Tagged: Bible Study

“If you would hearken to My commandments, your prosperity would be like a river, and your vindication like the waves of the sea.” –Isaiah 48:18 Christmas, like life, is a matter of obedience. If we obey the Lord’s commands, we will become prosperous, vindicated, blessed, and assured this Christmas (Is 48:18-19). However, we are often like rebellious, disobedient children who want to give orders rather than take them (Mt 11:16-17). We must repent of this self-willed, disobedient attitude or we will deprive ourselves of Christmas and even of Christ. At the first Christmas, the Lord gave His commands to Mary...

“I am the Lord, your God, Who grasp your right hand.” –Isaiah 41:13 As long as the great I AM is Lord of your life, you have no reason to fear the storms of life (Is 41:13-14). Even if you feel as weak and worthless as a worm or maggot, the great I AM can make you so powerful that you will crush mountains (Is 41:14-15). If you submit your “I” to the I AM, He will open up rivers and springs in the desert to remove your afflictions and provide for your needs (Is 41:17-18). The desert of the...

“Take My yoke upon your shoulders and learn from Me.” –Matthew 11:29 Because God doesn’t grow weary (Is 40:28), and because we belong to God (Rm 14:7-8) and abide in God (Jn 15:4), His Word assures us that we won’t grow weary when we do His will (Is 40:29). God gives us strength as we bear the burden we are meant to bear, which is His yoke (Mt 11:29). The strength we need, and the rest we need, comes as we do His will. Jesus came to remove the oppressive yoke of our sins, which burdens and weighs us down....

“The woman whom You put here with me – she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.” –Genesis 3:12 Adam and Eve stood at the foot of the tree in the middle of the garden of Eden (see Gn 2:9; 3:3, 6). They were deciding whether or not to eat its fruit. The lying serpent persuaded them to go ahead and eat (Gn 3:1-5). Eve, the first woman, took the fruit, ate it, and gave Adam the forbidden fruit to eat. They ate the fruit of rebellion and disobedience. Thus the original sin was committed. Mary...

“Who is this Man Who utters blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” –Luke 5:21 Jesus always has forgiveness on His mind. The roof literally falls in, but Jesus responds: “My friend, your sins are forgiven you” (Lk 5:20). A man lies before Him paralyzed and Jesus says: “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Lk 5:24). The apostles ask Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus replies: “Forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us” (Mt 6:12). Even while hanging on the cross, among His last words...