Reproach of Men Blog

The following audio is the first part on a series on spiritual war. The title of the study is “What Kind of War.” It focuses on what the spiritual war that all are involved in is like, and how Christians can unwittingly make things worse for themselves and their brethren in this war.

The following link is provided in case you cannot use the embedded player:

What Kind of War, part 1

May you find it profitable.

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

What relationships we have as Christians, matter — and matter greatly. The order of importance of those relationships is also just as important as the relationships themselves.

I do pray the following message is profitable for all.

For those who cannot get the podcast above, the following link is the MP3 file that can be downloaded.

The Most Important Relationship

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

The following message is about our view of the LORD God and whether it is proper or not. It focuses on whether we think the LORD is the end of the matter, or merely a means to obtain another end. I pray it is profitable to you.

You may also download it using the following link:

A Means or An End

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

The following audio is Sunday night’s (12/27/2009) message about the spiritual war we are involved in and where is it primarily fought. The message focuses on an area that is frequently ignored in this war, and is crucial to fighting it effectively. I pray you find it profitable.

If you wish to download the audio or listen to it with a different player, use this link: Changing Our Thinking.

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

There are a number of subjects in the Scripture that bear study outside of the typical subjects that most Bible studies concentrate on, one of which is who the Devil, or Satan is, and how he operates. This is not done to glorify him, but is rather like studying the tactics, strategy and capabilities of an adversary. Granted, we cannot withstand the attacks of Satan by ourselves, but require the protection of our LORD and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, by  the Holy Ghost which is sent from the Father at the express petition of the Lord Jesus Christ. Were it not for this protection, we would be swept away and taken like the rest of the world. In short, we have no defense against the Devil outside of Christ.

However, a study of who the Devil is and how he operates is not supposed to give us a defense, but rather is to give us an understanding of events as to how and why they occur, so that we might be stronger in faith, greater in discernment, and better able to know what we ought to do in a given situation. After all, the Scripture does provide considerable information about who the Devil is, what he does, and how he chooses to do it.

There is a context to everything. That fact ought to be understood by all, but is frequently not, as we tend to want to think of things in isolation, unconnected with everything else. The reason for this is that it makes things much easier to understand. While that is true with quite a few things, it is manifestly not true with everything. It is much like discussing the subject of color and what it is. This being the case, it is convenient to use the illustration of a discussion on color to understand how knowing and understanding context is so utterly important and essential for a more full and accurate understanding of our existence. Additionally, it will assist us in understanding how it relates to the actions of Satan with regard to us, and the LORD who created us. With that, let’s examine the property of color and see how our understanding of it relates to context and the importance of context.

To begin, most individuals will tell you that color is a result of reflected light off an object that the light shines on. Hence, the color of the object is the frequency of the light that the object reflects, absorbing to a greater or lesser extent all other frequencies of visible light. This is true. But, it does not even begin to express the full extent of the property of color and what that property is. Neither does it give us an accurate context in which to examine how color is generated in the first place. However, if the context of an individual’s understanding of the property of color is only the frequency of  the light the object reflects, then one is missing a rather significant aspect of the property of color, and certain things pertaining to color will ever remain a mystery.

The reality is that the physical property of color is inherent in the substance or object. We can understand this by understanding how light is generated in the first place. We can generate light by the simple application of energy to an atom, causing the electrons in the outer shell to jump to the next higher energy level. When the electrons drop back to their normal energy level, they give off that excess energy as photons of light at a given frequency. This frequency the photons are imparted with translates to either visible or invisible light. However, since we cannot see invisible light, we will restrict ourselves to the discussion of visible light as that is where we perceive color.

Since the property of color is directly tied to a specific frequency of light in a certain narrow spectrum, we then can determine which substance will produce what specific color based upon the frequency(ies) the substance imparts to the photons of light as its electrons produce them while dropping back to their normal energy levels. However, that is only part of the equation, as we also perceive color in objects and substances that are not having excess (relatively speaking) energy applied to them. While true, this statement does not take into account that energy is being constantly applied to everything we see. It is much like the person who reads the standard air pressure gauge, thinking that 0 PSI on the gauge means there is no air pressure present. The reason for this is the implicit assumption that normal air pressure is 0 PSI. Hence, it is a perception that is not true, yet nonetheless there. If it were that no air pressure were present, then there would be no atmosphere, no air present at all. Hence, what the standard air pressure gauge reads is the difference between approximately 14.7 PSI and whatever pressure is present at the port of the gauge. This distinction is not insignificant.

Even so, there is energy from various sources constantly being applied to every substance we can see. Because that energy is being applied, there is a resultant response from the atoms, and thus electrons of those atoms, which reveal various properties of the substances, one of which is color. The mere fact that light shines upon a substance means that energy is being applied to it, and one of the ways it responds is by displaying the property of color. Hence, an object that has the property of absorbing all luminescent energy applied to it properly appears as black. An object that reflects all light energy applied to it appears as white (pure white light being all colors in the visible light frequencies combined), and any substance that allows all luminescent energy to pass through it, absorbing and reflecting none, appears colorless.

Now, all that discussion should illustrate how our understanding of the property of color was seriously restricted and hindered because the context of our understanding of color (as merely being a result of reflected light) was limited. Hence, a much truer understanding of color comes from obtaining the proper context in which to view the property of color. This expanded context would now enable us to begin to determine how to produce, and not merely observe color.

In like manner, our understanding of the context in which we operate and how Satan operates either hinders our understanding of events, or grants us a true picture of how and why the events occur. That being (hopefully) clear, there are two specific contexts within which we must view everything:

I. All spiritual and physical environments that exist¹ are squarely within the “box” the LORD God created. There is nothing outside the “box,” neither can there be. The reason for this is quite simple, as the LORD made clear in Scripture:

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:6-8)

2. There is a conflict, a war that is ongoing, in which everyone in creation is or was involved. It is imperative that we understand this, as a failure on our part to properly identify this context will affect our understanding significantly. The problem here is that our understanding must be correct to discern the type of conflict we are involved in. This conflict is one in which none of us has any choice about our involvement – we are, and will remain involved until the day of our death. Hence, it is essential that we understand this conflict, its context, and its ramifications. The overarching consideration in this conflict is that Satan hates the LORD God, and by extension, hates man. This also is well established in Scripture, but takes somewhat longer to establish than the first context:

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

In the above passage from Genesis, it is made plain that the LORD God chose to make man in a certain specific way that was unique and different from all other creatures He had created. Man is not the same as the animals, and man is not the same as the angels. Rather, man is unique in that he not only has a soul, but is also capable of discerning and judging, capable of creating, capable of self-sacrificial love, and is both physical and spiritual. Man is fully aware that he exists, and seeks meaning for his existence. Man is capable of teaching himself and is capable of understanding things that range from the most simple to the extremely complex. No other creature is quite so well-rounded. The reason for this is quite simple, and is confirmed by James:

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. (James 3:9)

Knowing this, we can also establish a principle in Scripture that we know is applied and functions throughout the world on a daily basis:

Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. (John 15:20-21)

We might understand this principle by the old saying “The friend of my friend, is my friend” and “The enemy of my friend is my enemy.” Hence, if two people meet, and they both are followers of a certain individual, it follows that they will, to a great degree, get along just fine. On the other hand, if two individuals meet, and one follows a certain person, but the other follows that person’s rival and competitor, it is a certain and sure thing they will not get along. Thus, in John, Chapter 15, the Lord Jesus Christ expressly states that those who hate Him, will hate those who follow Him. Since this principle is well established, it also follows that as Satan hates the LORD God, and man was created in the image of God, Satan hates man. Consider then the following:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. (Isaiah 14:12-20)

And again:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (I Peter 5:8-9)

It ought to be obvious that you do not murder and devour those you love. Neither does one destroy the labor of another if they love them. Yet, what we find in the passage from Isaiah and from I Peter is that the Devil seeks to devour, murder, and destroy man and the works of man. This is despite the fact that the vast majority of men on the earth do not follow the LORD God and do not even believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. It would seem that the Devil would not hate man, since man expresses little to no interest in the LORD and obeying the LORD. Yet this is not the case. Instead, what we find is that Satan seeks to destroy man, and uses man to strike back at the LORD, not caring that it results in the total destruction of the individuals he uses.

However, a particular hatred is reserved for the children of the LORD. We see considerable evidence of this from the Scriptures:

Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:23-25)

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Revelation 13:1-8)

In both the passage from Daniel and the passage from Revelation, the time of the Great Tribulation is spoken of. This particular time in history is marked by the deliberate hunting down and killing of all who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. The beast (which is yet to come – but nearly here) will spare no effort in hunting down Christians. Those who turn to Christ and repent during this time will very quickly find themselves the target of a very aggressive government, ruled by Satan, in which no expense and effort will be spared to destroy them.

To be continued . . .

1. Please do not be mistaken here: there exists only one of each.↩

The following podcast is a Wednesday night lesson on the dangers of assuming you know the intent of someone else. As the Scripture plainly demonstrates, we cannot know the heart of another — only the LORD God can know the true intent of someone’s heart.

I pray you find the lesson profitable.

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

The following audio is from a recent Wednesday night service in which Article 5 of our Statement of Faith is being taught. The lesson concentrates on the fourth horseman in Revelation, Chapter 6, but touches on the other three horsemen and what they mean, as it is necessary to understanding the Fourth Horseman and the reason Death and Hell exist. I pray you find it profitable.

The Fourth Horseman

In Christ,

Paul W. Davis

I couldn’t believe it. I read it and could not believe it. Surely they cannot believe this. Nonetheless, apparently they do.

What is it I could not believe? The following statement from the Seventh Day Adventist Fundamental Beliefs page:

8. Great Controversy:
All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan regarding the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe.¹

Let’s think about this for just a moment. . . .

What is really stated in Item 8 quoted above? If we reword it slightly to make it more readable, but with the exact same meaning, it states this:

All humanity is now involved in a great controversy between Christ and Satan with regard to the character of God, His law, and His sovereignty over the universe.

Now, that is not much change, and “regarding” and “with regard to” mean exactly the same thing. Now, think about the reworded statement for just a moment . . . .  then answer the following question:

Is there any question in the Scripture regarding the character and nature of the LORD God?

His righteousness?

His Law?

His sovereignty over all things, whithersoever they are?

It strikes me that the statement, as written and published by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, is blasphemous as it impugns the very character and nature of the LORD. Yes, there is an implicit question raised in the statement because it states the “great controversy” regards or is with regard to, the character of God.

Now, the Scripture is VERY plain — there is NO, ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION about the character of the LORD God. Moreover, the conflict between Satan and Christ isn’t about that anyway. Do not the following passages suffice?

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. (Jonah 4:1-2)

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:5-7)

But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. (Psalm 9:7-10)

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Isaiah 46:9-11)

I could go on, but it would be passage after passage of Scripture that plainly state the very same things the passages above state. Hence, I cannot believe the statement of the Seventh Day Adventists — it is incredibly WRONG. If they believe the Scripture at all, I fail to understand how they could make such a statement.

One last thing, the conflict between Satan and Christ is not about the character of God. Rather, it is about the redemption of man. How can we know this? Very simple:

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:14-15)

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. (Hebrews 2:14-16)

To be succinct, victory for Satan would be the prevention of salvation of man, and the proof that death is stronger than life. However, the Lord Jesus Christ hath already won the war, even before the world ever began:

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)

Hence, there is no “great controversy” or even any controversy at all — the salvation provided to man is a sure thing. The defeat of Satan was and is a sure thing. These are such sure and certain things that the Lamb was “slain from the foundation of the world.”

1. http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html↩

This post arises out of a study that I am doing, and is tied to one of John Locke’s books, which is The Reasonableness of Christianity. In this book much argument is made of what one must know to be saved or born-again, and become a Christian. At the time I read the book (which was quite some years ago), I had not really considered what one MUST know to be saved. However, as time has passed and I have studied the Scripture, there are some things that everyone MUST know before one can have even the hope of salvation. The following questions are not concerned with the attributes one must have to be saved, (i.e. faith, and repentance), rather they are focused on KNOWLEDGE, or what one must KNOW with surety to be saved.

With the foregoing in mind, here are the questions:

1. Who is Christ?
2. Who is God?
3. Who is man? (Who am I?)
4. What is righteousness, and why am I not righteous?
5. Why is God righteous? (What does mean to be righteous?)
6. What is sin, and why am I a sinner?
7. What can I do about my sin?
8. What has (will) the LORD done (do) about my sin?
9. What does it mean when the Scripture says I must “believe?”
10. How can I know for certain that all the Scripture tells me is true?
11. What am I really believing or trusting?

The questions leave considerable room for exploration of the Scripture and explanation of the answers. However, they are well worth answering, and by the time you are done, you will know all that is NECESSARY to know to be born again in Christ Jesus and have eternal life.

Now if you wish to argue about the questions, please take the time to answer them first BEFORE raising objection. Also, please use the King James Version of the Bible to do your study. Otherwise, you will get some very skewed and incomplete answers.

As far HOW the questions are to be answered, here is a hint:

When we ask “Who is God?” we do not speak of defining His ability, but rather examining His CHARACTER and NATURE.

May you find it profitable.

In Christ,

Bro. Paul

This is the sixth in a series addressing those who profess Christ and consider themselves Americans first and foremost. The point of this series is to educate everyone (not just born-again believers) on what the Scripture actually states concerning a proper attitude toward authority and toward those around us, both the froward and the good. As always, my prayer is that everyone learn what is the heart and mind of the LORD God. — In Christ, Paul W. Davis

In the last five posts addressing this subject, we have dealt with the heart and mind of the LORD God toward the lost, and how Steven L. Anderson departed from that in his sermon of August 16^th, 2009, in which he loudly and strongly proclaimed that he was praying for the LORD to slay Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, and send him to Hell for his advocacy and support of abortion, among other egregious things.

Now, we turn to how Pastor Anderson justifies his heart and attitude from Scripture. The reason we do this is so we also can understand how not to depart from the truth of the word of God. We know from Scripture that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Moreover, I (and many others) hold that the King James Version of the Bible is the word of God (the Scripture) for the English-speaking people — worldwide.¹ This means that we must interpret the texts of the Scripture in such a way that they do not end up conflicting with other passages in Scripture. By that, I do not mean wrestling them until they finally fit the way we want them. Rather, what I mean here is that we allow the construct, the grammar, and the setting (context) be the drivers of our interpretation. This does not mean they are the sole factors in driving our interpretation, but that they have a major influence on how we determine what the passage states. The true driver or influence is what we perceive by and through the operation of faith. The proper operation of faith will insure that we never interpret a passage so that it is in conflict with other passages of Scripture.

That stated, we turn our attention to the passage used by Steven L. Anderson to justify his belief: Psalm 58

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth. (Psalm 58:All)

What are we to make of Psalm 58?

First, it states this psalm is “To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.” Knowing this, let us begin with understanding something more of David in relation to his service to the LORD. In Acts, we are told by the apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, that king David was a prophet, and that he particularly prophesied of Christ. As we shall see, this bears heavily upon the interpretation and application of Psalm 58.

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. (Acts 2:29-31)

The above passage from Acts is a quotation from the 16^th Psalm, and is speaking of Christ as the apostle Peter confirms. We can also see in Psalm 22, Psalm 40, Psalm 69, and many others where king David speaks of Christ to come and the work of redemption Christ would accomplish. This should give pause to consider whether Psalm 58 applies to David only, all saints everywhere and at all times, or to the Lord Jesus Christ only. To gain that understanding, it is necessary for us to examine other psalms and see if we can find a consistency of thought with Psalm 58.

And indeed we do find a consistency of thought to two other psalms, both of which are quoted in the New Testament. The first is Psalm 82:

God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations. (Psalm 82:All)

Which is quoted by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:33-36)

To be continued . . .

1. Here we must clarify something for American English-speakers: the King James Bible is written in formal modern British English. This makes it acceptable and accepted worldwide. Were it written in the American dialect of English, it would only be acceptable in America and perhaps Canada. But since England (specifically Britain) is the birthplace of English, and thus the source from which all English dialects come, formal British English is acceptable worldwide.↩