Category: materialism

The Gift to Be Refused

Sunday, August 26, 2012

“And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous” (Exodus 23:8 KJV).

Today’s Scripture describes one gift that you should never accept!

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 repeats today’s Scripture: “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment. Thou shalt not wrest [distort] judgment [justice]; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. That which is altogether just [fair, right] shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

We can compare that to Proverbs 15:27: “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.”

In the Mosaic Law, and later in Proverbs, God told the nation Israel not to accept “gifts.” What are these “gifts?” (Hint: Today’s politicians and clergy would do well if they refused them.) By examining these verses, we see that the Bible defines the term “gift.” This “gift” “blindeth the wise:” it pollutes the judgment of even the wisest person. Furthermore, it “perverteth the words of the righteous;” that is, it causes even the saint of God to fall into the trap of lying, and maybe far worse to cover up the deception. This is no ordinary “gift.” It is, in fact, a bribe, a gift of money or other incentive given to one in authority in order for this official to act in the giver’s favor!

Notice above how Deuteronomy 16:18-20 cautioned Israel’s leaders, that they rule fairly and honestly, refusing bribes. Sadly, centuries later, two of Israel’s judges (rulers), Samuel’s sons, “turned aside after lucre [money], and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:2). Interestingly, their shameful actions were influential in Israel’s apostate decision to have a king rule over them instead

Let our decision-making be influenced by the King James Bible rightly divided, and not by the gift to be refused.

We Troublemakers Are Grace Partakers #2

Thursday, July 26, 2012

“What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin” (Romans 3:9 KJV).

God’s Word proceeds to describe mankind, exposing him as the bestial creature that he naturally is….

In verses 10-12 Paul quotes Psalm 14:1-3 (Psalm 53:1-3). From verses 13-18, he continues to quote the Old Testament to describe mankind as wicked:

  • Romans 3:13: “Their throat is an open sepulchre [tomb]; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [snakes, vipers] is under their lips:” (Psalm 5:9: “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.” Psalm 140:3: “They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.”) Mankind is a liar!
  • Romans 3:14: “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:” (Psalm 10:7: “[The wicked, verse 2] His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”) Mankind is a sly blasphemer who is angry with God!
  • Romans 3:15: “Their feet are swift to shed blood:” (Proverbs 1:16: “For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.” Isaiah 59:7a: “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood:…”) Mankind is a murderer!
  • Romans 3:16: “Destruction and misery are in their ways:” (Isaiah 59:7bc: “…their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.”) Mankind destroys everything he touches and produces misery!
  • Romans 3:17: “And the way of peace have they not known:” (Isaiah 59:8: “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.”) Sinful mankind enjoys fighting (James 4:1)!
  • Romans 3:18: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Psalm 36:1: “The transgression of the wicked saith within his heart, there is no fear of God before his eyes.”) Mankind is haughty and irreverent!

Frankly, we humans are troublemakers!

Plastic and Paper Not Accepted in Heaven

Thursday, June 21, 2012

“And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:18,19 KJV).

Mankind has always tried to purchase the things of God with money… unsuccessfully….

Simon is a sorcerer (wizard) who has “bewitched” Samaria with satanic deception and counterfeit miracles (verses 9-11). But, once he sees the apostles laying hands on believing Jews, and their subsequent receiving of the Holy Spirit (which belongs in Israel’s program, not ours), Simon sees an opportunity for economic gain. He offers the apostles money in exchange for their God-given abilities. The Apostle Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, gives God’s response to such matters: “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money” (verse 20).

Religion, down through the millennia, has been notorious for extortion. Consider all the poor souls who believed they could pay for God’s forgiveness in advance by purchasing indulgences from the Church of Rome! Ponder the cash penances paid after confession to priests. Consider the tithe demanded for salvation in today’s “Bible-believing” churches (which do not “believe” 2 Corinthians 9:7 and Titus 3:5).

Even if you had all the monetary wealth of all the ages, heaven’s gates would still be closed to you! The price for your forgiveness was paid, not with cash, but with the precious blood of God’s only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28). For salvation, you can offer God every cent you will ever earn, and He will refuse it. God wants perfect righteousness, and none of us have that.

Remember, you will be unable to write a check or swipe your credit card at heaven’s gate. God does not want your money. He only wants His Son, and those who have trusted in Christ’s sufficient payment for their sins. Salvation is a gift that only Jesus Christ could buy (Ephesians 2:8,9). “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.”

Behold, I Stand at the Door, and Knock

Monday, June 18, 2012

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is often greatly misunderstood: it has nothing to do with salvation. It has nothing to do with “Jesus knocking at the door of a lost person’s heart” or “asking Jesus into your heart.” Contrariwise, it actually entails judgment!

Dispensational Bible study helps us understand today’s Scripture. First, John is its author (Revelation 1:4). John is not writing to us in the Dispensation of Grace; he is an apostle of Israel, writing to Jews in their kingdom program (Galatians 2:9).

Today’s Scripture is written to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans, Jewish believers who will endure the future seven-year Tribulation (verse 14). These Laodiceans are “lukewarm,” “neither cold nor hot” (verse 15,16): they are materialistic and their works displease God (verses 17,18). They are “straddling the fence,” so to speak; therefore, the Lord through John admonishes these Jewish believers, “be zealous therefore, and repent [change your thinking!]” (verse 19).

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock” is best understood when compared to James 5:8,9 (also written to Jews during the Tribulation): “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” In the context of today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ’s Second Coming is near, and God is warning these believing Jews to “get their act together” so they can be ready to accept their Messiah-King, and so their deeds and hearts (attitudes) are acceptable to Him.

Let us return to the context of today’s Scripture: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3:21). This refers to believing Jews entering their earthly kingdom (which Christ will establish at His Second Coming). How plain! Today’s Scripture belongs to Israel, not us.

Divers Weights and Divers Measures

Monday, June 11, 2012

“Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 20:10 KJV).

Why is God offended by “divers weights, and divers measures?” Exactly what are these anyway?

The “weights” and “measures” of today’s Scripture are actually elements of commerce in the ancient world. From time immemorial, pan balances (scales) have been used to determine the value of goods. Goods were placed in one of the scales’ pans, and weights (such as stones) were placed in the other pan, and thus, the goods were valued (setting the standard for the price of goods of like nature). But, God knows sinful man will alter the standards (by using different size measurements), to ultimately swindle others (cf. Hosea 12:7; Micah 6:10-12)!

So, God strictly commanded Israel through Moses: “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers [different] weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just [fair, right, honest] weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have…” (Deuteronomy 25:13-15).

Proverbs 20:23 expounds: “Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.” And Proverbs 11:1: “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just [fair, right, honest] weight is his delight.”

Leviticus 19:35,36 summarize today’s Scripture and its associated verses: “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just [fair, right, honest] balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have:….” (An “ephah” and a “hin” are units of measurement.)

Just as God strictly warned Israel to be honest in all financial matters, He expects us to do the same. Let us not cheat others out of what rightfully belongs to them: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute [tax] to whom tribute is due; custom [levy, fee, fine] to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…. For this,… thou shalt not steal…” (Romans 13:7-9).

A Den of Thieves #3

Friday, May 18, 2012

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12,13 KJV).

Notice in today’s Scripture how Jesus Christ rooted out thieves masquerading in a “godly” garb (religion). Beloved, we must exercise great caution when making financial contributions to churches… many are dens of thieves.

Giving is often a sensitive topic, for there is much abuse (the extortion in today’s Scripture). Even today, many church leaders are using God’s Word (usually Malachi 3:8-11) to coerce—extort!—billions from their followers. The poor Corinthian believers were “gladly” (!) allowing “fools” to “take of [them]” (steal from them) via religion (2 Corinthians 11:19,20).

One of the most lucrative devices of religion is to convince you that your King James Bible has errors, so you need to buy a “more scholarly” version (eventually, yet another “updated” “bible” is marketed, and you are encouraged this is the “bible” you need to buy). Be not deceived!

Another ploy preachers use to swindle is the reassurance, “Send us $1000, and God will bless you one-hundred fold!” (These preachers should “practice what they preach,” and then their begging would be unnecessary!) Be not deceived!

Understand that we give of our resources to further God’s Word, but we must carefully choose what church or ministry we support. If the church/ministry does not exalt our Lord Jesus Christ as He is presented in Paul’s epistles, and it does not hold to the authority of the King James Bible, it is opposing God’s work, and therefore does not deserve our time or our money.

Above all, we give willingly, as God’s Word working in us leads us to give (2 Corinthians 8:1-12; 2 Corinthians 9:6,7). That is not tithing (tithing was mandatory); that is giving under grace. Quite frankly, anyone who forces you to tithe is a thief.

Thus, beware of the dens of thieves….

A Den of Thieves #2

Thursday, May 17, 2012

“And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:12,13 KJV).

As today’s Scripture teaches, religion robbed people in Christ’s day… and it is still “the world’s most profitable business!”

The world is dotted with millions of ornate, massive cathedrals, structures built with exquisite materials, housing trillions of works of art and gold and silver vessels. Unfortunately, many were (and are) financed by poor, naïve souls who paid clergy in hopes of escaping hellfire. Christ’s words echoing, “Dens of thieves!”

One Christian author wrote that religion’s price list reads: “High money = high mass; low money = low mass; no money = no mass.” Pay the church and the church will pray! Church organizations possess large sums of real estate, and are always looking to expand… into your soul, yard, and home! BEWARE!

Beloved, if God required church leaders not to be greedy of material wealth (1 Timothy 3:3,8; Titus 1:7), this is a warning that many will be money-hungry. These individuals, seeking to support their lavish lifestyles, demand, “If you want God’s blessing, sow your seed of faith into our ministry.” These “donations” are often pricey, but when threatened with “God’s curse,” people have no choice but to give. Malachi 3:8-11 was written to Israel (1:1), not to us; we are under grace, not law (Romans 6:14,15). Grace is against tithing (obligatory giving).

We give of our resources to sound Pauline dispensational (grace) ministries and local churches, but we do not give to get God’s blessings (that was for Israel). Today, in the Dispensation of Grace, God has already blessed us in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Now, we give out of gratitude to God, and we willingly give an amount “as [we] purpose in [our] heart” (2 Corinthians 9:6,7). The amount is not the issue; the heart attitude is!

If Sinners Entice Thee, Consent Thou Not

Monday, May 14, 2012

“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not” (Proverbs 1:10 KJV).

This world is filled with temptations. Sinful individuals surround us, and they encourage us to sin with them. Today’s Scripture says, “Consent thou not!” Ignore the negative peer pressure!

Saints, even though we are members of the Church the Body of Christ, we still sin. On a daily basis, our new nature in Christ wars against our old nature we inherited from Adam: “the flesh lusteth against the [indwelling Holy] Spirit, and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17a). But, we have victory over sin when we walk, by faith, in our identity in Christ!

In today’s Scripture (and the verses following it), King Solomon shares God’s wisdom with us: “If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood [murder], let us lurk privily [secretly] for the innocent without cause: let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: we shall find all precious substance [loot], we shall fill our houses with spoil: cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse” (Proverbs 1:11-14).

What is God’s response? Verses 15-19: “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.”

When someone encourages you to be partaker of their “killing and stealing,” or any action that does not agree with God’s Holy Word rightly divided, “walk not thou in the way of them.” In Christ, God has saved us from that lifestyle and its resulting death: we have no need to return to them. “Walk in the Spirit [by faith in our new identity in Christ], and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh [sin]” (Galatians 5:16).

The Temporal State and the Eternal State

Monday, April 30, 2012

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19 KJV).

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the State of Louisiana officially joining the Union (becoming the 18th state of the United States). While I am proud of my Cajun (French-Canadian) heritage, being a part of God’s family is more important. Louisiana is only my temporal state. I anticipate my eternal state… the third heaven.

May I never grow attached to the things of this life, for they will pass away. “[I am] risen with Christ, [and I] seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [I] set [my] affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1,2). While I am conscious of my life here on earth, I live it in accordance with the eternal Word of God, remembering that this state is temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18).

One day, I will cease to be a Louisianian. I will bid this state farewell, never to set foot on it again. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, I shall be caught up in rapture to arrive in glory on high (1 Corinthians 15:51). Heaven, my new home shall be, and there shall I reign with Christ, throughout all eternity (2 Timothy 2:12).

I shall leave this state, where I have lived for all my life, and enter a new state, one free from sin, death, pain, and strife. I shall enter a state of unfathomable creatures and landscapes, expansive realms of unspeakable beauty to roam. And, there I shall see my Saviour, the great God and my Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory, finally shaking His hand as He exclaims, “Welcome home!”

Once, I was a hell-bound Gentile, but since I have trusted Christ Jesus alone as my personal Saviour, I am part of God’s household, “a fellow-citizen with the saints” (today’s Scripture). I will not always be a Louisianian, but I will always be a saint of the most High God. Louisiana is my state… only for now….

Are We Bibliolators? #6

Sunday, April 22, 2012

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm 138:2 KJV).

Why do we “King James-only” Christians have such a zeal for this one Bible translation? Because all Bible translations are not created equal!

Those who claim all Bible translations are equal are dishonest with respect to the irrefutable evidence. These people have either never intelligently examined the evidence themselves (they are just repeating what others say), or they have examined the evidence and willingly ignore it (especially the prideful theologians who will never subject themselves to a perfect King James Bible, and the money-hungry modern “bible” translators and publishers who “revise” God’s Word every six months for “economic purposes”).

Lest we be misunderstood, the heart of the Bible versions issue is not translation, but the source texts (the texts being translated). We are not opposed to modern English “bibles” because they are translations; we reject them because they prove themselves and their source texts to be untrustworthy.

Satan knoweth that he cannot destroy God’s Word, for God’s words “shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). But, Satan hath been allowed to corrupt God’s Word, to produce counterfeit books that resemble the Bible. Sinful mankind—apostate Bible translators and publishers—is willing to help Satan achieve that purpose!

We hold to the King James Bible (that which speaketh on behalf of God) and reject counterfeit modern “bibles” (they which claimeth to be of God, but “privily” [secretly] bringeth in “damnable heresies;” 2 Peter 2:1-3). If our critics are justified in labeling us “Bibliolaters” (Bible worshippers), we must also accuse Israel AND GOD of “bibliolatry” when God told Israel to reject false teaching (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).

Why did God want Israel to reject false prophets? Because of what they taught! So, why doth God want us to reject corrupt modern “bibles?” Because of what they teach!

We are people of faith, so rather than “correcting” the King James Bible, we “magnify” it as highly as God hath (today’s Scripture), and we let it correct us!