Category: sin

The Converted Nation and The Translated Word #2

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

“He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 147:19,20 KJV).

Herein do we see God’s head of the nations—Israel!

With 50 chapters, Genesis is one of the Bible’s largest books. Its first 11 chapters cover the first 2,000 years of human history. Chapters 12 through 50, however, cover only the next 300 years or so. Twenty centuries covered in 11 chapters, and only three centuries covered in 39 chapters. Why this drastic disproportionality? Simple!

Adam, once given “dominion over… every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26-28), had willfully lost it to Satan in chapter 3. God’s king of Earth relinquished his crown and Satan grabbed it (Matthew 4:8-10)! His purpose in creation would now be delayed. So, God had a plan to reclaim planet Earth and bring it back under His headship. From Adam (chapter 1) to Abraham (chapter 12), God was isolating a bloodline (people) for His name, so details are scarce there. Once that lineage was firmly established, from Abraham onward, the Bible’s focus on mankind narrows increasingly—Abraham’s son Isaac, Isaac’s son Jacob, and Jacob’s 12 sons. By the time Genesis ends, Israel, no longer a small tribe, is now destined to become a nation of millions of people. But, let us not get ahead of ourselves….

Note Genesis 12:1-3, the Abrahamic Covenant: “[1] Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: [3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” That covenant passed to Isaac, then to Jacob, and finally to Jacob’s 12 sons (and thus Israel’s 12 tribes). Israel was to be a great nation, that the Creator God be made great in the Earth!

We Have Seen Strange Things Today! #2

Thursday, January 28, 2016

“And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day” (Luke 5:26 KJV).

What did these people see that was “strange?”

As Jesus taught and healed people, a group of men brought a paralyzed man on a bed (verses 17-19). “[20] And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. [21] And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? [22] But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? [23] Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? [24] But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”

Notice verse 22. How could Jesus reveal the thoughts of the scribes and Pharisees? Who alone but God can read minds? (Those were some shocked people indeed!) Jesus is validating His identity: He is their Messiah, and God the Father has given Him the power to accomplish His will on earth! He can heal Israel of her sin problem. Note the next verse: “And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.”

How quickly did the sick man rise up? After Jesus prayed and laid hands, and prayed some more? After accepting a “collection” from the man? After the man had enough faith to be healed? No, the Bible says “immediately.” And the Bible says Jesus looked at the faith of the people carrying the man, not the faith of the man. It was nothing like those phony “healing” campaigns on “Christian” television networks! Christ said, “Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.” That paralytic instantly jumped up from off his sick bed and walked home glorifying God. Yes, God’s Word is “powerful” (Hebrews 4:12)…able to do the most extraordinary things! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Who is the ‘them’ of Romans 5:14?”

We Have Seen Strange Things Today! #1

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

“And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day” (Luke 5:26 KJV).

What did these people see that was “strange?”

Let us begin in context: “[17] And it came to pass on a certain day, as he [Jesus Christ] was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. [18] And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. [19] And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.”

While Jesus Christ is teaching, and healing the sick, the hypocritical Pharisees and Mosaic-Law scholars are watching Him to catch Him in a mistake. Meanwhile, certain men are attempting to bring in a bed on which a paralyzed man lies. They want Jesus to heal him, but crowds blocking the entrance into the building keep them outside. So, these men—undeterred—climb on the rooftop and lower the sick man’s bed down through the ceiling, right before Jesus: “[20] And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. [21] And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

Jesus forgives the man of his sins, thereby angering the Pharisees and scribes. This Jesus of Nazareth is claiming to be the JEHOVAH God of the Old Testament! They finally have Jesus in a tight spot, or so they “think.” Too blind to see it, they do not know that paralyzed man symbolizes them (Israel), spiritually paralyzed, unable to do anything. But, just like the paralytic, God can heal Israel, too. Note how verse 21 obviously indicated Jesus Christ is God Himself manifested in human flesh!

But, Christ will awe them again shortly….

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did John 10:16 predict the Church the Body of Christ?”

333’s 1700th – The Reign of Grace

Monday, January 25, 2016

“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20,21 KJV).

Dearly beloved, devotional #1700 is here!

Readers, friends, and brethren, these last 4½ years (!) have been quite a learning experience for us all. With each passing day, we are moving onward and upward in the Holy Scriptures. For years, we were spiritually starved in denominational systems. Whether we were lost and sitting in spiritual ignorance, or saved and sitting in spiritual ignorance, praise our Lord Jesus Christ that we have been delivered from that mess!

Today’s Scripture says the Mosaic Law was instituted to point out “the offence.” The Law is God’s straight line (righteousness) to manifest our crooked one (sin). Still, in His grace, He sent His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) to die for our sins, resurrect, and give us eternal life—His life! Sin only leads to death, but by Jesus Christ, grace will reign through righteousness unto eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We have daily victory over sin by simply relying on Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork. The grace life will be manifested in us and through us who believe!

As our world rushes toward more uncertainty, more problems, more error, and more darkness, let us not lose sight of what really matters—the eternal Word of God being deposited into our eternal souls. We have all been privileged to take a few minutes here every day—for 1700 days nonstop!—to look at the preserved words of God. We were all wondering if our Saviour would come in 2015. He has not come yet, of course. Whether or not He comes in 2016, we must be about our labor in Him. More studies must be written about the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and more people must be reached with it. May we all continue to let grace reign in our Christian lives!

Beloved, thank you for your prayerful support, and onward to #1800! 🙂

(NOTE: By the way, we have some VERY exciting ministry news to be revealed in the coming weeks!! Please stay tuned!!!)

The Blame Game

Sunday, January 24, 2016

“And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12 KJV).

Prepare for a psychology lesson from the Word of God!

The Bible is often viewed as an “anti-science” book. Today’s Scripture and its context illustrate this is simply not true. Psychologists and psychiatrists can study the human mind and human behavior in a lab and conclude that Genesis chapter 3 is certainly literal history—not “primitive fables invented and compiled around ancient Jewish campfires.” Whether the first man in the first instances of human history, or the 21st-century human in the most recent instances of human history, blame-shifting is one trait they have in common. There is no fantasy here, friend!

After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, Genesis chapter 3 says: “[9] And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? [10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. [11] And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? [12] And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. [13] And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

God called Adam to accountability—“Where are thou?” Adam, although now discovered, did not confess to any wrongdoing, however. He surreptitiously shifted the blame (God was not fooled). Today’s Scripture says Adam not only blamed Eve, but declared, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” In other words, “God, it is Thy fault, for Thou gavest me Eve!” And, Eve, she replied when God asked her what she had done, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” That is, “The Devil made me do it!” (So, friends, whether in Genesis chapter 3 or modern society, we see human nature at its best—blaming God, blaming Satan, but never self!)

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did Adam die a saved man?”

Their Loss Not Ours!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

“Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked; For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out” (Proverbs 24:19,20 KJV).

What great advice—to Israel or to us!

A Christian sister recently browsing social media grew angry. (We can all relate.) She had drifted onto the webpages of certain people who had greatly wronged her in the past. Her stirred-up emotions, not having a mind of their own, had caused her to (wrongly) believe the past was ongoing. She had kept perusing to see more text and additional pictures of their “success,” “popularity,” and overall “nice” outward appearance. Everyone had “flocked” to them—she was the outcast, even after all those years trying to do right. The anger gradually escalated. My advice to her was simple: “Get off! Move on! Get off!”

Brethren, let today’s Scripture sink into your hearts and minds. This is as close to “heaven” as lost people will get. Let them heap to themselves as many “friends” as possible on Earth—there are no “friends” in hell! Let them heap to themselves as many “pennies” as possible on Earth—there are no “riches” in hell! Let them heap to themselves as much “nice outward show” as possible on Earth—there is no “beauty” in hell! Let them live it up now. Except they die in Jesus Christ, here is as good as it will ever get for them. Once their “candle” is “put out”—their house is darkened because they have died—we certainly do not want to envy them at that point! Most certainly, they gained the whole world temporarily and lost their soul eternally (Matthew 16:26)!

Today’s Scripture is actually God the Holy Spirit encouraging believing Israelites (poor, destitute of goods, rejected, despised, imprisoned, bereaved) not to look at their unsaved Jewish brethren who are prospering materially and socially for following the Antichrist, yet future (Revelation 13:15-17; cf. Psalm 37). Why? The unsaved… when death comes, they lose their fortunes, their friends, their lives, and finally their souls. My, how we pray earnestly for their eternal salvation in Jesus Christ before it is too late. Without Him, it is their loss, not ours!

Delivered!

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

“[God the Father] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13 KJV).

Two very special people celebrate their spiritual birthday today!

Mom grew up in an “Evangelical”/Protestant denominational church, but she never recalled hearing a clear Gospel message until age 25. Her paternal grandmother, who mostly raised her, was very influential in her “religious” life for many of those years.

One day, a Christian lady friend, “Ms. S.,” phoned Mom and invited her to a cookout get-together. While there, Mom was curious about the eternal destiny of her father who died three months earlier. So, the lady put Mom on the phone with “Ms. P.,” one of her Christian friends. Ms. P. told Mom, “Honey, it’s too late for your father. Don’t worry about him. Where would you go if you died?” Mom assumed that her water baptism would save her. Long story short, right there over the phone, Ms. P. led Mom to simple faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Dad was rescued from Roman Catholicism by trusting Jesus Christ alone that same evening. Friends, that was 1980—exactly 36 years ago today. But the story continues.

Mom led me to Jesus Christ back in the mid-1990s. My eldest brother trusted Christ about a year or two later. For years, however, my parents and I were in and out of denominational churches and we struggled to understand the Bible. We learned certain “hints” of dispensationalism, but very little. Then, in January 2007, we began to discover pure dispensational Bible study. So, Mom and Dad were saved from their sins in January. And, another January, 27 years later, they (and I) were delivered from denominational bondage.

Where are these people today? The current whereabouts of Ms. S. are unknown. Mom is one of our faithful blog readers. (Dad rarely uses computers.) Ms. P. is still living. She, another reader, will no doubt read this. Mom’s paternal grandmother never lived to see Mom saved—she died just three weeks before Mom’s salvation. We will see my great-grandmother in heaven one day. She will be glad to hear what happened! 🙂

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #14

Monday, January 18, 2016

“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).

May we hearken to these truths, lest we misunderstand and dislike the Holy Bible!

The God of Scripture is “longsuffering.” He is not currently pouring out His wrath on Christ-rejecting mankind. Had Israel’s prophetic program operated unbroken, that judgment would have surely come just after Calvary (Psalm 2:1-5; Acts 2:34-36; Acts 7:55,56; et cetera). However, God interrupted prophecy, delayed that judgment, and revealed the mystery program to and through the Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus). An unprophesied (secret) period of “grace and peace” extended to all mankind (Gentiles), as illustrated by the salvation of wicked Saul in Acts chapter 9 (1 Timothy 1:12-16). The heart of that mystery program is “the Dispensation of Grace,” doctrines and other truths currently applicable, only until “the fulness of the Gentiles” comes in (Romans 11:25).

Peter had preached salvation and blessing to Gentiles through Israel and her kingdom (Acts 3:19-26; cf. Isaiah 60:1-3; Genesis 12:1-3). Through Paul’s ministry and Gospel, “the Gospel of the Grace of God,” Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork on Calvary, salvation and blessing is currently going to Gentiles without Israel and her kingdom (Romans 11:11-13; Ephesians 3:1-11).

God has offered grace to all; He has been longsuffering, tolerating man’s sins for 20 centuries! Why? “The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” That more lost sinners (like Saul) be saved into the Body of Christ by simple faith in Christ alone, thus spared God’s wrath when prophecy resumes! Once our Dispensation of Grace closes, then and only then, God’s wrath and war will replace His grace and peace (1 Thessalonians 4:13–5:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, 2:1-13). When the scoffers Peter referenced asked about Jesus’ coming in vengeance, they were pitifully ignorant! The message of grace that Paul preached was the very reason why that wrath had not yet come!

Let us conclude this devotionals arc.

Special-edition Bible Q&A #225: “What about the ‘Jewish Roots’ Movement?”
(This 22-page article systematically discusses the dangers of mixing Law and Grace concerning Christian living.)

Understand and Enjoy the Bible! #7

Monday, January 11, 2016

“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).

Although there is so much confusion about it, can we really understand and enjoy the Bible?

Let us consider the first point from today’s Scripture: “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Remember, the Apostle Peter (1:1) is writing to the nation Israel (Galatians 2:9). The Holy Spirit through Peter wants Israel to “account” something, to “consider” that “the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” Now, what does this mean? We can answer this by asking, “What are the circumstances that caused Peter to write this?”

Notice the beginning of chapter 3 of 2 Peter: “[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. [5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: [6] Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: [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.”

In today’s Scripture, Peter provided Israel with an answer to give the scoffers who asked where Jesus Christ’s Second Coming was, His return to consume them in His wrath. He was supposedly coming “quickly,” and yet, at the time of Peter’s writing, Christ had left Earth over 30 years earlier. There had still been no fiery judgment. Why? Was Christ not coming back? Was it all just a farce? In the second point, Peter encouraged his audience to consult Paul’s ministry. We do just that!

A Life That Will Please

Monday, January 4, 2016

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 KJV).

Today’s Scripture tells us who alone can live a life pleasing in God’s sight!

Everyone does “good” deeds. Yet, doing “good” is not necessarily good. For instance, people often do “good” just to receive praise/reward, make up for their wrongs, feel good, et cetera. Furthermore, despite our “good” deeds, we have plenty more bad ones! Pride, lying, evil thoughts, being a false witness, and being contentious are some of the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Mankind cannot even keep 10 simple rules from God. However, religion continues to urge us to keep seven sacraments, utter various prayers, give assorted offerings and “tithes,” attend numerous feasts and festivals, and perform sundry other tasks to “hopefully” please God and avoid hellfire. Whether we attempt to keep a church’s laws, our laws, or God’s laws, our flesh is far too weak to ever measure up. Just look at what God’s religion did to Israel—how much worse some man-made religion does to us!

As Saul of Tarsus, the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel. He was a nitpicker concerning Law-keeping, and yet, after his soul salvation, he admitted that all of his religion was “but dung” compared to Jesus Christ’s righteousness (Philippians 3:3-11). Even for the Christian, to live a perfect life is impossible (read of Paul’s miserable existence in Romans chapter 7). Paul had to forsake his vain religion and learn today’s Scripture: the Christian life is NOT the performance of the Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ living and working in the Christian, as the Christian walks in an intelligent understanding of God’s Word to him or her!

If we trust a Saviour who will save—the Lord Jesus Christ—and trust a Book that will teach—the King James Bible—we can redeem the year for the great God and our Saviour, “who loved [us], and gave himself for [us]!” 🙂