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

To shed more light on "holiness" and "sanctification", this message takes us into the book of Leviticus.   Rather than reading it as a set of rules in legalism, the bird's eye view approach allows us to see what God is calling "holy": that which is of Him, pleasing to Him, and set apart for the purpose of worship to Him versus that which God is calling "common," profane, pagan, and not of Him. VF-...

The subject of holiness and sanctification cannot be treated apart from God and His presence.   The ground around the burning bush and Mount Sinai was hallowed because of His presence.   In the Old Testament there are degrees of holiness, but in the New Testament and today, God's Spirit is in us making us holy.   Sanctification is not the act or process of justification; it is the activity of the...

Studying grammar, particularly antonyms like "common" and "profane", helps us better understand the original meanings of the Hebrew words related to holiness and sanctification.   We have a language problem, where holiness is made synonymous with perfection; it cannot mean perfection or sinlessness except when speaking of God and His attributes.   When God declares people holy, they are set apart...

Breaking down the basic Hebrew verbs shows us that God does the sanctifying and it is a process, not a state we remain in consistently. It is started here on earth and wholly completed in His presence. VF-2194 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...

Hebrews declares that without following peace with all mankind and holiness, no man shall see the Lord.   Holiness is a complicated subject, but a desire to see God will lead you to pull apart the word meanings.   This message adds another layer to the foundation for understanding the words. VF-2193 Hebrews 12:14 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches f...

What the Bible means by the word "sanctification" is difficult to understand in English because different streams of words were used simultaneously to translate these concepts.   It is faulty understanding and bad theology that equate holiness with morality or perfection; the meaning in the original languages was to be set apart by God for His purposes.   Rightly understood, it is not something we...

To understand the importance of the Resurrection and why it is worth following the proofs, there must first be an acknowledgement of our fallen condition, in need of divine pardon, and a recognition of our immortality. If Christ is not risen, our preaching, first, is vain. Our faith and hope of forgiveness and resurrection are also in vain. No "logical explanations" can explain away the transforma...

There are no new truths, just the ones that have brought millions of people to the faith as they encounter the risen Christ. They are radically and cataclysmically changed by the same power that raised Christ from the dead. 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....

Another look at the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the perspective of the Old Testament Scriptures, all of which pointed to and were fulfilled by Him. 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 reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer re...

The precursor to The Resurrection. Jesus fulfilled all the promises and prophecies concerning Himself in the flesh, the sacrifices of the law, satisfaction for sin, perfect obedience and the power of sin and death. All these things put the exclamation marks on His words, "It is finished."   VF-1865 John 19:30 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from...

Examining the intrinsic evidence from both pre- and post-ascension records provides the bedrock of proof beyond a shadow of doubt that the Biblical record was written by men telling the truth about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This truth that Christ lives gives us an incredible hope! Hope that death no longer has dominion over us and we will be with the Lord forever! VF-2127 Watch, Listen and...

When doing a study on the Resurrection and trying to get information, there are a few things we must do as historians. First, use a method that has been tried and proven, that we know has the ability to unearth. Next, detach from bias. Finally, account for what we know as certain history. Many critics apply different criteria for looking at Scripture than they would for looking at any other field...

It is a mistake to assume the disciples were the only witness of the risen Christ. Such an assumption leaves a big gap in explaining the vast spread of Christianity in such a short period of time. A careful reading of the book of Acts shows us that there were many more witnesses whose preaching was consistently focused on one thing: the risen Christ and the power of His Resurrection. Watch, Listen...

How did the Apostle Paul go from being an enemy of Christians to defender of the faith? There would be no benefit for an enemy of the church to lie about his conversion to the faith, to preach openly and establish churches or to give them correction.   After the Resurrection Jesus appeared to Paul and chose him to herald the gospel. Paul's deep knowledge of the word lays out the basis for our hope...

In a day when a majority of professing Christians have been lulled into an ignorance of the content of God's Word and fail to recognize the resurrection of Christ as a reality and fact of history, it is necessary to examine the evidence and reach a verdict: either the Resurrection is a reality and Christ is risen, or our faith is in vain. Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Past...

Many have sought to disprove the resurrection of Jesus Christ and were overwhelmed after examining the evidence within the biblical records. Whether you're a believer or a curious skeptic, examining the empty tomb is a place to start. Matthew 28 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 mes...

At the core of Christianity is the resurrected Christ. This message focuses on the resurrection of Christ as told in the Gospel of Mark and it's curiously short ending. Women in that day were not considered adequate witnesses and yet Mary Magdalene and other women were the first eyewitnesses to the empty tomb.   Their report does not suggest a conspiracy to lie but an honest telling of what they s...

The beginning of a series for the sake of two people who are dear friends but far from the knowledge of God.   Bad experiences with the church at large or a "brand" of Christianity cause many to be turned off on the church.   There is corruption in all of humanity, so we should not ignore God because of that.   A look at the church history surrounding Easter and at the traditions of men becoming d...

If the Resurrection of Christ really happened, it is the most important event in history. Those who are skeptical and think there are too many discrepancies in the accounts should take a closer look. There are common denominators to all of the accounts and many witnesses in the gospel records. Each writer's focus is different, so the differences in the details are not as inconsistent as they first...

Exposure to the facts of the Resurrection should bring about a change in us.   When we live our life in the knowledge of faith in the fact that we have eternal life with Christ, it changes us. Our hearts and our minds will be transformed, to God's ultimate glory. VF-2388 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-33...

The evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ cannot be ignored and if you look at it honestly it is life-changing. The earliest teachings of the Resurrection were from eyewitnesses of a factual event, not emotive feelings. Some of the most convincing evidence comes from the Apostle Paul, who had no reason to tell this story if it was not true. The disciples were changed by the Resurrection, a...

In seeking the truth that is revealed in Jesus Christ, God creates famine to give us opportunities of faith and opportunities of failure. Just like Abram, we often choose to leave the place that God has called us to because we focus on the seen circumstance of famine rather than trusting God and relying upon His word of promise. Instead of chastising us for getting off track, God uses our mistakes...

Following the path of faith is not easy.   The life from faith to faith must be in God's direction.   Sometimes God will test us to see if we will lean on him. VF-1829   Genesis 13:14 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 reservations to attend a l...

After 21 years of ministry, Pastor Scott reflects on her calling and the lessons that have left an imprint on her soul.   One of which is the blessing of being called by God and being struck by a famine: the famine of feeling completely inadequate to answer God's call, and the challenges that He gives for ever-increasing faith.   These are God's way of testing us to see if we will rely on Him to g...

The book of Isaiah has ample archaeological evidence to support its authenticity and history corroborates many of its prophecies. Isaiah was a different type of prophet. God told him to prophesy against Judah and other nations for their sins, but He also told him they would not listen. Isaiah's prophecies were fulfilled in his lifetime, after his death and some are still yet to come. Most importan...