Category: Satan and Policy of Evil

The Understanding Darkened #3

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

Ponder Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy 4:1-9: “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

“Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;….”

In time past, whereas God had given the nations over to idols (today’s Scripture), He had delivered His words to the nation Israel….

The Understanding Darkened #2

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

At the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), when the LORD God gave all nations over to “walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:15,16), He fulfilled their wish in turning them loose to a mindset or thought process that excluded Him. Re-read Romans 1:20-23,28. Commenting on this combination of tremendous intellectualism (“wisdom” of men) and abysmal darkness in Athens, Paul announced: “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:…” (Acts 17:29,30).

The Athenians had been “wholly [completely, entirely] given to idolatry” (verse 16). In fact, it was even stated of Athens, “It was easier to find a god there than a man!” They thought of a higher power in terms of creation—that the gods and goddesses were part of nature (pantheism). Even in the “sciences” today, natural forces are usually understood as being responsible for life, the heavens, and the earth. However, if you study Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens (verses 22-31), you will notice how he goes to great lengths to differentiate between the one true God and counterfeits (deities of mythology), distinguish between God and nature, discern between God and man. The God of the Bible is alive, not dead, which is why we should not reduce Him to statues of lifeless gold, silver, or stone. He is the Creator, giving us physical life; therefore, if we are alive, He is alive. Moreover, He is not a product of man’s imagination, so if we are to have “the eyes of [our] understanding enlightened” (see Ephesians 1:17), and be delivered from this “ignorance,” we must “repent” or think differently….

The Understanding Darkened #1

Monday, June 12, 2023

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:…” (Ephesians 4:17,18 KJV).

How can today’s Scripture aid in our understanding of the wild world around us?

Some years back, two ministry friends of mine traveled to a foreign country to visit family members. The man and his wife stayed at a local hotel for one night. Opening their door the following morning, the woman noticed food strewn on the hallway floor outside. Assuming the staff had served them breakfast, she began collecting it—until a passerby advised her to leave the food alone because it had been sacrificed to “monsters.” In other words, this was a food offering to appease any evil spirits that might have sought to harm these tourists!

The nations of the world are described in Romans chapter 1: “[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. [20] 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: [21] 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. [22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, [23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”

Commenting on the pagan idolatry in Lystra (central Turkey), Paul and Barnabas stated: “…Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:15,16). As my ministry friends learned firsthand, the nations are still “walking in their own ways” today….

Wishful Thinking

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation” (Matthew 23:14 KJV).

Beware, there are scammers everywhere!

Desperate to reduce his monthly electric bill, a friend shared with me his intention of purchasing two devices that would allegedly save him money. Their advertisement had convinced him, but I replied quite bluntly: “That sounds like a clever scam, so do not bother with it.” However, refusing to listen to reason, he continued justifying why he would buy them. Though expensive, one celebrity supposedly endorsed it and the online reviews were positive. He stubbornly told me he wished to give the product a try.

Later, after he bought them, and as he awaited the package by mail, he and I conversed again. I cautioned him, urging him to return the items upon arrival, so he could obtain a refund. Yet, in order to test the devices and see if they actually saved him any money, he would have to wait a month for his next electric bill. Unfortunately, the products had to be returned within 30 days for a refund. To make a long story short, he received the parcel, the devices were junk (surprise!), and he ended up being stuck with his same monthly electric bill plus the unreasonable price of the gadgets. After all that disappointment and permanent loss of money, he told me, “It is a scam!” (Of course!)

There is an old saying: “If it is too good to be true, it probably is.” We would save ourselves a great deal of misfortune, money, and harm if we just used this type of simple common sense. Our sinful, cruel world is filled with frauds and thieves—especially in religion. Wishful thinking and desperate souls go hand in hand. In today’s Scripture, the Lord Jesus pronounced harsh condemnation for spiritual leaders who preyed on and robbed widows. These men charged excessive fees with the promise of arduously praying for dead spouses to escape some nonexistent place (a Jewish purgatory, actually!).

Dear friends, we had better believe our King James Bible rightly divided, or wishful thinking will become our thinking.

The Greatest War Hero

Monday, May 29, 2023

“For God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 KJV).

In the United States, today is Memorial Day, when we remember those who sacrificed their time and lives to provide our physical freedom. Likewise, as Christians, we have spiritual freedom, which was more costly. Someone had to die to give us the eternal life we now enjoy….

Scripture describes a spiritual warfare between good and evil, God’s truth program versus Satan’s lie program: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles [schemes] of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11,12; see also verses 13-20).

Satan distracts mankind from God’s pure Word, the Bible, keeping unbelievers lost (dead in their sins), and preventing unbelievers and Christians from knowing God’s will. The devil draws them away (seduces them) from God’s Word by using religious tradition and human “wisdom” (1 Timothy 4:1-3; cf. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Galatians 3:1-3).

God loves us, so at Calvary’s cross, Christ fought for us sinners, died in battle (today’s Scripture), shed His divine sinless blood, and eternally rescued us from Satan and sin: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14,15).

Hebrews 9:12 says Jesus Christ has “obtained eternal redemption for us.”

If we have trusted Jesus Christ alone as our personal Saviour, God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Now, God can use us for His glory for all eternity.

Beloved, let us rejoice in our victory over sin, death, and hell that Jesus Christ secured for us by going to Calvary’s rugged cross! Jesus Christ is now alive forevermore—He is our Hero, the Greatest Hero!

*Adapted from a larger Bible study “The Greatest Hero,” which can be read here or watched here.

The Case for Right Division #9

Sunday, May 28, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Ephesians 3:1,2 relays the following: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:…” The “dispensation” (Greek, “oikonomia,” “house rules”) the Lord has in effect today was given to the Apostle Paul (cf. Colossians 1:25-28). This is the body of truth applicable to us, and it is located in the 13 Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon. Through Paul’s ministry, the mystery program, God is manifesting His grace—His unmerited favor—to mankind in a new way. By faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins, we as Gentiles outside of Israel and her prophetic program can be made righteous in God’s sight. God the Holy Spirit is taking us believers in Christ and forming the Church the Body of Christ, separate and distinct from the nation Israel (see Ephesians 2:13–3:12).

Alas, denominationally-minded people are either unintentionally or deliberately blind to dispensational truth. To exclusively follow the Lord’s heavenly ministry through Paul means they must forsake their denominational system (built on Christ’s earthly ministry!). They would have to admit their preacher or teacher lied to them. In fact, those who wish to keep their church traditions have resorted to disparaging dispensational Bible study as a “cult,” “heresy,” and so on. That is their choice. If they are determined to stay in their chaos, we respect their free will and let them remain in that ignorance. They can continue claiming their physical healing, dying because they refuse to visit doctors and receive medication. They can keep their starvation by fasting, holding out and holding on for “answers” from God as to why this or that never came to pass.

Dear friends, in the wake of non-dispensational Bible study, billions are left perplexed, hopeless, and even spiritually, doctrinally, and physically dead. Here is the heavy price that must be paid for failing to apply today’s Scripture. Above all, here is the case for right division!

The Case for Right Division #8

Saturday, May 27, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

When the Apostle Paul addressed his second epistle to young Timothy (from which today’s Scripture was extracted), two particular false teachers had combined the prophetic program with the mystery program. They ultimately implied the Lord Jesus had already come and taken away the Church the Body of Christ to Heaven (an event we commonly call “the Rapture”). Hearing this misinformation, Christians still on Earth erroneously concluded they were not Christians at all, for Christ would have also removed them to Heaven via the resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Today’s Scripture in context: “[14] Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [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.”

Such non-dispensational Bible study spreads like a cancer, growing into more and more apostasy (leaving the truth). The “faith” of some is overthrown, overturned, toppled, abolished. We observe this widespread confusion and discouragement in denominational churches—and how disgruntled church members finally turned to atheism, agnosticism, Satanism, or some other “ism.” They always pray for God’s will, but never discover it. Whereas they never cease to quote verses, they have yet to obtain any spiritual stability or lasting peace. All they can do is wallow in utter impotency and crushing dissatisfaction, worried about Bible contradictions and unanswered prayer. No pastor or teacher has anything meaningful to contribute either, for these church leaders are also victims of Satan’s policy of evil. Here is the case for right division, the absolute necessity for it….

The Case for Right Division #7

Friday, May 26, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Undeniably, the most confused Bible Book is Acts. Though not complicated in and of itself, Acts has been confused courtesy of denominational nonsense. Acts is a transitional Book, God’s dealings with man switching from Peter to Paul, prophecy to mystery, law to grace, Israel to the Body of Christ, and so on. More times than not, however, these differences are smoothed over. Since the cliché “God never changes” has been mindlessly repeated in church circles for so long, no one really thinks there are any distinctions in Scripture at all. What alarming Bible ignorance!

“Whatever God did then, He must surely be doing now.” This is the wrong and ever so costly assumption that has led untold millions upon millions upon millions to a lost eternity in a perpetual Devil’s Hell, quoting verses that have nothing to do with them—though they believed these passages gave them a right standing before God. It is also the incorrect and ever so pricey assumption that has imprisoned countless millions upon millions upon millions of genuine (!) Christians (!) in spiritual kindergarten, their minds and hearts so filled and contaminated with useless, profitless, worthless teaching—and God the Holy Spirit has just as much influence over them as He does people who have no Bible at all.

Since the dispensational boundaries of Scripture are usually not appreciated in the average church or Bible study (it has been this way for almost 20 centuries!), the non-dispensational verses are hopelessly in conflict, so various and sundry clever excuses or gimmicks have been invented to sidestep “inconvenient” verses that cannot be adequately resolved. “This verse was not in the original manuscripts, it is a ‘poor translation,’ this does not mean what it says,” and on and on with the justifications as to why we must make everything in the Bible the same. Our King James Bible verses do not need to be reworded or retranslated—only re-read and re-examined within (!) their (!) dispensational (!) contexts (!)….

The Case for Right Division #6

Thursday, May 25, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Re-read Ephesians 2:11,12. In “time past,” God dealt with mankind on the basis of physical circumcision (Jews, Israel) and physical uncircumcision (Gentiles, nations). While this “middle wall of partition” was in place (see verse 14), God’s blessings and salvation were on the circumcision side (cf. Romans 9:4,5). Christ’s earthly ministry belongs in “time past” (see Matthew 10:5-7; Matthew 15:24; John 4:22; Romans 15:8).

Beginning with the Apostle Paul—the “but now,” Christ’s heavenly ministry—the Lord eliminated “the middle wall of partition” (see Ephesians 2:13-18). Now, the nations of the world approach God, but not through the nation Israel, for Israel is now fallen. Read Romans 11:11-14. We come to God via Paul’s ministry (Bible Books of Romans through Philemon), faith in Christ’s finished crosswork as sufficient payment for our sins (see 1 Corinthians 15:3,4). In “the ages to come” (Ephesians 2:7), God will use us the Church the Body of Christ to glorify Jesus in the heavenly places as He will utilize the nation Israel to exalt Jesus in the earth (Ephesians 1:8-12,19-23; Ephesians 2:6,7; Colossians 1:16-20). “Time past,” “but now,” and “the ages to come” is how to “rightly divide the word of truth.” Remember, note it well (!): principles in effect during time past may not be true today, so be careful, lest you misapply to yourself non-Pauline (outside of Paul’s epistles) Bible truths that are no longer true!

Also, we can view Jesus Christ from two perspectives. Firstly, Peter preached Him according to prophecy: “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21). Secondly, Paul preached Him according to mystery: “Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest,…” (Romans 16:25,26). “Prophecy” versus “mystery” is another way God “rightly divides the word of truth.” Let us elaborate….

The Case for Right Division #5

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

Can today’s Scripture deliver someone from absolute stupidity before he or she literally perishes in it? (Yes!)

Two chief misunderstandings must be addressed and corrected if Christendom ever hopes to fix its innumerable blunders. Firstly, it needs to do much more than simply “rightly divide” truth from error. When the Holy Spirit through Paul penned today’s Scripture, the instruction was to “rightly divide the word of truth.” There is no error in truth! Yet, we can distort the Bible into a Book of errors by failing to recognize the distinctions God has already made in it. Trying to do something God is not doing anymore and/or expecting Him to do something He is no longer doing, this is where the professing church has failed (!!) ever (!!) so (!!) miserably (!!). We must have the most current, most up-to-date, most recent revelation from God—not just any revelation from God, any verse we choose, anything and everything we want to believe or do.

Secondly, Christendom needs to do much more than just “rightly divide” the Old Testament from the New Testament. It is usually assumed everything in Matthew through Revelation is applicable to us—that we can claim anything found in those 27 Books. On the contrary, we repeat our prior comments. If we are to do God’s will, we must know the most recent, most current, most up-to-date revelation from Him.

The Bible is to be “rightly divided” as follows. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:11-13: “[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; [12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: [13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” This shift from “time past” to “but now” is the key to discerning God’s present-day dealings with us….