Category: Grace Living (Christian Life)

A Worthless Witness, a Useless Report, and a Profitless Audience

Friday, August 2, 2013

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:16 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is a valuable lesson from Israel’s history. We need to learn it… and quickly!

One can never discern who is more misinformed about what is really going on in the world—the mainstream news media, or the gullible public who listens to them and parrots their “information.” Many news outlets report about topics that have little to no relevance to their readers: profit, not quality news reporting, is usually the goal. Even once well-respected news agencies and “conservative” reporters seem to repeatedly discuss the same worthless stories. Consequently, they distract the public from learning about the most important issues. As a dear Christian brother in the ministry confessed, “If you want to run me out of the room, turn on the news!” (A hearty “Amen!”)

Dear Christians, we should be aware of what is occurring in the world, and we need to analyze it from the Bible-believing viewpoint, but remember that prolonged exposure to the media’s programming and literature will only lead to depression. Those journalists and anchors discuss news from an unscriptural, worldly standpoint—usually their comments are just worthless speculations void of true wisdom.

Satan polluted Israel using false prophets (see today’s Scripture). The nation was so misinformed by these self-proclaimed “servants of God” that their resultant national idolatry brought God’s wrath upon them. Israel believed that so-called “wisdom,” but God said it made them “vain” (worthless, empty, useless). Even today, sadly, many Christians are so saturated with the world’s “wisdom”—even in many alleged “Christian” churches—they have almost no understanding of what Jesus Christ said in His Holy Bible. Their Christian lives are distracted, which does exactly to them what it did to Israel’s spirituality—it makes their lives “vain,” worthless, unacceptable to God.

Hearken not to the world’s “wisdom”—that goes for the mainstream media’s reports… and the denominational churches!

Instant

Thursday, August 1, 2013

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2 KJV).

Be ready to preach the Word, anyone, anywhere, anytime….

Today’s Scripture is an excerpt from the Apostle Paul’s final epistle to a young bishop, Timothy. In this farewell letter, the elderly apostle encourages young Timothy to endure the hardness that is coming, yea, to survive the intense hardships that he is already facing in his ministry. Soon after this epistle is written, Paul will pass off this earthly scene (verses 6-8), having been executed for, in the eyes of the Roman law, preaching an “illegal message.”

In today’s Scripture, Paul is not suggesting Timothy do something. He wrote in the previous verse, “I charge [command, order] thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;” What is the Holy Ghost’s commandment to Timothy? What is His commandment to us? “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Why must we do this?

The next two verses explain: “For [Because] 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.”

As Christians, it is our responsibility—yea, our privilege—to study God’s Word rightly divided on our own so we can then preach it (thus allowing that truth to combat the apostasy, the doctrinal error). We must be “instant [ready] in season, out of season:” we will get into Bible conversations we would never expect, with some of the people we would never expect to hear from, at a time when we would never expect them. Today’s Scripture says to “reprove [expose sin; blame], rebuke [correct], exhort [advise, encourage, urge] with all longsuffering [patience when provoked] and doctrine [sound Bible teaching].” The only way we can do this is to study God’s Word rightly divided on our own.

Again, be instant to preach the Word, anyone, anywhere, anytime!

Grace Ambassadors

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ…” (2 Corinthians 5:20a KJV).

We rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ because arC Ministries celebrates its sixth anniversary today!

In July 2007, I saw the need on Facebook for a sound Bible study group. Back then, any Bible groups—let alone sound ones—were rare on Facebook. Thus, “ambassadors for the risen Christ” was born. I wrote one or more Bible studies a week and emailed them to our members. Over the next two years, the Bible study group grew to become “ambassadors for the risen Christ Ministries” (and expanded to Myspace). (The logo “arC” is stylized because the emphasis is not on the ambassadors, but on Christ!) In fact, our original Bible study group is still on Facebook, still reaching countless souls six years later. 🙂

The ministry began to reach my college classmates and professors on campus (still ongoing). By late 2010, we expanded to write a weekly newspaper Bible study column (for 22 weeks before cancellation) and a nursing home ministry (currently on hiatus). In 2011, we again expanded to become this daily devotional blog.

Last year, we initiated a grace study Bible project (currently underway) and another Bible study blog, this blog’s sister site (still ongoing). This year, we started home Bible studies and launched a YouTube channel (1611kjvambassador). Today, we launched our Twitter feed (@kjvambassador). I hope and pray regarding additional expansions into more avenues and mediums, so we can be grace ambassadors there to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Saints, Jesus Christ is still tarrying, so let us continue to labor in Him in the ministry. It will be worth it (1 Corinthians 15:58)!! Despite the challenges and discouraging moments, we can look back on all of them and shout, “My, if faced with the choice to do it all again, our answer would be, ‘What a privilege and joy to suffer for our Saviour’s name!’” We thank God for all of you who have been with us right from “day 1,” and we look forward to serving you in the future, as God’s grace enables…. ONWARD! 🙂

You can now follow us on Twitter.

With the Saints Versus With the Ain’ts

Sunday, July 21, 2013

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26 KJV).

Dear Christian, lift up thy chin, for thou shalt see the saints again….

Bible conferences are wonderful occasions for which members of the Church the Body of Christ fellowship with another around God’s Word, the Holy Bible. These extended periods of time are (or should be) marked by edification, encouragement, and enlightenment. Meeting with like-minded Christian brethren is very enjoyable—unity that cannot be found elsewhere.

In today’s Scripture and its context, the Apostle Paul likens Christian believers of this the Dispensation of Grace to one unit, one body. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (verse 27). Just like our physical body has many “members” (body parts), so the Church the Body of Christ has many individual members (with Jesus Christ as its Head; Colossians 1:18). Consequently, whether in health or sickness, all of the body is affected. One Christian’s time of sadness should be a time of grief for other Christians. When one Christian is filled with joy, every other Christian should rejoice with him or her.

As people who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, we are a family in Christ, united forever. It is only natural to miss Christians who are absent, and it is expected that we feel excitement when we see other Christians. After all, that is what family members do! Again, we cannot have that unity with lost people, for they are not family. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

While we join all our Christian brethren in lamenting the conclusion of Bible conferences, we also join them in rejoicing in that the day is coming when we shall all assemble at the “grand Bible conference.” And that “family reunion” will never end! 🙂

Israel, Stand Still! #10

Thursday, July 18, 2013

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Israel must stand still and do nothing in order to see her God work mightily on her behalf!

The Old Covenant (the Mosaic Law) only condemns us as sinners—it never saves anyone, it only makes “all the world guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). In order for God to save and use Israel, He will have to make a New Covenant with them. Read Hebrews 8:7-13 (quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34):

“[7] For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. [8] For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: [9] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. [10] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: [11] And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. [12] For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. [13] In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”

This is Israel’s glorious prospect—a covenant that involves JEHOVAH working to save her from sin and Satan, just as He saved her from the Egyptian bondage. It will be an extremely intense battle, and JEHOVAH Himself will die….

NOTE: If you’re interested in “attending” a grace Bible conference via internet, the Grace School of the Bible Family Summer Bible Conference is underway through today. You can find all the details (times, topics, and preachers) at www.graceimpact.org.

Israel, Stand Still! #9

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Israel must stand still and do nothing in order to see her God work mightily on her behalf!

The Jews spent centuries in Egypt as slaves, so Egypt is known as “the house of bondage” in Scripture (Exodus 13:3,14; Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; Deuteronomy 6:12; Deuteronomy 8:14; Deuteronomy 13:5,10; Joshua 24:17; Judges 6:8). Nevertheless, God redeemed Israel through the Red Sea experience: He rescued her from great misery, He defeated her enemies, He gave her unspeakable joy, and He offered her the Promised Land to dwell in forever.

Now that the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea, they were dead to that old life of slavery. They now had a new life—a life of freedom! They now had a new identity—the nation of JEHOVAH! They now had a new land—the land of Palestine! In that land, they now could serve JEHOVAH, the God who had been so faithful in rescuing them. Unfortunately, Israel never made it to the point of fully enjoying JEHOVAH or His blessings and salvation for them. As with Adam, their sin spoiled the paradise God offered them. They fell into sin, and Satan captured God’s nation, Israel, thereby again thwarting God’s program for the earth.

As with the Red Sea experience, Israel is helpless (spiritually dead in her trespasses and sins). She needs the power of God Himself to be rescued from her sin. JEHOVAH must give her new (eternal) life in order for her to be equipped to serve Him forever in her earthly kingdom (the context of today’s Scripture). Israel’s sins must be dealt with, and JEHOVAH will do just that.

In type, Israel’s redemption at the Red Sea is a beautiful illustration of how God will deliver Israel from the dominion of sin and satanic captivity. Just as Israel was unable to deliver herself from Egyptian bondage, but had to rely on the LORD, so again she will have to depend on JEHOVAH to rescue her from her sin and satanic bondage….

NOTE: If you’re interested in “attending” a grace Bible conference via internet, the Grace School of the Bible Family Summer Bible Conference is underway through Thursday, July 18. You can find all the details (times, topics, and preachers) at www.graceimpact.org.

Israel, Stand Still! #8

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Israel must stand still and do nothing in order to see her God work mightily on her behalf!

Shortly after Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage, the LORD delivered the Law to Moses at Mount Sinai, to the intent that Moses would give the Law to Israel (Exodus chapters 19-23). This Old Covenant, the Mosaic Law, was ratified in chapter 24. JEHOVAH made it very clear to Israel that this contract had conditions. Israel had to obey every commandment He gave them in order to receive His blessings. If they disobeyed Him in any way, they would suffer curses (judgments, wrath, and chastisement).

Deuteronomy chapter 28 outlines this very strict system of legalism, which Israel failed miserably! The LORD says in Jeremiah 31:32: “…the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD.” Using the Law, God thus proved to all the world that no son of Adam could ever measure up to His standard of righteousness—“for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20b).

Isaiah 49:24,25 explain Israel’s spiritual captivity: “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered:  for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” Legally, Israel is in trouble. She is under the curse of the Law. She has fallen into sin and broken her contract with JEHOVAH. Now, she belongs to Satan (hence the devil possessions during Christ’s earthly ministry).

Satan has Israel captive, just as Pharaoh did in Egypt, but JEHOVAH promises He will fight with Satan and deliver Israel from sin’s dominion, just as He fought with Pharaoh and delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage….

NOTE: If you’re interested in “attending” a grace Bible conference via internet, the Grace School of the Bible Family Summer Bible Conference is underway through Thursday, July 18. You can find all the details (times, topics, and preachers) at www.graceimpact.org.

Israel, Stand Still! #7

Monday, July 15, 2013

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10 KJV).

Israel must stand still and do nothing in order to see her God work mightily on her behalf!

JEHOVAH God had promised Abram (later Abraham) that He would make of him a nation of people through whom He would bless the whole world: “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:2,3).

About 500 years after that Abrahamic Covenant was given, that nation, Israel, was enslaved in Egypt, but JEHOVAH delivered them through Moses’ leadership. God then gave through Moses the Old Covenant, a system of worship for Israel to use. Alas, Israel forsook that Old Covenant! Throughout the next 1,500 years, she ignored JEHOVAH and followed the heathens in their pagan idolatry. Now, think of Israel’s dilemma. She was to be God’s people through whom we Gentiles would be blessed and saved by God, but now she has broken His covenant and fallen into Satan’s dominion. She is in a captivity far worse than her physical bondage in Egypt—she needs help with her sin problem!

Hebrews 8:8,9 explain Israel’s sin problem and, thankfully, JEHOVAH’S solution to it: “For finding fault with them [Israel], he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not according to the [old] covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.”

Quoting chapter Jeremiah chapter 31, the writer of the book of Hebrews knows that JEHOVAH has fought and will fight for Israel’s spiritual salvation, just like He fought to save them physically in the Red Sea deliverance….

NOTE: If you’re interested in “attending” a grace Bible conference via internet, the Grace School of the Bible Family Summer Bible Conference is underway through Thursday, July 18. You can find all the details (times, topics, and preachers) at www.graceimpact.org.

The Word of God, Right Here and Out There

Friday, July 5, 2013

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

Whether near or far, let God’s Word illuminate your life….

The Bible says, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

Satan is “the god of this world,” and the darkness with which he is associated is spiritual ignorance. While he knows exactly what God is doing, he wants to hide that information from us! Chiefly, he hides the Gospel of the Grace of God (Paul’s Gospel) from people: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Satan uses works-religion to deceive people into thinking that their “good” works will merit favor before God.

If someone does get saved by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ alone as his or her personal Saviour, Satan will attempt to hide God’s Word from that person using works-religion again! “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit [legalism, Law-keeping; Romans 8:15], which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4).

In today’s Scripture, when the Bible says, “[God’s] word is a lamp unto my feet,” it is referring to daily Bible study for daily Christian living (practical sanctification). Moreover, the phrase “[God’s word is] a light unto my path” concerns an entire lifetime as well as eternity (soul salvation).

Let us trust Paul’s Gospel for salvation, the lamp in spiritual darkness, and let us walk by faith in the Apostle Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, the light in spiritual darkness.

Liberated to Serve

Thursday, July 4, 2013

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 KJV).

Today, as we in the United States celebrate the 237th anniversary of its independence, we invite our Christian brethren worldwide to rejoice with us concerning our freedom in Jesus Christ.

When we proclaim Romans 6:14—“Ye are not under the law, but under grace”—people tend to assume “loose living.” Does “grace living” really mean we can now live any way we want? Lest anyone be misled in that regard, God the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write in the next verse, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid [May God never let that happen!]” (Romans 6:15). Grace living is not Law-keeping, but it certainly is not Law-breaking either.

God still cares how we live, albeit He is not operating the “weak and beggarly” system of “bondage” (Law) that He once did with Israel (Galatians 4:9). God proved to the entire world that since Israel could not keep His commandments perfectly, no other sons of Adam (the Gentiles) could either: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them [Israel] who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world [Gentiles] may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).

We sinners cannot keep the Law. However, God in His grace provided us a way to escape that condemnation by sending Jesus Christ to offer Himself on Calvary’s cruel cross to pay for our sins. By simple faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the fully-satisfying payment for our sins, we can now be “made the righteousness of God in [Christ]” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can be delivered from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire) and the power of sin (flesh-walking).

Why are we Christians free? To selfishly live any way we want? NO! Today’s Scripture says we are liberated to now serve others, especially our Christian brethren, just as Jesus Christ selflessly served His Father and selflessly died on our behalf. That is grace living!!!!

You can also see our 2011 Fourth of July study “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land,” which can be watched here or read here.