Second in a series of studies in Isaiah 5 5“And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down” 6“I will lay it waste;It shall not be pruned or dug,But there shall come up briers and thorns.I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it” (Isaiah 5:5-6). Through Isaiah, God carries the parable a step farther here and minces no words as He tells

First in a series of studies in Isaiah 5 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:3-4). Through a brief parable in the first part of this chapter, Isaiah pictures the blessings God has given the Jewish people, God’s disappointment in their refu

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,Nor shall evil dwell with You” (Psalm 5:4). David opens this morning prayer with a plea for God’s good pleasure and for God to hear him. In this verse, he brings to the forefront the foundation of God’s character—and the necessity for God’s having to create a system of forgiveness for straying mankind. Because of God’s perfection, not only did He not take pleasure in wickedness but wickedness could not exist within H

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41). Three words stand out as key in analyzing the message of this verse that is placed after the Holy Spirit comes upon the apostles, as hearers absorb the message of Peter’s dynamic sermon, and as they respond to that message. The reaction of these hearers shows action, attitude, and acceptance. When they “received the word,” they believed the mess

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). The message of this passage makes it quite clear that what we do makes a difference not only in our own spiritual success but also in the success of the gospel message—that is, “the truth.” “Ungodliness” describes a life that is characterized by “self-obsession, lust, and pleasure”; and “unrighteousness” describes one

Final in a series of studies of 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 12“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:12-14). Having introduced the subject of idolatr

Second in a series of studies of 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 12“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:12-14). As a result of the teaching in verse th

First in a series of studies of 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 12“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:12-14). Arrogance and overconfidence are never c

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28). The mystery of death has puzzled saint and sinner alike since near the beginning of time, and here the inspired writer decidedly states it is a one-time occurrence in the life of every person—and he makes it permanent. From death, t

“And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. 25 Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us” (Deuteronomy 6:24-25). In both Testaments, the word righteousness appears many times, leading us to conclude that it is extremely important to God. Moses, here, clearly explains w

“Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:04). Pride has never been the way to the heart of God, and here Jesus makes a rather startling statement to bring that point home to those who are listening to Him. Jesus is attempting to get His disciples to discard their pride, ambition, and jealousy and to put on a cloak of humility. Their question about the “greatest in the kingdom” shows their hearts are not

“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth” (Colossians 3:8). In this and several other places where the Apostle Paul teaches Christians about the high standards of behavior they are to exhibit, he mentions anger and wrath. In fact, he deepens the difference between anger and wrath in some of his writing and labels the more severe emotion as “outbursts of wrath.” “Anger” is a negative emotional resp

“For I acknowledge my transgression, And my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). King David is in the depths of despair when he speaks these words in his highly emotional prayer to God. Having transgressed one of God’s flagship principles, David seeks relief—he seeks cleansing from his feelings of overwhelming guilt. Even though David comes back to God and seeks His forgiveness, the consequences of his guilt stay with him for the rest of his life. He suffers the judgment

“Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools” (Proverbs 26:7). Solomon’s well-known attitude toward those who lack “wisdom” shines through clearly in this verse that is set in the middle of a series of descriptors of a person he labels as a “fool,” that is, a person “… who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person.” A “proverb is “a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice.” His message is that a word

“But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,My glory and the One who lifts up my head.I cried to the Lord with my voice,And He heard me from His holy hill” (Psalm 3:3-4). Having been forced out of Jerusalem, David is now “on the run” from his son Absalom who wants to take not only his throne but his life as well; and he has just lamented to the Lord about those who have followed Absalom in turning against him. In these two verses, he turns to a positive note of gratitude becau

“ This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved ” (Acts 4:11-12). Inspired by the Holy Spirit and filled with ‘fiery’ compassion, Peter gives an extended address to the multitudes about what they have done in putting to death the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. In a metaphor, first used in passages in t

“ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil . Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin ” ( James 4:15-17 ) . James has just taught his readers about the importance of depending on God when making plans for the future and of being aware of the brevity and uncertainty of life. This verse describes how it looks when we follow this idea

“ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you ” ( John 8:36 ) . Tension builds as Jesus has this discussion with the unbelieving Pharisees at this point in His ministry. As Jews, they are the descendants of Abraham and have assured themselves that they have always been free. Jesus tries to convince them that they have been under bondage to sin sinc

A Study in 1 Peter 1 “… as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct ” ( 1 Peter 1:14 ) . Having just given a general instruction that Christians are to get control of their minds and be serious about their Christian pursuit, Peter here narrows his scope of teaching to “ obedient children ,” a label that indicates there is such a designation as “dis

“ But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day ” ( Proverbs 4:18 ) . In contrast to the teaching in the four previous verses, Solomon turns to positive instruction for those who want a relationship with God that will lead them to the eternal home with Him. Calling them the “just,” Solomon uses a simile to picture such a life: “like the shining sun.” The simile here compares the progression of the sun as it grows ever mor