Category: lost souls

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God #4

Sunday, October 19, 2014

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21 KJV).

How will today’s Scripture benefit the nation Israel in “the ages to come?”

During the seven-year Tribulation, Israel’s believing remnant will be unloved and unwanted, pressured to surrender to the evil world system, the Antichrist and his false religious system. Unbelieving Jews will unite against their believing brethren (Matthew 10:34-36; Mark 13:12; Luke 21:16). Hence, we read of widows and orphans (James 1:27), as well as imprisoned, homeless, and destitute Jews (Matthew 25:35-46). Remember, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another…. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:10,12). Yes, they will be “hated of all men for [Jesus’] name’s sake” (Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17).

The book of Psalms is replete with the heartaches of Israel’s little flock, suffering through the seven-year Tribulation. These precious saints ask God how long before He will punish their tormentors, and rejoice in God’s graciousness and faithfulness in seeing them through those very dark years. A sample of these passages includes Psalms 3, 5, 7, 9-13, 17, 18, 23, 27, 28, 34, 36, 46, 56, 68, and 83, as well as Psalm 86:12-16 and Psalm 145:8,9.

In his very short epistle, Jude wrote that Jesus’ apostles had already warned about mockers in the last days, people who would “walk after their own ungodly lusts,” who would “separate themselves,” who would be “sensual” (carnal, sin-dominated), who would not have God’s Spirit (verses 17-19). They would embrace the Antichrist, who himself would be the epitome of natural-man wickedness, man operating in his ultimate fallen (sinful) capacity (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). To keep his favor, they would turn his enemies over to him (that is, they would betray their Jewish Messianic relatives and friends). But, Jude says that his audience will not be among these ungodly people. Thus, his Jewish believers would experience such hatred. Still, God would provide them encouragement. We finally reach verses 20-22, today’s Scripture and its immediate context….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Do not Hebrews 13:8 and Malachi 3:6 disprove dispensational Bible study?”

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God #3

Saturday, October 18, 2014

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21 KJV).

How will today’s Scripture benefit the nation Israel in “the ages to come?”

Near the completion of His ministry, in what is called His “Second Olivet Discourse,” the Lord Jesus replied to a question about the “sign of [his] coming, and of the end of the world” (Matthew 24:3). The Bible quotes Him as saying (in part): “[9] Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. [10] And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. [11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. [12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

Luke 21:16,17 is a companion passage: “[16] And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. [17] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” (Also see Mark 13:9-13.)

The night before He died, He again prepared His disciples for the time of their coming persecution, “[2] They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. [3] And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (John 16:2,3).

Considering all what Israel’s little flock will experience during the time of Jacob’s trouble, the final seven years of God dealing with her national sins, these precious Messianic Jews need to hear, understand, and believe the words of the Holy Spirit spoken through Jude. Today’s Scripture and its context are actually a four-fold method that God will strengthen the Jewish believers as they suffer at the hands of their enemies—yea, their hateful family members—for Jesus Christ’s sake. Let us now briefly analyze this four-fold edification, with today’s Scripture particularly in mind….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Israel have to keep so many ‘strange’ laws?”

Abounding Grace

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22,23 KJV).

What a timeless verse; what a faithful Creator God!

The political, economic, medical, social, religious, and moral issues facing our beloved United States of America are causing Christians here to want to leave this planet. Several Bible believers have expressed this heartfelt attitude to me in the recent past: “I wish the Lord would come and take us out of here!”

Beloved, while we should be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13), we should not be so anxious for the Lord to return that we ignore why He left us in the first place. He did not save us so we could beg Him to come and get us; He left us here to be His “vessels,” His “lights in the world,” His “ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 2:15; Philippians 3:20; 2 Timothy 2:21). May we not be lax in sharing with others the Gospel and God’s Word rightly divided.

Think about it. If the Lord Jesus Christ really came today to remove His Body from Earth, the most glorious dispensation ever, would end! All those who heard us preach the Gospel of Grace, and rejected it, would have no chance to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). God would just give them over to Satan’s lie; they did not want His truth so He would give them their preference—error, the Antichrist.

Yes, with each passing day, our Dispensation of Grace is growing shorter and shorter and shorter. To have operated almost 2,000 years now is quite a miracle; that it still operates even now despite all of the wickedness, is another fact our human mind cannot grasp. Just as Jeremiah wept over the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem (586 B.C.), God’s punishment on Judah’s prolonged spiritual wickedness, he still praised JEHOVAH God for not completely wiping out His (Jewish) people. That same faithful God is the only reason any of us even remain here! “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20b).

Interested, Indifferent, and Insolent

Sunday, October 12, 2014

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1 KJV).

No one wants to hear you repeat God’s Word? (Yea, there is “nothing new under the sun!”)

In the last few weeks, I have met some people so interested in God’s Word they could not hear enough of it. One lady saw the truth in the verses; she appreciated some of those verses, but wished others were not in the Bible! Others refused to hear and believe the verses—actually, these Bible-rejecters were not atheists or agnostics but “Christians” who “loved and preached Jesus.” (?)

Dear saint, you will meet the following three:

  • INTERESTED. “And the common people heard [Jesus] gladly” (Mark 12:37b). The LORD told the Prophet Zechariah how some of his forefathers believed and obeyed His words of old: “But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us” (Zechariah 1:6).
  • INDIFFERENT. Acts 24:24,25: “[24] And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. [25] And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” (Nothing in Scripture indicates Felix ever trusted Christ.)
  • INSOLENT. The idolatrous Jews replied to the Prophet Jeremiah’s preaching in Jeremiah 44:16,17: “[16] As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. [17] But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her….” Sounds like what we hear today, “Leave me alone! I do not care to hear the Bible. You will never take away my church tradition!”

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did lying cause the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira?”

Glorious Freedom #3

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:12 KJV).

The third verse of Haldor Lillenas’ classic 1917 hymn “Glorious Freedom” highlights today’s Scripture.

“Freedom from pride and all sinful follies;
Freedom from love and glitter of gold;
Freedom from evil temper and anger;
Glorious freedom, rapture untold!”

Once, when we were lost, under the control of the Adversary, separated from the Creator God, on our merry way to eternal hellfire, we “were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past [we] walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others” (Ephesians 2:1-3). What a description!

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us [given us life and power to function in life] together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (verses 4,5). Now, we are dead with Christ and raised with Christ (Romans 6:3-11). Today’s Scripture says that we do not have to serve sin anymore; sin does not have to reign as a king over us anymore. We can choose to walk by faith in our new identity in Christ.

We are freed from pride (Philippians 2:5-11), for it is not us, but Christ living in us (Galatians 2:20). We are freed from foolishness (Ephesians 5:3,4; Titus 3:3), for we have Christ’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16). We are freed from materialism, for “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10; cf. 1 Timothy 6:6). We are freed from unrighteous anger; we are to be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven [us]” (Ephesians 4:26,32).

Freedom, not to serve self, but to serve others! Inexpressible delight indeed! 🙂

Glorious Freedom #2

Monday, October 6, 2014

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22 KJV).

The second verse of Haldor Lillenas’ classic 1917 hymn “Glorious Freedom” highlights today’s Scripture.

“Freedom from all the carnal affections;
Freedom from envy, hatred and strife;
Freedom from vain and worldly ambitions;
Freedom from all that saddened my life!”

Lost people view Christianity as bondage (due to strict denominational oppression) and their own lives as freedom (due to the deceitfulness of their own sinful hearts). Lost people assume they freely think for themselves and freely run their own lives—they succinctly declare that they are “not fettered to ancient texts of superstition and fiction” as we are!

Still, they fail to realize that they are captive, not free; they are slaves to sin, powerless to overcome it. Our Lord plainly declared that in John 8:34-36. Actually, the Pharisees resented Jesus for those words, even going so far as to say they “were never in bondage to any man” (verse 33)—they overlooked the hundreds of passers-by, soldiers who belonged to Israel’s overbearing Roman government! Even today, lost people claim to be free as they walk around wearing chains of sin.

In Christ, we are liberated from fleshly attitudes and likings; envy; hatred; strife (fighting); worthless secular goals; and all the other miserable actions that accompany our Adamic sin nature. After illustrating a horrible (sinful) lifestyle in verses 17-19 of Ephesians chapter 4, the Apostle Paul wrote: “[20] But ye have not so learned Christ; [21] If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: [22] That ye put off concerning the former conversation [behavior and lifestyle] the old man [old, Adamic, sin nature], which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; [23] And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; [24] And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” He then delineates grace living in verses 25-32, the eternal life God has for us in Christ. We are free from sin, and, as God’s Word rightly divided renews our minds, we see that everlasting life become evident in ours!

Glorious Freedom #1

Sunday, October 5, 2014

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7 KJV).

The first verse of Haldor Lillenas’ classic 1917 hymn “Glorious Freedom” highlights today’s Scripture.

“Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters;
Chained like a slave, I struggled in vain.
But I received a glorious freedom,
When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.”

Prior to becoming a saint by faith alone in Jesus Christ, the sinner was “bound by sin’s galling fetters;” sin’s chains or shackles held the individual to the point of chafing or irritation. Once religiosity (religious works) and secularism (worldly works) were exposed as equally filthy in God’s sight, the sinner understood that they had nothing to pay to free themselves from their sins of the spirit and their sins of the flesh.

Whether struggling in a religious system (faithful giving, water baptism, prayers, church attendance, confessions, et cetera) attempting to gain God’s acceptance; or engaging in drunkenness, fornication, swearing, theft, and lying attempting to gain the world’s acceptance; one must perform to receive favor. The sinner finally realizes they know that the ultimate blessing is to be freed from such bondage, liberated from such a system of failure and misery, for they can neither fully gain God’s acceptance nor the world’s acceptance.

In John 8:34-36, Jesus told the Pharisees: “[34] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. [35] And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. [36] If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” The Pharisees needed to be freed from their sins, especially their hypocrisy and works-religion!

By the riches of God’s grace (His work on our behalf), through faith alone in Jesus Christ’s shed blood, we can be crucified with Christ and “redeemed” (set free; today’s Scripture), for “he that is dead is freed from sin” (Romans 6:7). Verse 18 says, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” We are alive and free in Christ—not to live for ourselves, but to choose to live as the living dead people we are, saints alive with Jesus Christ’s resurrection life!

Words for Weary and Wounded Warriors

Friday, October 3, 2014

“Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets” (Luke 6:22,23).

Although spoken to Israel’s believing remnant, our Lord Jesus’ words still comfort us weary or wounded Christian ambassadors.

A little brother in Christ recently telephoned me (and we later continued our conversation face-to-face). He was despondent because of the disrespectful way lost people—and even professing Christians—treated him. I told him that I could identify with that “coldshouldering” and assured him that he must not let it bother him; God has made provisions for us in Christ to withstand all of the Adversary’s darts (and occasional cannonballs!) aimed at us. Denominational divisions run ever so deep between professing Christians. The greatest spiritual division of all is between children of Father God and children of the Devil. The Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh experienced it, and the early Christians knew it, too.

Before dying, Jesus reminded His disciples, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Later, the Apostle John amplified those words by recounting the story of Cain killing his righteous brother Abel, concluding with, “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13). The Apostle Peter wrote to his Jewish readers who abandoned their lost lifestyles, “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4). Beloved, people hated Jesus Christ living in His flesh; they equally hate Him living in us!

While quality Christian friends are very rare, hold them close once you find those few. We do pray for those who persecute us, that they step out spiritual darkness and into the light of God’s grace to us in Christ; still, we will not let their shunning of us, bother us! 🙂

Darkness and Light

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

“And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them, derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is proof that God’s ways and God’s thoughts are truly higher than ours!

As Jesus Christ hung on Calvary for those last three hours, there was spiritual darkness over all the earth and “the sun was darkened” (Matthew 27:45,46; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44,45). God the Father and God the Holy Ghost had forsaken God the Son (Matthew 27:46), and the physical darkness hid from the onlookers that most horrific portion of Christ’s crucifixion. We can only wonder what His disciples were thinking as they, in complete darkness, heard Him crying out in agony to His Heavenly Father. Satan and his policy of evil were working their mightiest, as Jesus had said to those who were arresting Him: “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53).

That (spiritual) darkness has yet to be lifted from this planet. We still live in a world where spiritual ignorance and spiritual wickedness abound, whereas we Christians are “light in the Lord,” and we should “walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8-17). As Romans 13:12 says, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand [approaching]: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

Thankfully, there is coming a day when the night will end, when Jesus Christ returns to Earth in all His radiance, He will shine forth in the skies and, via His blood shed 2,000 years ago, usher in spiritual healing for the nation Israel: “but unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…” (Malachi 4:2). The darkness will be past and the light will shine forth. Before the light could come, Jesus Christ had to face the darkness, that we children of darkness could become children of light today in our Dispensation of Grace, and that Israel could become children of light when He returns! What wisdom!

Meek and Mighty

Monday, September 29, 2014

And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them, derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is proof that God’s ways and God’s thoughts are truly higher than ours!

Galilean king Herod Antipas and Judaean governor Pontius Pilate had heard much of this Jesus of Nazareth these last three years, but, so far as Scripture is concerned, they did not personally meet Him until His final hours alive. To them, He did not appear as royalty. Firstly, He had allowed Himself to be captured peacefully. Then, He let soldiers harshly abuse Him. Finally, He remained mostly silent during their many extensive interrogations leading up to His crucifixion. Pilate “marvelled greatly” (Matthew 27:11-14). Those watching Jesus die were equally shocked. “This is the King whom JEHOVAH God sent to rescue us? He is now helpless on the cross!”

Little did mankind know that Messiah would come twice—once to suffer and die as Saviour, again to judge and reign as King. Neither the prophets nor the angels could understand (1 Peter 1:9-12). Now, with the completed Bible canon, we see it all quite clearly. One is His meek coming (Zechariah 9:9) and the other is His mighty coming (Zechariah 14:3). Before Messiah Jesus could be manifested with power on His majestic Davidic throne, He had to first go to Calvary’s cruel cross. The scoffers did not understand it, but even if God had revealed it, they still would not have cared to know His truth.

In Father God’s own timing, He will reveal from heaven Jesus Christ in “flaming fire,” to take vengeance on those who do not know the God of Scripture and those who refuse to humble themselves and trust the Gospel of His Grace as sufficient payment for their sins (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Jesus Christ came the first time, not to save Himself, but to save us, to suffer God’s wrath on our behalf, that we trust Him alone as Saviour now, that we not have to suffer God’s wrath against our sin when comes the second time, when He proves again that He is “the chosen of God!” What wisdom!