Yearly Archives: 2019

This Little Light of Mine…

Posted on by Pastor Kevin Sadler

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God…We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 5:20, 6:1).

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, we learn about our ministry of reconciliation, of God beseeching unbelievers through us, Christ’s ambassadors, to be reconciled to God. A couple of verses later, in 6:1, we read of Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, beseeching believers to “receive not the grace of God in vain.”

We have a privilege by grace to be workers together with God, and we have a privilege by grace to be Christ’s ambassadors. By the grace of God, each person reconciled to God is called to beg people to be reconciled to God. Our reconciliation with God puts each of us into the ministry of reconciliation (5:18).

However, not all in Corinth were doing this. They missed their ministry. “Vain” means empty, useless, fruitless, without effect or purpose. Receiving the grace of God “in vain” is the opposite of 2 Corinthians 5:15: “And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”

When believers live for themselves only, rather than for the purposes to which God has called them, that’s receiving the grace of God in vain. Gratitude for God’s grace is to make us want to live for and work for the One Who gave everything for us, Who died for us, and saved us from eternity in the Lake of Fire.

We have a stewardship, a responsibility, a duty as ambassadors for Christ. To receive the grace of God in vain is not teaching that the salvation of the Corinthian believers was in jeopardy; it is teaching that the salvation of other people was in jeopardy.

In these verses, God begs the believer to live as a bright gospel light out of care for people around us and their eternal destinies. Receiving the grace of God in vain is to live a life without aim or meaning. But when the grace of God is received and touches your heart, it gives you purpose, a gospel mindset, and you see the vital importance to be a light and to live for what is important to God. And we know that the souls of people and their eternal destiny is infinitely important to God, because Christ died for all (2 Cor. 5:15). So may we respond to God’s Word by faith and let this little light of mine… shine!

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

Disciples Who Passed the Sobriety Test – Acts 2:14-21

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

Video of this message is available on YouTube: Disciples Who Passed the Sobriety Test – Acts 2:14-21

Summary:

When the crowd at Pentecost heard the Lord’s 120 disciples (Acts 1:15) speaking in different tongues (2:4), some thought they were drunk (2:13).  So Peter corrected them (v.14,15).

It’s important to notice Peter was talking to Jews (v.14), because some say the Body of Christ began at Pentecost.  But the Body is made up of Jews and Gentiles (I Cor. 12:13), so Peter wouldn’t have excluded the Gentiles.  That’s just one of many proofs we’ll see that the Body did not start here.

After pointing out that it was too early to be drunk (2:15), Peter told them that what was happening fulfilled Joel 2:28-32 (v.16).  But that means the Body couldn’t have started here, for “the church, which is His Body” (Eph. 1:22,23) was “a mystery” (Eph. 5:32), and a mystery is something that wasn’t made known to the prophets (Col. 1:26).  Plus, Peter says that Joel called what was happening “the last days” (Acts 2:17).  That means Pentecost wasn’t the first days of the Body of Christ, it was the last days of Israel’s program.

In those days, the kingdom was supposed to come (Isa. 2:2-4).  The last days started with the Lord’s coming (Heb. 1:1,2). You can’t have a kingdom without a king!  And you can’t have the kingdom of heaven without the Spirit, who made it so they couldn’t sin (I Jo. 3:9;5:18).  That’s the only way to get rid of war (Isa. 2:4 cf. James 4:1,2).

The pouring out of the Spirit was also a time when God filled His sons with His word (cf. Pr. 1:23).  It was supposed to change the earth back to Eden-like conditions (Isa. 32:12; 35:1,2).  It didn’t because the dispensation of the mystery interrupted God’s prophetic program.

Some say God brought Israel back to the land in 1948, but He says He won’t do that until He pours out His Spirit again (Ezek. 11:19).  That’s when He’ll put a new spirit in them and cause them to walk in His ways (Ezek. 36:25-27) and stop hiding His face from them (Ezek. 39:29) as He’s done for the past 2,000 years now.  That’s also when they’ll mourn for Christ (Zech. 12:10).

When Peter said God poured out His Spirit on “all flesh” (Acts 2:17), that can mean everyone (Gen. 6:12).  But when Peter tells Jews that God would pour Him out on “your” sons and daughters (Acts 2:17), we know it means all Jewish flesh, all Jews who believed on Christ.

“Dreams” and “visions” (2:17) are the same thing.  They are how God talked to the prophets (Num. 12:6).  That’s how He communicated His Word to them (Num. 24:4).  And that’s what was happening here at Pentecost on all 120 of the disciples who were prophesying (Acts 2:18).

Blood and fire and smoke and wonders (Acts 2:19) are mentioned a combined 58 times in Revelation, the book that describes the Tribulation, so we know the time for the Tribulation had come.  Some of the wonders in heaven included the darkening of the sun (2:20), the beginning of the day of the Lord (Isa. 13:9,10; Rev. 6:12).

But Peter says the sun would be darkened before “that great and notable day of the Lord” (2:20), and the Lord said it would happen “after the tribulation” (Mark 13:24).  But while the entire 7 year 70th week of Daniel is the day of the Lord, the last 3 and a half years are the “great and terrible day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31).  So the sun will be dark after the first half of the Tribulation, but before the second half.

If it bothers you that only half of Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled after Peter said “this is that” (Acts 2:16), the Lord only quoted part of Isaiah 61:1,2 in Luke 4:16-20.  He left off the part about “the day of vengeance” because He added “this day is this scripture fulfilled” (Luke 4:21).  He knew it wasn’t time for that, so He didn’t quote that part.

But then why did Peter quote all of Joel’s prophecy, including the part about the day of God’s vengeance?  It is because he didn’t know that it wasn’t time for the vengeance.  The mystery that interrupted the vengeance wasn’t revealed until Paul.  We know Peter eventually learned the last days had been postponed because he later talked about what “shall” happen in the last days (II Pe. 3:3), and said if you want to learn more about the delay, see Paul! (v.15).

Conduct Unbecoming a Christian

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“…speak thou the things which become sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).

The word “become” here means fitting or appropriate. Even if you never served in the military, you have probably heard that if an officer misbehaves he can be charged with “conduct unbecoming an officer.” That serious charge is levied against an officer who has not been conducting himself in a manner that is fitting or appropriate for his rank and position.

And the word become is used that way in Scripture as well. Paul told the Romans,

“I commend unto you Phebe…a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea…receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and…assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you…” (Rom. 16:1,2).

The reason Paul had to tell the Romans to receive a sister in Christ was that women in those days were not always well received in Roman society. That is, they weren’t always as welcomed as a man would be. But Paul says to not receive a sister like Phebe would constitute conduct unbecoming a saint of God.

By the way, this is one of many examples in Scripture that show how those who say that Christianity puts women down are wrong. Christianity lifts women up, as you can see from Paul’s words here, and from the words found in many other places in Scripture as well. If you want a religion that puts women down, and teaches that it is okay to mistreat them, look to Islam, not Christianity.

Of course, having said that, there are Christian men who mistreat women as well, and Paul says that behavior like that isn’t very becoming to men who claim to be saints of God.

The word “becoming” also means to make someone look good. A husband might say to his wife, “That dress is very becoming on you.” At least that’s what he says if he knows what’s good for him, right ladies? But what he means when he says that is that the dress makes his wife look good.

And the Bible uses the word that way as well. Paul told the Philippians,

“…let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel” (Phil. 1:27).

Two of the Philippian women were feuding like the Hatfields and the McCoys (Phil. 4:2), and Paul’s admonition for the church to be “of one accord” (Phil. 2:2) suggests that some in the church were siding with Eudoias and some with Syntyche. As far as God is concerned, that’s conduct that is unbecoming to the gospel! They were making the gospel look bad in the eyes of the lost sinners in Philippi, not good.

So when Paul tells Titus to speak the things which become sound doctrine, he was telling him to speak to believers and tell them how to act in a way that was fitting for someone who embraces the sound doctrine found in Paul’s epistles. He then went on to tell “aged men” how to do that (Titus 2:2), “aged women” (2:3), “young women” (2:4), as well as “young men” (2:6), and even “servants” (2:9).

Beloved, no matter what your age, gender, or position in life, it’s not enough just to believe sound doctrine, and it’s not enough just to teach it. God wants us to live sound doctrine—live it in such a way that makes sound doctrine look good. If that’s the burden of your heart, why not make it the prayer of your heart?

You’ll be eternally glad you did.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.



Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

The Apostles Spoke With Forked Tongues! – Acts 2:4-13

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

Video of this message is also available on YouTube: The Apostles Spoke With Forked Tongues – Acts 2:4-13

Summary:

“Cloven” (v. 4) means divided.  The Spirit divided their tongues by giving them the power to speak in other languages as part of the “taste” of the kingdom that He was giving Israel (Heb. 6:4,5).  It would be heavenly not to have to worry about serpents, poison or illness (Mark 16:17,18).  But what’s so heavenly about the gift of tongues?  Well, Jewish disciples will need the gift of tongues when the Gentile nations look to them to teach them about God (Zech. 8:23).

When it says, “every man heard them speak in his own language,” it sounds like the disciples spoke their language, but people heard them in their language.  But that would be the gift of ears, not tongues.  The disciples were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:4), not the Jews to whom they preached.

“Confound” (v. 6) means amazed (v. 7,8).  The people of the lands in Acts 2:9-11 all spoke known human languages, and not the gibberish that passes for tongues today.  Since there are more than 12 tongues mentioned, this suggests all 120 believers spoke in tongues (Acts 1:15), not just the 12.

If you could speak in tongues, wouldn’t you preach the gospel? Instead, the disciples talked about “the wonderful works of God.”  They might have done that to draw a crowd so they could hear Peter’s message.  Or it could be that they were being sneaky!  That exact phrase “wonderful works” is only used 8 other places in the Bible, and half of them are in Psalm 107, where it says God stills the wind and waves (21-31).  Aren’t those the wonderful works of God you’d talk about, ones that would identify Christ as God (Mark 4:36-39).

When it says some thought they were “full of new wine,” wine is a type of the Spirit in the Bible.  The Lord taught that the new wine of the Spirit couldn’t be put in the old bottles of the apostate leaders in Israel (Lu. 5:37,38), it had to be put where God put it, in the new bottles of the new leaders in Israel, the little flock of the Lord’s followers (Lu. 12:32).

Our Pentecostal friends know they can’t speak in legitimate languages, so they insist that they speak in the tongues of angels (I Cor. 13:1).  But angels in Scripture are never said to have their own language.  An “unknown tongue” (I Cor. 14:2) is just a language that someone didn’t “know” (cf. Jer. 5:15).

We know the tongues in Corinth were the same human languages they spoke at Pentecost because Paul says that if they didn’t interpret their languages that “learned” men couldn’t understand them (I Cor. 14:13,16).  That means that learned men could understand them.  Learned men can often speak more than one language, but they can’t speak angel. 

Tongues in Corinth were also given for a different reason.  At Pentecost they were given to the Jews as a sign that God was about to offer them the kingdom in which they’d teach the Gentiles in their own languages.  In other words, it was a sign of God’s blessing.  But once the Jews rejected their kingdom, tongues were given to the Gentiles as a sign God was judging Israel, not blessing them.

To explain the gift of tongues to the Corinthians, Paul quoted Isaiah to say, “with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people” (I Cor. 14:21).  That’s not a gift of tongues that God gave to the Jews to teach the Gentiles.  That’s a gift of tongues He gave the Gentiles to speak to the Jews.  That’s what Isaiah meant.  God had spoken to Israel in Hebrew through the prophets, and they didn’t listen, so He threatened to speak to them through the Gentiles by letting the Gentiles conquer them (Isa. 28:11).

That’s what God was doing in Corinth.  He gave the Jews’ gift of tongues to the Gentiles next door (Acts 18:11) as a “sign” (I Cor. 14:22) He was judging them for rejecting Christ

Doesn’t God still want the Jews to know that He is judging their nation?  If so, why isn’t He still giving the gift of tongues?  The answer is that God is using His Word to tell them this today, in the dispensation of grace.  That’s why tongues and prophecies ceased when the Bible was complete (I Cor. 13:8-10).  God no longer needed prophets to speak through, He had His Word to speak through.And He no longer needed to give the Gentiles the gift of tongues as a sign He was judging Israel.  He now has His Word to do that too.

How Did God Speak to Moses?

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

“If no one can see God’s face and live (Ex. 33:20), how did He speak to Moses ‘face to face’ (Ex. 33:11)?”

The phrase “face to face” can be taken literally (2 John 1:12), but it can also be taken in a figurative sense. For instance, God is said to have spoken “face to face” with the people of Israel when He gave them the law (Deut. 5:4), but they didn’t see His face (Deut. 4:12). So we must conclude that the phrase “face to face” there is a figure of speech.

What does it mean? Well, compare how God defines speaking face to face to Moses:

“If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so… With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold” (Num. 12:6-8).

In speaking to Moses, God spoke apparently (clearly), and not in visions and dreams and dark speeches. That’s the figurative meaning of “face to face.”

This understanding is the only answer to our Pentecostal friends who say that tongues will not “cease” (1 Cor. 13:8) until we get to Heaven. They insist that “that which is perfect” (1 Cor. 13:10) is Heaven since that’s when we’ll see the Lord “face to face” (v. 12). What Paul was actually saying is that once the Bible is perfect or complete, the will of God can be understood as clearly as if we were in His presence!

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.



Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.

The Fullness of Pentecost – Acts 2:1-4

Posted on by Pastor Ricky Kurth

Video of this message is available on YouTube: The Fullness of Pentecost – Acts 2:1-4

Summary:

“Pentecost” (2:1) was one of Israel’s 7 annual feast days.  Passover (Lev. 23:4,5) typified the cross (I Cor. 5:7).  Unleavened bread (Lev. 23:6) typified how He died without the leaven of sin, so we should purge sin from our churches and our personal lives in response to Christ being sacrificed for us (I Cor. 5:7).  Firstfruits (Lev. 23:10) typified Christ’s resurrection, and how He was the firstfruits of the resurrection of believers in Israel and in the Body of Christ (I Cor. 15: 20,23).

Then came Pentecost, which means “fiftieth.”  It came 50 days after firstfruits (Lev. 23:15) and spoke of the coming of the Holy Ghost (John 14:16-18).  The Lord taught the apostles for forty days (Acts 1:3), leaving them 10 days to pick a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:15-26).  Now here in Acts 2, the fiftieth day feast was “fully come” (2:1).

It was fully come symbolically too.  Just as all those passover lambs in the past were types of the fullness of Christ’s sacrifice, so all the Pentecosts in the past were types of the fulness of the coming of the Spirit at this Pentecost.

“Rushing” (2:2) was associated with the Spirit (Ezk. 3:12) as was the wind (John 3:8).  The windy Spirit power of God could be used constructively (Ezek. 37:9,10) or destructively (Isa. 40:6-10).  The filling of the disciples with the Spirit here in Act 2 was constructive, but Jews who rejected their message will face His destructive power.

The sound filling the house (2:2) was typified in II Chron. 5:13, where Solomon’s temple was filled because of the oneness of the 120 priests (v. 12).  Since the temple will be a restoration of the kingdom as it was in Solomon’s day (Acts 1:6), the oneness of the 120 disciples here (Acts 1:15) was a taste of the kingdom.

These cloven tongues were not the fulfillment of Mt.3:11. John was talking about the fire that will come at the Second Coming of Christ (v. 12 cf. II Thes. 1:7,8).

They were given visible tongues of fire on their heads (Acts 2:3) to notify them they were being filled with the Spirit, sort of like Luke 3:21,22.  They were given tongues of fire to signify how they’d now speak in tongues (Acts 2:4).  “Cloven” means divided (Lev. 11:7), further signifying how they’d speak in different tongues.  It also symbolized how they were to walk separate from the Gentiles (Lev. 20:25,26) and from unsaved Jews (Ps. 1:1; Pr. 9:6), and how the Spirit that filled them was about to enable them to walk separate from sinners (I Jo. 3:9; 5:18).  They couldn’t sin at Pentecost!

What’s that tell you about our Pentecostal friends?  They insist they are filled with the Spirit, and can imitate the ability to speak in tongues.  But if you’re going to say you are filled with the Spirit as they were at Pentecost, you should also be able to not sin as well.  That’s a little harder to imitate.

I don’t mean to be unkind in saying this.  I only mean to assure God’s people that they are not missing out on a blessing that our Pentecostal friends tell them they are missing out on, the ability to speak in tongues.

When we tell our Pentecostal friends that God is not filling men with the Spirit today the way He did at Pentecost because God started a new program with Paul, they will sometimes ask, “Then why Paul did Paul say to be filled with the Spirit?” (Eph. 5:18).  But the filling of the Spirit didn’t always cause men to speak in tongues in the Bible.  Sometimes it caused them to know how to build a tabernacle (Ex. 31:3-5), or prepare men for the Messiah (Lu. 1:15-17) or assure Mary that the Lord would “perform” what the angel said (Lu. 1:41-45), or prophesy (Lu. 1:67).

What does the filling of the Spirit do today?  Well, at Pentecost, it caused men to speak in tongues.  Today it causes men to speak in psalms and hymns and thanksgiving (Eph. 5:18-20).

How can we be filled with the Spirit?  Colossians 3:16,17 says that being filled with the Word of God causes men to speak in psalms and hymns and thanksgiving.  That means to be filled with the Spirit today, in the dispensation of grace, you must be filled with the Word of God.

Beware!

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1).

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13).

In the last days of grace, there will be two areas for which to be especially watchful in regard to those who minister the Word. Paul warns us that some, but not all, will depart from the faith that was once near and dear to their hearts. They will abandon the sound doctrine that was first delivered to us by the Apostle Paul and will instead give heed to seducing spirits. As they teach things that are contrary to Paul’s gospel, it will cause a great deal of confusion among the brethren, which is a masterful ploy of Satan, who is the author of confusion. But why would these teachers knowingly depart from the truth? The reasons are many and varied: notoriety for discovery of a so-called new truth, wider acceptance in mainstream Christendom, larger numbers, and other temptations of fleshly, earthly gain.

The level of confusion increases dramatically when we add ministers who intentionally deceive the unsuspecting to build a utopian or cultlike ministry. Paul says they have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:5). In a word, they will deny the preaching of the Cross, which is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18). Those who come under their spell will have their ears tickled with inspirational messages, but there will be a deafening silence when it comes to the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, or Christ’s precious blood.

The apostle is clear to all who will listen when he says, “from such turn away.” If you fail to do so, you will be swept into what is either their unsound teaching or a web of deception. Beware! Paul’s solution to avoid these dangers is really quite simple: “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Tim. 3:14). In a nutshell, follow Paul as he followed Christ. A well-rounded understanding of Paul’s epistles will be a safeguard against error and will protect you from being misled or succumbing to the clever schemes of men.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

Two Minutes with the Bible lets you start your day with short but powerful Bible study articles from the Berean Bible Society. Sign up now to receive Two Minutes With the Bible every day in your email inbox. We will never share your personal information and you can unsubscribe at any time.



Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.