FLIPPING THE CHRISTMAS SCRIPT

One of the most unique characteristics of God is His desire to take those who are forgotten and lift them up. Taking what the world views as unimportant and making it the center piece to His plan. The story of Christmas is one of those unique moments where we are able to see how God “flipped the script” on the social traditions of the day by prioritizing and highlighting an underlining theme which can be found throughout the entire Bible, which is that God loves the forgotten and lost. 1 Corinthians 1:17, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” In fact the book of Luke opens with such an amazing lesson of God’s character. 

Today we are going to look at how God silenced the strong and brought forth the forgotten. 

During the days Herod, King of Judea, when Caesar Augustus would soon call for census of the Roman Empire, a priest by the name of Zachariah was performing his duties at the temple in Jerusalem when he was confronted by Gabriel, the angel. It had been almost 400 years since the Prophet Malachi, and many of the Jews believed God had forgotten His people. Yet, just like in the Old Testament a familiar character shows up and we find that God is about to do something wondrous. 

“In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zachariah, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in years.” Luke 1:5-7. 

Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth were both believers, “both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.” This did not mean that they were perfect, but rather they believed in the coming Jesus Christ and what He would do on the cross for their sins. Much like us today who are living AFTER Jesus has performed the ultimate sacrifice and resurrection. We are saved by FAITH, but that does not mean we cannot be used by God in certain ways. Zachariah was saved but he doubted the message of Gabriel who was sent by God. 

“Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

21 And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly made signs to them, and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.

24 Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among people.”

Luke 1:8-25. 

Zachariah was a priest, and yet he didn't believe what Gabriel had told him. Because of his lack of faith he was silenced, he would not be able to tell the world the greatest news ever told. The priests, the individuals who should have known the time was coming of the Messiah and making the world ready for His arrival, were silenced. So what does God do? He flips the script, He uses others who would believe His angelic messenger to proclaim the good news of what is to come.

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. 39 Now at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Luke 1:26-40. 

At first you might be thinking, “Mary questioned Gabriel also” but her question wasn’t a question of doubt but rather confirmation of how this was going to happen. As believers we need to understand the difference. When God is working in our lives we have the capacity, through prayer, to ask God how He is going to do it. Asking not in doubt, but rather in curiosity of how He will do something is alright as long as we are still willing servants. Marry confirms this by saying, “May it be done to me according to your word.” God has decided to take a woman who was betrothed and use her as a witness to proclaim the good news of what God was going to do. While she would be blessed to be known as the mother of Jesus Christ, we forget to recognize that Marry is the first person to tell the world of what was going to happen. What an honor and privilege! 

Yet, God is not done! 

  During this timeframe and society, a women was considered to be a second class citizen. For those women who had not had a child, they were even further looked upon with shame. Elizebeth confirms this by stating, “Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 ‘This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among people.”” Luke 1:24-25.

It can only be speculation, but the fact that Elizabeth secluded herself for six months indicates she was possibly afraid of losing the unborn child. This might be a clue to the couple being distraught with miscarriages. 

Yet, God decided to upturn the whole system. When Elizebeth hears Mary’s greeting she is immediately filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims the good news. At this point, the news of the coming Messiah has been proclaimed by only two humans on the planet and both are not only women, but women who have never had children. They would have been looked at even by other women in that society as lower. Yet, what does Elizebeth say? 

“Now at this time Mary set out and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” Luke 1:39-44. 

Elizebeth is the first person to bless the Lord on earth as a baby, even if unborn. What an honor Elizebeth is given! What an incredible testimony from God showing how His plan of redemption is for anyone who is willing to accept Him. However, God is not done here, we see that He has planned to flip the script for when it comes to the entire world! Where the proud stood, God will bring up the humble into a place of honor. Not a replacement, but rather a grafting of a wild branch! Next week we will see just how God has used the story of Jesus’s arrival as a way of testifying to the greatness He is about ready to do!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

A look back on our post regarding a question to God, "How long are we to endure?” Click HERE

A WORKING GOD

The holiday season is in full swing. Thanksgiving has past and Christmas and New Years are just around the corner. Often times the holiday season is a unique time, we are hustling about trying to get things done but at the same time slowing down and reflecting on the past year. Amidst all of this, there is one aspect that does not change, God is still at work today as He has been throughout the last year and will be throughout all the years to come.

Today I want to take a look at John 5:1-17,

“5 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Gate, there is a pool which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these porticoes lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, limping, or paralyzed. 5 Now a man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6 Jesus, upon seeing this man lying there and knowing that he had already been in that condition for a long time, said to him, “Do you want to get well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

Now it was a Sabbath on that day. 10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is a Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick it up and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and informed the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

In this passage we find Jesus passing by a pool on the way to Jerusalem. This pool had an angel that would periodically come and stir the waters, healing the first who entered into the pool (John 5:4). As Jesus was passing He sees a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years, Jesus asks the man if he would like to be  healed (John 5:6) to which the man replies “ Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming another steps down before me.” John 5:7. Jesus then simply tells the man to stand up and pick up his bedroll (John 5:8). This statement by Jesus ultimately leads the Jews to begin to plot on how to kill Jesus, not only because He healed on the Sabbath, a day when no works were permitted, but also Jesus put Himself equal with God. When Jesus was confronted by the Jews, He states my favorite verse in this passage, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” John 5:17.

In today’s world it is so easy to forget that we have a God who is indeed working for us. We have become accustomed to instant gratification so we feel that if we do not immediately receive an answer that God is not at work. This could not be farther from the truth. Jesus’s statement of “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working” John 5:17 is as relevant now as it was then. God is at work today. While it may not be in ways that we can see at this moment, God is with us and is in control of the situation. This world has tried to push Him out and it may seem that the ruler of this world is winning, but Satan most definitely is not. “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” Isaiah 45:7 The God who creates light and darkness, who gives times of peace as well as times of uncertainty has not been pushed aside. He is very much active and has not lost control of this world.

For those who take the Bible seriously and know that there is a coming time of tribulation, there is something that you must understand. This world will not determine when the tribulation occurs. There is only one who can create that timeline and that is God. No amount of scheming can hurry it up.  “17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. God was here before all things were created, He is what holds all things together. Satan may try to win over this world, as he did when he tempted Jesus, “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.” Matthew 4:8-9. Jesus knew that the only one who is worthy of praise and worship is God, who was at that moment putting His plan in place for the salvation of the world.

We must understand today, that in our moments of reflection, when we feel that God is not answering us that sometimes the silence in itself is an answer. God is at work today and we must keep this thought in mind. I encourage you to go back and look at our post on Moses at the Red Sea, this post shows again how God will work in unexpected ways, we simply need to have faith and lean on Him. If you wish to read this post, click here.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Identifying Your Holiday Listener

While the holidays are a time of merriment and celebration, it is also a remarkable time for Christians to share the gospel with those who any other time of year may not hear it. This season of time is one where people reflect a little more on life and will be more willing to accept an invitation to hear the gospel. Jesus was often referred to as Rabbi which means teacher, He took the time to sit with others and share how they can be reconciled with God. In His teachings, Jesus revealed the four different groups of people. These four groups Christians today should know and be able to recognize. Unfortunately, today there is much confusion regarding these four groups and how to accurately identify the significance behind each.

The lesson starts in Mark 4 verse 1-9.

“Again He began to teach by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat on the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2 And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3 “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Here we have four groups and each group is unique in how they receive the gospel. It is ironic that Jesus has significantly left out those who have never heard the Word of God. Unfortunately many believers today have taken the approach that those who have not heard the Word are automatically doomed to hell for their unbelief. Nevertheless, we know that the Word of God and God’s character is sufficient. Proverbs 24:12 describes that God will weigh the hearts of those who have not heard, “If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work.” Jonah is told by God that He recognized the city of Nineveh as having 120,000 people who did not know the difference between their right and left hand as well as the many animals, “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” Jonah 4:11. King David’s son who died as a baby is recognized by David himself as being in Heaven. In 2 Samuel 12:23, David explains that he will one day go to where his baby who had just passed away is. The greatness of God is to show mercy where He wills to show mercy. Nevertheless, that does not minimize the duty of believers to share the gospel! On the contrary, the scripture is very clear that we are to share the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone!

To those that we are able to share the gospel with, we are capable of seeing only four options for them. Jesus gives greater details into these four groups which as we previously stated should be studied so that we can recognize and address them accordingly. Going back to the book of Mark chapter 4 we continue at verse 13 through 20.

“And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16 And in a similar way these are the ones sown with seed on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17 and yet they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown with seed among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 And those are the ones sown with seed on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.” Four groups yet for three of them the outcome of unbelief is the same.”

As we dig deeper we can see that these 3 groups are also significant in their development. With the first group, satan snatches the gospel from them. These are the people that are identified as willing to listen to what satan has to say, this group immediately rejects the gospel. These people will most likely persecute and cause affliction to the second group which is the group that at first rejoices at the gospel but then fall away when times get tough.

Many Christians today have mistakenly identified this second group as born again believers who fall away from the faith and lose their salvation. However that couldn’t be further from the truth. We know from the book of James that faith will develop fruit, “What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless?” James 2:14-20. Jesus confirms this with identifying the branches that are not in Him, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” John 15:6.

The third group mentioned in the parable has decided that the enjoyments of the sinful world are worth more to them than Jesus Christ. Sadly, you can identify what type of pastor you have teaching at the pulpit based off of how many of the third group are here. The more the congregation is based and wanting to live in the world within the world, the more those in the third group will feel right at home.

Now as believers we need to be able to identify these three groups for the purpose of being able to separate the final group. Group four is ironically the same group to which all who are believers in Jesus Christ fall into. While it might have taken you years and many many times hearing the Word, finally you have joined your belonged group. As we share the gospel we need to quickly be ready to identify those who are willing to accept and who have good soil. This good soil is metaphorically speaking, for in Christ we are all a new creation and His sacrifice is big enough to sanctify whomever from whatever their past is. God’s open invitation is best described by Himself, “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.” Revelation 3:20-22. This group is what Jesus in Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to baptize and disciple. We are to identify those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ, and help them learn and grow.

So as the holidays kick off and Christmas approaches, remember that we are called to share the gospel but take heed to who is listening so that you can identify those who have good soil. Additionally, if you do not know where you and God stand right now, this is the perfect time to accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and believe in Him. Email us and we would be happy to help you understand the eternal decision we make when we are saved by Christ.

If you are questioning who it is, don’t worry, ask God to identify the person to you and watch Him work! Let us be of our Father’s work so that when the day comes and we are called home, we can be found doing His good work.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

For today’s RE-POST FRIDAY we continue looking back on how we can live with joy! Click HERE

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