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

Let no man judge you regarding the keeping of the Sabbath and holidays. We have many traditions, even those reflected in our calendar, that come to us out of pagan sun and moon worship. Traditions that have nothing to do with Scripture should not be part of the church. There is also no reason to keep Old Testament Sabbath practices, because we have a new form of Sabbath rest in the finished work o...

Most people today view religion as a set of rules and regulations they have to keep, but this is not the message of the New Testament. We are told to let no one judge us in what we do or don't do, as well as not to judge others who are weak in their faith or understanding. The law was given to set people apart for God's purpose, but we have a better covenant now in Jesus Christ. We are not under t...

If we're still not sure that Christ did everything and that we are complete in Him, Colossians 2:15 rightly translated shows us that there was nothing left undone. God disarmed our spiritual foes at the cross! That doesn't mean that they're powerless, but rather that all of the attempts to prevent Christ from going to the cross were thwarted. And as Christ was victorious, so are we! VF-2290 Coloss...

The sin and trespass offerings were God's dispensation in the Old Testament to address the people's fallen condition, our need for purification, and the individual acts of wrongdoing that are the fruit of this condition. But as with all the other offerings, they were shadows and types pointing to Christ. God had Christ in mind from the beginning, and because of His sacrifice, we have a new dispens...

The peace offering symbolized God's provision for mankind to have communion and fellowship with Him. It had to come after the burnt and meal offerings so that we could first understand what Christ had to do before we could even have fellowship with God. Most people do not have the mindset of the peace offering when they give, thinking they have no responsibilities; it gives God joy when we willing...

Looking at the symbolism of the meat offering helps us to understand the "how" of Colossians 2:14 how Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances and nailed them to His cross, and how we being in Christ's finished work are no longer under the law but free in Christ, and free to worship Him! VF-2287 Colossians 2:14, Leviticus 2   Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Me...

The Old and New Testaments have to be understood as one continuous narrative of God's unfolding plan of redemption for fallen humanity. There are many shadows and types that point to Christ and reveal the order in which things had to happen for us to be redeemed. The offerings lay out what Christ had to be in order to fulfill the law as the Offering, the Offerer, and the Priest. VF-2286 Colossians...

Christ has forgiven us all our trespasses, but we have a problem understanding His forgiveness because we have a poor understanding of the severity of our sins, our condition, and our standing with God. We were spiritually dead in our sins, but Christ has made us alive in Him and forgiven us. Even though we will never "feel" forgiven, we are forgiven, period. VF-2285 Colossians 2:13 Watch, Listen...

Three verbs, which properly translated in their mood and tense in the Greek, shift our focus back on to Christ. They show us that what God is looking for is faith in Christ, not Jesus plus circumcision, or any other religious ceremony or rite. The simplicity of the gospel is that God wants us to take Him at His word and stay focused on Christ . VF-2284 Colossians 2:11-13 Watch, Listen and Learn 24...

No outward sign, like that of circumcision, can fix you if your heart is not close to God. In the Old Testament circumcision was intended to be a sign of the covenant with God, but even then, God made it clear His focus was on the heart. Christ has already accomplished this act of circumcision in the inner man of the Christian, freeing us and conforming us to His covenant perfectly, as only He can...

It's time for the church of Jesus Christ to reform itself because we, like the Colossians, have been led astray by all the add-ons. It's time for us to get back to the epicenter of our faith: all that we need is in Christ. Every part, every nature, every dimension of the deity dwells in Him, so how could we ever think of adding anything else? VF-2281 Colossians 2:9-15 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7...

The church, both Catholic and Protestant has grafted on traditions to the faith that are not Biblical. We are to follow after Christ, not the traditions of men that distract from the pure faith. VF-2280 Colossians 2:8 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 m...

We cannot understand the problems of where we are without looking to history. Church history is full of examples of the traditions of men being substituted in place of the word of God and the message of salvation by faith in Christ. The Protestant Reformation sought to bring people back to the pure source of the word, but even the Protestant Church has its add-ons. Study the word and focus on your...

Colossians 2:6 is the perfect text to show us that the modern-day evangelist's altar call, inviting us to "receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior" is actually quite blasphemous! Treating this passage correctly, the difference is in the details. To "receive" is not to receive the individual, the Son of God, but rather to receive the message, the good news of Jesus Christ: that new management h...

The deception of those that would twist the word of God with enticing words was a problem in the early church and still continues today. It is very easy to be beguiled by false teaching that sounds reasonable and persuasive. The safeguard is to stay connected to Christ through the Word and remain steadfast in your faith. VF-2277 Colossians 2:4-5 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.c...

The body of Christ is supposed to be knit together in love, not ripped apart. Without being knit together in Christ's love, the church cannot survive. Paul addressed the Colossians with pastoral concern, reminding them to focus back on Christ and to be knit together in the agape love of God. When the problems come, this love of God through Christ should be our common bond. Christ is the unifying f...

The church today is in spiritual danger, just as the church at Galatia was.   The Apostle Paul instructed them not to be deceived by those who tried to lead them back to works and the law instead of faith in Jesus Christ alone.   You will reap what you sow.   The works of the flesh are a mockery of God, but if you seek Him in faith, He will put His Spirit in you, and you will bear fruit unto Him....

In God's book, there's a type of pain that has a purpose.   Whether it's physical or mental, if it leads us closer to God, then it's not destructive.   It's redemptive pain.   In 2 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul describes this as a "thorn" in the flesh.   More specifically, it was a messenger of Satan that was given to him by God to keep him humble and always depending on God.   If you're wrestl...

God repeatedly describes us as "sheep," and Christ as our Shepherd.   We need to be led and guided, because by nature, we wander astray and are unaware of the dangers around us.   Christ is the remedy for our fallen condition: God laid all our sins on Him, and we have been redeemed.   He provides all the spiritual sustenance we need.   His sheep know His voice, and we are to follow Him. VF-2560 Is...

You can't navigate the Bible without dealing with the subject of death, dying, and eternal life.   If rightly understood, it's the most faith-inspiring, faith-building recognition that God has a plan for you, and life doesn't end when you die.   In getting to know Christ beyond the superficial level, your fears about death can be settled. Psalm 23 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott...

The need for covering for sin goes back as far as Adam and Eve, where an animal had to be slain to cover them.   The book of Leviticus spells out that the only atonement for sin is through sacrifice and the spilling of blood.   Each of the sacrifices was a type that pointed to Christ.   When Christ fulfilled the law with His sacrificial death and His Resurrection, the need for blood to be spilled...

America at its inception was a nation built on God's word.   Every historical detail reveals God's gracious hand of providence on a people who were the apple of His eye.   As we look back, we can see just how far we've drifted from the principles, mindset, and ideologies of those who fought to birth this nation into existence.   250 years later, the question of our future is this: are we a country...

Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, rebuked the priests and the people for their indifference to God and their defection from His ways.   God promised that if they would stop robbing Him and would turn back to Him, He would pour out a blessing they could not contain.   Malachi also prophesied that God would send His messenger, Christ, who would be a refining fire and the Sun of righteo...

The word "mystery", if we understand its Biblical use and more specifically its use by the apostle Paul in the book of Colossians, is not something cryptic that we can't know or understand; it's revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ: the mind-boggling thing that we can be saved by something that happened over 2,000 years ago!   VF-2275 Colossians 1:24-29 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at P...

There is only one ministry in the church, and that is being a servant of God. God is the one who makes men and women into ministers; we do not choose it ourselves, and we are not to judge His choice. Paul suffered afflictions for his association with Christ and the preaching of the Word, but he rejoiced. Suffering is part of the process of being made into a man or woman of God. VF-2274 Colossians...