In the heat of political races, many become distraught and feel there is no way out of the gloom and doom drumbeat of a Christ-denying world. Perhaps all who experience such frustration and depressing prospects would do well to become better acquainted with the hope of Holy Writ. I write specifically of ancient lessons for modern times.
God is the author of the family, human government, and His church: the three most important institutions on earth. He put design in each of them as well as in all of them combined.
Moreover, a predetermined end for them, as well as all things, was set long ago , and will not be deterred. Think about it!
Ancient Nebuchadnezzar ruled the first human empire. The hanging gardens of the magnificent city of Babylon remain one of the wonders of the ancient world. But the king was lifted up in pride, and took credit for building the empire himself. It was then that God allowed him to be driven from men; to run with the beast of the field until he learned that the Most High God ruled in the governments of men, and brought to power whom He would. Nothing about that principle has changed.
The empires of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome rose and fell right on schedule. Quite soon, the stone cut out without hands will smite the human empire, fill the earth, and rule in righteousness even as ancient Daniel saw it in a vision from God.
Furthermore, the last chapter of Holy Writ is still just as true as the first chapter was and is. Then let the people of God rejoice. These things that are happening should evoke the uplook of life. Let every head and heart of faith be looking up for redemption draweth nigh, and there is no power in the universe to stop it, delay it, or thwart it to an alternate purpose. Thus “on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand!”
God still appeals to His people as He did through Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus saith the Lord, . . . ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shal find rest for your souls.”
FOR THOUGHT: Could there be a more appropriate time to seek wise ways in life than today?
When you do all you can do to honor God and live safely, do you find comfort in trusting God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself? What do you think of ancient lessons mentioned here, and their application to modern times?
AND THEN SHALL COME THE END
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD come.” Joel 2:28-31.
From the halls of history echo the profound words of the prophet Joel, who spoke of the
“Landmarks” of the church age. Hundreds of years later the apostle Peter, inspired by the same Holy Spirit that rested upon Joel took up these very words, quoting him thus, “ But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:” Acts 2:16-20.
The markers of the church age which Joel spoke and Peter quoted are of the entire age.
The indicators are given for both the beginning and the ending of the age. The former signs were accomplished at Pentecost. The latter signs involving the sun, moon, stars, etc.have not been seen as yet, but will mark the close of the age. This is verified in Revelation Chapter Six at the opening of the sixth seal. The apostle John wrote: “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” Rev. 6:12-14.
In dealing with prophecy, one must be alert to the fact that often great spans of time are covered in a few words without any indicators of a time break. One must be well versed in the scriptures to “rightly divide the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15. Then comparing scripture with scripture one finds the unity and harmony of the entire Word. Such coalescing of the precious Word of God brings unparalleled joy to the Bible student. It is nothing short of what Solomon described in Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” If your joy has not been full, it just may be that you are not searching out the things of God that will give you both wisdom and great joy! Divide it correctly!
FOR THOUGHT: Have you considered that one of Jesus’ harsh criticism of religious hypocrites was their failure to discern the time of their visitation? Matt. 16:3, Luke 12:56. Paul told the Thessalonians that God’s people are not children of the night that that day should overtake them as a thief. Are you watching and discerning the time of the end of the age?
ANOTHER FOREMAN’S FABLE
“Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.” John 21:22
The appearances and effects of sin in human life are myriad. In fact, Every bad thing in the universe of mankind is attributable directly or indirectly to sin. This is apparent in domestic disputes and their ultimate fruitions. Such is also the cause of unkind words and deeds directed toward brethren of the same faith and practice. (Biting and devouring is how the Bible puts it.) Addressing this issue in another of his classes: Ministerial Practicalities, Dr. L. D.
Foreman, former President of Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas shared yet another of his well thought out and grounded fables for his students to seriously consider. He said, “Students, all of you have witnessed a big dog trotting down the street. The dog has a destination in mind and continues steadily toward it. However, as he progresses down the street, every little dog on the block will come out to bark at him. Now if the big dog is distracted enough to stop and bark back at every little dog that barks at him, he will never reach his destination. Consequently, he ignores the little dogs, and their barking, and continues his journey.”
Foreman went on to make practical applications which by this time had become obvious.
Any devoted follower of Jesus will not be treated better than Jesus in His ministry. He will be controversial on the basis of Bible convictions, and he will attract the attention of a number of
“little dogs” who come out to bark. Like the literal big dog, the minister must know who he is, what he is about, and where he is going. With those things settled in place, it is very unwise to stop and bark back at those who cast objections, however frivolous those objections may be.
The object is not to debate one another, but to serve the Master by carrying out his holy Will for your life.
Of course, it remains that there are those whose thrill of life, and apparent calling (not of God) is to object to everything, however holy, that may rub against their self-imposed comfort zone. Because this is true, one must determine early on to be on a mission, or to bark at everyone else who is.
FOR THOUGHT: How does Foreman’s fable apply to your life? Is not the principle applicable to everyone who seeks to be productive?
ANSWER; DO NOT ANSWER
There are times when those who search the Holy Word with evil intent find an apparent example of their wish to discredit it. One such instance is found in Proverbs 26:4-5: “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Thinking to have found that elusive contradiction, they delight in becoming as the subject of those verses: a fool. Let’s think about it!
In such instances when literal words appear contradictory, the idea being conveyed depends heavily upon the all important context. The nuance of any language allows the same terms to be used contextually to convey quite different ideas. A parent finalizing warnings to a child before exercising imminent punishment might say, “Do that just one more time!” Of course the idea quickly understood is “You had better not do that one more time.” Here, the import of the message is quickly understood by inflection of voice and/or body language, both of which are absent in the written word, underscoring even more the importance of context (that which is to be read or understood as being with the text). If this is making the reader a little tired, hang on because now we are ready to deal with the specific verses of scripture at hand. Proverbs 26:4 is understood to convey this meaning: Do not answer, or even pretend to be in agreement with the frivolous comments of a close-minded fool placating him in his folly, lest you will be like him. The next verse, 26:5 conveys the proper interaction with one who is a fool. Answer, setting forth corrections to the erroneous statements of a fool according to his folly, otherwise he will be wise in his own eyes, believing you agree with him.
These verses of scripture, far from being contradictory are complementary in detailing proper interactions that are sure to become a part of everyone’s experience. Truth cannot contradict itself, and remain. Two plus two equals four. and is an unerring truth. If at any time the formula allows a different (contradictory) product, it has fallen from truth to become a lie.
The concept under consideration here is often hard for some to employ, being sensitive to the feelings of others. But one must be true to the truth and wisdom given him from above or become the enablement to a lie. Men would do well to recall the words of Solomon as he said.
“Open rebuke is better than secret love,” (Prov. 27:5), and “Faithful are the wounds of a friend . .
.” Proverbs. 27:6. Thus, in wise discernment one does well to answer or to not answer.
FOR THOUGHT: How many times have you answered someone, then later wished you had answered differently? Does this not underscore the need to be especially thoughtful in answering a fool or an antagonist person? Such is the employment of wisdom.
ANTICHRIST IS HERE!!
Our dearly beloved apostle, John wrote: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” I John 2:18. Now, hold on just a minute! What is he saying? What does he mean? Think with me!
Since “ …man shal not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4, it is imperative that every word of God be thoroughly understood to achieve correct theology and proper discipleship. Therefore we understand that "antichrist” is a compound word. “Anti” is a prefix meaning “against,” “Opposite,” “In the negative.” “Anti” in this case does not necessitate harshness, but simply a mild twisting of the truth into error, and propagating it as truth.
Moreover, “Christ” is a Greek term transliterated into English. It means “anointed.” So, the apostle John is telling us that there are many who are anti-(the)anointed in the world already in his time. Of course, that number has been multiplied exponentially over the last two thousand years.
Now a proper application of the compound term that is totally in harmony with all the rest of the Word of God must be understood. Greeks would use the term “Christ” while Hebrews would use the term “Messiah.” Hence, the meaning of these terms go deep into Hebrew history.
The anointing of a new king or high priest was accomplished with a public ceremony wherein oil was poured over the head of the designated person. Oil is consistently symbolic of the Holy Spirit. Upon the anointing, the Holy Spirit empowered the anointed one with sufficient wisdom and power to properly fulfill the office for which he was being installed.
In the New Testament, only two entities were anointed with the Holy Spirit, imparting to them the power to fulfill their designated role. Those two are the head of the body and the body of the head. Specifically, these are Jesus, the head of His body, the church, at His baptism and His body, the church, on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2. The Head of the body, and the body of the Head stand for the same principles. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life while the church is the pillar and ground of the truth,and it is the propagator of the faith once delivered to the saints by and through the Head.
Finally, if every word of God is important, and true (which it is), and if the anointed body of Jesus is heaven’s agency on earth standing for, and propagating that word of truth, then it follows that every institution and person on earth seeking to pervert, deny, and twist that word of truth out of its context to make it seem to say something it does not, is indeed antichrist. Indeed many antichrists are here, and they will play a significant role in propelling THE COMING MAN
OF SIN into international prominence. Therefore while it is today, call on the name of the Lord in repentance from sin, placing faith in Christ instead of one of the many antichrists.
FOR THOUGHT: Does this article promote different ideas of antichrist in your mind? If not, why not? If so, what have you done, or what are you going to do to correctly position yourself in the will of God? What you accept at truth, and what you do with it matters.
AS WITH PHARAOH, SO NOW!
Students of Hebrew grammar soon discover a number of joyous gems of truth in the scriptures that otherwise lie mostly hidden. No, these discoveries are not earth shattering, certainly not contradictory to the JKV English edition, but enlightening.
Consider the incidents in Egypt as Moses repeatedly asked Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. In Exodus 5:1, 7:16, 8:1, 8:20, 21; 9:1,13; 10:3, 4. The request or demand is repeatedly made, “Let my people go.” In those instances in which Pharaoh initially agreed, he changed his mind when the plague was removed, one wonders why he was so adamant in his refusal. The answer, of course, lies in Exodus 10:1. God told Moses, “For I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him.” So, God hardened his heart.
Now, enter information from Hebrew grammar. In parsing the stems of a Hebrew verb varying degrees of intensity are conveyed: simple, intensive, causative, reflexive. Take a verb as “Kil ” This would be read: “He kil ed” (simple); “He kil ed, poisoned, shot, and crushed”
(intensive); “He caused to kil ” (causative). “He kil ed himself” (reflexive). Since most folks have forgotten their exposure to grammar, the point will be no longer labored, but concluded.
The verb “hardened” referencing the heart of Pharaoh is in the intensive degree and may be understood to mean God made adamant, turned to stone reinforced with steel, so that no other option was then exercisable. God would get glory from Pharaoh and His servants in this manner.
A similar matter is related in Deuteronomy 2:30 as Moses spoke of “Sihon, king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.”
Understanding how God dealt with the forces of evil in men in history gives one insight as to how he may deal with them again in the future, as they more adamantly reject truth in the end of this age.
It is to this that the Apostle Paul pens the sobering information about those who receive not the love of the truth as recorded in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, “And for this cause God shal send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness..”
When God sends obstinacy or delusion, there is no turning from it. With the exception of tiny pockets of New Covenant believers here and there, the world does not hear, nor does it want to hear the truth of God’s Word. Could it be that we are seeing people under that strong delusion already? If so, the time of great revivals is over, and God’s people need to intensify their study of the Word and their fellowship with one another.
FOR THOUGHT: Does the viewpoint of this article help you to understand what is happening in the world today? Do you see that just before God moves to accomplish His great goals, He underscores the fruit of the determined actions of unbelievers?
BE FRUITFUL: AN IMPORTANT BIBLE “BE”
From earliest times, God has commanded fruitfulness. Think with me about it!
To living organisms of earth, God commanded: “. . . Be, fruitful and multiply, and fil the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” Genesis 1:22. To mankind God said, “. . .
Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: . . .” Genesis 1:28. One only needs to search a good concordance to see that this has been a consistent command that continued through Noah, Abraham, and his physical and spiritual offspring, so that the earth is indeed filled with all the various organisms of life.
However, It is spiritual fruit that God is looking for in individuals and corporately in His church. Paul explained it this way to the Church of Colossi, 1:10, “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Accordingly, one will find no few references to the importance of His people being fruitful. The parable of the sower, Matthew 13, is a typical example. But perhaps the most underscored example would be that of John 15: His lesson on the vine and the branches. The branches (His people) are to bring forth fruit, but they can do so only as they abide (live in, remain attached to, follow the guidance of) the vine, and the vine is the Lord Jesus Himself, in the narrow path of life. Otherwise, the branches would bear no acceptable fruit and would be subject to being cut off, bundled and burned. Contrary to what some may infer from this, it is not the loss of spiritual salvation, but the loss of the reward of life at the Judgment Seat of Christ where every child of God will one day stand. Note 2 Cor. 5:10; I Cor. 3:9-16.
So, abiding in Christ is the underscored idea. Such abiding must be done His way, and not man’s way! It is here that one wil do wel to realize that “Christ” is a Greek word. In English it means “anointed.” In New Testament times only two entities have been anointed: the head of the body, and the body of the head. The head, Jesus, was anointed at His baptism. The body of the head, His church, was anointed by the same Holy Spirit on Pentecost. It is plain beyond argument.
It follows then that to abide in Jesus is to abide in His body, the pillar and ground of the truth. This denotes genuine membership in His body, but it also means an ongoing process of growth in grace and knowledge. It is as Paul told the church at Colossi, and also Timothy, to whom he said of God, “Who will have all men saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.”
I Timothy 2:4. Friends, that is the fruit God looks for in His disciples, so be fruitful. It is an important Bible “Be”
FOR THOUGHT: Have you ever seriously considered that it is not the purpose of a branch to worry about the production of fruit, but to allow the vine to produce fruit through it? How does that compare with people seeking to produce spiritual fruit by their own religious activities in conflict with the Word? Do you see that submission to God through a good working knowledge of His Word will allow God to accomplish what He pleases through you?
BE KIND: AN IMPORTANT BIBLE “BE”
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32. Kindness, gentleness, tenderheartedness are just three dominant characteristics that God’s people are to employ in interpersonal relationships in the body of Christ. Think with me for a minute.
While not exactly synonymous, these characteristics are definitely linked to the greatest New Testament gift: love, by which all men may know that one is a disciple of the lowly, but most highly exalted Nazarene, John 13:35. The opposite of these divine requisites is selfishness. Perhaps this may be illustrated by the following humorous story.
Mr. “Me first” sat on the third pew from the front. He did a powerful lot of squirming during the sermon that did not go unnoticed by the pastor. At the invitation, the pastor just knew
“Me First” would respond, but he did not. Afterwards, the pastor asked about it. “I noticed you were uncomfortable during the message,” said the pastor. “Why did you not respond during the invitation?” “Oh,” said Me First, “I was sitting on a wasp that was stinging me.” The pastor replied, “Why then did you not get up and move to another seat?” “No need” said “Me First,” I was hurting him worse than he was hurting me!” Extrapolating this into public, and brotherly relations in the church is the antithesis of the deep-seated love that Jesus said those who know Him should have for one another.
The exhortation to the Church at Ephesus amplified the idea of Christian kindness. It means to be tenderhearted, that is, easily touched and sympathetic to the plight of others in their struggles of life. Thus, forgiving one another, and that unlike the farmer who was bitten by a mad dog. He buried him all but the tail so that when he thought about it again, he could pull him out of the ground and hit him again with a shovel. To forgive does not mean to forget, which may be impossible, but to bury offenses so deeply they are not allowed to resurface. How completely did God, for the sake of Christ, forgive each of us who repent of sins? Here then is the divine pattern to be followed by everyone in the precious body of Christ. “Kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness;” what marvelous requisites the true children of God have to indelibly mark their pilgrimage on earth as Christian. Be kind! It is an important Bible “Be!”
FOR THOUGHT: Have you observed that some folks think being kind is costly? May one be very serious and forceful while being kind? An old farmer once stated he could catch more flies with honey than he could with vinegar. Do you agree?
BE STILL: AN IMPORTANT BIBLE “BE”
Disquieted people are restless people inwardly and outwardly. Uncertain about their eternal status in Christ Jesus, they “hope” to be saved, and ever seek acts, deeds, and certain abstinence to enhance that possibility. Unfortunately, they have not entered the rest promised to believers in Hebrews Chapter Four. Instances of this human failure in matters of faith abound in the Holy Word. Let’s think about it!
Truly, the people of God are called to not sit on laurels, but to be busy in discipleship: the kind that honors God; that which is in conformity to His eternal Word. A cessation of that is not called for in Holy Writ, but encouraged evermore. It is the attempted infusion of fleshy thinking and works that are vain, and from which God leads believers away.
To determine that God wants one to engage in unspecified religious activity, even if it captivates the attention of large numbers of folks, is nothing short of what Jewish Zionism is all about: the works of the flesh and not of the Spirit. Paul forthrightly chided the churches of Galatia for this very thing, asking them that since they had begun by faith, would they now be made perfect through the works of the flesh? Thus, the reminder that it is not the activity of the flesh that God is looking for but the status of the believing heart.
Consider a very few biblical references to this idea. “Except the LORD build the house the laborers labor in vain… Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh in vain…”
Psalm 127:1. “But they that wait upon the Lord renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;. . .” Isaiah 40:31. Running the Christian race is vitally important, but as Paul said, “They who run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize; so run that you may win” I Cor.
9:24. It was never the might of Hebrew armies that wrought victory in Israel, but the presence and power of God, casting on the enemies hail, hornets, outright fear, etc. Israel’s part was to believe Him and follow Him!
It would appear obvious then that the activities of today must be grounded incontrovertibly in “thus saith the Lord.” Running ahead of God was Saul’s problem, and his errors did not die with him. Since proper and acceptable works may be accomplished only as one employs them through Bible knowledge, it seems simple to deduce that knowledge in matters of faith should be the prime pursuit. All the works of man stems from that or its obvious absence. Anytime one feels that God is crippled or His Word outdated, he would do well to consult Psalm 46:10, “Be stil , and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I wil be exalted in the earth.” Be Stil ! It is an important Bible “Be!”
FOR THOUGHT: As a believer, can you recall times when you trusted God for an outcome and impatiently sought to bring it about yourself? Have you trusted Him for an outcome and waited patiently, then marveled at how He worked it out? Does it give new meaning to Isa. 40:31?
BE WISE: AN IMPORTANT BIBLE “BE”
Far from being shortchanged, the topic of wisdom abounds in Holy Writ! Solomon had much to say about it in the books of his authorship: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. Other writers give it a lofty place as well, including the Apostle Paul as he writes the doctrinal books of the Bible to various churches founded in his ministry. Think with me about it!
There are three great mental attributes lauded in scriptures as most worthy goals of pursuit by the people of God. The qualification “people of God” is employed simply because,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Prov. 9:10. Here all three are mentioned as attributes that come from God as man qualifies to receive them through his reverence, study, and obedience to God and His Word.
It is said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Thus, to prayerfully search out and receive the knowledge afforded in the Bible is primary. It is an awareness of that which should be known. However, knowledge must be understood in order to be useful.
Accordingly, Solomon goes on to say, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Prov. 4:7. Paul admonished the church at Ephesus,
“Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the wil of the Lord is.” Eph. 5:17.
Technically, wisdom then is the application of understood knowledge. One may not live long on the planet until it may be brutally underscored that understood knowledge may be applied in a very unwise manner; hence, the emphasis on wisdom as the attribute making knowledge and understanding practical and profitable.
Jesus told His disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:be therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matt. 10:6. How to acquire such a measure of wisdom to survive, and do well in that type of environment is the pleasure of James to reveal: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5. Just how great then is this attribute called wisdom? Hear Solomon again, “The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.” Prov. 3:19.
In the abundance of admonitions to acquire wisdom, the Bible studying Christian will inevitably conclude: Be Wise! It is an important Bible “Be.”
FOR THOUGHT: Are you impressed that the Bible emphasizes wisdom and understanding so much? How shall anyone go very far in life without these requisites? Knowledge is the platform, but wisdom and understanding are what make knowledge profitable.