Bite-Sized Bible Studies: A Stumbling Stone

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." (Romans 9:30-33)

The stone is Christ. The stumbling stone separates the sincere in heart towards God from the insincere. The unbelieving do not have a true heart for what is right or for truth and so they stumble on the stumbling stone, they stumble at Christ.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10)

Bite-Sized Bible Studies: Every Eye Will See Him

Christ is in the world today, in that He indwells those who have been born again. But, Jesus is returning bodily (and soon) at His 2nd Coming. 

"For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be (Mt 24:27)."

The rapture of the church is imminent. At the rapture, the believers will meet Him in the air and are glorified in the twinkling of an eye (1 Thess. 4:17, 1 Cor. 15:52). Shortly after the rapture, the world is then thrust into what Jesus called “Great Tribulation.” According to Daniel (9:24-27), this period of time will last 7 years. Jesus' Second Coming brings the Great Tribulation to an end. 

The Second Coming is the physical, bodily return of Jesus to earth, with His church, to rule and reign over God's Kingdom forever. 

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen (Rev 1:7).

"Every eye will see Him" like "lightning flashing across the sky." The Second Coming of Christ will not happen in secret. There will be no doubt or question as to His arrival. 

Bite-Sized Bible Studies: In the Spirit

"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." (Romans 8:6-9)

Humanity is far from perfect. The God of all creation is perfect. How can sinful humanity be reconciled to a perfectly right God?

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

By repenting of our sin and believing in Jesus Christ, we are born of the Spirit of God; God's Spirit and our spirit become one. We were all born with bodies of flesh, but we must be born of God's Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God indwells the believer through faith in Christ.

How else could we be made right with God except by the grace of God? That's exactly what the Bible alone teaches. We are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus alone!

If we are sincere in our repentance of sin and truly believe that Christ died for our sins, than we are "in the Spirit", safe and secure in Christ eternally.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

Bite-Sized Bible Studies: Our All In All

If we are looking for happiness, pleasure, satisfaction, fulfillment, righteousness or approval in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, then we will continually be disappointed, let down and even devastated. Jesus never lets us down! Everything we need is in Him (not from Him but in Him) alone, and only He satisfies and loves us unconditionally, especially His own.

"...which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:23)

Give Him all- and let Him be your all in all. What will it be today: fullness of joy or disappointment?

Bite-Sized Bible Studies: Only to the Faithful

“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight (Luke 10:21).’”

The discoveries and wisdom of humanity is limited to the material things of this universe. The wisdom of God comes from God alone to any heart open and willing to receive from Him, through faith in Jesus Christ.

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).”

“For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (1 Corinthians 1:19).’”

For the atheist, materialist and evolutionist, this statement in First Corinthians alarmingly confirms their own belief: that they will be destroyed and brought to nothing, according to their belief that the universe will someday die and all life will cease. Even they can agree that the wisdom of the wise will be destroyed and the understanding of the prudent will be brought to nothing! But, what they do not know is that what they believe is only partially correct and that God has hidden the full truth from them and revealed it to “babes”. There is an eternal hell for the faithless and there will be a New Heavens and a New Earth for the faithful (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1)!

It seems good to God to reveal His truth only to those who love Him and seek Him sincerely and honestly. Don’t we do the same? Don’t we protect ourselves from those we know are not really true, but reveal more to those we know and trust?

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14).’”

“Of such”. The wisdom and truths of God are for those that come to Him with child-like trust, sincerity and faith. We must seek the truth in all sincerity and be willing to go wherever that leads us.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).”


“... in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).”

Bite-Sized Bible Studies: I Am With You

“For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land--Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you."
Jeremiah 1:18-19

If God is for us, who can be against us? And yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:31, 37

The end of the age is upon us. And like Jeremiah, we must share an unwelcome message of a coming calamity unfolding before our eyes. Share Christ today no matter the cost. We are safe in Him. He is with us and will deliver us. He will be with His people, He will be glorified and He will deliver us, “by life or by death (Phil. 1:20),” all the way up to the rapture of the church; then we will be with Him and will return with Him to establish His Kingdom on a New Earth. Bless and empower your church, and come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Bite-Sized Bible Studies: United with the Risen Lord

...you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit (from Romans 7:4,6).

There is nothing in this world, nothing, that can even come close to the eternal satisfaction found only in our intimate unity to Jesus Christ and our new life walking with Him, in Him, each step of our life. This new spiritual/miraculous life is lived out not by our own strength, but by this unity to God's Spirit, by the Spirit living in and through us. Being a Christian is spiritual, not of the natural order, so we must allow the Holy Spirit to live through us. Paul said, "it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me."

At Easter, when we are praising our Risen Lord, remember this: by grace through faith in Jesus Christ you are united to our Risen Lord, a co-heir of God's glory right now and for all eternity. As we live in full dependency on His Spirit alone, we live and walk in the Kingdom of God today.