Category: sin

Lewd Fellows of the Baser Sort

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

“But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people” (Acts 17:5 KJV).

Our King James Bible abounds with interesting phraseology. Today’s Scripture is no exception. As a pastor friend often comments about the verse, “You may not understand that expression ‘lewd fellows of the baser sort’ but you at least know it does not sound good!” We will analyze the phrase and learn just how “bad” it really is. Context first, though.

While Paul and Silas were conducting Paul’s second apostolic journey, they came to Macedonia (northern Greece), to a city named Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. For two or three weeks, Paul reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. He used the Old Testament to prove that Jesus was Christ. Some in the audience believed the Gospel of the Grace of God—Christ Jesus died for their sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Luke writes in chapter 17 of Acts, verse 4, a great multitude of religious Greeks and many chief women believed unto eternal life. Today’s Scripture picks up the account. Satan was very upset!

Unbelieving Jews who followed Paul everywhere, became envious that God was now working amongst and saving the pagan Gentiles. In response to Paul’s ministry triumphs in Thessalonica, these lost Jews gathered a mob of the worst people they could locate. These men were “lewd” (wicked), but to make it worse, they were “of the baser sort” (the worst of the worst!). That mob then caused a riot in Thessalonica. It physically attacked a Christian, Jason, and his household. After that intense day, Paul and Silas by night barely escaped to nearby Berea with their lives (verses 6-10)!

Saints, may we learn this simple lesson. Let us brush off the silly and snide comments, awful frowns, and rude gestures from the lost world. After all, the Bible says Christians have been assaulted (literally) “by worse!” 🙂

Closed Minds, Closed Hearts, Closed Book

Sunday, September 13, 2015

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV).

“Why do more people not see dispensational Bible study?” Today’s Scripture explains.

A few years ago, a Christian friend invited me to her house to give a Bible study for her friend stuck in a “Christian” cult. Others attended as well. It turned out to be almost three hours of teaching! (Search YouTube for three videos titled, “Intro to Pauline Dispensationalism.”) The woman was without excuse after hearing that clear Gospel of Grace and clear outline of the Bible dispensationally considered.

Sometime later, she told my friend, “I felt so sorry for you all. You are all so deceived.” (Strangely, she never told me that, never corrected anything I said, and never “blessed” the group with any of her “spiritual insight.” In fact, strangest of all, throughout the study, she smiled, cheerfully listening to the verses, and even declared, “I know JEHOVAH God is working here!” Despite her “compliments,” we have not seen her since!)

More recently, I had an online discussion with a Bible critic, atheist, and evolutionist. Several others soon joined in. Once I contrasted their “idle speculation and ever-changing hypotheses” with “the Bible’s clear testimony,” one individual grew ballistic: “The Bible’s plain and clear testimony?!” Even with a saint of the Most High God expounding the Bible for him, he still could not understand it. Why? The Spirit of God was there (with me), but the man did not “receive” the things of the Spirit of God. He was not willing to see. He was no different from the cult member mentioned earlier.

Lost people lack God’s indwelling Holy Spirit. They have no capacity to understand God’s Word. It is foolishness to them. What about genuine Holy-Spirit-indwelt Christians trapped in denominations? They too are guided by the flesh (church tradition perpetuated by lost people), hindering the Holy Spirit from working in them (1 Thessalonians 5:19). However, as Jesus Himself said, whenever they are willing to hear and see, “[they] shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17).

Where True Love is Found

Saturday, September 12, 2015

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10 KJV).

Behold where true love is found!

Many people today seek “love” in all the wrong places—“pimping,” prostitution, homosexual unions, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, and all sorts of other illicit acts. Even concerning “straight” couples (involving two humans), there is usually a very shallow understanding of what true love is. There is a lot of “take, take, take” from one or both sides, and a lot of “me, me, me” on one or both sides. There is very little, if any, altruism (“give, give, give”). Both people really seeking the other person’s best interest—the rarest of all!

Beloved, let us never, ever, ever place another human on a level he or she will never attain. We are all sinners. Mistakes will happen. Other people will disappoint us, as individuals have done before. Break-ups happen, divorces happen, infidelity happens, betrayal happens. Even though both sides try their very hardest, there is still heartache and heartbreak. (Then, there is one or both parties doing nothing to make the situation better, leading to the same dismal end.)

All the unlovely people we have met in our life, the horrible individuals who treated us as though we were utter scum, we need not be bitter against them. We need to pray for them. They have not got a clue what real love is, and were thus unable to show it to us. We should take a moment to remember today’s Scripture. If no one else loves us, if everyone else betrays us, if everyone else disappoints us, if everyone else abandons us, there is still Father God and His free gift offered to us. His only begotten Son shed His rich, royal blood, that He may pay our sin debt. He had nothing left to give! Jesus Christ was Father God’s most precious relationship, and He (yea, They) gave it up, that we sinners might enjoy that perfect relationship forever!

In no other Person but Jesus Christ will we find true love. Let us not search for it elsewhere. Such a search is a waste of time… and of true love.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What about unmarried, divorced, and remarried men in the ministry?”

God’s Offer to the Nations

Friday, September 11, 2015

“…[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 14 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 watched here or read here.

Not That He Cared for the Poor

Thursday, September 10, 2015

“Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This [Judas] said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein” (John 12:5,6 KJV).

We can only wonder just how much do “eleemosynary-oriented” church leaders actually care for the poor they often talk so much about?

Not too long ago, I listened to a world-famous religious leader who always enjoys talking about helping the poor. Today’s Scripture came to mind as I reflected on his words. This religious leader heads the world’s wealthiest political-religious organization—the Roman Catholic Church! Its vaults have billions in rare pieces of art, real estate deeds, and so on. For a denomination that cares “so much for the poor,” its actions speak louder than its words. They have hoarded material riches for nearly 2,000 years, never “spreading the wealth” that they urge others to do. Smugly, a church official declared decades ago, “Only God knows how much wealth we have amassed!”

One of the chief ways the Devil attacks God’s ministry is “the love of money… the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). God’s Word constantly reminds bishops and deacons to be “not greedy of filthy lucre” (1 Timothy 3:3,8) and “not given to filthy lucre” (Titus 1:7). There is always the temptation for the minister of God to “suppose that gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5).

The Bible reveals in today’s Scripture that one Judas’ predilections was to “alleviate” the weight of the apostles’ treasury bag. As the group’s “accountant,” Judas Iscariot was always willing to have people put cash in the apostles’ money-bag so he could swipe it and use it for himself. In today’s Scripture, he claimed that ointment could have been sold, converted to money, and the money could have been given to help the poor. All he really wanted to do was enhance his own bank account!

God is not mocked, beloved. Oh, the extortionists in religion will have to stand before God one day, and “give account” to Him… literally, for every last penny they pilfered. We can take that “to the bank!” 🙂

God is Not a Recluse

Sunday, September 6, 2015

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6 KJV)

Is God a “recluse?” Certainly not, beloved!

Watching television, reading a newspaper, and/or scanning social media websites, you immediately recognize abundant negativity and distress. People immaturely bickering about stupid topics, calling others names to no purpose. Individuals harming others (robberies, murders, kidnappings, and so on). Trouble brewing at a local church once known for its loving atmosphere. A dysfunctional family waxing worse and worse. Economic, political, environmental, healthcare, and social woes. No matter the country, what a depressing state of affairs!

I recently read online, “The more I deal with people, the more I sympathize with recluses.” (And this complaint came from someone who was not God, someone who had not dealt with 15+ billion sinners and their every sinful deed and their every sinful thought every single moment for the last 6,000 years!) With every passing day, it should constantly amaze us that Father God allows it to continue. Remember, God will not fix just one little problem. If He is to take care of one issue, He must take care of them all. It is not yet time for Him to take care of one issue, so all of these depressing issues still remain unresolved in our world!

What we need to be most thankful for is that Father God knew all this trouble that was coming, long before Genesis 1:1, and He devised a plan to make it right (today’s Scripture). Imagine if you will, knowing full well the colossal mess that would result because of sinful man. Would you create the heaven and the earth still? Let me just say I would spare myself all the headache and heartbreak!

The God of the Bible could have just stayed in heaven. He could have been a recluse, having nothing to do with man. He could have let man stay lost in his sin. There was no obligation for God to do anything. Oh, but praise Him, He was not a recluse, but rather died for the people who had caused Him such grief! Yea, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (today’s Scripture).

Our Neutralizer and Justifier

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Ephesians 5:1,2 KJV).

Get rid of your rotten stench in Adam by trusting the sweet fragrance in Christ!

Once, a dear lady was trying to correct her extreme hoarding behaviors. Before professional cleaners and organizers improved her home, she took them on a tour of her exceedingly cluttered house. It was appalling to say the least! A major problem was she lacked functional bathroom plumbing. Her toilet could not flush human waste unless she manually poured water into the bowl. To their horror, they saw backed-up and decaying waste on her bathroom floor. Workers complained of the horrific smell as she demonstrated her toilet’s “improvised” flushing. She quickly defended herself, “I had a deodorizer in here somewhere!” She was hoping to mask the overwhelming odor of untreated sewage using a tiny deodorizer! While watching this program, I thought, this is exactly what people do with religion.

Sin has a very putrid smell. It greatly reeks in God’s sight. What people try to do in religion is manage the smell of their sin by masking it with “religious goodness.” But, they are merely deodorizing. They do not need to mask the smell. Yea, they cannot mask the smell—it is too great! They need to neutralize—obliterate—the smell entirely! They need a neutralizer and then a deodorizer. But, it is beyond their control. Try as they might, they cannot help themselves get rid of the stench. That is why Jesus Christ came to do it all for them!

As today’s Scripture says, Jesus Christ is both our neutralizer and our deodorizer. He forgives us by way of His shed blood (neutralizing, clearing the debt) and then He gives us His righteousness (deodorizing, justifying). In Jesus Christ, we share His fragrance. “Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)—stinky works that our efforts produced. As “religious” Saul of Tarsus learned, his “good works” were “but dung” (Philippians 3:8)… smelly waste product, untreated sewage!

Oh, but what a lovely smell we have in Jesus Christ! 🙂

Words Smoother Than Butter

Sunday, August 30, 2015

“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:9-11 KJV).

Slip not on the “words smoother than butter!”

We Anglophones use the idiom, “He is a smooth talker.” This eloquent speaker manipulates words—using flattery, overly-complementary words—to make us think or do whatever he wants. With the mind and heart (emotions) captured, the physical body naturally follows.

Today’s Scripture is JEHOVAH’S controversy with Israel. They are disobedient and deceitful. When JEHOVAH sends seers and prophets to guide Israel back to Him, she refuses. “Do not tell us what the Bible says! Get out of our way! Let us do what we want! Tell us something nice and cheerful! Shut up about sin, righteousness, and God’s impending judgment!” (Sound familiar?) “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3).

Interestingly, God will one day give Israel exactly what she wants. A man, a “super-man,” will make a false seven-year peace treaty with Israel. This Antichrist will promise Israel great peace and prosperity. David wrote about him in Psalm 55:21: “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.” “He shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries” (Daniel 11:21). The Antichrist will dazzle Israel—yea, the world—with likeable traits, great speeches, and supernatural abilities (Revelation 13:1-4). Once he gains Israel’s trust, he will destroy them militarily, mercilessly slaughtering as many of his enemies as possible (Daniel 8:22-25; Zechariah 11:15-17; Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:15-18). As a dear pastor-brother-friend warned, “Beware of those who over-complement! They are the first to stab you in the back!”

Beloved, watch out for and avoid the “words smoother than butter!” Christendom, like Israel of old, is still slipping doctrinally because of them!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Is faith enough to enter heaven? Do not the devils ‘believe?’”

#Katrina10

Saturday, August 29, 2015

“And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasureth up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;” (Romans 2:3-5 KJV).

Exactly 10 years ago today, the worst natural disaster in modern United States history struck the Gulf Coast. Was it really God’s wrath?

On August 29, 2005, a Category 3 (formerly a Category 5) hurricane departed the Gulf of Mexico and struck the Louisiana/Mississippi border, roughly three hours’ drive east of here. Over 1,000 people died. Causing over US$100 billion in damage, Katrina is the costliest hurricane on record. It greatly affected our state (Louisiana) and the rest of the Gulf Coast. The Greater New Orleans Metropolitan Area was particularly affected.

Ten years ago, I was steeped in denominationalism. I agreed with the religionists that God’s wrath had finally hit New Orleans. The debauched Mardi Gras parades, violence, racism, murders, sexual immorality, and so on, would be no more there. Friend, let me assure you—10 years ago, I was totally ignorant of the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering!

If one does not “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), all of his or her theology will be unstable. Dispensational Bible study is absolutely critical—not only in understanding the Bible, but also in understanding what God is doing today. The God of the Bible is often portrayed as cruel, yet today’s Scripture says He is a good God, a forbearing God, and a longsuffering God. Not only that, but He is rich in goodness, rich in forbearance, and rich in longsuffering! There is no better Person than Him!

God’s wrath against man’s sin will be revealed one day, but let us not despise His grace, goodness, patience, and longsuffering, today. Grace postpones the wrath! Peace postpones the war! Friends, let us come by simple faith in Jesus Christ’s finished crosswork, that we not see that wrath when it does finally come!

Paul and Dispensationalism #19

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

“[God] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles” (2 Timothy 1:9-11 KJV).

What else can the Apostle Paul teach us about dispensational Bible study?

Long before there was a Heaven and an Earth, there was the triune Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. And there was Their purpose and plan for Heaven and Earth. They determined that some of the people who would be saved unto eternal life, they would form a special body of believers, the Church the Body of Christ. But, the Triune Godhead never said so much as one word about that plan for over 4,000 years. Imagine keeping a secret that long!

Then, the time came for God’s marvelous secret to be revealed. That “mystery”—that “hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:6-8)—was finally manifested for all to see. Not only would people see it but also the angels and Satan! Today’s Scripture says that Paul was thus appointed “a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” The risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Paul and chose him for a special purpose (Acts 26:16-18). Paul would declare to all the world how Jesus Christ, at Calvary’s cross, had utterly destroyed Satan’s plans (Colossians 2:15). Through Paul, Jesus Christ, via His heavenly ministry, would tell all the world that there was eternal life and immortality available to them through His finished crosswork. Beloved, this is the wonderful Gospel of the Grace of God!

To revert back to Christ’s earthly ministry, or the other Old Testament Scriptures, is to ignore Jesus Christ’s heavenly ministry and the wonderful Gospel of Grace. Our message today is found in the writings of Paul, Romans through Philemon. To abandon God’s Word through Paul has dangerous, everlasting effects, so let us exalt his Gentile ministry as the Holy Spirit did (Romans 11:13)! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did God give angels free will as He gave to mankind?”