On a Journey

It should be of no surprise that when we become followers of Jesus Christ, we are “knocking” the world’s status quo. The world says that we should act in a certain manner; while Jesus tells us to act differently. Today, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on God’s examination of these two groups. Both groups are on a journey, both are unique in their own right, and both are headed towards two different destinations. But what about prior to the arrival of the destination? What is different right now? Imagine its night in ancient Jerusalem and the Passover is coming (the biggest celebration and holiday in ancient Israel). Jesus is informed by one of the disciples that Nicodemus, a Pharisee has come to talk to Him.

Instead of talking about politics of the day or even who Jesus is, Jesus directs Nicodemus to the examination of these two groups.

John 3:1-4 “1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

To Nicodemus’ credit, he steps right along with Jesus’s topic change and follows along eagerly into the discussion. However, Jesus wants him to immediately understand that in God’s eyes there are two groups, the Saved and Unsaved.

Typically, we the reader would be under the idea of this as a salvation only topic. However, that would be incorrect. This is a salvation and spiritual demographic discussion.

Jesus is talking more than just on salvation; instead informing that there are two groups of people, and each group will act according to their natures. For the unsaved they will act according to the world and what their own desire is. While the saved have the Spirit of God, and are directed and in fellowship by the Spirit.

John 3:5-9 “5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

But it doesn’t end there!

Not only are both groups on two different journeys and destinations; but the curriculum that we study, follow, and apply in our life is different as well. For the unsaved and spiritually bankrupt they cannot understand the saved.

It is why arguing for a non-believer to follow God’s word will not do any good. They must be saved to fully understand and appreciate this. John 3:10-13 “10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 “Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, [that is,] the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

Now here we see the critical difference in the two groups. Both groups have similarities: both are sinners, both are human, both are incapable of being perfect in this world, both have histories of being the perpetrator and victim, and both have been in situations that reflect daily life to us. However, one group has recognized what has been done for them and has turned to God for help! As they go down this new journey they will inherently depart from the unsaved, furthering their own spiritual walk as articulated by Christ.

John 3:14-18 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Ironically, this last lesson is the easiest to understand but the hardest to deal with. You see the more we who are saved follow the Lord, we undoubtedly will be walking the opposite way of those who are not saved. This means those who are not saved hate us and will even persecute us.

John 3:19-21 “19 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

We can be in the world but not of the world, we can be on this journey and yet see others moving in the opposite direction due to their motivations and their ends are different from our own.

So when you are vilified or persecuted for your walk in Christ, know that He understood and has already recognized there are two different groups in this world. If you want to know more about this specific topic, just look at Jesus’ own words and that of His Apostles Paul, John, and Peter. We are in this World and will go through trouble, but we shouldn’t be afraid for Jesus has overcome.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

We continue our look back on the armor of God! Read it HERE!

A Warning on Partiality

As we stated last week, we are continuing in our study of the book of James. James is a book designed to reflect the individual’s walk with the Lord to determine if we are growing in the faith or standing still. It is why chapter one discussed that a mature Christian is patient during times of testing, “2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4. James continues to set the standard for the maturing Christian, but this time it is in our actions. A mature Christian is one who lives out the faith they profess to believe in; they understand that in order to grow in their faith they must do more than simply hear the word of God, they must live it out. And so James presents the church with a scenario that is still ongoing today.

“My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

James 2:1-7

Two men entered a church and yet one was shown preferential treatment based solely on their appearance. I wish to say that this scenario only occurred during the time that James wrote this book; however, that is simply not the case. We are all guilty of looking at someone and making assumptions regarding their faith, or lack thereof, simply based on how we deem a believer should be. I have met some individuals who were very well dressed and well versed in Biblical matters but who actually did not believe in God or His word. On the other hand, I have met individuals who based on outward appearance would not seem to be Christians but had a faith that would rival even the disciples.

It is for this reason that James presented the above scenario to the church. It is to remind us that Jesus does not care about outward appearances, instead what matters is the actions of the heart for that is where our faith lies. The fact that Jesus did not pay attention to outward appearances is noted in Matthew 22:16, “16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.” Or look at Mark 12:41-44 in which Jesus gives His opinion of who had greater faith, the Pharisee or the poor woman.

If we are judging someone based on appearance, then we are holding our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. We are forgetting the very simple fact that God made us all, the rich and the poor. “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2. By treating someone based on our preconceived notions of them, we are behaving very much like the religious leaders who rejected Jesus Christ. Christ was rejected by the religious leaders because He did not fit their “perfect” mold of what the Messiah should be. Jesus came from Nazareth, “46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46. Nor was Jesus educated in their religious schools, “54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.” Matthew 13:54-57. Finally, Jesus sought out those who society had deemed unworthy.

By treating people with an attitude of favoritism we ourselves would have rejected Jesus as the Messiah, forgetting that we have all been saved not by our works but by the grace of God. “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. Through Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection; He broke down the walls nationally and socially. To Him there is no Jew or Gentile, rich or poor; to Him, there are only those who have come to accept that they need Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and those who have not.

So how do we fix the issue of partiality? The answer is simple and yet it is difficult to do and I find that Warren W. Wiersbe states it very well in his book, Be Mature: James. “Look at everyone through the eyes of Christ. If the visitor is a Christian, we accept him because Christ lives in him. If he is not a Christian, we can receive him because Christ died for him. It is Christ who is the link between us and others, and He is the link of love” Christ is the bridge, it is both a simple and difficult concept to comprehend. We have all been created by one God, and yet we forget this simple fact and find ourselves judging a person based on their appearance. Because God loved you enough to take away your sin, He will love that individual enough to do the same. If we want to grow in our faith, we need to stop making assumptions regarding personal appearances and allow the individual’s actions to proclaim their faith. We need to look at everyone through the eyes of Christ and see that He loves them as much as He loves us.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

He Wants You to Understand

There is a simple way we are to view scripture when we study it; we should recognize God’s desire to give us the desired information of what the text is trying to say. He has prioritized His words to help us, this is why Proverbs 1:22-23 states “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” We need to remember this when we are studying God’s word. There are many good intentioned people who make mistakes when preaching and/or teaching, it is up to the individual to study and recognize this error. I recently had this happen to me. I have been listening to three amazing pastors and ironically, all three had a specific passage in the Bible that they viewed in a way that did not make sense to the interpretation. I decided to take some time and review the scripture myself. Now this isn’t the first time this has happened in my life, in fact in my spiritual life I have had this happen a few times. Yet, God in His amazing character is there to help. I have learned three simple rules that I want to pass on to you.

The first is,

1)     If the plain sense, makes sense, seek no other sense, less you find nonsense.

This means do not try to force the words into something that they are not. If the basic reading makes sense, leave it at that.

2)     Scripture always answers scripture.

This isn’t circular logic, but rather the careful review of truthful facts that can only be measured by something of equal quality. This means if there is a question in the Bible, it will have an answer in the Bible. There is nothing more perfect and complete than God’s word. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, God is the master engineer and creator who has developed and orchestrated the greatest masterpiece: His Bible. Let us remember that before we assume something in error.

3)     God’s word is designed to be understood.

This means that we need to recognize the God is careful to articulate His very words to formulate the message He wants us to know. Because of this, we are to always take God’s Word seriously and read it at its most basic level. If we are meant to use allegorical methods or spiritualize something, it will be made vitally clear. This also means we are to recognize that God can hurtle technological advancements in His prophetic picture. Too many times a Pastor or so-called Biblical scholar will say that God’s person or prophet couldn’t have understood what they saw, so they were using the terminology within their own “understanding.” What we fail to recognize is the Holy Spirit’s role in the Bible. In actuality, the Holy Spirit is the most quoted part of the Trinity with Him being the primary Godhead in charge of its creation. So, when someone like Ezekiel, Daniel, or John describe something that might seem to outside of their understanding, know that God is there to help make sure it is understood correctly.  

Now why do I tell you all this? It is simply so that we can build a base line to understanding God’s word while we do our own individual studies. Because God wants us to be wise and understand the greater scheme of what is at play, it is why Proverbs 2:10-12 states, “10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things.” So, remember that we as believers, need to take His scripture seriously and know that He wants us to understand that all we need is a willing heart, humility, and an eager mind.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

As we look back at Jesus’s appearances before His humble arrival, we reach our discussion on Judges 13. Read it HERE!

Introduction to James Chapter 2

If you remember, at the beginning of the year we had started a study into the book of James. While we had taken a step back from this study, I want to start back up with James chapter two. However, before we begin the second chapter in the book that Jesus’s half-brother wrote, I believe that it is important to review what was discussed in chapter one.

James is a very concise writer who does not shy away from difficult subjects. His writings are very much to the point and often require the reader to do some self-reflection. In his first chapter, James discussed such topics as endurance in faith, the difference between a trial and a temptation, the dangers of doubting, and our reaction to the Word of God. We learned that we cannot simply be hearers of the Word of God, but doers (James 1:22). We also learned that God does not tempt us (James 1:13-14). We learned what it means to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger when it comes to God’s Word (James 1:19).

I can assure you that James continues to get to the heart of the issue as we begin to study the second chapter. In James chapter two you will see us discuss such topics as dealing with favoritism; as well as faith and works. I hope you are excited to join me as we learn from a man who lived with Christ and yet it was not until later did he come to acknowledge Jesus as his Lord and Savior. I would challenge you to prepare your hearts, spend time in prayer and read ahead as we start James chapter two. Remember that if you have questions, you can always reach out to the ministry on our contact page. This is going to be a marvelous time for us to examine what God has to say to us and I am excited to have you with me in this adventure.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Introduction to Biblical Meditation (VI)

The last sentence in the book of Matthew is Jesus Christ making a promise to us, “I am with you always even to the end of the age,” Matthew 28:20. We tend to look at this as a salvation promise; but when we really break it down, it is so much more. Jesus is making a promise to the living today. He is wanting to make sure we are aware of His love for taking care of us right now. This is why Jesus in the gospel of John declares His intention is not only for those He was with currently, but also those who would come to know Him later in human history. John 17:20-26 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 “that they all may be one, as You, Father, [are] in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 “I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare [it,] that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Why is this important? Because God has created the tools necessary for His personal interaction with us on a daily basis. He is with us now just as much as He was with the disciples! He is more deeply intwined into the very fabric of our life than we could possibly imagine. This is why Biblical meditation is so vital in the life of the born again Christian. We are saved through faith, there is nothing we can do in order to attain such a perfect gift, but in salvation we are set free to pursue the Lord in ways that He intended us to be able to use.

I hope this series on Biblical meditation has helped you understand the reality of what meditation really is about. Remember, God is not far from us. He is begging to be part of our life in more than just salvation. He wants to help you in every stage, aspect, and event that we find ourselves in. He has a plan and a purpose for your personal life; all we have to do is slow down, get into His word, and truly seek after Him. Remember the promise Jeremiah 29:11-14  “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-post Friday

A study on what tools we have as Christians. Read it HERE!

A Flavorful Life

If you have been a follower to Mill House Ministries for any amount of time, you have probably heard us state that we are ambassadors for Christ here on earth and have heard us quote Matthew 28:16-20 a number of times. If you do not know what that passage is regarding, it discusses the Great Commission, the call for all Christians to spread the gospel among all people and nations. While the fact that we have been commanded by Jesus Christ to do this places this commission on a standard that we must strive to meet, I feel as if we often forget how we are to do this. Today I want to discuss another standard that Christ has set before us in regards to our call of being ambassadors for Him.

“13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:13-16

For only being three verses, this passage packs a powerful meaning. In this passage we see not only how Christ views His followers, but also how we need to be acting. I want to point out here that the disciples Jesus Christ is addressing is not the twelve disciples that we know, instead Jesus Christ is addressing this statement to the large crowds that have followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan (Matthew 4:25). I want to state that with this knowledge, we can automatically assume that the passage in Matthew 5:13-16 is meant for anyone who is a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. It is not a statement that has lost its meaning to us today.

Before we get into the meaning of this passage, I want to point out that verse 13 is not a passage arguing that we can lose our salvation. When we become followers of Christ there is nothing that can separate us from Him, “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 “28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29 are just two verses that dispel all argument that we can lose our salvation.

This passage begins by describing His disciples as salt of the earth. If anyone has spent any amount of time cooking, you can attest that the right amount of salt adds to the flavor of a dish, while too much ruins it and too little leaves the flavor falling flat. To be described as salt, Jesus is stating that those who follow Him are to add flavor to the world. Oftentimes, the worldview of Christianity is a boring life, the world would have us believe that to follow Christ is to live a life without flavor. That is not true, to follow Christ is to have a life full of adventure with the knowledge that we have someone backing us when we are struggling. A Christian does not walk through life alone. This is how our walk can be described as salt, for the unbeliever is subconsciously or consciously looking for something to fill the void that they are feeling. Many Christians have come to know Christ when they are at their lowest points in life, they then place their trust in Jesus Christ and begin to see that flavor in life that He has to offer.

I feel that verse 13 describes a Christian who has been walking in the faith for a larger amount of time, the person that Jesus is describing here is not a new believer but someone who has been involved in showing others Christ but has in short become burnt out by the world. Christians today are meant to walk amongst the world to show the lost that we have meaning to our life. We are meant to walk with our heads held high and our eyes focused on Jesus Christ so that when people reflect on our behavior they know that there is something different about us. We are meant to point them back to Jesus Christ by our behavior. The second half of verse 13 is meant as a warning. Again not that we can lose our salvation, but instead that when we walk around with our heads low and distracted by the fears of this world, we are not pointing others to Christ. They see someone without hope just as they are. This is how we lose the “saltiness” and by doing so we are not fulfilling the purpose that God has for us to lead others to Him.

The second description that Jesus Christ uses for His disciples is that of a light. To me this description is of a new believer. When you light a candle you create a new flame, something that was not there before. For a new born-again Christian, we become a new creation in ourselves, “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17. Just as it would be foolish to place a candle under a basket, thereby hiding the light from it, it would be foolish of a new Christian to hide what Christ has done for them. We are called to shine among men and light their way. This means again that our behavior should be pointing to Christ. We should not hold back in sharing what God has done for us and the promises that He has for His followers. The “good works” described here is not anything that we can do on our own, but rather the post salvation actions we do in accordance with the Lord to further point those to Christ. Our behavior thus our actions and works need to be continuesly pointing people back the Christ. Let them see the adventure and the light that we have in Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Introduction to Biblical Meditation (Part V)

As we continue our study of biblical meditation, we need to come to grips with the Christian philosophical aspects behind why God created this practice. God very much wants us to understand His ways and His intentions, Proverbs 23:26, “my son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.” This is why Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, gives a marvelous foundation and helps the reader and those who would aspire to worship the Lord in such a manner understand its practicality.

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 states the following, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom] which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed [them] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them,] because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is [rightly] judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

  Here we see Paul break down the true understanding of why there is biblical meditation. Paul identifies that there are multiple types of wisdom, “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”

This clearly identifies that there is wisdom to be sought after by those who are not following the Lord. If you want more evidence, just look at the harlot written about in the book of Proverbs. Nevertheless, the destination of such wisdom comes to folly, for nothing this world has to offer can compare to what the Lord has to offer us.

  However, Paul gives greater credence to not only the destination of such wisdom, but also its origins. “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden [wisdom] which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” We see that God’s wisdom cannot be found in man’s feeble attempts at religion, or through the craftiness of our own desires; but rather through God’s ordained foreknowledge. But why did He do this? Paul answers it clearly, “for our glory” which is why if the world truly understood, they would not have crucified the Lord. Ironically, Paul makes a rather remarkable statement by revealing the current absolute truth of Jesus Christ. The world crucified Him, He gave up His own life, He took it back up again. No one killed the Son of God, no one stole His life away but rather, Jesus willfully and perfectly laid it down. As if the crucifixion was not evidence enough of God’s love for us, He also has provided an eternal supported effort to help us understand His glory through biblical meditation. “9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed [them] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.”

God wants and desires to teach and reveal to us the mysteries of the universe, the answers to all the questions we could possibly muster. But first, we must have a relationship with Him. It is why Paul ends this section of scripture reflecting on the source of biblical meditation. “13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know [them,] because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is [rightly] judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

  You see, biblical meditation is crafted and designed around a God who loves and cherishes you and I. He has made this unique tool to build a better and more real relationship with us rooted in a living and breathing connection that He predestined before literal time began. How cool is that? Knowing that God crafted the very discussion and methodology practices for you and I to connect with Him in our daily life. He cared so much for you that even before time began and the fall of man had even happened, He was preparing the very knowledge we would seek to better understand Him and what His will is for us.

  So next time someone asks why biblical meditation is different than all other meditation rituals, practices, and other religious ideas; just explain to them what God did before time began. Biblical meditation is just another daily sign of God’s ever-present availability and love He has for His children.

God is not a distant God, and neither should we be. It is why biblical meditation is designed for two people together, God and you.

 Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back at how Jesus came before His humble arrival as a baby! Read it HERE!

An Unseen Witness II

Last week I had originally wanted to discuss Colossians 4:2-6. However, when I read through the passage I noticed that there was in fact two different subjects discussed. I am curious if you have noticed the two subjects as well.

“2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Colossians 4:2-6

The first subject is found in verses 2-4, which is what we discussed last week. This is that we can be an unseen witness to unbelievers. When we know of someone who is sharing the gospel to another, we don’t need to physically be there to have an impact. Our prayers are just as important; therefore we need to be praying for God to provide a door and the knowledge of scripture to witness effectively.

However, verses 5-6 hold another aspect that we need to take notice of. I ask that you read it again, “5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

While the verses 2-4 focus on the prayer life of the Christian, verses 5-6 focus on the conduct of the Christian. We need to be wise in the way that we act around “outsiders” in this sense, be wise in how we act around nonbelievers. Proverbs describes wisdom as the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10), these means that to have wisdom we recognize that we are sinners, and it is only through God’s grace and mercy can we be reconciled to Him. Our actions need to show this. We should not revile in sin because it not only brings harm to us, but tarnishes the name of the Lord for those who we are around. If our actions do not show that we belong to Jesus Christ, how can we convince others that they should have a relationship with the Lord of Lords and King of Kings?

This does not mean that we become like the Pharisees who held tradition over everything else. We need to meet the sinner at their level, relate to them but not be complacent in the sins. Paul describes it in this way, “20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without the Law, I became as one without the Law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might gain those who are without the Law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:20-22. Paul became like those around him in order to win them to God. He never lost his salvation in the process and by meeting them at their level, Paul was able to win them over to God. He did as Colossians five states, he made the most of every opportunity to present the gospel.

Verse six also describes the conduct of the Christian. When we talk we need to do so with the knowledge of scripture. While it is true that the Holy Spirit will guide us in our conversations with nonbeliever, we need to have knowledge of the scripture ourselves so that we can answer questions that are posed to us. When I first became a Christian, my husband joked that my favorite question regarding anything Biblical was “Why”. He states that I forced him to look at things to examine if it was “Christianese” something based out of church tradition, or if it was actually something Biblical. I had a lot of bad Biblical ideas to work around and this meant a lot of questions. Thankfully my husband had studied the Word and was able to answer my questions, those that he couldn’t he was able to help me find the answers. We need to be able to defend our faith, if someone poses a question regarding why we believe what we do, we need an answer. We aren’t going to be able to answer every question simply because of our limited understanding of the Word of God, this is when the Holy Spirit steps in. However, we should know the scripture well enough that we can answer the majority of the questions we are confronted by.

I hope in the last two weeks this has shown you more about the power that prayer has, but also that we need to be spending time in the Word of God. When we do, our conversations will be well seasoned and our actions will be able to point everyone around us back to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Who Are We?

I thought it prudent today to write you an encouraging word of who we are as a ministry. Mill House Ministries is unique in that our reach is global with readers coming from all aspects of life. However, at times we need to take a step back and remember that many of our readers might be new to the blog.

Mill House Ministries was started during the pandemic to fulfill what Christ calls us to do in Titus 2:11-15.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you”

We want to help encourage believers to keep their eyes on the Lord. But also point non-believers to their only true salvation being Jesus Christ. This world is increasingly dark and God has called all born-again believers to step up and proclaim the gospel and help those searching come to know Jesus as their blessed hope and savior as well.

If you are wondering about the name “Mill House” the name came out of a discussion regarding what wheat goes through to be made into something unique like bread. A Mill House is a place where wheat goes and is transformed. We want this blog to be a place for those to find the word of God and be transformed. As Titus 2 states, we want to “speak and exhort and reprove.” We will never be a replacement for daily scripture readings, but we want to be an additional encouragement reminding you that you are not alone! God’s Church is alive and while the signs of the times is very much apparent, God has given us a voice to proclaim the truth which is what we at Mill House Ministries want to do.

Mill House Ministries has a resource page which will help direct you to wonderful books about the Bible. We also have a Monday, Wednesday, and Repost Friday, every week. We want to walk each step of your journey with you, encouraging and uplifting you through God’s Word.

Finally, we want to help answer your questions. We have a contact page and we are more than happy to help answer Bible questions (if we do not know the answer we will attempt to find the person who will).

Here at Mill House Ministries, we want to be a resource in your journey following the Lord. No matter where you are in this journey we want to help.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back at Peter’s rejection of Jesus Christ. Read it HERE!

An Unseen Witness

We have all heard of the great commission given in Matthew 28:16-20, which born-again believers are called to go and make disciples of all nations and teaching the Word of God. When we are presented with the opportunity to witness to someone, that is exactly what we need to be doing. When I am reminded of Matthew 28, I am also reminded of Luke 12:11-12, “11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Matthew 28 talks of our duty as followers of Jesus Christ while Luke 12 encourages us not to be afraid that we won’t know what to saw when we are witnessing. However, I do believe there is another section that needs to be reviewed when we are considering witnessing. 

“2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way that I ought to proclaim it.”

Colossians 4:2-4

Often times when we are tasked with the idea of witnessing to someone we immediately believe that the only way to be effective is to have that one on one relationship with an individual to discuss Christ. All to often we feel that the only way to complete Matthew 28 is through teaching others of Christ. However, I do not believe that is the case and I believe that Colossians 4 shows this.

  We are all called to make disciples, there is no getting around that. We should not love someone to death and not teach them of Christ, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” 1 Corinthians 1:18. However, there will come times when we are not in the position to witness to someone. We could simply be made aware of the act of witnessing by someone who confides to us in situations such as life groups. This is where Colossians 4 comes in. If we are made aware that a fellow brother or sister in Christ is witnessing to someone, we need to approach the situation with prayer. If you are struggling on how to pray for that situation look again at Colossians 4. Pray that the door is open for the believer to witness and pray that God gives them the words to use to help lead someone away from their own eternal doom.

  Prayer is the artillery in a Christians life, it is why prayer is included in the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-19. And I fully believe that Christians do not use prayer as much as they should when it comes to witnessing to others. I know this is true for myself; both in the sense that I need to pray more for those around me who are witnessing to non-believers, but I am also proof that praying for those who are witnessing is effective. Before I came to know Jesus, I had my soon to be husband witnessing to me. However, unknown to me, he also had the men’s group that he met with praying for me. I can assure you that those praying were living out Colossians 4 and I encourage you now to live it out as well. You don’t have to be the one teaching someone about Christ; you can be just as effective in using the armor given to us by praying for their salvation, and praying that the one who is teaching the nonbeliever is able to accurately portray the Scriptures.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Introduction to Biblical Meditation (Part IV)

  As we have been looking at the Christian’s true practice and significance of meditation, we need to review one of the most well known and basic forms of meditation for the believer. Psalm chapter 1 helps us understand the holistic aspects of what God designed medication to do.

 Psalms 1:1-6 “1 Blessed [is] the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly [are] not so, But [are] like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

  Let us break this down.

  Right at the start we see that God is connecting a blessing to those who meditate on His Word, and a warning on what not to focus on. Psalms 1:1 “Blessed [is] the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” To understand the blessing, we must first understand the warning. God’s warnings in verse one help identify the blessings.

  “Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly”, this means there is ungodly people who are taking council together. This word “Council” in Hebrew means “ay-tsaw” which means to advice, implications, and plan. So God is telling us that we are not to seek advice from the ungodly.

  “Nor Stands in the path of sinners.” The word “stands” comes from the word “aw-mad” in Hebrew which means to stand in various relations, abide, appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue to dwell, and be present with. Now you might quickly think, “How can we not be near those who are sinners in this world?” We know from scripture that Jesus Christ recognized that we would be in this sinful world, John 17:14-15 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” So what does this mean? Simply put, we are not to practice or stand with them in their sin. If someone was to say “All those who are drunkards please stand, we should not be accounted in that fellowship.” When they practice sin, we should not be a part of it.

  When we are not part of these two groups, we see that God immediately blesses the person.

  Yet, now we come to the aspect of which the heart of a Christian is revealed. “But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.” There is a key part that we need to understand. Meditation does not make you a friend of God. You see that before meditation the Christian has already found their delight in the law of the Lord. This implies they know the Word, that they understand that they are sinners, and are in need of a savior: Jesus Christ. It is only here do we start to pursue meditation. This process is further backed up with Proverbs 9:10“The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One [is] understanding.” You see, meditation is something that will not bring about salvation of the person, it is something for those already saved to use as a building utensil for furthering their understanding of God. However, what does meditation do? For that we come to verse three.

  “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” Here we see that those who meditate day and night, continuously keeping focused on the Lord, and wanting to understand and apply God’s word in their daily lives are planted. This word “planted” comes from the Hebrew word, “Shaw-that” which means to be a root transplanted. This is the first time in the Bible this word is used, and God identifies that we were not naturally placed next to the source of life. This implies our history of not being saved, of not having the source of life with us. Yet, as a believer we are transplanted and are saved. This underscores the first rule of Christian meditation; that the individual must be saved prior to proper meditation. Meditation does not contribute in any way towards salvation.

  Mediation does bring forth fruit in its season. Fruit here is talking about the Hebrew word, “per-ee” which directly means fruit. The fact the description of “season” strengthens the argument the writer is describing fruit as the image the reader should understand. What does this mean to you and I? It means, that like different kinds of fruit; when we study God’s word and meditate on it, the fruit is diverse but practical for the season we are in. This is a promise that God’s word is practical in any time of our life. We can find something that will help us in any stage, environment, and/or event we are facing. God’s word is alive. When we come to understand this, we see why the second part of the blessing is so unique, “whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper.” When the fruit comes to blossom in its season, God will make sure it is adequate for you and I. It is why John 16:7, 12-13 states, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you…I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear [them] now. 13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority,] but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

  When we meditate on the word of God we find ourselves with fruit for the precise moment that we need it in life. God continues to encourage this practice by establishing a comparison between those who cannot meditate because they are not His.

Psalms 1:4-6 “The ungodly [are] not so, But [are] like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

  The ungodly cannot stand in the presence of what life brings, and are blown away because of it. Now you might be wondering, “I see ungodly all the time and they look like they are doing just fine.” But remember the next part of this verse, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” This is also a promise of God. Judgement here is discussing the Bema Seat Judgement which Paul gives greater details throughout His epistles, but sinners will not be given this opportunity nor have the luxury of being with the righteous. God is promising that while it might appear they are doing well, and even though you can walk in their council or stand with them it is not recommended since their end result is already sealed. God cares for mediation, but not at the expense of salvation, it is why He ends the chapter with Psalms 1:6 “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Meditation if used inappropriately, can cause a self assurance of righteousness. God wants to make sure that we know meditation is for those who are already saved in Jesus Christ. Meditation helps us bring fruit in the right time of our life. So the next time you hear of meditation practices or hear about someone’s experience, take it back to the word of God and see if it connects to what we see here in Psalm 1.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back at Genesis 32. Read it HERE!

A Matter of the Heart

There are many different instances of Jesus performing healings all throughout the New Testament. When you sit and read through the gospels, it would be good to spend some time reflecting on the different occasions that Jesus either heals the blind, mute, or demon possessed. On the surface we are able to see the power of God to heal when others cannot. At another level, we can see Jesus’s authority over demons, but there are even deeper meanings that can be seen in these healings when we allow the Holy Spirit to show it to us. I believe that Luke 14:1-6 is one of those where there is more than what meets the eye.

“ One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things.”

At first glance we see that Jesus was invited into the home of a Pharisee where He was closely watched. The reason for this is there was a man present who was ill; if you believed as the Pharisees did, you should not heal on the Sabbath. In short, this was a set up to accuse Jesus of not following the law. However, Jesus was aware of what the Pharisees were trying to do and so He presented to them a question, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? Jesus also presented the question of if a child or an ox was stuck in a well, would they not help it? For both of these questions the Pharisees had no answer. If the Pharisees said no, they would show that they were inhumane religious leaders who valued tradition over human life. If they said yes, they would break their own traditions regarding the Sabbath; and so they simply did not answer.

  On the surface level, this passage shows Jesus’ authority not only over illness, but also shows Jesus’ authority over mankind by being able to know what it was the Pharisees were thinking. However, I believe there is more to this passage and a deeper meaning begins with one simple word. Dropsy.

  If you were to research what dropsy is, you would see that it is a disease that causes excessive swelling of the soft tissue due to excess water. However, if you were to look at what dropsy does to a person you would find that dropsy has been seen in people suffering from heart disease. What I find interesting about this is that when we place our faith in Jesus we receive a new heart. “7 I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.” Jeremiah 24:7. The man who was suffered from dropsy was in short given a new heart, and I believe that this is because while the Pharisees meant to use him to trick Jesus, the man truly believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He had a heart that knew God and as a reward, he was made well!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Introduction to Biblical Meditation (III)

I wonder if you and I are the same in this, but when my mind first hears the word meditate I think of sitting quietly controlling my breathing and attempting to clear my mind. I envision reciting a Mantra over and over, images of monks and other so called experts come to my mind. How tragic, since these images are contradictory to what the word “meditation” truly means and was designed for. We get a glimpse of the true meaning in Websters dictionary 1828 edition which states, “To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind; appropriately but not exclusively used of pious contemplation, or a consideration of the great truths of religion. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”  The word in Hebrew is Hagah which Strongs reveals more to the source, “to murmur, to ponder imagine, mourn, roar, speak, study, talk, utter.”

What is unique about this definition? It is an action that involves two people. Webster and Strong’s both point to a characteristic that is forgotten by many. Meditation is the act of two working through the subject together. It takes two people to talk, to utter, to bring forth something in conversation. The Greeks understood this, and it is why we see that the writing of Socrates and other philosophers was a discussion. For the born again child of God, we can see the intimacy of this with studying scripture. Jesus Christ is with us, His Spirit and the Father are with us as we study. The Holy Spirit guides and orchestrates the word for us.

John 16:7, 12-15 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you…I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear [them] now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own [authority,] but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare [it] to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare [it] to you.”

Meditation is the act of us coming together with the Lord and studying His Words, talking to Him and having Him reveal more of who He is to us. Over the next couple weeks, I want to show you how this was exemplified by those in the Word. We will also see how we can, as fellow believers, meditate togther. God believes in fellowship and has orchestrated the most sacred aspects of learning more about Him in this manner. It is why meditation is so unique when used accurately. So let us shed the preconceptions of meditation and what the world says we should do, and let us go back to the source and see what God’s Word says.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back on one of the two choices we are all presented with. Read it HERE!