Introduction to James Chapter 4

We have slowly been making our way through the book of James; 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. While some may find his writings hard to manage, it is actually one of my favorite books of the Bible. James truly gets to the heart of issues that are still prevalent in both the Church and the Christian individual.

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).

The second chapter of James was as much of a reflection of the individual’s walk with Christ as the first chapter. In James chapter two, we learned that the outward appearance of an individual is not a mark of their faith, and to show partiality towards someone based on their appearance is wrong (James 2:9). We also learned that while we are not saved by works, our works will show the world who we belong to (James 2:17-18).

The third chapter was admonishing those who would wish to be in a leadership role in which we saw that those in leadership are held to a higher standard (James 3:1). We also learned that the smallest muscle can cause the most harm (James 3:5-6), as well as reached an understanding of what true wisdom is (James 3:17-18).

Now we reach the fourth chapter in the book of James. In this chapter James will ask the reader to reflect if they are a friend of God or of the world, where do conflicts arise from, and if we should be boasting about what tomorrow brings.

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 four. 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 on this adventure.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A TIME FOR ACTS II

Have you ever watched a professional sporting event on television or in person? You see the players with incredible speed, accuracy, strength, and talent. Increadible and yet, this is not what makes them different from amateur players of the sport. What makes them different is before the game. What we see is the final accumulation of what the player has been working, striving, and practicing for years. Before there is ever action in front of the viewer, the player has been training. This can also be applied to the church. Before the church ages began, there was practice being done.

Christ had ascended into heaven and now the early church was reminded by two angels that the Messiah would return in such manner at the appointed time. The age we are currently in was just starting, the age of the Church had begun.

Yet, the very first act of the Church does not happen at Pentecost, but rather before. Here we see the gathering of believers together. Instead of huge miracles, they gathered together and prayed.

Acts 1:12-14 “12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” Instead of mighty speeches and increadible acts in front of massive numbers of people, the believers are gathered together separated from the outside world and are in prayer. Even though they could no longer visually see Jesus Christ, they had not lost their relationship and connection to Him. Like Jesus’s continuous exmaple on earth of constant communication with the Father, so to the Church would be in constant communication with the Son of God.

This in itself is an incredible act. The first action by the congregation of believers in the church age was not to feed the poor, was not to help the homeless, was not to preach the gospel; but to gather together separate from non-believers and pray. Breaking this down even further, we can see that the very first act of the Church was seperating themselves from the world and being relationship with the Lord. This actually is the basic distinction from a born again Christian and a non Christian. Both are sinners, Jesus died on the cross for both, both have salvation offered in Jesus’s resurrection; but only one has accepted it and has a relationship with the living God.

What this passage of scripture teaches us, is the greatest act a believer can first do is be in prayer with other believers separated from the world all with one mind. What does this one mind mean? The Greek word is “homothumadon” which is a compound word to describe a group together having a fierce passion at the same place and same time. What does this mean in context? This group knew that there was something coming as Jesus had promised in Acts 1:4-5 “4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Church waited upon the Lord, prayed and waited for Him to make the first move. I can tell you from personal expirence that if you ever try to push God into your timeline or by your own effort, you will be disappointed. Look at Joshua in the battle of Ai in Joshua chapters 7 and 8.

While this is not a post on prayer, we should recognize its significance in our individual life and corporately as a church! Their first act was coming together and doing just that. Secondly, we should recognize the differences between us and the world, we have a heavenly relationship, a direct connection to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Whereas the outside world does not. Our actions need to reflect this; our understanding needs to be wrapped around the foundation that we as believers, prior to any such action with the outside, need to be acting inside the church with one accord.

The very first act of the Church in the Bible is separating itself from the world to be in fellowship with one another and with God. I hope this sinks in, as we see the actions of the church interacting with the outside world. Remember, that all the actions of the church first start, even if not noticed by most, with prayer and fellowship in the Lord.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

Our second post regarding the time that the church is in! Read it HERE!

Made Clean

Last week we discussed the matter of freedom and acknowledged that those who place their faith in the works of Jesus Christ can experience true freedom. We do not need to be slave to the desires that keep us separated from God. This week, I want to give you a visual representation of Christ removing our sins and creating something new. It is a passage that is often looked at, but just like many passages there is a deeper meaning to it.

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

John 2:1-12

I wanted to give you all the passage in context, but the main section that we will be discussing today is verses six through nine. While many look at this passage and see it as Jesus’s first miracle, I also believe that it is a visual representation of a concept that has not yet been discussed in the book of John. And that is that Jesus removes our sin and makes us a new creation. The six stone water jars mentioned are used in a purification ritual. In this case, it would be a purification of the bride. These jars would only be used as part of this purification process and in doing so, the bride would be made clean for her husband.

Now Jesus had the servants place water inside the jars and changed the water into something new. This is where the visual representation of Jesus cleansing us of our sin comes into effect. We are all born sinners and are unclean, it is only through the purification of the blood of Jesus Christ that allows us to become a new creation, “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. When we accept that Jesus died for our sins and now reigns, then we become a new creation. We effectively have gone from being water to wine. John 2:1-12 shows how the bridegroom (Jesus Christ) has made His bride (the church) clean through a purification ritual (the cross).

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Christian Liberty

While it is that season for the United States, I thought it would be prudent to have the discussion of Christian liberty that all Christians, no matter what country you reside in, can reflect on.

Galatians 5:1-6 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who [attempt to] be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”

As Christians, we are free from sin and the need to follow the old law “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Our liberty, our freedom, is purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. Now this does not mean we are to intentionally sin, but rather recognize and be assured in our salvation.

However, in this particular passage Paul is wanting to discuss to the self righteous person. The individual who believes they can do their own righteousness and be saved. “Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.” The term circumcised here is in the context of the Jewish believers who made up most of the early church. Here Paul is saying that if we leave the faith and believe our own works can get us into heaven we are mistaken. There is a freedom in Christ that cannot be mistaken as something we earn or purchase ourselves. Ephesians 2:8-9  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” There are people who claim to be believers in Christ, who think they are following the law and are perfect in what they do. In fact, they do not realize that the law points to only one righteous person and that is Jesus Christ. The law does not save you, the law serves one purpose and that is to point you to the need of a savior. “3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who [attempt to] be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.”  It is important to understand that man has a basic desire wound tightly into an unqualified pursuit of proving themselves worthy. This desire is to our detriment, for man is not capable of proving anything other than unworthiness. Thus why Christ’s unfailing love and free gift of salvation is so liberating. This gives us the opportunity to love the Lord and pursue righteousness, but with the understanding that it is Christ who finished His good work in us. We can only thank Him and follow the commandments set forth for our present age as the Church. So take this time to reflect on the liberty we have in Christ Jesus.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

The introduction post to our series on the warning found in the book of Hebrews! Read it HERE!

Are You Freed?

The idea of freedom is portrayed quite common nowadays. We are bombarded with news of freedoms being taken away, someone gaining freedom, and how certain people are going to ensure our freedoms. For the Christian, the idea of freedom however, means something much more; and yet our freedom is often overlooked. So today I want to ask you, are you really free?

What I mean is are you really free from the control of sins in your life? Not saying that you must be perfect, after all we cannot be completely perfect until we are present with the Lord, but do you find yourself continually going back to the very thing that you ran from to follow Christ? If this is true, then I would argue that maybe you aren’t experiencing true freedom.

There is good news however! The scriptures state that once we place our faith in Christ, we are no longer bound to the aspects of this world that have kept us from Him!

“What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness  will increase? 2 That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin’s influence?

3 Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 When we were baptized into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we, too, should live a new kind of life. 5 If we’ve become united with him in a death like his, certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did. 6 We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin.”

Romans 6:1-6

We do not need to return to our unprofitable desires because we have something greater! We are freed from our sins! So today if you find yourself struggling to walk away from something that you know is against scripture, I ask that you don’t continue to look back. Instead, focus on Christ and pray that He helps you to remove the desire for it.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A TIME FOR ACTS

ACT Part 1

Today I want to start a study regarding specific characteristics of the early church. This study will primarily be coming out of the book of Acts with some added context from other books. I want us to examine what our brothers and sisters two thousand years ago were able to do in  the Lord. My plan is for us to examine what was done and ask three simple questions.

1. Is what the individual does special to only them, and/or that scenario?

2. What is stopping me from acting in such a manner? If special only to them, is there a different act that is similar today?

3. What does the act help us understand about Christ?

I am eager to start this series and hope you come along with me for this adventure. I would like to leave you with this, scene as the book of Acts begins.

Acts 1:1-9 “1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

Christ appears to have physically left the followers. They eagerly stare into the sky looking up to see if they can catch just one last glimpse of the Son of God. Finally, the clouds surround the Lord and He is no longer in sight. Jesus’s first coming had concluded, His second coming postponed until Israel recognizes their Messiah; for now it was a new age, an age of great exploits, endeavors. and actions. It was the time for ACTS.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

Join us as we reflect on the time that we are in! Read it HERE!

Only A Number

In today’s society, those who are young are often told to remain quiet and listen to their elders. The belief is that those who are older have more life experience and therefore more knowledge to give. While this is oftentimes true, this belief does not hold true when it comes to those in the Christian faith.

Today, I ask you to consider a young man who is often overlooked. Have you heard of Elihu? Can you place him in the scriptures? This young man is among Job’s three friends who sought to offer Job “counsel and wisdom” in his time of need. Throughout the book of Job, Elihu sat quietly as the older men went back and forth seeking to understand why Job was going through these different trials. However, eventually Elihu simply could hold back no more.

“Then these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned against Job; his anger burned because he justified himself before God. 3 And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, yet they had condemned Job. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were years older than he. 5 But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, his anger burned. 6 So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite spoke out and said, “I am young in years and you are old; Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you what I think. 7 I thought age should speak, And increased years should teach wisdom. 8 But it is a spirit that is in mankind, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. 9 The abundant in years may not be wise, Nor may elders understand justice.”

Job 32:1-9

Over the next six chapters in the book of Job, Elihu rebukes Job’s three friends of their “counsel” which was really nothing more than an opportunity to complain against Job; as well as remind Job that God is the Almighty and a God of justice. Elihu reminds the older men that God is perfect in knowledge and we do not understand His ways. We can know that Elihu spoke correctly in all that he reprimanded and reminded the older men of because at the end of the book of Job, Elihu is the only one who is not reprimanded by God.

So what is it that the born-again believer can take away from Elihu? It is quite simple, age and spiritual maturity is only a number. If you are a young in age believer do not be afraid to speak and correct older in age believers. If you are a spiritually young believer do not be afraid to speak and correct those who have been in the faith longer than you have. Increased years, either in physical or spiritual, does not mean that the individual has all the answers. Know your scriptures and point out if someone is in error, do not be afraid if you don’t know the words; the scriptures make it clear that when God needs us to speak, He will provide what to say. “for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:12.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Summer Plan and Challenge

Summer is only a few days away and I thought it would be prudent to have a discussion regarding summer plans. Many of you might be planning trips with family, friends, and other loved ones. Some might be planning personal time away from all the chaos that the year brings. I want to give you encouragement and a little something extra to help you plan a summer Bible study. There is no place in scripture where God says we are to take a vacation from Him. It is only reasonable that we take time out of our busy schedule to look at a chance to escape the craziness and enjoy a moment’s break; however, let us use these moments to seek the Lord.

With that said, I have a summer challenge for you. Over the next 13 weeks, take a moment and examine the following topics in the Bible and see what God might be wanting to reveal to you. This summer challenge is 12 weeks long allowing for one week to be extended based on what God might be calling you to do.

These topics are to be taken one by one each week, you can go as deep as need be. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to us here at Mill House Ministries or even ask your local pastor, or Christian brother/sister you know.

1. Week One: God’s name. Examine God’s names and see the meanings behind each. Look at what is the first name that is used and the last, compare the two. Look for the most widely used to the least and see how they intertwine.

2. Week Two: Examination of the Father through Jesus’s statements. Examine Jesus’s words describing the Father. Look at what His characteristics are, His actions, and thoughts.

3. Week Three: Examination of the Holy Spirit through Jesus’s statements. Examine Jesus’s words describing the Holy Spirit. Look at what His characteristics are, His actions, and thoughts.

4. Week Four: Read Hebrews chapter 11. See what the author of Hebrews says about each person and what God was able to do in their life.

5. Week Five: Review the accounts of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. Examine their actions and situations, is there applicability in your own life with one of them?

6. Week Six: Review the accounts of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab. Examine their actions and situations, is there applicability in your own life with one or more of them?

7. Week Seven: Pick one book of the Bible and read the entirety. Before starting, ask God to share with you something that week, ask for Him to identify something that you need to know within that book of the Bible. Take notes and look for any verses that connect with what you are reading and write them down in your Bible.

8. Week Eight: Examine each of the disciples interactions and accounts on how they were called to follow Jesus. Then examine your own story and write it down. See which of the disciples comes closest to yours. Don’t worry it will not be a perfect fit but there might be one that you gravitate towards more than the others. (You can also look at the women discussed who were there as well).

9. Week Nine: Pick one section of scripture and memorize it. Suggestions are the following, Luke 1:32-33, Romans 4:17-18, Philippians 3:20-21, and finally Revelation 22:12-13. No matter what you pick, see how it is applicable to you. Does the scripture bring about a commandment? Does it bring about understanding or is it focused on something entirely different?

10. Week Ten: Examine 1st Timothy and see evaluate if your own Church is following what is commanded.

11. Week Eleven: Examine the fruits of the Spirit and see which you need to work on. Prioritize this each day for the week looking for ways to practice. Ask the Lord to provide opportunities to use the fruits.

12. Week Twelve: The final week seek the Lord through prayer and examine what these last weeks have been for you. Ask the Lord to help you continue on with your studies and prepare for the coming Fall. Write down your thoughts and ideas so that you can reflect on them later on.

I hope this challenge will be more of a launch pad for deeper personal studies for you with God. Remember, that if you ever have questions, concerns, or requests we at Mill House Ministries are here for you. If this seems to be overwhelming, don’t worry God makes two promises you need to know about. First, God promises that He is intimately aware of the hidden treasure within His word for us, but also that it is for our betterment we seek that treasure, Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” And finally, God knows our intentions and wants to help us, God declares in Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Happy Summer!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl

Re-Post Friday

A challenge from 2022! Read it HERE!

Heavenly Father

Perhaps it is due to our own earthly father’s failings that we often overlook one key aspect of who God is. Many suffer from father’s who have failed to show an accurate portrayal for their children regarding our Heavenly Father’s love for us. There are those who have had neglectful fathers, absent fathers, fathers who struggle with idols, as well as many other characteristics that make it hard to see God the Father as someone who truly cares for us. So today, I wish to remind our readers who may feel as if our Heavenly Father is one who is absent, unapproachable, or reckless in His love and design for us that this is far from the truth.

To put it bluntly, God has not forgotten you dear readers. God’s love for His children is without measure, and because He loves us He protects and defends us.

5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy dwelling.
6 God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious live in parched lands.

Psalm 68:5-6

God is aware of all the tribulations that we face in this age, and even so He provides for us. When our own earthly fathers fail, we have a Heavenly Father who never will. God gives us peace and a hope for a better future. No matter how many times we fail, He loves us.

God is not absent in our lives, in fact He wants nothing more than to be the center of our hearts! God wants a relationship with us! How crazy is it to imagine that the God who has made the innumerable stars, knows exactly how many hairs are on our head!

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Matthew 10:29-30

We were not put here by a freak accident, nor is God just sitting idly by and seeing how His creations handle the events being thrown their way. God is an active Father and He cares for you and I! We have been created with a purpose, a design, and if we allow God to work through us we begin to realize exactly how much He cares for us!

8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.

Isaiah 64:8

I hope today that you take time to reflect that God cares for you, He wants a relationship with you. No matter the circumstances our Heavenly Father cares and is there. This means He is there in the good times and bad times, He is there when we want Him there and even when we think we do not need Him. If you are a father or hope to be one some day, remember that our Heavenly Father is the perfect depiction of what a father should strive to be. While this goal is impossible for earthly fathers, pointing to the Heavenly Father is not. Each action of a father, no matter in success or after a failure, needs to point to why we need a Heavenly Father. An important rule needs to be recognized, God created the Father role in such a way as to only be perfected by Himself. Likewise the human race was created to survive through the role of what a father does, pointing towards the importance that God has placed in this role for Himself. Only He can ascertain the level that is required, we need to be able to recognize this accomplishment by God and know He is there for us each and everyday.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Bring It Into Focus

Today I wanted to share something with you that I had recently learned. In my spare time, I am searching scripture for Messianic prophecies. These prophecies give a glimpse into the coming Son of God, Jesus Christ. One interesting lesson I learned recently comes from the prophecy regarding Jesus Christ’s “zeal.” Now before we go into anything else, we need to understand that there are several passages in the Old Testemant prophesying this and New Testament passages describing the fulfillments. Today I am not going to do a compare and contrast, but more of a study on understanding the word “Zeal.” This is not intended to be a word study but rather something more, I wish to delve in deeper within the context so that we can better appreciate the reasoning behind the word and the Old and New Testamanet verses regarding it.

We must first come to grips that in the Bible zeal does not mean what many of us have been brought up to picture. In fact in Jesus’s day, it had a dual meaning. The first meaning was very much what we picture now, someone who is crazy, nonsensical or irrational individual focused on something equally as consuming as what they have devoted to it. Historically speaking, you can probably think of the Jews who were inspired by Judas the Galilean. Judas fought the Romans and was considered the founding father of the patriotic party. This was during Cyrenius rule as the Roman governor. When this party failed they became a group of assassins, thus the term Zealot is influenced much by what we think today.

Now I must admit that when I first read Luke 6:15 “and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot” I pictured Simon being this rough, jerk style person always screaming to people to accept Jesus. You can probably picture it in your head now. We see the types today, screaming with their microphones demanding to be heard. People stand and argue with them and yet none are saved. This is what I thought. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The term prior to Judas the Galilean carried a quite different meaning. The term was much more favorable. In Herbert Lockyer’s book All The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible he states the following, “the word zeal is from a root meaning ‘to boil se the,’ and in a wrong sense covers any vehement passion, especially jealousy. In a right sense it implies enthusiasm, fervor, warmth in endeavor.” When we see this, we get a completely different look at Simon. Simon now seems as someone who is the warm joy in the group, always wanting to help others smile and be encouraged.

Nevertheless, as stated before the term does carry both ideas, and we can see both in Jesus. Look at Psalm 69:9 “For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” Here we have a direct prophecy of what Jesus Christ will do in the temple.

John 2:13-22 “13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.” 18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

But we also see the other side of the word zeal in Jesus, even at a young age He was eager to be in His Father’s house and being about His business.

Luke 2:41-52  “41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; 43 and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, 44 but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day’s journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. 46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 48 When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” 49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

Here we see Him not being impatient or annoyed when His mother and stepfather find Him in the Temple, but rather is friendly and honest with them. Yet, we learn more of Jesus’s zeal as He is humbly asking questions and listening to the teachers of the law. Jesus at a young age has a zeal that wants to learn more of God, His Father.

Oh how I wish you and I could always have this zeal! If only the Christians would have the zeal of Christ continuously in our walk and actions. While there are other scripture verses and passages discussing “zeal” in the Bible, I thought it was important to share something I learned recently regarding the contextual understanding of the word zeal. The more we know, the more we will understand and be able to apply what God is teaching us.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

All The Messianic Prophecies of the Bible Pg. 92

Re-Post Friday

An update from 2021! Read it HERE!

The Importance of Testimony

Have you ever wondered how there are people who regularly go to church and claim to be Christians can still spout off nonsense about the Bible? How can someone who regularly states that they study the Bible often take the Scriptures out of context or force it to fit what they want? Mark 14:55-59 offers some insight into this topic.

“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. 57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’”59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree.”

This passage occurs after Jesus had been betrayed but before He was taken to Pilate. Many came forward and offered their “testimony” regarding Jesus Christ and yet the testimonies were not consistent. If you have ever spent even a small amount of time in the current legal field or even watching legal based television shows; you would understand how important a testimony is to a trial. Testimony of the events are the turning point in almost every court case resulting in a decision being made for the individuals involved. The scriptures also offer how important a testimony is. Consider Deuteronomy 19:15, “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.” Or 1 Timothy 5:19, “Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.”

Now that we have established that the Scriptures clearly state how important it is for testimony to be consistent, I want to point out something from the passage in Mark 14. Look again at verses 57-58, 57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” Here we have individuals who stood up and stated that they heard Christ state that He will destroy the temple and build another without hands in three days. The prophecy that they are discussing can be found in John 2:18-19, 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Now of course we know that Christ wasn’t talking about a physical temple. Instead, He was discussing the fact that His body would be crucified and that He would rise in three days after it occurred.

  So then these individuals were there when Christ stated that the temple (His body) would be destroyed and then raised again in three days (the resurrection). They heard it first hand and yet they not only missed the point that Jesus was stating; but they also added to what they claimed He said, that the temple would be built again but not by the work of man. They were physically around Jesus Christ and yet they twisted His words to fit their own narrative.

I wish I could say that this is something that we no longer see, but that is simply not the truth. There are many who claim to walk with Christ, to be around Him, and yet they twist and add to what His word says. When this is done, the result is the same as we see here; they claim to know what God says and yet they truly never understood. This is dangerous because it can lead many astray. The good news is, we have God’s word to fact check what is brought forth, the sad news is many fail to do this. So today, I want to ask you that whenever someone presents scripture to you; I ask that you fact check it to ensure that you understand the context and are not being misled by someone who claims to walk with Christ but does not really hear Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Characteristics of Love III

We come to the final part of this love discussion. I must admit when I started studying this topic I did not believe it was going to go this long, however God had other plans. You might have been wondering when we would get to the most iconic and quoted section of scripture regarding love, which is 1 Corinthians chapter 13. But we couldn’t talk about love being attributed within other actions until we had a solid foundation. Neverthless, we are now able to recognize that love can be found in all actions we take. A wise friend told me that love is the flavor that makes our actions towards others enjoyable to God. Without love, our actions are bland or even disgusting and negatively attributable. So what does love do? Let’s take a look at what Paul says to the Corinth church.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Paul first argues in the most basic function, that of communication. If we do not have love in our talk, we are a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” Our communication needs to be filled with love. What do we not see here however? The words “acceptance”, “non argumentantive”, nor “silent.” Christians are to be representatives of Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:20a “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.” Pointedly this means we are to stand for what God wants, and that at times might mean we are against the popular belief of those around us.

Paul continues, “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” If we study His word and are committed to endless hours of scripture review and memorization but do not apply it; we are failing to love. On the other end of the spectrum, when we focus so much on helping people with their worldly needs such as shelter, clothing, and food but forget to help them spiritually; we are failing to love them, “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”

It might be speculation on my own part, but here I wonder if Paul knew he needed to simply define and bring to light characteristics of love that can be found within other actions as we apply God’s love to others. This is why he makes such a 90 degree turn with the following verses.

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Oh how this section of verses has been taken out of context! So much pain, misery, and shame has been brought on victims and innocence all in the name of “loving one another.” Yet, we can see from God’s listing of love that this does not mean we are to accept one’s sin as ok; but rather that this sin does not hold you back from the Lord when Christ is brought into the life of the sinner. God understands that we fail to love as love was originally designed, this is why one day He will do this.

“8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”

God understands that the person saved today, is still in this sinful body. This means we are destined 100% for God and to be with Him in Heaven, however at this moment we are still struggling with the old self. The sinful desires that cause us to have the issues we do. Practically speaking this makes loving others harder because at times our actions might not have love. But we who are waiting to see the Lord and are eager for Him to finish in us a good work, will have a burning desire for Him to finish this process and shed us of the sin that causes us to not fully practice love. Believers today see Christ dimly in our reflection, but one day when when we are taken home and given a new perfect body free from sin, we will see the Holiness bestowed on us and be righteous in all our actions and freely able to love as love was defined.

This does not mean we can quit now, in fact we need to stay even more focused. Paul closes the final part of the chapter with helping us understand where love is stationed in importance to God. “13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” God is such an amazing God but also a friend, wanting us to know what we need to work on so that we can better “love” those around us. How awesome is God to bring such a marvelous idea of “love” that is an action, a definitive capability that allows us to freely with our own personalities look for ways to “love” on those around us. We must be alert to keep sin from polluting the word and its actions in our life but be readily available to extend love even where we do not want to. For Christ loved us that while we, yes you and I were still sinners, He died for you and me. He has shown the ultimate action of love by dying for us and has now come back to life to be our representative to call us “innocent.” No matter what you have done, Christ wants to demonstrate the proper usage of love to you. Remember this, before you can ever truly love someone else you need to accept Christ’s love for you. So remember, if you truly want to understand love, you need not look any farther than in the Man and God, Jesus Christ. What a marvelous and exciting example we have of love! I hope you have enjoyed this series and I personally would love to hear how God has loved you in your personal life and in how you have been able to love others as Christ wants us to love. Feel free to reach out on our contact page.

Until next time.

Jl

Re-Post Friday

It is important to understand why the Messiah needed to be born of a virgin! Read it HERE!

Differing Perspectives

While reading through the Gospels, there recently has been something that has caught my attention. You see it is important to read through all of the Gospels, even though at times they present the same situation you get a different persons perspective on the event. In doing so, you are able to pick up on lessons that otherwise would have been missed.  For me, this occurred while reading about the hemorrhaging woman. The account of this woman occurs in Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:23-34; and Luke 8:43-48.

20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Matthew 9:20-22

 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Mark 5:24-34

“And a man named Jairus came, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began urging Him to come to his house; 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him. 43 And a woman who had suffered a chronic flow of blood for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had left Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and admitted in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Luke 8:41-48

If you only ever read Matthew’s description, you wouldn’t think beyond how once again Jesus was able to heal someone who was suffering. However, through Mark and Luke’s description we are able to see that there is more to this situation. What Mark and Luke provide is that there was a large crowd and they were all pressing in on Jesus, meaning that He was being touched by multiple people. And yet, from these accounts it is only the woman who believed that simply touching His clothes would heal her. No other is mentioned as being healed from amongst this crowd and Jesus makes a point to state that it is her faith that has made her well.

I do want to state here that this post is not meant to say that with enough faith we can be healed from any disease. After all, the woman suffered for twelve years in her condition. We do know that God is a physician and can heal according to His plan. What I am wanting to point out here is that we must not overlook repetitive situations that are described in the word of God. In each situation, there is something to be learned. Think of it this way: a car accident is witnessed by several different people. Each person would have a slightly different account based on their perspective, but the result would be the same; I.e. car A ran into car B. Or in this case, a woman who was suffering was healed. Only through reading each account, do we find out more to the situation. A woman who was suffering was healed amongst a crowd of people who all were attempting to get the attention of the Messiah. This woman had the faith that He would heal her and so it was her faith that made her well. I hope now that when you come across a situation in the Bible that is repetitive to somewhere else, you will take the time to go and look at all accounts. If you do this, I am sure that you will see that there is much to be discovered.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Characteristics of Love II

Last week we discussed how “actions speak louder than words” and Christ wants us to love others. We learned that Christ made the commandement in Leviticus broader and with more purpose. This week, I want to dive into part of the characteristics of what love is defined. Christ understood that actions spoke louder than words and it is why He describes love as an identifiable characteristic of those who are His disciples John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” If we love and it points back to Jesus then there must be a characteristic found in love that will point to Him. The world today has many ideas of what love is and what love is not. But let us examine scripture and see what love is.

Christ actions declare His love, Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love” We can see from verses 3-4 that God puts love into action.

He blesses us and gives to us, “who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”

He spent the time to know us, “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”

He gave His life for our salvation “that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

All of this was done “in love” all of this was action being brought together to paint a picture of what love is.

In Christ we see the ultimate picture of love, but let us not forget that the Trinity in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bring to light love on a grand scale. This propels the believer to want to do what Jesus commanded us to and love one another. This is why Paul in Ephesians 1 states he knew the audience of the Ephesians letter were believers because of their love for one another! Ephesians 1:15 “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,” Our actions will dictate who we belong to. How ironic that the Lord declares love identifies the person as being His. This is why the world is doing everything in its power to alter, destroy, twist, pervert, and minimize what love truly is. Next week we will discuss a systematic listing of what love is and how to address those who would claim it is something else.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

Jl