The BIG Picture (Shorts)

Deception thrives because it mimics truth with enticing words and partial truths, making it difficult to discern without a solid foundation. The ideas of the world, rooted in self-righteousness and human desires, may promise joy and purpose but are ultimately empty and destructive. These lies not only come from the ungodly but also from false teachers who mishandle the Word of God to promote works-based righteousness or other distortions of the gospel. In stark contrast, the Word of God is the only unchanging source of truth. It declares the sufficiency of Christ in all things—His grace provides complete salvation, spiritual growth, and all we need for life and godliness (Col 2:10, 2Pe 1:3). The treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ alone (Col 2:3), and no worldly philosophy, self-help method, or human teaching can compare to or add to what He has already accomplished. To guard against deception, we must actively study and meditate on Scripture. The truth of God's ...

Every day thousands of images bombard us, whether through TV, radio, social media, newspaper, or personal experience. In the light of this assault, Paul encourages us to oppose these images with pure content. It is not enough to cast out wrong thinking from our minds. If we reject a thought by sheer will, it will come back when we stop exercising our will. The mind cannot stand a vacuum. It will always draw something into it, good or evil. If we do not structure God’s thoughts into our thinking, thoughts opposed to God will direct our thinking. If we displace the world’s thoughts with God’s thoughts, we take on a new orientation, or attitude. We form God’s frame of reference or bearing about things. Learn to think the Word. Things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report and virtue, and praiseworthy. Psa 119:9,11 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. ... (11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin aga...

QUESTION:  How can we keep the law to please God? ANSWER: We can't! People have tried for millennia and failed. Contrariwise, Paul tells us that the law was giving to increase sin and expose our wretchedness, Rom.7:10-13; 7:24. The commandments of God, which are holy, are actually death unto me because all they can do is condemn me, Rom. 6:23. However, in 1Tim.1:9, Paul declares that there are righteous men. So, how did they become righteous if God's commandments condemn them? Well, it's because righteousness (no condemnation, Rom.8:1) comes through the faith of Jesus Christ, not our adherence to the law, Rom.3:22. Once we are righteous, we grow in godliness by obedience to the knowledge of the written Word, Rom.6:16; 2Co.10:5. By obedience we start to walk by the Spirit, mortifying the flesh, Rom.8:13, and we come to produce the fruit of the Spirit, which, as Paul says, “… against such there is no law”, Gal.5:23. Thus, we keep the law by obedience to the Word, through a...

Receiving the Holy Spirit is connected to the Kingdom gospel preached in the Acts period, Peter saying, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” In the grace gospel, we believe in the cross work of Christ, as specified in 1Cor 15:1-4. At the moment of salvation, it is the Holy Spirit that immerses us into the Body of Christ, not the Holy Spirit coming upon us as He did at Pentecost in Acts 2. As for the rest of your question, salvation does not change our flesh. Although we grow in the Lord and our minds gets renewed by the Word, our flesh remains corrupt and unsalvageable. This is why we get a glorified body when Jesus comes again. Though we can increase in sanctification and godliness by submitting to faith in the Word and walking in the Spirit, sin remains an ever-present weakness until our bodies are changed when Jesus comes. ______________ Join my WhatsApp channel to receive t...

God still has work to do concerning our outward man, and we still have work to do concerning our inward man. While He has yet to redeem our physical bodies, which are falling apart, we should focus on our inward man, which should be growing.  The key to Christian living is letting Jesus Christ teach you how He wants to live His life in and through you. It is not something you struggle to do, but something you daily learn from His Word rightly divided. Faith causes the Holy Spirit to take that Word and change your thinking processes, and that will change your conduct to fit God’s grace. Colossians 3:10 adds: “And [ye] have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him….” See also:  Rom 12:1-2 ...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind Eph 4:20-23 ...and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; We are to be daily building up the inner man through knowledge and obedience to God's Word, preparing for the day when God relocates it to...

In the Old Testament, God separated Israel from the nations to distinguished them as a great nation through law and ordinances, but all Israel wanted was to be like the Gentiles. Then, in the New Testament, God finally came to us Gentiles with a new grace doctrine and salvation, and all we want is to be like Israel. Isn't that so typical of humans! They always want and do the exact opposite of whatever God says! Why? Due to sin, our carnal mind, by nature, is at enmity with God, Rom 8:7-8. Enmity with God is not merely passive disagreement; it involves active opposition and a heart set against God's will. We don't try to be like this. We are born like this! But thankfully, God has made a way. The gospel invites us to reconcile with God through faith in Jesus Christ, breaking the enmity and completely restoring our relationship with Him. See the image above and be encouraged and edified by this incredible passage from Paul epistle, Rom 5:8-11. ______________ Join my WhatsAp...

What are life examples of unbelievers' futility of mind in Eph 4:17? Paul's epistles should be understood spiritually. Thus, 'vanity of mind' is not natural futility but rather spiritual futility. So, to provide life examples is not to list useless things men do in their mortality, or man’s inept activities or knowledge in his natural state, but to perceive it in view of his eternal existence. For an example of Paul's spiritual context, notice his attitude towards natural things and their futility, compared to the worth and significance of knowing Christ, here: Php 3:7-11. In summary, ‘vanity of mind’, if one occupies one’s mind on temporary things, is in contrast to the full value and excellency of the eternal things of Christ. To have a mind filled with goals, achievements, and knowledge of a temporary nature, is utter vanity, or futility, (or dung), in view of the knowledge of Christ and the pursuit of winning Christ and the eternal attributes and rewards that fl...