Category: The Church the Body of Christ

Found Out and Fractured in Twain #31

Monday, February 8, 2021

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV).

Doubtless, we never want to sensationalize or exaggerate. However, the fact remains, some dark days are ahead for the United States and the rest of the world. What can we Bible-believing Christians do?

As to what the future holds, or how to proceed in handling it, even at this late hour the professing church still seeks answers, searching for any scintilla of understanding or glimmer of hope. Many Christians have no idea what to think or do. Paralyzed with fear, they wonder what is God’s will. Again, this underscores Christendom’s spiritual ignorance and feebleness. Have they not read their Bible that He gave them to teach them His will?! “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

Other believers are praying for revival, that God intervene and somehow perform a miracle to save our errant culture and nation from self-destruction. Honestly, dear friends, if I could be so bold in telling you, this is wishful thinking. “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12,13).

For far too long, the Church the Body of Christ has fought evil using the wrong weapons. We have relied on the energy of our flesh instead of the power of the Holy Spirit via sound Bible doctrine. Our thoughts were not God’s thoughts. Underestimating Satan, we presumed we could beat him apart from the Word of God rightly divided. Hence, the church has failed. We have assumed we can “bring in the Kingdom”—that is, make Earth so heavenly and sweet that Jesus must come down to join us. The fact is, this evil world is headed for the Tribulation, God’s undiluted wrath, and nothing we can do will stop it. There will be no national or global revival until Christ’s Second Coming.

In the meantime, here is what we can (and should) do….

Found Out and Fractured in Twain #30

Sunday, February 7, 2021

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV).

Doubtless, we never want to sensationalize or exaggerate. However, the fact remains, some dark days are ahead for the United States and the rest of the world. What can we Bible-believing Christians do?

In my 25-plus years of being a Christian, I wasted the first half of that with denominational teaching (frailty and confusion!). Since then, I have come to understand and enjoy the Scriptures. Dispensational Bible study is the key to unlocking God’s Word. Contemplate Romans 16:25,26: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:….” Here is God’s three-fold plan to “stablish” (stabilize) us.

Since this, the Lord’s pattern for the edification of the believer, has not been followed, all we have are weak, discombobulated, and sidetracked church members. They cannot share even a basic Gospel message with anyone; also, they have little to no understanding of victorious Christian living. American Christianity is described as: country simpletons who fill cold pews with their warm bodies every Sunday and Wednesday, narrow-minded voters who are conservative (small government, pro-life, heterosexual marriage, gun rights, et cetera), loonies who believe and promote baseless conspiracy theories, gullible viewers who support money-hungry televangelists, and naïve readers who trust a compilation of ancient Jewish myths told around campfires. This is the awful portrait the lost world has of us, and it was through our irresponsibility that the Lord’s precious name and words have been dragged through mire and tarnished!

Add to that chaos the struggling Grace Movement, whose sin has also found it out and fractured in twain. Pride, backbiting, snootiness, conspiracy theories, heresies, apostasy, and so on, are destroying even us from the inside out on social media. It is truly sickening, brethren! If we are believers in Jesus Christ, we will organize our affairs, stop walking in the flesh, and get on with our Father’s business….

Found Out and Fractured in Twain #29

Saturday, February 6, 2021

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV).

Doubtless, we never want to sensationalize or exaggerate. However, the fact remains, some dark days are ahead for the United States and the rest of the world. What can we Bible-believing Christians do?

It is no secret the professing church—even the true church—has lost its way. Many so-called “Christian” ministries and organizations have gained a reputation, but not for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and teaching sound Bible doctrine. Instead of studying God’s words and concentrating on what He is doing, they have focused on what they are doing. They hold blood drives, clothing drives, food drives, and the like. Also, they provide relief and shelter to those who have experienced disasters (storms, earthquakes, floods, droughts, et cetera). Attempting to be philanthropic, and attractive to the world, they have ignored their primary mission!

While there is nothing wrong with charitable endeavors, they are not the main role of the Body of Christ. We are called first and foremost to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). The ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation have been committed to our trust (2 Corinthians 5:14-21), but denominationalism and religious tradition have diverted our attention. Good works in and of themselves are no substitute for the proclamation of a clear Gospel message. Lost people need more than temporary, physical possessions. They are in dire need of the soul salvation found only in the Gospel of the Grace of God… the very message we have been given to preach!

Alas, the Body of Christ does not have enough spiritual discernment to realize just how far it has drifted from its purpose. We cannot see anything wrong with what we are doing, but we have found fault in what everyone else is doing. Religion screams at the “unchurched,” “Shame on you, sinners, you are all going to Hell!” Christianity is, “Christ died for your sins so you would not have to go to Hell!” Only once we the Body of Christ use sound Bible doctrine to straighten up our thinking and lives, can we then proceed to teach lost people to trust the Bible themselves….

Found Out and Fractured in Twain #28

Friday, February 5, 2021

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV).

Doubtless, we never want to sensationalize or exaggerate. However, the fact remains, some dark days are ahead for the United States and the rest of the world. What can we Bible-believing Christians do?

Believe it or not, dear friends, there is something far worse than the culture of the evil world system. What is it? It is the dreadful condition of the Church the Body of Christ! Organized religion has so corrupted it, it simply cannot combat the negative cultural revolution. Both the professing church and the authentic church are overwhelmingly irrelevant: sadly, professing (nominal) and possessing (genuine) Christians are just as clueless in solving society’s problems as non-Christians.

As alleged “servants” of Jesus Christ, we have failed to display the advantages of the Biblical worldview. We have compromised our beliefs because we were not even sure of them in the first place. The lost world can sense hypocrisy and frivolity from afar, and we have made the Scriptures totally repulsive. Instead of being Bible teachers, we have been defenders of superstitious silliness. We have reduced God’s Word to nothing but a dusty book of fairytales and speculations. The Church the Body of Christ has rendered itself impotent.

In the names of “scholarship” and “higher education,” we permitted false teachers to infiltrate and pollute our seminaries and churches. How silent we were in condemning and addressing our own evils; yet, we have “boldly” reproved lost people for their pornography, abortion, violence, drugs, alcohol, vulgarities, and expletives. Again, the unsaved world noticed our two-facedness, so it is no mystery why they grimace and snicker when they hear about “the Bible,” “Jesus,” “God,” and “Christians.” We have given them no solid proof as to why the Scriptures are worthy of our—let alone, their—trust!

Ultimately, the blame always falls on the sinner, not God or Satan. Never should we hold lost people solely responsible for our depraved society. Professing Christians and even genuine Christians could have done more to improve the world, for they themselves claimed to own and believe the Bible! They should have taught the lost world the truth they declared to know….

Found Out and Fractured in Twain #27

Thursday, February 4, 2021

“But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23 KJV).

Doubtless, we never want to sensationalize or exaggerate. However, the fact remains, some dark days are ahead for the United States and the rest of the world. What can we Bible-believing Christians do?

Our present cultural modifications have only recently taken us by surprise. Nonetheless, had Americans walked in the spiritual light they had several decades ago, they would have foreseen such plights and averted them. As the old saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.” Our national religion was (is) Christendom, not Christianity. Through the centuries, we Americans have purchased and collected millions upon millions of Bibles; we have constructed thousands upon thousands of church buildings. Yet, like ancient Israel “going through the motions,” this was largely nothing but mindless religious busyness. Faith, believing God’s words, was not motivating us; overwhelmingly, no sound Bible doctrine was underlying our activities. Each passing generation had decreasing Bible literacy—and, remember, we started off with scant understanding anyway!

What happened to our dear nation? Were we not religious? Yes, and that was the problem. We were feigning righteousness. Again, we are not a true Christian nation, but rather a Christendom nation. The “buffet” religion that people made out of Christianity—combining pure Pauline/grace doctrine with various and sundry church traditions from tens of thousands of denominations, as well as pagan (non-Christian) beliefs and practices borrowed from thousands of world religions—gave us a false sense of security.

“We are quite okay as we are. We do not worry about doctrine. We do not need the Bible. We have our tradition, experiences, praise and worship, entertainment, motivational speeches, and inspirational messages.” Faking spirituality, we were rotting and dead inside… and lacked spiritual sense to recognize it. Possessing such a superficial or shallow grasp of the truth, we gradually eased into more secular humanism. Go to “nonreligious” and “unchurched” people. They say exactly what people did (what they themselves learned!) in church. “It is okay. We do not need doctrine. We do not need the Bible. We have our tradition, experiences, motivational speeches, inspirational messages.” Indeed, the professing church—including the genuine Body of Christ—has utterly failed in maintaining its testimony….

Saints, please remember us in your monthly giving—these websites do cost money to run! 🙂 You can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux, or email me at arcministries@gmail.com. Do not forget about Bible Q&A booklets for sale at https://arcgraceministries.org/in-print/booklets-bible-q-a/. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! By the way, ministry emails have really been backed up this year. I am handling them as much as humanly possible. Thanks for your patience. 🙂

Knowledge of Grace Living

Friday, January 8, 2021

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14 KJV).

Friend, would you like to have knowledge of grace living?

While God does not save us because of our works, that does not mean He does not care how we live. He wants our lives to be filled with good works. However, He is not interested in us working in the energy of our flesh—religious rites, rituals, ceremonies, et cetera. He will do good works in and through us as we listen to and believe sound Bible doctrine.

Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” It is “in Christ”—our identity in the Lord Jesus—that we walk in good works. As our Adamic nature produces sins (evil deeds), so our Christian nature produces good works. God’s grace, what He has done for us through Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary, allows Him to continue working. As we walk by faith in the grace principles outlined in Paul’s epistles (Romans through Philemon), the Holy Spirit enlivens us accordingly. God’s will for us is two-fold: “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).

While we wait for the Lord’s return, to take us the Church the Body of Christ to live in the heavenly places, we walk by faith in an intelligent understanding of God’s words to us. The life of Christ is on display in us. Similarly, in the ages to come, the Lord will live His life in and through Israel as she functions as His earthly people. Overall, His eternal purpose is accomplished in creation in Heaven (us) and Earth (Israel)!

Dear brethren, with our “Original 7” studies expanded the seventh time, we open another 500-study unit!

Saints, please remember us in your monthly giving—these websites do cost money to run! 🙂 You can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux, or email me at arcministries@gmail.com. Do not forget about Bible Q&A booklets for sale at https://arcgraceministries.org/in-print/booklets-bible-q-a/. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! By the way, ministry emails have really been backed up this year. I am handling them as much as humanly possible. Thanks for your patience. 🙂

Knowledge of Dispensational Bible Study

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

“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 KJV).

Friend, would you like to have knowledge of dispensational Bible study?

The only verse in the Bible—and it has to be a King James Bible—that tells us to “study” Scripture instructs us how to study it. If we desire God’s approval, we must study “rightly dividing the word of truth.” How do we do it? Let us examine two passages from the Bible.

Firstly, Acts 3:20,21: “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” Secondly, Romans 16:25,26: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:….”

“That which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” is obviously different from “the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest.” Something God revealed can in no way be the same as something He has kept hidden. When He placed man (Adam) on the Earth, He was unfolding a body of information—His earthly program. At that time, God was also withholding a body of information—His heavenly program.

Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are the revelation of the mystery. We turn to these Bible Books to discover hidden information not known to people in previous ages. Here is the mystery program, God’s heavenly program. In the rest of the Scriptures, we find His prophetic program. Those non-Pauline Bible Books describe God’s earthly program. If we can make this simple differentiation, then we avoid most of the hopeless confusion that plagues Christendom. Provided we are receptive, the Holy Spirit will lead us to “rightly divide the word of truth!”

Redeem the Year!

Friday, January 1, 2021

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV).

What great advice for 2021!

Despite 2,000 years of Bible schools and seminaries, 2,000 years of a completed Bible canon, 2,000 years of Bible reading in churches, several decades of “Christian” television and radio, and just over a decade of widespread use of “Christian” websites, how sad that Bible ignorance is still quite extensive (it is as if God never gave His Word to start with!).

Frankly, the Church the Body of Christ needs to wake up! The verse previous to today’s Scripture says, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (verse 14). Paul, loosely quoting Isaiah 60:1, reminded us that the spiritual ignorance that gripped Israel in Isaiah’s day seized Christians in his day—and it still grips Christians 20 centuries later. Feel-good sermons, enjoyable “worship” services, and rites, rituals, and ceremonies will NOT solve this problem—they exacerbate it!

“[God] will have all men to be saved…” (1 Timothy 2:4a). Do you want this New Year to count for God’s glory? First, you need to get saved from sins and hell! You need to become a Christian by trusting in and relying on Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). That is only part of God’s will for you, for 1 Timothy 2:4b continues, “[God] will have all men… to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Now, God’s will for your Christian life is daily, personal Bible study to renew your mind, so your faith in those verses can cause God to work in your life—it will be His life, thus making you “perfect [spiritually mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Today’s Scripture urges us to buy back the time Satan has robbed from God (time created for God’s glory). By faith, we need to make that time glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by applying His Word, particularly Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon, to our lives. Have a good year in Christ! 🙂

You can download our free “One-Year Bible Reading Schedule.”

See our archived Bible Q&A: “What Scriptural advice can you give me for the New Year?”

‘Twas the Sunday Night Before Christmas

Sunday, December 20, 2020

“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 Sunday Night Before Christmas.”

Joy to the World! #4

Monday, December 14, 2020

“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! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Who were the ‘seventy’ whom Christ sent out?”