RE-POST FRIDAY!

Today’s Re-POST FRIDAY is a message to our readers as we open up to you a little more! Read it HERE!

Where Is Your Perspective?

There is an issue with the Christian mindset, and one that I must confess I have fallen into as well. The issue is that from the moment that we are saved, we tend to not give eternity another thought. We know that we are saved and will one day be with the Lord, but we fail to see that our actions now will reflect upon us for eternity. We have a habit of getting caught up in this world, we want to live all that life has to offer, we want money, security, and our desires fulfilled. So we act as if we have all the time in the world. We end up saying “Oh I’ll get around to helping out in the church when my weekends aren’t so busy” or “ Oh I’ll witness to them later”. The fact is, we are not promised tomorrow.

“13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-15

As human beings, we act like we will live forever. We don’t realize how fleeting our life is and so we are constantly making plans for what we are going to be doing in a week, a year, ten years, or thirty years. For Christians, we will live forever, but not on this earth and so we need to correct our mindset to be eternally conscious.

To live with an eternity conscious mindset is a signal of a maturing Christian; instead of being distracted by the stresses of this world, these Christians are instead focusing on the characteristics and qualities of God. Instead of being at home and comfortable in this world they are uneasy and feel like a stranger. And that is because they are. When your mindset changes from being focused on this world to being focused on God and His plans, you start to imitate Him more and therefore belong less and less to this world. “19 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, because of this the world hates you.” John 15:19

In fact, the Christians that keep their focus on eternity begin to adopt God’s attitude toward the world. “25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 15:25. What this verse is talking about is not easy to digest. In short, this verse is describing that those who live for this world, who love being a part of such a sinful world will lose their life and all their riches they have gained here. For those who hate being a part of this world, those who keep an eternity mindset, will keep their life. There is another verse that describes this perfectly, “19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19-20. For those who are living as part of this world are only gaining riches that will ultimately be stolen or destroyed, they are focusing on material aspects of this life. For those who are standing apart from this world and instead imitating Christ, their riches will not be found here nor will they be destroyed or stolen.

There is one fact that I do want to point out, to live with an eternal mindset does not mean to hate the creation of this world. We were all created by God and God loves us all. The difference between someone who loves their life in this world and someone who is a part from it but loves all of God’s creation is that for the person with the eternal mindset they hate the evil world system that is present. There is much that is going on today that goes against what God would desire, for the Christian we need to be standing for what is right which often times puts us at odds with the world. Those who are comfortable in this world will seek to bring these evil aspects into the Church. The Apostle John describes this point perfectly, “15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16. We are called to love God’s creation, but not love the world system that allows so much evil to be done. For those who are comfortable with this world, they are not showing God’s love because they are allowing individuals to continue down the path of unrighteousness.

How can we prevent ourselves from becoming comfortable in the world system? The answer is found in Philippians 4:8, “8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Instead of conforming to the ideas of this world, we need to keep our minds on what is righteous and pure. This is how we can be triumphant in this world, we are living with a continuous eternal mindset.

One final test to see if you are living with a worldly mindset or one that is focus on eternity is your view of the Lord’s return. For those who are comfortable in this world, they either could care less if He comes or not or they do not want Him to come at all. When asked about the Lord’s return, these people will often add a “but” to wanting the Lord to return, “I want the Lord to return but not until I get married”, “I want the Lord to return but not until I see my grandkids grown”. These type of statements show individuals who are focused on what this world has to offer. They are forgetting that what God offers is so much more. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

The Bible is filled with examples of those who have an eternal mindset. One such example is Paul, “23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” Philippians 1:23-24. Paul understood that even though he wished to be with the Lord, there was still work that needed to be done on this earth, meaning in short that there were many who needed to hear the Gospel a fact that has not changed today. I urge you all to be like Paul, don’t wait until a later date to do what God has planned for you to do now. Do not be like this world, keep your focus instead on the promises of God.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Threat Within (I)

Last week, we took an unprecedented look at one of Jesus Christ’s first warnings in Matthew 24 regarding those who would claim to be the Christ and how they would mislead many. Starting this week, I want to start a study over what we as believers need to be presently aware of within our own churches. I will never forget the first time I saw the movie, “We Were Soldiers”. In the movie, which is based on true events of the initial start of the Vietnam War, the Commander, played by Mel Gibson, realizes that they are threatened with being over run by the enemy and calls for emergency aid. The radio operator at that point calls in for “Broken Arrow” which is a plea to all allies who can help to bring immediate fire support to the current battlefield. The following minutes in the movie can only be described as a sky full of eager pilots bringing devastating support to soldiers fighting for their lives. Anyone who has ever seen the devastation of Air Support and Artillery will understand the significant impact it has on the battlefield. 

Now you might be wondering why we are having this discussion? To be honest, the churches are being overrun from the inside! We are in dire situations, and we are in need of calling in as much support as possible. Is the war lost? NO! Thankfully, when believers call upon the Lord and declare in sorts, “Broken Arrow” we have the full support and power of God Almighty! 

This week, we are going to first identify the situation the Church is in. We cannot accurately call in support from our God and act accordingly unless we know what we are facing. While the Lord knows what is our greatest and least threat, He has given us His Word as an instrument to identify the threats we currently face inside the Church. Unfortunately, the situation is dire! The Church is filled with those who are not saved and is even led by those who are actively teaching the doctrine of demons. “I read about a liberal pastor who was asked to read a paper at a ministerial conference on ‘Paul’s views on justification.’ He read a paper that superbly presented the truth of the gospel and justification by faith. ‘I didn’t know you believed that,’ a friend said to him after the meeting. ‘I don't believe it,’ the liberal pastor replied. ‘They didn't ask me for my views of justification. They asked for Paul’s’” Warren W Wiersbe Be Alert, Pg 51. We have people who are pushing Christians into spiritual traps that are designed to entangle us in all sorts of sin. We have Christians who are so weak, so ill disciplined in the faith and their personal knowledge of the Word of God, that they willingly follow and encourage others to seek after those who are practicing the doctrine of demons. The Church is truly at a dire point. 

2 Peter chapter 2 is the defining foundation for this week’s discussion. Starting at verse 1 we see that Peter is very interested in wanting us to know what is taking place. This is his last letter before he dies, he knows that his death is coming and yet he is still laser focused on helping us with knowing who our enemy is. 2 Peter 2:1-3 “1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” The teachers described here are first given the characteristic of “secretly introduce.” To secretly introduce you must be doing it secretly, Christians today have become so naive with their own knowledge of scripture that they allow anyone to pump into their heads total none sense. These wolves in sheep’s clothing are doing it secretly thus, they are doing it knowingly. They teach and say what they do not believe and will slowly pull and distort the Word of truth until it fits the word of “my truth.” This is dangerous and ill fit for Christians to allow in any way. These destructive heresies are the first indicator something is wrong. If you are handed a counterfeit hundred dollar bill and a real hundred dollar bill to compare, how would you know the difference unless you had studied what the real hundred dollar bill looked like? The believers have failed to keep their eyes solely focused on Christ, have not been in His Word, and thus are susceptible to destructive heresies. 

I want to hold no punches back and have decided to name a few pastors who have desecrated the churches with their deceitful ways. While this might offend some, I would rather offend you and save you than keep you happy and unaware of the dangers we are in. However, for this week I want us to review the authentic teacher, the true and awe inspiring God, who became flesh for us, to die, and be resurrected with the sole mission of fulfilling the Father’s plan. John 14 has been used by many to describe the beginning doctrine of the Rapture. While is is very much true and should be studied all on its own merit, the beginning part of this chapter helps highlight the authentic Word that we need to study in order to be able to identify the counterfeit. 

I believe John 14:1-11 is one of the greatest studies to understand the authentic nature and deity of Jesus Christ. 

John 14:1-11, 

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 “And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”

Let’s break up the verses and see what really is here, and what Jesus claims to do and who He claims to be. 

Starting at verse one, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” Jesus claims to be worth believing in. As we will discover, there have been many who have claimed this and were not. Only one is worthy of this title and in verse 6 we see Jesus acknowledging His unique worthiness of such a claim. 

In verses two through four, we see Jesus is claiming to be partnered with God the Father with a plan in Heaven. “2 ‘In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 ‘If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 ‘And you know the way where I am going.’” Many claim to know what is happening in Heaven, or they state they are in communication with God on our behalf. However, only one person, Jesus Christ, can claim to not only to be in communication with God the Father, not only in coordination with God the Father’s plan, but is actively in charge of carrying out such a plan and being able to invite whom He deems fit to such a plans fruition. That authority is only given to one person, which is the Son of God. 

Verse 5 is a wonderful, unique, and great verse for two reasons. It’s Thomas examining the authenticity of Christ and because of that we can examine the authenticity as well to better identify the counterfeits as they arrive. “5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Because of his questioning, we have a better understanding. Thomas needs a break from the barrage of insults modern day believers give him, he was eager to know the Lord in every way and we should be thankful he asked such a simple question. 

Verse six is, in my own personal opinion, one of the crucial verses which the entire Bible leans on. While there are a few, this one in particular is important for the believer; Jew or Gentile, it does not matter this is our corner stone! “6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” Oh what a marvelous statement! Jesus is making the claim that only He can make. Others can and have tried, but only Christ can stand up, look at death, and announce who is leaving death to go to Him and who is going to die. What power and what authentic ability. As for the counterfeit, as we continue in our study, we will see how they manipulate this “salvation only in Jesus” statement to align with their own sinful desires. 

We now come to our next statement of which many in the counterfeit world use to claim Jesus is only a good man and is not God. However, Jesus claimed to be God the Father in the flesh, “7 ‘If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.’ 8 Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ 9 Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 ‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 ‘Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.’” John 14:7-11 What an incredible conclusion to this quick discussion, which is part of a larger conversation, that Jesus has with the disciples! 

For us today, we can use the authentic to know and examine what comes before us and see if what they say is true or not. In the coming weeks, we will put to the test what key individuals are saying, and see how Jesus, Second in the Trinity, is in fact God in the flesh. So as we move forward buckle up, it is a going to be a wild ride! But do not worry, as we continue forward in our study identifying the enemy of God, we will also be seeing how God has given us everything we need to combat this spiritual overrun of our position and see what can be done with what is happening. We need not lose hope but rather stay laser focused on our Blessed Hope Jesus Christ and allow Him to lead us. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This RE-POST FRIDAY looks back at how we cannot measure up to the standard that God has set. Read it HERE!

A COMPASSIONATE GOD

Recently I was reading through the book of Psalms when I came across Psalm 103. I have read this Psalm countless times, but this time it really stood out as an encouragement. Encouragement is something that is much needed as we see the world grow darker, we need to be reminded that our hope is not here on earth but in Heaven. Today, I am wanting to go through Psalm 103 with you and hope that you will receive some encouragement as well.

As the world grows darker, we as Christians tend to get focused on this world. We forget that God is greater than he who is currently given control of this world and often times we need a reminder of this. Psalm 103 is a great psalm to remind us of how great our Lord is, and gives us much needed encouragement.

“Bless the Lord, my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your guilt,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with favor and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

The beginning of the Psalm is a reminder to bless the Lord, but it is not just a verbal blessing. It’s a reminder to bless the Lord with all that is within us, our heart, mind, body, and soul. When I think on what it means to bless the Lord with everything that I am, I am reminded of Romans 12:1. “12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” I am reminded that when I come before the Lord with praise or petition, I need to be sure that I am coming before Him in a manner that is acceptable to God who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. It is a reminder to ensure that the worship that I am doing is praising God and not just going through the motion of worship or a worship that honors ourselves and not God. In Psalm 103, we are also called to remember His blessings. After all, it is God who pardons our sins, heals us, redeems us, and satisfies us. No act of man can give us these things, and there are many now who would wish to deny God of these abilities. Psalm 23 is another Psalm that shows how with the Lord we lack nothing, and through studying His Word and worshiping Him we can receive rest and refresh our souls.

“The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known His ways to Moses,
His deeds to the sons of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in mercy.
9 He will not always contend with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our guilty deeds.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us.
13 Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows our form;
He is mindful that we are nothing but dust.”

In this time period it feels as if what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. It might appear that people are getting away with their unrighteous actions, but that would be a mistake to think. That is why it is important to remember that God is not sitting idly by. He performs righteous deeds and will defend the righteous. But because He is compassionate and gracious, He does so on His time not ours. We need to remember that sometimes when we are struggling with something, it is a lesson for us to learn. We also need to remember that God is slow to anger and while there are times we wish that He would strike down those who are oppressing the innocent, we need to know that God does not wish for anyone to parish. Much like with Saul, He is using these times to bring sons and daughters to Him. It is through His abounding mercy that He has not unleashed His judgement upon this world, and as the Bride of Christ we need to remember that we will not be here for the judgement of the unbelieving world. Instead we will be removed from it. God will not keep His anger in check forever, and there will come a time when this world will face judgement.

But before we get too caught up in the desire for those who are doing wrong to face judgement, we need to humble ourselves and remember that we are all sinners and it is only through God’s grace and mercy that He does not deal with us according to our own guilty deeds. The ground is level at the foot of the cross, we all have sinned and fallen short of what God has called. But because He loves us enough to send His Son to die on a cross for us, He removes our transgressions as far as the east is from the west.

“As for man, his days are like grass;
Like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place no longer knows about it.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him,
And His justice to the children’s children,
18 To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts, so as to do them.”

Here we are reminded again that God will give justice to those who belong to Him, it just may not be in the timeframe that we want. This passage always reminds me of Matthew 6:26-30, “26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ” Here we see that God loves the birds and grass enough to feed them and clothe them. Because we know that God loves us more than the birds, grass, and the rest of creation; how much more will He give to those who place their trust in Him?

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
21 Bless the Lord, all you His angels,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, my soul!”

With all of this in mind, Psalm 103 closes with another reminder to bless the Lord with all our soul, but it goes beyond that. It is a reminder that even the angels, which some people tend to place on the same level as God, are called to worship Him. This truly goes to show how great our God is! Everything has been created by Him and there is no place on earth, heaven, or hell that escapes His dominion! Bless the Lord!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

I Am The Christ…

Today I wanted to write about a serious lesson in application that all believers need to not only know, but must be willing to apply directly to their life. This is the art of discerning the truth from what is a lie. Jesus Christ’s first indication of the sign of the end times was in fact a warning that people would be duped by those who were religious in nature. Matthew 24:3-5, “3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 ‘For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Yet, what does this mean? This statement needs to be unpacked for us to understand what we are up against. We need to know what is it that is being thrown at us as the “real deal”. Right now, we have people who are knowingly and unknowingly declaring “I am the Christ” right before our very eyes. 

There is no doubt that we are living in a time where more information is at our fingertips than ever before. Yet we have no idea what is truth and what is a lie. What is interesting about the warning from Jesus is not that the lie is religiously motivated, a person stating “I am the Christ” can be thought of in three ways.

First, that the person is claiming to be God. We know this will be fulfilled one day by the antichrist, who will only reveal himself when allowed in the proper time of the Tribulation. Yet there have been many who have attempted to claim their own deity and be the captain of their own fate, only to realize the error of their ways. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Only one person has power over death, Jesus Christ. John 18:10 states, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

The second meaning of “I am the Christ” can be a person who is claiming to have the answers just as Jesus did. This person captivates their audience with “new revelation” and fantastic speech craft. They cause audiences to be inspired and roused into following them. These individuals are able to rally people together and cause a devotion of zealotry. Their religious focus is grounded in works and in a false sense of hope in their own self worth. Unfortunately, their devotion to an alternative answer rather than Jesus Christ will cause them to lack the very thing they are working for, salvation. Proverbs 11:7-8 “When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of strong men perishes. The righteous is delivered from trouble but the wicked takes his place.” The word “expectation” comes from the Hebrew word “tiqvah” which means to “eagerly wait and hope for something such as a well in a desert that is distinct and needed to survive the crossing.” These people have hope in something that is not there, they believe their crossing into death will be safe guarded by the life of religiousness that they acted upon. They are mistaken and the second they die they will realize the error of their ways.

The third and final application of the “I am the Christ” statement, I believe is a statement of self promotion. These people will not follow someone else who is claiming to be God, nor will they follow someone else who is claiming to have the truth. They believe that they themselves have the truth. We need to make sure not to mistaken these individuals with the second group who are misled by someone who is claiming to have the answer. This third group is different, these people are deciding what is truth and what is to be rejected. These people have announced to the world their own ideology and have embraced humanism at its initial core, this is the very lie that brought Adam and Eve to the grave, “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:5. They have lulled themselves into a delusional state, which only God can pull them out of. 

These individuals judge God’s truth to their own measurements and proclaim that they know better. Instead of claiming to be God as the first group, or following man’s religions as the second, this person had placed themself upon the pedestal and declared the un-declarable. They believe God is a myth and that man is supreme. What is unique about this group is that they are fooling no one but themselves. Satan uses humanism to fool souls into going to hell, while secretly hating the very idea of man identifying himself as God. He wants to be worshiped and does not want to share with anyone else. This is one reason why I believe that in Revelation 17, there will one day be a culling within the human world where Satan will finally drop Humanism and declare himself as the only being to be worshiped. Revelation 17:15-18, “15 Then he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 ‘And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 ‘For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 ‘And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” 

When Jesus warned of being mislead, He meant it. We as Christians who are living in the final days of the Church age have taken too lightly the warning of Christ. While chapter 24 of Matthew will not see its full culmination until the Tribulation, we can clearly see the foreshadowing of what is to come. We must not underestimate the declaration of “I am the Christ” as many do. Christ is God and the only one who has power to declare what is and is not the truth. These three false groups who attempt to claim such a title are fooling themselves and others. Yet, we are not done here. Starting next week, I plan to do a deep dive into the wolves that have entered into the Churches and are plaguing the believer.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This RE-POST FRIDAY is a continuation of the look back into the book of Jude and the message for this generation. Read it HERE!

God Is…

After spending the last few weeks discussing the “warning” passages in the book of Hebrews, I want to take a moment to discuss who God is. Throughout our series in Hebrews, we have seen how God will chastise those who drift from Him and we tend to focus on the God of wrath. However, there is so much more to our God than this. For example, in the New Testament there are four “God is” statements all describing different characteristics of God.

The first of these statements is found in John 4:24.

“24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

First we see that God is spirit, but what exactly does this mean? Well a basic reading of this verse would show that God is not material. Some might wonder what was Jesus than? He is still one hundred percent God, but took on flesh. John 1:14 clearly shows us that Jesus was eternal and God prior to His humble arrival. Nevertheless, God does not possess a physical body in all aspects of the Trinity, but has through the Son of Man added to what is already limitless. If this is hard to understand that is ok, this is some serious theological concepts we are talking about. Remember man-made religions will attempt to add to God what is not His characteristics, only God can add to Himself which He did through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 

With this in mind, we can see two things. First, God is not confined to the physical limitations that we humans possess, He operates outside of time. Second, since God does not have a physical form, man should not make forms that are in His image. The meaning of this second statement is that we need to avoid associating God with any religious building or assigning any limitations to a limitless God. There are many places that a person can go to learn about God, “The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1 and there are many churches where God is absent from. People tend to think that God needs something from us, this could not be farther from the truth and to assume that God is assigned only to a building simply shows a lack of understanding of who He is. “24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:24-25.

The second “God is” statement is found in 1 John 1:5.

“5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

If you have read the book of 1 John, you will see that it is a corrective book. It encourages the reader to remain in righteousness and not in darkness or sin. The reason for this is that God is both perfect and sinless and we are called to be like Him. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2. Because God is wholly perfect He cannot abide or take pleasure in sin. He dwells in light that the world cannot understand because we are surrounded by darkness, by sin. Although the world did not know Him, God still sent His Son to teach the world about Him. ”1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it. 6 A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. 7He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him.” John 1:1-10

The third “God Is” statement is again in 1 John,

”16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” 1 John 4:16

Love is the very characteristic of God, and so He is the standard of what love actually is. “4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. This passage gives us an example of what love should be, and God shows His love for us though this. God is patient in that He wants no man to come to be separated from Him, “3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:3-6 

I do believe this is the one characteristic of God that is most commonly misused or misunderstood. A lot of people, secular and Christians alike, will use this characteristic to state that because God is love, He will accept them no matter what. What this idea is actually doing, is giving the idea that a person can continue in sin. When we look at what love is through 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, we see that love does not rejoice in wrongdoing. The fact that God does not want us to keep sinning, to remain in darkness, shows that He loves us. He is not the killjoy that many people believe but instead He wishes to save us from the consequences of sin. And from the second “God is” statement, we know that because God is light He cannot tolerate sin.

Love also endures all things, this cannot be clearer that what Jesus did on the cross. He bore the wrath of God for our sins, He endured all things. By His death, Jesus completed the costly payment for the consequence of sin so that God can freely manifest His love to those who believe in Him.

The final “God is” statement is in Hebrews 12:29.

“29 for our God is a consuming fire.”

Throughout our study on the “warning” passages of Hebrews we saw that God will correct us when we stray from His Word. More specifically when we looked at the final “warning” found in Hebrews 12:25-29 we saw that God will use difficult times to shake what can be shaken from what cannot be.  We have already seen that God cannot abide in sin, and so what can be shaken are things that do not belong to Him in the light. These things ultimately will be consumed because they did not believe in God’s love.

I hope you enjoyed this post and now have a better understanding of who God is. While these statements, merely touched upon the characteristics of God, I hope you can now explain more of who He is.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

UNEXPECTED CHANGE

Let me first apologize to our faithful followers and readers who have been with us here at Mill House Ministries these past months. We apologies for the lateness of the post, but want to fill you in on the journey we have taken this week. As typical Monday’s are when we post our topical or book study. We had intended to start a new series regarding Psalm 32 and the richness of what God has to say. However, the more we studied, the more we saw there is a much larger and unexpected study that we will need to jump in with this and other psalms who share a unique bond! While we prepare for such a study, I ask for your prayers, (this study is more than I could have ever thought it would be).

Yet, this does not mean we will be doing a lesser study, but rather one designated by God. We here at Mill House Ministries do not write blogs/posts for posting sake, but rather when we have learned something that we want to help share in our pursuit of the mission that Mill House Ministries was started for. When there is any doubt, we will wait. Sometimes it is better to wait and see what the Lord has to say to you.

As we prepare for next week’s post, please keep us in prayer and know that the Lord is actively moving! The rest of this week’s scheduled postings will continue as expected Lord willing.

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This RE-POST FRIDAY brings back the conclusion to our study in Philippians. Read it HERE!

WARNINGS (VI)

We have come to the close of our study of the “warning” passages found in the book of Hebrews. By now we should be able to see that those who are wishing to turn away from their faith in Jesus Christ, even for a little while, will not remain unpunished. The Jewish Christians that this book was written to were contemplating returning to Judaism to escape the persecution that was facing them. We have seen that the author was warning the believers that if they turned away from following Jesus so as not to be persecuted they would be inherently declaring that Jesus Christ was not the Messiah and would be subjugated to the coming wrath. This wrath would ultimately come by the hands of the Roman Empire.

For us today, we aren’t facing a decision to turn back into Judaism but instead we face a decision on if we will return to what the world offers. The persecution of Christians has been going on all around for some time, unfortunately for the American Christians we are now beginning to feel that strain and for some it may be tempting to fold under fire and state that our faith in Jesus Christ is wrong and going against what the Bible says. While the persecution of followers of Jesus will not end until Jesus Christ returns as King, this final “warning” should give some encouragement to hold fast to Jesus Christ and not this world.

“25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:25-29

The “warning” in this passage begins in verses 25-26, “25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ” We have seen time and time again throughout this study that the Israelites lost their faith in God’s promises for them. We have seen the examples given in Numbers 14 regarding the Promised Land and we know the outcome for doubting God’s promises. The Israelites had refused Him, they did not believe that He could help them conquer the enemies that were in the Promise Land and so that generation was unable to receive His rest. Today, we face the same issues when it comes to persecution. We doubt that God is able to protect us, we believe that unless He removes us completely from the situation then He is not with us. This is far from the truth, if you read the book of Job you will see that God allowed Job to go through the trials, the pain and suffering, and the deaths of his children. All of this was done in an attempt by Satan to prove that Job was not righteous and would blame God for his issues. By the end of the book, you will see that Job was instead blessed for holding to God and received greater than what he had before. This can be said of us today, we are going to face hard times as the persecution of Christians intensifies. However, we will receive greater than what we have here. This promise can be seen in verses 27-28.

” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;”

God is going to shake things up. This is done to remove those things that can be shaken, and is a reference to removing the professing “Christian” from the true born-again believer. The Rapture of the Church will be the first global “shake up” that God will do, “for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Yet, this will not be His last, God will separate those at the end of the Tribulation who are believers and those who are just acting, “31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:31-33.

God will do whatever it takes to get a person to finally accept Him as their savior. It is why things will get worse, to open the eyes of those who are stubborn. Yet for those who are already professing Christians, we need to stand firm in our faith unless we be rooted out and found to be fake. In the coming days, we will see the true members of the Body of Christ remain while those who only profess to be a part of the Church will drift away. Verse 28 holds the encouragement for Christians to remain steadfast in faith in Jesus Christ despite the trials to come. We will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, “9 And the Lord will be King over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.” Zechariah 14:9. When God comes back to reign physically on earth, all nations will have to recognize Him, “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” Psalm 86:9 and “10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-22. God’s kingdom is eternal and if we hold to Him, we will be able to enter this Promise Land.

I do want to draw your attention to a comment made in verse 28, “28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;” While we will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, this does not mean that we should take our relationship with Christ lightly. It has been the underlining theme of all the “warning” passages. Too often we hear people refer to God as, “My main man” or “the big guy upstairs” these “titles” are not giving the God who created heaven and earth the reverence He deserves. God is not your “buddy” He is Holy, a God of Justice and Truth. God is the same today as He was in the Old Testament, this includes a God of wrath who will not tolerate sin. It is why the author ends the “warning” passages with a reminder of who God is. “29 for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29. 

I hope this series has been a blessing to you as it has me. As the times get tough know that we have a God who cares for us deeply. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, a person who has asked Jesus to come into your life and save you, I would encourage you to seek Him first now more than ever before. If you are unsure if you are saved or know you are not, we never know how much time we have here on this earth and I would encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him into your life. If you have questions please reach out to us here at Mill House Ministries. Finally, for those who are saved, now is the time our faith will be tested beyond what we can personally handle, allow God’s strength, peace, and joy to wash over you as we see the day approaching of our blessed hope. 

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Instruction for 2021 and Future Believers; A Study on Psalm 32 (1)

It was the British Prime Minister Lloyd-George during World War I who once said, “When the chariot of humanity gets stuck nothing will lift it out except great preaching that goes straight to the mind and heart. There is nothing in this case that will save the world but what was once called, ‘the foolishness of preaching.’” I believe the Prime Minister was partially correct. Rather than preaching, there is only one thing that can cause humanity to reorient itself back onto the straight and narrow, which is nothing more than the Word of God. It is through the power of God’s own inspired work that we are able to be crafted from something worthless to something priceless. Only in Jesus can we go from being meaningless to meaningful, it is so simple that many call it foolishness even though Christ openly mocked those who would identify His work as such! “Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” 1 Corinthians 1:20. I believe it is paramount that as believers, we refocus upon our fundamentals of the faith and become what we were truly called to be, a flawless practitioner of the Word of God. 

This is the calling of the Christian during 2021 and into the years to come. We can no longer sit on the side of history and allow man to play this game without knowing the truth of what is eternally at stake. Our savior Jesus Christ mandated this at the end of His earthly ministry and commissioned us to proclaim the gospel and disciple those who would be willing, “18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20. 

With this in mind, I want to devote some time to a psalm from King David proclaiming and outlining the gospel message. Why might you ask? It is apparent that the world is growing darker and nations continue to pursue a Romans 1:18-32 outline. This is unfortunate, but foreseen and prophesied by God. We now must pray for our nations, but continue to turn our attention, focus, and energy to the task we were given by Christ in Matthew 28. Today we start a study over Psalm 32, this is the first of the “Maskil” Psalms. Maskil means “giving instruction.” A subtle hint to the treasure for the reader who has wisdom and discernment. A treasure to the believer in 2021 who is seeking the Lord behind every word found in each verse of the Bible. 

Unfortunately, we know that the majority of born again believers currently do not have wisdom nor understand of what they are reading when they sit down. How can they? If your only devotional is through a daily Bible verse app or inspirational quotes from a pastor, how are you ever to grow in the Lord? In 2 Peter 2:18b, Peter describes those who are barely saved, who are scriptural illiterate tend to be the most vulnerable to deception, “they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error.” It is ok for every Christian at one point in their spiritual life to be a baby, a person who is in need of constant help, guidance, and instruction by other more mature Christians (I do not mean age but spiritual maturity) yet, it is not ok to stay at this state. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 depicts this very thing, “1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual [people] but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able [to receive it,] and even now you are still not able.” We must take ownership of our own spiritual walk and seek the Lord as He would have us do. By now you might be wondering why are we talking about spiritual wisdom in the Bible when the topic is of Psalm 32? Or you might be wondering what does Psalms, a book in the Old Testament, have to do with salvation? These are all unique questions which need to be answered immediately. Psalm 32 provides the 2021 Christian with a wonderful snap shot of the need for us to request wisdom from our Heavenly Father and understand His salvation plan from the very beginning has been that man be saved through faith and not of his own works. Abraham, who lived in the Old Testament, was indeed as much a believer as anyone in the New Testament and after. He was saved through faith that one day His savior, Jesus Christ, would come and die for his sins. His faith is the same as mine and hopefully yours. We have faith in Jesus Christ’s’ actions previously done with the forethought to those who were yet not living. Psalm 32 helps identify the salvation within stages of the instantaneous moment that a person is being sealed by Jesus Christ. While we might not know the stages we have gone through, with wisdom we can learn what Christ is faithful to complete in us. This is why Psalm 32 must be studied under the guise of wisdom and what Maskil truly means. 

As previously stated, I want you the reader to take your time and read ahead and study God’s Word for yourself. Take some time and read Psalm 32 and see the wonderful uniqueness within the stages of the psalm. I would encourage you to find the other Maskil Psalms and see what God has written to us. 

“Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [Whose] sin [is] covered. 2 Blessed [is] the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit [there is] no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. 7 You [are] my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 10 Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all [you] upright in heart!” Psalm 32.

Next week we will continue our study into this amazing psalm and see just how wisdom parallels the title and what this means for us today. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming.

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This week’s RE-POST FRIDAY is a reminder for this generation from the book of Jude. Read it HERE!

WARNINGS (V)

We are now over halfway through our series on the “warning” passages found in the book of Hebrews. We have seen how they play on one another, the first warning is found in Hebrews 2:1-4 and is a warning not to drift away from the faith or slip into old ways in hopes of avoiding persecution. The second “warning” is to not doubt the Word of God and is found in Hebrews 3:7-19, this warning refers to not doubting the promises that are found in the Word of God. The third warning was discussed last week but can be found in Hebrews 5:11-6:3, this warning is about becoming dull towards the Word. Many have treated their relationship with God as something that needs to be checked off of their list of things to do, they are not actively spending time studying His Word and therefore cannot allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. This week we are discussing the fourth “warning” which is found in Hebrews 10:26-31.

“26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

When someone has begun to drift from the Word, they then begin to doubt it, which in turn leads to becoming dull to the Word. Once someone has become dull to the Word, they then begin to despise it. In the passage above, we see that the warning comes with the word “deliberately” found in Hebrews 10:26. When a person has begun to despise the Word, they act on it by deliberately sinning. It is an attitude of repeated sinning with no measure of repentance to it. As Christians, we will sin because we still have our sin nature. What makes us different from the rest of the world is the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, when we sin the Holy Spirit will convict us until we turn to God with a contrite heart.

For the person who has begun to despise the Word, this act of coming before God with a contrite heart never comes. In fact, they continue to sin despite causing grief to the Holy Spirit. As believers, we are called to not grieve the Holy Spirit, “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 but a person who has come to despise the Word does not obey this, so what is the result of deliberate disobedience to the Word of God? The answer comes in verse 27-28.

“27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

But why would God offer such a “harsh” punishment on those who deliberately kept on sinning? It is because that person is taking the sacrifice of Jesus and treating it as if it meant nothing. “29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29. It is an unholy thing to cheapen the sacrifice that Jesus made to save the whole world, and the act of deliberate disobedience insults that sacrifice. For example, for the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to, to return to Judaism would be the equivalent of saying that they were wrong in stating that Jesus was the Son of God. For us today, we are making the same act whenever we compromise with this world. If we go along with ideas like that there are multiple ways to heaven, we are denying when Jesus says, “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6. In short, we are turning God into a lair which is a characteristic that He does not and cannot have.

For the Christian who is despising the Word and denying the actions found in the Word, they can expect one thing. “30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:30-31. We have seen throughout our study on the “warnings” that the history of Israel is filled with how they turned away from God and His chastising of them. Because God is a God who does not change, He will still correct those of His who stray away. This is the major theme with the “warning” passages and throughout Hebrews. It is asking how you will respond to what God says. We have already seen examples of God chastising His people in previous posts and His chastising is the main subject found in Hebrews 12. However, just because God is chastising someone, does not mean that they lose their salvation. This does not make the matter of His chastising any less though and ultimately we all have to deal with the consequences of deliberate sin. 

For example, look at King David. He knew what the Word said regarding adultery and yet he still followed through with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) this act of deliberate disregard to the Scriptures resulted in David losing his child and for his house to be filled with violence even though David came to later ask for forgiveness for his sin. God forgave David for his sin, but there were still consequences for deliberate disobedience (2 Samuel 12-7-15). 

For those who are believers who have begun to drift, doubt, become dull, and disregard the Word of the Lord, I encourage you to be like King David. Turn from your sin, ask for forgiveness and mercy. There is no act greater than what Jesus Christ has already done to rejoin a sinful world to a holy God, but by asking for forgiveness and turning from your sin, God will have mercy on you, even as He is chastising you.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE

Today I must confess that I was planning on writing on something entirely different, yet I believe this discussion needs to happen. Today I want to give relationship advice to those who are already saved. That’s right, I want to directly talk to only believers, people who have been born again and are saved by having faith in Jesus Christ. There are many of us who have been looking for something that we already have!

Right now Christians all around the world are struggling to find solid ground in their life. It is as if we have left our foundation in Jesus Christ, and have gone into the world seeking for an alternative. For many this is exactly what has happened. They seek solace, comfort, and security in political figures, nations and even false religions all in the attempt to find answers. Answers for something they already have an answer to. James wrote, “what is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.” James 4:1-2a. Why is this? It is because born again believers are not being actively dependent on the Lord. We are having a religious affair, we have placed someone higher than God in our lives. What a shame! 

Many claim that God is silent and does not answer our prayers, however are we seeking what is right or what will fulfill our wrong intentions? Once again James in chapter 4 states, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” James 4:2b-4. I believe this strikes at the very soul of our issues today. Some have turned God into an app to be used when needed for a short duration, while others have all together abandoned God. 

American Bible Society found that “In 2019, over one-third of American adults (35%) said that realistically they never use the Bible outside of a large church service or mass. In January, that number was statistically unchanged. However, by June of 2020, that proportion had fallen to 31%. Additionally, many Scripture engaged adults were finding it difficult to maintain their relationship with the Bible. The proportion of Americans who use the Bible daily also fell to fewer than one in ten (9%), the lowest number on record during the ten years of the State of the Bible research study.” Reports are surfacing that they believe over 50% of those who did read their Bible prior to 2020, will no longer read their Bible by 2021. I will be frank with you, I do not believe all these people were born again, rather individuals who were practicing religion and not having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. John writes about this in 1 John 2:18-19, “18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but [they went out] that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” 

However, these statistics do have some overall reflection of those who are born again. We have left our first love for something that is foreign. We seek alternative truths rather than keeping our eyes set on who is coming. We need identify that our relationship with Jesus Christ is hurt. Thankfully, Jesus is mightier than anything those of us who are saved can mess up. He is capable of restoring such a deviated Christian. Yet, while our relationship is not beyond repair, our authenticity and capacity to be used by Christ in a positive nature is in danger. The first thing we need to do is repent and ask the Lord to heal our relationship (not create, but heal what is permanently there) and we need to seek what He says. His Word is your only true source of truth! You and I need to be in communion with other brothers and sisters in the body of Christ! We need to seek God first in all things we do at the start of each day! It is interesting that Lamentations 3:22-23 states, “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” His mercy is new each morning, so let us match His mercy with a desire each morning to be with the individual who loves us more than we could possibly imagine. Great is His faithfulness! Let it not be wasted on a wretch like you and I! Let us seek His face first thing everyday! Then as the day progresses and life happens, we can reflect back on what Jesus Christ said to us earlier that very day!

I am so very glad that many of you are walking in the truth of God’s Word and His commandments, and I am encouraged by those who have stayed the course. However, I believe we are in need of guarding ourselves from idols and things that can ensnare us from keeping our attention on our beloved Jesus Christ. 

I want to end today not as a rebuke, but as a warning to those who are believers and are straying from the Lord. Turn back for Christ loves you enough to do what is necessary in order to have you seek Him again. A Shepherd will break the leg of a lamb that continues to run away and into danger. While the leg is healing, the Shepherd will carry the little lamb and take care of the lamb. This will continue until the lamb’s leg is healed, for rest of its life the lamb will never leave the side of the Shepherd and where he goes, the lamb goes. Us as believers need to recognize who is our good Shepherd and not follow after false hope. 

For those who have abandoned the faith and have sought after the world, let me implore you to find Christ! For He is the only salvation of this current world. This term salvation has a dual meaning, first it means for salvation of the soul; to have someone have a spirit of life inside (which is only a born again believer). But it also means salvation from this world. Only in Christ can you find salvation to escape what is coming for this world. Without Jesus Christ your hope is in nothing solid nor in anything tangible. This world cannot give perfection, only in Jesus Christ can you be declared righteous and escape what is coming.

If you have never received Jesus Christ, I would thank you for reading this today and encourage you to seek Jesus. He not only loves you, but has intentionally placed the craziness in this world to wake you up to the need of having Him in your life. He is the hope that never fails, He is the love that continues, and He is the comfort when all else is past. He is the what every person deep down inside knows they need. Being “good enough” is impossible, you can only be perfect but that perfection is found in only one person, Jesus Christ. Christ calls to everyone, “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.” Revelation 3:20. Ask Jesus to come into your life, ask for Him to save you, and watch how quickly He comes rushing with open arms to embrace you! If you have any questions please contact us here at MHMinistries@millhouseministries.com We would love to help answer your questions. 

Remember, while the world looks like it is falling into chaos, this is the not so gentle push by God to wake us up to His soon snatching of His Church.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming.

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

Take a page from Paul’s book and see how we can find joy in tribulation! Click HERE!

WARNINGS (IV)

Do you remember how as a child you wanted so badly to grow up? Daydreaming of the day when you would be able to drive, have your own money to buy whatever you wanted, and to move out of your family home into one of your own? This desire to grow is one that is systematically important in society. If any of you have children, you are aware of the doctors asking you how your child is doing, what milestones they have reached, and where your child is on the height and weight for their age. But while the capability of growing is an important one for us physically, it is even more so spiritually. Once we become saved we naturally should desire to grow in our understanding of the Lord and what His plan is. However, the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to were wanting to do the exact opposite. They were sliding backwards into old issues, and many of us today face the same struggle. This is where our third “warning” passage from Hebrews comes from.

“11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. 6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.” Hebrews 5:11-6:3

As mentioned before, the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to were in danger of abandoning the faith in favor of sliding back into Jewish customs to avoid persecution. In doing so, these Christians not only began to abandon the Word of God, but also began to doubt it. The book of Hebrews was written so that they would not repeat the mistakes of the past, like when their forefathers began to doubt the Word when facing the inhabitants of Canaan which caused them to wander the desert for forty years. The author of Hebrews wished to encourage the readers by reminding them of the past so that they could grow and look to the future. But because these Christians were already beginning to drift from the faith, they also began to doubt God’s Word, and when they began to doubt they became dull to the Word.

This is a fate we all risk when we are not actively studying God’s Word. I say actively for a reason, our time with the Lord can not be merely opening an app and spending a couple minutes on it. It cannot even be solely based on our church service. The Bible must be read intensely for us to better understand it. When my husband and I were planning our wedding, we were in a situation where the only way we could plan was through letters. In fact, this was the major form of communication that we had for most of our engagement. I can assure you that when I received a letter from him I read it when there was no distractions, it was through those letters I got to know my soon to be husband better. This is the only example that I can give to show the intensity that we need to read our Bibles, we cannot do it when we are distracted or else the meanings are lost and the Bible, our letters from God, becomes dull and meaningless.

That is the main emphasis to the third “warning” passage in Hebrews, to not become dull to the Word but to continue to grow in our knowledge of the Word. The writer of Hebrews wished to share more of God, but couldn’t. Not because they wouldn’t understand it, but because they had become dull to the Word. “11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” These Jewish Christians became apathetic to the Word and became lazy in their desire to understand it. They first began to drift (Hebrews 2:1-4) then began to doubt (Hebrews 3:7-4:13) and as such they became unable to receive the Word of God for what it was and were unable to act on it, meaning they were unable to grow in their spiritual life. As a side note, the exact opposite of this attitude can be found in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.” The Christians here received the Word of God for what it was, God’s letters to us, and as such they became inspired to listen to the Word and allow it to work through them.

But what else does being dull to the Word mean? Well for starters it means that you lose the ability to share the Word. “12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.” Hebrews 5:12a By the time the book of Hebrews was written, the Jewish Christians should have been able to teach others the Word of God but because they were not actively studying it they were unable to share. While not everyone is not called to be a pastor, we should all have the ability to teach others how to follow Christ. We should be able to share with others what we have learned in our Bible studies and be able to answer questions. This goes back to the Great Commission that we have all been given. “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

Instead of being teachers of the Word, the Jewish Christians were instead needing “baby food” watered down passages to nourish for a little while, not real substance that would not only nourish but also allow them to grow. “You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. ” Hebrews 5:12b-13. This timeline of growth is exemplified in the life of the disciples who needed Jesus Christ to feed them “milk” at times rather than “meat” due to their spiritual immaturity. Later these disciples were able to carry on and, through the Holy Spirit, give “solid food” to the Church. The author of Hebrews wanted to show how Christ fulfilled the priestly order of Melchizedek but because they were dull to the Word, they would not understand it. They needed to be taught the basics yet again because they were not allowing the Holy Spirit to teach them. Just as a child cannot survive on milk alone, we cannot grow in the Lord if we are repeatedly needing to relearn the basics. For those of us who are parents, we are charged with teaching our children. “18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21. If we cannot answer our children’s questions about the Bible how can we expect them to have an understanding of God and what He has done and is doing for us? If we do not live Biblical lives how do we expect our children to act righteously and follow God?

In verse 13, the author of Hebrews makes a note that they are unskillful in using the Word but what exactly does this mean? It means that they lacked discernment, they would listen to anyone and did not have the knowledge to fact check what they were being told to the Bible. They were not being like the Bereans, “11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 From our earlier verse regarding those in Thessalonica we see that it is not just enough to receive the Word for what it is, written from God, but to also examine the Word to be sure that what they are being taught is held up in the Scriptures.

So how do we avoid becoming dull to the Word? By pressing on and moving toward spiritual maturity, “6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.” Hebrews 6:1-3 We are all called to spiritual progress, if we are not moving forward in our understanding then we are backsliding. As a Christian we are never at a standstill, we are either moving forward or backwards, and if we are moving backwards we are vulnerable to the influence of the world.

We see in this passage that the author writes six foundational truths that all Christians must have. The first two are repentance and faith, these have to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is only when a person recognizes that they are a sinner and wishes to turn away from it that they are able to place their faith in Jesus Christ. The third and fourth truths are baptisms and laying on of hands. These are events that are characteristic to Christians meeting together, baptisms are our identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection while laying on of hands is the act of prayer. For our spiritual growth we need to be surrounding ourselves with other believers. The last two truths are resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement, both of which deal directly with what every person will have to go through one day. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament are verses regarding resurrection and judgement, whether it is witnessing a resurrection like Lazerous, John 11:38-44, or the Great White Throne Judgement in Revelation 20:11-15, the Bible is filled with examples regarding these types of events. These six foundational truths all lead up to result of moving forward in faith, spiritual maturity.

We are all called to grow in the Word as this “warning” passage shows, and it is also amplified in James 1:22-24, “22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.” When we become dull to the Word of God, we do not act on His Word. This causes us to become deceived about what the Word of God says. But when we study the Word of God intently, then we can grow and continue on and be blessed. It is why we must be in continuous evaluation of our lives in light of scripture. It is how we can see any issues we have and make the changes necessary. “18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18. 

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

IN WHAT TIME ARE WE IN? (IV)

I want to quickly wrap up what we have been studying this week wrap up quickly what we have been studying this week and highlight the majesty of our Lord and Savior. Undoubtedly, there are many right now who are worried, scared, and depressed with 2021. The future so far looks pretty grim, we see pastors completely ignore the subject, others make jokes of it, while some have taken their entire ministry into analyzing the references of the antichrist. However, today I want to speak to you as my brothers and sisters in Christ. For if you are in Christ, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. This should be encouraging to us! Our God has not forgotten us but has rather embraced us all the more in times of trouble likes these. We need to remember what Paul said in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” We need to understand that when the world will call us to claim what is good by their standards, we are instead to claim what is good by God’s standards. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality” Romans 12:9-13.

You see God has clearly outlined to us that while we are on this earth, we need to be about His business. We are His ambassadors. We are never to payback evil for evil towards anyone. We are to, if at all possible, live at peace with all men. We are not to take revenge! With the persecution going on and the worsening of this world many might be tempted to take out revenge, do not be one of those. This does not mean there will not be a day of reckoning. For why would Christ call us to repentance if not for the escaping of wrath? There is a day of justified wrath that will come. That day will not be by your hand nor by mine, but by the Lord Himself! “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” Romans 12:19. We as believers must remember that we will be labeled, identified, and treated as the enemy, as those who have persecuted the innocent. The Roman Emperor Nero set fire to the city of Rome and blamed it on the Christians for political support to persecute them. The political system of the time targeted believers, today we see the same weaponization by some. 

However, I want to identify a trap! A mirage of peace and safety that believers should not follow. This is of the Laodicea church. Over the next months and years, you will see “churches” that have bought into the lies. They will conform to the world, and will be rewarded by the world for doing so. They will say “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” Revelation 3:17. These so called churches will pander to the cancel culture and ideology of the world. Do not conform to them, stay the course and inline with what the Word of God says. Jesus has already judged such churches and will “spit” them out of His mouth as described in Revelation 3:16. The icons in the church community have already started down this path, many who are so called “champions of the faith” are no more than paper mache for the fires of an angry righteous God. That’s right! There are many who are labeled leaders of the faith who are not born again, these wolves in sheep’s clothing need to be identified and left to their own devices. You might have realized I did not say, “dealt with” that is because in the Lord’s own unique timeline those individuals will have their day of judgement. We are to keep to the Word of God and seek Him first. For those who are believers in Christ, who are of the true Church, we have a song to which we will one day sing, “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9-10. I am very eager to stand before the Lord and bless His name! For Jesus Christ is worthy to be praised and worshiped, no other name in heaven, on earth or under the earth is capable of such worship. He lived a perfect life, He died for our sins and has risen to sit on the right hand of God as our intercession. Now you might be wondering, what does this mean for us living who are born again? We tend to forget that Jesus Christ is also the God who shut the lion’s mouth with Daniel, or designed the very Ark needed to save humanity, or His healing power to transform the lives of Moses, David, Peter and Paul. We have a God who is very much with us. I would encourage you to read the book of Revelation and see that Jesus actually walks in the Churches! He is active in His Churches! 

So while the signs of the Tribulation are coming close, it is not yet that time. We are still in the Church age and need to treat it as such! We are in the final hours of this age and we need to recognize that this is our GAME DAY to which we need to be actively playing our part, listening to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He directs the calls and plays and heck even blocks for us. So the next time you are wondering what time we are living in, just remember that if the Rapture hasn’t happened, you are in the Church age. This age is designed for us to be about our Father’s work, this age has an expiration date which is getting very close, and yet while we do our Father’s work we need to be looking up for our snatching away is coming ever closer. 

Until that time remember we hold until relieved, we hold until we are told to “come up here” which is our Blessed Hope! 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

A reminder on the lesson we can learn from Jeremiah. Click HERE!

WARNINGS (III)

Last week we continued to see the consequences of drifting from the faith as well as the resulting discipline of God. We saw that God does not allow His children to rebel against Him. Today we will continue with the warning passages in Hebrews and look at the second warning. Our passages today will be Hebrews 3:7-3:16, but before we get into the warning passage I want to take a look back so we understand the background of these passages.

The author of Hebrews begins the second warning passage with a quote from Psalm 95, “7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As on the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers put Me to the test, And saw My works for forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways’; 11 As I swore in My anger, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:7-11. The actual Psalm is a reference back to Numbers 14 when the Jews had been brought out of Egypt and into the desert. They were removed from their slavery in Egypt but many began to doubt God’s promise about the Promised Land in Canaan. In doing so they began to drift from their faith in what God would do. They had witnessed God parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14), when they complained about the bitter water at Marah God provided fresh water (Exodus 15), when they complained about hunger God provided Manna and meat for them (Exodus 16), and yet they still doubted the Word of God and His promises for them. They were on the brink of the Promised Land when they sent out spies into the land of Canaan, these spies came back and stated “27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” Numbers 13:27-28. 

It is here that the Israelites began to drift from the Word, all but two men did not believe that God would put this land into their hands. They had heard that the land was good but feared the inhabitants there and despite the encouragement from Joshua and Caleb that, “8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” Numbers 14:8-9 the Israelites chose to doubt God rather than believe in His promises and so they wandered in the desert for forty years never finding the rest that God had for them.

Now I want to make a quick note here, many people have tried using the reference to Psalm 95 as a passage about losing your salvation, this is simply not the case. The Bible is clear that once you accept Jesus Christ nothing can separate you from Him, not even your own doubting of His promises. “28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30 Further proof that this is not a passage about losing salvation is in the fact that Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration. “2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.” Mark 9:2-4, if Moses’ doubting heart had caused him to lose his salvation then he would not have been there at the Mount of Transfiguration. What this reference back to Numbers 13-14 does do is to first shows us that God does not wish for us to remain in bondage, like the Israelites were in Egypt, but if we doubt Him and His promises, we do not receive the rest He offers.

Second, the reference gives us an understanding of the background to the warning that is then provided in Hebrews 3:12-13, “12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” This warning can be grouped into two admonitions.

  The first is to take care, or in some translations take heed. When the Israelites were making their way to Canaan many began to doubt what God’s plan for them was, they believed that He brought them out of Egypt just to kill them in the desert and so they wanted to return to Egypt. This is similar to what the author of Hebrews was warning against, there were Christian Jews who wished to return to Judaism to avoid persecution, and for us today who might be wishing to compromise with this world in order to have an easier time we face the same consequences. If we try to compromise with this world we lose our position as a spiritual representative of the household of God, meaning we lose our capacity to be an accurate witness for God if we are still following the ways of this world. Again this does not mean that we lose our salvation, but if we compromise with the world we are not accurately representing God to those around us. For those who have compromised, it raises the question of if they were saved or not, “19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us.” 1 John 2:19. It is possible that someone is wandering much like the Israelites were and that God will one day chastise them and bring them back, but there is the real possibility that someone who has compromised with this world is someone who never really belonged to God in the first place. One of the best ways for the true believers of Christ to be identified is in how they handle trials and tribulations. For those who do not belong to Christ, when they are facing persecution they will return to the world because that is where their heart truly lies. For the believer facing persecution, “3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4. For the believer when we face persecution it causes us to dive deeper into the Word (perseverance), which then allows us to have a better knowledge of the Word (character), this knowledge leads to better understanding of the promises that God has for us (hope).

The second admonition in this warning is a heart problem. The hearts of the Israelites had drifted away from God (the first warning) which then caused them to doubt his Word that He would bring them into Canaan. Because they doubted Him, they hardened their hearts. This happens to us today when we do not spend time studying God’s Word, being in prayer, and being around other believers. We begin to drift and when we drift we harden our hearts against the Word of God. Our faith in the living Savior does not remove us from God chastising us as discussed last week. Even though Jesus is interceding for us, we do not have an excuse to sin for we are told, “for it is written ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16. This also does not mean that a Christian will not have to deal with the consequences of a sinful choice. Christians at times have thought God to be the “fun police” who goes out of His way to make sure we have no fun in this world. In actuality God is concerned with our choices and actions that can cause irreversible harm to us. By being active in our life, He is daily proving His love and care for us. It is why He has given us His word, so that we know right from wrong. The book of Proverbs provides great wisdom in that aspect.

While believers who rebel against God’s Word do not lose their salvation, they do miss out on an important aspect of His blessings. In Hebrews we see the reference to what a doubting believer is missing, they miss His rest. In times of difficulty and persecution this could also be described as missing His peace. To have “an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12b leads the individual to not finding the rest that God offers. For the Israelites, their doubting hearts caused them to miss out on the Promised Land and they spent the rest of their years wandering in the desert. For us today, if we doubt God’s promises for us it is easy to fall into despair with how this world is going. We believe that God has forgotten us and His promises, I want to assure you that this is not the case! Lean on Him and you will most assuredly find rest, “28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. So I ask you to reflect on your heart, are you more like the Israelites who doubted God’s promises and therefore hardened your heart against God, or are you like Joshua and Caleb who encouraged the Israelites to move forward into the Promised Land?

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex