Category: Satan and Policy of Evil

Old Cloth, Old Garment—New Wine, New Bottles #6

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

“No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16,17 KJV).

What is our Lord Jesus Christ teaching here?

Considering the larger context of today’s Scripture, we discover how chapters 8 and 9 of Matthew radiate from chapters 5–7 (the Sermon on the Mount). Whereas the Sermon on the Mount is Christ’s Kingdom Constitution (God’s work with and through Israel in the ages to come), and chapters 8 and 9 contain 10 specific miracles to validate how the Lord Jesus can bring that kingdom restoration of Israel to pass, there are interspersed various references as to how Israel languishes in unbelief (a national refusal to leave behind her religious efforts or self-righteousness [the Old Covenant] and move on to kingdom righteousness [the New Covenant]). For example, see Israel’s unbelief in Matthew 8:10,12,20,33,34 and Matthew 9:3,4,11,13,14,24,33,34.

Go back to today’s Scripture and the two verses immediately preceding it: “Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:14-17; cf. Mark 2:18-22; Luke 5:33-39).

The Pharisees, their disciples, and John’s disciples were trapped in Old Testament legalistic practices, but the Lord Jesus taught how Old Covenant rituals cannot be combined with New Covenant righteousness….

God’s Offer to the Nations

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

“…[T]hat God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is God’s offer to all the nations of the world today.

September 11, 2001 was a day that changed our nation forever. It was the worst terrorist attack in our two-century national history. Afterward, many Americans began to talk about “God Bless America” and “God Save the United States.” These phrases are not as commonplace as they used to be.

In the 23 years that have passed since that awful day, it is a sad commentary that “God” is now the least of our nation’s concerns. With the redefining of marriage, controversial political arena, moral decay, skyrocketing national debt, and the uncertainty as to what constitutes a human life and what does not, obviously, the God of the Bible has been largely pushed out… until we need His help, and then we cry out to Him. Unless we need Him, we rather not think about anything He has to say.

While many argue that God is judging America today for its sins, the Bible does not support such an idea. Certainly, God dealt with Israel in that manner—“Do good and I will bless, but disobey and I will curse” (Leviticus chapter 26; Deuteronomy chapter 28)—but we have no relation to that Old Covenant of Law.

For the last 20 centuries, God has offered His grace to all the world’s nations, to have a right standing before Him by trusting Jesus Christ. People still die and go to hell, but today’s Scripture says that God is not judging nations for their sins. Through Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, God offers reconciliation to sinners, whether here or around the world. However, that grace is exhaustible, and one day, it will be replaced with His wrath (Romans 2:1-16). Still, we believers are not appointed to God’s wrath; we are saved from all wrath through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9).

The only hope for America—yea, for any nation—is faith in Jesus Christ alone!

*You can also see our 2011 Bible study commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It can be watched here or read here.

Brother’s Keeper? #8

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

Dear brethren, we never, ever want to forget that the first homicide in the Bible was in the context of works-religion, an unbeliever (Cain) who was too arrogant to admit his sin problem and ready and willing to do anything and everything (even kill his believing brother, Abel) to make sure he did not have God’s messenger around to bother him with any “inconvenient” or “offensive” words from the LORD!

Only God knows how many millions of His people have lost their lives because of the work of the ministry throughout human history. Abel was the first martyr in that ancient battle, and this bitter religious war is still being waged today between God’s people (saints) and Satan’s people (sinners). Of course, there is still much more of this to come! “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:6). This is the culmination of the false religious system that started with Adam, Eve, and Cain. It links to Nimrod and the Tower of Babel, gives rise to apostate Judaism during Matthew to Acts, continues even now in world religions and denominations, and will go all the way through Daniel’s 70th Week up until Christ’s Second Coming when the Lord of Glory makes all things right.

Brethren, never, ever should it surprise or discourage us when people—even professing believers and lifelong church members—are uninterested in listening to us share Bible verses with them. Perhaps they will become so belligerent that violence against us will transpire. If we do happen to lose our physical lives along the way, so what, for we are indeed willing “to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). Until they do away with us as Cain did Abel, though, let us be our brother’s keeper—looking out for them who lack spiritual sense to know just how dire their situation is.

Brother’s Keeper? #7

Monday, September 9, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

Now, read the verses that follow today’s Scripture: “[10] And he [the LORD God] said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. [11] And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; [12] When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. [13] And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. [14] Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.” Behold, after learning his punishment, Cain had more pity on himself than he had on his own poor brother whom he so viciously murdered! (With Cain, it is still about self, self, self, and there is still no accountability or admission of guilt!)

Keep reading: “[15] And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. [16] And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. [17] And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.” God ordered Cain to be a wanderer (quite a strict penalty for a farmer, by the way). Nevertheless, Cain settled down in one place and founded a city (the first one in Scripture)—more defiance or rebellion, more sin, more selfishness! He continued to set a poor example for those around him.

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Brother’s Keeper? #6

Sunday, September 8, 2024

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9 KJV).

Let us learn the import of Cain’s reply….

By studying how the three members of the Godhead interact with each other, we can learn how our Creator designed our life to be. God the Son (Jesus Christ) glorifies, or brings praise to, God the Father: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). Not only does God the Son glorify the Father, God the Father glorifies God the Son: “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:…” (John 17:1). God the Holy Ghost glorifies God the Son: “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you” (John 16:14).

Each of the three members of the Godhead do not glorify each other. Instead, they seek the benefit, wellbeing, or profit of the other two. Selfless living is indeed God’s life—and that is exactly how Christian living works because Christian living is literally Christ living! “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification [building up]” (Romans 15:1,2). “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient [profitable, advantageous, beneficial]: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth” (1 Corinthians 10:23,24). “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4).

Cain, however, was sinful and selfish. Read today’s Scripture again. Not only did he not tell the truth about knowing where his brother Abel was (he knew Abel was dead!), Cain was unconcerned about Abel’s disappearance when questioned. He tried to rationalize his actions with these coldblooded words: “Am I my brother’s keeper [guardian, protector, caretaker]?” As in, “How should I know where he is? Is his vanishing any worry of mine?”

Actually, Cain was his brother’s keeper….

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. 🙂

The Thing Which is Good

Monday, September 2, 2024

“Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth” (Ephesians 4:28 KJV).

On this Labor Day, we talk about work, “the thing which is good.”

In this day and age of increasing “government assistance,” people are becoming less and less aware of our hard work being the Lord Jesus’ preferred method of the source of our incomes. While the physically and mentally disabled are obvious exceptions, the God of the Bible expects all of us to contribute labor in order to provide for ourselves. For children and young adults, even being a student in school is work enough!

Observe the doctrine being communicated in today’s Scripture. The grace life does not merely teach us to quit doing bad things, but it also instructs us to start doing good things (Titus 2:11,12). Once a thief trusts the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished crosswork as sufficient payment for his sins, then God expects that thief to quit stealing and find a job so he can provide for his needs!

The God of creation calls work “the thing which is good” (today’s Scripture). Work is not something to be avoided; it is something to be embraced for the Lord’s glory!

When the Lord Jesus Christ put the first man, Adam, on earth, that man had a divine commission. Adam was not to simply loaf around and do nothing: “And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Adam was to protect that garden, to till its ground, to prepare it for Jesus Christ to come down and dwell in with he and Eve (because of sin, that earthly kingdom over which Jesus Christ will rule is still awaiting fulfillment!).

Saints, may we work to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8), and may we work to help those who truly are needy (today’s Scripture). In the words of God the Holy Spirit, that is “good!” 🙂

Living Defensively #8

Sunday, September 1, 2024

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,…” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV).

What is the sense of “walk circumspectly” here?

Dear friend, if you have operated or ridden in a motor vehicle, you will certainly recall instances of erratic drivers—speeding, sideswiping, swerving into your lane or off the road, failing to negotiate sharp curves, tailgating, rear-ending, running red lights or stop signs. Only a naïve person believes the roadway is safe for drivers and pedestrians. Unless we pay attention to what we are doing while driving and what others are doing while driving, we will collide with them and they will hit us.

We should be on the lookout especially for impaired drivers, those intoxicated with alcohol or using illegal drugs. Likewise, we ourselves had better not be inebriated with false doctrine in the Christian life: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;…” (Ephesians 5:18). Provided we are under the Holy Spirit’s influence in word and deed, we are safe from the spiritual threats of life in a fallen, sin-cursed world—including protection from those under the influence of erroneous doctrine (false teaching). “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [tricks, schemes] of the devil…. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:11,13).

The average professing Christian has absolutely no idea what spiritual perils await—but he or she will find out in due time! They will get into a wreck and sustain scrapes and bruises, or a broken arm or leg, or perhaps a major head concussion or broken neck or back. For the rest of their spiritual life, they will hobble or remain paralyzed, barely getting by. Listen to them as they talk about spiritual matters or pray. They have such a distorted view of Bible doctrines. There are more questions than answers, more weakness than strength, more doubt than faith, more illness than health. If we hang around them and their denominational systems long enough, we too will find ourselves in a spiritual sickbed… or perhaps a casket!

Live defensively… “walk circumspectly!”

Living Defensively #7

Saturday, August 31, 2024

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,…” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV).

What is the sense of “walk circumspectly” here?

Ephesians 5:17 adds, “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Instead of “fools,” we are “wise” (today’s Scripture). We “understand what the will of the Lord is.” What is the Lord doing today? We go to Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon. If we do by faith what God Himself is doing, we are automatically doing His will. “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).

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;…” (Colossians 1:9-11).

Yet, the vast majority of church members and professing Christians do not understand the Lord’s will for their life because they are depending on man’s wisdom and are doing man’s will. “But I trust the scholars” seems to be the motto of most of our churches and schools. Those esteemed as “Bible scholars” are typically people who know little to nothing about the Bible—instead, they are Greek scholars, Hebrew scholars, Latin scholars, church history scholars, denominational scholars. Their misinformation is then taken into the hearts and minds of Christians as though it was God’s life and light… when it was not. No wonder there is no Divine wisdom or power in our churches and schools and homes, and sin and ignorance beset us time and time again. We must live defensively, vigilantly, prudently—“walk circumspectly.”

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

Living Defensively #6

Friday, August 30, 2024

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,…” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV).

What is the sense of “walk circumspectly” here?

To reiterate, today’s Scripture directs us to “walk circumspectly,” or walk having an awareness of our surroundings. We should not walk as “fools” (silly people, those without common sense or judgment) but as “wise” individuals (filled with God’s wisdom instead of man’s wisdom). “Let the word of Christ [the Scriptures rightly divided] dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

Further explanation is supplied in Ephesians: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16, the verse following today’s Scripture) is “buying back the time” that Satan has stolen from God and used for his own glory instead of our Creator’s glory. Galatians 1:4 speaks of “this present evil world.” Satan is “the god [ruler] of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he even bragged of this might in Matthew 4:8,9 and Luke 4:5-7. “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5) is about being sensible in front of unbelievers—the very people who are of this world and who love this world because it belongs to their spiritual father, Satan (John 8:44; 1 John 2:15-17). “Wherein in time past ye 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:…” (Ephesians 2:2).

As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to make wise use of our time—not fritter it away or waste it on that which disagrees with sound Bible doctrine. Either Christ is being formed in us (Galatians 4:19), or He is not. We are either carbon copies of our denominations, cults, sects; or we are filled with the life of Jesus Christ because we are walking after, minding the things of, the indwelling Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:1-17). Either we are walking defensively or walking recklessly, driving warily or driving irresponsibly, living maturely or living childishly. It truly is the difference between God’s life and Satan’s life, safety and injury….

Living Defensively #5

Thursday, August 29, 2024

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,…” (Ephesians 5:15 KJV).

What is the sense of “walk circumspectly” here?

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14, that which precedes today’s Scripture). Someone here is sleeping in the spiritual realm and is thus exhorted to wake up, to rise from functional death, for Christ offers spiritual light in contrast to the surrounding darkness. As mature Bible students, we call to mind a man named Eutychus who was in a similar situation.

Eutychus’ ordeal is featured in Acts chapter 20: “[7] And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. [8] And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. [9] And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. [10] And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. [11] When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. [12] And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.”

As his Apostle Paul was preaching, Eutychus became sidetracked and nodded off. This was not just a quick nap but a “deep sleep” (verse 9). There was great light inside the building with Paul’s ministry, but Eutychus focused on the darkness outside and wound up falling asleep and falling down dead! Remember the Corinthians who listened more to false teachers than God’s preachers? The Bible urges them: “Be not deceived: evil communications [companionships, friendships] corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33,34).

Considering all this, we ought to “walk circumspectly….”