Zephaniah 1:2-3

In the blink of an eye, 1-2-3, it will be done. In God’s timing and according to His plan the world will change and evil will be destroyed.

Stumbling blocks here refers to idolatry, or substitutes for God in the life and affections of a person. Because there is nothing in the universe that really may be compared to the Creator, God abhors all forms of idolatry. The NKJV Study Bible 

Zephaniah 1:2–3 (NKJV)

² “I will utterly consume everything

From the face of the land,”

Says the Lord;

³ “I will consume man and beast;

I will consume the birds of the heavens,

The fish of the sea,

And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked.

I will cut off man from the face of the land,”

Says the Lord.

Isaiah 40:25 (NKJV)

²⁵ “To whom then will you liken Me,

Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.

1:2 I will surely destroy everything 

Ephesians 1:15-23

We need to pray for spiritual wisdom in these days of uncertainty. Faith pleases the FATHER and allows the HOLY SPIRIT free reign to work in us and through us to the glory of JESUS CHRIST. 

We are safe and protected in His hands!

A Christian may hope many things, but there is one hope that all Christians have in common, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we find true hope and true riches. The NKJV Study Bible

The first prayer has three parts: a thanksgiving to God for the Ephesians’ maturity in the faith; an intercessory prayer on behalf of the Ephesians, asking God to give them wisdom and knowledge to comprehend the riches of His blessings; and a digression on the “power of God” that guided God’s plan of salvation, raised Jesus from the dead, and seated Him at God’s right hand to rule over all powers. Faithlife Study Bible 

Ephesians 1:15–23 (NKJV

¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Psalm 8:6 (NKJV)

⁶ You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

Psalm 110:1 (NKJV)

¹ The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

⁶ For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Acts 21:19-21

Catholics are still governed by many rules, including circumcision, originating  with the Jewish converts to Christianity.

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian Church, with more than 1.29 billion members worldwide.As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. Roman Catholicism maintains that the Roman Catholic Church was established by Christ through the Apostle Peter as the first visible head. 

This is based on Matthew 16:18, when JESUS CHRIST said to Peter, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (NIV)

The evidence of how God changed the lives of Gentiles was presented to the Christians in Jerusalem. The strongest evidence was the Gentile believers themselves who had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem. At this time, Paul may have also given the money he had been collecting from the Gentile Christians. The love the Gentiles expressed to their suffering Jewish brethren was a mark of their genuine conversion.

Reports were circulating that Paul had been urging Jews to abandon Mosaic traditions. However, Paul never derided his Jewish heritage nor demanded that Jewish Christians renounce the Law of Moses. He only made it clear to everyone that the law could not function as a means of salvation. There is evidence that Paul was continuing to keep the Law when he stood before Felix. The fact that he was coming to Jerusalem to worship was evidence of this. What Paul did resist was any attempt to force Gentiles to become Jews. Salvation was through faith alone. Relying on adherence to the Jewish law was repudiation of the gospel message that salvation proceeds from faith in Christ and that alone. The NKJV Study Bible 

Some Jewish people in Jerusalem believed incorrectly that Paul was discouraging Jews from keeping the law. This was not true, since Paul himself continued to observe Jewish customs. Faithlife Study Bible

Acts 21:19–21 (NKJV)

¹⁹ When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; ²¹ but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

Mathew 12:6-13

GOD sees the heart of a person, not as the world sees them, but as He made them to be! 

He knew from the beginning of time just how Mary would honor Him.

The inhabitants of Bethany wished to express their thanks to Jesus, who by a glorious miracle had honored their obscure village. Lazarus was the guest of honor. Simon was a leper who evidently had been cleansed by Jesus. He may have been the father of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. The costly fragrant oil was a perfume extracted from pure nard. Mary poured the costly perfume on both the head and feet of Jesus. She could have opened the flask in such a way that it would have trickled out; instead, she broke the flask and poured out the oil to cover Jesus’ body. The perfumed ointment was placed on Jesus before His death; normally it would have been used after His death. Judas Iscariot said that this oil cost three hundred denarii. One denarius was a laborer’s wage for one day. Thus the oil cost approximately a year’s wages. The expensive oil points to the value of Jesus’ death and the high cost of devotion to Him. The New King James Study Bible

“In the act of love done to Him she had erected to herself an eternal monument, as lasting as the Gospel, the eternal word of God. From generation to generation this remarkable prophecy of the Lord has been fulfilled; and even we, in explaining this saying of the Redeemer, of necessity contribute to its accomplishment” [Olshausen]

Beautiful are the lessons here. Love to Christ transfigures the humblest services. All, indeed, who have themselves a heart value its least outgoings beyond the most costly mechanical performances; but how does it endear the Saviour to us to find Him endorsing the principle as His own standard in judging of character and deeds. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Matthew 26:6–13 (NKJV)

⁶ And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. ⁸ But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

¹⁰ But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. ¹¹ For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. ¹² For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. ¹³ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

John 12:2–8 (NKJV)

² There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

⁴ But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. ⁸ For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Daniel 12:1-3

No one knows the exact date of the end of times as we see them but the FATHER. We do know from Scripture that this occurred when JESUS rose from the dead and those bound in their graves walked the Holy Land and were seen by many.

At that time—typically, towards the close of Antiochus’ reign; antitypically, the time when Antichrist is to be destroyed at Christ’s coming. Partially applicable to the time of Antiochus, who was the first subverter of the Jews’ religion, and persecutor of its professors, which no other world power had done. Fully applicable to the last times of Antichrist, and his persecutions of Israel restored to Palestine. Satan will be allowed to exercise an unhindered, unparalleled energy. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 

Just as the Suffering Servant figure is resurrected and restored to a relationship with God, His people also will be resurrected and restored to a relationship with Him. The allusions serve to connect God’s people in Dan 12:2–3 with the Suffering Servant, so that God’s servant—Israel (the “people” in v. 1)—is resurrected. The concept of judgment also is implicit here, with some receiving eternal life and others eternal contempt. Faithlife Study Bible

The wise not only understand salvation themselves, they also turn many others to the way of righteousness.

Daniel 12:1–3 (NKJV)

12 “At that time Michael shall stand up,

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered,

Every one who is found written in the book.

² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

³ Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.

The grace of God is for everyone!

No one is beyond salvation. We must never judge a person when it comes to the grace of God. He chooses whom He wills and we can be a small part of His plan. He wants no one to perish…no not one!

Saul before his conversion persecuted God’s people. Simon, used sorcery to captivate the people of Samaria, but through the preaching of Phillip he accepted Christ and the Cross.

Stephen’s death supplied the spark for the persecution, and Saul supplied the leadership. Saul had all the legal papers he needed to direct this persecution, and he had the authority to put people to death. Saul was arresting the Christians, men and women, and taking them to prison. The NKJV Study Bible.

Even Simon is convinced of Jesus’ lordship by the power of Philip’s message and miracles—although he will prove to be ignorant of its true significance.Though this man was baptized, he had a long way to go in Christian doctrine and personal growth.  NKJV Study Bible.

Acts 8:3 (NKJV)

³ As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Acts 8:13 (NKJV)

¹³ Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

1 Corinthians 5:11

Does this include our leaders? 

1 Corinthians 5:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

Matthew 18:17 (NKJV)

¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

John 10:7-10

Don’t allow Satan to steal the joy you have in your salvation because that very joy is your strength in Christ. JESUS came to give you eternal, abundant life and with Him your burdens here on earth are lightened because you are never left alone and without hope.

Jesus, the shepherd, gives spiritual life and access to spiritual food.

The thieves and robbers were the Pharisees. The thieves take life; the shepherd gives it. Abundant life includes salvation, nourishment, healing, and much more. Life here refers to eternal life, God’s life. It speaks not only of endlessness, but of quality of life. With Christ, life on earth can reach much higher quality, and then in heaven it will be complete and perfect.

 The NKJV Study Bible.

John 10:7–10 (NKJV)

⁷ Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 14:6 (NKJV)

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Ephesians 2:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Malachi 2:6

If our country has any hope of right standing with God it needs to become a nation with liberty and justice for ALL of its people.

The priests of the OT period had a twofold responsibility—they were to represent the people in holy worship before the living God, and they were to teach and apply God’s law to the people. As the judge of His people, God sentences the wicked and offers protection and defense for the innocent and oppressed. NKJV Study Bible 

Malachi 2:6 (NKJV)

⁶ The law of truth was in his mouth,

And injustice was not found on his lips.

He walked with Me in peace and equity,

And turned many away from iniquity.

Isaiah 11:4 (NKJV)

⁴ But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,

And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Daniel 1:9

When we give our lives to GOD, His hand, directs our steps. This is not to say that trials and tribulations are absent in the lives of believers. GOD shows us favor and takes what was meant to harm us and turns it to our good and the good of His Church!

The Old Testament tells us that Isaiah prophesied to king Hezekiah about a day when the Babylonians would attack and capture Jerusalem, taking some of the sons of Israel to be made saris in the royal courts (2 Kgs 20:16–18). That prophecy was fulfilled in Daniel’s day.

Daniel was likely betrothed to a woman, but before he became eligible for marriage, he was castrated. In Dan 1:3, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (known by the Babylonian names Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were put under the care of Ashpenaz, the chief of the saris. Despite this devastating turn of events, Daniel possessed an unwavering faith in God. In Ezek 14:14–16, he stands with Noah and Job as the three men God commended for their righteousness. Daniel obeyed God in matters from dietary cleanliness to daily worship, and he proclaimed to everyone—at great peril—that God is above all. Booher, C. (2012, 2016). Eunuchs in the Bible. In Faithlife Study Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Daniel 1:9 (NKJV)

⁹ Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.

Genesis 39:21 (NKJV)

²¹ But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

Luke 11:42

Traditions are not inherently bad. Christ came and lived out the width and breadth of them. He did not condemn them but He elevated the greater good to the same importance. The Cross fulfilled God’s justice and made His agape love for His creation evident to all whose eyes He opens.

Grace replaced the Law. Now we do good out of our love and gratitude for all Jesus did for us. We are His feet. We are His hands. We are saved to let His light in us to shine in the darkness. 

His love conquers all.

Luke 11:42 (NKJV)

⁴² “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

Some Pharisees took the strictest interpretation and counted almost anything, including spices. However, they neglected two basic things that the prophets also had warned about: love and justice (see Micah 6:8). The NKJV Study Bible

Our Lord purposely names the most trifling products of the earth, as examples of what they punctiliously exacted the tenth of. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Daniel 2:19-23

In the latter days all the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be intensified. We need to listen closely.

What is in the darkness is hidden from sight but the light of Christ illuminates the dark so that all things hidden are revealed.

God is sovereign over all nations and their rulers. The last word is always His.

The wisdom that Daniel receives comes from God. Daniel’s highlighting of this characteristic suggests that he identifies himself in the tradition of Jewish sages.

Daniel 2:19–23 (NKJV)

¹⁹ Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

²⁰ Daniel answered and said:

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

For wisdom and might are His.

²¹ And He changes the times and the seasons;

He removes kings and raises up kings;

He gives wisdom to the wise

And knowledge to those who have understanding.

²² He reveals deep and secret things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And light dwells with Him.

²³ “I thank You and praise You,

O God of my fathers;

You have given me wisdom and might,

And have now made known to me what we asked of You,

For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

² Then God spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” And he said, “Here I am.” 

Genesis 46:2

¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, 

Job 33:15

¹⁷ “Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 

Acts 22:17

¹⁸ and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 

Acts 22:18

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

The FATHER calls who He wills…not man! What to us may seem like the least likely candidate for the work of the Gospel is his choice in the BODY OF CHRIST. He is faithful to all who believe in the salvation He provided in JESUS CHRIST. Together we form the Bride of Christ..the Church.

When we have been stripped of ourself He can use us the most. 

All believers have one and the same Lord a virtual reproof of the divisions of the Corinthians, as if Christ were divided.

1 Corinthians 1:1–3 (NKJV)

1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

² To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:22 (NKJV)

²² even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

Paul’s appointment to the office of apostle was God’s decision, not a person’s or group’s. Paul doesn’t need the affirmation of the Corinthians because God chose him.

Corinth was a metropolitan city on the Mediterranean Sea with a population consisting of between 150,000 and 300,000 Roman citizens and approximately 460,000 slaves. Jewish people may have been some of the first settlers. The city contained many freed people who often became criminals because they were unable to work legitimate jobs; these may have represented the poor that Paul mentions (1 Cor 11:17–34). In the first century ad, when Paul wrote his letter, Corinth was known for its banking industry and incredible wealth. Shrines to deities of Greek, Roman, and even Egyptian gods have been discovered, and cult prostitution was common. The biannual Isthmian athletic games were held at Corinth, which made it a travel destination; these games also involved a celebration of the god Poseidon.

The Greek word used here, ekklēsia, refers to a gathering of people, not a building; here, it references the gathering of Christ followers in Corinth. Faithlife Study Bible

The Corinthian church greatly valued human wisdom. This misplaced emphasis had caused some in the church to challenge Paul’s authority. They forgot that Jesus Christ Himself had called him to his ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

A local church of God is a group of people who identify themselves with God and gather together to worship and serve Him.

The work of Jesus Christ makes a believer holy forever in God’s eyes. But in everyday living, sanctification involves small, daily changes. This is why Paul could call the Corinthian believers to become saints, even though the problems in their church testified that they were far from the goal of holiness. The NKJV Study Bible.

Paul’s call as “an apostle by the will of God,” while constituting the ground of the authority he claims in the Corinthian Church, is a reason for humility on his own part. In assuming the ministerial office a man should see he does so not of his own impulse, but by the will of God Paul if left to his own will would never have been an apostle.

The Epistle is intended for all believers, as well as for the Corinthians. The true Catholic Church (a term first used by Ignatius [Epistle to the Smyraeans, 8]): not consisting of those who call themselves from Paul, Cephas, or any other eminent leader, but of all, wherever they be, who call on Jesus as their Saviour in sincerity. Still a general unity of discipline and doctrine in the several churches is implied. The worship due to God is here attributed to Jesus. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible