Category Archives: Bible Studies
Further Reading Good Friday
Ezekiel 14-15 (Study Notes)
Here are the notes from the March 6, 2024 study. Feel free to drop a comment or let me know if you have any questions. May the Lord bless you and keep you as you continue to draw near to God and study His Word!
Ezekiel 9
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Colossians 2:16-23
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Learning from an Ant
Proverbs 6:6–8 (NKJV) “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”
What a shame that we have been degraded to the point of having to be taught Bible truths by bugs! Imagine that…instructed by insects – but it is helpful – and I think at times, necessary for some.
1. Notice the ant’s inner Motivation (v. 7)
Having no captain, overseer, or ruler, meaning there’s no one pushing them, no one watching them, and yet they continue to work productively. No one has to tell them, “Ok, chop, chop, break’s over, get back to work.” No, the ant has a heart to work, honestly, and productively, they need no external motivation.
Christians should be the hardest and most faithful workers of all because we’re aware of the fact that ultimately, we work for Jesus.
Ephesians 6:5–6 (NLT) “Workers, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.”
2. Notice the ant’s thoughtful Preparation (v. 8)
They’re “go-getters,” and they’re “gatherers” As go-getters they don’t sit back with a sense of entitlement saying mom, dad, family, friends, society, and government owes it to me. No, they go out and get it, they labor…they work for it.
We’re to do the same – and on the flip side, we should not support the lazy. Don’t misunderstand me, I know the Bible encourages that we give generously to the poor, but not to freeloaders interested only in handouts. We read in:
2 Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.”
Amen!
Warren Wiersbe said, “The biggest thieves of all are the lazy people who could work but won’t, the people who consume what others produce but produce nothing for others to use. The “sluggard” and the “slothful man” are mentioned at least seventeen times in Proverbs, and nothing good is said about them. We need to recognize the fact that work is not a curse. God gave Adam work to do in the Garden, even before sin entered the scene.”
I like what one person said, “Work is the meat of life, and pleasure is the desert.”
Another said, “It’s better to wear out than rust out, so beware of handouts.”
When there’s a genuine need – praise God that so many are sensitive to the Spirit and they give to the helpless, but if a man needs to learn to walk and work, we musn’t get in the way…we might cripple him for life.
Ants are “go-getters” and they’re “gatherers” (savers). Notice again what we read in:
Proverbs 6:8, “Provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”
I realize this isn’t always possible for all of us, but I know of one young man who prior to the pandemic had close to 6 months of wages in his savings account. When the virus hit, and his industry was hit, he was furloughed and lost his income, but he was okay financially until he found another job, because he was a go-getter and a gatherer, a saver…like the ant.
God help us to be hard workers, go-getters, and do all that we can to save up for a rainy day. May we learn from the revelation of creation…even an ant.
Love you! Your brother in Christ,
– Manny
The Prideful Truth
Proverbs 29:23 (NKJV) “A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”
You’ve may have heard that story about a minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer expert who were the only passengers on a small plane. The pilot came back to the cabin and said that the plane was going down but there were only three parachutes and four people. The pilot then said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I have a wife and three small children.” So, he took one and jumped.
The computer whiz said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I am the smartest man in the world and everyone needs me.” So, he took one and jumped.
The minister turned to the Boy Scout and with a sad but sure smile said, “You’re young and I’ve had a blessed life, by God’s grace I know I’m saved, so you take the remaining parachute, and I’ll go down with the plane.”
The Boy Scout said, “That won’t be necessary, sir, the smartest man in the world just picked up my backpack and jumped out!”
A satirical story to illustrate the truth of today’s Proverb, “A man’s pride will bring him low (very low), but the humble in spirit will retain honor.”
We all have it, and it challenges us every day…pride resides within us and fights to take over. The dictionary defines it as, “A high view of oneself; a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.”
The world is proud of their pride, but Christians shouldn’t be. Pride is the root of all sin.
When I think of humility I think of honesty. I know who I am apart from Christ, a weak, wretched, wicked man. I don’t deserve anything good, and I’m not entitled. The truth is, I am NOTHING and can do NOTHING without HIM (John 15:5), but God has been gracious to me.
May we swallow the pride and walk in humility. We’ll be blessed by the results.
Your brother in Christ,
- Manny
More than Food? (Sowing and Reaping)
John 4:37-38, “For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”
I’m not a farmer, per se, but I think I know how to plant seeds. Every once in a while, I’ll reap, I’ll pull a lemon, a kumquat, or different pieces of fruit off my friend’s trees, even though I didn’t plant those trees.
Well, just as that’s true physically, Jesus is saying this is true spiritually. We should be sowing and reaping for the salvation of souls.
Jesus went out of His way to win the Samaritan woman and then the subsequent village to salvation. This was His heart, His mission, His passion. He wanted His disciples to have that same heart, to the point that evangelism and soul-winning would be more important to them than food – that this type of activity would be their satisfaction and sustenance…but they needed to know about spiritual agriculture, the general pattern. Jesus told His disciples, “One sows and another reaps.” Jesus was sending them to reap in a great harvest, but others had labored and sown before them. I can’t recall exactly where I heard this quote, but someone once said, “This truth brings humility to the reapers and encouragement to the sowers.”
Christian friend, whoever you are, keep sowing seeds, loving on people, fishing for men and women, praying for their salvation, and don’t be discouraged if you’re just sowing seeds. If you do get to see some come to faith, stay humble, knowing that others have labored in the field of that heart before you, but praise God you were used by Him, for salvation is of the Lord.
Jesus has a heart for the lost – and He wants us to have that same heart. Even though we’re not all gifted as evangelists, we can all do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5).
Can you think of anyone in your life who needs to be saved? Is the Holy Spirit laying anyone on your heart? Are you looking for those “open doors” of opportunity each day to plant or reap? I hope so. I pray this would be more important to us than the very food we eat each and every day (John 4:32-34).
Until the whole world hears…your brother in Christ,
– Manny
The Word became Flesh
We’ll never completely understand how God became a man, but He did, simply because of His love for you and me. Here’s a study that touches on that fact.
Let’s live it to give it.
Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
I love what one dear brother said, “Jesus didn’t come to live His life, He came to give His life.” And although His was the best life ever lived, the perfect life, the sinless life, the model life, exemplary in all ways – at the end of the day it wasn’t His life that ransomed us, it was His death. The Son of God was born to die for every person who’s ever lived, He gave His life “a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:6).
What a contrast to the mentality most men have nowadays, even Christians. People throwing themselves pity parties because things aren’t going according to their script; cry-baby-Christians who refuse to follow the Lord – they won’t take up their cross and die to self.
It’s imperative to know that we will be tested as Christians, the question is, will we pass those tests? Will we deny ourselves as disciples of Christ, willing to follow the One who gave His life a ransom? Or will we merely be men who “ran some,” but didn’t give it all? Men who didn’t really finish the race we were called to run.
The Ransom was ultimately delivered when Mount Calvary was stained red with buckets of God’s blood, poured out as payment on our behalf (Acts 20:28; Revelation 1:5). We who had been taken captive by Satan, and were without a sliver of hope (Ephesians 2:2-4) were rescued, redeemed, liberated, and loved. Praise God – as Christians, we now belong to Him!
But now…what will we do?
The context of Mark 10:45 is Jesus calling His men to a mission of service – that we’d conform our will to His and be willing to suffer, and sacrifice, for the sake of the Gospel. Although we aren’t called to die meritoriously, we are called to live sacrificially – the question is, will we answer that call?
In all honesty I’ve been blessed with a good life, but I’ve come to realize that the best way to live it, is to give it – ALL – to my Lord.
“O Father please help me…please help us all, to answer Your call.
~ Manny