Acts 17:30 (KJV) Truth Heard, Decision Required

Acts 17:30 (KJV) 

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Why now?

“The times of this ignorance God winked at…” Why, at this time, would He command all men everywhere to repent?

This group of Athenians and strangers had gathered to hear this new thing Paul preached. They were curious people, intelligent people, and even religious people. But they were ignorant of the true and living God. They were idolators, worshiping shapes made of gold, or silver, or stone—made by man and of man’s device.

But on this day, before them now, stood a man of God. Paul preached what they could never have conceived, yet what was entirely true—that God is a living being, and we are made in His likeness. He made us; we did not make Him.

• Having now heard this truth,
• being no longer ignorant of it, and 
• coming face to face with the living God through preaching,

now was their accepted time.

That day was the day of their salvation—should they receive it.

At that moment, through the preaching of the Word of God and the convicting power of the Holy Ghost that attends faithful preaching, God—now, not later, not tomorrow, not after more time to think—commanded all men everywhere to repent.

This was Paul’s altar call. It was the invitation to his message. They had heard the Word. Paul was confident that the Holy Ghost was at work in their souls. Right then was the moment of decision. Right then was their offer of salvation.

All that was required—and he plainly told them it was required—was repentance: a turning from idols to the living God.

Every preacher, every sermon, is afforded this very moment—to call all men everywhere, no matter what they are facing and no matter what they have previously believed, to repent—right now.

#Acts1730 #NowIsTheTime #RepentAndBelieve #LivingGod #BiblicalPreaching

Truth Heard, Decision Required: The Moment God Commands Repentance

Have you ever wondered why the Bible says repentance can’t wait?
Acts 17:30 reminds us that when truth is heard, God calls for a response—now, not later.

If you’re searching for real Bible answers about repentance, salvation, and God’s will for your life, this message is for you. The Word of God doesn’t just inform us—it calls us to decision.

❓ What do you believe God is calling you to respond to right now?
Share your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you.

📖 For more clear, biblical teaching and trusted Scripture-based resources, visit 👉 marvinmckenzie.org

⏰ Truth has been heard. The invitation is open.
🙏 Today is the day to respond.

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:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
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Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
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Acts 17:30 (KJV) Truth Heard, Decision Required

1Samuel 13:19-21 (KJV) Sharpened by Permission

1Samuel 13:19-21 (KJV)

Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:

But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his share, and his coulter, and his axe, and his mattock.

Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

I am struck by the fact that, in the several millennia since this event took place, nothing has really changed. The oppressor in that day, just as today, seeks to control their subjects through weapon control. The Philistines knew that if Israel gained weapons equal to their own, they could not control them.

They also understood that the people of Israel needed tools for their trade. So they did not forbid the Israelites from possessing items that could become weapons. Instead, they imposed laws, regulations, and government-appointed oversight to control who had them, how many they had, and what could be done with them. The Israelites were allowed files to keep their tools usable, but if they wanted them truly sharp, they had to go to the Philistines.

That sounds very similar to modern laws in our own state that allow gun ownership under certain conditions—but require registration and limit magazine capacity.

The philosophy behind weapon control is spiritual in nature. Those who oppress the people of God worship the wrong gods, and because of that, they misunderstand the nature of man. They believe weapon control laws will work because they fail to understand the corruption of the human heart.

Recently, a tragedy occurred in Australia—a country with some of the strictest gun laws in the world. Two men used weapons they were legally permitted to own to attack a group of Jews celebrating Hanukkah. Immediately, there were calls for more gun laws. Here’s the reality: you cannot remove enough objects from society to prevent people with corrupt hearts from finding ways to harm those they hate. This is not a weapons problem. It is a spiritual problem

That attack was ultimately stopped by another individual with a gun, who used it to defend others and end the threat.You do not restrain evil by removing the means of defense. You restrain evil by allowing people the ability to defend themselves.

Only oppressors take away that ability.

Those calling for stricter gun laws are not friends of the people—they are their oppressors.

#BiblicalPerspective #SpiritualBattle #OppressionExposed #HumanNature #DefendingTheInnocent

Sharpened by Permission: The Ancient, Evil, Roots of Weapon Control

📖 Looking for real Bible answers to modern problems?
The Word of God doesn’t avoid hard issues—and neither should we. 1 Samuel 13:19–21 shows how oppression works, how evil thinks, and why control never produces righteousness.

👉 If you want biblical truth, not talking points…
👉 If you believe the Bible still speaks clearly to today’s world…
👉 If you’re searching for Scripture-based answers to cultural confusion…

📌 Stay here. Read the Word. Think biblically.

💬 Question for you:
Do you believe evil is restrained more by restriction—or by righteous resistance?
Share your thoughts in the comments 👇

🌐 For more clear, Bible-centered teaching, visit marvinmckenzie.org
📖 Conservative. Biblical. Unapologetic.

🔔 Follow, share, and join the conversation as we seek God’s truth for today ✝️

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. 

1Samuel 13:19-21 (KJV) Sharpened by Permission

Acts 15:6 (KJV) Grace Decided

Acts 15:6 (KJV) 

And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

I think it is key how this passage plays out…

The original question arose in Antioch, where certain men from Judea came to the church and disrupted it by teaching these Gentile Christians that they had to keep the law of Moses or else they could not be saved. The question was not about custom; it was far more critical. They demanded that salvation rested on circumcision and the Mosaic Law. Legalism is not a question of standards, but of salvation.

Paul and Barnabas arrived in Antioch just in time to confront this group and to take the question back to its origin—Jerusalem. There is a lesson there. When questions arise that are challenging to answer, go to the source of the question. Anywhere else is arguing over speculation.

When they arrived in Jerusalem and testified of all God had done, I notice that the counterargument came from “certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed.”

That is interesting. Certain Pharisees—believers themselves—challenged the call of God upon Paul, who himself had been a Pharisee and now believed.

• Paul made his case.
• The Pharisees made their case.

From that point, neither Paul nor the Pharisees spoke again.

• Peter gave input.
• James built upon Peter’s words.
• Then other members of the church in Jerusalem were sent to support what the church had determined. 

Paul, being of the Pharisees and the focal point of the objection, was not left to be his own surety.

God, in Acts 15, completely dismissed Judaism as an authoritative movement. Christianity is absolutely separate from Judaism. Christians are called to come out and be separate from it.

I am calling Christians who pander to Judaism to do just that.

#Acts15 #GraceNotLaw #SalvationByGrace #ChurchAuthority #BiblicalSeparation

Grace Decided: How the Early Church Protected the Gospel

📖 Is salvation by grace alone—or does the law still have authority today?
Acts 15 gives a clear, biblical answer, and it matters more than ever in a confused religious world.

👉 Read the passage. Study the context. Compare Scripture with Scripture.
God settled this question once—and the church must not reopen what He closed.

💬 Question for you:
Do you believe Acts 15 teaches a clean separation between Christianity and Judaism? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments.

🔎 If you’re searching for clear Bible answers, faithful teaching, and Scripture rightly divided, visit 👉 marvinmckenzie.org

✝️📘🕊️

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. 

Acts 15:6 (KJV) Grace Decided

1 Samuel 11:3 (KJV) Seven Days to Find a Saviour

1 Samuel 11:3 (KJV) 

And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.

Seven days is the number of completion. While Saul is no picture of Christ, the seven days may at least hint that there is no salvation until Christ comes.

Peace is a wonderful thing—but at what price? Israel was in a ruinous state, and Samuel, toward the end of the chapter, will call the people together to “renew the kingdom.” They certainly needed something.

When Jabesh-gilead was threatened, their first thought was to buy their peace. They applied nowhere—at least at first—for help. They could think of no one who could save them. They were unwilling to fight for their own liberty.

Saul had already been chosen king, but many had rejected his leadership. Now, with a serious threat upon them, Israel rallied, responded, recovered the people of this city, and—by the end—Saul was confirmed king.

Peace is a wonderful thing. But the reality is this: there will be no true peace until Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, comes to save us. Until that day, soundness of mind demands that we build strong kingdoms—governments with enough might to push back against the threats of the enemy…

• A citizenry willing to defend itself.
• A police force strong enough to respond rapidly. And
• A military capable of repulsing the advances of foreign adversaries.

#SevenDaysToSave #BiblicalLeadership #PeaceAtWhatPrice #WhenGodRaisesALeader #NoPeaceWithoutThePrince

Seven Days to Find a Saviour: Peace at a Price

Looking for clear Bible answers in a confused world? 📖
Scripture shows us that true peace comes only through Jesus Christ, yet until the Prince of Peace returns, God teaches the need for order, leadership, and strength to restrain evil (1 Samuel 11).

👉 What do you believe the Bible teaches about peace, government, and personal responsibility before Christ returns?
Share your thoughts in the comments below ⬇️

If you want straightforward, Bible-centered teaching that connects God’s Word to real life today, visit marvinmckenzie.org 🌐

New lessons, resources, and encouragement are waiting for you. ✨ 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. 

1 Samuel 11:3 (KJV) Seven Days to Find a Saviour

Acts 13:9 (KJV) When God Makes a Man Small

Acts 13:9 (KJV) 

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

Little details can make some of the biggest impacts in the Word of God. Here is a small, five-word parenthesis that practically changed the world. Saul of Tarsus, once a feared enemy of the faith of Christ, was converted, called, and commissioned to preach the Word to the Gentiles. In a simple five-word parenthesis, he is renamed Paul.

With the change comes another subtle but obvious shift—the team moves from Barnabas and Saul to Paul and Barnabas. Just as John the Baptist decreased and Jesus increased, Barnabas—so instrumental in introducing Saul of Tarsus to the believers—fades behind Paul, the apostle born out of due season.

The name Saul literally means desired. That was certainly true of the most famous Saul—the king the people desired for themselves. Saul of Tarsus was an up-and-coming leader among the Pharisees, desired for his zeal and promise. Yet Saul became Paul, a name that literally means small or little.

Saul of Tarsus gave up all that he possessed in the world to become little—without worth among his former peers. He was never fully accepted among the believing Jews. He spent perhaps the most significant portion of his ministry in prison. By becoming little in the eyes of the world, Paul became arguably the most influential man (excepting, of course, Jesus) this world has ever known.

He testified of himself, perhaps reflecting upon that name change, in Philippians 3:7–10 (KJV):

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

There is nothing this world has to offer that is truly sacrificed that we may know HIM.

#FromSaulToPaul #FilledWithTheHolyGhost #DecreaseThatHeMayIncrease #ThatIMayKnowHim #ChangedByGrace

When God Makes a Man Small:  Five Words That Reshaped History

Searching for clear Bible answers in a confusing world? 📖
God often changes history through the smallest details—just like the five-word parenthesis in Acts 13:9 that marked the rise of the Apostle Paul. If you’re asking what the Bible really teaches about calling, humility, and knowing Christ, this lesson is for you.

👉 Question for the comments:
What “small” change has God used to make a big difference in your walk with Him?

If you’re hungry for plain Bible teaching, KJV Scripture, and thoughtful answers from God’s Word, I invite you to explore more resources at marvinmckenzie.org 🌐
You’ll find studies, devotionals, and encouragement designed to help you know Him and walk faithfully.

 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. 

Acts 13:9 (KJV) When God Makes a Man Small