Category: lost souls

Divine Source and Human Receptor

Saturday, January 23, 2016

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8,9 KJV).

How does today’s Scripture explain Bible translation?

Friend, if you have ever stood for the King James Bible as the final authority for us English-speaking people, inevitably you have heard the old, soggy worn-out argument at some point, “Yeah, but the Greek really says…. The Hebrew really says…. The oldest and best manuscripts really say…. The King James Bible is not the original manuscript so it can have mistakes. Here, let me take that old book from you and tell you how it should read.” The King James rejecter and corrector flashes a foreign language text, lexicon, seminary textbook, book of scholarship. Thus begins the lecture on how your 1611 translators were inept buffoons.

In the spirit of a cult leader, looking to gain power over you, he or she laments: “Oh, look at this word here—how unfortunate they missed its full meaning! It should really read…. Oops, look another wrong word. How misleading! That should have been…. You should praise God that I am here with my ‘scholarly wisdom.’ Oh, how you would have never, ever understood your Bible had I not been here to remove all of its mistakes! But, let me assure you. The Bible is God’s Word, it is our authority, and you can always believe it.” (That utter foolishness is voiced every Sunday from “Christian” pulpits worldwide. It is taught in most every Bible college and seminary.)

What the know-it-all (actually know-nothing) King James Bible corrector does not know is that before God’s Word was translated into English from Hebrew and Greek, God’s thoughts were perfectly translated into human words. You can call me crazy, but I think it takes more power of God for Him to perfectly translate divine thoughts into human thoughts, than it takes for Him to perfectly translate one human language into another. After all, did He not create the languages of the world (Genesis chapter 11), and yet reverse that confusion by translating His Word perfectly in Acts chapter 2?

Their Loss Not Ours!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

“Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out” (Proverbs 24:19,20 KJV).

What great advice—to Israel or to us!

A Christian sister recently browsing social media grew angry. (We can all relate.) She had drifted onto the webpages of certain people who had greatly wronged her in the past. Her stirred-up emotions, not having a mind of their own, had caused her to (wrongly) believe the past was ongoing. She had kept perusing to see more text and additional pictures of their “success,” “popularity,” and overall “nice” outward appearance. Everyone had “flocked” to them—she was the outcast, even after all those years trying to do right. The anger gradually escalated. My advice to her was simple: “Get off! Move on! Get off!”

Brethren, let today’s Scripture sink into your hearts and minds. This is as close to “heaven” as lost people will get. Let them heap to themselves as many “friends” as possible on Earth—there are no “friends” in hell! Let them heap to themselves as many “pennies” as possible on Earth—there are no “riches” in hell! Let them heap to themselves as much “nice outward show” as possible on Earth—there is no “beauty” in hell! Let them live it up now. Except they die in Jesus Christ, here is as good as it will ever get for them. Once their “candle” is “put out”—their house is darkened because they have died—we certainly do not want to envy them at that point! Most certainly, they gained the whole world temporarily and lost their soul eternally (Matthew 16:26)!

Today’s Scripture is actually God the Holy Spirit encouraging believing Israelites (poor, destitute of goods, rejected, despised, imprisoned, bereaved) not to look at their unsaved Jewish brethren who are prospering materially and socially for following the Antichrist, yet future (Revelation 13:15-17; cf. Psalm 37). Why? The unsaved… when death comes, they lose their fortunes, their friends, their lives, and finally their souls. My, how we pray earnestly for their eternal salvation in Jesus Christ before it is too late. Without Him, it is their loss, not ours!

Delivered!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

“[God the Father] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13 KJV).

Two very special people celebrate their spiritual birthday today!

Mom grew up in an “Evangelical”/Protestant denominational church, but she never recalled hearing a clear Gospel message until age 25. Her paternal grandmother, who mostly raised her, was very influential in her “religious” life for many of those years.

One day, a Christian lady friend, “Ms. S.,” phoned Mom and invited her to a cookout get-together. While there, Mom was curious about the eternal destiny of her father who died three months earlier. So, the lady put Mom on the phone with “Ms. P.,” one of her Christian friends. Ms. P. told Mom, “Honey, it’s too late for your father. Don’t worry about him. Where would you go if you died?” Mom assumed that her water baptism would save her. Long story short, right there over the phone, Ms. P. led Mom to simple faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Dad was rescued from Roman Catholicism by trusting Jesus Christ alone that same evening. Friends, that was 1980—exactly 36 years ago today. But the story continues.

Mom led me to Jesus Christ back in the mid-1990s. My eldest brother trusted Christ about a year or two later. For years, however, my parents and I were in and out of denominational churches and we struggled to understand the Bible. We learned certain “hints” of dispensationalism, but very little. Then, in January 2007, we began to discover pure dispensational Bible study. So, Mom and Dad were saved from their sins in January. And, another January, 27 years later, they (and I) were delivered from denominational bondage.

Where are these people today? The current whereabouts of Ms. S. are unknown. Mom is one of our faithful blog readers. (Dad rarely uses computers.) Ms. P. is still living. She, another reader, will no doubt read this. Mom’s paternal grandmother never lived to see Mom saved—she died just three weeks before Mom’s salvation. We will see my great-grandmother in heaven one day. She will be glad to hear what happened! 🙂

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #14

Monday, January 18, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

May we hearken to these truths, lest we misunderstand and dislike the Holy Bible!

The God of Scripture is “longsuffering.” He is not currently pouring out His wrath on Christ-rejecting mankind. Had Israel’s prophetic program operated unbroken, that judgment would have surely come just after Calvary (Psalm 2:1-5; Acts 2:34-36; Acts 7:55,56; et cetera). However, God interrupted prophecy, delayed that judgment, and revealed the mystery program to and through the Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus). An unprophesied (secret) period of “grace and peace” extended to all mankind (Gentiles), as illustrated by the salvation of wicked Saul in Acts chapter 9 (1 Timothy 1:12-16). The heart of that mystery program is “the Dispensation of Grace,” doctrines and other truths currently applicable, only until “the fulness of the Gentiles” comes in (Romans 11:25).

Peter had preached salvation and blessing to Gentiles through Israel and her kingdom (Acts 3:19-26; cf. Isaiah 60:1-3; Genesis 12:1-3). Through Paul’s ministry and Gospel, “the Gospel of the Grace of God,” Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary, salvation and blessing is currently going to Gentiles without Israel and her kingdom (Romans 11:11-13; Ephesians 3:1-11).

God has offered grace to all; He has been longsuffering, tolerating man’s sins for 20 centuries! Why? “The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” That more lost sinners (like Saul) be saved into the Body of Christ by simple faith in Christ alone, thus spared God’s wrath when prophecy resumes! Once our Dispensation of Grace closes, then and only then, God’s wrath and war will replace His grace and peace (1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, 2:1-13). When the scoffers Peter referenced asked about Jesus’ coming in vengeance, they were pitifully ignorant! The message of grace that Paul preached was the very reason why that wrath had not yet come!

Let us conclude this devotionals arc.

Special-edition Bible Q&A #225: “What about the ‘Jewish Roots’ Movement?”
(This 22-page article systematically discusses the dangers of mixing Law and Grace concerning Christian living.)

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #7

Monday, January 11, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible?

Let us consider the first point from today’s Scripture: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Remember, the Apostle Peter (1:1) is writing to the nation Israel (Galatians 2:9). The Holy Spirit through Peter wants Israel to “account” something, to “consider” that “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Now, what does this mean? We can answer this by asking, “What are the circumstances that caused Peter to write this?”

Notice the beginning of chapter 3 of 2 Peter: “[3] Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, [4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. [5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: [6] Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: [7] But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

In today’s Scripture, Peter provided Israel with an answer to give the scoffers who asked where Jesus Christ’s Second Coming was, His return to consume them in His wrath. He was supposedly coming “quickly,” and yet, at the time of Peter’s writing, Christ had left Earth over 30 years earlier. There had still been no fiery judgment. Why? Was Christ not coming back? Was it all just a farce? In the second point, Peter encouraged his audience to consult Paul’s ministry. We do just that!

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #6

Sunday, January 10, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible? (Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes!)

How did such overwhelming confusion originate? (Lost people fabricating false Bibles and not using the true Bible God’s way!) Where, O where, is God’s answer to the extensive misunderstandings about His Word? (In His Word, plain and simple!) How could He have allowed His Word to become so muddled up? (Blame sinful man, not God!) What can we do to save ourselves from such Biblical ignorance? (In His Word, plain and simple!)

Today’s Scripture contains seven related, and yet separate, lines of thought. We will take a week to look at them. Then, we will summarize both verses and all seven points. For now, note in today’s Scripture: (1) The “longsuffering of our Lord is salvation,” (2) “Our beloved brother Paul” had “wisdom given unto him” and he wrote it down, (3) Peter admitted that “some things” Paul spoke were “hard to be understood,” (4) People who were “unlearned and unstable” were “wresting”—twisting, mixing up—Paul’s epistles, (5) Paul’s epistles were “Scripture,” (6) The non-Pauline Bible books were also “Scripture,” and (7) Those failing to use the Bible properly—especially Paul’s books—were inflicting spiritual “destruction” upon themselves and their audiences.

The Berean Bible student will carefully consider these two verses from the Apostle Peter’s farewell epistle. Friends and brethren, those words show us where the Church the Body of Christ went terribly wrong 2,000 years ago. People using Scripture to further Satan’s agenda is nothing new. People corrupting God’s Word is nothing new. People perverting the Bible to corrupt souls is nothing new. People confusing others about the Scriptures is nothing new. People confused about the Holy Bible is nothing new. Praise God for His simple answers to this colossal mess!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Do John 5:31 and John 8:14 contradict each other?”

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #5

Saturday, January 9, 2016

“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible?

There are three primary reasons why there is such extensive argument about what the Bible actually says. Thirdly, people who do not use God’s Word God’s way cannot understand and teach the Bible correctly. Notice 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Keep reading the passage, friend! “[16] But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [17] And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; [18] Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.” Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching “the resurrection is past already.” This involves a timeline—past, present, and future. These two men were not denying the doctrine of resurrection; they were merely saying “the resurrection” had already happened. Also, the context is not Jesus Christ’s resurrection. It is the false teaching that Christians have already been resurrected.

By Hymenaeus and Philetus telling Christians that Christians had already been resurrected, Christians who had not experienced that resurrection thus doubted their salvation (“overthrow the faith of some”). Innumerable precious believers have been duped in the centuries since Hymenaeus and Philetus. Christendom abounds with smooth-talking church leaders who “teach” the Bible but who do not teach it “rightly divided.” They are not “dividing” things that God has divided; they have thoroughly mixed the Bible verses. No wonder the professing church is so mixed-up and impotent today! May all the lost people hush, may all the false Bible users shush, and may all the non-dispensationalists hush, so confusion can subside and spiritual light can enter!

A Life That Will Please

Monday, January 4, 2016

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture tells us who alone can live a life pleasing in God’s sight!

Everyone does “good” deeds. Yet, doing “good” is not necessarily good. For instance, people often do “good” just to receive praise/reward, make up for their wrongs, feel good, et cetera. Furthermore, despite our “good” deeds, we have plenty more bad ones! Pride, lying, evil thoughts, being a false witness, and being contentious are some of the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Mankind cannot even keep 10 simple rules from God. However, religion continues to urge us to keep seven sacraments, utter various prayers, give assorted offerings and “tithes,” attend numerous feasts and festivals, and perform sundry other tasks to “hopefully” please God and avoid hellfire. Whether we attempt to keep a church’s laws, our laws, or God’s laws, our flesh is far too weak to ever measure up. Just look at what God’s religion did to Israel—how much worse some man-made religion does to us!

As Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel. He was a nitpicker concerning Law-keeping, and yet, after his soul salvation, he admitted that all of his religion was “but dung” compared to Jesus Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:3-11). Even for the Christian, to live a perfect life is impossible (read of Paul’s miserable existence in Romans chapter 7). Paul had to forsake his vain religion and learn today’s Scripture: the Christian life is NOT the performance of the Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ living and working in the Christian, as the Christian walks in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to him or her!

If we trust a Saviour who will save—the Lord Jesus Christ—and trust a Book that will teach—the King James Bible—we can redeem the year for the great God and our Saviour, “who loved [us], and gave himself for [us]!” 🙂

Redeem the Year!

Friday, January 1, 2016

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 KJV).

What great advice for 2016!

Despite 2,000 years of Bible schools and seminaries, 2,000 years of a completed Bible canon, 2,000 years of Bible reading in churches, several decades of “Christian” television and radio, and just over a decade of widespread use of “Christian” websites, how sad that Bible ignorance is still quite extensive (it is as if God never gave His Word to start with!).

Frankly, the Church the Body of Christ needs to wake up! The verse previous to today’s Scripture says, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (verse 14). Paul, loosely quoting Isaiah 60:1, reminded us that the spiritual ignorance that gripped Israel in Isaiah’s day seized Christians in his day—and it still grips Christians 20 centuries later. Feel-good sermons, enjoyable “worship” services, and rites, rituals, and ceremonies will NOT solve this problem—they exacerbate it!

“[God] will have all men to be saved…” (1 Timothy 2:4a). Do you want this New Year to count for God’s glory? First, you need to get saved from sins and hell! You need to become a Christian by trusting in and relying on Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as sufficient payment for your sins (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). That is only part of God’s will for you, for 1 Timothy 2:4b continues, “[God] will have all men… to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Now, God’s will for your Christian life is daily, personal Bible study to renew your mind, so your faith in those verses can cause God to work in your life—it will be His life, thus making you “perfect [spiritually mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Today’s Scripture urges us to buy back the time Satan has robbed from God (time created for God’s glory). By faith, we need to make that time glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by applying His Word, particularly Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon, to our lives. Have a good year in Christ! 🙂

You can download our free “One-Year Bible Reading Schedule.”

See our archived Bible Q&A: “What Scriptural advice can you give me for the New Year?”

The Misunderstood Messiah #5

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

“Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God” (John 8:41 KJV).

Did you ever notice the magnitude of the insult put forth toward Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture?

Once Christ replied with sound doctrine (verses 42-47), Israel’s religious leaders simply resorted to name-calling again (verse 48): “Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” A Samaritan was half-Jew/half-Gentile, and “the Jews [had] no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9). Notice Jesus was insulted twice more—they called Him a “Samaritan” and “devil possessed.” Throughout the rest of John chapter 8, Israel’s religious leaders continue arguing with Jesus and nearly stone Him to death (verse 59)!

Why did Jesus not simply “zap” these religionists and instantly throw them into hellfire? They belittled and blasphemed Him several times in this one account, and then attempted to murder Him, but rather than Jesus killing them with His spoken word (which would have been justified), He only conversed with them. Why?

Remember, when the Apostles James and John saw how the Samaritans refused to accommodate Jesus, they asked Him if He wanted them to call down fire from heaven and consume those sinners, He replied, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:55,56). This First Coming of Christ was His “meek and lowly” coming: He did not come to judge man’s sins, but to die for them!

Even today, God is still not pouring out His wrath on wicked mankind (2 Corinthians 5:19), creatures who still snicker at Jesus Christ, deceive others in His name, persecute His saints, ignore His Word, and “rub His nose” in their sins. Lost mankind is wasting God’s grace and mercy that He is offering so freely. When His grace is finally exhausted, the undiluted wrath that has accumulated will finally be poured out (His Second Coming). May we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour now so we have our sins forgiven now, lest we face that angry, righteous God in judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)!

For more information, you may also see our archived Bible Q&A: “Did God ‘rape’ Mary?”