Re-Post Friday

Reflecting on the importance of the cross. Read it HERE!

To Be A Berean-Observation

In this step of understanding how to study the Bible, we must look at how to observe scripture. All things point to God via creation, love, kindness, church worship, Christian gatherings,  holy actions, and one of my favorites, Christ's inevitable return. To think of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit sitting on the most heavenly throne excites me to the core. As with many declarations of God's power and sanctity, let us focus on the observation of God's words in scripture. 

“20 My son, give attention to my words; 

 Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;”

Proverbs 4:20-21 NKJV

As we read the scripture in the Bible, we must ask “who, what, when, where, and why.” Over forty different authors wrote the Bible, over a 1,500-year period, and none of these books or letters contradict one another. It is important when asking “Who” to ask, “who wrote this, and to whom is the audience?” 

“16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

When it comes to the “What”, ask yourself what is happening and/or has happened, also to emphasize “What is the theme or main message that the scripture is speaking on?”

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:2

One of my favorite steps in studying Scripture is the “When”. I have heard many say, “Knowing so many authors wrote over 66 books in the Bible over such a long period of time is amazing.” And indeed, it truly is! Scripture can be broken into three categories: Past, Present, and Future. Think of them as buckets and sort them into the proper ones.  Scripture talks about the past and during certain events, which helps us understand what was going on, but it also talks about future events, which fall into Biblical prophecy. 

“That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.”

Ecclesiastes 3:15         NKJV

Now we come to “Where”. When in this step, one should ask “Where did this passage take place?” And “Where was the audience?” Imagine it as setting the scene in a book or perhaps a letter addressed to the sender and recipient. Throughout the Bible, certain locations are listed, whether it be regions such as Canaan or specific geographical locations, such as Mount Sinai. When looking at the surface, it is regions or dots listed on maps. However, when looking deeper, you see cultures. For instance, Canaan. It is the Promised Land that God had given the Jews of the Old Testament and has promised to Israel today (Genesis 17:8, Deuteronomy 1:8). However, those there (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Girgashites) represented very pagan and perverse cultures. God commanded those cultures to be wiped out and none of their culture was to be adopted (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

Lastly, we come to “Why?” This is one of the most asked questions that people have when reading the Bible. God guides the writers to interpret His word into the books of the Old and New Testaments. Scripture was written for the individuals of the time and the future readers; it was written to document His will, role, and influence for all time, past, present, and future. When we think about it, every verse in the Bible declares His name and goal for everything, but we are still wrapped under our own free will, which makes us ask the question, “Why”. 

“9. having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,10. that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.11. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,12. that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 1:9-12 NKJV

Stay the course for the kingdom,

Austin 

Understanding the Twelve-John

“21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

Matthew 4:21-22

Today, we will be discussing the second half of the Sons of Thunder: John. Despite being the younger brother, John is the more well-known brother. We can attribute the Gospel of John, 1, 2, & 3 John, as well as the book of Revelation being written by him. Much like his brother, John was often loud and boisterous, ambitious, and had a great sense of justice. Both John and James asked Jesus if they should call down fire on the Samaritans in Luke 9:51-55. James and John, with their mother, asked Jesus to give them the prominent positions of sitting at His right and left when He would come into His kingdom (Matthew 20:20-24). He is also identified as being at the cross when Jesus was crucified, and he ended up receiving a great honor. “26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:26-27. Imagine following Christ and becoming so close to Him that He entrusts the woman who birthed and raised Him to you! This verse alone shows much about John’s character.

However, just as with his brother, Jesus used John to help spread the Word of God. It is agreed upon that John wrote the Gospel of John after he wrote the book of Revelation, but we are going to first look at the major themes that John writes about in his gospel. John opens with an absolute statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-4. Right from the beginning, we see that John is a very straightforward person; he deals in absolutes, a fact that is carried out throughout his writing. John is immediately calling the reader to recognize that Jesus Christ is God; He was not created, but all things were created through Him.

And yet, John also shows the humanity of Christ. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14). He experiences fatigue (John 4:6), weeps at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35), and shows compassion to individuals on a personal level(John 8:1-11). In his other writings, John focused on “truth” and “love”. In his second letter, John is worrying about the false teachers that have inflitrated the church. John is urging to not compromise the love of God by bringing in those who undermine the truth.

Finally, John wasn’t just blessed with taking care of Jesus’ mother, but was blessed with seeing events that would take place well beyond his time. While imprisoned on the island of Patmos, John wrote the book of Revelation. John was blessed to be given the blueprint of how the end times will go and to encourage believers to hold fast to Jesus Christ! For many, being imprisoned on this island would have been a horrible experience; it was a place that the most dangerous were sent to be forgotten. However, John made good use of his time there, he befriended some of the most dangerous criminals and eventually lead them to the Lord. John shows us that even when things are sent against us for evil; God will turn it to good. After Roman Emperor Domitian died, his decrees were nullified and John was released from Patmos. From there, he went back to Ephesus and sent out missionaries and planted churches for over twenty years. John truely teaches us to continue to share the gospel so that we may hear “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Prayer and Thoughts!

We at Mill House Ministries are moving forward with what the Lord has called us to do. This mission is simple, to declare to the world Jesus Christ and help encourage believers to be doing what we are called to do as we see the day approaching. One aspect of this is with our weekly Bible studies. We currently have Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday being our repost of older posts. However, we want to branch out, we want to be doing more for the Kingdom of God. We ask you as we thoughtfully and diligently ask the Lord for His guidance for us in this manner.

Now, I do not want to leave you with only this as a post, but would rather show you a remarkable treasure in God’s Word that I recently found in my own Bible study.

Please go with me to Mark chapter 2. Let’s see something that for the believer is an encouragement, but to the unsaved is total terror. This historical event happens when Jesus is in Capernaum, where Nahum was resting. While here Jesus goes into a home and begins teaching the people. As many of you will know the event, ultimately a paralytic is brought through the roof and is healed by the Lord. Nevertheless, we are here to examine one verse! One monumental line! Verse eight.

Mark 2:8 “But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?”

We see that God knows all things, to include our thoughts. Proverbs states this plainly in Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of a man [is] the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.” Jesus knew what people were thinking and He used it for the glory of the Heavenly Father to forgive sins. We need to take this into consideration as we study God’s Word. Many moments we might wonder why God does one thing instead of another. Sooner or later we should examine whatever scripture we are reading through this lens. Not only will it allow you to see a glimpse of God in a new light, but it should (as it has me), bring about a new sense of security that He is in control.

Recently in my own life, I have watched Him tell me, “Peace be still” and “Why are you so fearful,” without me even saying a word. He knew my thoughts, and knew what to say. For the believer this is a comfort, for the unsaved this is the final peace of damning evidence that will be used against you. Your very own thoughts will testify that you knew and rejected Him. However, there is hope. For those who want to know God, there is a chance today, this very minute for you to stop reading and seek Him. Only a God who truly knows your thoughts can make this declaration, Jeremiah 29:12-14 “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find [Me,] when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.” So now is the time for those who are not saved to seek Him. For those who are saved, we can come closer to our Father knowing He is eagerly there, knowing our inner most thoughts. What a relationship we can have as a Child of God!

Thank you for your prayers as we seek the Lord’s advice and guidance on what we should do next. Next week we hope to bring you an answer on what He has called us to do next!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A moment to pause and reflect. Read it HERE!

To Be A Berean For Christ-Prayer

One of my number one things I always emphasize with my family, friends, and coworkers is communication. Imagine talking to your father, but for only ten hours a year? As a father myself, just thinking about that hurts. As Christians, we use prayer to speak to our Heavenly Father. This means we use it for guidance, healing, wisdom, love, peace, and asking for forgiveness, among other purposes. It is so amazing that God gives and encourages us to pray, so that we can have a personal relationship with him. 

Today, I want to emphasize several verses regarding prayer. The goal of this is for your reflection so that you may see your prayer life grow.

He is with us

“17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in his works. 

18. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 

19. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. 

20. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 

21. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.”

Psalm 145:17-21

God wants us to come to Him in confidence. 

“16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

We must pray at all times, so that we can uphold Biblical knowledge for when we proclaim His name.

“18. Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

19. and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

20. for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Ephesians 6:18-20

Biblically, we can use Jesus as a reference and a guide on how to pray and how often to pray to our Heavenly Father. Examples of this include: Baptism- Luke 3:21-22; choosing the twelve disciples- Luke 6:12; on the cross- Luke 23:34, Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34; The Lord's Prayer- Luke 11:1-4. I have included more verses for your reflection at the end of this post.

As Christians, we must use prayer as a form of communication so that we can grow closer to God and open our hearts to scripture. It is important to use prayer to cultivate a relationship and intimacy with God. Also, that we can confess wrongdoings and receive forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. Communication via prayer before, during, and after our Bible study is important because it helps open our spiritual foresight and hearts to understanding and enlightenment in God's Word.  I encourage you all to read and find passages and verses when individuals pray to God throughout the Bible.

Footnotes: Matthew 14:19, Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39-46, Luke 9:28-29, 27:46,  John 6:11, John 11:41-42, John 17:1-26, etc.

Stay the Course for The Kingdom

Austin

Understanding the Twelve-James

“And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left theirnets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

Matthew 4:18-22

We now come to our third disciple to discuss. James, the son of Zebedee and the older brother of John. In Matthew 4:18-22, we are introduced to James, who answers Jesus’ call willingly and without hesitation by leaving behind everything he had known to follow Him. This already gives us a glimpse into James’ personality. He was a man of great faith.

James was also one of the few to be present during some of the miracles that Jesus performed. He was there when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37), and he was there to witness Jesus’ transfiguration (Matthew 17:1). However, he was not a man who quietly brought others to Jesus like Andrew did.

In fact, James and John were both given the nicknames “Sons of Thunder.” He was often loud and boisterous, ambitious, and had a great sense of justice. We see these traits when he was among those questioning Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13). He asked Jesus if he and his brother should call down fire on the Samaritans in Luke 9:51-55. James and John, with their mother, asked Jesus to give them the prominent positions of sitting at His right and left when He would come into His kingdom (Matthew 20:20-24). However, even with these traits, which some might argue do not seem to fit with a man following Jesus, it is James who is among those who are asked to pray for Jesus in the garden.

James was witness to Jesus’ power; he saw His glory, His sovereignty, His agony, and he would become the first to be martyred. “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.” Acts 12:1-2. James’ death shows us that not all disciples walked quietly amongst the people. Some proudly stood up and demanded that their voices be heard in order to bring those around them to Jesus Christ. To be the first to be martyred, to attract the notice of Herod, James had to be active in sharing the gospel. He was loud and boisterous to attract notice, he was ambitious to share the gospel, and he sought to show everyone that the only true justice comes from God. James is an encouragement that we need today to stand up unafraid to share God’s word.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Silent Pulpits

Today, I want to provide a quick commentary, not on what is going on in the Middle East, but rather the silence behind many of the pulpits in the West. Many churches have pastors that are either silent on what is going on, or at best making small comments about the times we live in and how Christians should be peace makers. Paul warned us of such pastors, 2 Timothy 3:1-7 “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

I will allow the Holy Spirit to quicken the hearts of those who need to know if their pastor is or is not one of these false men. However, we are called to know the times. Believers, but especially pastors, are called to be watchmen over the sheep. They should know the times we live in and that Jeremiah 49’s prophecy of Elam is coming to pass and see the hand of God that is orchestrating the very prophetic declarations we see today. Ezekiel had this commissioning carefully detailed to him by God, Ezekiel 3:16-19 “Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 “Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”

Now is the time to tell those around us about the good news of Jesus and how His word is accurate. Not because of something crazy going on in the world, but rather because of detailed prophetic events unfolding.

Too many Churches preach the cross without ever getting into the entire message of the Bible. They preach a mirage of the cross, a delusional self indulgent that is there to make you feel something rather then to be equipped. If your pastor does not know what is going on right now in the world, they are either ignorant and need a loving brother and sister to help them see, or they are the issue and are exactly what Paul warned Timothy and us about. Sola Scriptora has been hijacked by men with tickling ears, wishing to keep your eyes fixed on something rather than God. This is idolatry, do not fall for it. Now is the time to look for pastors that simply dive into God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to teach. To be frank, I am doing my best not to mention pastors, denominations, nor spiritual groups, but rather bringing this to light for what it is. Right now, we need to be more than Bereans, but Sons of Issachar. Let’s know the times and what we need to be doing.

Now is the time to pray for Israel, pray for Persia, and pray for the Church at large. We need to be about God’s work and sharing the gospel and what God is doing right now. Be vigilant as the days grow darker, we are sons of the light and will not be taken by the night, but rather work until the moment of our calling home. Let’s be about the Kingdom’s work, let’s be about our Savior’s work, and let’s do it with the love of the Father.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

The Elam Declaration

I once saw a meme where they joked about living in Bible prophecy and those who did not understand it did not realize it was happening before their eyes. Well, today, I am here to tell you that we are not only living in Bible times, but I believe we are seeing an ancient prophecy from the Lord come to pass. There will be many Bible Prophecy Scholars examine Jeremiah 49, but many of them are missing a vital and key aspect of Jeremiah 49. Let’s dig into it.

Jeremiah 49:34-39 “The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, 35 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, The foremost of their might. 36 Against Elam I will bring the four winds From the four quarters of heaven, And scatter them toward all those winds; There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go. 37 For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies And before those who seek their life. I will bring disaster upon them, My fierce anger,’ says the LORD; ‘And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them. 38 I will set My throne in Elam, And will destroy from there the king and the princes,’ says the LORD. 39 ‘But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the LORD.”

Okay, let’s dig into it. For those who do not know, Elam is an ancient territory that is part of the modern day country of Iran. So when you see Elam, think Iran. Every Bible study you do should be founded on Proverbs 25:2 “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.” This means we dig deep!

So with Jeremiah 49, we need to examine everything. Now in my book, The Haggai Project, I walk through the ideas of naming conventions and what God provides plain as day for those who are willing to examine. Here in chapter 49, we see starting at verse 34 six names. Six is the number of man, and we know that there might be something hidden in here for the individual.

LORD: The Existing One

JEREMIAH: Yahweh will raise up into

ELAM: Eternity, everlasting and will hide

ZEDEKIAH: because of Yahweh’s righteousness

JUDAH: Praise God

LORD: The Existing One.

When you add this all together, let’s see what we get, remember the theme is the individual man. It appears that God is making a hidden declaration for those willing to examine seriously His word. So what is the declaration, “For His individuals in Elam, the Existing One who is Yahweh, will raise them up into eternity, everlasting and will hide them [from the judgement described in this prophecy]. This can happen because of Yahweh’s righteousness, thus let us praise God the Existing One.”

So, God is bringing judgment to Iran and yet, God will remember there are believers in the country and this judgement is not against them. In fact, the next several verses go over what God will do. Now many Bible scholars will examine verses 35 through 38 with a fine tooth comb, however, I want to bring to light what all believers in Jesus should recognize. If this is indeed the prophecy of Jeremiah 49 being fulfilled, then we are provided another sign of the latter days.

Jeremiah 49:39 “But it shall come to pass in the latter days: I will bring back the captives of Elam,’ says the LORD.” Examine this carefully, God is saying that in the LATTER DAYS this event will happen. If this is true, then we have another sign identifying the time we live in. But even more, the captives of Elam, those Persian people who have been scattered because of the Iranian government, will be able to go home! If this is the case, it is my opinion that we will see a great revival in Persia, Islam will finally be challenged in a place where it was the sole government religion. The Gospel of Jesus Christ will be spread! This will undoubtedly bring peace to the region and finally usher in the defined scenario described in Ezekiel 38. We are seeing the final pieces come into play!

If this is indeed the fulfillment of Jeremiah 49:34-39, we as the body of Christ need to be ready to get to work in an area, which for the majority of the past half century, has not had the opportunity to hear the gospel. Yes, we need to be eager for the Rapture, but let us be about the Work of the Kingdom until we are called home. Pray for Persian people, pray for an opportunity for them to hear the gospel in a grander way than before. Now take a moment and pray for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem, and share the good news of Jesus to any Israeli willing to listen. Now is not the time to stay silent, but declare God’s love and grace to anyone willing to listen. God is setting the final stage for Israel to be the focal point, and Persia is the current piece at play being moved into position.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our study in the book of James. Read it HERE!

To Be a Berean For Christ

"10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men."

Acts 17:10 - 12 (ESV)

As born-again believers, we should strive to be like the Bereans. When being a Berean, we must analyse and study scripture; this is of utmost importance. This is one of the most important ways to grow closer to God.

Paul, the disciple, is a good example of being a good Berean. He was not only knowledgeable of the life of Christ of the New Testament but also the books of the Old Testament. There are multiple individuals we can use as examples or models to imitate in knowing Scripture.

You might ask yourself, “I want to be a Berean, like Timothy, or Apollos, but I don’t know how?” It is okay to not know, but it is wise for us to search out how to study the Scripture. An in-depth study of the Bible takes knowledge and understanding of Hebrew and Greek, as these are the original languages and texts in which the Old and New Testaments were written. One could argue that Latin is also important, as the original texts were then translated into Latin in the Latin Vulgate, where they were then translated into most current translations. It also takes research in other works and books of history, for example: The Book of Enok, The Dead Sea Scrolls, and other books that the Bible references. There are also historians such as Numenius of Apamea, Herodotus, Flavius Josephus, and Thallus, all of whom are historians who speak and confirm events of the Bible. To re-emphasize, these books, works, and historians are not the Holy Scripture of God, so we must read them with caution.

Over the next few weeks, we will go over five fundamentals for studying the Bible.

1. Prayer

2. Observation

3. Interpretation

4. Reflection

5. Application

We must never just read a verse or just part of a verse; we must always at least read the chapter or the paragraph before and after the verse so that we can understand the context of the Scripture.

“10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch,Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:10 - 17 (ESV)

Stay the Course for The Kingdom

Austin

Understanding the Twelve-Andrew

“35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”

John 1:35-40

Not every one of the disciples took center stage like Simon Peter. Some were happy taking the moment to sit back and learn as much as they could, this is the case for our next disciple, Andrew.

It is rather funny that the brother of Simon Peter, is hardly mentioned at all. However, this does not make him less valuable as a disciple than Peter, and as we will see Andrew was the one who introduced Peter to Jesus.

In John 1:35-40, we see that Andrew is following John the Baptist, who had been going out and declaring the soon coming of the Messiah. Because of this, we can see that Andrew was already on the look out for Christ, this is why when John identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God, Andrew leaves to follow after Him.

The next recorded instance we have of Andrew is him seeking out his brother. “41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).” John 1:41-42. From this we can determine a remarkable trait about Andrew, he brings others to Christ.

This trait is shown again when Jesus feeds the five thousand. While the other disciples are floundering and trying to figure out how to feed the masses, Andrew brings an unlikely solution to the problem.

“4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” 10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.”

John 6:4-11

Once again we see that Andrew is bringing someone to Christ. Unlike other religious leaders of the day, Andrew wanted to bring whoever he could to Jesus no matter who they were. Andrew was able to identify that God loved everyone and wanted to bring them to Him.

Now this doesn’t mean that Andrew acted completely without doubt, in fact, we see it in this passage. After bringing the boy to Jesus, Andrew then follows up with “What are these five loaves and two small fish to feed a crowd”. While he might have doubted if Jesus could feed the masses with such a small offering, Andrew was still willing to bring it to Him and see what He would do. How easy would it have been for him to turn the boy away? To see the small sacrifice that the boy was making and determine that it wasn’t enough? However, Andrew did neither of these things. He brought the boy and his gift to Jesus, and then allowed God to do the work. This shows a man of remarkable faith!

After Jesus’s ascension, Andrew goes out to preach to the Scythians (modern day Ukraine, Southern Russia, and Central Asia) as well as the Thracian (modern day Southeast Europe, Northeastern Greece, and European Turkey). Like his brother, Andrew felt unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as Jesus. Instead, he was crucified on an “X” shaped cross and was buried at Patrae, a town of Achaia, which is in modern day Greece.

Andrew can teach believers today that you don’t need to be loud to lead others to Christ. Sometimes all you need is the willingness to bring them to Jesus and allow Him to mold others into who He needs them to be.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Iran and Prophecy

While my plan was to continue on our short series on the Churches discussed in Revelation, I am eager to have a discussion on a rather timely needed post. Today, I want to discuss the next chapter of Persia.

Immediately, I want to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are currently in Iran. You are loved and cherished and the Lord God Jesus Christ has you in His hands. Nothing can take you away from His ever loving care. Be of good cheer and know that our God is bigger then anything our advisories can do to those who are Jesus’. Our Blessed Hope is coming one day to take us to our heavenly home with Him. Keep fighting the good fight and share God’s love to anyone who is willing to listen.

Isaiah 41:10-13 “Fear not, for I [am] with you; Be not dismayed, for I [am] your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ 11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. 12 You shall seek them and not find them-- Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. 13 For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”

You are not alone! We eagerly pray and ask the Lord for your protection.

This post is to examine the future of the Persian nation and the actions to come. Many are discussing and speculating what will happen in the upcoming days and weeks with Iran, and more importantly the Iranian government. If the United States strikes we can only assume it will be precise and overwhelming. However, what comes next for the Persian people and nation? God’s Word is clear that Persia has a place in Bible prophecy. And yet, how do we get from here today to where the Bible says they will be? Persia is mentioned as one of the key nations that will strike an unsuspecting Israel in the end days. This battle is detailed in Ezekiel 38-39. Many Bible prophecy students are aware of the verses, however, not many understand the geopolitical foundation needed for this to be set into place.

Israel must not be suspecting the attack. Many will speculate how this could happen, but I will provide the most likely scenario. Israel, for a group of reasons, let’s down their guard. It will not be one reason by itself, but rather a plethora of surmounting decisions that bring about the described Israel we see in Ezekiel. Persia is not the only player discussed. The prophecy in Ezekiel identifies the leader of the multinational invasion force as Russia. Ezekiel 38:4 “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.”

Russia is not wanting to deal with Israel. They will be focused on something else entirely and “hooks” are put into their “jaws” and they are pulled to the fight. This means that at least Russia is not planning this fight at the beginning, but will be drawn into it. Many speculate and have their own ideas (including myself) however, today I want to highlight one specific thing. Persia is described as joining Russia for the attack. Israel is not suspecting it, which implies the Persian nation as a whole are not openly calling for the destruction of Israel as they currently are now.

Whatever happens in the coming days and weeks, the nation of Iran and the Persian people will come through. What we as believers should be doing is praying for a reprieve for our brothers and sisters in the current nation of Iran. We should be praying that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the opportunity to be heard by all there. We should be ready at a moments notice if the Iranian government comes crashing down, that the true body of Christ goes racing in to help our fellow born again believers and also help bring the good news of Jesus Christ.

The purpose of the Ezekiel 38 battle is for Israel to recognize God and for the gentile nations to realize that God is no longer playing by the standard rules of the past two thousand plus years. Just look at Ezekiel 39:22-29 and see how God has a plan for Israel and also the gentile nations. “So the house of Israel shall know that I [am] the LORD their God from that day forward. 23 “The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 “According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’ 25 “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name-- 26 ‘after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their [own] land and no one made [them] afraid. 27 ‘When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 ‘then they shall know that I [am] the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 ‘And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD.”

So no matter what happens in the next several days and weeks, God’s Word will come to pass. The Persian aggression against Israel will come about one day. However, let’s pray it is after our Blessed Hope and our meeting of Jesus in the sky. Until that time, let’s look for any instance we can to share the gospel and be courageously fighting the good fight and loving those around us. Let’s be about the work that God has given the body of Christ to do. Remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in current day Iran, and pray that the Gospel gets one more chance to be proclaimed to the masses in Persia.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our Basics Study! Read it HERE!

Introductions Are In Order

Greetings, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

I pray that God speaks through me to His bride, the church. 

My name is Austin. To be honest with you all, I do not know how to address you all. The only way I know how to do this is to give you a brief abstract of myself. I am a born-again believer of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. He is my captain, leader, redeemer, and shepherd. I grew up in a Christian home, in which my parents were missionaries and my dad was a church starter/pastor. Eventually, my father went back into the army, which is where I found my passion for the military. 

In 2012, I decided to join the United States Army. I wanted to become a medic, but was not able to do so, so I served as an infantry soldier for a little more than 13 years in the Army. In 2016, I was on a military operation in Europe, and my world came crashing down. At the time, my wife was threatening divorce, and the outpost I was stationed at had the unfortunate threat of attack by a large Russian fleet. I was at the end of my rope, and God had brought me to my knees. He was calling my name, and I had not known for such a long time. At that time, I gave my life to Christ in full combat gear, in the middle of a soccer field, around 0230am in the morning. 

In 2019, I met my present wife, we got married in 2020, and I proceeded to keep pursuing my hopes and dreams. It was always a passion to serve as a medic or in the medical field in the military. In pursuing this dream, I tried to go into special operations in multiple fields in the military. My last duty station was with the 82nd Airborne Division. After God closed all the doors for the medical field, He proceeded to close the last door that held (MY) passion and (MY) dreams. In December of 2023, I was in an Airborne Accident, in which, when I exited the aircraft, I was slapped against the side of the plane and was knocked unconscious. My parachute did not open until around 50ft above the ground. I still have very little memory of the situation, but I was able to walk off the drop zone (DZ). It is by the Grace of God that He saved me, not once but in multiple situations. At that time, I was broke and defeated, getting Med-Boarded (medically kicked out of the Army), and I was very shortsighted. I did not know that God had a wonderful plan for my future.

Back in the spring of 2021, my wife and I were told that we would not be able to conceive and have children. This was a frustrating and horrific situation for my wife and me; we wanted to have as many children as God could give us. After a period of time, I felt that God was not listening to my wife and I. We had multiple close family members pass away, and we had division with close family members and friends. In 2025, God opened the door and proceeded to bless my wife and I, with all surprise and overwhelming heavenly grace. My wife and I discovered that she was pregnant. 

2025 was an exciting year. God blessed my wife and me with a beautiful baby girl, and in the Med-Board process, God proceeded to give financial security to my family and I. Once we moved back home, my goal was to attempt to go into the medical field again. That is when God put it on my and my wife’s heart, “What have I done for the Kingdom?” Once my wife and I came together, we decided that we should go into the ministry. 

It is my goal to help share the Gospel and teach His word, and most importantly, create disciples. 

“18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

I pray that God speaks through me to His bride, the church. 

For the Kingdom, stay the course,

Austin

Understanding the Twelve-Peter

“16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.”

Mark 3:16-19

Twelve men are named in this passage. Twelve men of different backgrounds and personalities were chosen to walk with Jesus Christ throughout His ministry. Why these men? When you look at scripture, there doesn’t appear to be anything that sets them apart from anyone else. These twelve men were prone to fears, angry outbursts, doubts, and even moments of pride. And yet, it is because of their faith in Jesus Christ and the work that He did for us that the budding church began to grow. So today, we are going to discuss one of these men, a man with two names. Simon Peter.

While Matthew and Mark both describe this event, I prefer the way Luke describes it.

“So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”

Luke 5:1-11

In this passage, we see not only Jesus calling Peter to follow Him but also a glimpse of his personality. We see that Peter is a fisherman by trade, but that he is also a straightforward man. Throughout scripture, we see that Peter has no issue speaking his mind, but that does not hinder his willingness to follow Jesus. In this passage, we also see how quickly Peter recognizes that he is a sinful man in the presence of God, but when the call come he leaves everything behind him and follows Jesus.

This seems almost contradictory to the interaction between Peter and Jesus in Matthew 14:22-33. In this passage, Jesus is walking on water and surprises his disciples. Peter is among them, claiming that the image they see is a ghost, not the Son of God that he left everything to follow. However, in this passage, we see the same personality that tells Jesus that by His word, Peter will let down the net again, except this time it is Peter saying, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Matthew 14:28. Yet only a few steps out of the boat, and Peter begins to focus on the wind and the waves, causing him to sink. Not to mention Mark 14, in which Peter denies knowing Jesus three separate times.

Again, we see Peter speaking his mind in Matthew 16:21-23 when he tells Jesus that it would “far be it” for him to see Jesus be crucified for the sins of the world. This passage isn’t even the only time that we see Jesus correct Peter. In John 21:15-17, Peter is asked three times whether he loves Jesus.

Despite all of this, Peter is given a great blessing.

“13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Mathew 16:13-19

I want to focus less on who Simon Peter was and more on what he ultimately did for the Kingdom of God. In the above passage, Simon Peter is told that he will be the rock on which Jesus will build his church. A man who doubted, who sought to have his will prevail and not God’s, who failed time and time again. And yet, he was a man who chose to follow Jesus over everything else. Jesus knew all the events that would transpire, would choose who would see Him during His transfiguration in Mark 9:2-8, and He still chose Peter from the very beginning. Peter was not born with this name; it was Simon, but Jesus gave him the name Peter (which means "rock"). Jesus, the Son of God, knew from the very beginning the strong faith that Peter would grow into and identified it early on. Now, some will argue that this means that Peter is “better” than the others, or that he was the “leader” of the disciples. I would caution you against anyone who makes this claim. Luke 22:24-30 shows Jesus arguing against the disciples ranking themselves.

However, this does not mean Peter is unimportant. The two books he wrote might be small, but they address very important topics: encouraging believers not to remain infants in the faith, serving God willingly, avoiding false prophets, and reminding readers of the coming rapture for the church. Peter preached in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Betania, Italy, and Asia. He was in prison in Rome (although he was never identified as a bishop at the church of Rome, despite what some believe) before he was eventually crucified. However, his faith was so strong that he requested that he be crucified upside down so as not to be treated the same as the Lord and Savior.

Peter shows us that we can come to God with our questions and live with courage, seeking to live as Christ lived. Peter shows us that our strength is not within ourselves, but in Jesus Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Seven Letters

We now come to part two in this small series regarding the three final churches. Many who study eschatology will argue that there is a timeline that goes from Ephesus to Laodicea. While the text indicates this to be true, it is not in the manner most would prescribe.

Today, I want to examine the first of the three final churches and how they are happening simultaneously. However, before I do, I want to point out that you can find each of these styles of churches anywhere in the world today. This not only reveals the magnitude of the accuracy and application of God’s Word, but also reveals its timelessness for the reader at large. No matter the geographical location or time within the past two thousand years, each of these churches are represented. Nevertheless, we must now analyze these churches within the scope of eschatology.

This post will be calling out specific groups and denominations. Not to sling mud, but in order to allow the reader to be aware of such groups so as to take the necessary steps to see if where they go to church falls in line with that identified characteristic.

Sardis is the church that looks to be alive but is dead. This does not mean all of them, but rather the majority. There are some who have not defiled their garments and they will walk with the Lord in white, for they are worthy. This Church appears to be vibrant and on fire, but in the eyes of God they are dead. These are the Calvinist of the world and the reformed groups who deny the holistic study of God’s Word. These pulpits use the catchy terms that reflect fundamentalist and the strict study of God’s Word, but the closer you dig the more nefarious their false gospel is. I call it a false gospel because they have changed the character of God for their own liking. They claim limited atonement and yet, God’s Word clearly says otherwise. A very famous Calvinist was heard recently saying, “I’ll leave the Bible scholars to study this…I don’t need another New Testoment class, I need my emotions pulled with life and death on the face of the preacher at the pulpit.” This same pastor mocks those who are eager for the Lord’s return in the clouds for the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. To the eyes of the world, they appear to be alive, but God sees their works and that they are dead. In fact, this group is first mentioned in Sardis, but also later as part of the Synogoge of Satan. Jesus warns this group of the rapture and that it will come upon them as a thief in the night.

Paul identifies the day of the Lord and helps bring a greater understanding. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”

The day of the Lord is identified as the “night” and will not “overtake” the Greek here is better translated as “seize”, thus Paul is saying that the Christian will not be seized in this time of darkness on the world. What does this mean? It means that Jacob’s trouble, the time of “night” is not for us who are of the “day.” So when Jesus says, to the church of Sardis, Revelation 3:2-3 “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” Jesus is saying that this group is not saved and if they do not repent they will have Jacob’s trouble come upon them. We need only read chapters 6 through 19 of Revelation to see what the Tribulation Saints will go through. When reviewing a denomination or a specific church, examine them to these seven churches and see what Jesus says. You will quickly see that God is to the point because the subject has an eternal magnitude.

Next week we will go over the church of Philadelphia and see what God says to those who have a love and laser focus on His return. This church not only studies all of God’s Word, but takes seriously the times we live in. This church recognizes the importance of Israel and the Church as two separate groups, with both saved by the power of the cross. We will see how those who are in the Sardis church who refused to listen to Jesus’, warning can easily slip into the definition of being part of the replacement theology. Christ labels this group as the “Synagogue of Satan” that will be left behind.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Where do temptations come from? Find our HERE!

Big News!

Mill House Ministries is proud and excited to announce that we are growing! Starting in just a couple of weeks, we will be bringing an additional weekly post for all of our readers! This new member of the Mill House Ministries team will bring wonderful insight into scripture and allow us all to learn more about God’s word! We will continue to have our Monday and Wednesday posts, as well as our Re-Post Fridays; but now we will be having a Thursday post as well! Join us as we soon embark on this wonderful expansion!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the basics of Hosea! Read it HERE!