Tagged: Bible Study

“Hannah was childless.” –1 Samuel 1:2 “Hannah would weep and refuse to eat” (1 Sm 1:7). Bearing a child meant more to her than anything else in the world. We too should weep and fast for any lack of spiritual fruitfulness in our lives. If last year we only led fifty people to new life in Jesus when we had the opportunity to be more fruitful, we should weep and fast. “Those that sow in tears will reap in joy” (Ps 126:5, our transl). Paul was in “great grief and constant pain” (Rm 9:2) because his kinsmen, the Israelites, had...

“The people were full of anticipation.” –Luke 3:15 Many people expected John the Baptizer to be the Messiah (Lk 3:15). Their expectations for a Messiah were too low because Jesus, “Who is mightier” than John, is the Messiah (Lk 3:16). Peter had seen God work through him to raise Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40). Under these circumstances, he expected his initial visit to the house of a Gentile to be significant. However, God far exceeded his expectations by pouring out the Holy Spirit on the Gentile, Cornelius, and his entire household (Acts 10:45). Today, on the last day of...

“We are in the One Who is true, for we are in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” –1 John 5:20 On this second last day of the Christmas season, it is good to ask ourselves: “Are we having a good Christmas season, a good year, and a good century?” Whether something is good does not depend on our getting our way but on God getting His way, and whether we do God’s will depends on our loving God. Moreover, to love God we must know God, especially His saving death and glorious Resurrection....

“Whoever does not believe God has made God a liar by refusing to believe in the testimony He has given on His own Son’s behalf.” –1 John 5:10 Two of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity have given Their testimony about the third Person, Jesus. The Holy Spirit has testified to Jesus, that Jesus Christ came through water and blood, and not in water only (1 Jn 5:6). “It is the Spirit Who testifies to this, and the Spirit is Truth” (1 Jn 5:6). The Father has likewise testified to Jesus, “on His own Son’s behalf” (1 Jn 5:9)...

“The commandment we have from Him is this: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” –1 John 4:21 Most people like to think of themselves as loving others. Yet are we truly loving or just deceiving ourselves? We are loving if: We are “beloved,” that is, we have first received God’s love (1 Jn 4:19). We love God with all our hearts (1 Jn 5:2; Mt 22:37). We obey God’s commandments (1 Jn 5:3). We love ourselves (Mt 22:39). We love the brothers and sisters we see in our everyday life (1 Jn 4:20). We love our enemies (Mt...