Deceptions and Distractions #1

Friday, November 24, 2023

“Behold, thou art 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; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law” (Romans 2:17-20 KJV).

May we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe a lesson from Israel’s ancient history….

Long ago, a female driver noticed a pregnant lady and a little boy begging at a major intersection. Their sign carried a tragic message, basically describing their extreme financial difficulties. Passersby gave the pregnant lady donations because they felt sorry for her. Later, the driver returned to the scene to see the lady and the boy getting into an exotic car. The male driver of this expensive car was laughing with the pregnant lady as they counted the money. In other words, it was a clever scam! The pregnant woman was not poor at all. By the time the car’s license-plate number was traced, the people had vacated their upscale apartment and disappeared altogether. Sadly, such thieves take resources from truly needy souls.

Would it not be nice if everyone just got along? There would be no war or violent loss of human life. What if everyone told the truth? We could trust everyone without hesitation. Would it not be wonderful if all people actually cared for one another? There would be no malice, greed, poverty, laziness, stealing, adultery, or coveting. Our prisons would be totally empty, our morgues would be less busy, and our cemeteries would be much smaller. It would be like living on another planet, a place completely unrecognizable. Unfortunately, (as you might have noticed!) we do not live in a perfect world. We cannot always believe everything we hear. Everyone does not seek our wellbeing. A person is not necessarily our friend. What appears harmless or good, may, in fact, not be. We have not been promised a problem-free, deception-free, distraction-free earthly life.

Still, like He did with Israel in today’s Scripture, God has prepared us to survive this crazy world….

In Every Thing Give Thanks

Thursday, November 23, 2023

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV).

Dear saints, take a moment this Thanksgiving to learn a valuable lesson from the Holy Scriptures!

God wants “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3,4). To be “saved” here means you have been rescued from the penalty of sin (hell and the lake of fire), and that you have a home in heaven, because you have trusted the death, shed blood, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for your sins. To “come unto the knowledge of the truth” is when a person who has trusted Christ, begins to understand why God saved him or her, and how God will use him or her for His glory. Although soul salvation is instantaneous, spiritual maturity is a life-long process (that is especially true regarding handling difficulties, the grace way!).

It is human nature to avoid difficulties and stress, to flee them, rather than confront them. This self-preservation is advantageous, particularly in “life or death” situations. However, running from troubling circumstances is not the way God has designed our life in Christ to function. Today’s Scripture says, “In every thing give thanks,” not “For every thing give thanks.” We do not thank God for our troubles; we thank God while we are enduring those troubles. This is tough, I know, but it takes time for us to learn it. Even the Apostle Paul had to learn this.

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

Be thankful in every thing. God’s grace is sufficient for you, dear saint, in all of life’s circumstances. When you learn this, you are “[coming] unto the knowledge of the truth.”

*Excerpted from our Thanksgiving 2012 Bible study with the same name. That study can be read here or watched here.

You may also see, “What are our spiritual blessings in Christ?”

Your Right to Eat Meat

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

“For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4,5 KJV).

Before we advocate animal rights, let us understand that we have a God-given right to eat them!

An animal rights activist once appeared on television to complain about the consumption of turkeys on Thanksgiving. He argued that turkeys “feel pain” when they are slaughtered, and thus we should not eat them. His line of reasoning was, “If we would not eat our pet dog, then we should not eat turkey.” Such people, despite their sincerity, are ignorant of today’s Scripture.

Originally, all people and animals were herbivores; they only ate vegetation. “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so” (Genesis 1:29,30).

Then, sin entered, and God incorporated meat into the human diet: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat” (Genesis 9:3,4).

When we ignore the fact that God gave us animals to eat, and we demand that others must also abstain from meat for religious (nature-worshipping) purposes, that is a “doctrine of devils” in this dispensation (1 Timothy 4:1-5). The creature should not be worshipped; only the Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, should be worshipped (Romans 1:25). As long as we thank the Lord for whatever creatures we eat, consuming animal flesh is acceptable and godly. It does not sit well with the pantheists—who exalt nature as God—but it is approved of the living God, and that alone ultimately matters.

Ignorance Preferred—and Granted!

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

“But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant” (1 Corinthians 14:38 KJV).

If ignorance is preferred, it must be granted!

Recently, a Christian coworker in ministry told me how he has been reaching a long-time friend with the Gospel of Grace. For nearly three years now, he has shared Bible verses with her—to no avail. She maintains she does not understand what he is trying to teach her. Also, she relentlessly expresses her desire to stay in her works-religion cult. He asked me why the Holy Spirit is not working to open her eyes and cause her to see her need for Jesus Christ. In fact, he is frustrated with the whole matter, even contemplating breaking off contact with her.

The Scriptures are very simple, friends. If we have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit lives in us. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). We carry the Holy Ghost around with us, and, as we walk by faith in God’s words to us (Romans through Philemon), He Himself works in us. How silly we are if we wonder if God ever “opens the eyes” of those we reach!

Furthermore, when we share His inspired words with others—the Scriptures the Holy Spirit wrote—He will illuminate those souls. “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things” (2 Timothy 2:7). If we want to know the truth, we will know it. The Holy Spirit gives us light and comprehension through His words, but we must be willing to let our eyes be opened and be willing to keep them opened. If the will to learn is absent, if the desire to be corrected is lacking, what is left is willful ignorance. It is not that the Holy Spirit failed to work, but rather the audience consciously refused His work. We must (!!!) respect free will!

A Whale of a Tale? #14

Monday, November 20, 2023

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 KJV).

Let us consider one of the most misunderstood and most ridiculed accounts presented in the Holy Bible….

Overall, Bible deriders are not interested in meaningful dialog or establishing truth. Instead, they are just determined to rid themselves of Scripture. If they can find fault with it, they can dismiss it and ignore its claims against them. They want to discredit its testimony, for they prefer not to face accountability. If the Bible is wrong about “great fish” and “whale,” they assume it is wrong when it speaks against them and their sin. Anything to soften the Bible appeals to them. That is sin nature at its very best, friends!

The translators of our English (King James) Bible knew our language well—plus the source languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Consequently, we should be thankful for their work. They took God’s words and handled them with the utmost respect when transferring them into English. We need not (and should not) grow upset with these men if they were more familiar with our language than we are, or that the English Bible utilizes our language in ways we are too immature to appreciate or comprehend. Jonah’s animal was a “fish” (aquatic creature—Jonah 1:17, Jonah 2:1, and Jonah 2:10), a “whale” (a large aquatic creature—today’s Scripture), and a “great fish” (a large aquatic creature—Jonah 1:17). All of these are acceptable translations. The only error exists in the minds of people who value human wisdom over Divine wisdom. They do not intimidate us into joining their camp of endless skepticism.

Finally, Jonah’s inclusion goes far beyond a neat story to tell little old ladies and small children in Sunday School. The Prophet Jonah represents his stubborn nation, Israel, miserably failing to reach the Gentiles with the Word of God. Still, Jonah was converted by means of a storm and death—and he eventually went to and evangelized Nineveh! Likewise, in the ages to come, wayward Israel will be turned around to serve as God’s channel of salvation and blessing to the world (Isaiah 60:1-3; Zechariah 8:20-23; Matthew 28:18-20)! 🙂

A Whale of a Tale? #13

Sunday, November 19, 2023

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 KJV).

Let us consider one of the most misunderstood and most ridiculed accounts presented in the Holy Bible….

According to The Oxford English Dictionary—widely regarded as the authority on the English language—the primary definition of “fish” is “a limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins living wholly in water.” Yet, under the same entry, we read: “used in names of invertebrate animals living wholly in water, e.g. cuttlefish, shellfish, jellyfish.” “Fish” is a broad term for all creatures confined to water, including the aquatic animal that swallowed Jonah (Jonah 1:17; Jonah 2:1; Jonah 2:10). Nonetheless, in today’s Scripture, Jesus Christ said it was a “whale.” Why?

We normally think of a whale as a warm-blooded mammal that breathes air, has hair, and feeds its young with milk. This is not a fish in the strictest sense, but, generally, a whale is a fish because it lives in water (the Old English “fisc” applies to animals living exclusively in water). Jonah 1:17 qualifies it as a “great fish.” Before we throw a tantrum when the Bible utilizes “great fish” and “whale” interchangeably, we need to have another English lesson. “Whale” can be used in the sense of “a whale of a…,” as in an extremely good example of a particular thing. For example, a “whale of a tale” can be used to describe a preposterous, make-believe story (which is what [ignorant] Bible ridiculers consider Jonah’s Book!). “Whale” might also be employed as “have a whale of a time”—enjoying yourself very much. This data can be found in The Oxford English Dictionary, provided someone truly desires to learn the truth. Neither Jonah 1:17, nor Jonah 2:1, nor Jonah 2:10, nor Matthew 12:40 is in error.

“Whale” means “enormous, big”—and the creature that swallowed Jonah was massive. The adjective is equivalent to “great” in “great fish” of Jonah 1:17. In fact, it has been suggested Jonah’s animal might have been one of the “great whales” (sea monsters, mammoth marine beasts) God created in Genesis 1:21. However, the scoffers are not interested in reasoning and thoughtful discussion….

A Whale of a Tale? #12

Saturday, November 18, 2023

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 KJV).

Let us consider one of the most misunderstood and most ridiculed accounts presented in the Holy Bible….

According to basic scientific data, a whale is a warm-blooded marine mammal whereas a fish is a non-mammal that is usually cold-blooded. Seizing upon this “enlightenment” as grounds for their position of unbelief, critics of the Scriptures have incessantly carped we do not have the “perfect” Word of God because Jonah on four occasions classifies the creature as a “fish” (see Jonah 1:17, Jonah 2:1, and Jonah 2:10) but Jesus taught it was a “whale” (today’s Scripture). To them, this is an outright contradiction. Is it really?

It is no secret a great many people have thoroughly (!) delighted (!) in their proud (!!) skepticism as touching Jonah, laughing heartily at the expense of sound Bible doctrine. Yet, they would have better spent their time actually professing Bible and linguistical ignorance (“I do not know!”) and doing some research instead of exhibiting Bible and linguistical ignorance (“let me show you I do not know!”). We Bible believers need not be intimidated or apostate, cowering at the feet of so-called “intellectuals” who are infatuated with self, self, self. Using a renewed mind, we arm ourselves with a simple, logical, sound defense rooted in faith.

Taking an English dictionary, we notice “fish” has for one of its definitions: “(loosely) any of various other aquatic animals.” In other words, “fish” is a general or broad term for any type of animal that lives in the water. It is a less precise term, granted, and awkward when compared to the scientific classification system of naming lifeforms, but “fish” can include any and all types of marine animals. In fact, a whale is defined as a “marine mammal” and… horrors!!!… the dictionary says a whale has a “fishlike body.” It just gives us chills, friends. Whales and fish, while quite different, have similarities. Even lexicographers admit it.

Hence, how unfair and hypocritical we are if we protest God using the same phraseology we do….

A Whale of a Tale? #11

Friday, November 17, 2023

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 KJV).

Let us consider one of the most misunderstood and most ridiculed accounts presented in the Holy Bible….

To quote one of my university geology professors from long ago, “We know more about the Moon than we do our own oceans!” Nearly three-quarters of Earth’s surface is water, and these areas and their contents are still largely unfamiliar to us. Oceans tend to be deep and dark, with the immense pressure at those depths making exploration even more difficult. It is impossible to imagine what strange lifeforms of all sizes are down there right now—or were down there and have since gone extinct (died off entirely).

Consider the Mariana Trench, in the western Pacific Ocean (east of the Philippines and southeast of Japan). In one place (known as Challenger Deep), this underwater canyon is actually deeper than Mount Everest is high! In the case of the Mediterranean Sea (on which Jonah’s ship floated—notice it launched from Joppa, Israel [Jonah 1:3]), there are similar underwater trenches or canyons. The lowest point of the Mediterranean is called Calypso Deep, south of Greece and in the Hellenic Trench, with a maximum depth of some 3 miles (5 kilometers)! What kind of organism could have possibly lurked in the Mediterranean Sea to swallow the Prophet?

As touching the precise identity of the creature with which Jonah interacted, there has been a great deal of dialog and derision. The whole matter can be summed up as this. On four occasions, the Book of Jonah reports it was a “fish” (read it twice in Jonah 1:17, once in Jonah 2:1, and once in Jonah 2:10). However, some have stumbled over the Lord Jesus’ remark in today’s Scripture because He calls it a “whale.” It is thus complained these are not exactly the same animal. Surely, they say, Jonah or Jesus was mistaken. Is there any way to resolve this alleged discrepancy? Again, we must do some study, make an effort to allow ourselves to be taught, and be thankful for the resulting enlightenment….

A Whale of a Tale? #10

Thursday, November 16, 2023

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 KJV).

Let us consider one of the most misunderstood and most ridiculed accounts presented in the Holy Bible….

Getting back to the little Book of Jonah yet again: “[1:17] Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights…. [2:1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,…. [2:10] And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”

A simple, straightforward reading of the last verse of Jonah chapter 1 and all of chapter 2, leads us to the obvious conclusion. Jonah was physically dead for those three days and three nights. That fish’s belly was Jonah’s vaulted crypt! In like manner, so was the Lord Jesus Christ actually physically deceased and literally buried in a cave for three days and three nights (today’s Scripture; cf. Matthew 27:59,60; Mark 15:45,46; Luke 23:52,53; John 19:40-42). As in the case of Christ’s inground interment, Jonah’s physical body was in the fish’s belly but his soul and spirit were elsewhere.

Following that period of three days and three nights, God brought Jonah back to life (just like Christ). Jonah’s soul and spirit were reunited with his physical body, after which he prayed (chapter 2 was spoken in hindsight—notice the past and past perfect tenses of the verbs in verses 2-7). At the close of chapter 2, the three days and three nights having expired, the LORD commanded the fish to vomit (yuck!) Jonah onto the coast. Read chapters 3 and 4 to learn what the Prophet did with his new life. Suffice it to say, that rebel was truly converted or transformed for God’s glory!

Having clarified whether Jonah was alive or dead in the fish’s belly (he was dead!), we can now turn our attention to the heated debate over whether the creature was a “fish” (Jonah 1:17; Jonah 2:1,10) or a “whale” (today’s Scripture). As always, the controversy can be settled only if we use our renewed mind….

A Whale of a Tale? #9

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40 KJV).

Let us consider one of the most misunderstood and most ridiculed accounts presented in the Holy Bible….

Read a portion of Jonah’s prayer in chapter 2: “[1] Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, [2] And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. [3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. [4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. [5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. [6] I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God….”

Jonah cried “out of the belly of hell” (verse 2). God has “brought up [Jonah’s] life from corruption” (verse 6). This sounds like someone dying and living again, does it not? In fact, it corresponds to Christ’s own death and resurrection in today’s Scripture! According to Luke 16:19-31, Hell was in two compartments in time past: believers’ souls were confined to Abraham’s bosom and comfort, whereas unsaved souls were enclosed in flames and torment. Jesus’ soul and the believing thief’s soul went to the comfort side when they died—a place also known as “paradise” in Luke 23:43, whose occupants have since relocated to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2,4). The point is, Jonah died and went to “hell” (paradise side), perfectly matching Jesus in “hell” (paradise side; see Psalm 16:10 and Acts 2:22-31).

When Jonah died and lived again, he was really serving as a type (preview, picture, foreshadow) of Jesus dying and living again….