God Wants To Give More

Asking God for His assistance does not annoy Him. Many people ask God for only a little help because they are under the belief that He will not answer the BIG prayer requests. No where in the Bible will you see God say, “Only ask the easy stuff” but rather we are told; “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” Ephesians 3:12; 1 John 5:14 “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” This does not mean we can ask for anything on our hearts and no matter what it is He will give it to us, as a perfect parent He gives perfectly not in error.

However, God’s character is better revealed with this scenario in Mark 10:13-16.

“13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”

Here we see that people just wanted Jesus to touch their children; the fact that nothing is stated regarding demon possession, serious illness, and/or death reveals they just wanted Jesus to help the children with minor issues common in children. The scenario paints a perfect picture of man asking God for something less than what He wants to do. The word “touch” in the Greek is “haptomai” which means to simply touch. They asked for something small, something insignificant; and yet God wanted to do more. This is further expounded by those who think we should not waste God’s time, the disciples rebuked the parents for even bringing a request to the Son of God. “But the disciples rebuked them.”

Here we see a total failure for people to recognize the character of Jesus Christ. They ask for little and God wants to give them more. James helps us understand this principle. James 4:2-3 “2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

We need to recognize that God wants to help us even with the BIG THINGS.

“14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”

While there is a massive principle for us to review on a different day regarding salvation and the Kingdom of God, today we are examining that Jesus wanted to bless the children. Instead of just touching them, He does more! He embraces them, this Greek word is “enagkalizomai” which means to take one into your arms and hold them tightly. Today, we might call this a “bear hug.” God gives them a bear hug and blesses them. This was more than what the parents were asking for and yet it reveals that God is wanting to do more in our life. Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday and we need to examine what it means to have God in our life. He did more than die and rise again on the cross. We just ask for a touch and He wants to give us a bear hug and bless us. Maybe we need to stop and realize how much He really does love us and how His actions declare this.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A post from our guest writer! Read it HERE!

Authority

When we think of Easter, we undoubtedly consider the ramifications of the cross. While it is important to understand the events leading up to Jesus being crucified and His resurrection three days later, there is actually a verse that is related to these events that seems to be overlooked. You see, there is much focus on the events directly before Jesus is betrayed and then crucified. Many this weekend will be discussing Jesus’s actions while in the garden and during the trial. These are all important topics to understand and absolutely need to be discussed, however, we often forget one very important aspect and that is this: who has the authority to send Jesus to His death? The answer can be found in Jesus’s own words.

“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

John 10:18

The cross is often a stumbling block for many. Why would God the Father demand Jesus to be crucified? Why would Jesus go through with it? Was He nothing more than a puppet following the strings of the master? Well, by looking at John 10:18 we see that is in no way the case. We see that Jesus willingly and by His own authority laid down His life so that we may become sons and daughters of God. The final days of the Son of God in His earthly body may seem tumultuous, but here we see that Jesus knew what would be asked of Him and He had the authority to fulfill the task.

  But this authority did not end when Jesus gave up His life so that we may be redeemed. His authority continued so that He could take it up again. This is very good news for those of us who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ because without the authority to take up His life again, Jesus’s work would be half unfinished and we would still looking for a way to be redeemed to God. But since Christ has the authority to take up His life again, we are redeemed through His death and resurrection.

  I hope now you understand that while the events of the cruxifixction and resurrection seem haphazard, it wasn’t for God. In fact, the verse that we have been discussing occurred well before the betrayal. Jesus always had the authority to give up His life, just as He always had the authority to pick it back up. So now I ask you, does the Man who willingly gave His life for you have authority in your life? If so, how wonderful for we know that God is faithful and His promises are true! If not, I pray that today is the day that you take that step in faith.

 Seek the truth and encourage one another,

 Alex

Tradition, Liberty, and Corporate Reflection

Have you ever been rescued before? Like from something that was really dangerous or even life threatening? If you have, you will never forget the person or people that helped rescue you from that situation. It will follow you for years to come. Today, I wanted to write to you about a rescue operation that took place a few years ago. Ironically, this specific rescue operation involved more than a global operation; but rather something that expanded the universe and time itself.

1 Corinthians 1:30 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” We needed saving and even before we knew we did, God had a plan, Romans 3:21-24 “21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Before we even knew we needed Him, He was thinking of you and I. Now what does this mean for you and I today? Of course this means we need Jesus Christ in order to be saved, of course we cannot earn salvation on our own, of course we are in desperate need of Jesus to finish His work in us. But also more! Now, in Christ after salvation; we get to look at Resurrection Sunday in a new light. We get to celebrate our rescue, our moment of a hero stepping down to help you and I live. This is why the we have three celebrations we get to do in order to recognize and celebrate this successful rescue as born again believers.

All three are instituted by the Lord and should be practiced by Christians.

First the Lord’s Supper.

Matthew 26:26-29 “26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

Luke 22:19-20 “19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

God’s Son Jesus Christ gave us a symbol of celebration with others who have been rescued to remember what He has done for us.

Our second celebration instituted by the Lord is baptism.

1 Peter 3:21-22 “21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”

Baptism does not save you, but it is an outward expression and recognition of what He has done with us. This is why we do this, this is why we need to be of an age to recognize what is being done, for you must be already saved for this action to happen.

The final celebration instituted by the Lord is worship on Sunday with our brothers and sisters. Now some might say that this is not ordered by the Lord, but I would disagree. In fact, I believe that Christ’s first orders after His resurrection are for us to corporately come together. Let’s look and see!

Matthew 28:1-10 “1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” 8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Here we see the angel say, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen.” Mary Magdalene is being told to be comforted for the obvious reason that Christ has risen and that the orders given to her were about to have her with other rescued people. “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him.” In short, she is being told “Be comforted, you are going to be with other rescued people and you will get to see the very person who rescued you.”

When you examine the resurrection accounts, you find that there is a theme. Rescued people are told to come together to see Jesus and it is happening on a Sunday. They are being told scripture and being taught. They are worshiping together and they are comforting one another. This practice is solidifying our Lord and Savior’s desire for us to meet. Now some might say that we can meet on any day, which I would agree. But when we come together on Sunday we recognize Jesus Christ’s rescue of us from our sin.

All three celebrations are foundations for the symbolism of what He has done for us. This is why we are told to come together as the body of Christ. This is why Sunday corporate worship is designed for those who are saved. It was designed for the rescued to remember their rescuer’s actions. Finally, it should remind us of the great symbolism we have each year with Resurrection Sunday. Let this not be the only Sunday we come together and praise Jesus Christ for saving us, but rather a moment to share the gospel with others so that they too might be saved. Let us take Resurrection Sunday and the reflection of His actions, as well as corporately each and every Sunday.

Praise the Lord that He gives us the liberty to worship everyday, praise Him even more for helping us set a tradition to corporately come together and praise the day He rescued you and I from ourselves in our sin.

What an awesome God we have in Jesus Christ. Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

How do we maintain a spirit of thankfulness? Find out HERE!

A New Look On Life

When winters grasp is finally broken by the newness of Spring, it is not uncommon for people to view their surroundings with vibrancy. Newness, for wildlife and vegetation is at its peak bringing about a refreshed joy. However, spring time for a Christian is not the most transformative of new life there is, for the Christian their life is a living spectacle of newness of life.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:1-4

  A quick note for those who have been followers of Jesus Christ for any amount of time, while this is a very common topic please stick with me. As Christians we should always be growing, but part of that growth is reflecting upon what we already know. While Romans 6:1-4 is a very common topic to discuss, I feel that when we go back to well worn topics we have the chance to ensure that we understand what is being discussed and can also take a moment to reflect if we are living out what the scriptures states.

  Romans 6:1-4 is a great verse to reflect upon at any time of year. However, I feel that we can get a better understanding of what it means to have a newness in life during this time of year. When a person understands that they are a sinner and places their faith in Jesus Christ, they become a new creation. This renewal process was discussed in our post last week. However, does our faith in Jesus Christ give us the leniency to continue on in our old way of life? As Paul states, “Far from it!” As new creations we are to live a new way of life and as we seek after Jesus, we begin to see how vibrant this new life is! We begin to see that walking with the Lord is an adventure and the things of the past are just that, the past.

  So today I ask you to examine your walk with God. Is it one out of obligation where you feel as if God is getting in the way of other things? Is it one where you feel as if you are going through the motions? If so, then you need to examine what is in place that is preventing you from stepping into the newness of life and seeing how vibrant and exciting the adventure that God has for you.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

 Alex

Mill House Ministries is 3!

Dear readers,

This next month makes Mill House Ministries three years old! What started as a deep urgency to help encourage believers not to lose hope during the pandemic, has turned into a global audience of believers hearing about the fantastic news of God! While in these past three years, Mill House Ministries has changed and morphed; we can confidently say that we are forever grateful for Jesus Christ. Each week’s posts have been eager to help direct people back to Jesus and help those who have not known Him to come and see who this savior is.

As we continue into the following year, I want to personally say thank you to all the people who have been following us. We have reached ears in almost every nation, with thousands of people coming in weekly to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. We want to bring all the honor and glory once again back to Him, for it is all due to Him that we are here today.

Again, we ask that you keep your hearts, eyes, and mind focused on the Lord. Thank you for the three years. As always, we encourage you to take everything we say back to the Word of God and fact check it for yourself. Contact us if you have questions or concerns; and as always, please keep us in your prayers.

Thank you for being a part of this fantastic adventure with us. Now, let us open our Bibles and get back to work. See you in the next blog post!

Seek the truth and encourage one another Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

Alex JL

Re-Post Friday

Where do you keep your focus when times are tough? Read it HERE!

Renewal

If you had asked me when I was younger what my favorite season was, the answer would have easily been summer. I loved the warm weather and the longer days. Oddly enough, this doesn’t quite hold true today. Maybe it is because where I grew up the transition of seasons was well, lacking. The only stark change came from fall to winter where the outside world went from brown to white. After having moved, I came to a place where I was able to see the slow burst of color from winter melting away. I now live in an area where there is a sweet scent in the air, and I have found that I love the renewal that is seen in the spring time.

  Maybe it is because I have now seen the beauty that is found in spring, that I have noticed more of the renewal aspect that is mentioned in Colossians 3.

 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Colossians 3:1-11

You see, renewal means to replace something that was worn-out; broken; it is an act of restoration. Just as the plant life restores their color in the spring; we become restored when we accept Jesus Christ. We have been raised up with Christ as Colossians 3:1 states. Therefore, we do not need to look back on the dull and dreary aspects of what we were before our restoration. That part has died and we are alive in Christ.

  By accepting Christ, we are freed from our sins and are a new creation. “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. Colossians 3 emphasizes this by stating that we are freed from our old practices and place on a new self that is being renewed by the knowledge of God. What better time to consider this process then in springtime as the earth becomes a flood of color? We are created in the image of God, and once we accept Him we are no longer as we once were.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Proverbs 31 Man? II

We finally get a chance to come back to our second part regarding the Proverbs 31 Man. A few weeks ago we did verses 1-7, we realized that men are in need of studying proverbs 31 more than they think. Today, I want to continue with our study and review verses 8-9.

Proverbs 31:8-9 “8 Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.”

A righteous man does not stop in verses 1-7, but also is focused on helping those in the community. “Open your mouth for the mute, open your mouth and judge righteously.” He must be willing to help those who cannot help themselves. This verse is very diverse in application from those who literally cannot speak for themselves to those who might not be listened to by others or who needs to be represented. This can be children, the mentally disabled, and/or those in a position who have been put under your authority. We are called to know what they need and to be their voice. In this world, there are many voices and so called advocates. However, they are advocating for the world’s ideas and not what Christ designed. As Proverbs 31 men, we need to be advocating and helping; we need to be picking up the call to be more than just men in our homes but men in the community.

“And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” Very similar to our other verse but different. The NASB translation reads “and plead the cause of the poor and needy.” This does not just mean financial but more; for those who are in need of help or are in need of a chance to work. As Proverbs 31 men, our job is to help provide the opportunity for others to work. We cannot do this unless we are financially stable, understand economics, and are voicing this understanding with policy makers. This means we are in the community helping build policy and the environment needed for those to help themselves. Being financially tight does not mean you are in sin. Many today believe that if you do not have a lot of money you are in some type of sin. However there is no Bible verse directing this belief, but rather man made ideas. There are many policies and practices that make financial smarts found in the Bible and it is our job as Proverbs 31 men to cultivate these principles of God into the community.

As you can see we have not even gotten to the part about women in Proverbs 31 and we have already seen the definition of the Proverbs 31 man coming about. Some readers might see this and be troubled thinking that this chapter was supposed to be a way for them to locate and find a woman to marry. This chapter is still designed to help define what a Godly woman is, but still carries this idea for the opposite sex to locate a help-mate in this world. If you are a single guy out there and you are sexually pure, not addicted to alcohol or other drugs, working in the community, helping those who are in need, financially stable, and keeping your eyes on the Lord, these are qualities that will attract the right sort of wife. As was once described to me, when you are focused on what God calls men to be, as we are beginning to see in Proverbs 31, and run the race for Him; you will see that God will place a woman of the Proverbs 31 caliber in your life.

Come next week as we will see how the Proverbs 31 man needs to help provide the environment that will help their help-mate become the Proverbs 31 woman.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The importance of a good shepherd. Read it HERE!

No Turning Back

Last week we discussed one aspect that connects us to past believers. We saw that believers in the Old Testament had faith that the Messiah would one day come. New Testament and believers today know that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, has come. What connects us is that we have faith that God would complete His promises to us. We also saw that we are connected through the promise that God will make us no longer strangers in this land. One of the future promises that He has for us is that He has a place for us. Today, I want to continue to look at Hebrews 11 with something of a warning.

“And indeed if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews 11:15-16 

When we keep our focus on God’s promises, it is easy to remain hopeful about the promises that He has given us. But what happens when we lose this focus? What happens when we start to look around us with what the world offers?

Hebrews 11:15 offers this warning, when we look back at what we came from it becomes easier to return to it. We are all sinners, this is a fact that we all must face. However, a believer who is actively seeking after the Lord will avoid the things that causes them to sin. They keep their focus on God and His promise of a better land. This is why we are told to keep our eyes straight ahead and not look to the left or the right. “25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27. Hebrews 11:15 shows what happens when we avert our eyes from what God wants for us. The believer who takes their eyes off of Christ finds themselves with the opportunity to return to their sinful ways before they accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Proverbs 26:11 offers this wisdom, “11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.” One quick note, salvation is secure for the truly saved but this does not mean we are fully sanctified this side of the grave or rapture.

Hebrews 11:15-16 is in the middle of the list of those who were great in the faith. In the case of many, they had left a country for the promise of a better land. Look at it this way. After the Israelites left Egypt, they were on their way to the promised land. However, not long after seeing the miracles that God did in Egypt, as well as those on the way to the promise land, they chose to complain. “And all the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the entire congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or even if we had died in this wilderness! 3 So why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder! Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!” Numbers 14:2-4. Even knowing that they were heading to a much better place, the Israelites wanted to return to a place where they were enslaved. They took their focus off of God and His promise for them. We are all a slave to sin. When we take our eyes off of God, we become like the Israelites or like the dog returning to its vomit. We return to our filthy habits and enslaved to what does us no good.

However, Hebrews 11:16 offers us hope. Since we are strangers in this land, as we discussed last week, we have a better country to look forward too. God prepared a better place for the Israelites; and He is preparing a better place for us as well. I want to encourage you all to keep your focus on Him. Do not let what this world offers distract you, for even the best that the world offers is nothing more than vomit. Only God can provide true and everlasting freedom from sin, our faith in His promises will give us the encouragement to keep our focus on Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

What Does a Believer Bring to the Table?

The Bible is full of unique and beautiful actions designed for after salvation. For instance, Proverbs chapter 13 reveals three actions that, if practiced by a believer, God describes what will be the fruit of their actions.

Proverbs 13:15-17 "Good understanding produces favor, But the way of the treacherous is hard. 16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool displays folly. 17 A wicked messenger falls into adversity, But a faithful envoy brings healing."

These three actions are seen in these three verses.

"Good understanding produces favor" Many might jump to the idea this is talking about understanding the world or something outside of the Bible, and to a certain degree, it very much can. However, this points to Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." What does this mean? Proper understanding, be it in the Bible or the world, only comes after we know who the Holy One is. This Holy One is Jesus Christ. The Bible is useless to the unsaved, and knowledge found in creation is genuinely not applicable or appreciatable until we know the Creator. So with understanding, we are not only in favor with the Lord because we are saved, but also gain favor from those who seek our help. We can help them reach the knowledge that we understand, causing favor.

Our second one to look at today is, "every prudent man acts with knowledge." The word prudent comes from the Hebrew word H6191 which means "cunning" or "crafty." At times, English can bring about a negative feeling to the word; however, that wouldn't be accurate to the context in this passage. Here the word prudent should be seen more as "a person being knowledgable of the situation and the facts and acts with sound judgment and tactfulness at the opportune moment." This verse means that others can trust them. The Bible is full of people who have worked in the secular world, aided leadership, and led organizations through challenging times. Look at Jospeph in Genesis and Daniel in the book of Daniel for two wonderful descriptions.

The final action is verse 17, "but a faithful ambassador brings health." This verse has a dual meaning. First, all believers are called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone. Thus, as ambassadors of Jesus, we bring health to those who need it. 2 Corinthians 5:20-20 "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." The second meaning is an accumulation of the other two actions being fulfilled. If we understand and act with prudence, then we will bring healing to those who require our aid. Believers should aid recipients. This does not mean the recipient will accept, agree, or like the aid; but people sometimes do not like hearing the truth, even for their own benefit. God recognizes this unfortunate action that a recipient might take, and that is why we are never promised to always have rewards on earth, but our Heavenly reward is sure.

I hope this helps you understand that the Bible has application throughout the entire book and that God wants to guide you in the present life and be a part of your life even after salvation. This sanctification process is time-consuming and wrought with work, but rewarding and filled with joy.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A lesson from Psalms. Read it HERE!

What Connects Us

Have you ever been reading through the Old Testament and wondered if there is anything that connects the born-again believers of today to those of great faith as mentioned in the Old Testament? There are actually two characteristics that connects us. Hebrews 11, offers us the glue that connects the believers described all throughout the Bible to the believers of today.

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.”

Hebrews 11:13-14

  The first thing that connects us is our faith. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” For the believers that are mentioned in the Old Testament, they had faith that there would one day be a Messiah who would come and save them all. They died before the birth of Jesus Christ. Today, we are in the same boat. We have not seen Jesus Christ, and yet we have the faith that He will fulfill the promises made in the Bible.

  The believers in the Old and New Testament as well as believers today, received the promises of God. Imagine the faith of Abraham when he offered Isaac his promised son. Imagine the faith of Daniel in the lions den. Imagine the faith of Rahab who only had a soldiers promise that her family would be spared. Imagine the faith of Mary that she would not be rejected by her fiancé. At the time, all of those mentioned were facing situations that seemed unbelievable to those around them. And yet, through their faith that God would fulfill His promises they faced the situations head on. Today we also have the faith that God will hold to His promises. “and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:28 is one such promise. Once we accept God’s free gift of salvation, nothing can separate us from Him.

  11`So it is our faith in the promises of God that is one way we are connected to the believers in the Bible. However, Hebrews 11 also shows another way that we are connected. Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we no longer are at home on earth. We are strangers and exiles here. Since we are not at home, we are seeking a place of our own. This is why believers find peace when they meet together. The good news is that there is another promise from God that we can hold to. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.” John 14:3. God is preparing a place for all of His children, those who have accepted His free gift of salvation. It is there that we will truly call home and will not longer be considered strangers and in exile.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Don’t be afraid

Have you ever asked for a better walk with Him? Afraid of what might happen? That you might lose who you are as a person?

If this is a fear that you have, examine this scripture and see how God wants to help in your life in ways you didn’t even know were possible. The following section of Psalm 119 will help bring to light this challenge Christians face.

Psalms 119:33-40 "33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it [to] the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, [And] revive me in Your way. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, Who [is devoted] to fearing You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments [are] good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness."

The Psalmist immediately identifies God as the origin of all knowledge. "Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes" this is humility in action, without such we will naturally neglect His guidance. This humility creates a bond between the Lord and ourselves based on recognizing His perfection and our lack of. This is why the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord Proverbs 9:10, and that the poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God, Matthew 5. The believer recognizes the need and knows they are destitute without Christ. 

However, we are not left there. The Psalmist then reveals the following, "Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with [my] whole heart." It is only in the Lord we find understanding, and in His Word that we find truth. When we are focused on Him, our focus will transform our lives to seeing through the eyes of the creator instead of through the eyes of creation. 

This next section is one of the most difficult ideas for Christians to understand. Now you might realize I say Christian, and not the world. This next concept is hard enough for the believer in Jesus Christ to fathom, let alone those who deny Jesus. 

This section is all about asking God to take control. 

"Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, [And] revive me in Your way. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, Who [is devoted] to fearing You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread"

Here we see statements such as "Make me walk" or "Incline my heart" and "Turn away my eyes." This is difficult because it sounds like we are giving away our free will. At first glance, it appears we are becoming mindless robots void of our own personality and action. However, this couldn't be farther from the truth. 

Have you ever heard the story about man breaking the sound barrier and what we learned after?

"For years, many aviators believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound, theorizing that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. All that changed on October 14, 1947, when Yeager flew the X-1 over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1History was lifted to an altitude of 25,000 feet by a B-29 aircraft and then released through the bomb bay, rocketing to 40,000 feet and exceeding 662 miles per hour (the sound barrier at that altitude)." History. Yeager was quoted later on as saying that the vibration of the transonic drag ceased to be an issue the second the sound barrier was broken. It was smoother at those speeds than he ever thought imaginable. 

How does this relate? In our walk with the Lord, people say you will lose your personality, your free will. In essence, man is not made to navigate at that level and yet, God says otherwise. Our best life is when the supersonic boom is allowed to happen and we take off allowing the Lord to lead. It is only here that we can finally say in our walk, "For Your judgments [are] good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness."

I hope you see that your life is more than just a day going by, but an adventure with Christ. He is more than just our God, He is the supersonic propolson we need in our life. He is the adventure and the guidance that will take us to new heights and areas we cannot even fathom. But it all starts with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You must have this saving faith if you are ever to get off the ground and fly, let alone reach supersonic speeds. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

How do we continue in our faith during difficult times? Find out HERE!

Growing in Faith

If you are like me, when you think of the disciples you think of men called by God to follow Him. It almost seems as if these men had some sort of superior knowledge of the scriptures simply because they were in such close contact with Jesus Christ at all points in His ministry. However, when you read through the gospels you see that simply isn’t true. Consider last week where we saw Peter asking God what would happen to John. Peter was comparing his own walk with Christ and the path that was laid out before him to those around Peter. Just as we discovered that the disciples compared their walk with others, today I want to point out another trait that we see in today’s Christians. 

“23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?”Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Matthew 8:23-27

Often times when this passage is discussed, it is to show that Christ has the power to calm even unruly nature. This passage truly shows that God is in control of all aspects of the earth, however, that is not all that it shows. This passage also shows that even the disciples, who at this point had already seen Jesus perform miracles, still did not fully understand that He was the Messiah, the Son of God.

Look again at verse 27, 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” The disciples just saw Jesus calm the seas, and yet, the disciples still questioned how this could be. They knew that the Messiah was coming, they saw Jesus perform miracles, and yet there was still some doubt into how this all could be. Their faith in Jesus had to grow. They did not automatically have a full grasp of all the intricacies that the prophecies of the Messiah held. They had to be taught and grow in their faith.

So today, if you find yourself wondering how others have a greater knowledge of Scripture, remember that we all start with the basics. We all have to grow in our faith and the way to do that is to spend time with the Lord. The disciples did not get to where they were on their own, they had a teacher, Jesus Christ. Today we have a teacher as well, and that is the Holy Spirit. Come to your Bible study excited to learn! And I do mean a personal Bible study, do not rely on your growth solely at the hands of a church sermon. Dig deep into the word of God and see how He will cause your faith to grow!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Proverbs 31 Man?

Many talk of Proverbs 31 as being the Proverb directed to women. However, have you ever examined the Proverbs 31 man? While undoubtedly the chapter is directed more towards women, there is application for men here as well. Many men looking for wives state they want a Proverbs 31 women. As if one will just appear with a sign stating they are such. What they fail to realize is the man is what helps build the environment, support, and structure as a team for the Proverbs 31 women to come about. Today, we will examine the first seven verses while next week we will continue. Let us examine and see how the man’s actions, while subtle, speak volumes.

Proverbs 31:1-7 “1 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him: 2 What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, 5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more.”

Right from the beginning, we realize that the audience is actually to a man. We see that he is listening to his mother who is a righteous women and is listening to what a virtuous woman should be. This is a wonderful promise to single mothers out there that they can help their sons become the men they need to be when they use the Bible. The same can be said of a single father with a daughter, just look at Ester. However, here we see their relationship is both focused on God. The son wants to learn what the Lord is teaching, and the mother is wanting to show what the Lord has instructed her to teach. “1 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him: 2 What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?”

Undoubtedly the very first thing she points to her son is what so many men have struggle with today. Sexual purity. Pornography is a systemic plague that is all throughout the church. Mission Frontiers state that, “57% of pastors say porn addiction is the most damaging issue in their congregation. 69% say porn has adversely impacted the church.” I personally believe this number is incorrect, and closer to 80%. How can a man expect a wife to be pure and focused if a man cannot be himself? The very first characteristic that man is identified with in Proverbs 31 is sexual purity. “3 Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.” How can a wife be the partner and help mate they were designed to be if the man is not even faithful to her?

However, the next characteristic is found in verses 4-5, “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, 5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted.” Alcohol is not a sin, this is not a post arguing for or against having a responsible drink. What this is saying, is in regards to those who drink too much. Those who it becomes a focus or something needed to calm down. I once had a pastor tell me that he longed for the night where he could tell his kids to go to bed and he could enjoy a cold one on the back porch. I was even further shocked that the pastor then told me that his wife would leave him alone while he had his cold one. This was the highlight of his day. Instead of the Lord, instead of being with his wife and/or helping his children’ his desire was a “cold one” without them around. As time continued other issues with the pastor soon materialized, his wife having to be corrected by non-believers for abusive language to her children and her husband’s strange focus on material beauty and social media. Whether we like it or not, as husbands we are under a microscope with our wives and children watching us. We are to be the example of Christ to them. And when we mess up, we are to reveal more of God’s character and reveal how much God loves us by forgiving us. When our lives are focused on drinking we lose focus on God.

Ironically, we are given an example of what the characteristics are of those who take to alcohol easily. What are the results? This can be seen in verses 6-7. “6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more.” Our first one is “Give strong drink to him who is perishing” this means a person who is literally dying, to help them ease the pain of death. Do we need this as living breathing believers? I hope not. This can also mean to those whose life is already perishing, or those who are not saved. Next characterstic is “and wine to him whose life is bitter.” The world loves to make alcohol seem as a great time, a time of fun and enjoyment. When in fact virtually all places that focus on alcohol as a main theme, is most likely not a place for a Christian man to be.

“Let him drink and forget his poverty” Drinking is one of the fastest ways to have financial problems. The world decrees that it will help you not be as stressed, it is why the mother states in a mocking fashion, “and remember his trouble no more.” She is declaring that the ones who are in the bar day in/day out complaining about the world or their life sorrows, have no real desire to find a solution. No man should be in such a state who is following the Lord. Now I know there might be a reader who might be saying, “I am sexually pure and I don’t have an alcohol issue so that puts me in the clear.” I would encourage you to come back next week as we continue to see what a Proverbs 31 man is characterized as. If this sounds like I am being too harsh, please forgive me, I am passionate and recognize the stakes that are set before us. We need Proverbs 31 women in our lives, but how can we as men expect that when we fail to recognize the Proverbs 31 man. I believe it is missed for two reasons. A good leader is someone who is able to help and pick up those around him. She cannot do what she needs to do without him. Second, God reveals that our reward is clearly stated as what she is called to be. I hope you continue with me in this study as we reflect on the not so subtle Proverbs 31 man.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What is one of the hardest lessons for a believer to learn? Read it HERE!