Category: New Testament

Don’t Flatter Others for Your Own Gain

Scripture: Jude 1: 16, 19

These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.(16) These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.(19)

Scripture Commentary:

We’ve all heard people who are great speakers who boast about themselves and flatter others needlessly. Are they in spirit with Jesus Christ?

We have in churches today false teachers who have secretly slipped in and are twisting the Bible’s teachings to justify their own opinions, lifestyle, or wrong behavior. In doing this, they may gain temporary freedom to do as they wish. However, they will discover that in distorting Scripture, they are playing with damnation.

Jude gives three examples of men who did whatever they wanted. Cain, Balaam and Korah all rebelled against God. These stories illustrate attitudes that are typical of false teachers. Pride, selfishness, jealousy, greed, lust for power, and a disregard of God’s will.

Unbelievers, no matter how successful they seem by worldly standards, are lost and in need of salvation.

If we are to be effective witnesses of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must be in His spirit ourselves. We, too, are vulnerable to doctrinal error. We, too, are tempted to give in to sin. If we remain faithful, He will deliver us from our sins.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Jude Chapter 1

Read Other Commentary from The New Testament:

The Productive Branch Bears Fruit

You Can’t Buy Salvation – It’s a Gift of God

Store Your Treasures in Heaven

Scripture: Matthew 6: 19-24

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

22 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Scripture Commentary:

Storing treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing but also is accomplished by acts of obedience to God. There is a sense that giving our money to God’s work is like investing in heaven. Our intention should be to fulfill God’s purpose in all we do, not what money does.

Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do. Also, it’s to see the world from His point of view. Self-serving desires, interests and goals block that vision.

A good eye is one that is fixed on God.

Jesus says we can only have one master. We live in a materialistic society where many people serve money. They spend their lives collecting and storing it only to die and leave it behind. Their desire for money and what it can buy far outweighs their commitment to God and spiritual matters.

Whatever you store up will occupy much of your time and energy. Can you honestly say that God, and not money, is your master? One test it to ask which one occupies more of your thoughts, time, and effort. If you love Jesus Christ and go to heaven, why do you need money?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

Jesus Came to Save the Lost

God Can Hear Your Cry and Save You

Do Not Worry – Give It to God

Matthew 6: 22, 25

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 22 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 25

 Scripture Commentary: By worrying, we damage our health.

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. To worry about tomorrow is time wasted. Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. The object of our worry will consume our thoughts and will negatively effect the way we treat others. Essentially by worrying, we are saying that we don’t trust God.

Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God.

When we pray, “Give us today our daily bread,” we are acknowledging that God is our sustainer and provider. It is a misconception to think that we provide for our needs all by ourselves.

God has given us a gift; use it, starting now. God has cared for us all our life. He is not going to stop now.

What will you start doing for God now?

Stop the ill effects in your life. Change from worry to genuine concern. Worry immobilizes, concern moves you to action. Think of a good and merciful action you can take today. And do it!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

God Has Freely Given Us His Love

God Says, “Come to Me” If You’re Weary

A Message to the Seven Stars

Scripture: Revelation 3: 1-6

“Write this letter to the angel[a] of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit[b] of God and the seven stars:

“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Scripture Commentary:

The “seven spirits of God” is another name for the Holy Spirit. The seven stars are the messengers, or leaders of the churches. The problem in the Sardis church was not heresy but spiritual death.

It is important to grow in our knowledge of the God. We must deepen our understanding through careful study. But no matter how much we learn, we must never abandon the basic truths about Jesus.

Jesus will always be God’s Son.

Jesus’s sacrifice for our sins is permanent. No new truth from God will ever contradict Biblical teachings. Christ promises future honor and eternal life to those who stand firm in their faith. Believers are registered in the Book of Life.

Are you registered?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Revelation Chapter 3

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Revelation:

Would You Curse God When the Pressure Is On?

Love God As You Did At First

Scripture: Revelation 2: 4-7

But I have this one thing against you. You do not love Me as you did at first. 5 Remember how you once loved Me. Be sorry for your sin and love Me again as you did at first. If you do not, I will come to you and take your light out of its place. I will do this unless you are sorry for your sin and turn from it. 6 But you have this: You hate what the Nicolaitans do. I hate what they do also. 7 You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the fruit of the tree of life in the garden of God to everyone who has power and wins.’

Scripture Commentary:

Just as when a man and woman first fall in love, so also new believers at first rejoice in their newfound forgiveness. However, when we lose sight of the seriousness of sin, we begin to lose the thrill of our forgiveness.

In the first steps of our Christian life we may have had enthusiasm without knowledge. Do we now have knowledge without enthusiasm? Both are necessary if we are to keep our love for God intense and untarnished.

Continue to stir up your love for God.

For Jesus to “remove your lampstand from its place” would mean the church would cease to be an effective church. If, as believers, we don’t follow Jesus in the Christian way, our light will be dim or go out.

In fact, Jesus Himself will extinguish any light that does not fulfill its purpose. The church (and we as well) must repent our sins. Work for God must be motivated by love for God or it will not last.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Revelation Chapter 2

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Revelation:

God is Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End

Do Not Do As the Hypocrites

Scripture: Matthew 6: 1-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Scripture Commentary: Do not do as the hypocrites.

Hypocrite, as used here, describes people who do good acts for appearances only. They have neither compassion nor good motives. Their actions may be good but their motives are hollow.

Jesus says not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

He is teaching that our motives for giving to God and to others must be pure. It’s easy to give with mixed motives. It’s easy to give when it benefits us in return. But if we are Christians, we should not give for the pleasure of ourselves. We are to give as a response to God’s love.

To be sure our motives are not selfish, we should do our good deeds quietly or in secret, with no thought of reward. Jesus says we should check our motives.

Why do you give?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 6

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

Jesus Came to Save the Lost

God Can Hear Your Cry and Save You

You Already Know What Will Happen

Scripture: Jude 1: 5-8

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.

Scripture Commentary:

Although we already know that sin separates us from God, Jude gives us three examples of rebellion. First is the children of Israel. Although they were delivered from Egypt, they refused to trust God and enter the promised land.

Second is the fallen angels. They were once pure, holy and living in God’s presence. Then they gave in to pride and joined Satan to rebel against God.

And third are the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. They were so full of sin that God wiped them off the face of the earth.

God’s Word is clear on the wages of sin.

Many people don’t want to believe that God sentences people to “eternal fire” for rejecting Him. But this is clearly taught in Scripture. Sinners who don’t seek forgiveness from God will face eternal separation from Him.

God’s nature is revealed in His Word.

The nature of God is beyond our understanding. However, God in His grace has chosen to reveal Himself to us in His Word, and supremely in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must seek to know all we can about what He has revealed although we cannot fully comprehend God with our human minds.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Jude Chapter 1

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Jude

Have Mercy on Those Who Doubt

Don’t Be “Certain People”; Be Extraordinary!

Come Meet the Bridegroom

Scripture: Matthew 25: 1

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 

Scripture Commentary:

Jesus told parables to clarify further what it means to be ready for His return and how to live until He comes. In the story of the ten virgins and the bridegroom, we are taught that every person is responsible for his or her own spiritual condition. Further, the story of the talents shows the necessity of using what God has entrusted to each of us. The story of the sheep and goats stresses the importance of serving others in need.

Now to the parable about the wedding.

On the wedding day the bridegroom went to the bride’s house for the ceremony. The the bride and groom, along with a great procession, returned to the groom’s house where a feast took place. Often this feast can last as long as a week.

These ten virgins were waiting to join the procession and wedding banquet. But when the groom didn’t come at the expected time, five of them were out of lamp oil. By the time they purchased extra oil, it was too late to join the feast.

Are you prepared for the feast with Our Lord Jesus Christ?

Do you have enough oil for your lamp? Are you using your gifts according to your abilities? When Jesus returns to take His people to heaven, will you be one of His children?

Spiritual preparation cannot be bought at the last minute. Fill up with the Word and your oil jar will be full!

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 25

Read Other Commentary from Matthew 25:

The Wise Take Time to Prepare

You Can Inherit the Kingdom of God

Jesus Calls Us to Follow Him

Scripture: Matthew 10: 38-40

And He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

Scripture Commentary: Have you taken up the cross of Jesus Christ?

Do you follow Him or are you on your own path? It can be hard in today’s world to hold onto Christ-like living but you need to trust in Jesus. He will give you all you need (not what you think you need).

Christ calls us to a higher mission than finding comfort and tranquility in this life.

When we take up the cross of Jesus, we are identifying with Him by living His way, by spreading the Word. The more we love this life’s rewards (leisure, power, popularity, financial security), the more we will discover how empty those things really are.

Therefore, the best way to enjoy life is to loosen our greedy grasp on earthly rewards so we can be free to follow Jesus. Take up His cross and feel the weight of the world be taken away.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew Chapter 10

Read Other Commentary from the Book of Matthew:

Do You Deny Jesus By Your Actions?

Come Unto Me, All Ye That Labour

Warning About Antichrists

Scripture: 1 John 2: 18-21

Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit,[e] and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.

Scripture Commentary:

John is talking about the last days: the time between Christ’s first and second coming. The first-century readers of first John lived in the last days and so do we. The antichrists of John’s day are also here today. They are the false teachers who pretend to be Christians and lure weak members away from Christ.

We do not need to fear these evil people. The Holy Spirit shows us their errors so we won’t be deceived. Remember, these false teachers are not total strangers to the church. They once had been in the church but they did not really belong to it. These people may go to church for social and business contacts or because it’s a long standing habit. But they have never stopped to ask themselves why they do it.

What is your main reason for being a Christian?

Unless it is a Christ-centered reason, you may not really belong.

Become personally acquainted with Jesus Christ. Ask Him to come into your life. Be truthful with Him.

He loved you before you knew Him. He has always loved you.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 John Chapter 2

Read Other Commentary from 1 John:

Take My Yoke Upon You