The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Paul warned in 1 Timothy 4:1 that in the latter times some would depart from the faith because they start listening to the wrong voices. We’re watching that happen. People don’t abandon Scripture in one moment — they drift because something else has captured their attention. Then in 2 Timothy 4:3–4, Paul shows the next step. When people no longer want sound doctrine, they go looking for teachers who tell them what they prefer to hear. Truth becomes uncomfortable, so they trade it for stories and opinions that feel easier. These two passages describe the apostasy we see growing today: a steady move away from Scripture, a rising impatience with truth, and a desire for teaching that never confronts the heart. The Bible said this would happen, so we shouldn’t be surprised — but we should be alert and anchored in the Word. But it’s important to understand this: What we’re seeing now is not the “falling away” Paul speaks of in 2 Thessalonians 2. That event is a specific, worldwide rebellion ...

Most people read “all things work together for good” as if Paul promised a better tomorrow, smoother circumstances, or quick fixes to today’s problems. But Romans 8:28 is not about your next week. It’s not even about your lifetime. Paul is talking about God’s eternal plan , stretching from before the world began all the way to the glory that will be revealed in us . The “all things” are the entire sweep of God’s purpose for the Body of Christ—past, present, and future—working together toward our final glorification , not our temporary comfort. Before Genesis 1:1, God ordained a hidden wisdom “unto our glory” (1 Cor. 2:7). In Christ, we were predestinated according to the One who “works all things after the counsel of His own will” (Eph. 1:11). That means God has been working “all things” for our good long before we existed—and He will continue until we stand in the fullness of Christ’s glory. This is why Paul contrasts: Sufferings vs. Glory (Rom. 8:18) Vanity vs. Hope (Rom. 8:20)...

Question: As a Christian who determines what is and is not a ceremonial law, can you explain why Luke 22:8–20 is or is not considered a ceremonial law? Additionally, was a Temple necessary for the Messiah to keep the Passover and exemplify its observance? Answer: When someone asks whether Luke 22:8–20 is a “ceremonial law,” they are starting from a framework that Scripture never uses. The Bible does not divide the Mosaic Law into moral, civil, and ceremonial categories. Those divisions were created by theologians long after the Bible was written, and they are often used to keep parts of the law alive for Christians today. But when we rightly divide the Word of truth, we see that the Body of Christ is not under the law in any category. We are not Israel, not part of Israel’s covenants, and not governed by Israel’s feast system. Our doctrine comes from Christ through Paul, not from Israel’s Torah. Luke 22:8–20 is not a ceremonial law. It is a historical record of Jesus, as Israel’s Messi...

Replacement Theology teaches that the Church has replaced Israel and now receives all her promises. This is false doctrine because Scripture shows Israel’s promises are not cancelled but only paused during the present Dispensation of Grace. Paul explains in Romans 11:25-29 that Israel is “blind in part” until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, and that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” Jeremiah 31:35-37 further proves that Israel will remain a nation before God as long as the sun, moon, and stars endure. This teaching must be avoided because it denies dispensational truth, confuses Israel’s earthly program with the Church’s heavenly program, and spiritualizes literal promises that God gave to Israel. It also questions God’s integrity, for if He abandoned Israel, how could we trust Him to keep His promises to the Church? Scripture declares that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18), and His covenants with Israel will be fulfilled when Christ returns to establ...

 QUESTION: How do we know that the “grace dispensation” doesn’t coincide with the “everlasting gospel” and that both have been present since the foundation of the world? ANSWER: The present dispensation is called “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2). This message was a mystery hidden from ages and generations (Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26), not revealed since the foundation of the world but made known through Paul after Christ’s ascension. Paul affirms that his gospel came “by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). Its content is the finished work of Christ: “how that Christ died for our sins… and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Salvation today is by grace through faith, “not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Since this gospel was kept secret until revealed (Romans 16:25), it cannot have been present from the foundation of the world. By contrast, the “everlasting gospel” appears in Revelation 14:6-7, whe...

Opening: Today, November 18, is recognized as Entrepreneurs’ Day — a time to honor those who persevere through challenges, take responsibility for what they build, and lead with moral clarity. These traits are admired in business and society, but they are even more significant when understood through the lens of Scripture. That is why we write about them today: to show how perseverance, responsibility, and moral clarity are not merely human virtues, but spiritual truths that must be rightly divided in God’s Word. Mans Claim: “Perseverance, responsibility, and moral clarity are universal values that anyone can live out if they try hard enough.” Biblical Correction: These traits are not about human striving. They are about living out the truth of Christ’s finished work in this dispensation of grace. When rightly divided, they cease to be burdens and become blessings. Perseverance  This is not striving under the law, but enduring in grace. “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that...

QUESTION: Christians, did Paul teach that salvation is through faith in Messiah, not through works of the law as a means of justification while also emphasizing obedience as in upholding the Law which remains essential to faith: Romans 3:31 & Galatians 2:16? ANSWER: Paul’s teaching about salvation and the Law is simple, but it is also very important to understand clearly. He says in Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” This means that no one can be made right with God by keeping the Law. Salvation is not earned by what we do. It is given freely when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. Justification—being declared righteous before God—is by faith alone. But Paul also says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through fait...