Category: Christ’s earthly ministry

Believing Unbelievers #2

Thursday, March 24, 2022

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25 KJV).

Is it possible to be a believing unbeliever? According to today’s Scripture, YES!

Remember, the nation Israel is God’s “sign” people (Psalm 74:9), for “the Jews require a sign” (1 Corinthians 1:22) and, as Jesus told His Jewish audience, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). Consequently, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matthew 4:23; cf. Matthew 9:35). “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,…” (Luke 8:1).

The Lord performed miracles to demonstrate or validate the Gospel of the Kingdom He was proclaiming. In His kingdom, blessings from God will preclude sickness and eliminate bondage to Satan. He also endowed His Apostles with this supernatural power: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen” (Mark 16:17-20; cf. Matthew 10:1-8).

When Christ executed miracles, it was not simply to give people carefree, problem-free lives. These miraculous demonstrations were proof His message was worthy of His audience’s trust. Yet, if they did not have a positive attitude toward these supernatural events, they would overlook the meaning and thus fail to genuinely believe the message conveyed thereby….

Believing Unbelievers #1

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25 KJV).

Is it possible to be a believing unbeliever? According to today’s Scripture, YES!

While Christianity is frequently assumed to be in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Bible believer understands Judaism is still operating during Christ’s earthly ministry. Read verse 13: “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,….” Why did the Lord visit Jerusalem for Passover? Of course, Galatians 4:4: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,….” The Law of Moses was in force while Jesus walked in the land of Palestine.

As a good, Law-keeping Jew, the Lord Jesus obeyed God’s words spoken through Moses. “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread [Passover]: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty: ) And the feast of harvest [Pentecost], the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering [Tabernacles], which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God” (Exodus 23:14-17). “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose [Jerusalem!]; in the feast of unleavened bread [Passover], and in the feast of weeks [Pentecost], and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:…” (Deuteronomy 16:16).

While Christ is celebrating Passover in Jerusalem, with all those foreign Jews visiting that city, He performs miracles. The crowd’s response is worthy of our reflection….

One Having Authority

Sunday, March 13, 2022

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28,29 KJV).

Oh, how He preached with conviction! Oh, how He spoke like He actually believed what He said! Oh, how He imparted wisdom with such skill!

After Christ closed His remarkable Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7), the Apostle Matthew commented in today’s Scripture: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” As their title implies, the “scribes” were Hebrew Bible copyists—and also Bible teachers. They were the leading, literate (able to read and write) class in Israel.

Yet, like so many religious leaders today, the scribes relied heavily—not on the Bible alone but—on what others said about it, quoting particularly the rabbinical interpretations and oral religious traditions attached to Bible verses. Think of such prefaces as, “The church says, Rabbi So-and-So says, the denominational hierarchy says, Doctor So-and-So says,” and the like. Of course, the Lord Jesus was God in human flesh, so He had no need to appeal to fallible men for authority. Any survey of His discourses yields one incontrovertible fact: the Lord was no spiritual wimp, He knew what the pure Hebrew Bible itself taught, and He unapologetically taught it to His Jewish people, that it be restored to its rightful preeminence. Where Jewish traditions had reigned supreme—uncontested for centuries—the Lord through His sermons corrected the countless erroneous beliefs besetting His nation. “This is what your Hebrew Bible really says. Here is what it says in its purity.”

Dear brethren, it is ever so important to realize we are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are the Church the Body of Christ, and, as His Body, we are to be about His work! He has given us His preserved Word, the Holy Bible (King James in English!), He has given us His indwelling Holy Spirit, and He has given us the authority and privilege to teach His pure Word (dispensationally!), that it be rescued from the hands of apostate spiritual leaders, and correctly deposited into the minds and hearts of the commoners.

NOTE: Saints, after some months of delay, I have finally created and updated a “Second Decade” Master List of Devotionals Links page. This set goes back to the beginning of our Second Decade—June 1, 2021—and will (Lord willing) span to May 31, 2031. Click the link here. Remember, our First Decade is here.

Two Abominations #4

Saturday, February 26, 2022

“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked” (Proverbs 29:27 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is a transdispensational truth, pertinent to any and every age.

“And there was much murmuring [grumbling, complaining] among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people” (John 7:12). Again, to the believers, Christ Jesus was a “good man.” To the unbelievers, He was nothing but a “deceiver.” Here are two views of one God-Man—the first truthful, the second inaccurate. Such diametrically divergent positions about Him are taken even now.

Our world abounds with various beliefs and sundry values. Everyone and everything cannot be correct. One person has adopted a certain course of action, but another follows the direct opposite path in life. What is right to one is wrong to the other. How can what we believe and do have any eternal, meaningful merit if each person uses a different set of assessment standards? According to the Bible, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). We can be certain there will be one final evaluation of everything everyone has believed and done. That is the only way true justice will ever be meted out.

As we read in today’s Scripture, the just finds fault with the unjust, and the wicked condemns the upright. Someone is right; someone is wrong. No, rather, one belief system is truth and the other belief system is false. The Holy Bible furnishes us with information by which we can gauge doctrine and conduct exactly as the Lord does. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Yet, very few of us can ever master that data because denominations, philosophy, and other forms of unbelief waste our time and energy. If we do happen to be “upright in the way,” the majority—not upright, having squandered its time with nonsense—is unable to appreciate God’s ministry in us. Nevertheless, despite their hatred for us, we can make sure not to follow the “unjust” in their truly abominable thoughts and works.

Our latest Bible Q&A: “What does, ‘bray a fool,’ mean?”

Two Abominations #3

Friday, February 25, 2022

“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked” (Proverbs 29:27 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is a transdispensational truth, pertinent to any and every age.

Delivering His Sermon on the Plain, the Lord declared: “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake” (Luke 6:22). Years later, the Holy Spirit expanded on that in 1 Peter 3:16,17: “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” See also Matthew 10:22-25 and Luke 21:12-19.

“He that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” Remember, the Book of Proverbs (including today’s Scripture) is God’s wisdom for Israel’s believing remnant as it outsmarts Satan’s wisdom under the Antichrist (yet future from us, after our mystery program has concluded). As the Antichrist’s supporters are deceived (wrongly believing he is Messiah/Christ; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12), they naturally begin persecuting their Jewish brethren who have trusted Jesus as Messiah/Christ. It is important these suffering saints not lose hope (purpose of 1 Peter).

Also, the Jewish Little Flock needs to detect error and discern truth (purpose of 1, 2, and 3 John), enabling them to see and avoid the unbelievers’ evil: “An unjust man [Antichrist’s follower] is an abomination to the just [Jesus’ disciple].” See 1 John 3:11-14: “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren [the just, upright], if the world [the unjust, wicked] hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death [like Cain, really an unbeliever!].”

Thankfully, the Lord will make one final evaluation of all….

Two Abominations #2

Thursday, February 24, 2022

“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked” (Proverbs 29:27 KJV).

Today’s Scripture is a transdispensational truth, pertinent to any and every age.

When preaching to Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Peter described Christ’s earthly ministry in the following terms: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (verse 38). That is, whatever Jesus did during those three years had advanced Father God’s cause in Israel, thereby overturning Satan’s efforts in that same nation.

Now, mark well the observations of sinful flesh concerning Jesus. “Nay, but he deceiveth the people” (John 7:12)! “He is beside himself [crazy]” (Mark 3:21)! “He hath a devil, and is mad [crazy]” (John 10:20)! “This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub [Satan] the prince of the devils” (Matthew 12:24)! “Thou hast a devil” (John 7:20)! “Behold a gluttonous [greedy for food] man, and a winebibber [drunkard], a friend [buddy] of publicans [tax collectors] and sinners” (Luke 7:34)! Such absurdities could come only from the lips of souls whom natural-man thinking dominated. Remember the second portion of today’s Scripture? “And he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.” Lost people still slander God’s people even now—“troublemaker,” “hater,” “narrow-minded bigot,” “self-righteous,” “know-it-all!”

Recall the first part of today’s Scripture. “An unjust man is an abomination to the just.” An example of this is Luke 16:15: “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.” Here, God is disgusted with sinful behavior because He hates it. Above all, He is most displeased when the “pious elite” pretend their religious works will ever be an acceptable substitute for His righteousness. That was the chief problem with the Pharisees to which that verse was addressed (verse 14)—and of many billions even now.

Let us see how today’s Scripture reaches into the future….

Bowed Together! #8

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

“And he [the Lord Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity” (Luke 13:10-12 KJV).

What lesson is the Holy Spirit conveying through this passage of the Holy Bible?

Recall the Sabbath Day was to serve as Israel’s weekly reminder to contemplate God’s work during the Creation Week and subsequent rest (cf. Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11). Every Saturday, the Jews were to stop their labors and remember God’s purpose and plan for Creation. Why had the LORD rested that first Sabbath? His work completed, it was time for Him to enjoy the Heavens and the Earth! Alas, sin entered the world through Adam in Genesis chapter 3. Whatever God intended for Creation has yet to be fulfilled. Israel had been formed to take Adam’s place in the Earth, but she too rebelled and willfully followed Satan!

Sabbath rest ultimately looks toward Millennial Kingdom rest, when all Creation is delivered from Satan and sin, and God’s original purpose in Creation is finally brought to pass (see Hebrews 3:7–4:11). Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ performed a series of Sabbath miracles—including the healing of the “bowed together” woman—to highlight the deliverance connected to His earthly kingdom.

Upon hearing God’s wonderful promises to sinful Israel, Satan objects in Isaiah 49:24, “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?” Verses 25 and 26: “But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour [!] and thy Redeemer [!], the mighty One of Jacob.”

“And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him” (Luke 13:17).

Bowed Together! #7

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

“And he [the Lord Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity” (Luke 13:10-12 KJV).

What lesson is the Holy Spirit conveying through this passage of the Holy Bible?

Although the disabled woman “glorified God” because of her healing (verse 13), the ruler of the synagogue “answered with indignation” (verse 14). He is angry the Lord Jesus has violated rabbinical traditions, religious rules that forbade the rendering of medical aid on the Sabbath unless in life-and-death situations. “Jesus should have cured her yesterday or tomorrow! Her condition was not urgent enough that He had to help her today!”

Verses 15 and 16: “The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” Wow! Now there is a rebuttal involving great thought. Here these Jewish religionists would work by freeing their animals to drink water even on the Sabbath, but they had the audacity to criticize the Lord loosing a human hostage and leading her to wholesome life on the Sabbath!? Whereas they pitied beasts, they were callous toward their fellow people! Such confusion and nonsense are found among the “animal rights” activists today, with human life meaningless but animal life exalted.

Christ identified the woman’s—and Israel’s—overall problem. Through his lie program, Satan has “bound” her, made her his prisoner by placing her in shackles or chains (sin and false religion). Yet, God can and does free her: “Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” In fact, notice she is “a daughter of Abraham” (verse 16), a Jewess. Jesus’ earthly ministry is to liberate Israel from Satanic captivity, and there is no better day than the Sabbath Day to teach such a lesson….

Bowed Together! #6

Monday, January 10, 2022

“And he [the Lord Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity” (Luke 13:10-12 KJV).

What lesson is the Holy Spirit conveying through this passage of the Holy Bible?

Continue reading the verse following today’s Scripture: “And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” In addition to declaring the powerful words of God—those which impart life and health—the Lord Jesus touches the infirm woman with His hands. Here are the mighty hands of the Creator at work! “Immediately,” she is recovered from the effects of sin and Satan’s evil world system. Unlike the “miracles” of modern “sideshow Christianity,” this is no gradual healing that takes hours, days, weeks, months, or years to realize. No, instantly, her chronic disability is corrected.

How do those in the synagogue respond to this miraculous demonstration? Verse 14 relates: “And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.” This caretaker of the synagogue and organizer of its services is outraged. Vaguely appealing to Exodus 20:8-11 and Genesis 2:1-3, as well as Judaistic traditions, he exclaims, “Jesus, today is the Sabbath Day, and this is to be a time of rest not work! Furthermore, as you know, according to rabbinical interpretations of these passages, medical aid is not to be rendered on the Sabbath unless in the case of life-threatening situations! You should have let her come on a non-Sabbath day to heal her! How dare you work on the Sabbath!”

Of course, hypocrisy and confusion abound in these statements of the synagogue ruler. Like his apostate nation, he has taken the position of doubt not faith. Thus, the Lord Jesus Christ cleverly answers him in a most unexpected way….

Bowed Together! #5

Sunday, January 9, 2022

“And he [the Lord Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity” (Luke 13:10-12 KJV).

What lesson is the Holy Spirit conveying through this passage of the Holy Bible?

Luke states the “folded” woman of today’s Scripture has lived with her debilitating medical condition for “eighteen years.” The significance of this is simple. In Bible numerics, 12 represents Israel and six indicates man. Israel coupled with man’s abilities or religious efforts results in incapacity not righteousness! Whereas Israel sees herself as “okay”—lavish Jerusalem Temple, humbling ceremonies, pious rituals, complicated rites, copious amounts of rabbinical traditions, strict rules and regulations—the Lord examines her to find a dreadful sight. All He sees is perversity, crookedness, inability. In her own “strength,” she is weak, incapable of being upright, powerless to become God’s kingdom of priests in the Earth.

Thankfully, the Great Physician has not only correctly diagnosed her, He also has the cure she so desperately needs. Re-read today’s Scripture: “And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” From the lips of the Lord Jesus, the living and life-giving words of God go forth: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful…” (Hebrews 4:12). In these spoken words of the Creator, there is health for the “folded” woman—yea, Israel! Through the Divine revelation given her, her spine is restored, she straightens up, and she walks naturally for all to see!

What we have here is a lesson most plain: Israel’s justification is through the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant. She will be declared righteous or right in God’s sight, not by her reliance on her sinful flesh but by depending on the LORD imputing His own righteousness to her. Through His grace, the Lord Jesus Christ unburdens His beloved nation, doing for her what she could never do for herself….