Category: lost souls

The “Friends” of Jesus #5

Friday, August 22, 2025

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

With “friends” such as these, did Jesus need enemies? (NO!)

In today’s Scripture, the “friends” of the Lord expressed their negative opinion about Him. They alleged He was insane. Another one of these so-called “friends” is also found in the context: “And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him:…” (verse 19).

“Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;…. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me…. When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me” (John 13:1,2,18,21). Psalm 41:9 is indeed Messiah Jesus talking about Judas Iscariot, “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

The “friends” of Jesus in today’s Scripture disappear from the record just as suddenly as they surfaced. Who they were and whatever became of them are unknown. Down through the 2,000 years of church history since their time though, many such “friends” of Christ have come and gone, also speaking inflammatory or incendiary words about Him. Usually, these so-called “friends” of Jesus—the people serving in “Christian” churches and at “Christian” schools—have ridiculed Him, lied about Him, and contradicted Him. Such individuals have filled our hearts and minds with so much error that it would take many earthly lifetimes just to begin fathoming it. They pillaged and killed in His name, led billions of people in their religious smugness to an eternal Devil’s Hell, imprisoned hundreds of millions in spiritual kindergarten, and on and on and on. It is they who oppose the truth in us, who seek our elimination, these purported “friends” of ours….

The “Friends” of Jesus #4

Thursday, August 21, 2025

“And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself” (Mark 3:21 KJV).

With “friends” such as these, did Jesus need enemies? (NO!)

Read 1 Corinthians 2:9-14: “[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. [10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. [11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

The Greek word for “foolishness” in verse 14 is “moria” (as in “moronic”). Unless a person accepts the Holy Spirit’s teaching ministry, God’s words (the Bible) are nonsense to that individual. That man or woman has no natural capacity to know the truths of God because such information is “spiritually discerned [judged, evaluated, perceived].” As Spanish is unintelligible to a French speaker, and Arabic is unknown to a Mandarin reader, so the Scriptures are written in a language foreign to the natural man.

Bewildered and intimidated, all the lost person can do at this point is make fun of the Bible—when the problem lies with the person rather than with the Book. Hence, Jesus’ “friends” believed He was “beside himself [crazy]” in today’s Scripture! Whatever words they heard from Him were irrational or ridiculous to them. Like children struggling to understand adults, they (spiritual children) simply could not figure out what He (a spiritual adult) was saying or doing….

Reaping and Sowing #11

Saturday, May 31, 2025

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV).

Let us not be ignorant brethren concerning the concept of “reaping and sowing!”

What we do now will literally make a difference in eternity, one way or the other. Not only will we reap what we sow, others will reap what we sow too. For instance, when we believers arrive in Heaven, we will see all the people we influenced for the Lord’s glory (as in 2 Corinthians 1:13,14 and 1 Thessalonians 2:19,20)—it will even be souls we never heard of or expected! Whether missionary work funded, Gospel tracts distributed, Bible sermons preached, or Christian literature written, our ministry labors according to sound doctrine will reach far beyond this lifetime and out into forever.

Similarly, once unbelievers wake up in Hell, they will see all the people they influenced for the Devil’s glory. Their books, religions, lectures, television and radio broadcasts, schools, and so on, all contributed to the damnation of the souls they now meet suffering torments with them. Some of the most diabolical, heretical, and apostate teachers of church history existed during the first few centuries after Christ. Their theological systems are still with us today—especially in many of our “Christian” schools which yield graduates who fill our pulpits, classrooms, and bookshelves with utter worthlessness.

“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting [overturning, overthrowing] of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker [disease]: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:14-18). False teaching invented hundreds of years ago still traps people in spiritual kindergarten and still leads people to Hell—“increase unto more ungodliness.” Let us be aware of and avoid sowing this bad seed. Also, let us mark and plant the good seed, that we receive a good harvest as opposed to a bad reaping.

Saints, we now close 14 full years of “333 Words of Grace!” 🙂

The Greatest War Hero

Monday, May 26, 2025

“For God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 KJV).

In the United States, today is Memorial Day, when we remember those who sacrificed their time and lives to provide our physical freedom. Likewise, as Christians, we have spiritual freedom, which was more costly. Someone had to die to give us the eternal life we now enjoy….

Scripture describes a spiritual warfare between good and evil, God’s truth program versus Satan’s lie program: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [schemes] of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11,12; see also verses 13-20).

Satan distracts mankind from God’s pure Word, the Bible, keeping unbelievers lost (dead in their sins), and preventing unbelievers and Christians from knowing God’s will. The devil draws them away (seduces them) from God’s Word by using religious tradition and human “wisdom” (1 Timothy 4:1-3; cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Galatians 3:1-3).

God loves us, so at Calvary’s cross, Christ fought for us sinners, died in battle (today’s Scripture), shed His divine sinless blood, and eternally rescued us from Satan and sin: “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; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14,15).

Hebrews 9:12 says Jesus Christ has “obtained eternal redemption for us.”

If we have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Now, God can use us for His glory for all eternity.

Beloved, let us rejoice in our victory over sin, death, and hell that Jesus Christ secured for us by going to Calvary’s rugged cross! Jesus Christ is now alive forevermore—He is our Hero, the Greatest Hero!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study “The Greatest Hero,” which can be read here or watched here.

The “Terrible” God #7

Thursday, May 8, 2025

“Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible” (Deuteronomy 7:21 KJV).

The Authorized Version features eight references to the LORD God being “terrible.” Why?

“Terrible” in today’s Scripture means “inspiring reverence, godly fear, or awe.” The LORD God’s character and actions should prompt respect and add solemnity! When writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul advised in 2 Corinthians 5:11: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” This word “terror” is, obviously, etymologically related to “terrible.” Two events terrified the Apostle.

Firstly, Paul feared for Christians (such as the Corinthians!) going to the Judgment Seat of Christ to face a loss of reward for building into their inner man an edifice of junk doctrine instead of sound Bible doctrine (verses 9,10; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Secondly, the Apostle shuddered to think of non-Christians winding up at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. These unbelievers, lacking God’s righteousness in Christ, would be destined for the Lake of Fire, where God would deal with their sin by sacrificing their very souls in endless torment!

Whether Christians losing reward of the Judgment Seat of Christ and thereby suffering limited reign in Heaven’s government, or non-Christians losing their souls to the Lake of Fire at the Great White Throne Judgment, Paul kept both classes of people in mind as he conducted his ministry to “persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Like God Himself, he wanted every non-Christian to believe his Gospel of Grace (“Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again the third day;” 1 Corinthians 15:3,4)—thereby avoiding Hell and the Lake of Fire altogether. As God Himself wished, Paul desired every Christian to believe sound Bible doctrine, the principles of grace, Pauline revelation, the Word of God “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15)—thus having a reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

This two-fold mission of our Apostle Paul agrees with God’s will of this current dispensation: “Who will have all men to be saved [unbelievers made believers], and to come unto the knowledge of the truth [believers maturing in sound Bible doctrine]” (1 Timothy 2:4).

Saints, please remember this work of the ministry requires monthly financial support to operate (Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:16-17; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). Those who prefer electronic giving can donate securely here: https://www.paypal.me/ShawnBrasseaux. Anyone who wishes to donate by regular mail can visit https://333wordsofgrace.org/contact-us-mailing-address-for-donations/ for details. Thanks to all who give to and pray for us! Unfortunately, since our ministry audience is so large and our ministry staff is so small, I can no longer personally respond to everyone. Thanks so much for understanding in this regard. 🙂

A Prayer According to God’s Will

Thursday, May 1, 2025

“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.

Two Sons and Two Fathers

Saturday, April 12, 2025

“And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:” (Luke 23:18 KJV).

One son will be liberated to live, and the other Son will be sentenced to die!

At the time of Christ’s trial, Barabbas is a prisoner (Matthew 27:16). Barabbas is a murderer, a robber, and guilty of “insurrection,” or rebelling against the government (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:18,19; John 18:40).

It is Passover. Roman governor Pontius Pilate has a custom that, at the feast, he releases a prisoner, whomever the people desire (Matthew 27:15; Mark 15:6). “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified” (Matthew 27:20-22).

Israel’s chief priests, rulers, and common people all demand Christ’s crucifixion and Barabbas’ release, so Pilate gives the sentence (Luke 23:23-25). Guilty Barabbas is set free to live, and innocent Jesus Christ is condemned to be crucified. While Barabbas’ involvement in the matter seems insignificant upon first glance, God included it in His written Word because to provide us with an amazing illustration!

“Barabbas” means “son of the father.” Barabbas is a criminal, and he represents sinful, rebellious mankind who is worthy of death. He is bound by sin, and faces eternal death. Spiritually, sinful mankind is the son of Satan—man is of his father the devil (John 8:44). Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, God, “knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21), but took upon Himself our sins and was punished in our place.

Innocent Jesus Christ took the place of guilty Barabbas, which actually represented Christ taking the place of the whole world, suffering God’s wrath on our behalf! “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust…” (1 Peter 3:18). Thus, through Christ’s finished crosswork, we sinful sons of Adam (and Satan) can be freed from sin, and we can become the righteous sons of God.

The Price of Christ #1

Thursday, April 10, 2025

“And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver” (Matthew 26:15 KJV).

How much is Jesus Christ worth in the eyes of lost man?

Let us read today’s Scripture within its context: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him” (Matthew 26:14-16).

“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value; and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord appointed me” (Matthew 27:3-10).

The 30 pieces of silver was enough to buy a field; it was an enormous sum of money. The King James Bible does not specify what types of coins the priests paid Judas, but the “30 pieces of silver” is estimated to be the equivalent of three or four months’ wages. According to the Mosaic Law, the price of a slave was “thirty shekels of silver” (Exodus 21:32). In the eyes of lost mankind, the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, was worth nothing more than a slave!

Paul in the Synagogues #11

Sunday, March 16, 2025

“…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19b,20 KJV).

What are the three reasons the Apostle Paul went to the synagogues?

Paul’s visits to synagogues had a three-fold purpose. Firstly, his preaching the Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4) was to win some lost Jews to Jesus Christ and therefore have them join the Church the Body of Christ (see Romans 9:1-5 and Romans 10:1-3).

Secondly, such a provoking ministry automatically left the entire nation Israel without excuse. Read Romans 11:11-14. Jews in the land of Palestine had already rejected the LORD God by refusing to believe the Gospel of the Kingdom during Matthew to John and early Acts. Now, outside the Promised Land and throughout the Roman Empire as he travelled, they were resisting, obstructing, and attacking Paul’s ministry during Acts chapters 9–28. Whether under Peter or under Paul, their mounting unbelief and protracted hatred for Jesus Christ increasingly justified God turning to the Gentiles without them. Salvation and blessing would go to the world through Israel’s fall because, although there was a Jewish believing remnant (the Little Flock or Messianic Church), the nation itself was unconverted.

Thirdly, and lastly, Paul’s trips to those synagogues for 15 or 20 years (Acts chapters 9–19) were God’s method of announcing to Israel out of the land about the change in program from prophecy to mystery. To wit, Paul preached Romans chapters 9–11 as he went to those synagogues. National Israel’s history of unbelief (Romans chapter 9, Abraham to Christ’s earthly ministry) continued to the present (Romans chapter 10, the Acts period) and would remain even into the future until mystery ceased and prophecy returned (Romans chapter 11). Israel was not walking by faith in Old Testament prophecy, persisted in that unbelief, so God unfolded a secret program through Paul. Even as Paul himself preached that, apostate Israel fought him! See Acts 13:44-48 and Acts 18:5,6. From the world capital of Rome, his farthest point from the Promised Land, Paul announced to lost Jews at the end of the Acts transitional period how the God of Israel had gone to Gentiles in spite of their nation’s unbelief (see Acts 28:14-29)!

Paul in the Synagogues #10

Saturday, March 15, 2025

“…Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:19b,20 KJV).

What are the three reasons the Apostle Paul went to the synagogues?

As Romans 11:11-14 specifies, Paul’s Acts provoking ministry was designed to attract some unbelieving Jews from the prophetic program (who had rejected the Gospel of the Kingdom) to now believe his Gospel and thereby join the Church the Body of Christ (mystery preaching of Jesus Christ; Romans 16:25,26). Before they could see and believe how the Lord Jesus Christ died for their sins, was buried, and rose again (Paul’s Gospel of 1 Corinthians 15:3,4), lost Jews had to receive the historical facts of how Jesus was Christ (God’s Son, God’s anointed) and had risen from the dead. Therefore, Paul made sure to preach in those synagogues both Jesus as Christ and His resurrection (see Romans 10:9,10; cf. Matthew 28:11-15). Re-read today’s Scripture, Acts 13:23-37, Acts 17:1-3, and Acts 18:4-6.

Like the Lord Jesus in His earthly ministry, Paul targeted synagogues because this was where Jews assembled for religious purposes. It would be here that they would be most receptive to spiritual truth. However, going to the synagogues outside of the land of Palestine, Paul could not, and thus did not, offer those lost Jews God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom (the Gospel of the Kingdom; see Peter’s sermon in Acts 3:19-21). Nevertheless, Paul could and did offer them immediate justification and forgiveness through Jesus Christ by means of his Gospel (Acts 13:38,39).

As unbelief abounded in synagogues during Christ’s earthly ministry, so unbelief dominated in synagogues during Christ’s heavenly ministry (Paul’s ministry). See Acts 9:23-25,29; Acts 13:45-48; Acts 14:2-5; Acts 17:5-9,13; Acts 18:6; and Acts 19:9. Such lost individual Jews proved they were just as ignorant of their Old Testament and worthy of God’s displeasure as Israel who had put Christ on the cross years before in the first place! Whether under Peter’s ministry of early Acts or under Paul’s ministry of latter Acts, Jewish unbelief prevailed because of a preference for works-religion (Romans 9:30–10:4; especially see Romans 10:14-21).

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….