Category: Bible Study

DIRTY JOKES

“As for lewd conduct or promiscuousness or lust of any sort, let them not even be mentioned among you; your holiness forbids this.” –Ephesians 5:3 As long as they don’t commit adultery or fornication, many people feel they have done all right. Yet the Bible tells us to be pure as Jesus is pure (1 Jn 3:3), not even to look lustfully (Mt 5:28) or mention sexual impurity. So much for dirty jokes and the vast majority of TV programs and commercials. The Lord considers our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit. He’s the Owner of our bodies, including our...

AN EYE-OPENING NOVENA

” ‘Rabboni,’ the blind man said, ‘I want to see.’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Be on your way! Your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and started to follow Him up the road.” –Mark 10:51-52 To live God’s Word (see Jas 1:22), we must pray God’s Word. I invite you to pray a novena to be free from spiritual blindness. For nine days, pray: “I want to see” (Mk 10:51). Most Christians believe that other people, including their spouses, family members, neighbors, and fellow workers, need to see much better spiritually. The sin, injustice, abortion, racism, and...

CHILDREN NO MORE

“Be children no longer.” –Ephesians 4:14 We Christians are called to be child-like, not childish (1 Cor 14:20). Being childish means being “tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine that originates in human trickery and skill in proposing error” (Eph 4:14). It means being manipulated and enslaved. The way to freedom from childishness is to profess the truth in love (Eph 4:15). The truth will set us free (Jn 8:32) and have us “grow to the full maturity of Christ the Head” (Eph 4:15). We grow up and grow out of childishness by obeying apostles, prophets,...

THE SEVENFOLD UNITY

“Make every effort to preserve the unity.” –Ephesians 4:3 From prison, Paul pleaded with his Christian brothers and sisters to “live a life worthy” of their calling (Eph 4:1). This meant being humble, meek, long-suffering, and lovingly forebearing (Eph 4:2). This radically different way of life was necessary to preserve and deepen the early Church’s unity in the Spirit (Eph 4:3). One very high priority was unity in the body, the Spirit, and in hope, unity in the Lord, faith, and Baptism, and in the God and Father of all (Eph 4:4-6). This sevenfold unity is necessary for our lives...

THE POWER UNKNOWN

“May He strengthen you inwardly through the working of His Spirit.” –Ephesians 3:16 When the Holy Spirit came to us in Baptism, Confirmation, and other occasions, we received power (Acts 1:8). In fact, we were clothed from head to toe with power from on high (Lk 24:49). We can move mountains with only a tiny use of our power (Mt 17:20). There is nothing impossible for us in the power of Jesus (Mt 17:20). A problem for Christians is not that we need more power but that we need to open the eyes of our hearts to know “the immeasurable...