The Basics: A Brief Overview of Proverbs
If you want to know a book that has all the lessons to life…seek no further!
The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.
The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.
Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.
These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.
Introduction
Who wrote it
When did they write it
Key topics
Key sections
Books that interact with each other
Analysis of the Book
As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.
BASICS COURSE:
Proverbs
INTRODUCTION:
If the Bible is God’s Word, than Proverbs is His “How To Manual.” The book of Proverbs is a collection of works orchestrated by God for any scenarios a person might find themselves in. It is God’s written evidence to those who are saved that He is truly our Heavenly Father who wants what is best for us.
WHO WROTE IT:
There are several authors from Kings, to royal officials. The book of Proverbs is a collection of individual works at different moments in time.
WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:
According to Chuck Swindol “The composition of Proverbs remains one of the most difficult questions about the book. Its strong association with Solomon means most of its contents were completed prior to his death in 931 BC. Clearly the book stayed in the southern kingdom of Judah, as Hezekiah’s men compiled more of Solomon’s proverbs in Proverbs 25-29. This indicates that the book was likely in its final form sometime before the end of Hezekiah’s reign in 686 BC.[1]“
KEY TOPICS:
The book of Proverbs shows the reader several topics. Including society, government, Religion, prophecy, Prophets, man, woman, children, family issues, promises, war, God, love, sex, femininity, single parenthood, antisemitism, and the rights to self defense. The book of Proverbs also includes topics like Jesus Christ, revelation, Satan, and judgment.
KEY SECTIONS:
Due to each chapter is in itself its own unique and separate study, the book of Proverbs should not be sectioned as other books but rather in chapters.
BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:
While the authors can be identified in other books of the Bible, the unique aspect of the book of Proverbs is its foundational aptitude as a stand alone book. One might make an argument that the lessons found in Proverbs are also reflected throughout the whole Bible. This does not argue for the interaction of Proverbs with other books, but rather the justification of it being in the cannon.
ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:
No other book of the Bible is written in such a way that the reader is instantly established in the presence of the Maker of the universe to have Him teach us how to live. Proverbs is even designed for daily reading with 31 chapters a day. Scholars have confirmed that individuals who study Proverbs, daily in coordination with reading/studying the rest of their daily scripture verses, are more apt to recognize, understand, and utilize wisdom and discernment; where others fail. Dr. Chuck Swindoll even went on to say, “Proverbs accomplishes something no other biblical book does: it simply compiles numerous short instructions for living an effective life on earth. While other books articulate profound theological truths, lengthy narratives of triumph and failure, or prophetic preaching to a disobedient people, Proverbs concerns itself completely with instructing people in the path of wisdom. The writers of the book recognized the varied circumstances of a person’s life and provided principles to apply in a variety of situations rather than instructions to follow in only a few specific instances.” If you are a parent and you do not know where to start raising your child(en), look to Proverbs. If you want to start a business, run for office, lead an organization, or simply understand the meaning to life, Proverbs is instrumental. We would be amiss if we did not however give you two verses that are the keys to understanding all of Proverbs. Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One [is] understanding.” The entire key to having wisdom is totally written up in this one verse. For those who might be wondering what is the fear of the Lord, it is simply summed up in Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.” In truth the fear of the Lord, which is the foundation for all of Proverbs, is the study of loving what God loves and hating what He hates. Proverbs is simple and yet a resounding book with clear guidance to those who will listen and warnings to those who will not. Proverbs should be read by any believer at any age in any stage of their life. All believers should read a Proverb a day so that when adversity comes they will have the correct answer.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming
JL
Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL
[1] https://insight.org/resources/bible/the-wisdom-books/proverbs
RE-POST FRIDAY
Join us as we look back into the important of the Helmet of Salvation!
We continue our review of our study of the Armor of God! Read it HERE!
Prayers For Guidance
There is a specific type of prayer that God has designed when you need Him to give you a specific answer.
We have already seen that prayers of adoration and prayers of thanksgiving are often mistaken for being the same. This holds true with prayers for wisdom and prayers for guidance. Last week we saw Solomon’s prayer for wisdom, not as the world would see it, but true wisdom in the knowledge of the Lord and what He would have Solomon do. This week we are going to review an example of a prayer for guidance. Looking for guidance is a natural experience, we often want someone to advise us on choices we have to make or what we should be doing. However, to often Christians look to books, scholars, pastors, or friends for guidance. While this is not wrong, many forget to ask God for His guidance. They place their faith in fallen man verses the infallible God. This is why prayers for guidance are so important, they allow us to focus on who truly has authority in any given situation for His advice. Psalm 25 is a great example of a prayer for guidance.
“To You, Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 My God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies rejoice over me. 3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. 4 Make me know Your ways, Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. 6 Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithfulness, For they have been from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my wrongdoings; Remember me according to Your faithfulness, For Your goodness’ sake, Lord. 8 The Lord is good and upright; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are faithfulness and truth To those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies. 11 For the sake of Your name, Lord, Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.12 Who is the person who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. 13 His soul will dwell in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land. 14 The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. 15 My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will rescue my feet from the net. 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted.17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. 18 Look at my misery and my trouble,And forgive all my sins. 19 Look at my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred.20 Guard my soul and save me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness protect me, For I wait for You. 22 Redeem Israel, God, From all his distress.”
A prayer for guidance is asking God to show us His will and what He would have us do in the present moment. This is exactly what David, the author of this psalm, is doing here. He begins the prayer with phrases that show that he trusts God and has faith in Him. David also asks that while he may be surrounded by enemies, that he would not be ashamed and reminds God of His promise that those who wait on Him will not be ashamed.
David then asks God to teach Him. This is where he is asking God for guidance, too often we read God’s Word just to read it. We do not ask for Him to teach us and show us the deeper meanings to His Word. Because of this, the Bible can often be seen as confusing, which then makes it more difficult to read, and results in a lack of knowledge of the Word; which leads to stumbling in our walk with God. We should be praying for God to teach us what His Word means, especially as the end times grows closer. David is asking here that God would make God’s ways known to him. David did not have the completed Bible before him, we do but this does not mean that we have full knowledge of God’s ways. God’s ways are different from ours, and it is only through asking Him for guidance will we even remotely understand them. ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.
David also asks that God lead him in His ways. We should not only ask for God’s guidance when it comes to studying His Word, but also that God lead us in His way and in His will. To be taught and lead show a spirit of humbleness. We place ourselves under the authority of God and accept that His will is greater. This means that sometimes what we are asking for is not what we will receive because it is not in God’s will. When those days happen, we need to be like David who states “For You I wait all the day” Psalm 25:5b. We need to wait upon the Lord and place our faith in His promises, just as David did by asking God to remember His promises of compassion and lovingkindness. We saw last week that God will not withhold good things from those who are following Him, this includes His guidance; a fact that David makes clear in the next passage of his prayer.
David states that “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Psalm 25:8-10 because God is good and upright, He will instruct the sinners in the way. Sometimes this means that His instruction is found in discipline, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Proverbs 3:11-12. Just because we may be disciplined by God does not mean that we cannot receive His guidance, we simply need to humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to lead us on the path that He has directed for us. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.
David then shows that for those who fear the Lord, God will guide them in the way that they should go. We saw last week that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverb 9:10). When we humble ourselves and ask God for His guidance, we not only receive it but also wisdom like we discussed last week. This is why prayers for wisdom and prayers for guidance go hand in hand. We need to pray that we can see the way God is guiding us and pray that we have the knowledge to follow His will. When we pray for both wisdom and guidance we will be able to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and know that “He will pluck my feet out of the net” Psalm 25:15b. When we are focused on God and following His will, God will remove us from temptations to stray from Him and we will not be trapped in sin.
In verses 16-22, we come to a deciding factor that many fail to recognize about the characteristics of a prayer asking for guidance. David is detailing his current situation and the concerns that he has to the Lord. As we have stated, prayers of wisdom and prayers of guidance at times can be mistaken for each other. However, they do have a key difference when compared. Prayers of wisdom are generally more passive and regard broader strokes of one’s life, while prayers of guidance are generally more active in the moment and specific to the need of the believer to the all knowing God. In Psalm 25, we see David detailing how he sees his situation to God. One might argue that this is not needed because God is all knowing, yet as an all loving God and a good Heavenly Father He cares for us and wants us to tell Him. God is willing to eagerly listen. God has created us in such a way that by verbalizing the details of our situation to Him, we can at times examine our situation and possibly see the correct choice that God has preordained for us.
Finally, we need to remember that David is approaching God with a spirit of humility and awe. David is asking God to be gracious to him and help him with the enemies around him. Today we are surrounded by an army that hates us just as David was. However, our enemies are not only of flesh and blood, “12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12. Part of our prayers for guidance is to ask God to guard us in the face of our enemies. We need to remember that we can find refuge in God.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex
The Basics: A Brief Overview of Psalms
There are so many topics in the book of Psalms, this post will help you prepare for that study!
The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.
The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.
Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.
These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.
Introduction
Who wrote it
When did they write it
Key topics
Key sections
Books that interact with each other
Analysis of the Book
As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.
BASICS COURSE:
Psalm
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever wondered about the very thoughts of God? Considered the world? Why and how it was made? Examined God’s actions and even been inspired to see what man is capable of? Then the book of Psalm is the book for you. This book is so diverse in topics it can only be described as multi topical with each chapter being able to stand alone as a perfect ornament. Together they declare the majesty of God and His plan from Creation to Revelation.
WHO WROTE IT:
There are several authors from shepherds, Kings, and royal officials. The book of Psalm is a collection of individual work at moments in time.
WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:
Due to the multitude of authors all contributing work to the book of Psalms, we cannot with precision give one date. However, we can conclude that the lists of chapters and Psalms were collected as a whole by the end of the captivity in Babylon roughly around 515 B.C.
KEY TOPICS:
The book of Psalm shows the reader several topics. Including, society, government, religion, prophecy, Prophets, man, woman, children, family issues, promises, war, God, love, sex, femininity, single parenthood, antisemitism, the right to self defense, Jesus Christ, Revelation, Satan, and judgment.
KEY SECTIONS:
Due to each chapter is in itself its own unique and separate study, the book of Psalm should not be sectioned as other books but rather in chapters.
BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:
Psalm could possibly be one of the greatest books of the Bible, when you compare its impact on the rest of scripture and on the individuals who wrote the Bible under the guide of the Holy Spirit. There is not one book that does not have a connection to at least a verse found within the chapters of Psalm. With that said, a reader should read seriously the Psalms when corresponding it with other books of the Bible.
ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:
You would be gravelly mistaken if you would pass by Psalms with the belief it is musical only. As a child I was led to believe the books of Psalm were more for the emotionally dependent people, those who needed constant reminders that God loved them. What I did not realize was that the book of Psalm was so much more. The Old Testament can be divided into three parts, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Jesus Christ confirms this division of His Word in Luke 24:44, “Then He said to them, “These [are] the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and [the] Prophets and [the] Psalms concerning Me.” The Psalms is not merely musical, but God’s Word orchestrated to reveal God’s plan and actions in only such a way that He is capable of. Arno C. Gaebelein in his book The Book of Psalms: A Devotional and Prophetic Commentary stated, “In our Bibles the book of Psalms occupies the central part, preceding the prophetic scriptures. It may be compared to a great mountain peak from whose summit we have a magnificent sweep in all directions. The book contains 150 songs of praise, prayers and descriptions of every possible kind of human experience.”[1] Since coming to this realization I have found a deep desire and fulfillment in understanding the Psalms. There are prophetic implications from Christ’s first coming to His second, there are reflections of Christ’s thoughts while on the cross, and even the step by step remorseful approach a man who chased after God’s own heart had with the Maker of the universe. The book of Psalms is uniquely and uncharacteristically one of the hardest books to briefly describe, but one which we cannot stress enough should be valued and read by all. In short, the book of Psalms will be rewarding for the new or old believer in whatever stage of their life, study, and topic they find themselves desiring to know about God.
Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL
[1] Arno C. Gaebelein in his book The Book of Psalms a devotional and prophetic commentary Pg. Introduction
RE-POST FRIDAY
Join us as we look at a series of important questions!
Join us as we look back on a series of questions that have a very impactful consequence. Read it HERE!
Prayers for Wisdom
One of the most valuable gifts is free, all you need to learn is how to ask for it.
The world would define wisdom as having experience, knowledge, and good judgement. This is not wrong, however the Bible defines wisdom at its core, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way” Proverbs 8:13. It is the ability to regard a situation and have sound judgement to know what is right. The Bible would describe wisdom as “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10 based on these two definitions we see that to have wisdom we need to have knowledge of God. While this can and should most certainly be done by being in His Word daily, we also should spend time praying for wisdom. Wisdom is a characteristic that God will grant to those who ask of it “5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” James 1:5 God will not hold back good things from those who have placed their faith in Him, this includes knowledge of Him. Perhaps the most famous prayer of wisdom can be found in 1 Kings 3:4-9.
“4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, because that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” 6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great faithfulness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great faithfulness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am like a little boy; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?””
The first thing to notice here is that God came to Solomon, this wasn’t due to the sacrifices that he had made but because Solomon’s heart was right with the Lord. God wished to work through Solomon; His will would have been done regardless, but having a servant with a heart surrendered to Him allowed God to show what He can offer when we have our hearts right with Him. Solomon was walking and following the will of God. What makes this prayer so interesting is that when Solomon was approached by God, he did not ask for fame or riches. He asked only that God grant him the wisdom to lead God’s people.
However, Solomon does not start his prayer with his petition right away, instead he recognizes God’s faithfulness to his father David. The words that Solomon uses show an attitude of awe, he is worshiping God in his prayer. Solomon also recognizes that through God’s promise to David, he was allowed to claim the throne and rule God’s chosen people. This shows faith that God will complete His promises.
Solomon then recognizes his own inability to rule the people. This was not false humility, Solomon is simply recognizing that he is no more than a child and does not have the knowledge to do right by the people. The only knowledge that could allow him to complete his task is the knowledge that is granted by God. He is recognizing that to rule is a task that is bigger than himself, in order to be successful Solomon would need to depend upon God to complete His work through Solomon. It is with this knowledge of dependence upon God that Solomon makes his request for wisdom.
The type of wisdom that Solomon was asking for was a living wisdom. He wanted more than a head knowledge of what to do, Solomon wanted a heart that listened to God and followed what He said. This again is showing that Solomon recognizes that he is dependent upon God to successfully rule. If you read 1 Kings 3:10-15, you will see God’s response back to Solomon. Remember, God knows our prayers before we ourselves know what we are going to pray for. It is through humility and knowing that we can’t handle whatever situation we are in without Him that causes us to come before God with our prayers. Even though God knew what Solomon would ask of Him, Solomon’s response still pleased Him. God not only granted Solomon great wisdom, but also riches that he did not ask for.
To ask for wisdom should not be something that after reading this prayer we say “Oh I wish I had thought of that!” As already stated, God wants to give us good things, He will not hold back from those who are following Him. “7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 we also need to keep in mind that we need to pray that God’s will be done, not ours. In fact most times, what seems wise to us is foolish to God. We need to pray as Solomon did that God gives us the wisdom that we need for the situation that we are in.
As a note, we should be praying for wisdom when we are doing our Bible studies. If we pray for wisdom in regards to God’s Word we will see the words on the page turn to life and we will have a deeper understanding of the Scriptures.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex
The Basics: A Brief Overview of Esther
If you want to read a story of how a step-father’s determination to raise his child correctly and a daughter’s courage saved a nation, read the book of Esther.
The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.
The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.
Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.
These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.
Introduction
Who wrote it
When did they write it
Key topics
Key sections
Books that interact with each other
Analysis of the Book
As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.
BASICS COURSE:
Esther
INTRODUCTION:
Do you have doubt? Believe that your self worth is worth little? Do you believe women cannot change the world? Do you believe father figures are not needed? Do you believe that this is not the exact time God meant for you to live? The book of Esther is God’s declaration that He can use the underdog, the forgotten, the orphan, and the single parent to do great and mighty deeds!
WHO WROTE IT:
The author is unknown, some have speculated that it was Mordecai, the adopted father of Queen Esther.
WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:
Biblical authors have speculated on the exact timing of the writing, but we do know the details of the book were written during the years of 483–473 B.C. and written after this.[1]
KEY TOPICS:
The book of Esther shows the reader several topics. Including, society, government, religion, prophecy, Prophets, man, woman, children, family issues, promises, war, God, love, sex, femininity, single parenthood, antisemitism, the rights to self defense, and finally a spiritual foreshadow of the workings of Jesus Christ.
KEY SECTIONS:
Chapter 1 shows that the King needs an honorable Queen. Chapter 2 Esther becomes the Queen of Persia. Chapter 3 Haman’s antisemitism becomes law. Chapter 4 Haman’s plot is discovered and plans made to intercede. Chapters 5-7 Esther and Mordecai save the Jewish nation. Chapter 8 shows Mordecai is promoted. Chapter 9 describes the right to self defense. Chapter 10 is God’s blessings on Mordecai.
BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:
The book of Esther is historically close to Ezra and Nehemiah. However, it is a stand alone book. This does not mean it is not celebrated by Jews all around the world to this very day, but its characteristics of God’s providence on the Jewish people is seen here and in other books of the Bible.
ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:
No matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, if you are a follow of God the Messiah Jesus Christ, Esther is a book that speaks resoundingly to you. While God is not mentioned once in the book, He is inferred in the hidden characteristics throughout the entire book. Esther is orphaned, but is raised by a relative named Mordecai. She is forced to into a situation which she is given the chance to become Queen of Persia and save her people, even though by all means they never helped her outside of Mordecai. Esther learns a valuable lesson that we all need to know and understand, God is in charge of our lives and at times He will place us in situations in which we are to shine for Him; no matter what the believed retribution could be. Mordecai states, “13 And Mordecai told [them] to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14. Mordecai understood that at times God’s will might seem aloof to us, that we are on our own; and yet we need to keep to His Word and be at peace knowing He is God and we are to act upon that foundational truth. Esther is a book that shows the underdog can change the world, Esther proves that women are capable of being the hero and single parents can make the same impact with the Lord’s help. Esther reminds the reader that the world is not perfect, but in God all things will work out for His glory and His purpose. If you are depressed and it seems that this world is too much to handle, take a lesson from Esther and see that God is in control. Esther sought council like in Proverbs 19:20, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” Esther honored her husband, honored her people, and respected the rules and laws of her time. I must admit that even doing my own Bible study in preparation for this outline, I found more and more Bible verses discussing the conduct of a righteous women being embodied by Queen Esther. Women should look to emulate her, and men seeking a bride should aim for these qualities. Finally, the book of Esther is a great but subtle hint at the love of God for the sinner, who even though Satan, through his minion Haman, tried he could not stop the blood line of Jesus Christ coming from the Jewish nation. Esther is a bold declaration of when it is God’s time to judge and bring vengeance for His name and people, we should just step back and leave the vengeance to the Lord. If you are needing a good book of the Bible to read as a family or desire to dive into the rich lessons that can be used today, Esther is a prime choice.
Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL
[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/macarthur_john/bible-introductions/esther-intro.cfm
RE-POST FRIDAY
Join us as we look back at the Shield of Faith!
Today we are continuing our look back into the series on the Armor of God by revisiting our post on the Shield of Faith! Read it HERE!
Prayers of Thanksgiving
A thankful heart can be a happy heart. See what a prayer of thankfulness can do for you today!
The next type of prayer that needs to be discussed is a prayer of thanksgiving. Often times, this prayer gets lumped in with prayers of adoration and it is true that they have similarities. However, a prayer of adoration is designed to express our faith and reverence for God, while a prayer of thanksgiving is designed to praise Him for something that He has done. There are many examples of prayers of thanksgiving, look at Exodus 15 to see Moses’ thanksgiving for deliverance from pharaoh’s army. However, my favorite prayer of thanksgiving is actually found in 1 Samuel 2,
“2 Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You,Nor is there any rock like our God. 3 Do not go on boasting so very proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the Lord is a God of knowledge, And with Him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken to pieces, But those who have stumbled strap on strength. 5 Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to be hungry. Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven,But she who has many children languishes. 6 The Lord puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and brings up. 7 The Lord makes poor and rich; He humbles, He also exalts. 8 He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the garbage heap To seat them with nobles, And He gives them a seat of honor as an inheritance; For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He set the world on them. 9 He watches over the feet of His godly ones, But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a person prevail. 10 Those who contend with the Lord will be terrified; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; And He will give strength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed.””
1 Samuel 2:1-10
From the very beginning we can see the attitude that Hannah has when approaching God. We can clearly see the helplessness in her prayer. This prayer is said when she is dedicating her only child, the one she had prayed she would one day have, to the service of God. Instead of being upset, Hannah keeps her prayer focused on God. She not only keeps her focus on Him, but rejoices and speaks boldly. She is reminding us that when we have nothing else to be thankful of, rejoice in the Lord. This is echoed with Paul when he is imprisoned, “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Philippians 4:4. To have nothing, or more specifically to have nothing as the world deems it, but to still be able to rejoice in the Lord is a marker of a faithful follower of Christ. In Hannah’s time, for a woman not to have a child was something to be seen as a failure as we see with Peninnah’s response to Hannah, “6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her” 1 Samuel 1:6. In the eyes of the world, Hannah was giving up the one thing that gave her honor, her child.
This is so important for us today, we often measure our success or failure by the world’s standards. Because of this, we fail to keep our focus on God and lose our connection with Him. It is why prayers of thanksgiving are so important. They remind us of what God has done and we see His power. We then begin to measure our situation based on the power of God and not the limitations of this world. Hannah was so easily able to bless God in her helplessness by keeping her focus on the only thing that mattered, God and His promise of salvation.
Hannah continues her prayer with an attitude of awe. She states the simple fact that there is no one like God. She boldly speaks about His knowledge, strength, and capability to provide for those who call upon Him. We can easily see the respectful attitude that she has but also see the strength that she has in this prayer. I am often reminded of the verse in Titus, “15 These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you.” Titus 2:15. When we speak of our God, we speak with all authority because we have been given a spirit of strength. “7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Finally, we see an attitude of faithfulness in her prayer. In verses 8-10, we see her continually bless the Lord and recognize that all things are at His disposal. Through her prayer, Hannah is able to show her faithfulness in God’s promises. After all, He had already shown that He was faithful by opening the womb that He had closed and giving her a child.
Hannah’s prayer is a great example of a prayer of thankfulness. We see that she opens with an attitude of helplessness, continues with an attitude of awe, and closes with an attitude of faithfulness. Prayers of thankfulness are important today because they remind us of what God has done.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex
The Basics: A Brief Overview of Nehemiah
Nehemiah is a great book on how to examine God acting upon what He has previously declared. A lesson on taking God seriously with what He says.
The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.
The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.
Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.
These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.
Introduction
Who wrote it
When did they write it
Key topics
Key sections
Books that interact with each other
Analysis of the Book
As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.
BASICS COURSE:
Nehemiah
INTRODUCTION:
“To tell the truth, he felt a bit sore. First there had been the long tip across the desert. Then, during the previous night, he had identified around the area. Unusual activity for a professional politician. Now, in the light of the rising sun, he could fully view the ruins. What he saw was not encouraging, to say the least. Enemy soldiers and the revenges of time had utterly devastated all that had once stood tall and strong in the beloved city. He realized God called different men to different tasks. Moses was commissioned to lead, David to rule, and men like Amos to form. But his assignment was unique. Dismounting somewhat stiffly from his horse, the rider entered a room filled with men he had personally summoned. The rider was Nehemiah, the city was Jerusalem, the ruins were its walls, and the assembled men were key Jewish leaders. But what was the reason for all of this? In the words of Nehemiah himself, ‘Nehemiah 2:18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.’”[1] Imagine, it had been 70 years and finally the Jewish people were returning to their home. Persia, the world superpower of its time, was supporting not only the return of the Jewish people but the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple to the LORD. God had called unique men to the greatest calling a person could find themselves in, God’s calling.
WHO WROTE IT:
The author is thought to be Nehemiah based on the characteristics of the book and what the author focused on. Nehemiah, who was a businessman, focuses less on the Temple and religious side of the return then Ezra, who was a priest, wrote about. Nehemiah focuses more on the political and economic return of the people.
WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:
Biblical scholars like John MacArthur attempt to detail the writing of Nehemiah in the late year 446 B.C., the 20th year of the Persian king, Artaxerxes (464–423 B.C.).[2]
KEY TOPICS:
The book of Nehemiah shows the reader several topics. Including, society, government, religion, prophecy, Prophets, man, woman, children, family issues, promises, war, God, love, and finally preparation for the stage of Jesus Christ.
KEY SECTIONS:
Chapters 1-2 depict Nehemiah’s grief and God’s answer. Chapter 3 describes the rebuilding of the walls. Chapters 4-6 show Political, religious, and construction issues. Chapter 7 details the census of those who had returned. Chapters 8-13 is the revival and reform of the Jewish nation.
BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:
The book of Nehemiah is closely connected to the book of Ezra. However, because of Nehemiah the entire New Testament could be written. Ultimately, this book is about the restoration of Israel to the land and preparation for the arrival of the King of Kings.
ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:
Nehemiah is not the longest book, but neither is it the shortest. At times it is missed by everyone, except historians who desire to review the intricate details of how the nation of Israel has lived over the thousands of years. However, do not let this fool you, Nehemiah is a book that can radically change a Christian’s life today if taken seriously. Nehemiah shows believers two things, first that if the Word of God is taken seriously and we hold Jesus to His promises we can be rest assured He will answer. Second, this book goes beyond the historical value and answers the spiritual and practical truth many believers fail to recognize. God can transform the lives of anyone no matter where we have been. No matter where you were before, God can change you, no matter what you had done before, God can heal you, no matter the evil that has come upon you or done by you, God is merciful and just to forgive you of your sins and restore you. Nehemiah is a declaration of what God can do in your life today, all we need is to take His Word seriously, seek Him, and have the faith to know that He is in control.
Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL
[1] Survey of the Old Testament An Overview of the scriptures from creation to Christ Harold L. Willmington Pg 584
[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/macarthur_john/bible-introductions/nehemiah-intro.cfm
RE-POST FRIDAY
Looking back at our “Here I am” study.
A look back for those who want to learn more about our writing process and how to answer God’s call. Read it HERE!
Prayers of Adoration
Do you really know what a prayer of adoration is about?
After our look at how Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray, we saw that there are two things that are often overlooked. The first is that we need to make sure we are in a place free from distractions and second that we need to set an example for others as we pray. We also saw Jesus Christ approach God the Father with reverence, He held His name in honor. Through His example, Jesus taught us that we need to pray for God’s will do be done, not our own; as well as to be content in the situation that we are in. Christ ended His lesson with a prayer of forgiveness.
Now that we have seen a guideline on how to pray, the next few posts will review different types of prayers that are found in the Bible. The first of which is a prayer of adoration. Most likely the idea of adoration is something to be admired. While this is true, the actual definition of adoration has a deeper meaning. Adoration means to worship, glorify, and revere. Prayers of adoration at times can be seen as declarations of God’s majesty, work, and presence. They can be perceived as worship, and at times in their own right they are worship to the Lord. The Bible is filled with prayers that show adoration to God, there is not enough time to discuss them all. However, there has always been one that stood out to me.
“1 Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD! 2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore! 3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised! 4 The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! 5 Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, 6 who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8 to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. 9 He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!”
Psalms 113:1-9
Prayers of adoration often seem to be mistaken for prayers of thanksgiving. However, Psalm 113 clearly shows that a prayer of adoration is simply worshiping God. As stated before this can be done simply by reflecting on verses that show who God is, and His character. Verses like, “My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; My savior, You save me from violence.”2 Samuel 22:3, “6 and he said, “Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You.” 2 Chronicles 20:6, “20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20, or “20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,” Ephesians 3:20
Prayers of adoration are our response to what God has done for us. Remember, God only gives good things, “17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:17. This is true even in difficult times, sometimes it just takes us to get out of the situation to realize what God was doing through our difficult times. What is important to remember with prayers of adoration is that they glorify God, even when we are struggling we have things that we can glorify God for because if we maintain our faith in God and His promises we will make it through our trials. “For the Lord will not reject forever, 32 For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassionIn proportion to His abundant mercy.” Lamentations 3:31-32
Reflection upon these verses and the multitude of others in Scripture all lead a sense of awe. We learn more about God and His attributes when we reflect upon Him. Prayers of adoration are also important because it strengthens our faith. When we pray with adoration we see what God has done and have hope in what He will do. To reflect and speak to God in a way of adoration is to pray for His mighty works to be done.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex
A Lesson From Tolkien
A lesson for any believer today who might have questions on what we need to be doing as followers of Christ!
I have always been a fan of the Lord of the Rings books and movies, since being a little boy they have captured my imagination. Yet, there is one scene in particular that has always moved and reminded me of a lesson which Christian’s ought to keep on the forefront of their mind today. The scene comes from the end of the Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli have just had one of their friends die; and they have come to the realization that two of their friends, Marry and Pippin, have been captured by the enemy. The scene starts with Gimli stating, “Then it has all been in vain. The fellowship has failed.” Aragorn, recognizing the dire situation they are in and the need to encourage and guide his friends, responds, “Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc.”
If you didn’t know, J.R Tolkien was a huge believer; as well as one of the instrumental people in C.S Lewis’s life who helped lead him to the Lord. The Lord of the Rings is filled with both subtle and not so subtle hints to Christian lessons and Biblical truths that Christians would do well to recognize and know today.
Critics might say this scene comes mainly from the movie, but I would argue for them to read the books and see the closeness to the fictional tale given. Nevertheless, this scene has a great lesson that I want to quickly remind believers about today.
Many believers have seen the status quo of the Christian world fall apart, before there were places one could go and still be in a welcoming community, we now find ourselves in an hostile environment. To hold to a Christian world view today is to be considered a prime target by the world. Many believers see what is going on and have acclaimed, “Then it has all been in vain.” They have bought into the lie that the enemy is going to win. The enemy believes that they have won, they discard that God will one day rise up for His name sake and deliver what He has promised. Just look at what the Psalmist says the enemy declares,
Psalms 10:3-11 “3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. 4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” 5 His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. 6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” 7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. 8 He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; 9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. 10 The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. 11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
What arrogance! In research for this post we even found an entire site dedicated to the rejection that Jesus will ever come back. The enemy believes they have won! For some Christians, this will seem catastrophic, what preconceived ideas have failed.
Yet, for those who understand the times, who know that things are not falling apart but are falling into place for the final act of this age. We must be vigilant! Now is not the time to lament for our preconceived ideas, but to firmly stand on the Word of God. We need to look at our brothers and sisters who are crying out, “Then it has all been in vain. The fellowship has failed” and answer back “Not if we hold true to each other.” God has not abandoned us, why should we abandon each other? In fact God’s Word tells us in these times to encourage one another.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-18 “9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
He is coming back for us, we need to keep the love, live for God, and in how He has instructed us to. We need to encourage one another knowing that the time is coming for the end of the age, our adventure might seem bleak but this is only the first act!
However, there is more for us to be doing, Matthew 28 clearly states we have our marching orders from God and we are to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all who will listen. Matthew 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Just like Aragorn, we need to remind those around us that we have family and friends who still need Jesus, “We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left,” and we need to be about our Lord’s business. The book of Jude states in verses 20-23, “20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” Older and more mature believers need to seek out those who are new to the faith and help establish them in what the Word clearly states. Seek out those who do not know the Lord and share the gospel so they can see how they can be saved from eternal torment and death. This adventure we are on has eternal consequences which requires our utmost for His highest.
Believers need to shed what this World has to offer, “Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light.” If you are focused on this world you will be focused on worldly things, yet if you are focused on God you will be focused on what He desires. Romans 8:5-6 “5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” It has become more apparent as the world that Christian’s once knew transforms, the more those who were solidly attached to it struggle to find a solid foundation. Instead of being ready for the Lord’s work, they have thrown weight after weight on their backs and are burdened by the daily struggles and worries of this world. If only they would rely on Christ and see how liberating He is, then they would truly know the truth behind what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The final statement that encourages our hero’s to save their friends is, “Let's hunt some Orc.” As stated before, while not scripture it is founded firmly on principles that Christian’s would do wise to recognize. Our Heavenly Father has already told us we are the victors and that when we are about the Father’s business and in the God’s will, nothing will prevail against us. We need to be active and without hesitation. We can see this foundational truth in Matthew 16:13-18, “13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Believers need to be encouraging our brothers and sisters that now is our time to shine, so later others can look back and be encouraged by our heroic stories and how God was able to use us for the noble cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. Our enemy will flee at the slightest sound of God being on the move, let us go back and look at Psalm 10 and see what the enemy doesn’t realize. Psalms 10:12-18 “12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. 13 Why does the wicked renounce God and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? 14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. 16 The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. 17 O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear 18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
In conclusion, I hope this post has helped to lift your spirits, knowing that we have a God who loves us and very much wants what is best for us. And even though Lord of The Rings is fictitious, the real life principles are not. All is not lost, Christians need to hold true to each other in encouragement and love, we need to be seeking to save those around us from torment and death, and we need to discard the worldly desires for our Heavenly perspective. We have a job to do “Let’s hunt some Orc!”
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming
JL
RE-POST FRIDAY
A look back on the Breastplate of Righteousness
We review what it means to have righteousness as we continue our study in the Armor of God. Read it HERE!
Lord Teach Us To Pray
Jesus Christ gives us a great lesson on how we should pray. Come see what the Lord can teach us!
Last week we discussed the attitudes that accompany different types of prayers. These included, awe, helplessness, faith, persistence, earnest, and boldness. Not every prayer will have all of these attitudes but some can be seen in different prayers. After reading about the attitude that prayer needs, you might be wondering “Well how do I pray?” Maybe this is something that is out of the ordinary for you, maybe you are a new believer and are struggling with prayer, or maybe you have been a believer for a while but don’t see the power in prayer anymore. I am not saying that there is a certain way to pray, or a certain step by step process in order to fulfill this aspect of the Christian walk. After all, we saw last week that prayer is how we speak to God. I think of all the different types of conversations that occur on a daily basis. There are conversations of joy, encouragement, hope, fear, sorrow, anger, and pain just to scratch the surface. All of these types of conversations also occur when we pray as well.
To be honest, when I first became a believer prayer was difficult for me. At first it was getting through the lies that I had no right to pray, then it was the fear that I would do it wrong, finally it was uncertainty in what to say. Thankfully, I had someone alongside me who patiently waited while I struggled with all of this. Perhaps that is why I am writing this now, I want to help pass on the encouragement to our readers that I received and to remind us all that prayer is our greatest weapon. You do not need to be worried about saying the wrong thing, God already knows what is on your heart. He simply wants you to speak to Him, He cares for you and wants to build a deeper relationship through prayer.
This is why I think the passage in Luke 11 is so important.
“One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’””
Luke 11:1-4
Jesus Christ is giving us a great example on how we should pray, but to be clear this is not what He was praying before the disciples came to Him. The prayer in Luke 11 is an example that He is giving for you and I. In a future post we will discuss the Lord’s real prayer which can be found in John chapter 17.
Here, in Luke 11 we see that Jesus was praying and it was not until after He had finished did the disciples speak to Him. Christ was praying in a place where He knew He would not be interrupted. This is an aspect that a lot of us have difficult time with, there are so many distractions now that it seems difficult to set aside time to pray. However, we should not allow these distractions to get in the way of our time with God. We should not be sacrificing our time with the Lord for the things that distract us. That may mean that we get up a few minutes early or lock ourselves away in a room for a few minutes so that we can simply pray. Our prayer life cannot consist of only at meals or worse only at church. In order to grow in our walk and our relationship with God we need to spend time with Him. He does not care for quantity, only quality. Ensure that your time with Him is spent dissecting His Word in order to learn His voice, and spend time talking to God. Yes, talking, we have already established that prayer is our way of communicating with God and that means talking. Find little things in your day to say thank you for, and don’t be afraid to ask why certain things are occurring.
A further explanation on why we need to be spending quality not quantity time in prayer can be found in the book of Matthew. “5 “And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:5-6 we should not be praying to gain the attention of others. To do so is to show an unfruitful faith, those who make public performances of prayer are doing so to bring attention to themselves. Not to honor God. It is why Christ states that we need to go into a room and close the door, place yourself in an area where it can be only you and God for your prayers.
The next point that is often overlooked is the disciples asking Christ to teach them to pray. While it is important to ensure that we spend time in prayer away from distractions, we cannot forget that we need to be teaching fellow believers how to pray. For parents, this includes your children. Encourage them to pray and let them see you pray, they learn from you how to approach God. “18 “You shall therefore take these words of mine to heart and to soul; and you shall tie them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. 19 You shall also teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. 20 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,” Deuteronomy 11:18-20
For those without children, I am sure there are others around you that you can set an example for. It could be unbelieving family members, friends, or coworkers. It is important to remember that we are called to present the gospel which at times could be our relationship with Christ to others. Paul boldly declares this, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16.
For those who are reading this, and who are still stating, “But I don’t know how to pray!” I was one of you. I had no clue what to do and thought that I would surely mess it up. I ask you to look at the disciples for guidance in this. They came to Christ and asked Him to teach them to pray. In a quiet moment, away from any distractions, ask God to show you how to pray. Just like Jesus answered the disciples here, He will answer you and teach you.
Since it is in God’s nature to answer those who ask Him, He follows through on the disciples request to teach them to pray. He begins it first by stating, ““‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” Luke 11:2 here we see a reverent attitude in prayer. Christ as God’s Son was coming before Him, while still being wholly God Himself, with awe and respect. He was not referring to God as His best bud or any other informality. He recognizes that the name of His Father is hallowed and sacred. When we are praying we need to come forward in this same manner of reverence and recognize who we are speaking to. This does not mean we cannot cry out to our Father when we need to, but realize who He still is.
To pray for God’s kingdom to come is to pray that He reigns on earth as He is in heaven. Remember, God created the universe. He is the maker of all things, there is nothing that can be done that can surprise Him, He has not lost control of this world. He is simply waiting for His appointed time to come and rule on earth. Christ is reminding us here that we ought to be praying that God uses us to complete His purpose. God’s will shall be done no matter what, but He wants to use us and has placed us in this moment in time for a reason. We need to pray that He puts us to work to accomplish His kingdom.
I do want to make a brief note here, by saying that we can accomplish His kingdom is not saying that we can usher in God’s kingdom on our own timing. We have no control over when God will come to reign on earth. To believe so is a false and unbiblical idea. What I am saying here is that we need to remember that we are servants of the Most High God and should be working to accomplish His plan of discipleship and spreading the Gospel.
Christ next states, “3 Give us each day our daily bread.” Whenever I hear this passage I am reminded of, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” Proverbs 30:8-9 when you look at these two passages, Christ is teaching the disciples to pray for contentment. We should not be looking at what others have and pray for similar, nor should we pray that we lose what God has given us. Pray for the tools necessary for what God wants you to do. We need to be content with what God has given, anything else is to dishonor Him.
Christ closes out His lesson on prayer with this, “4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” When we pray we need to remember forgiveness. Not just that we have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ, but that we need to forgive those who sin against us.
There is one important thing to mention here, and it is an aspect on how we should not pray. Which can be found in Matthew, “7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matthew 6:7. Do not use empty words when you can pray, this can be described as a repetitive phrase or unrecognizable vocalizations. Again, God wants quality not quantity. This goes for our words as well as our time with Him. God judges the heart, a person who desires to know the Lord and spends 15 minutes earnestly seeking the Lord is better than the person who desires to make sure everyone knows they are doing a 3 hour Bible study at the local coffee shop. One has their heart in the right place while the other is misguided.
Finally, I encourage you to look at another passage found in Luke 11.
“9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!””
Luke 11:9-13
In this passage we see that Christ is reminding those around Him of what type of God our Heavenly Father is. He loves us enough to give us what we ask for in His will. Prayer needs to be done with the intent of wanting to be in God’s desired plan. We might not always know what He wants and when He says no, it means He has a plan for us. His intentions are better than our best intentions. We need to make sure our prayers are in line with His plans, and this can only be done when we are in His Word and eagerly lean on Him for our daily bread.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex
Give Attention to My Words
The biggest challenge today has a simple answer.
In the 21 century, we are locked in a battle for the attention of our minds and what our minds should be focused on. As we see the world fall into even more chaos, there are those who claim to know the facts while others declare what is truth. This has caused the believer, who is in the middle, to wonder what they can believe or not. The first sign of a Christian in need of help from their brothers and sisters is one who is failing at being focused on the Word of God.
Unfortunately this is becoming the norm,
Christian Today reported that Bible reading has finally dropped into the single digits. “A decrease of 5 percentage points in a single year was unprecedented in the annual survey’s 10-year history; between 2011 and 2019, daily Bible readers had basically held steady at an average of 13.7 percent of the population. But the decline continued during the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic, and by June, the percentage of daily Bible users had dropped to 8.5 percent….Sixty percent read the Bible four times per year or less.”[1]
The Christian living today is losing the Christ in Christian, we are becoming less potent for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am not saying a person can lose their salvation. Rather we are losing the source of what makes us different in our capacity to be used by Christ, in a positive way right now in this world. I believe this is becoming such an issue in the Church that I wanted to write on it today. Additionally, Mill House Ministries is not and should never be your Bible study time! We are here as an additional tool and place of encouragement for the believer. A resource firmly founded in Titus 2:11-15.
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you”
As a fellow believer in the Church I would be remiss if I did not point to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ the very danger we face when we do not stay focused on our Lord and Savior’s words. If you need guidance on what we should be doing, seek no further than Proverbs 4:20-27 “20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they [are] life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it [spring] the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.”
These seven verses break down a simple, but firm and resounding declaration by our loving Heavenly Father who is eagerly wanting us to stay safe in His arms. In the book of Matthew, we are given a great understanding of what believers look like when they lose their focus on Christ for the things that surround us in this world. In Matthew 14, Peter eagerly wants to join Jesus on the water but as he comes out of the boat he takes his sight off of Christ, Matthew 14:30 “But when he saw that the wind [was] boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
We as believers need to keep our eyes solely fixed on Jesus and His words. The Bible must be our source each and every day for our firm foundation. Remember we have a God who is not in a distant far off land, who does not know what is going on. Our Lord and Savior is very near and understands what is happening right now, both around the world and personally in our own lives. Remember what is said in Proverbs 5:21, “For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and He watches all his paths.” Many people know that God cares, but few recognize that He knows what is going on and is still telling us to keep focused on Him. All we need to do is give attention to His words and be fixed straight on Him. Remember the easily looked over promise that God makes in Proverbs 4:26 “Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.” God is making a promise to you and I. If we stay focused on Him and make sure our walk is based solely and adamantly on Him, than our ways will be established.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming
JL
[1] https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/july/state-of-bible-reading-coronavirus-barna-abs.html
RE-POST FRIDAY
A review of what it means to have spiritual triage
A look back on what it means to have a spiritual triage and what a Christian needs most in today’s world! Read it HERE!
Dissecting Prayer
If you want to understand what is real prayer and how to pray this is for you!
Last year when we discussed the Armor of God, we went over the topic of prayer. From there we saw prayer is the artillery fire in a Christian’s life, it is an offensive weapon. However, it is also an area that lacks in many Christian’s lives. Simply put many Christians really do not understand or know how to pray, some even are scared to pray based on the idea it will go unanswered. Part of this problem is that many Christian’s are only spending time in the Word during church service. Which means they only ever hear their Pastor pray, so it may feel that there is a certain way to pray and if it does not follow that guideline then it cannot be right. The other issue is Christian’s feel as if we need an immediate answer to our prayers or if they are not answered the way we expected then there is no point in praying.
All of these issues prevent someone from praying, which as discussed above; prevents us from using our most powerful weapon. Satan loves to make Christians feel useless, it means that we stop spreading the Gospel and these issues with prayer are no different. When a Christian stops praying, they are not utilizing the fullness of the unique relationship we have with God. This unique relationship is the solid foundation in which the Christian is to stand upon. When we are not standing on the foundation Christ has laid out for us, we can easily be swept away by the world. However, the Bible is filled with different types of prayers, all of which set an example to a Christian to keep praying. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be discussing different examples of prayers in the Bible. This is not an exhaustive list, but is meant to encourage those who are wondering how to pray or why their prayers aren’t answered.
Before we get into the different types of prayers, I want to review a little more about what prayer is and what the Bible says about prayer. In her book, “On Our Knees” Susan Heck describes prayer as “The desire, opportunity and privilege of talking to God. Prayer is the expression of man’s dependence upon God for all things. Prayer is an absolute transfer of my will to God. Prayer requires sincerity, repentance or contrition, purpose of amendment and a good life, the spirit of consecration, faith, and submission to the will of God.” No other religion has the opportunity to talk to God, only the born again believer. Most other faiths require another human to “act” as mediator for us to confess our sins or even to talk to God. But because of Jesus Christ’s work on the cross, we have the freedom to come before God unhindered. “51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” Matthew 27:51 the veil discussed here is the veil that separated the two sides of the room in the Tabernacle. On one side was the Holy Place which held the Alter of Incense, the lamp stand, and the table for the bread. The other side was the Holy of Holies which held the Arc of the Covenant. The veil was placed in between to keep sinful man out of the place where God resides. “31 “You shall also make a veil of violet, purple, and scarlet material, and fine twisted linen; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer. 32 Then you shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold, their hooks also of gold, on four bases of silver. 33 You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil; and the veil shall serve as a partition for you between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.” Exodus 12:31-33. The only way that a priest could approach the Holy of Holies was to offer a sacrifice, the blood of a lamb. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the veil was torn, this meant that the final sacrifice had been made and sinful man now had the ability to approach God through His Son.
Having this freedom to approach God means several things. First, we need to accept that we cannot do it on our own. We need to acknowledge Jesus Christ’s sacrifice in order for our prayers to be heard. This comes at the moment of repentance when one recognizes that they are a sinner and have fallen short of what God had planned. The individual repents of their sins and expresses their dependence upon God. Knowing what it cost to have this freedom, it also means that we need to take prayer seriously; not only is it our greatest weapon, but it came at a great cost.
This means that there should be a certain attitude that is found when you pray. This is not to say that there is a guideline you have to follow when you pray, but you should be taking it seriously. As we will see in our study, the different prayers that we will discuss will show different attitudes present. Not every prayer will have each of the attitudes discussed, but the attitudes show how seriously we need to take our prayer life. This includes an attitude of awe: with reviewing the Scripture on the veil and what it meant when it was torn, we need to approach prayer with an understanding of the seriousness of it. We have freedom in prayer and we need to have an attitude of awe that shows respect when we talk to God.
The second attitude that can be found in some prayers is an attitude of helplessness. Again, prayer is an expression of our inability to handle things on our own, it is an expression of our dependence upon God. If you feel that God is incapable or unwilling to listen to your prayers, or you feel that you can handle things on your own; then your prayer life will be affected.
The next attitude is one of faith. “6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 it would be difficult to pray if we doubt that God is who He says He is. If we doubt that He can fulfill His promises, then taking the time to pray seems impossible and the ideas that it would be simpler to take matters into our own hands become prevalent. When we pray we need to have faith in God and His characteristics that we see in the Bible, we know then that God is faithful.
Prayer also includes an attitude of persistence. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that if you pray for something once, that is enough nor that the number of times increases your odds of getting what you ask. Jesus gives a great lesson on persistence in Luke 18 simply to teach the disciples, “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Luke 18:1. Repeatedly pray to God about a matter, He will not tire of it! This is not to say that if you continually ask for something if will be done in the way that you will wish, but to be persistent in a matter shows your seriousness. “Pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Finally, there are prayers of earnest and boldness. We should come before God with excitement, not half-heartedly. Hebrews gives us a great example of the boldness we should have when approaching God with our prayers, “16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” Hebrews 4:16 it is true that there is nothing that God does not know, and that includes our prayers. He knows what we are going to ask before we do. This should not be a hinderance to prayer though, we should come before Him pouring our heart out with sincerity because through prayer, we see the workings of God and come to have a deeper relationship with Him.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex
The Basics: A Brief Overview of Ezra
The first great return of the Jewish people is written down in the book of Ezra. However, did you know that there was more to this wonderful book of the Bible? Come see what Ezra is all about!
The Basics course is designed to help brothers and sisters in Christ, who have a desire for a brief study over each of the books of the Bible. While being more than just a timeline, it is designed to give a person a more realistic overview of the entire Bible. As well as pointing out different highlights along the way. Imagine riding in a car and seeing exit signs for a town. Each sign gives a brief glimpse of what is inside, while if you wanted to thoroughly investigate the town you would have to take the exit. This series is a collected work of the books of the Bible while continuing to drive past each of the exits. I would encourage you to take any exit and allow the Lord God to direct your path to where He would guide.
The Bible is written into 66 different books. Each one unique on its own but designed to be with its other collected works.
Cautionary Note: This work is not to argue for the authenticity of the Bible nor is it to argue over the mechanics of how God used man to write His Words. This is designed as an overview for someone to review the book in passing. Nevertheless, we here at Mill House Ministries believe that the Bible is without error and was written by God, through His divine attributes, through man.
These overviews are sequenced in the below fashion. Each overview is designed to flow in unison.
Introduction
Who wrote it
When did they write it
Key topics
Key sections
Books that interact with each other
Analysis of the Book
As previously stated, if you find yourself drawn to one of these books, please take the time and see what God is wanting to show you in that book.
BASICS COURSE:
Ezra
INTRODUCTION:
For 70 long years, the Jewish people were held captive with the majority of them living outside of the Promised Land. Instead of following the Lord, they had rejected His commandments and forsook the statues He had given them. Yet, God promised that they would return to their own land after the 70 years. The book of Ezra describes how the Jewish people returned.
WHO WROTE IT:
The book of Ezra was written by Ezra, the grandson of the High Priest Hilkiah who in 2 Chronicles 34:14 finds the book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses. Like his grandfather, Ezra is helps lead the people in seeking the Lord. His name even means “helper” in Hebrew. Ezra, with the support of the Lord, is able to lead the return of the Jewish people back to their original calling in the Promised Land.
WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT:
The book depicts the return of the Jewish people and the rebuilding of the temple, thus we can conclude it could not have been written earlier than 450 B.C.
KEY TOPICS:
Forgiveness, love, honor, duty, faith, death, life, temple, God, man, Jewish Nation, Gentile Nations, chronology of the Jewish people, and foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.
KEY SECTIONS:
Chapter 1 shows Cyrus’s proclamation for the Jewish return and rebuilding of the Temple. Chapter 2 is the faithful count of those returning. Chapter 3 is when the Temple restoration begins. Chapter 4 shows enemy distractions. Chapters 5-6 is the return to God’s work. Chapter 7 Ezra leaves Babylon for Jerusalem. Finally chapters 8-10 show Ezra leading the Jewish people in the Promised Land.
BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER:
Ezra is connected to Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Each depicts this time period and the interactions of certain people that can be read about in these specific books. However, the book of Ezra does draw significantly on 1stand 2nd Kings as well as 1st and 2nd Chronicles.
ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK:
Ezra is a rich book for those who are willing to take the deserved time to read and study what God’s Word says. Ezra was the first book in which I personally realized that not only do the names in the Bible have significance, but also the order in which they are written. Ezra is a foreshadowing of the Jewish nation coming back again, which occurred May 14th, 1948. Ezra is a declaration of God’s character and His promises being reliable. For the Church today, Ezra is a good reminder that if God is faithful to the Jewish people, than we can be at peace knowing that He is faithful to us as well. If you are wanting to study this book, break the book up into three readings. First read the book for its historical value of the Jewish people. Second, in connection with the other books of the Bible that interact with Ezra. Finally direct each name, number, and sequence to determine the majestic declaration that only God could ordain and declare.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL
RE-POST FRIDAY
A look back on the importance of the Belt of Truth.
As we continue to look back on the Armor of God, we review the importance of knowing the truth! Read it HERE!