Category: The Church the Body of Christ

Wisdom for Life #12

Thursday, July 3, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Read Romans chapter 1: “[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; [19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. [20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: [21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,… [25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen…. [28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate [worthless, unapproved] mind, to do those things which are not convenient [proper, fit];….”

For the first 2,000 years of human history—Adam to Abraham—the nations of the world had free or unrestricted access to the LORD God, the Creator God (there was no Israel or Judaism then). Those nations willingly scorned that spiritual light to take up man’s “wisdom,” which ultimately resulted in God creating Israel—a special nation through which He would reach the world. Alas, for almost 2,000 years, Israel also overwhelmingly rejected God’s words so as to accept man’s “wisdom,” so He gave them to us the nations (and especially the Church the Body of Christ). Howbeit, for 2,000 years now, the nations and the Body of Christ have also predominantly ignored those words in favor of man’s “wisdom.”

Dear brethren, may we by faith in sound Bible doctrine, break that endless vicious cycle of foolishness, and hold fast true wisdom for life!

Wisdom for Life #11

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Read these words from Ephesians chapter 3, verses 9-11: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:….”

Paul aimed to make all men see what is “the fellowship of the mystery”—this “fellowship” being the Church the Body of Christ, a secret God did not reveal until his ministry. If the members of the Body of Christ would simply walk by faith in “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2), Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon, then they would be God’s “manifold [multifaceted] wisdom” for both people and angels to see. Alas, because of sin or “fleshly wisdom” (2 Corinthians 1:12), there is more manifold foolishness amongst God’s people than manifold wisdom!

“Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily” (Colossians 1:28,29). Paul and his ministry companions preached Christ, teaching every person in all wisdom—spiritual wisdom—because that would make those people “perfect [mature, lacking nothing] in Christ Jesus.” We as believers in Christ should thus heed the exhortation issued in Ephesians 5:16-18: “See then that ye walk circumspectly [looking around, cautiously], 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. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;….”

Let us now summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Wisdom for Life #10

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Here are the first seven verses of the Book of Proverbs (outlining its purpose): “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Precious few have ever been taught that Proverbs is not a set of principles without a dispensational context. It is a Book of great prophetic significance for Israel. Check chapter 1, verses 8-19, which are a veiled reference to Calvary. Verses 20-33 point to John the Baptist’s preaching, as well as Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) and the horrors of the Antichrist’s diabolical schemes. Yet, whether prophecy or mystery, today’s Scripture is still true and is always true, because these verses are transdispensational. Paul definitely agrees with trusting in the LORD as opposed to trusting in our “wisdom.”

Whether prophecy or mystery, sinful man, filled with Satan’s life, needs God’s power in order to be filled with God’s life. Once the sinner trusts the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for his or her sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4); he or she becomes a vessel of the Holy Spirit who can then be filled with Jesus Christ’s life as that saint walks by faith in an intelligent understanding of God’s words to and about the Church the Body of Christ. Passages such as Romans chapters 12–16, Ephesians chapter 4, and Colossians chapter 3, can then serve as replacements for the evil deeds of Romans chapter 1.

This is true wisdom for life….

Wisdom for Life #9

Monday, June 30, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Doubtless, the deadliest—but most innocuous (innocent-looking) form of—human wisdom is that which man uses to corrupt the Holy Bible. Whether the textual critics constantly using Roman Catholic manuscripts to attack the Protestant King James Bible with “re-translations,” or the denominationalists repeatedly failing to rightly divide the word of truth by applying Israel’s verses to us, man has created in his own image various counterfeit “Bibles” and assorted perverted “Christian” sects and factions.

Members of the unsuspecting “Christian” public have been preyed upon in this manner for centuries—yea, millennia. They have incorporated into their minds, hearts, and lives, that which does not profit… what Scripture calls “wood, hay, stubble” (1 Corinthians 3:12). Rather than building on the foundation of the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (1 Corinthians 3:11; cf. Romans 16:25,26), Paul’s preaching of Christ in Romans to Philemon, they disobey 2 Corinthians 5:16 and know Christ after the flesh (relying on the prophetic view of Him as seen in Matthew to John).

In his “wisdom,” man pompously declares, “I can do something good for God. I am smart enough to manage sin.” This is self-deception. Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24), is, “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15). Here is God’s wisdom for victorious Christian (grace) living. It is not what we do for Him (law, performance-based acceptance system), but rather what He can do for us through Calvary’s crosswork (grace-based acceptance system).

Again, true wisdom for life is trusting in the LORD, not in ourselves….

Wisdom for Life #8

Sunday, June 29, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

In contradistinction to the love of man’s wisdom—the philosophy the Corinthians so treasured—Paul reminded those saints of the capital city of southern Greece: “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Here is how their Christian life began… and this is how it would work!

Now, chapter 3: “[9] For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. [10] According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. [11] For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] 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. [14] If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

God gave Paul, the “wise masterbuilder,”  the “blueprints” for His current dealings with man—namely, wisdom for life in this the Dispensation of the Grace of God….

Wisdom for Life #7

Saturday, June 28, 2025

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is true wisdom for life….

Judges contains the record of some of Israel’s darkest years. Two particular verses that encapsulate the deplorable spiritual conditions that time are as follows. “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Such is not “dead history.” Relative righteousness—“what is good to you may not be good to me,” “what is right for me does not govern what is right for you”—is nothing new.

“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” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). Man’s wisdom is that which he reasons apart from God’s wisdom. In short, man’s wisdom is but satanic wisdom. God kept a secret from “wise” Satan, but He revealed this hidden wisdom to the Apostle Paul (2 Peter 3:15,16). Not only would Father God use Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary to redeem Israel from her sins, He would also redeem us from our sins as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Man in his wisdom cannot figure this out.

Human effort is not enough and will never be enough; human wisdom is not enough and will never be enough. Wisdom for life starts with faith in the Lord God’s words to and about us, and this is Paul’s epistles of Romans to Philemon. We study Genesis to Revelation, because it is all inspired of God and all for our learning, but Paul’s ministry focuses on what God is doing today as He forms a heavenly people for His name….

Training Replacements #11

Friday, June 20, 2025

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

One of the lesser-known purposes of Christ’s earthly ministry was that He trained 12 men to continue His work once He returned to His Heavenly Father!

The Lord Jesus Christ has not been on planet Earth physically for 2,000 years. However, He did send the Holy Spirit to take His place. Firstly, the Holy Spirit came upon the Little Flock, Israel’s believing remnant, in Acts chapter 2: He enlightened the people of God as touching prophecy (today’s Scripture). Secondly, the Holy Spirit’s ministry moved over to Paul’s ministry and the Gentiles in chapter 9, after unbelieving Israel had fallen and mystery had interrupted prophecy.

Acts 26:16-18 describes our Apostle Paul’s commissioning: “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I [the Lord Jesus Christ] have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee [‘apostle’ = ‘sent one’], To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

First Corinthians 4:1,2 likens Paul unto a “steward”—a household manager who distributes his master’s goods throughout the estate as his master directs. Paul delivers (“dispenses”) to us information the Lord Jesus Christ directly gave to him: this is the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans to Philemon, or what the Bible calls “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:1,2). Here is how Christ lives His life in and through us as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Unless we know God’s will to and about us, we cannot work with Him by faith in accomplishing His will. If we do not hold firm to that sound doctrine, our lives and ministries are simply the works of sinful flesh.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Training Replacements #10

Thursday, June 19, 2025

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV).

One of the lesser-known purposes of Christ’s earthly ministry was that He trained 12 men to continue His work once He returned to His Heavenly Father!

Notice the phraseology of our King James Bible in Galatians 2:7: “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;….” These are two separate and distinct Gospel messages, one given to Peter (Peter’s Gospel) and another given to Paul (Paul’s Gospel). Modern English versions do an extremely great disservice to their readers by retranslating it as “the gospel to the uncircumcision” and “the gospel to the circumcision”—thus teaching that Peter and Paul preached the same Gospel, but to different groups. We know this is wrong. Their Gospels themselves were opposites.

Whereas Gentiles blessed of God through Israel’s fall was the central point of Paul’s apostleship and Gospel (Romans 11:11-14), Gentiles blessed of God through Israel’s rise to kingdom glory was the heart of Peter’s apostleship and Gospel (Acts 3:19-26). Paul learned nothing from Peter, but, the very reverse was true: Peter learned something from Paul. Even at the end of his earthly life, Peter struggled to understand that radical dispensational change that transpired when prophecy gave way to mystery (2 Peter 3:15,16).

Failing to make these distinctions between our Apostle Paul and Israel’s 12 Apostles, we will assume God is training us to replace Israel. NO! In the grand scheme of things, both prophecy and mystery, both Israel and the Church the Body of Christ, both entities and programs are necessary to fill the Heaven and the Earth with Christ’s life, God’s life.

The same Holy Ghost who revealed Christ’s doctrine to the 12 in prophecy (today’s Scripture), reveals to us Christ’s doctrine through Paul in mystery: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 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;…” (Ephesians 3:4,5). Here is Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon….

Reaping and Sowing #11

Saturday, May 31, 2025

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV).

Let us not be ignorant brethren concerning the concept of “reaping and sowing!”

What we do now will literally make a difference in eternity, one way or the other. Not only will we reap what we sow, others will reap what we sow too. For instance, when we believers arrive in Heaven, we will see all the people we influenced for the Lord’s glory (as in 2 Corinthians 1:13,14 and 1 Thessalonians 2:19,20)—it will even be souls we never heard of or expected! Whether missionary work funded, Gospel tracts distributed, Bible sermons preached, or Christian literature written, our ministry labors according to sound doctrine will reach far beyond this lifetime and out into forever.

Similarly, once unbelievers wake up in Hell, they will see all the people they influenced for the Devil’s glory. Their books, religions, lectures, television and radio broadcasts, schools, and so on, all contributed to the damnation of the souls they now meet suffering torments with them. Some of the most diabolical, heretical, and apostate teachers of church history existed during the first few centuries after Christ. Their theological systems are still with us today—especially in many of our “Christian” schools which yield graduates who fill our pulpits, classrooms, and bookshelves with utter worthlessness.

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting [overturning, overthrowing] of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker [disease]: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:14-18). False teaching invented hundreds of years ago still traps people in spiritual kindergarten and still leads people to Hell—“increase unto more ungodliness.” Let us be aware of and avoid sowing this bad seed. Also, let us mark and plant the good seed, that we receive a good harvest as opposed to a bad reaping.

Saints, we now close 14 full years of “333 Words of Grace!” 🙂

Reaping and Sowing #10

Friday, May 30, 2025

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV).

Let us not be ignorant brethren concerning the concept of “reaping and sowing!”

Two more excellent cross-references to today’s Scripture (or, better yet, Galatians 6:7-9) are as follows. As before, these point to the Judgment Seat of Christ of Romans 14:10-12, 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, and 2 Corinthians 5:9,10—reward (stemming from good—gold, silver, precious stones) versus loss of reward (originating from bad—wood, hay, stubble).

“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free” (Ephesians 6:5-8). “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 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” (Colossians 3:22-25).

These passages are directed to and are about servants (employees) in the secular world, indeed, but they are just as applicable to all of us Christians because we in the spiritual world are God’s servants (Romans 6:22) or the Lord’s servants (2 Timothy 2:24). It is the same grace living, the same fundamental grace principles. Again, we can sow to the flesh or sow to the Spirit, and the reaping will be proportional to it (check Galatians 6:7-9 again, plus Galatians 5:13-26 and Romans 8:1-15). There is a short-term result (victorious Christian living or death of the Christian life) as well as a long-term harvest (reward or loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ).

We now summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….