“Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon the beloved and fellow laborer, and to Apphia the beloved, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.” (Philemon 1:1-2)   Paul sends greetings to Philemon, to others known to be associated with Philemon and to the believers who probably congregate at his house from himself and Timothy. It’s believed that at this point, Paul is unable to pen the letter himself and has Timothy pe

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:19)   Jesus spoke to His disciples about how the world hated them. The world loves its own. “For if you love those who love you, what thanks do you have? For sinners also love those who love them.” (Luke 6:32) The world does not love its enemies. When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, He is telling us

“For faithful is the Word, for if we died with Him , we shall also live with Him .” (2Timothy 2:11)   In other translations this verse begins “It is a faithful saying.” The Greek word that was translated faithful means trustworthy, trustful, sure and true. It is a sure thing. It is a true thing that if we died with Jesus, we would live with Him.   The key phrase begins with the word “if.” Paul is reiterating something that he more than likely repeated many times. Timothy spen

“You looked for much, and behold, little! And when you brought it  home, then I blew on it. Why, says Jehovah of Hosts? Because of My House that is waste, and you, each  man runs to his own house.” (Haggai 1:9)   This was post-exile. The people had returned to Judah and had spent their time, energy and money on rebuilding their own homes. But they were not concerned about the rebuilding of the temple. “So says Jehovah of Hosts, saying: This people says, The time has not come,

“Then Jesus said to the Twelve, Do you also wish to go away?” (John 6:67)   Jesus had just declared to His many followers that He will live in them and them in He if they partake of His body and drink His blood. (John 6:56) Of course they were understanding this in earthly terms and had no spiritual understanding. The Bible tells us that many left Him. (John 6:66) Today, many also leave because they don’t understand spiritual things and get offended as these followers did. Th

“For the love of Christ constrains us, judging this, that if one died for all, then all died;” (2Corinthians 5:14).   Paul explains why he preaches to persuade men to repent. (verse 11) The love of Christ constrains us. By “us” he means the disciples of Jesus. To constrain means to impel, force or drive. And that he was. He was driven to persuade through his teachings. And it was because of the love of Christ. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not wor

“And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual ones, but as to fleshly, as to babes in Christ.” (1Corinthians 3:1)   What are babes in Christ? They are new believers who may not have any knowledge of what the Bible says. A babe in Christ may not know how to behave like a Christian because their soul (mind, will and emotions) has not yet been transformed by the Word of God or because they haven’t been obedient in what the Lord has shown them in the Bible. They may sp

“And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. Nothing is  better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines. And Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of Israel, and so I shall escape out of his hand.” (1Samuel 27:1)   When Saul pursued David to kill him, I imagine that it was a desperate time for David. And when we get desperate, we forget God’s promises to us. We panic and always think the

“Jesus said to them, Come, break fast. And none of the disciples dared to ask Him, Who are You? knowing that it was the Lord.” (John 21:12)   Some background information. This happened after the resurrection. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdelene (John 20:11-18) then to the disciples who were shut in because they feared the Jews (John 20: 19-23). Eight days later Jesus appears to them again. This time Thomas is with them (John 20: 26-29) Then Jesus appears to them by the sea while

“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is  like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap.” (Malachi 3:2)   Malachi is prophesying about the second coming of  Jesus. It will be a hard time for those on earth because Jesus is coming to judge. He is coming in power and authority and not as the servant He was during the dispensation of grace. Different prophets have written bits and pieces about the second coming of the Lord. We don

“I will think on Your Commandments and have respect to Your ways.” (Psalms 119:15)   David has been ascribed as the author of Psalms 119, but there is no evidence that he did. Some think that maybe Ezra or Nehemiah wrote it. Regardless, our Scripture makes a declaration of dedication of two things, to meditate or think on God’s commandments and to respect God’s ways.   Looking into, thinking and meditating on God’s precepts or commandments is vital to our walk with the Lord.

“Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish, with unspeakable joy; to the only...

“And as He stopped speaking, He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep and let your nets down for a haul.” (Luke 5:4)   We see God’s...

“Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him...

“And it will be one day which shall be known to Jehovah, neither day nor night; but it will happen that at evening time it shall be...

We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and...

“The love-apples give a scent, and over our doors are all pleasant fruits , new and old, which I have laid up for You, O my Beloved.”...

And if a leprosy breaks out greatly on the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the one who has  the plague from his head even to...

“Jehovah looks down from Heaven; He beholds all the sons of mankind.” (Psalms 33:13)   This is a fearful Scripture. God the Father, the...

“For I was ashamed to ask of the king troops and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king,...