ARE THERE PROMISES IN THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES FOR YOU?

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By Ken Blue

Much of the objection to dispensationalism and right division comes from a wrong assumption that there are no promises or blessings in other dispensations for believers in this dispensation of grace. Nothing could be further from the truth. The important issue is that we are able to identify those promises and discern if there is an application for us. In this article, I will point out just a few of the many promises found in other dispensations.

1. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3. The context shows that Israel is the subject. But, the promise applies to all people in all times.

2. “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3. This promise is to all nations and individuals who love and help Israel. We are blessed by having the Scriptures and the savior who came through Abraham. The final payoff may be after the resurrection, but the promise is yours.

3. “1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalms 1:1-3. This wonderful promise is for every believer who will take heed and obey it.

4. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalms 27:14. What can we say about this wonderful promise? It is for all who will wait in prayer and faith.

5. “3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.” Psalms 63:3-6. AMEN!

6. “3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5. God is the give of wisdom. The promise is to all show seek Him.

7. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7. God’s mercy is not limited. This promise is for all.

8. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10. This promise is to all people everywhere.

9. “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” Proverbs 22:9. God promises to bless the compassionate person.

10. “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1. Here is a promise that applies to all people of all dispensations. Try it, you’ll see that it works.

Never fear losing promises or blessings by rightly dividing the Word of God. In fact, that is the only way to be safe and honest. Don’t steal that which belongs to another. You don’t need to, there is plenty for you.

HANDLING THE BIBLE DECEITFULLY #3

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When “all” and “every” doesn’t mean “all” and “every.”

By Ken Blue

The American Heritage Dictionary says a hyperbole is, “A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.” All languages use the hyperbole, and the Bible is no exception to its use. It will save the believer from error if he will consider this truth when reading the Word. In most cases, the context will reveal its use.

1. “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22. It is evident that the disciples were not hated by every man nor will every person hate the Jew in the Tribulation. “All” is used to amplify the extent of the haltered they must expect.

2. “But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.” Matthew 21:26. Obviously, not all the people believed John, or the nation would have repented. However, the number was so great that the priest and elders feared to give a correct answer.

3 “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” Luke 2:1. The world here was the Roman Empire.

4. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32. This is all me without distinction, not all men without exception.

5. “For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.” Mark 9:49. The context shows that this is speaking of the lost and that it is a figure of speech to illustrate the seriousness of eternal judgment on the unsaved.

6. “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” Acts 5:42. We need not assume that every house in Jerusalem was open to them. The idea is that many homes were open, and in them they continued to preach and teach.

7. “As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.” Acts 8:3. The purpose of the writer was to show how extensive the persecution of Saul was. Had he entered into every house, every believer would have been imprisoned or killed.

8. “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” Acts 8:4. This is not teaching that they went every where in the whole world, but every where they went, they preached the gospel.

9. “And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.” Mark 1:37. Here is another example of the hyperbole to show the popularity of Jesus at that time and place.

10. “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7. Not every eye on the planet will see Jesus at the Second Advent. Again, this is to emphasize his coming to Israel. “All eyes in the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem where He lands (Zech. 14:1-5). People in distant parts of the earth will not see Him until later (Isa. 2:2-4; 66:19-21; Zech. 8:23).” —Dake’s Study Notes.

TWO STICKS THAT BECOME ONE

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ONE ISRAEL

By Ken Blue

“And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” Ezekiel 37:17.

In 945 B. C. the nation of Israel was divided into two nations with ten tribes in the North, called Israel, and two tribes in the South, called Judah. Jerusalem was the capital of Judah, and Samaria became the capital of Israel. They were divided in the days of Rehoboam and Jeroboam. (See 1 Kings 12).

The symbolism is clear from Scripture. The time is coming soon when all Israel will be reunited as one nation, in their land, under one King; the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 11:10-16, is just one of the many prophecies of Israel’s return and reuniting as one nation, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” Isaiah 11:10-16

This is the intended message by the prophet when he took the two sticks and held them together. Its intent is to encourage the nation to not abandon their God or Scriptures. Both are true and faithful; and this symbol will become a reality. Thank God for our infallible Bible!

MARTHA, SIT DOWN

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By Ken Blue

“But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.” Luke 10:40.

I’ve seen hundreds of Marthas during my ministry. We quietly thank God for them; but they do make us feel somewhat uneasy. Maybe the word “guilty” would better describe our feelings. Whatever it is about the Marthas, they appear to be driven by some unseen force to constantly stay busy.

Jesus loved to visit in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. They loved Him and He loved them. But, whenever Martha heard that He was coming, she worked herself into a state of exhaustion, preparing for His visits. Once He arrived, she could not sit down or relax; she always saw some article out of place or the need to pour another cup of tea. Marthas are anxious about every detail, and can’t understand how others can refuse to help in the work. Perhaps others have discovered that whatever they do, it isn’t quite good enough for the Marthas.

You can always spot the Marthas. They serve in the cleanup ministries around the church. Whatever the task, you can count on them. Watch them at church dinners and picnics. Usually they wear an apron and carry a cleaning cloth while others visit and fellowship. Marthas are the worker bees of the hive.

The Lord is not rebuking Martha for her attention to detail or her desire to serve. The issue in this situation was one of priority. Jesus was teaching things she needed to hear, and He would also be returning to heaven shortly. While Martha sits in church, she has a difficult time keeping her mind on the sermon. She is thinking about what she must do after church or worrying about what she many have forgotten and left undone at home. This was the time for Martha to sit down and listen.

There are times when we should get up and help the Marthas, and there are times when the Marthas should lay aside the cleaning cloth and sit down. The key for all of us is to know the priorities of the day.

FLUFF IS NOT ENOUGH

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FLUFF DOES NOT EDIFY

FLUFFBy Ken Blue

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9.

The man who knows the least, usually, talks the most and the loudest. This is a cover-up for his insecurity and lack of knowledge about biblical truth. The preacher who quips is generally ill equipped for ministry.

The pastoral epistles resound with the need for pure motives and pure doctrine. The idea of “holding fast the faithful Word” is not instruction on how to grasp or hold the Bible. Many, who hold the Book in their hands, do not hold it fast in their heart. It means, you must know what you have been taught and who taught you. It is important that the preacher have a strategic grasp of the Book; but it is imperative that the Book have its grasp on him.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The pulpit is not a place to ramble on and say nothing.[/perfectpullquote]

The pulpit is not a place to ramble on and say nothing. Jesus said, they think they will be heard for their much speaking. The only one deceived is the one speaking. If you know what you are talking about, you should be able to make it clear, keep it concise, and bring it to a conclusion.

Fluff is not enough. You must be able, by sound doctrine, to encourage and edify God’s people. The proof will not be in your verbosity, but in lives that are changed. Also, you must, like Stephen, be able to silence the naysayers. Your preaching and teaching will be challenged and contradicted. Fluff will not edify the Saints or silence your critics. Sound doctrine, for this dispensation, is the preachers answer to the needs of all men and women.