Category: evil world system

Curious Arts and Christian Hearts #1

Friday, September 3, 2021

“And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:17-20 KJV).

What wise guidance can we derive from today’s Scripture?

Paul, on his third apostolic journey, has just arrived in Ephesus (modern western Turkey): “[11] And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: [12] So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. [13] Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. [14] And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. [15] And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? [16] And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”

Some apostate (unbelieving) Jews unsuccessfully attempted to counterfeit Paul’s miracles. However, the news of the Lord working through Paul spreads far and wide in Asia Minor. Now, we get to today’s Scripture: “[17] And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. [18] And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. [19] Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.” What are these “curious arts,” and how did their practitioners renounce such belief systems? Let us search and see….

The Good Samaritan #5

Saturday, August 21, 2021

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:33,34 KJV).

How can this classic passage, the Parable of the Good Samaritan, enlighten us concerning God’s purpose and plan for the nation Israel?

The man leaving Jerusalem for Jericho represents wayward Israel, forsaking the center of God’s presence and words (cf. 1 Kings 11:36; Isaiah 2:3) and preferring a cursed, idolatrous city as its destination (cf. Joshua 6:26; 1 Kings 16:29-32). As the thieves robbed the traveler, so Satan’s evil world system spoiled and fatally wounded Israel. Distracted, unrighteous (lacking spiritual clothes), and now dying, she can do nothing to save herself. Her sin has found her out!

Along walks a Levitical priest, but this Jew cannot help the man, for the man is mortally wounded and unable to offer a sacrifice. Here comes a Levite, a teacher of the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:9-13,24-26; Deuteronomy 17:18; 2 Chronicles 15:3; Ezra 7:6,10,11). However, while this Jew can teach the man what he needs to do according to Moses’ instructions, the dying man cannot perform according to the LORD’S strict rules and regulations. The priest and the Levite, both having looked at the unfortunate soul and gone on their way, can do nothing for him. All hope is lost!

Suddenly, there appears a Samaritan—a societal outcast in Israel. He notices the dying man and pities him, applying antiseptic wine and soothing olive oil to treat his wounds. Whereas the Jews (priest and Levite) did none of this, the Samaritan takes it a step further. He pays to lodge the man in a hotel, that he recover from his injuries. The next day, the Samaritan entrusts the man to the innkeeper, and finally leaves after promising his return. Here, Christ turns Israel over to the 12 Apostles (cf. John 19:25-27; Luke 19:12-27), dies, resurrects, and ultimately ascends to His Father’s right hand wholly rejected. He is coming again to repay them for their service (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12)! Indeed, the Samaritan of that noteworthy parable symbolizes Jesus Christ Himself and His work on Israel’s behalf….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Whose are the ‘words’ of 1 Samuel 3:19?”

Disciples Three #5

Monday, August 16, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

Recall the first disciple: “[57] And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [58] And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Today, many people are eager to become “Christians,” but have they really thought about the result? “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). “[W]e must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). If the lost world hates Jesus Christ, will they love us His Body? Our problems compound—not disappear—when we trust Him as our personal Saviour!

Now, the second disciple: “[59] And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [60] Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” How often do souls today—even so-called “believers”—claim they will follow Christ after they have had a “good time” in the world. Greediness and materialism are not victorious Christian living! “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content” (1 Timothy 6:6-8).

The final disciple declared: “[61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” If we truly want to follow Christ Jesus, we must remember to not let this world’s affairs sidetrack us: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [focus] on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1,2).

Disciples Three #4

Sunday, August 15, 2021

“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest” (Luke 9:57 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture and its context have any modern counterparts? (Indeed, they do!)

We now consider the last disciple: “[61] And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. [62] And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (There is no parallel in Matthew.) This man is pretty bold with his initial comment, promising to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, he has second thoughts, having not quite made the break from his family. Before he follows Jesus, he voices a desire to return home and say goodbye to his loved ones. On the surface, this behavior seems most thoughtful and rather harmless. Yet, as the Lord Jesus warns, he is on the verge of falling into a spiritual trap!

Doubtless, had this third disciple gone back home to bid his relatives and friends farewell, they would have pressured him immensely to remain with them and not return to “crazy” “Messiah!” Considering those many spiritual distractions, the likelihood of him heeding their “advice” was great too. They are unbelievers, for they are not followers of Christ. Employing agrarian language that is most familiar to the Jews, Jesus reminds him the farmer plowing the field must be looking forward or he will ruin his furrows by digging them circuitous. Similarly, if a Messianic Jew is to be useful in God’s kingdom, he must be willing to severe ties with anything that could hinder him. There can be no doubts or hesitations. Instead of visiting home one final time, and prone to winding up in unbelief himself, the disciple should continue on his spiritual path with Christ Jesus—looking ahead instead of behind!

Although not the Dispensation of the Grace of God in which we find our doctrine, duty, walk, destiny, and hope; we can draw some excellent counsel from today’s Scripture and its context. Let us proceed to see some current parallels….

For Students This is Safe

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

“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! 🙂

*P.S.—Yes, the coronavirus pandemic has caused things to be quite different than usual. Some of you will be returning to in-person classrooms; others will be learning from home, via computer or other electronic devices. Please know that I will be in special prayer for you in these unique circumstances. God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9,10)!

Seven Men Named Before Birth #4

Thursday, August 5, 2021

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1 KJV).

Who are the seven noteworthy men in Scripture named before their births?

After Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, the LORD addressed Satan the serpent: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). One day, a Man would be born to completely destroy Satan’s work in creation, a Man who would reverse the ruin and take care of the sin Adam invited into the world. It would take 4,000 long years to establish His bloodline—but He would come!

Throughout the numerous centuries of the Old Testament Scriptures, Israel’s Prophets foretold of that coming Messiah/Christ, that “Anointed One,” who would fulfill all the LORD’S promises to her: “Therefore the LORD himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Remember, however, sinful Israel—like the nations or Gentiles around her—began to increasingly oppose the Creator’s will. Thus began the 400 years of God’s silence. With John the Baptist’s ministry, God again speaks to stubborn Israel: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness,…” (Mark 1:1-4).

Some 700 years following Isaiah’s prophecy, the angel told Joseph concerning his wife Mary: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS [“JEHOVAH-Saviour”]: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:21-23). God Himself was made flesh, able to shed His blood for man’s sins.

Now, we summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

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333’s 3700th – Great Peace Have We

Saturday, July 17, 2021

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165 KJV).

Dear saints, only by God’s grace, we have reached our 3700th daily devotional!

Indeed, the world is worried. Its primary concern, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic (underway 18 months now). Ensuing anxieties are still unemployment, financial hardships, isolation and loneliness, familial strains, and possible death. They need the peace of God in Christ!

Romans 8: “[18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. [19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. [20] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, [21] Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. [23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. [24] For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

“….[35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [36] As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. [37] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. [38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Satan may use our dire circumstances to distract us, but these last 3,700 days of dispensational Bible study have surely equipped us with tranquility. Let us share that Gospel of Grace with others!

Dear brethren, to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, onward to devotional #3800!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How could Israel welcome Messiah on Palm Sunday, but then demand His death later that week?”

The Judge—the Son of Man and the Son of God #5

Friday, July 9, 2021

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:22,23 KJV).

Why has God the Father committed all judgment unto God the Son?

Sinful man devises various and sundry “clever” excuses to free himself from all responsibility—or partly minimize his guilt. One such defense is, “How can Almighty God actually know what it is like to be a human? He has never experienced the pressures or situations in which I have found myself! How could that distant Deity fairly judge me? We are totally unalike!” Of course, the creature could never outsmart the Creator. Anticipating those excuses, the LORD God has already replied: “But [!] I [!] have [!] experienced the pressures or situations in which you found yourself! I can be touched with the feeling of your infirmities; but in all tempted like as you are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

At the Incarnation, when God the Son took on human flesh, He entered creation: once separate from it, He forever became part of it. In that instant, He became subject to the temptations of this evil world system currently besetting us (Galatians 1:4). As recorded in Matthew chapter 4, Mark chapter 1, and Luke chapter 4, He was tempted of the Devil. Although victorious (sinless) throughout, Christ Jesus nevertheless underwent the test that Adam and Eve, and rebellious Israel in the wilderness, failed. Hebrews looks forward to the test under the Antichrist.

John chapter 5 makes it clear Jesus Christ is both the Son of God (Deity) and the Son of Man (humanity). As God, He exercises supreme authority as to determining who is right and who is wrong, what His Father deems right and what His Father considers wrong; as man, He can fairly assess mankind concerning his failures. “You are without excuse! It was possible for you to overcome this evil world system! After all, I did it when I was on Earth! You could have relied on Me to have victory over sin too—but you did not!”

The Judge—the Son of Man and the Son of God #4

Thursday, July 8, 2021

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him” (John 5:22,23 KJV).

Why has God the Father committed all judgment unto God the Son?

In chapter 4, the writer of Hebrews penned: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (verses 15,16). Also, chapter 2, verse 18: “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour [aid, comfort] them that are tempted.” Obviously, these refer to Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12,13; and Luke 4:1-13. Here, Satan challenged Jesus—or, better yet, where Jesus allowed Himself to be tested or proved as per the Father’s plan. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:…” (James 1:13). Since God cannot be tempted, and John’s Gospel Record focuses on Jesus Christ’s Deity, John does not record Christ’s temptations.

As described in 1 John 2:16, Satan’s evil world system uses at least one of three avenues to entice us: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” The order of Christ’s temptations in Luke 4:1-13 follow this pattern: “the lust of the flesh” (bread, or “I want it!”), “the lust of the eyes” (kingdoms, or “It looks good!”), and “the pride of life” (angels, or “I deserve it!). It was also the configuration of Satan’s attacks on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden: “good for food,” “pleasant to the eyes,” and “a tree to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). Where Adam and Eve failed, of course, Christ triumphed. He was the perfect Son of Man, able to fairly judge other sons of men….

Eyes Fixed on the Lord!

Saturday, July 3, 2021

“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31 KJV).

We often hear of “doubting Thomas,” but what can “doubting Peter” teach us here?

The Lord Jesus instructed His disciples to board a boat and meet Him across the Sea of Galilee (verse 22). On land, He prayed high in a mountain, delayed for several hours (verse 23). A mighty storm arose, blowing against the disciples’ ship; they have made very little progress traversing the lake (verse 24). Suddenly, Christ appears, walking on the water, but, not expecting Him, they assume it is a spirit (verses 25,26). As per superstition, a “water spirit” was a bad omen. Supposing disaster, they scream in terror! “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid” (verse 28).

As Matthew indicates in today’s Scripture, Peter desires to walk on the water to meet the Lord. Once Christ gives Peter permission, Peter begins to tread across the lake! “But when he saw the wind boisterous.” Peter took his eyes off the Lord, looked at his circumstances, and began to sink! Similarly, if we look at our fellow man—and even many of our genuine brethren in Christ—we will surely grow discouraged. They just have little to no understanding of sound Bible doctrine. If we gaze at the evil world system around us, we will definitely wind up in spiritual ruin. We must keep our eyes on Christ!

While Paul was preaching in Acts chapter 20, verse 9 tells us: “And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.” Eutychus, sitting between light and darkness, looked away from Pauline doctrine, and literally perished as he fell from the third floor. Beware!