Category: Dispensation of the Grace of God

God’s Profaned Name #4

Friday, August 11, 2023

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23 KJV).

How was God’s great name “profaned among the heathen?” In what way will He “sanctify” it?

After Israel’s departure from Egypt, her people chose to enter a covenant relationship with the LORD God: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel…. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD” (Exodus 19:5,6,8). Obedience would bring blessings, but disobedience would merit curses, as elaborated on later in Leviticus chapter 26 and Deuteronomy chapter 28.

True to His promise to remove the Jewish people from the Promised Land because of their habitual violation of the Law of Moses, the LORD God meted out the fifth and final course of chastisement or judgment (see Leviticus 26:27-39; Deuteronomy 28:62-65; cf. Leviticus 18:24-28; Leviticus 20:22-24). Now, as this curse took effect, the land of Palestine would be vacant, with the Israelites exiled or scattered to Assyria (north) and Babylonia (east).

Nevertheless, the LORD God states in today’s Scripture how the Jewish people continued their evil ways outside of Palestine. As they lived amongst the heathen or Gentiles, the Israelites were not reflections of the Creator’s will. When the nations observed this nonsense, they could not help but snicker and mock. Instead of, “What a wise and understanding people” (Deuteronomy 4:6), it was “What a foolish and clueless people!” Israel did not walk in her identity the LORD gave her coming out of Egypt (separation from sin, Satan, and the world). She wanted to be like everyone else—and she indeed thought and acted like everyone else.

Israel “profaned” the name of the LORD in this manner….

God’s Profaned Name #3

Thursday, August 10, 2023

“And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23 KJV).

How was God’s great name “profaned among the heathen?” In what way will He “sanctify” it?

When He brought them out of Egyptian bondage, the LORD had indeed taken the nation Israel unto Himself, making them His special people in the Earth: He had “sanctified” them, “hallowed” them, or set them apart positionally. Consequently, they were to be “holy” practically—in their daily living. As He was isolated from the gods and goddesses of the Gentiles (idols), so the Jews were to be separated from the Gentiles (nations). “…I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people” (Leviticus 20:24). “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine” (Leviticus 20:26). This is why He gave Israel “unusual” laws to obey and “strange” rules to observe.

By watching the Israelites conduct themselves according to the Creator’s will, the Gentiles (without that one true God) were to be impressed and interested. See Moses’ advice to Israel in Deuteronomy 4:5-8: “Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?”

Nevertheless, because of sin, there was an adverse reaction to what the LORD had spoken to Israel….

The Damsel and The Spirit of Divination #7

Sunday, June 25, 2023

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18 KJV).

Behold—a slave girl, an evil spirit, a vexed apostle, and a mighty God!

Though captive to Satan and men, the slave girl was not without hope. While the Devil and his angels are powerful, they were no match for the Lord God Who ultimately delivered her. Although her human masters fumed how their “prophetess” was now profitless; though they caused Paul and Silas to be publicly beaten, imprisoned, and tortured (all contrary to the laws of Rome); they inadvertently provided God’s preachers an opportunity to minister to yet more unfortunate souls in Philippi!

Read verses 25-40 (those which follow today’s Scripture). For example, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (verse 25). Though suffering immense mental, physical, and emotional pain, Paul and Silas talked to the Lord and sang hymns! Their cellmates also heard the Gospel of Grace. Once a major earthquake rocks the area, the jailer—under such extreme conviction—approaches Paul and Silas, asking in verse 30, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Their answer was short and direct, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (verse 31). Released from prison, they proceed to minister to the jailer’s household and convert them too!

Saints, the lessons we can draw from this are simple. Though the world, the flesh, and the Devil interfere; by the might of the Holy Spirit, we can exercise God’s wisdom in successfully navigating those challenges (distractions, offers of compromise, persecution including physical violence, and so on); which will allow our testimony to have a far greater impact it otherwise would have never had.

The Damsel and The Spirit of Divination #6

Saturday, June 24, 2023

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18 KJV).

Behold—a slave girl, an evil spirit, a vexed apostle, and a mighty God!

Though the young woman has been saved from Satan’s prison, and converted to the Lord’s family, her masters are most displeased because they have lost their source of income. Having no desire to believe the Gospel of Grace and be delivered from the Devil themselves, they proceed to persecute Paul and Silas. God’s people did not compromise with an evil ministry (religion), so Satan switches tactics to involve the government.

Keep reading: “[19] And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, [20] And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, [21] And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.” Hiding behind the guise of “apprehending criminals,” the slave owners bring Paul and Silas before court officials for indictment and punishment. What follows is illegal according to Roman law.

“[22] And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. [23] And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: [24] Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.” Publicly and severely caned, or mercilessly beaten with rods or sticks, Paul and Silas are thrown into a jail cell, where they are subsequently tortured (legs forced apart and secured in the “stocks”). Indeed, ministry has its challenges….

The Damsel and The Spirit of Divination #5

Friday, June 23, 2023

“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18 KJV).

Behold—a slave girl, an evil spirit, a vexed apostle, and a mighty God!

The devil-possessed damsel has bothered Paul “many days.” A habitual distraction from the Lord’s work, her preaching has become such a nuisance the Apostle must stop her now. “But Paul, being grieved [anguished, pained], turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.” The power was not in the name of Paul, but in the name of Jesus Christ.

Upon hearing this pronouncement, the evil spirit must leave the poor girl alone. He departs, rendering her useless to her masters because she can no longer communicate with the spirit world. She symbolizes the Gentiles or nations, how they can be delivered from satanic bondage by approaching the one true God through the Apostle Paul’s ministry. See also Acts 14:8-10, the crippled Gentile world now made spiritually whole or healthy via Christ’s heavenly ministry through Paul.

In Acts chapter 9, but recorded only in Acts chapter 26, the Lord Jesus Christ’s commission of Saul of Tarsus was as follows: “[17] Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, [18] 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.” However, the Gentiles would not necessarily receive this information gladly. In fact, the slave owners in Philippi are not happy at all with Paul, for they are comfortable in their spiritual darkness….

The Understanding Darkened #5

Friday, June 16, 2023

“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:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

With Israel’s temporary fall and God’s salvation and blessing coming to us Gentiles via the Apostle Paul’s ministry (Romans 11:11-14), the “Dispensation of the Grace of God” has been given to us in the 13 Pauline Books of Romans through Philemon (see Ephesians 3:1-11). This information is designed to bring us out of the darkness of our ancestors (Acts 17:30,31). See also Colossians 1:25-29, Colossians 3:1-17, Philippians 1:9-11, Philippians 2:14-16, and even the context of today’s Scripture (Ephesians 4:11-24).

Titus 2:11-14: “[11] For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; [13] Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; [14] Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

As suggested in today’s Scripture, and Romans 1:19-32, the dear people of our world languish in a gigantic spiritual trap. Wherever the Lord’s ministry through Paul has penetrated these last 20 centuries, the response has been overwhelmingly negative (as in, refusing to believe the Word of God’s Grace—or, if initially receiving it, failing to keep it pure and continue with it uncorrupted). Even lost souls acknowledge human society is increasingly deteriorating each and every day. Though they struggle mightily to identify the causes and try to correct the situation with additional manmade solutions (works-religion, philosophy, science, politics, and so on), they are wasting their time without the renewed mind we have in Christ. Their only hope of making sense of this sinful world and escaping it, is if we who know the truth then share it with them (2 Timothy 2:2,24-26). Life apart from the God of the Bible is certain ruin… the understanding darkened.

The Understanding Darkened #4

Thursday, June 15, 2023

“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:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

Israel, in time past, had the benefit of owning the Word of God. “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1,2). “He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 147:18-20). These passages are in contradistinction to the Gentiles’ pitiful spiritual plight of Ephesians 2:11,12; Acts 14:15,16; and Acts 17:30.

Thankfully, the Lord did not consign the Gentile world to inescapable spiritual blindness. For example, these nations were to see God’s Word displayed via Israel’s testimony (see Deuteronomy 4:5-8). Though the Gentiles had no written text from the LORD, they had a conscience to teach them fundamentals of right and wrong (Romans 2:14,15). Furthermore, because of nature’s very existence, they had a basic awareness of a Creator (Romans 1:18-20). Notice that tiny ray of light, that little grain of truth, known amongst even the most idolatrous Gentiles in Acts 17:27,28.

Once Israel had habitually refused to be God’s channel of salvation, blessing, and light to the world, the Lord Jesus reached down from Heaven to save and commission Saul of Tarsus: “Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 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” (Acts 26:17,18). This brings us to the but now, Paul’s apostleship and message in today’s Scripture….

The Understanding Darkened #3

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

“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:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

Ponder Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy 4:1-9: “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

“Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;….”

In time past, whereas God had given the nations over to idols (today’s Scripture), He had delivered His words to the nation Israel….

The Understanding Darkened #2

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

“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:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

At the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), when the LORD God gave all nations over to “walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:15,16), He fulfilled their wish in turning them loose to a mindset or thought process that excluded Him. Re-read Romans 1:20-23,28. Commenting on this combination of tremendous intellectualism (“wisdom” of men) and abysmal darkness in Athens, Paul announced: “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:…” (Acts 17:29,30).

The Athenians had been “wholly [completely, entirely] given to idolatry” (verse 16). In fact, it was even stated of Athens, “It was easier to find a god there than a man!” They thought of a higher power in terms of creation—that the gods and goddesses were part of nature (pantheism). Even in the “sciences” today, natural forces are usually understood as being responsible for life, the heavens, and the earth. However, if you study Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens (verses 22-31), you will notice how he goes to great lengths to differentiate between the one true God and counterfeits (deities of mythology), distinguish between God and nature, discern between God and man. The God of the Bible is alive, not dead, which is why we should not reduce Him to statues of lifeless gold, silver, or stone. He is the Creator, giving us physical life; therefore, if we are alive, He is alive. Moreover, He is not a product of man’s imagination, so if we are to have “the eyes of [our] understanding enlightened” (see Ephesians 1:17), and be delivered from this “ignorance,” we must “repent” or think differently….

The Understanding Darkened #1

Monday, June 12, 2023

“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:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

Some years back, two ministry friends of mine traveled to a foreign country to visit family members. The man and his wife stayed at a local hotel for one night. Opening their door the following morning, the woman noticed food strewn on the hallway floor outside. Assuming the staff had served them breakfast, she began collecting it—until a passerby advised her to leave the food alone because it had been sacrificed to “monsters.” In other words, this was a food offering to appease any evil spirits that might have sought to harm these tourists!

The nations of the world are described in Romans chapter 1: “[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, [23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

Commenting on the pagan idolatry in Lystra (central Turkey), Paul and Barnabas stated: “…Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:15,16). As my ministry friends learned firsthand, the nations are still “walking in their own ways” today….