Category: Bible Study

“Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it so that all could understand what was read.” –Nehemiah 8:8 Ezra read the Bible to the people from daybreak until midday (Neh 8:3). The people heard God’s Word for nearly six hours. This extensive exposure to the Word led them to life-changing commitment (Neh 8:6), tearful repentance (Neh 8:9), and joyful celebration (Neh 8:10). When we expose ourselves to God’s Word for an extended time, amazing things happen. For example, the risen Jesus spent much of the afternoon on His Resurrection day explaining the Scriptures to the...

“Michael and his angels battled against the dragon…Satan, the seducer of the whole world, was driven out.” –Revelation 12:7, 9 St. Michael the Archangel and his angels battled Satan and his demons. They overpowered him and drove him away (Rv 12:7-9). Michael stands as a bulwark against Satan, a reinforced wall to block his plans (Dn 10:21—11:1, NAB). St. Raphael also defeats demons, overpowering and binding them (Tb 8:3). Jesus, Whose poured-out blood defeats Satan (Rv 12:11), has given the Church power to “overcome all demons” (Lk 9:1). We members of the Church do our part by our testimony to...

“Lord, would You not have us call down fire from heaven to destroy them?” –Luke 9:54 This is precisely what the Lord wants us to do as His disciples: to call down the consuming fire of the Holy Spirit from heaven (see Heb 12:29; Acts 2:3-4). When a person truly receives the Holy Spirit, it does “destroy” them, in the sense that they die to their old self and live a new, risen life in the Spirit for the Lord (see Lk 9:23). Another way we call down fire from heaven on someone is to act in love and kindness...

“Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in her streets.” –Zechariah 8:4-5 Today, don’t watch the news on TV or your handheld electronic device. Instead, picture in your mind the “prophetic” news reported by Zechariah in today’s first Eucharistic reading. A news camera zooms in on a group of old men and women sitting peacefully in chairs on a sidewalk in Jerusalem. They are observing a game played by a group of happy children in...

“Are you jealous?” –Numbers 11:29 People who have been given a new life in Jesus and are filled with the Spirit seem especially tempted to spiritual jealousy. They’re jealous of Eldad and Medad prophesying (Nm 11:29), of Moses leading (Nm 12:1), of a stranger expelling demons (Mk 9:38), or of John and James trying to get a “spiritual” promotion (Mt 20:24). The Lord does not tolerate spiritual jealousy. Miriam became a snow-white leper after her outbreak of jealousy against Moses (Nm 12:10). Jesus said that being drowned or maimed is preferable to falling into the sin of spiritual jealousy (Mk...