Overcoming Rejection Sometimes in life we all will face rejection, in one form or another. It can be especially hurtful if it's a loved one rejecting you through abandonment, neglect or divorce. We might have rejection, neglect or abandonment as well in our childhood which makes us more cautious about making new friends and keeping loved ones close to us as we get older. But, as believers we need to love others, forgive others and be gracious just as God loves us, has forgiven us and is gracious to us. Col 3:13 KJV -  13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also  do  ye. As believers, when we live godly, we also sometimes experience rejection because people are essentially rejecting Christ in their own lives and they do not want to see Christ living through us. They might experience conviction around us because of our chaste and godly lifestyle and instead of turning to God t...

Let's go over the verses again that talk about us (believers in the dispensation of grace) being not of darkness and let's also discuss the day of the LORD.  1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, we learn about the rapture. I will discuss this in another study. Then in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 Paul says, "But" which means basically that what he's about to talk about has nothing to do with us today in the dispensation of grace. He says that he doesn't need to write to us regarding the "times and seasons" of the tribulation period first of all because it is already written and detailed in the prophetic scriptures. Re...

1 Corinthians 1:30 KJB 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: All believers are IN Christ. As we read and study God's word rightly divided, believe it and yeild ourselves over to obey it, we walk in wisdom and righteousness and from the very moment that we simply believe the gospel we are also sanctified [set apart for God] and redeemed.  1 Corinthians 1:31 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Everything that we do as believers should be about bringing glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way that can happen is by us allowing Christ to live in and through us as believers.  Often today in Christendom you will hear people praise God or say "all glory to God!", however they are usually not walking in the will of the Lord. They will say this only about things pertaining to the flesh, like if they get a new house, or have an illness go ...

1Co 1:19 KJV -  19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. The anti-christ will be a newager, or will at least embrace newage philosophies. He will idolize and worship himself and will then force others to idolize and worship him. 2Th 2:4 KJV -  4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. "A course in miracles," a heretical book promoted and taught by the newage author and Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson says, " Lesson 61:  I am the light of the world." The book consists of daily affirmations and teachings that are in direct opposition to God's word rightly divided. It teaches that each person is God and that all of life is merely an illusion in which we need to wake up out of. It teaches that if you say their daily affirmations, you wil...

Romans 6:15-19 Father God, thank you so much for this time that we can spend reading and studying your holy word rightly divided. Thank you for teaching us Lord how that we should live unto God instead of just living for our flesh. Thank you that as believers we can read and study your word rightly divided and that it will work effectually in us. In Christ's name we pray, amen.  Romans 6:15 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Again, Paul tells us that just because we are not under the law but under grace does not mean that we should just live for our flesh. Just because we can never loose our salvation NO MATTER WHAT, doesn't give us license to live a sinful lifestyle. Instead, we ought to yeild our bodies over to serve God instead.  Romans 6:16 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:17 1...

2Co 5:7 KJB  7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) As believers in the dispensation of the grace of God we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Part of what this means is that we are NOT looking for signs, wonders and miracles from God today, but rather we live according to his word rightly divided, understanding God's will for us today. We read and study God's word rightly divided, believe it and obey it. Sound Grace Doctrine today is in the books of Romans through Philemon (Paul's Epistles) which are written specifically TO us today. However, we do study the whole Bible but with an understanding of right division. The rest of scripture is for our learning today but not for our obedience. We are to have an intelligent understanding of God's word. God treats us believers today as grown children of God and he wants us to mature spiritually through the word and to walk by faith in what He says to us today in Romans through Philemon.  Romans 8:14-17 KJB 14 For as many...

Not of Darkness  Once you are saved and understand that we are eternally secure in Christ, it's important that as believers we come to also understand our identity in Christ. (Studying the book of Romans verse-by-verse will give you this very important foundational grace doctrine.)  We are now the adopted sons of God. In fact, the scriptures tell us that we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ! We are seated with Christ in the Heavenly places.  Rom 8:17 KJV -  17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Eph 2:6 KJV -  6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: As God's dearly beloved, Paul reminds believers (who were being swayed away from sound grace and rapture doctrine) that we are NOT children of darkness.  1 Thess 5:5 "Ye are all the ch...

Father God, thank you for this time that we can spend together reading and studying your holy word. Lord, I pray that we will come to really understand your holy word rightly divided more and more each day. In Christ's name we pray, amen.  1 Corinthians 1:23-29 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; The Jews stumbled at Christ's first coming. The nation as a whole did not believe on Jesus, nor that the kingdom was at hand. Only a remnant of Jews at that time believed and then a remnant of them will believe at His second coming as well. In fact, even the rapture of the Church the Body of Christ will be a wake-up call for many Jews and they will realize that God kept His promises to us and so during the tribulation period it will help them to trust that He will keep His promises to them too. The Greeks, meaning Gentiles who think that all they need is their own man-made philosophies, science, art, music, technology etc...

1Co 1:19 KJV -  19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. The word "wisdom" occurs in 222 verses in the King James Bible. The word "wise" occurs 247 times. The books of Job (the oldest book written in the bible), Proverbs and 1st Corinthians refer to wisdom many times. The first occurrence of the word wise is in Genesis 3:6 which says, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."  This desire to be wise, a desire to have wisdom, was not a desire to learn from God directly, but to be wise in their own eyes. Adam and Eve used to sit in the garden in the cool of the day, having a sort-of personal "Bible study" time with the Lord, learning directly from him. We don't ...

Romans 6:12-14 Father God, thank you so much for this time that we can spend reading and studying your holy word rightly divided. Thank you for teaching us Lord how that we should live unto God instead of just living for our flesh. Thank you that as believers we can read and study your word rightly divided and that it will work effectually in us. In Christ's name we pray, amen.  12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Having understood that we are dead to sin but alive unto God we need to then CHOOSE to live unto God. We have the choice now, every moment. Before salvation we were spiritually dead and all we did was live for the flesh and we followed after Satan's course for this world.  Eph 2:2 KJV -  2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Paul tells us NOT to let s...