Tag Archives: salvation

No Participation Trophies

Posted on July 21, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

I remember several years ago Sherry and I were in Georgia watching our oldest grandson play soccer. When we got to the soccer field I noticed a large, long table, with about 50 little trophies on it. I wondered why there were so many trophies. After watching the children play – and being young, none were very good – one team finally made a goal after about two hours. I remember one team made a goal before that, but the little boy kicked the ball into his own team’s goal, so it didn’t count. After what seemed like an eternity the two teams lined up and everyone got a trophy. Everyone.

Welcome to American confusion.

The child who never touched the ball got a trophy, along with the one child who scored the goal. The child who kicked the ball in his own team’s goal got a trophy. The child who got hot, and walked off the field got a trophy. The child who got distracted and chased a butterfly rather than the ball got a trophy. Everyone got a “Participation Trophy”.

Life is not like that.

People complain that the male players in the NBA get paid more than female players in the WNBA. The NBA generates $10 billion in revenue each year. The WNBA generates around $200 million in revenue each year, about fifty times LESS revenue than the NBA. Women are paid less because, dear friends, there’s no “Participation Trophies” in sports. Where more money is generated, more money is paid.

Life does not give out “Participation Trophies”. Those who work harder are rewarded with better pay and better status. Children who grow up believing in “Participation Trophies” become adults who believe that they should be rewarded just for showing up. Continue reading →

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No Other Gospel

Posted on July 21, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Galatians 1:6-9 (KJV) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Who Calls Us Into Grace Through The Gospel?

It is so very important that we understand what “The Gospel” is. Even so called “Bible Scholars” have trouble understanding the Gospel. What if you have a poor view of the Gospel? Paul writes:

Galatians 1:6 (KJV) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel

Now, Who calls you into the Grace of Christ? Is it the Preacher? No, the Preacher shares the Gospel, but the Bible says that before Christ that we are all DEAD in TRESPASSES and SINS. Paul told the Church at Ephesus: Continue reading →

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Follow God, Follow Good

Posted on July 17, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is PERVERSE {ʿiqqēš, crooked, false, perverted} in his lips, and is a FOOL.

Let Our Tongues Be Controlled By God’s Word

Our Lord Jesus said to the Pharisees:

Matthew 15:11 (KJV) Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

The Pharisees had twisted and perverted the Word of God, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”. They did this to receive riches – not monetary riches but the praise of man. When Jesus made this statement the disciples told Jesus, “When You said that, You offended the Pharisees” (Matthew 15:12). Jesus told them:

Matthew 15:13-14 (KJV) … Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. [14] Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.

They were seeking the praise of man, not the praise and glory of God. Jesus said “these people are blind. They are NOT planted by My Father. They are not saved.” Just as Jesus told Nicodemus:

John 3:3 … Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God. Continue reading →

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Grace Changes Things

Posted on July 16, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

Whereas the Book of Romans has been called the “Constitution of Christianity”, the Book of Galatians is called “The Declaration of Independence of Christ’s Kingdom”. The devil will do what he can to stop the Gospel. He tried to scare the disciples away from preaching the Gospel. Imprisoning by the High Priest, God’s people were imprisoned (Acts 5:18). But …

Acts 5:19-20 (KJV) … the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

The Gospel brings LIFE. It brings LIGHT. Jesus Christ is the LIGHT OF THE WORLD (John 8:12; 9:5), and the devil wants the darkness to remain. He wants sin to rule the earth, and man to destroy himself. When the High Priest and his soldiers caught up with the disciples again, they said:

Acts 5:28-29 (KJV) Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Beaten, persecuted, killed for the faith, the children of God continued to share the Gospel of salvation. The High Priest called out the Big Guns… Continue reading →

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My Best Friend

Posted on July 11, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

I’ll never forget when the Holy Spirit opened my heart to the Gospel, and I literally felt God’s hand on my shoulder. But something happened that day. I lost my best friend Benny. Ricky and I started attending Church regularly – every time the doors were opened – but Benny wasn’t interested. I still miss Benny. I tried to see Benny several years ago when I was in Raleigh, but he refused to meet with me. I miss him. Ricky changed, too. Though we got together and had a great time, Ricky had gotten away from the Lord. I still love him, and hope that he will come back to Jesus. The problem is,

I have nothing in common with Benny or Ricky any more.

When I met up with Ricky, he was married… Continue reading →

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Guarding Against False Teachers

Posted on July 8, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

What can we do to preserve our fellowship, and honor our God? Remember that we are His Beloved. Remember that God has warned that the mixed multitude will come among us, spiritless and unsaved people who will walk following themselves as idols. Let us pray, let us grow, let us stay true to our God.

More on this next week. May God touch your hearts with his Word! Amen Continue reading →

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Good Customer Service

Posted on July 6, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

I was having coffee with my brother Frank yesterday when I asked the question, “Whatever happened to good customer service?” It’s getting rarer and rarer today. No one wants to wait on you. When you go in a store, you are treated like an inconvenience. People want your money, but they don’t want your presence. For that matter, people want to be paid – but hate the fact they have to work.

I believe much of the problem has to do with 21st century parenting. Children are raised without responsibilities. They are given everything, whether they work for it of not. So the child grows up believing:

“I live TO MYSELF. If it’s not about ME, then I don’t care. My entire responsibility in life is to please MYSELF. I will live my life MY WAY, like Frank Sinatra, then when I die I will die TO MYSELF. Nobody else matters but ME.”

I can tell you horror stories, and you can probably tell me the same. I went to CVS with a coupon the other day, and the cashier treated me like dirt. People refuse to say “thanks for coming” or even “thank you”. It’s just, “Give me the money, get out!” I’ve had cashiers ring up my order wrong, and when I… Continue reading →

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The Dangers Of Idolatry

Posted on July 1, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

As Jude writes the Church, he calls it “BELOVED”, the Greek agapētos. The Church is “BELOVED” of God. Why? The word agapētos is first found in the Bible – not to the Church – but it is what God the Father calls His Son Jesus at His baptism:

Matthew 3:17 (KJV) And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My BELOVED {agapētos} Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Old Testament Prophets spoke of God’s Beloved Son, Who would come into the world to save whosoever will. The Apostle Matthew quoted Isaiah 42:1 when he wrote of Jesus:

Matthew 12:18 (ESV) Behold, my Servant whom I have chosen, My BELOVED {agapētos} with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

Preach! Jesus is God’s BELOVED {agapētos} Son, in Whom He is well pleased (Matthew 17:5). He is the fulfillment of the prophecies of God, the one and only Messiah. The Church is BELOVED because we have received Jesus as He is, THE BELOVED of God. We are loved, because we love Him Who is loved. We are loved, because we have RECEIVED Jesus Christ as the One and only Savior and Lord.

As Jude writes the Church, he says “I gave all diligence to write unto you of the COMMON {koinos} SALVATION”. When he says “COMMON”, he does not mean it is mediocre or low quality. He means that this salvation is offered to ALL PEOPLE {koinos}. There is only one… Continue reading →

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You Are Not gods

Posted on July 1, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

The Sovereign God has decreed that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:15-16), and “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). The decree of God calls us to come.

The Bible says that God gives us freedom to choose or reject Christ. We can repent, and receive salvation – or die in our sins and receive judgment. How free will and predestination work together is a mystery – but we must receive it by faith because the Bible says so.

We are saved by Grace – and this is hard for us to understand.

Salvation is by GRACE.
New Birth is by GRACE.
Eternal Life is by GRACE.
Forgiveness is by GRACE.

Preach! GRACE tells us to come with God with the faith we have, whether little or big, and God will bring us into His family. Grace rests entirely on the work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Grace is possible because of the work of God the Holy Spirit. Grace is granted because of the will of the Father. Continue reading →

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Don’t Be A Fool!

Posted on June 27, 2025 by bibleteacherorg

The Hebrew has two different words for “fool”, both of which are found here. The first word translated “fool” is the Hebrew kᵊsîl [pro. kes-eel’], which means “someone who is a dullard, mentally challenged, simple of mind, born stupid or silly”. My mama used to call such people as those who “didn’t have the sense that God gave a billy goat”. These are children born without common sense, who will not receive instruction, nor will they learn from their mistakes. This type of fool is likely to die at a younger age from bad decisions made in their lives. Continue reading →

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