Merciful to a Sorry World

Thursday, June 15, 2017

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting” (1 Timothy 1:15,16 KJV).

You can trust that!

The United States—yea, the world—has been rocked by so many tragedies in recent days. Current trends on social media read, “Sending our thoughts and prayers.” Scoffers ask, “How is that working out?” To wit, despite all the “thoughts and prayers,” well wishes, and hopes of religious people, violence and bloodshed remain “front page” news. Where is God? When will He get enough? Will He ever show Himself? Does He even care? When will enough be enough? Is “He” even there?

Christians, who have the Holy Bible, the true Word of the true God, should be leading the world in understanding prayer. They should know what prayer is, and what it is not. Alas, how ignorant they are—how unbelievably and pathetically uniformed! They have the Scriptures but have no idea what they say about prayer. Now we see why skeptics say what they do—they mock people who really do not know the truth either! Beloved, religious people talk about “God” so flippantly we need not criticize the scoffers for doing likewise!

Friends, here is the simple truth. God is not working according to the way most people are praying. Hence, people pray for a certain outcome that actually does not come. They pray for violence to end, for peace, for God to come and judge the evildoers. Actually, here is a shocker…. God is not working today as He did in time past. What He is interested in today is having people come to His Son, Jesus Christ, by faith, that they receive forgiveness of sins and a home in Heaven. Rather than God pouring out wrath today, ushering in world peace today, He is pouring out peace and grace on undeserving sinners!

He will come back in due time and judge this wicked world. Today, He silently offers grace, extending an opportunity for all to be made right with Him! 🙂

Not Mixed With Faith

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

“For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2 KJV).

We can read and memorize all the verses we want, but, if we are not approaching Bible verses in faith, we will not gain the profit God put in them.

I had a recent phone conversation with a brother in Christ who is in the ministry. He is dealing with an individual who jumps from religious group to religious group (five or six current affiliations). This man, whether saved or not I am unsure, constantly asks the brother various Bible questions. How sad it is that people can ask so many questions and still be so ill equipped, unable to distinguish truth from error. Yea, treating the Bible like some “intellectual gym class” will severely harm rather than greatly help!

Take, for example, the nation Israel in the wilderness (Hebrews chapter 3— previous to today’s Scripture). They heard the voice of God thundering from Mount Sinai. They saw the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments inscribed on them. Unlike the pagan nations around them, Israel had access to the one true God (Deuteronomy chapter 4 in its entirety). Alas, Israel did not believe a word God said (today’s Scripture)! They heard, heard, heard… but they did not believe, believe, believe! Hearing the Word of God does not benefit you if you do not believe it! Paul said this of unbelieving Jews in Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Israel had heard the Word of God for centuries, and yet was still in rank unbelief during his Acts ministry!

The writer of the Book of Hebrews, speaking to Israel during the future time after our Dispensation of Grace, urges the Jews to believe the kingdom doctrines Jesus Christ taught during His earthly ministry. They are to believe on Him as their Messiah, the Son of God, their Redeemer; they must wait for Him to return at His Second Coming to establish that earthly kingdom of God. That wonderful news cannot profit them if “not mixed with faith!”

Our One Baptism!

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV).

Behold, our one baptism!

If there is one controversial topic in Christendom, friend, it is the issue of water baptism. Someone once rightly called it, “religious TNT!” Throughout the centuries, and even today, church members of various groups argue about whose mode of water baptism is correct. Not long ago, somebody emailed me to complain about one of our Bible studies on water baptism. Of course, the individual did not care to hear what the Bible said; clearly, all that mattered to him was church tradition!

There are many misconceptions about water baptism. The chief one is that we Christians must be water baptized today in order to show that we have been buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. That is nothing but religious tradition, and it will profit us nothing in eternity. In Ephesians 4:5, we read that there is “one baptism” operating in the Dispensation of the Grace of God. According to 1 Corinthians 1:17, the Apostle Paul admitted, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel….” Clearly, the one baptism for today is not water baptism! Could there be a “baptism” other than water?! Horror of horrors! Religious people are shocked to discover the answer is “yes!”

Today’s Scripture talks about the one baptism that is valid in this the Dispensation of Grace. It is not water baptism either! The one and only baptism we need today is when the Holy Spirit takes us—after we believe the Gospel of the Grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)—and places us into the Church the Body of Christ. We have no reason to squabble or get confused about sprinkling, pouring, immersion, formulas, et cetera, because water baptism has absolutely nothing to do with us anyway! Horror of horrors!

Now, friends, do we believe the words of the Holy Spirit through Paul? Or, does religious tradition mean everything to us?

Our latest Bible Q&A: “How did John’s converts ‘justify God?’”

A Prayer Life Fallen Apart

Monday, June 12, 2017

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV).

Beloved, when your prayer life ceases, fret not!

An online Christian sister admitted on social media that she had just realized how her prayer life is “pretty close to useless.” Having learned more about how to study God’s Word dispensationally—how everything in Scripture is for us to read but not everything therein is to or about us—she recognizes how she has been praying inappropriately. I told her we have all been there at one time. It was good that she reached this point because most believers never do. Moreover, now that she has identified the problem, she can proceed to fixing it. The solution is there in God’s Word rightly divided, she just needs to study more and discover it!

As a Christian delves deeper into the Bible rightly divided, his or her prayer life increasingly disintegrates. Why? He or she has been praying primarily one of two ways. Firstly, praying like Israel. The primary model prayer of Christendom, of course, is the so-called “Lord’s Prayer,” Matthew 6:9-13—“Our Father which art in heaven….” Secondly, praying like heathen. Jesus Christ discussed that as well. Verse 7 says, “use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

Friends, we should see how our Apostle Paul prayed. Since his salvation is our “pattern” (1 Timothy 1:15,16), then his ministry and life are also our patterns. If Paul knew what God was doing today, and he did according to Ephesians 3:2, then it is safe to assume that Paul prayed in-line with what God was doing today. As other members of the Body of Christ, we would do well to follow the four model Pauline prayers—Ephesians 1:16-23, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11, and Colossians 1:9-13.

Indeed, friends, we pray with whatever Bible understanding we have. We do it with understanding nonetheless—neither mindlessly repeating nor haphazardly snatching verses! As it becomes clear where and how we pray wrongly, we let the rightly-divided verses fix our thoughts and hearts. Once we are re-oriented by God’s grace (I speak from experience), we will not miss that old so-called “prayer life!” Onward to maturity! 🙂

What a Treasure!

Sunday, June 11, 2017

“I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil” (Psalm 119:162 KJV).

The Holy Bible—what a treasure!

Recently, I sat with a dear Christian lady who has been saved for just under two years. She came out of a false religion, and she is still taking “baby steps” in Bible understanding. It is an extremely slow process, as her background and age hinder her, but she is making progress and we thus rejoice in Christ. I was delighted to talk with her for a couple of hours, answering her Bible questions. How thankful she was to see how simple and enjoyable the Scriptures were!

Brethren, whether we have been in Christ for two years or two decades, we should be growing steadily in the Word. Sadly, some of us have stopped in our understanding. They never reached maturity, and they have ceased maturing. Once fervent in the Word, their zeal has diminished. They gradually drifted from the Word, and now they are ever so far away from where their Heavenly Father would have them. The cares of this world have distracted them, and, what little Bible knowledge they had is now suppressed. Sadly—and, oh, what a shame!—they have given up!

The moment a lost soul comes by faith to the knowledge of sin, and the knowledge of soul salvation found only in Jesus Christ, the Bible is seen as a great treasure. After all the years of misery, confusion, disappointment, and deception in various places, that soul has finally found the greatest answer of all. God’s Holy Word shows itself to be a fortune in the midst of poverty! Instead of meager crumbs, there is a spiritual feast! However, as the years pass, the Christian soul loses that grand perspective. If there is no steady (daily) intake of that same Word, the distractions will overwhelm them, and they will go back to thinking like the lost people they used to be.

Christian friend, if you find yourself in this dilemma, there is a solution. You need to adopt the view of the Bible you held when you first came to Christ. It is a great treasure! Get back in it and rejoice in it! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Satan want to ‘sift’ the circumcision saints?”

Dirty Mouths Made Clean

Saturday, June 10, 2017

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29 KJV).

May we let the grace of God purge our mouths, friend!

Recently, while at a store, I saw a woman and her two young children. Her son was about five years old, and her daughter was approximately 12. The boy was running around and misbehaving: he was stomping his feet and taking off his shoes. She began to use profanity to try and discourage her son’s bad behavior. Next, she harshly barked at her daughter, “Stop standing so close to me!” The mother spoke sharply again to the girl, “Stop digging in my purse!” The girl then fussed her little brother, “Get off my foot!” I was so embarrassed. The storeowner was also silently watching that “circus!”

Dear friends, when we have adults acting like animals, that is most tragic. Here was a mother who could have treated her children with respect, and all she did was shout and humiliate them in public. We can only wonder what they will be like as parents! Her mother or father probably treated her the same way. We expect lost people to act like lost people; they can be no one than what they are by nature. However, when Christians do such things, it brings such reproach upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, today’s Scripture exhorts us to use our mouths carefully. If our words do not conform to the principles of grace, if they are not intended to exalt Jesus Christ and His crosswork, it is better to say absolutely nothing! If they tear people down instead of building sound Bible doctrine in them, we would do well to not speak at all! The blood of Jesus Christ purged our souls, friends, and now the grace of God must purge our mouths. We are no longer the children of Satan; we are the children of God. We have clean souls, so let us speak clean, healthy, life-giving words… “wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and… the doctrine which is according to godliness” (1 Timothy 6:3)! 🙂

Think Positive! Think Pauline!

Friday, June 9, 2017

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8 KJV).

Think positive! Think Pauline!

Friend, you literally dread the phone calls from some people, do you not? This is especially troubling when those “people” are family members, right? After they have sat for hours and hours fuming about how wrongly somebody treated them, or some other bit of bad news, they call you up in order to spew forth their negativity. They wallow in self-pity and want you to join in with them. Your day was going so well until they called! Thereafter, every time they ring your phone, you cringe. Sometimes, you cannot even bring yourself to answering—you just let the phone ring, ring, ring. You cannot bear to hear one more pessimistic comment!

Beloved, there is so much garbage teaching in the world that people have almost no exposure to Bible truths. Thus, their thoughts are riddled with fallacies, expending all their time and effort on trivial, nonsensical things. They need to get into the Bible, read and believe the Gospel of Grace (Romans chapters 1-5), and get saved into Heaven! If they have already come to Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, they need to study His Word rightly divided. Their minds should be constantly renewed by truth instead of being increasingly polluted by error. Oh, may they be delivered from foolishness!

Notice today’s Scripture: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” These are actually descriptions of the Holy Bible. Read the next verse now: “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me [the Apostle Paul!], do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Think positive—think Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon!
 🙂

333’s 2200th – God’s Word Spoken Faithfully

Thursday, June 8, 2017

“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:28,29 KJV).

Here it is, beloved, devotional #2200!

Outside of churches, you will find myriads of Bible doubters. If you have not learned it yet, friend, you will make a shocking discovery. There are scores of Bible doubters in many such churches! Nay, we take it a step further—those doubters were trained by thousands of doubters who graduated from “Bible colleges” and seminaries!

“Scholarly” people often disagree with our studies. They so fervently cling to theology and denominations. One of their chief complaints is that we have a final authority—the King James Bible. Another grumble is that we share Bible verses that expose the traditions of men. “Christian” religion has deceived so many billions of precious souls. We are honored to do our little part in exalting the truths of God’s Word rightly divided. Although we are a small ministry, we are growing daily. I enjoy hearing from people who are so thankful for our studies and eagerly share them with others. Obscure passages have been made plain. Christians are understanding and enjoying their Bible—some for the first time ever! Lost people are coming to Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour!

Friends, we have God’s Word, and we have “spoken [it] faithfully” for 2200 days now. I often tell our ministry audience, “We never know who we will meet in Heaven!” It would do us well to remember that especially today. For just over six years, a written dispensational Bible study has been posted here. It is impossible to know just how far those studies traveled and to what homes reaching what families. We have prayed for our audience from Day 1; we do it even now. This has not been done in vain, and it is still bearing much fruit throughout various countries. Heaven will be a wonderful time to meet, but, for now, we go onward in Jesus Christ… to #2300! 🙂

The Books and the Parchments

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

“The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13 KJV).

Winter is approaching (verse 21). The Apostle Paul is in Rome, in prison and cold, asking Timothy to bring him a coat he left far away in Turkey. Moreover, he tells Timothy to also bring him two classes of items—“the books” and “the parchments.” Precisely what are they?

Firstly, we can think of the “books” as “scrolls, writings”—the biblia. They may have very well been previously written Holy Scripture. Paul wanted to do some studying. “Parchments” corresponds to the Greek word membranas—“membranes” (sheets of animal tissue, as in a sheepskin—their “paper,” for lack of a better word). Evidently, Paul wanted to do some writing as well.

Secondly, we can think of the “books” as non-Scriptural works. That is, they may have been secular sources. Remember, Paul demonstrated himself to be familiar with and knowledgeable even in heathen/non-Christian literature (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12). Notice how the Apostle was careful to say, “especially the parchments.” There is more emphasis on these parchments than on the books. The parchments, though obscure, are special. Could they have been the Holy Scriptures, thus taking precedence over the secular works? Perhaps.

Paul had written just moments earlier in the chapter: “[6] For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. [7] I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Whatever those “last-minute” items were, dear friends, our Apostle chose them of all things to occupy his time remaining on Earth. He wanted to keep his mental and spiritual faculties active right up to the very end. Even though his earthly sojourn was rapidly drawing to a close, he desired to continue learning. How much more should we today, who expect to live for many more years or decades?!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Did Goliath suffer from a brain tumor?”

The Heavenly Places #5

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV).

Why does Ephesians conclude with this description of the war between good and evil?

It is not until we come to Paul’s ministry do we learn how God will cleanse the heavenly places. Ephesians highlights our eternal destiny as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Just as Father God will use Israel to accomplish His will in the Earth, so He will use us to achieve His will in the Heavens. He will exalt His Son, Jesus Christ, in both realms. Ephesians chapter 1: “[9] [Father God] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: [10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: [11] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance….”

One day, brethren, we will be displayed for all of the universe to see. All creatures will witness God’s wisdom fully manifested in outer space. We will participate in Jesus Christ’s exaltation in the heavenly places throughout eternity future. Ephesians chapter 2 declares: “[6] And [God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

As good as this all is, however, we are not there yet. The heavenly places are still so far away! Howbeit, one day, Jesus Christ will return to Earth—at the Rapture—to take His Body (us) beyond the sky. Until we get there, though, we are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. Knowing full well that we will replace him and his minions in the heavenly places, he fights us every chance he gets. We had better don all the armor of God, beloved, that “we stand against the wiles [schemes] of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-20)! 🙂