Category: The Church the Body of Christ

Note the Horizon! #13

Sunday, October 20, 2024

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,…” (Romans 1:1 KJV).

Friend, do you see the horizon here? How can it facilitate your understanding and enjoyment of the Bible?

Let us again remind ourselves of what the Scriptures teach in Ephesians 1:8-10: “Wherein he [Father God] hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:….” The sister epistle of Colossians defines “the things… in heaven… on earth.”

Colossians 1:16-20: “For by him [God’s dear Son, Jesus Christ; verse 13] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

Father God purposes to bring “all things”—all offices of government (“thrones, dominions, principalities, powers, mights, and every name that is named”) (cf. Ephesians 1:21)—under the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. These offices are in both Heaven and Earth. Using Christ’s shed blood as the forgiveness of sins, Father will sanctify or set apart two groups—one for Heaven and another for Earth. Israel is His earthly people (Matthew 5:5; Revelation 1:5,6; Revelation 5:9,10), and we the Church the Body of Christ are His heavenly people (Ephesians 1:19-23; Ephesians 2:6,7; 2 Timothy 4:18). Whether in Heaven or on Earth, Jesus Christ is glorified in both realms in the ages to come….

Note the Horizon! #11

Friday, October 18, 2024

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,…” (Romans 1:1 KJV).

Friend, do you see the horizon here? How can it facilitate your understanding and enjoyment of the Bible?

Ephesians chapter 2: “[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; [12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. [14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; [15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; [16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: [17] And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. [18] For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

In the prophetic program, whether before or after our Dispensation of Grace, there is a difference between Jew and Gentile. However, in Paul’s ministry, our mystery program, this distinction concerning “circumcision” and “uncircumcision” has been removed. All believers in Paul’s Gospel (“Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day;” 1 Corinthians 15:3,4) are one Church the Body of Christ. As God has an earthly people (Israel), so He has an heavenly people (us). Ephesians 1:8-10: “Wherein he [Father God] hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:….”

Let us see how Pauline revelation fits with the Bible overall….

Note the Horizon! #10

Thursday, October 17, 2024

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,…” (Romans 1:1 KJV).

Friend, do you see the horizon here? How can it facilitate your understanding and enjoyment of the Bible?

As God was unfolding prophecy, He was also withholding mystery… for the best way to overcome Satan is to keep a secret! For which reason, the Bible explains in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8: “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

“Mystery” in the above passage is defined as “the hidden wisdom.” Ephesians 3:5,9 adds, “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;… the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:….” Please make sure you appreciate how the events of Calvary were not a secret. For centuries prior to Paul, God through His prophets foretold various aspects of how Jesus would die. Christ Himself made frequent references to His crucifixion (Matthew 16:21-25; Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 9:31,32; Luke 18:31-34). Yet, the full scope of Christ’s finished crosswork—all that it would accomplish—was God’s secret!

In Ephesians chapter 3, verses 4-9, we read of “the fellowship of the mystery,” how “that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:….” This is the formation of the Church the Body of Christ, the group of believers God kept secret. It was totally unknown to the Old Testament prophets that God would take believing Gentiles and believing Jews and create one agency, the Body of Christ, an entity separate and distinct from the nation Israel. Isolating the Body of Christ from other churches in Scripture is critical to Bible understanding….

A Grace Study Bible

Thursday, August 1, 2024

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2 KJV).

Today, we reflect on 12 full years of the arC Ministries’ Grace Study Bible Project!

Some 100 years ago, the Scofield Study Bible was published. It was a work that popularized—not invented—dispensational Bible study. For a century, the Church the Body of Christ has used this monumental aid to edify itself. It was (and still is) useful in recovering precious Bible truths that had been lost for centuries, doctrines still pushed aside by denominational hierarchies that prefer to be the “authority” with their “tradition of men.”

Twelve years ago today, after much prayer and consideration, I began the formation of a new grace study Bible. Using the King James Bible, my goal in this project is to build on Dr. Scofield’s foundation laid long ago. We are (and will always be) indebted to that brother for his faithful service, his submission to the Holy Spirit to produce a profitable study Bible. (Incidentally, Dr. Scofield led a missionary to Christ, that missionary led a preacher to Christ, that preacher led a woman to Christ, that woman led Mom to Christ, and Mom led me to Christ.) What took Dr. Scofield decades to learn, we can acquire in a fraction of that time. Brother Scofield did not live long enough to progress any further in Bible understanding, but in the century since he has gone to heaven, a faithful remnant within the Body of Christ has expanded upon Dr. Scofield’s insightful notes. We recognize where he was wrong in certain areas, and we can improve those areas in our understanding and study.

In brief, some stats about our grace study Bible. We seem to be over 80 percent completed with it. How many more years it will take remains to be seen, but rest assured, what cannot be condensed into marginal notes or footnotes, will be, Lord willing, expanded into a full-Bible commentary book series! Stay tuned in the coming years and thank you for your prayer in this regard! 🙂

* You can read more about our Grace Study Bible Project here.

Paul and The Pause of Prophecy #12

Thursday, June 13, 2024

“Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him” (Acts 13:9 KJV).

How is the Apostle Paul connected to the pause of prophecy?

Someone will surely inquire, “Where is Jesus? Is He coming back or not? When? Does not God care about justice? Why are crime and evil still unpunished?” The Bible already answered these questions centuries ago—but gross ignorance prevails because people spend more time studying theology, denominational commentaries, and other distractions than actually reading pages of rightly divided Scripture. It is not God’s fault!

The pause in prophecy and the commencement of mystery allowed the resurrected, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ to come back to save His chief enemy in the Earth. This is the salvation of Saul of Tarsus and the commissioning of the Apostle Paul (Acts chapter 9), whose ministry has lasted 2,000 years. Never should we confuse “prophecy” (“[that] which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began;” Acts 3:21) with “mystery” (“[that] which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest;” Romans 16:25,26). To believe prophecy is still in effect now is to fail to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

If God could and did save wicked Saul of Tarsus (His chief enemy!), and place him into the Church the Body of Christ, He can and still is saving sinners and putting them into the Body of Christ. This Christ-rejecting world has never deserved grace and will never deserve it—but, through Calvary, God has temporarily granted all people a chance to come by faith in Christ before His wrath does fall. Maybe, just maybe, like Saul so long ago, some of those self-righteous sinners will realize their lost estate and trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour too (see 1 Timothy 1:12-16). Surely, this “Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24)—Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)—is beyond human comprehension. Yet, as long as it is preached, as long as Paul’s apostleship continues, there is a pause of prophecy. In God’s own timing, He will stop mystery altogether and resume prophecy.

333 Turns 13!

Saturday, June 1, 2024

“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17 KJV).

Dear saints and readers, “333 Words of Grace” celebrates its 13th birthday today!

Through the years, many questions have been (hopefully) answered. Perhaps a few doubts and misconceptions have been dispelled. Maybe a couple of new friends have been made. The Church the Body of Christ might have grown in size and maturity. Doubtless, faith has been given a firm foundation in sound Bible doctrine, the Word of God’s Grace. In a world of ever-increasing uncertainty and instability, is it not comforting to actually know what is going on and how to fix it? Education, religion, drugs, alcohol, activism, political elections, philosophy, and theology are man’s futile attempts to correct problems he was able to cause but is utterly powerless to reverse.

Christianity is not we using sinful flesh to “do right” or “do better.” The flesh always wants to do something, be something, and live something. However, we are not perfect, so we cannot do something. We are doomed in Adam, so we cannot be something. We are dead in our trespasses and sins, so we cannot live something. It will be an extremely happy day for us when we swallow our religious pride and place our faith solely in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Not only is this Gospel of Grace the key to being saved (delivered) from Hell, but also from sin’s dominion every day.

Over the course of these last 156 months, we have studied the Authorized Version King James Bible rightly divided as per 2 Timothy 2:15. No, we do not know everything, but we know more than we did yesterday—and, certainly, more than we did 13 years ago! God’s words and will have become a little clearer, now that we have become a tad wiser (today’s Scripture). We are growing in grace, are we not? Some of us have graduated to Heaven, having left Earth. Others have moved off into apostasy, departing from the truth. Still, we are here to rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ as touching this ministry milestone and reflect on all these years of daily grace Bible studies. We are truly thankful, and, by God’s grace, we move onward!

Please note all 13 years’ worth of studies are archived here.

Jeremiah 29:11 and Right Division #7

Sunday, May 26, 2024

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV).

What is the truth about today’s Scripture?

Today’s Scripture is connected to the Jews’ Babylonian Captivity (see verse 10). For 70 years, the Kingdom of Judah would live in the foreign territory of Babylonia because of habitual violation of the Law of Moses. However, a remnant would come back to the Promised Land. In the short-term, that was the return under Zerubbabel and Ezra (see the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi). In the long-term, however, it speaks of a regathering of Israel even future from us. That would be Christ’s Second Coming in Matthew 24:30,31.

Read the verses immediately following today’s Scripture: “[12] Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. [13] And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. [14] And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” Israel’s believing remnant will recognize their apostate nation is doomed under the Old Covenant—but will be blessed under the New Covenant. As God drove the Jewish people from the land of Canaan during the Babylonian Captivity, so He will bring them back to the land of Canaan at Messiah’s return. See also Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Psalm 126:1-6; Isaiah 11:11,12; Jeremiah 16:14,15; Ezekiel 36:16-38; Zephaniah 3:20; et cetera.

We study the Bible “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15), carefully separating Israel from the Body of Christ, prophecy from mystery, Peter from Paul, earth from heaven, and law from grace. After the “evil” or curses of the Law have fallen on Israel and Jerusalem (Jeremiah 21:10; Jeremiah 39:16; Jeremiah 44:27), the “thoughts of peace” will be brought to pass (the “expected end” or hope of today’s Scripture). This is the LORD dealing with Israel, not us! “For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them” (Jeremiah 32:42).

Jeremiah 29:11 and Right Division #6

Saturday, May 25, 2024

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV).

What is the truth about today’s Scripture?

Notice other Pauline promises of God to the Church the Body of Christ. Unlike today’s Scripture, these verses are to and about us! “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38,39). “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). “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 4:12,13). “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 4:18). “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:…” (Philippians 1:6).

“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).

We now summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Jeremiah 29:11 and Right Division #5

Friday, May 24, 2024

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV).

What is the truth about today’s Scripture?

If we resort to quoting Jeremiah 29:11 in a desperate attempt to be comforted that God will bless us with good fortune, we are also forced to “name and claim” these curses in Jeremiah!

“For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the LORD: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire” (Jeremiah 21:10). “Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee” (Jeremiah 39:16). “Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them” (Jeremiah 44:27). God would curse unbelieving Israel for breaking the Old Covenant, but, as today’s Scripture asserts, He would then bless them under the New Covenant at Christ’s Second Coming and subsequent Millennial Kingdom.

As opposed to taking Israel’s verses and making them our own, we can see the writings of our Apostle Paul—God’s spokesman to us (Romans 11:13)—and rejoice in His promises to and about us. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:…” (Ephesians 1:3). “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37). “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;…” (2 Corinthians 4:17). “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

There are still other Pauline promises to us….

Spiritual Calligraphy #12

Saturday, May 18, 2024

“And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isaiah 60:3 KJV).

What can today’s Scripture teach us about spiritual calligraphy?

Read this excerpt from the Sermon on the Mount, Christ’s Kingdom Constitution of Matthew chapters 5–7. It is Israel’s prospect in the ages to come, and complements today’s Scripture: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Also, Matthew 13:43: “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Our parallel passage as members of the Church the Body of Christ is Philippians 2:13-16, what we read earlier.

Whether the nation Israel living in accordance with the Law of Moses (time past), or we the Church the Body of Christ conducting ourselves in agreement with the Pauline epistles of Romans through Philemon (but now), or the redeemed nation Israel functioning under the New Covenant or Law of Messiah (ages to come), it is the life of the one true (Creator) God being revealed in and through His people. He is thus glorified in His creation. Yet, if they do not walk in their respective identities, they will give an occasion for Satan’s people to sneer, laugh, and discredit them.

Indeed, it can be spiritual calligraphy—God the Holy Spirit’s attractive handwriting on the pages of Scripture being brought into the very details of human existence. Or, it can be spiritual cacography—hideous words and repulsive deeds that are not even worth mentioning or thinking about. To state it another way, either it will be a “sinner’s gospel” or a “scoffer’s creed.” We would do well to remember grace living as taught in Romans 6:1-14, Ephesians 5:1-20, Colossians 1:9-13, and Titus 2:11-15. It is our choice to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, so any poor decisions we make will not be God’s fault. May we choose spiritual calligraphy! 🙂