Category: Dispensation of the Grace of God

Truth Be Told

Monday, May 18, 2015

“But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2 KJV).

If we have not done so already, may we abandon “handling the word of God deceitfully!”

A “faith healer” preacher, after sharing “healing testimonies” and offering to send prayer cloths and anointing oil by mail, read 2 Corinthians 4:16 on television: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” He actually admitted that our physical bodies are aging and decaying. Jokingly, he referenced his balding head and he and his wife’s wrinkling skin! (“Physician, heal thyself with thy ‘miracle-healing tools!’”) No wonder people laugh at us Christians. Just look at the foolishness “Christian” television networks air!

Recently, someone told me she had “paid for some Masses” for a certain deceased loved one to be freed from purgatory’s flames. Those prayers said on her behalf were not cheap, but they were certainly not enough to merit God’s heaven. (If Jesus’ blood did not bring someone to heaven, can silver and gold?)

Dear friends, the above is not Christianity but charlatanry. Remember, if someone is not making sense, ‘someone’ is making money! There are many sincere but vulnerable people, particularly in religion. These precious souls need to learn the difference between Christianity and charlatanry. Just because someone is reading a Bible, talking about “Jesus” and “God,” or claiming to be led by the “Holy Ghost,” that does not automatically make that individual a spokesperson for God (a common myth). Ministers are oftentimes the sneakiest people. Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day for them draining people of their income and trust. There are billions around the world today equally deceived and abused.

Beloved, let us take our King James Bible, and let us be grounded in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, that we not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). As we learn to tell the truth, those who want to know it, will learn as well. 🙂

A Renewed Opportunity

Saturday, May 16, 2015

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV).

If only more lost people knew the first half of today’s Scripture. If only more Christian people knew the second!

Recently, I learned that a family member attempted suicide. Thankfully, the police intervened and hospitalized him before he carried out his plan. A dear religious man, a war veteran plagued by post-traumatic stress disorder, haunted by his violent past, has gotten the psychiatric help he so desperately needed. Sometime ago, he told me that he could still see in his mind his friends’ faces from all those years ago, people who never came home from the war alive. Like so many veterans, he feels guilty for not dying with the others on the battlefield. I do hope to visit him soon and share Jesus Christ with him (again).

It is estimated that there are between 10 and 20 million failed suicide attempts worldwide every year. Every year, over 800,000 people are successful in taking their lives. What is saddest of all is that the vast majority of these precious souls go to hell (not because they committed suicide, but because they died without Jesus Christ). They did not have go to hell.

When Father God sent Jesus Christ to Calvary, He sent Him to change the status of the nations of the world (today’s Scripture). Once, while He dealt with Israel, the nations were cut off from Him (Ephesians 2:11,12). Today, God has concluded “all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all,” Jew and Gentile (Romans 11:32). Verse 15 talks about how God has temporarily cast away Israel in order to reconcile the world. He is not pouring out His wrath on them. People of all nations can come to Him by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s bloodshed, death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). This is the Gospel of the Grace of God, “the word of reconciliation,” and may we Christians be faithful in getting it out to the masses before it is eternally too late. There is hope in Jesus Christ! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Could you explain Acts 19:1-7?”

Up From the Grave He Arose #4

Friday, May 15, 2015

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15 KJV).

The chorus of Robert Lowry’s classic 1874 hymn “Up From the Grave He Arose” highlights today’s Scripture.

“Up from the grave He arose;
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

On the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ appeared weak and defeated. “He [had been] crucified through weakness” (2 Corinthians 13:4). On that Resurrection Sunday morning 20 centuries ago, there were many shocked individuals. The most surprised was the old Devil himself. All his efforts to keep the Lord Jesus Christ dead and gone had failed!

Now that the mystery has been revealed through Paul, we read in the context of today’s Scripture: “[13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he [God the Father] quickened together with him [Jesus Christ], having forgiven you all trespasses; [14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; [15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

On Christ’s cross, we were crucified. The means whereby Satan killed Jesus Christ, God used it to make us dead to sin! That awful sin debt that we had accrued with the Mosaic Law was nailed to Christ’s cross. That whole Law system was thus done away, and the Dispensation of Grace came in! At Calvary’s cross, Jesus Christ put the entire Satanic policy of evil and all of its associates, to complete and utter shame.

Now, Jesus Christ is “alive for evermore” (Revelation 1:18). We too are alive for evermore with Him, dead to sin and alive unto God’s glory (cf. Romans 6:1-23). So, we wait for Him to come and take us away to the heavenly places, where we will reign forever with Him. Praise the Lord! Up from the grave (we arose because) Jesus Christ arose! 🙂

Thank God!

Saturday, May 9, 2015

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 136:1-3 KJV).

O give thanks unto the LORD, the God of gods, the Lord of lords!

Scripture is replete with thanksgiving directed toward God. Actually, over 125 times, saints offer thanks to the God of Israel, the God of the Bible. Pause and consider the last time you thanked God for what He has given you. When was it? Do you even remember? 🙂

Every passing day, as soon as we open our eyes from sleep, we need to thank Father God that He has given us another day of His grace. We are over 700,000 days into the Dispensation of Grace. It will not last forever. Our lost family members and friends will not enjoy God’s grace indefinitely. God’s wrath is two millennia closer than it was in the New Testament times.

Every passing day, as soon as we open our eyes from sleep, we need to thank Father God for the Lord Jesus Christ. Over 100,000 people die and enter the eternal flames of hell every single day! How we need to thank the Lord Jesus Christ that He saved us, that He delivered us from such a horrible fate! We will never know just how close we came to dying and going there as lost people.

Every passing day, as soon as we open our eyes from sleep, we need to thank Father God for the Holy Spirit. There are 45,000 religions and denominations in this world, and how fortunate we have been that He has shown us Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as means of forgiveness of sins and Paul’s apostleship and epistles as means of Christian spiritual growth.

Dearly beloved, I cannot emphasize it enough. There is so much deception, and we need to be ever grateful that Father God has us, grateful that we have His Son (Jesus Christ), grateful that we have His Word (King James Bible), and grateful that we have His spokesman to us (Paul)! 🙂

A Prayer According to God’s Will

Thursday, May 7, 2015

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” (1 Timothy 2:1-3 KJV).

On this United States’ National Day of Prayer, we pray you pray according to the Lord Jesus Christ’s will for today!

Today, religious people—the general public, clergy, and government officials—will assemble nationwide, like they do every year, and pray for spiritual and moral revival of the “Christian” (?) United States of America. We commend their noble efforts, but God’s Word says there will be no godly revival of any of the world’s Gentile nations until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming (Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 59:20–60:3; Zechariah 8:20-23; Revelation 11:15; et cetera).

The LORD’s words to King Solomon are often quoted on this day: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Friends, this is certainly God’s Word, but has nothing to do with Gentiles in the United States in the Dispensation of Grace. This verse has a context often overlooked—the nation Israel under the Mosaic Law, praying in relation to God’s Temple in Jerusalem (verses 15,16). Actually, that Temple was destroyed over 19 centuries ago! Unlike Israel, the United States was never a divinely-founded nation. The American people as a whole are not God’s people like Israel was.

Rather than praying 2 Chronicles 7:14, remember today’s Scripture (God’s Word to us Gentiles). The verse following today’s Scripture says, “[God] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Pray for those in authority, that they would trust Jesus Christ alone as their personal Saviour, and then grow in His Word to them so they can make wise decisions on behalf of the people they govern.

Pernicious

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

“And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of” (2 Peter 2:2 KJV).

What does “pernicious” mean?

The New Oxford English Dictionary defines “pernicious” as “having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.” Our King James translators rendered that Greek word apoleia elsewhere as: “destruction” (Matthew 7:13; Romans 9:22; Philippians 3:19; 2 Peter 3:16), “waste” (Matthew 26:8; Mark 14:4), “perdition” (John 17:12; Philippians 1:28; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 Timothy 6:9; Hebrews 10:39; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 17:8,11), “die” (Acts 25:16), “damnable” (2 Peter 2:1), and “damnation” (2 Peter 2:3).

We read today’s Scripture in context: “[1] But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. [2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. [3] And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

Apoleia appears thrice in 2 Peter 2:1-3 (once per verse). The Holy Spirit emphasizes this very serious matter in Israel’s program. The worst of all heresies in Israel’s program, chiefly during the end-time portion, is to deny Jesus as Christ and to accept Antichrist. Throughout Matthew through John and Hebrews through Revelation, Israel is recurrently warned about deception, especially regarding a counterfeit Messiah (Matthew 24:23-26; Mark 13:21-23; John 5:43; 1 John 2:22; 1 John 4:1-4; 1 John 5:1-5; 2 John 7-11; Jude 4). What is most destructive to a Jew living in Israel’s program is to accept the wrong Messiah. Participating in Satan’s policy of evil will qualify that Jew for God’s righteous wrath at Jesus Christ’s Second Coming (Matthew 3:7-12; Hebrews 10:25-31).

Dear friends, “pernicious” doctrine and false teachers are not unique to Israel’s program. Let us be on guard today in the Dispensation of Grace, and flee those who do not “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). If they do not preach Jesus Christ as found in Romans through Philemon, avoid such “false teachers” and “pernicious ways!”

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #12

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

The Mosaic Law declared that if Israel broke God’s laws, He would punish her with five accumulative and successive courses of judgment. That last round of chastisement was banishment from the Promised Land. Because of her national sins, Israel became increasingly open to Satan’s influence. Contractual agreement forced God to curse His beloved people!

As the Gentile armies led the Jews away captive, Israel mourned. They died in those foreign lands. As long as Israel was scattered globally, she could not be in the land that God had promised her. Furthermore, she could not accomplish His will in His land. That will all change when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back and establishes His earthly kingdom. Israel will rejoice with the establishment of the New Covenant!

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 126:1-6: “[1] When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. [2] Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. [3] The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. [4] Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. [5] They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. [6] He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

As Romans chapter 11 makes so plain, God still has a plan and purpose for Israel. In due time, He will fulfill it. For now, however, He is operating our mystery program. He will take care of Israel and her enemies in due course. For now, however, He is graciously offering salvation from sins, to all who simply believe on His Son.

“Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad” (Psalm 53:6). 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What part of us is justified at salvation?”

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #8

Friday, April 24, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

The Lord Jesus Christ summarized Israel’s glorious re-gathering and restoration in Mark 13:26,27: “[26] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. [27] And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven” (cf. Matthew 24:30,31).

At His Second Coming, the Lord Jesus will send His angels to gather Israel’s believing remnant scattered around the world. They have physically survived the horrors of the seven-year Tribulation. While they have endured the Antichrist’s tyrannical reign, he has killed many believing Jews (Revelation 7:9; Revelation 20:4). As Revelation 19:11–20:7 teaches, Jesus Christ slays the Antichrist, whisks his soul off to the Lake of Fire, and slaughters the anti-Israeli troops poised throughout the Middle East. Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. Israel’s believing remnant will be physically brought to the Promised Land; the Jewish saints of old, and those the Antichrist executed, will be bodily resurrected, entering that 1000-Year Reign of Christ.

As God sees it, there is no Israel today; Israel is fallen (Romans chapter 11). The “Israel” today is not the Israel of God. Men created it. Israel is in unbelief today. God is not forming Israel today; God is making the Church the Body of Christ. When we see the disarray and conflict in the Middle East today, we know that God is not involved there. If He were, there would not be a single enemy of Israel in the Middle East! There would be no such war, no such hostility against Israel. In His own time, God will move in, and take care of the Middle East, but not until He has finished our dispensation!

After God chastens Israel for breaking His Covenant of Law, He will bring them back into His land, forgiven, redeemed, and permanently….

*By the way, if you are interested, Grace School of the Bible will be hosting a three-day grace Bible conference this weekend in Chicago. It will be streamed live online, beginning tonight (7PM Central U.S. time) and ending Sunday evening. You can find more info at http://understandgrace.com/conference/gsb-soldiers-training-for-service/.

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #4

Monday, April 20, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

When dedicating the Temple five centuries later, King Solomon said (2 Chronicles 6:37-38): “[37] Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; [38] If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: [39] Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.”

About 350 years later, idolatrous Israel was dispersed worldwide. It was true when Jesus came 10 centuries after Solomon. Israel is still in unbelief and scattered globally. She will remain so until our Dispensation of Grace closes (see Romans chapter 11). Then, during the seven-year Tribulation, Israel’s believing remnant will form; the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” describes their conversion, their confession of sins, their return to JEHOVAH God, their allegiance to Him, and their plea for Him to come back to them and restore their land (Matthew 6:9-13). (Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, the restoration Moses and Solomon predicted, is His reply to them!!!)

Moses continued after today’s Scripture, “[4] If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: [5] And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.” Let us survey other Bible passages that predict that restoration of Israel….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did Mary, Jesus’ mother, have a sister also named Mary?”

When the LORD Turns Israel’s Captivity #2

Saturday, April 18, 2015

“That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee” (Deuteronomy 30:3 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, Moses prophesies Israel’s glorious future restoration!

God, some 4,000 years ago, deeded much of “the Middle East” to Abram and his descendants: “Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). Concerning his son Isaac’s birth, God told Abraham (notice his new name): “And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God” (Genesis 17:8). So why does Israel today not have all of that land, from Egypt to the Euphrates (central Iraq)? Why does Israel currently have a sliver along the eastern Mediterranean Sea?

Firstly, 500 years after Abraham, God warned Israel through Moses: after four rounds of persistent wickedness (mainly idolatry) and four sequences of divine judgment, the fifth course of chastisement would be deportation out of the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 28:62-68; cf. Leviticus 26:27-46). Israel would live amongst the Gentiles, hear foreign languages, be surrounded by heathen customs (which they had already largely embraced anyway), and serve cruel heathen governments. Many centuries after Moses, idolatrous Israel came under Assyrian, Babylonian, Median-Persian, Greek, and Roman powers. Even today, Gentiles (especially the Palestinians and Arabs, and their sympathizers) still harass Israel.

Secondly, when Messiah Jesus came to Israel “to confirm [or fulfill] the promises made unto the fathers” (Romans 15:8), they wanted God’s physical blessings and deliverance from Rome—they did not want God to deal with their sin problem (Mosaic-Law breaking). National Israel refused King Jesus, demanding His crucifixion, thus delaying their earthly kingdom that would have fulfilled God’s covenant with Abraham.

Thirdly, with unbelieving Israel scattered amongst the nations, God has momentarily paused her program. Through Paul’s ministry and epistles, we learn of the dispensational change—God is forming the Church the Body of Christ today. When our program ends, and Israel’s program continues, God will rescue Israel from her satanic and Gentile captivity….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Jesus weep when Lazarus died?”