The BIG Picture (Study)

Q-A: Why are there so many denominations? 1 Tim.1:15-16 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.   ...of whom I am chief... Paul committed the unforgivable sin by blaspheming the Holy Spirit. He committed this sin as a Pharisee when he watched Stephen being stoned to death by his approval. This act triggered the beginning of the end for the Jewish program of law. From this point onwards, God would start the transition to the Gentiles. ...for this cause I obtained mercy... Since Paul could not be saved under the Jewish program of law anymore, the only hope for him was to be saved under another program. But there was no other program yet in existence! It was at this point t...

Q-A: What does it mean that we are not under law? Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace . Paul says we are not under law? In a nutshell, it means to live as Christians today in the liberty of the Spirit without being bogged down by external laws that dictate or hinder our service to God. It does not mean to forego all laws and rebel against the government, our parents or guardians and just do as we please. No! This will not reflect our duty and lifestyle to God and as an example to others. Laws are laws and they are there for a reason. What Paul means by the statement, "we are not under the law...", is that we are not to come under the bondage of 'Man's law' , ---that is to fall into the bondage of traditions or rituals or observances and practices . These are things that promote men and really have no part in the design of God for your life and libe...

Building on the Foundation Matt.16:13  When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 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. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  We are probably all familiar with parts of this text above. Th...

Is John 3:16 the gospel? No . This verse depicts the Kingdom gospel and not the Grace gospel. The gospel is absent in this verse and therefore one cannot use this verse as a basis to present the gospel to someone. Why not? This verse lacks the information that one needs to know regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that purpose is for us. John 3:16 is essentially the Kingdom gospel and had to do with the  identity  of Jesus Christ, and Jews [ at the time of John's writing ] had to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, (see John 20:31, Luke 12:8, Matthew 16:16, John 11:27 ). The Grace gospel today is not about the identity of Christ, but rather with the cross work of Jesus; not who He is, but  what He has done . For examples of the grace gospel, see 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 4:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; Romans 14:9; 2 Corinthians 5:15.   (Note, these scriptures above reference ...

The Power of God unto Salvation Rom.1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  Disregarding all the petty religious squabbles, all the theories and interpretations, all the denominational traditions and observances. Disregarding all the feeble wisdom that we think we have, all the pious egos, self-righteousness, esteem and exaltations that we paste onto our fleeting earthly lives, it really comes down to ONE thing, and one thing ALONE; the fact that we as humanity are utterly lost and utterly powerless to save ourselves, to the point that all we can do, .....literally, the only viable thing left, outside our bag of tried and useless tricks, is acknowledge that only one hope remains, —to believe in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. All t...

Two Programs for Two Realms (Part 3) There have been so many revelations in my dispensational journey, and one of the first (and biggest) that I learned of was the understanding of TWO programs in God's great plan of redemption. One will not see, let alone understand, this concept of two programs unless one recognizes the divisions in scripture, 2 Tim.2:15 . Without the divisions, everything will seem to flow into each other and merge with each other and then you miss the entire revelation all together! It all starts with Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth . These are not just describing different physical realities but also refer to separate realms, one spiritual and one physical. Both these realms became corrupt; the heavens, due to the rebellion of Lucifer,  Job 15:15 , and then later the earth, due to the rebellion (or disobedience) of Adam, Genesis 3:6 . The redemption plan of God involves the setting up of two programs, one...

Scripture Falls into Place (Part 2) My shift from a covenantal position to a dispensational position did not happen by trickery. I had a full and clear comprehension of my new position and stance. For forty years I was exposed and taught in the covenantal position, but when my understanding opened to the dispensational interpretation, it was as if the Word started to bloom and come alive. I had absolutely no hesitancy in receiving the scriptures in this light. It made complete and absolute sense and I found everything become understandable, agreeable and revelatory. It eliminated the confusion and contradictions that I had struggled with for years, it just became so clear and exciting. Where the Word was cumbersome and tedious, it become irresistible and real, something I couldn't put down, something I couldn't wait to delve into daily, something that fed my heart and changed my walk. I know I cannot speak for anyone else, but this was my personal experience and som...