UNEXPECTED CHANGE

Let me first apologize to our faithful followers and readers who have been with us here at Mill House Ministries these past months. We apologies for the lateness of the post, but want to fill you in on the journey we have taken this week. As typical Monday’s are when we post our topical or book study. We had intended to start a new series regarding Psalm 32 and the richness of what God has to say. However, the more we studied, the more we saw there is a much larger and unexpected study that we will need to jump in with this and other psalms who share a unique bond! While we prepare for such a study, I ask for your prayers, (this study is more than I could have ever thought it would be).

Yet, this does not mean we will be doing a lesser study, but rather one designated by God. We here at Mill House Ministries do not write blogs/posts for posting sake, but rather when we have learned something that we want to help share in our pursuit of the mission that Mill House Ministries was started for. When there is any doubt, we will wait. Sometimes it is better to wait and see what the Lord has to say to you.

As we prepare for next week’s post, please keep us in prayer and know that the Lord is actively moving! The rest of this week’s scheduled postings will continue as expected Lord willing.

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This RE-POST FRIDAY brings back the conclusion to our study in Philippians. Read it HERE!

WARNINGS (VI)

We have come to the close of our study of the “warning” passages found in the book of Hebrews. By now we should be able to see that those who are wishing to turn away from their faith in Jesus Christ, even for a little while, will not remain unpunished. The Jewish Christians that this book was written to were contemplating returning to Judaism to escape the persecution that was facing them. We have seen that the author was warning the believers that if they turned away from following Jesus so as not to be persecuted they would be inherently declaring that Jesus Christ was not the Messiah and would be subjugated to the coming wrath. This wrath would ultimately come by the hands of the Roman Empire.

For us today, we aren’t facing a decision to turn back into Judaism but instead we face a decision on if we will return to what the world offers. The persecution of Christians has been going on all around for some time, unfortunately for the American Christians we are now beginning to feel that strain and for some it may be tempting to fold under fire and state that our faith in Jesus Christ is wrong and going against what the Bible says. While the persecution of followers of Jesus will not end until Jesus Christ returns as King, this final “warning” should give some encouragement to hold fast to Jesus Christ and not this world.

“25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:25-29

The “warning” in this passage begins in verses 25-26, “25 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns us from heaven. 26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” ” We have seen time and time again throughout this study that the Israelites lost their faith in God’s promises for them. We have seen the examples given in Numbers 14 regarding the Promised Land and we know the outcome for doubting God’s promises. The Israelites had refused Him, they did not believe that He could help them conquer the enemies that were in the Promise Land and so that generation was unable to receive His rest. Today, we face the same issues when it comes to persecution. We doubt that God is able to protect us, we believe that unless He removes us completely from the situation then He is not with us. This is far from the truth, if you read the book of Job you will see that God allowed Job to go through the trials, the pain and suffering, and the deaths of his children. All of this was done in an attempt by Satan to prove that Job was not righteous and would blame God for his issues. By the end of the book, you will see that Job was instead blessed for holding to God and received greater than what he had before. This can be said of us today, we are going to face hard times as the persecution of Christians intensifies. However, we will receive greater than what we have here. This promise can be seen in verses 27-28.

” 27 This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;”

God is going to shake things up. This is done to remove those things that can be shaken, and is a reference to removing the professing “Christian” from the true born-again believer. The Rapture of the Church will be the first global “shake up” that God will do, “for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. Yet, this will not be His last, God will separate those at the end of the Tribulation who are believers and those who are just acting, “31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:31-33.

God will do whatever it takes to get a person to finally accept Him as their savior. It is why things will get worse, to open the eyes of those who are stubborn. Yet for those who are already professing Christians, we need to stand firm in our faith unless we be rooted out and found to be fake. In the coming days, we will see the true members of the Body of Christ remain while those who only profess to be a part of the Church will drift away. Verse 28 holds the encouragement for Christians to remain steadfast in faith in Jesus Christ despite the trials to come. We will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, “9 And the Lord will be King over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.” Zechariah 14:9. When God comes back to reign physically on earth, all nations will have to recognize Him, “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” Psalm 86:9 and “10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:10-22. God’s kingdom is eternal and if we hold to Him, we will be able to enter this Promise Land.

I do want to draw your attention to a comment made in verse 28, “28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let’s show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;” While we will receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, this does not mean that we should take our relationship with Christ lightly. It has been the underlining theme of all the “warning” passages. Too often we hear people refer to God as, “My main man” or “the big guy upstairs” these “titles” are not giving the God who created heaven and earth the reverence He deserves. God is not your “buddy” He is Holy, a God of Justice and Truth. God is the same today as He was in the Old Testament, this includes a God of wrath who will not tolerate sin. It is why the author ends the “warning” passages with a reminder of who God is. “29 for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29. 

I hope this series has been a blessing to you as it has me. As the times get tough know that we have a God who cares for us deeply. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, a person who has asked Jesus to come into your life and save you, I would encourage you to seek Him first now more than ever before. If you are unsure if you are saved or know you are not, we never know how much time we have here on this earth and I would encourage you to seek the Lord and ask Him into your life. If you have questions please reach out to us here at Mill House Ministries. Finally, for those who are saved, now is the time our faith will be tested beyond what we can personally handle, allow God’s strength, peace, and joy to wash over you as we see the day approaching of our blessed hope. 

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Instruction for 2021 and Future Believers; A Study on Psalm 32 (1)

It was the British Prime Minister Lloyd-George during World War I who once said, “When the chariot of humanity gets stuck nothing will lift it out except great preaching that goes straight to the mind and heart. There is nothing in this case that will save the world but what was once called, ‘the foolishness of preaching.’” I believe the Prime Minister was partially correct. Rather than preaching, there is only one thing that can cause humanity to reorient itself back onto the straight and narrow, which is nothing more than the Word of God. It is through the power of God’s own inspired work that we are able to be crafted from something worthless to something priceless. Only in Jesus can we go from being meaningless to meaningful, it is so simple that many call it foolishness even though Christ openly mocked those who would identify His work as such! “Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” 1 Corinthians 1:20. I believe it is paramount that as believers, we refocus upon our fundamentals of the faith and become what we were truly called to be, a flawless practitioner of the Word of God. 

This is the calling of the Christian during 2021 and into the years to come. We can no longer sit on the side of history and allow man to play this game without knowing the truth of what is eternally at stake. Our savior Jesus Christ mandated this at the end of His earthly ministry and commissioned us to proclaim the gospel and disciple those who would be willing, “18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20. 

With this in mind, I want to devote some time to a psalm from King David proclaiming and outlining the gospel message. Why might you ask? It is apparent that the world is growing darker and nations continue to pursue a Romans 1:18-32 outline. This is unfortunate, but foreseen and prophesied by God. We now must pray for our nations, but continue to turn our attention, focus, and energy to the task we were given by Christ in Matthew 28. Today we start a study over Psalm 32, this is the first of the “Maskil” Psalms. Maskil means “giving instruction.” A subtle hint to the treasure for the reader who has wisdom and discernment. A treasure to the believer in 2021 who is seeking the Lord behind every word found in each verse of the Bible. 

Unfortunately, we know that the majority of born again believers currently do not have wisdom nor understand of what they are reading when they sit down. How can they? If your only devotional is through a daily Bible verse app or inspirational quotes from a pastor, how are you ever to grow in the Lord? In 2 Peter 2:18b, Peter describes those who are barely saved, who are scriptural illiterate tend to be the most vulnerable to deception, “they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error.” It is ok for every Christian at one point in their spiritual life to be a baby, a person who is in need of constant help, guidance, and instruction by other more mature Christians (I do not mean age but spiritual maturity) yet, it is not ok to stay at this state. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 depicts this very thing, “1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual [people] but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able [to receive it,] and even now you are still not able.” We must take ownership of our own spiritual walk and seek the Lord as He would have us do. By now you might be wondering why are we talking about spiritual wisdom in the Bible when the topic is of Psalm 32? Or you might be wondering what does Psalms, a book in the Old Testament, have to do with salvation? These are all unique questions which need to be answered immediately. Psalm 32 provides the 2021 Christian with a wonderful snap shot of the need for us to request wisdom from our Heavenly Father and understand His salvation plan from the very beginning has been that man be saved through faith and not of his own works. Abraham, who lived in the Old Testament, was indeed as much a believer as anyone in the New Testament and after. He was saved through faith that one day His savior, Jesus Christ, would come and die for his sins. His faith is the same as mine and hopefully yours. We have faith in Jesus Christ’s’ actions previously done with the forethought to those who were yet not living. Psalm 32 helps identify the salvation within stages of the instantaneous moment that a person is being sealed by Jesus Christ. While we might not know the stages we have gone through, with wisdom we can learn what Christ is faithful to complete in us. This is why Psalm 32 must be studied under the guise of wisdom and what Maskil truly means. 

As previously stated, I want you the reader to take your time and read ahead and study God’s Word for yourself. Take some time and read Psalm 32 and see the wonderful uniqueness within the stages of the psalm. I would encourage you to find the other Maskil Psalms and see what God has written to us. 

“Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [Whose] sin [is] covered. 2 Blessed [is] the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit [there is] no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. 7 You [are] my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 10 Many sorrows [shall be] to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all [you] upright in heart!” Psalm 32.

Next week we will continue our study into this amazing psalm and see just how wisdom parallels the title and what this means for us today. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming.

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

This week’s RE-POST FRIDAY is a reminder for this generation from the book of Jude. Read it HERE!

WARNINGS (V)

We are now over halfway through our series on the “warning” passages found in the book of Hebrews. We have seen how they play on one another, the first warning is found in Hebrews 2:1-4 and is a warning not to drift away from the faith or slip into old ways in hopes of avoiding persecution. The second “warning” is to not doubt the Word of God and is found in Hebrews 3:7-19, this warning refers to not doubting the promises that are found in the Word of God. The third warning was discussed last week but can be found in Hebrews 5:11-6:3, this warning is about becoming dull towards the Word. Many have treated their relationship with God as something that needs to be checked off of their list of things to do, they are not actively spending time studying His Word and therefore cannot allow the Holy Spirit to work through them. This week we are discussing the fourth “warning” which is found in Hebrews 10:26-31.

“26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

When someone has begun to drift from the Word, they then begin to doubt it, which in turn leads to becoming dull to the Word. Once someone has become dull to the Word, they then begin to despise it. In the passage above, we see that the warning comes with the word “deliberately” found in Hebrews 10:26. When a person has begun to despise the Word, they act on it by deliberately sinning. It is an attitude of repeated sinning with no measure of repentance to it. As Christians, we will sin because we still have our sin nature. What makes us different from the rest of the world is the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, when we sin the Holy Spirit will convict us until we turn to God with a contrite heart.

For the person who has begun to despise the Word, this act of coming before God with a contrite heart never comes. In fact, they continue to sin despite causing grief to the Holy Spirit. As believers, we are called to not grieve the Holy Spirit, “30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 but a person who has come to despise the Word does not obey this, so what is the result of deliberate disobedience to the Word of God? The answer comes in verse 27-28.

“27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

But why would God offer such a “harsh” punishment on those who deliberately kept on sinning? It is because that person is taking the sacrifice of Jesus and treating it as if it meant nothing. “29 How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29. It is an unholy thing to cheapen the sacrifice that Jesus made to save the whole world, and the act of deliberate disobedience insults that sacrifice. For example, for the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to, to return to Judaism would be the equivalent of saying that they were wrong in stating that Jesus was the Son of God. For us today, we are making the same act whenever we compromise with this world. If we go along with ideas like that there are multiple ways to heaven, we are denying when Jesus says, “6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6. In short, we are turning God into a lair which is a characteristic that He does not and cannot have.

For the Christian who is despising the Word and denying the actions found in the Word, they can expect one thing. “30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:30-31. We have seen throughout our study on the “warnings” that the history of Israel is filled with how they turned away from God and His chastising of them. Because God is a God who does not change, He will still correct those of His who stray away. This is the major theme with the “warning” passages and throughout Hebrews. It is asking how you will respond to what God says. We have already seen examples of God chastising His people in previous posts and His chastising is the main subject found in Hebrews 12. However, just because God is chastising someone, does not mean that they lose their salvation. This does not make the matter of His chastising any less though and ultimately we all have to deal with the consequences of deliberate sin. 

For example, look at King David. He knew what the Word said regarding adultery and yet he still followed through with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11) this act of deliberate disregard to the Scriptures resulted in David losing his child and for his house to be filled with violence even though David came to later ask for forgiveness for his sin. God forgave David for his sin, but there were still consequences for deliberate disobedience (2 Samuel 12-7-15). 

For those who are believers who have begun to drift, doubt, become dull, and disregard the Word of the Lord, I encourage you to be like King David. Turn from your sin, ask for forgiveness and mercy. There is no act greater than what Jesus Christ has already done to rejoin a sinful world to a holy God, but by asking for forgiveness and turning from your sin, God will have mercy on you, even as He is chastising you.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE

Today I must confess that I was planning on writing on something entirely different, yet I believe this discussion needs to happen. Today I want to give relationship advice to those who are already saved. That’s right, I want to directly talk to only believers, people who have been born again and are saved by having faith in Jesus Christ. There are many of us who have been looking for something that we already have!

Right now Christians all around the world are struggling to find solid ground in their life. It is as if we have left our foundation in Jesus Christ, and have gone into the world seeking for an alternative. For many this is exactly what has happened. They seek solace, comfort, and security in political figures, nations and even false religions all in the attempt to find answers. Answers for something they already have an answer to. James wrote, “what is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.” James 4:1-2a. Why is this? It is because born again believers are not being actively dependent on the Lord. We are having a religious affair, we have placed someone higher than God in our lives. What a shame! 

Many claim that God is silent and does not answer our prayers, however are we seeking what is right or what will fulfill our wrong intentions? Once again James in chapter 4 states, “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?” James 4:2b-4. I believe this strikes at the very soul of our issues today. Some have turned God into an app to be used when needed for a short duration, while others have all together abandoned God. 

American Bible Society found that “In 2019, over one-third of American adults (35%) said that realistically they never use the Bible outside of a large church service or mass. In January, that number was statistically unchanged. However, by June of 2020, that proportion had fallen to 31%. Additionally, many Scripture engaged adults were finding it difficult to maintain their relationship with the Bible. The proportion of Americans who use the Bible daily also fell to fewer than one in ten (9%), the lowest number on record during the ten years of the State of the Bible research study.” Reports are surfacing that they believe over 50% of those who did read their Bible prior to 2020, will no longer read their Bible by 2021. I will be frank with you, I do not believe all these people were born again, rather individuals who were practicing religion and not having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. John writes about this in 1 John 2:18-19, “18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but [they went out] that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” 

However, these statistics do have some overall reflection of those who are born again. We have left our first love for something that is foreign. We seek alternative truths rather than keeping our eyes set on who is coming. We need identify that our relationship with Jesus Christ is hurt. Thankfully, Jesus is mightier than anything those of us who are saved can mess up. He is capable of restoring such a deviated Christian. Yet, while our relationship is not beyond repair, our authenticity and capacity to be used by Christ in a positive nature is in danger. The first thing we need to do is repent and ask the Lord to heal our relationship (not create, but heal what is permanently there) and we need to seek what He says. His Word is your only true source of truth! You and I need to be in communion with other brothers and sisters in the body of Christ! We need to seek God first in all things we do at the start of each day! It is interesting that Lamentations 3:22-23 states, “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” His mercy is new each morning, so let us match His mercy with a desire each morning to be with the individual who loves us more than we could possibly imagine. Great is His faithfulness! Let it not be wasted on a wretch like you and I! Let us seek His face first thing everyday! Then as the day progresses and life happens, we can reflect back on what Jesus Christ said to us earlier that very day!

I am so very glad that many of you are walking in the truth of God’s Word and His commandments, and I am encouraged by those who have stayed the course. However, I believe we are in need of guarding ourselves from idols and things that can ensnare us from keeping our attention on our beloved Jesus Christ. 

I want to end today not as a rebuke, but as a warning to those who are believers and are straying from the Lord. Turn back for Christ loves you enough to do what is necessary in order to have you seek Him again. A Shepherd will break the leg of a lamb that continues to run away and into danger. While the leg is healing, the Shepherd will carry the little lamb and take care of the lamb. This will continue until the lamb’s leg is healed, for rest of its life the lamb will never leave the side of the Shepherd and where he goes, the lamb goes. Us as believers need to recognize who is our good Shepherd and not follow after false hope. 

For those who have abandoned the faith and have sought after the world, let me implore you to find Christ! For He is the only salvation of this current world. This term salvation has a dual meaning, first it means for salvation of the soul; to have someone have a spirit of life inside (which is only a born again believer). But it also means salvation from this world. Only in Christ can you find salvation to escape what is coming for this world. Without Jesus Christ your hope is in nothing solid nor in anything tangible. This world cannot give perfection, only in Jesus Christ can you be declared righteous and escape what is coming.

If you have never received Jesus Christ, I would thank you for reading this today and encourage you to seek Jesus. He not only loves you, but has intentionally placed the craziness in this world to wake you up to the need of having Him in your life. He is the hope that never fails, He is the love that continues, and He is the comfort when all else is past. He is the what every person deep down inside knows they need. Being “good enough” is impossible, you can only be perfect but that perfection is found in only one person, Jesus Christ. Christ calls to everyone, “behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20. Ask Jesus to come into your life, ask for Him to save you, and watch how quickly He comes rushing with open arms to embrace you! If you have any questions please contact us here at MHMinistries@millhouseministries.com We would love to help answer your questions. 

Remember, while the world looks like it is falling into chaos, this is the not so gentle push by God to wake us up to His soon snatching of His Church.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming.

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

Take a page from Paul’s book and see how we can find joy in tribulation! Click HERE!

WARNINGS (IV)

Do you remember how as a child you wanted so badly to grow up? Daydreaming of the day when you would be able to drive, have your own money to buy whatever you wanted, and to move out of your family home into one of your own? This desire to grow is one that is systematically important in society. If any of you have children, you are aware of the doctors asking you how your child is doing, what milestones they have reached, and where your child is on the height and weight for their age. But while the capability of growing is an important one for us physically, it is even more so spiritually. Once we become saved we naturally should desire to grow in our understanding of the Lord and what His plan is. However, the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to were wanting to do the exact opposite. They were sliding backwards into old issues, and many of us today face the same struggle. This is where our third “warning” passage from Hebrews comes from.

“11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. 6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.” Hebrews 5:11-6:3

As mentioned before, the Jewish Christians that the book of Hebrews was written to were in danger of abandoning the faith in favor of sliding back into Jewish customs to avoid persecution. In doing so, these Christians not only began to abandon the Word of God, but also began to doubt it. The book of Hebrews was written so that they would not repeat the mistakes of the past, like when their forefathers began to doubt the Word when facing the inhabitants of Canaan which caused them to wander the desert for forty years. The author of Hebrews wished to encourage the readers by reminding them of the past so that they could grow and look to the future. But because these Christians were already beginning to drift from the faith, they also began to doubt God’s Word, and when they began to doubt they became dull to the Word.

This is a fate we all risk when we are not actively studying God’s Word. I say actively for a reason, our time with the Lord can not be merely opening an app and spending a couple minutes on it. It cannot even be solely based on our church service. The Bible must be read intensely for us to better understand it. When my husband and I were planning our wedding, we were in a situation where the only way we could plan was through letters. In fact, this was the major form of communication that we had for most of our engagement. I can assure you that when I received a letter from him I read it when there was no distractions, it was through those letters I got to know my soon to be husband better. This is the only example that I can give to show the intensity that we need to read our Bibles, we cannot do it when we are distracted or else the meanings are lost and the Bible, our letters from God, becomes dull and meaningless.

That is the main emphasis to the third “warning” passage in Hebrews, to not become dull to the Word but to continue to grow in our knowledge of the Word. The writer of Hebrews wished to share more of God, but couldn’t. Not because they wouldn’t understand it, but because they had become dull to the Word. “11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” These Jewish Christians became apathetic to the Word and became lazy in their desire to understand it. They first began to drift (Hebrews 2:1-4) then began to doubt (Hebrews 3:7-4:13) and as such they became unable to receive the Word of God for what it was and were unable to act on it, meaning they were unable to grow in their spiritual life. As a side note, the exact opposite of this attitude can be found in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.” The Christians here received the Word of God for what it was, God’s letters to us, and as such they became inspired to listen to the Word and allow it to work through them.

But what else does being dull to the Word mean? Well for starters it means that you lose the ability to share the Word. “12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.” Hebrews 5:12a By the time the book of Hebrews was written, the Jewish Christians should have been able to teach others the Word of God but because they were not actively studying it they were unable to share. While not everyone is not called to be a pastor, we should all have the ability to teach others how to follow Christ. We should be able to share with others what we have learned in our Bible studies and be able to answer questions. This goes back to the Great Commission that we have all been given. “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20.

Instead of being teachers of the Word, the Jewish Christians were instead needing “baby food” watered down passages to nourish for a little while, not real substance that would not only nourish but also allow them to grow. “You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. ” Hebrews 5:12b-13. This timeline of growth is exemplified in the life of the disciples who needed Jesus Christ to feed them “milk” at times rather than “meat” due to their spiritual immaturity. Later these disciples were able to carry on and, through the Holy Spirit, give “solid food” to the Church. The author of Hebrews wanted to show how Christ fulfilled the priestly order of Melchizedek but because they were dull to the Word, they would not understand it. They needed to be taught the basics yet again because they were not allowing the Holy Spirit to teach them. Just as a child cannot survive on milk alone, we cannot grow in the Lord if we are repeatedly needing to relearn the basics. For those of us who are parents, we are charged with teaching our children. “18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21. If we cannot answer our children’s questions about the Bible how can we expect them to have an understanding of God and what He has done and is doing for us? If we do not live Biblical lives how do we expect our children to act righteously and follow God?

In verse 13, the author of Hebrews makes a note that they are unskillful in using the Word but what exactly does this mean? It means that they lacked discernment, they would listen to anyone and did not have the knowledge to fact check what they were being told to the Bible. They were not being like the Bereans, “11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 From our earlier verse regarding those in Thessalonica we see that it is not just enough to receive the Word for what it is, written from God, but to also examine the Word to be sure that what they are being taught is held up in the Scriptures.

So how do we avoid becoming dull to the Word? By pressing on and moving toward spiritual maturity, “6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.” Hebrews 6:1-3 We are all called to spiritual progress, if we are not moving forward in our understanding then we are backsliding. As a Christian we are never at a standstill, we are either moving forward or backwards, and if we are moving backwards we are vulnerable to the influence of the world.

We see in this passage that the author writes six foundational truths that all Christians must have. The first two are repentance and faith, these have to do with our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is only when a person recognizes that they are a sinner and wishes to turn away from it that they are able to place their faith in Jesus Christ. The third and fourth truths are baptisms and laying on of hands. These are events that are characteristic to Christians meeting together, baptisms are our identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection while laying on of hands is the act of prayer. For our spiritual growth we need to be surrounding ourselves with other believers. The last two truths are resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement, both of which deal directly with what every person will have to go through one day. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament are verses regarding resurrection and judgement, whether it is witnessing a resurrection like Lazerous, John 11:38-44, or the Great White Throne Judgement in Revelation 20:11-15, the Bible is filled with examples regarding these types of events. These six foundational truths all lead up to result of moving forward in faith, spiritual maturity.

We are all called to grow in the Word as this “warning” passage shows, and it is also amplified in James 1:22-24, “22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.” When we become dull to the Word of God, we do not act on His Word. This causes us to become deceived about what the Word of God says. But when we study the Word of God intently, then we can grow and continue on and be blessed. It is why we must be in continuous evaluation of our lives in light of scripture. It is how we can see any issues we have and make the changes necessary. “18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18. 

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

IN WHAT TIME ARE WE IN? (IV)

I want to quickly wrap up what we have been studying this week wrap up quickly what we have been studying this week and highlight the majesty of our Lord and Savior. Undoubtedly, there are many right now who are worried, scared, and depressed with 2021. The future so far looks pretty grim, we see pastors completely ignore the subject, others make jokes of it, while some have taken their entire ministry into analyzing the references of the antichrist. However, today I want to speak to you as my brothers and sisters in Christ. For if you are in Christ, “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. This should be encouraging to us! Our God has not forgotten us but has rather embraced us all the more in times of trouble likes these. We need to remember what Paul said in Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” We need to understand that when the world will call us to claim what is good by their standards, we are instead to claim what is good by God’s standards. “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality” Romans 12:9-13.

You see God has clearly outlined to us that while we are on this earth, we need to be about His business. We are His ambassadors. We are never to payback evil for evil towards anyone. We are to, if at all possible, live at peace with all men. We are not to take revenge! With the persecution going on and the worsening of this world many might be tempted to take out revenge, do not be one of those. This does not mean there will not be a day of reckoning. For why would Christ call us to repentance if not for the escaping of wrath? There is a day of justified wrath that will come. That day will not be by your hand nor by mine, but by the Lord Himself! “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” Romans 12:19. We as believers must remember that we will be labeled, identified, and treated as the enemy, as those who have persecuted the innocent. The Roman Emperor Nero set fire to the city of Rome and blamed it on the Christians for political support to persecute them. The political system of the time targeted believers, today we see the same weaponization by some. 

However, I want to identify a trap! A mirage of peace and safety that believers should not follow. This is of the Laodicea church. Over the next months and years, you will see “churches” that have bought into the lies. They will conform to the world, and will be rewarded by the world for doing so. They will say “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” Revelation 3:17. These so called churches will pander to the cancel culture and ideology of the world. Do not conform to them, stay the course and inline with what the Word of God says. Jesus has already judged such churches and will “spit” them out of His mouth as described in Revelation 3:16. The icons in the church community have already started down this path, many who are so called “champions of the faith” are no more than paper mache for the fires of an angry righteous God. That’s right! There are many who are labeled leaders of the faith who are not born again, these wolves in sheep’s clothing need to be identified and left to their own devices. You might have realized I did not say, “dealt with” that is because in the Lord’s own unique timeline those individuals will have their day of judgement. We are to keep to the Word of God and seek Him first. For those who are believers in Christ, who are of the true Church, we have a song to which we will one day sing, “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.” Revelation 5:9-10. I am very eager to stand before the Lord and bless His name! For Jesus Christ is worthy to be praised and worshiped, no other name in heaven, on earth or under the earth is capable of such worship. He lived a perfect life, He died for our sins and has risen to sit on the right hand of God as our intercession. Now you might be wondering, what does this mean for us living who are born again? We tend to forget that Jesus Christ is also the God who shut the lion’s mouth with Daniel, or designed the very Ark needed to save humanity, or His healing power to transform the lives of Moses, David, Peter and Paul. We have a God who is very much with us. I would encourage you to read the book of Revelation and see that Jesus actually walks in the Churches! He is active in His Churches! 

So while the signs of the Tribulation are coming close, it is not yet that time. We are still in the Church age and need to treat it as such! We are in the final hours of this age and we need to recognize that this is our GAME DAY to which we need to be actively playing our part, listening to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as He directs the calls and plays and heck even blocks for us. So the next time you are wondering what time we are living in, just remember that if the Rapture hasn’t happened, you are in the Church age. This age is designed for us to be about our Father’s work, this age has an expiration date which is getting very close, and yet while we do our Father’s work we need to be looking up for our snatching away is coming ever closer. 

Until that time remember we hold until relieved, we hold until we are told to “come up here” which is our Blessed Hope! 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

A reminder on the lesson we can learn from Jeremiah. Click HERE!

WARNINGS (III)

Last week we continued to see the consequences of drifting from the faith as well as the resulting discipline of God. We saw that God does not allow His children to rebel against Him. Today we will continue with the warning passages in Hebrews and look at the second warning. Our passages today will be Hebrews 3:7-3:16, but before we get into the warning passage I want to take a look back so we understand the background of these passages.

The author of Hebrews begins the second warning passage with a quote from Psalm 95, “7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As on the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 Where your fathers put Me to the test, And saw My works for forty years. 10 Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways’; 11 As I swore in My anger, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:7-11. The actual Psalm is a reference back to Numbers 14 when the Jews had been brought out of Egypt and into the desert. They were removed from their slavery in Egypt but many began to doubt God’s promise about the Promised Land in Canaan. In doing so they began to drift from their faith in what God would do. They had witnessed God parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14), when they complained about the bitter water at Marah God provided fresh water (Exodus 15), when they complained about hunger God provided Manna and meat for them (Exodus 16), and yet they still doubted the Word of God and His promises for them. They were on the brink of the Promised Land when they sent out spies into the land of Canaan, these spies came back and stated “27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.” Numbers 13:27-28. 

It is here that the Israelites began to drift from the Word, all but two men did not believe that God would put this land into their hands. They had heard that the land was good but feared the inhabitants there and despite the encouragement from Joshua and Caleb that, “8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” Numbers 14:8-9 the Israelites chose to doubt God rather than believe in His promises and so they wandered in the desert for forty years never finding the rest that God had for them.

Now I want to make a quick note here, many people have tried using the reference to Psalm 95 as a passage about losing your salvation, this is simply not the case. The Bible is clear that once you accept Jesus Christ nothing can separate you from Him, not even your own doubting of His promises. “28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:28-30 Further proof that this is not a passage about losing salvation is in the fact that Moses appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration. “2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.” Mark 9:2-4, if Moses’ doubting heart had caused him to lose his salvation then he would not have been there at the Mount of Transfiguration. What this reference back to Numbers 13-14 does do is to first shows us that God does not wish for us to remain in bondage, like the Israelites were in Egypt, but if we doubt Him and His promises, we do not receive the rest He offers.

Second, the reference gives us an understanding of the background to the warning that is then provided in Hebrews 3:12-13, “12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” This warning can be grouped into two admonitions.

  The first is to take care, or in some translations take heed. When the Israelites were making their way to Canaan many began to doubt what God’s plan for them was, they believed that He brought them out of Egypt just to kill them in the desert and so they wanted to return to Egypt. This is similar to what the author of Hebrews was warning against, there were Christian Jews who wished to return to Judaism to avoid persecution, and for us today who might be wishing to compromise with this world in order to have an easier time we face the same consequences. If we try to compromise with this world we lose our position as a spiritual representative of the household of God, meaning we lose our capacity to be an accurate witness for God if we are still following the ways of this world. Again this does not mean that we lose our salvation, but if we compromise with the world we are not accurately representing God to those around us. For those who have compromised, it raises the question of if they were saved or not, “19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be evident that they all are not of us.” 1 John 2:19. It is possible that someone is wandering much like the Israelites were and that God will one day chastise them and bring them back, but there is the real possibility that someone who has compromised with this world is someone who never really belonged to God in the first place. One of the best ways for the true believers of Christ to be identified is in how they handle trials and tribulations. For those who do not belong to Christ, when they are facing persecution they will return to the world because that is where their heart truly lies. For the believer facing persecution, “3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4. For the believer when we face persecution it causes us to dive deeper into the Word (perseverance), which then allows us to have a better knowledge of the Word (character), this knowledge leads to better understanding of the promises that God has for us (hope).

The second admonition in this warning is a heart problem. The hearts of the Israelites had drifted away from God (the first warning) which then caused them to doubt his Word that He would bring them into Canaan. Because they doubted Him, they hardened their hearts. This happens to us today when we do not spend time studying God’s Word, being in prayer, and being around other believers. We begin to drift and when we drift we harden our hearts against the Word of God. Our faith in the living Savior does not remove us from God chastising us as discussed last week. Even though Jesus is interceding for us, we do not have an excuse to sin for we are told, “for it is written ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:16. This also does not mean that a Christian will not have to deal with the consequences of a sinful choice. Christians at times have thought God to be the “fun police” who goes out of His way to make sure we have no fun in this world. In actuality God is concerned with our choices and actions that can cause irreversible harm to us. By being active in our life, He is daily proving His love and care for us. It is why He has given us His word, so that we know right from wrong. The book of Proverbs provides great wisdom in that aspect.

While believers who rebel against God’s Word do not lose their salvation, they do miss out on an important aspect of His blessings. In Hebrews we see the reference to what a doubting believer is missing, they miss His rest. In times of difficulty and persecution this could also be described as missing His peace. To have “an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12b leads the individual to not finding the rest that God offers. For the Israelites, their doubting hearts caused them to miss out on the Promised Land and they spent the rest of their years wandering in the desert. For us today, if we doubt God’s promises for us it is easy to fall into despair with how this world is going. We believe that God has forgotten us and His promises, I want to assure you that this is not the case! Lean on Him and you will most assuredly find rest, “28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. So I ask you to reflect on your heart, are you more like the Israelites who doubted God’s promises and therefore hardened your heart against God, or are you like Joshua and Caleb who encouraged the Israelites to move forward into the Promised Land?

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

IN WHAT TIME ARE WE IN?

I am so excited to write today’s post! 

It is of no surprise that for many, 2020 was discouraging. Looked at quickly one might mistakenly have thought that God had forgotten His Church this year or that the Tribulation had started. Nevertheless, that is why I am writing this series, to hopefully draw the reader to two things. First, understanding that they need Jesus Christ to save them, and second that we have not been forgotten and placed in the Tribulation. Our decisions need to be based on knowing what time we live in, that is why this series is titled the way it is. 

Last week I asked you to read 1 Thessalonians 5 and Revelation 3:14-22. These two parts will help address the current issues Christians and so called Christians find themselves in. 

Starting first with 1 Thessalonians 5. 

We need to cut this chapter up into smaller bites. Remember, the Thessalonians were worried about those who were Christians who had died. Yet, Paul was comforting them, that is why we have chapter 4:13-18. But here in chapter 5, Paul is wanting to them to better understand what was being stated in the previous chapter.  “1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

We would know the times and seasons. While the Bible gives no sign of when the Rapture would happen, it gives plenty of signs of when the Tribulation would start. The “Times and Season” is key. If we study the Book of Revelation, which God commands us to and also blesses us when we do, we can see a description of the coming world. This world is starting to be reflected in what we see now. Thus, the “Times and Season” of the Tribulation is coming and if we know that the Tribulation is near, but we who are in the Church cannot be here for it, we can assume that the Rapture is near. 

Yet, Paul continues to give signs in regards to the coming of the Tribulation. 

 “3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3

The word “Escape” here is the Greek word “Ekpheugo” which comes from two Greek words meaning, “to be taken from one location to another location so as not to be a part of the former locations time.” In other words, Paul is saying here that those who are saying “Peace and Safety” will in fact not be part of the Rapture. 

For those who believe that the Church is to go through the Tribulation, there is a Greek word for escaping which means “to go through and endure”. That word is “EKPHERO” which is not used by Paul here. 

“But you!” What an incredible statement, but us who are saved, us who are the Church, us who are living in the times we are living in now! We are being called by Paul to have our attention on something else. 

“4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others [do,] but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and [as] a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Paul is calling us to understand the times we are living in and telling us what to do. We are not to be living in darkness. That means not living as the world is living. We are to be separate from what they are doing and keeping our eyes on Jesus Christ. 

We need to break this down even further, in verse 8 Paul says something vitally important, “let us who are of the day” and then “putting on the breast plate of faith and love, and [as] a helmet the hope of salvation” must be reviewed. When Paul states, “let us who are of the day” he is saying that these instructions are for believers to do. He is not saying this is to be done by those who are not saved. But what is it that we as believers are to do? We are to put on the breast plate of faith and love. This might sound like a different breastplate than that of Ephesians 6, but that would be wrong. “For Abraham had faith which was accredited to him as righteousness, “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” Genesis 15:6. You see, this breastplate is of righteousness, but that righteousness comes from faith in Jesus Christ and the love of Him bestowing on us His righteousness. Why is Paul saying to do this? He is wanting to remind the believer that you have faith that He has saved you from your sin, now have faith in Him with regards to the Rapture. Paul confirms this idea with a helmet of the hope of salvation. This doesn’t mean hope like “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” But rather the knowledge and assurance of His salvation to resurrect those who have fallen asleep (aka died) and those who are living now to all be caught up in the clouds and to live with Jesus Christ forever more. 

You might be asking yourself why would God do this? Paul immediately goes into answering this. 

“9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9

How marvelous and how awesome is the Lord Jesus to give us such a blessing of hope! It is why Titus 2:11-15 is so important for us who are alive right now to remember. When 2021 gets worse (which it will) we need to keep our eyes solely focused on what it should be, which is on Jesus Christ. Now the SO WHAT FACTOR needs to be addressed. We need to review the issue of what time are we living in and what are we to be doing. Paul immediately answers this as well. 

 “11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 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. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you [is] faithful, who also will do [it.] 25 Brethren, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you. Amen.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11-28

What an instruction from Paul! Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul thought this was so important for Christians to know that he charged them to make sure the letter was read to all believers. What does this mean? It means this might as well have been written to you and I right now from Paul! We need to take it seriously. 

Nevertheless, we are not done! We need to now jump to Revelation 3:14-22 and see what Jesus Christ Himself is saying. 

While today we are not studying the specific chapters of the Church age it should be noted that Jesus Christ had 7 letters sent out to John to go to seven different and unique churches. The churches were real churches all in that time. It was not until history would progress that we would realize that each church was a specific age representation of what would be happening for the most part in Churches around the world. While each Church type can be found at anytime in these chapters of history, the predominant amount of churches represented the churches signified in that timeframe. For instance many today (myself included) believe we are living in the chapter of Laodicea, this is the last stage of the of the Church age. Here we see that Jesus has severe warning to the Church. 

 14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the originator of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:14-16

Many have taken these verses out of context, saying that if you are hot you are good and if you are cold you are bad. These people would say that these verses signify their closeness to God. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. What Jesus is saying here is that you are neither cold nor hot. Cold water can help refresh, while hot water can help strengthen and heal. Each temperature has its own uniqueness, especially in the ancient days. If you had water that was lukewarm you have water that is basically useless. That is why Jesus wished they were one or the other. Laodicea was known for having cold and hot water thus this proved to hit close at home. Like lukewarm water, they were useless to God. 

Unfortunately, they did not even know it.

“17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- 18 ‘I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 ‘As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.’” Revelation 3:17-19

He has described the 21st century church, Jesus is calling out to the mass majority (not all but most) to repent. However, Jesus takes the discussion to an even more stunning direction by indicating that the churches are not actually saved. 

 “20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

Here Jesus makes one statement with two ironic meanings. The first meaning is, Jesus is at the door of every person’s heart asking to come in. For those who accept Jesus as the Son of God and ask for forgiveness, He will come into their hearts. However, He is also giving a not so subtle hint to another promise. For us to know this promise, we need to understand what was said in Revelation 3:10 and Revelation 4:1. Jesus promises those who are His that they will not go through the Tribulation, it is why Revelation 3:10 states, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Yes, this is once again another Rapture verse. Jesus is saying that the Church will not go through what is coming. However, we can also read of that happening in Revelation 4:1, “After these things I looked, and behold, a door [standing] open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard [was] like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” John was allowed to witness the Rapture happening and write about it. Jesus is standing at the door! But what door? There is a door in heaven which will be opened and Jesus Christ will shout out to those who are alive on the earth. You might be asking yourself, “How does this help me right now?” Well it proves Revelation 3:20. If we invite Jesus into our lives now, He will invite us to dine with Him later! 

 “20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

This is a promise to those alive today! Jesus is warning the so called church to wake up, receive His salvation, and seek His soon return. While we are waiting for Him to come for us, He encourages us to stay the course. 

“21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Revelation 3:21-22

This just like Paul at the end of Thessalonians chapter 5, it is a bold declaration for those living in today’s world to listen up and recognize the times we are in so that we can get ready for His return. In order to do this, we have to be proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

While we are not yet done with this study, I could not wait for this post. How exciting is it knowing that our Lord and Savior could at any day take us home! But how exciting to see the Word of God coming to fruition right before our eyes! We are literally seeing the stage being set for the Tribulation. This shouldn’t scare the believer in Jesus, if we trust Him to save us from our sin then why are we not trusting Him to save us from what is to come? This does not mean we are to be saved outside of current tribulation and struggle, but rather we are to be saved from God’s seven years of wrath on the earth. We might be persecuted and we might be martyred for Christ, but let us continue to press forward for the faith! We need now more than ever as believers to meet with one another, in person, to encourage each other as the Bible says we must. 

Next week we will be wrapping up our series as we look at the final aspects to which we need to understand for the times we are living in. We will see what has God commanded us to do, no matter what the world would say to do. 

I hope this week’s post has been a blessing for you! If you are confused by anything that was said today, please do not hesitate to ask. We at Mill House Ministries are very much open to help walk any person through any post and/or other questions about Jesus Christ. If you do not know Him, I would implore you to know Him right now. For we do not know how much longer we have on this earth and cannot add a day, hour, or minute to our life. I do not want you to lose the chance of an eternal life with Jesus Christ. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

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WARNINGS (II)

This week we begin our study on the “warnings” found in Hebrews. We discussed that the “warnings” were written to born-again believers and not to those who merely professed to be Christians. We know that the book of Hebrews was written to born-again Jewish Christians based on two scripture verses found in the book. “3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” Hebrews 3:1. When the author refers to the reader as “holy brothers and sisters” he is stating that the reader has accepted Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. “10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” Hebrews 10:10, the author is acknowledging that the reader and himself all share in act of sanctification through Jesus. As discussed last week, these warnings are not written to scare the believers, but instead to encourage them to hold fast to the Blessed Hope that is Jesus Christ. I encourage you to go back and read the introduction to this lesson if you have not already, click here.

Today we begin with the first of these “warnings” which can be found in Hebrews 2:1-4. 

“2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

The actual warning can be found in Hebrews 2:1, “2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” First, I want to point out the use of the word “therefore”. The author of Hebrews is using this term to draw a conclusion from Hebrews Chapter 1. If you have not read this chapter, I encourage you to because Hebrews Chapter 1 shows how Jesus is greater than both prophets and angels.

During the time Hebrews was written, Christians were facing persecution from the Roman Empire and as such were tempted to return to Judaism. They were tempted to drift away from the faith. This is something that we have faced last year with the closing of churches and it is something that we will continue to face as we draw close to the end of the Church Age. We will face many hardships while here on earth and it will be tempting to slip into what the world deems as “okay”, it may seem that if we can only avoid persecution for a little while then we can come back and be a better Christian for it. And so the first “warning” is encouraging the believer to hold fast to the faith. This idea can be classified as a positive motivation, and the Bible is filled with these. “16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16, “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?” While these verses are great and provide much hope, we tend to get so focused on the loving aspect of God that we forget that He is also the Judge of the world. We forget the God will not sit idly by and allow His children to rebel against Him. But the Bible is filled with many negative motivations as well. These negative motivations are designed to show what happens when you ignore God’s Word and act against it. There are many comparative verses in the Bible, verses that depict a positive motivation, to come to Christ, and then will show a negative motivation as well. Just look at Matthew 11:28-30 and Matthew 5:29-30. One set depicts that God’s burden is light and in Him we will find rest, while the other shows that if there is an aspect that causes you to sin you need to cut it off. Or again look at Galatians 5:16 and Galatians 6:7. One verse shows that if you walk by the Spirit than you will not fall into fleshly desires and the other verse shows that God is not oblivious to the doings of man and man will reap what they sow.

However, the warning here shows us that this is not the case. If we drift back into this world, we will drift away from Christ.

This idea of a positive and negative motivation is also found in the “warnings” in Hebrews. These “warnings” provide a clear example of what happens when we ignore what we have been taught and “drift away”. This is a reminder that is again found throughout scripture, look at 1 Corinthians 10. This chapter is dedicated to reminding the readers that many were under the cloud of fire that was God, many passed through the Red Sea, many were baptized and ate the spiritual food, and yet many found death in the wilderness because they disobeyed the Word of God. “6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” 1 Corinthians 10:6

With the example of 1 Corinthians 10:6, we see that the individuals who fell in the desert did so because they desired evil things. They did not follow the Lord and began to drift away from what He desired. The danger of drifting from the faith is that we then allow sinful nature to take its course. When we drift from the faith we are neglecting our salvation. This does not mean that we lose our salvation, if that was the case then Moses, Aaron, and Peter all would have, but it does mean that if we drift from the faith we open ourselves up to the consequences our sinful desires led us to. “19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil,” Hebrews 6:19. When we neglect our salvation by not doing our Bible studies, spending time in prayer, or meeting with other believers we begin to drift away from the faith. The anchor of God’s Word does not move, we do. When we drift from Him, God will continue to speak to us and when needed He will chasten us. 

Hebrews 2:2 references how the Word that was spoken through angels proved to be unalterable, with every violation and act of disobedience receiving a judgment. This is a reference back to the ordinances that were given to the people in Exodus 21. When you read through these, you see that for every action there was a reaction, often this was a physical punishment or even death. For example, “12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.” Exodus 21:12. 

Hebrews 2:3-4 continues to states that “3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, 4 God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” In his book, Be Confident, Warren W. Wiersbe describes the consequence to drifting from the faith this way. “During the Old Testament days, people who did not heed the Word were sometimes punished. That Word was given through angels, so how much greater responsibility do we have today who have received the Word from the Son of God! In Hebrews 2:2, ‘transgression’ refers to sins of commission, while ‘disobedience’ suggests sins of omission.”

Many believers today believe that just because they are “under grace” that they will never be chastised by God. That is simply not true! When we neglect our faith by failing to study God’s Word, be in prayer, and spend time with other believers we are drifting from the faith. We do not know what God is saying because we are not listening to Him! We have received the Word from the Son of God and through apostolic miracles (Hebrews 2:4), we have been given the WHOLE of God’s Word, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” Luke 12:48b. We have the completed works of God but by not spending time with Him we neglect our faith and begin to drift. It is easy to get caught up in this world, especially when we are facing persecution. In these times we need to remember that our salvation was bought at a great price, it holds great promises and blessings. To neglect it only leads to chastisement and risks punishment in this world. Hal Lindsey once warned fellow believers, “You do not want to be taken to the Holy wood shed by God yet, when you are taken there because you will, repent and as quickly as possible get back where He wants you.” Remember this first Hebrews warning comes from the betterment of a Heavenly Father who knowingly has our best interests at heart. What we might think is right could actually be devastatingly wrong.  

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

IN WHAT TIME ARE WE IN?

As we stated last week our desire is to have a better understanding of the age which we are currently living in, and what we as believers in Jesus Christ are to do.

It is vital that we understand what time frame we are living in, without such knowledge we are left speculating. Most Christians today will fall into three camps. The first group is clueless of the times we are living in and have decided to place their head in the sand. The second group believes we have entered the Tribulation and are preparing for the struggle against the Antichrist. The final group recognizes the lateness of the hour of the Church age and knows the Tribulation is coming, but is not yet here. I believe this third and final group is the Biblically sound group. You might have noticed that I did not say the most popular group. Indeed this third group is ridiculed, harassed, and verbally abused by the first two as well as the world for their holding to scriptural integrity.  

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must look at scripture to see what we are to do in the days, times, and seasons we live in. 1 Thessalonians 4 helps highlight this. Verse 1, “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.” The word “exhort” here is the Greek word Parakaleo, which means “to call to or for”. The word actually comes from combining two Greek words, Para which means “to be beside or together”, while the second word is Kaleo means “to call and invite them in as a guest”. Paul, through action, is representing to us what we should be doing. He is charging us, commissioning us, and bestowing a responsibility upon us to follow in the instructions that have been given. 

What are these instructions? Verses 2-12, “For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord [is] the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects [this] does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. 9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and [that] you may lack nothing.” Paul is wanting us to live a life according to the commandments that have been given. He wants us to live Godly lives, without turmoil with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Many people have misinterpreted verses 10-11 and believe that it means that Christians need to live in peace with the outside world. However, if we as believers are living in peace with the outside world than we have a huge problem. Jesus Christ said Himself that if you are of Him you would be hated by the World, John 15:18-25. 

By now you might be asking, “Why do we need to know this?” Or, “What does this have to do with the time we are living in?” The significance of this is that Paul is describing to Timothy and fellow believers what they ought to be doing. No where do you see Paul describe preparation in dealing with the Antichrist or the False Prophet, but rather Paul prepares the reader to deal with issues within the Church itself. This is vital for us to understand as we look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, we will understand Paul’s reasoning for writing to them about living holy lives rather than fighting off the Antichrist. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul brings about one of the most precious portions of scripture for those of us who are alive today. “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive [and] remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” What an encouragement! What exciting news we have! One day be it dead or alive, we who are believers in Jesus Christ will be a part of the Rapture! You might be wondering where the word RAPTURE is found. You would have to read a Latin Bible to find the actual word in scripture, in English we translate the word into “being caught up”. 
Now why is this important for us to know? Paul wants the believers to know that the Rapture has not yet happened, he wants them to know that they are to encourage one another with these words and live according to verses 2-12. At the current time of me writing this post, the Rapture has not happened and we are still living during the Church Age. If that is still true by the time you read this than you should not be prepping to fight the Antichrist, but rather seeking to live peaceful lives with our fellow brothers and sisters and proclaim the Good News of Christ to anyone who is willing to listen. 

This in no way signifies that we are going to live in peaceful days with no tribulation. Our Lord Jesus warned us of tribulation in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” While on the island of Patmos, John was instructed by Jesus Christ, through His revelation, to write down guidance to those who are living in the end times. The times that we are currently living in and the times to come. Yet, before we can understand Jesus Christ’s instruction to us given in the Book of Revelation, we need to understand the foundation of which the revelation is structured. Revelation Chapter 1, describes the power and importance of Jesus Christ. However, we are interested in analyzing verse 19. “Therefore write the things which you have seen. And the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” This verse outlines what the entire book is written in. First, John is describing what he had seen in verses 1-18, than he writes the letters that he is instructed to write to the Churches. This is where we are now, and after the letters John writes about what will happen. Just like in any book, if you start reading halfway through you are destined to assume something that is inherently wrong because you do not have all the information. 

Nevertheless, we are not done. In 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, Paul has shown us that we are to live for Christ with holiness. He tells us to expect the rapture, he tells us to exhort one another, and to continue the pursuance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For us to understand this guidance in our current age within the Book of Revelation, we had to understand the outline that it was written in. We can now go deeper in His Word and see what else we can understand during our present age. Revelation chapter 1 has so much more to offer those who are willing to study it. REMEMBER the Book of Revelation is the only book that the reader is told they will receive a blessing for reading. 

For next week please read 1 Thessalonians 5 and Revelation 3:14-22. Our study is only beginning, this series is designed to be done in accordance with the homework as well as consecutively. Remember, a painting is made with many brush strokes, and a Bible series will likewise take hours of study and meditation on the Word of God for us to understand what Jesus is wanting to teach us. 

While we might be seeing the Tribulation starting to take shape, it has not yet started. Imagine being on the Super bowl field. You see the crowds start to take their seats, you see the lights turning on, and you see the teams stretching. But has the game started? Of course not! Not until kick off, not until the whistle is blown and the football is launched to the other side. In the same way the Tribulation has not started yet, we are still here and that means we need to know the season we live in so that we can act accordingly. 

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

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WARNINGS

There was a time in the distant past when believers were tempted to go back into Judaism in order to escape persecution. Judaism was a recognized religion under Roman law, but Christianity was not. Due to the persecution the budding church faced, some believed that they could avoid this persecution by going back to Judaism for a time and then after the persecution was over they would return to Jesus Christ. To help encourage these second-generation believers, those who had come to know Christ after He had been crucified and rose again, the Book of Hebrews was written. This book is filled with multiple reasons for the believer to hold strong to the faith, including showing that Jesus Christ is greater than the angels (Hebrews 1:6), greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:3), He is our High Priest (Hebrews 5:6), and His sacrifice is sufficient (Hebrews 10:10). However, the Book of Hebrews is not just filled with encouraging verses to the believer to remind them of how great our God is. In fact, there are a few verses that can be described as “warnings” to the believer. It is these “warnings” that we will be studying in the next few weeks.

Among other things, the Book of Hebrews is a book of evaluation.  At the time it was written, it encouraged those Jewish Christians to examine Judaism and Christianity. When comparing the actions of Jesus Christ against the legalistic Judaism, the Jewish Christians saw that what Jesus Christ offered was better and His promises were eternal and gave us a perfect standing before God. Other sacrifices, obeying the law, or the Levitical priesthood cannot offer this perfect standing, it cannot offer a once and for all redemption. Today, we face a similar choice. Do we continue to hold to Jesus Christ and His eternal promises? Or do we slip into what the world offers, which only promises eternal death? If we are not continuing to grow in the Lord by being in His Word daily, we forget His teachings and will begin to slide backwards. This is not saying we lose our salvation, but you cannot stand still in your faith. You must be moving forward. This is why the “warning” passages were written.

First, I want to clarify something, these so-called “warnings” are not exactly warnings at all. Instead they are an exhortation or encouragement to trust God and listen to His Word. “22 Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.” Hebrews 13:22. These warnings encourage us to trust God and show the spiritual consequences that will happen if we do not.

The warnings were not written to scare the believers, instead they were written to remind the believer that we have encouragement in Jesus Christ. “18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to hold firmly to the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:18. Nor were they written as an indicator of genuine belief. These warnings were written to born-again believers, not “professors” of the faith. If they were written to unsaved individuals then the warnings would have not meaning because these people were already not listening to God. Therefore, the warnings were not written to make you believe that you could lose your salvation. This would go against what is taught numerous times throughout the Bible. “13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13, “28 and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”” John 10:28-30, and again in Romans 8:37-39, “37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Over the next couple of weeks we will go through these “warnings”, to see that we have encouragement in Jesus Christ and to hold fast to Him and the eternal promises that He has given those who believe in Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

IN WHAT TIME ARE WE IN?

Part I

New Year and a New series! 

Today I wanted to draw your attention to a critical issue to which 2021 will cause Christians to confront. This critical issue can be illustrated in one question. 

“In what time are we in?”

This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer if you do not have a solid foundation in the Bible. Without such a foundation, you might be tempted to believe what some so called pastors are saying, or even what the media is saying. If you listened to the world, you would be led astray from what the Word of God has to say. This is why we need to be like the Christians in Berea, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examine the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11. 2020 shocked the Christian world by revealing how few in the Church are actually studying the Word of God. Many Bible scholars claimed the church had entered into the seven years of Tribulation. Others claimed the seal judgements had been opened early. Many of these scholars are the same ones who have claimed that the Kingdom needed to come prior to Jesus Christ coming back. They drift like leaves in the wind with their theories and personal agenda’s. Some prophesied that Christ gave them revelation, which ironically matched up with the headlines from the day prior and as the news changed, so did what God “told” them. Needless to say, 2020 was the year the Church was shown to not be Spiritually ready for what is coming. It was one reason why Mill House Ministries was started. We wanted to help believers as in Titus 2:11-15.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. 15 These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you.”

As we see 2021 beginning, I believe it will bring about more speculation that we are in the Tribulation and dread by those who are not solid in their Biblical knowledge. Let me be crystal clear, I am not saying that we are not close. The Rapture (which we will be discussing) is imminent, but the signs of the Tribulation are right at our door. Yet, as we start into a new year I find the all too familiar sense we need to understand the time we are in vs the time we are not in. This will drastically change our decision making process by knowing where we are in human history and where we stand with Jesus Christ. Our study is founded in two different passages which I will ask you to read over the next few weeks. Our first part will be 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and Revelation chapter 1. I believe I am being called to go even deeper with those who are willing, and thus will be assigning reading material in preparation for what we will be discussing in the coming weeks. 

As we go through our passages, take time and see what God might be attempting to teach you. I wanted to keep this week shorter because of the depth we are going into next. Nevertheless, I do not want to leave you empty handed. If there was anything I could tell you immediately about 2021 it is from the words of Peter in 1 Peter 5:6-9, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world.”
Remember, no matter where you are in the world, no matter the current issues or struggles, we have a God who is ever-present and able to help us. He is present, but so is the enemy, wishing to attack and make us stumble. So as we move into 2021, keep what Peter says in mind, humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, allow Him to exalt us in His timing, and cast all anxiety onto Him who can handle it. We do this BECAUSE GOD CARES FOR US! So let us get the dust off of our Bibles and get ready for one exciting year. 
If you haven’t yet done so, feel free to subscribe to Mill House Ministries. It is not only free, but unlocks a whole bunch of extra content to help you stay connected and get more out of what we are trying to do here with the Ministry. I will end on this, during this next week while you are reading 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and Revelation chapter 1, I would encourage you to also pray that the Lord will show you what you need to see and I would ask you to pray for us here at Mill House Ministries.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY!

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