Do We “Make Too Much of Paul?”

February 7, 2009

by Shawn Brasseaux

Once, while talking to a discouraged Christian minister, I told him about Paul’s apostleship and how the Pauline epistles contained good words of encouragement for him to read and cheer up. His reply was, “Yeah, but there is more to the Bible than just Paul!” I responded, “Absolutely, but the Pauline epistles are God’s Word to you as a Gentile living in the Dispensation of the Grace of God.” The dear man had such a daze on his look; he had never heard this plain and yet profound truth of the Bible! If you want to know what God has to say to you, you must read the Pauline epistles, Romans through Philemon. Everything else in the Bible is God’s Word to Israel, and you are not Israel!

You are forced to separate Paul from the rest of the Bible. Even though your church and pastor may not do this, you have a choice—obey God, or obey mankind. But what makes Paul so unique? In the Four Gospels, we have the Lord Jesus Christ giving His twelve apostles the clear commandment (Matthew 10:5,6 KJV): “[5] Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. [6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And Jesus continued in verse 40, “He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.”

The Lord Jesus Christ sent Peter and the eleven to minister to the nation Israel (unfortunately, most church members have never been taught that simple fact). Jesus told them that if no one wanted to receive them, that person was simply rejecting Him (Jesus Christ), and thereby rejecting God the Father who sent Him. The question is: “Whom did Jesus Christ send to us?” It was certainly not Peter and the eleven because they had a ministry amongst the Jews, the nation Israel. Galatians 2:9 says that Peter, James, and John are Israel’s apostles (cf. Matthew 19:27,28).

Go with me to Romans 11:13 KJV, where the Apostle Paul writes: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office.” Who is God’s apostle of the Gentiles? PAUL! The ascended Lord Jesus Christ, post-resurrection, selected Paul to be the apostle of the Gentiles.

In Acts 9:15 KJV, the Lord Jesus told Ananias: “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he [Saul of Tarsus, Paul the Apostle] is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

Paul wrote in Romans 15:16 KJV: “That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” And Galatians 1:16 KJV: “To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” Finally, 2 Timothy 1:11 KJV: “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

The Apostle Paul is our apostle; he is the one God sent to us. Paul is God’s spokesman to us today. Accordingly, if we ignore Paul—like most professing Christians do today—we are actually ignoring God and His Word to us Gentiles in this dispensation, the Dispensation of Grace!

Now, look at 2 Peter 3:15,16 KJV, one of the last statements the Apostle Peter wrote:

“15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”

Did you notice what Peter wrote? He emphasized Paul’s epistles! Here is Peter, one of the chief apostles of Israel, encouraging you to read Paul’s epistles. Will people ever say “Peter made too much of Paul?” No, never. In that case, they have no right to say that you “make too much of Paul,” either. These are simply false accusations concocted by our critics, caught up in legalism and denominationalism, who hope to discredit our position so they can hold to their church tradition.

We are not making Paul to be a god; Paul is not God, but God has sent him to us so we had better listen to the message Paul was given by God. We recognize the Pauline epistles as God’s Word to us. We study all 66 books of the Bible, but the non-Pauline books are for basic learning, and are not written to us or about us. The non-Pauline epistles in the Bible cannot always apply to us. Paul was a man just like us. However, he did not write his own thoughts or opinions. As the Spirit of God moved him, he penned the doctrines of grace written to the Church the Body of Christ. He is the only Bible author addressing non-Israelites who are living outside of God’s purpose and program for Israel (Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:1-9). God’s current dealings with man are only found in Paul’s epistles. We are emphasizing the office of the apostle of the Gentiles, not the man Paul. Just like the Jews depended on Moses to give them God’s revelations, so we depend on the Pauline epistles to receive God’s revelations to us.

In reality, mid-Acts (Pauline) dispensationalists are not “making too much of Paul”—God the Holy Spirit in the Bible makes “too much” of Paul. So much so that nearly half of the New Testament is attributed to Paul! The Apostle Peter wrote two books, the Apostle John wrote five books; Luke wrote two books, and James, Matthew, Mark and Jude each wrote one book. The Apostle Paul wrote 13 Bible books, Romans through Philemon (contrary to what some suppose, I do not believe Paul wrote the book of Hebrews). Paul’s epistles alone contain half (13/27) of the “New Testament” and one-fifth (13/66) of the entire Bible! Are you going to say that “God made too much of Paul in His Word?” I think not, friend.

Finally, we see in 1 Corinthians 3:9-12 that Paul is the “wise masterbuilder” that laid the foundation and that foundation is Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and risen again. This is Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of the Grace of God (see Acts 20:24). Peter, James, and John were not the wise masterbuilders! They had no ministry to us Gentiles and the Church the Body of Christ (cf. Galatians 2:9).

Again, we emphasize Paul, not the man, but the doctrine revealed exclusively to him, the gospel given exclusively to him, and the ministry entrusted exclusively to him. Contrary to the teachings of traditional Bible interpretation, we recognize the unique ministry that the ascended Lord Jesus Christ gave to Paul. The Lord specifically revealed the “revelation of the mystery” exclusively to Paul (Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:2). God’s plan for salvation today is only found in Paul’s epistles. After all, the Bible says, “God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my [PAUL’S] gospel” (Romans 2:16; cf. Romans 16:25; 2 Timothy 2:8).

If you do not have your faith resting in a firm understanding of Paul’s Gospel, the Gospel of the Grace of God, it is the plain and simple truth that you are on your way to hell. Someone who loves you enough needs to tell you that before it is too late. You need to trust in Christ Jesus alone as your personal Saviour today. Jesus loved you and died for your sins, He was buried, and He was raised again for your justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Trust in Jesus Christ alone, and God will save you forever.

Paul is your apostle and my apostle, and we are submitting to God’s design when we spend most of our Bible study in Paul’s epistles. END OF STORY!

For those who think that we Pauline (Mid-Acts) dispensationalists “make too much of Paul,” perhaps they will think differently in light of our closing remarks:

  1. Can you completely explain God’s plan of salvation (the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as sufficient payment for sins), without making even a single reference to any of the verses found between the books of Romans through Philemon? (You cannot, for you need Paul’s epistles to explain the Gospel of the Grace of God—the gospel for this dispensation (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)—is only found in Paul’s epistles!)
  2. Without using Romans through Philemon, can you sufficiently explain the Church the Body of Christ and the rapture? How are we to live as believers in Christ in this dispensation? Are we under law or grace? What is the purpose and destiny of the Church the Body of Christ? You cannot answer these questions outside of Paul’s epistles.
  3. Could you tell me about church order (qualities of bishops, deacons, et cetera) without using the books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus?
  4. Can you explain where is the nation Israel today? Are we spiritual Israel? Will God return to dealing with Israel in the future? You can only answer these questions using Paul’s epistles.

Of course not. Without Paul’s epistles, you could not do any of the above. I guess you “make too much of Paul” too!

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Posted by Christian ambassador (Shawn Brasseaux)

Got “C.H.A.P.$.?” (Chri$tian$ Healthy and Pro$perou$ $yndrome)

February 6, 2009

by Shawn Brasseaux

We often hear “Christian” preachers claim, “God wants you to be wealthy and healthy!” “If you are poor, then God is cursing you!” “As long as you serve God and bring your tithes into the storehouse, you will never be sick and you will have abundant material wealth!” “Sow your seed of faith by sending a monthly donation to our ministry, and God will restore your finances and heal you from the top of your head to the soles of your feet!”

Prosperity theology seems to be quite popular today in Christendom, but this does not necessarily mean it has God’s approval. Why? Church leaders utilize these appealing ditties (listed above) to pressure their followers to give large monetary donations. This is deception—this is extortion! In the name of religion and “Jesus Christ,” billions of church members are being robbed in every sense of the word!

Material wealth and good health (healing) are dispensational issues. We shall thoroughly demonstrate that they operate differently at various points in human history. As with most of the arguments in Christendom, the solution is right division (dispensational Bible study). The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Dispensational Bible study aids us in understanding what God did in “time past” and how that contrasts with what God is presently doing in the “but now.”

Ephesians 2:11,12 tell us that, in time past, God formerly dealt with mankind on the basis of physical circumcision (Jew) and physical uncircumcision (Gentile). Ephesians 2:13 begins with “but now….” God is doing something different today than what He did in time past. We will now analyze prosperity theology and its message in light of dispensational Bible study. Prepare to be shocked!

 

PROSPERITY IN THE BIBLE

Once, a Christian brother heard a prosperity television preacher promise that if his viewers would send him $1,000, then God would bless them 1,000-fold (with a million dollars)! The Christian wrote the following note to the television preacher: “Hey, send me the $1,000, then God will send you the million. That way, you can quit begging for money.” Of course, the television preacher never wrote back. 🙂 We laugh at this type of foolishness, but this is far from a laughing matter because people are being deceived and they are being robbed… all in the name of “God” too!

Under Israel’s legalistic economy of Judaism (Mosaic Law), God blessed those who obeyed Him and cursed those who disobeyed Him. Notice that it was a conditional promise: IF people obeyed God, THEN He would bless them. This was Israel’s performance-based acceptance system of Law.

God promised the nation Israel an abundance of material blessings—all they had to do what obey Him (Genesis 17:1-6; Genesis 26:1-5). Abraham was a very rich man because God promised to bless him for his faith and obedience. “And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold” (Genesis 13:2) and he had “flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses” (Genesis 24:35). Abraham tithed faithfully (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:2, 4, 6)! Whenever Israel tithed, God blessed them, but God cursed them when they withheld their tithes (Malachi 3:8-11).

Whenever Israel hearkened (listened) to the LORD God, she prospered. During the periods Israel walked in obedience to JEHOVAH, they had bountiful harvests and military victories, for example (Leviticus 26:1-ff.; Deuteronomy 28:1-14). But, Deuteronomy 28:15-ff. listed the curses God would place on Israel when she disobeyed Him. The LORD promised in Exodus 15:26 that if Israel would obey all His commandments, He would bless them with good health, and heal them of all their diseases. Prosperity and good health was a good thing in the Old Testament because it meant that God was blessing the person.

In Deuteronomy 8:18, God tells the nation Israel through Moses: “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” God giving Israel material wealth was part of His covenant with them. By the way, people wrongly quote this today as though it applied to us, when the context says that it clearly belongs to Israel.

In 1 Kings 10:23, we see that David’s son, King Solomon, “exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.” The Bible says Job was a very wealthy man who had “seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east” (Job 1:3).

Suddenly, when we come to the Four Gospels and Christ’s earthly ministry, being rich is now a bad thing! Do you think Mary’s husband Joseph had a lucrative income as a carpenter? Was Jesus’ family rich while He was growing up? Jesus’ family was poor. The Bible never portrays the twelve apostles as being wealthy, either.

A very rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, and Jesus’ reply was “keep the commandments.” Christ then told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor (Matthew 19:17-22), but the rich man walked away sad because he was too prideful to follow those instructions. As the man left, the Lord Jesus told His disciples (verses 23-24): “Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Let us compare that to Mark chapter 10.

In Mark 10:23-25, the Lord Jesus said: “Children, how hard it is for them who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” The rich man was just as a much a sinner as anyone else, but the rich man’s problem was he had more faith in his mammon (wealth) than in Jesus as Israel’s King-Messiah. Clearly, it was not good to be rich during Christ’s earthly ministry. Israel was about to go into the Tribulation, and material possessions would only hinder the Jews because they would have to flee to the mountains in order to save their lives (Matthew 24:15-21; Luke 21:21). In fact, they would lose these possessions in the destruction of the Tribulation anyway.

Moving away from Christ’s earthly ministry and coming into the early part of the book of Acts, we read that the believing Jews (“the little flock” of Luke 12:32) sold all of their possessions and gave the money to the apostles (Acts 2:44,45; Acts 4:32-37; Acts 5:1,2). These Jewish believers acted in perfect accordance with Matthew 6:24-34 and Luke 12:33,34. As far they were concerned, Israel’s seven-year Tribulation was about to come in, and then Christ would establish His glorious kingdom. God would take care of these Jewish believers because He had promised them to meet all their needs (see Matthew 6:24-34).

Now, let us consider our apostle, the Apostle Paul, our pattern in this the Dispensation of Grace. Paul was formerly a Pharisee, a religious leader of Israel, and prior to his salvation, he enjoyed a lucrative life in the Jews’ religion, Judaism (Galatians 1:13,14). When God saved Paul, Paul counted all of his accomplishments and wealth but “dung” (manure!) so he could serve the Lord and minister to the Gentile world (Philippians 3:5-8). Do you think Paul rolled in the “big bucks” as a lowly tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3)? What makes you think that you being a Christian should entitle you to having a private jet, a condo in the Bahamas, and a fleet of BMWs?

In fact, we see Paul hungry and needing material goods in Philippians 4:11,12 (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:9-13; 2 Corinthians 11:22-27). While writing this epistle to the Philippians, Paul is sitting in a cold, dark, cruel Roman prison! Furthermore, the Macedonian Christians suffered “deep poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:1,2). But, whether good times or bad, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

Contrary to what religion says, wealth today has nothing to do with God being “happy with you” and poverty today has nothing to do with God being “angry at you.” Sometimes, Paul possessed many goods, but other times he had little to nothing. In this the Dispensation of Grace, our financial status is independent of God’s attitude toward us.

Let us also realize that Israel’s tithe is not in effect today. Tithing is part of the Mosaic Law, and the Bible says we are under grace, not law (Romans 6:14,15). Today, we have instructions for giving: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). We give money today, but not with the incentive of getting material riches in return (like Israel did with her tithe).

We have been blessed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this has nothing to do with whether or not we give money. Paul writes that, rather than God blessing us with material riches, we have spiritual riches in Christ! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” (Ephesians 1:3 KJV).

In 2 Corinthians 8:9, we read: “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” This is why Philippians 4:19 says: “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God has already supplied our “NEED” (singular)—salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with having material possessions. However, materialism can potentially consume you, and then it becomes a subtle form of idolatry. If you do happen to come across a large income, please guard yourself against idolatry and materialism. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6 KJV about contentment with what we have, whether we have much or little material goods:

“7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;…
18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;”

 

HEALTH IN THE BIBLE

Now, we move on to the good health aspect of the prosperity gospel. God never promised us in the Dispensation of Grace that we would enjoy lives of perfect health. Christians in the past have suffered from horrible sicknesses, excluding those who were tortured and martyred for the Lord’s sake. I know of a few Christians who are great warriors for Christ, but they are living on a fixed budget and they suffer from several bodily sicknesses! Why are they suffering when some non-Christians are not?

In Deuteronomy 7:12-15, the LORD promised that if Israel would obey Him, He would heal them of all their sicknesses. Look at what verse 15 says: “And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.”

If Israel did not listen to the LORD, He promised to curse them with illness (Deuteronomy 28:27-29 KJV):

“27 The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.”

In fact, the LORD even told Israel through Moses (Exodus 15:26): “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” Jews suffering illness in the Old Testament was an indication that Israel was not listening to the LORD.

Let us look now at Christ’s earthly ministry. Why did Jesus Christ perform so many healing miracles during His earthly ministry? For example, the Scriptures give us the account of more than two-dozen examples of healing miracles that the Lord Jesus performed during His three years of earthly ministry. In Mark 7:31-36, Jesus healed a deaf and mute man. He also healed the servant’s ear that had been cut off (Luke 22:50-51).

Jesus healed a blind man that was blind from birth (John 9:1-8), a devil-possessed man (Luke 4:33-35), and a paralytic (Mark 2:3-12). Matthew 4:24 says: “And [Jesus’] fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.”

The Bible says in Matthew 12:15 and Matthew 15:30 that Jesus Christ healed multitudes of sick people suffering from a wide range of infirmities, including blindness, leprosy, lameness, and speech impediments. In fact, John 20:30 tells us: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book [the Gospel of John]:” The Bible does not document all of the miracles the Lord Jesus Christ performed!

In addition to the Lord Jesus Christ performing myriads upon myriads of miracles, He even commanded the twelve apostles to do the same (Luke 9:1). We read in Matthew 10:5-8 KJV:

“5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Why are there so many healing miracles in the Four Gospels? Matthew 9:35 tells us the answer: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” The Gospel of the Kingdom is found in the passage we just read in Matthew chapter 10: “And as ye go [to the lost sheep of the house of Israel], preach, saying The kingdom of heaven is at hand [near].”

The Gospel of the Kingdom was simply that Jesus is Israel’s promised King-Messiah. Israel’s kingdom is about to be established, and in this kingdom, there will be no sickness, no evil spirits, and no death (Isaiah 33:24; Zechariah 13:1-3). By performing healing miracles, casting out devils, and raising the dead, Jesus Christ is proving to Israel that her kingdom is finally here because He is her promised King. Notice what the book of Hebrews says in chapter 2:

“3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 For unto the angels hath he not in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

These signs, miracles, and wonders spoken of here are a reference to the events on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. That “world to come” referenced in Hebrews 2:5 is the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ, Israel’s earthly kingdom! Again, all those miracles in the Four Gospels are evidence of Israel’s kingdom about to be established. Yet, Israel rejected her Messiah in unbelief and nailed the Lord Jesus Christ to Calvary’s cross.

In Acts 7:51-59, about a year after Acts chapter 2, Israel’s prophet Stephen chided the nation Israel’s religious leaders for rejecting and killing their Messiah-King Jesus Christ. In a rage of conviction, the Jews stoned Stephen because they did not like God’s message! Saul of Tarsus (who later became Paul the Apostle), an unbeliever at that time, was not only present at the stoning of Stephen, but he was also involved with the imprisonment and murder of kingdom believers in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-3; Galatians 1:13-14).

With the salvation of Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus, the Dispensation of Grace has begun. At this point, in Acts chapter 9, God has brought in a new dispensation, a program separate from Israel’s prophetic kingdom program. In our present-day program, called the “mystery program” in Romans 16:25-26, Israel’s signs, miracles, and wonders have vanished. We no longer have healing miracles because Israel’s “prophetic program” has been temporarily interrupted.

If we look in 2 Corinthians 11:22-28, we find the horrible sufferings of Paul the Apostle—he was stoned once, beaten, whipped nearly 200 times, and shipwrecked three times! Any good health here? Paul suffered from a “thorn in the flesh,” a mysterious illness or difficulty, which Paul prayed three times to God for healing and/or deliverance (2 Corinthians 12:8-10). The Bible says that Paul never received healing or deliverance from it. Galatians 4:13 says Paul suffered from a sickness that detained him in Galatia. Timothy and Trophimus were both physically sick and Paul could not heal either of them (1 Timothy 5:23; 2 Timothy 4:20).

The early Gentile Christians were under constant pressure and persecution from the outside world (Philippians 1:28-30; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-10). Paul suffered great distress and depression in 2 Corinthians 1:4-10. Need I continue to prove that a believer’s life is not always carefree and prosperous in this the Dispensation of Grace?

Israel’s kingdom is temporarily postponed while God is doing something different. As long as our mystery program is in effect, Israel’s prophetic program is on hold. For us as members of the Church the Body of Christ, we have a time of healing coming in the future: the rapture, the day when we received glorified bodies fashioned like unto Jesus Christ’s physical body!! A body that is everlasting, that will never grow sick or old—a body that will never die. Refer to Romans 8:18-25, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 2 Corinthians 4:15–5:1, Ephesians 4:30; Philippians 3:20,21, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 for passages that refer to the redemption of our physical bodies.

As we tarry in this world as Christians suffering the persecution and sicknesses of this life, we remember 1 Corinthians 10:13: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

And in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, we read:

“16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Finally, in Romans chapter 8:

“18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

 

CONCLUSION

In Deuteronomy 8:18, we read: “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Many prosperity preaches use this verse (and others) to claim that God wants to bless you with material blessings. However, we notice in this verse “fathers” is a reference to Israel’s patriarchs. Are we Israel? Have any covenants been given to us as Gentiles? No, according to Ephesians 2:11-12, we have not been given any of Israel’s covenants. Furthermore, those who read Deuteronomy 8:18 usually do not read the rest of the passage (Deuteronomy 8:19-20):

“19 And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.
20 As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.”

Everyone wants to follow the passage when it says God will bless us when we obey Him, but no one wants the passage when it says that God will curse us when we disobey Him. The key to understanding Deuteronomy 8:18 is that this is spoken to the nation Israel, not to us.

The Jews of the Old Testament were promised material blessings, provided they “hearkened [listened] unto the Lord.” Remember, it was a conditional promise: if people obeyed God, then He would bless them. This was Israel’s performance-based acceptance system of Law, a system which we are not under today (Romans 6:14,15).

Abraham, David, and Job were far from poor beggars. However, these earthly promises were given to Israel, not to us as members of the Church the Body of Christ. Israel received the promise of material blessings, but the Bible says that God the Father has blessed Christians today “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Romans 8:14-17 also substantiates the fact that Christians can be “poor as church mice” financially, but still have eternal riches in heaven in Christ Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9)! We are not blessed on the basis of what we have done or have not done. We are blessed solely because of what Christ Jesus did for us, not what we have done for Him!

The Bible warns us to be vigilant, watching for false teaching such as this “good health and wealth gospel,” which is nothing but “tradition of men” (Colossians 2:7-9; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:3,4). The book of Colossians (3:1-3) also instructs us to “set our affection [interest] on things above, and not on things on earth.” The Apostle Paul warned us that in the last days, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:3,4). That fits perfectly with this prosperity gospel, its proponents, and the poor naïve people who have been duped into believing it!

Today’s prosperity gospel of good health and material wealth is a very serious matter because it is a damnable gospel that only misleads people to a devil’s hell (2 Corinthians 11:3,4). The Apostle Paul (and the Holy Spirit) makes his pronouncement on false teachers who are not preaching Christ crucified for our sins, buried, and risen again for our justification (Galatians 1:6-9 KJV):

“6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

The pure Gospel of Grace that Paul preached has been adulterated and transformed unto an ear-tickling message of health and prosperity. The only people who are getting rich are those proclaiming that false gospel! Does God promise to bless us with an abundance of material blessings if we faithfully tithe? Are Christians promised multimillion-dollar mansions, exotic cars, and large bank accounts? Are Christians always blessed with good health? Again, the answer to all three questions is a firm NO! Today’s “prosperity gospel” is nothing but a fable, a fallacy, created by none other than the old devil himself to lead more people to hell.

Learn to “rightly divide the word of truth,” and you will never suffer from C.H.A.P.$.!

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Posted by Christian ambassador (Shawn Brasseaux)

Dieting Throughout the Ages

February 5, 2009

by Shawn Brasseaux

Opponents of dispensational Bible study (right division) contend, “God never changes therefore His dealings with man never change.” They use Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8 for Scriptural “support.” “For I am the LORD, I change not” and “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.” Of course God never changes. God’s essence and nature never changes, but God does change His dealings with man from time to time.

In the Bible God gave various instructions to different people at various time periods. On four separate occasions, God gave different dieting instructions to various people. The following study will prove dispensational Bible study is the ONLY answer to understanding and explaining these so-called “contradictory” portions of the Holy Scriptures.

While the Bible may seem contradictory, notice these directions were not given to the same group of people! Each set of directions was given during a different dispensation (time period). God’s Word never contradicts itself as long as you apply the principle of right division: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).

As long as we leave the directions in the proper dispensation during which God gave them, and understand that God’s directions to us come from the Apostle Paul’s letters of Romans through Philemon like Romans 11:13 says, then all of the confusion disappears!

ADAM AND EVE, BEFORE SIN

“29 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.
30 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 KJV).

In Genesis 1, God told Adam and Eve to eat things that grew naturally—nuts, fruit, seeds, vegetables, and so on. They were vegans, not even partaking of animal products (like eggs). Before the curse of sin and death, every animal and human strictly ate vegetation. Once man fell into sin, this changed.

NOAH, AFTER THE FLOOD

About 1600 years after Adam, we see Noah and his family getting off the ark. Once the global flood waters have receded, God gives the following instructions to Noah:

“1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.
2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” (Genesis 9:1-4 KJV).

Once the curse and the global flood came, God directed Noah and his family to now eat any animal they could trap or catch, provided they did not consume its blood. From time of Noah until Moses, mankind was free to eat vegetation and animal meat.

NATION ISRAEL, UNDER THE MOSAIC LAW

When we come to Moses, about 800 years after Noah, the nation Israel is receiving the Mosaic Law from the LORD. In passages such as Leviticus 11:1-31 and Deuteronomy 14:1-21, God gives Israel some very specific instructions: they can only eat “clean beasts,” not just anything like Noah had been instructed centuries earlier. To the Jews, creatures like bats, owls, camels, vultures, lizards, and swine were “unclean,” and were not to be eaten. “Clean” beasts were animals such as sheep, locusts, oxen, goat, and fallow deer: these could be eaten. The kosher food laws of Judaism remained in effect for the next 1500 years.

APOSTLE PAUL, IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE

When we come to the Apostle Paul, about a year after the cross, the Dispensation of Grace has begun, and a new group of believers exists, separate and distinct from the nation Israel—the Church the Body of Christ. Look at what Paul writes:

“3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (1 Timothy 4:3-5 KJV)

Now, ALL creatures can be eaten, as long as we give God thanks. We can even eat the animals that God forbade Israel to eat in time past! In this the Dispensation of Grace, regardless of what some religious authority may tell you, there are NO DIETING LAWS. Our apostle, Paul, says to eat what you want, and give God thanks!

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Posted by Christian ambassador (Shawn Brasseaux)

Search the Scriptures Instead of the Denominational Handbook

February 2, 2009

by Shawn Brasseaux

The Bible says that we members of the Church the Body of Christ are “the ministers of Christ and stewards [managers] of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1). What are many professing Christians doing right now? They are inactive, spiritually stationary, unlearned in Scripture, and certainly incapable of being managers of the revelation of the mystery. Oh, what a shame!

People have clouded the plain English of the King James Bible. Very few church members have little to no idea of sound Bible doctrine. Many know not what their local church even believes! Satan is working in religious circles, producing corrupt Bible versions, and leading the masses to his hell with his false gospels. For the most part, the Body of Christ cannot retaliate because many of them are standing on the shifting foundation of religious tradition! You cannot fight the devil’s false teaching while embracing false teaching… you are using the enemy’s weapon to fight against him, and that is futile!

Many church members are learning information that is totally useless in eternity—they are just hearing the traditions of men and performing vain (faithless) religious activities. Many modern English Bible versions slant toward a particular denomination, and we have 38,000-plus denominations that pollute and twist the Scriptures to further their tradition instead of God’s truth. Many of America’s church members crave buffets: they take all the verses in the Bible, place them in a bag, and pick the verses they like the most.

THE BIBLE IS NOT A BUFFET—you cannot pick and choose what you want and ignore what you do not like. If you do believe and follow the doctrine in Pauline epistles of Romans through Philemon (God’s Word to us Gentiles in this the Dispensation of Grace; Romans 11:13; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Ephesians 3:2), you are better off closing your Bible and never opening it again because you will only get confused and discouraged. The everlasting lake of fire, is the ultimate penalty for rejecting the Gospel of Grace, so it would be unwise to ignore Romans through Philemon!

All to often, God’s Word is relegated to an inferior status in many churches. Usually, the Bible is only taught when it agrees with a preconceived idea or denominational creed. Church history books, papal encyclicals, patristic writings, church council decrees, commentaries, and creeds are studied in “Christian” circles, but there is very little Bible study—actual study of the Bible. The Bible alone, not religious literature, has the power of God. The Bible alone is God’s Word, and it alone equips a Christian in life (in doctrine, duty, walk, and destiny). We read in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 KJV:

“15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The Bible is the final authority, not religious doctrines or preachers’ or priests’ opinions; the Bible alone is the inspired Word of God (not creeds, commentaries, or “Christian” books.) How I wish that people would quit muddying the simple truths of the King James Bible rightly divided. I wish they would stop adding water baptism, tithing, tongues, good works, repentance, church membership, sacraments, prayers, and all that other stuff that the Bible does not deem necessary for salvation. We are saved by grace through faith without works, or we are not saved at all. Either Christ Jesus paid the price of your sins at Calvary’s cross, or He did not! Either Jesus Christ’s bloodshed is sufficient to pay your sin debt, or it is not! Either God did it all, or He did not! It is that simple, friend.

The Bible clearly states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness”  (Romans 4:5). It really is that black and white: this is the way God mandated it, and you either take Him at His Word, or you will go to a lost eternity! I cannot emphasize it enough: God’s Word says you cannot work for your salvation because salvation is a gift. You would be a fool to spurn Paul’s epistles of Romans through Philemon. Only a fool would reject God’s free gift of salvation in His Son Jesus Christ. Are you a fool? I hope not!

THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD

(1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV)

“1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”
Acts 16:31 KJV

 Please search the Holy Scriptures, and see if what I say is so. God’s Word is all that will count for eternity! The moments are fleeting, so be sure you understand what God’s Word says about salvation and sound doctrine! 🙂

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Finishing Your Course: Temporal Suffering, Eternal Glory

January 30, 2009

by Shawn Brasseaux

Some Christians have the idea that because they are believers, they will have a smooth, carefree life with no worries and no struggles. Contrariwise, Christians are still living in this fallen world, and we are subject to violence and persecution. The Lord allowed the devil to attack and ultimately murder many early Christians. Even the Apostle Paul—the greatest man the Lord used—had all sorts of problems and trials in his life. It is highly possible that all of the Lord’s apostles experienced martyrdom. In this Bible study, we want to provide comfort from the Scriptures so that you can endure the suffering.

Jesus Christ suffered in this world, yet He did not deserve it. They falsely accused Him when He did good deeds, they wanted to kill Him (they eventually did, although He gave His life willingly), and they were always trying to confuse and make Him out to be a liar. Just prior to Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ prayed in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane: “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). Christ knew that the cross was only a few hours away, and although He was God, He was man also. He felt nervous and scared, but He knew there was no other way to redeem mankind. Imagine His final thoughts: the thoughts you and I would not even dare begin to imagine.

In 2 Corinthians 11:22-27, we learn that Paul suffered much in his 35-year ministry: shipwreck three times, merciless beatings, nearly 200 lashes, one stoning, and even false brethren causing him trouble and heartache! Even though he was being heavily persecuted, what was on the poor Apostle’s heart the most was how his Gentile converts were doing, if they were enduring their own troubles and persecution, if they were combating false teaching, and so on (verse 28). Paul wrote:

“22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”

Notice what the Apostle wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8,9 KJV: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” The word “rejoice” appears nearly one dozen times in the book of Philippians: why is this important? Paul wrote that book while imprisoned in Rome! A classic Bible verse reads: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Why was Paul so joyful in such a dire situation? For one thing, Paul was witnessing to his guards, and the Gospel of Grace was being preached in Caesar’s palace, and people were saved (Philippians 1:12-14; Philippians 4:21,22). In addition, Paul was not focusing on the world; he was focused on eternity and the Lord.

There is the awesome passage in 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:1 KJV regarding suffering and endurance:

“4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Our physical bodies are dying, but the believer’s “inward man” (our new spiritual nature from Christ) is being renewed day by day as we believe and apply godly principles from the rightly divided Word of God! This passage tells us to focus on things not seen: if you focus on this pitiful world which you can see, you will get discouraged. Look into the Bible so that you can look into things you cannot see with your physical eyes: look at the spiritual things that you can only see you’re your eyes of faith! Eternity is such a glorious prospect for the Christian!

As I mentioned earlier, no believer is currently fit for heaven physically. Even though our bodies are alive right now, they must be resurrected, because our bodies are made of corruptible flesh. Look at the book of Philippians once more: “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:20,21).

Romans 8:18-25 KJV reminds us of our current temporary suffering but the glory that awaits us Christians in eternity:

“18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Now, the Lord entrusted Paul with the “dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). To Paul alone, God revealed these “mysteries” (or “secrets,” also known as the grace doctrines), which are scattered throughout the books of Romans through Philemon (Romans 16:25,26). The Lord also gave Paul the Gospel of the Grace of God to propagate through the Gentile world, as Paul even got a glimpse of Heaven himself in 2 Corinthians chapter 12!

In order to keep Paul humble, God allowed Paul to suffer an ailment we know simply as his “thorn in the flesh,” which Paul does not specifically identify (2 Corinthians 12:7,8). Paul diligently prayed three times for the Lord to remove that “thorn,” but God knew best and permitted Paul to bear with that “thorn,” probably for the rest of his life. The Lord’s reply was simply, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (verse 9). Paul then responded, “Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (verse 10).

Despite all that opposition Paul encountered, by the time of his martyrdom in roughly A.D. 66/67, he had already “fought a good fight, finished his course [or race], and kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-8). He was ready to be offered, for he completed his work, and was now to be in the presence of His God and Saviour. It is said that the evil Roman emperor Nero beheaded Paul; as Paul was lead away by the guards that last time, speculation suggests that Paul was so excited that he actually ran to the place where he would soon die! Wow.

If the Lord could give Paul the strength and the grace to endure all that he did, He most certainly can help us in our times of discouragement. We must never give up laboring for the Lord. It is urgent that we do what we can for Him while we still have time… a lost, hell-bound world is dependant on YOU AND I to proclaim the Gospel of Grace (Romans 10:14,15)! So, do not wallow in self-pity, and get back up to “finish your course,” too!

“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 KJV).

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The King James Bible: God’s Preserved Words

January 1, 2009

by Shawn Brasseaux

This is a controversial topic, but I want you to know the truth. While this information may seem “deep” to some, God will give you understanding, as long as you are willing to listen to reasoning. As always, I love you all, and I care because the Lord cares. If you want to disagree, by all means do so, but do not label me an enemy simply because I tell you the truth (Galatians 4:16).

When I look at my good ol’ King James Bible, what comes to mind is the fact that the Almighty Lord God wanted me to receive a copy of His Word in my language! As one Bible teacher expressed it, “God did not leave His Word with the angels, He gave it to us!” A complete version of the Bible has been in the hands of men nearly 2,000 years, but man has done anything but treasure it. For the most part, man has read it, has ignored it, has burned it, and has adulterated (corrupted) it! Mankind is so ungrateful.

The King James Bible of 1611 is based on the “received text,” or Textus Receptus. The Textus Receptus is based on reliable manuscripts first used in the early Christian church in Antioch (remember Acts 11:26, “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”). The Textus Receptus contains the majority of the surviving Greek New Testament manuscripts (for this reason, it is also known as the Majority Text). This line of Bible manuscripts has faithfully served the Body of Christ for close to 2,000 years; after all, they are God’s preserved Word and words in Greek.

But, the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:17: “For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak us in Christ.” Notice what the Bible says: “many corrupt the word of God!”

Most of the modern English Bibles that have been produced in the past 150 years are based on corrupt manuscripts, the rival texts of the Majority Text (Textus Receptus). These corrupt Greek manuscripts are known as the Alexandrian Critical Text. The two chief manuscripts representative of this depraved text type are Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus.

The “scholars” who translated the NIV, NASB, NRSV, ESV, GNB/TEV, NCV, NEB, NAB, Living, Message, et cetera relied more heavily on Vaticanus and Sinaiticus than the Textus Receptus simply because the Alexandrian manuscripts are assumed to be the “oldest manuscripts.” However, while the Alexandrian manuscripts are said to be the oldest, they are not the most reliable— Vaticanus and Sinaiticus disagree amongst themselves over 3,000 places in the Four Gospels alone!

Vaticanus excludes most of the book of Genesis (the first 46 chapters), omits Paul’s Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus), does not contain nearly 30 psalms (Psalms 106-138), omits the last four chapters of Hebrews, and excludes the entire book of the Revelation!

Sinaiticus contains the New Testament plus two extra (spurious, false, uninspired) books. By the way, Sinaiticus was discovered in a trashcan in 1844 behind a monastery located near Mount Sinai!

The King James Bible is not perverted like these modern Bibles. The King James Bible does not cast doubt on dozens of critical verses and doctrines like most of these modern “Bibles.”

 

ERRORS IN THE NIV, NASB, NRSV, ESV, GNB/TEV, NCV, NEB, NAB, LIVING, MESSAGE, AND MANY OTHER MODERN ENGLISH BIBLES:

  1. the deity of Jesus Christ is denied or watered down
  2. references to eternal hellfire are removed or watered down
  3. the doctrine of the Trinity is denied with the removal of 1 John 5:7
  4. the apostleship of Peter and Paul are undermined and/or questioned
  5. denial of Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in the New Testament
  6. two large 12-verse passages—Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53–8:11—are questioned, bracketed off as uninspired, or removed
  7. denial of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ
  8. some salvation verses are highly distorted and/or watered down, some are completely removed
  9. removal of important Bible words such as “heaven,” “[God the] Son,” “Jesus,” “Godhead,” “Lord,” “Christ,” “my Father,” and “[Christ’s] blood.”

Because of their heavy reliance on the corrupt Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts, modern English “bibles” are about five percent corrupted each! To boot, there are over 100 modern English Bible translations… in excess of 200 if we count the partial translations. All of these versions, and the Body of Christ is confused as ever about what the Bible actually says. We have “revised” versions, “new revised” versions, and “21st century” versions… eventually, if the Lord tarries, each professing Christian will have his or her own personal version!

If you are using a modern English Bible, and not the King James Bible, I strongly urge you to consider what I have presented to you. Did God keep His promise of preserving His Word and His words in Psalm 12:6,7, or will you be guilty of unbelief, denying what God said? If you want to continue using NIV, NASB, or NKJV, I will not condemn you… you have not lost your salvation, but you have lost the teaching of important Bible concepts and sound Bible doctrine!

You can contact me for additional material, but you can find a lot more about the Bible versions at www.chick.com/information/bibleversions/.

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Posted by Christian ambassador (Shawn Brasseaux)

Salvation – Free For Nothing

December 27, 2008

by Shawn Brasseaux

Earlier today while shopping, I overheard an announcement: “Attention customers, we are giving away FREE paring knives by the refrigerated foods.” I honestly tell you, within three minutes, there must have been 40 people gathered around that retailer’s booth. After a 30-minute demonstration, he handed out the free paring knives valued at $5 each. Wow, what a bargain!

It is amazing to see that the word “free” is a magic word. It unites the wealthy penny-pinchers and the poverty-stricken homeless people. If you simply just whisper the word “free,” you would be trampled by the masses. It is a tragic fact that our world enjoys getting fooled by gimmicks. The general public believes any old thing they hear—no wonder false teaching in churches is so successful these days!

Suppose we made the following announcement: “God is freely giving away eternal life to anyone who is willing to have simple faith in the Gospel of Grace, how that Christ died for your sins and paid for everything that is wrong with you, and He was raised for your justification. You just need to trust in Him for salvation!” Everyone would pause for one second, and then continue shopping as though they were deaf. Even if you did get a crowd, they would only be there to refute you while holding some denominational handbook. They would accuse you of false teaching before they would the spiritual swindlers in our midst today!

I have some wonderful news for you. Salvation is free to you today! There is no wealth necessary… no water baptism needed… no high social status needed… no tongues needed… no penance needed… no confession… no walking an aisle… no joining a church… nothing is needed but SIMPLE FAITH. But how many poor people just will never see heaven’s glory because they refused to come to God by faith, but rather trying to merit God’s favor with works.

Salvation is 100% free, guaranteed. “NO REFUNDS” because you will not regret it!

Romans 3:23-28 KJV:

“23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation [a substitution, a sacrifice] through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness:
26 That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

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The “Religion” Series

December 22, 2008

“Religion” I: Saved from Hellfire and Religious Tradition
by Shawn Brasseaux
[22 December 2008]

I love you all. Please understand that I do not want to attack anyone.

Surely, we true Christians all acknowledge that our lost world is in desperate need of salvation from sin and its penalty eternal hellfire. But, did you realize that people need to be rescued from something else that leads to eternal hellfire: religion. “Religion” is one of God’s least favorite words: why? With religion comes another one of God’s hated words—tradition. Religion is nothing more than man trying to appease God by doing a few good works (God is not impressed by good works done to merit His favor). My plain definition of “tradition” is “something usually done wrong the first time, and from henceforth, constantly repeated as is.” Religion and its accompanying traditions have led more people to hell than anything else on the face of the planet! God does not overlook that.

The Scriptures say that lost people are slaves of the devil (2 Corinthians 4:3,4). Satan keeps them blinded so they do not know the Gospel of the Grace of God. But lost people are also slaves to religion—they just do not know it! The devil does everything he can to keep them under his thumb, and trust me, I know this to be truth. It is now going on seven weeks that the devil has hindered our newspaper ministry. Our community is so steeped in religious tradition, it is heartbreaking, and Brother Guilbeau and I are doing everything we can to get the ministry going again. People need to hear the truth, and I can promise that we will get God’s Word out to them somehow. We are still praying on how to further proceed.

Religious hierarchies (the leadership of the particular church or religion) know their members are in bondage. They keep them in their power by threatening them with intimidation and superstition, just so they can obtain their pocketbooks. If these poor people would just come into the glorious light of the Gospel of Grace by faith, the shackles of religion would just corrode. But, the devil has them secured in religion, and they have no compunction about their spiritual blindness. A large portion of my family is Roman Catholic, and we have talked to them on more than one occasion, but for the most part they refuse to listen to Scripture. The funny is that people who claim to Christians do not want to talk about the Bible and God. They may not want to listen to us speak to them, but they told me they read my letters in the newspaper! It is urgent that we get that ministry back as soon as possible.

I thank the Lord God that I am not bound in religion! I do not have to fear a religious authority. I do not have to worry about excommunication from a church. I am free, and I STAND FAST IN THE LIBERTY wherewith Christ has made us free and I am NOT entangled again with the yoke of bondage of works religion (Galatians 5:1). If you are saved today, and you know it beyond all doubt, praise the Lord and thank Him that you are not in spiritual darkness, like billions of people are tonight!

I DO NOT TAKE MY SALVATION FOR GRANTED!!! The Lord has saved me, not only from my sins and eternal hellfire, but from religious tradition! Praise God!!!!

 

“Religion” II: Religious, Not Necessarily Saved
by Shawn Brasseaux
[23 December 2008]

Over 90 percent of Acadiana (south-central Louisiana) is steeped in works-religion. Most of my family and friends are burdened with rituals and rules, and they are walking a tightrope instituted by men’s ideas—along with six billion other people! They are scared to commit some gross sin that will lead their excommunication from the church and their eternal condemnation in Hell. The Bible, God’s Word, is the complete and supreme Authority, not a particular church hierarchy. The Bible advises us to believe the Gospel of Grace of 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and receive salvation freely, or spend eternity being separated from the Lord God.

Religious people have made salvation so complicated: salvation has nothing to do with what we can do for God—salvation is what God has already done for us! Denominations and religions instruct their followers to obey a particular set of requirements, that they might have a place in heaven. Notice that these people cannot really know for certain of their salvation… even after “doing the best they can,” their church cannot guarantee their place in heaven. They are told to wait until after they die before they can know that… in reality, it is eternally too late by that point in time. How tragic!

Please, do not labor and strive to appease God for salvation: I promise you that it will not work because good works do not abolish the penalty of your sin nature. Any attempt to gain salvation by performing religious rituals will profit you nothing in eternity, which is what the Apostle Paul warned the Galatians (5:1-4). Paul briefly mentions legalism and works religion in Colossians 2:20-23 and Galatians 2:21. Of course, Christians will do good works, but this is not our focus: people are trying to become Christians by doing good works! According to God’s Word, that is very unwise and it will not work.

Acts of penance (self-torture), selling your possessions and living a frugal life for the sake of the poor, giving a large tithe, joining a dozen local churches, getting water baptized, confessing your sins, and meeting all those other religious demands in order to gain salvation are totally unnecessary for our salvation! You can follow a particular philosopher or religious leader, and still be no closer to heaven than before. Why? The Lord must regenerate your spirit, and His blood serving as atonement for your sin. Your sin must be dealt with, and only Christ’s finished work on Calvary is powerful enough to do that.

Jesus Christ even spoke of religious people in Matthew 15:9, the poor people lost and confused in performance-based church membership and works-religion: “But in vain do they worship me [empty, faithless worship], teaching doctrines the commandments of men.” The “ear-tickling” sermons and the religious doctrine appeal to the flesh and sound nice, but none of that carries any weight because there is no biblical support for any of it! It is simply men’s ideas, deceptive, confusing, and eternally detrimental to your soul.

Religion will always result in a lost eternity—and these poor religious people in our world better wake up before it is too late!


“Religion” III: God is Sick to His Stomach
by Shawn Brasseaux
[24 December 2008]

God hates religion. Religious people “go through the motions,” performing every ritual given to them. These people do not have a single ounce of faith in anything God’s Word says. If someone does not have faith in God’s Word, they are guilty of unbelief.

In Isaiah 1:10-15, the Jews were guilty of the same thing! Indeed, the Jews were keeping Temple worship, giving sacrifices, praying to God, keeping the feast days, and all the things that God demanded in the Mosaic Law. However, the Jews were faithless—it was nothing but vain, empty religious rituals! God was so disgusted with this vain empty religion that He basically told the Jews in Isaiah 1:11-15: “I am full [sick] of the burnt offerings… bring no more of your vain oblations [empty offerings]… your new moons and your appointed feast [days] my soul hates… when you [Jews] will spread forth your hands, I [God] will hide my eyes… when you make many prayers, I [God] will not hear you….” Now, you know it was bad if GOD made these statements!

Today, people are hiding behind religion and using the Christian name as a disguise. Long ago, unbelievers derogatorily referred to believers as “Christians” (mocking their “Christ-like” behavior). Christians are obviously going to reflect Christ’s standards: the name “Christian” should only be applied to those who have faith in the Gospel of the Grace of God: “how that Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again for our justification” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). It stands to reason that Christians are going to uphold fundamental doctrinal positions that the Bible supports. The name “Christian” has been so distorted down through history to the point where even people who deny the deity of Christ have been called Christians! Ridiculous, I say, absolutely ridiculous! These people are lost, the people you would least expect to be unbelievers because they go by the name “Christian!”

One person estimated that 60 percent of America’s church members are lost in unbelief. I find that easy to believe, too. We have professing Christians being water baptized, joining a local church, reading the Bible, and praying daily. But they have no faith and no indwelling Holy Spirit—they only have religion!

One Catholic friend told me the reason why he loves the Roman Catholic Church so much is because they have the Eucharist—what they claim to be the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ (What blasphemy! The Lord’s Supper is merely a memorial of Christ’s finished work; the Lord’s Supper in and of itself does not impart eternal life to anyone.) God is just as prone to “throw up” today as He did with the Israelites in 700 B.C…. it is nothing but vain religious “rigmarole.” Vain imitation, and no underlying faith.

Why do most professing Christians go to church? Only out of guilt, because their pastor or priest recommends they come, and if they want to go to heaven, they must come often! People feel obligated to go to church because someone is pressuring them: in their hearts, they really do not care for God. From the biblical perspective, going to church should be something you want to do freely out of your own volition. I go to church, not because someone has forced me to go, but because I want to fellowship with other believers. The church at which I attend services plays absolutely NO role in giving me salvation: church does not save anyone! Church membership does not save anyone. Just because you go to church does not make you saved!

I mentioned before that religious people go through “hoping to maybe get to Heaven.” I know I am going to heaven. How can I be so “self-righteous,” you ask? According to Romans 3:26-31, “Christ’s righteousness”—not my own righteousness—saves me from eternal hellfire that I deserve! The Lord will always be “good enough” for me to have eternal salvation. I want to boast that the Lord Jesus Christ was good enough and He did every single thing needed to bring about my salvation. I was incapable of providing my own salvation. How wonderful that He was so gracious and so generous. Instead of meriting death and favor by working my way to heaven, I have received forgiveness from all my sin and I have a new life through Christ! That is the only reason why I can say with confidence that I will never lose my salvation. I will never be good enough for Heaven by my own deeds. There is no such thing as “the sin of presumption:” having the assurance of your salvation is not a sin! But let me be emphatically clear that you cannot provide salvation for yourself.

Are you lost in works-religion today? It may seem hopeless, but the power of God can overcome the devil and the spiritual blindness he creates. God can set you free from all the legalism, the bondage, the sin, and the eternal doom. Is that not Good News? If you are lost in works-religion today, Jesus Christ is the answer! He can provide you with eternal security in Him. You do not have to perform rituals in order to receive salvation. Salvation is a gift, being offered freely to mankind. A gift is something for which you do not work or strive. You are undeserving of a gift, and we are all undeserving of salvation! Take God’s offer of salvation by grace through faith. Trust in Christ Jesus alone and God will save you forever!

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Christmas 2008 – The Prince of Peace, Born in the Middle East

December 20, 2008

by Shawn Brasseaux

“For unto us [the nation Israel] a child is born, unto us [Israel] a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth [from this present time onward] even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6,7 KJV).

Nearly everyone in the world is familiar with the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ in Bethlehem over two millennia ago. Nevertheless, only a small percentage of people, the genuine believers, understand the true meaning of His birth. The little Baby Jesus was not just some “common infant.” The Man we know as Jesus is the bodily, visible manifestation of the invisible Godhead (Colossians 2:8-10; Hebrews 1:1-4)! In fact, Jesus Christ is the LORD God of the Old Testament, the Creator God of Genesis 1:1 (John 1:1-4,14; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:2)!

Just imagine: the magnificent, transcendent Creator God placed Himself into the body of a small fetus! While in the womb, Jesus’ tiny embryo was still God incarnate! It was the Almighty God who nursed from Mary, who was born in a lowly stable, and who cried as a little Baby! He was confined to a small mortal body, but He merely had to process the thought of the universe’s collapse, and it would have obeyed Him!

Originally, Jesus came to Israel to present Himself as their Messiah-King (Micah 5:2; Luke 1:30-35). For three years, the Lord Jesus Christ ministered throughout Israel, performing multitudes of miracles, proving to Israel that He was their promised Redeemer. In unbelief, they rejected Him, demanding His crucifixion instead. God was not the least bit surprised because Christ’s crucifixion was in the Old Testament, in His mind since eternity past (Isaiah chapter 53; Psalm chapter 22; Acts 2:22-24). All of His life, Jesus knew of the pain He would feel as nails were forced into His wrists. He knew beforehand how the crowds of people would gather to mock Him as He suffocated on the cross!

Today, for the most part, these Scriptural truths have long been forgotten in the hustle and bustle of commercial Christmas and some silly fictional old man in a red suit. Santa Claus is not the Savior, not the Creator God, and not the LORD of the Old Testament. Neither is the Lord God and His vicarious death on the cross fiction like Santa is!

While there certainly is no peace in the Middle East tonight, the Prince of Peace was born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago (although not around Christmastime, obviously). One day, after the seven-year Tribulation, Acts 1:6-11 says that same Jesus who resurrected and ascended into heaven “will in like manner” return to the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) to set up that glorious kingdom that has been promised now for 4,000 years (since Abraham)! This earthly Kingdom promised in Isaiah—as well as other portions of the Old Testament—has not come… yet!

The Prince of Peace will return, but He will no longer be the humble Jesus of Nazareth. He will return, bringing vengeance and wrath on those who trample His Word and reject Him as Saviour (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). Then, He will establish that awesome earthly kingdom, breaking the awful curse on creation, binding the devil, and reigning in that earthly kingdom forever and ever and ever and ever….

MERRY CHRISTMAS from arC Ministries!

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Languishing and Anguishing

December 12, 2008

by Shawn Brasseaux

Our world is greatly suffering from sadness, distress, agony, sickness, decay, and death. Millions of people are starving in third world countries right now! Everyday, thousands die because of a wide range of medical problems including heart disease, AIDS, and cancer. Some human fetuses are born with deformities such as open spines and multiple limbs; others have mental disabilities. Sadly, these poor people suffered horribly the last few moments of their lives, dying in the midst of suffering. Why are certain people unable to speak, hear, or see? Is it something they did, or something their parents did? Are birth defects God’s fault? Why does God allow such extreme forms of suffering? In this Bible study, let us briefly look at what God’s Word has to say.

Notice the question that the apostles asked in John 9:1-3 KJV:

“1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

The blind man was not blind because of his sin or his parents’ sin; he was blind because he was born in a fallen world, a planet that is under the curse of sin and corruption. Had the man not been born blind, there would be no need to heal him! By the way, this is one of the many miracles the Lord Jesus Christ performed in His earthly ministry in order to prove that He was their Messiah-King, the Son of God (cf. Acts 2:22).

Some time ago, I had a deaf classmate in my communication class at college. A woman would communicate the lesson to him in sign language. I often wonder what the lessons must have been like for him. He never actually heard the words; he would only “see” them. What exactly is that like? When I “talked” to him, it was by writing on a sheet of paper, and he would write back.

So, why does God allow the suffering in our world? The skeptics often ask this question with the intention of making fun of the Christian to whom they are speaking. Still, it is a question that we must answer. Why does God permit the suffering in our world? There is a loving God, so why is there suffering? In order to allow opportunity for more lost people to be saved, the Lord has to postpone His earthly kingdom. Whenever Christ returns at His Second Coming, He will set up His earthly kingdom and remove all the suffering that the world currently experiences.

God does not direct suffering. Our suffering has four sources: (1) a result of our own bad decisions, (2) the bad decisions of others, (3) the curse brought on by sin, or (4) suffering for being a Christian. The devil, Satan, also contributes to the suffering in our world. It is merely God’s permissive will that allows the suffering to continue. Disabled people are of no less value than anyone else. The Lord even died to save them!

Originally, creation had no flaws, no suffering, no death, and no decay. Once Adam decided to sin against God, the Scriptures say that “death [came] by sin” (Romans 5:12-21). According to Genesis 3, God responded to Adam’s disobedience by introducing a curse in our universe (verses 14-19). It is noteworthy to mention that Satan exacerbates this suffering; the devil inflicts his own pain and damage to make it worse. Let us see the passage that describes the curse of sin on creation. Genesis 3:14-19 KJV:

“14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

In Romans 8:18-25, the Apostle Paul expounds on curse, explaining it in greater detail than Genesis.

“18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Creation is waiting for the day when the curse is removed, once the King Jesus Christ sets up His glorious millennial kingdom on earth. Until then, the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write that we will continue to groan and travail in pain together. One day—one day soon—there will be no more suffering in our world, and the devil will be confined. When we Christians are raptured, which occur before Christ’s earthly kingdom, we will receive glorious bodies that will not be subject to sin, sickness, or death (1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 2 Corinthians 4:16–5:5; Philippians 3:20,21).

While there are all sorts of problems and heartache in our world, I know that we are not familiar with the horrendous, excruciating pain the Jesus Christ experienced all those years ago in order to save us. It was pain that He did not deserve but to which he willingly subjected Himself. Jesus Christ (God incarnate) lived in an ordinary human body, and He grew sick too! He probably had family members who even grew sick and died. Although Christ did not sin (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 Peter 2:22), He lived among sinful people, people who caused Him more pain than we could ever experience. His own creation rejected Him, and they preferred a murderer! He never said a word of defense, by the way… just something to think on whenever we complain of our own suffering.

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