Category: Ishmael

Friday, September 16, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Here is a prevailing myth: “No one will deceive me because I use the Bible.” Actually, we can utilize the Scriptures and still wind up confused. (Dear friend, you do remember all the so-called “Bible-believing” churches who quote Scripture verses to show how they disagree with every other group, do you not? People of world religions, having taken notice of these abysmal divisions, answer, “If that is what it means to be a Christian, we rather die without ‘Jesus!’”) This is a real shame—especially since it happens more often than we care to think.

It is frequently assumed that, as long as “the Bible” is preached or read at a local church, we would not be harmed if we attended services there. This is a shallow, immature assessment. Even Satan himself does not mind reading and quoting Scripture if it means fooling someone into thinking he (Satan) is God’s messenger (Matthew 4:5,6; Luke 4:9-11)! Recall 2 Corinthians 11:3,4: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.”

Just because someone talks about “Jesus” does not necessarily mean they are serving the Lord Jesus Christ today. Not everyone who speaks about “the spirit” is automatically referring to the Holy Spirit’s current work. Just because someone talks about “the gospel” does not inevitably mean they are preaching the Gospel message in effect right now. Those who speak against Jesus Christ and reject the Bible entirely, we know they are wrong. Whom we have to be especially careful around is Bible quoters. Unless it is the Bible “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15), quoting verses will bring more darkness….

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

The saints in Corinth were exhorted: “Be not deceived: evil communications 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). Greeks by culture, the Corinthians had let their heathen neighbors adversely influence them. While members of the Body of Christ, the Corinthians were listening to pagan philosophers (among other false teachers). Too focused on the world’s “wisdom,” they had been distracted from “the knowledge of God.” Therefore, their Christian lives were asleep. Certainly, they should be ashamed—to the point of reforming. How deceived or misled we truly are if we think we will always be faithful to the Lord, that we will never disregard His words to us!

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 (which you would do well to read in your own personal Bible study), the Holy Spirit through Paul reminds these saints of how ancient Israel forgot what the LORD God did for them and forsook what He had told them. Verses 11-14 recapitulate: “[11] Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. [12] Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. [13] There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. [14] Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” That is, “Be careful to be grateful to God, lest you saints at Corinth wind up like the apostate Israelites centuries ago!” Actually, the Corinthians were already dabbling in false religion, “fellowshipping with devils” (verses 20,21)!

Saints, we too had better be attentive to the many spiritual perils around us….

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Imagine walking down a dilapidated alleyway. You notice a beggar holding a tin can and asking for spare change. The weather is cold and wet, and he shivers as he is scantily dressed in dirty, odious rags. He seems like he has not eaten a decent meal in quite a long time. Nearby is a cardboard box—his shack, in which he sleeps on soiled blankets with the very rats you see scurrying about. “You know,” he announces, “I was not always like this.” Surprised, you reply, “Oh, is that so?”

He continues, “Once, in a land faraway, I was king with untold riches and expansive real estate, but I grew tired of being a member of the royal family. So, one day, I rose from my throne, threw aside my regal apparel, and vacated my castle.” You interrupt him, “This is ridiculous! Utter madness! Why do you not go back where you belong?! You are miserable out here and liable to die! Let me help you return home.” Angrily, he stretches forth his hand, and, pointing to the filth and debris around him, he exclaims, “This is the neighborhood and this is the lifestyle I prefer, and you will not make me leave it! If you do not want to support me where I am, go away!”

Friend, stop and think. There is the king, a man with royal blood in his veins, now dwelling in a foreign land and living like a pauper because this is what he has chosen and he is quite content where he is. As silly and weird as it is, this is the life of so many genuine members of the Body of Christ. They have never been taught, or refused to see, the spiritual riches they have in the Lord (victory over sin, set apart from the world). Failing to appreciate their identity, they forsook what God did for them, and, deceived, they usually fight you to stay in the mess they are in….

Monday, September 12, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

Imagine a person born in one country who moves away to now live abroad. While he or she will adopt another culture (including new attire, food, language, and habits), his or her genetics are still the same. No matter the behavior, the nature has not changed: that person will always be a native of the original country. As another example, consider the water molecule—always two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Yet, depending on conditions, water can assume diverse appearances: solid (ice), liquid, or gas (water vapor). Regardless of its temperature (cold, hot, or room temperature), whatever its phase (solid, liquid, or gas), water remains a group of water molecules because that is its nature.

A believer in Christ—though redeemed from sin, though sanctified (set apart) for God’s purposes, though a temple of the Holy Spirit—can choose not to walk in that identity and thus resemble someone he or she is not (lost, unsaved, non-Christian). As we do the work of the ministry, we regularly encounter these people—sadly, more often than we would care to do so. These are precisely the subject of 2 Timothy 2:25,26: “In meekness [we are to be] instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance [change in mind] to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

“Those that oppose themselves” are just that—living contradictions. “I may be an adult, but I want to act like a child!” “I may have God’s Book to teach me, but I will think and do what I wish!” These are Christians whose minds and actions are incompatible with life in Christ. Instead of guarding themselves, they have fallen into “the snare [trap] of the devil,” “taken captive by him at his will.” That was exactly the Galatians’ dilemma in today’s Scripture….

Saturday, September 10, 2022

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you” (Galatians 4:19,20 KJV).

Are these people really saved—or really lost?

In one of the Bible’s four chief epistle-handbooks dealing with local church ministry (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon), we find this useful spiritual counsel: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26).

The Christian worker is not (!) to engage in a “war of words” (“must not strive”). Frequently, “ministry” is nothing but someone’s flesh motivating them to write or speak mean-spirited statements so as to aggravate people with opposing views. “But be gentle unto all men.” We can be firm (uncompromising) about the truth and yet remain kind and tactful. “Apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” The Christian worker must be able to patiently teach sound Bible doctrine, for extensive ignorance or un-learnedness needs to be overcome in the hearts and minds of his or her audience. Usually, “ministry” is just someone’s denominational doctrine (more frivolity and error) compelling them to recruit new church members (other mindless slaves to their group’s hierarchy).

“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” The Christian worker should be “meek”—humble not proud! If under the Holy Spirit’s control, and he or she has studied and believed sound Bible doctrine, verses will be mastered that very few people ever grasp. The Christian worker is to reach out to that colossal group abiding in darkness, that they hopefully be corrected. This errant crowd even includes fellow members of the Body of Christ….

NOTE: We temporarily break away from this devotionals arc to bring you a special study, but we will return the following day with more advanced studies on this same theme….