John 19:4 (KJV) Pilate Found No Fault—But Religion Did

John 19:4 (KJV)

Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.

It would be foolish to claim that human government has ever truly been the friend of the believer. Many of us would say the government of the United States has been about as close as any in history, yet even it has not always been friendly—and lately it seems less so by the day.

But here’s the reality: governments are not our greatest concern compared to religion. It was not Pilate who desired the death of Christ; it was religion. For nearly 1,500 years, the Catholic system hunted down and killed those who dared to believe a different doctrine of Christ. They, like the Jews before them, used the arm of government to empower their persecution—but the driving force was religion itself.

Then came the Protestant churches, who for the next two centuries picked up the same weapon. Though they themselves had suffered persecution, they failed to see that they had become a fresh version of the same old enemy Catholicism had been.

Today a new religion has risen with its own hostility toward the Christian faith. Atheism is a religion—don’t be persuaded otherwise. They claim to have no god, but that is untrue. Their god is the corrupt human mind. They worship themselves, and no god is more cruel, controlling, or corrupt.

As imperfect as it is, government was established by God for the protection of people. In its truest form, it brings no accusation against Christ. Only when government falls under the domination of religion does it turn violent toward the faith.

#TruthFromJohn19 #ChristOnTrial #ReligionGoneWrong #StandFirmInFaith #GodAboveAllGovernment

Pilate Found No Fault—But Religion Did: A New Hatred Rising Against the Faith

 To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

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John 19:4 (KJV) Pilate Found No Fault—But Religion Did

Judges 19:1-2 (KJV) Little Sins Open Big Doors

Judges 19:1–2 (KJV)

And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.

And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father’s house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.

This chapter introduces one of the most sordid and tragic passages in the Word of God. Some even challenge the inspiration of Scripture because of texts like this. “Why would a just and loving God allow this to happen, let alone record it in His living Word?”

I’ve often answered simply, “Here is an example of what the sin nature is capable of when left unchecked by law.” “…it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel…” Truly, sinful man, left to himself, is capable of untold evil.

But notice that this great evil began with seemingly small breaches of God’s commands.

First, the Levite took a wife from a family other than the Levites. The Bible calls her a concubine. The best explanation I’ve understood is that concubines were not mistresses but wives taken without the full formalities—more like a courthouse marriage rather than one in the house of God. It’s legal, but not traditional. Many of the traditional aspects of a Christian wedding are rooted in sound biblical principles: the pastoral counsel beforehand, the instruction given in the ceremony, the solemn vows before God and witnesses. These things matter. Many ignore the purpose behind them, but the purpose remains.

Second, the Bible says she “played the whore… and went away from him unto her father’s house.” It was more than a casual visit. She left him against his will. Perhaps they argued and she “went home to momma.” Even if we assume she didn’t run off with someone else, the text clearly shows she left her husband and acted in opposition to his leadership.

A well-known biblical sermon outline says, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” The first time I heard it, it was applied to Samson. This passage teaches the same truth.

A little sin seldom stops in little ways.

 To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Judges 19:1-2 (KJV) Little Sins Open Big Doors

Judges 18:28 (KJV) God Never Designed Lone Believers

Judges 18:28 (KJV) 

And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.

The chapter begins, Judges 18:1 (KJV) — “In those days there was no king in Israel…” This ties directly to the issue of human government. For Israel, that King should have been (and could have been) the Lord. Had they followed the instructions of the Word of God, they would have had leadership, guidance, and protection from their enemies. They would have enjoyed unity, and they would have been safe from threats both foreign and domestic.

Human governments, though imperfect, serve to unify a people around the shared need for safety through strength in numbers. An isolated people may believe they are secure, but they are ripe for the picking by any stronger group willing to take what they have.

God never intended for people to live in isolation. We are designed for fellowship with Him and to dwell together. “It is not good that the man should be alone.” This principle applies not only to nations, but to believers as individuals.

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” A solitary Christian is a Christian positioned to be devoured. Without the fellowship of like-minded believers, the isolated Christian becomes easy prey. Satan places his forces strategically to find and consume those who separate themselves from the flock.

The same principle applies to local churches. Each congregation is to be independent, with only one Head—Jesus Christ. Even so, the New Testament clearly shows an interrelationship among the churches:

• They shared Scripture.
• They cooperated in giving to the needs of the saints.
• They received and supported itinerant preachers.
• They were aware of one another’s spiritual condition.
• Members who relocated were received into the fellowship of other churches.

Churches tied too closely can drift into a denominational hierarchy that usurps Christ’s headship. But churches that isolate themselves can become rogue, losing accountability and doctrinal grounding.

The spirit of hyper-independence is a spirit of rebellion. Scripture likens us to sheep, and sheep belong in a flock.

#BiblicalUnity #LocalChurchLife #SpiritualAccountability #SheepNeedAShepherd #StandingTogetherInChrist

God Never Designed Lone Believers: Hyper-Independence in Church Life

Looking for clear Bible answers and real help for the Christian life? Don’t walk alone. God designed believers to stand together, grow together, and stay protected from the enemy’s attacks. 🐑📖

If this stirred your heart, share your thoughts below: Do you feel stronger in your walk when you stay connected to a local church family? 💬

For more solid, Bible-based teaching from a conservative Baptist perspective, visit marvinmckenzie.org and keep growing in God’s truth. 🌟📚

 To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Judges 18:28 (KJV) God Never Designed Lone Believers

John 16:6 (KJV) Sorrow Now, Joy Later

John 16:6 (KJV) 

But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

Christianity today loves to spotlight the happiness, the joy, the delights of being a believer—the Joel Osteen “Your Best Life Now” approach.

We’ve been misled into thinking the Christian life is mainly about solving problems or building success.

It’s why some read this very chapter and struggle. John 16:24 (KJV) says, Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
They ask and don’t receive. Then they conclude either God doesn’t love them or the Bible isn’t true.

The Scriptures stand.
We’ve simply misread them.

• These are days of sorrow.
• These are days of labor.
• These are days that require hardness, endurance, faith, and persistence.
• Fight the good fight.
• Run your race.
• Finish your course.

There is peace available in the struggle. There is grace in the running. But the deepest joy comes only when the race is done.

There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that these are days of sorrow. That awareness keeps us sober and watchful—mindful that an enemy stands ready to devour. Staying alert helps us avoid unnecessary grief.

Hold on, my child. Morning is coming, and joy with it.

#SoberFaith #EndureHardness #JoyComesInTheMorning #BibleTruthAlways #RunYourRace

Sorrow Now, Joy Later: Grace for the Hard Days

If you’re searching for real Bible answers, not feel-good shortcuts, dive deeper into what Jesus actually taught about sorrow, endurance, and true joy. 🌄📖
The Christian life isn’t “your best life now”—it’s a faithful walk with Christ through every season, trusting His Word even when the road is rough.

💬 Question for you:
When has God strengthened you during a hard season? Share your experience in the comments—your story may encourage someone today.

👉 For more Scripture studies, devotionals, and solid Baptist teaching, visit marvinmckenzie.org.
Let’s grow in truth together. ✝️🔥

 To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

John 16:6 (KJV) Sorrow Now, Joy Later

Judges 17:6 (KJV) Religious but Wrong

Judges 17:6 (KJV) 

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

I recently heard Pastor Clifton Miser (First Baptist Church of Englewood, CO) give a helpful perspective on this verse and others like it. He described it not merely as atheism, but as people being religious while still doing things their own way.

There is only one King we need—Jesus.
Without Him, no matter how sincere our faith or our practice, it is empty.

Micah’s story is a perfect example. Though he had stolen his mother’s money, he repented, confessed, and restored it. From that point on, he seemed to want to do what was right. But having no King—no true submission to the Lord—he kept making one bad spiritual decision after another.

• His mother made him an idol.
• He made a hobby of gathering people around himself.
• He hired a Levite to be his personal priest.

And every decision appears to flow from the same reasoning:

Judges 17:13 (KJV)
Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

The sad truth is that the Lord would have gladly been with him and done him good. God had provided a way through the prescribed worship at the tabernacle, through sacrifices and offerings, and under the legitimate priesthood—everything designed as a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ. Micah missed the very thing he wanted because he chose his own way instead of God’s.

America is full of people who long for the blessings of God. Just a few days ago, President Trump said church attendance is rising again in the United States. Unfortunately, it seems to be a kind of religious revival without the King. It is church of a sort, but it is every man doing what is right in his own eyes. It is worship, but not according to Scripture.

And this is nothing new. It explains the birth of many denominations. It is the fruit of professing believers abandoning the King and settling for a pope, or government favor, or the power of the masses, or the sacraments… you get the idea.

The trouble is this:
If Christ is not our King—our Sovereign—if we are not submitted to Him, then whatever our practice of faith may look like, it amounts to nothing more than doing what is right in our own eyes.

#JesusIsKing #FollowGodsWord #BiblicalTruth #ChristCenteredFaith #DoRightGodsWay

Religious but Wrong: Revival Without Christ

Looking for real Bible answers in a world where everyone is “doing what’s right in their own eyes”? 📖✨ If this passage from Judges spoke to you, don’t stop here—dig deeper into what it means to follow Christ as King, not culture or personal opinion.

👉 Want more solid, Scripture-based teaching? Visit: marvinmckenzie.org
You’ll find daily posts, Bible studies, and resources to help you stay grounded in God’s Word. 🙌

Question for you:
Have you ever seen someone mean well spiritually, yet drift because they followed their own ideas instead of the Bible? Share your thoughts below! ⬇️💬

 To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Judges 17:6 (KJV) Religious but Wrong