Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

Undisappointing Hope

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Pet 1:13

Have you ever been disappointed that God did not do what you thought He promised to do? I can’t begin to count the number of prophetic words I have heard that never panned out. Or the number of people who made major life decisions based on prophetic words that later proved false. Some react by taking an extreme cessationist view. They begin to despise all prophecy in defiance of God’s word. 1 Thess 5:20-21 Others engage in cognitive dissonance. They deny the word was wrong believing that to do so would represent a lack of faith on their part. Still others rationalize by pointing to external circumstances or another person causing it’s manifest fulfillment to be delayed. This is also in defiance of scripture. Deut 18:22 Still others albeit fewer these days take a balanced, biblical view. 1 Cor 13:9-12

We prophecy in part…

Perhaps the biggest cause of failed prophecies is a misunderstanding and misapplication of hope.

The Trump Prophecies

You get the idea.

Most people in and of the world today view hope in the context of something they want to happen but may not. “I hope I find a spouse”. “I hope I get that job or that car.” I Hope Donald Trump gets re-elected.” But biblical hope is not a roll of the dice. Biblical hope is a guarantee. Paul calls it an anchor.

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Heb 6:17-20

Hope is not “My desire be done in Jesus’ name”. Hope is God’s immutable word that His will shall be done. Isa 55:11 He will fulfill His eternal promises regardless of our circumstances here. That we live abased or we abound Phil 4:12 in this life is ancillary.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t be grateful. Rather false hope breeds ingratitude and sometimes narcissism. If we think that God’s purpose and plan are to bless us with success, “nice things” and never-ending comfort while so many others suffer then our hope is in the flesh and we are soulish at best. That doesn’t mean we solve the problem by giving all our stuff away. It also doesn’t mean that we don’t. Mat 19: 21-30 The issue is; what hinders us? We may enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise every Sunday. Psalm 100:4 But do we understand what Paul means by the hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain?

Hope is prefaced by girding.

Both men and women in Peter’s day wore ankle-length robes. Hence they would gather the hem and fasten it to their waste with a belt. Girding applied if they were walking, working, or preparing for battle. We see a similar theme in Ephesians 6.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth… Eph 6:13-14

Loins refers to the generative, procreative part of the body. Peter is referring to the generative and procreative aspects of our minds. The mind is the seed bed of transformation. Rom 12:1-2

In the midst of our girding Peter exhorts us to be sober. Sober- nḗphō is one of my favorite words in the Bible. Sober means to abstain from wine, be discreet, watch, be calm and collected in spirit, be temperate, dispassionate, and circumspect. “Dispassionate” might sound counterintuitive in a faith stream that emphasizes joy. However, joy is chará – calm delight. Peace, patience, and self-control are fruits of the spirit that attend and complement joy. Gal 5:22 Dispassionate means our emotions take a back seat. We gird the loins of our minds by submitting and subjecting our feelings to His word until our minds are renewed. Any experience of genuine joy is contingent upon this renewal.

It is by a sober act of will that we STAND, not retreating or advancing as we resolve not to be conformed to this world and instead subject our entire being to His truth. Girding is preparation to persevere while our character is transformed. Character is the soil in which comprehension and assurance of the blessed hope grow.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Rom 5:1-5

Hope misunderstood and misapplied results in despair.

Biblical hope requires surrender and consecration but never disappoints.

1 John 2:15-29

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Warfare 👀

The Belt of Truth.

We are on the topic of spiritual warfare as we complete our study of Ephesians with the full armor of God. Eph 6:10-20 People have all sorts of ideas regarding the nature of spiritual warfare. Intercessory prayer, deliverance, and worship are some of the most common and popular forms within charismatic circles. Even so, Jesus clearly demonstrated that the first line of spiritual attack that believers face is rooted in “disinformation” otherwise known as twisting the truth. Many times the the devil, the father of lies injects confusion by accusing us of what he is doing. While his methods might vary, he always disguises himself and his intentions by mixing truth with lies. Mat 4:1-11

Python

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. Acts 16:16-18

Divination is Pýthōn in Greek – the Python spirit of which you may have heard. It presents as “good”, or even Godly, and honoring of those who seek after Him but it is Satanic. Flattery and validation are its bait. Heresy is its fruit.

While not exactly divination, if you consider the obsession with things over which we have absolutely no control, you might see a connection between compulsive news-watching and the desire for foretelling future events.

One of our primary sources of deception today is media programming. Most believers willingly acknowledge the inherent dangers of uncensored and unmitigated media consumption. Yet few heed the warning enough to stem the flow of lies designed to program our minds. Jesus alluded to this principle in Mark 8:15 and Mat 16:6. Most of the media we consume amounts to high-tech, leaven, and or a subliminal repetition of the age-old question,

“Did God really say?” Gen 3:1.

Unbeknownst to most, we are entering into a more sinister synthetic realm of disinformation. One that not only threatens to distort our most basic Christian values. But also the presuppositional fabric upon which reality as we know it is based. Some might even say that the makings of a 2 Thess 2:11 strong delusion are upon us. Not only must we ask ourselves “What is true?” but also “What is real? It’s a brilliant strategy if you are a fan of the devil. Because at the end of the day,

Confused and deluded people are easy to herd.

Hence we are grateful that the Belt of Truth is the first piece of armor mentioned in Eph 6:14.

Like it or not we are living in a time of profound darkness and deception. It might be tempting to wonder if it isn’t prophetic. Isaiah 60:2 That said, there is more than one reason for darkness.

And while we know that the eschatological implications regarding the timing of final events will be debated until the day they are fulfilled, one thing is certain. History is a continuum that terminates with the wedding supper of the lamb. Rev 19:6-9 In the meantime we know the world will become darker until the permanent light shines. Rev 22:1-4 In the meantime we are called to be watchful. 1 Cor 16:13, Col 4:2 That said,

What time is it? Mat 16:1-4

Jesus was speaking of Himself, His death, and his resurrection in Matthew 16. Still, the overarching principle remains valid today. Several New Testament verses concerning the final fulfillment of the Gospel of the Kingdom include a warning about deception. 2 Thess 2:1-4 Jesus’ first response to the disciple’s eschatological question on the Mount of Olives beginning in Mat 24:3 was

Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

While some contemporary translations say “I am the Christ” the original Greek is “I am Christ“- Christós – anointed. Anointed implies the authority to speak as, or for God. Many have and will claim to be Messiah. A great many more claim to be anointed. The anointed can define and declare truth. The anointed can define what is real. Deception marked the beginning of the Fall. Deception is progressive.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Mat 24:24.

Read the full article.

If you are in Christ Eph 2:5-6 then you are among the elect.

Our common problem is that we tend to fix our eyes on what is seen and at best give lip service to the unseen on Sunday. We do so in direct contradiction to scripture. 2 Cor 4:18, Col 3:1-4 So often we are unwittingly consumed by the cares of this world – so myopicly focused on our own desires and gratification that we open ourselves to the enemy and he blinds us. 2 Cor 4:4

Consider that most if not all of what we know about the world beyond our respective communities is derived from what we see, hear, or read in the media. Given that fewer and fewer people read these days it’s probably safe to say that the majority of that information is consumed in video format. As a former video producer, I can tell you that video is inherently deceptive even when the editor is doing his very best, to be honest.

Just playing with our phones in Honduras but you’ll get the idea.

Using cuts, and B-roll is deceptive enough. But did you know that what we define as reality is becoming “synthetic” by design?

The two following videos are AI generated deep fakes.

AI-generated version of Morgan Freeman.
AI-generated video of Joe Biden.

If like me you’ve ever wondered what Mat 24:6 might look like…

So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

…I think we are on the right path.

So what is the belt of truth and how do we put it on? For starters may I suggest rereading the first introductory post in our Acts 17:11 Bereans Bible Study series; What Is Truth? Perhaps read and meditate on 1 Cor 2. Then join the discussion on Thursdays at 6 pm in the Rock Church sanctuary.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12

Maranatha