Matthew 25:1-12
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
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We are honored that you have taken your time to avail yourself of the many truths herein we strive to expound from the word of God contained on this site. Before you begin, we suggest asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom, guidance and understanding-indeed the truth. As was the sentiment of the Apostle Paul when he said of the Bereans, speaking of them saying in Acts 17:11 “These were noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
As the scriptures direct, ours is a ministry of reconciliation. We our reconciled to God through His Son Jesus Christ. That is, through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the apostle said, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” [ESV -1 Corinthians 2:2] We don’t preach with man’s wisdom (trying hard but there is some commentary on our site), nor to please men, but to glorify God and to please Him. (see all of 1 Cor 2) And we strive to speak by the Spirit of God. As it is written…
“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” [ESV 1 Corinthians 2:12,13]
“…Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 9:5
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What’s Going On? Why So Many Opinions and Heresies and Differences In This World?
Truth. There is a great lack of clarity on what the truth is and that boils down to having a standard. As said Joe Boot, that as in older days, great barges were pushed down the river by long poles that were used against the bank or bottom. Our minds are the boat and the heart has a standard of reality-the bank. If are hearts are stone, as says God’s Word, and they are before we are redeemed and renewed, our thinking becomes monumentally sinful and offensive to God. Because there is no anchor point-no grounding principle and truth to govern our thoughts. What’s the condition of the heart of man before God? It doesn’t want Him or love Him and desire Christ above all things.
That wasn’t exactly how Joe put it, but it got me realizing how critical the word of God is. So often we hear someone railing along in some inane rant that seems so right to the speaker, but to us who have had our hearts regenerated and our minds renewed by that right principle and standard of truth-the Bible-we can’t seem to fathom how this railing speaker is coming to his conclusions. Ever wonder why there is so many denominations and so much crazy talk- basically?
It’s because, I believe, our hearts, that ego and seat of emotions and inclination-the part of us that often differs with our minds- that heart is created by Yahweh of Hosts, Jesus Christ the Creator-and He has given us an inspired text to guide us into all truth. But it says clearly that no one is pleasing to God. It says that no one is righteous. Not one person EVER. Except the GOD-Man, Jesus Christ.
Ever since the creation of the world, when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree of KNOWLEDGE of GOOD and EVIL, the world has fallen into disrepute, sin, wickedness and all forms of idolatry. Our hearts are not inclined rightly to Christ Jesus. The heart forms your worldview, and the way you ground all the thoughts you have. If you are a son or daughter of Adam, you have a sinful heart that needs regeneration and renewal. Otherwise, no one can know truth.
Sure people can do math and build houses and cars and treat their neighbor to a kindness once in a while. But unless you perfectly do the right thing, in the right way for the right reasons, you are guilty of sin. Sin separates us from our Creator and the penalty is death. “Whatever is not done in faith is sin”. Faith’s object is Jesus Christ.
But now whereas the Christian community at various times and places, once had a cohesion, an agreement on the veracity of the Bible, it is now in rebellion. Hordes of unsaved, unborn again people calling themselves Christian, have infiltrated the church-Christ’s body- and are purposely de-validating the Word of Yahweh. Examples include: The last century or so, its said that we should keep religion and politics separate. Really? How? So it’s okay to make your religion “private” whilst babies are murdered, sexually immoral people by government fiat force you to agree, even speak lies? While you pass by – you the Christian now- pass by those who do not know Him and say nothing-and they force you to say what they say? “Love your neighbor by not judging them”? “There is no truth”, “the theory of Evolution is a fact!” and many more we’ve swallowed.
These very idioms has brought about a generation of God Haters who have hearts full of idols and then charge us with hatred?! No, this country and most of the world is under the wrath of God. I am not afraid of saying what Gods Holy Writ says so clearly. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”-Yahweh. Romans one makes it clear that all have gone astray and in their hearts suppress the truth of God, especially in LGBTQIA+. At no other time in history have more Christian’s been persecuted, killed, etc. Never before. And if you persecute a born again believer in Christ, YOU PERSECUTE CHRIST, the ruler and king of all Kings. He presently reigns over this world. He punishes wickedness. And I glorify Him for that. Praise the King, The Son of God-the Righteous One.
I have given you who are reading an insight I believe, about hearts and minds… We have a world under great philosophical madness. Saying there is no truth, that there is no God, and that religion is the madness of this world instead. I would agree if you mean every religion not biblical in its faith of Christ. But no, they mean YOU. The follower of Christ. And they don’t care what denomination you are.
So drop what you are doing and fall to the ground. If not in your body, in your mind and heart. Beg the Most High for sanctification and grace. Beg Lord Jesus to cause you to be born again into a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We inherit in a way, our sinful estate from Adam. But the second Adam, Christ Jesus has lived a perfect life you could not live. He died the death you deserve. He rose for the justification of His elect, His sheep. He is the only way to be righteous in Gods sight. The Only Way. You can’t think your way out of this one! Christ is coming to judge the living and the dead! Only He can give His Spirit for a cleansing-a renewing of the heart and the transforming of your minds to His image. But don’t think for minute you can make all the rest up. Truth is the 66 books of the Bible and they are GOD_BREATHED. Kiss the Son lest you perish in the way. Truth is His Word.
Daniel Pia
11/3/22
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10 HARDEST Questions for Christians and the Bible Today?
I came across a great video by Reformed Wiki2.0 today and though I wouldn’t have answered everything the way they did, I must say that I feel like it’s got some really good content I’d like to share with all my readers. Especially as it pertains to the SLAVERY thing. So often what’s missing today is a pure heart and instead men’s heart’s are darkened… a heart that ASSUMES that The Bible is not God’s Word or if they do, there is great lack of Know How. That is a lack of knowledge of How To Handle the Word of God. Critical Thinking in general has become a thing of scarcity. That being said, I share with you the following video…
Imitators of God
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”[Ephesians 5:1 KJV]
Children of Light
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” [Ephesians 5:8-21 KJV]
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Of Justification and Sanctification
Not long ago my wife’s son was listening intently to us once again spending ourselves on the hope within us. He has heard this many times. His mother has shared her faith with him much. Yet not hearing it from me as much, I piped in thinking I could lend some insights.
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INCARNATE CHRISTMAS
True Christmas is about God coming into this world as the perfect sinless Son of Man. Like a billion suns in the space of a light bulb. But in every way that that analogy is so not up to the task and inconceivable, the Father sending The Son to redeem His chosen people for His own glory is equally inconceivable. But to whatever degree one can conceive it, we should strive to. In the following video, I attempt to illustrate how Christ Jesus is our Prophet, Priest and King, both the only true and primary.
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The Trinity and The Redemption of Souls
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
[2 Corinthians 13:14 NASB]
Way too ubiquitous is ignorance of a right understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Which is a proper way of saying that believers and unbelievers on the whole do not know who God has revealed himself to be. This saddens me greatly, in fact, very much burdens me because the triune God has revealed Himself this way-in between the testaments because, it was perfectly timed.
Ephesians 3:9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things… Ephesians 1:10 As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, have clearly revealed themselves and their purposes to us and we are greatly responsible to repent and believe in Christ’s person and work for salvation. He is the truth, the way and the life. He is the only truth, the only way and the only life. Christ has clearly revealed The Father as His express image by the incarnation and born the sins of His people by His cross, burial and resurrection. The Father raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at the His right hand to intercede for His people to save them perfectly. After Christ Jesus went to The Father He sent the Holy Spirit to His chosen to be their guide, consoler, the Spirit of Truth, and to dwell within them for the process of sanctification, a seal of the hope of redemption that is the guarantee to all that belong to our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Do you see the trinity here? The Grace of Jesus? He was sent by the Father. Christ Jesus gives himself for those the Father gives to him. The Son sends the Spirit to those that are His to sanctify and work to do the Father’s will. The Father sends the Son, the Son sends the Spirit. The Spirit glorifies the Son, the Son glorifies the Father. The more you consume the scripture, the God-breathed word, you become delighted and amazed at the grand unique glory and redemptive beauty of the trinity in salvation.
All throughout the scriptures, Christ is referred to as Yahweh. Christ Himself claims to be God. The apostles refer to Him as God. All three persons are referred to as deity. They are referred to as persons. Each are clearly preexistant.
Colossians 1. John 1. John 17. Hebrews 1. Philippians 2. All clearly reveal Christ as preexistant and as God. Not the Father but as as deity.
The Holy Spirit likewise is deity and personal…
Hebrews 9:14
…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
2 Peter 1:21
…for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
1 Corinthians 6:11
…Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Matthew 28:19
…Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Acts 5:3,4
…Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land? 4 Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!
Psalm 139:7-10
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
1 Corinthians 2:11
…For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
What is the Trinity? So many make these strange analogies. comparisons of water, ice and vapor- of modalism and multiple heresies do result in so many cases of people not rightly dividing the word. This is NOT a case of my interpretation verses Yours! If you have not the Spirit of Christ in you,you do not belong to Him. If you are not born of the Spirit you cannot even see the kingdom of God, let alone approach understanding who God has revealed Himself to be. I don’t think God is about the business of satisfying some strange curiosity of gnostic narcigesis in the puffed up mind. As it goes with the Word of God, in the knowledge and wisdom of men, the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved- the power of God! I believe the revelation of the trinity is found in redemption. As is rightly said, a right definition is this: There are three co equal, co eternal persons sharing the one being of God. That is-three who’s and one what.
Now, think with me here, Only God saves. But God is saving who? Men! Certain men, a chosen, elect group of called out ones. They need saving because they were dead n sins and trespasses, unable to save themselves-slaves to sin. Only Christ Jesus is the Incarnate God in flesh, the second Adam who lived a perfect sinless life and bore the sins of the many, took the punishment of their sins- became sin for them that they may become the righteousness of God in Him. Now they who were once vacuous temples- who once were Ichabod, now become dwelt by the Holy Spirit! The Father, lavishes love on the people who were not a people and makes them His people. Lo Ammi become Ammi. All according to His counsel and will. The Father’s love intends to have perfect grace through His only Son, by His perfect work on the Cross, and in so doing, we become temples of the living God. All to the Glory of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
When it comes to the Gospel, what is simple becomes so all encompassing and harrowing that you must realize that the very power and nature and work of God and your eternal soul is on the line. Get this wrong and you will so waofully regret it unendingly for all eternity in such dreadfully intense ways that it is impossible for me to explain it to you. PLEASE HEAR ME. Take every single horrible wicked evil painful dreadful thing you can imagine and multiply it by exceedingly aggregious numbers. Blow it up and do what you’d like. You can’t imagine the terrible pain and anguish you’ll suffer, and that rightly and justly for hating God and refusing His Son. Here’s the deeper thing, you can’t repent and you can’t believe unless the Spirit of God renews your heart and grants you faith in Him. See John3, John 6:35 and following. Why do I say this you say? I have a will and I can do what I want? Great. Please prove me wrong and turn to Christ who made you for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus who was crucified and made alive again, and is at the right hand of God. He ever lives to make intercession for his own people. He is able to save perfectly those who draw near to the Father by Him.
So many cults and false teachings and teachers are out there right now. They say things that often will make sense. But when we use the same hermeneutical approaches we use for other doctrines like justification by faith, the incarnation, sola scriptura, the Lord’s supper, and many fundamentals of the faith we will see the doctrine of the trinity come to life clearly. We can come to no other conclusion. The word Trinity does not have to be in the Bible. Just as Jesus never actually said, “I am God”, doesn’t in any way mean that He didn’t say He was God. My name is Daniel Pia. Where in this web page have I actually said, “I am Daniel”? It is only because The bible was written in another language and they used different words and expressed themselves differently that we don’t don’t find that exact phrase in our English Bible. You do indeed find Jesus called God in the New Testament however!. Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 [ESV] and by the way, its not referring to God AND the Savior, the Greek construction refers to the same person. It’s called the Grandville Sharp construction. (It appears in more than one place)
You’ll find Unitarians saying that The Old Testament says over and over that God said He was One God. Before me there was no God formed nor will there be one formed after. They will quote passages that say that God says He has no flesh and using passages that SEEM to contradict passages relating to Christ Jesus incarnation. However, it is plain that Yahweh was separating Himself from the false Gods of the surrounding pagan nations. When you read the scriptures in context with the intention of understanding them rightly as God really wants you to, it is clear what God wants to communicate. From the beginning, Yahweh intended to triumph over evil and Satan through His Son, the Messiah, by begetting the Son in flesh, this is seen in Isaiah 9, Isaiah 53 specifically and other places in the Book of Isaiah. Actually all of the Old Testament speaks of The Messiah, in types and shadows, directly and in allusions. To not see it is to be blind. The Sabbath, the 7th day is the first antitype. The curses, the seed of the woman, etc being some of the earliest. You can see Yahweh speaking of Himself in the Majestic plural as some say at creation, but the NT says that all things were created by Christ and even are upheld and sustained by Him. The Holy Spirit hovered over the waters at the precipise of creation. Many rabbinic writers touched on the plurality of God’s nature.
Understand the difference between God’s being or nature and His persons. We all understand the difference. For instance, All recognize that Humankind have a being or nature but many different persons. Hence, I as a human am one person of humankind. God the Son is one person of God kind. But there is only ONE GOD. If I were to say that I had 3 personalities they’d come and take me away in one of those odd white jackets. But God’s being is infinite and unlimited. He is unique. How is it that we are surprised that when God reveals Himself to us this way we reject Him as absurd? Did we all think that we could understand Him entirely? However, we are, we remain strict monotheist. We have only ONE GOD. Three persons, one in essence and being. There are not three gods! In the Scripture, The father , Son and Spirit are referred to as Yahweh. This alone settles the issue! Hebrews 1
Daniel Pia 12/15/2020
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If God is Good, Why is There so Much Evil? By Daniel Pia
Theodicy. That’s what it’s called. The question that so many ask, “Why did God create this world if He knew that so much evil would take place? If God is love, how could He allow evil and hatred to exist?
Fundamentally, the question is flawed. Who are we to abstractly ask God to answer to us? When we ask such a question, we assume what good is. Dr. RC Sproul and Albert Mohler clearly explain this in the following Q & A.
Look at the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 50:19-20. Joseph’s brothers clearly intended to kill Joseph, but God restrained their evil, indeed purposed for all of it to happen to preserve many lives. More than that, God purposed for the evil done by Joseph’s brothers so that the whole Exodus and Israelite deliverance would take place around 400 years later for His own glory! This is clearly testified to over and over in scripture.
The best example of God purposing evil to take place through the evil intent and actions of men for ultimate good is in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
In Acts 2
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[c] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
The definite plan and foreknowledge of God! But Peter says “YOU” killed him. SO men are responsible for their actions. Many say that foreknowledge is God looking through the corridors of time to see what men and women will do and then responding- responding to free will and working out a sort of plan B type thing. But this is completely contrary to the bible. God has a will, a decree and plan, according to the counsel of His will. “A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” [Proverbs 16:9]
Yes we all have A creaturely will. But we are not completely free. Only God is autonomous and free entirely. And so it is with evil. All of history, the world and creation is a display of God’s wrath and/or His mercy in Christ Jesus. God has planned for every single action to take place for His glory. Otherwise the resultant thinking would be that there is purposeless evil. And God is somehow trying to do His level best to make good come out of it.
Romans 8: 28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
The gospel addresses this. If you are in rebellion to God and insolent, sinful and suppressing the truth, don’t think for a moment that all things will work out for your good. Romans 9 clearly shows that God has vessels of wrath and vessels of mercy. If you are in Christ, He Mercies you-if not in Christ, you are left in your condemnation. All things were made through Christ, by Christ, for Christ and in Christ. Refuse to repent and believe and you are evil!
John 3:18
“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.“
In the end, what is called the eschatological view, the question of evil is best seen. God will put all things under Christ’s feet. The last enemy, death, will die as well. All those who do not bow the knee to Christ Jesus in their lives will bow in the next and all things will be brought justly and righteously in view. All people, the damned and the righteous will agree that God is just and holy and true. Vengeance is the LORD’s to take. And the Lord of all the earth will do right. No one can attain eternal life through deeds of righteousness, but only through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection. Yahweh incarnate is He. All is to the Glory of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.
God does no evil. Men and angels do. And they will be judged for it. Only in Christ Jesus is there forgiveness and renewal, reconciliation and hope. Listen to the first part of this Q & A for some answers and maybe the rest for interesting answers to interesting questions on other topics.
May the God of hope give you joy and peace in believing.
Daniel Pia 10/15/2020
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Christian Worldview By Daniel Pia
Does the World determine how you interpret and view scripture, or does the scripture determine how you interpret the world? Everyone has a world view, the lens by which we view the world. In the following video, we will discuss the issue as to whether the scripture determines our worldview and vice versu, and various minutia. God’s word is tantamount in our lives. Its the final authority and judges the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. Therefore it should, especially for those who believe, be the interpreting factor for all our beliefs…
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Christian Worldview Part 2– Spiritual Discernment
“Jesus’ discernment penetrated to the deepest reaches of the heart. But the Christian is called to develop similar discernment. For the only worthwhile discernment we possess is that which we receive in union with Christ, by the Spirit, through God’s Word.” From the article “What Is Discernment?” by Sinclair Ferguson May 8 2020 [Emphasis mine]
As was said in yesterday’s video, the scriptures should form our worldview, rather than the world forming our view of scripture. The Bible is God’s word to us, by which we understand the world. If we have a postmodern mindset-or any other kind of unbiblical worldview, it will cause us to misinterpret the scriptures so that we are unable to discern its meaning.
This leads us to the subject of today: Spiritual Discernment. For the scripture itself testifies…
1 Corinthians 2:14 [ESV] “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” [Emphasis mine]
…And the bible, the scriptures, which are the very breath of God are the things of God. Sure, there are a great many things in the bible that a natural man or woman can understand simply. But true understanding, especially to Salvation is impossible without the Spirit of God giving that understanding.
As Sinclair Ferguson said in the same article: “True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best.”
Not only that, it is the difference between ignorance and revelation, damnation and salvation, peace with God and enmity with God. The Apostle Paul speaks often of “the now and the not yet”. We are saved yet we are being saved, which touches on the process of sanctification:
[1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB] “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
As Jesus told Nicodemus, no one can even see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again by the Spirit of God. John 6 is a whole discourse where Christ lays out a clear teaching on this. He says that no one can come to the Father unless drawn. He says they will all be taught of God.
[Matthew 16:16-18 KJV] “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.“ [Emphasis mine]
So we are truly dependent on The Spirit of Christ to save us, guide us, teach us, convict us, console us and give us life. The scriptures make it plain that you do not belong to the Father if you do not have the Spirit in you. Just think of it. The Father sent the Son. The son lays down His life for His people, His sheep. The Son ascends to the right hand of the Father to forever intercede for those he saves and sends the Holy Spirit to indwell and procure salvation for believers. The Spirit gives us gifts and enables us to do all things pleasing to the Father, indeed to God our Savior. What a blessing eternal is this!
In all our circumstances, we are to glorify Him by our right actions and words according to His commandments.
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge” (Ps. 119:66).
The word used here for this passage means to taste, as in discriminating. Like one who judges a meal. Christians so often, too often, are not respected by the world. Though we should expect persecution, we have the Holy Spirit, if we belong to Christ, which means that Christ Jesus has made promises to us. He has promised to give us wisdom. Why aren’t more of us known for our wisdom and knowledge?
Indeed we should be renown for our ability, by the Spirit, to assess the world, make judgements and predict outcomes and consequences and guide others toward ultimate fruitfulness. I say, if an Old Testament King, like Solomon, had so many streaming to him for teaching being that God had given him so much wisdom, why aren’t the many streaming to us, the New Testament prophets, being filled with the Spirit of the living God? We have a better Covenant! Better promises! We have a better Canon of Scripture. So much blessing, so many mysteries fulfilled and laid out so that we are full up with revelation.
In this day and age, there is so much denial of truth. So much inconsistency. There is a stark denial of God and his commandments. What is evil is called good and what is good is called evil. Facts are rejected. Consistent application of principles clearly outlined in the scriptures and aptly applied to any given issue, etc, will enable the man of God to glorify our risen Savior and teach other to do the same. From religious issues to Political issues, and to our families everything is laid bare before the eyes of the Lord which includes his word. Men, where is your zeal to “wash your wives in the water of the word”? An ideal man of God is deeply theological, wise, and filled with understanding, led by the Spirit in all things.
[Hebrews 4:12 NKJV] “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
We His people are to seek understanding by His spirit in the word of God to His glory with and out of love, with gentleness and respect.
Finally, the gospel is central to all things. Christ is the central figure of all things. We have the answers to all the questions! How can one who knows the Father, through Christ Jesus, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, keep quiet or do nothing?
[James 2:15-17] “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.“
In closing let me say, let me pray, that if you don’t know Him, that is if He doesn’t know you and if you haven’t repented and believed on Christ Jesus having died for sins and resurrected to the right hand of the Father to intercede, the mediator between God and man, I plead for you that you would do so now. Do not wait. For God has said that all are condemned and under the wrath of God. There is no one righteous. Not one. God has set a day to judge the world by Christ Jesus. If one dies without repenting and believing on Christ, eternity in torment is that one’s destiny. But if Christ is your Savior, you will be given mercy and grace through faith in the person and work of Christ. He then will no longer be your judge but your Shepherd, by grace through faith in his shed blood on Calvary’s cross. The Spirit of the living God will take out your heart of stone and put in a heart of flesh. Just as Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, dead as he was, you being dead in sins and trespasses can be made alive in Christ Jesus, through the washing of regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel Pia 10/21/2020
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The Bible Can Be Trusted! Here’s Why/New Testament-Reliability
You’ll notice, if you’re paying close attention, that every wayward idea, doctrine, and liberal notion is and has this propensity to either insinuate or flat out declare that the Bible is not reliable. It may be said in different ways of course. From the one who rejects the gospel-rejects Christ- to the so called Christian who twists or rejects certain foundational truths, they all are challenging the authority and inspiration of the eternal, God-breathed Word of God contained in the 66 books of the Old and New Covenants…The Tanakh, the Torah, The Nevi’im and Ketu’vim, that is the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. You will see this especially as it pertains to the New Testament.
The last generation of believers has in large part failed to properly ground and teach the nature and scope , the very depth and breadth and power and evidence and to rightly divide the bible to it’s children. So, too often young people go to universities and come out with much doubt about the reliability of the Bible. Many abandon their faith altogether. At the head of the march against the Bible\s veracity is people like Dr. Bart Ehrman. He takes facts like, “there are around 138,000 words in the New Testament and around 400,000 variants (mistakes) in the same. That’s 3 per word.” making misapplication. When you listen to the following video with Dr. James White on Wretched TV giving a presentation NT Reliabilty, you will see that the very issue , the very facts cited by folks like Ehrman meant by them to casts doubt are actually evidence of God’s providence, and the Bible’s truth and reliabilty, not the usual fallacious ideas about it being like a “phone game”:, where what we have today is likened unto someone whispering into someone’s ear and as it’s passed from one to another what you get is nothing like what was said at first. Indeed, the truth is, God has done something quite different. And if you are willing, you will see that what we have today is quite clearly what was given nearly 2000 years ago. Unlike the phone game canard, it was actually multiple authors writing letters at multiple times to multiple locations and then they were copied multiple times. there was no time when any central authority had control over the Bible to change it or its message or doctrines. Unlike the Quran, which was handled in that way. That could have and I believe was corrupted. But that implies inspiration to begin with.
Anyway, this multi-focality, means that God providentially both preserved and allowed for our comparing and substantiating the scriptures. We know that what we have today is what was written then. The DaVinci code fiction is impossible and a ploy to make money for Dan Brown. It’s not the truth. NT reliability is DEMONSTRABLE. We need to know these things as Christians. Every thing we know about God, the Gospel, truth etc., is contained in the scripture and God will hold us accountable to it. Christ Himself said this very thing. Nothing could be more important.
If you ever take the time to carve out an hour and a half to listen to anything. LISTEN TO THIS!
Peace I Give You-Jesus Christ
So often, too often, we are wracked with anxiety. Fears within and without assail our hearts and minds until we either can’t sleep or can’t be fully awake and sober enough to live peaceable lives. A general look at Jesus’ ministry reveals many interesting things. One is that He spoke of fear and anxiety more than almost anything else. So what is the answer? Pharmecueticals? WIld sexuality? Illicit drug use? Anger? These are but a few of the normal ways that people deal with their anxieties.
These are the main reasons societies are tearing down. The judgement of God. But why would God judge us for this? Simply put, He has made promises to us and He he keeps His promises. God is Sovereign. Jesus is King. Please don’t move on but click below and listen to RC Sproul reveal God’s answer-His word on fear and worry…
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How Can I know If I am Saved? A Simple Way of Knowing
By Daniel Pia
Usually every time I would address something like this I would include a lot of scripture. That is the right way. But today I want to speak in a straightforward and common way. Don’t take me wrong. What I am about to say is wholly based on The Word of God.
You may of heard of Lordship salvation. Many have argued that Lordship salvation, which is a simply a way of saying that one has not only confessed Christ as Savior, but has “made Jesus Christ Lord”. Why should this cause concern? Well because many make a personal decision, raise their hand in church or some such thing and sort of get their “ticket punched” and that’s it. Then they move on in life living somewhat as they always did without much change taking place, so that Christ seems to have made no difference to them. But in this case what Has Jesus saved them from? It seems that many just don’t want to go to Hell! It seems they want to be Lord of their own lives and live the way they want to, sinning and displeasing God the way they’ve always done. But the very gospel message is that we have all gone astray. Every single person is a slave to sin and is under God’s wrath and displeasure. The wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, his death, burial; and resurrection. If we repent and believe we have Eternal Life-bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. That is Lordship Salvation.
James 2:18-26
“But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.“
To think we need not repent but to continue living in sin is to be in error to say the least. And to those who say that their faith need not be proved by works of righteousness are indeed in error. Deeds do not save us. They follow true saving faith.
So how does one know they are saved? To state it simply, you know because you can say with joy that Jesus Christ is Lord! You love Him! You want Him to be Lord of your life. When you sin you hate it. If you are truly His disciple you love Him and His people. And nothing means more to you than your salvation, your relationship with Him and all that He has said and done for you and for us.
One last thing. The Holy Spirit is given to those that belong to Christ. If you belong to Him he will testify of these things, to all of the things I have shared with you. He is our seal and promise.
Think about it. Pray about it. Read about it in His Word. Eternity is a long time to be wrong. Forever is joyous to the redeemed.
Daniel Pia 10/7/2020
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Isaiah 26:8 “Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O Lord,
We have waited for You eagerly; Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.“[NASB]
To be Born again, to have eternal life, is to desire Jesus Christ personally and His renown, His fame and glory globally above all else! If He is not your treasure in your heart above all else including yourself, you don’t know Him. Listen to this extraordinary high Christology…
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I believe what Dr.Voddie Baucham is saying in this video. I also appreciate how Dr. Baucham addresses these people on his confession of faith.
( posted by Mary Pia)
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We at Bridegroom Ministries have no qualms about Preaching the Truth. The saving grace of Christ Jesus is the answer to all Chaos. Not the foolishness of men and their doctrines. The Word of God is sufficient for all life and godliness. Postmodern ideals are repeats of past sinful rebellions against God and His gracious Law:
Watch Dr. James White on Social Justice, Christians and their perversion of the gospel, racist attitudes, and more. This is a must watch, for Social Justice as it is promoted today is not justice at all. Surely God is just, but to claim that one’s views are just socially, yet have a view and policy that is unjust at the same time is to pervert the justice of God. This a fundamental point. Words are being slung about in this world in such a way as to deceive. For instance, one will say that Black Lives Matter. So another will say certainly I agree. A whole movement is formed from this motto. Yet if one examines the written precepts of the BLM platform, one finds the push for LGBTQ rights. Social Justice is inherently Marxist. Why? Because is patterns it’s thinking after the idea that society is grouped into power structures. This Hegemony is then blamed for all ills and the solution is a socialist and/or communist agenda. Communism has never worked. Why? Because as the Lord has clearly said, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. People are sinful and communism will oppress the people, ending in an oppression and stripping of freedom. There is much more to all of this as discussed in the following video…
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