Scripture: John 15: 20-21

²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

Scripture Commentary:

It is important to remember that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to save you from a life of sin. God didn’t give Jesus and easy road to travel; Christ’s life here on earth wasn’t a bed of roses. It was a life of hardship and punishment.

So why do you feel your life should be easy?

When Jesus chose us, He gave us his love and the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. Jesus knows the hardships that are ahead but he has equipped us. His book of instruction, The Holy Bible, along with the Holy Spirit and Christ himself guides us.

We will be hated by the world but the hatred is from Satan’s followers. Satan will do whatever he can to distract us from God’s assignment. Remember, we are servants of Jesus but we are also called to be his friend. And as his friend, he hides nothing from us.

Christ offers hope and love.

He shows us the way to go, the life we are to live, and the love we are to have for one another. Christ offers hope and love. The Holy Spirit gives us the strength to endure the hostility of the world.

As followers of Christ we have the opportunity to spread his love and gospel to the world. We are not only his friend but also his loyal servant.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John 15

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

For God So Loved the World … That Means You!

Nicodemus Came to Jesus by Night

Scripture: Acts 3: 1-3

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ² Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

Scripture Commentary:

Many people – both religious and non-religious – have read or heard the story about the lame man begging for money at the temple entrance. We see many people today begging at train and bus stops, and in front of office buildings and stores. We may either give them money or ignore them.

God gives each of us the power to spread His Word.

I don’t think that any of us feel that we have the power that Peter had to tell the lame that they can walk or the blind that they can see. However, God has given each of us the power to spread His message to anyone that we talk to. God’s gospel sets us free our ailments. Even if we aren’t physically healed, we can be healed of the spiritual ailments of our soul, which is eternal.

As God worked through Peter, he was able to heal the beggar in the story both physically and spiritually. Likewise, God, working through you, can give healing, both spiritually and physically, if only you believe.

As we work in Jesus’s name, we can know that He is alive.

The religious leaders thought they had put an end to Jesus when they crucified Him. But when Peter, through Jesus, healed this beggar, we all can know that Jesus Christ is alive!

Our prayers have power.

Peter showed the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ who defeated death. Christ got the glory for this miracle. Peter showed that Jesus gave him the authority and power to heal. It is in Jesus’s name that prayer has the power to heal and forgive.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Acts 3

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Acts:

Repent and Be Baptized

Money Can’t Buy What Is Eternal

Scripture: Isaiah 55: 6-8

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. ⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

Scripture Commentary:

Sometimes we leave God out of our lives. We’re caught up in work, play and the amusement of everyday life. We either push God out or forget He even exists. On the other hand, God has never forgotten or misplaced us. “Seek the Lord while he may be found.”

God isn’t lost; however, we may be.

The wickedness we may have gotten ourselves into can misdirect our lives to the point where we feel there is no way out. God offers free nourishment for the mind, body and soul. His holy word, The Bible, shows us the salvation He freely offers.

Seek Him. Ask and it will be given. Knock and the door will open.

We physically will die without food and water. Spiritually we will die without God’s Word. Our way is not God’s way; however, it should be. God’s knowledge and wisdom are so much greater than ours. We can’t give God our plans and purposes. He gives us His plan and purpose for our lives.

Stop. Listen to God.

Follow the life He has for you. Time is running out. God has all the time He needs … what about you?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Isaiah 55

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Isaiah:

Seek the Lord Within His Word

God Has Freely Given Us His Love

Scripture: Psalm 91: 1-3

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^{[a] 2} I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

Scripture Commentary: God invites all to dwell in His house.

Before we can dwell in God’s house, we must first accept Him as our Lord and Savior. If we don’t, we can’t know where He lives and we can’t know His house. This is a problem for non-believers. They live outside of God and are lost in their earthly possessions.

There’s a sign at God’s door to welcome all. We are invited to bring the sick, the hungry, the lame, the lost. All are welcome. But in our busy-ness we walk by and never look at the sign.

We run from God while He runs after us.

Think about your life. Consider your disobedience. We have abandoned God but He never abandones us. God is our shelter, our refuge, our entire life. He protects us even when we don’t ask and loves us even when we don’t love Him back.

He keeps us safe. Let us stop wasting the time we have left. Our life on earth is short; we must spend the life we have left spreading God’s Gospel.

Moses reminds us that a thousand years are like a day to God. God is not limited by time. We are. God is eternal; we can depend on Him. Because our days are numbered, we want to use as many of them as we can working for God. One day we will stand before God and He will ask what have we done in His name?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 91

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Psalms:

Nothing Can Stand Against God

Praise God for All He Has Done

Scripture: Matthew 26: 61-63

⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.

Scripture Commentary: But Jesus remained silent.

In these verses the high priests questions Jesus. “Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” (verse 63) This person is educated in the Old Testament. He knew what Jesus had done up to this point in his life: healing the sick, giving the blind sight and the lame the ability to walk, and raising the dead. But Jesus remained silent. Despite this, they were yet still in denial regarding Jesus Christ as Messiah.

Are you like the high priests? Are you in denial?

Do you go about your life thinking that everything is about you and that you have control over everything? Like Peter, do you deny Jesus?

Jesus finally declares that He is the Son of God. He knew he was placing himself in harm’s way. Also, He knew this had to be done to save us from a life of no hope and total sin with no way out. Jesus was calm, courageous and determined to do what God, His Father, had sent him here to do. He led us to God, the Father.

Jesus knew the beginning and end of his mission here on earth. At this point, you know the beginning of your life but do you know the ending?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew 26

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

What Favor Do You Ask of Jesus?

When We Refuse To Forgive

Scripture: Psalm 3: 1-3

Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! ² Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”^{[b] 3} But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

Scripture Commentary: No weapon formed against you can prosper with God.

David is not on his throne. He is running from his son Absalom who rose up against him with an army of 10,000 soldiers. These enemies were trying to kill him. David’s army of seasoned fighters would probably have defeated Absalom’s forces but David did what we all are to do: Give it to God.

When we have problems, we tend to try to solve them by ourselves.

David didn’t do this. Instead, he depended on God’s mercy to handle the situation. Then, after he gave it to God, David went to sleep. When you give something to God, you are not to handle it anymore. If you pick up the situation again, essentially you are saying to God that it’s too much for him and you will handle things.

David reminds us that God is in control. When you seek God, He will provide for you. When you seek God, he will turn your sleepless nights into peacefully slept nights.

Prayer brings peace and full assurance that God has control of anything and everything.

Talk to God; do not count sheep. God is all powerful; He is the creator of everything and the true answer of all. Seek God first and you will be on your way to peaceful days and nights. When you serve God, then you are free from the vices of the world.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 3

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Psalms:

God the Creator

Place Your Confidence in God Who Can Do All Things

Scripture: John 15: 20-21

²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 

Scripture Commentary:

Jesus gave His life out of His love for us. The world rejected Him. He was spit on, beaten, whipped and nailed to the cross. Jesus tells us that if they persecuted Him, they will persecute His people too.

Jesus came into the world with love and forgiveness and was punished by people who only wanted to continue their lifestyle.

Are we any different than our forefathers?

Jesus gave His life for us out of love. In turn, we reject Him when we do not help or love one another. We must choose to follow Jesus or not. Without Jesus, we deny ourselves the life He offers.

We are the vine; Jesus is the trunk.

We either bear fruit for Jesus or we are an unproductive twig to be broken and burned. Be not of this world; live as Jesus teaches. The world will hate Christians because its agenda is different.

Jesus prunes us to produce godly fruit.

As a branch of Jesus’s tree, we are to love and live to spread the gospel. Christ is the vine; God is the gardener who works on us to make us fruitful.

Are you fruitful for Jesus or are you barren?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John 15

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John

Believe on the Name of Jesus

Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?

Scripture: Job 21: 13-14, 32

They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.^{[a] 14} Yet they say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways. ³² They are carried to the grave, and watch is kept over their tombs.

Scripture Commentary:

Each of Job’s friends spends time giving their opinion of why God is punishing Job. Eliphaz tells Job that his view of God is not of the greatness that it should be. Eliphaz asks Job why he has a small, narrow view of God.

We know from reading Job that it is not God who is hurting Job. God gave Satan permission to do this. When we see someone going through hard times, we should not assume that they are being punished. We are not to be judge and jury, only God has that title.

Eliphaz gives a summary of repentance but he did not know what God was doing in Job’s life. He is correct when he says we must ask for God’s forgiveness when we sin, but this did not apply to Job. Sometimes things happen and we do not know why but our faith in God will bring us through, if not on this side of life, then on the other side if we believe.

Don’t question God. Thank and praise His name.

Who are you without God to guide you in the way to go? Without God, life is nothing but an empty shell with no purpose.

Don’t ask God to depart from you. If He does, then Satan becomes your companion. Because God gave His Son Jesus Christ for your sin, you can be forgiven if you repent and go to God.

Praise God!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Job 21

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Job:

Would You Curse God?

Don’t Despise God’s Discipline

Scripture: Jeremiah 44: 11, 16, 29

¹¹ “Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah.  ¹⁶ “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord! ²⁹ “‘This will be the sign to you that I will punish you in this place,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that you will know that my threats of harm against you will surely stand.’ 

Scripture Commentary:

In this chapter we see how the people turned on God to worship other gods. They refused to listen to the message spoken in the name of the Lord. They refused to learn any lessons from the destructiveness of their disobedience and sinfulness.

Is our lifestyle today similar to that of the Israelites of yesteryear?

When we look at the Israelites we can see ourselves in them. What have we learned? We repeat sin because we don’t want to walk with God. The further we move away from God, the more confused we become. We refuse to recognize the true source of our sinfulness, disobedience and rejection of God. When you place worldly goods before God, that becomes what you worship.

God had Jeremiah tell the people not to go to Egypt. They disobeyed God and forced Jeremiah to go with them. This is the last we hear of Jeremiah. The Bible does not tell us what happened to him. Only God knows.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Jeremiah 44

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Jeremiah:

The Symbolism of the Linen Girdle

Return to Me, Declares the Lord

Scripture: Jeremiah 39: 17-18

¹⁷ But I will rescue you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the Lord.’”

Scripture Commentary: Rescue comes from the Lord.

In Jeremiah 39, there is no rescue for King Zedekiah, who rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was captured and Jerusalem taken. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was beaten and jailed for proclaiming God’s message.

Zedekiah couldn’t decide between public opinion and God’s will. Doesn’t that sound familiar as we hear public opinion and God’s message? Has the human race learned anything yet? We seem to be acting like the people did 2000 plus years ago.

Follow God’s truth, not public opinion.

Like the people of the past we say we want accurate information, but not God’s truth. Jeremiah, both then and even now, tells us God’s message. Satan’s message spreads evil and destruction. Jeremiah never wavered from God’s Word; he stood firm.

God protects His own.

Jerusalem fell and the people were taken into captivity (except for the poor), but Jeremiah and Ebed-Melek were set free. God protects His true servants. God has special rewards for His servants, if not in this life in His eternal kingdom, our final resting place.

To know God is to serve Him and to serve God is to love Him. To obey God is to hear Him and to hear God is to worship Him.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Jeremiah 39

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Jeremiah:

Woe to Leaders Who Scatter God’s Flock

We Must Acknowledge Our Wickedness and Change Our Ways