Category: The Nation Israel

Whose Praise Do You Love?

Thursday, October 13, 2011

“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42,43 KJV).

How much are willing to risk (and perhaps lose) for being God’s child, a member of the Body of Christ? This present evil world, despite its religious façade, is not God’s friend. It will not be a Christian’s friend either. The world hates Christ living in us just as it despised Christ living during His earthly ministry!

We Christians face great opposition. Wanting the world’s acceptance, our sin nature gravitates towards mimicking the world’s actions. Satan takes full opportunity of this, encouraging us to live in rebellion against God’s will for our lives. Lest we be condemned for being “Bible nuts,” we are intimidated to keep silent about God’s Word. At this point, we have abandoned the grace life for the disgraceful life.

In today’s Scripture many of Israel’s “chief rulers” had trusted in Jesus as their Messiah-King. Fearing the unbelieving Pharisees would belittle and ostracize them, and loving “the praise of men more than the praise of God,” these believing chief rulers kept silent about their salvation. Sadly, they were unwilling to lose their social standing for Jesus Christ!

Daily, we Christians feel peer pressure to believe the world’s foolishness, go where the world goes for “entertainment,” and converse like the world speaks. Our sin nature wars inside each of us, fighting against the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 7:24,25; Galatians 5:16,17).

If you let the Holy Spirit do His mighty work in you, expect the criticism. Be willing to risk it all for Jesus Christ. We may lose “friends,” our jobs, even our lives, but we have a far better inheritance in heaven. Saints, never will we receive “the praise of men” for being King James Bible grace believers, but we do have what matters most—“the praise of God.” We walk by faith, content in that regard.

Seeing the World With a New Perspective

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV).

Yesterday, after 10 days of being unable to use one of my eyes, I was exuberant to hear and “see” the world from a new perspective. As it is in the physical world, so it is in the spiritual world. Just as infection rendered one my physical eyes useless, and thus my being unable to see with it, so sin renders man’s spiritual eyes useless.

Several passages in the Bible use the word “darkness” to describe lost mankind in his natural spiritual blindness (for instance, Psalm 69:23; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 60:2; Matthew 4:16; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:21; Romans 2:19; Romans 11:10; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Ephesians 4:17-19; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9-10). In this the Dispensation of Grace, Israel’s spiritual eyes are temporarily blinded (Acts 13:6-11; Romans 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:14-16).

The heart of a lost (unsaved) person is totally dark, spiritually blinded. A lost man’s spirit is dead, unable to function and commune with God (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). He knows nothing about God and avoids God.

Suddenly, the glorious light of God’s Word shines brightly, penetrating that callous, dim soul. As that lost soul hears and believes the Gospel of Grace—how that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)—it is regenerated and “quickened” (made alive; Ephesians 2:1,5). God’s Holy Spirit illuminates that soul so that it realizes what it never knew before: it was destined for hell, but by God’s grace, it is now “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11).

Before we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, our souls (minds) were dark. Now that we are in Christ, the indwelling Holy Ghost teaches us through His written Word that which we knew not in our natural (lost) state (1 Corinthians 2:9-13; Ephesians 1:17,18). We “see” the world from a new perspective—God’s perspective.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

Sunday, October 9, 2011

“After this manner therefore pray ye:… Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 KJV).

The so-called “Lord’s Prayer”—more aptly, the “Our Father Prayer”—has nothing to do with us in this the Dispensation of Grace. Its contents do not apply to our dispensation. However, the “Our Father” prayer is very appropriate in Israel’s kingdom program, its context. Our Apostle Paul tells us that if we want to eat, we must work (2 Thessalonians 3:10)! Yet, according to today’s Scripture, the Jews are to pray for daily bread rather than work for it (cf. Luke 11:3). Why?

Understand that the “bread” of today’s Scripture correlates with the manna (bread) that God rained down from heaven in Israel’s history. For the 40 years of wilderness wanderings, the LORD feed Israel with manna and quail (Exodus 16:4-36; Numbers 11:4-35; John 6:31,32). God miraculously feeding Israel will occur again, future from our present-day.

In the middle of the seven-year Tribulation, at least 42 months after the rapture, the antichrist will break his covenant with Israel (Daniel 9:27). At this time, according to Matthew 24:15-21, God warns a believing remnant of Jews living in Jerusalem to flee into the wilderness of the Jordan River valley (north of Jerusalem). He tells them to take nothing with them: no food, no clothes, nothing.

According to Revelation 12:6, “the woman” (the believing remnant of Jews) flees into the wilderness, “where she hath a place prepared of God, that they [the Godhead] should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” Just as God fed Israel in the Old Testament, He will miraculously feed these Jews hiding from the antichrist! This “hidden manna” of Revelation 2:17 will rain down for the last 42 months of the seven years.

We have no reason to pray the “Our Father” prayer because we do not depend on God for our daily food. The Jews of Revelation 12:6 will be unable to work for their food, so God will honor their faith and feed them. Wow, it makes sense, unlike religion’s vain repetitious “Lord’s Prayer,” huh?

I Send Thee Unto the Gentiles

Saturday, October 8, 2011

“And he said… Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:17,18 KJV).

Ephesians 2:11,12 explains that, in “time past,” Gentiles (non-Jews) were “without Christ” and “without God in the world.” Back in Genesis chapter 11, at the tower of Babel, God “gave up” the nations “to walk in their own ways” (Acts 14:16; Acts 17:30; Romans 1:20-32). From Genesis chapter 12 until we come to Paul’s ministry (Acts chapter 9), God dealt with Israel, not the Gentiles.

Did God not care about saving Gentiles in the Old Testament? He did care, but His method of saving Gentiles was through Israel’s rise to kingdom glory (Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23; et al.): God would only bless and save Gentiles through Israel’s kingdom (Genesis 12:3). But, by the time of early Acts, Israel has already killed her Messiah-King Jesus Christ and blasphemed against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31,32). Now, God saves Saul of Tarsus (Paul).

In today’s Scripture the Apostle Paul recounts his salvation experience to King Agrippa. Jesus Christ told Paul that he would be His vessel to Gentiles (cf. Acts 9:15,16; Acts 22:21). Now, God revealed that Gentile salvation would occur through Israel’s fall. With her kingdom temporarily postponed, salvation would go to Gentiles through Paul’s ministry. “Through their [Israel’s] fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy” (Romans 11:11).

Today, we do not need to be a part of the nation Israel to be saved. By placing our faith in the finished cross work of Jesus Christ, God accepts us and saves us in His Son (Ephesians 1:6). In the “but now,” as Gentiles we have an opportunity to be saved from our sins and delivered from satanic bondage (Ephesians 2:13; Colossians 1:12-14). Despite Israel’s unbelief and rejection of her kingdom, salvation still came to us Gentiles!

The Deliverer

Monday, October 3, 2011

“This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush” (Acts 7:35 KJV).

Moses is a type (figure, preview) of Jesus Christ. By commanding Moses to do what he did for Israel, God was foreshadowing what the Lord Jesus Christ would accomplish for Israel millennia later.

When Moses approached Israel in Egypt for the first time, Israel rejected him. Today’s Scripture quotes Exodus 2:14, where a Hebrew asked Moses, “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?” Moses, who had just murdered an Egyptian soldier, fled Egypt and disappeared for 40 years.

After that 40-year period, the LORD appeared to Moses in the famous burning bush account to inform Moses that He would now deliver Israel (Exodus chapter 3). By faith Moses returned to Egypt to deliver God’s people from slavery. As Moses led Israel out of Egyptian bondage, so Jesus Christ will one day deliver Israel from satanic bondage.

When Jesus Christ came to Israel the first time, they rejected Him too. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). In fact, the Jewish priests shouted (John 19:15): “We have no king but Caesar!” Jesus Christ was crucified on Calvary’s cross, murdered at the Jews’ behest and executed by the Roman government. In the early Acts period, Jesus Christ, as a royal exile, ascended to His Father’s right hand, where He still sits today.

As Moses left Israel for 40 years, Christ has left Israel for nearly 2000 years. Jesus Christ will return at His Second Coming to deliver Israel from her sins, from Satan’s power, and from the Gentiles’ rule (Isaiah 59:20,21; Jeremiah 31:34; Romans 11:26-29; et al.). This second time, the believing remnant of Israel will accept Jesus as their Messiah-King, and He will set up His earthly kingdom (Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 13:8,9; Acts 3:19-26; Hebrews 9:28; et al.).

As Moses led Israel to the Promised Land, so Jesus Christ will one day lead Israel to that same land, to dwell in it forever.

A Fair Shew in the Flesh

Sunday, October 2, 2011

“As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12 KJV).

The Galatians were pummeled with “another gospel,” a perverted works-religion version of Paul’s Gospel of Grace (Galatians 1:6-9; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3,4). They had trusted in Jesus Christ and “received [God’s] Spirit” (Galatians 3:2), but Jewish legalists were teaching the Galatians they could not be saved unless they were physically circumcised and kept the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:1-5).

Today, Christendom’s hang-up is not physical circumcision, but rather everything else from Israel’s program—tithing, water baptism, gift of tongues, and Sabbath day keeping. While most church leaders today condemn Galatia for being so deceived, those church leaders are oftentimes equally deceived by denominationalism (church tradition)!

Ever heard of “walking the aisle for Jesus?” Making a “profession of faith” before a church congregation? Being water baptized? “An ‘outpouring’ of the Holy Ghost?” Today’s Scripture exposes these activities for what they really are—“a fair shew in the flesh,” performances that draw attention to and glorify man’s works and boast in what you did (Galatians 6:13). Our performance is NOT the issue.

Christ defined “a fair shew in the flesh” in Matthew 23:5: “But all their works they do for to be seen of men….” Christ is describing the activities of the scribes and Pharisees. They had a nice outward appearance—a nice “shew”—but it was all vain, worthless, faithless religion. Christ continued: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves” (verse 15).

Like the Pharisees and scribes, many denominational churches just seek membership, not a person’s salvation. As long as the individual walks an aisle, gets water baptized, and gives money, that is good enough. Is it? No. Salvation is not based on what we do for God, but what Jesus Christ did for us.

Beware of the “fair shews in the flesh” and avoid them!

The Bible is the Final Authority

Friday, September 30, 2011

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3 KJV).

Most church members view their denomination/pastor/priest as the final authority. Satan uses religion to indoctrinate people with the “tradition of men” (Colossians 2:8). If the church says it is right, then it must be right. Right? WRONG! The written Word of God, not church tradition, is the standard by which we should measure spiritual things because the Bible alone speaks with God Almighty’s authority. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16).

In Isaiah 8:19 the prophet mentions “them that have familiar spirits” and “wizards that peep and mutter”—evil spirits and false prophets. God urged Israel to distinguish Satan’s false prophets from His holy prophets by comparing their teaching to His written Word: “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (verse 20).

Even in Isaiah’s day (~2,700 years ago), God’s written Word was the standard by which everything was judged. The Bereans were notable for comparing their leaders’ teaching and preaching to the Old Testament (Acts 17:10,11). The Bible alone teaches God’s truth, so any contrary teaching was thereby exposed as satanic deception. According to Acts 17:2, the Apostle Paul always appealed to the Old Testament Scriptures when evangelizing Jews (recall no New Testament had been written yet).

The Lord Jesus quoted the Old Testament: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus Himself even read from the Bible in Luke 4:16-21! The New Testament quotes the Old Testament over 200 times (i.e., “as it is written…”).

According to the Bereans, Jesus Christ, the prophet Isaiah, and the Apostle Paul, the Bible is the final authority. God’s authority lies in the Holy Scriptures, not in any church hierarchy. No pastor, priest, or pope shares the Bible’s authority. The King James Bible is always the final authority, not religious tradition (Matthew 15:6; Mark 7:13).

To a Wearied Christian Soldier

Thursday, September 29, 2011

“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well-doing” (2 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV).

Job was in terrible shape—he lost his livestock, his children, and his health. He was so despondent that he wished he were dead (Job 3:3,9-13)! In fact, Job lamented: “My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul” (10:1).

Sometimes, a believer’s life can be downright depressing. We are hated and ridiculed for being Christians and labeled “hindrances to progress.” Our lives may be threatened and our family and friends will ostracize us because we serve the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole world is against God’s purpose and plan, thus it opposes us Christians. Oftentimes, it seems like we Christians are fighting a losing battle. Deception, corruption, and injustice are just so widespread. How will we ever reverse the course of this evil world? Rest assured that our Lord Jesus Christ will take of that mess at His Second Coming!

The key is to focus on sound doctrine, not on our circumstances. We focus on the things we cannot see: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17,18).

As members of the Church the Body of Christ, we are heaven bound. This evil world system is not our home—that is why we are not welcome here! The present evil world in which we live is only temporary. Our world will not always be so dire and gloomy. One day, Jesus Christ destroy this heaven and earth, and He will create a new heaven and a new earth. We rejoice in that hope!

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9). It is worth the suffering! 😀

Christ Crucified

Monday, September 26, 2011

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2 KJV).

Christ’s cross is seldom preached in Christendom’s “praise and worship” meetings. We Bereans know Christ crucified, yet religion emphasizes everything but. Most churches stress Jesus’ teachings and miracles, but our salvation is not found in anything that Jesus preached during His earthly ministry. Christ ministered to Jews under the Law (Matthew 15:24; Romans 15:8; Galatians 4:4,5). We are neither Jews nor under the Law (Romans 6:14,15; Romans 11:11; Galatians 2:16,20; Galatians 3:28).

Many claim to “follow Jesus”—but, which Jesus? The Bible speaks of “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:3,4); the “Jesus” of religion (the Four Gospel Records) is not the Jesus God wants us following today. We follow Jesus Christ as our Apostle Paul followed Him.

Paul did not follow Christ after His earthly ministry: “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more” (2 Corinthians 5:16). Today, in the Dispensation of Grace, we follow Christ according to His heavenly ministry as described only in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon.

Recently, a clergyman used his weekly column to voice his concern in my local newspaper. Why was he so distressed? That souls were going to hell? No! His column’s theme was that he feared cigarette butts were greatly polluting our streets! There was not one word about how to be saved by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Not one word about Calvary’s cross or Christ’s shed blood. Sad.

What did our Apostle Paul preach? “Save the planet?” Christ’s earthly ministry? No, today’s Scripture says he preached, “Christ crucified.” Today, the message of Christ’s cross is the foremost issue, not His earthly ministry. Paul’s Gospel—Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). This message, the Gospel of the Grace of God, is the most important message we proclaim, for it alone is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16b).

Mine Own Familiar Friend

Saturday, September 24, 2011

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9 KJV).

For some three years, he was one of Jesus’ closest friends. His name meant “the praised one.” He “had [kept] the bag;” as treasurer of the twelve apostles, he was one of the most trusted apostles (John 13:29). At the Last Supper, he sat behind Jesus, guarding His back. If there was someone to die fighting for the Lord Jesus Christ, he appeared to be that person. Until….

While eating that final meal with His apostles, the Lord Jesus Christ warns them: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one shall betray me” (John 13:21). The apostles look at each other, wondering of whom Christ is speaking. “Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered him. Then Jesus said unto him, That thou doest, do quickly” (verses 26,27).

The apostles, according to verses 28 and 29, misunderstand this to mean that Judas, since he is the treasurer, is being sent to buy for the feast or give to the poor. According to John 13:18, today’s Scripture was fulfilled when Judas Iscariot, who ate the bread that Christ dipped, betrayed Him. Today’s Scripture was written some 1,000 years before it happened!

As God, Jesus Christ foreknew Judas would betray Him (John 6:64,70,71), but imagine how shocked the other eleven apostles were to see Judas—“the praised [and trusted] one!”—guiding those who would arrest Jesus! Ironically, the Bible revealed that Judas was “a thief,” who previously stole from the apostles’ treasury bag (John 12:4-6)!

We have all had “friends” who have stabbed us in the back. Those who gained our trust, only to later greatly harm us. The Lord Jesus Christ’s most trusted apostle and “friendliest” (“familiar”) friend did the same to Him.

Brethren, we Christians rejoice to endure backstabbing for God’s glory as Jesus Christ endured it!