Category: bibliology / study of the Bible itself

Daily

Thursday, October 3, 2019

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:10,11 KJV).

They “searched the scriptures” every day!

Someone would say, “I read my Bible yesterday, so I have no need to read it today.” Another person might remark, “I read the Bible once a week—at church.” This is most reckless, fraught with spiritual hazards. Preachers and priests are being used as crutches. Congregants of all denominations are so heavily reliant upon their ministers they are at the mercy of the clergy. Hopefully they are being told the truth (highly unlikely).

Unlike the vast majority of modern church members, the Bereans of today’s Scripture were certainly not gullible sheep. Except for this one passage, the Bible says nothing about them. What is stated here is worth remembering. They were exceptional—“more noble” than the nearby Thessalonians, or possessing a higher moral and intellectual uprightness—in “that (1) they received the word with all readiness of mind, and (2) searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Firstly, the Bereans were eager to hear the Word of God, not empty traditions and idle speculations of men. Secondly, they compared what they heard from Paul and Silas with the Bible in their possession (at the very minimum, the Old Testament Scriptures). Every day, they read and studied the Bible.

Listen to former cult members’ testimonies. Now that they have come to faith in Christ, they have the indwelling Holy Spirit to enlighten them. Exasperated, they cry out, “Look at all these verses my denomination hid from me for decades! I now understand truths I had no idea were even in the Bible!” To say they are amazed is truly an understatement. What made the difference is actual Bible study, not just light or occasional Bible reading. Friends, let us daily and personally read and study the Bible. Otherwise, Satan’s evil world system will deceive us. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Meet Your Apostle Paul!

Friday, August 23, 2019

“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office” (Romans 11:13 KJV).

Here is God’s spokesman to you and me today—Paul!

Today’s Scripture is a little-known verse of prime importance. Where in the Bible do we discover God’s will for us today? After all, the Scriptures are a collection of 66 Books written over a period of nearly 1,600 years. Surely, it is all God’s Word, but are we to follow every single verse? Since the Holy Spirit used the Apostle Paul to tell us to “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), He also employed Paul to instruct us how to do it.

A “dispensation” is simply a specific set of instructions God gives to man for a particular time for man’s faith and obedience. The resurrected, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ directly committed to the Apostle Paul one such group of Divine revelations—“the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:1,2).

Read today’s Scripture in context: “[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.”

In light of Israel’s (temporary) national and spiritual fall, the Lord saved and commissioned the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 9. The Book of Acts records Israel’s fall and diminishing, the culmination of her unbelief toward Messiah Jesus. For now, God’s Word is going to the Gentiles without Israel and her prophetic program. In the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon, God the Holy Spirit describes what He is doing today. The words of Paul are actually “the commandments of the Lord,” His words to and will for us; nevertheless, if we prefer ignorance, we may have that instead (1 Corinthians 14:37,38).

Bible Q&A #640: “Why were the disciples discouraged from looking up in Acts chapter 1?”

Learn Right Division!

Thursday, August 22, 2019

“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).

Here is the key to understanding and enjoying the Bible!

Today’s Scripture sits in the context of false teachers and their method of Bible perversion: “[14] 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 of the hearers. [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.”

The only Scripture verse that exhorts us to “study” the Bible also tells us how to study it. We seek to be “approved unto God;” we absolutely do not seek any preacher’s approval, any theologian’s endorsement, or any denomination’s approval. If we “rightly divide the word of truth,” then we will have Almighty God’s blessing in our Bible study. However, a failure to “rightly divide” will result in “profane and vain babblings,” increasing to more “ungodliness” with respect to doctrine, and such error spreading like cancer or gangrene (destructive infection).

In verse 18, two false teachers claim “the resurrection is past already.” They have not “rightly divided the word of truth.” Rather than keeping “the Dispensation of the Grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2) separate from the rest of Scripture, they are combining the various instructions God gave to man through time. Instead of properly placing on the Bible timeline the resurrection event (Rapture) that terminates our dispensation, they have combined our dispensation with the subsequent dispensation. Like most today, they are not making proper divisions in Scripture.

Three main points we must understand are “time past,” “but now,” and “ages to come.” Read Ephesians 2:7 and verses 11-13. These markers help us to identify our location on the Bible timeline, leading us to “rightly divide the word of truth.” Will we recognize our Dispensation of Grace as distinct from other dispensations?

Use the Holy Bible!

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,…” (Luke 4:16,17 KJV).

Here is the Holy Bible!

Today’s Scripture introduces the Lord Jesus Christ’s first recorded sermon. What better way to begin His earthly ministry than to read directly from the Old Testament manuscripts that predicted it?

“[16] And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. [17] And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written [Isaiah 61:1,2], [18] The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [19] To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. [20] And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. [21] And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

The Lord habitually gave preeminence to the Bible during His time on Earth. He never questioned or corrected it. Rather, He believed and taught it, and encouraged others to do the same. There was such unbelievable ignorance in Israel, and He so wanted His people to be educated in His words to them. Even today, He desires us to read, understand, believe, and enjoy the Bible. As English-speaking people, we have the very inspired words of God preserved for us in the Authorized Version King James Bible. Do we desire to know God’s words to us? He will give us over to what we want—understanding or ignorance!

333’s 3000th – We Are People of the Book!

Saturday, August 17, 2019

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17 KJV).

Dear brethren, only by God’s grace, we present to you our 3000th devotional!

Indeed, we have come a long (!) way in our daily studies in the King James Bible rightly divided. Having learned quite a lot about our Father’s Word and will thus far, we still have so very far to progress in it! We can understand and enjoy the Bible—but only if we are interested. When we use God’s Word God’s way, it becomes a blessing rather than a burden. For 3,000 consecutive days now, brethren, we have proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt. We have yet to grasp the Scriptures as we ought, but we are “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [we are] press[ing] toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

We can take the inspired and preserved Word of God, read it, understand it, and believe it. Then, we can teach it to others (2 Timothy 2:2). Provided that we seek instruction, and they want to be trained, it will not be difficult to know and accomplish God’s will (cf. today’s Scripture). People have a hard time believing the Bible because their hearts and minds are so cluttered and laden with presumptions and assumptions. They need to quit presuming and assuming the Bible teaches something, and actually read it to see if it actually teaches it. Beloved, we simply cannot afford to base our eternal souls on opinions, hunches, and traditions of men. That, frankly, is wholly reckless! Hence, we continue in our Bible studies.

Thank you to those who have been with us from the very beginning, and those who have prayed for us and supported us financially. We could not have done it without you. We hope that you have enjoyed these daily grace-oriented studies thus far, and we pray we can continue to serve you in this capacity… perhaps for another 3,000 studies if our Lord Jesus Christ so desires! 🙂

Pay Attention to Aid Retention

Thursday, August 15, 2019

“Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13 KJV).

Friend, have you ever wondered what you would do if someone needed help finding something in the Bible? Were you afraid you would not be able to find the verse you were looking for? Well, unless you suffer from an “aging mind,” this forgetfulness can be mitigated.

The fact is, if you have not spent enough personal (quiet!) time in the Word, then you will be unskillful in the Word. Owning a Bible is one thing, but becoming familiar with and understanding it is a whole different matter. The Holy Spirit will work in us, but only if we first have His Word in us. God does not “magically” place His doctrine in us—whispering in our ear, spontaneously planting thoughts in our mind, causing inner impressions, and so on. Christian knowledge comes only by opening the Bible, reading and comparing verses, and then grasping conclusions that ultimately become an adequate basis for faith.

As we keep reading God’s Word daily, we will become increasingly accustomed to what it says and where it says it. Locating verses with specific words or phrases is actually not that difficult when we have read them enough beforehand. The Holy Spirit takes what we have already read and He brings it to our memory so it fits with specific situations. Of course, if we have never read the Bible for ourselves, or use it sparingly, then there is little to no Scriptural information in us for Him to use. It is not (!) God’s fault!

If all we go to “church” for is to sing, dance, and engage in idle chitchat and hearing of stories, then it will be no surprise when we find ourselves biblically-illiterate at the time we need Divine knowledge the most. Today’s Scripture underscores three components to a God-honoring ministry—(1) reading the Bible, (2) urging or encouraging the saints therein, and (3) communicating Divine information worthy of their trust. Without all three, Christians will simply be spiritually clueless and crippled. If, however, we expose ourselves to God’s Word, if we pay attention to it, then the chances increase that we will recollect more of it! 🙂

For Students This is Safe

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

“Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128 KJV).

As a new school year dawns, let us awake unto spiritual truth!

Although the autumnal equinox is still over a month away here in the Northern Hemisphere, summer is finally beginning to wind down for most of us. Students—with long faces and deep sighs—have returned or are beginning to return to school. As students return to the classroom, they need to be particularly mindful of the following.

Firstly, learning in and of itself is not a sin. Moses was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). Luke was a medical doctor (Colossians 4:14). Daniel and his companions were skilled in science (Daniel 1:4). Adam was the first taxonomist (Genesis 2:19,20). The God of the Bible is never against learning new things—remember, He gave us His Holy Bible so we can have plenty to learn for all of eternity!

Secondly, what the God of the Bible opposes is when we believe/trust ideas that do not seek our best interests, that contradict the way He designed our lives to function. Certainly, we Christians should never go around believing anything and everything heard and seen. Just because the professor, preacher, pope, or president says it is true, that does not make it so. Scientific consensus has been wrong before, religion has been wrong before, politicians have been wrong before. Much of the ideas that permeate our world today are wrong.

Lastly, there are many wonderful, exciting ideas and concepts out there—medical advancements, technological breakthroughs, and so on—but there are equally detrimental ideas that will mess up your life—religious traditions, secular humanism, and other philosophies. Daily intake of the King James Bible rightly divided will cleanse our souls of the filth and foolishness that we hear and see day in and day out in this evil world system. We highly exalt God’s Word, we know it is right “concerning all things,” and we hate and ignore the error.

Have a wonderful school year in our Lord Jesus Christ! 🙂

Minimum Wage Hike? #6

Thursday, August 8, 2019

“He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor” (Proverbs 14:31 KJV).

Is this a good verse to support minimum wage increases?

During His earthly ministry, Christ uttered some controversial words: “If thou wilt be perfect [not sinless perfection but complete/mature], go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21; cf. Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22). Were the Messianic saints to literally sell their physical possessions and give the money to the poor? Indeed, for they actually did that later in Acts 2:44,45 and Acts 4:32-37. (Read chapter 5 to see what happened to Ananias and Sapphira for disobeying the Lord!) Why did Christ instruct them thus?

In Revelation chapter 13, we read of the coming Antichrist, whose reign will involve major economic changes: “[16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: [17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” That Israel’s believing remnant avoid having to choose between following Antichrist or retaining their wealth, they were to give up those material goods before Antichrist’s appearance. The Jewish saints in early Acts acted in accordance with this reality.

With the Apostle Paul’s ministry and the Dispensation of Grace entering in mid-Acts, our mystery program interrupted—and is still delaying—the prophetic program. Since the Antichrist has yet to arrive, God’s earthly kingdom is still absent: that prosperous kingdom the poor Jewish saints would have enjoyed following Antichrist, never came in Acts. Hence, Paul speaks of “the poor saints which are at Jerusalem” (Romans 15:26). Their common fund has now depleted. They have become poor—not because of slothfulness, disability, or meager earnings—but because they followed God’s will. (According to Romans 15:25-27 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Paul took up contributions from his Gentile converts to help them.)

The poor people suffering in Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Acts, typify (preview) the experience of Messianic Jews once our Dispensation of Grace closes….

An Ambassador Turns 31!

🎂 Wednesday, August 7, 2019 🎂 

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man 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 KJV).

Someone is celebrating a birthday! (Can you guess who?)

Dear brethren and friends, I am now one year into my 30s. These past 12 months have been quite a learning experience. We (hopefully) have all grown a tad wiser since we were on this date exactly one year ago. Here is a greater realization to which I have come thus far.

Recently, I read a statistic about my generation, the Millennials (born 1980–2000). A staggering 70 percent claim they suffer from depression and anxiety. We need not wonder why. As I converse with my peers, they have no idea what is really going on in the world. While there are precious exceptions, most have grown up without grounding in the Holy Bible. How they lack spiritual stability! Spoiled and egocentric, everything “offends” them. Scheming politicians and professors exploit their ignorance and emotions. Deceived and disappointed, it is obvious why miseries and worries abound in their souls!

Today’s Scripture shows us the key to having a stable, healthy life. Fretting about the here and now is profitless because what we see with our physical eyes will not last. Emphasizing the natural and ignoring the spiritual is most foolish. Living for self is silly. Through the eyes of faith, we see the purpose of God as though it has already been fully brought to pass. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8). In the Scriptures, we find information of eternal worth. Therein, not we but Jesus Christ is glorified as the center of the universe. Whatever time we are given here, dear friends, may we always remember to live with eternity and the Lord Jesus Christ in mind! 🙂

P.S.: You may read the devotional I wrote for my 30th birthday here.

Minimum Wage Hike? #5

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

“He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor” (Proverbs 14:31 KJV).

Is this a good verse to support minimum wage increases?

Very few people realize Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon form one unit and thus interpret each other. This “heart” or “wisdom” literature is both rooted in literal history and typical of future events. For example, the Holy Spirit through King Solomon wrote today’s Scripture with both history and prophecy in mind. As we move on the Bible timeline toward the end times, the last days of Israel’s prophetic program, it becomes more evident that the Bible Books before and after Paul’s writings are mirror images. History loops to the future, and the future loops to history. What preceded our Dispensation of Grace predicts what will happen once it closes.

With prophecy in view, the “poor” being “oppressed” in today’s Scripture goes far beyond the issue of little to no wages. For instance, read Psalm 10: “[1] Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? [2] The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. [8] He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. [9] He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. [10] He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones…. [14] Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.”

Psalm 12:5: “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.” Psalm 72:4: “He [The Lord Jesus Christ] shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor [same Hebrew word as “oppresseth” in today’s Scripture].” The LORD is returning in wrath, and paltry paychecks are hardly the controversy….

(In order to bring you a special devotional tomorrow, we will temporarily suspend this devotionals arc.)