My Thoughts On Various Bible Verses
Worry
Whether we want to admit it or not, every one of us worry about something at some point in our lives. The lists of worries we deal with include money, either our health or that of a loved one, addictions, or raising teenagers. The list could go on and on. No matter what the problem is, Jesus tells us not to worry. Give the problem to Him and allow His will to be done.
Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
 Judging Others
I'm sure that all of us at one time or another have been prejudiced against someone else for their behavior, attitude, job, appearance, color, religion, sexual preference, or some other thing. The Bible teaches us that we are not to judge that person. Christ loves everyone the same! He doesn't care about the "outside" of a person. What matters is where that person's heart is. An adulterous woman was brought before Jesus and asked what he thought should be done with her. Jesus told them that the person without sin was to cast the first stone. {John 8:1-7} If you are not sinless, then you don't have the right to "throw stones!"
Matthew 7:1-2
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Asking Jesus
Jesus knows before we do what we need. He wants us to come willingly to Him to ask for these needs to be fulfilled. If we sincerely come to Him in all things, these needs will be taken care of.
Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
I John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
Do Not Be Ashamed
If we have truly accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will not be ashamed of it. We can witness not only by telling others of Jesus, but by just simply living daily the way He wants us to.
Mark 8:38
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Luke 7:23
And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 10-11
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Jonah
There are those that believe that the happenings in the book of Jonah did not actually happen. I had a minister say that the book of Jonah was "a short story with a moral." Some critics have sought to interpret the book as a parable or allegory, and not as a history. They have done so for various reasons. Some reject it on the ground that the miraculous element enters so largely into it, and that it is not prophetical but narrative in its form. Others, denying the possibility of miracles altogether, hold that therefore it cannot be true history. However, I beg to differ with these people. I firmly believe that if it is in the Bible, it truly happened. Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 that with God all things are possible. Another reason I believe it actually happened is that Jesus referred to the sign of Jonah (Jonas) twice. Signs were actual happenings to prove a point. It is impossible to interpret this reference on any other theory. This one argument is of sufficient importance to settle the whole question. No theories devised for the purpose of getting rid of difficulties can stand against such a proof that the book is a veritable history.
Matthew 12:39-40
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Luke 11:29-30
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality seems to be more accepted today than in the past. Don't get me wrong. I have friends who have chosen this lifestyle and according to the scriptures, I am not to judge. I do, however, believe homosexuality is a sin before God. I also believe that God loves these people just as much as He does the heterosexual. As far as same sex marriage, the Bible clearly states that it is to be between a man and a woman.
Leviticus 18:22
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Romans 1:24-27
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Matthew 19:4-5
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall become one flesh?
Speaking In Tongues
Do you or someone you know "speak in tongues?" I am sure there are those of you that probably think it's just a bunch of ramblings, and there are others of you who may strongly believe in it. There are instructions in the Bible concerning what should and should not be done when speaking in tongues. As you can see from the following verses, we are taught that if we speak in tongues, do so only when there is someone present who can interpret what is being said so that everyone will benefit from it.
I Corinthians 14:2
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
I Corinthians 14:27-28
If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
When Is Christ Coming Again?
Seems each time I go through a checkout line, some "rag" magazine will have headlines predicting the end times. I can remember that not too many years ago, some one (whom I can't remember) predicted an exact date that the Lord's Second Coming would happen. I'm sorry, but the Bible clearly states that no one, not even Jesus Christ himself, knew when His coming in the air would be.
Matthew 24:36
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:42
Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:44
Therefore be ye also read: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
What Defiles A Man
At the time the following scriptures were written, it was believed that if you ate unclean foods or didn't wash your hands before you ate, that you became "defiled" or unclean. Jesus explained that it's not what goes into the mouth that made you unclean, but what came out of it. This still holds true today. Do you like having a conversation with someone whose every other word seems to be a curse word? All types of sins, such as lying, gossiping, cheating on your spouse, murdering, stealing, etc., is what makes a person unclean.
Matthew 15:10-11, 16-20
And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do no ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart: and they defile the man. For out of the heat proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Mark 7:14-15, 20-23
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Predicting The Weather
One of the old sayings I grew up hearing was "Red at night, sailors delight. Red in the morning, sailors take warning." Did you know that the basis of this is from the Bible? Try watching and you will notice that the red sky saying is true.
Matthew 16:2-3
He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
Philip Disappears and Reappears
Philip had been witnessing to a eunuch who accepted Christ into his life. After Philip baptized him, Philip suddenly disappeared. He then re-appeared at Azotus. There apparently is no explanation for this. There are those that do not believe in Jonah's being in the belly of the whale, but never mention this event. I believe this "disappearing act" is another proof of all things being possible with God.
Acts 8:39-40
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
Forgiveness
How many times has someone done something to you and you swore you would never forgive them? It hurts when we've had something done to us or said about us. We tend to want to hold a grudge against that person(s). Does Jesus hold grudges? What if He didn't forgive us?
Matthew 6:15
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 18:21-22
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? til seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Animals on the Ark
Haven't you always heard that there were 2 of every animal on the ark? In one respect that is true. But then from another angle, it's not true. It is true that there 2 of each animal - 1 male and 1 female. But there were 7 pairs of all clean animals and 1 pair of all unclean animals.
Genesis 7:2-3
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
Reaping What You Sow
Ever hear the saying "What goes around, comes around"? You probably have, and this saying has probably been true for you. I'm also sure that you've heard someone say that one should be care of what one says to keep from eating their words. Be careful of what you say or do because those events may come back to haunt you later. We should all strive to do the Lord's will. The reaping of these rewards will be so much greater.
Galatians 6:7-8
Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
The Lord's Day
We have a tendency to put God in a box and limit His capabilities. We seem to have the inability to accept the fact that God is not human; He is a spirit. Yes, He did come to earth in human form through Jesus Christ. I cannot stress it enough that with God all things are possible!! We tend to think that God's "days" are the same as ours. They are not! We have not idea just how long one of His "days" last.
II Peter 3:8
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
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