Category: Christ’s earthly ministry

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #34

Monday, June 22, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Recall how “oikodome” is translated various ways—“building,” “edify/edifying,” “edification.” A structure is raised, an edifice is under construction, or a house (“oikos”) is built up (“demo,” “to build”). Now, pay attention to Paul’s words here: “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do” (1 Timothy 1:3,4). This “godly edifying” is “the building up of God,” edification in keeping with His plan.

We never worship Paul, for Paul is neither our God nor our Saviour, but Paul is our God’s minister (“servant”) and he is our Saviour’s apostle (“sent one”). Paul was entrusted with the blueprints of God’s current relations with man: “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace [ministry/office/apostleship] of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder [‘architekton’], I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:9-11). Interestingly, even Peter recognized the special “wisdom” given to Paul, which Pauline Scriptures people were “wresting” (twisting, corrupting, distorting the meaning of) (2 Peter 3:15,16).

Bringing this all together, we have the following. Firstly, the God of the Bible has a scheme to build a house using doctrine (teaching worthy of our trust). Secondly, this doctrine describes His very life (hence, the doctrine forms a house, GOD’S house). Thirdly, if He is to fill us with His life, He must dispense or distribute that doctrine to us so we can believe it. Fourthly, He has delivered that doctrine to us via Paul’s apostleship. Fifthly, unless we place our faith in that Pauline information, no edifice of sound doctrine can be built in our inner man. The emphasis then is not only Christ’s earthly ministry (Matthew to John), but, rather, Christ’s heavenly ministry (Romans to Philemon)….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #24

Thursday, June 11, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Observe! It was the LORD God’s intention to bless the world/nations/Gentiles through the nation Israel’s rise to kingdom glory (Genesis 12:1-3; Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 3:24-26). That was the heart of “prophecy” (cf. Matthew 25:34; Luke 1:68-75; Acts 3:20-23). However, Israel rejected Messiah-King Jesus and crucified Him in unbelief (John 19:14,15), refusing to trust Him even after His death, burial, and resurrection… which brings us into early Acts, the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the 12 Apostles. With national Israel spurning Jesus Christ for three years (Matthew to John) and snubbing the Holy Spirit for one year (early Acts), she falls in Acts chapter 7 by stoning Stephen who is filled with the Holy Ghost (see Matthew 12:31,32; Mark 3:28-30; Luke 13:6-9).

Paul’s apostleship, which commences in Acts chapter 9, is introduced because of Israel’s fall. Romans chapter 11: “[11] I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. [12] Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: [14] If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them…. [25] For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery [secret, once-hidden wisdom now revealed through Pauline doctrine!], lest ye should be wise in your own conceits [do not think you are Israel or that you have replaced Israel!]; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”

It is through the nation Israel’s fall that salvation currently comes to the Gentiles/nations/world, for the God of the Bible utilizes Paul’s ministry to reach out to all people without distinction during the operation of “mystery” (Romans 16:25,26)….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #22

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

When determining the will of God for us, we must first and foremost make sure we understand that being Scriptural or Biblical is not enough. After all, remember, even Satan quotes verses (see Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4:10,11). Though Psalm 91:11,12 was true and the will of God for someone, Christ knew it was inapplicable to Him and His first coming, so He did not obey Psalm 91 like Satan pressured Him. Contexts are always important; therefore, we should never isolate verses or lift them from their settings.

As we read Scripture, we must take extreme care to note: (1) who is speaking/writing, (2) to whom are they speaking/writing, and (3) what are they speaking/writing. Christendom customarily skips the first two and goes straight to the third. “I want to follow this verse!” “But that verse is not to or about you!” “So what, I will take it anyway!” Tens of thousands of denominations, cults, and sects were thus created. How miserably they failed in differentiating between “time past,” “but now,” and “the ages to come!”

The only verse that tells us to “study” the Bible tells us how to study it: “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). Paul’s method for “rightly dividing” the Scriptures included separating “time past,” “but now,” and “the ages to come” (Ephesians 2:7,11-13). Moreover, he wrote, “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 16:25,26a). “Mystery” truth, what God kept secret since the world began but has now revealed to and through Paul, is not to be confounded with “prophecy,” what Peter defined as “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

If we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe, we are that much closer to discovering God’s will for us….

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #20

Sunday, June 7, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” When 1 John 2:16 here refers to “the lust of the flesh,” “the lust of the eyes,” and “the pride of life,” it stresses how temptation under Satan’s evil world system falls under three categories. Firstly, the “lust [desire] of the flesh” can be summarized as, “It feels good!” Secondly, the “lust [desire] of the eyes” is described with, “It looks good!” Thirdly, the “pride of life” can be summarized as, “I deserve it!”

Matching the aforementioned pattern, the tree of the forbidden fruit was “good for food,” it was “pleasant to the eyes,” and it was “to be desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). Adam and Eve failed in all three areas of temptation! Thousands of years later, Satan tried to persuade the Lord Jesus to turn stones into bread (“the lust of the flesh”—which would have satisfied fasting Christ in Matthew 4:1-4 and Luke 4:1-4), to throw Himself off the Jerusalem Temple (“the lust of the eyes”—such a performance would have generated quite a spectacle in Matthew 4:5-7 and Luke 4:9-13), and to worship him to gain the kingdoms of this world (“the pride of life”—which would have stirred up egotism in Matthew 4:8-11 and Luke 4:5-8). Christ, however, prevailed in all three spheres!

Our world is replete with people who are thinking and doing whatever they want because it feels good to them. Furthermore, they are thinking and doing whatever they wish because it looks good to them. Lastly, they are thinking and doing whatever they want because it is something they suppose they deserve. Hebrews 11:25 thus mentions how one can “enjoy the pleasures of sin,” and Romans 1:32 speaks of sinners who “have pleasure in them [other sinners] that do them [the sinful deeds listed in verses 18-32].”  

Nevertheless, Father God’s will for us believers is something else entirely….

To Kneel or Not to Kneel in Prayer? #5

Monday, April 27, 2026

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…” (Ephesians 3:14 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture insinuate the “proper posture of prayer” is kneeling?

A seminary-educated preacher and teacher/professor once proposed that more Christian people needed to get down on their knees while they prayed. What that poor brother did not learn from his so-called “Christian institution of high learning” was edification in sound Bible doctrine and admonition about formalism (making a big deal about outward appearance, form, ceremony, rite, ritual).

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias [Isaiah 29:13] prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9; cf. Mark 7:6,7). If you carefully read these contexts, you will notice substantial religious busyness in Judaism—especially assorted washings of hands, cups, pots, brazen vessels, and tables (Mark 7:3,4,8). It was a stunning spectacle that seemed to foster wholesomeness or purity. However, they were neglecting their filthy, sinful hearts of unbelief, recognizing no need to seek God so He could clean these (Matthew 23:25-33). Whether Isaiah’s time, or Christ’s earthly ministry 700 years later, lost Jews sang psalms and talked about “God” (“This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips”), but there was no corresponding heart of faith (“but their heart is far from me”). Undoubtedly, countless Christ-rejecting Jews were on their knees too, praying this and praying that. Mere form means nothing, but underlying doctrine does!

It is not arrogant to pray while standing, just as it is not necessarily humble to pray while kneeling. Moreover, we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It is impossible to kneel constantly. After all, we do have to sleep, walk, drive vehicles, and work a job! To reduce prayer to a mere physical position, to assert “the proper posture of prayer is kneeling,” is to advertise Bible ignorance. Prayer is simply talking to God in light of His words to us (and this we should always do), and we do not have to speak audibly either. There is no requirement to kneel, close our eyes, or lift up our hands….

To Kneel or Not to Kneel in Prayer? #4

Sunday, April 26, 2026

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…” (Ephesians 3:14 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture insinuate the “proper posture of prayer” is kneeling?

The Lord Jesus did not care if someone chose to pray while standing. He actually instructed His disciples, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25). In fact, if we are going to assert the “best” praying is done on our knees, we might as well stop advertising our Bible ignorance and start expelling it!

For those who never cease saying, “We need to follow Jesus,” they may find it interesting that when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane just moments before His arrest and hours before His crucifixion, not only did He kneel (Luke 22:41), He “fell on his face” (Matthew 26:39) and He even “fell on the ground” (Mark 14:35). Therefore, if we are going to commend ourselves as “spiritual” for kneeling, we might as well go all the way and put our face to the ground too! Or, better yet, we should be entirely prostrate on the floor—the lowest possible position (short of burial)! Do they want to “follow Jesus” here? Probably not!

Moreover, yet again, we ask: does lowly physical posture equate to worship of God? No. Over a decade ago, I witnessed such hypocrisy at the last denominational church I ever attended. For approximately two years, one deacon went forward at “invitation time” and either walked to stand with the pastor or went over to the front pew and knelt before it to pray. Later, another deacon of the congregation explained to me that that was a performance that the pastor had devised to entice people to get up and “walk the aisle.” The deacon talking to me stated how he had refused to go along with the charade, but that the other deacon did not mind parading himself with his “fair [beautiful] shew in the flesh” (Galatians 6:12). Such was not faith but denominational tomfoolery. There was a lowly physical position, but no humility.

We must see prayer as God Himself does….

To Kneel or Not to Kneel in Prayer? #3

Saturday, April 25, 2026

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…” (Ephesians 3:14 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture insinuate the “proper posture of prayer” is kneeling?

If one argues that kneeling to pray is somehow “more spiritual” than standing to pray, he or she encounters difficulties in the Bible. For instance, Hannah, the mother of Prophet-Priest-Judge Samuel, stated this to Priest Eli: “Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:26). She prayed while standing—and, if you read the context, she was anything but arrogant.

Luke chapter 18, verses 9-14, poses another obstacle for someone who insists prayer should be done kneeling: “And he [Jesus Christ] spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased [lowered]; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Both Pharisee (self-righteous religious snob) and publican (humble tax-collector) stood as they prayed in the Jerusalem Temple. Jesus never made any critical remark about physical posture. Instead, He pinpointed how the attitude of both men was the significant issue. The Pharisee bragged about his works and how he was “superior” to others, whereas the publican confessed his sin problem and recognized his entrance into God’s presence was only because of the animal blood applied on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Christ declared the publican “justified,” right in God’s sight, even though the man stood to pray! What mattered was the posture of the inner man, and only the publican met God’s standard of righteousness there….

To Kneel or Not to Kneel in Prayer? #2

Friday, April 24, 2026

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,…” (Ephesians 3:14 KJV).

Does today’s Scripture insinuate the “proper posture of prayer” is kneeling?

Indeed, religion is extremely advantageous when we want others to look at us and praise us for what seems to be a godly exterior. “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them:… Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men…. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men…. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast” (Matthew 6:1,2,5,16). “But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries [small boxes of Scripture, worn on forehead or wrist], and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi” (Matthew 23:5-7).

Almsgiving, prayer, and fasting can all be used to generate publicity, to draw attention to one’s self, to keep up appearances. Christ condemned the Judaism operating during His earthly ministry because it was not worship of God, but worship of self. Religion transforms the outside and fakes the outside with false veneer (which “piety” man can only see), but it can neither transform the inside nor fake the inside (which spirituality God alone sees): “…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Visit the average church building now and notice people kneeling. Physically, it is a lowly position—but are they truly spiritually humble? If aligned with a system that equates their fleshly efforts with Christ’s finished crosswork, what describes them is anything but humility. It is religious pride through and through, just like Judaism, but only with spiritual eyes can we discern it. Kneeling is not automatic humbleness….

Not Thy Righteousness, But Their Wickedness #7

Thursday, April 16, 2026

“Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” (Deuteronomy 9:5 KJV).

May we have the proper perspective of wickedness versus righteousness….

When Messiah Jesus visited Israel in the Promised Land during the time of Matthew to John, He found precious few who had learned the lesson of the Law and were thus willing to confess their sin problem. Instead, Judaism had been transformed—better yet, watered down—into a system of glorified self-righteousness. He therefore cautioned His audience with the following words.

“For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the [self-] righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance [change in mind]” (Matthew 9:13). “When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Scan all these contexts to see “goody-goodies” in the land of Canaan being rebuked. Also, mark well Luke 18:9, a summary of their depraved condition in religion: “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:….”

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). This was lost Israel’s predicament in Matthew to John, and even into latter Acts when the Apostle Paul wrote those words (see Romans 9:31–10:4). Failing to see their sin problem, they saw no need for the Saviour either. How the unbelievers of today’s world repeat that error of so long ago….

The Price of Christ #2

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

“Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment” (John 12:3 KJV).

How much should Jesus Christ be worth in the eyes of Christians?

About six days before His crucifixion, Jesus is in Bethany, a town one or two miles (1.6 or 3.2 kilometers) southeast of Jerusalem. He has raised Lazarus from the dead just a short time earlier (John chapter 11), and they are holding a supper for Jesus there in Bethany (John 12:1-9). Lazarus’s sister Mary (cf. John 11:2) anoints Jesus’ feet as recorded in today’s Scripture.

Mary took a “pound” (roughly a pint or 0.5 liter) of the very intense aromatic essential oil “spikenard” and poured it onto Jesus’ feet. She then wiped His feet with her hair. (You can grasp Mary’s humility by remembering that sandaled feet that trod hot Middle Eastern sand were quite filthy, sweaty, and smelly. Can you imagine wiping your hair on those feet?)

Spikenard, whose plant derivative is still unknown, was just as the Bible says—“very costly.” In fact, when Judas—the thieving treasurer of the apostles—saw what Mary did, he bemoaned, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). Verse 6 says, “This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.” Judas just wanted the spikenard sold so he could pocket the money!

The word “pence” in our King James Bible means the Roman coins called denarii. A denarius was equal to one day’s wages, so 300 pence was roughly ten month’s wages (the denarius was originally worth the price of ten donkeys, so 300 pence was 3,000 donkeys!). Mary recognized the great value of the Lord Jesus Christ: He was worth far more than the mere 30 pieces of silver (three or four months’ wages) Judas later received for betraying Him. May we Christians value the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, as much as Mary did!