Tag: Bible study
What-Who is Taking the First Place-Luke 14:26-33
What-Who is Taking the First Place-Luke 14:26-33
In Luke chapter 14, from verse 26 to verse 33, we can see that it is all about what or who is taking the first place in our lives.
Are we putting the things of God first?
The only way for us, to do the first command of God, to love him with all our heart, mind and strength, is to be ready to put wife, children, money, houses, business or our own life on the second place of importance, after the things of God are taking the first place.
That is not easy and we often fall into the temptation to put our stuff fists in our life, and the things of God, second.
But God is either first in our life, or he is not in our life at all.
He will never be second, or on the second place in our life, because God, being the Creator and the source of everything, is the most important person in the Universe, and in eternity. He is the sole reason we exist, move and live on the earth.
He wants to be honoured by us giving him the first place in our life, before anybody or anything else, or he will not be willing to be in our lives at all.
To put anything else, or anybody else on the first place, means that we show God, that those people or things, are more important to us, and he will not have it.
Christian Bible Study-Who Gave More-Mark 12:43
Christian Bible Study-Who Gave More-Mark 12:43
If we consider the amount the widow put compared to the big amount of money the rich put in the temple treasury, we can see that the rich put more money than she. But in the eyes of God, she put more money.
There was something Jesus saw that she was doing, which the rich people did not. That something made her to put more money, in the eyes of God than all the rich people putting large amounts in. God was not looking at the amount in the box. He was looking for something else, which he wanted to see and was pleased with, which all the other rich people did not see.
Christian Bible Study-Revelation or Information-Matthew 11:25
Christian Bible Study-Revelation or Just Information-Matthew 11:25
God hides revelation from people, who are not born again from above, especially if they think they know better and rely on the wisdom of the world.
For those type of people, the Bible is just an information, or a book full with stories.
But to the children of God, who consider themselves to be poor in spirit, and seek God and his wisdom, God gives revelation, and to them, the Bible is not just an information, but a revelation.
We can read and understand the Word of God, only with our mind, to which it is only information, or we can read and understand the Bible with our heart, that is our born again spirit, and it becomes to us a revelation.
Christian Topics and Bible Study-Who Walks in Our Shoes?
Christian Topics and Bible Study-Who Walks in Our Shoes?
There is only one who does not need to walk in our shoes, because he knows everything about us, and understands us completely, and that is God. Every other person in this world, needs to walk in our shoes, because they do not know us, and often, do not understands us.
Christian Bible Study-God Has Victory in Mind for Us-1 Corinthians 10:13
Christian Bible Study-God Has Victory in Mind for Us-1 Corinthians 10:13
God did not promise us that we will not have problems and difficulties in life, when we became Christians.
God cares for us, and knows all the difficulties and problems we face in life. Therefore, he always will help us endure and pass through any test or trial. He never let us face difficulty without a way out for us, and without a victory. Every time we face a test or trial in our life, he has a victory in mind for us, just as Romans 8:35-37 tells us.
Faith and Deeds
In James 2:14-25, we can see that faith is very practical. It is not enough to have faith, and it is not enough to go to church. Faith does things.
We are not saved by good works, but good works prove that we are saved.
We are commanded by Jesus to love each other, so that others will see that, and recognise that we are Christians.
You see, others have to see that we love each other practically, and not only with words.
In 1 John 3:16-18 the Bible says that if we see a brother in need, but do not do anything to help him, we can not say, that we love each other. It is not only about feelings and affection, when we love each other. It is about practical matters, that we need to love each other.
It is very easy to say that we love others. Everybody can claim that they love others. But when it is down to showing it in a practical matter, then it proves, how much we love.
Many people claim to be religious, but do not have the power to live it. We who are born again, have the love of God in our hearts, which compels us, and makes us to love one another.
On one side, we have the love of God, in our hearts, but on the other side, we are also commanded to love one another. So, God has given us his love to be in us, but he also wants us to show action of love, about others.
We Have All Broke the Law-James 2:10
We Have All Broke the Law-James 2:10
In James 2:10, it says that if we brake one commandment of the Law, we have broken all of them.
There is not a single person in this world, who was able to live without sin, and not brake any of the commandments of God. Only Jesus was without sin, perfect as the Son of God.
In fact, we would not need Jesus to die on the cross for us, if it was possible for us to keep all of the commandments of the Law.
The Bible says that we have all sinned and have fallen short, of the glory of God. All means all, and there is no exception.
Although, we do not want to sin, because we have a new nature, a new creation from God, our born again spirit, which is who we are as a Christians, we do sin, by compromising with out weaknesses, and giving in to temptation from time to time, stimulated by the sinful nature which lives in our bodies.
In order for us, to be accepted by God, we need to be 100 percent perfect, all the time. But as we know, that is not possible, because of our failability and the sinful nature in us.
We-Sharpen Each Other in the Body
When we come, as the Body of Christ together, we influence each other, in a positive way, for our spiritual growth.
Proverbs 27:17 talks about one man sharpening another.
That is an interactions, and basically, I believe, it talks about one man helping another man to improve.
An iron as a tool, can be useful, only if it is sharp enough. If it is dull, it becomes useless.
So, for us to become mature in our Christian walk, and to grow spiritually, we need each other. The Bible says that when we come together, one has a psalm, another a revelation, and so on, so that the parts of the Body of Christ, can serve each other.
Only when we come together as Christians, we can mature and grow spiritually together.
It is like the parts of the human body. Each parts needs the other parts in order to function, grow, and fulfil its function in the body.
Everything in Our Disposal
By the grace of God, we have everything in our disposal, which God has for us as a blessing, either spiritual, or material.
The Bible says that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing from our God and Father, in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.
We are already given all the blessings God has for us, and they are there all the time, waiting for us to receive them by faith.
In Luke 15:31, 32, we can see that the son did not realise, that everything his father has, is in his disposal, therefore, he never received anything from his father. Perhaps he was waiting on his father to give him things. But the father told him, that everything is in his disposal, and he could have anything he wanted, any time.
Maybe we, as Christians, very often do not have the blessings God has for us, because are thinking in a similar way, not realising, that all we need to do, is to ask from God and receive, because Jesus said that whoever asks, receives.
We have to ask, and receive by faith from God, based on his grace for us.
Growing in Love-1 Thessalonians 3:12
We as Christians, want to grow in love, and be able to love not only our friends, and family, but to love even our enemies, as we are commanded.
But if we look carefully at this verse in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, we can see plainly that it is God who makes us love other people, and it is not just us loving them. The Bible says the love of God, is in our hearts. His love in us enables us to love others, and not just our own effort.
In fact this verse says that God can make our love for other to increase, and overflow. That is growing in love. That is how we grow in love. We have to grow in faith, in his grace, in love, and many other areas of our Christian life. And it is the Holy Spirit in us, who makes us grow in love, faith or any other area. It is not by our own decision or will only! We can not make ourselves grow in the love for others. It is God in us, who does that.
No Revelation, No Fruit – Matthew 13:11-23
When we look at Matthew 13:11-23, we can clearly see that it talks about a spiritual seeing and hearing, about the things of God. In verse 15, it says that a person understands with their heart. I believe, that is talking about revelation from God. To understand the things of God with the heart, means to understand them with our born again spirit, which receives the revelation from the Holy Spirit, living in us.
In fact, if we have only a head knowledge of the Bible, we can mess things up, because the Bible, which is the Word of God, is a spiritual book, the very Word of God, and its author, is the Holy Spirit, who inspired people through the ages, to write the thoughts and words of God, on paper.
Verse 23 talks about understanding the Word. That is understanding by revelation in our spirit from the Holy Spirit. That is define telly not an understanding of the mind. It is about revelation.
Only that type of revelation, will produce the good fruit, verse 23 is talking about.
Bible Study-Christian Topics-You are Needed in the Body of Christ-1 Corinthians 14:26
Never say or think that you do not have what to contribute and give to the body of Christ, the Church!
God has placed each one of us, in the body of Christ, so that we can serve each other, and contribute to the spiritual growth of one another.
If we look at 1 Corinthians 14:26, we can clearly see, that apostle Paul says that EACH one of us, has something to contribute and give to other Christians, when we come together to serve God and one another. That verse clearly says ‘each of you’! That means each of us. You are not excluded. The body of Christ needs you, to contribute to its spiritual growth, in your own unique way, in the way God has gifted you individually! He has placed gifts in each one of us, and that includes you!
Never say you do not have what to give in serving other Christians! You do! Just ask God to help you discover in what way he has gifted you to serve the body of Christ.
You do not have to be like other Christians! You have your own unique gift from God. He wants you to be you, not like some other christian.
Like a body, we all look different, and have a different function in that body! But that is what makes you valuable and needed in the body of Christ!
Deserving vs. Grace – Luke 15:18-32
When we read about the two sons in Luke chapter 15, we can see that both brothers, missed the point.
One of them thought, that because he was doing everything his father required of him to do, deserves to be given good gifts from his father, for his own obedience and performance. So he thought, that because he was doing everything right in the eyes of his father, he deserved to be given good gifts. He thought himself of worthy of the the good gifts, because he has worked for them.
The other brother, because of his sinful life, and bad performance, thought that he could never again deserve to receive anything good from his father. He thought that in order to receive a good acceptance and good things from his father, he had to live a righteous life, and do things which his father would expect from him to do. But because he messed things up, he started to believe, that it is finished, and there would not be anymore acceptance or a gift from his father.
Both of the brothers, were looking at the wrong thing, and that wrong thing were their own actions in life. Everything depended on their own performance, on their own conduct, on their own works.
Both of them completely ignored the fact, that they both belonged to their own father, as his own children. Regardless of their way of life, they were the children of their own father, and nothing could change that ever.
But the father, was emphasizing to both of them, the fact, that because both of them were his own children, that is enough, for him to accept them, and give them good gifts, just because he was their own father, and they were his children. It had nothing to do with how they lived, or what they did.
We as Christians, have the divine nature in us, by being born again from the Holy Spirit, and being given the right, to become children of the living God, our Father in heaven.
We are God’s children, we are part of him, and his Holy Spirit lives in us. We belong to him, because we have accepted everything that Jesus did for us on the cross, and by his Resurrection from the grave.
That is the grace of God, that he gives us every good thing, nob because of how holy lives we live, but because we belong to him as his own children. That is his own grace given to us as sons and daughters.
We have to live a holy life, but that is never why God gives us good gifts. It is all because of him, and not because of us.
Fear or Faith
In Genesis 32:7-11, we can see how fear of what may happen and fear of the circumstances, put the faith of Jacob in the promise of God on hold.
God has promised Jacob, what he will do with him in the future, and how he will bless him in the future, and now, because of his brother Esau, Jacob was afraid, and start reasoning and planning, how to save himself.
Jacob was paralyzed with fear and unbelief about the promise of God. Yes, he prayed to God, but if you look in verse 7, he was afraid. That shows, that Jacob had more faith in the circumstances and what may happen to him, than in the promise of God.
If a man chosen by God, like Jacob, had his faith shaken at times, by doubting the promise of God, then we as Christians, should not be surprised or anxious, that our faith in God’s Word is tested at times.
The life of Jacob shows us, that no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, what God intends for our life and his purpose for us will prevail. God will not allow anything to happen to us, unless he allows it, and until he fulfills his purpose in our lives.
Do Not Blame God – Revelation 16:9
Very often, when people are in trouble, and are suffering, they tend to say things like “Why did God do this to me?”
In the book of Revelation 16:9, we see that people blamed God, and were blaspheming his name, instead of turning to him, not only because he has control over any calamity, but because he cares for us, to take us out of suffering, and not let us suffer.
He is called the God of hope and the God of peace. He is called also the God of all comfort. That is why, we should not blame God for our problems, or suffering. Suffering comes mainly from the sinful inclination and nature of men, and from the enemy, but not from God.
We should not blame God for anything negative or suffering which happens to us. God is Love, and he is good, and he will never want to hurt us or put us in suffering. What a earthly father would like to put their child in a situation to suffer? He did not create us and put us on this earth, in order to torture us or give us plenty of suffering. Think about the fist people, Adam and Eve. He created the best environment and place for them to live, the garden of Eden. The original word ‘Eden’ in the Hebrew means ‘enjoyment’.
God is perfect, and he does everything in a perfect way. He never makes a mistake. Even when he disciplines us, it is for our good, to make us share in his holiness.
God Considers Our Suffering – 2 Corinthians 1:3-11
God will either deliver you from suffering, or if not, will give you the strength and grace, to pass trough it and endure it.
We as Christians suffer sometimes, when we ignore the Word of God, because our unbelief, or our sin.
Difficulties make us do or discover some good things which we would not do or discover otherwise.
When we worry about the future, which we do not know, it prevents us from functioning and enjoying living in the present, which we know.
We all have reasons, to be troubled, but the Word of God, gave us a greater reason, not to be troubled.
The Holy Spirit is called a Helper! Therefore, no Christian can be helpless again!
2 Corinthians 1:3-11, Psalm 128:1,2, Psalm 8:9, 10, Psalm 9:18, Psalm 10:14, 17, Psalm 18:4,5,6, Psalm 56:8, Psalm 112:4,6, Psalm 119:50,52,92,93,107, Lamentations 3:1-66, Isaiah 61:1-3, Psalm 68:19
Why Unanswered Prayer is Sometimes Better – Luke 10:38-42
We can see in the Bible, it is sometimes, better for us, if God does not answer our prayers.
We say “I have prayed and prayed, and done this or that, but God does not answer my prayers”.
Sometimes, we think, that we will be most happy, and be satisfied, if God answered all our prayers, but God does not think so.
Jesus prayed “not my will but yours be done”.
If we look at Luke 10:38-42, we can see that Mary ‘prayed’ to Jesus, but he did not answer her ‘prayer’. She thought, that if she is serving and preparing a meal, for Jesus, that is what is the most important. But Martha did not even pray. She just sat at the feet of Jesus, and was listening to him. And that is what God approved and said that it is more important.
I am sure Martha was disappointed that Jesus did not want to help her and answer her plea, although she thought she was doing the best thing she could do, to serve her Lord. But, that was not the case.
Very often, we believe that we should pray for certain things, and ask God to help us, and we think, that he cares for that. But look at Martha. She asked Jesus if he does not care about her preparations. And he did not care.
We often think that God should care for some of the things we do in life, even if they are for serving him, like the case with Martha, preparing the meal. But he does not.
We have to find first of all, what God considers important that we do, and not we to figure out, what we think is important for us, to do for God. How you do that? Ask him. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask, and it will be given to him”.
Very often, our prayers are not answered, not because we do not have enough faith, but because they are not what God thinks should be given to us, even if we think, that it is.
So obviously, faith is not enough, to get prayers answered.
Suffering And Prayer-No Despair-Luke 22:44
When we face difficulty, we often sink into a despair instead of prayer.
But we can see how Jesus dealt with extreme difficulty. When he was in the hour to be handed into the hands of those who wanted to kill him, he prayed more fervently.
Instead of talking about the problem, and how big it is, we better pray, and remember that our God is most powerful.
It is easy when we are in distress, to focus our attention of how we feel, and complain about our suffering. But Jesus did not do that. He prayed more intensively when he was facing one of the most difficult moments, in his time on earth.
More difficulty, more prayer, instead of letting us sink into despair.
Bible Study-Self Righteousness vs. Grace-Luke 18:9-14
If we think that we can be righteous enough, by the way we live before God, we cut ourselves from the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Of course, we have to aim to live righteously before God, but that should not be our focus, about our standing with God, because it is all about the righteousness of God in us through Christ Jesus, that God is looking at.
One of the men in Luke 18:9-14, thought that he can be righteous before God, and therefore accepted by God, just by the moral life he lived and the things he was doing for God. He thought ‘I can be righteous enough for God, so that God will accept me, because of the things I do for God’. So the grace of God, did not have place in his life, because he thought that he does not need it. The tax collector, was the poor in spirit man.
The other man, was repentant, and was looking for the mercy and the forgiveness of God for himself. He thought ‘Hey, I need the mercy and the grace of God for me, because I have done so many things wrong’. He just could not see himself able to be right with God, by the way he lived.
In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said that poor in spirit, have the Kingdom of heaven.
I believe to be poor in spirit, means that we do not think, that we can live righteously enough before God, ever, therefore, we need his grace in our lives. We can never be rich enough in our spiritual walk with God, so that we can fulfill the requirements of the Law, or keep God’s commands always, because it says in the Epistle of James, that if we brake one of the commands of God, we have broken all of them. And we know, that it is not possible for us, to keep all the commands of God, all the time. The moment we realise that, we become poor in spirit, and we need the grace of God, and his gift of righteousness in Christ, in order to be accepted by God as righteous.
You Do Not Need to Fish-Luke 5:6-11
We can see very clearly here in Luke 5:6-11, that first of all, it is the blessing of the Lord that brings prosperity and abundance, and not our effort.
Yes, we need to work, and we get blessings by the wages for our work, but God, has a blessings for us, which are not dependent at all, on our work, effort, education, professional experience, but are just based on his grace for us.
Our effort can sometimes be fruitless, as it was for Peter and the others, when they worked whole night, but caught no fish.
And then Jesus comes, and shows them that provision comes from him, first of all, and not from their labour.
Jesus wanted to show them, that when they are with him, there is always an abundant provision. The main thing is to be with him, and follow him.
When Peter saw the amount of fish that they had, after they listened to the instruction of Jesus, he realised, that it is better to listen to the Word of God, instead to figure out, how best to deal with circumstances. Peter just applied his faith in the words of Jesus, and did what Jesus told him to do, and there was the miracle of catching a lot of fish.
That is the lesson for us, to do what Jesus says, even if it does not make sense in our circumstances. Then, we can expect the miracles to happen.
Spiritual Warfare Job 1:6-19
If you are are a born again Christian, you have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of light. You are in the light and you have in you, the one who is Light, because the Bible says that God is Light. Ephesians 5:8.
When light comes, darkness disappears.
In the first and second chapters from the book of Job, we can see, that the enemy, can not touch a born again Christian, a child of God, because God has provided a hedge, or protection for every one of his saints, every Christian like he did for Job. If he did it for Job in the Old Testament, how much more he will do it for us, who are under the New Testament.
Only if God permits, the enemy can attack a Christian like he did with Job.
If a Christian walks in the light of God’s Word, the enemy can not touch them. 1 John 5:18
Only if a Christian disobeys God and does not walk in the ways of his Word, only then he opens a door for the enemy – Ephesians 4:26, 27.
That is why, we are commanded in Ephessians chapter 6, to put all the armor of God.
Another thing to notice in Job 1:16, 18, is that people thought that it was God who caused the natural or supernatural calamity, but it was not God doing that. It was the enemy doing that. Often, when something bad happens in the life of people, one of the first questions he or she asks is “Why God has punished me like this, and make me suffer like this?” But that is not God. It is the enemy.
Provision Guaranteed – Mark 8:1-8
It is interesting to note here in Mark 8:1-8, that Jesus took the initiative to provide for his followers.
They have been listening to his teaching, and following him, for three days, and did not have what to eat. But, Jesus did not only look for listeners and followers.
He just saw, that if anybody follows him, a provision for what they need, is guaranteed.
Think about it. God provides even for unbelievers. He feeds them, clothes them, and gives them life, breath, and everything they need, by his common grace.
And we not only follow him, but we are his chosen possession, his children and priests.
Just as he has promised in Matthew 6:33, that if we seek his Kingdom first, everything of what we need, will be provided.
And here is another lesson about giving God a seed to multiply.
Jesus did not just create miraculously bread and fish for them, although he could, because he created the Universe. He asked them to give him something. That was like giving God a material seed to multiply.
You may be saying ‘But I do not have enough money to give for the Gospel’. Look, he is not asking for much, but he is asking for something for you to give him. He wants you to sow into his Kingdom. Then he takes what you give for his Kingdom, and multiplies it.
As much as we give for his Kingdom, and follow him, a provision will be guaranteed.
Mark 8:1-8 shows that God will never forsake us or forget about us or our needs (Hebrews 13:5). He is watching for our needs to satisfy them, just as he has promised in his Word.
Do Not Give Pearls to Pigs-Mark 6:11
Sometimes, we as a Christians, are trying to convince non-believers, to believe in God, and accept Jesus as their Savior.
I believe, that we are called to share the Gospel with non-believers, but it is up to them, to believe it or not.
We are not called to persuade them, or make them believe. The Holy Spirit is the one, who will convict them of sin, and will help them believe, if they are willing to accept the Gospel.
Our logical arguments, will not make their heart born again.
Jesus said that we should not give pearls to pigs, because they will trample on them.
What are those pearls? I think that is the Word of God.
We do not need to give the Word of God, to people who completely ignore it, and do not want to hear, what it says.
The Word of God is the most precious, like pearls, but the pigs can not appreciate the value of it, so they trample on it.
Shake the dust off your feet, and leave that place, because the value of the pearls, is not appreciated there.
Every Blessing by Grace – Matthew 20:9-15
Very often in life, we as Christians, think that we must work out, earn, deserve any blessing from God. We think that if we do not perform well enough in our spiritual walk with God, then perhaps, he will restrict his blessings to us, until we repent, do better, or work out to earn the blessing.
That is called self-righteousness. That is what the Pharisees tried to do. They thought that by obeying the Law, they could earn their blessings and salvation from God. It all depended on their performance of how holy is their life before God.
But the Bible tells us that Grace and Truth came by the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Gospel of John 1:17.
If we look at the parable of Jesus, in Matthew 20:9-15, we can clearly see, especially in verse 15, that God can decide to give free gifts to those he wants to give, without them needing to work for those gifts.
In verse 15, Jesus clearly says, that giving to the workers who started work latter a bigger wage, was depending on his grace, and not on their performance or how many hours they have worked.
So it is very clear, that the blessings God gives us, are clearly by his grace, depending on his grace for us, and not on our performance, effort or work for him, and not on how holy we live before him! His generosity came out of his grace.
Difference of Opinions And Disagreements-Philippians 3:15
Very often, in nearly every Church, there are Christians, with a different opinions about the same topic. And you ask yourself the question ‘Why different Christians think differently, about the same topic or part of the Bible.’
Now can it be, that we all who are born again, have the Holy Spirit in us, and still disagree, about the same Scripture?
Well, even Apostle Paul permitted other born again Christians, to disagree with him on some topics, and to have a different opinion.
If you look very carefully what the literal translation of Philippians 3:15 says, you will find out, that it talks about God giving a revelation to that person with the different opinion.
Paul is saying something like this ‘Well, you think like this, then may God give you a revelation about it.’
The reason that Apostle Paul, who wrote a big part of the New Testament, allows other Christians to have a different opinion about the things of God, is because he knew, that the truth about the things of God, can be revealed to a person, by God himself.
The Bible tells us, that the Holy Spirit will teach us all things, and I believe, that He will teach us first of all, all things about the Word of God.
We can have our own human interpretation of the Bible, but there is a revelation from God, about what that part of Scripture means.
So we have two types of interpretations;
One by our own human thinking, and the other by revelation from the Holy
Spirit.
Oh, may God the Father gives us more revelation in knowing him, and interpreting his Word, by his Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus! Amen!
Seek First the Kingdom of God- Haggai 1:3-11
Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of minding our own business first, and then, after that doing the things of God, or for God.
Jesus said that we should first seek the Kingdom of God, and all other things after that.
God wants to take the first place in our lives, because he deserves it. He is the First and the Last, and he wants to be first always.
He is either Lord of all, or not at all, in our lives. It is up to us if we give him the first place or not.
Of course, we are not perfect, and many times we give place to our own ideas, plans, desires and schedules, instead of God’s, but our aim, is to give God the priority. It is not easy to do that, but by his grace he can help us to let him take the first place in our life.
If we give God the first place in our life, then there is going to be a blessing for us, in our daily activities.
We can see very clearly, in Haggai 1:3-11, that because people neglected taking care for the house of God, but did not neglect their own houses, God restricted their daily blessing in various areas of their lives. They had put the effort to their best in the various areas of their life and work, but there was a little result.
Unless there is blessing from God, the rest is just human effort, regardless of the activity or task.
May God the Father help us to put him first, always in our daily life, as he deserves, in the name of Jesus, because only by his Holy Spirit in us, and by his grace, we will be able to do that.
Being Filled With the Fullness of God-Ephesians 3:18-19
The Bible talks about us, born again Christians, having the fullness of God. But how?
If you look at verse 19, you will see that it talks about knowing the love of God.
Now, we know that the love of God is poured out in our heart, by the Holy Spirit as the Bible says.
Obviously, we will never be able to fully grasp the love of God, and yes, we can experience it, but we can not understand or explain it, because it is too wide, too deep, too high, without limit.
Actually verse 19 says that the love of God surpasses knowledge. You see that? Our brain or mind is too limited to grasp or comprehend the love of God. And anyway, the love of God is in our hearts, not in our minds. And according to verse 19, to have the fullness of God, is to know the love of God, and that is, to not just know about the love of God, but to know it, to have experienced the love of God.
If you are a born again believer, you definitely have the love of God in your heart, and that means you can experience the love of God. And once you ‘know’ or experience the love of God, you have the fullness of God.
Self Esteem – 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
What do people look for in this life, when they look for importance and meaning?
People in this world think that if you are not educated enough, are not looking good, are not having a lot of money and material possessions, and do not have a status or prestige, you are a failure.
But, God never created failures, because we are created in his image. We may fail, and make mistakes, in various areas of our lives, but that does not mean that we are failures.
God has chosen those who are considered nothing or failures in this world by others, to show that we all have value and potential in God’s eyes, regardless of our weaknesses, mistakes, looks, and whatever the so called “successful” people consider to be lowly or despised.
No one is despised or considered less or of no value by God. He sees all of us, in the same way, because he has put his image in us.
That is why God chose the lowly, despised things or people in this world, to show those who think that they are more that others, that they are no better.
Jesus said that what men consider of importance is despised in the eyes of God.
Never look yourself in the mirror and think that you are not beautiful enough, or clever enough, or able enough, for whatever in this life, because God sees you as the beautiful one, the clever one, the able one. We are the crown of his creation, that is the top of his creation.
So no matter who you are, or what others think about you, remember, you are that ‘diamond’, that ‘precious jewel’, the best of God’s creation, and will always be.
Psalm 16:3, says that God delights in you, if you are his child, born of his Holy Spirit, regardless of your education, looks, money, possessions, or else…
Jesus is Powerful in Us – 2 Corinthians 13:3
Very often, just by looking at our circumstances, all we see, is how we fail, or are weak. But that is not what the Bible tells about us. If you are a born again Christian, then you have the Holy Spirit and his power in you! Apostle Paul said “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Jesus knows that we have weaknesses, but he always wants to show himself powerful in us and through us.
The Bible says in Romans 8:11, that the Holy Spirit gives live to our mortal bodies. Do you see that? We have the life of God in us. That live helps us to be powerful. That is why Jesus is powerful in us. He is powerful to help us to resist temptation, to overcome sickness, or whatever other things we may be facing today. He does it, because he said that he will be with us always.
He does not want us to be weak but strong, that is why, his power is manifested in us most, when we are weak.
We are called ‘Christians’. That means that we are like Jesus. Well, Jesus was never weak when he was on earth, but has shown us how powerful he is, by all the miracles he did, like raising the dead, healing the sick, calming the storm, walking on water and many other. That is powerful. And he said that we will do the things he does. How can we do the things he does, if we are weak. No, he is powerful in us and through us, that is why we are powerful to do the things he did, while on earth and forever.
Money to Sow, Money to Reap-2 Corinthians 9:6-15
God tells us that he wants us to give financially, according to what amount we really want to give for his work on earth. He does not want us to give, more than we really want to give, just because somebody else said so, or because we must give more, than the amount we want to give! No, he knows what we think in our hearts, and knows exactly how much we really want to give each time. If you give more than you really want to give in your heart, perhaps that will not be well accepted in the same way in heaven.
He accepts the amount your heart wants to give, not the amount you drop in the basket.
Only when we give that amount, according to how much we want to give in our hearts, for God’s work on earth, only then we will become a cheerful giver, because he knows the amount we really want to give, and the amount we are not willing to give.
God wants to bless us in all things, abundantly, at all times, not just occasionally, but at all times, because that is what it says in the Word of God.
And one of the reason God wants to bless us abundantly, is that we can give for his work on earth.
Perhaps you say, “Well, I do not have what to give”. Hhm… Look, the Bible says that God is the one, who provides the seed for the sower. So, if you want to sow financially for the work of God on earth, he will provide you with the seed, that is the money for you to sow. Just ask God to give you the seed, because he has promised to provide it for us.
Another thing to consider when we give to other Christians financially, is that that will produce also a praise and thanksgiving in their hearts to God, for his supplying their need through you! So that not only supplies their need, but will bring glory and praise to God too.
And notice in verse 14, that the reason they could give to others, was because of the grace God has given them. There is a grace from God to us, as a gift, which makes us more willing to give to the work of God on earth. That is his grace working in us too.
You Are a Champion
When we fall into all sorts of trouble, often the first thing we look at, is our defeat and weakness. We think that we become a victim.
But God, never sees as a victim! He just can not, because he never created us to be a victim of circumstances or anything else.
His plan from the very beginning was that we will be created in his image. Do you know what that means? It means that God just can not see us as a victims, no matter what happens to us, because we have been created to be the crown, the top of all his creation.
We were created to reign on this earth, to rule over all the earth, from the beginning.
That is why the Bible says that all things work for good, for those who love God. He makes even our worst mess, into a triumph, in his own way.
That is why he said to his own people Israel, that they will be the head and not the tail.
No matter what happens to us, how much we fail or mess up, the desire of God is always to helps us in some way, and make us somehow triumph above our mess or suffering. He does it, not us. And he knows how.
He wants us to be a kingdom of kings and priests, not a kingdom of victims. He never created a kingdom of victims. In his kingdom there are no victims, but only victors, and that is for his glory! A victor brings the glory to God, by his victory, but a victim can bring only defeat.
Temptations – 1 Corinthians 10:13
God is never going to let us be tested, more than we can cope with. That is what 1 Corinthians 10:13 is saying.
The original word for ‘temptation’ in the Greek, also means ‘testing’.
God always provides the solution with the problem, as we can see in so many examples in the Bible. For example, Joseph had to go to prison, but eventually God used his bad experience for good, to save from famine many people, including his family.
The bigger the problem, the bigger the solution.
The problem is with us, very often not being able to see the solution. So when we are in a difficult situation, we often think, that is all that we have got. But not according to 1 Corinthians 10:13, because it says that God will always give us a way out of the difficulty.
It is not easy to believe that when we are in a difficulty, but that is what it says.
He cares for us as much in the problem, so in the solution. He cares for us in a good or bad situation, because he has promised in the Bible, that he cares for us, and because he does not change and is faithful.
He provides a grace for us to endure and go through the test.
Spiritual Growth 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Not all Christians are on the same spiritual maturity level.
Some of us need a very simple basic explanation about the things of God, about the basics of our faith. But, others, by using their spiritual senses, have grown to a spiritual maturity, to understand the deeper things of our faith.
When we become born again from the Holy Spirit, we are like spiritual babies. So we need a spiritual milk. But after that, we decide how much we will grow in the things of God.
For example, we decide daily how often or how much we will spend time with God in prayer, or how often and how much we will read the Word of God. Those who meditate on the Word of God and read it a lot, will be spiritually growing and being transformed faster. But those of us, who do not read the Word of God often and enough, will still be like spiritual babies in Christ.
Yes the Holy Spirit in us, makes us grow spiritually, but we also decide how we grow.
Apostle Paul talks about the two type of spiritual food in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Hebrews 5:12, 13, 14
In Hebrews 5:14, Paul is talking about the Christians, who have become mature, by using their spiritual senses, and have trained themselves.
Milk and solid food. One for the mature, the other for the babies.
You see, we will not be able to understand the deeper things of God, if we are fed only the spiritual milk. We decide to mature, by spending time with God in prayer, by reading his Word, by going to church, and then, the close we come to him, the closer He will come to us. That is how we grow.
Faith Hope Circumstances-Romans 4:18-21
Believing God’s promises in faith, for a change in our circumstances, is not a denial of what is happening in our circumstances, and is not a denial of the obvious facts.
We can see clearly, that Abraham was aware of the fact, that the body of Sara his wife, was old, and that she was not able to have children, and that his own body was old too.
He was fully aware of the facts. But he also knew the eternal Truth, the Word of God.
He did not deny the obvious facts. But the facts were not all that there was. He had the promise of God. He just was convinced that the promise of God is more powerful, than the age of his own and Sara’s bodies. But why did he believe that?
He had a choice to make. To believe what he sees with his physical eyes, or to believe what he sees with his spiritual eyes.
Because he knew God personally, he knew who God was. The God who created the heavens and the earth by his Word. That is why, the circumstance had to bend, and obey the Word of God. They had to, like they did, when God was creating the heaven and earth.
If someone is having an illness in their body, they should not pretend that the illness does not exist in their body, but they should pay attention, to the Word of God, because the illness does not have the final word. God, who said ‘I am the First and the Last’, has the final word always.
Led by the Spirit-Romans 8:14
We all know and very often hear from various preachers, that those who are led by the Spirit, are the children of God. That is taken from Romans 8:14.
But we can not just take one verse from the Bible, out of context, and make a doctrine of it.
Yes, God guides his children by his Holy Spirit, but in Romans 8:13, 14, it very clearly talks about the Holy Spirit helping us in our struggle against sin. That is what those two verses of chapter 8:13, 14 are about.
It is not saying anything about making decisions, or being guided by the Holy Spirit, when making a decision.
Yes, we can be guided by the Holy Spirit when making decisions, but these two verses here, are not talking about that.
Daily Battle Spirit-Flesh Romans 7:22
The daily Christian life is a battle, between the things of the Spirit, and the things of the flesh.
We are given a choice daily to choose, which one we will follow, the desires of the Holy Spirit in us, or the desires of the sinful nature in us. The choice is ours.
The Holy Spirit will give us the grace and strength to fight against the flesh on a daily basis, but we make the choice to take what He has provided, and use it to fight against the flesh.
The Bible clearly says that we have not struggled against sin to the point of shedding blood yet.
We are tempted, Jesus was tempted just as we are, and Apostle Paul was tempted, everyday.
We see in Romans chapter 7, that Apostle Paul was struggling with the sinful nature in him, as a born again Christian.
We have inherited the sinful nature from Adam, but we also have been given the new nature, our born again spirit, which is one with the Holy Spirit in us.
God will not make us fight the sinful nature in us. But He has given us everything we need to fight it and conquer it, because the Bible tells us, that we are more than conquerors, in Christ Jesus.
Does it mean, that because we have everything from God in us, to fight and conquer the sinful nature, that we will not be tempted and sin? No, it does not! We can fall and sin at any time. But, all that we need to be victorious over sin is in us from God.
Of course, we may fall into sin any time, and in the future, but because of difficult circumstances and pressure, and not because we want.
Our born again spirit, our divine nature given us in our heart, by the Holy Spirit, makes us to desire to do the will of God, and to do the right thing – 1 John 3:9
May God the Father help us to conquer the sinful nature in us, by the help of the Holy Spirit in us, always, in the name of Jesus! Amen! Because, without his help, we are done, we will sin!
Testing of Our Faith – James 1:2-4
How many of us, will consider it pure joy, when we are in a tight and difficult place?
I do not know about you, but I am not very often joyful, when I am in a difficult situation. Yet the Word of God tells us, that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
The reason we should consider it pure joy, when we are under various trials, is because, of the end result of those trials.
You see, the end result by all those trials, is that we become more mature as Christians.
Difficult situations, develop our perseverance, and character.
We are born with a particular temperament, but we develop a character. And for a character to be developed, it has to go through all sorts of situations, good and bad, and not just the good.
Our faith will be tested by difficult situations, and if it passes the test, it will develop perseverance in us, and the perseverance will make us more mature in our walk with God. That is why we have to consider it a pure joy.
We Are Protected – Acts 27:24
We are protected from God, and the amazing thing is, that nothing can happen to us, if God does not allow it to happen. No sparrow will fall to the ground, if God does not allow it to happen.
Think about it. Just because God wanted Apostle Paul to go to Rome, to see Caesar, God by his grace, did not allow any of those sailing with Paul on the ship, to perish, regardless of the storm and the shipwreck, they had to go through.
People also tried to catch Jesus and kill, him, but the Bible says that his time had not come yet. So they could not. Only when the time for Jesus to go on the cross came, only then they sized him and crucified him.
We can also think of king David, how God did not allow him to be killed, in so many battles that David had to go through.
Faith is What We Look At Luke 5:5
We will never receive anything from the Lord, and will not have a miracle, if we continue, to analyse, calculate and figure out, what to do in the circumstances of our life, instead of, looking at what God has said in his Word about it. We can work hard, think hard, analyse by our human understanding, but, we will still not figure out, what is best to do, in order for us, to get what we need.
Very often, what God tells us in his Word, to do, will not make a common sense to us, and will offend our way of thinking, and analyzing what is best to do. It will often go against our way of thinking, and would not make sense.
God has said that his thoughts, are not like our thoughts, and his ways, are not like our ways. So, the way he sees our situation will often be very different, than the way we see it.
Our way of thinking about the circumstances of our life, will often leave us fruitless, without the results we want to see.
But, if we choose to do what he says in his Word, instead of what we think is the best to do, we will see a miracle from him, and will get what we need from him, by faith, and not by logic.
Tradition vs. Heart
There are two things to consider, when we read these passages. The first thing is that God looks at the heart of man. The second is, that man sees only the outside ceremonies, and traditional religious duties, but does not see the heart of other people.
Now, we can clearly see here, that there are many traditional religious things, which a man can invent and practice. There are plenty of philosophies and religions in the world today, but the people practicing them, do not have the Holy Spirit, because, they do not believe in Jesus, and are not born again. And Jesus said that we need to be born again. Only the born again Christians, have a new heart, new creation given from God.
God does not care about our man-made religious rules, regulations and ceremonies. He cares about the state of our heart (spirit), if it is changed and born again from God or not! Because only a born again Christian, can do the commandments of God, because the Holy Spirit will give him power and grace to do that!
If a person is not born again from the Holy Spirit, he would not have the power and the grace to do the commandments of God, and to live the Christian life! Because the Christian life is supernatural.
That is why, Jesus did not care about their traditions and ceremonies, because their heart was not transformed and changed by them.
People can go to hell by taking with them, their religion. Religion is only for the body, and the mind, but does not change the heart. Only God makes the heart a new creation.
That is why in these verses, we can see that Jesus was looking at the heart of people, and not the external form of religion.
God the Father, is looking for people who will worship him by their born again spirits, which is with the heart. Only the born again spirit-heart of man, has eternal life from God, because it has become one with the Holy Spirit.
Miracles-Some Believe Some Do Not
Matthew 28:17
It is interesting, that when we read about the miracles that Jesus did in the New Testament, some people believed in him, but some others did not. And, what is more, after seeing the miracles of Jesus, some people like the pharisees, decided even to kill him. So the miracles of Jesus, make some people believe in him, and give their life to him, but the same miracles make some people reject Jesus, and say that those miracles are not valid, and they actually go away from Jesus.
In Matthew 28:17 shows that even some of the disciples of Jesus doubted and did not believe in him, when they saw him after his resurrection, and that is after they have been with him for a long time, and have seen so many miracles that Jesus did.
Some saw him and worshipped him, but the others doubted him.
So the miracles of God make some people believe in God, but make others doubt and even reject the miracles as a nonsense.
Grace vs. Performance-Matthew 20:14-15
In these verses, we can see that the grace of God for us, does not depend on what we have done, or not done for God, and does not depend on us, how holy or righteous we live, before God. God decides to give his grace to us, based on his great love for us, because He is Love, and not because of what we have done! He loved us, even before we were saved – John 3:16.
The grace of God for us is entirely depended on who God is, and what He has done for us through Jesus, and does not depend on what we have done or not done.
Holiness is Christ in us.
God’s Thoughts Care and Protection for Us-Psalm 40
Verse 1, 2, 3
If you are in the pit of suffering, and feel helpless and worried, know that God’s desire is to take you out of your suffering, and to make all your paths and things in your life, stable and secure in him! He hears your cry for help! He wants to make you stable in the circumstances of your life, and to make you immovable. He wants to replace the cry in your heart, with a song of praise to Him!
Blessings come only when we trust in God. That is faith to receive from him.
Verse 5
God has countless good thoughts for us, and all his thoughts are motivated by his love because He is Love. All his thoughts for us are good, and are blessing! No one of them is a condemnation!
Verse 10
God wants us to speak to others, about Him and his love which is Himself, and truth which is his Word.
Verse 11, 12
Does not matter how many problems or suffering we have in life, because of the great mercy, compassion and love of God for us, He will deliver us and help us! He is never going to withhold his love or compassion for us, regardless of our spiritual performance before him, and regardless of the circumstances we are in.
Verse 16
We can only be glad in Him (God), when we search for Him, until we find him. Seekers will be finders.
Verse 17
When we are suffering, God is mindful of us and our suffering! He has not forgotten about it! He never will! Helps comes from Him, in a time of need, because of his grace, love and mercy for us!
Spiritual Growth-Hebrews 5:11-14
We as Christians, have a different level of spiritual growth. Some of us are on a higher level of growth, but others are on a lower level.
I believe that to some degree, we decide on what level of spiritual growth we will be. Yes God makes us grow spiritually, but we also have a part to play in that.
As we can see in this passage of Scripture, we can become spiritually deaf, meaning, we would not understand the things of God and his Word, the way he would like us to. To be spiritually deaf, means we lack a revelation from God, especially about his Word.
I believe the milk this passage is talking about, is the level or amount of revelation, we have received from God, mainly about his Word. The meat described is for a higher level of revelation or about more revelation from God, but notice, it is given to those who are spiritually mature or grown up, and not for babies.
It says in the Gospels, that to the one who has, more will be given, but to the one who has not, it will be taken away from him. I believe it is about a revelation from God. The christian who has a revelation from God, about the Word of God, more will be give to him, because he already uses the revelation given him from God previously. But the person who does not use the little revelation he has received from God, will possibly loose that one also, because it will be taken away from him…maybe..
Psalm 119:17-24
Verse 17
The more we know that God loves us, the more naturally we respond to his love, and want to follow him.
Verse 18
Revelation. We need more revelation from God, to really see and grasp the real meaning of His Word. Without a revelation from heaven, all we have, is a head knowledge.
Verse 19
We are just passengers on this earth, and our life here on earth is a just a stop, towards our destination.
Verse 20
When the Holy Spirit is upon us, and working in us, He will make us more willing to know the ways of God. It is His doing in us, not just our wishful thinking or will power.
Verse 23
When God and his Spirit are working in us, it produces a desire to know God more, and we want to meditate on his Word. The Word of God is like a testy food for our heart and soul. We feed our spirit man, with the Word of God, like we feed our bodies with food.
What to Do When You Are Sinking in Despair
Psalm 71:5, 6, 14, 20, 21, Psalm 73:23, 26, 28
This is all of us who believe, have to do, when we sink in the various trials and difficulties of life. Like king David did, rely on his God, all the time, even in the worst situations, when he had oppression and enemies from all directions. His heart failed which means he felt afraid, discouraged, depressed, but, he still trusted in his God and did not give up hope!
We have hope, because we have the God of hope, as the Bible calls him. There is always hope with God. He never leaves us without exits from temptations, but provides always a way out.
He holds our hand, until we pass through the storm.
The hopeless situations become hopeful with the God of hope.
Notice in verse 26, David said that God is the strength of his heart! Not the mind! That is because we feel any emotions with the heart, and our heart gets hurt, therefore, God brings a consolation and comfort to our heart!
The closer we come to God, the more he becomes the God of hope for us.
Psalm 84 – Suffering and Strength
Psalm 84:4, 5, 6, 7
Verse 4 – The main reason they dwell in God’s house, is to praise him. They are blessed (to be well with you).
Verse 5 – If God is our strength, not our money, not our muscles, not our brains, but if he is our strength, then we can go through the valley.
Verse 6 – If God is our help and strength, then we can go through the desert or the valleys of our life, and make it like a spring of water, and the rain of God’s blessing will turn it from a dead valley, to a living spring, and a pool, where we can cool our weary soul.
Verse 7 – If God is our strength, then we can go from strength to strength. A strength from him, and not depended on our abilities, knowledge, will power, psychology, advice, body strength. If he is the source of our strength in difficult times, that strength can not fail us. It is our choice on which strength we rely to, his strength, or our ability. Our ability is limited but his strength is not.
Christian Topics Study-Psalm 23
Verse 2 – God’s intention is always to lead us to green pastures. If you are a sheep, what would you be looking for? Green pastures! Why! Because you want a testy meal!
That is God’s own intention, always to provide us with plenty of green pastures, and anything we need. That is his way of prospering his children.
He has also promised to comfort us when we suffer. His yoke is easy, and he wants to give us rest, as he promised, by taking us to the quiet waters. What will we do at the quiet waters? We will rest. That is why he wants to take us there. That is relaxation. That is comfort.
He refreshes our soul – Verse 3.
Verse 4 – Even if we walk through the valley of death, we do not need to fear evil, because God takes us through the valley of death, but he does not leave us there. The problem or suffering is only temporary. We go through the valley of death, we do not stay there. God does not want to leave us there. He wants to take us to the breakthrough. He comforts us, even while we are passing through the valley of death.
Verse 5 – A table represent feast and food. When God gives you abundance of food and what you need, and when he gives you prosperity, no enemy can take it away from you! Your enemies do not want you to prosper and to have an abundance. But God gives you that in their presence.
Verse 6 – His goodness and love are always there, all the days of our life, not here today, and not tomorrow.
The Blessings of the Lord-Jeremiah 31
We can see in those verses, what the will of God for us as Christians is.
Those verses in Jeremiah’s book, are for Israel, but we as Christians are called in the Bible, a spiritual Jews.
God has those blessings for us, as he had them for the Jews.
God wants us to have abundance, and not just abundance, but to shout for joy because of the abundance and in his material provisions for us.
God wants us to be glad, and to dance. Good earthly parents, also want their children to be glad and to dance, because that will give them joy too.
Just look at verse 13, and we can see, that God is concerned for our troubles and suffering, wants to comfort us, and to give us joy. In fact, that verse says that God does not want his children to have sorrow. That completely eliminates the idea, which some people believe, that God gives them the suffering and trouble, so that he can teach them something through it. But according to these verses here, it is not so.
Verse 14 shows something similar to what Jesus said, that he has come to give us abundant life.
Psalm 77 When You Are in Extreme Distress
Verse 2: When our soul is so distressed, that we naturally refuse to be comforted, because we have lost all hope!
Verse 4: That is a great distress! So much trouble and distress that you become numb in your emotions, unable to speak!
The solution?
Start remembering all the blessings help and good things God has given you in your past! Meditate on them! How did God helped you in any distressing situation in the past! Think about that!
Verse 6: Remember all those days or nights in the past, when you were feeling so blessed from God, and his presence, that you sang him songs!
Verses 7, 8, 9: Ask yourself these questions? Can God stop being merciful and loving you ever? Can he forget you and your distress? Oh, no, his great love and mercy for you make him unable to forget you and your distress! He cares for you! Just hung on him and his promises! Do not give up, because he never gives up on you, because he loves you so much!
Verses 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
The solution to your distress and problem, is to start meditating and thinking about all the mighty and powerful miracles and things which God has done many times in the past, either for other people like his own people Israel, or for you personally!
When we start thinking about all the blessings, and all the help God has given to us or others in the past, that is when we start hoping and believing that there is no reason for him not to do the same today in our lives! Why should he do it only in the past, but not now! He does not change, his love and mercy for us does not change, so he will do it for us again!
God Sees Our Suffering And Cares
Some people say that God does not respond to pain, but only to our faith.
I am not sure about that! How can a merciful, loving, gracious and compassionate God, not care or respond when we are suffering? It just does not go like this!
God responds to our faith, but also to our suffering! His great love for us makes him to response when we suffer! How many earthly fathers would not respond, if they see their children suffer! The pain of the child, is the pain of the father too!
Psalm 10:14, 17, Psalm 8:9, Psalm 9:18, Psalm 18:5, 6
Let Us Study the Bible 