New Administration, Same God, Same Orders

Today we see the transition of power in the United States of America. This post is not to be political, but God’s Word is at times very political. Today we see what Daniel declared when he prayed for God’s answer to King Nebuchadnezzar’s demand.

Daniel 2:20-23 “Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what [is] in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. 23 “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

As Christians, this is how we should be treating today. Recognize who is truly in control and bless Him. Recognize the times we live in and the seasons we are called to live out our faith. Recognize God removes Kings and raises up Kings. Recognize and ask for Wisdom, which God gives. Understand that His will is higher than our will and know that God is moving in our lives. Look at the last verse of Daniel’s prayer.

Daniel 2:23, “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.” Daniel recognizes that God is in control and no matter what happens, He is clearly listening to the petitions of His people and is actively in our lives no matter how great or small. As we move into a new administration and the world examines the actions of a few leaders, let us remember that it is God who places them in. It is up to us to keep our eyes on Christ, live out our faith, and be about His work. God has given the United States a small window of time to be about His work in a different environment than the last four years. We should not squander it. God has given us each talents to serve the Kingdom and encourage the Church. Let us be about our Lord’s Word.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What is our biggest mission field? Find out HERE!

The Importance of Gifts XI

As we have now come to see, there are many different spiritual gifts. While each spiritual gift is given to the born again believer by the Holy Spirit to be used to glorify God, we have seen that there are some that go hand in hand. For example, earlier in our series we saw that the gifts of healing, miracles, and faith all work together. Without the faith that God can, in His will not ours, provide healing and miracles these gifts would not be able to be performed. Today, we will discuss two other gifts that work together. The gifts of teaching and exhortation.

When you hear the word, “teach” or “teaching” I am sure you envision an individual standing in the front of a room seeking to impart knowledge on others, and this would be exactly right. However, what most believers fail to understand today is that this is not a gift solely given to those who are called to be pastors. This is a gift that needs to be utilized more often by the body of Christ, it is a gift for those who are able to accurately impart the Word of God to others. For example, small group leaders. However, the gift of teaching does not end here. If you are a parent, you need to be praying for the gift of teaching. Our children’s first look into who God is, is through us. If we are unable to accurately teach them about God, we are failing. We cannot rely on Sunday and Wednesday to be the only time our children hear about Jesus Christ, it is something that we need to be teaching them daily.

The second gift that we are discussing today is the gift of exhortation. Exhortation is to exhort and build others up to keep their focus on the Lord. A believer who is practicing exhortation could be seen as someone who is actively using their faith to encourage others in theirs. As a teacher brings a person knowledge, an exhorter encourages the person to the knowledge. The gift of exhortation helps identify true believers. Exhortation is contrary to those who claim with their lips but deny Christ with their actions.

When we are in the presence of a spirit filled Christian who has the gift of teaching, they will naturally be a teacher that is Christ centered teaching other Christians. For a spirit filled believer who has the gift of exhortation we will see them encouraging other believers to stay the course. These two gifts go hand in hand. If we are not taught, we can’t put it into action. If we do not teach, then others will fail to grow. If we do not act, we become spiritually obese and the gospel does not spread. For two gifts that are often overlooked, they provide perhaps the biggest impact in the life of a Christian, which is why we need to be praying for chances to teach others about God’s word, to build up others in their faith, and to put what we have learned into action.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised at the beginning of this series, Genesis is a book of answers. However, at times, those answers can be controversial. Today we are examining one of those. Genesis chapter 11, the Tower of Babel.

As always, God’s Word needs to be taken seriously. That means we can assume it is accurate and that our understanding is what needs to be sharpened and re-examined to make sure it aligns with God’s Word. Chapter 11 is no different, we must take the same approach.

If you ever watch the United Nations summits, you will see that virtually everyone is talking about peace, unity, and some form of togetherness. This call to action is quickly followed by the carrot of global peace. However, the second they walk out of the room, they are at odds with one another. Nevertheless, this brings about a unique question.

What would the world look like if mankind was united?

We need not wonder, but look at God’s Word for a moment in human history and see that exact moment being played out. Let us examine what God commanded Noah and his descendants to do.

Genesis 9:1 “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” God told them to fill the earth. Did Noah’s descendants listen? No they did not.

Genesis 11:1-4 “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake [them] thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [is] in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Now some will read this and immediately say, “Look at these idiots, they believe they could make a tower to get to heaven.” However, this would be an inaccurate statement. How do we know this? Look at the very next two verses. Genesis 11:5-6 “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.”

God is confirming that their idea will work! “Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” In other words, “Together they will accomplish their goal.” So what is it exactly what they were trying to do?

We know that the leader of this group is, Nimrod. Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Genesis 10:8-12 “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that [is] the principal city).”

This we will need to break down and examine. At this point, we know at that mankind is one group. Nimrod is leading them. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, which is where we get the towers name.

Now this is where the English does not do us justice. We might think that Nimrod is a great archery hunter or something. But that is not the meaning here. The Septuagint and the NASB I believe get the closest to the original meaning. Let’s first start with the Septuagint. If you do not know who the Septuagint are, I would encourage you to examine the rich history of Godly men preserving God’s Word for the masses.

Genesis 10:8 “Now Chous became the father of Nebrod. He was the first on earth to be a giant. He was a giant hunter before the Lord God. Therefore they will say, ‘Like Nebrod a giant hunter before the Lord.”

Now the NASB.

Genesis 10:8-9 “Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

Both give us insight into the reality of what what exactly God’s Word is identifying. Nimrod, who was in charge of the first united nation, is in fact pursuing something God just destroyed. The Lord is watching him do it, because Nimrod is hunting before the Lord. Now some might be saying, how is this possible? Or is this taking the text a little too far? Not many Pastors, Bible scholars, and theologians take this stand. And that is ok, because we are taking God’s Word seriously and in doing so, we follow where the text leads us. Examine just a few chapters before this, in chapter 6.

Genesis 6:4 “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore [children] to them. Those [were] the mighty men who [were] of old, men of renown.” I am here today to tell you, that the very first dictator, started off human and was mutated into something that God destroyed in the flood.

Genesis 10:8 “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.” The word “began” is the Hebrew word “Halal” which means to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, and begin. This profanity is done through sexual rituals. I do not know how, but somehow, Nimrod sought after how to make himself into Nephilim. This should scare you! His first act is becoming Nephilim, his second is to make humankind build something to reach heaven to thwart God from scattering them. What does this mean for us today? Does it mean globalism is bad? Does it mean we shouldn’t strive for peace with our national neighbors? Certainly not! But it means that peace truly only comes from Christ. It means that if the world is united under a leader other than Christ, maybe he shouldn’t t be trusted. I am reminded about Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Satan has his own seed. This verse identifies two bloodlines! The first is Satan’s seed, but the final seed is Jesus Christ.

While we might not know the technology behind the Tower of Babel, we would be foolish to believe it was primitive. I believe based on scripture that Genesis 11 events and the construction work happening was based on gene manipulation and quantum physics. That tower was not by length going to make it into Heaven but was going to make it there. This is thought to be impossible until modern known science reveals it is not outside of the impossible. This might sound arbitrary or even absurd, but allow me to explain. If God thought it was silly and their attempts were not going anywhere, why did He find it necessary to act? He had to do something or they were going to succeed! Next week we will dive into the discussion God has and exactly what He does to mankind.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What does the Father have in store for us? Find out HERE!

The Importance of Gifts X

A couple of weeks ago we began our second discussion into the spiritual gifts that are given to born-again believers focusing on the list found in Romans 12:6-13.

"6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to ones faith; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

We began our discussion with a review of the gift of prophecy and how to identify if it is being used correctly. Today, we will be moving on to the gift of service. The idea of service is in a role of support or helping those who need it and this is a gift that can be used inside or outside of the church. For example, I know of a missionary who is not exactly on the "frontlines" their family is not out day by day preaching the gospel as many believe missionaries do. However, their family instead opens up their doors to other missionaries to provide them rest from the challenges that they face. Their home provides the missionaries a place of respite, this family is supporting others who have been called to preach the gospel. While not something that many would think of, this is a much needed act of service that allows the spread of the gospel.

A Biblical example of this gift is found in Acts 6:2-5.

"2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch."

While the gift of service may not be one of the "flashy" gifts that we commonly think of, it is very much an important and needed spiritual gift. So while this gift might be one that is overlooked, ask yourself if there is an area in your church or in your community that you can serve in order to spread the gospel.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A WEEK WITH PURPOSE

This week the United States will mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Today I am not here to talk about his actions as president, but rather call all Christians to remember that our leadership (no matter the nation you live in) is human and in need of our prayers. There are some who act more Biblically than others, while some will face God’s wrath and eternal judgment. However, that should not stop us from doing what God has called us as born again believers to do, which is pray for our nations leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” Many this week will be talking about the funeral, take the moment to be purposeful and see where the conversation leads. If you see the opportunity to talk about the Gospel do so! Likewise pray for the leadership of your nation. We as believers need to give grace to our leaders and see that they are still human and in need of a savior. Praying for them is more powerful than you might know.

This does not mean that God will not examine leadership according to what they do and how they act! Psalms 47:8 “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.” Some might laugh at this, but there is a coming day when this will be done literally and quite clearly, even in the face of the critic. For God promises that He will rule with an iron scepter. Nevertheless, now is the time of grace and an opportunity for us to be purposeful in others lives and talk about the things of God. Pray for the leadership of your nation and pray they become saved and/or grow in their sanctification. Only Jesus is perfect, all others need the Church to be praying for their salvation and sanctification. Use this week’s events to proclaim the good news of Jesus and pray for those chosen by God to rule your nation.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What type of Bible prophecy student are you? Find out HERE!

Ringing In 2025

2024 is officially over, and 2025 is beginning. For many 2024 was a year of challenges, and 2025 will hardly be any different. So how can we as born-again believers in Jesus Christ start this new year off in a way that is glorifying Him? The answer is very simple, and that is prayer. So today I am going to give a short list of things that I believe we as the body of Christ need to be praying for in this brand new beginning.

1.) Pray for Israel. While there are some so called churches out there who wish to deny that God still has a plan for His nation, the Bible is clear that He is not done with Israel. The church has not replaced Israel and they are in need of our prayer this year. “3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:3.

2.) Pray for our pastors. Shepherding a flock is no easy task, and we see many so called pastors renouncing the faith. We need to be praying that those who are caring and ministering to our brothers and sisters in Christ remain strong in their faith and are able to guide those in their church to seek fully after God.

3.) Pray for our leaders. God places those who He desires to be in charge. This is true from our national leaders to our bosses, if they are in a position of authority it is because God desires it. We need to be praying that they seek God for wisdom in how to lead. “2 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

4.) Pray for our families. God’s design for the family is under attack, we need to be praying that those who are born again believers guide their families Biblically.

5.) Pray that our walk with Christ grows. There is no doubt in my mind that this next year will be even busier than the last. However, we cannot allow our walk with Christ to slip. We need to be praying that God shows us His word clearly, that we seek His guidance above all else, and that we keep our focus upon Him. “20 My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 They are not to escape from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, And healing to all their body.”.

I pray that this next year for you all is a wonderful one in which you grow deeper in your walk with Christ. But I pray that this next year shows the world what the power of prayer can do.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

While we are going through the book of Genesis, there are several key passages that all point to Jesus’s first coming, commonly known as Christmas. However, there is an application for us who live post first coming that we should take very seriously. We need to recognize the importance of the first coming in relation to trusting that Jesus will come again. Christmas is a declaration of the promises of Jesus are certain. Isaiah 7:14 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." This promise is an impossibility, however with God we see that all things are possible. We see that this promise is something that not only came true but was witnessedby many. Furthermore, Jesus makes a promise to the Church today that seems like an impossibility. He promises that one day He will take the Church to be where He is with the Father in Heaven. 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.” There are countless other promises made of Jesus’ first coming that He fulfills, even things outside of Christmas and with the Passover, crucifixion, burial land, and resurrection. Why do we not take His promises seriously about His future actions? Jesus makes promises of the Rapture, and He makes promises of the Second Coming.

I would encourage you to examine all the promises of Jesus and those promises made by Jesus, and see just how many of them have been fulfilled. Alarmingly you will find out that Jesus has many more promises to keep that He Himself has made. If you do not know where to start, examine Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” Now examine where in the future this will take place? I will give you a hint, look at Revelation 20.

Finally, I want to encourage you to seek the Lord’s Words with earnestness and hold Him to the fire with what He has said. If Christmas was Him keeping His promises of His first coming, let us start acting like He will keep His promises for the future. 2025 can be the year we put our focus on where it should be, on Jesus Christ. To all the readers, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the power that prayer has for followers of Jesus Christ. Read it HERE!

Promises of Christmas

Many today are turning to the gospels to see the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. While this is a wonderful thing to do, did you know that the New Testament is not the only place that discusses the birth of the Son of God? Today, I want to take a moment to go over some of the Old Testament verses that point to the birth of the Messiah.

If you have been following along in our study of Genesis, you should not be surprised to see that the Messiah was predicted all the way at the beginning of the Bible. Recently we had discussed how the Messiah would come from a descendant of Shem, but even before that we had discussed God’s word to Eve and the serpent after the fall. “15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15. This verse shows that the savior of the world would be born of a virgin. Basic biology shows that woman does not have seed, this aspect for life must come from a man. So by stating that God will put enmity between the serpent and the seed of woman we are already being shown the virgin birth described in Luke 1:34-35, “34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

The Old Testament also declares that the Messiah would come from the line of David, “16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:16. The linage of Jesus shows this to be true in Matthew 1:1-17.

The Old Testament also shows that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem,“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2. This was answered in Luke 2:1-7 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

However, today I don’t want to just show how God’s word is truthful in showing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but also to remind all who follow Him that His promises are not done. We see from the Old Testament to the New Testament that God’s word is 100% accurate, if the promises regarding the birth of the Messiah can be held as true then so can the promises that He will come again for those who place their faith in Him.

“16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.” Revelation 1:7

“27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28

These verses are just a sample of those found to show that God’s Word is true not only in the birth of Jesus but also in the promises to come.

Merry Christmas,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised we are talking about Shem’s descendants and the incredible work that had to be put in place for Jesus to come to earth in His first coming!

Reading the account of Luke, we see that Shem’s decedent would be the savior of the world. Ironically, Shem’s father, Noah, had saved the world by being an obedient servant and following the Lord’s instructions. Shem’s decedent, Jesus, was also obedient to follow the Heavenly Father’s instruction and save humanity from their sin. Now what does this mean for our study in Genesis? And what does this mean for the Christmas season we are currently in?

First, when we follow God’s direction, we might not see the residual effects of us obeying and acting out in faith. Noah nor Shem saw Jesus Christ’s birth!  However, both trusted the Lord and acted upon the Ark as seen. Does Shem know the significance behind his actions? Certainly not. Nevertheless, their actions do not seem short sighted when you examine them across the grander scale. The author of Hebrews actually identifies Noah as a man of righteousness because of this! 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.”

As for Christmas, what does this mean? It means we can take God’s Word seriously! Not just in study, but in our own personal actions. While Jesus will not be a decedent of you or I, we are a decedent of Him! Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [are] Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This is no small price for this adoption and new birth! We are adopted into Christ’s family because of the mechanism put in place by God Himself called Calvary. We are born again as the direct result of that mechanism identifying us as adopted. This might sound tricky, confusing, or even double speak, but rest assured it is not.

You see, Christ had to be born and be 100% man and keep His divinity, He was still 100% God as the same time. Christmas is the celebration of that intertwined symbol orchestrated for all of humanity. Noah’s son, Shem, and his decedents we can directly link to Christmas. We could not be adopted otherwise! Without Christ being human and living a perfect life, we could not be adopted. Now what about born again? Simply, being born again is not possible unless the Holy Spirt is granted access to those who are adopted into the family of God. Light living in man once again, this is the born again process. This process being called sanctification will continue until we are rescued from our earthly bodies.

Finally, this means that as you study God’s Word, look for the residual effects that have brought about cataclysmic and earth moving events. With this in mind, I hope you will realize that our actions are louder than our very lives. Our actions will proceed past us well after we are dead and with the Lord. Thus like Noah and Shem, we need to be laser focused on keeping God’s Word in our lives relevant and applicable. Next week we will discuss why Christmas is huge to understanding Jesus’s Second coming!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Looking back at our Basics series. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts IX

If you have been following along, you will remember that we have been discussing the different gifts that are given to born-again believers from the Holy Spirit. We spent a few weeks discussing the ones found in 1 Corinthians 12, while these are the most talked about spiritual gifts they are not the only ones. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be focusing on Romans 12 to see how Scripture defines these spiritual gifts. The list of gifts that we will be studying can be found in Romans 12:6-13.

“6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

Right away we see that the gifts are defined as something that is given to us by the Holy Spirit, but this also adds on that we are to use these gifts properly. In order to do that, we need to understand the root definition of these gifts. This is to prevent anyone from using their gifts in a way that was not designed by the Holy Spirit. After all, we have already discussed in our posts on the gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12 that the gifts are to bring glory to God. “11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one part, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired.”

With that out of the way, let us look into the first gift that is mentioned. “6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith;” Romans 12:6. In our previous posts, we have already discussed the gift of prophecy but it is important to refresh on some key points.

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.

It is no mistake that the gift of prophecy is discussed twice, it is one of the most commonly abused and misunderstood gifts of the spirit. However, by understanding these key points, we are able to identify who is using the gift of prophecy correctly or incorrectly. However, where Romans 12 differs from 1 Corinthians is the context that the gift of prophecy is to be used in proportion to our faith. This is to say that if the Holy Spirit calls us to tell an individual, a group, or a church something; we need to trust that God will give us the words and the strength to stand on Him. “19 But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour.” Matthew 10: 19. While this verse is referencing an individual brought before governors or kings (Matthew 10:18) it shows how we are to use the gift of prophecy in accordance with our faith. The gifts come from God and so we must trust that God will see it completed, we only need to follow His guidance.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Today I want to briefly go over something that needs to be addressed. Genesis 10:32 is a summary verse. This verse is designed to connect the entire witness account of how mankind went from being one people pre-flood; to different ethnic groups, languages, and nations post flood. Genesis 10:32 “These [were] the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.” As you might have noticed, Shem’s descendants have not been listed out yet. This is by design by the author, Moses, through the direction of the Holy Spirit. We know from Genesis chapter 4 that Seth will have a descendent that is special. We know from Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 that Satan does not want any descendent from Adam to be special and to arrive. This is due to God promising Satan’s doom through mankind. Moses is identifying and highlighting the importance of Shem’s descendants by providing them after the tower Babel in their own unique discussion. Many people fail to realize that chapters 10 and 11 detail the accounts of humanity growing. Through this account we will see God identify and call one man from them to be the father of a great nation. This father would come from the line of Shem! Next week we will take a quick pause and review thousands of years later the ultimate climax of Shem’s descendants. Next week we discuss the forshadowing of a birth, the bloodline that would rescue us, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords arriving humbly in a manger. Next week we talk about Christmas!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What stands in the way of prayer? Read it HERE!

Pray for the Christians in Syria

Most of you are already aware of the Geo-political changes that have occurred in the nation of Syria. Syria, which was already a place of Christian persecution, is now growing worse. Today’s post is to remind you that we need to be praying for our brothers and sisters in Syria. The body of Christ should be looking after one another and that even means with prayer for those who we have not met in person. Pray for the followers of Jesus in Syria. Pray they can keep their faith strong and stand for Christ and that Christ would protect them. Collisions 4:2 states, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Now is not the time for us to be silent, but praying for the believers who are in danger.

Sincerely,

Mill House Ministries Staff

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Last week we went into the importance of Genesis 10 and how students of the Bible should not be just glossing over parts of scripture because it appears to be “filler”. Today, I want to identify one highlight of chapter 10 that is directly tied to world events today.

Genesis 10:5 “From these the coastland [peoples] of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.”

Here we see that God has ordained something that is vital for humans to understand. God created world peace, man destroyed that. God separated mankind into their people groups. All one race, all from Noah and further back Adam. However, God in His awesomeness made man diverse in appearance. All are equal, all come from the same origin of one couple Adam and Eve, thus sin is in all of us. Men and women need Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22-24 “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”

However, outside of salvation, God has done something marvelous, He made mankind different. This seperation is drafted in verse five of Genesis 10. God first identifies that there are no Jews as of yet. Mankind is separated into their lands. Man has been given specific tracks of land to each family group. If mankind would only recognize this, there would be no war. Mankind does not need globalism, mankind needs nationalism designed and utilized as Christ ordained it. God used language to slow globalism’s march within humanity. This higharchy of seperation is the formula for the creation of something within the study of anthropology. God first starts with the land, then language, then family, and thus creating nation. The word Nation is “Goy” in Hebrew which means ethnic groups outside of Jews. Ethnic groups are created through the influence of land, language or culture, families, and hereditary traits that when pooled together create ethnicity.

God’s word allows us to see how God in His all knowing and all power, brought about the ethnic celebration that is infused into creation. This ethnic design will be prevalent even after the Rapture in Humanity that is in Heaven. Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

They are in Heaven which is a new location for mankind to be in. They are singing in one language a new song. There is cultural identity with Christ as well as belonging and focus. They are something new, they are a new creation, set aside for the Son of God. Paul emphasizes this with Galatians 3:28 “There is no longer Jew or Gentile… For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This does not mean they are not unknowing of their history, they recognize in their song their history of where they each have individually come from, “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” However, this provides the foundation for something grander.

Next week we will go over another highlight from this section of scripture and show how God is an amazing designer and does nothing by accident.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the importance of Ecclesiastes. Read it HERE!