Category: inspiration of the Bible

Behind the Scenes #5

Monday, March 16, 2015

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11 KJV).

In the form of the Holy Bible, the Creator God has given us a “behind-the-scenes” look at creation! Will we humble ourselves to take a sneak-peak?

Imagine, if you will, an inventor has just given you a new product, the first of its kind. You are the first to use it. Apart from an instruction manual (which hopefully you get with the product!), you have no idea of its purpose. You could sit there and inspect the product, you could disassemble it, you could learn how it functions, and so on, but unless you have some written explanation as to its purpose, you are wasting your time guessing! The product will be meaningless to you if you cannot use it as the inventor intended.

This crude illustration epitomizes the flaws of the strict, rationalistic, empirical nature of the scientific method. We must observe a natural process before we can proceed to explaining it and testing our hypothesis (tentative explanation) with data gathered. That idea must then withstand scrutiny and future testing if it is to be elevated to a theory or model. Otherwise, the hypothesis is rejected and must be refined.

As you can see, science is limited to answering only the “how” question. Science is useful in discovering how something works. But, why does the something work? What is its purpose? Science cannot answer it and it will never be able to answer it. The “why” question cannot be answered because “why” is something immaterial; science, strictly speaking, is concerned only with the material (visible) world. Science has no authority in the invisible (spiritual) realm: it cannot be used to ascertain intention.

As Bible-believing creationists, it is not we who are closed-minded, for we admit the study of the natural world leads us to understand just how orderly-structured and fine-tuned our universe is (and exists so for a purpose!). The close-minded individuals are those who refuse to see and hear anything but what their eyes see and their ears hear. They can explain how the universe works, but why it works, to the “why” question they close their eyes, ears, minds, and hearts….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “The Son of man hath not where to lay his head?”

Behind the Scenes #4

Sunday, March 15, 2015

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11 KJV).

In the form of the Holy Bible, the Creator God has given us a “behind-the-scenes” look at creation! Will we humble ourselves to take a sneak-peak?

Today’s Scripture follows five verses (verses 6-10) that survey the Creation story of Genesis. Recall verse 6: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).

John 1:1-3 says: “[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Verse 14 explains that the “Word,” the Creator, was none other than Jesus Christ.

Today’s Scripture says, “The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” The God of the Bible had a plan in creation, and Scripture calls that plan “the counsel of the LORD.” It “standeth for ever.” In spite of what will happen, that purpose will still be brought to fruition. This plan contains “the thoughts of [the LORD’S] heart,” and He has made those thoughts known to “all generations.” As Psalm 100:5 says, “His truth endureth to all generations.”

What was and is Father God’s purpose in creation, His “counsel,” the “thoughts of His heart?” In the form of the Holy Bible, we have the instruction manual of creation, “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). God’s Holy Spirit caused those precious inspired words to be written centuries ago in Hebrew and Greek, He preserved them through history via manuscript copies, and He translated them into English so that we could have them today (the Authorized King James Bible).

While we can study the material world through scientific analyses, unless we use the Creator’s Manual, it is we who will have closed minds….

Instant Christians #1

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2 KJV).

In this day and age of “instant this and instant that,” we need more “instant” Christians!

Today’s Scripture is a highlight from Paul’s farewell epistle. In this concluding treatise, the Holy Spirit presents the final marching orders to the Church the Body of Christ. Once this last epistle was written, the Bible’s canon was complete—all 66 inspired books were present as scrolls in the first century A.D., ready for copying and distribution to all saints everywhere. Since the penning of 2 Timothy, there has been no further revelation from God: today’s Scripture indicates that Timothy had a complete Bible, a complete divine revelation, and that he was to preach “the word” and nothing else.

According to 2 Timothy 3:15-17, verses previous to today’s Scripture, Timothy was to preach “the scripture” (written text), not “oral church tradition!” Yea, there would be no subsequent “development of doctrine through Sacred Tradition,” but rather depravity of doctrine through church tradition (clearly predicted in 1 Timothy chapter 4 and 2 Timothy chapters 3 and 4). According to 2 Timothy 1:15, apostasy had already infected and misled most Christians, even before Paul wrote that very letter! Few ever realize that the Body of Christ was doctrinally deficient, weak, confused, and deceived 2,000 years ago—even today, the Bible is pushed aside and church members read everything else.

As secular humanism grows stronger culturally, the Christians remain weak. Rather than learning God’s truth to preach it so people can have an alternative to error, church members stay silent (except for the whining about how deception runs rampant). How we grieve with the Holy Spirit that the church abounds with weak Christians! They are learning nothing solid in church meetings, just shallow messages that keep them happy (and ignorant of the deeper things of God’s Word). The cults and world religions thoroughly indoctrinate their members with nonsense, but they put most Christian pastors and members to shameful silence—they know more about their own holy books and our Bible than the Christians do of either!

Oh, how we need “instant” Christians….

The Way of All the Earth

Saturday, November 8, 2014

“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;…” (1 Kings 2:1,2 KJV).

Even David, once the mighty king of Israel, must “go the way of all the earth.”

No matter what station we have in this life, the truth is that death is the “great equalizer”—everyone loses every single material possession gained in this life. King or pauper, rich or poor, death claims them all. David, in today’s Scripture, gives a portion of parting advice to Solomon his son and successor, the new king of Israel. (You can read “the last words of David” in 2 Samuel 23:1-7.) Forty years of reigning over God’s people Israel were now finished, and forty years of Israel under a new king had just begun (1 Kings chapter 1). While the entire speech (1 Kings 2:2-9) is an interesting passage, we want to focus on the expression “the way of all the earth.”

David knew that he would die, just as all his ancestors had, and just as all the Gentiles who lived before him had. Still, he knew, according to the oldest book of the Bible, Job, that he would be resurrected one day to enter God’s kingdom on earth (see Job 19:25-27). David did not understand all of the mechanics of resurrection, for God’s progressive revelation was ongoing. He still penned his own resurrection in Psalm 16:8-11—he did not realize the Holy Ghost was moving him to also predict Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 2:24-31).

Today, we learn through God’s completed Word, the Holy Bible, that Jesus Christ will accomplish our resurrection. “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:21,22). Short of the Lord’s coming, we members of the Body of Christ will also “go the way of all the earth.” Nonetheless, a glorious resurrection awaits us (verses 23,49-58)!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Was God ‘unfair’ to punish us for Adam’s sin?”

How to Open God’s Safe

Saturday, October 25, 2014

“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).

Spread the word that today’s Scripture is the key to unlocking the Word!

Many centuries ago, God used holy men to write His Word in human language, He used holy men to copy it thousands of times over to preserve it for us, and He used holy men to translate it into our language, English. The King James Bible did not “just drop down from heaven in 1611;” it was the result of laborious collation, meticulous comparison, and diligent translation of various ancient Hebrew and Greek Bible manuscripts, and prudent consultation of previous translations (particularly, early English).

Our precious King James Bible is a safe—it contains the wealth of the Lord Jesus Christ’s wisdom. How do we extract the profit contained therein? We could spend the rest of our lives searching for the combination in religious tradition, scientific analyses, prayer closets, introspection of intuition, et cetera, but what a waste of time! While most theologians, ministers, and church members still grope and fumble searching for the obvious (sixth-grade English!), banging in frustration on the door, we rejoice evermore in Christ that we have discovered the Bible’s combination—“2 Timothy 2:15!”

Friend, dispensational Bible study is the key to accessing the priceless spiritual knowledge and wisdom God offers us in His Word. We can use the Bible as a nice decorative item to exhibit on a bookshelf or tote under the arm, but that is not what God intended. Only one verse in all the Bible tells us to study the Bible; that one verse tells us how to study the Bible.

“Rightly dividing the word of truth” liberated me from spiritual confusion and religious tradition. It will do the same for you if you let it. Do not let traditionalists mix God’s Word and mix you up. Flee from those who muddle dispensational boundaries—distinctions God has made in His Word—and who force you to consume such nauseous doctrine. For your own spiritual health’s sake, flee to God’s safe and open it quick! Then, share its combination and contents with others. There is plenty to go around! 🙂

Liberated to Serve

Friday, July 4, 2014

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 KJV).

Today, as we in the United States celebrate the 238th anniversary of our nation’s independence, we invite our Christian brethren worldwide to rejoice with us concerning our freedom in Jesus Christ.

When we proclaim Romans 6:14—“Ye are not under the law, but under grace”—people tend to assume “loose living.” Does “grace living” really mean we can now live any way we want? Lest anyone be misled in that regard, God the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write in the next verse, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid [May God never let that happen!]” (Romans 6:15). Grace living is not Law-keeping, but it certainly is not Law-breaking either.

God still cares how we live, albeit He is not operating the “weak and beggarly” system of “bondage” (Law) that He once did with Israel (Galatians 4:9). God proved to the entire world that since Israel could not keep His commandments perfectly, no other sons of Adam (the Gentiles) could either: “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them [Israel] who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world [Gentiles] may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).

We sinners cannot keep the Law. However, God in His grace provided us a way to escape that condemnation by sending Jesus Christ to offer Himself on Calvary’s cruel cross to pay for our sins. By simple faith in Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as the fully-satisfying payment for our sins, we can now be “made the righteousness of God in [Christ]” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can be delivered from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire) and the power of sin (flesh-walking).

Why are we Christians free? To selfishly live any way we want? NO! Today’s Scripture says we are liberated to now serve others, especially our Christian brethren, just as Jesus Christ selflessly served His Father and selflessly died on our behalf. That is grace living!!!!

Please see our 2011 Fourth of July Bible study “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land,” which can be watched here or read here.

No Red-Marker Bible for Us!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV).

Let us reject the red-marker “Bible,” just as its promoters castoff the Bible!

Years ago, a friend expressed his discouragement for receiving a “C” grade on a school paper he had diligently wrote. He said how he had spent so much time on it, and yet it was still not good enough. To cheer him up, I shared with him a brief history of the English Bible, how God spent so much time on faithfully transmitting His pure, preserved Word to us, and educated man gave Him an “F!” (My friend did not feel so bad after that!) 🙂

Through the centuries, textual critics have assaulted Bible manuscripts and other copies of the preserved, inspired Word of God. Like Satan encouraged Eve to do in Genesis 3:1-5, they questioned it, added to it, subtracted from it, watered it down, and finally, denied it. What do we expect? God’s Word is “foolishness” to people who are not God’s children anyway (today’s Scripture).

Textual critics have especially taken their “scholarly scalpels” to the Divine Words since 1881, when the greatest change in Bible “scholarship” ever occurred. In Great Britain, the Protestant Bible text (the King James Bible, its previous English versions, and the Greek Textus Receptus upon which their New Testament rested) was questioned by “educated,” lost men, and replaced with a so-called “older, better” Greek manuscript tradition that the Church the Body of Christ avoided—and had endured the death penalty for rejecting! Even today, the average church member of every denomination has no idea of the switch! Protestants have no idea they carry under their arms Roman Catholic manuscripts in the form of their modern Bible versions—manuscripts their Protestant forefathers died for avoiding!

Dear friends, when anyone encourages you to “red line” words, verses, or even passages from your King James Bible, you would do well to “write them off,” giving them an “A” when it has come to them encouraging your doubt in God’s Word, and an “F” regarding encouraging your faith!

333 Turns 3!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8 KJV).

To the praise of the glory of the riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, “333 Words of Grace” commemorates its third anniversary today!

Dear readers and saints, it has been a delight to be your Bible teacher here these last three years. Indeed, time always “flies” when God’s Word is studied! Our purpose has been to help you understand and enjoy your Bible. We have demonstrated that you do not have to throw away God’s Word simply because people misuse it and abuse it. You can understand the Holy Scriptures without seminary degrees and college diplomas. During these last three years, we have simply taken the King James Bible and let the text speak for itself, comparing Scripture with Scripture, and let God’s Word amplify itself. Our Christian lives have never been the same since!

The Holy Bible is the world’s most valuable Book—and still the bestselling! Countless saints of old shed their blood in service to their Lord Jesus Christ, to furnish the common man with His Book in the English vernacular. Just as they were diligent in translating the Bible for us, may we be just as attentive in acquainting ourselves with it—reading it (1 Timothy 4:13), studying it rightly divided (2 Timothy 2:15), and believing it (1 Thessalonians 2:13). As Jesus Christ Himself said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Once “locked up” in ancient languages, we have the world’s most marvelous Book in our own tongue. God’s Book “for ever settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89), now brought down to puny planet earth, now translated into the languages of the world, and yet, it is all too often unappreciated even in “Christian” circles. We trust that our daily Bible studies have renewed and maintained your interest in this most important Book. Almighty God took great lengths to get it to us, and it is only logical that we treasure it above all else. The Holy Bible will literally last forever (today’s Scripture), so let us enjoy it now… every day!

Saints, thank you for your prayer and encouragement these last three years. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, onward we go! 🙂

P.S. All of our devotionals, all the way back to “day 1,” are archived here.

Fishers of Men #1

Saturday, April 5, 2014

“And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes” (John 21:6 KJV).

Today’s Scripture foretells the greatest fishing trip Israel’s apostles will ever enjoy!

The Bible book we call “The Gospel According to John” is the fourth and final record of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. John is starkly different from the so-called “Synoptic Gospels” (Matthew, Mark, and Luke): the Apostle John emphasizes aspects and events of Christ’s earthly ministry that Matthew, Mark, and Luke usually entirely disregard.

John 1:11-13 introduces the theme of the Book of John: “He [Jesus Christ] came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 20:30,31 elaborate: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

When moving the Apostle John to write his Gospel record, the Holy Ghost selected specific events of Christ’s earthly ministry, eight unique miraculous demonstrations through which Jesus taught Israel various doctrines (our King James Bible calls these miracles “signs”). These signs communicated to Israel that Jesus Christ was their Messiah/Christ, the Son of God, and that He had the ability, the power, to equip them to function as “the sons of God,” men and women who could work with God and delight in accomplishing His earthly purpose and program.

In our next few studies, we want to focus on the eighth and final sign of Jesus as recorded in John’s Gospel record. This sign, noted in today’s Scripture, is the key to understanding God’s purpose and plan in forming the nation Israel….

Bible Study 102 #15

Thursday, March 20, 2014

“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).

The only verse that tells you to study the Bible also tells you how to understand the Bible!

Cognizant of His will, God inspired His Word, that we too may meditate on it. Consequently, Scripture discloses God’s will (Ephesians 1:9,10; 1 Timothy 2:4-8) and provides His power so that we may joyfully fulfill His will with Him as the indwelling Holy Spirit works in us who believe that grace doctrine (Hebrews 4:12; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18; Ephesians 3:16-21; Colossians 1:29; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 4:6-8). God’s Word leads us to salvation from our sins and, “rightly divided” (today’s Scripture), saves us from false teaching—God’s two-fold will for mankind (1 Timothy 2:4).

Sound Bible doctrine for us Gentiles is not what God told Israel, but what He spoke through our apostle, Paul, “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13). We magnify Jesus Christ today, not by emphasizing His earthly ministry to Israel (Matthew 15:24; Romans 15:8), but by exalting the office He gave Paul. Jesus said, “He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me” (John 13:20). Jesus said if you do not receive Paul whom He sent to you, then you reject Him! We do not emphasize Paul the man, but the Lord Jesus Christ who sent Paul to tell us His grace doctrines (2 Corinthians 4:5; Ephesians 3:1-11).

Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up [edify], and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). Satan knows Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, are God’s inspired Word to us Gentiles, that those grace doctrines align us with God’s present will. Consequently, Satan’s religious system draws us away from Paul’s apostleship and ministry (although Satan’s scriptural religion follows Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, Hebrews through Revelation, the “Old Testament,” anything and everything but the Scriptures that describe what God is currently doing in the Dispensation of Grace!).

Indeed, dispensational Bible study—“right division” (today’s Scripture)—is the key to unlocking the Bible and producing mature saints!

NOTE: At least three increasingly advanced 15-day companion devotional arcs—“Bible Study 103,” “Bible Study 104,” and “Bible Study 105”—are in development, and will be posted in the future. Stay tuned! 🙂