Category Archives: Commentary

The Bridge Commentary is a running verse by verse breakdown of the Books of the New Testament including word definitions, significant historical background and comments.

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Why It’s Important to Realize that the Wrath of God Will Balance Everything

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-Six

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Why It’s Important to Realize that the Wrath of God Will Balance Everything

In today’s episode, we peer into the open door of a subject mostly unspoken in our churches, the Wrath of God. It’s not a comfortable subject for sure. In Scripture, wrath is God’s stop sign showing His strong and vigorous opposition to everything that smacks of evil. Knowing that there are over 580 references to the wrath of God in the Old Testament alone, why is it that this subject is primarily unknown in our grace-filled churches? Concerning wrath, one gentleman said that when we speak of God’s wrath, we point to a kind of anger that results from a settled and consistent disposition, and not to a loss of one’s temper. God’s wrath is like that, rather than like human anger on a grand scale. With us, wrath always has elements of passion, lack of self-control, and irrationality. The wrath of God does not. 1 In other words, God’s wrath is not sudden explosive anger. It is clear that when we think of the word “wrath” as applicable to God, it must be divested of everything that is like human passion, especially the passion of revenge. [God’s wrath] is the opposition of the divine character against sin; and the determination of the divine mind to express that opposition in a proper way, by excluding the offender from the favors which He bestows on the righteous. We admire the character of a father who is opposed to disorder, vice, and disobedience in his family and expresses his opposition properly. We admire the character of a ruler who is opposed to all crime in the community, and who expresses those feelings in the law. Why shall we not be equally pleased with God, who is opposed to all crime in all parts of the universe, and who determines to express His opposition in the proper way for the sake of preserving order and promoting peace?[2, Albert Bones, Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002)] Why It’s Important to Realize that the Wrath of God Will Balance Everything, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Why Jesus Substitutionary Death is the Greatest Exchange Ever

[Tweet “The wrath of God is not a popular subject. When was the last time you heard any teaching on this in our grace-filled churches?”]

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How the Word of God Is Remarkably at Work in You

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-Five

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How the Word of God Is Remarkably at Work in You

We’re talking about the Word of God today, specifically the Word of God working in you. AW Tozer had this to say about God’s Word. “The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The Voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free. “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” The life is in the speaking words. God’s word in the Bible can have power only because it corresponds to God’s word in the universe. It is the present Voice that makes the written Word all-powerful. Otherwise, it would lie locked in slumber within the covers of a book.1 Tozer is right. We have to get the Word out of the book, out from between the leather covers and off the pages and down on the inside of us for God’s will to be performed in us. As we will see in this podcast, Paul commended the Thessalonians for this very thing. How the Word of God Is Remarkably at Work in You, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Why The Gospel of Jesus Destroys the Gospel of Performance

[Tweet “We need to exhort one another to press on, to run, to hasten, to move rapidly and decisively forward in the things of God.”]

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How a Spiritual Dad Can Demonstrate the Love Walk towards His Children

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-Four

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How a Spiritual Dad Can Demonstrate the Love Walk towards His Children

During this Father’s Day season, we are talking about the subject of spiritual dads. Paul was a spiritual dad to the born-again believers of Thessalonica. Spiritual dads, natural dads, — it’s great when a natural dad is also a spiritual one. Some people say any man can be a father; it is a job that takes little talent. However, the rate of failure in fatherhood is actually higher than in any other occupation. Fathers have a colossal full-time job that most people underestimate. It is the most important task a man can tackle. Despite vast changes in America’s social fabric in recent years, one thread of tradition shows no sign of unraveling: sons and daughters who follow in their father’s footsteps. A nationwide survey was taken recently to determine how much time fathers were spending with their children. The results were astounding. Fathers with children between the ages of 2 and 12 were spending 12 minutes a day with their children. Twelve-minute dads contribute greatly to 12-year-old delinquents. But not all dads are 12-minute dads. A busload of dads and sons left a church parking lot for an overnight camping trip. The dads represented various vocations, but they all had one thing in common: they did not want to be 12-minute dads. You cannot substitute a popsicle for Pop himself, though both may have their places. Whether it be a car or a candy bar, a fishing rod or a hot rod, you cannot substitute these “presents” for the “presence.” America is standing at a crossroads of history; our very survival as a nation may depend on the presence or absence of masculine leadership in millions of homes; leadership in the form of loving authority; leadership in the form of financial management; leadership in the form of spiritual training and leadership in maintaining good marital relationships.1 We’re talking about spiritual dads today. How a Spiritual Dad Can Demonstrate the Love Walk towards His Children, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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#S2-008: What Is The Parable of the Sower? [Podcast]

[Tweet “Paul, as a model spiritual dad, had his heartstrings invested in the believers in Thessalonica.”]

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What’s Our Responsibility to Those Newly Come to Faith in God

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-Three

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What’s Our Responsibility to Those Newly Come to Faith in God

Today, we undertake to highlight the vital nature of responsibility as it relates to those who have just received Jesus as their Savior. What is our role when it comes to people who have just been born again? Isn’t it to make disciples? That’s what Jesus said. Take the raw elements of a new convert and help them on their journey of being molded into the image of God. That’s positive production. Picture a large manufacturing plant in your town or city that produces shoes. The management has invested great sums of money and many man-hours into the plant to produce the finest shoes possible. Money has been spent on salaries for the employees, machinery for shoemaking, and materials from which the shoes are to be made. The plant is now in operation with hundreds of workers scurrying to and fro. Machines are running full blast, and activity is at a maximum. One day the president asks the production manager, “How many shoes have we produced so far?” “None,” the manager answers. “None?” the president exclaims. “How long have we been in operation?” “Two years.” “Two years? And still no shoes?” “That’s right,” the manager says, “No shoes, but we are really busy. In fact, we have been so busy that we are all nearly tired out. We’ve been very active at our jobs.” The management would probably be very concerned, fire somebody, and try to find out what the problem was. If we now put a cross on top of that building and transform it into the church on the corner—your church, we find much activity going on. Men and women are working hard. The budget is higher this year than ever before. The objective, however, is to produce disciples. Is all that money and man-hours production in your church going into the production of disciples for Jesus Christ?1 Producing disciples, that’s our job and that’s why we’re talking today on the subject of What’s Our Responsibility to Those Newly Come to Faith in God — all on this week’s Light on Life.

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What Is The Parable of the Sower?

[Tweet “A responsible take on the gospel is not only to get people saved but to get them established in God.”]

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#S10-022: Why the Second Coming of Jesus is the Expectation of All Believers [Podcast]

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-Two

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#S10-022: Why the Second Coming of Jesus is the Expectation of All Believers [Podcast]

The Second Coming of Jesus is at the forefront of today’s podcast. Here is a story of how a Hindu found God because of this coming remarkable event. Jimmy Modha, who was raised in a devout Hindu home in Leicester, England, enraged his family by coming to Christ and converting to Christianity. He told them his sins had been forgiven because he had found God. “Which god?” shouted his father “It’s Jesus Christ,” replied Jimmy. “Actually He came and found me. He died on the cross for my sins; I am a Christian.” His mother fainted, his father threw him out of the house, and his brother Jay prayed for the gods to kill him. “We would mourn his death,” said Jay, “but at least our family would not be dishonored.” Jay, a brilliant student working on his Ph.D. in parasitology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine disowned his brother and refused to talk to him. In parting, Jimmy said, “Jay, if you are ever desperate and no one is there to help you, remember Jesus loves you, and His hand is on your life. Call to Him and He will save you.” Jay was furious, but Jimmy began praying earnestly for him. Shortly Jay began having disturbing dreams. “It was as if I was awake in my bed at three in the morning when suddenly a blinding light broke through the roof and ceiling of my bedroom. In that light I could see a cloud descending from heaven, bearing three awesome, fiery men-like creatures. The first blew a trumpet so loud that I was sure the whole world could hear its thunderous sound. I knew whatever was coming was universal in consequence. The second creature cried out, ‘Prepare ye, for the Lord is coming to reap the harvest!’ Then the third swung a scythe over the earth and cried, ‘Now is the earth ready for harvest!’ “I tried to wake up from the dream because I felt I was going to have a heart attack from sheer fright. But I could not. Then, in the middle of the cloud, I noticed a Person who looked completely different. The brilliant light was coming from Him. His face shone so radiantly that no features were clear except for eyes that looked like blazing flames of fire. A robe went from His neck to His feet, which were like white-hot metal. He was dreadful in His beauty and terrible in His splendor. “As He descended, He looked at me. I was completely undone, absolutely terrified. I could not bear to look at Him any longer, so I turned my head. To my amazement, there beside me was my brother Jimmy, who was not scared at all. In fact, his face was joyous, and he was reaching out as if to embrace the figure. “When I gained the courage to look at Him again, He addressed me saying, ‘Jay, what are you going to do when this happens?’ Then everything vanished, and I woke up.” It took Jay an hour to calm down, and he prayed for understanding. A few days later, Jimmy called and, hearing of Jay’s dream, said, “Jay, what you saw is the Second Coming of Christ. Shortly after this, Jay gave his heart to Jesus. Why the Second Coming of Jesus is the Expectation of All Believers, that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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#S4-025: Secrets to Hearing God: Are You Waiting? [Encore Podcast]

[Tweet “Every chapter in this letter has a reference to the Second Coming of Jesus.”]

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Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness

Podcast: Light on Life Season Ten Episode Twenty-One

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Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness

Modeling is a term that has been kicked around in leadership and development circles. What is modeling? One writer said that it is the influence our decisions and lifestyles have upon those around us. Whether we realize it or not, we’re always modeling something. Unlike fashion modeling—in which appearance is paramount—modeling the Christian life requires honesty and authenticity. To model a relationship with Jesus is to be a living, breathing, tangible example to those we disciple. Consider how Jesus did this. He spent three and one-half years literally living with His disciples. This was not a new concept. This was the teaching method of Rabbis. But, consider that in today’s busy world, it’s easier to schedule a meeting than to live life with others. There’s certainly nothing wrong, of course, with having a consistent meeting time. But if we only have time to pass on knowledge in an “academic” way—divorced from everyday life—then perhaps we’re too busy. The vital nature of being in the company of others cannot be overstated. We need one another which is why, in today’s podcast, our focus is Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness — all on this week’s Light on Life.

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Why You Should Consider Jesus as Your Rabbi

[Tweet “Paul modeled Jesus for the believers at Thessaloniki. Who models the Jesus life for you? “]

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Freedom Insights from the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

Podcast: Light on Life Season 9 Episode 26

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Freedom Insights from the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

Freedom insights from the book of Romans is the subject we want to dwell on in this week’s podcast. As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day here in the United States, the freedom issue looms even more and more pronounced than ever. Roe V Wade was just overturned, a truly historic moment in the annuals of the human experience. The protests surrounding the decision deal with the idea of freedom of choice. But is that what freedom is really about? Is it only freedom to choose, or is it something more? In Romans 8:2, Paul says, ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ You’re totally free because of Jesus if you only know it. Freedom Insights from the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life podcast.

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#S2-027: What It Means to Walk After the Spirit and Not the Flesh [Podcast]

[Tweet, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ will set anyone on any day free from the law of sin and death.”]

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A Not So Jewish Look at the Gospel of Matthew

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A Not So Jewish Look at the Gospel of Matthew

In the gospel of Matthew, the Lord gave us a commandment to go make disciples. What have you done in the past five years towards fulfilling this commandment? One writer said the following on this question. “Sometimes we can get so caught up in doing that we forget what we are supposed to do. If you were in employed by a store who sold power-tools to craftsmen, you would want to sell tools that would benefit your customers, something that would help them produce their finest work. You would be wasting your time and theirs if you tried to sell them something inferior or something they would not use. Strange as it may seem, many Christians are busy doing everything except what they are called to do, that is, make disciples. The challenge from Scripture is not to get busy doing the Lord’s work. Start producing disciples for Christ.

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#S4-003: Kingdom First? Some Bible How To Illustrations [Podcast]

[Tweet “First-century Jewish believers ‘blew a gasket’ when they heard other tongues come out of the mouth of these Gentiles.”]

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Prayer of Agreement: the Power of Praying with People

Podcast: Light on Life Season 6 Episode 8

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Prayer of Agreement: the Power of Praying with People

In World Vision magazine John Robb writes: Seven years ago, a giant tree stood on the banks of the Awash River, in an arid valley about two hours’ drive southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It had stood there for generations, seemingly eternal. For years, the people who lived in the surrounding district had suffered through famines. In their suffering, the people looked to the tree for help. Believing a spirit gave it divine powers, they worshipped the towering giant. Adults would kiss the great trunk when they passed by, and they spoke of the tree in hushed, reverent tones. Children said, “This tree saved us.”

In 1989, World Vision began a development project there, including an irrigation system. But even as they labored to build the system, the great tree stood like a forbidding sentinel of the old order, presiding over the community, enslaving the people through fear. For spirits need to be appeased with animal sacrifices and strict observance of taboos. When World Vision workers saw how the villagers worshipped the tree, they knew it was an idolatrous barrier to the entrance of Christ’s kingdom and transformation of the community. One morning as the staff prayed together, one of Jesus’ promises struck them: “If you have faith, you can say to this tree, ‘Be taken up and removed’ … and it will obey you.” In faith, they began to pray that God would bring down the menacing Goliath.

Soon the whole community knew the Christians were praying about the tree. Six months later, the tree began to dry up, its leafy foliage disappeared, and finally, it collapsed like a stricken giant into the river. The people of the community were astonished, proclaiming, “Your God has done this! Your God has dried up the tree!” In the days and weeks afterward, approximately 100 members of the community received Jesus Christ because they saw his power displayed in answer to the Christians’ prayers.1 Today’s podcast focuses on the power of praying with people specifically the prayer of agreement. What results are achievable praying this prayer and what are some the rules that govern it? That’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Why It’s Important to Flow in Faith’s Domain

[Tweet “If there is great faith coupled with a great anointing, the healing manifestation is quicker.”]

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Why You Should Consider Collecting Powerful Proverbs

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Why You Should Consider Collecting Powerful Proverbs

Proverbs have powered everyday life from time immemorial. Consider the value given to Proverbs by some of our former Presidents. Thomas Jefferson said, “Mankind would lose half its wisdom built up over the centuries if it lost its great sayings. They contain the best parts of the best books.” Theodore Roosevelt weighed in with the following thought. “Any reading is better than none, but I prefer the book of the century rather than the book of the week or any cheap novel. Better still the book of four centuries—the Book of Proverbs.” Finally, Thomas Woodrow Wilson added, “I use all the brains I have and borrow all I can from the classics and wise sayings.”1 What are Proverbs and how can they give power to my everyday life? That’s the focus of this weeks blog.

Why Character Needs to Be King in Jesus Followers

[Tweet “Proverbs litter the landscape of the Bible and are full of the wisdom of Heaven.”]

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How to Build Your Life Praying Bible Prayers

Podcast: Light on Life Season 6 Episode 7

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How to Build Your Life Praying Bible Prayers

In a previous podcast, we talked about the importance of praying Bible prayers. Bible prayers are prayers based on God’s Word. They are prayers that are laced with scriptures specifically Bible promises. Today, in this week’s podcast episode, we are going to show you how to pray these kinds of prayers.

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Conscience and the Inward Witness: A Look at the Spirit Led Life

[Tweet “After you pray, act like the Lord heard you. Live your life like the answer is yes.”]

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Faith and Prayer: Important Lessons to Know

Podcast: Light on Life Season 6 Episode 5

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Faith and Prayer: Important Lessons to Know

One unknown writer said, the following about faith and prayer. He said, ‘Faith dies through lack of prayer.’1 The statement sounds right at first glance but is it? The truth is the statement is backward. Prayer does not make faith work. It’s the other way around. Faith makes prayer work. What is faith’s connection to prayer? We can learn valuable lessons about faith and prayer by looking at how Jesus spoke to the fig tree in Mark eleven.

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Just Who Is Jesus to You?

[Tweet “Jesus walked in all humanity with the Holy Spirit as His guide.”]