ONE YEAR TODAY

It is one year to the day that Israel was attacked. This attack came without provocation, this attack came when Israel believed the day would be like the day before and people would go on living their life. One year later, the war still continues, Israel is fighting for its right to exist.

Today, my audience is to two groups of people. First, to the Jews that do not recognize their Messiah’s first coming two thousand years ago. Messiah has brought you back to your land, to the land promised to you through Abraham, your father. This land was given to you without any ties attached. It is yours! But I must ask you the question of why was it given to you? The world hates you, but why do they hate you? Messiah said in John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” These words hold fast to the testimony of your ancestors from Abraham to Zechariah, they knew Messiah and He knew them. The Lord was with them and is with you! Malachi 3:6  “For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” The world hates you because you are His people! His chosen people to bring about Messiah and save the world. Because of your family, your ancestors, the gentiles have a light. Isaiah 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles.” The world will continue to hate you until the day you choose to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

Being a Christian does not mean you lose your Jewishness, but rather you become completed! Examine Paul, a Jew among Jews. Look at his actions, he loved the Messiah to the point of being kicked out by other Jews!

Finally, read Isaiah 53 and see the actions of Messiah foretold before He was crucified for our transgressions.

  The second group I am writing to is the Churches around the world! I ask that you examine God’s word. Many false teachers declare God is done with Israel because of their lack of faith. Strange, because God’s word says otherwise. Read Romans 9-11 and see the truth that God is not done with Israel. Examine Romans 11:1-2a “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, [of] the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.”

There are too many promises made to Israel that God must finish. God must finish every single promise or He is a lier, Hebrews 6:18 “that by two immutable things, in which it [is] impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before [us.].” God has not replaced Israel with the Church, but rather Christ has promised Israel that Messiah has reign on the earth, Luke 1:30-33 “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

This will happen in Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then [I saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received [his] mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

This does not mean the Church is subpar to Israel, or Israel is subpar to the Church. But rather they are two different branches grafted to the same vine in Jesus Christ. We live in a rare time where the Church and Israel are both on the planet at the same time, the Church must point to the world and tell them that God’s chosen people deserve to be in the land that God gave them.

In this age, individual Jews and Gentiles alike are the Church. This age will end one day, but until that time, the church needs to be telling everyone about the Messiah, Jesus, and how salvation comes through Him alone. While we do this, we must also be voicing our God’s authority as good ambassadors and telling the world that Israel has a right to their land and peace. This does not mean we support everything the Israeli government does, on the contrary we are to be ambassadors for Christ to them as well. That peace will only ultimately come when Israel as a nation recognizes Jesus.

 I end this post on the promises that we pray that the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob protects His people the Jews; and also His adopted sons and daughters the Church. The Church age is coming to an end, let us finish our race well, declaring the truth of God and standing with those who deserve peace and the land God gave them.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

A deeper look into prayers for guidance. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts Part V

Today we are discussing another of the spiritual gifts that is radically misunderstood in modernity. 1 Corinthians 12:10 identifies this gift as the gift of prophecy. Modern ideas and thoughts behind prophecy stem from incorrect understandings, lack of knowledge, emotional hysteria, and fear. This is unfortunate because God provides us in His inerrant word the structure that defines Prophecy. Let’s first start with the word itself. A prophet is someone who “speaks by inspiration” H5012 while a prophecy is “a foreteller; by analogy an inspired speaker” G4396. Now thanks to 1 Corinthians 12:11, we know that the gifts we are discussing come from the Holy Spirit. “11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” So then we can understand that to have the gift of prophecy, an individual must accurately speak the word of God.

1 Corinthians 14 identifies in several key areas the characteristics of the spiritual gift. For the design of the series, I will be brief, but I would recommend you do a deeper study into the gift.

The Lord defines the spiritual gift of prophecy and it should be considered a commandment from the Lord.

Women can be prophets but cannot use the gift in the assembly of the Church.

We are told to ask for this spiritual gift

Prophecy must teach and exhort.

Prophecy will not contradict God’s written Word.

Prophecy is subject to peer review by other Prophets.

Prophecy must be checked by the audience to God’s Word.

Prophecy is for believers but can convict unbelievers.

A Prophet must be mature in thinking.

Prophecy is not the same as revelation, knowledge, or teaching.

Prophecy is second only to love in importance for a Christian to pursue.

Prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and consolation.

Just looking at this list, you can immediately identify cults that have entered into the world. Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventist, Jevhoah Witnesses, and others all have their so-called prophets fail the 1 Corinthian 14 check list. Since this gift is one that I feel many do not fully understand, I believe that it is important to show an example of someone who claimed to have this gift but was not a prophet of God. Take a look at Jeremiah 28.

“28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’” 5 Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. 6 He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. 7 Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.” 10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he said before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. 12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron.14 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’” 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’” 17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.”

As we know from Scripture, Hananiah was in fact wrong, and the exiles remained in Babylon. In fact, Deuteronomy gives us a test for when someone claims to have gift of prophecy. “22 When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.” Deuteronomy 18:22. So not only does an individual have to accurately speak the word of God, but what they say will happen must also come true.

Now what does this mean today? The gift of prophecy is still very much alive. It should be sought after by every Christian as Paul commanded but it should be done not in the eyes of man’s traditions but according to the Word of God. I dare not limit God’s applicability of His gift by providing modern day examples, but would rather have you dive into God’s Word and ask Him to reveal this to you.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Last week we talked about how twenty-four verses changed an age, but did you know that the next chapter of the Genesis is only twenty-two verses? I cannot help but chuckle about there being twenty-four hours in a day and it can take only a day for your life can change. Yet, all God needs is a moment to save you. I think this is one small reason chapter eight is twenty-two verses and not more. Minor, yes, but I do think it is significant for us to recognize.

Now chapter eight of Genesis has a list that could go for weeks regarding the scientific, the philosophical, and theological declarations made. However, I want to stick to one all and most important statement made, verse one.

Genesis 8:1-22 “Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that [were] with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.”

You see when things are going bad for your life, we need to remember that God remembers us. This should be sobering to both good and evil. Good that Jesus loves us, that He cares for us and will not forget us. It is why we can say that the rapture must happen because Jesus will not forget us. Look at John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if [it were] not [so,] I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you may be also.”

It is why Israel still has a purpose and God has a plan to send Jesus the Messiah to Israel again. God has made too many promises that He must fulfill, for His name sake, Malachi 3:6 “For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” Because God is good and those who are saved are His and are made good only through His righteousness, we can hold fast that He remembers us. He remembered Noah, He will do that with us.

But those who are evil should be somber as well, for He remembers their wickedness. He will remember those who have rejected the Messiah and His righteousness, who are attempting to prove they are good enough by their own righteousness. This will ultimately end with an event described in Revelation 20:11-15 “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

You see, when Genesis 8:1 says, “God remembered” it is a declaration that is eternally significant. Verses two through twenty-two each have their own significance and should be carefully studied. Like last week I challenge you to take the time and ask the Lord Jesus to share with you the scientific depth and theological truth behind chapter eight and see just how earth changing this event was.

Genesis 8:2-22 “The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were also stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained. 3 And the waters receded continually from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters decreased. 4 Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth [month,] on the first [day] of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen. 6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf [was] in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first [month,] the first [day] of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry. 14 And in the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dried. 15 Then God spoke to Noah, saying, 16 “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 “Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that [is] with you: birds and cattle and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every animal, every creeping thing, every bird, [and] whatever creeps on the earth, according to their families, went out of the ark. 20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart [is] evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. 22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our look back into the Basic Study. Read it HERE!

Go To Him

Today we are going to take a short break in our study of the spiritual gifts to examine a verse that has always been a favorite of mine. Matthew 11:28 is a verse that is used by many to try to witness to non-believers. However, that is not its only use.

“28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

As I have said, this is a verse that is commonly used to show those who are seeking Christ that He is bigger than their problems. However, this verse does not apply only to non-believers. In Jesus’s own words He states that all who are weary and burdened should come to Him. This verse holds great impact for the believers and reminds us that Christ is bigger than our problems. When we feel weary and burdened from the events that life throws, but we do not have to go through it alone. We need to cast our fears, worries, and stress onto Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can give us true rest.

This is a fact that I feel many Christians today forget about. It is almost as if they forget that God is the key for their peace. “27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27. We cannot forget that we can turn to Jesus Christ who is the Great Comforter. So if you find yourself feeling weary or burdened, remember to seek Christ for your peace.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Understanding the Kingdom

With the numerous times that Jesus teaches those around Him through a parable, it can almost become tempting to gloss over them. As with any aspect of God’s word, this is to the readers detriment. So much of God’s word is missed simply because the readers fail to take it seriously. Today, we are going to look over five parables that Jesus uses to describe the kingdom of heaven; however, each parable shows us a different aspect into the kingdom of heaven.

“24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26 And when the wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also became evident. 27 And the slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he *said, ‘No; while you are gathering up the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Matthew 13:24-30

If this parable doesn’t describe the world right now, then I do not know what does. The world is the field that the man sowed seed in, due to actions by an enemy the field became riddled with weeds. Due to mankind’s actions, sin entered the world and allowed the good seed to have to compete with the weeds. So how does this passage describe the kingdom of heaven? Just like the world today, those who follow Jesus Christ (these people are the good seed) grow alongside those who will not accept Him (the bad seed).

“31 He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field; 32 and this is smaller than all the other seeds, but when it is fullygrown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

Matthew 13:31-32

Have you ever looked at the size of a mustard seed and then looked at what it grows into? The seeds themselves are extremely small, but the plant is huge! This passage describes the kingdom of heaven as one that grows and that is very fitting. When an individual becomes a born-again believer, their impact is unstoppable. Consider John Chapter Four, one woman becomes saved and that leads to many more in her city to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Once the word of God is planted, nothing can stop it and so the kingdom of heaven grows.

“33 He spoke another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three sata of flour until it was all leavened.”

Matthew 13:33

For being the smallest of parables we are discussing today, this one impacts a lot. If any of you have ever made bread, you know how a small amount of yeast can affect the dough. Considering the amount of flour and the amount of yeast used, it is rather remarkable how the yeast can cause such an impact. This passage describes the kingdom of God as unstoppable, once the leaven (God’s word) is mixed in, nothing can remove it.

“44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field. 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold everything that he had and bought it.”

Matthew 13:44-46

Here we see two individuals who have determined that one individual item is worth far more than anything else that they have. This is the kingdom of heaven, the riches we find in the word of God is worth far more than any momentarily happiness here on earth. Seeking God’s word brings us riches far beyond what we could possibly imagine.

“47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; 48 and when it was filled, they pulled it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age: the angels will come forth and remove the wicked from among the righteous, 50 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:47-50

This parable not only links back to the one in verses 24-30, but it also dispels a false idea. That everyone will make it into the kingdom of heaven. The fact is, just as the weeds grew up with the wheat but in the end were separated, we see that again here. The wicked will be removed from the righteousness and the only way that one can be righteous is if they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Hold the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

 When studying for this Mill House Ministries series, I found myself wondering why Noah’s flood is one of the first events told to children. Typically it is because it looks really cute illustrated with the animals all going two by two up into the boat. Yet, later on when you dig deeper into the event people will usually use it to discredit the Bible and God. Typically you hear things like, “Science has proven it is impossible” or “God wouldn’t kill everyone, that would make Him a maniac.” Nevertheless, we have twenty-four verses in the Bible that reveal it did happen. Man must read and come to grips with this event. I myself, believe it to be literal, based on the empirical data and theological analysis of creation and God’s Holy and perfect word. Check out the scientific groups who are examining and putting fourth peer reviewed data on the subject, it is fascinating. I am not here today to say, “Just have faith that it happened” but rather I am here to challenge you to examine it for yourself. Ask Jesus to show you and look at the evidence.

   Twenty-Four verses caused the end Antediluvian age. I find it ironic that twenty-four is also how many hours are in a day. What a subtle, but not so subtle, hint by God reminding us that it all comes down to one day. Did you know Him? Did you listen to Him? Did you allow Him to save you? Because if not, twenty-four can be earth changing! Read the chapter below and recognize the power and seriousness of God. God cares about sin and anyone who might try to dilute the human genome to cancel any capacity for Christ to come as the Second Adam and save those who He loves. The flood shouldn’t be looked at as a God who was killing innocents , but rather a God who was protecting you and I and our eternal future.

Genesis 7:1-24 “Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen [that] you [are] righteous before Me in this generation. 2 “You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that [are] unclean, a male and his female; 3 “also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4 “For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.” 5 And Noah did according to all that the LORD commanded him. 6 Noah [was] six hundred years old when the floodwaters were on the earth. 7 So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood. 8 Of clean animals, of animals that [are] unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth, 9 two by two they went into the ark to Noah, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. 10 And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth. 11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. 12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark-- 14 they and every beast after its kind, all cattle after their kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, every bird of every sort. 15 And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which [is] the breath of life. 16 So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in. 17 Now the flood was on the earth forty days. The waters increased and lifted up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and greatly increased on the earth, and the ark moved about on the surface of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly on the earth, and all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed fifteen cubits upward, and the mountains were covered. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth: birds and cattle and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every man. 22 All in whose nostrils [was] the breath of the spirit of life, all that [was] on the dry [land,] died. 23 So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who [were] with him in the ark remained [alive.] 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.

Next week we will discuss chapter eight and the impact of this on planet earth, the spiritual boundaries set up, and an amazing God who saved Noah and his family yet again! 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

The Importance of Gifts Part IV

Today we will be discussing two gifts of the spirit that are often misunderstood. “9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers,” 1 Corinthians 12:9-10a. It is not by accident that the gift of healing and the gift of miracles are listed after the gift of faith. In fact, these three gifts all work together. However, before we discuss how they work together, let us understand more about what scripture says regarding healing and miracles.

As with our posts on the previous gifts, we are going to look at the Biblical definition behind these two gifts. The definition for healing has not changed in today’s society. It means “to cure (literally or figuratively), to make whole” G2390, which is the same definition anyone would give if asked to define healing. Our next gift is miracles which is defined as “force ( literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power” G1411. With such simple meanings, you may be wondering how these two gifts are often misunderstood. The answer for that comes from individuals forgetting who gives the gifts. Remember, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians 12:11.

Many individuals forget that these are gifts that are bestowed by God to be used as He sees fit. They are not given to us so that we may increase our own “power or importance”. These gifts are not done on our own might or whims but the will of God. Which is why they work together with the gift of faith. When faced with an impossible task that would require the gift of healing and/or gift of miracles, it is through faith in God and that He will provide will an answer be given. No individual can force the gift of healing or miracles. It can only come through God and will be done to His will.

For examples of how the gifts on healing and miracles work together with the gift of faith look at Acts 14:8-10. “8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.” The man here had the faith that God would provide an answer to his lameness, this was the reason that Paul was able to heal him. While it benefited the man, it was done to show the glory of God and what can be done when we have faith in His word and promises.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Take a Moment and Ask

All it takes is to turn on the news, or more accurately unlock your phone, and the alerts come raining in. It doesn’t matter what stage of life you are in, there is something that is causing you to worry and/or to focus your attention on. In my own life personally, I thought recently that I might be juggling several circuses at the same time. Nevertheless, I remember a quote from C.S Lewis in his book Prince Caspian, there is a moment, that Lucy is with Aslan and she makes a comment about not remembering him being as big, Aslan responds that he grows to the size she needs him to be. How amazing is God that when the world throws something at us that is not expected, God jumps in and is very much the adequate response we need.

God is a God who loves and cares for us, all we need to do is lean on Him and ask for His help.

Remember what Paul said,  Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord [is] at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

So as summer comes to an end, and fall is around the corner; as all the issues and pressures of this world continue to mount up, remember that God is not only bigger than them, He might just be using the problems and cares of this world to draw you to where your attention should be on.

My challenge for you is to see what God is calling for you to re-examine in your own life.

Mill House Ministries is here if you have questions or concerns. We want to help encourage you every step of the way through this amazing adventure God has us on. Let us purely live out what Christ says through Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the different types of prayers. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts Part III

Last week we began our study into the gifts of the Spirit by examining the gifts of wisdom and knowledge. When we compared the definition of these two terms, we saw that while similar, they are not the same. Today, we are going to take a look at the next gift of the spirit on our list in 1 Corinthians 12, the gift of faith.

It may seem strange that faith is a gift of the spirit, especially since it is the main factor of the Christian faith. Born again believers have faith that Jesus died for our sins, that God’s word is true, and that we can hold Him to His promises. So if we all possess faith in God, how can this be a spiritual gift? For that, we need to look at the definition of “faith”. The term faith used in 1 Corinthians 12:9 is defined “to convince (by argument true or false); by analogy to pacify or conciliate (by other fair means); to rely; be content make friend obey persuade trust yield” G3982 and is the moral conviction of the reliance upon Christ for salvation. When you combine this with Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”, we find that faith in Christ will manifest itself in all believers. Again, this appears to be what every born again Christian would have, so why is faith considered a spiritual gift?

When an individual displays the gift of faith it is acting out not only on the moral conviction that we rely on God, but it is manifested for others to see. Examine Hebrews 11 and see those listed in the hall of faith. Faith is not just for our salvation but in every aspect of our life. It is the unique ability to trust God despite all circumstances telling you not to and show it. Consider Matthew 14:22-33 when Peter left the boat and walked on water. Every rational thought would be that he would surely sink the moment he left the boat. However, because of his great faith in Jesus, Peter was able to walk towards Him. The gift of faith is a gift that shows up when we are forced to decide if we will go all out for Jesus Christ or if we will simply remain where we are comfortable. I have seen it in my own life and the lives around me. It takes great faith to trust God and pack up everything you own and move far away from family, simply because that is what God is calling us to do. However, by stepping out in faith, God has blessed in unimaginable ways!

If you want to experience the gift of faith, pray and ask God to reveal to you what He wants you to do. The decision that seems the most uncomfortable may just be what God is calling you to do in order to work through you. Trust that God will provide even when you don’t see how He can.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

We have now reached chapter seven of our study of Genesis. It is here that the Antediluvian era on earth comes to an end. The final chapter in world history is starting to close, the chess board appears to be Satan winning and yet God is not done revealing what devastation He is about to unleash. However, today I want to jump to the book of Matthew and examine what Christ says regarding this time era.

Matthew 24:37-39 “But as the days of Noah [were,] so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 “and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Does this not sound strange? Human history is described as eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. There are some pastors that will try to spiritualize this or try to tell you to not take it seriously. I am here today to tell you that we need to examine Jesus’ words with precision.

When we examine the gospels and Jesus’ instructions to literally anyone, we can see one simple but very real lesson. Jesus’ every word is important.

Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

So when Jesus states a sign in Matthew 24:37-39, we need to examine what will be the sign. It cannot be the eating, drinking, marrying, and giving into marriage because that is happening everyday. It cannot be that people are not looking for Christ’s return, because that is happening everyday. So what is it? What is different about Noah’s day that would be indicative of a sign being available for us to recognize and realize the lateness of the hour? Examine verse 38 again, “For as in the days before the flood, they were.” Who is “they”? It is the Nephalem! Daniel, who Jesus quoted only a few verses prior, also identifies this group of “they.” Daniel 2:42-43 “And [as] the toes of the feet [were] partly of iron and partly of clay, [so] the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 “As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.”

They cannot be Muslims, Atheist, bad people, or anything else that is human because of the term, “Seed of men.” Thus, “They” must be something else. Matthew 13 gives us greater details from Jesus regarding the end of the age.

Matthew 13:41-43 “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 “and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The wicked that are captured are in two groups. The second group, “those that practice lawlessness” have a choice, because we have a contrast/comparison group that practice righteousness found in verse 43. The first group is one that “offends” God. Interesting how in Genesis chapter six we learned about this group that was an abomination, which was not part of God’s creation but rather something distorted and created by fallen angels breeding with mankind. It appears that at the end of the tribulation, the Nephalem are back and it appears that they are active again.

Daniel identifies them as mingling with us, but not being part of us. Jesus identifies them as eating, drinking, marrying and giving into marriage. Are the Nephalem among us today? I would encourage you to review Dr. L.A. Marzuli’s work and Prophecy Watchers work on the subject.

Nevertheless, we need to recognize that God is giving us a rather large sign of the times we live in today. And just like at the end of the Antediluvian era, the Church era is coming to an end. We can follow like Noah and be listening to the Lord or we cannot be paying attention. A foreshadow of the rapture is found with Enoch being taken by the Lord prior to all of this, if God were to come back today for His church, would you be one called? Today is the day of salvation, and we do not know the day or the time of Christ’ return for His Church. It is not a secret rapture, it is not something hidden and only a few understand or see it; but something that is rather bold and strong found throughout the Bible to all who are taking God’s Word seriously. Next week we will see how Noah took God’s word seriously and got the animals and his family into the ark and saved our future. Next week we talk about the details of the flood.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our look into The Basics Series. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts Part II

Today we begin our study on the spiritual gifts, and we begin with two gifts that many mistake for one. In fact, when people use the word “wisdom” and “knowledge” in a sentence, it is almost used interchangeably. Even the definition of the two words are similar. Today, wisdom is defined as “the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.” While knowledge is defined as “facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.”

So when looking at these two definitions, how can I say that wisdom and knowledge are two separate aspects? In order to answer that, we need to go back to the original Hebrew definition of these words. For wisdom, the original definition comes from “a primitive root to be wise (in mind) word (H2449) or act, to be skillful (H2451). Proverbs can better help us understand wisdom. Proverbs 1:2-6 “2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.” The beginning of this passage shows the importance of the book of Proverbs, that it is for gaining wisdom and instruction. However, as you read, you can distinguish characteristics of wisdom. Knowing what is right, just, and fair. Help those who are naive, continue to learn, and surround themselves with counsel. Wisdom comes to those who seek the word of God earnestly, Proverbs 2:2-6 “2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— 3 indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” So the gift of wisdom is the understanding of God’s word, as well as the ability to use that understanding to help others.

Knowledge on the other hand comes from “a primitive root; to know (properly to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses…advise, answer, appoint, assuredly be aware, comprehend” H3045. Once again, Proverbs 1 expands upon this definition. “7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7. The word “fear” here is not the word that many of us think today. When we hear the word “fear” we think of the unpleasant emotion and reaction towards something that may harm us. That is not the definition of the word used here. The meaning of “fear” is “morally reverence” H3374. So with that in mind, the beginning of knowledge comes from the moral reverence of the Lord. This means that we can only put the aspects of knowledge (to advise, answer, appoint, assuredly be aware, and comprehend) in place once we understand how great our God is and how incapable we are of measuring up. We receive knowledge when we have seen God’s greatness, mercy, and love. Through our understanding of His attributes are we then able to advise others on the word of God, answer when people question God’s goodness, appoint leadership, be aware of what God’s word is calling for us to do, and comprehend how God can change the individual.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

So often I hear the question of, “How will I know if God is calling me to do BLANK?” Most people attribute this question to specific times in their life, but that would be to their detriment. We should always be seeking to know what God is telling us personally. How do we do this? By walking with the Lord, Noah is a prime example of this. Genesis 6:9b “Noah walked with God.” Ironically, many people (myself included) like to talk about Enoch walking with the Lord, Genesis 5:21a “Enoch walked with God” but Noah did this as well. Both walked with the Lord in the same time when the world was desperately wicked. For the world, evil was constantly on their mind. However, Enoch and Noah walked with God. Now we know that Enoch was raptured, Genesis 5:24 “And Enoch walked with God and He was not, for God took him.” Noah however, was given a command.

Have you ever had God give you a specific command? I am not talking to the deniers nor the doubters, but those who earnestly know what I am talking about. His voice to His sheep is clear and precise. Jesus makes this evidently clear in John 10:3-4 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 “When He puts forth all His own, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” Noah knew this even in his day. The most important verse in chapter six of Genesis is the final verse, Genesis 6:22, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” Without this verse, without Noah walking with the Lord and doing what he was told to do, we die! We have no salvation, we have nothing but eternal damnation. Noah’s obedience allowed for Noah to save his family and all his children’s children. Noah’s obedience allowed for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to be born, for the tribes to be established, and later for salvation to be born of a virgin, the Son of God to be our only hope. Imagine if he said, “Not today, Lord” or “I need personal time?”

Now with that in mind, let’s read Genesis 6:11-22 “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. 13 Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. 14 “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 “This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. 16 “You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. 17 “Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. 18 “But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. 19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 “Of the birds after their kind, and of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. 21 “As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them.” 22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.”

I want to highlight three things for you today.

First: When God talks, shut up. Peter was reminded of this at the mount of transfiguration, Luke 9:35 “Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.”

Second: When God is specific, do it! Imagine if Noah did not do the dimensions of the ship according to what God, the designer of all things told him?

Third: Even if you do not understand why you are doing it, rest assured on God’s Word. Noah must have been the laughingstock to many people, until the flood came. We will talk more about that in a future post.

Our relationship with God is precious, it is not just personal salvation but more! It is God having a relationship with us and the ability for God to use us for great things. These great things are not because you and I are great, but rather the Person who called us to action is great. None of the disciples were great men, but rather they are to this day great because they answered the call. Noah in his day answered the call; examine the book of Hebrews where it is written about Noah, Hebrews 11:7, “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” This can only happen if you are walking with God. Too many Christians today are using God as an app, as a quick two minute study time instead of walking with the Lord. There is no set daily time to this relationship, but rather action of being in relationship with Him. Consider your ways and ask the Lord to answer and see just how quickly He does.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding what prayers of thanksgiving are. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts

There is a common thing amongst Christians that is often quite misunderstood, and that is spiritual gifts. We have all read the lists given to us through Scripture, I am even sure we have taken a few different online quizzes to see which gifts are prevalent in us. There is so much hyper focus to the spiritual gifts we at times fail to think of the best ways to apply what God has given us. Over the next few weeks, we will be going through the lists of spiritual gifts in order to gain a better insight into what they are, this will hopefully allow you to also see which gifts you may have. However, before we get into the gifts it is important to understand a few themes when it comes to the spiritual gifts.

1.) No list of spiritual gifts is complete. Out of the passages that we will be discussing, none of them have the exact same gifts listed. Some of the passages will mention the same gifts but leave out others; or they will add further gifts to those that have already been mentioned. Some gifts will be mentioned multiple times while others will only be mentioned once. This shows that an exhaustive list is not found in scripture.

2.) No gift is greater than the others. Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 12:14-18 that each born again Christian will serve a role within the body of Christ. Our differences do not make some better than others, but allow us to all work towards the goal of representing Christ to the unbelieving world.

3.) Gifts can be presented in different ways. Since each born again believer in Christ is their own unique person, the way they present a spiritual gift may be different than someone else who also shares this gift. While we will discuss this later, I will use the example of teaching. One person who may be gifted in teaching might best use their gift in a classroom, while another might use it to lead a Bible study. Same gift, presented in two different ways.

4.) Each gift is from God and will thus glorify God. Again, Paul makes this theme clear in 1 Corinthians 12:11, “11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” In order for the spiritual gifts to be prevalent, each individual must first accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Spiritual gifts are not works for salvation. They are actions as a result of someone who is actively following after Jesus Christ, an individual’s actions with their gifts will always point back to God.

I hope you are excited as we spend the next couple of weeks going over the different spiritual gifts!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Last week we discussed what was happening during chapter five, fallen Angels having relations with mankind and the creation of the Nephilim. We ended on verse five. Let’s now tackle verse six and what is happening. Genesis 6:6, “So the LORD was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” God knows all things and what is going to happen, Isaiah 46:10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.” The idea that God is sorry implies in the English that God didn’t know it would happen. We know that He knows all things, thus what does “sorry” mean?

The word “sorry” in Hebrew is “naham” which means to console oneself and have pity on the other. God was sad of what He was seeing; even though He knew it would happen, seeing it happen is different. God had pity on the human race, this is supported based on verse seven with God wanting to cleans the world of such evil and give humans another chance, “Then the LORD said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land; mankind, and animals as well, and crawling things, and the birds of the sky. For I am sorry that I have made them.” Genesis 6:7. God sees that the enemy has caused a massive poison to be in the human environment and drastic action is needed. This drastic action is the flood. But why not take everyone out? Was the whole world corrupted? According to verse eight no! “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Genesis 6:8. This verse also supports the idea of the human genetic code being poisoned because Noah, his wife, their children and their spouses are the only ones who are not poisoned with fallen angel genes or who have not rejected God. The word “favor” in Hebrew implies elegance/acceptance. In verse nine additional description of Noah is given as “blameless,” which in Hebrew is “Tamim” which means complete and whole. The ark has one purpose: to take those who had uncorrupted genes and willing to follow God through the flood. So remember that God does mourn; God can be sad, yet God is never surprised by something. There is nothing He did not see coming. He sees everything, period! I challenge you to review the long list of scriptures defining His all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful character and be comforted to know He has it all in control. Yet, even with this in mind, He cares for us on the individual level. Look at verse nine! “These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9

Noah had a relationship with God, they walked together. Some here today need to remember that God is a God of power, all knowing, and present; while others need to remember that He is also a God who cares for us individually. This is what makes God so unique, the ability to be all that at once. It is why Jesus Christ is so magnificent, He is God revealed to us, He was with us on earth, and yet He was holding the earth. What an awesome God we serve! What an awesome God we have who cares for us. Next week we see God’s actions with Noah to save you and I!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A brief look into the book of Nehemiah. Read it HERE!