A Question of Unbelief

Not all that long ago, I wrote a post regarding how faith is hope in things that are unseen. However, what about the times when that hope must be faced with things that you can see? This was a question that was brought to Jesus’s attention by one man. How can we have faith in God when we are routinely faced with visible aspects that are out of our control? This is the scenario that we find in Mark 9:15-27.

“As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” Mark 9:15-18.

Here we see a father who had brought his son to Jesus’s disciples for help. His son had been possessed by a spirit that caused him physical pain as well as the inability to speak. The father had seen this happen to his son day in and day out with no help. I am sure this father sought out any way that he could to have his son helped and now he has come to the disciples, but even they are unable to help. There is no doubt in my mind that the father was probably thinking that the disciples were his last best chance to help his son. I can only imagine the pain and heartache that he was going through. Which makes the father’s response to Jesus in the next passage understandable even though it is misguided.

19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Mark 9:19-21.

“If you can”, the father was in the presence of the Son of God Himself! And yet, because he had seen so many others fail, the father was unsure if even Jesus could help his son. While we do not know the age of the son, I do believe that he was at least in his teens to early adulthood based on the father stating that this has been occurring since his son was a child. So for years the father had been seeking out help for his son and was routinely disappointed. For years the father watched his son struggle and be in pain, and there was nothing that anyone was able to do for him. It is unsurprising that the father would expect another disappointment, and yet in the next passage you can see that the father was still holding out hope that his son could be healed.

  23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24. Jesus points out blankly to the father that everything is possible for those who believe. The father replies that he does believe. My impression of the father’s response in verse 24 is that he does believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but the father had been let down so many times that he was unsure if God would listen to him. I don’t believe that the father was doubting that God was able to heal his son, but perhaps doubting if God cared enough about him to do this.

  This is a scenario that I feel many face in their Christian walk. We have come to a point where we have been disappointed so many times by mankind that we doubt if God is able to help us. We become so disheartened that we forget that God is bigger than our problems that we are facing day to day without end. It is in these times that we must remember Jesus’s response that “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Mark 9:23. In these times we must ask just as the father did for help with our unbelief. We must pray that God gives us the strength to face the challenges we are in so that our hope is not diminished. When we do, we will see just as the father did, how God will work and bring a resolution to our situation. For the father, this meant a restored son (Mark 9:25-27). For us, it means that our faith grows stronger in God’s power to defeat the trials that we see and are experiencing. But do not forget, our faith is built on a trusted source, it is Jesus Christ who we have faith in, and it is Him who saved the boy and will also save you. Our faith might be in the unseen, but it is not blind, when Jesus is the center of such trust, our faith is secure.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Introduction to Biblical Meditation (II)

Shoppers and merchants consumed the crowded street on both sides. Mouth-watering smells of sweet ginger and beef lingered in the air. The clouds displayed dark hues of grayish charcoal, in contrast to the bright crimson red of the Chinese buildings. The buildings were all in unison; decoratively embroidered with golden tassels and trimming, with statues of dragons on corners, and architecturally important places. What started as an early walk in the cold crisp air had turned into a morning exploration wanting to see the new environment of where I had found myself. This was my first time to China and I was determined to spend every waking moment seeing the sights, culture, and people. What I did not realize I would find while I was there, was the very realistic understanding of difference in opinion with meditation. By coincidence or fate, I happened to cross a Buddhist temple. The fragrance of light smoke coming over the gateway through their courtyard cut through the merchant aroma as a knife through butter. The Buddhist monks dutifully about their responsibilities, traditions, and obligations. Ironically, the sight quickly brought my attention back to my days living on the reservation and being a eye witness to the practices of the medicine men. Like the Buddhist monks, the medicine men dutifully performed their traditions and obligations. The beat of the moose hide drums were almost in unison with the swirling Buddhist scent. Both experiences were almost a decade apart on two different continents, and yet I realized the same uneasy feeling had crept into my stomach, “This was man’s attempt to meditate.” Mistakenly, I assumed all meditation was wound up into one of these two distinct differences and yet to my shame I did not immediately search out God’s Word for what the true answer was.

  Years would pass by and not a thought towards the subject had come across my mind, until I was walking in a rather large church and I recognized the meditation smell coming out of a room. Now to my bewilderment I did not understand why I was smelling such an aroma in a church. Following the scent, I found myself next to a room dedicated to Yoga, and “Christian Meditation.” I quickly asked myself, “Why on earth was this being allowed in the Church?” To my utter amazement the church (which will be nameless) was encouraging and training Christians to meditate in this manner. They called it Christian Meditation. My question to the church leadership was, “If this is Christian, why did my mind immediately race to Buddhist and Native American Medicine Men practices?” The leadership attempted to persuade me this was well grounded in Biblical truth and supported by main stream Bible organizations. However, they could not provide any solid contextually supported Bible verses for the very thing they were endorsing and training Christians to do. It was here that I finally realized my need, desire, and recognition of duty to fully understand what true Biblical Christian Meditation (BCM) really is. My goal is to help warn my brothers and sisters of the encroachment that has been found in the Church and to help encourage real BCM in our daily walk. God has made meditation for a unique purpose so that we can learn and draw near to our Heavenly Father. However, Satan like in other topics, has taken what was designed to be good and manipulated, polluted, and poisoned it into something that now hurts and pushes us away from our God. A.W Tozer once said, “Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending upon her concept of God. And I insist upon this and I have said it many times, that the basic trouble with the Church today is her unworthy concept of God.”[1]

  Many Christians are too afraid to utilize meditation due to the word and images that cross into our mind. We think immediately of the negative ideas and other religious practices that focus intensive energy into meditation practices. I respect your cautiousness and want to help you come to a better understanding of what God’s Word says about meditation. For others, they might already be put off due to their daily practice of Yoga or their church might also have adopted some of these religious practices. If you are in this group, I would encourage you to also stay around and see how God’s Word can help us understand what is right and what is wrong in practicing meditation. BCM can be something that helps enrich the soul for better understanding of Christ. It can lead us into visualizing a challenge of scripture that we are wrestling with and allow us to see it from a different perspective. BCM can calm the nerves, heighten the spiritual awareness, and bring focus to our lives that is desperately needed. What I ask for is patience and a spirit of the Berans, “And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” Acts 17:11. Take everything I say back to the Word of God and examine it for yourself. As we continue on this journey together, let us come to the feet of Jesus and learn what it truly means to repeat what is found in Psalm 1:2, “but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Because as we will learn through scripture, when we meditate on God’s Word we can see His Word come to life in our lives  Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

[1] A.W Tozer The Attributes of God Volume 1 Pg. 41.

Re-Post Friday

Our second look at one of Jesus Christ’s arrivals before His birth. Read it HERE!

A Music Challenge

Have you ever been listening to a worship station, and it suddenly occurs to you that some of the songs being played you would find on secular stations? Have you realized that the stations that are meant to play songs that glorify God and remind the believer that He is our hope, are playing songs that either don’t mention God at all, mention Him as an afterthought, or are even heretical? I certainly have. In today’s world where more and more “Christian” musicians and even pastors are coming out and stating that they actually do not believe in God, I have a challenge for you. When you turn on the radio or whatever you use to listen to worship music, I ask that you really sit and reflect on the words of the songs. Which is what I am wanting to do today, I want to look at a song that is commonly played on the Christian station. The song that I want to discuss is the song “Breakup Song” by Francesca Battistelli.

In order to not have the song take up the majority of this post, I am only going to show the chorus of the song but ask that you look at the rest of the lyrics yourself to see that I am not pulling it out of context.

“Fear, you don't own me
There ain't no room in this story
And I ain't got time for you
Telling me what I'm not
Like you know me well guess what?
I know who I am
I know I'm strong
And I am free
Got my own identity
So fear, you will never be welcome here”

When you listen to this song, you see that the artist is stating that she is “breaking up” with fear. Now when you hear the song it is rather ambiguous about what is causing the fear. Is it an abusive relationship that they finally have the strength to leave? Is it just normal fears and doubts that are weighing the artist down? You don’t really know and so this song can be relatable to different people in different stages of life. This in and of itself is not a bad thing and I am not saying that this song is bad, however, when you look at the lyrics you see that the song is very “me” centered. The artist states that she has “her own identity” but does not specify what that is. For the born-again believer, our identity is not in ourselves, but in Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is a fact that the artist overlooks throughout the entire song. The born-again believer does not need to be worried because Jesus has overcome the world and everything in it, “33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”” John 16:33

Now my second issue with this song, the artist states over and over again that they are freed from fear. While this may sound like an encouraging thing, it is overlooking the fact that we are supposed to have fear of God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10. Now this fear of God is not a bad thing and often our minds associate the word “fear” as to be afraid of something. The “fear of the Lord” is more so of an acknowledgment of the awe that born-again believers should have in regard to a God who has every right to judge us and yet He frees us from sin. Our fear of Him is knowing we should be condemned and so we surrender to God and His will.

Now as an act of comparison, I ask that you randomly open a chapter in the book of Psalm. This is exactly what I have done for this post and so I landed on Psalm 67.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

6 The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

Psalm 67

Can you see the difference? In some worship songs out there it is very “me” centric but true Biblical worship has the focus on God. In this very short psalm, the focus is on God and we can find so much encouragement in it. This is why I ask you all to look at the songs that are being played and sung; not just on the radio, but in our churches as well. If you find a song that is being ambiguous about if it is worshiping God, bring it up to your pastor. Take the Biblical references found in songs back to the word of God! This is why the Berean’s received such praise, “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

Being a Berean is not just in regards to checking on Bible verses ourselves, but it is also in regards to knowing what we are singing. If we are setting aside time to worship God through music, the music needs to glorify Him. King David did this very well as we can see in the psalms that he wrote. The psalms were meant to be played to music and when you look through them, you see in every one there are verses dedicated to glorifying God, praising Him, and even psalms that are designed to ask God questions. We cannot simply assume that because a song is being played on a “Christian” station, that it is in fact a song that is honoring God. In fact many of today’s so called Christian worship leaders are wolves in sheep’s clothing, causing the true born again believer to sing songs that have no business being used in Church or any other time worshiping our God. I challenge you to not be passive in this area of your faith; sit and listen to the words and the meaning behind the songs, take them back to scripture to see if it would be similar to what is found in the book of Psalms or is it being played because the artist supposedly claims to be a Christian? I hope that if you do this challenge, you will find songs that truly worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Introduction to Biblical Meditation

Today I wanted to do a second recap on the Basics Course that we just finished and had been doing for over a year. However, for those who don’t know, the Basics Course was designed around a quick review of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. This was a crash course, something designed to help someone who had virtually no clue come to see what each book was about and give them an idea of what to expect when reading. Moving forward, I thought it would be prudent to remind the readers that the Word of God is not a “scheduled read the Bible in a year” that should be done all the time. In fact, there are times in our life when God’s Word might need to reside for a period of our life. We need to have a basic understanding however, we should not stop there. God calls us to meditate. Over the next several weeks I would like to go on a journey with you and see what it means to truly meditate as God sees meditation. Remember that no matter the topic, we take everything back to the Word of God and see what God says. By doing this, we can see the richness and guidance that He has carefully crafted in our life. God’s Word is applicable and we should see how it can be placed in our life, 2 Timothy 3:16 states,
”All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness.” But how do we know when to apply and if we are applying the right aspects of God’s Word? For this reason, I want to go on this journey with you and find out.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The first in our two part series on the choices that everyone faces. Read it HERE!

Today Is

Often times we at Millhouse Ministries write specifically to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This is the main goal of our website, to share what we have learned and encourage each other in our faith. However, today I want to take a little sidestep. Today I am writing to anyone who is not born-again but, through the Holy Spirit, have found themselves on our page. If you are someone who has felt the tug to trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I want to share this with you.

“Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation””

2 Corinthians 6:2b

What I am asking you is this, if you are someone who feels as if they need to get themselves “cleaned up” before accepting Christ, you can’t.  We are only made righteous through Jesus Christ, “22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,” Romans 3:22. If you feel as if the act of accepting Jesus Christ into your life is something that can wait for another day, it can’t. We are not promised tomorrow, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Proverbs 27:1.

Now is the best time to place your faith in Jesus Christ, exactly as you are. Place your faith in Him and Jesus will straighten out your life, He will make all the sin go away.. There is no better time than now because this is the day that you have. Do not wait. If you are unsure how to accept Christ in your life, it is really a matter of a simple prayer said with a sincere heart. There is no special ritual or act that needs to be done. All you need do is “confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. ” Romans 10:9-10

Now for our brothers and sisters who have already accepted Jesus Christ. Do not think that the passage in 2 Corinthians 6:2 does not hold any truth for you. Today is the day of salvation, for us who have already believed and confessed Jesus Christ our work is not done. Today is the day of salvation, we all know of someone in our life who is not born-again. We must not sit idly by and love them to hell. “11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” Proverbs 24:11. Today is the day of salvation, any opportunity we have we must share the gospel with them. Our inability to act does not prevent someone from becoming saved, for God will place someone in their path who will share the gospel with them. However, we should not sit and think that it is up to someone else to share the gospel. Every born-again believer has the same call, “18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” Matthew 28:18-20. I encourage you to reach out now to those who are on your mind as you read this post.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Concluding the Basics

When I first started The Basics Course discussing the Old Testament, I didn’t realize how instrumental it would be in my own life and those who would go on this journey with me. For those who are new, this was a journey going over each book of the Old Testament briefly. Allowing the audience to see what the book was about without going too deep. As I illustrated when I first started, imagine being on the highway and the exit signs giving what is at each exit such as gas, food, lodging and other unique aspects. This series we stayed on the highway not taking any of the exits. We set out to give the basics of who you needed to know about each book. My passion is to always go deeper into God’s Word, study His character, and learn more about Jesus Christ. However, at times I understand the importance of seeing things from the 1,000 foot view as we have been with this series. I hope you have enjoyed the Old Testament Basics Course. If there is one thing you should remember about this study, it is just how much God’s Word is true and how seriously we should be with it. From Genesis to Malachi, God is reveals His love and passion for humankind in ways humanity cannot fathom. But let me leave you with a few verses that have touched my heart as we have read through this series.  

God does not change, so we can count on His promises to be kept, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O son of Jacob.” Malachi 3:6.

God cares to know your suffering, thoughts, and desires “trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:6.

God does the work in our life, when He calls you and I to something it is He who wins the day for us, “For by their own sword they did not possess the land, And their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them” Psalm 44:3.

God cares for Abraham and the promises that will come to pass, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” Genesis 12:3. 

The Promise of a Savior and a King, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” Genesis 49:10.

Jesus’s reign will be forever, “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” 2 Samuel 7:12–13.

There is a war between good and evil, and yet we know God has won. We who are saved through Jesus Christ are secure in knowing the war is already won because of what Jesus did on the cross.  “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15.

Gentiles like myself have a promise we can hold to knowing that we can too be blessed by Jesus Christ. “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious” Isaiah 11:10.

And finally one of my favorite verses of the Old Testament, here I am reminded how no matter how bad it is, God is that much better. We have hope in Jesus Christ and His coming work. He cares for you and I enough to save us from ourselves and make for us a better place. “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” Daniel 7:13–14. 

(Just to be clear, this in no way is a complete list of my favorite verses of the Old Testament.)

So as we come to this ending of the series, I want to take a brief moment and say thank you to you the reader. If anything in this series has stood out to you, I would love to hear about it. Remember the Old Testament has one purpose; and that is to point mankind and the individual to what they both need, which is Jesus Christ. You see many people think the New Testament is about Jesus, but in fact the Old Testament is equally pointing to the amazing news of who the man was, but also who He is as God. Jesus Christ being fully Man and fully God from before time, being part of the Trinity, came down and saved you and I. The Old Testament is only one part of the larger story being written. I hope your story is also written into Jesus’s, I pray that your story would have a chapter in it where you came to see just how important Jesus is and how He came to live in your life as your Lord and Savior. All you need to do is ask the Lord and He will reveal Himself to you. So as you read through the Old Testament, remember that Jesus can be found leaping off the page.

I can’t wait to see what series we do next with each other. Until then, I will see you next week.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

A Living Thing

Whenever I am unsure about what my next Biblical study should be, I like to read one of the smaller books in the New Testament. I think due to their size, books like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John or 1st and 2nd Timothy can be overlooked. This is definitely to the readers detriment as these smaller books pack as much of a punch as the gospels, Hebrews, or Ephesians. Recently I have spent some time in the book of 1st Peter and I was reminded once again how encouraging this book can be. This book hits on topics such as freedom in Christ, rejoicing in trials, and the knowledge that God is an impartial judge. However, there is one verse that I specifically love when I just need to be encouraged.

“23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

1 Peter 1:23

This world loves to drag us down and make us have our heads hanging. For many walking around, they seem to have no hope; and that is because they are focusing on things that are perishable. But this is not the case for those who have been born-again through Jesus Christ. Our hopes are not on those things that will one day perish, instead we can keep our heads up and act as lights to the world. The word of God is capable of regenerating individuals, “18 In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” James 1:18. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we not only become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) but we can no longer be dragged down by the weight of our sin. We have passed the world of perishable things and will one day, through death and resurrection or through the rapture, we will be with God where nothing will perish.

I also like this passage because it reminds me that the word of God is a living thing. It is as relevant now as when it was written. The authors of the 66 books of the Bible had no idea how long it would be until Christ returned, and yet even still their words provide encouragement for us living today. We can all be encouraged of the stories of those found in Hebrews 11 or the story of Ester who accepted that God placed her in her position for a reason, and we can still learn valuable financial guidance from books like Proverbs as well as understanding the times that we are in. The Bible is not just words on a page, but is a living document that offers so much strength and encouragement to those who would read it seriously. Matthew Henry describes the Bible this way, “It is a means of spiritual life, to begin it and preserve in it, animating and exciting us in our duty, till it brings us to eternal life: and it is abiding; it remains eternally true, and abides in the hearts of the regenerate for ever.”[1]

However, if you are simply reading only what is discussed in church service or life groups, you are missing out on so much more of what the Bible says. For those that treat their Bible studies in such a way, the Bible does not seem like the living and enduring word of God. Without the hope that is found within its pages, it is easy for the believer to begin to place their hope in perishable things and forget that their hope is in something greater. I encourage you now to ask God to open His word to you, pray that He helps you to see the nuggets of information and encouragement that you are missing. This way you can truly see how our hope does not reside in perishable but the unchanging God.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

[1] Commentary on 1 Peter 1 by Matthew Henry (blueletterbible.org)

The Basics: A Brief Overview of Malachi

The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.

The Bible is written in 66 different books. Each one is unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.

Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.

These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.

1.) Introduction

2.) Who wrote it

3.) When did they write it

4.) Key topics

5.) Key sections

6.) Books that interact with each other

7.) Analysis of the Book

As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.

BASICS COURSE:

Malachi

INTRODUCTION:

Malachi, is a unique inside look at God’s reaction to Israel’s sin. Here we can see God disheartened by the faithlessness and wickedness of His people. But it is here we see a righteous answer and a revelation of God’s character.

WHO WROTE IT:

In his statement below, John MacArthur argues for the accuracy of who is the writer of the book of Malachi.

“Some have suggested that the book was written anonymously, noting that the name, meaning “my messenger” or “the LORD’s messenger,” could be a title rather than a proper name. It is pointed out that the name occurs nowhere else in the OT, nor is any background material provided about the author. However, since all other prophetic books have historically identified their author in the introductory heading, this suggests that Malachi was indeed the name of the last OT writing prophet in Israel. Jewish tradition identifies him as a member of the Great Synagogue that collected and preserved the Scriptures.”[1]

WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:

The Blue Letter Bible site helps identify when the book of Malachi was written.

“Looking solely at internal evidence, the date of the prophecy points to the late fifth century B.C., most likely during Nehemiah’s return to Persia ca. 433–424 B.C. (Nehemiah 5:14; 13:6) Sacrifices were being made at the second temple (Malachi 1:7-10; 3:8) which was finished in 516 B.C. (Ezra 6:13-1). Many years had passed since then as the priests had increasingly become complacent and corrupt (Malachi 1:6-2:9). Malachi’s reference to “governor” (Malachi 1:8) speaks of the time of Persian dominance in Judah when Nehemiah was revisiting Persia (Nehemiah 13:6), while his emphasis on the law (Malachi 4:4) coincides with a similar focus by Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 7:14, 25, 26; Nehemiah 8:18). They shared other concerns as well, such as marriages to foreign wives (Malachi 2:11-15; Ezra 9, 10; Nehemiah 13:23-27), withholding of tithes (Malachi 3:8-10, Nehemiah 13:10-14), and social injustice (Malachi 3:5; Nehemiah 5:1-13). Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in 445 B.C. to rebuild the wall, and returned to Persia in 433 B.C. He later returned to Israel (ca. 424 B.C.) to deal with the sins Malachi described (Nehemiah 13:6). So it is likely that Malachi was written during the period of Nehemiah’s absence, almost a century after Haggai and Zechariah began to prophesy.[2]

KEY TOPICS:

The Temple is rebuilt but the people’s heart has drifted away. God reveals Israel’s unfaithfulness, but emphasizes His own faithfulness to continue to help.

KEY SECTIONS:

The book can easily be read in a sitting and is designed to be understood as one particular argument by the Lord against the people. While one argument God does reveal judgement and promises to the nation of His redemptive work, the book also promises Jesus Christ, first coming and second.  

BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:

Malachi connects with the gospels, Revelation, and other minor prophets.

ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:

While some might consider Malachi to be a simple book, it has deep meaning and revelation into the heart of God. This book shows His ever faithfulness to Israel, but also us when we fail and sin. God reveals His genuine nature to keep His promises and help sustain His receptive work for us. Malachi provides a detailed look at what was going on in Israel at the time, but also the necessary tools for us to self examine and see if we are living a life of religion or do we have a real and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Malachi reveals the first coming and second coming of Jesus Christ. Malachi helps provide the necessary frame work to reveal how God will one day rule in Jerusalem for 1,000 years and the nations will come to worship Him. Malachi reveals that the Jewish people are not forgotten by the Lord but are in a state of momentary pause. God is a God that does not change, thus He will continue to keep His promises and restore us who do not deserve His work. Malachi is a wonderful book to help you and I understand how much God’s love continues when we are failing to be what we have been called to be. It is a perfect ending of the Old Testament; and foundation for the coming gospels, amazing miracles, and acts of Jesus Christ. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament because it shouts that God is going to have to do the work that we cannot do ourselves. If I could give an example, I would say Malachi is like being in a move theater and the lights are going dim, the movie is about to start; Malachi is the lights going dim for the coming New Testament. You can’t enjoy the movie without the simple act of the lights going dim, thus Malachi is a simple book preparing for the what is coming.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/macarthur_john/bible-introductions/malachi-intro.cfm

[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/macarthur_john/bible-introductions/malachi-intro.cfm

Re-Post Friday

Today we are looking back at how we can find Jesus in every 66 books of the Bible! Read it HERE!

Avoiding Burnout

There is a common theme I am beginning to see among our Christian brethren, and it is the concept of being burnt out when it comes to the work that Jesus has for us. With the focus on so much negative going around in the world, it is difficult to remember the praises that we do see. And as more influencers in the faith, such as worship music leaders, come out to confess that they not only are not born-again, but they do not even believe in God, it is difficult at times to remain encouraged to stay the course. If you are someone who has been diligently going about the work that God has called you too but are beginning to wonder what the point of completing it at all is, I want to take a moment to encourage you.

“23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Colossians 3:23-24

This verse is a powerful one, especially in today’s world. Whether it is in the hospitals, the schools, professional settings, blue color jobs, or even within our own homes. The work that we are doing now has an impact. We may not see it in our day to day routines, but we are not here to work for mankind. We are setting about the work that God has for us. It is because He has given us the work we are accomplishing, that we need to be about the tasks with our whole heart. We should not be worried about the work or the reward that we may receive from mankind, because in the end we are working for the Lord.

If you are downtrodden about the work that you are doing now because you don’t see the results of it, remember we will receive our greatest reward when we are in heaven and hear “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). We are blessed when we are completing the work that God has for us, whatever that may be and even if we do not see the outcome of the work now. Keep you focus on God and continue to work heartily in what he has for you!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

REQUEST A SUBJECT CHANGE

As August comes closer to ending and September reaches into our calendars, we can see the hustle and bustle of changing seasons. For many its school, work, family schedules, and so much more; for others it is a time of calming relaxation as the craziness of the summer comes to an end. However, have you ever thought about taking this time to re-examine your study habits with the Bible? Have you ever asked God to lead you to a new subject in the Bible that you should learn? Now is a great time to readjust our attention to the Lord in a new way. We can go to the Lord and ask for His guidance, Psalm 23:1-6 states, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

This chapter has been used for countless of applicable situations, but I seldom see one of the simplest applications that this chapter reflects about God’s character. God cares for you and I in our spiritual walk. He will lead us into what we are to study. So as the seasons change and fall quickly starts to approach, ask God to guide you into a new season and new study in His Word that you need to learn. God will never tell you “No” to wanting to learn more from Him. In fact, one of the greatest adventures you can go on will always start with asking God to teach you something new. Psalm 23 reveals how very real His presence is for us, so shouldn’t we take His Word the same? Remember that God cares for you and I, remember goodness, love, and kindness are the attributes of our Heavenly teacher. “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” This is why God allows for such a drastic change in the seasons at times, to help us come out of a rut and see that maybe we too should change what we are doing because God wants to show us something unique. When we take our walk with God seriously, we can quickly see what the psalmist is saying, “my cup overflows.” He is stating a spiritual fact to those believers who identify their relationship with God as being more than salvation, but rather a daily and intimate walk with Christ. Remember when our relationship with Christ is taken seriously, God can work seriously in our life.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Did you know there are three aspects to being human? Read it HERE!

God Has Personality

Today I want to take a moment and just review a few verses. All too often we spend our time reading through verses to see what the Bible tells us about a specific topic. The Bible is filled with great advice for those who read it and are willing to listen. However, often times I feel we focus on the meaning of the Words that we forget Who they were written by. We forget that the Bible is God’s letters to His children. Which is why today I want to take a moment and review just a few verses that describe who God is.

Psalm 145:8- “The LORD is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in mercy.” The world would have us believe that God is this harsh and unloving being. Or that He is so reckless as to set the world in motion and allow His creations to bring it to ruin and have no guidance from Him. However, in this passage we see that God is not only gracious, but He cares about His creations. He is not only slow to anger, but merciful to send His Son so that none who would accept Him would parish.

Hebrews 12:28-29- “28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.” On the other side of the coin, there are those who believe that God is all love and forget that He is also justice. For those who choose not to accept Him, they will see firsthand how God will become a consuming fire and deal out justice just as He did in Numbers 16.

Psalm 54:4- “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” For those who would believe that God is a distant God who does not care for His creations. When life has us beyond our limits and we cannot fathom another step forward, it is God who is our rescue, He cares for you and I more deeply than we can know ourselves.

Nahum 1:2-3- “2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. 3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In the gale and the storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.” This may be perhaps one of the most powerful “God is” statements. Here we see more of the personality of God. This passage should offer hope for the believer in knowing that God will deal with those who stand against Him. But it is also for this exact reason that those who are nonbelievers should fear. One day they will face the judgement of the God who created heaven and earth!

While this may be a different post than we normally make, I do hope that these verses show more of who God is. There are verses all throughout the Bible that describe who God is and I would encourage you to seek them out. I also hope that these verses have offered a greater insight into who God is so that when you come before Him, you can offer Him the reverence that He is due.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Basics: A Brief Overview of Zechariah

The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.

The Bible is written in 66 different books. Each one is unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.

     Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.

These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.

1.) Introduction

2.) Who wrote it

3.) When did they write it

4.) Key topics

5.) Key sections

6.) Books that interact with each other

7.) Analysis of the Book

As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.

BASICS COURSE:

Zechariah

INTRODUCTION:

     If you have ever wanted to know how to invest in the next generation, Zechariah is the book for you. See how the faithful can shape the future of the world by obeying and knowing that the mission set before them might bring to fruit well after the actions of the faithful.

WHO WROTE IT:

      The book of Zechariah is named after its author and is written as a prophetic book with direct application to the Jewish people of his day and future generations.

WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:

     We know the book is written over the years of 520 BC to 486 BC.

KEY TOPICS:

     Zechariah captures the essence of Israel like no other minor prophet book could do. We see the heart of man revealed, seperating those who would follow the true living God, and those who are destined to follow a counterfeit.   

KEY SECTIONS:

     The book can be broken up into multiple easy to read sections such as initial introduction, each separate vision, and the future glory of God through the nation of Israel. This culminates to the final section of prophecy regarding Israel and the coming 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ.

BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:

      Zechariah connects to virtually every book of the Bible. It is truly a masterful book; connecting Israel with its former glory and coming greater glory under Jesus Christ the true Messiah King.

ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:

      While the book does not reflect the history of Israel as other books do, Zechariah captures the best understanding of the relationship of God with Israel and thus the fruit of this relationship with God and mankind. If you are working in an area that you believe the fruit will not come about until long after you are gone, Zechariah is a book for you. If you believe that the Old Testament has no connection to the New Testament, Zechariah is for you. Zechariah is the cornerstone to understanding human history and how there must be a literal 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on the throne in Jerusalem. What we fail to understand in today’s world is, God’s eternal focus on saving mankind. Zechariah reveals this truth. Zechariah has been described as the teaser trailer for Jesus Christ first coming and second coming. I would recommend Zechariah for the sole purpose of its unique capacity to point to Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. Nevertheless, this book should be read due to the importance of what is written, Zechariah gave up his life so that we could have this book. According to Jesus Christ’s own words Zechariah was murdered bringing the Word of God to us. Matthew 23:35 “that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back at the introduction to the Basics Course. Read it HERE!

A Deeper Meaning to Faith

A couple weeks ago we discussed the topic of faith. If you remember, we discussed that the Christian faith is hope in things unseen. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. However, the English definition of the word “faith” does not do it justice when in this context. Oftentimes today, when we hear the word “faith” we associate it with a strong belief. This is not a bad association and it definitely gets the point across. However, when we consider the word “faith” in terms of Biblical aspects, there is a greater definition. When we come across the word “faith” in the Bible, we really should be replacing it with the word “trust”. This is not an issue with the Bible but a correction of the English language and the slow metamorphosis of the meanings of words for us.

When viewed in this context, the word “faith” means that you have complete and utter trust in something (in this case God). Jesus uses the word “faith” quite often, however I will list a few and as you read them I ask that you replace the word “faith” with “trust” and see how much deeper the meaning becomes.

“And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him, and touched the border of His cloak; 21 for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will get well.” 22 But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” And at once the woman was made well.” Matthew 9:20-22

“And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. 19 But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20 And seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”“ Luke 5:18-20

“Immediately Jesus reached out with His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”“ Matthew 14:31

“19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 And He *said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:19-20

Do you see the difference it is when you connect the word “faith” to “trust”? These individuals had enough trust in Jesus that it allowed them to be healed of their burdens. Trust in Jesus allowed them to perform miracles and walk on water, it was doubt that caused them to sink or be unable to perform miracles. Our faith is not in ourselves, but is our trust in God to do what we cannot. I would encourage you that any time you see the word “faith” to reread that verse and see how the meaning is deeper when placed with the word “trust”. For example read Genesis 22, in this passage Abraham is told to sacrifice his only son, the child that his wife and Abraham waited anxiously to have. The son that God promised to Abraham who would be the father of nations. And yet through Abraham’s faith (trust) in the Lord, he would have sacrificed Isaac not knowing how God would complete His promise if this was done. I would encourage you to look at your own life, are you harboring doubt in your life? Is there something that you believe that is simply to big for God to handle? If so, then this is an area where your faith, meaning your trust, needs work. As difficult as it may be, give this area over to God. He can complete His work and strengthen your faith, all you need to is ask. “37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Real Reason We Can Win

At times, Christians forget that we are not the ones who cause the transformation in our lives. If we could, than Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection was for nothing. We could transform ourselves, but this isn’t the case and we are not capable of doing such a thing. But what happens when people have success in their life? We tend to immediately give the attention to our own abilities. We fail to realize the implication of who really caused us to succeed. I once heard it put this way,

“Imagine yourself preparing for a race. You work out well in advance, you study racing techniques, you research the weather for the race, and you get to the race early and stretch. When the race begins you stay focused, you run the race well, passing many along the way, until finally you reach the end. Friends and family praise you for your effort. Here most people would take the glory and say thank you. However, for a believer who understands and recognize what God did, they know He fashioned your body capable of racing. He gave you the wisdom to understand the study of racing techniques and provided the techniques for you to study, He made the weather appropriate, He made the race runnable, He kept security at the race, He gave you the endurance to run the race, and surprisingly He picked you up and ran you to the end of the race. An immature Christian would not realize the importance that Christ has in our life, they see all that they did, and see they made it across the finish line. A mature Christian sees the work they put in, but recognizes Christ’s efforts to make us succeed.”

Psalm 44:3 states, “For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because you favored them.”  You see, God does the work for us, even when we at times fail to see that He is doing it. What is worse, is when a believer recognizes that God is doing the work and yet they attempt to take the glory. God has a way of making the person remember error in this thinking, Deuteronomy 9:5-6 5 “[It is] not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart [that] you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations [that] the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 “Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you [are] a stiff-necked people.”

So next time you have a victory in your life, do not forget to recognize the real reason for you winning. It isn’t because of you, it will never be because of you, but because of a loving Savior Jesus Christ who compassionately sustains you and helps you throughout your trial. It is why we have the promises of Jesus to never leave us, Hebrews 13:6 “So we may boldly say: “The LORD [is] my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Most forget that “man” in verse six, is also encompassing ourselves. This means that at times when we are acting in a negative way which will hurt us in the big picture, God will overcome this self afflicted wound and help us to the finish line. What does this mean for you and I? This means that as we run our race of life, we give it 100 percent and when we get to the end and hear “well done my good and faithful servant” we should respond with giving Jesus Christ the glory for doing the work in us that He promised to faithfully complete in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A unique look at an overlooked statement found in the book of Proverbs. Read it HERE!