A Wee Crook with a Large Sin Debt

Monday, August 29, 2011

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” (Luke 19:5-7 KJV).

As Luke chapter 19 opens, the Lord Jesus is passing through Jericho, just north of the Dead Sea. The chief tax collector, Zacchaeus, a short man who cannot see over the crowds, has climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus (verses 3 and 4). Once Jesus calls Zacchaeus to make room for Him in his home, the crowds complain, “Jesus seeks to be a guest in that crook’s house!”

Jesus, being God in the flesh, knows Zacchaeus is the chief publican, the most dishonest tax collector. Of all places, why has Christ chosen to visit a thief’s home? He knows Zacchaeus is genuinely repentant. Zacchaeus confesses, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (verse 8). Lord, whatever money I stole, I will restore it four times over!

The Lord Jesus explains why He went to Zacchaeus’ home: “This day is salvation come to this [Zacchaeus’] house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (verses 9 and 10). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Jesus went because wicked Zacchaeus, like every other Jew, needs salvation!

Christ came to “save His people [Israel] from their sins,” and that included Zacchaeus (Matthew 1:21; cf. Matthew 10:6; Matthew 18:11). Zacchaeus had been a crooked son of Abraham, but now that he trusted in Jesus as His Messiah, he was a righteous son of God (John 1:12)!

So, God can save anyone, even wee crooks with large sin debts….

Something More Evil Than Science

Sunday, August 28, 2011

“And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9 KJV).

Many Christians complain that science accomplishes Satan’s work because it brainwashes kids into believing lies such as an old universe and the ridiculous “molecules-to-man” theory (that all living creatures descended from a common ancestor). Indeed, Satan has used science to mislead the masses, but these fervent church members seldom realize that religion, not science, is Satan’s “favorite hiding place.”

Science is the study of the natural world. The Bible is not anti-science—repeatable, testable, falsifiable science. God’s Word is opposed to “science falsely so called” (1 Timothy 6:20), man’s idle speculations that contradict Scripture. Apart from its numerous silly, unbiblical conjectures, science is not evil. But there is something more evil than science.

Something far more dangerous and misleading than “science falsely so called” is the infamous “Christianity falsely so called.” Religious tradition is more deceptive than false science because the Bible is used to teach some of it (the Bible cannot be used to teach false science). Religion is dangerous because, unlike false science, it has a godly appearance.

In today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ rebuked Israel’s religious leaders (notice He condemned the religious community, not the scientific community): “well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Church tradition and false science are equally guilty of contradicting the Scriptures.

Scientists without God know they need God, whereas religious people are deceived into thinking they have God (all they really have is empty tradition). Scientists know they are not good enough for heaven, but religious people have been taught they are good enough. It has been appositely stated that, “Religion will send more people to hell than anything else.” Religion will do more harm to your soul than false science ever will because religion encourages you to pit your “righteousness” against God’s.

Many genuine Christians condemn science as “evil,” yet they have no idea that Satan is working just as heavily in their denominational church as he is in the science classrooms. Frightening!

Be not deceived… by false science or religion!

At Least the Angels Are Listening

Saturday, August 27, 2011

“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:9,10 KJV).

In the Old Testament, the Four Gospel Records, and the first eight chapters of Acts, God spoke of His purpose and plan for the earth. That prophetic program focused on the nation Israel and an earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:34) “which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

But, during that time, God kept a secret, “the mystery,” “the hidden wisdom” (1 Corinthians 2:7,8). When the ascended Lord Jesus Christ saved Saul of Tarsus and made him Paul the Apostle in Acts chapter 9, the Lord revealed that information to Paul: “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).

Paul’s epistles alone reveal this mystery (secret) program (Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:24-27). Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon speak of God’s purpose and program for the heaven, which encompasses our present-day Dispensation of Grace, a heavenly kingdom, and the Church the Body of Christ (Ephesians 2:6,7).

According to today’s Scripture, we members of the Body of Christ share the goal of the Apostle Paul: “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery….” Our goal is not only to proclaim to people this now-revealed information in Paul’s epistles, but also to make it known to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places.”

God’s angels observe us Christians. They understand what God is doing today by listening to us teach and preach God’s Word rightly divided. While most church members care not to listen to the rightly divided King James Bible, and the denominationalists dislike us for exposing their church tradition, at least the angels are listening to us. 🙂

Thou That Judgest Doest the Same Things

Friday, August 26, 2011

“Therefore thou are inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things” (Romans 2:1 KJV).

For over 1500 years, the nation Israel was under the Mosaic Law. Israel knew exactly what God demanded: “Behold, thou are called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;…” (Romans 2:17,18).

During that period of time, Israel was arrogant toward the Gentiles (non-Jews). In the Jews’ minds, Gentiles were godless sinners, foolish pagans who ate disgusting foods and worshipped wooden and stone idols. Yet, in reality, the Jews were hypocrites, just as sinful because they were guilty of worshipping those same silly idols throughout the Bible (Exodus 32:1-10; Jeremiah 44:15-19; Hosea 4:1-19; Acts 7:39-43; et al.)!

“For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you [Israel], as it is written” (Romans 2:24). The Gentiles would speak evil of God when they saw Israel’s wickedness, so Jews could never claim to be less sinful than Gentiles. “What then? are we [Jews] better than they [Gentiles]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;” (Romans 3:9).

The Pharisees and Sadducees of Christ’s day referred to “publicans and sinners” (Matthew 9:11 et al.), yet Jesus called these religious leaders “hypocrites” (Matthew 15:7 et al.). Whether priests, presidents, potentates, professors, pastors, peasants, princes, paupers, or popes, all are under sin. Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. We are all inexcusable because the Law condemns us all (Romans 3:19,20).

May we never get the self-righteous, pharisaical attitude. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). We all have the potential to commit every sin of the flesh, so never say, “I would not do what they did….”

Jesus Christ did not die to save the worst of us; He died to save all of us.

At a Loss for Words in Prayer

Thursday, August 25, 2011

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26 KJV).

Prayer is simply you speaking to God about your life in light of His Word. The Bible exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But, what about when you cannot seem to pray, when you cannot seem to adequately express your concern in words?

There will come times in your life—if you have not experienced them yet—when your troubling circumstances and your emotions will cloud your thinking. As emotions attempt to dominate your life, your troubled mind becomes confused and fearful. It seems like you forget every Bible verse you memorized. Your mind seems overwhelmed with difficult or confusing circumstances. You are at a loss for words and cannot seem to pray. One Christian aptly termed this “the night season.”

Today’s Scripture explains that one of the roles of the Holy Ghost in our lives as believers is that He prays for us and intercedes for us to God our Father. One of our weaknesses (“infirmities”) is that we do not know for what to pray—the Bible says we “ought” to know, but we do not know. We need to take comfort in that if no one else is praying for us, the Holy Spirit is. He cares enough to empower us to recall rightly divided Scriptures we have learned regarding our situation, and, apply those verses by faith to life.

In such difficult times you need to talk to your heavenly Father in prayer. Tell Him you are confused (Paul used the term “perplexed” in 2 Corinthians 4:8). Tell God your Father that you have no idea what to do in this troubling or complex situation, but that you trust His Word when it says that His Holy Spirit is praying for you and interceding for you. The Holy Ghost knows your concerns, and He will express those concerns to your heavenly Father because He is never at a loss for words in prayer….

Babes in Christ

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1 KJV).

The Apostle Paul stated six times he did not want “ignorant” Christians (Romans 1:13; Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13). “Ignorant” describes people who are uninformed (or misinformed), not people who are stupid.

Most professing Christians today are ignorant of the Bible because they seldom hear God’s Word properly taught, if at all. Sadly, many churchgoers attend “church services” that resemble circuses! Preachers usually rattle on and on about worthless topics. Rituals are performed with impeccability, and yet they are nothing but vain, faithless activities. Sadly, many people attend church to feel “religious,” to be entertained with “Christian” rock and rap music, to socialize, or just to shake the preacher’s hand.

In today’s Scripture, we gather that the Corinthians were spiritually immature. They loved emotional highs and supernatural experiences, yet the Corinthian assembly was plagued with fornication, lawsuits, and drunkenness. There was almost no spirituality within the Corinthian church, and yet, the same applies to “the Church” today!

Corinth had great apostles and teachers, particularly Paul and Apollos. Yet, whatever sound doctrine the Corinthians heard, they never placed their faith in that sound doctrine. However, “the Church” today is not as fortunate as the Corinthians. Today, many church members do not even hear sound doctrine in the first place.

To avoid the Corinthians’ pitiful spiritual state, and the shameful spiritual state of today’s Christendom, we need to study the Holy Scriptures “rightly divided” and believe them! After all, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect [spiritually mature], throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

The only way to reach spiritual maturity is to study God’s Word “rightly divided,” apart from denominational eyeglasses, and then place our faith in God’s Word. Otherwise, we too will be “babes in Christ.”

God’s Word Dwelling Richly in Poor Saints

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (2 Corinthians 8:1,2 KJV).

The churches of Macedonia included the Thessalonians and the Bereans, due north of Corinth. In today’s Scripture, they are noted for their manner of giving donations to the Apostle Paul. As explained in today’s Scripture, the Macedonian believers endured “deep poverty.” They were extremely poor, but they gave in “liberality” (lacking selfishness).

In fact, verses 3 through 5 give us a surprising explanation: “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.”

The Macedonians knew Paul and his co-laborers in the ministry needed financial support, but the Macedonians wanted to give more than they could afford. Not only that, they were literally begging Paul to take their offerings! (Usually, the preacher begs for money!)

According to verse 5, the Macedonians “first gave their own selves to the Lord.” They submitted to God’s Word working within them, and God’s Word caused them to give. Then, “[they gave their own selves] unto us [Paul and Timothy] by the will of God.” Once God’s Word motivated them to give, it directed them to give to Paul and Timothy.

Despite their great poverty, the Macedonians unselfishly contributed financially to God’s work. Never apologize for not being able to afford to give much to your local church or a ministry of your choice. The amount you give is not as important as why you are giving: Are you giving because someone forced you to give, or because God’s Word led you to give?

Do You Really Need an Easy-to-Read Bible?

Monday, August 22, 2011

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (Proverbs 8:8,9 KJV).

The most frequent complaint raised against the King James Bible is that it is “hard to read.” Modern Bible publishers, seeing opportunity to make some quick cash, pass off their products as “easy-to-read revisions” of our Authorized Version. Sadly, the masses have accepted that lie.

Honestly, my research these past few years shows that modern Bibles tend to read harder than the King James Bible. The King James’ simple Anglo-Saxon words have been replaced with harder, multi-syllable Latinized words (for instance, “provoke” is now “exasperate,” “schoolmaster” has become “disciplinarian,” and “swelling” now reads “bombastic”).

According to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Formula, used here in the United States to gauge the grade level of reading material, English Bibles read at these grade levels:

  • King James Bible (KJV): 5.8
  • New International Version (NIV): 8.4
  • New American Standard Version (NASV): 6.1
  • Today’s English Version / “Good” News Bible (TEV/GNB): 7.2
  • New King James Version (NKJV): 6.9
    (Source: Gail Riplinger’s New Age Bible Versions, 1993, p. 196)

Will the modern Bible publishers ever use this information when marketing their Bibles? Obviously not, for modern Bibles would never sale! Consumers would observe that modern Bibles read harder, contrary to their claim of being “easier-to-read.”

We always hear of “easy-to-read” English Bibles. Interestingly, we never hear of “easy-to-read” Greek Bibles, Hebrew Bibles, or Latin Bibles. Why? English Bibles make more money because English is most commonly spoken and read!

“Easy-to-read” English Bibles is Satan trying to discredit the King James Bible. If children have understood and memorized the King James Bible for 400 years now, then why do modern-day “educated” theologians decry the King James Bible for its difficult reading? That is silly to the utmost.

Get the indwelling Holy Spirit by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, study the King James Bible, and then you will see it is not as difficult as most would have you to believe.

Be of the Same Mind in the Lord

Sunday, August 21, 2011

“I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, the Apostle Paul mentions two Christian women, Euodias and Syntyche, in opposition to one another. We know not the nature of that disagreement, but it was disruptive in the Philippian church, so Paul addressed the matter and begged them to resolve it.

There should be unity within the Church the Body of Christ, but there is very little because human viewpoint and religious tradition divide. Unfortunately, even among some “grace brethren,” we find “strange doctrines” that generate arguments. We should make every attempt to get along with our Christian brethren, but we should never, ever seek unity at the expense of sound doctrine. There should be no disagreement in the Body of Christ regarding matters clearly taught in the King James Bible.

The Corinthian church was noteworthy for its divisions (“denominations!”). Some Corinthians followed Christ according to His earthly ministry, others followed Peter, some followed Apollos, and still others followed Paul (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). Paul wrote, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (verse 10). How were they to avoid these divisions? They were to follow Paul as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).

The Bible says (Galatians 5:15,16): “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Arguments can get rather nasty amongst Christians (spiritually “biting and devouring” each other). As long as we “walk in the Spirit,” allowing God’s Holy Spirit to teach us to follow the doctrine in Paul’s epistles, we will believe what the King James Bible says where it says what it says, and not argue with God. This is the unity that God desires the Body of Christ to have.

Go Against the Grain!

Saturday, August 20, 2011

“Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them” (Proverbs 24:1 KJV).

Satan, “the god of this world,” is controlling the world today (2 Corinthians 4:4). Because we Christians do not live wild lives, our lost friends and family members shun us. As King James Bible-believing Pauline dispensationalists, we are contrary to much of Christendom. We are continually pressured to “go with the flow,” urged to follow religious tradition. As we struggle with the sins of the flesh, we are up against fellow “Christians?!” Considering the great opposition we face, our battle seems futile, right? Should we just give up and join our opposition? Not at all!

Today’s Scripture comforts us. As we observe the world’s evil people driving their exotic cars, abiding in their multi-million-dollar mansions, and wearing their expensive apparel, the Bible instructs us not to envy them. When we see corrupt people prospering, while we, God’s children, live common, sometimes poverty-stricken lives, let us be mindful that we do not belong here. “Our conversation [lifestyle reflecting citizenship] is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20).

There is nothing wrong with us, beloved in the Lord: the problem lies with the world! They, not us, are headed in the wrong direction. God’s Word describes lost people as “walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). We Christians seem “odd” because the rest of the world is following Satan’s “course!”

Paul instructed Timothy: “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). We are to be examples to the lost world by letting them see the life of Christ living in us. If we live like the rest of the world, the world will see nothing different about us, thus making us hypocrites.

May we follow the Apostle Paul as he follows Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Let us forge forward, forever going against the grain!