Category: reproof

To Whom Are We to Pray?

Thursday, May 9, 2013

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV).

The Bible says we should be praying constantly, but to whom are we to pray?

Why not let God through the Holy Bible tell us how to pray?

“Giving thanks unto the Father” (Colossians 1:12). “I thank my God…” (Philippians 1:4). “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). “For through him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… that he would grant you…” (Ephesians 3:14).

Firstly, whom did the Apostle Paul address? He directly addressed Father God, not Mary or any other deceased saint, in prayer.

Secondly, how did Paul reach Father God? “In whom [Jesus Christ] we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him [Jesus Christ]” (Ephesians 3:12). “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

We approach God the Father through the merits of Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. Jesus Christ has a perfect standing before God, and we have His righteousness because we are in Him (if we are members of the Church the Body of Christ). We cannot approach God on our own merits; thus, we must come through Jesus Christ. This is what it means to pray “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). Interestingly, when we pray, we are actually praying with the help of the Holy Spirit who indwells us (Romans 8:26-27). The indwelling Holy Spirit links us to Father God in heaven, and when we pray, we are using the “mediatorship” of Jesus Christ.

So, we address God the Father in prayer, but we are using the merits of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit helps us pray when we are “at a loss for words.”

For additional insight about prayer in the Dispensation of Grace, please study the four model Pauline prayers—Ephesians 1:15-23, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, and Colossians 1:9-12.

You can also see our study “Praying with Paul.”

What a Show to Behold!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:10 KJV).

The angels are watching, but what is the quality of the “programming?”

Angels have been around since just before the creation of man. As the LORD God reached down into the dust of the ground and fashioned a body of flesh and blood, and breathed into its nostrils the breath of life, the angels just observed in silence. What was God doing? What was He making? When Adam stood up and walked around, the angels watched him. And just what was this odd creature’s purpose?

The angels beheld the disobedience of Adam and Eve, and they witnessed the results of sin on creation, which never seemed to operate properly anymore. For the last 6,000 years, the angels have watched man, and they still have no idea why God would ever want anything to do with such a pathetic creature, who has brought nothing to God but heartache.

In today’s Scripture, we learn that the angelic host that lives and functions in the heavenly places is watching us Christians. Imagine an amphitheater scenario—we are on ground level, and the angels are high up in the stands, watching us as we go about daily living. Paul even wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:9: “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

The angels expect shameful activities from lost, sinful man, but what do they see when they watch us Christians? Do they see the “manifold wisdom of God” as today’s Scripture mentions? Do they see a repeat of the life of Jesus Christ? Or do they see the manifold foolishness of man, a repeat of the life of Adam? If we members of the Church the Body of Christ would just let this sink into our thinking, it would certainly make a difference in the way we act toward the lost world and toward fellow Christians.

Purchase Not the House of Horrors

Sunday, April 28, 2013

“Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house” (Proverbs 17:13 KJV).

Reward evil for good, and evil shall “reward” thee….

One of the most valuable lessons history teaches us is man’s allowing evil to remain unpunished—nay, rewarded as though it were good—only exacerbates his troubles and frustration. Indeed, the whole world, every nation, every local church, and every household should memorize today’s Scripture.

Political and religious corruption is, at its root, the failure to deal with that sinfulness immediately, completely, or at all. If there are no negative consequences when evil is committed—yea, when evildoers are treated as innocent individuals, and rewarded with praise and other benefits—it is no surprise that additional wickedness will result (today’s Scripture).

For instance, when the Church the Body of Christ fails to scripturally and adequately address corruption within its own local churches and regarding its own leaders, then the lost world will use that as ammunition against Jesus Christ. Hence, Paul’s warning, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Timothy 5:19,20). This is meant to safeguard against the local church becoming the “house of horrors” of today’s Scripture.

Another example is the absence of godly parenting. Unless the child is disciplined and receives punishment, he will have no respect for the authority of his parents (let alone for God’s authority): “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15). Parents who allow their children to do whatever they want, who do not correct their children when they do wrong, will dwell within the abode of today’s Scripture.

A third example is political corruption: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). If a government is filled with crooks and liars, how can it expect its population not to be the “house of horrors” of today’s Scripture?

Heed today’s Scripture. Punish sin quickly, lest thou purchase the “house of horrors,” the abode that sinful man knoweth all too well.

Churning, Wringing, and Forcing

Saturday, April 20, 2013

“Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife” (Proverbs 30:33 KJV).

There is more to today’s Scripture than meets the eye….

Today’s Scripture is an example of parallelism. Note the gerunds “churning, wringing, forcing” and their corresponding nouns “butter, blood, strife.” This grammatical structure is a teaching technique that God the Holy Spirit utilizes here in His Word to reinforce both comparison and distinction. He helps us understand deeper concepts by using simpler, more familiar ones.

Interestingly, one Hebrew word, miyts, is translated to render three diverse English words—“churning,” “wringing,” and “forcing.” Nevertheless, these three different English terms convey the same concept: effort vigorously applied to achieve a desired result.

So, what does today’s Scripture mean? It should be pretty obvious. If you churn (stir) milk long enough, butter will be produced. If you twist someone’s nose long enough, blood will gush out. If you anger someone long enough, strife (fighting) will result. (Notice the parallelism in this paragraph.)

“The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with” (Proverbs 17:14). This verse likens the beginning of strife to a giant wall of water rushing forth—you had better leave quickly, or you will literally be swept away by a flood of conflict!

One of the main reasons why sinful man wants to argue is pride. He does not want to admit that he is wrong, that he is not the final authority, and that he is a feeble frame of dust that is subject to fallibility. Having one individual like this is bad enough, but when two such persons are gathered together, our Lord Jesus Christ anticipated the outcome—anger and a disagreement that, if not settled in a Christian manner, may never be resolved.

Today’s Scripture could not be simpler. If you do not want butter, churn not the milk. If you do not want blood to come forth, wring not the nose. If you do not want the argument, force not the anger.

Good Riddance! #3

Thursday, April 11, 2013

“Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13 KJV).

God’s people have never been welcome here in “this present evil world” (Galatians 1:4) because He has never been welcome here. In short, if lost people could utter two words to us Christians after we have been raptured out, it would be, “Good riddance!”

Our sinful world despises absolute standards concerning morals and ethics (it does demand them regarding finances). Christians preaching and teaching sound Bible doctrine are a dam that holds back Satan from having complete control over every person. While the devil has fooled much of the world with all sorts of carnal and religious errors, unfortunately for him, those Christians who are King James Pauline dispensational Bible students are not so easily persuaded. Satan can only rule over ignorant people. Thankfully, we are well aware of what is occurring in this world. Man thinks he is on the rise (in actuality, his thinking is upside-down!).

For nearly 20 centuries, both the professing church (Christendom) and (sadly) the genuine, Holy Spirit-indwelt Church the Body of Christ, have allowed the errors of the world to creep into their assemblies, desensitizing them to ungodliness. This is to be expected when sound Bible doctrine is willfully ignored. What is the hallmark of lukewarm Christianity? The member of the average “Christian” church is just as “godly” as the average heathen of the evil world system, resulting in “Christians” siding with and defending the heathen and his social preferences! The heathen and the phony Christian alike hate the true Christian (today’s Scripture)—he, his God the Lord Jesus Christ, and his Holy Bible, are threats to “progress.”

Indeed, we Christians are viewed as “hindrances to progress.” Young earth Bible creationism, monogamous heterosexual marriages, owning weapons for self-defense, having a job, and driving a fossil-fueling-burning vehicle are respective threats to foolish pagan philosophical evolutionary theory, sexually-perverted lifestyles, pacifism, slothfulness, and “mother earth.” In this world, it seems like every belief is to be “tolerated”—except anything from God’s Holy Bible! As the context of today’s Scripture will demonstrate, this was true in the past, and it will be true in the future….

An Heretick Reject

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself” (Titus 3:9-11 KJV).

Beloved, never forgot that the greatest damage ever inflicted upon the Church the Body of Christ is not perpetrated by atheists or Bible skeptics—it is by people who claim to believe the Bible, who claim to follow Jesus Christ!

I read a recent, disturbing column in a national newspaper in which a prominent evangelical leader complained that some of his fellow evangelicals had rebuked him for urging other Protestants to join him in ecumenism (that is, compromising his “Protestant” doctrines in order to be more acceptable to the Roman Catholics, thereby hoping to partner with them regarding the threats of social issues such as homosexuality, Islamism, abortion, and relativism). What is appalling is that this leader called his critics “uncharitable:” pathetically, he considered them “unloving” because they recognized and chided a Bible compromiser when they heard one!

False teaching outside the Body of Christ is bad enough, but Satan furthers his plan the most by using false teaching within local churches (Acts 20:28-31; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3). All of the “Christian” “celebrities” leading our churches today are leading more people away from Jesus Christ than the strip clubs, science classrooms, pubs, casinos, and abortion clinics—all put together! “Hollywood-style” “Christianity” is just as damnable as no Bible whatsoever, if not worse because of the hypocrisy and subtlety.

Our Creator God has given every person free will. If one wants to ignore the Holy Scriptures, he or she can. However, as people who have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, we should (hopefully…?) want to believe and obey the King James Bible. We cannot and should not fellowship with those who reject the King James Bible; reject Paul’s apostleship; and reject Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and risen again for our justification. On these three points we must agree, or we are just as deceived as the lost people who do not even have God’s Word!

Saved from Hell, But Lost in Tradition #7

Thursday, February 21, 2013

“…God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 KJV).

Can someone go to heaven without ever learning dispensational Bible study?

Yes, provided that they had faith in the right Gospel message, the Gospel of the Grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:3,4): “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day.” Acts 2:38, Matthew 3:2, and Mark 1:15 are not valid Gospels for us today—they are Israel’s salvation message, and they belong in Israel’s program.

While God wants all people to be saved from hell—that every person trust in the shed blood, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for his or her sins—God also wants every Christian to understand why He saved him or her (today’s Scripture). Although dispensational Bible study does not provide eternal life and salvation from hell—the Gospel of the Grace of God does that!—it does provide salvation from false teaching by explaining the practical implications of our salvation from hell. God has two programs in His Word, Israel’s prophetic program for earth and our mystery program for the heavenly places, and in the end, “in the dispensation of the fulness of times,” these two programs will bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:9,10; Colossians 1:16-20).

Today, there are millions of Christians who are heaven-bound. However, it is unfortunate that the majority have little to no understanding of “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Due to church tradition, they often confuse God’s Word to Israel (Genesis through Malachi, Matthew through John, early Acts, Hebrews through Revelation) with God’s Word to us (Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon); they apply Israel’s doctrine to their lives and then wonder why Bible study becomes burdensome confusion! They, ignorant of God’s will for them, are “taken captive by [the devil] at his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).

Beloved, in Christ, we are saved from hell forever. Now, let us remain steadfast in the rightly divided Scriptures, and let us not be lost in tradition.

We are thrilled to have recently launched our ministry YouTube channel. We only have one home Bible study video uploaded at the moment, but we will upload more as time goes by. By next week, we should have three additional home Bible study videos on YouTube next week! 😉 Praise the Lord! You can “meet” me teaching God’s Word rightly divided at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PncTlYsZ9eA.

God is Love

Thursday, February 14, 2013

“…God is love… God is love… We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:8b,16b,19 KJV).

The word “love” is used very flippantly in today’s world. Of the many who speak about “love,” few know what it is. On this Valentine’s Day, we offer sound doctrine from God’s Word to correct the misunderstandings of what love really is. What is love, according to God’s Word?

Today’s Scripture says that “God is love”—God does not simply love, but His very nature is love. What does that mean? In 1 John 3:16, we read: “Hereby we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:” Our Apostle Paul put it this way: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s nature is love—selfless, self-sacrificing!

God’s Word defines love and charity in 2 Corinthians 12:15: “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” Love is seeking the best interest of others, even if it costs you something (time, energy, resources, et cetera). Charity is love in deed (demonstrated, manifested in action). God loved us, so He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. It cost God the Father His Son, and it cost God the Son His life. What a selfless act!

Our nature in Adam is selfish, but our nature in Christ is not. Paul declares, “the love of Christ constraineth us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). We who have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, our Christian lives are driven and motivated by Christ’s love for us, not our love for Him. It is this unselfish love of Christ working in us that causes us to look on the things of others, to seek their edification and their benefit, not ours (Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 10:24; Philippians 2:1-11). This will result in charity, our selfless actions reflecting that love of Christ (2 Corinthians 12:15).

As the lost world observes our Christian service, they will see, “God is love.”

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The (2012) Bible study can be read here or watched here.

God’s Grace on Parade

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

“…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20 KJV).

Today, especially here in southern Louisiana, the Catholic festival of Mardi Gras takes advantage of God’s grace. God’s grace abounds even when drunkenness, lasciviousness, and gluttony are committed overtly on our streets for religion. Because we live in the Dispensation of the Grace of God, they can flaunt their sin without being consumed by fire from heaven!

“Mardi Gras,” French for “Fat Tuesday,” is a day when religious people—professing “Christians”—lose self-control (excess alcohol, food, and partying). The following day, Ash Wednesday, they promise to live “holy” for the next 40 days (Lent). A priest will then place ashes on their foreheads proving that God forgave them for that riotous living. Blasphemy!

Regardless of all its biblical allusions (illusions!), Mardi Gras is still evil and anti-God. It was never Christian, originating from pagan Roman festivals, Saturnalia and Lupercalia (interestingly known for riots, drunkenness, gluttony, and fornication, and subsequent repentance).

The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostles Peter and Paul, was clearly against Mardi Gras reveling and drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 4:3). So why do professing Christians engage in the very activities that God the Holy Spirit condemned?! As Christians, we should “deny” the activities of Mardi Gras (Romans 6:11-15; Titus 2:11-15).

If I appear offended, I am. Mardi Gras, despite its godly façade, is offensive to the great God and my Saviour Jesus Christ! God’s grace continues to tolerate such foolishness from mankind. Man parades his sin, and God parades His grace, holding back wrath.

Are you a Mardi Gras reveler? I declare unto you the wonderful Gospel of the Grace of God. God did for you at Calvary what you could never do: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus Christ shed His sinless blood and died to put away all of your sins, Mardi Gras revelry included.

If you rest in Christ Jesus alone as your Saviour, God will save you forever, make a trophy of His grace, and then YOUR life will be God’s grace on parade! 🙂

*Adapted from a larger (2012) Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

Replacement Terminology Theology #6

Sunday, February 10, 2013

“For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Corinthians 8:5,6 KJV).

Satan deceptively employs terms that the Bible uses—”God,” “Lord,” “Jesus,” “Christ”—but he does not always apply them to the same individuals the Bible does. What ingenuity!

Have you ever called a religious leader “reverend?” What about “father” and “monsignor” (pronounced mon-seen-your)?

The title “reverend” is only found once in the King James Bible, and it applies to the true and living God, not some fallible, sinful man! Psalm 111:9 says: “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.”

The term “monsignor” is French for… perhaps you guessed it… “my lord!” Although “lord” itself is not an evil word, using it for a religious leader is blasphemous. No church leader is our “lord.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ forbade His disciples to call religious leaders “father,” for they had one Father—His heavenly Father (Matthew 23:9). Interestingly, in ancient Israel, a Jewish man asked a younger man, an apostate Levitical priest, to be unto him “a father and a priest”—he agreed too (Judges 17:7-13). Would you call a younger man “father?!” It was clearly used in a spiritual sense, not a physical one. Furthermore, “Holy Father” is a title of Father God (John 17:11), so why is this the pope’s title? Even the term “pope” is derived from the Latin papas, meaning… what else?… “father!”

Why is this serious?

The Holy Bible speaks of a future time—the seven-year Tribulation—when religious deception will be at an all-time high (Matthew 24:24). We can see the world preparing for it even today: the confounding of Bible terms and applying them to Satan’s counterfeits (see today’s Scripture). Modern “bibles” and many so-called “Bible-believing” churches and “godly” church leaders are paving the way for the antichrist’s satanic, one-world religion. Beware!