Category: Grace Living (Christian Life)

An Inescapable Testimony #6

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV).

How can we have an inescapable testimony?

Observe the final verses of John chapter 12, Christ speaking at the end of His three years of earthly ministry: “[47] And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. [49] For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. [50] And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”

With Jesus Christ, His 12 Apostles, and His 70 Preachers all proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom through Matthew to John and early Acts, forever removed from Israel was any and all occasion to be without excuse. When lost Jews from that time find themselves at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), facing the Lake of Fire, none will be able to argue they had no chance to hear and believe the truth: “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

No matter where we look on the Bible timeline, there is always a Scriptural record of God having a prophet or spokesman to testify or bear record of His words to man. At the Great White Throne Judgment, the Lord Jesus Himself will take the Bible and point out the verses that were applicable to that individual soul’s time on Earth. That soul is then punished according to the light rejected, always haunted by those Divine words he or she chose not to believe….

An Inescapable Testimony #5

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV).

How can we have an inescapable testimony?

Just before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, the Lord Jesus issued these words to His Little Flock (especially His Apostles): “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause” (John 15:18-25).

Pay special attention to verse 22: “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.” It is not that, unless Jesus had conducted His earthly ministry with them, apostate Israel would have been sinless. Rather, He visited them to render them “without excuse” (cf. Romans 1:20), allowing them to be guilty of rejecting Him when given the opportunity to believe on Him (John 3:16-21; John 9:39-41; John 12:37-50). “They have no cloke for their sin” is another way of saying they had no covering or excuse to continue living in sin, because the Son of God and the Spokesman of the Godhead had preached to them for three years—and they ignored Him….

An Inescapable Testimony #4

Monday, September 30, 2024

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV).

How can we have an inescapable testimony?

Turning to Christ commissioning His 12 Apostles, we read, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Matthew 10:14,15). “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city” (Mark 6:11).

As for commissioning His 70 Preachers, we learn, “And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city” (Luke 10:8-12).

What a frightening concept! As terrible as the Day of Judgment will be for the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah when they are sentenced to the eternal Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15), even their punishment will be light or easy when compared to the dreadful fate awaiting the residents of the cities of Israel whose streets the Son of God and His dozens of preachers trod as they proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom to willingly deaf ears….

An Inescapable Testimony #3

Sunday, September 29, 2024

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV).

How can we have an inescapable testimony?

Matthew chapter 11: “[20] Then began he [the Lord Jesus Christ] to upbraid [scold, reproach, fuss] the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: [21] Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon [two wicked Gentile cities], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. [22] But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. [23] And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. [24] But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”

Luke chapter 10: “[13] Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. [14] But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you. [15] And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell. [16] He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”

As sinful as Sodom and Gomorrah were (Genesis 13:13; Genesis 18:20-33; Genesis 19:1-25; 2 Peter 2:6-9; Jude 7), they were not as evil as the cities of Israel during Christ’s earthly ministry. How so? Sodom and Gomorrah did not have God in human flesh, the Lord Jesus, preaching to them and performing confirming miracles. Sodom and Gomorrah did not have 12 Apostles and 70 other preachers proclaiming the Word of God in them and performing confirming miracles in them….

An Inescapable Testimony #2

Saturday, September 28, 2024

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV).

How can we have an inescapable testimony?

The Lord Jesus was asked various questions during His three years of earthly ministry. Many were captious or trick interrogations—to trip Him up in His words, or present a difficult issue He could not answer. Other exchanges were not actual inquiries, but seemingly “innocent” statements made to challenge, embarrass, or discredit Him in some way. Pay special attention to Matthew 22:15-46, Mark 12:12-37, and Luke 20:19-44. These questions were posed to Him in the Jerusalem Temple just a few days before His death. Notice His exceptional insight!

If you are interested, and have much free time, check this plethora of passages. See Matthew 9:14-17; Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39. Also, Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5. Plus, read Matthew 12:24-45; Mark 3:22-30; Luke 11:15-26. In addition, Matthew 15:1-11 and Mark 7:1-13. Other references are Matthew 16:1-4, Luke 11:53-54, and Luke 10:25-37. Moreover, read Matthew 19:1-9 and Mark 10:1-9. Try Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22; Luke 18:18-23. See also Matthew 21:15,16. Check Matthew 21:23-46; Mark 11:27–12:11; Luke 20:1-18. Go to Matthew 26:63-68; Mark 14:60-62; Luke 22:66-71. Finally, John 6:25-71, John 7:10-53, John 8:1-59, John 10:1-42, John 11:47-57, and John 18:19-23.

On numerous occasions, Christ responded with God’s wisdom. Whatever was posed to Him, He answered using great skill and insight from the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. As those three years passed, it became more and more obvious how the hostility against Him was escalating. He knew it would culminate with His crucifixion. After all, they had already attempted to kill Him several times (Matthew 2:13-18; Luke 4:28-30; John 5:15; John 8:58,59; John 10:30,31). Eventually, He would let them get their way—but only when He was ready to lay down His life. Still, the Lord Jesus preached, preached, preached. There was more unbelief than faith, willful ignorance than receiving hearts. It was not His job to make them believe, but to tell them what to believe—the very Hebrew Bible they allegedly trusted, read, and heard every Sabbath Day in their synagogues.

We should be likewise faithful in ministry, despite our opponents….

An Inescapable Testimony #1

Friday, September 27, 2024

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 KJV).

How can we have an inescapable testimony?

Many decades ago, two courageous Christians managed to get through a large crowd and give the Gospel of Grace (1 Corinthians 15:3,4) to their unbelieving, cruel prime minister. Instead of trusting it though, he ordered them to be thrown in prison. There, they suffered greatly. Several years later, that prime minister grew quite sick. In dire need, he remembered those words of God those Christians told him long before. He turned to Jesus Christ in faith, dying shortly thereafter!

Dear friends, though they can physically get away from us—even moving to another city or continent—they cannot escape those words of God that we shared with them. You can be sure they will remember the Bible verses at some point. Perhaps it will be when they put their head on their pillow every night, or when they undergo a severe hardship, or when they face physical death. They can never truly get away from God’s words.

Here is another example. An atheist trusted Jesus Christ alone as his personal Saviour and wanted a coworker to believe the Gospel too. This Christian constantly talked to his colleague about the Bible—over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, but the man simply showed no interest. The Christian finally decided to be quiet. After extended silence, one day, his coworker asked him, “Why do you not talk about the Bible anymore?” At this point, the Christian was shocked, but he eagerly seized the opportunity to start speaking again!

One Christian, having conversed with cult members in vain, asked me why we should witness to them if we had the answers but they still did not believe. Well, what of this? If we address their questions, if we supply them with pertinent verses, and they remain in unbelief, then what was the point of our witnessing to them? Let us see if the Scriptures comment on this scenario….

Corn in The King James Bible #3

Thursday, September 26, 2024

“At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat” (Matthew 12:1 KJV).

Is “corn” a “mistranslation” here, as is frequently assumed?

We believers will give account to God, the Lord Jesus, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. “…[F]or we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10-12). “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:9,10).

Christian friend, if at His Judgment Seat the Lord asked you why you believed what you believed and/or why you did what you did, what would be your answer? “My church, my preacher, my professor told me to believe this and do this?” If He inquired why you re-translated your Bible instead of re-reading it, how would you reply? “My church, my preacher, my professor told me the ‘oldest and best manuscripts’ were preferred?” These lame excuses pacify people on Earth today, yet the Lord will not be satisfied to hear them in Heaven.

As the Lord Jesus Christ inspects our soul, doctrine, and work; it will be far better for Him to recognize how we gave it everything we had to learn the truth from His Word rightly divided. We went through so much trouble to give His Bible the benefit of the doubt—despite what skeptics repeatedly told us as they griped about alleged “errors in translation.” The position of faith, trusting God, is always more desirable than trusting fallible men. Far better to believe the Bible than books about the Bible (commentaries, dictionaries, grammars, et cetera). Faith leads us to believe God’s inspired, preserved, infallible Book in English is the King James Bible. It has a lot to teach us about God’s plan for the ages (and our language), but are we too proud to be taught since we are sitting in God’s seat?
















































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Old Cloth, Old Garment—New Wine, New Bottles #9

Friday, September 20, 2024

“No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16,17 KJV).

What is our Lord Jesus Christ teaching here?

John the Baptist expected the Pharisees and Sadducees (works-religionists in Judaism) to offer the lame excuse that they needed no repentance (change in mind) or water baptism because of their Jewish heritage. They would say something like, “Abraham is our father, and this alone automatically gives us a right standing before God. We have no sins to confess!” (We infer this based on John’s own words in Matthew 3:9 and Luke 3:8, plus the Apostle John’s comments in 1 John 1:6,8,10.)

While God the Father designed John the Baptist’s ministry to introduce Israel to His Son, Messiah Jesus, some of John’s disciples (followers) never actually transferred to Jesus like those in John 3:26. They joined the unbelieving Pharisees and Sadducees by opposing Him instead of coming to Him by faith (see Matthew 9:14 and Mark 2:18). In Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, and Luke 20:9-20; apostate Israel plots to kill the King so as to take His kingdom (nation Israel) from Him!

The New Covenant cannot be given to lost Israel, for they will not come by faith to the God-Man who can inaugurate that New Covenant via His shed blood. Likewise, if they are not partakers of the New Covenant, they are prohibited from entering His literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic kingdom. “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you [unbelieving Israel], and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43). This “nation” is believing Israel, the Messianic Church, the “little flock” of Luke 12:31,32: “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Again, like today’s Scripture declares, Old Covenant self-righteousness cannot mix with New Covenant righteousness….

Old Cloth, Old Garment—New Wine, New Bottles #8

Thursday, September 19, 2024

“No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16,17 KJV).

What is our Lord Jesus Christ teaching here?

Again, re-read today’s Scripture and its companion passages of Mark 2:21-22 and Luke 5:36-39. The Lord told this “parable” or illustration in light of the Pharisees, their disciples, and John the Baptist’s disciples being obsessed with Old Testament legalistic practices (particularly fasting, their primary controversy with Jesus’ disciples). Such Old Covenant rituals are incompatible with New Covenant righteousness—the righteousness lost Israel cannot possess unless they have the New Covenant, the foundation of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5–7). As long as Israel is fanatical about religious works instead of Messiah, the nation is unable to be what the LORD God purposed it to be.

Old cloth patches should be paired with old garments, and new wine ought to be placed in new bottles. Why would Christ mention, of all things, garments and wine in these metaphors? To answer this, we must be proficient in the Word of God, recalling what has already been stated in other verses. Let us now think about the wine. In Judges 9:13, wine “cheereth God and man.” Over in John 2:1-11, at the wedding feast in Cana, they were without water (a type of the Word of God and the Spirit of God). Subsequent to filling the waterpots (symbolizing Israel) with water, the Lord Jesus miraculously turns the water into wine (grape juice). That wine or juice pictures the joy of the Holy Spirit (as in Galatians 5:22 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6). God cannot take an old bottle or wineskin, apostate Israel, and place the Holy Spirit (and His joy) within it. He can, however, take Israel’s believing remnant, justify these believing Jews, and give them the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:25-28; cf. Matthew 7:7-12; Luke 11:9-13).

The Old Covenant thus gives way to the New Covenant….

Brother’s Keeper? #8

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

Dear brethren, we never, ever want to forget that the first homicide in the Bible was in the context of works-religion, an unbeliever (Cain) who was too arrogant to admit his sin problem and ready and willing to do anything and everything (even kill his believing brother, Abel) to make sure he did not have God’s messenger around to bother him with any “inconvenient” or “offensive” words from the LORD!

Only God knows how many millions of His people have lost their lives because of the work of the ministry throughout human history. Abel was the first martyr in that ancient battle, and this bitter religious war is still being waged today between God’s people (saints) and Satan’s people (sinners). Of course, there is still much more of this to come! “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:6). This is the culmination of the false religious system that started with Adam, Eve, and Cain. It links to Nimrod and the Tower of Babel, gives rise to apostate Judaism during Matthew to Acts, continues even now in world religions and denominations, and will go all the way through Daniel’s 70th Week up until Christ’s Second Coming when the Lord of Glory makes all things right.

Brethren, never, ever should it surprise or discourage us when people—even professing believers and lifelong church members—are uninterested in listening to us share Bible verses with them. Perhaps they will become so belligerent that violence against us will transpire. If we do happen to lose our physical lives along the way, so what, for we are indeed willing “to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). Until they do away with us as Cain did Abel, though, let us be our brother’s keeper—looking out for them who lack spiritual sense to know just how dire their situation is.