20 Dec (Revelation 10)

Revelation 10

(v.1) The word, angel, means messenger. Often angels give us messages from God, and minister to us for God. Many scholars believe that this mighty angel is Jesus Himself. The main reason is the description of this angel is similar to the description of Jesus in Dan 7:9 and Rev 1:15

In Mark 13:26 it says that Jesus would return in the clouds, and that this book is most likely the scroll that Jesus took from the Father in Rev 5.

(v.10) This is the duality of Christ...He is Wonderful and our Good Shepherd, but to those who refuse to believe in Him, He will be terrible. John is experiencing the glory of God, and the wrath of God at the same time!

16 Dec (Revelation 4-5)

Revelation 4

(v.1) ...after these things...here we go into another phase of the book. In chapter one, John wrote about what He saw concerning Christ and visions. In chapters two and three, he wrote about the state of the Church in his day. Now, Jesus is showing John what will happen in the future.

Come up here...this is another reference to the Rapture, and it seems that John was spirited to heaven to see the last days! Remember, God had done this in Scripture quite a few times with Phillip, Paul and others.

(v.4) Another reason I believe that the Church is raptured before the Tribulation, is that the 24 elders represent the Church...and they are in heaven before the Tribulation starts. Elders in the church are the leadership, and David initiated the meaning of the number 24 in 1 Chron 24:1-19

If you look at the appearance of the elders, they fit with the Church and the faithful saints who believe in Christ...that's us!

(v.7) Here we need to remember the Jews in the Wilderness, and the camps of Israel as they traveled. Each face of the angels in heaven represent the four faces of the camps of Israel. Also, they represent the four gospels. Look at the Gospels part of this blog to study up on that.

(v.8) Holy, holy, holy...this is another reference to the Trinity! God is called Elohim in Hebrew, which is a singular noun in the plural tense...three in one!

Revelation 5

(v.1) The Father has the scroll in His hand.

(v.3) No man...not Peter, nor Paul, nor any pope, nor Martin Luther, nor Billy Graham, or anyone...can fulfill the Law and take the scroll. It took God Himself to do it...Jesus!

(v.5) Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy to take the scroll!

(v.6) The Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb are the same...Jesus! When we get into heaven, we will see the scars and cuts on Jesus for His love for us on the cross! I believe this will be the cause of our tears, and He will wipe them away and we will forget all our sins for eternity!

(v.10) We must be clear with this verse to our kids...we will not be gods like Christ, but we will be kings and priests like Him. Because like Him, we were redeemed to the Father, we are kings and priests forever...He is our Kinsman Redeemer!

15 Dec (Revelation 3)

Sardis ~ The Dead Church

The church of Sardis represents the Reformation movement, away from the Nicolaitan doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation deservedly has been praised for moving back to the Word of God, instead of the practices of men, but they fell short as well. Remember, it's never good to put your faith in a particular church, pastor or denomination...all are lead by men and prone to sin and pride.

I hope you see my point here, since I'm tough on the RCC, but I also want you to see that the Protestant Churches erred just as much.

(v.1) This describes the Protestant church then, and even today...it has the name of Christ, but is not following Christ. So many churches focus on traditions and works, that they fail to focus on fellowship with each other and especially God.

I was raised in the Lutheran Church, where Martin Luther is given the credit for starting the Reformation movement. He was a big player, but many other Catholic priests were involved in going back to the Word of God, and not the word of a pope.

Unfortunately, one of the results of the Reformation was the failure to acknowledge the Jews as God's people. Martin Luther and many other Reformists were anti-Semites, and believed that the Church replaced Israel for God's promises and blessings. This is called Replacement Theology, and not only is it completely against Scripture, but it makes God out to be a liar!

I suggest you look up Martin Luther's quotes in his books about the Jews, and how the Church has replaced Israel for God's blessings.

(v.3) Of course, as with the Catholics, the Protestants are filled with believers...it's the leadership that Jesus is rebuking.

(v.4) It all comes down to a personal relationship with Jesus, not any affiliation with any particular church that saves us.

Philadelphia ~ The Faithful Church

(v.8) The church of Philadelphia faced all the same temptations and persecution of the earlier churches, but God is commending them for keeping the faith, and for persevering.

(v.10) This is another verse that shows us that the faithful believers will be Raptured before the Tribulation comes upon the earth.

Laodicea ~ The Lukewarm Church

(v.14) Cults use this verse to say that Jesus was created, and not God Himself. What they fail to see is that the Greek word used to say "beginning" here, is Arche, where we get the word "architect" from. This word also means authority, and since Jesus created the universe, He is the authority of it as well. John 1:1

(v.16) There are many ways to approach this, for the neighboring towns had hot and cold springs that Laodicea tried to pull from, but the main focus for us is our faith. It's one thing to be an atheist or to deny Christ as our Creator...that is bad. But it's also bad to know who Jesus is, and not do anything about it...lukewarm faith.

This church is prophetic to the state of the church in the last days...apathetic and ineffective.

(v.17) We can see this being so relevant to today, for in most of the Western world, we are rich and forget to praise God for the blessings and wealth He has given us. This is why Solomon didn't want to be overly rich and think that he created his wealth, and not God. Prov 30:9

(v.19) Like a loving parent, God rebukes us to open our eyes and see the right path!

(v.20) Remember, at the beginning of these churches, Jesus was in the midst of them. Now, because the apathy has been so severe, Jesus is outside the church, knocking on the door to come in!

If we let Jesus into our lives to be the LORD of our lives, then we will one glorious day dine with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Rev 19:9

14 Dec (Revelation 2)

Revelation 2

These seven churches encapsulate the seven stages of Church history. These were real churches in the day of John's writing, but they also are types of the churches to come.

Ephesus ~ The Loveless Church

(v.2) We can look at each of these churches in a personal way, as a church, and as prophecy to Church history. It seems that the people of Ephesus were great about spotting counterfeit Christians, and were holding true to the doctrines taught them by Paul and others.

(v.4) Ouch! Like Martha in Luke 10, they were obsessed with deeds and actions, where they forgot to sit and worship Him! We all have to watch out for this, for it's easy to get caught up in serving and doing the Church things, when we forget to have quiet time listening to God!

(v.5) If they can lose their lampstand, it means they aren't saved. This is how I interpret this, and it makes sense. So many people do the "Church Thing" every Sunday, but they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus. They don't have a prayer life of conversing and listening to Him, and they just keep doing what they think pleases God.

(v.6) Nicolaitans are the ruling class over the people. It seems that in the early Church, there were some who thought they should be listened to more than Jesus. Their pride got in the way of true worship.

(v.7) Here is another reason I believe these people aren't truly saved at this point, for Jesus promises to let them eat from the Tree of Life if they overcome their sins.

Smyrna ~ The Persecuted Church

Smyrna has the same base word as Myrrh, which means death. This church faced rampant persecution by the hands of the Romans, and were martyred and killed for their faith.

(v.8) Again, when did the Father (YHWH or Jehovah) die? It was the Son, and He is God!

(v.10) This must have been hard to take, knowing you were about to be put in jail and killed for your faith! However, many Christians have suffered this same fate over the centuries...even today. We are lucky in America, and we should use that fortune to be more vigilant about spreading the Good News of Christ!

Pergamos ~ The Compromising Church

This church speaks of the time in history where the Roman Catholic Church made Christianity blend with pagan practices to create unity in the Empire. So many practices by the RCC can go back to Babylon, and their acceptance of pagan practices into the church.

The word, Pergamos, in Greek, means mixed or perverted. This is what the church did...they mixed the pagan practices with Biblical Christianity, and created a mixed marriage that wasn't devoted to Christ. Remember what Paul said to those that allowed sin and pagan practices into their lives? 1 Cor 5:6

(v.13) Scholars believe that the Tower of Babel was erected in the same area as Pergamos. The start of Satanic practices was where the RCC decided to make Christianity the only religion, and worse, that the State would run it!

(v.14) The docrine of Baalam Num 31:16 was the act of tempting God's people into sin...this is what this church did with its believers.

(v.15) Notice that Ephesus was doing the deeds of the Nicolaitans, where now it is doctrine. The Church had incorporated the pagan practices and moved away from Scripture.

Remember, once Satan lost at the cross, he tried to kill the church through persecution at the hands of the Jews and Romans. This only made the Church grow stronger! So what did Satan do? He made up the phrase, "If you can't beat them, join them!" He infiltrated the Church, and little by little, had people focus on traditions and doctrines not from Scripture, and thus, the beginning of cults were born!

Thyatira ~ The Corrupt Church

(v.18) This is the same description of Jesus as noted in Daniel 7:9, 10:6

(v.20) There is so much to research here, and I suggest you do, but in short, He is talking about the popes of the Roman Catholic Church. They used their power to seduce and enslave.

(v.22) Very scary...they aren't saved and will endure the Tribulation on earth. This doesn't mean that Catholics aren't saved...most are, but the doctrines and leaders of the RCC have a lot of explaining to do with Jesus!

(v.24) So many people follow the traditions of men, and don't know why. They think it's just what God wants. But if they read their Bible, they will see that God doesn't want us to chant or say repetitive prayers, or worse yet, pray to mortal people!

God knows who hearts are pure and seek Him, and He will lead them to Him.

13 Dec (Revelation 1)

The book of Revelation has to be the most misunderstood books of the Bible. There is so much imagery and typology, that unless we understand the Old Testament, it doesn't make sense! Way too many churches skip this book, and that is a travesty. This book promises a blessing to those who read it and study it...so here we go!

You may want to notice that the book is called Revelation...not Revelations. This is the "unveiling" or "revealing" of the future from Jesus to John.

You may also notice that the number seven is prominent in this book. In Hebrew, the number seven means completion, and this book completes God's plan of redemption for mankind.

Revelation 1

(v.1) The Father gave the Son these things to reveal to us...in this case, John. We who read it, get the revealing of who Jesus is, and what He will do on the Day of the Lord.

(v.3) Some scholars say, and I agree, that if we understand this book, we understand the whole Bible. In that sense, if we study and understand this book, we are blessed to know God better.

(v.4) Any doubt about the deity of Jesus? He has always been, and always will be...He is God, and the physical part of the Trinity.

(v.5) ...the firstborn of the dead...this has multiple meanings. First, Jesus was given the firstborn status, which in Hebrew, means authority. Second, He died and was resurrected, showing us the way to eternal life.

He washed us form our sins in His own blood...this is the power of faith in Him!

(v.7) This is fun to ask your kids...how will all the earth see Jesus come to the earth from the clouds? This is amazing, for only until a few decades ago, there wasn't satellite TV, where events can be seen live all around the world!

(v.8) Alpha and Omega are the "A" and "Z" of the Greek alphabet. He is the beginning and the end...God in the flesh!

Take note that Jesus calls Himself the Almighty...He is God, and to say otherwise is blasphemy. Isaiah 9:6

(v.10) Many scholars debate what this means, but I believe that if you take the whole book's focus, it's the wrath of God coming during the Tribulation. Therefore, the Lord's Day really means the Day of the LORD...the coming of the King to rid the world of evil and unfaithfulness.

(v.13) Take note that Jesus is in the midst of the churches here, and when we reach the church of Laodicea, He is on the outside. In other words, if a church is following Him, He is amongst them. Matt 18:20

(v.14) Notice the description of Jesus...it is just like the one Daniel saw! Dan 7:9, 10:6

(v.18) There are cults and false religions out there that say that Jesus was created, and even the Archangel Michael. When you hear this, ask them what this verse means...when did the Father (Jehovah) die? He didn't...it was His Son, Jesus who is God and YHWH!

(v.19) Here is the outline of the book of Revelation:

Chapter 1 = John's description of Jesus and the unveiling of His majesty

Chapters 2 & 3 = The current time in which John was living, where these seven churches exist and are types of the history of the church.

Chapters 4-22 = The church is raptured and in heaven, and John is witnessing the Day of the LORD!

7 Dec (Hebrews 1-2)

The book of Hebrews is believed to be written by Paul, and the intent is to encourage Jewish Christians. No matter who wrote this, it is written by the Holy Spirit, who wants to give us a clearer picture of who Jesus is, and what He did for us!

Hebrews 1

(v.3) In order to get a grasp of the Holy Trinity, but not to say we fully comprehend it, I like to teach my kids that the Father is the mind of God, the Son is the body of God, and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. John 14:9

(v.4) Think about it...Jesus, the Creator of the universe, the angels and mankind...gives up all of His power to become man and die for mankind. But now, He is back to where He belongs, working in all things, being the Savior for all. Thank you Jesus!

(v.14) Angels are direct creations of God...that is why they are called the sons of God in the Old Testament. Adam was called a son of God, for he alone is the only man who was directly created by God. All the rest of us, including Eve, were descendants of Adam, and born to a sinful nature.

The angels were created by God to minister to us...this is one of the main reasons that Lucifer rebelled, for he wanted to be worshiped like God.

Because God gave angels the gift of free will and choice, some of them followed Lucifer to sin, and they will be eternally punished. 2 Peter 2:4

The rest of the angels are God's servants, serving us and helping us!

Hebrews 2

(v.3) This is why it doesn't work just to be a "good person" for God made the ONLY way for salvation...the blood of His Son. No matter how nice and good our friends and family are, if they aren't in a personal relationship with Him, and reading His Word and praying with Him daily, they aren't saved from hell. This is harsh to some, but it's the truth.

God created all, and He is the One that provided the way to be with Him...who are we to think we can find another way?

(v.9) Remind your kids, that the Creator of the universe, came into His own creation, suffered and died for us...all because He loves us so much!

(v.11) Even though Jesus is our God and Savior, He says we are His brothers and sisters, for if we are His followers. Beyond that, when we are in fellowship with Him, He calls us His friends! How cool is that? John 15:14

(v.16) God exalts us for we are made in His image, not the angels. Gen 1:26 He made us to be like Him, with mind, body and spirit. That is why He wants to be with us forever!

(v.17) This is the reason Jesus became flesh...to be our propitiation, or payment, for sin.

(v.18) Remind your kids that Jesus experienced every temptation, and every pain that mankind suffers from. He knows how we feel, so when we pray, He is listening!

4 Dec (Jude)

Jude, along with James are the half brothers of Jesus. They both didn't believe that their older brother was the Messiah, until they saw Him again after He was resurrected! That would make anyone believe!

Both served as leaders of the early Church. In fact, James was the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, and even Peter followed James' directives regarding church affairs.

The main purpose of the short, but impactful book, is to warn of the last days where apostasy or falling away is prevalent before the return of Christ.

Jude

(v.1) As I've noted in earlier books, there are three stages of salvation (Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification). Here, Jude shows us three aspects to our salvation:

Called ~ The Father chose us for Himself, and called us to Him John 15:16

Sanctified ~ Because the Son died for us, we are being purified, or sanctified to be like Him while on this earth. John 14:23

Preserved ~ Once we are saved, we are always saved! The Holy Spirit works in our lives and teaches us and guides us! Acts 12:5

(v.6) We go all the way back to Gen 6:4 where the fallen angels, the Nephilim, mated with the daughters of men, and made hybrid offspring. These end up being almost superhuman, and are giants who stand over 9 feet tall...Goliath was one.

The focus of this verse, is that the angels gave up their heavenly powers, and became earth-dwellers and mated with humans. This was against what God made them for, and they are damned to hell with Satan for it.

(v.7) As in Romans 1 we see that God considers homosexuality and other immoralities as sinful acts and lifestyles. Again, God loves the sinner, but hates the sin...we are to do the same. We should pray for those trapped in the destructive lifestyle of homosexuality, and give them love and support.

Remember, Sodom and Gomorrah's sin was the tolerance of vast homosexuality and perversion, which is contrary to the family unit. God wants us to live as families, raising children to know Him and serve Him. Homosexuality, divorce and other sins work against God's institution of marriage.

(v.8) This should hit all of us hard! We all speak ill of our leaders...whether at work or in politics. We are to pray for them, and when given the chance, vote them out if they don't govern according to God's Word.

(v.9) We are to let God take care of evil...we can stand up for good, but we should let God judge the evil doers. The high angels, the Archangels, are the most powerful of them all. We only know of three named Archangels in the Bible: Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer.

As we saw in Colossians 1:15 where Jesus was called the firstborn over all creation, the word used for firstborn is Arche. This word, in Greek, means architect or authority. So the Archangels have authority over all the other angels...just like Christ is the architect of all creation, and has the authority over all of it!

So even Michael, a mighty Archangel, didn't condemn or judge Lucifer...he lets God do that! We should learn from that and realize our limitations, and let God to the heavy lifting!

(v.11) Here are the three DON'TS of the Bible:

The Way of Cain ~ Jealousy and pride caused Cain to murder his own brother Gen 4:3-8

The Way of Baalam ~ Used deceit and the love of money to cause believers to stumble 2 Peter 2:15

The Way of Korah ~ Pride caused the people of Korah to rebel against Moses and Aaron. Num 16:1-3

(v.12) Twice dead is important here...if we accept Christ as our LORD and Savior, we are saved from the second death...spiritual death.

(v.14) This is regarded as the oldest prophecy by man, Enoch predicting the Church coming with Christ to rid the world of evil. Of course, Jesus does all the work, but we get to join Him!

(v.24) Thank you Jesus!!!

1 Dec (Titus)

Along with the two epistles Paul sent to Timothy, this is the third letter called the Pastoral Epistles. Paul wrote them while in prison, and with the purpose of getting the churches organized and focused on the Gospel. We can deduce that Paul knew he was going to die for Christ soon.

Titus 1

(v.2) This is a fun game to play with your kids...ask them, since God can do everything, what is the one thing He can't do? The answer is that God can't lie...He is holy and pure, and without sin.

(v.11) Satan had been trying to kill the Messiah and the ancestors of the Messiah ever since it was proclaimed to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David. That didn't work, so when Satan lost at the cross of Calvary, he infiltrated the Church. He already had infiltrated the Jews, with their obsession with rules instead of faith, and now he was doing what he did in the Garden of Eden with Eve...casting doubt and changing God's Word.

We see this today with all the cults that have changed God's Word, and are following a different version of the Gospel.

(v.13) Notice what Paul is doing here...he doesn't rebuke the people, but the leaders who are misleading them. Jesus did the same. We are to rebuke the teachings of the cults, and pray and witness to the people who follow them.

(v.16) This verse always makes me take stock of my own life...am I just a man who professes Christ as my LORD? Or am I living and walking with God? We all need to ask ourselves those questions and seek His guidance.

Titus 2

(v.5) Modern-day liberalism and many secular action groups hate this verse! Our family structure was established by God in Genesis. The man is to be the head, but to give up his fleshly desires of individualism, and love and serve his wife. The wife is to let the man lead, and raise and nurture the children.

Some people don't like to hear or read this, but if all parties are doing their duties, then the family will stay together and serve God. If we fail to heed God's plan for the family, then we will see it suffer...we see that today.

(v.13) Great God and Savior...here is another instance of the deity of Jesus in the Bible! Not only is Jesus our Messiah, but He is God in the flesh!

Titus 3

(v.3) Once we are saved, and we see the love and grace of Christ, we are not to act proud or superior to people who don't know Christ. We are to pray for them, and seek to love and serve them...witnessing to them in action and words.

(v.8) We can't earn our salvation...it was done for us by God in Jesus. However, once we are saved, we should be eager to serve others. This comes from gratitude from knowing what we were saved from...eternal torment in hell.

27 Nov (1 Tim 3-4)

1 Timothy 3

(v.1) A Bishop in this instance is what we would call an Assistant Pastor to a church. This person is not the head of that church, but is the right hand of the Head Pastor. As with the Head Pastor, the bishop is not to be given to drinking...being influenced by alcohol or any drug. The most important thing, is that the bishop should have his house in order...for if he can't teach and keep his own house in order, how could he do the same with a church?

(v.6) When we first come to Christ, and learn so much about Him, we want to share and teach it to others. Paul is warning a church from doing that with new believers, for they haven't lived that long walking with God, and they haven't been tested by life and the devil that long. Remember, the devil's pride is what made him fall away from God, and someone who thinks they know it all when seeing God's wisdom, can do the same!

(v.7) Not only should believers have good things to say about a potential bishop or assistant pastor, but non-believers as well. It's one thing to act right with other believers, but if we are truly a light to the world, then non-believers should at least attest to the good character of the candidate.

(v.8) Deacons are also what we would call Assistant Pastors, but they are usually assigned specific ministries in a church (Children's Ministry, Missions Ministry, Men's Ministry, etc.)

They are not the right hand of the Head Pastor like the bishop is, but they are in the inner circle of the church affairs, and need to be sober-minded and godly. Often, these men help in the alms and tithing collection, and they need to be grounded and without temptation to steal.

(v.16) These are great topics to discuss with your kids:

God was manifested in the flesh ~ Why did God have to become man? Our kids need to know that the book of Ruth and other books speak about our Kinsman Redeemer (Goel in Hebrew) in order to die for us.

Justified in the Spirit ~ Jesus had the Holy Spirit in Him as man

Seen by angels ~ This is fascinating to me! Scholars believe that up until that point, the angels NEVER looked upon God, for fear of being consumed by His power. Not until God became man, were they able to see God...Jesus!

Preached among the Gentiles ~ Up until this point, only the Jews were being taught the Law and the teachings of the prophets. Also, since this is after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was at work collecting the Bride for Jesus.

Believed on in the world ~ Through missionary work, the whole world was being taught the Gospel.

Received up in glory ~ Jesus became man for the sole purpose to redeem us to the Father. Once He died on the cross and was resurrected, He glorified the Father, and the Father glorified the Son!

1 Timothy 4

(v.1) The Church has been saying it's in the Last Days for centuries, but not until this present time in history, can it be deemed near. Prophecy has pointed to powers and alliances that are only now coming into place (Russia and Iran for example), and with the great influence of Islam, Mormonism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and even Jehovah's Witness, can we see the apostasy in full form.

For those of you that are reading this, and are of the faiths I just cited, I don't mean to insult you or to judge you. I do, however, ask that you examine those faiths, and see that the teachings of those faiths follow ONE MAN. They have added or deleted from the Bible, and have gone the way of man's wisdom, not God's wisdom.

Paul is speaking about this very thing to Timothy, and with the Church reading this over the centuries, he is speaking to us. We need to go to the original text (in Hebrew and Greek) to find the root of doctrine, and not follow a single man's quest to find Divine Truth and be followed.

Please read Acts 17:11 and take that to heart...even with what I teach on this blog...check it against Scripture and see for yourselves what God says.

(v.3) Scholars believe that this is alluding to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church where leaders are not allowed to be married. This is not Scriptural, for even Peter himself was married, and the RCC believes he was the first pope! The first institution established by God was marriage, and I even believe that the New World Order and the Coming World Leader will abolish marriage to try to keep the world population down.

(v.7) The book of Proverbs admonishes us from being given to gossip...it is destructive and not godly.

(v.8) We hear people cite "our body is the Temple of the LORD" and say that means that we are to be physically fit. Of course, taking care of one's health is good, but God is more concerned with the health of our minds and our spirit, for that is what sustains us and what we use to serve God.

(v.13) The Head Pastor is to teach and read the Word daily. The assistant pastors are to serve the body and do the daily church tasks.

26 Nov (1 Tim 1-2)

Paul wrote three epistles (letters) to his disciple, Timothy, as a guide to pastor the church. The purpose of Paul's letters was to train and guide Timothy to disciple other pastors and church leaders for the growing Church.

1 Timothy 1

(v.3) Paul is warning Timothy of cults that change the doctrine of the Bible to suit their own power and influence.

(v.15) Jesus' name was His mission...YHWH Saves!

(v.17) Jesus is our King, and He is God!

1 Timothy 2

(v.5) In order for the Father to fully comprehend our pains and hardships, He had to become us, and that is what Jesus did for us!
(v.14) Did you ever wonder where was Adam when Satan was deceiving Eve? He was there, but he went along with the sin to be with Eve. Perhaps in some way, Adam knew that God had a plan of redemption for him and his descendants.

22 Nov (Eph 3-4)

Ephesians 3

(v.6) God first worked with the Jews to reveal Himself to, and to show them how to worship and obey Him. God planned all along to save Gentiles as well, for by faith we are saved, not by culture or ethnicity.

(v.9) God made the universe through His Son...God in the form of flesh. Jesus is God, and a part of the Holy Trinity. John 1:1

(v.12) Once Jesus died for our sins, we had redemption and access to the Father once again! There had to be a price for sin, and that was God Himself...dying on the cross as our perfect Passover Lamb! Thank you Jesus!!!

(v.18) These are the four dimensions we experience in life, but quantum physicists believe there are at least 10 dimensions in the universe. This makes sense, since Jesus lost practically all of those dimensions when He became man, but regained at least some of them when He appeared and disappeared suddenly after His resurrection.

Ephesians 4

(v.5) This is often cited by people that believe we should baptize our kids in water as newborns. If this were true, then Jesus' words to Nicodemus were a lie...we need to be baptized spiritually in order to be born again...that is what allows us to enter the kingdom of heaven. John 3:5

(v.24) When we are born again, we are a new creation of God! We still have our old habits that we need to abandon, but we are focused on the things of God, and not of Satan!

(v.26) You've heard the phrase to not go to sleep mad at your spouse or your friend...this comes from here in the Bible. No matter how upset we are, we need to pause to pray, and talk things out lovingly. Only pride makes us avoid the discussion, and has us push away loved ones.

(v.29) One of the best ways for others to see where your heart is, is to stop cussing and saying mean and dirty things. Prov 8:7

(v.30) The Holy Spirit is a person...a part of the Trinity. We can't grieve a thing or a force, if we say and indulge in evil things.

19 Nov (Col 1-2)

Colossians 1

This is a letter that Paul wrote from prison in Rome (around 62 A.D.) that along with Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon are called the Prison Epistles.

Colosse was a church that was in decline when Paul wrote this, and the city was wiped out from an earthquake not long after Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians.

The church in Colosse was declining because Gnosticism and Jewish legalism were prevalent at the time. Gnostics, in short, believed Jesus to be a great man, but not God. To them, Jesus was the next step for us to become more like God...the next step up the ladder.

(v.15) It's important to understand the meaning of firstborn over all creation here. Some cults like to say that this means that Jesus was the first thing created by God. First of all, there are scores of verses that refute this one verse, showing that Jesus is God...one example is John 1:1

Secondly, the English translation of the original Greek is misleading here. The word used for firstborn is Arche in Greek. We get the word architect from this Greek word...it means the designer and creator of the creation. Jesus is the Creator, not the first created!

(v.18) Of course, if the cults would read further a few verses, Paul shows us that Jesus is the Creator! He is also the architect of the Resurrection...being the One who did it first, and provided the way for us to be united with Him in heaven.

(v.26) Paul is speaking of the Church and the Rapture...things that Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah didn't understand what they were writing, but God's Holy Spirit had them write.

Colossians 2

(v.1) We will see that Jesus rebukes Laodicea in Rev 3:17 the church in Colosse was going down the same path...pride and apathy.

(v.8) This is the problem with much of the "Christian" church today...they have added to God's Word, and created their own traditions and doctrines that are not Scriptural. If you are in a church that doesn't study the Bible, book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, then you will not have a good understanding of the whole Bible.

Topical studies are useful and good, but not by themselves. The Bible is not a manual as to how to live a better life (even though we can live with joy from what we read), the Bible is a love letter from God for us to better know Him. From studying His Word, we come to understand what He did for us, and how much He loves us, and we can then live a joyful and hopeful life in His wisdom.

(v.9) Jesus is God...He is the fullness of the Trinity. There is no way to fully understand God and His attributes, but I like to point out that He created us in His image. With that said, I like to teach my kids that God is like us:

Mind ~ the Father

Body ~ the Son

Spirit ~ Holy Spirit

(v.14) The Law has been fulfilled by Christ...we are to live by faith, not by the Law.

15 Oct (Acts 9)

Acts 9

(v.1) Paul was an accuser of the Church...sound familiar? Satan means accuser in Greek. Satan was working in the Pharisees and Jewish leadership to persecute the early Church. He then went to work in the Romans, the RCC and Islam. But what happened every time, was those who believed in God's Word, and not man's word, were strengthened and grew! Satan eventually found out that once he lost on the cross, he would infiltrate the Church, and make it ineffective.

(v.4) When people treat you badly or say mean things to you because you follow Jesus, remember that ultimately, they are saying or doing those things against Jesus. John 15:18

(v.9) Once again, the number three is important here...this is a number used in Hebrew to assign testing or cleansing.

(v.11) Whenever I read this verse, the street named Straight makes me think of Isaiah 40:3

(v.13) This is the first time the Church believers are referred to as saints in the Bible. They haven't died and been immortalized, no, they are living believers who are saints in the eyes of the Father who have the cleansing blood of His Son on them by their faith! We who believe are His saints!!!

(v.15) God's plans don't make sense to us at first. Here was Paul, who was a revered Pharisee, who could have had an incredible witness to the other Pharisees of his conversion to Christ. But God didn't want to do that...He had Paul preach to the Gentiles. We can only speculate, but perhaps God knew that the hearts of the Pharisees were too hard, and Paul's witness would have been wasted on them.

(v.16) Being used by God is not always a bed of roses...it takes sacrifice and commitment. But in the end, we will enjoy immense joy and reward for letting God use us for His purposes!

(v.18) I often wonder why Jewish people can't see that Jesus was their Messiah. If they know the Old Testament (the Tenach) they should be able to see He was who the prophets wrote about. But in Luke 19:42 we see that God had them not see, for they refused to see back when their day had come.

(v.27) We all need a Barnabas in our lives...one who will have our backs, and reach out to others who doubt or mistrust us.

(v.40) I noticed that Peter did what Jesus did...had the people leave the room. That is being a disciple...emulating your teacher.

(v.41) Here we see that the Brethren are the saints...not dead believers immortalized by a church, but living witnesses and followers of Christ.

12 Oct (Acts 3-4)

Acts 3

(v.6) This coincides with the verse Jesus said in Matt 6:20 regarding treasures and riches. Our riches on earth stay here and are burned. But the power of God is everlasting, and it changes lives on earth and in heaven!

(v.16) God heals those with Faith...we need to put our complete trust and faith in God, and let Him work in our lives, instead of trying to do it for Him!

(v.18) I can't help but think of Isaiah 53 when I read this! Prophecy is important, not only to validate God's Word, but to see that the whole Bible is one long love letter from God!

Acts 4

(v.4) We see throughout this book, that the more the Jews and Satan persecute the Church, the greater and faster it grows!

(v.12) In case you or someone you're talking with thinks all religions lead to salvation, read this carefully and think about it. This verse and many others, like John 14:6 should renew our faith and make us more eager to love and serve Christ.

(v.13) Even the uneducated and untrained speak with authority when they have the Holy Spirit working in them!

(v.18) This verse makes me think of the times we are living in now...the name of Jesus is shunned and denied to be spoken in our government, in graduation speeches, and even in some churches!

(v.29) What a prayer this is! They knew that they would be persecuted and even killed for defying the Pharisees, but they couldn't help but proclaim the LORD to all who would hear! We all need to be more like this...time is running out!

(v.32) The Bible doesn't say that in order to be a follower of Christ, you need to give up your home, your life savings, and all your possessions. The early church did this, in order to organize and be prepared for the coming persecution. What we need to do today, is build strong friendships with other believers, and make ourselves as debt-free as possible, so we can use our possessions for the betterment of the Brethren.

9 Oct (John 21 & Matt 28)

The Gospels: Going Fishing And Last Words

John 21

(v.3) All the disciples are scared, saddened and feel lost. They don't know what to do. So Simon Peter decides to do what he knows, and something that might take his mind off his troubles...fishing. We need to do that when we fall upon tough times...do hobbies or tasks that are productive and let us shift our focus off of our troubles, and onto good. Of course, the ultimate good thing we can do is serve the LORD, so I suggest give of yourself to others when you feel lost...God will bless you more than you could ever expect!

(v.7) Here is another verse that my kids and I laugh over...John mentions again that he is the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Again, we see the personalities of both John and Peter...John sees who is talking to them, and Peter reacts without thinking and swims to shore! Both love the LORD, and both show it in their own ways.

(v.12) Again, the disciples see something different in Jesus, but they know it is Him. I believe they are witnessing the heavenly Jesus, and not the One who walked with them before He was crucified. Regardless, they recognize His actions, His words, and like Mary, His voice.

(v.15-17) I think this has significant meaning, the way Jesus talked with Peter. He asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and gave him three commands:

Feed My lambs...feed the babes in Christ...children and those new to the faith with the Word

Tend My sheep...pastor and guide the Body of Christ to grow in the LORD

Feed My sheep...take care of the older ones who need extra care and the poor who need food

(v.18) Jesus prophesies that Peter will be crucified...Peter was, but he didn't want to be killed like his LORD, so he asked that it be done upside down.

(v.22) Peter wonders about the fate of John, and Jesus tells him to mind to his own business, and his own witness...what the LORD wills for one will be different for another.

Matthew 28

(v.18) This is another example of the Deity of Jesus...He has authority on earth, but also in Heaven...if He wasn't part of the Trinity, how would the Father, or Jehovah, allow that?

(v.19) Our job when we become followers of Christ, is to reach out to others and disciple them to come to know, and grow in Christ.

We also see the Trinity in baptism.

(v.20) I am with you always...He is the LORD of all creation, and right there with us if allow Him to work in our lives.

1 Oct (Matt 26:57-75)

The Gospels: Jesus' Trial & Peter's Three Denials

Matthew 26:57-75

(v.64) Jesus said that He would raise the Temple in three days, but they didn't know that He was speaking of His own resurrection.

In this verse...under oath...He proclaims Himself to be God. Remember, in Jewish culture, the son is equated and has the same authority as the father, so Jesus calling Himself the Son of God, is literally calling Himself God. Of course, He is God, but they didn't want to believe that!

(v.74) Matthew's report of Peter's denials is quite interesting...Peter cursed and swore...it seems Peter was being fleshly, not spiritual. Pete did a lot of great things before and after Christ's time on earth, but here he acted of this world. He sought to save his own life, rather than give it for Christ.

To be fair, Jesus wanted it this way, for He wanted to die alone. He didn't want any of His disciples on the cross next to Him. Also, I think God used Peter again to drive a point home with all of us...no matter how spiritual we think we are, we are still fallen and sinful humans. We will never conquer sin and death without the One who did it for us!

In Luke 22:61 the report is more graphic and we can see the scene better. If you have seen the Passion of the Christ, then you have an idea of the scene.

With all the commotion and people in the courtyard, the very instant that Peter denies knowing Christ the third time, Jesus locks eyes with Peter through the crowd. In the movie, Jesus has no expression...just a penetrating stare. I can only imagine the pain in Peter when he realized that He abandoned His LORD.

We do this many times...sometimes daily...in our lives. When we live worldly, or when we're around non-believers, and we go along to get along...we are doing what Peter did. I think Jesus used Peter for this lesson, because Peter was the most vocal and passionate of the group. If Peter could deny Christ, then all of us could.

To Peter's credit, he was one of the most ardent advocates of Christ after His resurrection, and he died a martyr because of it.

16 Sep (John 14:1-6)

The Gospels: The Way, the Truth, and the Life

John 14:1-6

(v.1) For those of you that have trouble thinking of verses that proclaim Jesus to be God, this chapter will be great ammo!

It would be blasphemous to equate Himself with God, unless He is God!

(v.2) When Jesus was resurrected and ascended up to heaven, He was back in His glory, preparing the way for us. He gave us His Spirit here on earth, to indwell us, and to guide us. As we live here on earth, we are earning and gathering treasures (rewards) up in heaven. God will bless us here on earth, but only to further His kingdom.

(v.3) This is one of quite a few examples of the Rapture. The word, "rapture" is not in the Bible...but then again, the word "bible" isn't either! Does that mean it doesn't exist? Of course not!

We get the word Rapture from the Latin word translated from the Greek, which is Rapturo. It means a quick snatching up...like in jacks when you grab the jack before the ball bounces again.

Jesus will come and Rapture His Bride before He comes to judge the world...are you and your family ready?

(v.6) Some people like to say, "All roads (religions or faiths) lead to God." This is only true in one sense...all who have lived will face God individually. The faithful will face Jesus and be rewarded for our good works. The unfaithful will be judged by the Law, and be sentenced to eternal torment in hell.

For those of you that are shy about saying that Jesus is the only way to salvation, don't worry, He said it for you!

11 Sep (Matthew 22 cont)

The Gospels: Jesus' Authority Questioned

Matthew 22

(v.15) Isn't it funny to read that the Pharisees thought they would trick Jesus? As we see many times, Jesus uses their own tactics against them, and if we study this, we can use His methods when discussing with skeptics.

(v.21) I teach my kids that as citizens of the United States, we are to follow the laws of the land. However, if a law makes us break God's laws, then that's a different story. One good example is some doctors who were sued because they wouldn't perform abortions. They were sued and lost money because of it, but they stood up for their values and for life.

(v.40) If we love God with all our strength, then we will treat our neighbors well. If we treat our friends and family, our neighbors and coworkers well, then we will live a productive life.

(v.43) I love how Jesus turns the tables on the Pharisees here...they can't figure this out because they truly don't understand Scripture!

Jesus is quoting Psalm 110:1 and in Hebrew, it's quite clear who is speaking to who:

The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.

The first LORD is the Father, and the second Lord is the Son.

What the Pharisees couldn't wrap their minds around, was that God Himself, came into His own creation, as the newborn descendant of David, and died for our sins. Jesus created David, yet He became his successor in the royal line of David.

8 Sep (Matt 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12)

The Gospels: The Coming of the King!

Matt 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-39, John 12:12-19

This is a very important part of Scripture that our kids need to understand, in order that they understand the WHOLE Bible!

Jesus commands His disciples to do just what Zechariah 5:9:9 prophesied...to find a donkey. This is important to note, that Jesus didn't come on a horse...those are for warriors, and Jesus was our Suffering Servant in His First Coming, so He came on a colt. In Jesus' Second Coming, He will come on a white horse as is written in Rev 19:11

Before Jesus entered Jerusalem on the colt, He wept. Why did He weep? He wept because so many of His chosen people didn't know their Scriptures and didn't listen to their prophets. They should have known that this VERY DAY was prophesied by Daniel 9:25

In 445 BC, King Artaxerxes Longimanus declared that the Jews could go back to Jerusalem after being captive. He declared that they could rebuild the city, the walls, and the Temple...and the King helped pay for it! That was God at work!

If we study Daniel 9, we see that God gave us a timeline for the Messiah to come to His own, and that day was prophesied to be April 6, 32 AD. And guess what day Jesus rode in on the donkey? You guessed it...the exact day that Daniel prophesied! This is one of many examples that our kids need to understand that the Bible isn't just a bunch of stories...it was inspired by a God that is outside the constraints of time...He knew what day He would come as Israel's King! There was no way that Daniel could have predicted that by himself...he had to have the Almighty telling him what to write!

Jesus wept Luke 19:41 because the very people who should have recognized the occasion, only a small percentage of them did. Jesus ended up holding them accountable for it in Luke 19:42 and that is why most of Israel and the Jewish people don't regard Jesus as the Messiah.

The people who did recognize that day, laid out palm branches and declared Jesus King by shouting Hosanna.

Hosanna translated in Greek means God Saves Us...this was a declaration of who Jesus is...His name was His Mission...Jesus means YHWH Saves!

7 Sep (John 11)

The Gospels: The Resurrection of Lazarus

John 11

(v.5) We see Mary and Martha here again, because their brother, Lazarus, is dying. Jesus knew this, and stayed an extra two days in another town, before He went to Bethany. Why did Jesus wait? Was He mean and wanted Lazarus to die and his family suffer? Yes and no.

Jesus used this situation for good...it makes me think of Romans 8:28

(v.15) Jesus tells the disciples the reason for His tardiness to get to Bethany...to show them that He is God who can resurrect the body.

(v.27) When we last saw Martha, she was being told by Jesus that she had the wrong motives for her anger. Now, she is the first to run out to Jesus! Martha was always a believer, and she proves that here by her proclamation who He is!

(v.32) Once again, Mary is at Jesus' feet...the right place for all of us!

(v.35) This is the shortest verse in the Bible! Although it is short, it tells us much about God. Here is the Creator of the universe, who knew all this would happen, yet He is moved by our tears. He is that way now with us, and He longs for us to call out to Him for everything we do!

(v.43) My kids love it when I do this part, since I note that Jesus didn't just say "Come forth"...if He did, ALL the dead would have been raised!!! Jesus wisely said, "Lazarus, come forth!"

(v.48) Like then, and like today, many people who take on authority (whether spiritual or political) can become consumed with the desire for power. The Pharisees were supposed to be helping the people walk with God...instead, they created all these rules that prevented the people from focusing on God.

This relates to Mary and Martha...Mary was doing the right thing by being still when God speaks, and Martha was too worried about doing things...her focus was blurred.