Category: Bible Study

A SPIRITED RESPONSE

“The Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment all that should be said.” –Luke 12:12 There are four passages in the Gospels in which Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will put words of wisdom in our mouths that cannot be opposed (Mt 10:17-20; Mk 13:9-11; Lk 12:11-12; 21:12-15). In each passage, the context is that a disciple has been involuntarily detained to be put on trial for their witness to Jesus. Jesus promises us: “In that hour, say what you are inspired to say. It will not be yourselves speaking but the Holy Spirit” (Mk 13:11). We may...

VALUABLES

“You are worth more than a flock of sparrows.” –Luke 12:7 So many of us have safety deposit boxes and even safes in our homes where we place all of our valuables to protect them from theft and fire. However, some valuables cannot be protected in that way. One example is our faith. Because of Abraham’s belief, God put him into the right and proper relationship with Him (Rm 4:6). He pronounced blessings upon him (Rm 4:7-8) and bequeathed to him a legacy of a great land and a multitude of descendants. Still the most valuable treasure to Abraham was...

THE BLOOD THAT JESUS SHED FOR ME

“Now the justice of God has been manifested apart from the law, even though both law and prophets bear witness to it – that justice of God which works through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” –Romans 3:21-22 Prophets had been murdered for thousands of years, “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah” (Lk 11:51). Yet not one of these murders was atoned for over all this time. Jesus said: “This generation will have to account for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world” (Lk 11:50). All the people...

“THE FINGER OF GOD” (LK 11:20)

“…but will not lift a finger to lighten them.” –Luke 11:46 Jesus does not show us our sins to condemn us, but to save us (Jn 3:17). He illuminates our sins to show us the damage they have caused, and also to show us how we cannot erase that damage by our own efforts. Only Jesus can pay that price (Is 26:18; Ps 49:8-9). We must allow Him to pay it. Jesus’ standards are even higher than those of the Pharisees and the scholars of the law (Mt 5:18). Jesus is most definitely not lax on sin; He takes sin...

NOT ASHAMED

“I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God leading everyone who believes in it to salvation.” –Romans 1:16 The Good News, the Gospel, is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe it (Rm 1:16). St. Jerome stated: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Catechism, 133). Many today are ashamed of the gospel. So the gospel is banned from public schools, workplaces, politically correct environments, secular media, social media, and elsewhere. People are ashamed of the teaching of the gospel in regard to: sex as occurring only between one man...