Category: Grace Living (Christian Life)

How to Glorify God

Thursday, March 17, 2016

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Do you want to glorify God? Then follow the example of Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture!

Our Lord continued: “[6] I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. [7] Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. [8] For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”

Jesus prayed to His (our) Heavenly Father that He had given Israel’s believing remnant, particularly the 12 apostles, the words that His Father had given Him. For us to glorify Father God, we need to find out what He has to tell us, and then we should tell it to others. In fact, that is every Christian’s ministry. Two Timothy 2:2 is the Holy Spirit’s instructions to the Body of Christ, as penned by Paul our Apostle: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Not only should pastors and teachers keep this in mind, but every Christian. We need to be giving people the Word of God rightly divided, particularly the books of Romans through Philemon.

All too often today people are loyal to their denomination. They have no real clear understanding of the Bible, especially Paul’s epistles to us and God’s current operations. But, they know their church’s doctrinal statement through and through. They will passionately defend their pet theological beliefs but they have little to no clue as to what the Bible actually says. In no way can they glorify God. They have no idea of the words He has given them. Grace brethren, we know how to glorify God our Father. Now, may we do it! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Should Christians celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day?”

Captive!

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

“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 KJV).

Satan is desperately trying to keep his captives from hearing God’s truth!

A lady visited my home yesterday to invite my family and me to an upcoming program at her (nearby) church. Knowing her cult, I determined the best way to approach her was to mention the verse on her booklet’s cover. As I suspected, her religious tradition denied the everlasting nature of hell (“annihilationism”). The “wicked” would simply be burned up and become nonexistent, never suffering forever in fire and brimstone as the Bible teaches.

Yes, she was highly trained in her religion, arguing that the Bible verses commonly interpreted as “everlasting torment” were really “representations.” Still, she could not clearly explain what she meant—only that those passages were not literal. She grabbed Bible verses here and there to validate her denomination. I cautioned her that religious groups ignore verse contexts, politely “hinting” that I was aware of her dishonesty (without me ever actually saying “liar, liar”).

She did not know the Gospel by which we are saved today. (Once I gave it to her, she did not accept it). We talked about many Bible topics for about an hour before she, convicted by the Word, had to “hurry home.” She was very knowledgeable of verses to support her theology. But, she was surprised that someone (me) would mention verses she did not understand. Exiting my front door, with me following, she again said, “A loving God could not send people to suffer hell forever.” One final time, I gave the Gospel of Grace. I told her that God loved sinners so much that He did everything He could to prevent them from experiencing eternal judgment. He sent His Son to die for their sins. Rejecting Christ again, she hurried down my driveway to her vehicle.

Saints, let us preach God’s Word, patiently, gently, lovingly. What people do with it is their responsibility. We did ours! 🙂

Seconds from Eternity

Monday, March 14, 2016

“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Corinthians 6:1,2 KJV).

Friend, today is the day to trust Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary. You may not have tomorrow!

Recently, a certain schoolteacher was driving to work. Suddenly, a 200-pound (90.7-kilogram) iron manhole cover inexplicably flew upward from the roadway. It landed right on top of her car’s windshield—driver’s side! Sadly, her earthly life ended right there, instantly. Just like that, with the snap of a finger, a blink of an eye, it was over! There was no turning back—wherever death found her, eternity still keeps her today. Think of how many factors had to occur just right to take her life. The cover flew off precisely at the moment her vehicle was nearby, it flew exactly the distance to her car, and it precisely hit the windshield on her side (not the back, or the passenger’s side, but the driver’s side). We need to appreciate just how close death really is for any one of us!

Imagine when a lost person dies. Earthly scenes fade to darkness. The overwhelming sensation of falling to Earth’s center… the soul plunging into hellfire… the pain of being burned alive becomes more pronounced… screams and wails all around… memories of rejected Gospel messages flood the mind. Horrible, just horrible. Every soul without Jesus Christ will experience it forever!

A lost person’s heart is very deceitful. He or she will continue to put off salvation, saying, “I have plenty of time to get saved, preacher. Let me enjoy having a good time in sin now. When I am ready, then I will clean up my life and trust Jesus Christ.” They will certainly have a good time, but they just may run out of time to trust Jesus Christ. My what a foolish gamble! They just may lose their eternal soul in literally a “heartbeat.” They think they have years to spare, but they may just have a few seconds. Something to think about!

Not Looking Back But Reaching Forth

Sunday, March 13, 2016

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14 KJV).

Do not look back—look forward!

Recently, I spoke with a discouraged Christian brother. Members of his Bible study group were downcast about a certain common problem. They had discovered the truth of God’s Word rightly divided in their “latter years.” Some of these saints are in their late 70s, with failing health and little drive. They expended decades upon decades of energy jumping from one religious group to another, becoming increasingly weighed down with additional confusion. Now, although they have found the truth, have exhausted themselves. I reminded him of some simple Bible truths that I will now share with you.

My grace brethren, we have two options. Firstly, we can sulk and lament how we lost/wasted many years in frantic religious confusion. Or, we can rejoice that we have all of eternity to learn the Word of God with such astounding clarity… Our few years of gross Bible ignorance will mean nothing by then! Keep your mind focused on this. As long as you concentrate on the past, Satan has you sidetracked from preparing for the future!

Today, take some time to read the third chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. He gives his testimony, how he wasted years in empty works-religion. But, then, in today’s Scripture, he reminds all Christians everywhere to do as he did—continue maturing in the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul he himself—35 years after his conversion—was still “reaching forth” to gain a better grasp of God’s purpose for him in Jesus Christ. We all still have a long way to go, but let us start on earth. Having had a daily intake of God’s Word rightly divided many days now, we are well on our way!

Lastly, you may have taken decades to learn the Word of God rightly divided, but please pass on your knowledge to younger Christians, that they spend more time enjoying God’s truth than searching for it! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did Adam die or did he not die in Genesis 3?”

They Have Seen Nothing!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3 KJV).

They have no spiritual eyes—they have seen nothing!

If you are familiar with “Christian” radio and television programming, you have probably heard something like, “The Lord has just given me a word of knowledge for our audience….” Or, “God is speaking to me and He wants five people to send our ministry $1,000 each!” Maybe, “There is someone watching or listening who needs to be healed of foot pain [headaches, arthritis, et cetera]. God is now touching that part of your body and the pain is just melting away.” These words sound so good, so intimate, so appealing. The average listener absorbs them like a sponge. Every last word is believed because “God” is allegedly involved.

I remember once, while talking to a very confused denominational lady, she objected, “But, I do not believe God would allow me to be deceived!” Oh, certainly, God does not want you to be deceived. He gave you His written Word, the 66 books of the Holy Bible. But, if you let “Christian” preachers and “Christian” literature interpret it for you, and you do not look into the Bible for yourself, you deserve to be misled and deceived in whatever cult you join! Friend, be warned—if you ignore His Word, the King James Bible, God will let you be deceived. Just look around at so-called “Christianity!”

Colossians 2:18,19: “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,….” (Modern versions and their manuscripts omit “not” from “not seen,” thereby saying the false teachers have seen something!)

Many groups and people supposedly speak in the name of “Jesus Christ.” They claim to be preaching His words. But, we can look into the Bible for ourselves and see they are preaching lies. They have no revelation from God. As today’s Scripture says, they are “foolish prophets”—following their own imaginations and fabricating “divine testimony.” They claim to have been given spiritual enlightenment from the God of creation. Today’s Scripture says “they have seen nothing!”

Remember, the Lord Never Forgets!

Friday, March 11, 2016

“For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Corinthians 4:4,5 KJV).

Rest assured, Christ will reward faithful Christian service!

Not long ago, a former deacon of a local church told me how, when they were without a pastor, he was one of the few faithful members who held the assembly together. He left the church once it became apostate with its new pastor, but I asked him to tell me what happened some 25 years ago.

The poor brother showed me a wrinkled, stained, typed paper… his “to-do” list from decades ago. On it were 53 (!) items/tasks he had to fulfill—print church bulletins, cut the lawn, see the church’s utilities were paid, duplicate cassette tapes of sermons, and dozens of other chores! The five other deacons evidently did nothing to help him. Only a handful of other church members assisted in maintaining the church building and grounds… they were all outcasts when the assembly later collapsed under false teaching. The people who did nothing remained in the church! I reminded the disheartened brother to remember that the Lord never forgets our service to Him (today’s Scripture).

Yes, it is often true. Twenty percent of the people in a local church do 80 percent of the work in the local church. The rest of the “members” just sit in the air-conditioning and nod their heads in agreement, raise their hands, and shout, “Praise Jesus!” Yet, they would not dare vacuum the auditorium, lift one finger to change a burnt light bulb, or even stand at the door to greet visitors! Beloved, what a horrible testimony… lost people are often more dedicated to their false religions than Christians are to Jesus Christ’s ministry!

Saints, the Lord sees and remembers what we do in His name, and why we do it. No boasting or acknowledgement by others is needed. In His own time, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, “shall every man have praise of God!” 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Do people become angels when they die?”

The Living God #10

Thursday, March 10, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The God of the Bible is living. He can actually do something for you. Idols can do nothing for you. The “living God” has a Son, Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:16). As He gave us physical life in creation (Genesis 2:7), He offers us spiritual life. There is no life apart from Him (John 1:1-4). If you want life, you must find it in the God of the Bible. You can only find God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:6). “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

Life is not in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, mysticism, or any other religion. We must go beyond dead gods, false prophets, fake gods, and false religions, to find “the living and true God.” It is not we striving to find life in and of ourselves (religion), but rather Christianity, the living God offering us His life a free gift because we are spiritually dead.

While there was a dead goddess in Ephesus, Diana (today’s “Queen of Heaven,” Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary)—Acts chapter 19—there was also in Ephesus the Church the Body of Christ, “the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). We become a member of it by simply trusting exclusively Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. He died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again to give us His resurrection life (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

In the future, Israel will learn that the living God must give her life. She will not find life in heathen religion. She will not find life in her works-religion (the Mosaic Law). She is spiritually dead, unable to do anything that God instructs. But, as she experienced the living God delivering her from Egyptian and bondage to idols, He can (and will) redeem her from Satanic captivity and hellfire as well. No idol can or will ever do it… for Israel… or for us! 🙂

The Living God #9

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The term “the living God” elicits cross-references. Psalm 135:15-18, for example: “[15] The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. [16] They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; [17] They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. [18] They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them” (cf. Psalm 115:4-7).

Note, “neither is there any breath in their mouths” (verse 17)—opposite of “the living God.” In Scripture, we see JEHOVAH, Israel’s God, “the living God.” We also see Gentiles’ silver and gold idols—unable to speak, see, hear, and breathe. They are dead; they can do nothing for their worshippers. Those who worship them must carry them around, and yet, those who carry them around pray to these inanimate idols for help. (Ludicrous!)

Habakkuk chapter 2: “[18] What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? [19] Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.” “The living God” versus heathenism’s dead gods.

When Scripture mentions “the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15), or “turning to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9), this is monotheism. There is only one God, not hundreds, thousands, or millions. He, not dead idols, is the living God. He is powerful; idols are powerless. He can commune with us, and we with Him. Idols cannot. Remember, Genesis 2:7: “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.”

Now, to conclude!

The Living God #7

Monday, March 7, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The 21st through 25th instances appear in the Pauline epistles. They are associated with us, the Church the Body of Christ. Paul penned in 2 Corinthians 3:3: “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” And, 2 Corinthians 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Referring to grace assemblies in Crete, Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:15: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” And, 1 Timothy 4:10: “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Finally, 1 Timothy 6:17: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

While we will discuss this more fully later, for now, suffice it to say “the living God” that was once exclusive to the nation Israel can now be the God of the nations (Gentiles). That is, the one true God who did not deal with non-Jews apart from the nation Israel, is now offering fellowship with all people (Gentiles). In Paul’s writings, the Gentiles are urged to “turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Let us look in the Bible to see where Israel is urged to do the same!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Jesus select evil Judas Iscariot to be an apostle?”

A Leap Day to Redeem

Monday, February 29, 2016
Happy Leap Day!

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6 KJV).

Share God’s Word with a child you know today!

Teaching the rightly-divided Bible to children is very enjoyable. While they do not always pay attention like (some) adults do, they have much less theological garbage cluttering their minds. You share the Gospel with someone who has lived nearly a century in false religion, and, my, how resistant they are! Their hearts and minds are buried deep beneath many layers of church tradition. But, you get God’s truth into those children at an early age, and it is guaranteed to bring results at one point in their lives (today’s Scripture). You may not live to see it, but you just rest assured that God’s Word always prospers wherever He sends it, and it never returns to Him void, empty (Isaiah 55:11).

Recently, while I was talking to an adult about Scripture, my 10-year-old niece, sitting next to me, said, “You taught me that!” Why, yes, some weeks earlier, I had taught her and her brother, my seven-year-old nephew, all about Bible versions, Bible manuscripts, inspiration and preservation. Those little children know more truth about the King James Bible than most preachers and theologians ever will. Why? Religious pride blinds adults to a much greater degree than it does children. Even works-religion children will listen to Bible truth to some extent—but their hearts will be set in error by adulthood, so reach them with God’s truth before they reach adulthood! Parents and grandparents of the grace persuasion must keep that in mind.

The Millennials (born 1980-early 2000s), my generation, are so pitifully ignorant of truth and values. Only the previous generations—their parents, the Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and Generation X (1965-1980)—are negligent. It is not too late to instill into the next generation, those born since the early 2000s, as little as one single verse. How sad that so many parents and grandparents today do not have five minutes to share God’s Word with their children and grandchildren! Frankly, they will have no reason to complain if these children wind up in juvenile hall… or prison… or an early grave… or hell!