Month: September 2020

The Purpose of Plagues

Scripture: Revelation 9: 20-21

The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Scripture Commentary:

The people referred to in Revelation were so hardhearted that even plagues did not drive them to God. People don’t usually fall into immorality and evil suddenly. They slip into it a little at a time, then realizing what happened, they are irrevocably mired in their wicked ways.

Any person who allows sin to take root in their life will find themselves in a predicament.

Temptation entertained today becomes sin tomorrow.

Once sin becomes a habit, spiritual death and separation from God occurs. To think you can never become this evil is the first step toward a hard heart. Go to God and confess your sin. Ask for forgiveness.

People want to know what is going to happen in the future instead of doing God’s work today. The future will take care of itself. The Book of Revelation lets us see what God has for those who have serve Him and for those who have serve Lucifer.

Revelation is the book of hope. It promises that evil is not forever. It shows what God has for us.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Revelation Chapter 9

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Revelation:

Let Your Name Be in the Lamb’s Book of Life

God is Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End

Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

Scripture: Matthew 16: 13-15

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Scripture Commentary:

Jesus asked His disciples – and us – “Who do you say I am?” Those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior do not know who He is. Likewise, those who claim to know Him but live by their own laws don’t know Him.

Peter answered Jesus saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” He was acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah. If Jesus were to ask you this question, how would you answer?

Jesus praised Peter for His confession of faith. This is the same Peter who denied Jesus three times; the same Peter who Jesus asked, “Do you love me?” three times. God had a purpose for Peter. It was to plant and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It’s faith like Peter’s that is the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom. When we don’t know Christ, we make choices as though this life were all we have. In reality , this is just the introduction to eternity.

This is not our permanent home.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 16

John Chapter 21

Read Other Commentary From the New Testament:

When I Want to Do Good, Why Is Evil There With Me?

You Must Believe That He Is

Conceit is the Devil’s Trap

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12: 7-9

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

Scripture Commentary: Don’t let conceit make you think it’s all about you.

When we are so conceited that we think we can do anything, we have just stepped into Satan’s trap. The apostle Paul may have been in a place in his ministry where it was going so well that he thought it was all about him. This, too, can happen to you and God will have to pull you back and let you see it is not about you.

Paul doesn’t say what his thorn was but in verses 9 and 10 these words appear: weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and finally, difficulties. Paul’s thorn could have been any one of these things; they cover personal, physical, health and mental issues.

The thorn that he had kept him humble and reminded him of his need for constant contact with God.

Paul’s thorn was for him.

Your thorn is for you and only you. My thorn is for me and only me. Although God did not remove Paul’s thorn, He promised to demonstrate His power through Paul.

Each of us has a thorn to bear and God, in using us to spread His gospel, is a reminder of His love for us.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

2 Corinthians Chapter 12

Read Other Commentary from the Book of 2 Corinthians:

Depend on God in Your Weakness

Do Not Despair; God Is With You

Blessed Is the One Who Trusts God

Scripture: Psalm 84: 12

Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Scripture: Jeremiah 17: 7

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

Scripture: Matthew 6: 34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Scripture Commentary:

These three Bible chapters and verses stress that blessed is the one who trusts God only. We have a tendency to do things and leave God out. God does not promise us everything we think is good, but He will not withhold what is permanently good.

He gives us the means to walk along His path, but He lets us choose. When we choose to follow God, He will direct us in the way we should go.

Two kinds of people are contrasted in Jeremiah 17:7: those who trust in self and those who trust in God. The people of Judah trusted in false gods; therefore, they were unfruitful. In contrast, those who trusted in the Lord flourished like trees planted by water.

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. Worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. It’s difficult to tell the difference. Planning is good but don’t let it interfere with your relationship with God.

As we begin to yield to God, He begins reshaping us into valuable vessels to use.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:

Psalm 84

Jeremiah Chapter 17

Matthew Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary On Trusting God:

Trust God Who Can Do All Things

Praise Ye the Lord, Place Your Trust in Him