Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2: 11-13

¹¹ No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. ¹² And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. ¹³ When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.^[f] 

Scripture Commentary:

God’s Holy Spirit lives in each of us. You know this when you have accepted God, His Only Begotten Son and His Holy Spirit. Those who haven’t accepted the Holy Trinity are in the world.

Those who are in the world cannot hear God when He speaks. Neither can they see nor feel his presence. They are lost in themselves. A non-Christian can’t understand God. And they don’t understand who you worship or why.

But those who can hear His voice experience unspeakable joy! As we read and study God’s Word, we grow closer to Him, and in return, He gets closer to us. Spend as much time as you have with God.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 Corinthians 2

Read Other Commentary From the Book of 1 Corinthians:

God Has Prepared Great Things for You

God Has Freely Given Us His Love

Scripture: Luke 13: 24-25

²⁴ “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. ²⁵ When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 

Scripture Commentary:

Let’s say that you, your family and friends have been invited to a special gathering at a very special person’s house; however, you all are out in the world enjoying what is currently important to you. Time slips away, and then you remember the invitation. Now you and your group decide to go. But is it too late?

When you arrive, you knock on the door and the person inside asks, “Who is it?” You identify yourselves; however, the person inside replies, “Go away, I do not know you.” You remind the person who you are but are reminded that when the invitation was first sent, you did not respond. Now it is too late. You decided that other things were more important.

We are invited daily into God’s presence.

When Jesus asked his disciples to follow him, they dropped everything. God gives us every second of the day to follow Him. Daily we are invited into His presence.

This may be your last invitation before you die. Repent. Accept Jesus Christ as God’s Only Begotton Son. Death is only the beginning, not the end. Christ is eternity.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Luke 13

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Luke:

Who Loves Us More Than Christ?

Jesus Went to Synogogue Every Week

Scripture: Romans 7: 5-6

⁵ When we were controlled by our old nature,^[b] sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. ⁶ But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Scripture Commentary:

When you did something wrong as a child, your parent or caregiver likely corrected you. This is how you learned the laws of life. In the Old Testament, the people tried to live by the law. And when God sent His Son Jesus Christ, his mission was not to change the law but to help us live better. Jesus showed us that we cannot be saved by the law.

We don’t have the strength to live by the law. We need God’s help.

Signs are all around us in our everyday life. Do not enter, slow down, icy road ahead. But we are in a hurry and ignore the warnings. Likewise, Jesus has a set of signs for us to obey. Love one another, forgive each other, honor our mother and father. These are just a few.

Through God’s grace and mercy, He gives us the signs (laws) for how to live. On the other hand, Satan is standing in our way, telling us that he has everything we want in life. This is the challenge we fight daily, and without God’s help, we will lose. Don’t go into the battle with Satan without God. God defeated Satan and He is all you need.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Romans 7

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Romans:

Being Saved Is Being Under Grace

Walk After the Lord Day After Day

Scripture: Romans 6: 6-9

⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷ For he that is dead is freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

Scripture Commentary:

Do you serve sin or God? There are two masters: death, which is sin, or eternal life with God, our Father. One gives you the earthly gifts you ask for and the required payment is your soul in hell for eternity. The other is Jesus Christ who paid for your sins on the cross because He loves you so much. This is a free gift of love that God gives each of us.

Do you accept this gift or will you return it? Christ paid the price for you so don’t put a price on it by trying to pay it back. Because you can’t.

In the Old Testament, the people had the law and they could not live up to it. So God sent His Son to show us how to live, obey, and love one another. In the New Testament Paul tells us that salvation cannot be obtained by following the law. Salvation is God’s gift to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

Have you accepted God’s gift or are you trying to pay God for it?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Romans 6

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God Has Made It Plain

Jesus Delivered Us and Teaches Us Love

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5: 4-6

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.^[b]5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 

Scripture Commentary: Be clearheaded in thought and deed.

A drunken person has no control of him/herself. They have no idea what they are saying or doing. If you show them what they did, once clearheaded, they wouldn’t believe their eyes. This is the same with a sinner who has repented, accepted Christ, and has left their old lifestyle behind.

God destroys the old record of our life. He knows we are weak, sinful people, and He waits patiently for us to come to Him, asking for forgiveness. And He does forgive.

But some remain in their drunken stupor, never coming out into the light. They stumble and fall deeper into a cavern of sin. The day of reckoning will come. We are to help the lost through the aid of the Holy Spirit. If we don’t, then we are as lost as they are.

Are you trying to help someone?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

1 Thessalonians 5

Read More Commentary From Thessalonians:

Don’t Suffer the Delusion to Believe a Lie

Scripture: Matthew 23: 25-26

²⁵ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,^[i] and then the outside will become clean, too.

Scripture Commentary:

After we eat, we take the dishes into the kitchen to wash. We don’t just wash the outside of the dish; we also wash the inside where the meal was placed. This is done so bacteria that causes disease can be washed away.

Jesus is saying that when you are portraying something you aren’t, like pretending to be a follower of Christ while living a self-serving life, you are like dishes that have not been properly washed. He condemns the Pharisees and church leaders for appearing holy but underneath remain corrupt and full of greed and selfishness.

These same leaders crucified Jesus and killed the disciples. They were powerful and respected but had lost sight of who they were serving. We also have church leaders today who have forgotten who they are supposed to be serving. They miss God in their self-centered journey.

Beware of false teachers with false messages. The message today is the same as yesterday. Love one another.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew 23

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Matthew:

The Wise Take Time to Prepare

What Favor Do You Ask of Jesus?

Scripture: Luke 7: 40-42

⁴⁰ Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. ⁴¹ Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver^[i] to one and 50 pieces to the other. ⁴² But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

Scripture Commentary:

In Luke 7, Jesus asks which debtor loved the creditor more: the one with the small loan or the larger loan? The answer is the one who owed the most. God loves us so much for He forgives us when we repent and accept Him. He forgives the small sins and the large ones. Sin is sin but God forgives and forgets.

Jesus is dining at Simon’s house in Luke 7 and a woman comes, uninvited. She is a sinner who places herself at Jesus’s feet and washes them with her tears and then puts expensive oil on them. She repents of her sins.

What are you doing to repent of your sins?

Are you asking Jesus for forgiveness and accepting His Only Begotten Son as your Lord and Savior or are you just continuing on a path of sin?

Jesus forgives the sinful woman. Only God’s grace through faith saves us. This woman shows her true faith and love for Christ.

Where are you on the road of life? Are you going to God’s kingdom or are you headed to a dead end? Jesus honors faith.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Luke 7

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Luke:

Ask, Seek, and Knock on God’s Door

The True Christian Has Good Stored in His Heart

Scripture: John 4: 47-48

⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. ⁴⁸ Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

Scripture Commentary:

You may have read this scripture and felt the urgency in the nobleman’s plea to Jesus to heal his son who was about to die. When we encounter problems in life, do we take them to Jesus or try to deal with them ourselves? And if you take it to God, do you leave it with Him or do you get impatient and try to fix it yourself? If you do the latter, why take it to Him in the first place?

Ye of little faith!

The nobleman in John walked 20 miles, leaving his son home, not knowing if he would die while he was on his way to Jesus. But the man took Jesus’s word that his son was alive and he started back home. Jesus didn’t have to touch the son, or be in the house or town with the son. All Jesus did was speak the Word and the father believed.

Do you believe God will provide when you ask for His guidance? This is true faith that he will take care of you and answer your prayer. God will provide what you need.

Jesus’s miracles are not illusions. They are real miracles that were done over 2,000 years ago and are being done today.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

John 4

Read Other Commentary from the Book of John:

Works that Bear Fruit

Are You Spiritually Blind?

Scripture: Matthew 14: 28-29

²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” ²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

Scripture Commentary:

Peter calls Jesus saying, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you.” How can anyone walk on water? Peter and the disciples had just witnessed Jesus feed 5,000 plus people. This is a miracle for that’s impossible to do with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. So Peter asks Jesus to call to him.

Do you believe that Jesus will answer when you call to Him?

Do you believe He can do for you what you can’t do for yourself? Peter wasn’t testing Jesus. He was testing himself. And when you go to Jesus, you test yourself. Do you truly believe in God and that He can do for you?

Peter is the only disciple who asks Jesus for permission to come to Him. He’s the only one who had the faith. Where is your faith? Peter started to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus. When you take your life into your own hands and out of Jesus’s hands, you will sink also.

Do not focus on the difficult circumstances of the world. Go to Jesus for his power and stop trying to deal with your inadequacies.

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Matthew 14

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Matthew:

Welcome Jesus Into Your Life

Not Everyone Has a Relationship with God. What About You?

Scripture: Galatians 6: 7-9

⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Scripture Commentary: You will always harvest what you plant.

At planting time the farmer plants his crops. He plants beans in one field, corn in another, and wheat in yet another. At harvest he expects a yield of the crops he planted.

For debate, let’s say that at harvest the corn field yields tomatoes. If this happens, the farmer would return to the barn where he stored the seed to see if he planted the wrong seed. What if he didn’t plant the wrong seed but another crop was harvested?

We come into this world blameless but as we go through life we take on things we should not. We judge people, we gossip, and act as if we are of great importance.

Bad seed yields useless crops.

What kind of seeds are you planting in your life and what will be your harvest?

Read the Entire Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:

Galatians 6

Read Other Commentary From the Book of Galatians:

You Do Not Carry Your Burdens Alone

God Is Not a God of Confusion but of Truth