From the mailbag…

I first heard Pastor Ron on the radio, KKMS, in the Twin Cities  about 3 yrs ago. As a result, I have been attending Twin Cities Grace Fellowship every Sunday. It will be 2 years this March.

I trust Bro Ron and his faithfulness to the grace message (God's Word), that is what I love about him. I was able to introduce the mystery of God’s grace message to my mom, and I gave her a DVD of some of Brother Ron's teaching, and she came to the same conclusion as we did,  Brother Ron is a faithful minister to the Grace message 

My mom is critical of people who preach. So not only was the truth revealed to her,but now she is starting to see through all the other nonsense that she had been following all her life.  We get together a few times a week and listen to a study of Bro Ron.  We are in Romans 8 now. 

I'm talking to a mother and daughter who are Jehovah's Witnesses about God riches.  I hope they are willing to get the truth, and I will definitely supply them with information from this blog. 

Thanks again

Bro Charles E.

The preaching of Jesus Christ

Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

The gospel of the grace of God is how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again. 

1 Corinthians 15

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.   For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;   And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

If you are saved today or have any hope of being saved, you need to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shed his perfect blood on the cross and that he was buried and rose again on the third day.  That is the only gospel that saves.   There is more than one gospel in the scriptures.  Peter and the other 11, and the Lord in his earthly ministry preached the gospel of the kingdom where they were looking for the Messiah and his kingdom.  How could they preach that Christ died for sins before he died?  Our message is that he died on that cross, it’s the preaching of the cross.

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Their message was that he was going to go and be Messiah and later he would shed his blood for them.  I showed you last time that what Israel’s religious leaders should have done when Messiah was presented was to first believe on him.  But, secondarily, Christ always opened their understanding; and what he would have taught them is, as the same way Isaac was about to be sacrificed by his own father Abraham, the same picture of all those blood sacrifices was also in the Law of Moses.  Those religious leaders should have believed on Christ as their Messiah and then—instead of putting him on a cruel and criminal cross, they were supposed to—bind the sacrifice to the horns of the altar in the temple, shed his blood and wait for God to raise up their Messiah.  

Psalm 118:27

God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

Instead of doing it with holy hands as they should have done, they did it with wicked hands and put him on the cross in rejection. 

Acts 2: 22-23

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Philippians 2:8

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

But, through that cross, through that rejection, God showed Paul a revelation of the mystery.   

Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Look what he said in Romans 16:25, Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, [but, not according to prophecy (i.e., being what had been foretold since the world began, but] according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.

It’s preaching according to that sacred secret that God didn’t let anyone know…

Ephesians 3:9

…the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

It was the fact that Jesus Christ would accomplish at Calvary some things [not just] in the earth [but also] and the heaven.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

From Genesis 1:2, God has only been dealing with the earth, and the people in the earth, and [then] the kingdom in the earth (the people of Israel), and all gentiles were cast off.

Romans 1:21-24

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which

To be right with God, you had to become a Jew.  But, that is not what God is doing today in the dispensation of grace. 

Colossians 1:21

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.

2 Corinthians 5:18

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

When we rightly divided the word, every man, both Jew and Gentile can be right with God through what Christ accomplished. 

Ephesians 2:15

Having abolished in his [Christ’s] flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain [both Jew and Gentile] one new man, so making peace;

Acts 10:34

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

That is the mystery of Christ.

Transcribed and edited excerpt from The Battle of the Ages 

Found in Bro Ron Knight’s studies in Romans

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

Just going over a few basics...

Our bible today was set up by the prophets in Paul’s day, the way God wanted it.  The old testament that the Jews used were the same books, but not in the same order as we today have it.  Ours is Genesis to Malachi and their’s was Genesis to Chronicles without breaking up the books into ‘first and second’ Samuel, Kings, or Chronicles.   Our bible was not set up by some men in a church council of men during the first century, but by prophets in the body of Christ that put the bible together in the order that we have it today. 

Paul breaks it down in Ephesians 2 as ‘time past’ (Genesis through early Acts) where God is dealing with people through a man named Moses and prophets (the Law and prophets); the people is the nation Israel, and the Davidic kingdom which is a real earthly, visible physical kingdom.  But, in the ‘but now,’ through the cross of Christ with the raising up of the Apostle Paul in his 13 books (Romans thru Philemon), the man who wrote more books of the bible than any other to magnify his office, it is not a message of Law, but of grace.   It is a free gift.  No works are involved.  In time past, Law (a performance-based acceptance of works) was what was required to be right with God.  But now, no works!

Ephesians 2: 8-9

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Today it is the mystery of Christ.  It has to do primarily with the gentiles.  All people are gentiles today, even the Jewish people are gentiles—they are now part of the nations. 

Acts 10:34

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

What God is doing today is raising up a people for the heavenly kingdom where we are seated with Christ. 

Ephesians 2:6

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

But when you come to the next part of your bible after you leave Paul’s epistles, you come to the book of Hebrews.  Romans are gentiles, Hebrews are Hebrews—the language and race of the Jewish people. Those books of Hebrews through Revelation have a future context, the day of God’s wrath, the tribulation period, and the Law, the performance-based acceptance program is again the issue. 

Prophecy is what God has made known, the mystery is what he kept secret.

Acts 3:21

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

When you rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), you understand that God is doing something different today from how he dealt with Israel in time past. 

Transcribed and edited excerpt from The Battle of the Ages  

Found in Bro Ron Knight’s studies in Romans

Fear and Trembling

What should a pastor preach?

Fear and Trembling

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

Dealing with opposition

How do we deal with those that don’t see things as we do? 

Scripture tells us that we are to bear the infirmity of those weak (i.e., in knowledge of Pauline doctrine), and not to please ourselves.

Romans 15:1-2

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. [that is, don’t look for your own pleasure in how you deal with them, but...] Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

A person is edified when our motivation stems out of charity (God’s righteousness), and not from the working of our own flesh (our own righteousness). 

Romans 10:3

For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

In Israel, meat offered to idols was a huge deal, an abomination in time past.  But now in the dispensation of grace, meat is just meat.  Paul would say if you were around Jewish brethren [those saved, but not built up yet] in the body of Christ and because of his religious bondage (spiritual baggage) that says ‘don’t eat swine’ then don’t eat pork in his presence. He would tell you: When he leaves you presence, eat the bacon, eat the chops, eat the ribs…whatever!  Enjoy it!  You have knowledge that meat is just meat, but he doesn’t; he’s not ready to eat it with a clear conscience.   Paul writes that we all have knowledge…meaning, we know some things from Paul (i.e., his doctrine).   He goes on to tell us, knowledge puffeth up…but, on the opposite side...charity edifieth.  (When you see in your King James Bible the ‘…eth’ I always remind you that means "continually.")  

1 Corinthians 8:1-

Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

Charity is the giving of yourself for someone else’s greater good.  When we find someone that is weak in the knowledge of doctrine given to our Apostle Paul, we are to gently give it to them so that they can grow (aka, be edified).  That is charity; dealing with their infirmities so that you can build them up.  That is the purpose of my ministry—not to put on a show or entertain, but—to edify the saints.  Charity is to stem from a love of God that they, if they receive it, God will work in them building up their inner man.

So, how do you deal with that weaker brother?  By bearing with them, enduring them (1 Corinthians 13:7), and in charity build them up (Ephesians 4:29-31).  Knowledge puffeth up. (1 Corinthians 8:11)  Knowledge is good, and Paul wants you to have knowledge, but [because in our flesh, it puffeth up] it has to be tempered with charity. 

When you know someone else, spiritually speaking, give it to them in love and charity.  Whether they receive it or not, that is up to them. 

1 Thessalonians 2:13

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Transcribed and edited excerpt from 119 Our Journey through the Bible.mp3 

Found in Bro Ron Knight’s studies in Romans

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

As an adult, the choice is yours

In the grace community, there will be differences, even among grace preachers.  We saw that at a conference where there was some doctrine the men didn’t agree on, and that is fine.  You have to be fully persuaded in your own mind. 

Romans 14:5

… Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

My job as a grace preacher is to study it and give it to you as I see it.  But, your job is to stand on your own two feet as an adult in Christ and study out these things for yourself.

Acts 17:11

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Now then regarding Romans 15, Paul is summing up that we need to bear the infirmities of those who aren’t there yet.  If you are that strong brother (or think you are), then you are to bear the infirmity of the weak one.

Romans 15:1-2

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

He is saying:  We then that are strong…that is, strong in Pauline doctrine...ought…here is what we ought to do…to bear the infirmities of the weak… infirmities means weakness.  We are to have a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Timothy 1:13) of love toward the weaker brother, the brother who is not where you are, spiritually speaking.  It is sad that even amongst grace brethren, when someone doesn’t know what you do, your flesh wants to set them straight!   But…you can’t do that.  You have to allow them grace.  Grace is freedom.  We are not under law, but we are under grace.  You have to make your own decision.   In grace we have liberty and freedom but with that grace wherein we stand, comes responsibilities and consequences. 

Romans 6:13-15

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

But, I tell people, if you want to be foolish enough to believe something else that is on you. 

What you choose to believe shows up in your life. If you are believing something contrary to the way our Apostle Paul wrote and how God intended it, it will show up in bad consequences in your life. 

When someone comes to me and says ‘here is where I am in life’ and I examine it, I can show them where they went away from Paul’s doctrine somewhere to mess them up. I am only responsible for me, my wife and my child, and as head of our household, I am going to do God’s will as I see it.  And, my wife has submitted to that authority in her life and she has been blessed by it—she will tell you that. 

Ephesians 5:21-23

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Transcribed and edited excerpt from 119 Our Journey through the Bible.mp3 

Found in Bro Ron Knight’s studies in Romans

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

From the archives...

A form changing experience 2

A form changing experience 1

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

Just thinking out loud…

I do believe we are living in the last days of this dispensation of the grace of God [as opposed to the 'last days' of Israel's prophecy program].  There is no time limit on it; we have been living in the last days for a long time now.  But with each passing day, we get one day closer to God’s longsuffering being ended, and him taking us, i.e., the members of the church—the body of Christ, to our home eternal in the heavenlies by the rapture and then fulfilling his prophetic program in the earth with the nation of Israel.  That’s the bible’s past, present and future; that is rightly dividing the word.  

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

But now is the time to make wise use of our time…

Ephesians 5:16

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Colossians 4:5

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Just like in college, a person would major in the field they are interested in as a vocation.  Say you want to be a doctor of medicine, you should major in biology and anatomy and other things that will help you be a physician.   It would be foolish to be a journalism major and then major in a lot of scientific courses, because they are not going to be pertinent to your degree.  It is just as foolish for member of the church, the body of Christ, to spend all of their time in epistles and books of the bible that aren’t written to us or about us.  That doesn’t mean you can’t study them; it means you don’t apply them to your life. 

When you are in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, James, 1&2 Peter, 1, 2&3 John…or 2 Samuel, it is okay to study them.  But, we study them a different way than the way religious denominations study them.  They will read Matthew 6:14 and preach if you don’t forgive your brother their trespasses, neither will God forgive you!  That is a true verse if you are Israel living in the times past, or in the future, i.e., the ages to come.

When you rightly divide the word of truth, you learn God doesn’t withhold forgiveness from you and I who are living in the dispensation of grace.  That is why you have to rightly divide!  Because what Paul says God is doing today is different from what God was doing through the Lord’s earthly ministry to the nation of Israel in Matthew through early Acts.  

My job as a grace teacher is to give sound, Pauline doctrine and when I do teach Hebrews (which looks to the future) or Acts (which transitions from time past) it is to compare and contrast what he is doing with them with what he is doing with us today.  It really is not that hard; actually, it is simple.  But it is hard when you try to wrest the scriptures for your own good and that is what those guys in most of Christendom do—they mix law and grace, prophecy and mystery, and it is confusing to their listeners.   There are questions in their hearts as to why there are contractions in the bible, why the healing verses don’t work for them, and how this guy says this and that guy says that.  There is confusion.  God is not the author of it...Satan is.

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Confusion reigns because of a lack of rightly dividing the word. 

Transcribed excerpt from  146 What is True Fellowship R.K..mp3 from Bro Ron Knight’s studies in “First Corinthians”

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

From the archives...

Salvation terminology ...part 4

Salvation terminology ...part 3

Salvation terminology ...part 2 Salvation terminology ...part 1

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

Calling things that are not as though they were

It’s interesting that the five books written by the Apostle John all look toward the future.  It is the Gospel of John that shows Jesus Christ as God,* the God that calls those things as though they were.   I’ve told you that the things you read in John are as He would say things, like 'no man has ascended up into heaven but the Son of man who is in heaven.'  [John 3:13] But, you would say, “Wait a minute! He is down here on earth!”   That is true, but it is as though He is saying it’s done, I’m God.  Everything that he says in John is how God would say it (or look at it).

Paul says in Romans 4, speaking about Abraham, and God telling him about having this seed (Romans 4:13-21) while his body is dead.  God, even before it happened in time, says this is what is going to happen.

Romans 4:17

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

In Ephesians 2 it says we are seated in heavenly places with Christ.  We are not there yet!  But…we are, as far as how God, who is eternal, looks at it!  We are already there. 

Ephesians 2:4-6

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

In our study of II Thessalonians, we are going to look at the mystery of godliness. 

1 Timothy 3:16

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.

A lot of Christians think it was God that was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed unto the world, received up into glory.  They say:  “That is Jesus Christ!”   And, it is…but it isn’t.  They think it is the Lord Jesus’ earthly ministry when he ascended; but that verse is talking about the church, the body of Christ, being received up into glory.  It says “received up” because God already sees the body of Christ as seated in heavenly places.   It is as real as if it already happened…although it hasn’t; and, that’s because God said it. 

______________________________________

*Whereas, the Gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus as King; the Gospel of Mark portrays Jesus as the Servant; and, the Gospel of Luke portrays him as Jesus, the Man.

Transcribed excerpt from a grace message, “52 Eternal-Vs-Everlasting, Part 2” from Bro Ron Knight’s studies in “Survey of the book of Acts”

From the archives...

Dispensationalism Makes Sense...part 5

Dispensationalism Makes Sense...part 4

Dispensationalism Makes Sense...part 3

Dispensationalism Makes Sense...part 2

Dispensationalism Makes Sense

Hopefully this helps!

_†††

_{++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++}

Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ