Does God still speak today?

Does God still speak today?

I post these social media interactions because they are a great source of Q&A. It also helps arm us believers with how unbelievers, or even uneducated babes in Christ, think or reason out spiritual matters.

SOCIAL MEDIA QUESTION:

• Tell me this…how come God no longer speaks to man and no longer manifest himself. I know many claims God speaks or have spoken to them but realistically the person speaking is your inner thoughts. It’s always humans making claims for God not God himself. You’d think an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-present god would make his presence known to the world and not in visions and dreams of charlatans. The world is in crises all over. He is needed more than ever. Where is Christ in all of crises?

MY REPLY:

The bible tells us why. I’ll explain it in summary. It all has to do with a God’s overall plan to restore heaven and earth to its former glory under Christ.

If Peter did not preach Paul's grace gospel, why does he speak of grace, the cross, and of faith and hope in his epistles?

If Peter did not preach Paul's grace gospel, why does he speak of grace, the cross, and of faith and hope in his epistles?

QUESTION:

Read 1 Peter 1:10-12, 14-21. Within the first chapter of Peter’s first letter, he speaks of the grace of God that would come to them. Not only did He speak of this, but He also spoke of faith and hope they would have by being in God. He also referred to the cross of Christ when he said his recipients were redeemed with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

It sounds to me that Peter is preaching the grace gospel since he spoke of the grace that would come to the Jews and the blood of the cross being shed for them which is what Paul preached day to day.

Peter was the apostle to the circumcised and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, Galatians 2:8. This does not mean the gospels they preached were different, it only means their assignments were different.

Once again, these words were written by the apostle you said never preached the grace gospel of Paul. Please explain.

ANSWER:

Your questions are valid. I appreciate you asking. Let me take them one at a time and clarify with my perspective.

In Luke 20 you ask which gospel was Jesus' preaching.

The answer is that He was preaching the only gospel that existed at that time, the gospel of the kingdom that pertains to the Jews. Paul has not yet been saved, so God’s revelations concerning the grace gospel have not yet been made known.

More ignorance of rightly dividing the Word

QUESTION:

Paul contradicts himself saying even dead in sin your saved by grace then he says after knowing the truth if you sin there is no longer a sacrifice for sin. Why can't Bible thumpers see Paul's lies?

ANSWER:

You draw attention to this supposed contradiction because you appear to be unaware of rightly dividing the Word of truth. There are two parts to God’s redemption plan. Prophetic (Israel’s doctrine) and Mystery (Paul’s doctrine). These two parts (doctrines) are unique and distinct, and they cannot be merged (or blended) together, as you clearly are doing in your question. On the other hand, if you keep the two doctrines apart, everything falls into place.

Explain how the doctrine taught by Paul is different to that taught by Peter?

Explain how the doctrine taught by Paul is different to that taught by Peter?

QUESTION:

I don’t see how the doctrine Paul taught differed from Peter (as an example) except Paul preached to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews (who knew the Torah). If you are claiming the doctrine that Paul taught supersedes or is the only way to “get off the milk” of a new believer, which verses would you specifically point to and why?

ANSWER:

The answer is too extensive to write in one reply as it concerns the whole of Paul’s revelation of the risen and glorified Christ, however, I can provide a few thought-provoking scriptures that you can read and consider.

You have two statements I can respond to (in very short summation),

1. I don’t see how the doctrine Paul taught differed from Peter (as an example) except Paul preached to the Gentile and Peter to the Jew (who knew the Torah).

Learn or Present to Others the Bible Rightly Divided (Video Series)

Hi friends,

This is just a short announcement 📢 to inform you of a new video series I am posting on my YouTube channel. The lesson series is called: "Learn or Present to Others the Bible Rightly Divided".

If you do not know right division of the Word, or if you know it but want to learn how to present it to others, then this video and series of teachings is for you. This series will present you with key verses that can highlight the need to rightly divide the Word, and also provide the supporting verses to confirm this stance.

It would be great to have your support on the channel, to listen to the lessons and provide comments or ask questions in regard to the topic. If you have learned something and believe it can benefit others in your circle, please feel free to send them the link.

Find the video series here: Learn or Present to Others the Bible Rightly Divided

God bless. 🙌

It appears that the Apostle Peter is the first to minister to Gentiles in Acts 10?

QUESTION:

It appears that the Apostle Peter is the first to minister to Gentiles in Acts 10, not Paul. So, how can Peter therefore be identified as an apostle “only” to the circumcision? I’m not convinced that “only” Paul was tasked with that ministry.

ANSWER:

Thanks for this question. We need to understand this scenario in the correct dispensational context. Let me provide some guidance.

The first thing to remember is that the WHOLE book of Acts is a book that documents the transition from Kingdom to Grace, from Jews to Gentiles, and from Prophecy to Mystery. In the beginning of Acts, we are entirely immersed in the Kingdom and prophecy for the Jews. At the end of Acts, we are completely immersed in the Grace and mystery for all nations. The middle sections are how this transition evolved from the one to the other. Consider the value of the book of Acts in another way. Think of the 4-Gospels, Matthew to John. They are all about Jesus and the coming Kingdom. Acts is the book that guides the reader systematically from these four Kingdom orientated gospels to Paul’s doctrine in Romans. We have a smooth transition due to Acts. But now, remove Acts and give a reader the 4-Gospels, followed immediately by Romans. Suddenly you have shifted from the Kingdom and the life of Jesus for the Jews to a Grace program for the Gentiles. How did one get from the one to the other? There appears to be a big gap of missing info. Acts has a very unique role in the bible to help a person transition into Paul’s ministry and doctrine.

The Framework of Scripture

The Framework of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable (beneficial) for (1) doctrine (teaching, policy [rules, procedure], guidelines) for (2) reproof (discipline, admonition), for (3) correction (improvement, amendment), and for (4) training in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. (They are: infallible, flawless, unfailing, perfect)

What other book on the face of the earth can claim these credits?

The world is not the same as we knew it before

The world is not the same as we knew it before

The world is a very different place today, and it all started in January 2020. Looking back at the last year and a half, its almost as if a switch has been flipped ON. Like a dark room being flooded with light, this invisible switch has flooded the world with a sinister agenda. One can clearly see a foreboding shadow being cast upon the earth today as almost every news event has biblically prophetic undertones with a frequency and intensity that is converging, at an increasing rate, towards the dispensation of the Tribulation.

From the steady flow of news I get at the sources I frequent, I'd like to highlight three categories and bring these to your attention,

Gospel Transition vs. Gospel Dispensation

Gospel Transition vs. Gospel Dispensation

Handling Gospel Transition

Paul and John the Baptist taught two distinct gospels, both given by God: the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God. John the Baptist taught the good news of a coming Messiah to establish the long-promised kingdom to Israel. Anyone with sin could not enter the kingdom. He water baptized for the remission of sins and the promised priesthood, (Mark 1:3-4). Paul's gospel taught Christ's blood payment for our sins and righteousness without the law.    

Q-A: When did the Grace Dispensation Begin?

The dispensation of grace has less to do with it starting at a specific moment in time, and more to do with the proclamation of a new salvation message from God. It's not so much linked to the event of Pentecost in Acts 2, or the conversion of Paul in Acts 9, or him turning to the Gentiles in Acts 28, and more to do with receiving a message of God's abundant grace without the need of works and endurance. I'm not declining any reasoning that the message of grace started being proclaimed somewhere in the transitional book of ACTS, but I also hold true the point that grace started in each person individually when they hear, and received the good news that God declares them justified through the absolute and completed cross work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Q-A: What is the Real Meaning of a Dispensation? It's not a period of time. It's a way of life.

To Cut Straight, to Handle Aright *Recommended Read! An invaluable study that documents Paul's mystery doctrine.

OBS: God's Word is a Progressive Plan (Part.5.1)

This is Part 5 of the Series

Click here for Part 4

TWO interesting points that required
a 'CHANGE IN COMMUNICATION'

Point #1

Even though Peter and John were disciples of Christ and had intimate knowledge of His teachings and life, it's only later, in their epistles that they write about the concepts of grace, the cross, and the redemptive blood, (which was never mentioned in the Gospels or Acts). Where did they get it from? Well, they learned it from the revelations that Paul received from the glorified Christ. 

Two Verses that might Challenge your Doctrine (Part.2)

Two Verses that might Challenge your Doctrine (Part.2)

This is part 2 of the series

Click here to start with Part 1

The two verses I deal with in this article played a HUGE role in helping me to understand the Bible in its proper context. If one does not understand how to divide the Word and bring context to the two verses that are mentioned in this article, they can be pretty hard to interpret correctly. As I mentioned before in part 1, these are the two verses that got me on the path of studying the Word in a dispensational way, (or as Paul puts it, rightly dividing the Word of truth, 2 Tim.2:15). The reason is because these two verses mention some very interesting things, things that will cause you to question if you actually read the verse correctly, things that will certainly make you think twice about what Paul was really saying.

Two Verses that might Challenge your Doctrine (Part.1)

Two Verses that might Challenge your Doctrine (Part.1)

The following two verses referenced below played a HUGE role in helping me to understand the Bible in its proper context. If I never knew at that time what I now know about the Bible, these two verses would have been hard to swallow, hard to digest, hard to agree with! I trust you get my point. :)

In actual fact, it is these very two verses that got me on the path of studying the Word in a dispensational way, (or as Paul puts it, rightly dividing the Word of truth, 2 Tim.2:15). The reason is because these two verses mention some very interesting things, things that will cause you to question if you actually read the verse correctly, things that will certainly make you think twice about what Paul was really saying. 

OBS: God's Word is a Progressive Plan (Part.1)

OBS: God's Word is a Progressive Plan (Part.1)

Consider a plan or project. Logically, it has a starting point and an end. Between the start and end there are a series of steps, or actions, that navigate those involved in the project to the end result. If there is deviation from the planned steps or actions, the project flow is disrupted and complications can occur.