Scripture Treasures

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ ~ Philippians 1:9, 10 Would you and I like to know that this type of prayer was said for us each and every day! Would those who know each one of us like to know we were speaking this prayer on their behalf each and every day as well! It is a prayer for those we love, and for those whose peace and joy we seek. We desire our loved ones to find and be happy, and the best way of doing that is to go to God in supplication for them. Paul has specific blessings he prays for those he cares about: that they may abound more, that their knowledge and depth of insight would grow, that their discernment would be wise in what is good and beneficial. He did not pray for financial wealth, or for them to climb up the ladder of success in the world. He didn’t pray for the material, but the spiritual blessin...

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God ~ John 3:21 An upright person desires truth, seeks truth, and lives in truth. If there is nothing untoward what one is doing, then there is no fear of having a light shine on one’s actions. The person will not hide in the corner, or cover up what they do, say, or act. I once knew a person who said they do not lie. In effect, it was true, but in reality, the statement itself was a lie, for their spoken truth left out very important facts which would say different. So, in their thoughts they were not lying, but if the whole of the facts had been known, they would have been caught red-handed. Deception of truth can be manipulated by the sinner. In this life, that deception may never be known, but one day that person will stand in the sight of God and will have to answer for their lies. You see, it is ultimately God who sees into our heart, and in...

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth ~ 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul is talking to a young church leader, Timothy, but whether Timothy was young or old, the wise words are for every person who teaches God’s word to others. As a preacher, there have been times when I have quaked as I have brought a tough message to a group. My quaking was on the inside, fearful in one way as to how my words would be interpreted, but on the other hand with the full confidence in God that what I knew the Gospel said was true and that I would speak it no matter how I internally was feeling or how the listener reacted. My principle guide is always God’s word and speaking the truth of that word. The object is not for me to please others, but to please God, and this is what Paul is telling Timothy. My approval ultimately comes from God, and so should it be so for all who speak His word. But we must study the word ...

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible ~ 1 Corinthians 9:19 Paul, being an apostle, was in a high office of the church, and so therefore had no one superior to him. He is also a free man in the sense that many were slaves in his time, but he was not a servant to any. He is independent in soul and in nature, so he can preach the gospel freely wherever he went. Paul, we know, was also a tentmaker, so when he came to preach, no cost was laid at the feet of the church to cover his costs. Of course, he also states he has this right, for as he says, “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest…?” But he has not chosen to claim this right. Instead, Paul has chosen to serve without hire. In this way, Paul has denied himself so that where he went in his journey of preaching could fully benefit from his teaching. Not many teachers do this in our day. An honorarium is expected at speaking en...

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours ~ Mark 11:24 God hears all our prayer, be they little, or be they of great magnitude. His ear is attentive to our hearts cry, to our voice of pleading, to our wordless utterings. I believe that our prayer “move the heavens” and begin a holy war against the principalities which fight against us in this world. To know that God listens sets us apart from many other religions, for other gods are either dead, a myth, or are made of material with no life in them. We as Christ followers, pray to a living God. This is the first thing then that we must know when we pray: our prayer are always heard. Our prayers also ought to be good. In other words, if our prayers are for selfish reasons, or for improper motives, God will not hear our prayers. When we pray for a million dollar home and all the bells and whistles to go along with it, our prayers will be left unfulfilled. If we pray for...

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ ~ Galatians 1:10 If there is one thing covid-19 has shown us, it is the need for other people. When we are cut off from them, we feel it strongly. We need touch, we need relationship, we need interaction, for all these strengthen us, encourage us, and help keep us centered. Without the people around us we flounder, we become depressed, we struggle with life. This is healthy interaction. God did not create us to be alone, but to be in community. It becomes unhealthy when we cannot think for ourselves, when every action we do is centered on what other people think about us, whether they accept us, and if we have met their expectations. Many people live in such a way. It becomes a burden, it is like a chain around the neck, for they do not, nor cannot be who they truly are. The Apostle Paul, before his Damascus Road revela...

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” ~ Matthew 4:4 I was speaking to a young man the other day about his religion. I cannot even describe what to call it, for I have never heard of it in my life. He describes himself as a pagan. He believes in Thor and asks him for strength when a heavy object needs to be lifted. He believes other such “gods” help him to look inside himself and find the strength he needs for life. I tried to take it all in but was at a loss. His faith seems to give him no peace though he believes it does. His life sounds like a train ran over him and then comes back and runs over him again. Again, I wonder why people so reject the love, forgiveness (he does not believe in sin or errors either), grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I was talking also to a young woman, and point blank asked her why she did not look to Jesus as she was wanting the spiritual life, and actually said she envied...

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope ~ Romans 5:3, 4 When life is going along with everything working out the way we expected, with no interpersonal issues, when our family is healthy and loving, we are in our glory, aren’t we? Everything is “peachy-keen”! We wish that life was always like those times! But it is not. Life is full of ups and downs, it is full of both joy and sorrow, of stress and relief, of anger and laughter. The problem with the “everything working out” times is that we do not grow as individuals. In fact, the opposite is true. We become apathetic and stagnant. We may like to stop in those times to rest, but if we remain there, we become planted. My hardest times of life have been the times when my faith grew in my Lord to a greater degree. My hardest times of life were when my understanding of others changed, when my compassion was enlarged. My hardest ti...

  Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God ~ Romans 15:7 How many of us grew up thinking we were unaccepted by either our parents, or our friends, or even our siblings. Unacceptance is a judgment placed upon another, or the self. It says, “You/I don’t match up to the standards.” And, when we are young we take that in and we believe it. “I can’t run as fast as you can run.” “I can’t stand up in front of a group of people and talk like you can.” Unacceptance is full of “I can’t.” We live our young life, and sometimes those thoughts from our childhood transfer over into our adult life, and we feel like we are an eternal failure. What a devastating way to live! Christ changes all that though! Whatever we were told when we were young is no longer true in Him, for He is the one who says, “I love you just the way you are!” And then He does this wondrous thing in our lives and transforms us into that better person He already knew we were! He ...

  All God’s people here send their greetings ~ 2 Corinthians 13:13 Paul sends his blessings to those in the Corinthian Church and offers them his support. At this point, Paul is in Macedonia, and from there he extends the wish of happiness to all, as well as the remembrance of his and those he is now with a blessing of   love and respect for the Corinthian Church. Paul has written extensively to this church, for as a church they have certainly had their problems. They had been seduced by the pagan culture around them, and then become hyper-spiritual which led them into a whole new set of problems. In these few final words Paul shows us what unity, mentorship, and what church life must be in the Christian church. Problems will occur in the life of a church, for we are all individuals which come from different backgrounds, but the question is, how do we manage our differences. Will we put Jesus first, will we see each other as created in the image of God? Will we work for unit...

  Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before ~ Joel 2:23 This is a promise of restoration for the people. Not only were they to rejoice in the land which was now being filled with the nourishment of the rains, but they were to rejoice in their God who is faithful. Our modern world takes for granted that the sun and the rain are “just there”, just part of the weather patterns of this world. They don’t attribute the sun or the rain to God. But this is “shortsighted” says Coffman. Everything depends upon God. As Christians, the rain we rejoice in is Jesus Christ, for He is our living water. He is our faithful and righteous teacher. The Gospels are the message of rain, for their words bring great blessings to the reader, its message gives divine direction, it revives, it instructs, it refreshes and it makes the reader fruitful in life. Jesus...

  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen ~ Ephesians 4:29 I took a nice juicy looking apple from my refrigerator yesterday and thought of how much I would enjoy biting into it. Just under the skin of the apple, however, was a deep bruise I did not see, and I bit into it instead of the luscious sweet part of the fruit. The bitter taste was in my mouth! It is like that with our words. We expect to hear sweet words from come from a mouth, but instead comes the foulness of bruised language. It is the way with some people. Every other word takes the Lord’s name in vain, or it is so foul a word I will not even write it out. Language is how we communicate either love, or hate. Language can tear one to shreds or build one up to accomplish what they had thought was impossible. Language is used to tell lies, and it is used to tell truth; one being destructive and...

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others ~ Philippians 2:3, 4 How sweet is the unity of Christ in a church! It makes the gathering of God’s people a pleasure, a reassurance of hope, an encouragement to the soul. Unity in Christ is heaven on earth. When a church is set against itself in its members through pride, ambition, and conceit, the morality of the church is destroyed and discouragement in Christian living becomes the disillusionment of the whole congregation. People wonder then if it is worth it to be a Christian, and they wonder what Christ really died for if we as “Christians” behave as the rest of the world around us. I have seen churches split, leaders leave and take followers with them, gossip becomes the norm, and people leave their faith behind. As Christ’s church, we are not to indulge in our own glory, but the glory of the Lord...

  Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ~ Ephesians 5:1 How do you imitate God in your daily life? Is it by watching what words come out of your mouth as you speak to others? Perhaps it is by being an encourager when someone is down and facing troubles in their life. Maybe you are one that really cares for the homeless and the down-and-out, and you try to meet their needs in some way or another. Do you have a spirit of forgiveness and kindness? How do you imitate Christ? To imitate really translates as “follows”. It indicates a child that watches the adults around and begins to impersonate them in their walk, their language and way of speaking, how the adults even hold themselves as they sit or stand is mimicked. A child watches with intensity and models what they see and hear. We are the children of God, and we too are called to watch with intensity the God and Lord that loves us unconditionally. We do that in several ways: we read His word daily, we sit in t...

  Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom ~ James 3:13 James has three prerequisites for good leadership: wisdom, good life and deeds, and humility. I have had a few good mentors over the years, but when I think back, the one which taught me the most was during my early years as I was going through seminary. My pastor at the time was a man which emulated all these characteristics. Through his leadership I grew and would even admit that I was brought into greater healing through his kindness, his faithfulness to the Lord, and the Spirit of God within him. I will always hold Rev. Dr. Dan Gibson high in my esteem as the kind of man James is talking about here. Leadership is not always found in the pulpit of a church though. It is one place, but not the only place. Men and women who serve God in their many ways have the opportunity to mentor others, whether they are young people, or not. How we...

  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them ~ 1 John 4:16 When new Christians come to read the Bible, most often they are led to read the Gospel of John first. Why? Because John wrote and explained more clearly than the others the nature of Christ – love. Here he writes again and writes that we “know” the love God has for us. It is theological in that as we read John’s words we know love is a divine characteristic of God, for God’s loving nature is the most receptive; for the disciple whom Jesus loved was the one who loved Jesus. He understood Jesus perhaps the most of all the disciples. John goes on to state that those who live in love live in God. Love is such a common word in today’s language. I love ice cream, I love sweets, I love to go driving and travelling…what really is love when we use it so loosely? In scripture it has a different connotation, for “love” as a word was not used as we use it. John...

 T herefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind ~ Philippians 2:1, 2 Again we are encouraged by the apostle Paul to be one, to be unified. In these days of covid-19 we see a world torn apart by the disease, and not only by it, but by people living in either fear or denial and anger. The world has never been a place where all people loved everyone and had the same feelings for each other that Paul is talking about here. The world is an empty, lonely place. If it were not for Christ in our lives and heart, we would be in the same predicament as the world. Would we, if we had not Christ, offer encouragement and comfort? Well, yes, we probably would, for not everyone in the world is bereft of offering comfort and encouragement, but it would lack the hope w...

  Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble ~ 1 Peter 3:8 We all suffer at times in our lives. Your suffering will be different from mine, but there is not one of us who will get through this life without some form of trouble coming upon us. The suffering may be in ways of sickness, it may be in ways of financial stress, and it may be in ways of physical oppression. There are as many ways to suffer as there are people in this world. Peter is calling us to be sympathetic to one another in our time of suffering, to bear with one another’s frailties, and be a blessing to those around us who may be suffering. He is also calling us to be like-minded, to live in harmony with one another. This does not mean that I may think every thought you think, or agree with every thought you think. Our differences of opinion can be productive, and often cause us to broaden our internal scope of those situations that brought us into conversati...

  Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ~ Philippians 4:4 We seem to be living in a hope-less world. I am thankful to live in the country that I do, but even here people are beginning to protest the safeguards put in place to protect us from covid-19, and I am sure it is because they have lost hope in where they find truth. Truth is distorted in our day and age. Lies become truth and truth become lies. People are lost because they have no grounding in a foundation that is stable. Finding hope in the midst of hope-lessness is a challenging question. Hope cannot be found in world views, or in other religious options. Karma does not bring hope, a Buddists hope is to see things and face them as they are, Islam rejects excessive hope or fear and the two seem tightly interwoven through three elements: emotional, cognitive, and behavioural. In this they are considered “praiseworthy” hope or fear. Our hope is placed in a God who became a man who took on suffering for ...

  I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth ~ Psalm 121:1, 2 I was just reading that today marks the 6 th month since the World Health Organization officially declared a COVID-19 a pandemic. March 11, 2020 announced there were over 118,000 cases of coronavirus worldwide. As of today, that number stands at more than 28 million, with global deaths exceeding 900,000. And this is not over. We have not come to the end of counting the loss, the grief, the hopelessness, the reactions, the anger, the deaths. We are waiting for scientists, for leaders, for people to wear their masks, for this pandemic to stop. How many are looking to the hills of heaven, and searching for the God they all left behind years ago, or were never taught about because their parents or grandparents left the Creator God of the universe behind so many years ago? How many of those deaths were persons who did not know Jesus as Saviou...

  Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you ~ Isaiah 46:4 Our Lord God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit are the same today as they were yesterday and as they will be tomorrow. The Three-in-One is the unchangeable, the one constant we can count on in this changing and finite life. His love is the same, His care remains, His affection never wavers, He is a tender parent surpassing the most tender parent we may know. His word is valuable above all others for it will never fail nor fall. He is a continued presence with us from the time of our youth until the last breath we take in our old age. I look back over my youth and though I did not know Jesus as my Saviour then, when I came into His saving grace I could see His hand on my life from the time I was little onward. I went through some hard times for sure, many I would not wish to repeat they were so painful, b...

Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance ~ Titus 2:2 I have heard it said that Christians don’t have a retirement package. In other words, there is never an end to serving, and here in Paul’s words, there should never be an end to learning. Our age is not a significant factor in what we should learn and what we should be taught. God’s school is for any age, irrespective. Every man, according to Paul, is to press forward in learning so as to be an example to the young, who may need encouragement in the ways of God. Plus, an older man is not void of entangling themselves in the sins of a younger man, so he must be controlled in his actions. Human nature has a way of ensuring the temptations are as real when we are old as when we are young. A faithful man, a loyal man, a god-fearing man earns respect from all ages, and he has the opportunity to be a living example to the young. Unfortunately, we live in a socie...

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground ~ Psalm 143:10   It is interesting and exciting to watch a child learn something new. They will keep at it until either they can say the new word, or put a block in the correct hole, or until they can take a step on their own. Most children have an uncanny way of not being frightened of learning something new, or to block their learning processes. It is an inner hunger they have that needs to be filled. It should be the same for us as adults. We must have an inner hunger for God to reveal Himself and His will to us so that we can and will follow Him. We must have an attitude of teachableness, a sense of our own ignorance when it comes to God’s ways, as well as the greatness of Him who is God. We must have a sense of humility when we come before the Lord God, for our pride will certainly block our learning. We serve the Lord Jesus who desires that we follow Him in all our ways and in all our...

  He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ ~ Colossians 1:28   We cannot preach the good news of the New Testament if we are not preaching the Christ of the New Testament. We cannot even preach the good news of the New Testament if we do not start with the beginning and Genesis, for in this day, people do not understand what sin is, or what the fall is, and why we need a Redeemer/Saviour. It is not until lost sinners recognize their need for justification, for pardoning, and by whose sacrifice their atonement was made that their sins can then be pardoned and their eyes opened to the truth. Then they will take hold of the Lord Jesus as Saviour. This is what admonishing means. It is not to get someone in trouble, it is to show them the trouble they unknowingly are in! There is a heaven and a hell, there is a wrath to come, and the lost sinner is bound for that terrible judgment if he or...

  Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them ~ John 14:23   Jesus had just spoken these words in verse 21, but now He returns them again to the disciple to confirm and explain what He had already said. Anyone, any man, woman, or child that loves Him will keep His commandments. What Jesus is saying is that if we love Him, we will not just speak that we love Him, but that we will obey Him, for it is our obedience which is the proof of our love. This means we will love each other, we will do His will, we will deny ourselves and make Him Lord of our life and heart, we will follow Him through the good and the bad times, through ridicule and opposition. Jesus came for our salvation, and if we cannot love, we cannot be saved! We just cannot fulfill the commandments of Christ without loving Him. The Apostle Paul declared that one might possess all faith and yet find it worthless without lo...

  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” ~ Matthew 28:18-20   Jesus is our High Priest, our Mediator, and all things in this universe are under Him for the purpose of Redemption. He is come to redeem His people from sin, from separation, so that we might enjoy Him as we were created to do. He is also our Defender in that He has subdued our enemies and made us conquerors in Him! His government extends over this pluralistic, material world, over angels, over devils, over evil persons and over those who believe in Him. He is our LORD. His command then, to you and to me, is that because we have His backing, His support, His defense, and even though we are weak, in Him we are strong...

  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us ~ 2 Timothy 1:13, 14   Paul is exhorting Timothy, a young man and a young Christ follower to be cautious about what he had been taught by Paul – to hold Paul’s words close and not be caught up with false teachers and their “wisdom.” It is a warning for us in our day as well, for our world is filled with many who will speak false words to us, and many who will believe their words as fact. Even in the church, the word of God can and at times will be twisted, so we must know what scripture says, we must be in the word of God on a daily basis, we must not be ignorant! 1 John 4:1 tells us to “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (ESV). Paul tells Timothy to guard t...

  This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go ~ Isaiah 48:17   The lessons of life come in various forms – some we enjoy while others we wish had never occurred. What this verse is saying is that God doesn’t always teach us in a profitable, or what we would call a “good” way, because it may hurt, it may stretch, it may call us to repentance. He does however teach us how to get the profit out of all our experiences. He grants to us the power to take the good and refuse the evil; to absorb the “honey and reject the poison”. I think of the verse in 2 Corinthians 1:4 where Paul writes that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort those in trouble with the same comfort God has given to us. It often is not until we reach the other side of our problem that we can see where the hand of God was working for us, and then we are grateful. That is...

  The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees ~ Psalm 119:64   The goodness of God is seen everywhere! All around us, if we choose to look, we see God in action through the people around us. His love surrounds us in little ways everyday. The grace of God is active in the middle of our want, poverty, affliction and bondage. We think God is inactive in our world because we watch the news stations. Our secular world looks only at the bad and the sensational to attract viewers. Unfortunately, as the world, that is what they are looking for, which is why our news stations are so proficient in providing “bad news” everyday. When do you hear about the good that people do for others? Our God is a good God, a loving God, and the best proofs of that are seen when we truly love a friend – then the love of God springs up everyday! It takes faith to see this. The world sees only a place empty of God because they have forsaken Him, but I believe if we look we will see ...

Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king ~ Nehemiah 1:11   Instead of cowering in front of his earthly king, afraid to request that he be allowed to travel to Jerusalem to help rebuild the walls, Nehemiah appealed to his King, the Lord God Almighty, for His favour. What is important to note too is that Nehemiah did this before asking the king, “this man”, for favours, not after. How often do we come to our decisions on our own merit, then we ask God for His blessing! Instead we should follow this example from Nehemiah, and pray to the Lord before we request anything from someone, or before we make any changes in our life. Take note too of the prayer. It was said in silence, in the inner voice it was spoken, all the while he was administering the cup to the king. Nehemiah he...