Something Unexpected

Dear readers,

There has been a post that has been weighing on my mind for a couple of months now. It is an issue that even though we hear about happening, it never seems to be discussed. You see not long ago my husband and I faced an unexpected issue, we were expecting our second child but when we went in for the ultrasound instead of getting to hear the wondrous sound of the baby’s heartbeat, we were told “I’m sorry but there is no heartbeat”. If any of you reading this has had the unfortunate situation of losing a child, I am sure you can relate to the shock that we faced as we waited for a second opinion desperately praying that it was a mistake, only to be told again that our baby was gone. Statistically, 1 in 8 pregnancies will end in a miscarriage and yet it is something that is not talked about. I am not writing this post in hopes to lift the taboo that seems to have been placed on the subject of miscarriages that is not something that I can fix. What I can do though is write this in hopes that if there is another family out there who is going through this unexpected challenge, to see how we can continue to lean on the Lord through the pain, the feeling of betrayal of our own bodies, and the continued sadness.

Due to Covid and the procedures put in place, my husband was not able to be in the room with me when we found out. This caused us both to have to face our initial thoughts about the situation on our own and it was not until after the appointment when we were sitting in a field that we had the opportunity to discuss what had just happened. We quickly came to the realization that our thoughts had gone down the same path. Both of us were wondering what we did wrong to cause God to do this to us. We both had to examine ourselves to see if there was any undisclosed sin that would cause us to have lost our child, during this examination we both felt God telling us that it was not something that we did to cause us to lose our child. We were reminded of the prayer we had been saying since finding out we were expecting, we prayed that God would take our child home if he would not be healthy or if he would not accept Jesus Christ. We were reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:8, “8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” There is much in this world that a parent cannot protect a child from, but to be with the Heavenly Father they are safe. It is why our Blessed Hope is found in Jesus Christ. He has conquered this world and everything in it, there is no place that is better than to be with Jesus Christ. “13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 God loves all of His creations, and this includes children, it is why we know that we will see our child again one day, our child was in the age of innocence, he had not chosen to turn away from God and for those who pass away in this age of innocence they will be received by God.

How can we be so certain that we will see our child again? The answer to that my husband and I found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Our child was in the age of innocence, he had not had a chance to turn away from God and because of this we have hope. My husband and I did not mourn as the world would because we have this hope that when we die or when Jesus Christ returns for us we will see our child because my husband and I both believe that Jesus died and rose again. A God who raised His own Son from the dead can surely reunite our family.

The next aspect that both my husband and I found ourselves focusing on is found in 2 Samuel 12:15-23. “Later the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. 18 Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to us. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm?” 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” 20 So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food.” 22 And he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ 23 But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me.” At the time, my husband and I found ourselves unknowingly repeating the footsteps of King David.

King David spent the time that his child was alive to fast and pray that God would spare him. While we were waiting for confirmation that we lost our child, my husband and I individually were praying on our knees that God would spare our child, we did not want to lose our baby much like King David did not want to lose his. When we found out that our child was indeed gone we knew, because we have the Blessed Hope that we needed to get up, brush the dust off much like King David did in verse 20. As much as we were in pain over losing our child, we still had another that we had to care for, one who did not understand what was going on. Nothing could change the fact that our child was gone, this is not saying that we have forgotten about our child. Nothing could be further from the truth, there is hardly a day that goes by that we do not think about what might have been and it is only by remembering the promises that God has made to those who believe in Him that we are able to make it through this situation, but just as King David knew, we know that though our child will not be born on this earth, we will go to him, “I am going to him, but he will not return to me.”

The last aspect that has helped us through this time I found in my personal Bible study two days after we lost our child. “The Lord is good to those who await Him, To the person who seeks Him. 26 It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. 28 Let him sit alone and keep quiet, Since He has laid it on him. 29 Let him put his mouth in the dust; Perhaps there is hope. 30 Let him give his cheek to the one who is going to strike him; Let him be filled with shame. 31 For the Lord will not reject forever, 32 For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion In proportion to His abundant mercy. 33 For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of mankind.” Lamentations 3:25-33. When I read this passage a few things stood out to me. First, “The Lord is good to those who await Him, To the person who seeks Him.” Our God is good to those who wait on Him, this does not mean that we will not face trials but we can rest assured that God is with us through them. Second, “31 For the Lord will not reject forever, 32 For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion In proportion to His abundant mercy. 33 For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of mankind.” In this passage we see that if God causes a situation that causes us grief, He will have compassion on us because He will not reject forever. God has shown the capability to bring joy after sorrow many times throughout the Bible. He has done it for the Israelites, for Ruth and Naomi, for Hannah, and for King David.

If you are going through a miscarriage or even just a loss in general, I hope that this has helped. Please remember that for a believer in Jesus Christ, death is not the end. When we pass on we will be given our perfect bodies and forever be in the presence of the Lord and because of the promises found in the Bible, we know that we will see those who have passed on before us again. It is because of these promises that we do not have to mourn as the world does because we have the assured hope that we will see those who have fallen asleep again. Finally, remember that when we are grieving, the Lord will show us compassion because of His mercy.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Jesus is Active in 2020

Today I want to continue our desire to see who God is and how we are to lean upon Him. While 2020 is coming to a close, we as Christians need to recognize the need for our focus to stay on who Jesus Christ is. Who is this Jesus Christ that we have? While a simple question it is profoundly important for us who are saved to remember. Oswald Chambers in his work “My Utmost For His Highest” wrote, “Today He is being portrayed as the figurehead of a religion- mere example. He is that, but He is infinitely more. He is salvation itself; He is the gospel of God!” Today many people try to persuade us or even demand that we recognize Jesus Christ as only a religious icon. However, to the believer He is more than just a religious icon, He is the very foundation we are reliant upon. It is because of His Spirit we are able to be different today, “when I commit myself to the revealed truth of the New Testament, I receive from God the gift of the Holy Spirit, who then begins interpreting to me what Jesus did. The Spirit of God does in me internally all that Jesus Christ did for me externally.” We know that Christ came to this earth to save those who would accept Him, Paul in 1 Timothy 1:14-15 states, “and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost.” Nevertheless, we see that Christ is still working in us, “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first convenient, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Hebrews 9:15.

Christ is still our mediator, He is still our protector, and He is still our Rock! This is important to understand due to the times we live in. Turning on the news you might think we have been abandoned, that we are living in the season that the Bible describes as the worst in human history. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. For those who are found in Christ, we are neither lost nor forgotten, but rather found and held tightly in His grasp. As the season called Jacob’s trouble does show up, we must stay focused on the promises of God and know as Revelation 3:10 states, “because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing.” We who are in Christ are promised in Revelation to dine as the Bride of Christ to the groom who is Christ Himself, “will dine with him and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20.

Now what does this mean? How are we to take the “So what” factor out of knowing that Christ is still in control and active in our lives? The answer is simply stated by Henry T. Blackaby in his book “Experiencing God Day by Day,” “the fundamental premise of Christianity is that God knows what is best, better than we do. When we are experiencing God’s blessing, it is easy to believe that God knows what is best. But when God allows sickness and sorrow in our lives, we may be tempted to question His wisdom.” Today, especially during the turmoil of 2020, we might be tempted to allow mans strength to be our false sense of security, “Human strength is a strong deterrent to trusting in Christ. When we rely on our own strength, resources, and knowledge, we assume we can handle situations without help from God. We tend to divide problems into two categories: problems that we know require God’s help and problems we think we can handle on our own.” It is apparent that Christians today are falling into depression and failing to rely on Jesus Christ in mass numbers. Instead of staying true to what the Bible holds, we are taking our stance on man’s own strength. Unfortunately, this is the wrong answer to dealing with 2020, we should lean on Christ and understand that He is actively working. We must keep our actions sufficiently on Jesus and listen intently on what He has called us to do. No matter where you find yourself in this world, God has ordained us with inalienable rights to which we are to uphold. As Christians, we need to share the gospel with whomever is willing to listen and uphold what Christ has actively called us to. I would make the argument that 2020, while nearing the end, still has some surprises left for us. How exciting is it, knowing those who are in Jesus Christ can ride through any turmoil that might dare to come at us.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

For today’s RE-POST FRIDAY! we are discussing why prophecy is still very much alive and why it needs to be studied. Click HERE!

The Need For A Suffering Servant

The prophet Isaiah was the author of the Old Testament book Isaiah. The events of this book took place around 742-681 B.C. under the rule of four Judean Kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Isaiah spoke with a direct revelation from the Holy Spirit.

“19 So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.20 First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19-21

During the time period of the Pentateuch- which consists of the first five books of the Bible- it illustrated how individuals could come into a relationship with God through a covenant based off of repentance, sacrifice, and the following of the Torah. Humanity would time and time again fall short of their covenant with God. The Lord was angry at His people for their disobedience and mixing of the Torah with pagan practices. So, Isaiah a servant of God, beckoned His people back to a relationship with God and explained the consequences if they did not. “18‘Come let us discuss this’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow: though they are as red crimson, they will be like wool.19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.20 But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” Isaiah 1:18-20.

The book of Isaiah most clearly and comprehensively projects the coming and the need for Jesus Christ. Humanity was unable to maintain the criteria of the law no matter how hard they tried. Because sin is conceived in the heart and not in ones’ own actions. The Law was created to demonstrate to mankind that we need a savior and will never be able to sanctify ourselves. “18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.19 For from the heart comes evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.20 These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man”. Matthew 15:18-20. Isaiah shows us that God is righteously just by prophesying: The Lord would send Jesus to ultimately fulfill the law.“14Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel- meaning God with us.” Isaiah 7:14. In the New Testament book of Matthew, it states that Mary would be the virgin from Isaiah’s prophecy. “20’Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins’. Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel” Matthew 1:20-22.

Isaiah’s prophecy was proclaimed hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Not only was Jesus prophesied to be the coming Messiah, but He was prophesied to be the atoning sacrifice which would be fulfilled on the cross at Golgotha. Isaiah chapters 52 and 53 states that the suffering servant is Jesus “He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; the punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds.6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquities of us all.” Isaiah 53:5-6. These verses physically and symbolically explain how the crucifixion was the atoning sacrifice. Jesus would be beaten and disfigured until “He did not resemble a human-being—so He will sprinkle many nations.” Isaiah 52:14-15 Signifying that Jesus died for all who are willing to accept Him, and not just for a specific group of people.  Isaiah’s prophecy states that God’s “righteous Servant” Jesus “will justify many…He will carry their iniquities…He will intercede for them” Isaiah 53.  The completion of Isaiah’s prophecy of the ‘suffering servant’ and ‘the virgin birth of Immanuel’ amended the continual need for sacrifices to attain favor in God’s sight. Deeming Jesus, the “Suffering Savior” who fulfilled the covenant of the Pentateuch. The aspect of ‘Immanuel’ is uncovered in Acts chapter 2, once Jesus has risen and ascended, the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven to dwell among believers at the day of Pentecost. One must remember that God is just- a ransom had to be paid for our relationship to be restored-with Jesus is our intercessor. The fulfillment of the covenant under the Pentateuch ushered in the Dispensation of Grace, signifying Immanuel – God is with us.

“26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:26-28

Reflections and Insight

1.     Time and time again the Lord states that He has never wanted sacrifices but our devotion:

“For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice” Hosea 6:6

“Go and learn what this means: I DESIRE MERCY AND NOT SACRIFICE. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” Matthew 9:13

“Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of a ram.” 1 Samuel 15:22

 2.     Paul states in Romans:

 “14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely Not!...17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to 18 and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness…22 But now, since you have been liberated from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification— and the end is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:14-15,17-18 & 22-23

 How can we practice devotion to the Lord in our daily lives?

Examining Thankfulness

We are entering the season where we most often talk about what we are thankful for. But for the Christian, Thanksgiving should not just be celebrated for a day. In fact, a spirit of thanksgiving, giving thanks to God, should be one of the most easily recognizable trait in a Christian. Although for many, we fail to continually thank God for what He has given us and instead adopt a spirit of ungratefulness, and an ungrateful heart is a heart that has turned cold to God.

There is a trait found in the United States that has always annoyed me, how can we one day express thanks for our family and the things that we have been given but then the next day go out and treat others with a heart of unthankfulness and disrespect. We take pleasure in the things we do not need and prioritize what is not worth desiring. While Thanksgiving and Black Friday may look a little different this year, the mentality is the same as all the other years. What is disheartening about this mentality is that many practice this when it comes to offering thanksgiving to our Lord. We come before Him when things are going our way and He is answering our prayers in the way that we hoped He would, but when we get the answer we want we do not turn to Him to give thanks.

This exact scenario occurred in Luke 17:11-19, “11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Here we see that ten different people all came before the Lord wishing to be healed, Jesus blessed all of them with the gift of healing but only one turned back to Him to offer praise and thanksgiving.  This man knew that the man who had healed him was God and was worthy to be praised directly after receiving an answer to his prayer.  And because of this Jesus states that it was the man’s faith in the Lord that made him well.

When we receive an answer to our prayers, we need to come before God to praise Him. While in this passage the sick man received what he was hoping for, it is important to note that sometimes an answer to a prayer is a no or a not now.  No matter the answer, we need to come before God on bended knee and praise Him. This passage is important to show that we should not just feel gratitude, but also express gratitude.

It is not always easy to express gratitude when we are faced with an answer that we didn’t want. It is hard to remember that God’s will is best and that He has a plan for everything. When faced with these times, it is important to take on the attitude of David. He faced many good and difficult times but he continually praised God. The Psalms are filled with examples of David praising God throughout all his different situations. “1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2     Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:1-5

So how do we maintain a spirit of thankfulness? We need to take on the attitude of the Apostle Paul, he in no measure had an easy life and yet as we see in Ephesians 5:19-20 Paul continually gave thanks to God no matter the circumstances and this attitude made him a joyful person even when facing imprisonment and death. “19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father;”

There are many situations that we can be thankful to God for. First, be thankful for the material blessings that He has given. Humanity has a mentality of “the grass is always greener” and therefore we are never satisfied with what we have been given. We forget that God provides for our needs, not what we desire. He gives us what we need to bring glory back to Him or to pass on the blessing to another. Recently, there was a woman in my church who had been in a car accident. She was unable to afford to buy a new vehicle and because of this she and her son would not be able to continue to go to church. However, before the accident her older son had been given a vehicle that he did not need. God used this vehicle to ensure that not only would the women not have to make car payments, but to ensure that she was able to continue to go to church. God provides for what we need, it may not always be in the way that we imagined, but He will provide for us.

The hardest time to be thankful is when we are struggling. However, even when we are going through trials we need to thank God. All throughout the Bible we see examples of people facing trials but perhaps one of the best examples is David. He faces times of ease but also times of trouble, but no matter what he faced David had a spirit of thankfulness. “the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5. We are reminded that God is good and His faithfulness continues. We also see throughout the Bible that God is with his people, “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10. We should not wallow in a spirit of ungratefulness when we face hard times because God is with us. He will strengthen us and help us, to have the help of the God who made the earth is an unbelievably powerful thing! It is on His strength that we face the trials that we go through and when we come before Him with a joyful heart and a thankful attitude then we discover that “13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13.

Finally, be thankful for the free gift of salvation that we have been given. Humankind is separated from God because we have all sinned. Even a “minor” sin, and I used this term lightly because there is no minor sin to God they are all the same, has caused eternal separation from God. However, when we accept that God loves all of us that Jesus died for us rose again on the third day, and continues to reign today, then we will see that we have much to be thankful for. “16For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

So while we are entering the season of thankfulness, remember not to take on the mentality of this world. Instead keep your heart focused on Christ and see that you have much to be thankful for. “18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Having a Heavenly Perspective

“Neither sunshine nor darkness matters when one is firmly planted in the Lord, His joy radiates within us, His peace secures us”

For a while now I have wanted to push on and start a study regarding different topics in the Bible. However, each time I could feel God tell me no and has wanted me to stay focus on helping my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ stay the course right now. So today, we are examining the situation many are in today.

Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to a fellow brother in Christ who is a doctor living in Texas. In a sensitive state he wrote a letter describing his emotional bankruptcy over the year 2020. In his letter he described how desperate he was for good news, something that he could hold on to. Thankfully, he is a believer but was in desperate need to hear someone tell him that God was still in control. Like him, I believe it would not be so hard to say there are many Christians who are currently feeling down, beaten, and stricken with a hopelessness that reaches into our very soul.

I understand where many of you currently are. Just a few years ago my wife and I found ourselves in a year foreshadowing 2020. We went from losing our main source of financial support, to having to move away from our family to a state where we knew no one, there we would deal with housing issues, health concerns, and different jobs denying us a chance to be promoted. However, it was during those times we found that Christ was closer to us than we had realized.

Thankfully, instead of running away from Jesus Christ, our strong shelter, we ran towards Him. He being a loving Father embraced us and used the opportunity to teach us a lesson that was priceless. God taught us that no matter what, He was in control and shaping us to listen eagerly for His voice. Proverbs states this in Chapter 22: 17-19, “incline your ear and hear the words of the wise and apply your mind to my knowledge. For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, that they may be ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I have taught you today, even you.” If we eagerly sit and listen, He will teach us. This is something that cannot be forced. A good student is never a student who will not listen to the teacher. A good Christian is never a Christian who will not listen to the Father. Sometimes, God will put events in our lives to wake us up. For my wife and I, the year of craziness was 100% a great year to wake up and realize we needed to be actively listening to the Lord and not just playing “Christian”. For believers today in 2020, this has been a great wake up year!

Some individuals have been complacent and needed to have their world rocked a little and that’s ok, “Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod and rescue his soul from Sheol.” Proverbs 23:13-14. 2020 has been one of the greatest years of evangelism in places that have become saturated by complacent churches and lukewarm Christians.

Nevertheless, there are some who might be reading this who are saying, “This isn’t me! I wasn’t complacent and haven’t been lukewarm, yet all of this is happening to me and my family.” Let me answer these people with a question in return, “Do you not believe that Jesus Christ is fully aware of your issues and concerns?” He is fully aware and is there no matter the situation you find yourself in. The amount of faith you have does not correlate with your livelihood and established 401K. Being wealthy or being poor has no constitution on the amount of faith you have nor reflect the quality of your relationship with Jesus Christ. There are times Jesus puts us in difficult situations so that we can be taught a lesson, other times it could be so we can be a good role model for someone else that God is attempting to teach. Just look at Job who has never known any of us personally, but his life is still reflected on by those going through tough times. Following Christ means we seek Him no matter what is happening to us, even if we do not understand why it is happening. Look at what the psalmist says in Psalm 119: 145-152,

“I cried out with all my heart; answer me, Lord!
I will comply with Your statutes.
146 I cried to You; save me
And I shall keep Your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I wait for Your words.
148 My eyes anticipate the night watches,
So that I may meditate on Your word.
149 Hear my voice according to Your faithfulness;
Revive me, Lord, according to Your judgments.
150 Those who follow after wickedness approach;
They are far from Your Law.
151 You are near, Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.
152 From long ago I have known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them forever.”

The psalmist cries out to the Lord for an answer, he follows the statutes of the Lord, he asks the Lord to save him but is still ready to tell others of Jesus Christ and what He has already done. The psalmist rises early to focus on the Word of God, he spends the quality time needed to pray, and he waits on the Words of God. I want to pause there and highlight this part.

“I wait for Your words”

I must be honest with you, until recently I did not fully understand this myself. To wait for His Words means to study His Word, to know His Word, and be ready to hear His Word. To wait on the Words of the Lord is an action without acting upon our situation. What does this mean? It means if we find ourselves in a difficult situation and are having to wait on the Lord, we need to actively seek His Word, read His Word, know His Word, and be ready to receive His Word. All while we wait for Him to act on the situation we currently find ourselves in. So many of us pray and simply ask God to fix the issue, then we give up because we do not see Him act upon our prayer instantaneously. What we need to do is allow Him to do what He wants, we need to shut our mouths and watch Him do it. The psalmist continues to anticipate the times so that he can study the Word of God. He reminds the Lord to be faithful and revive him. He is continuously leaning on the Lord.

However, we come to a part where the psalmist changes his approach, now he directs his attention to what is happening around him. At first this might look like he is taking his attention off of Christ, but he is not. He is now looking at the situation he finds himself in and is eagerly looking for the workings God, knowing that God is faithful to those who are His.

150 Those who follow after wickedness approach;
They are far from Your Law.

The psalmist is making an observation of the situation but is keeping his eyes fixated on the one who can rescue him. However, in verse 151 we see that the psalmist is identifying the workings of the Lord. He knows that God is actively working in his personal life, but also in the lives of those who are seeking Him.

151 You are near, Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.

The psalmist ends with concluding a rather remarkable answer to his issue. No where in the verses do we see God showing up and getting rid of the wickedness that approaches, but rather God answers the psalmist by reminding him of God’s Word. Verse 152 states,

152 From long ago I have known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them forever.”

The psalmist is encouraged by the very Word of God. So many Christians believe the greatest power we have are the spiritual gifts. This could not be more wrong, our greatest treasure, weapon, and life changing gift is the very Word of God. And like the psalmist, we as believers today in 2020 need to reflect on God’s Word and know He is in control. We need to keep our eyes and ears focused on what He has declared and not what the world had attempted to assert.

To my fellow American believers out there, this is not the time to lose heart or hope with the assertation of the world, but rather lean on the Word of God and seek the Blessed Hope who is Jesus Christ.

For those believers all around the world, I do not know what 2021 holds but as we move into the holidays and transition into 2021 I can tell you this, if Christ is with us, whom shall we fear? Neither the gates of Hell nor Hell itself can stand in the way of Jesus Christ’s gospel and those who are ordained to share it to the world. We as believers need to stay focused on the race before us and fight the good fight. I leave with the words of Jude who stated to his fellow believers in his day, Jude verse 21-25 “21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

24 Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

This week’s RE-POST FRIDAY begins our study in Philippians and how we can live with joy! Read Here!

The Significance of a Good Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.” 

Psalm 23

Often times when we hear this passage it is at a funeral. While there is encouragement at hearing these verses when we are grieving, that is not the only time that this verse can offer encouragement. In fact, these six verses are very powerful when you place them in context of the craziness that we face in our day to day life.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” A shepherd is someone who cares for their flock, Jesus Himself was described as the Good Shepherd in the Book of John. “11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” John 10:11 and again in John 10:14 “14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me,” If you have spent much time around farm animals you would see that they know the sound of the master’s voice and will come when called, you can also see that the master knows each one of the animals even if they look alike. This is true for us, when we are spending time in the Word we are able to recognize the voice of the Lord, we begin to know more about Him and see more of His personality. Knowing that He is our Shepherd should encourage us to spend time with Him because it means that we can more readily follow where He leads. When we follow Him we will not want in anything. This does not mean that we will have an easy time on this earth, this is not a promise that God makes to us, but it means that we can find peace in Him. “11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. Just as a shepherd would not led his flock into danger, God will not lead us to situations that are outside of His control. However, that does not mean that we do not put ourselves in situations that we shouldn’t, the fault of the outcome is on us not God. “13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” James 1:13. Now go back to John 10:11, we know from Scriptures that Jesus did in fact lay down His life for His sheep, and in doing so He provided for us in a way that only He could, and that was to give those who would accept Him eternal salvation. So because Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we know that we will be protected, not from worldly hardships but from eternal separation from the Father.

“2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Just as sheep need their shepherd to lead them to where it is safe, so do we. When we follow God’s will He provides us rest. Again this is not to say that we will never face trouble in this world, but we will be provided for. There have been times in my life where if you were on the outside, you would think that everything was against me. But it was in those moments, when I leaned on the Lord to lead me that I felt peace. The world may be going crazy, but lean on Him and you can still find peace because God promises us peace. “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27. It is why peace is a part of the Armor of God, when we wear His armor there is nothing this world can do to take it away.

“3He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”  To be restored is to be renewed or refreshed. In this verse we can see that if we follow God then we will be renewed from the stresses and hardships that we face in this world, while the second half of this verse shows that we still have a mission to complete. When the world is tearing us down, if we lean on Him we will have protection, provisions, and be renewed to complete the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 “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.” Jesus restores us so that we are able to get up from being knocked down to continue to make disciples, and just as a good shepherd would not leave their flock neither will Jesus leave us to face this world on our own.

“4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” This is often the section that is read at funerals but there is something that needs to be addressed about this verse. The valley of the shadow of death is an actual place. It is an area between Jerusalem and Jericho, along the Jordan River Valley, it was called the valley of death because thieves and bandits would often lie in wait along the caves of the cliffs. To pass through this area was to almost certainly face death. So while this does not necessarily mean that David was writing about the Valley of Death in a geographical sense verses a metaphorical one, it is important to understand that the place did exist. When we are facing situations that are beyond our capability to bear, we need not be afraid because our Good Shepherd is with us. While not directly mentioned, this verse makes me think of the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit. The Shield of Faith offers us protection while the Sword of the Spirit guides us and offers a way to fight back at the enemy. It is through the Spirit and faith that God will complete a good work in us, Philippians 1:6 that we have comfort.

“5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” In this verse, we have moved passed being refreshed and are in a place of honor and victory. This passage implies that we are important guests to a feast and with the feast being in the presence of our enemies gives the impression that we have won over them. Here we see that by continuing to do the work that God has commanded us, we will receive honor that will be acknowledged by those who sought to destroy us. This verse not only shows that we will be rewarded, but again shows that we will be provided for because our cup will overflow.

“6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” We see that by following God’s will all our days, we will have goodness and mercy with us. This goes along with everything else that we have seen in this passage about how God will provide for us. In the second part of this verse offers a different view to death compared to verse four. In the previous verse, we are waiting to be ambushed by our enemies. Here however, we are living eternally with the Lord who protects, provides, and refreshes us. We will be living forever with the Lord who leads us to green pastures and still waters where we will fear nothing. This is a very encouraging idea as we face a world that is run by chaos, if we live in the world we will never find peace because this world cannot offer peace. However, by being one of God’s sheep we will receive eternal peace. “33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. We can take heart knowing the Good Shepherd can handle whatever this world can do.

 Seek the truth and encourage one another,

 Alex

Standing Firm in 2020

I once had the luxury to see a light house standing solid in the midst of a storm. So strong was the storm that as the wind blew, and the waves smashed against the light house, I was convinced that the structure would falter and fall to the pressures of the storm. The combination of the rain and waves had convinced me that it was only a matter of time, the howling of the wind wrapped a sense of dread in the air that crept into my very bones. However, the light house still shown its light and stood in the presence of all that would bring it down. Hours went by and the storm continued to press. The following morning as the clouds parted and the sun came out, I saw the light house still standing. I had heard stories, I had seen photos, but to see it in person was an entirely different matter.

Today we find ourselves in a similar circumstance. We have read the stories of those who waited on the Lord, those who listened to the Lord all while being in a situation like the storm. Yet, to live through it is entirely different.  To see the rain pelt, and to feel the waves smash and hear the wind blow is something different.

November 2020, we have felt our own storm, and much like the light house we are seeing those who are established correctly vs those who would be washed away. Psalm 34:4-7 states,

“I sought the Lord and He answered me,
And rescued me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This wretched man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them."

Those who seek the Lord will be established during the storm. I have seen many Christians utterly give up from the rain, waves, and wind of 2020. Others I have seen become unhinged and join the storm to which we find ourselves in. Yet others I have seen stand firm in the Lord and have leaned on the Word of God. They sought the Lord and knew He would answer. They know Jesus will rescue. They look confidently for Jesus and found themselves transformed out of the storm into something that is beyond this world. From being a wretched, poor, and miserable person full of fear and pain, to someone who is given the joy of the Lord. Those who fully come to understand this find themselves knowing the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, they know He is close and will rescue them. David knew this as he wrote Psalm 34. We can see in verse 15 David wrote, “the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.” We see just two verses later that He will deliver us, “the righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Now I am not saying that we will have the outcome of 2020 as we would want, but what I am saying is we are being looked at by the outside world and they are seeing if we will falter during the storm.

For us today, we need more than ever to turn off the news and seek the Lord. This does not mean neglect our obligations, but we need to hand our fear, our doubt, and our trepidation over to the Lord. I have found Psalm 27:11-14 a great reminder on what we should be doing.

“Teach me Your way, Lord,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my enemies,
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And the violent witness.
13 I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;”
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.”

So, remember that as the storm of 2020 is upon us, we can either stand firm in the Lord or we can falter and flee from the safety that is the light house. We can listen to worldly elements that would have us believe that fleeing would lead us to safety, but in reality we are running away from our only security and right into the storm that wants to blow us away.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

Today’s RE-POST FRIDAY discusses an issue that is growing rampant in today’s churches. Read Here!

Continue On

There is no doubt that this last week has just added to the craziness of this last year. For our United States readers, the still undecided outcome of the election with countless cases of fraud has left us feeling confused and possibly afraid about where this country is going. Even for our readers outside of the United States the election causes an amount of uncertainty since it affects the relationship of the nations. With all of this going on, I ask you now to join our brothers and sister around the world and pray. Pray for our countries and our leaders, pray for a smooth transition through the legalities of it all, and most importantly pray for the Lord’s will to be done. As we discussed last week, prayer is our biggest weapon and there are many pastors who are calling out for prayer during this time. It is through prayer that we can most easily see God at work, and I hope you pray, as I am, that the right outcome will come to pass.

The time that we are in reminds me of another time of uncertainty in the Bible.  I ask that you join me and look at Exodus 14, where Moses is leading the Jews out of Egypt. Behind them is Pharaoh and his armies, and in front of them is the Red Sea, the people were concerned that Moses had lead them here to die, “11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?” Exodus 14:11. They could see no way out of their current situation and figured that it would only end in death, either at the hand of Pharaoh or the sea. This is much like the situation we now face. Neither political party will truly admit that the other was the victor, one will always state that there was unfairness either through fraud or the idea that the election was stolen from them. Much like the Jews, we face an uncertainty at what the future holds.

Imagine then, how strange it would have been to be surrounded by danger and yet see Moses simply walk up to the Red Sea. Based on the fact that the Jews were asking Moses if he had led them out here to die, it is no wonder that many were probably thinking that he was crazy to think that they could pass through this situation. But Moses simply states, “13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, while you keep silent.”” Exodus 14:13-14. Do not fear! What a strange idea to process in their current situation! However, Moses knew that the Lord would not bring them to this situation just to see them parish. He knew that God had a plan for their salvation and they simply needed to wait for His plan to unfold, which we see happens in the rest of the chapter.

There are three important aspects that need to be applied today. The first aspect to point out is that Moses walked up to the sea.  He did not fret, he did not hurry, he knew that the salvation from the Egyptians would come on God’s timing.  This is important to us today as many are calling one candidate the victor. Do not rush to believe what media outlets tell you, remember that the media does not decide who is elected and there are still states that have not been decided. Be like Moses and remain steady in your faith that God will prevail and His will, will be done. Do not fear the outcome of this election for we know that God is in control of all things. “34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34. Do not worry about what is to come, God is still in control and He is much bigger than anything that we face.  Cast your cares on Him and continue to pray.

The second aspect that I want to point out is more of a warning, “14 The Lord will fight for you, while you keep silent.”” Exodus 14:14. This verse is not stating that we remain silent in the case of a wrongfully elected person and what is worst is many of today’s pastors telling churches to remain out of politics all together. We need to be doing all we can to make sure the legality of the election is meet. How this verse should be applied to us today, is no matter the situation we find ourselves in, the Lord will continue to fight for those who belong to Him. He will not abandon us, so hold fast and see what He will do.

Finally, we need to continue to move forward. “15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.” Exodus 14:15. Our time here is short, and our mission has not changed. We need to continue to encourage one another and continue with the great commission found in Matthew 28:18-20, “18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” God is still with us, He was with the Jews at the Red Sea and He will continue to be with us. We need to continue to put faith in Him, to wear His armor, and encouraging others. That is the constant in this time. There are still many who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, it is why we need to keep the focus on Him and to not worry about the days that we are in.

I ask you dear readers, to be like Moses in these times. Be sure of God’s salvation that you continue with the mission at hand, encourage one another, pray for our nations, and continue to preach the Gospel. God is still with us and will be until He either calls us home or we are raptured to Him. And if the American Church joins our brothers and sisters around the world in persecution, as one candidate has already hinted at, know that the Jesus warned that those who followed Him would face tribulation, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” John 15:18-20. Do not be worried about hardships because of our faith, for we know what it will lead to. James the brother of Jesus Christ wrote, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4. As the days grow darker and the love of man fades from many, remember that no matter what happens Christ sits on the throne as the beginning and the end, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

An Eternal Lesson for Immediate Practical Use

My fellow believers in Jesus Christ! Today I write to you regarding one of the hardest lessons a Christian must learn in their walk with Jesus Christ. The art of having to wait on the Lord to answer. If you are anything like me, this was and is to this day one of the hardest lessons to adhere to. Nevertheless, it is vital for the Christian believer to know when God is telling us to wait. Now this does not mean we are to just sit and wait on an answer from God on whatever our issue is, but rather lean on Him while we wait. Leaning on Him cannot be better described than in Proverbs, “My son observe the commandments of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; Bind them continually on your heart;  tie them around you neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light.” Proverbs 6:20-23.

But what does it mean to wait on the Lord? Now you might be thinking to yourself, what does this have to do with the issues we find ourselves in today? I am here to tell you this is the exact lesson those of us in the United States are needing to learn. Patience means leaning on the Lord in a way that transcends earthly understanding! But having Patience does not mean we are not acting, Romans tells us, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12. We are to be continually in prayer, holding nothing back from the Lord, knowing that He is big enough to deal with any situation and loves us enough to deal with the smallest situation. He is the great “I AM” and unfortunately Christians have forgotten that about Christ.

Many in the U.S are very anxious because of what is happening in the political world. Instead of giving it to God, they have taken to biting their nails and worrying. Yet this is directly against what the Word of God tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6. I will briefly mention that there are some Christians who have taken the opinion that we are to stay silent on the affairs of men. To them I would remind them how the Bible is filled with stories where the followers of God are called to interject into the affairs of men. Those who allow innocent blood to be spilled due to their silence will one day have to answer to God for that. We are called to be Holy because He is Holy and Proverbs 6:17 is clear that God hates, “hands that shed innocent blood.”

However, today our discussion is on wanting to keep our eyes solely focused on Him during this time of waiting. While it is still unclear how the coming years will be, we can rest assure that our God is bigger than anything that can come against us. Again that doesn’t mean we are to sit and be anxious, but be in prayer. For prayer is the artillery piece of the believer and we as Christians are what the army calls “Forward Observers” our objective is to be in enemy territory and pray specifically for those who need to be saved, for those who need encouragement, for those who need to have their world shaken so they find Jesus Christ, and for those who are being elected in leadership roles. To know more on the power of prayer go to our previous post CLICK HERE! Now as Christians we need to make sure we pray for the Lord to work and act upon what He tells us to do. And remember Psalm 37:7-9, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.” We as believers need not fret over what is happening, ignore the worlds cries of victory and wait upon the Lord. For no matter what happens we can be rest assured there is a coming day when the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords will call His ambassadors home, and we will forever be with the Lord. This doesn’t mean those who practice evil are getting away with anything, for we must remember what King Solomon concluded in the book of Ecclesiastes, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. We are not out of this yet, so Pray, Pray, and Pray some more!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This RE-POST FRIDAY, we look at how God can take anyone and turn them into someone! CLICK HERE!

Prayer and the Armor of God

We have come to the conclusion on our study of the Armor of God, we have studied all the physical aspects of the armor but there is still one aspect that is often overlooked.  We have seen that the enemy has burning arrows used to bring us doubt and insecurity, but we believers also have a weapon that can be used to help ourselves and others. This can be found in Ephesians 6:18, “18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” As believers we have the unique ability to come before the God who made Heaven and Earth and make petitions before Him, this is why prayer is the artillery fire against the enemy. There is no matter to small that we could bring before Him. Prayer allows us to speak to God, to ask Him for His help in situations that are beyond us, how we praise God for what He has done in our lives, how we can ask Him to intervene in others lives, and how we can ask for guidance as we study His Word. 

So how should we pray? First we should pray earnestly and that is with a sincere and intense conviction. We need to take prayer seriously. As seen in Ephesians 6:18, there are many types of prayers and requests and this can be seen all throughout the Bible. Look at Hanna’s prayer for a child or Solomon’s prayer for discernment. The Bible is filled with different types of prayers, not all of them asking God for His guidance on an issue, if you go through the book of Psalms there are plenty of prayers that just praise God for His majesty.

Ephesians 6:18 also tells us that we need to be alert and continually praying for all of the Lord’s people. This means that we need to be aware of what is going on around us. If we know of someone who is going through a hard time, we should pray for them. If we see needs being met around us we need to praise God for it. And we absolutely need to be praying for the leaders in charge of our Nations. This is not the only reason for us to be alert to what is going on around us though. Look at Luke 22:39-46, “39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” In this passage Jesus rebukes the disciples for not being alert and praying. We need to be constantly in prayer with God so that we do not fall into temptation. When the aspect of prayer is ignored, we begin to lose our connection with the Father and lose the will to study His Word. This allows doubts to set in and we leave ourselves open to the flaming arrows of the enemy.

It is also important to note here that when Jesus was praying, He was praying for the Father’s will, not Jesus’s will, to be done. When we are praying we need to examine our motives. Often I hear people say that they have stopped praying because they felt that their prayers where not being heard, in reality they were trying to fit their will into the plans that God has. They were in short, giving God an ultimatum, a “Do this or...” This mentality is not the purpose of prayer and will not be answered. “3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3. When we are praying we need to be sure that we are praying with the right attitude and motives. When Jesus was praying in the garden, He was asking that there be another way. He didn’t want to face having the Father turn away from Him, but ultimately Jesus was asking the will of the Father to be done. And if you noticed, by praying for the Father’s will to be done, Jesus was strengthened. We will also be strengthened through prayer as long as we are praying for the Father’s will to be done.

When praying, we also need to be thankful, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2. Prayer is not just a time to ask God for something, it is also a time to praise Him.  This could not just be for how He is working in our lives, the answered and unanswered prayers, but to praise Him for the work of Salvation. The book of Psalms if filled with prayers of being thankful. We are also called to “pray without ceasing,”1 Thessalonians 5:17. We need to always be praying, not just in the hard times but also in the good. Thank God for the joys and the struggles that you are going through. He is in charge of both, Lamentations 3:37-38, “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?”

As believers, we also have an exciting aspect when it comes to prayer.  We can come before the Lord without fear. “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7. Through prayer we receive God's peace because we know that He hears us and will answer according to His perfect will and not our imperfect will. We have already seen in past posts that when we worry and allow doubts to set in we become less effective in spreading the Gospel.  When we worry we are saying that God is not big enough to handle our issues, which is simply not true.  There is no issue to big or too small for God, we only need to come before Him earnestly, confidently, and with a humble heart. Many Christians today are not wanting to pray because this world is getting worse but we should not lose heart.  Continue to bring your petitions before God and see what He can do and stand firm in your faith. “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,” Luke 18:1.

As mentioned above, prayer is our artillery fire against the enemy. Prayer is the most offensive weapon that we have because we do not have to be close to someone, physically or relationship, to be praying for them. When believers are praying for someone and that person knows it, it gives them a sense that they are not alone in the situation they are in. We can also be praying for the nonbelievers that we know, and we should be praying for them that God will soften their hearts and bring them to Him. Remember, there is not one single person out there that God would want to see depart from Him forever.

Prayer is also the biggest asset that we have because we know that God hears us and will answer. “3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3. When we call on the Lord He will answer us, it may not always be in the way that we would desire but when we are through the situation we will see that God’s will is much better than our own.  We should also be praying for understanding, this will allow the Holy Spirit to work through us and guide us, to tell us the great and unsearchable things that we don’t understand right away in the Bible. For more information on how the Holy Spirit guides us in understanding the Bible please go back and read our post on the Sword of the Spirit.

So while we know that God does hear us, there is a catch to it. “7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 this verse shows us how we should be praying. We must abide in Him, we need to know Jesus’s salvation for Him to hear our prayers. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ into your life then you will have continuous access to the Father and His will through prayer.  This still does not mean that prayer is a “get anything you want” card, we must be praying for His will to be done and pray for His will to be made known to us. “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.” Proverbs 15:29. We have seen through the Breastplate of Righteousness that we can be found righteous before the Lord when we accept Him, but for those who have not come to that moment of accepting Jesus Christ into their life they are far from the Lord. If you are not a believer then you do not have that connection with God, but if you wish to accept His free gift of salvation then He will hear you.  “5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5

What about the moments in life when you are unsure how to pray or what to pray about? When those times come, and they will, we need to lean on the Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us what to pray about. “26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26 Do not let not knowing what to pray for or how to pray stop you from praying, when those moments happen speak to God and say that He knows the situation and knows what is on your heart and ask for His will to be done. When these moments of uncertainty on how to pray occur, we need to be praying that we do not fall into temptation and stay strong in the Spirit.  It is moments like these that we need to be digging deeper and spending more time in the Word. “41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” Matthew 26:41

Since we know that God is all knowing, we can be assured that He knows what we are praying about before we ourselves know.  This fact is evident in Matthew 6:5-8, “5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” These verses gives us a great example on how not to pray. When we pray we should not be doing it to make a spectacle, it should be a time between you and the Heavenly Father. To many people use the act of prayer to try to show others how “good” or “religious” they are being, these people often times do not truly know the Heavenly Father and are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10-14. “10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”” These people use prayer as a way to extort themselves and not petition to God. Matthew 6:5-8 also tells us not to babble when we pray.  Another way to phrase this is to not use repetitive words. Repetitive words, mantras, or focusing and repeating one word over and over is not Biblical and there are many in our churches who do this.

How awesome is the final but most overlooked part of the body of Armor. If more believers would recognize the power of Biblical prayer, we would see that our battle being not against flesh and blood would be turned upside down against the forces of the devil. We would see the gates of Hell not being able to stop us, we would be able to stand firm in Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel without hesitation no matter the circumstances. Prayer helps strengthen our brothers and sisters no matter how far they physically are from us, calls in aid no matter how distant the support could be, and gives us clarification on our current orders no matter how chaotic the circumstances. Ask any soldier, and they will remind you that support does not have to be seen to be called for.

Seek the Truth and Encourage One Another,

Alex 

Christ is still on the Throne

Today I want to finish what we started in our Special Prophecy Update from Saturday. Currently the world is watching the U.S elections and attempting to figure out how will the world change in the coming months. For Christians in the United States this can be an unnerving time. Nevertheless, as this being the day before the November 3rd election, I thought it would be prevalent to bring it all back to what we should be focused on.

I must confess, I was prepared to write on something entirely different when I sat down to begin, however I have recently and frequently found being pressed on my heart to call you the readers and us here at Mill House Ministries to prayer. The impact of the next 24 hours will be monumental.

My aim is to speak frankly without skillful craft or any hint of trepidation, but rather a calming peace that the Lord has given me and one that I hope you may obtain as well. No matter what happens tomorrow, our aim as believers in Jesus Christ is to bless His name and continue with what we are supposed to do. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, as we find out who our next leader is and what will be the political structure of our leadership we need to keep our eyes focused on our true Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 84,

How lovely are Your dwelling places,
Lord of armies!
2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courtyards of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may put her young:
Your altars, Lord of armies,
My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are ever praising You. Selah

5 Blessed is the person whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the roads to Zion!
6 Passing through the Valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

8 Lord God of armies, hear my prayer;
Listen, God of Jacob! Selah
9 See our shield, God,
And look at the face of Your anointed.
10 For a day in Your courtyards is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than live in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord gives grace and glory;
He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity.
12 Lord of armies,
Blessed is the person who trusts in You!

What a blessing knowing that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ cares for us. The great thing about November 3rd is the same person who is on the throne of Heaven on November 2nd will be the same person on the throne November 4th and through eternity. We are to do our part and vote, allow His will to work in the direction we are to go.

Mill House Ministries will be here to continue helping believers in our mission of Titus 2: 11-15, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. 15 These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you.” No matter what happens we must continue to stand fast on our orders found in Matthew 28 with the Great Commission. We would implore you as fellow believers in Jesus Christ to vote according to what the Word of God has called us to be representatives of. We would then encourage you to pray and petition God for mercy and allow His will to be done this November 3rd.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

On the Radar (Special)

What is and is not the U.S Election in the Bible

As the title describes, today we at Mill House Ministries wanted to write something that has been on our heart regarding what is and is not the U.S election and how it accurately should be compared in the Bible. Over the years, but more importantly during this election, we have seen the body of Christ become divided on what should or should not happen regarding the U.S elections. Before I continue, I want to address the global audience that we at Mill House Ministries are thankful to have. While today’s post is directed primarily at the U.S presidential elections, it is in no way should be taken as only a U.S presidential elections. The fundamental principles discussed today should with careful prayer, Biblical wisdom, discernment, and understanding be applied to your own national politics. Nevertheless, we do not want to ignore the global impact at which the U.S election has on the world and thusly will be focusing primarily our attention on the upcoming November 3rd election.

Charles Dickens famous quote “It was the best of times it was the worst of times” could no more perfectly define the 2020 year. Millions around the world have been able to hear and believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ because of the scenario that has developed in 2020. Where before a person would not pick up a Bible, they are now reading and eagerly looking for what God is saying. Yet we have also seen economic devastation with people’s savings drying up due to the failed polices of governors and unelected bureaucrats being in charge. This leads us to our topic today. The body of Christ has unfortunately become divided in sorts with acting upon and interpreting the U.S elections.

There is a very real danger of interpreting Bible prophecy as U.S Bible prophecy. This is an unfortunate outcome of the rampant Replacement Theology, which is the belief that the Church has replaced Israel. Interpreting the U.S into Bible prophecy is also the ill-fated child of Kingdom Now Theology, which in short is the belief we are to bring the Kingdom of God here on earth and then Jesus Christ will come into the Kingdom. Both heretical theological stances cannot be found in the Bible when the scripture is read in context, seriously, and holistically with the entirety of the inspired Word of God.

Today’s discussion is not going over the specifics of why these beliefs are wrong, but to further look at the consequences within the election on November 3rd. If you would ever like more information on these beliefs, please email us at Mill House Ministries.

Followers of Jesus Christ, who take up this view of interpreting the U.S into Bible prophecy as the center point fail to apply the importance of singular events that are happening verses the slow progressive push towards what the Bible is actually portraying. If President Trump or former Vice President Joe Biden win, God is in control, Proverbs 16:1 clearly states, “the plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.”  We as Christians must understand He is going to do what He wants, but that does not mean we are to reject our responsibility. When you break up the verse you can see the action by man and the answer by God. We are to plan and have in our heart what God wants, He will answer the plan. Not only are we to vote but we are commanded to vote by what the Lord would want us to. If we are to have His commandments on our heart as found in Deuteronomy 6: 5-6, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.” We are to eagerly vote by what He has commanded. This has been discussed further in our previous posts A Series of Questions. However, these Christians who take the U.S and forcibly push it in the Bible, where it is not found, are fooling themselves by applying scenarios that do not exist. Neither of the Presidential candidates in 2020 are the Anti-Christ. Neither of the Presidential candidates are the False Prophet. The 7 Seal, Trumpets, and Bowl judgments as described in the Book of Revelation have not happened yet.

Secondly, we as Christians must interpret the season we are living in accurately. Are we close to the end of the Church Age? Yes! All scripture detailing the time of Jacob’s trouble or better known as the Tribulation are aggressively coming into better focus. Nevertheless, our orders have not changed since Matthew 28. We are to go out, make disciples, and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Yet no matter who wins on November 3rd we are to seek the Lord first. Many believers have claimed that our only hope is if a specific individual wins the election. My response is what a shame! For my hope is found in the Lord Jesus, He is my Blessed Hope. Should we use wisdom and prepare for the possible scenarios we are facing? YES! But we do not need to take out of context Biblical scenarios depicting a specific time for Israel as our own moments. I am sure the underground Churches around the world would agree that tribulation is here if you like it or not. Just because U.S. Christians are starting to feel the pressure state side does not mean we are in the day of the Lord. The Thessalonians thought this with a false letter, which is why Paul had to write and remind them that we, the Christians, are going to depart prior to this, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit, or a message, or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” What Paul is trying to say here is the Day of the Lord is not here until after the rapture (please see Dr. Andy Woods study on this chapter for greater clarity on why the Apostasy is actually the departure) and finally after the Anti-Christ is revealed.

No matter what happens, our duty as believers needs to be following what Jesus Christ has told us to do. We need to place upon ourselves the full armor of God and seek Him first and act. I believe King Lemuel’s mother gave some of the best voting advice for us to apply as believers who are fortunate enough to vote, “open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9. We are held to vote Biblically because we are held to vote according to what the Bible has declared is right.

Monday we will further this discussion in hopes of identifying and readying ourselves for what is to come.

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This RE-POST FRIDAY, we look at the second part of In Christ Alone as we wish to remind you that God has not abandoned us. Hold fast to Him above all else! Click HERE

The Sword of the Spirit

Last week we looked at the beginning of Ephesians 6:17 when we were discussing the Helmet of Salvation.  This week we have come to the last physical piece of the Armor of God which is the Sword of the Spirit. “17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17. When the Bible mentions the Spirit, it is describing the Third aspect of the Trinity and that is the Holy Spirit.  So right away we can see that the Sword of the Spirit has the nature of the Holy Spirit, which we know is the truth since it is the Word of God.  “17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” John 17:17

Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as a sword perfectly, “12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”  The Word of God is alive, it works through us continually as we study it.  But just as a Roman sword, it can pierce through anything in its path.  The Holy Spirit and the Word of God can cut through the heart of even the most stubborn of people and change their lives.  I recently had a chance to meet with a group of women where we all had the opportunity to share our testimonies.  It was unbelievably powerful to hear these women who came from all different walks of life and were in different stages of life, and yet there was a commonality between all of us.  We all had been broken down by the world but were made whole in Christ.  To see how the Holy Spirit worked to bring all these women to know Him was something I wish for all of you to experience.  After now experiencing this, I encourage all of you to share your testimonies.  It is not only a way that can help encourage other believers when they are down but is also a great witnessing tool for nonbelievers to hear the difference that Christ made in your lives.  Never feel that your testimony is something to be ashamed of! “13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13. The Word is at work in us and we need to be continually thankful to God because through His righteousness and His truth we have authority here on earth.  Also, we at Mill House Ministry love to hear testimonies if you ever wish to share please reach out to us on our contact page!

When a solider was preparing for battle, if he did not bring his sword he was setting himself up for failure.  Without their sword, a solider was not well-armed and ill prepared for battle.  This holds true for us as we face spiritual warfare.  If we do not have the Helmet of Salvation then we cannot wear the rest of the armor, this includes wielding the Sword of the Spirit since it is the Holy Spirit that guides us and teaches us. “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

If we do not have an understanding of the Scriptures and why we believe what we do, i.e. God’s promises for us, then we cannot give an effective explanation to others. This lack of knowledge means that we open ourselves up to doubting what the Bible says in terms of salvation and God’s will.  As we have seen before, when we have doubts and do not have ways to rid ourselves of them through studying the Word and being in community with other believers, then we are not wearing the Armor of God.  We do not have the Shield of Faith or the Sword of the Spirit.  If we have knowledge of the Word, our faith is strengthened and we can then push back against the “Did God really say” ideas as well as strengthen those around us and be used by God to share the gospel. Through an understanding of the Word, we can help spread the Gospel.  And the best way to gain an understanding of the Word is to study it and allow the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to teach you.  As you study the Word, you will find yourself in situations where you can call up Scripture to answer a question that you or someone else has.  The Holy Spirit will bring Scripture up from you memory in order to help you with a situation.

Look back on Acts 8:26-40, “26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. 33 “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.” 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.”

What an astounding moment of seeing the Sword of the Spirit properly wielded by a believer. Phillip is able to explain the Scripture to the eunuch which caused him to believe in Christ and become baptized.  Another example is in Acts 2, where Peter is able to explain to a crowd of thousands that the men are not drunk but rather filled with the Spirit. He testifies to the listeners that the man they crucified was the Messiah, but He was raised again.  This caused many to believe in Christ. Through the knowledge of the Scripture and having the Holy Spirit teach and guide the people that caused this miracle. When we have knowledge of the Scripture, we are able to put it to use and help guide those around us.

The Sword of the Spirit is not only something that can draw the individual to Him, the Sword of the Spirit is both an offensive and defensive weapon.  As an offensive weapon the Word gives us reassurance that God’s Word is true when we are confronted by the ideals of this world.  As we saw in Hebrews 4:12, the Sword can divide soul from spirit, joints from marrow, and can judge the heart of the individual.  However, the Word of God is not just a weapon that divides the individual from this world, it is also our greatest defense against the attacks from the enemy.  Matthew 4:1-11 is a great example of how we can use the Word of God as a defensive weapon.  “4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Matthew 4:1-11

Without knowing the Word of God, we fall prey to Satan’s attacks on our mind, it opens the door for thoughts of “Has God really said?” We then begin to rely on our feelings, which can be swayed, rather than the solid and indisputable facts that are found in the Word of God.  We need to make sure that we stand firm with what the Word of God says so that when we hear something that goes against what God desires, we can use the Word to defend against it.

However, it is important to make sure that you are using the Word correctly.  This is done first by making sure we read the Word of God in context. Do not read your own biases into what the Word says.  You must know the who, what, were, and why of what is being written.  There are verses in the Bible that are designed for Jews and there are verses that are directed for the Church.  Do not mistake promises that were made to the Jews as promises that are made to the Church, this is called Replacement Theology which is heresy.  The Gentiles, myself included, were grafted into the promise of salvation. For more information on how Gentiles are the wild branch, please read Romans 11:11-31.

We must be very careful not to take scripture out of context. For example, there is one verse that I often see quoted and even on T-shirts.  “13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13. Too often people use this verse to try to make God fit into what they want and what they would will. They believe that if they desire something, then God will make it so because it is what they want.  This is not the case for this verse, you can do all things through what His will for you is. We cannot put our own biases on the Word and even add to what the Word says, if we do this then we are moving farther away from actually knowing who God is.  “16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:16 when we try to make the Word of God fit what we wish for it to say, then we are only adding to our own destruction.

Be careful not to assume that someone is quoting the Word correctly as well, you need to bring everything back to the Word of God.  Be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, “11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”  Whenever you hear anyone say or write anything and claims it comes from the Bible, take it back to Scripture.  Read a few verses above and below the quoted verse to see if it holds to what the Bible says. Scripture will answer Scripture.

Second, we can use the Sword of the Spirit correctly by being in the Word daily.  As mentioned above, the Holy Spirit is a helper who will teach us and help us to understand the Word of God.  But in order for us to be able to listen, we must daily present ourselves to the Teacher.  As we study more of God’s Word, we will see that God will reveal Himself to us through the scriptures.  We won’t always understand a passage immediately, in fact I find this happens to me a lot.  I will be reading a passage and it just doesn’t make sense.  When that moment happens, we need to pray and ask God to reveal it to us and as we do, the Holy Spirit will reveal more of God’s character and His plan for us through His Word.  “10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,” 1 Corinthians 2:10-15 The more we spend time in the Word, the more we see the characteristics of God and can grow closer to Him.  The Bible is one big love letter written for every human being, and the only way can get to know Him is through studying His Word.

Seek the Truth and Encourage One Another,

Alex

A Series of Questions (II)

Unlike last week, today’s post is written directly at pointing out the need for us to answer our fundamental question quickly and accurately. Last week we discussed how the all-important question that each person must answer is “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” Who Jesus Christ is to us is the most eternally important question we will be made to answer. It is not an assumption, but it is something that you must answer on earth. Nevertheless, our second most important question is “Is man naturally good or naturally evil?” This question will dictate your outlook on life and in making decisions. I should state that in no way does this determine you to be a “pessimist or an optimist.” To know more about this question, go back to last weeks post. We now transition to our third most important question that we will ever be asked as believers in Christ.

“What did you do?”

What a powerful question that has implications for good and bad. Depending on the scenario, this question could be answered in triumph or in dismay. For the believer, our Lord and Savior will one day ask us this question. I need to underline the importance that this is not for our salvation, for we can do nothing to earn or lose our salvation once we are saved. However, the rewards in heaven will be dictated by what we do here on earth. This is called the Bema Seat Judgment. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” We see that God will judge us based on our works, on what we did while on earth. As believers, it is our aim to please the Lord with our actions. This judgement is further described in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”  Our actions will be judged one day, God will ask us “What did you do?”

God’s plan is further laid out regarding this question with calling us His ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” This is important to understand, we are to be representatives of God on earth. What a scary revelation this was when I finally figured this out. Personally, I have failed and will continue to fail at be an adequate representative for my beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, I persevere and strive to be the best humble servant that I can be, and so should you! 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul states, “let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Now if we are to be ambassadors for Christ, to be His servants and stewards to the mysteries of God, we must take precautions to understand just what that means.

When I was working on my Masters in Political Science, one of the unique things I got to do was study the craft of being an ambassador. In short, if you are an ambassador you live in a foreign nation while representing the nation from which you are from. You answer for your nation, you enact on policy from your nation in the present nation you are in, and you answer questions that outsiders might have regarding your nation. However, there are two roles that the ambassador has to which many fail to see. Their first and primary role is to orchestrate policy in the foreign nation which reflects where they are coming from. For example, the Ambassador from Canada who lives in Washington D.C does their best to bring about policy in the United States that is in line with Canadian policy and desire. Secondly, the Ambassadors role is to help citizens of their home nation who are in the foreign nation and help foreigners who might be attempting to become citizens of the ambassador’s nation to do so. You might look at the responsibilities and see where we are going with this. As Christians, we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. You might have seen that an ambassador is not about bringing the nation they represent to the foreign nation, but rather to bring their policies. This is one of the simplest but resoundingly solid arguments against Kingdom Now Theology. Ambassadors do not invade, they represent. Understanding that we, the Church, are ambassadors for Christ is also another resounding reason why we must depart prior to Jacobs Trouble (The Tribulation). Ambassadors are called home prior to war breaking out. The Rapture will be our call home. When we come home, we will be asked the resounding question of “What did you do?”

• Did we adequately know what the King wanted us to do?

• Were we good ambassadors? Did we represent our King correctly? Did we promote the policies of which our Lord and Savior has asked us to do?

• Did we help those who wanted to join the Kingdom and become a citizen of God do so?

Each of us must be able to answer these questions when we are asked, “What did you do?” Now you might be wondering for yourself, what does this have to do with the majority of what we have been discussing in this series so far. If we are to represent Jesus Christ, we must understand what He wants and has directed us to pursue. When we are given the chance to vote, we must vote according to what the Lord has commanded. As Christians and as good ambassadors, we need to be eager to implement the policies of our King and Lord Jesus Christ in whatever country, nation, state, province, region, county, city, etc. We need to vote, and we need to be active in orchestrating God’s policy here. For believers who say we should not, they are neglecting the calling that God has ordained us in this age to do. I will quickly point out that recently so called church leadership and some well known Bible teachers have come out and stated that we are to stand for God but give what is Caesar to Caesar and God what is God’s. By using this to keep Christians quite is to blatantly take this scripture out of context.

I have left probably one of the most unique roles of the ambassador for this final part. Ambassadors are to be the bridge from the public relations side and the covert operations side. Ambassadors at times have had to implement their nations policy in their host nation through public relations but also in supporting covert operations. As Ambassadors of Christ, we follow what the Lord has commanded us to follow. If this means that in order for us to follow our King, we must break the host nation’s policy, then we should do so with spiritual wisdom and careful calculation in order to represent our King Jesus Christ accurately. A great example of believers who did just that are the heroic French underground believers during WWII who helped saved their Jewish neighbors from the Nazi’s. What a shame we have leaders and teachers in the churches who have stated that what these believers did to save these innocent people is wrong.

As believers in Christ, we will have to answer, “What did you do?” This means, did we represent our King in every way we could even when our friends and family are angry with us for doing so? Did we represent our King even when it means open hostility towards us? I am not calling you to vote for a political party, nor am I calling you to vote for a political person, but rather vote according to the Bible. Even if one option is not perfect, we are to choose it over the other if it means we are staying closer to what the Bible says for us to pursue. As ambassadors of Christ, we need to be eager to be able to say when asked, “What did you do?” we can say, “Lord, I studied your Word so that I would know what policies my host nation needed to address to have them align with your policies, I voted and did what I could to help align my host nation’s policy with your policy. I helped foreigners become citizens of your Kingdom, I helped to teach them your policies, I stayed true to your policy and to you even when my host nation became hostile towards me.” Let us be good ambassadors of Christ.

As we end this two-part series, I want to remind you that we need to be able to answer these questions correctly. “Who is Jesus Christ to you?” should be answered, “My Savior, My Lord who I have recognized and accepted His free gift of eternal life, that I have attempted to follow and allowed His grace and mercy to have me and His Holy Spirit to make me into a new creation.”

The second most important question in your life is, “Is man naturally good or naturally evil?” And this question should be answered with “I know from scripture that man is naturally evil and thusly, we need Jesus Christ. All policy and human interaction must be based on man’s inability with God’s abilities in their rightful places.”

Finally, “What did you do?” should be answered with “Lord I did everything possible with what you gave me to make you proud and inline with what you, through your Holy Word, asked me to do.”  

We here at Mill House Ministries call all readers to review these questions and seek the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have questions specifically regarding these questions or any others reach out to us and we would be happy to help assist.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

Today’s RE-POST FRIDAY, we offer some words of encouragement to the reader in these uncertain times. Click HERE!