-14; Mark 7:6-9,13). Judaism’s religious tradition continuously took precedence over the words of Almighty God—and the same applies to Christendom 2,000 years later!

Upon the rabbis’ urging (false teaching), the “Corban [Gift] tradition” seemed pious and noble from the son’s point-of-view. After all, he was reserving money for “God’s work” (ha!). In reality, he was violating the Fifth Commandment by dishonoring father and mother, and doing nothing more than funding the Devil’s ministers! “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:13). The “Corban [Gift] tradition” was just one of countless examples of putting manmade ideas ahead of Divine revelation, transferring authority from God to men. Again, this practice plagues the professing church even now.

As pertaining to the Church the Body of Christ and this the Dispensation of the Grace of God, the Lord through our Apostle Paul alerts us to be on guard, watching out for self-serving religious leaders….

The Case for Right Division #9

Sunday, May 28, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Ephesians 3:1,2 relays the following: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:…” The “dispensation” (Greek, “oikonomia,” “house rules”) the Lord has in effect today was given to the Apostle Paul (cf. Colossians 1:25-28). This is the body of truth applicable to us, and it is located in the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon. Through Paul’s ministry, the mystery program, God is manifesting His grace—His unmerited favor—to mankind in a new way. By faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins, we as Gentiles outside of Israel and her prophetic program can be made righteous in God’s sight. God the Holy Spirit is taking us believers in Christ and forming the Church the Body of Christ, separate and distinct from the nation Israel (see Ephesians 2:13–3:12).

Alas, denominationally-minded people are either unintentionally or deliberately blind to dispensational truth. To exclusively follow the Lord’s heavenly ministry through Paul means they must forsake their denominational system (built on Christ’s earthly ministry!). They would have to admit their preacher or teacher lied to them. In fact, those who wish to keep their church traditions have resorted to disparaging dispensational Bible study as a “cult,” “heresy,” and so on. That is their choice. If they are determined to stay in their chaos, we respect their free will and let them remain in that ignorance. They can continue claiming their physical healing, dying because they refuse to visit doctors and receive medication. They can keep their starvation by fasting, holding out and holding on for “answers” from God as to why this or that never came to pass.

Dear friends, in the wake of non-dispensational Bible study, billions are left perplexed, hopeless, and even spiritually, doctrinally, and physically dead. Here is the heavy price that must be paid for failing to apply today’s Scripture. Above all, here is the case for right division!

The Case for Right Division #8

Saturday, May 27, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

When the Apostle Paul addressed his second epistle to young Timothy (from which today’s Scripture was extracted), two particular false teachers had combined the prophetic program with the mystery program. They ultimately implied the Lord Jesus had already come and taken away the Church the Body of Christ to Heaven (an event we commonly call “the Rapture”). Hearing this misinformation, Christians still on Earth erroneously concluded they were not Christians at all, for Christ would have also removed them to Heaven via the resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Today’s Scripture in context: “[14] Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.”

Such non-dispensational Bible study spreads like a cancer, growing into more and more apostasy (leaving the truth). The “faith” of some is overthrown, overturned, toppled, abolished. We observe this widespread confusion and discouragement in denominational churches—and how disgruntled church members finally turned to atheism, agnosticism, Satanism, or some other “ism.” They always pray for God’s will, but never discover it. Whereas they never cease to quote verses, they have yet to obtain any spiritual stability or lasting peace. All they can do is wallow in utter impotency and crushing dissatisfaction, worried about Bible contradictions and unanswered prayer. No pastor or teacher has anything meaningful to contribute either, for these church leaders are also victims of Satan’s policy of evil. Here is the case for right division, the absolute necessity for it….

The Case for Right Division #5

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Two chief misunderstandings must be addressed and corrected if Christendom ever hopes to fix its innumerable blunders. Firstly, it needs to do much more than simply “rightly divide” truth from error. When the Holy Spirit through Paul penned today’s Scripture, the instruction was to “rightly divide the word of truth.” There is no error in truth! Yet, we can distort the Bible into a Book of errors by failing to recognize the distinctions God has already made in it. Trying to do something God is not doing anymore and/or expecting Him to do something He is no longer doing, this is where the professing church has failed (!!) ever (!!) so (!!) miserably (!!). We must have the most current, most up-to-date, most recent revelation from God—not just any revelation from God, any verse we choose, anything and everything we want to believe or do.

Secondly, Christendom needs to do much more than just “rightly divide” the Old Testament from the New Testament. It is usually assumed everything in Matthew through Revelation is applicable to us—that we can claim anything found in those 27 Books. On the contrary, we repeat our prior comments. If we are to do God’s will, we must know the most recent, most current, most up-to-date revelation from Him.

The Bible is to be “rightly divided” as follows. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:11-13: “[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; [12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” This shift from “time past” to “but now” is the key to discerning God’s present-day dealings with us….

The Case for Right Division #4

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Recall our introductory remarks about the preacher who fasted for 51 days—and finally died by starvation! He was looking for answers from God as to “why the signs do not follow [his] ministry as Jesus said they would.” Obviously, this man was “naming and claiming” Mark 16:17,18: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Why did these verses not work for the pastor? He could not understand what the problem was. This is just one of countless examples demonstrating even Bible users and church leaders can become disoriented, disappointed, and discouraged. Let us reflect on another distressing passage.

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13,14). Dear friend, are you one of the millions who have begged God for all sorts of positive outcomes—with physical healing and “miracle money” being the top requests—but constant prayers were never answered? Instead, financial difficulties worsened and ill people grew sicker and died. How many poor souls concluded Jesus lied and God did not care about them? In fact, who among them abandoned the Bible and Christianity altogether because of these headaches and heartbreaks?

Of course, we can “name and claim” all the favorite Bible passages we want—even fasting and praying earnestly when the promises fail to come to pass, demanding God give us His reasons for those unanswered prayers. We can go so far as to literally starve ourselves to death, engaged in an endless pursuit of solutions to such vexing puzzles. Or, we could apply today’s Scripture and have amazing clarity, stability, and tranquility….

Comatose! #5

Monday, February 27, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

In Matthew 13:25, “the enemy” labored “while men slept.” Verse 39 identifies this “enemy” as “the devil.” The sleeping, of course, is not physical but spiritual. When people are spiritually oblivious, napping in the spiritual realm, they become more susceptible to Satan’s will. A saint not walking in the light of God’s words to him or her will fall into the spiritual trap of functional death, the Christian life not functioning (see today’s Scripture). Also, any lost people refusing to believe God’s words to them—they are content in being lost—they too will be vulnerable to Satanic deception (remaining lost). The context of the verses in Matthew chapter 13 is the Little Flock receiving and believing the Gospel of the Kingdom, God’s work (genuine), and lost Israel refusing and disbelieving the Gospel of the Kingdom, Satan’s work (counterfeit).

Satan’s evil world system is still in force now, misleading lost and saved alike, following the patterns already laid out in Scripture. It had duped the Corinthian saints (spiritual immaturity, heresies and sects, fornication, abusing spiritual gifts, petty lawsuits, mockery of the Lord’s Supper, et cetera), the Galatian saints (legalism, denominationalism, works-religion), the Ephesian saints (various sins and silly deeds delineated in Ephesians 4:17–5:21), and so on. In the verses following today’s Scripture, we read: “[15] See then that ye walk circumspectly [looking around, carefully, alertly], not as fools, but as wise, [16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [17] Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. [18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;….”

If there is no renewed mind, thinking like a mature grace saint (Romans 12:1,2), we will be “fools… unwise… [not] understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Since the vast majority of the professing church has never paid much attention to the warnings the Holy Spirit issued 2,000 years ago, there is no filling of the Holy Spirit, and therefore no real spiritual fruit and meaningful Christian influence on the world. Like with Israel of old, a spiritual coma incapacitates….