Category: Pauline Dispensationalism / Dispensational Bible Study

Consider Your Ways, Israel! #5

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

“Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes” (Haggai 1:5,6 KJV).

The Jews have built their houses, but they are apathetic that they have not finished JEHOVAH’S….

Thus far, we have seen the Scriptures that demonstrate the complacency of the post-exilic Jews living in Jerusalem and Judaea. They had forgotten about JEHOVAH’S unfinished Temple because they had forgotten about JEHOVAH. In His mercy, grace, and longsuffering, He sent prophets to preach His Word to those Jews, to the intent that they would see their error and turn to Him.

The Jews considered their ways, and they believed the Word of God that Haggai and Zechariah the prophets preached to them. “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel…” (Ezra 6:14; cf. Ezra 5:1,2; Haggai 1:12-15). God’s Word encouraged them and, by faith, they finished the Temple about four years after construction resumed under Darius the Persian king (Ezra 4:24 cf. Ezra 6:15). As an interesting historical side note, circa 500 years later, Herod the Great refurbished that Temple, which Temple existed during Christ’s earthly ministry, and which Temple the Romans destroyed in A.D. 70.

Although these Scriptures were not written to us or about us, we can appreciate them in their rightful place in God’s inspired Word. Moreover, there are parallels to these Scriptures regarding the Bible books written to us and about us—Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. In the next 10 studies, two companion devotional arcs, we will look at how these Scriptures from the books of Ezra and Haggai help us to better understand and appreciate the purpose and plan that the Lord Jesus Christ has for us….

Where Was God? #7

Friday, September 20, 2013

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).

One of the most common questions ever asked….

Jesus Christ said of Israel, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). Signs, miracles, and wonders are the nation Israel’s birthright: in Psalm 74:9, Israel confesses they are “our signs.” Paul wrote, “For the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22a).

Rather than seeking visible and audible proof of God’s working today—angelic visitations, miraculous healings, financial deliverance, “small still voices,” et cetera—we walk by faith. When writing to and about us in this the Dispensation of Grace, Paul wrote, “(For we walk by faith, not by sight: )” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus Christ stated, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Where is God during tragedies? He is working in and through us Christians using His Word, that those troubles not destroy us. The way God intervenes today is by directly (yet invisibly) working in our inner man: He takes His rightly divided Word that we study and believe, and His indwelling Holy Spirit uses it to transform us from the inside out. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13: “…the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

God gives us strength (Philippians 4:11-13) and grace to bear those troubles (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Paul prayed: “That he [God] would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). See 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, is exiled today. He is sitting at His heavenly Father’s right hand in glory. Until He returns to earth and deposes Satan and his minions, this “present evil world” will continue as is (Galatians 1:4; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4). Let us remember that we have hope: we Christians are not here forever, and while we are here, the Lord is in us and here with us! 🙂

Where Was God? #6

Thursday, September 19, 2013

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).

One of the most common questions ever asked….

When God does not react to situations, especially tragedies, the way people expect Him, He is accused of being “negligent.” They consider how He visibly and directly intervened and rescued people from various dangers in Bible times. Since He does not do this today, people erroneously conclude that He must be unconcerned, that He is judging us for un-confessed sin, et cetera.

This outlook results from a rather simple error—a failure to approach the Bible dispensationally. We are not Israel, so by going to the Bible verses written to and about Israel in an attempt to discover what God is doing today with us, is simply a dangerous—and, quite frankly, satanic—method of handling the Scriptures. To ignore the verses written to us, and to “name and claim” the verses not written to us, is dishonest. We cannot make God do something He is not doing: He is not operating Israel’s program today.

God is not using extra-biblical methods (circumstances, angels, feelings, emotions, “visions,” et cetera) to reveal His will to us—we have God’s complete, written, and authoritative Word, the Holy King James Bible (Ephesians 1:9,10; Ephesians 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). Specifically, Jesus Christ is speaking to us through Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, for those 13 Bible books are God’s Word written to and about us Gentiles (Romans 11:13; 1 Corinthians 14:37). Today, God is dispensing grace, not law (Romans 6:14,15). God is currently forming the Church the Body of Christ, not the nation Israel (Ephesians 2:13-22). Today, God is forming a heavenly people, not an earthly people (Ephesians 2:6,7).

In this the Dispensation of Grace, members of the Church the Body of Christ endured bodily sickness and other difficult circumstances (Romans 8:18-25; 2 Corinthians 11:22-30; 2 Corinthians 12:7,8; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20). Rather than God removing those troubles, He gave those Christians strength, hope, and grace to bear them (Romans 8:24,25; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9,10; Philippians 4:11-13). In Christ, we are equipped to endure “all things….”

Where Was God? #5

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

“Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1 KJV).

One of the most common questions ever asked….

The psalmist, like many today, wonders and inquires of God’s whereabouts in times of trouble. Actually, Psalm 10 is a prayer of imprecation: it is the prayer of a believing Jew living during the (future) seven-year Tribulation, a prayer in which that believer is beseeching the Lord Jesus Christ to appear and judge the wicked who are severely oppressing and mercilessly executing His people, to avenge the deaths of His believing remnant in Israel.

Actually, the Apostle John, centuries later, elaborated: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Revelation 6:9-11).

Notice, in the future, the souls of the slain Tribulation saints will be in heaven, begging the Lord to no longer delay in avenging their deaths. Now we understand why the psalmist, still alive on earth, says what he does in today’s Scripture. Jesus Christ cannot come back and judge the earth in His righteous indignation until Satan’s evil world system has fully run its course.

Concerning us in this the Dispensation of Grace, Christ’s delay is advantageous to lost people. Jesus Christ Himself is truly the only hope planet earth has. Before He pours out His wrath and rids the world of Satan’s influence, He will continue to be “longsuffering” so people can escape that impending wrath by faith in Him (2 Peter 3:3-9,15,16). Jesus Christ is purposefully tarrying.

Until Jesus Christ returns to make every wrong right, God offers us a wealth of resources in Christ to cope….

Biblical Stigmata

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

“From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17 KJV).

The Apostle Paul wrote in today’s Scripture that no one could deny his apostleship was of Jesus Christ, for he bore “in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” What were these “marks?”

Interestingly, the Greek word here translated “marks” is stigmata, which in English means “signs of disgrace or shame.” Understand that these stigmata which Paul suffered were Scriptural, and they involved shame and hatred, not awe and pride like the “stigmata” of religious tradition (wounds on one’s hands and feet superstitiously believed to be Christ’s scars, which leads to nothing more than pagan idolatry).

Notice what an apostle endured in Bible times: “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; and labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).

How many of today’s (self-proclaimed) “apostles” could write what Paul did in the above verses? Today, Christendom uses the title “apostle,” not to refer to those who have been directly commissioned and sent by Jesus Christ to travel abroad preaching the Gospel (which is the Biblical definition), but to those who have deceived themselves into believing they have a special “anointing” of God. In Paul’s day, “apostle” was a term of scorn and hatred; today, it is one of great fame and wealth.

Read 2 Corinthians 11:22-30, and notice the beatings, stonings, imprisonments, 195 (!) lashes, and other pains Paul suffered for the Gospel’s sake. How many are willing to endure that stigmata for Christ?

Words Spoken at Baptism?

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:19 KJV).

How do we resolve these instructions with what the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38?

Water baptism, the most divisive issue within Christendom, is rightly called “religious TNT.” There is tremendous confusion about water baptism. Who should administer it (priest, pastor, deacon)? What is the proper mode (sprinkling, pouring, immersion)? What words should be said? Who should be water baptized (adults only, or adults and babies)? How many times forward and backward? Where should it occur? For salvation, for a testimony, or not at all?

Confusion especially arises regarding today’s Scripture and Acts 2:38. Post-resurrection, Jesus commissioned His apostles: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (today’s Scripture). Yet, read Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Which is it? Water baptize “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” as Jesus Christ declared (Matthew 28:19)? Or, be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ,” as the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter taught (Acts 2:38)? Even today, some denominations follow Matthew 28:19 while others obey Acts 2:38, fervently accusing each other of not having the valid baptism!

Resolving the apparent contradiction between Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 is as simple as reading and believing the verses and their context. To whom does Matthew 28:19 refer? “All nations”—Gentiles—just as the verse says. Whom does Acts 2:38 involve? “All the house of Israel” (verse 36).

Matthew 28:19 refers to believing Gentiles in Christ’s millennial kingdom (verse 20) being cleansed from their pagan idolatry and embracing the triune Godhead, the only true God. Acts 2:38 is God’s plan of salvation for Israel: Peter is instructing Jews to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, the Person they rejected and crucified on Calvary’s cross.

Who Is a Saint? #7

Sunday, September 1, 2013

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV).

Behold, the identity that we Christians have in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Father God has one overall plan for creation, and not even hell itself will prevent Jesus Christ from becoming the Head of all the governments of heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:9,10; cf. Colossians 1:16-20). “In the dispensation of the fulness of times,” Jesus Christ will be crowned the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, and He will appoint rulers to fill those positions of government that are corrupted by Satan and sin today.

When we study and believe God’s Word rightly divided, we learn that Jesus Christ will one day rule this planet earth through redeemed Israel. These believing Jews—yea, “saints”—will be God’s channel of blessing and salvation to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:1-3; Exodus 19:3-6; et al.). We also understand that Jesus Christ will one day rule the heavenly places through us, the agency called “the Church the Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1:20-23; Ephesians 2:6,7; et al.)—we are God’s other set of “saints.” We, believing Jews and Gentiles in this the Dispensation of Grace, will be God’s vessels that He will use in outer space for His glory!

The doctrine that the LORD taught Israel in the “Old Testament,” Four Gospels, early Acts, and Hebrews through Revelation will finally come to a head, as Israel’s believing remnant is led by Jesus Christ Himself into their Promised Land (earthly kingdom) to dwell safely in it forever. For us, the doctrine in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon, will be the life lived in and through us forever in the heavenly places… get a head-start learning and believing that doctrine now!

Dear saints, we cannot begin to fathom the joyous, busy schedule eternity future will be for us in the heavenly places. In Jesus Christ, we have wisdom, we have righteousness, we have sanctification, and we have redemption (today’s Scripture). May we never forget—that identity is not just to keep us out of hell, but to enable us to be used of God throughout all the endless ages to come! 🙂

Who Is a Saint? #6

Saturday, August 31, 2013

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV).

Behold, the identity that we Christians have in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Through faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork alone as sufficient payment for our sins, we are dead to our old Adamic nature (sin’s dominion): “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:6). We have been raised again with Christ to “walk in newness of life” (verse 4). Just as our Adamic nature produces sins, that new nature/life we have in Christ generates good works (Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesians 4:20-32; Philippians 1:11; Colossians 3:1-17). God has made us “saints” for this purpose!

Paul explained practical sanctification in 2 Timothy 2:19-21: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7). The Christian is to take God’s Word, study and believe it rightly divided, and will thus be “perfect [mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Remember, one is not a saint based on his or her performance, but because of his or her identity in Christ. Still, our positional sanctification (in Jesus Christ) should be reflected on a daily basis (practical sanctification by Jesus Christ). A sinner is a sinner not because he sins—he sins because he is a sinner in Adam (his very nature causes those sins). Likewise, a saint, although leading an imperfect life, is still a “saint” (“sanctified;” today’s Scripture) in God’s eyes because of that person’s identity in Jesus Christ.

This earthly Christian life is a preview of that which is to come….

Peace of Mind in a World in Pieces

Thursday, August 15, 2013

“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4 KJV).

Despite all of the weeping, sleepless nights, and despondency, there is hope in Jesus Christ!

With the recent passing of a Christian couple’s newborn baby, the sudden demise of a Christian brother and ministry fellow-laborer, and the death of my great aunt yesterday, I can assure you that the member of the Church the Body of Christ, although guaranteed a blissful eternity in the heavenly places, is not spared from pain and grief in this fallen creation. My, what horrific, constant suffering all around the world! In fact, this very reality is often used as an “argument” against God’s existence (but is likened unto the folly of, “I do not believe in the existence of law enforcement officers because of the widespread criminal behavior!”).

Dear saints, sin produces division, disruption, disease, despair, decay, and death. What we see today are merely the remnants of the original perfect creation, what is left of that paradise before God cursed it so Satan could not use it in all its glory for his own purposes (Genesis 3:14-19). As each day passes, this ruined creation comes closer and closer to the day when that “bondage of corruption” will be lifted, when paradise will be restored on earth and in heaven (Romans 8:18-25). Much needs to happen before that glorious day arrives, so we Christians must patiently remain here on earth until our program finishes.

As our Apostle Paul wrote in that awful Roman prison cell, “Rejoice in the Lord alway [in every instant]: and again I say, Rejoice” (today’s Scripture). We cannot rejoice because of our dire conditions, but we can rejoice in these difficulties. Right where we are, whether good or bad circumstances, we should rejoice in our identity in Jesus Christ, in who He is and who we are in Him, what He has done for us (saved us spiritually), and what He will do for us in the future (deliver us physically).

Remember, God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9,10) and we “can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth [us]” (Philippians 4:13). 🙂

Work Not Forgotten

Saturday, August 10, 2013

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10 KJV).

Our forgotten Christian service is not at all forgotten of God.

Have you ever done something nice for somebody who was unappreciative? Maybe that person even forgot your kindness. You spent much time and energy, and yet it seems like it was “all for naught.” Perhaps you have cooked for the sick, visited the lonely, helped the disabled, or prayed for the hurting, but that was so many years ago that neither you nor they remember it.

Today’s Scripture addresses Israel’s believing remnant enduring intense persecution during the seven-year Tribulation. These Jewish kingdom believers (Hebrews 6:9) have labored to help other suffering Messianic Jews, and the author of the book of Hebrews cheers up these weary souls by reminding them that Jesus Christ is not unfair: He will reward them when He returns to earth at His Second Coming, just as He will punish the unbelievers in His righteous wrath (Luke 12:31-44; Luke 19:12-27; Hebrews 6:4-8; Hebrews 6:9-12).

Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” God is witness to all good works and all evil deeds—every place, every time, every one.

When the Lord Jesus will come to take us, the Church which is His Body, He will bring us Christians into heaven (the “rapture”). We Christians will then be rewarded for our Christian service—how much sound Bible doctrine we believed and allowed to transform our souls and lives (1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 1 Corinthians 4:4,5; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10) and how much we suffered for Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:12). This level of maturity will then determine what position of government we will occupy in the heavenly places, so we can practice that doctrine there for all eternity to the glory of Jesus Christ! 🙂

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).