Category: lost souls

Comatose! #2

Friday, February 24, 2023

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14 KJV).

“Wake up!,” screams the Holy Spirit to today’s comatose professing church!

For a great many people, the summit of being a Christian means nothing more than criticizing any and every non-Christian and trying to make lost people behave like Christians. “Stop doing those evils, and start doing these religious works!” While sincere, they are sincerely wrong. It makes no sense to expect non-Christians to conduct themselves as though they were Christians. What is even more preposterous, but usually overlooked, is when Christians act like non-Christians.

When Christians are “too busy” for Bible study, and/or “not interested” in having fellowship with believers, and/or “unwilling” to separate from the world’s desires and activities, and/or “indifferent” to false teaching in their denomination, this is far greater sin in the eyes of the Lord than non-Christians having lifestyles that are to be expected of non-Christians. A sinner cannot help but sin; his or her very nature is sin. Yet, the saint has a choice: walk by faith in Christ, or walk in the flesh. God intends saints (a title meaning “set apart, sanctified”) to be set apart from the world, the flesh, and the Devil!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1,2). It only makes sense for Christians to think and act like Christians—because that is precisely who they are. When Christians mimic the world, resembling non-Christians, they are spiritually comatose. Their Christian life is suspended. Alive in Christ positionally, they have decided practically to walk in the energy of the flesh—and their Christian life cannot and will not function. They are like the physical paralytic, sprawled out on a bed and totally helpless because they have decided not to have or apply the renewed mind.

Look at today’s Scripture. There are spiritual zombies in Ephesus, and they are all around us in our local churches….

Something in Which to Glory!

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:12-14 KJV).

In what shall we glory? About what shall we boast? In what shall we find value?

Religion produces people who enjoy bragging all about their “dedication to God.” “Look what I did—the ceremonies in which I have participated, the many prayers I faithfully recited daily, how much I put in the collection plate, see how many pleasures I gave up to please God! Come, see how much I love Him!” Dear friends, the Apostle Paul found great value in something—but that something was not what he did. All that human flesh can accomplish pales in comparison to the work in today’s Scripture.

As Lent begins, the time when religionists temporarily (a mere 40 days) relinquish some pleasant food or activity, let us remember that our performance is often non-performance. Once we place ourselves on that treadmill of “do, do, do,” we are guaranteed to fail at some point. Human flesh is simply too weak to maintain 100 percent—that is sin! Even concerning one rule, we cannot keep it perfectly. We mess up eventually.

If ever we believe that our puny works are worth bragging about, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul in today’s Scripture. While some boast in their religiosity (in the passage, the Judaizers applauding their rite of physical circumcision), and such denominationalists today urge us to obey their church’s instructions so they too may boast in our ability, let us eschew such foolishness. Being imperfect, all their works do not measure up to Christ’s finished crosswork. At Calvary, we find the only sacrifice that will ever please the God of the Bible. If we must boast, let us brag that He did what we could never, ever do!

See our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians observe Lent?”

God’s Grace on Parade

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

“…But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20 KJV).

Today, especially here in southern Louisiana, the Catholic festival of Mardi Gras takes advantage of God’s grace. God’s grace abounds even when drunkenness, lasciviousness, and gluttony are committed overtly on our streets for religion. Because we live in the Dispensation of the Grace of God, they can flaunt their sin without being consumed by fire from heaven!

“Mardi Gras,” French for “Fat Tuesday,” is a day when religious people—professing “Christians”—lose self-control (excess alcohol, food, and partying). The following day, Ash Wednesday, they promise to live “holy” for the next 40 days (Lent). A priest will then place ashes on their foreheads proving that God forgave them for that riotous living. Blasphemy!

Regardless of all its biblical allusions (illusions!), Mardi Gras is still evil and anti-God. It was never Christian, originating from pagan Roman festivals, Saturnalia and Lupercalia (interestingly known for riots, drunkenness, gluttony, and fornication, and subsequent repentance).

The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostles Peter and Paul, was clearly against Mardi Gras reveling and drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Peter 4:3). So why do professing Christians engage in the very activities that God the Holy Spirit condemned?! As Christians, we should “deny” the activities of Mardi Gras (Romans 6:11-15; Titus 2:11-15).

If I appear offended, I am. Mardi Gras, despite its godly façade, is offensive to the great God and my Saviour Jesus Christ! God’s grace continues to tolerate such foolishness from mankind. Man parades his sin, and God parades His grace, holding back wrath.

Are you a Mardi Gras reveler? I declare unto you the wonderful Gospel of the Grace of God. God did for you at Calvary what you could never do: “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus Christ shed His sinless blood and died to put away all of your sins, Mardi Gras revelry included.

If you rest in Christ Jesus alone as your Saviour, God will save you forever, make a trophy of His grace, and then YOUR life will be God’s grace on parade!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study with the same name. The Bible study can be read here or watched here.

You may also see our archived Bible study Q&A, “Should Christians celebrate Mardi Gras?”

Firmer in Their Murmur #4

Sunday, February 19, 2023

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven…. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves…. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:41,43,61 KJV).

Behold, they have become firmer in their murmur!

“I do not follow Paul. Paul is just a man. I follow Jesus.” Whenever someone says this, they are advertising Bible ignorance: they need to do more biblical studying and less spiritual murmuring. For example, is it not interesting that Jesus Himself ordered the healed leper to “offer the gift that Moses commanded” (Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14)? Adopting the pattern described earlier, can you just imagine the idiotic reply? “But, Lord, I follow God. Moses was just a man. I obey God’s command.”

Of course, the Lord Jesus knew Moses was only a human, but Moses was God’s spokesman to Israel. To reject Moses meant refusing Almighty God’s messenger. Advising His Apostles, Christ stated in John 13:20: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” To receive Christ’s messenger or apostle to us is to accept Jesus Christ Himself, and to receive Jesus Christ is to accept Father God who sent Jesus Christ as the Spokesman for the Godhead. Christ commissioned the Apostle Paul to reach us, “Delivering thee from the people [Israel], and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee [‘apostello’],….” (Acts 26:17). The Holy Spirit thus moved Paul to pen Romans 11:13: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office….”

Instead of spending all our time reading Christ’s earthly ministry (to Israel! Matthew 15:24), we should consider His heavenly ministry to us through Paul. The Corinthians were negligent here (1 Corinthians chapter 10), as is much of the professing church now. Let us not be firmer in our murmur—or even murmur at all—concerning “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [Paul’s ministry]” (Romans 16:25,26). Let us be appreciative of the Lord speaking through our Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 14:37)! “But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (verse 38).

Firmer in Their Murmur #3

Saturday, February 18, 2023

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven…. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves…. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:41,43,61 KJV).

Behold, they have become firmer in their murmur!

When addressing the Corinthian church’s abundant problems, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul prompted these saints to recall the Hebrew Bible (after all, some Corinthians had been synagogue-attending Jews; see Acts 18:7,8). Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-14. These members of the Body of Christ were repeating the sins of ancient Israel. As Israel abandoned Moses, so Corinth had forsaken Paul. Neither group was grateful for their God-given identity. Both dabbled in devil worship, sexual transgressions, and various other iniquitous deeds.

Observe verse 10 of 1 Corinthians chapter 10: “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.” This is the same activity in today’s Scripture—the Jewish unbelievers were doing it in Christ’s earthly ministry, as Israel complained centuries back (in the days of Moses). “And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!” (Numbers 14:2). God pronounced judgment: “Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me” (verse 29). As Corinthians stated, they “were destroyed of the destroyer:” “Even those men that did bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD” (verse 37). See also Numbers 26:63-65.

When Korah incited a revolt to challenge Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16:1-3), God smote these unbelievers by causing the ground to open and swallow them alive (verses 31-35). “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD [Could they get more confused than this?!]” (verse 41). The LORD inflicts another plague, killing over 14,000 people (verse 49).

Let us not be “firmer in our murmur” either….

Firmer in Their Murmur #2

Friday, February 17, 2023

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven…. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves…. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:41,43,61 KJV).

Behold, they have become firmer in their murmur!

To “murmur” means to grumble or complain, especially in a low tone. The Greek word translated “murmur” in today’s Scripture is “egonggudzon.” Its etymology is uncertain, but it may in fact be onomatopoeic—that is, imitating the very sound of the grumbling itself. The ancient Greeks also used the term to describe a dove’s cooing. Close your mouth and talk, perhaps sounding out the Greek word if you can. That incoherent mumbling you produced would be similar to the worthless chatter directed toward the Lord and His sermon here in John chapter 6. It was also the unwarranted, harsh criticism in Luke 5:30, “But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?”

John chapter 6 highlights the spiritual battle raging in the hearts of Christ’s audience. As the narrative unfolds, these people become increasingly quarrelsome. They desire physical food, but not spiritual food and spiritual truth (see verses 15,26,27). Also, they want to “do” (works-religion) instead of “believe on [Christ]” (verses 28,29). Having seen a miracle to confirm Jesus as Christ (verses 1-14), they ask for another one, something more impressive (verse 30). In short, they “believe not” (verse 36), for they see Him not as “the Son of God,” but simply “the son of Joseph,” a mere commoner no better than they (verse 42). Quite bluntly, Christ points out in verse 64: “But there are some of you that believe not” (verse 64). As they grow firmer in their murmur (criticism expressing ingratitude), the incident culminates with verse 66: “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”

They were like their ancestors alive in Moses’ time, having access to the words of God but too hard-hearted to believe that Divine revelation. Dear friends, we also could learn a valuable lesson here….

Firmer in Their Murmur #1

Thursday, February 16, 2023

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven…. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves…. When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” (John 6:41,43,61 KJV).

Behold, they have become firmer in their murmur!

Today’s Scripture is toward the end of an exchange that started back in verse 24 and reaches all the way down to verse 65. The Lord Jesus has been reduced to a “food delivery man,” He who can satisfy worldly desires and fill empty stomachs. These carnally-minded people, lost in their ways and dead in their sins, follow Him across the Sea of Galilee (going westward), hoping to beg Him for additional bread and fish when they catch up with Him. Anticipating their arrival and reading their heart, He proceeds to correct them: “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed” (verses 26,27).

Verses 28-30: “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?” This is utterly preposterous. If He has miraculously fed them already (verses 1-14), He has communicated a kingdom truth to them, yet they freely confess they have no idea who He is, what He is actually doing, or why they should believe Him!!

It is most unfortunate for them, but they really have not paid attention to the spiritual matters at hand. With closed hearts but open ears, they quarrel with the Lord Jesus by comparing His “trivial” miracle to Moses’ “mighty” ministry, which brings us to today’s Scripture….

Gnashing of Teeth

Monday, February 6, 2023

“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12 KJV).

What is this, “gnashing of teeth?”

“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth…. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42,50). “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). “And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:51). “And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out” (Luke 13:28).

These verses describe souls suffering in Hell’s flames. Here, there is darkness, “weeping” (crying), “wailing” (screaming), and “gnashing of teeth.” To understand the “gnashing of teeth,” think of what we do when we undergo pain here on Earth. We grimace or frown, cry out, and shed tears. Also, we may even clench our fists or tightly close our jaws (recall the biting down on a stick in the days before the anesthesia of modern medicine!). Gnashing/grinding/grating the teeth also occurs in the spiritual realm, souls experiencing eternal judgment and feeling anger, despair, misery, anguish.

Indeed, Hell is a horrific place, but God has done everything possible to keep us out of it—and we will go there only if we choose to remain dead in our trespasses and sins. If we have not already done so, may we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died to pay for our sins and suffer God’s wrath as our substitute, being buried and raised again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)!

Whom We Have Believed

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12 KJV).

It is not so much what we have believed, but whom we have believed!

When asked about his religious persuasion, a prominent individual readily admitted total confusion. He actually confessed that he did not know what he believed, though he did sense a “higher power” (a vague comment on which he could not elaborate because he was at a loss for words). This man is quite ill-fated, particularly because he lives in a nation with “Christian” church buildings on nearly every street corner and Bibles in almost every home (or, at least, internet access to a Bible!). God the Holy Spirit revealed, inspired, preserved, and translated His Book—the Holy Bible—so we would not be ignorant (uninformed, untaught) unless we chose to be!

Indeed, Satan, “the god of this world,” hides our gospel from them who are lost, for he “hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4). Yet, as Almighty God enabled us to overcome that darkness so we could learn His will for us (see John 7:17), if they are willing to step into the light, He will give them the same spiritual awareness He has given us. The problem lies in their lack of readiness to see what He has already furnished.

Yet, Christianity is much more than believing something. As we gather from today’s Scripture, it is about believing Someone, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we have entrusted our soul’s eternal wellbeing. After all, if the God-Man shedding His sinless blood and rising from the dead cannot save us from our sins, then we are truly doomed forever. However, unlike those who “do not know what to believe,” separate from those who “do not know who to believe,” “[we] know whom [we] have believed, and [are] persuaded that he is able to keep [guard, protect] that which [we] have committed unto him [our souls and spirits] against that day!” 🙂

Hearing is Not Enough #10

Saturday, January 14, 2023

“And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (Luke 10:39 KJV).

Is hearing the Word of God enough? (NO!)

As numerous people in history heard the Word of God but placed no faith in it, as myriads today hear the Holy Bible yet refuse to trust it, so many souls in the future will hear the Word of God and persist in unbelief.

Hebrews 3:15 speaks of the ages to come: “While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” See Psalm 95:7,8: “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” Psalms recalls Israel’s unbelief during the 40-year wilderness wanderings under Moses. Hebrews looks to the future, when countless Jewish unbelievers support the Antichrist. Having heard substantial information about Jesus being Christ, but not trusting Him as personal Saviour, their callous or unfeeling heart thus inclines toward the Antichrist (thereby leading to their eternal doom)!

As much sound Bible doctrine as we have heard, we should not only have believed it in our head but, more importantly, trusted it in our heart. If we believe in our heart less than what we have learned, the Lord is never (!) to blame for any resultant confusion, heartache, misery, or apostasy.

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe [not simply ‘hear,’ but ‘believe!’]” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:47,48).