Category: Grace Living (Christian Life)

The Misunderstood Messiah #5

Monday, December 30, 2013

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Once Christ replied with sound doctrine (verses 42-47), Israel’s religious leaders simply resorted to name-calling again (verse 48): “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” A Samaritan was half-Jew/half-Gentile, and “the Jews [had] no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Notice Jesus was insulted twice more—they called Him a “Samaritan” and “devil possessed.” Throughout the rest of John chapter 8, Israel’s religious leaders continue arguing with Jesus and nearly stone Him to death (verse 59)!

Why did Jesus not simply “zap” these religionists and instantly throw them into hellfire? They belittled and blasphemed Him several times in this one account, and then attempted to murder Him, but rather than Jesus killing them with His spoken word (which would have been justified), He only conversed with them. Why?

Remember, when the Apostles James and John saw how the Samaritans refused to accommodate Jesus, they asked Him if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven and consume those sinners, He replied, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55,56). This First Coming of Christ was His “meek and lowly” coming: He did not come to judge man’s sins, but to die for them!

Even today, God is still not pouring out His wrath on wicked mankind (2 Corinthians 5:19), creatures who still snicker at Jesus Christ, deceive others in His name, persecute His saints, ignore His Word, and “rub His nose” in their sins. Lost mankind is wasting God’s grace and mercy that He is offering so freely. When His grace is finally exhausted, the undiluted wrath that has accumulated will finally be poured out (His Second Coming). May we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour now so we have our sins forgiven now, lest we face that angry, righteous God in judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9)!

The Misunderstood Messiah #4

Sunday, December 29, 2013

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Society’s anti-Bible, anti-Christian attitude is nothing new. While today’s Bible-believing, Bible-quoting Christian is accused of “hate speech” and “bigotry,” the “non-narrow-minded” face no repercussion for their slandering of the Lord Jesus Christ and their trampling His Word under foot. Due to sin, the world is upside down, and when the Christian attempts to expose it, he or she is to blame. The world wants Romans 3:4 to read, “Let every man be true, but God a liar!”

Like the (self-righteous) Pharisees of old, lost mankind, despite religious participation, has no capacity to stop sin. Never become angry at the world and never let their behavior puzzle you. Sinners do nothing but sin: by nature, man literally knows nothing but sin. As Jesus said to the lost Pharisees, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do” (John 8:44a). What they need is not simply to stop their activity (sins); they need a new nature from God! Today’s Scripture demonstrates the Pharisees’ willful ignorance of their sinful state.

Like the (“educated”) Pharisees of old, lost mankind, despite several degrees, has no capacity to understand the Bible. The Pharisees studied their Old Testament scrolls, yet they were equivalent to today’s average seminary graduate—years of Bible “study” and no (!) Bible understanding. Today’s Scripture demonstrates the Pharisees’ willful ignorance of one of hundreds of Old Testament prophecies that foretold Jesus Christ’s coming. They had plenty of philosophy and religion, but they had no capacity to understand and appreciate the Bible. People today do not need degrees to comprehend the Bible; they need the Spirit of God! “But the natural [lost] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned [judged, evaluated]” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Let us summarize and conclude this devotional arc….

The Misunderstood Messiah #3

Saturday, December 28, 2013

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

The Pharisees are personally attacking the reputation of Jesus Christ, attempting to humiliate Him by saying, “We be not born of fornication.” After denigrating His virgin conception (that is, His deity), they exalt themselves by declaring, “We have one Father, even God.” What irony!

Notice Jesus’ response: “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me” (verse 42). Had these Pharisees really known God on an intimate level, they would have understood His Word (that is, their Old Testament Scriptures) prophesied the coming of the Man they were now ridiculing. Had these religionists believed the prophecy that God had sent His only begotten Son, they would not have insinuated that Jesus was “born of fornication.” They would have known what He meant by the words, “I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.”

Alas, God’s Word was “foolishness” to their dead souls (1 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus explained why they misunderstood Him: “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (John 8:43,47). They could hear the sound of Jesus’ voice, but could they hear with comprehension? Nay, they were spiritually dead, not of God like they claimed. Thus, Jesus told them, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (verse 44).

The Pharisees were spreading lies about Jesus Christ because they were lost. Lost mankind has not changed one bit….

‘Twas the Sunday Night Before Christmas

Sunday, December 22, 2013

“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” (1 Timothy 3:15 KJV).

Let us not be so sidetracked by religion and commercialization that we miss the reason for the Christmas Season….

During the Christmas Season, we wonder how many people are visiting church for the second time this year (the other being Easter Sunday). How many will be going to church today—the Sunday before Christmas—just to feel “religious” or “holy?” How many really know Jesus Christ? For many, visiting a church building is just an obligation; they do not have faith in God’s Word and have no interest in God’s Word.

We do not go to church to “feel closer to God,” for if we have trusted in Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we cannot be any closer to God than we already are in Christ! “[Before salvation, we were] without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh [close to God] by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:12,13).

Furthermore, we do not go to church in order to get God’s blessings, for God has already given us “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). We go to church, not because we are keeping Israel’s Sabbath day, since we are not obligated to observe Israel’s religious days (Colossians 2:16). We go to church to fellowship with like-minded believers and hear sound doctrine… more than twice a year, by the way.

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy that whenever he would assemble with fellow Christians, certain behavior was acceptable and other types of behavior were not (described throughout the epistle of 1 Timothy). Recall that when the Bible refers to “the church,” it refers to the body of believers, not the physical building in which they meet.

As we get opportunities, let us make an effort to reach these dear souls misled by all the vain religious tradition and Christmas commercialization, and may we tell them of the wonderful Christ Jesus whose name is found in Christmas!

*Based on the poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

The Prince of Peace, Born in the Middle East

Saturday, December 21, 2013

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV).

Ironically, God’s wisdom ordained the birthplace of the Prince of Peace to be the contentious Middle East….

Almost from the very beginning of time, the Middle East has been a battleground, the chief war zone of good and evil. Originally the peaceful home of Adam and Eve, today it is the most contentious region on the globe. Because of Adam’s sin, what was a paradise is now known as the area where man joined Satan in his rebellion against God. Adam and Eve utterly failed to reign over the earth for God’s glory (Genesis 1:26-28). Instead they united with the opposition, and were banished from God’s presence and the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23,24).

“Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin” (Romans 5:12). Verse 14 says that Adam “is the figure of him that was to come.” God would send another Man, Jesus Christ, and He would accomplish what Adam failed to do: glorify God on the earth by dispossessing it from Satan, and reigning in righteousness. This is the “government” spoken of in today’s Scripture.

“For if by one man’s [Adam’s] offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (verse 17). Adam plunged the human race into sin and made it God’s enemy; Jesus Christ offers mankind eternal life, forgiveness of sins and a reconciled relationship with God! This was God’s goal in sending Jesus Christ.

As our world desperately continues to seek peace, let us remember there will be no peace on earth until the Prince of Peace returns to His nation, Israel, and rids our planet of Satan and his policy of evil (the root of the Middle Eastern turmoil). At Christ’s Second Coming, there will be peace on earth (Luke 2:14), and especially in the Middle East.

For What Saith the Scriptures?

Sunday, December 15, 2013

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3 KJV).

Today, arC Ministries is launching a new Bible Q&A website, and you are invited to participate!

A question rarely asked in Christian circles, “What saith the scripture?” is found twice in the Bible—today’s Scripture, and Galatians 4:30, “Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.”

God’s will for our lives is summed up in 1 Timothy 2:4, “[God our Saviour] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” There are two issues here—soul salvation from sins and everlasting hellfire, and soul salvation from false teaching unto sound Bible doctrine. Firstly, God wants everyone to become Christians by trusting in and relying exclusively on His Son Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork at Calvary as sufficient payment for their sins. Secondly, God wants Christians to trust in and rely on the grace doctrines found in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon.

Amazingly, both occurrences of “What saith the scripture?” have a special application to us—each instance correlates to one of the issues in 1 Timothy 2:4! The question “What saith the scripture?” in today’s Scripture uses the Bible to answer the question of soul salvation from sins and everlasting hellfire (faith instead of works, “all men to be saved;” 1 Timothy 2:4). The question “What saith the scripture?” in Galatians 4:30 uses the Bible to answer the question of soul salvation from false teaching unto sound Bible doctrine (grace instead of legalism, “come unto the knowledge of the truth;” 1 Timothy 2:4).

The above summarizes our new ministry website, “For What Saith the Scriptures?” We desire you to have a clear understanding of how to have forgiveness of sins and justification unto eternal life, and for you to have a clear understanding of what God’s Word has to say about issues in your Christian life. We are honored to serve you in this additional capacity. Please visit that new site (http://forwhatsaiththescriptures.wordpress.com) and submit Bible questions, and pray for this new ministry endeavor.

Rest, But Not Permanently!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

“And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat” (Mark 6:31 KJV).

Jesus and His apostles are exhausted, but their work was well worth the time and energy….

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had commissioned His 12 apostles to go out two by two, healing the sick, casting out devils, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom (verses 7-11). “And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (verses 12,13). Verse 30 says, “And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.”

Today’s Scripture says that the 12 apostles have been very busy, so hardworking, that they have not even had time to eat! Our Lord Jesus Christ knew they needed rest and sustenance, so He we pressed them to accompany Him to a lonely place away from the crowds… although the Bible says the crowds beat them to the lonely place (this is where Jesus miraculously fed the hungry 5,000)!

In Scripture, we read about how, sometime earlier, the Lord Jesus grew so weary from journeying in Samaria (central Israel), and He had to sit down on a water well to rest (John 4:6).

Jesus Christ and His believers have always upheld and proclaimed the precious truths of the Scriptures, and they did not mind using all of their time and energy to get that message out to the masses! As Paul wrote, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you: though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Corinthians 12:15).

Certainly, amidst all the activity of the Christian ambassadorship, we should take moments of rest, but may we never take a permanent break! “And let us not be weary in welldoing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). 🙂

The Extensive Search for the Pure Church

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17 KJV).

Are we Pauline dispensationalists against going to a local church?

We who understand the message of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ are often accused of being “church-splitters.” Every denominational minister who is aware of dispensational Bible study fears it, for it is a threat to the church program and handbook!

Constant personal communication with professing Christians (verbal dialog and email, even with “clergy”), frequent analyses of current best-selling “Christian” literature, and recent viewing of “quality” “Christian” television programming, still lead me to hold to the conclusion I reached years ago: much of Christendom literally has just as much of an understanding of what Jesus Christ is doing today as the people who have never even read the Holy Bible!

When we Pauline dispensationalists object the “norm”—widespread doctrinal error—and avoid it, we are labeled “church-splitters.” If we are to be rejected as “church-splitters” because we refuse to participate in Satan’s deception, then the Apostle Paul was certainly a “church-splitter” himself, and we are privileged to follow God’s spokesman to us in that regard!

Religious tradition was creeping into the early assemblies of the Church the Body of Christ. In fact, false teachers were even forcing the Scriptural Mosaic Law on Paul’s Gentile converts saved by God’s grace (see his epistles to Galatia and Timothy).

Paul’s advice in today’s Scripture was clear. Identify and avoid these people who “caused divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned.” If what anyone teaches today does not agree with what the Holy Spirit taught through the Apostle Paul, the Bible says we should avoid that person, for he or she is not speaking on God’s behalf: “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:37).

Remember, we are certainly not against going to a local church for fellowship; however, we are mindful of the challenge of finding one pure enough to attend!

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #10

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

For many years, Timothy faithfully served as a coworker of the Apostle Paul in the ministry of God’s grace (Philippians 2:19-23). Satan knew that he could not get Timothy to change God’s Word (that is, compromise the message for the sake of appeasing the false teachers). Timothy showed no interest in joining Satan’s program and propagating his deception.

Nevertheless, Satan’s policy of evil has many schemes and scams, and if one “wile” is unsuccessful, he will simply resort to implementing another. For the Christian soldier who will not give in to false teaching, the devil will use troubling circumstances to distract the Christian, to cause him or her to lose sight of God’s love, God’s peace, and God’s strength in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:35-39). As long as the Christian is confused and miserable, he or she will grow weary (as Timothy eventually did), and then quietly surrender and retreat (and then Satan has one less person opposing him and his policy of evil, which was his goal from the beginning!).

Indeed, Satan is operating a most strategic military plan, but our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is far wiser. He anticipated all of Satan’s moves, but Satan did not foresee His moves (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). The Bible says God kept one secret from Satan, and Satan thus participated in his own defeat (Colossians 2:14,15)! Had Satan really known what God would do with Calvary’s finished crosswork, he would have never, ever influenced Israel to kill Jesus Christ.

Howbeit, Satan did encourage Jesus’s crucifixion, and now through that shed blood of Jesus Christ, God can save us from Satan. By faith alone in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, we can have our sins forgiven. By faith alone in God’s Word to us (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon), we can remember who we are in Jesus Christ (today’s Scripture), and thus draw on God’s power to tolerate all of life’s troubling times. 🙂

Tips to Timid Timothy to Tolerate Troubling Times #9

Monday, December 9, 2013

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We have often heard the expression “timid Timothy,” but have you ever wondered why he was timid?

It is human nature to avoid trouble (this is especially beneficial for self-preservation!). Consequently, the prosperity theology (“God will rid you of all financial, romantic, and medical problems”) that it is often promoted today under the guise of Christianity, is very popular.

Nevertheless, Paul and Barnabas traveled, “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Paul and Barnabas knew that Christians would suffer persecution and other troubles (they knew firsthand!), and that Satan would use those dire circumstances to discourage them and subvert their spiritual growth. Thus, Paul and Barnabas encouraged them not to grow weary.

The Thessalonians were model Christians—they were spiritual, the complete opposite of the carnal Corinthian Christians. Despite great persecution and even martyrdom in their midst, the Thessalonians were joyful and, by faith, stood steadfast in their identity in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:3-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10). They had matured enough to grasp today’s Scripture, and they did not waver when troubles came! God’s Word sustained them, for they, by faith, drew on God’s power contained therein (1 Thessalonians 2:13). May we follow them!

Remember when Paul wrote, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” in Romans 8:35, he listed troubles (things) in the following verses. Why the pronoun “who?” Who is this “who?” Satan will use various difficult circumstances to cause us to lose sight of the love of God we enjoy in Jesus Christ. The Holy Bible rightly divided provides us with “sound” (healthy, nourishing) doctrine (1 Timothy 1:10,11), which gives us a sober mind, one that is mature and steadfast in God’s Word to us, guarding our minds against Satan’s deception (today’s Scripture).

Let us now summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….