Category: The Church the Body of Christ

The Great LORD God #3

Thursday, September 6, 2012

“Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:22 KJV).

As King David of old praised his LORD God, so do we!

Today, in the form of the Holy Bible, we have the complete revelation from God. David, however, had a limited understanding of God’s plan for creation. Throughout the “Old Testament,” the Four Gospels, and the early Acts (pre-Acts chapter 9), God was revealing the prophetic program, “that which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). Essentially, that program involved God establishing an earthly kingdom through the nation Israel (herein lies the Davidic Covenant spoken of in the context of today’s Scripture; verses 12-16).

However, God was also withholding some information, deliberately keeping it secret. Then, He revealed that information to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1-11). God the Holy Ghost subsequently moved Paul to write that information in his epistles, Romans through Philemon. This is the mystery program, “that which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest” (Romans 16:25,26a).

David in today’s Scripture thanks and praises the LORD for His mighty works, how He has “[made Himself] a name” by forming the nation Israel (verse 23). But David had no idea that God had another mighty work in mind—He was just keeping it secret until Paul’s ministry! The great LORD God would do something even greater than what David understood: He would form another agency, the Church the Body of Christ, which would accomplish in the heavenly places what Israel would achieve on earth.

Saints, David rejoiced after only hearing about what God was doing with Israel on earth; he had no knowledge of us, the Church the Body of Christ, or what God would do with us in the heavenly places. We should praise the great LORD God even more than David did, for we now have the Holy Bible, the complete revelation of God’s will… for the earth… and the heaven….

Access By the Holy Spirit

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

“For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18 KJV).

We can neither see nor hear the Holy Spirit, but He plays an active role in our Christian lives on a daily basis.

When people mention prayer, they often speak as though it is talking to God way off in the third heaven, speaking to Someone far, far away from us. However, today’s Scripture explains that the indwelling Holy Spirit gives us this access to our heavenly Father, and that God is actually in close proximity to us. He literally lives in us, the Christians!

Remember, as people who have trusted in the finished crosswork of Jesus Christ on Calvary as sufficient payment for our sins, we have God the Holy Spirit living within us. Wherever we Christians go, we carry the Holy Spirit around in us! “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). “…[T]he Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us” (2 Timothy 1:14).

In today’s Scripture, Paul is describing how “we both”—both Jews and Gentiles (verses 11,12)—have equal access to Father God today in the Dispensation of Grace, and it is through Jesus Christ but by the Holy Spirit. (Notice today’s Scripture mentions all three members of the Godhead/Trinity.)

The indwelling Holy Spirit links us to Jesus Christ. Technically, the Holy Spirit supernaturally placed us into the Church the Body of Christ when we trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour (1 Corinthians 12:13). When we pray—that is, talk to God the Father—we come through the mediatorship of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5), but it is by the intercession of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit appropriates (applies) to us everything that we have in Jesus Christ: He empowers us to do God’s will, He guarantees our salvation in Christ, He teaches us using God’s Word, the Bible, and so on (see Romans chapter 8; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; Ephesians 1:13,14; Ephesians 4:30).

What a marvelous truth!

Living As Peaceably As Possible

Monday, August 27, 2012

“If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18 KJV).

Having recently listened to family members and friends discuss their struggles, my advice to them was simple—apply today’s Scripture.

Saints, today’s Scripture is clear. We should make every attempt possible to get along with others, especially with our Christian brethren (as always, please remember that we never, EVER compromise sound Bible doctrine for the sake of unity). But, there does come a point where we cannot resolve conflict, and we must leave the situation alone. Notice today’s Scripture: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” It is not always possible to live peaceably, even with fellow Christians (which is so sad).

In fact, there are such deep divisions among some Christians—including myself—that they cannot be resolved until heaven. I have met people who cause their own problems, thereby making other people’s lives—and mine—miserable. We all make mistakes, but what makes it sadder is that even after they are warned repeatedly, they continue in their error, with little to no remorse.

When dealing with these kinds of people who absolutely refuse to apply sound Bible doctrine in handling a disagreement, we must step back and say, “There is nothing more that I can do. It is time to leave these individuals alone.” Again we apply today’s Scripture and move on; otherwise we risk making the situation worse with hatred, bitterness, physical altercations, gossiping, cursing, et cetera.

Regrettably, sin causes squabbling, which results in division. Our “friends” will turn other friends against us, and divorce destroys our marriages and families. It is most pitiful when these divisions occur within the local church, disrupting the unity of God’s people and furthering the plan of the adversary (Satan). While we do “forgive [others] as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven [us]” (Ephesians 4:32), we are not to be doormats. In this sinful world, we cannot live harmoniously with everyone.

“If it be possible,” saints, “IF it be possible,” “live peaceably with all men….”

Be Not Pierced By the Sword of the Spirit #5

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

“And take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (Ephesians 6:17 KJV).

Saints, we are engaged in spiritual warfare, so let us take heed. A giant sword, not a butter knife, is what we need!

In the context of today’s Scripture (verses 10-18), Paul describes the spiritual warfare, the battle between God and Satan. As God’s people—we who have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour—we are Satan’s enemies and he seeks to deceive us! Thankfully, the Lord has given us “the armour of God” to “stand against the wiles [deceitful schemes] of the devil” (verses 11ff.). Additionally, we have God’s Word, the Holy Bible, which defends us and saves us from Satan’s corrupt doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13,15,16).

However, Satan perverts God’s Word, so that instead of it being a weapon for Christians, it becomes a weapon used against Christians. Corrupt “bibles” troubled the Thessalonian Christians’ minds (2 Thessalonians 2:2), and this perversion of the Holy Scriptures is ongoing. Instead of today’s Christian soldiers wielding “the sword of the Spirit,” many have been duped by false bibles, which are actually butter knifes when it comes to fighting Satan. (Instead, they are only sharp when Satan uses them against God’s people… in God’s name too!)

Almost from the beginning of man, Satan has sought to corrupt our mind (Genesis 3:1-5). The devil sidetracks man using false doctrine, so that he can neither understand nor appreciate God’s will for him. By deceiving man, Satan hinders God’s will for man (and Satan thereby furthers his own purpose and plan of robbing God of His glory!). Throughout Israel’s history, evil men cooperated with God’s adversary (Satan) to accomplish Israel’s spiritual ruin; the same is happening today to us, the Church the Body of Christ, as counterfeit “bibles” poison Christian souls and hinder God’s will (their spiritual maturity).

Comrade, the battle is waging…. Fellow saint, I exhort you to abandon the butter knives, and “take the sword of the Spirit,” the King James Bible, study and believe it rightly divided, and watch it defend you against “the wiles of the devil.” 🙂

The Holiness of the LORD

Saturday, July 21, 2012

“For I am the LORD that bringeth you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy:…” (Leviticus 11:44ab KJV).

Leviticus contains 27 chapters of laws and procedures regarding sacrifices and offerings, civility, planting crops, the kosher diet, hygiene and purification, apparel, real estate, religious ceremonies, the Levitical priesthood, and tithing. Why did God give Israel such meticulous regulations?

“Holy” appears 92 times within Leviticus because God is instructing Israel to be very different from everyone else. He commanded Moses, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2; cf. today’s Scripture). JEHOVAH (the LORD) was separate from the pagan gods, so He wanted His people Israel to daily exhibit His uniqueness. He wanted them to lead “holy” lives to distinguish them from the Gentiles (everyone else).

We members of the Church the Body of Christ are just as separated unto God as Israel was in time past (and will be in the future). Paul wrote: “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:17-24).

God has forever sanctified us Christians (we are saints, separated from the world). Let us walk by faith in Pauline (grace) Bible doctrine, and our lives shall exhibit the holiness of the LORD. 🙂

Prelude

Thursday, July 19, 2012

“My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass” (Psalm 102:11 KJV).

This earthly life is brief, but it is a prelude of the life to come, so be sure to use your time wisely for God’s glory.

Even from conception, death works in us to end our physical life. As the psalmist wrote in today’s Scripture, “My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.” Because of the motion of the light source and/or the illuminated object, a shadow eventually grows smaller and smaller: it “declineth.” Our earthly life ends like grass “withereth” (fades away). James wrote, “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (4:14bc). A “vapour” is a gas that can either become a solid or liquid: it ultimately “vanisheth away” (disappears).

Indeed, this earthly life will fade, but our souls will continue to exist. Prepare! What we do in this earthly life with God’s Word will impact our eternity. Lost people can place their faith in Paul’s Gospel—Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary—as sufficient payment for their sins (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and go to heaven, or they can reject it and go to hell. We Christians can study and believe sound (dispensational) Bible doctrine, so we can be equipped to function in the heavenly places for God’s glory, or we can ignore it and be unfit for God’s use.

Paul wrote, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man [physical body] perish [die], yet the inward man [spiritual body] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

This earthly life is but a prelude of “the ages to come:” by faith, look at the unseen future, and prepare for eternity!

Israel’s Three Prophetic Baptisms #7

Monday, July 16, 2012

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3:11 KJV).

Do we in the Dispensation of Grace have any relation to the three baptisms of today’s Scripture?

BAPTISM #3: THE FIRE BAPTISM

Whether or not the Church the Body of Christ will go through God’s wrath—that is, part of or all of the seven-year Tribulation and Second Coming of Christ—is a third confused issue in Christendom. Will we believers in Christ experience the “fire baptism?”

The above confusion regarding the doctrine of the fire baptism is immediately dispelled when we, “Study to shew [ourselves] approved unto God, [workmen] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). When we study God’s Word dispensationally, we understand that all of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us or about us.

We are the Church the Body of Christ, so we must be careful to never confuse ourselves with the nation Israel (which the professing “Church” has done for almost 2,000 years!). All this talk in religion about “a mid-Trib rapture or post-Trib rapture” is predicated on the false presumption that the Tribulation belongs in our dispensation.

The seven-year Tribulation and Christ’s Second Coming (the “fire baptism”) do not belong in our dispensation: There is “one baptism” for our Dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 4:5). What is it? “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:13). In Christ, God has saved us from His wrath (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13,14). When someone places his or her faith in Jesus Christ alone as personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit baptizes that person into the Body of Christ. God has no controversy with us, the Church the Body of Christ. Christ Jesus suffered God’s wrath on our behalf: we have been “delivered from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

Israel’s Three Prophetic Baptisms #6

Sunday, July 15, 2012

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3:11 KJV).

Do we in the Dispensation of Grace have any relation to the three baptisms of today’s Scripture?

BAPTISM #2: THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY GHOST

Baptism with the Holy Ghost is another confused topic, especially within charismatic circles (seeking the “gift of tongues”). Oftentimes, today’s church members try to follow Acts chapter 2, which they claim is key to “spirituality” (actually, stealing Israel’s doctrine on Pentecost and applying it to us has only caused apostasy).

The above confusion regarding the doctrine of the Holy Ghost baptism is immediately dispelled when we, “Study to shew [ourselves] approved unto God, [workmen] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). When we study God’s Word dispensationally, we understand that all of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us or about us.

We are the Church the Body of Christ, so we must be careful to never confuse ourselves with the nation Israel (which the professing “Church” has done for almost 2,000 years!). All this talk in religion about “being baptized with the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues” is predicated on the false presumption that Acts chapter 2 is our pattern. Pentecost is a Jewish feast day, and has nothing to do with us Gentiles.

Acts chapter 2 does not belong in our dispensation: There is “one baptism” for our Dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 4:5). What is it? “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Our baptism is not Christ baptizing us “with the Holy Ghost” (Pentecost; today’s Scripture). When someone places his or her faith in Jesus Christ alone as personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit baptizes that person into the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ baptizing Israel with the Holy Ghost is totally unrelated to our baptism by the Holy Ghost into the Body of Christ.

Israel’s Three Prophetic Baptisms #5

Saturday, July 14, 2012

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3:11 KJV).

Do we in the Dispensation of Grace have any relation to the three baptisms of today’s Scripture?

BAPTISM #1: WATER BAPTISM

Water baptism is perhaps the most controversial Bible topic (someone once aptly termed it “religious TNT!”). Christendom argues more about water baptism than anything else. For salvation, or for a testimony only? Sprinkling, pouring, or immersion? Adults only, or infants too? What type of water? Priest or preacher? What words should be said when its administered? How many times forward? Backward?

The above confusion regarding the doctrine of water baptism is immediately dispelled when we, “Study to shew [ourselves] approved unto God, [workmen] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). When we study God’s Word dispensationally, we understand that all of the Bible is for us, but not all of the Bible is to us or about us.

We are the Church the Body of Christ, so we must be careful to never confuse ourselves with the nation Israel (which the professing “Church” has done for almost 2,000 years!). All this talk in religion about “following Jesus in believers’ water baptism” is predicated on the false presumption that Jesus was water baptized as our example. Actually, He was setting an example for Jews, His kingdom of priests, who needed the Old Testament priests’ ceremonial washing to enter His earthly kingdom (John 1:31).

Water baptism does not belong in our dispensation: Paul wrote, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1 Corinthians 1:17). There is “one baptism” for our Dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 4:5). What is it? “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:13). When someone places his or her faith in Jesus Christ alone as personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit places that person into the Body of Christ. There is no water or preacher/priest involved in our baptism.

Is Mary the “Mother of the Church?”

Sunday, July 8, 2012

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (John 19:26,27 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture teach that Mary, Jesus’ mother, is “the mother of the Church?”

Pagan goddess worship was commonplace in the Roman Empire when Christianity spread during the first centuries A.D. So, “Christian” leaders, hoping to attract heathen followers, slyly adopted pagan practices and teachings. One of these compromises was to give Mary, Jesus’ mother, unscriptural preeminence. Religion took humble Mary (Luke 1:46-55) and exalted her to a godless-like position (today, she is called “the queen of heaven,” the title belonging to a pagan goddess; Jeremiah 44:15-28).

Mary is not the mother of any church in Scripture, and certainly not the Church the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ did not exist until Acts chapter 9 (see 1 Timothy 1:15,16), about a year after today’s Scripture. (The “church” at the time of today’s Scripture was the Messianic Church, those Jews who trusted Jesus as Messiah; Matthew 16:16-19).

In today’s Scripture, notice that Jesus (now crucified) is speaking to one individual, not a group: Mary is not everyone’s “mother,” but a certain disciple’s (allegedly the Apostle John, “the apostle whom Jesus loved”). Notice “thy mother” uses the second-person singular pronoun; Jesus did not say “your mother” (the second-person plural “your” would indicate He is speaking to a group). Of course, you lose this in modern “bibles,” which replace “thy” with “your,” concealing God’s truth.

Joseph evidently died some time earlier. Jesus is Mary’s eldest son, but Jesus is dying. Mary needs a man to take care of her (in the ancient world, single women without a male authority would have no income, often being forced to become prostitutes). At this time, none of Jesus’ half-brothers or half-sisters are believers, so Jesus appoints a disciple (John?) to be Mary’s caretaker. How simple!

Friend, God Himself declares Mary is not our mother. That is pagan heresy and superstition, not Bible.