What A Comfort In Jesus

We all need encouragement at times, it’s part of the human nature. We all look for ways to make a difficult time seem manageable or to be reminded that the struggles now will be worth it in the end. The Bible is filled with many verses and passages that offer encouragement, although the most prevalent ones could be found in the Book of Psalm. It is one such psalm that I want to look at today. Psalm 84 is filled with verses that can bring encouragement to the reader and one that I hope you will all look at if you find yourself overwhelmed.

Psalm 84 begins with the writer describing the dwelling places of the Lord. “How lovely are Your dwelling places, Lord of armies! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courtyards of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may put her young: Your altars, Lord of armies, My King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah” Psalm 84:1-4. In these verses I am often reminded of how God cares for even the smallest of His creatures. Even the birds have found a place to rest, if God cares enough for the smallest creation how much more will He care for mankind which was created after God’s own image? When we abide with Christ, we are blessed even in times of trouble and because of this we always have a right and capability to praise God.

The next set of verses describe those who have found that their strength is in God. “Blessed is the person whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the roads to Zion! 6 Passing through the Valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion.” Psalm 84:5-7. These short set of passages have always reminded me that our strength does not come from ourselves, it comes from God. Because of this there is no situation that we cannot handle because God is the one that we lean on. Through the strength given by our faith in Him, we can conquer any situation that is presented to us.

The last set of verses in this Psalm hold some of the most quoted verses. “Lord God of armies, hear my prayer; Listen, God of Jacob! Selah 9 See our shield, God, And look at the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courtyards is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than live in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; He withholds no good thing from those who walk with integrity. 12 Lord of armies, Blessed is the person who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:8-12. Here we are reminded that God is our shield in times of trouble, this goes back to the concept of the Armor of God found in Ephesians chapter 6. No aspect of the armor can be put on without faith in God and in this psalm we are reminded that God guides and protects us even when we stumble. The next key point to this psalm is that God is justice, He judges the world perfectly and in His presence we will see that it is better to walk in His ways then follow the ways of the unrighteous. God not only protects us, but He also guides us in His perfect judgement. By walking in His ways, we are reminded that God does not withhold good things from those who follow Him. This is echoed in James 1:17, “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.”  

So, remember this when life is hard, so you know to lean on the Lord. But remember this even more when life appears to all fall into place, for God is in control of everything and we need to recognize this fact if we are to continuously be reliant on Him. God is so good to those who desire to follow Him, no matter what life throws at us, He is there. Psalm 84 reflects the comfort we can have in Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Elementary Teaching

Everyone is a new believer at some point, and that is ok. However, the Christian needs to be growing and progressing in their understanding of God if we are ever to grow in maturity as followers of Jesus Christ. But what does that mean? What are some basics that define the elementary levels of understanding within the Christian faith? Hebrews breaks this down for us in a unique and simple way. What you will find out is that which the Bible calls elementary, has been sophisticated. In fact, the bar has been lowered so much that church leadership might not even have the basics down. So, what are the elementary teachings in the Bible that define the early stages of our Christian faith? They can be found in Hebrews 6:1-2.

“Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.”

Here we have the foundation of the Christian faith, the elementary teachings that every Christian SHOULD KNOW.

The author of Hebrews starts first with prioritizing the focus of what the elementary teachings is all about, “About Christ.” The entire Bible is God’s book pointing man to Jesus Christ. The faster a person figures this out, the quicker they can see the big picture which is why the Bible was commissioned by God Himself. Each of the following topics are centered around Christ, His interactions with us. These categories are the following:

Repentance    

Faith toward God   

Instruction about washings    

Laying on of hands      

Resurrection of the dead     

Eternal Judgment  

Six topics that are there to help all believers understand the fundamental and elemental foundations of the Christian faith. Now you might be asking, “Why is this all important?” Let’s go and quickly review each one here now.

Repentance is the act of man knowing they are a sinner. They have recognized that they are without excuse and are in need of a savior. This carries the Greek word, “metanoia” which means reversal. The person is wanting to reverse the sentence that has been bestowed on them. They are asking God for Jesus to come into their life and forgive them. Here are just a few of the verses describing this elemental teaching: 1 John 1:9, Act 3:19, Matthew 4:17, Romans 2:4, and Mark 1:15.

Faith toward God, this simply means that you are now entrusting God to fulfill what He has promised to do. The word “toward” in Greek is “epi” which implies the meaning to be superimposition of a time or place of an event. When we understand the context of what we are talking about, we know that it is building off of the previous element which is repentance. Which the only date in time that significantly brought about the connection of “Faith toward God” and “Repentance” is in fact Jesus Christ on the Cross. We can repent and have faith knowing that God will fulfill His promise because of what He has done with the Son. Here are just a few of the verses describing this elemental teaching: 2 Timothy 2:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, 1 John 1:9, and 1 Corinthians 1:9.  

Instruction of Washing of Hands, you might be thinking God is wanting us to be good hand washers. However, the translation into English is hard to understand, but the Greek helps reveal the true meaning of what God is saying here. The word “instruction” in Greek means “didache” which signifies something that has been already taught to them, like a tradition being passed down. The second word is “washings” which is “baptismos” which means baptism. The author is pointing to the tradition of baptism and the importance this has with the symbolic change that has come about from the previous two elements. Repentance and faith in God. Baptism is the outward expression of an inward change. How incredible that the first two point directly to the third and the third points directly to the previous two! Here are just a few of the verses describing this elemental teaching: Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, and Romans 6:4.

Laying of Hands is one that is very tricky to understand until someone points it out to you, than you will never forget it. Once again, the Greek helps us understand where the English falls short. The word “laying” in Greek is “epithesis” which means to grasp and hold, with an official way. The next word is “hands” which in Greek is “khire.” This word implies a sense of hollowness or to literally grasp power. When you place these two words together it means to grasp power or to have power grasp you. How ironic that God, through our repentance, is faithful to hold us, which is represented through Baptism. Each element plays a role together. Here are just a few of the verses describing this elemental teaching: Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13, John 10:29, and Psalm 139:10.

Resurrection of the dead, today this is probably one of the worst kept elementary teachings inside Christendom. No one talks about it, even though it is our blessed hope (Titus 2). In the book of Hebrews, we see that God is wanting us to know what awaits those who are His. This is the resurrection, the Rapture for the Church, and the renewing of all those who are Jesus Christ’s. Nevertheless, for this resurrection to happen, one must have repentance, which is based on knowing God’s faithfulness, which is furthered symbolized through the baptism, and we triumphantly walk knowing God has us held tightly in His hands. This is part one of Eschatology that is brought into the elemental teachings. God wants us to know that we have hope in the future and He has designed a master plan. Here are just a few of the verses describing this elemental teaching: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 3:10, 2 Thessalonians, and 1 Corinthians 15:35-50.

Eternal Judgement is exactly what it sounds like. Man is to be judged. All men, period, the end. Hebrews 9:27 states, “And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment.” No matter if you are a believer or not, you are judged. For the believer, our judgment has been passed onto Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross for us. For those who are not saved they will be judged on the Great White Throne of Judgement, which can be found in Revelation chapter 20. But for those who are saved through repentance, because of what Jesus Christ did, which is symbolized in baptism, held by God, and already resurrected before the Great White Throne of Judgement, well you won’t even be there. You will be with the Lord, blessed and in His presence. For us today, this is the second part of the Eschatology, but it perfectly wraps up the six categories.

All of this goes directly back to Jesus Christ who is the foundation for all of this. Don’t believe me? Even the numbers symbolize God’s handy work.

1 means God, perfection, wholeness, and completeness. This is something that we cannot contain on our own accord. Thus, we need repentance.

2 ironically when seen in completion of 1, takes us to the second of the trinity which is the Son of God, Jesus Christ. How curious the second element is “Faith toward God,” this faith comes from having faith that Jesus paid it all and all we owe to Him.

3 is the trinity, in which case is perfectly symbolizes by how the three together have designed us to be saved which is expressed to the public through water baptism.

4 is the Gospel message. Here we see how the Gospel is God’s way of grasping those who wish to be saved out of their current states of bondage.

5 is the number of grace. We are to be raised from the dead as a sign of God’s grace being bestowed on us who are saved.

6 is the number of man. As earlier stated, God is judging every man. How that sentencing will be carried out is up to you. You can either accept God’s eternal salvation through His free gift of Jesus Christ, or you can try it on your own and see how real Revelation’s 20:15 really is, “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Quickly ending, we see that to truly understand these topics requires a deep understanding of the Word of God. It will take time and practice. Yet, God calls this the elementary teachings of His Bible. Instead of lowering the standard, we need to rise to the occasion and become experts on the elementary teachings of Jesus Christ. Wrapping up remember this, each of the teaching’s points back to the foundation of Jesus Christ, which is the proper place for all Bible studies to point back to. As believers this is the minimum, and today we have people in charge of the churches who do not understand the simple. Let’s not be below the minimum, but rather excel to what deeper and more mature teachings are in 2022.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

A look back at how God flipped the Christmas script. Read it HERE

A Lesson From the Book of Philemon

Perhaps one of the books that has always confused me has been the book of Philemon. This very short letter from Paul to a friend seemed out of place when compared to books such as Hebrews, James, or Titus. Why would a letter written by Paul to a friend be here? It seemed strange to me that in the inspired word this letter was there. Why would it be included and what can we learn from these twenty-five verses? I could not find the reasoning for this letter to be included in the Bible until recently.

Before we dive into the meaning of the book, we should have some background on those included in it. Philemon was written by Paul who if you have read the letters to Timothy and Titus, you would know that he does not hold back in his dedication to the gospel as well as empowering and at times admonishing the reader. Much can be learned from Paul regarding the spiritual walk a Christian should have, such as joy in trials (Philippians), having the Armor of God in Ephesians, and to have knowledge of the future in 2nd Thessalonians. With this in mind, we would expect Paul to always be assertive in his writing. However, when we look at Philemon, we see the softer side of Paul.

The next person to discuss is who the letter was written for. Philemon was a wealthy follower of Christ who led a church in his home. When we review the verses in this letter we can tell that Paul holds Philemon in high regards. Paul is aware of Philemon’s undisputed faith in Jesus Christ, however Paul does have an issue with Philemon and that is concerning a man named Onesimus.

Onesimus was a slave to Philemon and was believed to have robbed from him. In doing so, Onesimus fled Corinth and went to Rome. It would be here while in the bustling city of Rome, Onesimus would meet Paul. This encounter would lead to Onesimus being converted by Paul, who would send him back to Philemon with this letter.

With those facts in mind, we can now take a better look into this letter. After his initial greeting (in which we again see that Paul had no issues facing the physical challenges of being imprisoned, all because he knew that was where God needed him to be) we see Paul addressing Philemon’s character, “4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints; 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” Philemon verses 4-7

In this passage we see that Philemon was invested in the lives of others. He was leading a church in his home, preaching the Word of God, and in doing so he was encouraging believers around him. I see Philemon as the missionary who opens their doors to those on the mission field and provides them rest and a chance to be encouraged in the faith. Philemon made himself available to believers to find rest and encouragement in their faith. We see here that Paul is acknowledging Philemon’s spiritual gifts, hospitality and teaching, before he brings up the issue of Onesimus. This was not an attempt by Paul to manipulate Philemon, instead to remind Philemon of who he is in the body of Christ. This is the softer side of Paul that we see, followed shortly by the Paul that we are used to.

“8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—” Philemon verses 8-9. Here we see the fire of Paul that we are so used to. Paul is stating that he could order Philemon to accept Onesimus back into his household, but instead Paul is appealing to the heart of Philemon as the man who refreshes so many believers. Paul is leading up to his appeal by addressing Philemon as another brother in Christ who had been forgiven of his own sins by God.

We now come to the appeal that Paul makes of Philemon. “10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I fathered in my imprisonment, 11 who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will. ” Philemon verses 10-14. Paul is asking Philemon to receive Onesimus as if it was Paul himself coming to him. If anyone has been in a situation where they were wronged by someone who later came asking for forgiveness, you can imagine how Philemon probably felt. I do not believe that it would have been easy for Philemon to see Onesimus, I am sure there was probably some anger and hurt. And yet Paul is asking Philemon to welcome Onesimus back, not out of compulsion but out of love for another brother in Christ who has seen his sin and been forgiven by God.

I am sure that Philemon would have felt some doubt to Paul’s confession that Onesimus has changed and has become a fellow believer in Jesus Christ. Which is why the next passage is so important for us to remember ourselves. “15 For perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Philemon verses 15-16. When we are faced with someone who has wronged us but is now a born-again believer, we need to remember this passage. Perhaps there was a separation, in this case Onesimus fleeing to Rome, in order for that person to come to know Jesus Christ. This is a New Testament action of the Old Testament prodigal son. Sometimes someone has to be removed in order for them to acknowledge their sins to see that they need to be forgiven and place their trust in Jesus Christ.

Ironically, Paul does bring a soft but firm voice in his letter, “17 If then you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me. 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 I, Paul, have written this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.” Philemon verses 17-20. This passage reminds me of that in Matthew 18, “23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 And when he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 But since he ]did not have the means to repay, his master commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment be made. 26 So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ 27 And the master of that slave felt compassion, and he released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ 30 But he was unwilling, and went and threw him in prison until he would pay back what was owed. 31 So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. 32 Then summoning him, his master *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ 34 And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he would repay all that was owed him. 35 My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”” Matthew 18:23-35. I feel as if Paul is imploring Philemon not to be like the salve in this passage who was so unwilling to forgive the debts of others when his own debt had been forgiven.

We should not forget that Paul himself is speaking from experience in a similar matter. In his concluding remarks, we see that Paul includes Mark in his message. “21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also prepare me a guest room, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Philemon verses 21-25. In Acts 13, we find that Paul was abandoned by Mark which resulted in the mission field being hampered by disagreements with Barnabas and Paul. However, in this letter to Philemon we see that Mark is included in the list of Paul’s fellow workers. This means that at some point in time Paul and Mark reunited under Christ.

Now that we have discussed this short letter, I wonder if you have noticed what took me so long to see. The letter to Philemon is a great example of forgiveness and reconciliation. It is a reminder to all believers to not hold a grudge when we are faced with someone seeking reconciliation with us. Forgiveness plays a key role in our faith, if we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ then we have all been forgiven of our sins. When we are faced with a situation like Philemon and Onesimus we need to transfer our hurt and pain to the only One who has forgiven our sins, Jesus Christ. Through Him we can reach reconciliation with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

How to Prepare For 2022

If there is one thing that causes people all around the world to look forward and think of tomorrow, it is the new year. A time of celebration, excitement, and reflection. Many people thought 2020 was a difficult year, however we quickly realized 2021 was equally up to the task. Looking forward, many have hope for 2022, while others have dread. I believe as Christians we have a unique perspective on the new year that shouldn’t be forgotten. This perspective, if built on the Word of God, is a solid foundation. Witnesses have documented Jesus’ own words with Him cautioning the listeners and later readers to pay attention to His words. For when we lean on His words and act upon them in like manner, we are prepared for the season ahead in 2022. Matthew 7:24-27, “24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

Here we see two people. The first has taken God’s Word and is acting upon it. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” This person not only is listening to the Jesus’ teachings, but is apparently meditating on it since the listener knows when and how to act upon the teaching. They know what word applies to what life scenario. This is critical for the believers to know; the Bible is God’s knowledge written down for us. Without blemish and applicable at all times in our life, to include 2022. Thus, we need to be adherent to the Word of God and be like Proverbs 1:7 which states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

We do not know what 2022 will hold, however we know what God’s word says for the coming end of the age and we know that things are to get rough. If you have ever been around a woman in labor, you will understand this; this age is showing signs of labor pains for a transition into the next. These labor signs can be read throughout the Bible if you need help on where to first look, I would encourage you to read 1-2 Thessalonians, John 14 and 1-2 Peter.

Nevertheless, as believers when we act upon Jesus’ words, we find that whatever 2022 will throw at us is insignificant with Jesus at the helm of our life. “25 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” How, interesting that God does not promise an easy life, in fact He warns of what is coming, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” John 16:33. Yet, it doesn’t matter for us who are saved and are acting upon the Word of God. There are no surprises to Jesus in 2022. This should be a comfort to us who are entering into this year.

However, there is a second group that Jesus discusses in Matthew 7. This group is the person who does not act upon Jesus’ words and decides that they are in control of their own life and will act in their own knowledge, work, and understanding. “26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.” It should be noted that Jesus’ emphasizes the end, “and its collapse was great.” How eerie of a statement. For those who reject to listen to the Word of God, 2022 will be a year that will certainly reflect uncertainty, fear, and possible calamity.

Now there might be some who are thinking I am taking this to an extreme and that God did not intend for it to be used in this manner, however I would argue that verses 28 and 29 of Matthew 7 reflect the serious and contextual accuracy of today’s post. “28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” Jesus is being recognized as having authority. This means two things; one He knows what He is talking about, and two He wasn’t shy about making sure people understood He was serious and clear with His teaching.

So, as we go into 2022, we need to see if we are acting upon His word or are we just acting like believers. The best way to see homes that are built on a solid foundation is for storms, and with 2022 arriving we can be rest assured we have storms coming. How lucky are those who have acted upon His word and adhere to Jesus Christ and His Gospel. For those who are not saved or are unsure, you can be sure right this very minute. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and ask for Him to live inside your heart. THAT’S IT! If you mean it, send us an email and we would love to reach out and help you along on this amazing journey. 2022 can be an exciting year of adventure for those who are adequately in God’s loving embrace. Yet this embrace only comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

A look back at the meanings behind a few of Jesus Christ’s different titles! Read it HERE!

New Year Resolutions

The holidays are nearing an end, we have gone through our season of thankfulness as well as a season of remembrance of when the Savior Jesus Christ was born. It is around now that many people look to the future. They view the coming new year with hope and reflect on things that they wish to change. Many resolutions are made to eat healthier, exercise more, read more, relax more, ect. And yet, how many of us reflect on our walk with Jesus Christ and strive to build a deeper faith and a deeper understanding on what we believe. 

As created beings, we all long for a deeper connection to God and a deeper understanding of His Word, many try to look inward to build this connection. However, this is not possible. We cannot build a deeper connection on our own and often times we are unaware of hinderances that could be preventing God from building a stronger faith in us. In this time, it would be important to take a look at our current walk with Jesus Christ and see if there are any hinderances that are stopping us from having a deeper understanding of our faith.

One of the first hinderances is sin. Sin in itself separates all man from God. “But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:2. God is one hundred percent holy and in Him there is no darkness, “5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5. Sin is one hundred percent darkness, because God cannot abide with the darkness of sin, if there is sin in your life then your path to growing in the faith is being hindered. For the unbeliever this means accepting that the sin in our life is a debt that cannot be paid on our own, it is only through the blood of Christ and accepting His sacrifice on the cross that we can be cleansed. For the believer that has already acknowledged this fact but still feel disconnected from God, look closely at your life and see if there is any sin in your life that you have not confessed. We cannot come before God if we are still holding onto sinful desires. If there is anything in your life that is going against the Word of God, this is sin and needs to be confessed then removed if you desire a deeper connection to God.

The second hindrance to a deeper connection to God is the condition of the human heart. As mentioned before, mankind often feels as if we need to perform some act to make God notice us or to earn His salvation. This is far from the case as proved over and over in the Bible, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6. Just like everyone longs for a connection to God, we all deep down recognize that we have rebelled against God. Some choose to accept this fact and ask God for His forgiveness, while others deny it and continue to live in a way that only leaves them yearning for something more. They fail to realized that what they are looking for is for Christ to save them. God does not want our actions, He wants our obedience to Him. “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17

When we are struggling with a deeper connection to God we often are set in one of these two issues. In doing so we lose the concept of God’s Majesty. If we wish to form a deeper connection to God, we need to acknowledge that actions on our own will not accomplish this. We need God first in our lives to have any form of a relationship with Him, and we need to be careful that we are not swayed by a form of religiosity that focuses on human actions without coming before God and confessing our sins. We cannot forget that we are made in the image of God and need to behave as such.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Lesson From Wise Men

What does it mean to put action to your faith? We in the Body of Christ forget at times that we should be acting upon what God has promised. When God makes promises we can be assured He means what He says. As believers we need to take His word seriously. We are living in dangerous times, times that Paul said would be perilous times, 2 Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." But how do we act upon God’s Word? How do we put our faith into action? A good example of this can be found in the book of Matthew with the wise men journey. However, before that we need to go to Israel’s beginning. Hundreds of years before Jesus would be born and the Wise men would even come east, the people of Israel were journeying from Egypt to the Promised Land. During this time it was prophesied in Numbers 24:17, “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.” Years later when the Jews were sent to Babylon, their teachings and knowledge of the Torah would be part of the schools. Daniel, from the book of Daniel, would be one of the fathers of this teaching. The wise men were educational descendants of Daniel and the writings of the Torah. Now many call these men Magi or Wise men, but what does this mean in today’s terms? These would have been the PHD, scientist, doctors, and philosophers of today. Their knowledge and discipline to study would have surpassed everyone. 

  Now before we continue there might be some who say that Numbers 24:17 isn’t talking about a Star symbolizing the coming birth of the Messiah, however the wise men did take this seriously and were looking for a star. Additionally, they knew based on Daniel 9 when the Messiah was coming. For them this was enough to seek out the promised King. 

  Matthew 2:1-11, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard [this,] he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, [in] the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found [Him,] bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

  Here is a group of men who took the Bible seriously and were actively looking for what the Bible promised. They knew the time frame of Jesus’ coming and they knew of a star. So when the star arrived, it was time for their faith to have action and they pursued the star. Many might argue and fight over what was the star. However, allow me to give two examples I believe why this star was visible to anyone but anonymously enough to be over looked by virtually everyone. The wise men could see it, no where does it say no one else couldn’t see it. So that means the wise men knew to be looking. Second, it was special enough to suggest this was the star to symbolize the coming King’s birth. From this story we have three points that need to be addressed when talking about faith in action. These three points will highlight our own actions on faith to this day. The first option is to be like King Herod who wasn’t studying the Word of God and was clueless of what time he was living in. For the believer today, these are the ones who are saved but have virtually no idea of what the Bible says about these times and is clueless of the prophecies concerning the time about to come upon the world. The second is the Pharisees. This group knows the prophecies and the scripture but instead of taking it seriously, they describe it was metaphorical, symbolic, and even allegorical. They highlight what they desire to ease their life, while neglecting the cold hard truth of God’s Word regarding this time and what we should be doing. The final point is the wise men. This group of believers see the signs and are eagerly going about the Father’s work. They know time is short so they are telling anyone who will listen of the Gospel and sharing the love of Christ to all. 

  So we need to be like the wise men and allow our faith to have action. Do we believe what the Bible says about the end times? Do we believe what His word says? If we do, than our faith will be reflected by our actions. James wraps up this lesson by the wise men rather sufficiently, James 2:17-18, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

How does God take what is deemed unimportant and make it the centerpiece? Read it HERE!

Christmas Faith Part III

Over the last two weeks we have looked at the earthly parents of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have seen how God had placed them in that time to fulfill His purpose and we have seen how it was through their great faith in God that Mary and Joseph were able to complete their tasks. However, this series would not be complete if we did not look at the birth of Jesus Christ and why He choose to come as He did.

Any born-again believer will whole heartedly and readily admit that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, lived the perfect life, sacrificed Himself for the sake of the world, and then rose again to reign. We have already seen why God choose a virgin to give birth to the Son of God, so that the adamic sin would not be passed down allowing Jesus to be born without sin, but have we thought of how it would have been for Jesus to be born in such a manner?

Luke 2:1-7 gives a depiction of Jesus’s birth, “2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

The Lord of heaven and earth, who commands angels, who sets forth kings on earth, came to us born in an unwelcoming manger. By rejecting Mary and Joseph and the many inns, many would have looked at them and disregarded their claim of living righteously with Mary already being pregnant before they were wed, we see already how many of the world will reject Christ. In our human minds, we would have expected the Son of God to be born to a family of wealth and power, instead He was born to a poor carpenter and his fiancé. A.W. Tozer describes it this way in his book “Experiencing the Presence of God”, “Jesus went back not only to the original embryo, but all the way back to the original germ, that He might know everything that man knows and develop the way of man’s development right up to full, blooming manhood. Jesus came down to where we are. If He had been born in a palace, there might have been those who were born in huts and grass cottages that He would not have understood; but He was born in a stable that He might know the poorest there are.”

And yet it was not the rich and powerful who first welcomed Him, instead it was a group of shepherds who came to see what the angel proclaimed to them. “10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”” Luke 2:10-12. The angel came to the shepherds to reveal that the Savior had been born!

But still those with power and might were unaware of the Messiah’s birth, at least until three wise men approached King Herod. “2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:1-3. It is no doubt that the priests should have been anxiously awaiting the Messiah, they should have been prepared for this news but instead they were caught off guard and were troubled by news of the birth of the Messiah. Instead of the priests being aware of Jesus Christ’s birth, it was instead foreigner from the east.

King Herod then calls the priest together, “4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For from you will come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’” Matthew 2:4-6. The priest were aware of where the Messiah would be born, but still they were not aware of the time. The priests had all of the information in the scriptures that would point to where the Messiah would come from, and still they were not actively looking for Him. The religious leaders of the day expected the Messiah to be a political savior and as such expected someone of great background. They were not looking for a spiritual savior and were not paying attention to the signs of His coming. It is also important to note that here we see God’s handiwork in His salvation plan, it was predicted long ago that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”” Micah 5:2.

As we get ready to celebrate our Savior’s birth, I hope that you will take time now to reflect on the great faith that Joseph and Mary had as well as see how God’s plan is always in motion. God planned for His Son to come to the world in the manner that He did, at the time that He did, to offer salvation to the whole world. I hope that you will not be like the priest who have all the information to acknowledge the Lord but refused. I hope that you will be like Joseph and Mary and allow God to work in your life as He would.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

An Alternative Look To Christmas II

So now we come to part 2 in our journey through Psalm 8 and how this silent night of Christ’s birth was not so silent. We know from part 1 that it was a declaration to the enemy that they had lost. The infant’s cry was sudden defeat in the ears of the wicked, “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes you have established strength because of your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease” Psalms 8:2. Yet we know that Christ displayed His plan and majesty in the sky, Psalm 8:1 states “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!” To learn more about the opening, go back to last week’s post. This week we want to explain more of the significance of Christmas and how Psalm 8 is indeed breaking this down for us. 

  Starting at verse 3 we see another reflection of God’s power, ordaining the stars and moon to proclaim His workmanship. Psalms 8:3 “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained.” The author is preparing for something incredible but stops to reflect on the truth of how small man is in this cosmic universe, this is especially true when you see how small man is in the big scheme of things. Psalms 8:4 states, “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” Now the author pivots back to Christmas, we see ourselves standing back at the manger with the voice of an infant declaring that the Lord God of Heaven has come down to earth as a child. Don’t believe me? Just read Psalm 8:5-8. 

  “Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.”

  Still don’t believe this is Jesus Christ? Let us look at Hebrews and examine,

Hebrews 2:5-10 “For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? 7 “YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; 8 YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.”

  The author in Hebrews is talking about Jesus, and actually quotes part of Psalm 8! God, through His Son, has come down to live with Mankind, to save Mankind, and to renew a relationship with God for Mankind! Psalm 8 is a declaration of the Christmas story and most people wouldn’t even know it. We know from last week that the literal night of Jesus’s birth was not silent, yet even figuratively we know that this night would be proclaimed through the ages! Jesus Christ, God incarnate, born on earth to live a perfect life and die for us. He would then be raised from the dead, signifying His perfect life, and established on the throne. Christmas is a yearly declaration of a night not soon to be forgotten! Even our songs on the radio declare this, just look at this old Christmas classic and see how much it resembles the truth of what we have been learning this past two weeks. 

Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations, rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With th' angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Har, the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

Hail, the heav'n-born Prince of peace
Hail! the Son of Righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the some of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King

The Psalm ends with the best way we can celebrate each Christmas. With us putting the season back to its original meaning, “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth!” While Christmas is a joyous occasion, it is a time to respectfully bring the reason for the season back to where it belongs. Christmas is a yearly celebration of God’s master plan coming to fruition, His rescue operation to save Mankind being acted upon. For the enemy, a declaration of their time coming to a close. For those who would seek Christ, a moment of joy beckoning a season of lights, merry making, and festivities all around the amazing fact that Jesus Christ had come to earth to save you and I. I recently heard a pastor put it simply enough, there is one verse that ties Christmas to Easter the best and that is John 3:16. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Psalm 8 helps remind us that Christmas was never and should never be a silent night, but one of remembrance and celebration of what Christ did for you and I. 

Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

How is God working for us? Read it HERE!

Christmas Faith Part II

As we continue our look into those who were important in Jesus Christ’s birth, there is one who is often overlooked and one I confess I make the mistake to overlook as well. When I wrote the post on Zacharias and Elizabeth, I commented that they had to wait until it was God’s timing for them to have a child and part of this was to wait for Mary to be of an age and to have a willing heart to listen to God as discussed last week. However, Mary was not the only one who had to be prepared for this timeframe and it is this person who is so often overlooked despite having a great faith and a willingness to listen to God. And that person is Joseph.

We have already discussed how Mary could have felt when she was visited by the angel Gabriel but now we need to look at the man who stepped up and took on that father role for the Son of God.

“18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Matthew 1:18-25

We quickly see that Joseph was a righteous man. He found out that Mary was pregnant and did not wish to cause her any more shame than a woman who was “unfaithful” would have endured during these times. Instead, he wished to release her from their engagement quietly and without any fuss. Any other man could have had Mary stoned for being pregnant before she was married but Joseph did not want to see any harm come to her.

But as Joseph was considering how to do this, he was visited by an angel just as Mary was. While it is not stated, I do believe that this angel was again Gabriel simply based on Gabriel being the angel to visit Zacharias and Elizabeth, as well as Mary. This angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife and explains that Mary was to give birth to the Son of God, all to fulfill the plan of salvation that God had put into place. It is here that we see Joseph’s faith. He does not question the angel about what he was told, but in his own way Joseph was acknowledging that nothing is impossible for God. Joseph knew that if this was God’s plan then God would provide a way for Joseph to fill the father role for the Son of God. It could not have been easy knowing that you would be raising the Son of God and realizing that your actions would have some impact on Him, which we see as Jesus became a carpenter just like Joseph.

Joseph is also an example to those of you who are step-parents raising children who are not your own. Joseph was placed into the earthly father role for the Son of God, he knew that Jesus was not his but that did not stop Joseph from loving and raising Jesus. If you are a step-parent I ask that you look to Joseph for encouragement and see that you have just as much parental responsibility as those who share DNA with the child. And in some situations where the biological parent has walked out of the child’s life, you have more responsibility to step up and guide the child(ren) that have been placed into your care.

Joseph’s step of faith is an encouragement for us today as we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth. We need to remember the man who stepped up into that father role without doubt and instead relying upon the Lord to provide.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

An Alternative Look to Christmas

What if I told you that we should reimagine Christmas? What if I told you a quite scene in a manger wasn’t the full story? You might think I am crazy or you might be curious. However, I would ask for your attention. For the next two weeks we will be doing a close examination to a declaration of the second most important event in human history. Jesus Christ’s birth. Don’t worry! We won’t be taking the normal approach to this, but rather something you most likely have never heard. To be frank, until recently I had never known it either. 

  Psalm 8 is a wonderful declaration of God’s power. Psalms 8:1-2 “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.” In this scene the Psalmist, King David, is telling about all the wonder of God and His victory. “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth” King David is making a clear declaration that the Lord is majestic. What does this word “majestic” mean? The Hebrew word is “Ad-deer” or Strongs 117. The word means powerful, famous, gallant, glorious, goodly, lordly, mighty, mightier, one, noble, principal that is worthy. This word describes something that only God can be. He is wanting us to know that God is better than anything that we could ever think. However, King David is setting the stage for revealing a truth bomb which could only be delivered by Jesus Himself. King David explains that God’s spender is above the heavens. The word “above” is the Hebrew word “al” or Strongs 5921 which on the surface can mean “above,” but when you dig deeper you can see it means “above” but with a downward aspect. The word implies something that was set forth outside of time to be displayed, its source from outside the origins of our conscious. In short, King David is saying God has displayed His power in the heavens, “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!” Now we are going to transition to something you most likely haven’t done before so I am asking for patience and see where I am going. 

  Imagine through the eyes of Satan. You know that Jesus Christ has promised to come to save the world through the line of Abraham to King David. You know that Gabriel the Angel has given the exact years until Jesus would come as the King in Jerusalem to the Prophet Daniel, Daniel chapter 9. You know you are about a 34 years out, and suddenly you receive a report from one of your minions that Gabriel was dispatched to a young woman named Mary. You think back over the old prophecies when God Himself told you, Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” And you wonder if this is God’s play? You wait to see what happens, you visit this Mary and she seems like any typical betrothed Jewish woman. However, looking closer you sense the majestic nature within her womb, God who was boundless, was doing the unthinkable, the incompressible, and adding to what was already limitless.  He was doing something you had never seen before, He was adding to Himself. This woman was carrying your arch-nemesis, the heir to the throne of God, God Himself as a man. Yet, what did that mean? Suddenly, you see a star in the sky? Those old scholars from Babylon start to follow making the long track westward to Israel. You know the child will be born before the wise men arrive but you wonder why the star? Out of spite you make sure the frantic soon to be father Joseph cannot find a suitable place for Mary to give birth. This “unborn would be King” would not dare challenge you. When suddenly you hear a cry, the cry is not Mary’s but rather the birth of the child and than you realize what has entered the world, “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.”

  Crazy right? Looking at this through the devil’s eyes? But Psalm 8 gives us more to this story. Both verses reveal that the night Jesus was born was a night that was exploding with significance, meaning, and declaration to the enemy of God that their time was coming to an end. The war for the souls of mankind was coming close to its final battle. From the mouth of a nursing infant, strength is established and the adversaries would be dealt with. Psalm 8 starts by giving a unique look at the Christmas story. Two brief verses, but powerful nonetheless. For our adversaries hearing Jesus Christ cry at birth, was the declaration of their impending doom. But do not take my word for it, the other angels, who were witness to the miracle, declared this to the shepherds Luke 2:8-20 “8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

  The Christmas night could be described with many details but “silent night” is not one of them. However, Psalm 8 isn’t done yet. If you doubt this is still talking about Jesus Christ on earth, just wait till next week when we dig into the rest of the chapter and see what Christmas signified for mankind. 

Hold until relieved, Our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

As we approach Christmas, it is important to know who our listeners are! Read it HERE!

Christmas Faith

Christmas is fast approaching and with it many people are more open to discussing the true meaning behind the holiday. We see many hearts softening during this time and people are encouraged more to share the good news of the Savior Jesus Christ. While the focus should rightfully be placed upon the Son of God, Jesus Christ, have you ever considered what others were thinking regarding His birth? Over the next couple of weeks, we will be discussing people whose faith brought about God’s plan for salvation to begin.

If you read our post last week regarding God’s fulfillment of His plans at the proper time, then you will recall that Zacharias and Elizabeth were meant to have the child that would come before and prepare the way for Jesus Christ, Luke 1:17 “17And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” But in order for this to occur, the woman who would give birth to the Son of God had to be prepared. She not only had to come of age, but had to have a willing heart in order to serve God.

This woman has become a common household name throughout the ages, I don’t think there is anyone who has heard the story of Jesus Christ’s birth who has not heard of His mother, Mary. But have we ever really looked into her faith and what it meant? Many studies have been done on her answer to the angel Gabriel and what it meant for the goal of salvation (Luke 1:26-38), but have we ever considered what Mary might have been thinking?

Imagine being a young woman who was suddenly approached by Gabriel the Angel “28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” Luke 1:28-29. Mary wasn’t concerned about the fact that an angel approached her, but was instead confused by the greeting and why she was being called favored one. Mary had no inclination that she had been chosen and prepared for the task of bearing the Son of God. However, in order to be used by God for this task, Mary must have had a heart full of faith in the promises of God that He would present a Messiah. This does not mean that Mary’s actions were what made her become the mother of God, but that her faith allowed her to willingly say that she would follow God’s will for her life.

We next see Gabriel explain to Mary what God had planned for her, “30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”” Luke 1:30-34. Many have compared Mary’s statement to Zacharias when he was told that Elizabeth would bear him a son. The difference between Mary and Zacharias is that Mary was not questioning that God would be able to make His word come to pass, but instead was merely questioning how it would happen since she was a virgin. Zacharias wanted proof from Gabriel that what the angel said would be true, while Mary wondered how it would come to pass. She was not doubting that what was being told to her was the truth.

This is a question that Gabriel has no issue answering, “35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:35-38. The pure simplicity in Mary’s answer would baffle many today. Instead of asking for clarification or if she truly was the right person for this honor; Mary simply blesses God and acknowledges that through His power, there is nothing that He could not do. Her answer again shows how great a faith Mary had.

Mary’s acknowledgement of God’s plan for her did not come without consequences. A pregnancy is difficult to hide; and in a time where the idea of adultery had more considerable consequences then now, Mary knew what her answer would mean. I once heard a pastor say that if he could have planned the path for salvation he would have waited for Mary and Joseph to be married before she became pregnant with the Son of God. This response is in fact very good proof on why humankind should not be in charge of God’s plans. If God had waited for Mary and Joseph to be married, then it would be impossible to prove that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus Christ. This fact is important for two reasons. First, by using as virgin God was able to show the world His might and power, He could make the impossible happen. The second reason is perhaps the most important. If Mary and Joseph were married when she became pregnant with the Son of God, then Jesus would not be God. By having a human father, there is the issue of Adamic sin. Sin comes into a person’s life in two ways, first through the Adamic sin which is passed down through the father, thus every person who has an earthly father has been born with sin. Secondly, sin is passed through our personal actions. So, Jesus Christ Himself would have to be perfect in His own actions, which His resurrection showed proof of. But for this to happen, Jesus had to be born to a virgin. This is why it is so important to remember that God’s ways are not ours, ““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.

If perhaps Gabriel and Mary’s interaction would have resulted in a private acknowledgement of God’s plan for her, more believers would be inclined to react as Mary did. It is easy to praise God when His promises don’t place us in difficult positions. But this is often not the case and it certainly wasn’t for Mary. For a young woman to become pregnant before she was married was of great dishonor and often resulted in punishment. Mary was aware of what her answer would mean, she was aware of the whispers it would cause and the general disbelief that she was faithful to her fiancé. However, this knowledge did not stop Mary from placing her own comfort aside in order to follow God. We as believers today need to remember this in our own spiritual walk. God will often place us in situations of discomfort to share His Word to those around us. Today we face punishments just as an unfaithful woman would have. We could lose our friends, family, jobs, or even be jailed for our beliefs. But this should not stop us from responding as Mary did, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word” Luke 1:38b.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Think Twice About What Gift You are Bringing Him

Today I wanted to talk about a simple, but powerful concern humanity is struggling with. This struggle is the idea that we must do something for God to like us. I am not talking about the idea of self-righteousness, which can play a part in this, but rather a fundamental misbelief that man needs to do things for God to like us.

This might sound strange to some of you, and that’s ok. Today’s post is simply talking to those who believe they need to do something for God to like them. No where in the Bible will you see a verse about how we need to do something for God to like us. Some might say salvation, but this is acceptance of what God’s Son Jesus Christ did for us. Salvation is the willful act of accepting Jesus Christ into your life and acknowledging what He has already done. I am talking about religiosity in sense. For instance, Psalm 40:6 states, “Sacrifice and meal offering you have not desired.” God doesn’t care what we can offer Him. Psalm 51:16 states, “For you do not delight in sacrifice otherwise I would give it, you are not pleased with burnt offering.” God doesn’t want us trying to make Him think we are good. In fact, He knows we are not and wants us to recognize this, Psalm 51:17 states, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

What do I mean by this? I mean God would rather have us bring nothing to the table and cry out to Him for mercy knowing we cannot possibly even think of something pure enough to be in His presence, rather than us bring a gift to Him. Regrettably, if you have been a Christian for more than a day, this struggle has manifested itself in you. However, God is great at pointing it out as we study His Word. The Spirit will guide us directly to the issue and spotlight it for us to see how we are in constant need of Jesus Christ. So what should we do? Look at Proverbs 15:8, “but the prayer of the upright is His delight.” God loves to hear from us because we are His, PERIOD! This is why John 3:16 states, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD (that means He loved you already) that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” It is why Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God just doesn’t care what we can bring to the table, He loves us no matter what. We need not attempt sacrifices so that He likes us, but rather we should be seeking Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind as it says in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This lesson was so important to Jesus’s ministry on earth that He even assigned it as homework, Matthew 9:13, “Now go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus believed this principle was so important that He even followed back up with them to tell them they failed to look it up. Matthew 12:7, “But if you had known what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”

In short, remember that God cares more about the heart than what the hands can bring to the table. He cares more about the intentions, than the actions seen by others. And finally, if you haven’t picked up on this yet, He already has declared that He likes you! Not just that, He loves you! And He has already paid the price to bring you into fellowship with Him. No need for a welcoming gift other than our willing hearts to follow Him.

Hold Until Relieved, Our Blessed Hope is Coming,

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

A post to remind us that God is with us even in our grief. Read it HERE!

God’s Timing Not Ours

If one thing has stuck out to me in the last year it is how God is always in control of the timing of events. I have seen it in my own life with completion of plans that were thought to be put aside. We have also seen how God placed certain people in a specific time such as Queen Esther “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”” Esther 4:14b. Recently I have even seen how God was in control in His timing for the salvation of mankind.

I was reading through the book of Luke and came across a statement that I must have overlooked at least a dozen times. It occurs when the angel Gabriel is speaking with Zacharias regarding Elizabeth bearing him a son. Zacharias was doubtful that this would come to pass due to his and his wife’s advanced age, as a result Gabriel sealed Zacharias’ lips until the child was born. While this on its own can be a topic of discussion, I want to focus on one line spoken by Gabriel. “20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”” Luke 1:20

Did you catch it? Gabriel’s words would be fulfilled at the proper time. This means that God had left Elizabeth and Zacharias without a child until this specific point in history! The child that was to be born to them would be the one who would go before Christ proclaiming God’s power and bringing back many to God. Their son would be remembered as one of the greatest men of faith, but they had to wait until this time for him to be born. If Elizabeth and Zacharias were to only have one child, then the child would have to be born when the timing was right for him to fulfill what he was destined to do.

In one sense, Elizabeth and Zacharias had to wait until Mary was of age. When you read through you can see that there is a significant age difference between Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth was described as being advanced in years while Mary was old enough to just now be betrothed. Elizabeth acted as proof that what the angel told Mary was going to happen was the truth. Not only that, but the disciples themselves had to be born at that time, including Judas.

However, there is more to the timing of events. If it was not for the Greeks who had brought the common language of Greek to the known world, the gospel would have been much harder to spread. Second, Rome needed to build the roads throughout the empire allowing for missionary travel to be easier. All this was done for other reasons, but when you look at it from God’s perspective you see that years before the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ there was already a specific time frame and work being accomplished. Just think of Caesar Augustus had to have the idea for a census, thus forcing Joseph and Marry back to Bethlehem right before Jesus was born.

When presented with this, how can we not see how great our God is? He planned out the moment for salvation to be presented for all of mankind at that specific timeframe. Jesus met with those who He was meant to at that time, He knew whose hearts He was going to touch while on earth. If God could plan this wondrous timeframe so perfectly how can we doubt that He has a plan for us? God arranged the Greeks to bring a common language, the Romans to build the roads, Caesar for his census to prepare the foundation for what was to happen. God placed Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, and the disciples at that moment in time to complete a purpose that He had planned. God allowed for roads to be built and the sharing of a common language to take place in the time when His Son would begin His ministry on earth. Nothing was by chance, and nothing was out of God’s control. This is the same for us, we are here in this moment, facing these circumstances, to complete God’s plan and glory. This should give us comfort as we go about our day in these uncertain times.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Basics: A Brief Overview of the Book of Ezekiel

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. 

1.) Introduction

2.) Who wrote it

3.) When did they write it

4.) Key topics

5.) Key sections

6.) Books that interact with each other

7.) 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: 

Ezekiel

INTRODUCTION: 

Imagine the night is especially dark, the water reflects the stars off the Chebar river. Sitting by the edge of the river, you see a man wrapped in his robe watching the water flow. For some reason Ezekiel couldn’t sleep and decided to come to the water’s edge and pray. This wasn’t too uncommon; the land was still foreign to him, and the smell of the area was always unsettling. He didn’t expect anything other than peace as he thought back to his homeland in Israel. The chirping of the nightlife was poetic and the sound of water flowing soothing, yet something had drawn him to this particular area. For a while it seemed to continue, his thoughts strayed to thinking of the promises of God and the power He had orchestrated against the Jewish people for disobedience. For Ezekiel it was a shame, he thought and wondered what his people would be like years from now. Thinking of what could happen he finally realized the chirping noises had stopped and the water had become choppy, as if the air was turning and a storm was approaching. Looking straight up Ezekiel could see stars, yet he felt like something was coming. Standing up he decided to walk to the top of the hill next to the river. As he walked, he could see the sway of the brush and the trees bending back and forth to the wind. He didn’t understand, what sort of storm came like this? Getting to the top of the hill he saw to the West back towards Jerusalem stars, looking South and East he saw stars. However, far to the north there seemed to be a glowing haze as if a storm of fire. The image made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, there was something unnatural about the storm. Wrapping his cloak about him, Ezekiel straightened to see closer. To his surprise, the storm was not far away and rapidly coming towards him. While he couldn’t tell why, something inside felt as if the storm was coming for him. At first, he felt his knees begin to weaken, he wanted to run, his hands trembled, and the ground began to shake beneath him. Suddenly the dread of his sin had encompassed him, as if all his past wrong doings were coming back to his memory. Whatever the storm was, it carried a presence that Ezekiel had only read about. Ezekiel was in the presence of holiness.

WHO WROTE IT: 

Ezekiel the Priest son of Buzi, is the author of the book of Ezekiel.

WHEN DID THEY WRITE IT: 

According to Biblical scholars, archaeologists, theologians, and historians, Ezekiel is written close to 590 B.C. and would continue to 570 B.C.

KEY TOPICS:

Ezekiel is a book of declaration by God. God is declaring what is happening and what will happen.

KEY SECTIONS: 

This book can be broken into several parts. Section 1 is chapters 1-7 which is about God and the commissioning of Ezekiel. Section 2 is chapters 8-24 which is God’s glory and the complete captivity of all the Jewish people from their land. Section 3 are chapters 25-32 which is the judgment of nations, and finally section 4 is chapters 33-38 which deals with the future.

BOOKS THAT INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER: 

Ironically most of the Old Testament deals with the book of Ezekiel. However, there is one book more than any other that I would argue stands closest to interacting with the book of Ezekiel and that is the New Testament book Revelation. Ezekiel is evidence of God’s declaration of a time still needing to be fulfilled by God with the Jewish nation. Revelation is the detailed events of that time.

ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK: 

Ezekiel is a book where we get a peak into the inner workings of God Almighty! If you want to know what it is like in God’s presence, this is it. If you want to know how He thinks of nations, this is it. If you want to see what will happen in the future, possibly our lifetime now, this is it. Ezekiel is a marvelous book for prophecy students, but also those who are desiring to have a clearer understanding of God. Those who read Ezekiel need to remember to take God’s Word seriously and keep to the golden rule of scripture reading, “Context, context, context.” And the second biggest rule, “Take everything back to scripture.” If you have a question in Ezekiel, look in the book for an answer, if it is not there it will be found in another book in the Bible. Finally, Ezekiel is a book that shows the legitimacy of the Bible, God makes claims that would have been seen as impossible only a few years ago. God’s word is reliable, authentic, and relatable each and every day.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL