Category: lost souls

Peter and Dispensationalism #2

Monday, August 3, 2015

“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).

What can the Apostle Peter teach us about dispensational Bible study?

Once God instated our mystery program, there was such a radical departure from the prophetic program… even the Bible scoffers recognized it! Today’s Scripture is Peter’s response to those who questioned and derided impending divine judgment.

Notice verses 3 and 4: “[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.” In other words, “Oh Peter, you and your fellow ‘apostles’ and your ‘Messiah’ Jesus have talked for years about God’s wrath coming upon us! So, where is it? Where is that ‘flaming fire,’ God’s vengeance on our sin?”

You can sense the scorn in their words, the same supercilious attitude in the minds of most people today. “Oh, you Christians, fanatics, have been preaching Jesus’ return in wrath for centuries—yea 2,000 years! He is not coming back! It is bluffing meant to scare us into believing the Gospel!” (Peter was also accused of lying about that wrath of God, “following cunningly devised fables;” 2 Peter 1:16.)

Peter wrote in chapter 3, verse 9: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Peter learned from Paul (cf. today’s Scripture) that wrath was delayed. God is longsuffering—His patience postpones that wrath, so He can save people into the Body of Christ before that wrath comes! Peter exhorts his audience to read Paul’s epistles, that they too learn that wrath is real, is still coming, but is momentarily postponed.

*NOTE: You are encouraged to watch the 2015 “Grace School of the Bible” Family Bible Conference here. You will learn much!

Peter and Dispensationalism #1

Sunday, August 2, 2015

“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).

What can the Apostle Peter teach us about dispensational Bible study?

God’s impending judgment is connected to the Old Testament prophecies of Israel’s coming Messiah (Deuteronomy 32:22-43; Psalm 2:4-5; Psalm 68:1-8; Isaiah 34:1-15; Jeremiah 25:29-33; Joel 1:1–2:32; Nahum 1:1-8; Zechariah 14:12; et al.). Hence, John the Baptist, just before Messiah (Christ) Jesus began His earthly ministry, warned his audience of that “wrath to come,” when Jesus would baptize Israel “with fire,” “to burn up the chaff [lost Jews] with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:7-12). Jesus Himself forewarned of this future “burning,” this “fire,” when angels would gather unbelieving sinners and “cast [them] into a furnace of fire,” a place with “wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:30,40-42,49,50). At that Second Coming of Christ, the Jesus-rejecters (Matthew 24:37-41) and the Jewish-haters would be consumed and tossed into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:30,41-46).

In early Acts, Peter urged Israel—who had just crucified Jesus—to quickly repent and accept Jesus as Lord and Christ because He was coming back to judge His foes—them (Acts 2:32-40)! One year later, Stephen said he saw Jesus standing at His Heavenly Father’s right hand, ready to return and pour out that wrath on still-rebellious Israel (Acts 7:51-55). Literally moments away from God’s wrath falling on wicked mankind, just before Jesus Christ came back in “flaming fire” to take vengeance on rebels (2 Thessalonians 1:8,9), He returned in grace and mercy, to save the leader of Israel’s rebellion—Saul of Tarsus. Yes, God took Satan’s chief man and made him the Apostle Paul!

Writing near his life’s end, Peter did not instruct his audience to read the Old Testament or Four Gospels to learn about that delay in wrath. Why? We only learn the mystery from Paul, which is exactly where Peter directed his readers in today’s Scripture!

Knowing Jesus Christ

Sunday, July 12, 2015

“…God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved…. For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:3-5 KJV).

Yea, “Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (verse 6).

Sooner or later, we will all have to answer the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” It is the most critical question ever. To answer it wrongly is to one day wake up in a lake of fire that burns forever. To answer it correctly is to spend eternity in heavenly bliss. My friend, it is a serious matter indeed.

My nine-year-old niece, to whom I frequently minister, recently approached me to show me something in her new Bible. She turned to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and pointed. The dear little heart, without being instructed, had highlighted what she thought was important—the Gospel of the Grace of God. Turning to the right page, she recited those two verses from memory. How many professing Christians—even priests and preachers—could find—let alone quote—the passage that she had highlighted?

Once, even lost people could quote John 3:16, but most Christians cannot do that anymore. Very few Gospel tracts cite 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, the clearest Gospel message for today: “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” As 1 Timothy 2:6 says (above), “Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all.” “[He] washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5). “God our Saviour” and “the man Christ Jesus”—His deity and His humanity. He is “Jesus Christ,” which means, “Anointed Saviour.” Thus, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Jesus Christ was more than a “good man,” a “prophet,” or a “teacher.” He was “the Lord from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47). He came to Earth that you might trust Him and Him alone to avoid hell and go to heaven with Him to know Him better and better forever! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Knowing God

Friday, July 10, 2015

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 KJV).

Yea, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (verse 21).

I was not startled to hear results from a sidewalk video-survey conducted here in the “Christian” United States. Eighteen people were asked, “Do you believe in God?” One was “atheist,” refusing to “get involved either way.” Two believed in a “higher power.” Another believed in a “higher calling, a greater force.” One was Buddhist. One response was literally unintelligible. Two people said it was “important to believe in something” so they “believed in God.” There was a “believer in spiritism, karma, and negative energy.” One believed in “positive thinking.”

One man babbled about “we are carbon-based life forms.” A lady responded, “I am not religious, I do not believe in a god, but I am spiritual.” (Fret not—not even she could explain it!) One man claimed to be a god himself. Of course, he did not demonstrate his “divine powers” for us. Two said they “believed in God” but did not elaborate. One said, “There is probably a God but no one has all the answers.” Another said, “I want to believe in God but I have a lot of questions. I would like to ask God if He exists.” (Strangely, he bragged about attending weekly church services!!!) Only one person polled—or five percent of the participants—“believed in Jesus Christ!”

In a country that has had much exposure to the Holy Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we cannot imagine the answers people would give in the nations that have never heard of Jesus Christ. If the nation that has the Bible is ignorant of said Book, what of those people that do not have it? Friends, creation (today’s Scripture) and our conscience (Romans 2:13-15) prove there is a God whom we will face in judgment. May we come to know Him as Saviour now and not as Judge later!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How can a loving God send people to hell forever?”

333’s 1500th – Renewed Minds

Thursday, July 9, 2015

“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 KJV).

Praise our Lord Jesus Christ! We have reached yet another ministry milestone!

For 1500 consecutive days now, God’s Word has renewed our minds daily. (Today’s Scripture was the text for our 100th study. Since then, we have had 1400 Bible studies.) It has been quite a learning experience, has it not? The Holy Spirit Himself has taught us His Holy Word. Scholarship, denominational doctrines, and all the rest were not the issue. Hence, we have had God’s Word work in our lives for His glory. Remember, there is no power of God apart from the rightly divided Word of God. We cannot make God do something He is not doing today, but we can learn and rejoice in what He is doing today.

These past 1500 days, faithful Father God has saved us from a wide range of doctrinal errors. We allowed Him to teach us through the Apostle Paul what He wants us to do. Also, we allowed Him to use the rest of the Bible to teach us how He has used the nation Israel and will use Israel yet future.

Dear readers, it has been our privilege to share with you what “little” we have learned, that you may share with others what you have learned. As we are witnessing great social changes and an unprecedented moral deterioration, we need to remember that we are not here to change the culture. This world is headed toward the seven-year Tribulation. It will not get better until Jesus Christ returns. Until He does, we need to be faithful in teaching and preaching these precious truths to others, that they may be rescued from this evil culture as well.

Now, to the glory of God’s grace, we open our fourth 500-study unit…. 🙂

Preach the Word!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2 KJV).

Dear brother, dear sister, your #1 priority is to “preach the Word!”

Have you ever heard someone justify a local church or ministry by talking about its philanthropic endeavors? Giving to the poor, opening and maintaining homeless shelters and orphanages, sending relief to disaster-stricken areas, holding blood and food drives, and so on. They do not praise the doctrine taught there (they probably do not know it), just the duty done there (the main emphasis is religious busyness). While we have no interest whatsoever in criticizing kindness, we do intend to recall priorities God has instructed us Christians to fulfill. Our primary reason for being here on Earth is not to help the poor, operate homeless shelters, send aid to foreign countries, and collect goods for others.

When I hear about churches and ministries helping the disadvantaged, I hear about how lost people are given food, clothes, shelter, and other commodities. And you know what? Many of them—though now fed, now clothed, and now sheltered—are still lost and going to hell! That which matters most—the Gospel of the Grace of God—is ignored while we worry about giving a smile! We provide them garments of cotton and polyester but we fail to tell them how to be clothed in God’s righteousness! They benefit from our blood drives but they do not have Jesus Christ’s blood credited to their accounts! Their physical bodies get relief while their souls are sick and dying! We give them physical food to help them live another day, while they die and go to hell for lack of spiritual food!

God’s will is, “All men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Lost people should have the Gospel of Grace preached to them (Christ’s death for our sins, buried, and raised again for our justification). Saved people should have sound dispensational Bible study taught to them (Paul’s epistles apply to us, everything else in Scripture is God’s Word to Israel). These are our two priorities. Yea, the eternal Word of God in the eternal souls of men! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did God ‘rape’ Mary?”

Bound in False Religion 94 Years

Monday, July 6, 2015

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture enable us to avoid a literal century of religious bondage?

On Independence Day, my parents and I visited an elderly family member. Born in 1921, the dear soul is 94 years old! Although afflicted with some health issues, her mind is still clear and recalls nearly a century of family history with ease. In fact, she still lives in her home alone—the same house her husband built for them 70 years ago. She has outlived him by 60 years!

While we visited, she mentioned certain works-religion topics that peaked the interest of my parents and myself. Time certainly flew by once we asked her to get her Bible. Some four hours were spent between letting her read assorted verses out-loud and us explaining them to her. While she has a very limited education, she recognized that her denomination had lied to her all of her life… all 94 years of it! There were verses in that Bible that she had never read. No one had ever taught them to her. She had never actually read about Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, and Satan’s policy of evil and deception using vain religious ceremonies!

Not surprisingly, after she read those verses, she mindlessly repeated contradictory church tradition. After all, if you heard something repeated for 90 years, what else could you say but that? She could quote a denominational doctrine but not a Bible verse. Today’s Scripture was one portion we had her see for herself. Just because someone claims to be sent from Jesus Christ, that does not make their message trustworthy. Her Holy Bible, not “the church,” was the final authority. I think that poor soul heard more truth in those four hours than what she has heard in her nearly 100 years of living! Nothing like spending Independence Day talking about the liberty God offers us in Christ! 🙂

The Truth Triumphant to Timelessness

Sunday, July 5, 2015

“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11 KJV).

Thankfully, the truth to truly triumph to timelessness!

Regarding the legalization of homosexual unions, it is said, “Love has triumphed!” Yes, love for self has triumphed, but not love for the Bible of the living God and certainly not love for the living God of the Bible. Yea, rather, hatred for the Bible of the living God and hatred for the living God of the Bible, have triumphed… for now. As today’s Scripture says, in the end, God Almighty, not “love,” will win!

Oh, dear friends, be not angry at the world for acting like the world. That is the only lifestyle they know. Before we came to faith in Jesus Christ, we were and did likewise: “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Let us tell the lost world we were once exactly where they were—going our own merry way to hell. Let us tell them that we came, by simple faith, to Jesus Christ and Him alone, that they too may receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven.

What has JEHOVAH determined to do no matter what mankind does (cf. today’s Scripture)? Ephesians 1:8-10 says: “[8] Wherein [the riches of His grace] he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; [9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: [10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him;”

In the end, God’s government will prevail. Jesus Christ will sit on His rightful throne. He will reign over all the Earth and the Heavens in His own time. Unbelievers will be consigned to an eternal lake of fire. God’s Word will prevail. God’s design in marriage and childbearing will prevail. JEHOVAH God will prevail and the eternal victory will be His. Let us patiently watch Him bring it to pass! 🙂

Faithful Father Forecasts Furious Fire

Thursday, July 2, 2015

“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:4,5 KJV).

Frankly, faithful Father forecasts furious fire!

Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” Because the God of the Bible is so longsuffering, unsurprisingly, sinful mankind takes advantage.

The Apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:7-9: “[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. [8] But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Simply put, the longer we delay in retaliating, our “threats of retribution” are dismissed as fake. When God promised wrath on wicked mankind, He did not immediately act. It takes a long time for God to get angry, but watch out when He does because His anger does not dissipate with the passing of time. Father God never breaks His Word—concerning both grace and wrath. That anger that He felt against the world 2,000 years ago is the anger He will have yet future. Peter’s words could have been fulfilled 20 centuries ago, when Jesus Christ could have come back and utterly destroyed His enemies in righteousness indignation.

Yet, today, that wrath is delayed—not because it was not real or because God was bluffing, but because God is longsuffering. The program that contained that wrath is momentarily delayed. Our Dispensation of Grace is operating, holding back the wrath! One day, today’s Scripture will be fulfilled. May we come now by faith alone in Calvary’s finished crosswork alone, that God not be displeased with us when He decides to pour out that long-prophesied (and long-delayed) wrath!

Laughing Lord Loathes Ludicrous Lifestyles

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision” (Psalm 2:4 KJV).

Lo, laughing Lord loathes ludicrous lifestyles!

Reacting to the recent United States Supreme Court’s ruling on the national legalization of homosexual unions, a college student declared on national television: “I think everyone has the right to be happy. We were kind of raised with the mentality that you should do what makes you feel happy!”

Incredible, absolutely incredible! This 20-something woman voiced the fact that her parents taught her nothing moral or wise. They taught her to do whatever she wants to be happy! (While we are at it, let us throw in theft, lying, drunkenness, illegal drugs, polygamy, and murder!). What society anywhere could last five minutes if every citizen did “whatever made him or her happy?” Scary thought!

What happened to this young lady’s mind? Like most her age, it became a vacuum that sucked up anything and everything but the truth. She was not taught one thing from the Holy Bible and that void was filled with garbage thinking. If her worldview is valid, no one should be arrested or imprisoned for pedophilia, larceny, killing, raping, kidnapping, et cetera. After all, how dare we criticize, punish, and forbid people from exercising “their right to be happy!”

The context of today’s Scripture predicts how Rome and Israel would conspire against Father God and His Messiah Jesus Christ. “[1] Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? [2] The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, [3] Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” (Cf. Acts 4:25-28). They did not want Him ruling over them, so they (happily) murdered Him. The Bible says Father God laughs at such nonsense, that sinful, puny, and foolish men could believe they could do whatever made them “happy” and not reap consequences (divine judgment). Verses 4 and 5: “[4] He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. [5] Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why does Romans 3:30 read ‘by faith’ and ‘through faith?’”