Understand the Bible? Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D.

The prophecies of Micah were addressed to a nation consumed with idolatry and false worship. This is not just a problem of the past, it's been a problem since the beginning of time, and it's reflective of the moral, social, and spiritual decline we're seeing in America today. However, it's not all gloom and doom. We're at a turning point, and the prophecies of Micah give us tremendous hope for the...

The book of Micah contains past warnings for an idolatrous nation and warnings for the future. As believers, we should look at these prophecies in light of today's society and where we're at as a people. Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reserv...

Do not take your salvation for granted and get complacent lest you engage in spiritual pride.   It takes vigilance to stay by the stuff.   In the Old Testament the children of Israel drifted away repeatedly and much of the church in America today has departed from the ways of God, but there is still time to return to Him.   He promises a new covenant in which He will put His law in our hearts and...

A lesson from the Apostle Paul, as someone who once rejected Christ, shows us that we should not get puffed up in our calling as gentiles.   God's not done with the Jewish people, and we should not make the mistake of thinking we know who He's going to save.   The picture of election by grace shows us that it's God's prerogative to choose.   VF-2431   Romans 11 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at Past...

The prophet Isaiah foretold of Christ, but he also prophesied that there would be people who would not be able to hear and receive the message.   The rejection of Christ by the Jews was part of that prophecy, as well as the grace extended to the gentiles who can hear His word.   God chooses who He will save, but those chosen should not be boastful or have a sense of entitlement.   We cannot know w...

A lot of churches today present the message of "special sinners" or a "special way of salvation" and neither one of those is biblical.   None of us are born to desire God, and none of us have "special sins."   We're all born with a dark heart.   We're all sinners in need of salvation.   We cannot save ourselves, and we must recognize that salvation doesn't come by doing good deeds, or hearing word...

In the book of Romans, Paul looks to the prophet Isaiah's declaration about the children of Israel and proclaims that a remnant shall be saved, but not all.   He addresses Jews that thought their salvation was automatic. They could not accept that Christ was the end of the law and that the gentiles could be saved without it.   God wants trust, not perfection and for that trust there is eternal sal...

Why do some Jews still reject Christ?   God has the right to choose whom He will save, whom He will show mercy, and whom He will reward.   He also has the right to choose whom He will not.   Don't assume you know which is which. VF-2427   Romans 9:15-26 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to lea...

Many of Abraham's seed believed they didn't need salvation because they had the covenants, the promises, and the law.   Although they were anticipating a Messiah, they rejected Christ and everything He had to say. Paul makes it clear as to "why" in the book of Romans: not all Israel is of Israel.   Some of them had the capacity to respond; many did not.   The same is true today, and until God give...

Not all the Jews rejected Christ, but many of the spiritual leaders were against Him because they had no spiritual discernment and they perceived Him as a threat to their position.   There were also many people who only followed Jesus for self-serving reasons.   The rejection of Christ was foretold by God and there are still many people today who will not hear. The Apostle Paul is an example of on...

God has a plan for the future of the land of Israel, when He will reunite the people of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.   But we must also understand the history that shaped Judaism from the time of the exile to the fall of Jerusalem.   God is not done with the Jewish people.   VF-2424 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glen...

The ugly picture that God paints through the prophecies of Ezekiel helps us to understand just how low the children of Israel, specifically the southern kingdom of Judah, had fallen before they were carried into Babylonian captivity.   They also show us God's perfect plan for the future restoration of Israel, both northern and southern kingdoms.   VF-2423 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMeli...

The practices and identity of the Jewish people began to crystallize after their return from exile in Babylon.   They began to strictly enforce the law and to separate themselves from the ways of the foreigners who ruled over them.   This period also saw the addition of new laws and holidays, which the Jewish people strictly adhered to.   They developed a national spirit and fought to protect thei...

The Jewish identity and practices of Judaism did not begin to emerge until after the return from Babylonian captivity.   Although the priesthood had maintained certain practices and preserved the Hebrew tongue, most of the population had forgotten these things.   During this time there were waves of religious zeal as well as disobedience among the people.   VF-2421 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at...

Every Jew that you encounter today will say that the mother must be Jewish in order for her child to be Jewish, yet there is no scriptural validation for this doctrine.   Furthermore, the Biblical genealogies show that God focused on the father, not the mother.   So, why is this error of matrilineal descent held by so many Jews today?   VF-2420 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.co...

The idea that all the descendants of Abraham are Jewish is wrong.   The Bible says Abraham was the father of many nations, not just one.   One of the seeds descending from him were a covenant line, but they were not always obedient to God, and they commingled with pagans.   The idea that people are Jewish by matrilineal descent is not based on God's word.   VF-2419 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at...

Using both biblical and extra biblical records we can establish a hard date for the Exodus, and in doing so we can know what the people we have traditionally referred to as "Jews" were practicing, and how they were actually referred to at the time of the Exodus.   This will help us clear up any cultural confusion and homogenization surrounding these people.   VF-2418 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 a...

The religious history of God's people and the Promised Land is complicated.   Many peoples have occupied the land over the centuries, but God was focused on the line of Shem leading up to Christ.   Not all of God's people were Jewish, nor were they practicing Judaism.   God promised to bless all the tribes of Israel, and He will reunite them one day.   VF-2417 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at Pasto...

There is a lot of ignorance in academia regarding the terms "Israelites," "Hebrews," and "Jews."   Judaism did not exist until after the return from captivity, and God's people did not always have the same religious practices.   Who is who, and who the land of Israel belongs to, is more complicated than we might think. VF-2416 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa S...

What will become of the children of God if the church is not instructing them in the Bible?   A minister is supposed to teach and correct the people in meekness.   That is not weak or as a pushover, but in full strength and paradoxically gentle.   By chastening those who resist and are opposed to the gospel, proper teaching can bring about repentance and free them from the snare of the devil to th...

The second consecutive message on Giving and Stewardship taught using "The Oreo Cookie of Giving" example: The Macedonian Christians and Jesus Christ with the Corinthian church in the middle. Examples from the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus are used, in conclusion, showing that Godly sorrow brings repentance which is the right starting point that giving flows from.   2 Corinthians 7:10 VF-1848 Wat...

Beginning of Prophetic Messages. Ezekiel, a Prophet, Priest, and Prisoner, a captive among others that were so down they couldn't sing, yet God gave visions to Ezekiel. The Greek word for man in Ch.1:v.26 is the word "ADAM", not "ISHI". A Prophet's starting point is Repentance, Metanioia. Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glend...

Jesus is the door, the only way in.   The starting point of our relationship with Him is repentance, a changing of the mind from our way towards Him.   When we recognize the depth of our sin and depravity and repent, it ought to have a life-changing impact that stays with us. VF-2464 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale....

We have all sinned, but some of us have become desensitized to sin and its consequences.   The remedy is repentance, a changing of the mind from our way to God's way.   We cannot truly change our mind and feel godly sorrow unless we come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.   It is a change that can only come from the inside.   VF-2529 Romans 3:23 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaS...

With the kings of Judah and Israel, the pattern has always been that when the leadership is corrupt, it trickles down.   Focusing on the period of 930-900 B.C., we see how God used prophets to rebuke kings in an effort to get them back on track.   It took courage and faith for these prophets to communicate a hard message from God.   Not every leader received His correction, but the record shows th...