12/1/22: I just found out that most of the commentaries on the Bible Study Tools website are no longer free. That's where most of the quotes that appear on the "Verse of the Day" and "Previous Verses" pages of my website are taken from, so from now on, many of the "Source:" links that I provide on those pages will not contain the quoted text.

I was disgusted to read about the organization's new "PLUS" membership, and the only thing I can say about it is that the Bible has this warning in 1 Timothy 6:10 for the owner of Bible Study Tools: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
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8/8/21: Something is wrong with my Christian forum. Everything seems to be working normally (i.e., the articles are there, and the links work), but for some reason, the forum's format has changed slightly, and I am currently unable to post anything new.

I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully, the problem is only temporay and will be fixed soon.

See "Mar '25A" in Archives for March 1-21.
Unfortunately, I ran out of space in this month's file.

MARCH 30-31
I John 5:11,12,13

Assurance of Salvation

In a letter to born-again Christians, the apostle John wrote:

1 John 5:11: "And this is the record, [in the Bible, of the message] that God [the Father] hath [has] given to us [born-again Christians] eternal life, and this [eternal] life is in [or obtained through] his [God's] Son [Jesus Christ]."

1 John 5:12: "He [or she--the person] that hath [who has] the Son [of God (i.e., Jesus) in his (or her) heart, referring to all who have accepted / received / trusted Jesus as Savior] hath [eternal] life; and he [or she] that hath not [does not have] the Son of God [Jesus--in his (or her) heart] hath not [does not have] [eternal] life."

1 John 5:13: "These things have I [John] written unto you [people] that believe on the name of the Son of God [referring to born-again Christians, or everyone who trusts in Jesus alone (and not in good deeds, baptism, or anything or anyone else) for salvation]; [so] that ye [you] may know [be assured] that ye have eternal life, and that ye may [continue to] believe on the name of the Son of God."
John wrote these verses for Christians, with the hope that having the assurance of salvation will strengthen our faith.

To help people who are struggling with doubts about their salvation, GotQuestions.org wrote an article that answers the question "How can I have assurance of my salvation?" If you want to read it, click here: https://www.gotquestions.org/assurance-salvation.html.

MARCH 29
Psalm 95:1,2,3,4,5,6

In these verses, King David encourages the Jewish people, and everyone else, to sing praises to God:

Psalm 95:1-2: "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock [source] of our salvation. Let us come before his presence [or 'before him'] with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms [songs of praise]."

Psalm 95:3: "[We should do those things (sing, make a joyful noise, etc.)] For [because] the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods [i.e., he is greater than everyone and everything else that is worshiped anywhere in the universe]."

Psalm 95:4-5: "In his hand [under God's control] are the deep [unseen, underground] places of the earth: the strength of the hills is [or 'the hills and mountains, all the way to the top, including everything within them (precious metals, etc.), are'] his also. The sea [and everything in it] is his, and [or 'because'] he [God] made it: and his hands formed the dry land."

Psalm 95:6: "O come, let us worship [Almighty God] and bow down [our heads in prayer, to show respect for him]: let us kneel before the LORD [who is] our maker [creator]."
Regarding the phrase let us kneel before the LORD our maker in verse 6, Albert Barnes says:

"… All [of] the expressions [words and phrases] here employed [or 'used here,' in verse 6--i.e., worship, bow down, and kneel] denote [indicate] a posture [position] of profound [great, heartfelt] reverence in worship, and the passage [or, in this case, Bible verse] is a standing rebuke [criticism, expression of disapproval] of all irreverent [disrespectful] postures in prayer; of such habits as often prevail [exist] in public worship where no change of posture is made in prayer, and where a congregation irreverently sit in the act of professedly [apparently, supposedly] worshipping God. People show to their fellowmen [fellow human beings] the respect indicated by rising [or standing] up before them: much more should they show respect to God - respect in a posture which will indicate profound reverence, and a deep sense of his presence and majesty. Reverently kneeling or standing 'will' indicate this; sitting does not indicate it."

(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/psalms-95.html, "Verse 6)

GotQuestions.org has some articles related to the above verses. They are as follows:

-- "What does it mean to make a joyful noise unto the Lord?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/joyful-noise.html)

-- "What are the psalms of praise?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/psalms-of-praise.html)

-- "Does Psalm 95:6 mean we should always bow down when we worship God?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/let-us-worship-and-bow-down.html)

By the way, if you love Christian hymns, you might like the "Gospel Piano with Denise" Facebook page. Here's the link, if you want to check it out: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553438160640.

MARCH 28
Romans 10:17

Romans 10:17: "So then faith [in God and his promises] cometh [comes to us] by hearing [the gospel, or message of salvation], and hearing [the gospel, or message of salvation] [comes] by the word of God [being preached and/or read]."
Knowing what's in the Bible gives us faith to believe that God's word is full of wisdom and truth. That's why preaching is so important--not only for salvation but also for our Christian growth. Hopefully, you're in the habit of attending church services and/or listening to sermons, either in person or online, on a regular basis.

GotQuestions.org has an article that answers the following question about today's verse: "What does it mean that faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17)?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/faith-comes-by-hearing.html.

MARCH 27
Proverbs 27:5,6

Friends vs. Enemies

Proverbs 27:5: "Open rebuke [correction, such as pointing out to your friend his or her faults or failures] is better [more desirable and beneficial] than secret love [i.e., remaining silent, or ignoring the problem]."

Proverbs 27:6: "Faithful are the [verbal and emotional] wounds of a friend [in other words, we may feel hurt when our friends rebuke or correct us (point out our sins), even if it is done with good intentions (because they want to help)]; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful [phony and misleading, because they hide the person's true feelings]."
If we notice that our friends are involved in sinful behavior or are headed in the wrong direction, we should tell them. Doing so may temporarily hurt their feelings but eventually should help.

In his commentary on the above verses, Pastor Delany of Salem Bible Church said:

"Things are not always as they appear at first … Rebukes and wounds are sometimes expressions of true love and friendship while smiles, kisses, flattery, and hugs may actually be expressions of hatred and enmity [hostility, ill will]."
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If you want to read the pastor's commentary, click on https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/, then scroll down to "27:5-6."

Here are two GotQuestions.org articles relating to today's verses:

-- "Why is an open rebuke better than secret love (Proverbs 27:5)?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/open-rebuke-better-than-secret-love.html)

-- "What does it mean that 'faithful are the wounds of a friend' (Proverbs 27:6)?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/faithful-are-the-wounds-of-a-friend.html)

MARCH 26
Proverbs 26:11

Proverbs 26:11: "As a dog returneth to [goes back to and eats] his [or her] vomit, so [does] a fool returneth to [return(s) to, go(es) back to, repeat(s)] his [or her] folly [foolish or sinful behavior]."
Salem Bible Church has an excellent commentary on this verse.
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According to Pastor Jim Delany, in this proverb, "Solomon likens [compares] a fool to a dog who eats his own vomit. … It may not be pleasant to think about, but it is evident what he [King Solomon] meant. … This is one of those proverbs that paints a mental picture that stays with you."
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First, we are told why wild wolves and other animals in the dog family eat their own vomit (i.e., to feed their young, or babies or offspring, with food that they caught and ate during hunting, and to hide signs of their presence from predators--so they won't be killed and eaten themselves).
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Then Pastor Jim Delany gives examples of the types of people who, for various reasons, may quit their old habits for a short time and then go back to them. Here's an excerpt:

"3. The point [that King] Solomon makes is simple: Fools keep on returning to their dirty old habits, no matter how disgusting they are.

"a. Consider the alcoholic returning to his alcohol--even after he knows how damaging it is and has been to his health, to his career, to his social life, and especially to his family.

"b. Consider the drug addict returning to his drugs--even though he ends up in a gutter somewhere vomiting… or driving down the highway out of control like a lethal [deadly] weapon.

"c. Consider the adulteress who wanders from house to house, ruining lives, breaking up families, causing heartaches, and even violence.

"d. Consider the man who has no control over his anger. He might calm down for a while, but sooner or later he returns to his anger and gets in yet another fight.

"e. Consider the thief who steals from his company--just a little every day--but it adds up over time. He doesn't get caught, so he keeps on returning to this practice."
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Nowadays, everyone seems to make excuses for bad behavior. Examples from paragraph 4 in the second section of the commentary include the following excuses:

"a. The alcoholic can't help it. It was his environment [the surroundings or conditions in which he lives or lived]. His father was a problem drinker.

"b. The adulteress shouldn't be judged. She had a bad upbringing [referring to the way that she was treated and trained as a child]. She grew up in a ghetto [i.e., a poor area of town].

"c. The man with anger control [issues] isn't to be blamed. He experienced abuse as a child."

However, according to Pastor Delany: "Bad behavior is a choice… a sinful choice." It "is not to be traced to a bad environment."
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If you want to read the commentary, click on https://www.salembible.org/proverbs/, then scroll down to "26:11."

The GotQuestions.org article entitled "What does it mean that a dog returns to its own vomit (2 Peter 2:22)?" is mostly about false teachers but contains some references to Proverbs 26:11. If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/dog-returns-to-its-vomit.html.

MARCH 25
Luke 6:36,37

Judging Others

During his Sermon on the Plain (see note below*), Jesus told his followers:

Luke 6:36: "Be ye [you] therefore merciful [kind and compassionate] [to others], as your Father [in heaven, referring to God] also is merciful [to you]."

Luke 6:37: "Judge not [don't judge other people in a rash (reckless, impulsive), censorious (severely critical), and unjust way], and ye shall not be judged [unfairly] [by others or God]: condemn not [don't condemn (express complete disapproval of) others], and ye shall not be condemned [by others or God]: forgive [others], and ye shall be forgiven [by others and God]:"
In regard to judging and condemning others, Albert Barnes says:

"… [Jesus] Christ does not condemn judging as a magistrate [i.e., as a judge, in a court of law], for that, when according to justice, is lawful and necessary. Nor does he condemn our 'forming an opinion' of the conduct [behavior] of others, for it is impossible 'not' to form an opinion of conduct that we know to be evil. But what he [Jesus] refers to is a habit of forming a judgment hastily [quickly], harshly [in an unkind or severe way], and without an allowance for every palliating circumstance [referring to attempts to lessen or tone down the seriousness of a fault], and a habit of 'expressing' [communicating, voicing, making known] such an opinion harshly and unnecessarily when [it is] formed. It [i.e., judging and condemning others] rather refers to private judgment than 'judicial' [legal] [judgment], and perhaps primarily [mainly] to the customs of the scribes and Pharisees [see note below**]."

(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bnb/matthew-7.html, "Verse 1")

*Here's an excellent article related to today's verse: "What is the Sermon on the Plain?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/Sermon-on-the-Plain.html.

**"Why did Jesus rebuke the scribes and Pharisees so harshly in Matthew 23:13-36?" mentions some of the customs of the scribes and Pharisees. If you want to read it, click here: https://www.gotquestions.org/scribes-and-Pharisees.html.

MARCH 23-24
Ezekiel 33:10,11

God Wants Sinners to Repent (Change Their Behavior)

In a vision, while the Jewish people were being held captive in Babylon as punishment from God for disobeying his laws, God said to his prophet Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 33:10: "Therefore, O thou [you] son of man [referring to Ezekiel], speak unto the house of Israel [i.e., the descendants of Isaac's son (Abraham's grandson) Jacob, who was renamed Israel by God]; Thus [shall] ye [you] speak, saying, If our transgressions [offenses, crimes, wrongdoing] and [the guilt for] our sins be upon us, and we pine away in [or 'suffer the penalty threatened for,' and/or become weak, depressed, or discouraged because of] them [our transgressions and sins], how should we then live?"

Ezekiel 33:11: "Say unto them [the Jews], As I live, saith [says] the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked [people--or, in this case, sinners]; but [I prefer] that the wicked [person] turn from his [or her] [evil or sinful] way and live [or 'remain alive']: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house [household, children, descendants] of Israel?"
God hates sin and encourages everyone, not just Jewish people, to repent.

Concerning the definition of repentance, one Bible commentator wrote:

"… We must correctly distinguish [differentiate, recognize the difference] [between] regret, remorse, and true repentance. Regret is an activity of the mind; whenever we remember what we"ve done, we ask ourselves, 'Why did I do that?' Remorse includes both the heart and the mind, and we feel disgust and pain, but we don"t change our ways. But true repentance includes the mind, the heart, and the will [i.e., willpower or self-control]. We change our mind about our sins and agree with what God says about them; we abhor [feel hatred and loathing for] ourselves because of what we have done; and we deliberately turn from our sin and turn to the Lord for His mercy.

"When [the apostle] Peter remembered his sin of denying Christ, he repented and sought [asked for] pardon [forgiveness]; when Judas remembered his sin of betraying Christ, he experienced only remorse, and he went out and hanged himself …" [See note below* for articles about these two men.]

(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/ezekiel/33-10.html, "Dr. Constable's Expository Notes")

*Here are some GotQuestions.org articles about Peter denying Christ, and Judas betraying Christ, both of which events were mentioned in the above quote by Dr. Thomas Constable:

-- "What is the significance of the rooster crowing in regards to Peter denying Jesus three times?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/rooster-crowing-Peter.html)

-- "What was the reason behind Peter's denial of Jesus?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/Peters-denial.html)

-- "Who was Judas Iscariot?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/Judas-Iscariot.html)

MARCH 22
Colossians 3:21

Colossians 3:21: "Fathers [and mothers, too], provoke not your children to anger [don't make them annoyed or angry by teasing or finding fault with them, being too strict and demanding, punishing them out of anger rather than love, etc.], lest they be discouraged [or they'll become depressed and disheartened (having no hope or enthusiasm) and will stop obeying and trying to please you]."
Regarding the phrase lest they be discouraged, Peter Pett, a Bible commentator. wrote:

"… Too many instructions, too many 'don'ts', too exacting a standard [or requiring strict obedience] will only lead to discouragement, rebellion and reluctant eye-service [i.e., obedience only when being watched]. Not enough instruction will lead to doubt and uncertainty, and even despair [hopelessness]. Children need to know what they should do, but also why they should do it or not do it. They are common sense creatures [or 'young people with common sense']."

(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/pet/colossians-3.html, "Pett's Commentary on the Bible," "Verse 21")

Also commenting about discouragement, Albert Barnes wrote:

"Lest they be discouraged - Lest [or 'for fear that'], by your continually finding fault with them [your children], they should lose all courage, and [will] despair of ever pleasing you. There is much sound sense and practical wisdom in this observation of the apostle [Paul]. Children should not be flattered [or be given insincere praise or compliments], but they should be encouraged. They should not be so praised [or praised so much] as to make them vain [conceited] and proud, but they should be commended [or given recognition] when they do well. The desire of praise should not be the principle [basic truth] from which they should be taught to act, but they should feel that the approbation [approval] of parents is a desirable thing, and when they act so as to deserve that approbation, no injury [harm] is done [to] them by their understanding it. He who always finds fault with a child; who is never satisfied with what he [the child] does; who scolds [speaks angrily] and frets [worries] and complains, let him [the child] do as he will [do, or what he wants to do], breaks his [the child's] spirit [or destroys his self-esteem, hope, and joy in life], and soon destroys in the delicate texture of his soul all desire of doing well. The child in despair soon gives over [or 'gives up'] every effort to please. He becomes sullen [bad-tempered], morose [unhappy and quiet], stupid, and indifferent to all [of] the motives [incentives, reasons for doing something] that can be presented to him, and becomes to a great extent indifferent as to what he does - since all [or everything] that he [the child] does meets with the same reception from the parent."

(Source: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/colossians-3.html, "Verse 21")

The GotQuestions.org article on today's verse is entitled "Why are fathers told, 'Do not provoke your children' (Colossians 3:21)?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/do-not-provoke-your-children.html.