Category: The Church the Body of Christ

Joy to the World! #4

Sunday, December 14, 2025

“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Psalm 45:6,7 KJV).

The final verse of the classic Christmas carol highlights today’s Scripture.

“He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.”

When Satan’s reign on Earth and in Heaven concludes, voices in heaven cry out, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). Hebrews 1:8,9 quoted today’s Scripture as true of Jesus Christ’s righteous reign. Notice how Father God addressed Jesus as “God.” Human history has never experienced a global, benevolent, theocratic monarchy. For the first time ever, all power in Heaven and Earth will be consolidated forever in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:8-10). All governments in Heaven and Earth will be cleansed of evil. By faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, we will participate in that operation of God (Colossians 1:16-22). We will reign with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6,7)!

Zechariah 14:9: “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” Daniel 2:44: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” And, Jeremiah chapter 23: “[5] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. [6] In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Indeed, there will be such joy! Jesus Christ glorified forever, in Heaven and Earth! 🙂

Joy to the World! #3

Saturday, December 13, 2025

“For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 51:3 KJV).

The third verse of the classic Christmas carol highlights today’s Scripture.

“No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.”

God’s Word to Adam just after he sinned included the following pronouncement, “…[C]ursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee” (Genesis 3:17,18). This is part of the “bondage of corruption” of which Romans 8:21 speaks. Sin tainted creation. Thorns and thistles began to grow, making Adam’s labor in the field even more grueling. Paradise was indeed lost… but not forever!

When God created the heaven and the earth, He selected a special location on Earth as His home. Exodus 15:17,18 say: “Thou shalt bring them [Israel] in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established. The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.” Isaiah 40:22 says God “stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.” While Adam’s sinful actions delayed God’s earthly kingdom, God would take care of those mistakes and still accomplish His original intention.

Israel’s mistakes further delayed God’s earthly kingdom. However, God will restore Earth’s ecology to its original, pre-Fall (pre-sin) conditions. This is true especially of Zion, Jerusalem, which will be the global and universal capital city. There will be joy and gladness, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. All believers in heaven (Body of Christ) and earth (redeemed Israel) will join the angels in song. The curse has been lifted, and Jesus Christ has been exalted (Isaiah 11:1-9)!

In Every Thing Give Thanks

Thursday, November 27, 2025

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV).

Dear saints, take a moment this Thanksgiving to learn a valuable lesson from the Holy Scriptures!

God wants “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). To be “saved” here means you have been rescued from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire), and that you have a home in heaven, because you have trusted the death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for your sins. To “come unto the knowledge of the truth” is when a person who has trusted Christ, begins to understand why God saved him or her, and how God will use him or her for His glory. Although soul salvation is instantaneous, spiritual maturity is a life-long process (that is especially true regarding handling difficulties, the grace way!).

It is human nature to avoid difficulties and stress, to flee them, rather than confront them. This self-preservation is advantageous, particularly in “life or death” situations. However, running from troubling circumstances is not the way God has designed our life in Christ to function. Today’s Scripture says, “In every thing give thanks,” not “For every thing give thanks.” We do not thank God for our troubles; we thank God while we are enduring those troubles. This is tough, I know, but it takes time for us to learn it. Even the Apostle Paul had to learn this.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Be thankful in every thing. God’s grace is sufficient for you, dear saint, in all of life’s circumstances. When you learn this, you are “[coming] unto the knowledge of the truth.”

*Excerpted from our Thanksgiving 2012 Bible study with the same name. That study can be read here or watched here.

You may also see, “What are our spiritual blessings in Christ?”

The Mighty Man #8

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

“Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually” (Psalm 52:1 KJV).

Let us see how Psalm 52 can teach us something about the past, the present, and the future….

Re-read the rest of Psalm 52, verses 5-9: “[5] God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. [6] The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: [7] Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. [8] But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. [9] I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.”

As David the Psalmist had faith in JEHOVAH God, so we ought to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as David was said to be like “a green olive tree,” so we have spiritual life and access to Father God through Christ: “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). We the righteous should not fear the so-called “mighty man”—those who fight against the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, for He is the true Mighty Man and our victory in Him is certain. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:57,58).

Similar to how David praised God in the midst of trouble, so our Apostle Paul did and we should too: “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:17,18).

The Mighty Man #7

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

“Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually” (Psalm 52:1 KJV).

Let us see how Psalm 52 can teach us something about the past, the present, and the future….

While we should always make distinctions between Israel and the Body of Christ, and differentiate between prophecy and mystery, we would also do well to notice similarities. For example, take Psalm 52. It is not to or about us, but it is for our learning. Certain principles are true no matter where we are on the Bible timeline: these are “transdispensational” or “intradispensational” truths.

Re-read Psalm 52:1-4: “Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. The tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.” Did you notice the evil man, someone working against the God of the Bible, someone conspiring to lie and commit sin, someone not depending on the God of the Bible? This man is doomed to destruction. He trusts in temporary material wealth; “mammon” is his god, and it is impossible to serve God and money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). We should not repeat his sins, as the Lord through our Apostle Paul affirms.

“Charge [Command] 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;…” (1 Timothy 6:17). “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;…” (Colossians 3:9). “That no flesh should glory [brag] in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Let us go back to Psalm 52 to see David the believer’s viewpoint….

Possessed with Devils #21

Sunday, October 26, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

Two passages that will revolutionize the way we look at the Holy Scriptures (if we let them!) are Acts 3:21 and Romans 16:25,26. Acts chapter 3 is Jesus Christ preached according to prophecy, that “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Romans chapter 16 is Jesus Christ preached according to mystery, that “which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest [through Pauline revelation].” Remember Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Prophecy corresponds to God’s will for Earth, whereas mystery regulates His will for Heaven. To mix them is to become totally mixed up. These prophetic and mystery programs cannot be combined, lest unanswerable confusion result. Again, we must “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

The kingdom of the Gospel of the Kingdom is God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom. Prophecy is the series of events which will result in God having an earthly people, Israel, to accomplish His will in the Earth. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth [not ‘heaven!’],” says Matthew 5:5, the earthly kingdom constitution. “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:…” (Matthew 25:34), which kingdom loops back to God placing Adam on the Earth (not in Heaven!).

Mystery is what information God kept secret from mankind until Christ revealed it to and through the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 9 onward. As Israel will exalt Jesus Christ in Earth, so we learn from Pauline revelation how the Church the Body of Christ will glorify Him in the Heavenly Places. God is not claiming real estate on the Earth today. The current battle is in the heavenly places, and, to miss this is to give Satan the victory. Devil possession is Satan’s way of corrupting the Promised Land, but with Israel temporarily fallen (Romans chapter 11), Satan and God are at war in the heavenly places now….

Possessed with Devils #20

Saturday, October 25, 2025

“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:24 KJV).

What does the Bible say about devil possession?

A prevailing myth undergirding Christendom is the inherent notion that whatever God did before, He must still be doing today. This is but a child’s view of the Holy Scriptures. For nearly two millennia, religious tradition and emotions have clouded the judgment of hundreds upon hundreds of millions of churchgoers. Despite their fervor to “get busy for God,” they have virtually no understanding of what He is doing or has called them to do!

Remember, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, detail God’s current dealings with man. We are living in “but now,” in contrast to “time past” and “the ages to come” (see Ephesians 2:7,11-13). These unique titles demarcate the changes in the way God relates to mankind. If we fail to “rightly divide” them, and most do, we have neither a hope nor a prayer in the world of ever understanding or enjoying the Bible!

Since “the Jews require a sign” (John 4:48; 1 Corinthians 1:22), signs accompanied the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mark 16:20; Luke 8:1). Jesus healed the sick and cast out devils during Matthew to John; the 12 Apostles did likewise in early Acts. To prove to Israel how Paul’s ministry had replaced Peter’s ministry, God also enabled Paul to heal the sick and cast out devils during his Acts provoking ministry. However, when writing to and about us (the Church the Body of Christ), Paul never once issued any instructions to perform exorcisms. This is truly significant, for a drastic dispensational change has occurred! Exorcism has no place in this the Dispensation of Grace: there is absolutely nothing about casting out devils in the Pauline epistles of Romans to Philemon. Why? Brethren, there is one primary reason, and we would do well to recognize it….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #25

Saturday, October 4, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Just as sinners will face a judgment to answer for their sins (the Great White Throne Judgment), so saints will stand at a judgment to give an account for their Christian service (the Judgment Seat of Christ). That which is “gold, silver, precious stones” (sound doctrine, rightly divided Scripture) will result in the believer’s reward, whereas that which is “wood, hay, stubble” (everything else) will be a loss of reward (note again 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). A loss of reward is a more limited role in Heaven’s governments than would have been otherwise; pay attention to the rankings of offices in Ephesians 1:21 and Colossians 1:16. Our “inheritance” is the heavenly places, but “the reward of the inheritance” is the specific job we will have in them (Ephesians 1:9-14; Colossians 1:12; Colossians 3:24; cf. Acts 20:32; Acts 26:18; Romans 8:17; Titus 3:7).

Read 2 Corinthians 5:9,10: “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.” Observe Romans 14:10-12: “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for 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.” Finally, Colossians 3:23-25: “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #24

Friday, October 3, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

“And [Father God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7). The heavenly places are our eternal destiny as members of the Church the Body of Christ. We will share in Christ’s authority in Heaven’s governments as redeemed Israel will in Earth’s governments.

Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [heavenly] places.” Satan has already corrupted the heavenly places with activity contrary to God’s life. God will not let us members of the Body of Christ defile them with our foolishness either. Therefore, the Judgment Seat of Christ is designed to cleanse all believers’ souls of doctrinal pollution. Indeed, it is entirely possible to be a Christian and still believe and teach bad information. I myself did it for a decade!

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me [Paul], as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). This fire of the Judgment Seat of Christ saves us from doctrinal contamination by burning away the “spiritual combustibles” (false teaching) we have stored in our soul….

I Just Wanted to Get Away! #23

Thursday, October 2, 2025

“And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10 KJV).

Will sinners “get away” from accountability before God?

Read 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” The word “transgress” literally means, “step across, exceed, or pass a boundary;” the Law of Moses says, “Do not cross,” and we cross. We do what God tells us not to do, we go where He commands us not to go, and we say what He orders us not to say. The Law condemns us as sinners, pronouncing us “guilty before God” (Romans 3:19,20; cf. Romans 7:7-13); it is therefore “weak through [our] flesh” (Romans 8:3). If God’s nation Israel could not keep the Law for 1,500 years, what chance do we have of faring any better? Remember, we are all sons and daughters of Adam!

Anyone is cursed if he or she does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them (Galatians 3:10; cf. James 2:10). “But that no man is justified [declared right] in the sight of God, it is evident [clear, plain]: for, The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). Considering what the Scriptures indicate about our failure to measure up to the Law, we would be downright “foolish” (senseless, witless, unwise) to desire to be under the Law system (Galatians 3:1,3; Galatians 4:9,21). Howbeit, our tens of thousands of denominations are all predicated on some such performance-based acceptance system: “Do this, do that, do not do this, do not do that.” Billions of church members—including genuine Christians (!)—are in spiritual chains or shackles (legalism).

Individuals who insert the Law into their Christian (Grace) life and soul are “sowing [planting] to the flesh,” and they will “of the flesh reap corruption [destruction, decay, ruin of the Christian life]” (Galatians 6:8). This is the “wood, hay, stubble”—worthless, non-dispensational information—we are cautioned against placing into our soul in 1 Corinthians 3:9-15. To correct these blunders, the Judgment Seat of Christ will be held for us members of the Church the Body of Christ….