A FRIEND ON THE BENCH

Photo by B Smith from the kitchen window

 

353-1 A FRIEND ON THE BENCH

May 15, 1977 

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

Colossians 1: 16 - 19 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

In this portion of Scripture Paul is showing that Christ is Lord of Creation. He has no rival in the creative order. Notice, HE IS PRE-EMINENT IN THE UNIVERSE. Notice the last part of verse 16. The ALL THINGS were created by Him and for Him. And that should read, The all things stand created, not by Him, but through Him.

SO IT IS Dee-a-plus the genitive, and it should be through Him. Then instead of being for Him, ICE-plus the accusative and this should be, for the use of Him, or for the purpose of Him. You can see His pre-eminence in the universe. Everywhere you go, you can stamp “Created by Jesus Christ, and for the use of Christ, for the purpose of Christ.”

1/ It is important how you use the world; the things that are in this world, and if you use them to glorify the Lord, yourself or man, or anyone else.

2/ Verse 17 And He is before all things. Actually, in the Greek that should be, AND HE KEEPS ON BEING BEFORE ALL. All what? All creatures. He is before all creatures. This has a reference to the eternity of Jesus Christ. He is before all. He is eternal.

3/ Then we read, and by Him all things consist. The word, consist, SOON-AS-STAME- ME—it means to hold together. To continue in the status quo. It stands in contrast to Kuh-Teed-Zoe. The verb for to create. Here it doesn’t mean to create, but it refers to preservation, rather than creation. So He Who creates, preserves. So it means that Jesus Christ holds all things in the universe together in perfect harmony. It is He that keeps the heavenly bodies going and holds them in their places and traveling on their courses. CONSIST means to continue to exist.

4/ We must remember that Jesus Christ is the member of the Godhead Who preserves and sustains the universe. Remember when He was the Babe in the cradle, He was also God, and holding the universe together. We must also keep in mind, while He was on the Cross, He was also God and holding the universe together. He is the preserver and sustainer of it all. People may take His Name in vain, deny Him His deity, but all the time their very existence depends on Him.

5/ The so-called scientific laws are really not scientific laws at all. They are divine laws, rather than scientific laws. Science has no way of enforcing them. Science cannot guarantee that they will always continue as they are today. There is no guarantee even for tomorrow.

Hebrews 1: 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

Hebrews tells us, BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, JESUS CHRIST HOLDS THE UNIVERSE TOGETHER. So Jesus Christ guarantees these laws. That is, for the time being. It is by His faithfulness that they operate for now. That is why, when we look at the word, faith, we see subjective faith.

II Timothy 2: 12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Jesus Christ is faithful.

Romans 3: 3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

What if some did not believe? Did their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? Of course, not. The fact that the sun will come up tomorrow morning and the world will continue as it is right now, proves that the unsaved have not changed the faithfulness of God in this point.

Also look at II Timothy 2: 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

6/ But even though science may say, we think those laws are fixed laws and they are going to continue down through the years, they are wrong. Because a change is going to take place.

7/ II Peter 3: 10 - 12 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

It might be well for me to say, were it not for the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in holding all things together, keeping them existing together, this whole universe would blow up.

Even if it were only for a split second, he must be faithful constantly and continually. If it were not for Jesus Christ and His faithfulness, our space program would be a failure. Were it not for Jesus Christ and his faithfulness in this universe, we would have never put a man on the face of the moon. For scientists have used God’s fixed divine laws, and used them to get a man there. We would never have been able to send a probe toward Mars or Venus, where it not for Jesus Christ and His faithfulness in this ministry to divine laws.

8/ In other words we could say, and we do it in reverence. Jesus Christ is the glue that holds the universe together.

9/ A day is literally coming when the universe will stop being in existence. Jesus Christ will no longer hold things together.

II Peter 3: 10, 11 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

In the 11th verse He says, Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. The word, dissolved, in the Greek is an interesting word. It is used in Luke 3: 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

Here where John Baptist said, One mightier than I cometh, whose lachet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose—to untie. So he uses the word here, to unloose or untie a shoe as he speaks of the universe becoming untied or unloosed. So the earth will become untied.

10/ We know now what happens when elements are broken from their state of consistency. In this present day we are more prepared to understand this chapter and Colossians 1, than in any age before us.

We call this the Space Age, and we know when we dissolve or split the atom, we have an atom bomb that gives us a terrible explosion, and what took place at Hirshimo, and Negasaki is but a minor picture of what is going to happen in II Peter 3: 10, 11 When God unties this universe.

Then we can look at Revelations 21: 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Atom Bomb Isaiah 66: 22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.

11/ Don’t worry about anyone pushing a panic button. Moscow, or Washington will not destroy the world. It will not be destroyed but by Jesus Christ. No one is going to start an atomic war before the world is evangelized.

Verse 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Head—One body—First raised from the dead. He is the head of the Body, the Church—no earthly head—the head is in Heaven.

Acts 7: 38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Hebrews 2: 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

Psalm 22: 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

I Timothy 3: 15, 16 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Jeremiah 32: 37, 38 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

Hebrews 10: 7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

AMEN

Ref: 05/15/1977 /  353-1 A FRIEND ON THE BENCH / 09/18/2021

SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT

Photo by B Smith from the patio

 

261-1 SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT 

November 23, 1975

Henry F Kulp 

 

II Timothy 2: 11 - 13  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Here we have a marvelous portion of Scripture. These three verses are considered by scholars to be poem or hymn, and they believe it was sung in early assemblies. And as we study it you will see that we do have something to sing about. 

1/ This is a very important point that I do want to drive home at the beginning of this message. We have told you that there are principles that are true in every dispensation, and here we have a point that abides in every dispensation. Those who know doctrine and apply it to their lives will be singing believers. 

2/ Isaiah 12: 2  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Here we have the prophet saying, God is my salvation, my strength, and my song. What a trinity! First of all, God is his salvation. He would have no relationship to God were he not saved. You will notice, God is salvation, religion makes the individual his own salvation. But without salvation he would be nothing. Secondly, he says, God is his strength. That is day by day need to live for the Lord. Then thirdly, he says, God is his song. 

3/ That is something extra that God gives those who mean business with Him. No one can say that joy is essential to being saved. One can be a believer without a song. Indeed, many of God’s children are quite cheerless, many of them are morbid, so having a song in your heart is something else. It is an added ingredient. 

4/ Psalms 40: 2, 3 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

Here we have a delightful, but a spiritual autobiography. 

(1)  He brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay—that is the essential thing. 

(2) He established my goings—that is an everyday thing. 

(3) He put a new song in my mouth—the extra thing and more. Not essential, but great to have. 

5/  Then most surprisingly we are told, many shall see it. Right away you say, that can’t be right—that is a faulty translation. It should be, many shall hear it—but no, the original says, many shall see it—it is not a mistake, A VISIBLE RESULT. One who has a song to sing from his heart shows it in his outward appearance. His outward appearance is more than the sound he makes. 

6/ Ephesians 5: 18, 19 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

In Paul’s epistles the first result of being a spirit-filled believer is to be a singing believer. Let me show you that Paul abided by his instructions. He didn’t tell you and me to do something that he didn’t do. 

7/ Acts 16: 21- 25 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Here, Paul sore and stiff from the beating he received in a foul and dirty dungeon, is filled with the spirit and he sings. He had something to sing about even though circumstances were against him. He was in a foul and filthy dungeon, but it didn’t get him down. He had that something extra that both Isaiah and the Psalmist talked about, and so will you if you recognize the truth in II Timothy 2: 11 - 13.  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

8/ Now let us look at this song, and see a very important fact. In Verse 10 God speaks of salvation with eternal, or abiding glory. And every believer is assured of salvation, but not every believer is assured of salvation with age abiding glory. This is the key to the hymn in Verse 11 - 13.

9/ There are two distinct lines of doctrine in this hymn. Verse 11 If we be dead with Him, this is a question of life. Secondly, there is the question of reigning.

10/ Living with Christ does not depend on the faithfulness of the saint, but the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ when He died on the cross. This is the central teaching of Romans. It should read, WE DIED TOGETHER WITH HIM.

11/ Romans  6: 3, 4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Notice those who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into His death, this could not be water because that is impossible. For let us compare it with Galatians 3: 27 Here we read, For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. So if you do not have this baptism, you have not put on Christ, and it is ridiculous to think that water would perform this act. 

12/ WE SHALL LIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM. This death is not the end, it the beginning. 

13/ Verse 12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Now we come to, if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him, if we deny Him, He also will deny us. The pronoun, we, in both instances shows that believers do this. This is for the believers, but all believers will not suffer. Some believers will deny Him. Remember, II Timothy 1: 8 - 12 - 16 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

Here are believers who are ashamed of the Lord’s testimony and of Paul. They refuse to be Pauline because it cost something, and when they do this, He will deny them. It does not mean a loss of salvation. 

14/ Verse 13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Here is a verse that shows us it does not mean you lose your salvation. If we believe not, and this should be, if we are faithless which is better than if we believe not, in other words, will not take a stand for this truth, He remains faithful. He will not disown them, He will not reward them, but they will have life—they are still saved. 

15/ Notice the last four words of Verse 13. He cannot deny Himself, and the Greek would be, for to deny Himself, He is not able. What does that mean? We are part of Him, we have union with Him, we are members of His body, and to cast us out means He would deny Himself, which He cannot do. This is one of the greatest verses in the Bible for eternal security. What He has in mind in these verses is rewards. You can lose rewards, you cannot lose your salvation. 

16/ Let’s go back to the Kingdom to see what we mean. 

Last week we used Luke 19: 17 - 19 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.

We need to be clear that He is talking about the Kingdom and not the Church the Body of Christ, Verse 11 and there are three groups in this parable. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.

-The citizens portray the nation Israel in a certain period of time, during the earthly ministry and the early period of Acts. 

-Then the servants, they are servants of God and it is very clear, for they are His servants, and He told them to occupy till I come. Luke 19: 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

-The first two servants were faithful and were rewarded. But in Verses 22 - 24,  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

Here we have the wicked servant. Remember, he is a servant. Salvation is not in view here—rewards are. And the Lord took the pound from him and gave it to him that had 10 pounds. Then in Verse 26 He gives the principle. Everyone that has shall be given, and everyone that hath not, that which he hath that which he hath shall be given away from him—a loss of reward. 

17/ Verse 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

Here we have the Lord’s enemies, which would keep Him from reigning, and He says slay them before me. These are not saved. These are not servants but enemies. 

18/ I Corinthians 3: 10 - 14 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Here to be rewarded, one must build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, but a foundation of Jesus Christ laid by Paul. If you are not Pauline you will not be rewarded. Notice, Verse 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

19/ I Corinthians 9: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

And here he becomes a castaway and the castaway does not mean to loose salvation, but to be disapproved, unrewarded, and when we go back to the 24 and 25 verses we see he is talking about rewards. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

20/  Ruling with Christ

Ephesians 2: 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Here we have a chair, a seat of authority in the Heavens.

21/ As Israel will rule and reign on the earth for the Lord, and be missionaries for the Lord, (Revelations and the 144,000) we will reign in the Heavens and be missionaries to the celestial beings. 

Isaiah 61: 5, 6 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

But we will be ministers to the celestial beings, they cannot understand grace, they cannot comprehend it. They are watching us now, and unable to understand grace, and we will explain it to them. 

I Corinthians 4: 9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

Ephesians 3: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

AMEN

Ref: 11/23/1975 / 261-1 SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT / 09/13/2021

HOW SATAN OPPOSES THE TRUTH

Photo by B Smith from the kitchen window

 

29 - HOW SATAN OPPOSES THE TRUTH

June 3, 1962

 Henry F. Kulp

 

I Timothy 4: 1 - 5 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Paul tells young Timothy that the Holy Spirit teaches expressly. Here is something that is to be emphasized, something that is to be known. And what is it? That in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith. That word, depart, is our word apostatize. It means that in the church there will grow up those who will apostatize, depart, turn away from the faith, as it is in Jesus Christ.

1/ This is not talking about the world, because the world is at enmity with God. This is talking about the professing church of Jesus Christ, and the day is upon us. Men have turned from the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have substituted religion. Religion that constitutes good works, man trying to make himself acceptable to God. And every religion on the face of the earth is guilty of this act.

2/ What will cause this condition in the professing church? Men will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. In other words, they will fall in with the program of the devil. The devil is not omnipresent—he can’t be everywhere—and so he has demons to do his work throughout the world. And these demons will cause men within the professing church of Jesus Christ to embrace their doctrines—their teaching of demons. Now what do demons teach?

3/ They teach—be good, do good things, but reject the blood of Jesus Christ, Reject that Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved.

4/ Now let us look at how Satan works—he himself or his demons through men.

Acts 13: 6, 7 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

Here we have Paul and Barnabas going to the other end of Cyprus and there was Paphos—apparently the seat of the government of the island, and there was a certain sorcerer—a false prophet, a Jew by the name of Bar-Jesus. Here was a Jew who had gone among the Gentiles, pretending to be a marvelous, wonder-worker—and of course making a prophet. He took the name, Bar-Jesus. The word, Bar, means son—and his

name really means son of Jesus. He had undoubtedly to hear, made the lame walk, and so He came to these folks and he said, I am the son of Jesus, and I am able to work miracles even as He did. And then he came to the counselor of the country Sergius Paul —or Sargent Paul. He was evidently the governor of this island—a Gentile, But Sgt. Paul, the Gentile was a prudent man, and he proved it by calling for Barnabas and Saul and desiring to hear the word of God. But Elymas or Bar-Jesus, the son of Jesus, immediately saw that he would lose his grip on this Gentile if the truth were preached to him. He would be shown up to be exactly what he was—a false individual. He knew his influence over Sargent Paul would be gone. So he understood Paul and Barnabas, seeking to turn the deputy, this man Paul, away from faith.

Verse 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

5/ But Paul full of the Holy Ghost, set his eyes upon this wicked man and said, O full of all subtility and mischief, thou child of the devil. It is slightly different then the word, child, the original—it is son. He is son of the devil. In other words, he is doing the devil’s work here, he is doing the devil’s bidding and trying to turn this deputy away from faith. And he says, wilt thou cease to provoke the right ways of the Lord. Here is the key —this man who was the son of the devil was trying to pervert the right ways of the Lord. He was religious—he was teaching this man, Paul, religion, but not the truth concerning Jesus Christ. He was perverting the right ways of God. This is ever the devil’s program. He is the angel of righteousness. They tell men and women, to do good deeds, be religious, but don’t embrace Jesus Christ and His shed blood.

6/ But let us just show you a portion of the old Scripture that shows you the folly of depending upon religion, of demons teaching Isaiah 19: 1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

Here the prophet Isaiah is speaking of the Egyptians and their god. He has been called a master of satire. And so he characterized the Egyptians and their god. He uses the word, idols—and in the original language that means “good-for-nothing,” and in Job 19: 4 it is translated “no value”. So the Scripture should read—the good-for-nothings of Egypt shall be staggering—reeling—at His presence. In other words, the folly, the vanity of depending upon these evil demons and their teaching.

7/ It is well for us to recognize that God is not going to permit this condition to go on and one of these days He is going to come back and judge all those who have fallen for demon teaching, all who have propagated the demon’s doctrine.

Numbers 33: 4 For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the Lord had smitten among them: upon their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

It would be well for us to just take a moment and study Numbers 33: 4 when God has a contest with Moses and Pharaoh, this was not God bringing judgements down upon the

Egyptians, but rather He was bringing judgements down upon the gods of the Egyptians. They were a very religious people, they had followed the doctrine of demons and they had many gods. Their gods, of course, were demons, and when God brought judgement down upon the demons, He naturally had to bring it upon the Egyptians—for notice it in Numbers 33: 4—for the Egyptians buried their first-born which the Lord had smitten among them upon their gods also the Lord executed judgement. He brought judgement down upon them. That is why it is well for us to recognize that we must judge and weed out in our assemblies those who do not believe the truth. We cannot permit them to continue on.

8/ Now the next thing we want to see is this—these men who followed the seducing spirits and teaching doctrines of demons, they through hypocrisy of men speak lies. They know they are not telling the truth—they have their conscience seared with the hot iron—branded with a hot iron as it were. In other words, they have no conscience left. It is a bad thing to trust the conscience unless it is under the direction of the Holy Spirit. These men haven’t even any conscience left any more. These men never believe the doctrines which they propagate themselves, but there is always money in it—there are always those who will follow them and pay tremendous prices to be part of their movement.

9/ Then in Verse 3 Paul just uses two illustrations of some of the things that they would teach. First of all, forbidding to marry, and then to abstain from food. Again you see what is behind all this. These folks are endeavoring to make themselves righteous by not doing certain things. Under the law, there was a prohibition upon certain foods, but that is not true today. We are not under law, but under grace.

10/ You will notice that everything is to be received with thanksgiving. God wants us to be thankful for what we have. If there is one thing that marks this age, it is the age of thanklessness. Notice in verse 4 that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. The giving of thanks before the meal seems to have been the practice. Our Lord blessed the loaves—Matthew 14: 19 And then Paul gives thanks for the meal on the ship.

Acts 27: 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

We should always be thankful, but I believe that just giving thanks before the meal is not enough. We should always do that. But certainly we should go beyond that. We should be thankful in our hearts for all that God has given us.

11/ Then in verse 7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

Timothy is exhorted to refuse profane and old wives fables. Of course, that means the word myth, or rumor—in other words it is tradition—we are warned against tradition. The demons come and mainly bring with them the word, tradition—things that men have

dreamed up under the guidance of demons. In those days, many made their living by going from market place to market place, and giving lectures on folk-lure or myths or traditions, and these are the things that were embraced in the church, and so Timothy is told to exercise thyself rather onto godliness. And you have the word, exercise in Verse 7 and 8. In Verse 7 it says exercise thyself unto godliness, in verse 8 for bodily exercise profiteth little. The word, exercise, is the word from which we get our word, gymnasium or gymnastic, and it means—exercise. Paul is not saying that to exercise is wrong and there is no profit—it is just a little profit compared to exercising Godliness. Physical exercise has a limited benefit, but exercise unto godliness has eternal benefit.

12/ We are living in a day when we have this physical culture that is so important. I believe a sound body is a good thing, but when a Christian becomes so involved in bodily exercise in sports that he doesn’t have time to really exercise in godliness—it infringes upon his godliness, then, he is in trouble. The thought is, of course, your physical body will die, and it will go to the grave. Does it matter whether you live 50 or 70 years if in 50 or 70 years you do not glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? What difference does it make for a Christian to live to be 80 years old, when in that time he has done very little for the Lord Jesus Christ? He has been taking care of his body so he would live along time. Paul did not live to be what we would call an old man in our time—but he certainly accomplished a lot for the Lord Jesus.

13/ A fit body is a wonderful thing. But a fit soul is far more important.

14/ Our president is calling for a physical fitness program because many of our young folks are not physically fit, and certainly this is a good program—I am not against it. But our country in order to stand against our enemies has to be more than fit physically. We have to be mentally fit for the next thing, but the most important thing is that our nation be spiritually fit. Not fed upon a lot of trash and fables—upon religion, but belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. If our churches were strong in preaching spiritual truths, we would not have to worry about communism—it could never overthrow us, but because we are weak spiritually certainly our physical program will be of little benefit. O, that the leaders of our nation would recognize this truth.

AMEN

Ref: 06/03/1962/ 29 - HOW SATAN OPPOSES THE TRUTH / 09/08/2021 

 

THE STRATEGY OF THE MOCK ANGEL

Photo by B Smith from the patio

 

28 - THE STRATEGY OF THE MOCK ANGEL

January 1, 1961

Henry F. Kulp

 

Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

We have been talking about this great battle, this great warfare that the Christian is to wage. He is the one who is to be aggressive. He is the one who takes the initiative. His enemy, of course, is the devil and his demon host, the only one that can fight against common enemy is the believer who is mature. We do not send babies into the fight. We do not send our small children to fight, and God does not expect babies to fight against the devil—they do not know how to fight, so it is necessary for us to grow spiritually, so we can wage this warfare, and we can win it.

1/ Satan’s purpose is not to cause us to lose our salvation. Satan wants to rob you of your crown. He doesn’t want you to gain any reward in your Christian life. Many Christians never take up this battle—they are not interested enough to fight. They don’t care, they are saved, and that is about as far as their Christianity or their belief goes.

2/ Now notice the saint’s source of strength. This is important. To start this battle we must be strong in the Lord, and the power of His might. The words, be strong, means to be endued with power, or made powerful. Who is the one telling us to be strong in the Lord? Whenever you take advice from anyone, it is always well that you know who is speaking. What type of person, what is their character? Do you know the subject they are advising you about? There are many folks in this world who want to put forth advice when they do not know what they are talking about. They like to tell you how to run your home, to run your children, they tell you what insurance to buy, what car to buy, where to live, and many times they are failures themselves, so how can they advise you? But what about this man, Paul, who says to be strong in the Lord? Was he a weakling? I am sure not. He was no pink tea artist. Paul was one who knew what it meant to be strong in the Lord. He had been in this battle, and he knew what it meant to strive for Jesus Christ. He had been stoned, smitten with stripes, bound with chains, cast into a dungeon, but he went right on with the struggle. He was still at it when he was urging the believers here to be strong.

3/ Galatians 6: 17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Here, Paul says, from henceforth let no man trouble me. These folks at Galatia had teachers come in and say this man, Paul is not a servant of Christ, he is not an apostle, why do you listen to him? Paul says, you know I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice, he emphasizes the personal pronoun, I, as he contrasts himself with the Judaizing teachers. He says I have marks in my body today. And what are these marks? Why are they here? They are actual physical injuries, and the best way we can translate that word, marks, is  the word, brand. We get our English word, Stigma from it—so he was branded. They were actually scars and long continuing sores. He had been stoned, smitten with stripes, bound with chains, and his sores, his marks, his brands were ever with him. He was scarred up. They were in his physical body. I can accept advice from a man like that. When he tells me to be strong in the Lord, I know he knows what it means to be strong in the Lord, and he knew that it worked. He was one that could give advice like this.

 

4/  The man who said, be strong, was strong. When he wrote this he was in prison chained to guards down in the dungeon of the palace. But down there, he was still working for the Lord Jesus Christ, still striving to gain a crown. There is a crown for one who is a soul-winner. He won many crowns while he was down there in that dungeon. He testified to everyone he came in contact with. 

Philippians 4: 22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household.

Where he said, the saints in Caesar’s household. Please remember Paul was in a dungeon in Caesar’s palace, and you would hardly think that he would dare open his mouth and testify to some of the folks in Caesar’s household, but he did. He evidently won servants, soldiers, and maybe some of the officers and they must have had a little church there—a little company of believers right there in Caesar’s household. He was carrying the battle right down to the end. I could listen to a man like this. I CAN PULL UP MY CHAIR CLOSE TO HIM AND I CAN LISTEN BECAUSE I WANT TO HEAR THE SECRET OF SUCH STRENGTH.

5/  Than the exhortation to be strong in the Lord is followed by another, namely, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

Ephesians 6: 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Notice, here is the adversary. Our adversary is named, he is the devil, and his weapons are referred to as wiles. First of all, let us look at our operation, at our adversary. Let us look at our opposition, at our adversary. We are inclined to think that our only opposition comes from flesh and blood, and relatives in the home, from friends and society, from neighbors across the street, from our associates in business, from somebody at the home who is difficult to live with. Notice, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Flesh and blood can bring hardship, there is no doubt, there is no doubt that neighbors can make fun of our position. Even our own loved ones—you can have a husband or a wife who hates your stand in Jesus Christ. You can have children who refuse to do what you want them to, but that is not the main battle of life. There is so

6/  Then notice, we wrestle, not with flesh and blood, but with Satan and his demon followers. The idea of wrestling is hand-to-hand combat. And so when Paul used this word, wrestle, here, the Greeks immediately knew what to picture. The contrast between the two in which one endeavors to throw the other. And the contest is decided with the victor is able to press down and hold down his antagonist, and then the loser in the Greek wrestling had his eyes gouged out so that for the rest of his life he would be blind, so you can know what the people at Ephesus thought when he said wrestle—this is no patty-cake sort of an affair, this is not a pink tea. This is a terrible struggle.

7/  Then we go back to the 11^th verse with this in mind, that we are to put on the whole armor of God that we might be able to stand and not be thrown, not be pressed down by our antagonist, but be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. That word, wiles, means expert methods, or you could use the word strategy. He has expert strategy that he uses against us. It would indeed be very simple thing if that demon came to us and said, now, I’m demon so and so, good morning—I’m here on a mission from the devil, and I want you to get into something that is going to cause you a lot of misery and a lot of wretchedness and will disowner your savior and lose your testimony for you and if you listen to me and obey me, I’ll be able to accomplish my end. We would have no difficulty in saying to him—get thee behind me Satan, we don’t want any part of you. But that is not the way the devil works, that is not the way his demons work. We have a wonderful illustration in the book of Joshua exactly what I’m driving at. Remember we told you the book Joshua is to the Old Testament what the book of Ephesians is to the New Testament.

8/ God had told Joshua to cross over Jordan and there he would find in the land that God gave him, seven nations of Canaan. They were corrupt nations, abominable, given over to all kinds of vileness and idolatry, and they were commanded not to enter into any league with them, not to marry with them, but they were to destroy them utterly. These words were plain and for a time Joshua and the people carried them out just the way God instructed them. But then one day there came a strange looking group of men limping up the highway, dressed in filthy rags. They had worn sandals on their feet, they carried in their arms old sacks which contained moldy bread, and their water bottles made of goat skins were cracked and dried up, so some of Joshua’s scouts went out to see them and said who are you and what do you want? We would like to see your general they said. And when they were led into the presence of Joshua, and said what is it that you want of us, where did you come from? Oh, they said from a very far country, you can see these clothes  of ours, they were brand new the day we left home, so you can realize we came a long way. These sandals that we have on our feet, we just bought them from a dealer the day we left, and look how worn they are. And this bread was fresh from the oven, but now it is moldy. We have come a long distance because we heard of you, how that God is with you, and we would like to make an alliance with you—let us be friends. We would certainly be proud to be linked up with you, so let us make an alliance right now. This is most interesting, said Joshua, you say you are from a long way off, How in the world did you ever hear about us? Oh, the word has been going out through all the land. We have heard of how you have been victorious as you entered the land, how Jericho and Ai fell before you, now let us get together and make an alliance. And so we read that the men made a league with them and asked the council of God. 

Joshua 9: 14 - 16 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.

Here they were deceived by the wiles of the Gideonites, but a day or two after they had made the league, when there was not chance to break it, they found out that the men came from a nearby village and were anxious to link up with them in order to save their own lives. This is a picture of how the devil with his demons works among the children of God. They have expert methods, they do not come as the average person thinks they come.

9/  The average person says, so and so is going to the devil. They do not realize that the devil has no part in that sort of thing. It is not his fault. How does the devil come? The Scripture we use so often, but people still do not recognize. 

II Corinthians 11: 3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Here, Paul says by any means that your mind should be corrupted from simplicity that is in Christ, and of course, that is by the serpent, by the devil. The simplicity that is in Christ—they don’t hold the thought of the simplicity in Christ—they like to make it very involved. How they like to do this with the work of the Holy Spirit. How they like to do it with so many things in life. They have to have feelings, and they have to have tremendous experience, rather than just trusting in Jesus Christ by simple faith, and depending on Him day by day and filling their hearts and minds with the Word. Is it any wonder that the devil is able to defeat the average Christian by his expert methods? How does he do it? Notice the word mind, here it is very important. This is what the devil uses, he uses the mind of the believer this hand to hand combat goes on in the mind.

10/ Now let us go over for a description for how Satan works. 

II Corinthians 11: 13 - 14 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

He transforms himself into an angel of light. He doesn’t come with wickedness—he comes with human goodness, an angel of light in your mind. 

11/ Let us go to another Scripture that describes this battle for us. 

II Corinthians 10: 3, 4 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Again he says, we walk in the flesh, but we war not after the flesh, not at all. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, are not fleshly but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds. So in our fight we are to besiege our enemy, we are to throw a defense all about him, just as the enemy in days gone by. They would come into the city they wanted to take, and they would besiege it from every side, keep everything locked up there, and then finally they would cast down the strongholds, and what is it? What is the stronghold that is being besieged? It is imaginations, it is reasonings, and finally bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. After you tear down the imagination and the reasoning what are the captives that are taken? The captives are our thoughts, Satan battles with us in our minds and it is a hand to hand struggle.

12/ Colossians 3: 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Here we are to set our affection on things above. We are not only to seek heaven, but we must think heaven. In other words, the word, affection, means mind or thought. Your thoughts should be constantly on Heaven, not on things of earth. We are to think Christ, here is the battle. We want to think Christ.  And the devil and the demons come along and they want us to think about things other than Christ. They are good things, but they are things that replace Christ. They are not the things of Christ so here we have the battle brought to us very clearly.

13/ Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

I want you to notice two things here. In verse 8 we are told to think right, and in verse 9 we are told to do right. In other words if we think right, you can’t help but do right. Here is the point, it is discipline of the mind. We can only be as we think.  

14/ Romans 12: 1 - 3 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Notice this is what Satan doesn’t want you to do—to put God first, give yourself as a living sacrifice to Him. He doesn’t want that, so what does he do? He tries to corrupt your mind from it, and so God says here, to be renewed in your mind, and when you are renewed you have proper estimation of yourself, you’ll not be lofty, you’ll not be high and mighty.

AMEN

Ref: 01/01/1962/ 28 - THE STRATEGY OF THE MOCK ANGEL / 08/14/2021