Re-Post Friday

Are you keeping a heavenly perspective? Join us HERE!

A Plan

A couple weeks ago we discussed a passage found in the book of John which detailed Christ describing what His purpose was. We saw that from the beginning of His ministry Jesus was calling for the repentance of mankind. So we clearly saw what Jesus’s purpose was, but what was God’s will in all of it?

Anyone who is a follower of Christ will know that God’s will has always been for mankind to turn from their sinful ways and follow Him. This goes hand in hand with Jesus’s purpose of preaching repentance. However, did you know that there is a clear section of scripture that describes God’s will not just for Jesus, but for mankind?

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:38-40

Jesus’s purpose on earth was to preach repentance and to be the final sacrifice for our sins. And again, any Christian ought to know that Jesus did this to fulfill God the Father’s will. However, what doubters will say is “How can a loving God sacrifice His Son?” And so we have John 6:39. Christ is the sacrifice that brings all who accept Him into reconciliation with God the Father, but because God the Father is a loving and caring God, He would not leave His Son with nothing. Christ lost nothing when He died on the cross, He received it all when He rose again from the grave. It is why Jesus states in John 10:17-18, “17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” Jesus had full authority to lay down His life and He knew that He would rise again; and because He did mankind now has the capability to accept His free gift of salvation and be reconciled to God.

Which now leads us into understanding God’s will for mankind. Just as Jesus taught from the beginning, God’s will for mankind is to turn away from their sin and accept Him. Just as nothing was taken away from Jesus when He died, there is nothing that can separate Jesus from anyone who comes to accept Him as Lord and Savior. For the Christian, this should give us hope. Not only did Jesus lose nothing in His death; but because of His death we will one day rise up with Him!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

WHY?

Why were you saved? You might think this is a trick question, but it really isn’t. Some will say, “It is because Jesus died for my sins.” This is true but this answers how we are saved. Why were you saved? Some might say, “Because God so loved the world that He saved us.” Which is also true, but why were you saved? This question is unique and one that sooner or later all believers in Christ Jesus need to ask Him. There will always be the foundational reasons such as Romans 5:7-8 “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” But is there more? Is there a specific reason why you were saved? To be perfectly clear, this can be a dangerous question to ask. Some might take this too far and examine their own self worth and come to a disastrous idea that God chose them because they were needed. God does not need you or I! Acts 17:24-25 “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” God needs nothing for He is the maker of all things. We can also examine this question to our own detriment and think there is no real value to us, like once saved we have no value to God. This is also not true. Yet this simple question needs to be asked. Why were you saved? Scripture tells us why Paul was saved, let us examine this to see if we can find an answer to why we were saved.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” God saved Paul because He loved Paul. However, God also saved Paul to reveal to the world that Christ could save literally anyone! Yes that even means the worst person you can think of. That even means the monsters we read about in history books who did things that naive people consider to be outside of human capabilities today. Paul was saved to be a living testament. His testimony is five verses; instead of focusing on the garbage of his past, he quickly directs the attention to the real subject of our personal testimony, JESUS CHRIST.

A testimony helps us understand the value of what God is doing in our life post salvation. In doing so, it reveals the value of what God is doing and how He has turned our life into something greater than ourselves. Look at the disciples, they were going to be saved just like the rest of us because Jesus was going to die for them as well. However, them being saved revealed a post salvational purpose that God had intended for their lives. The same is for each and everyone of us, because God declares in countless verses His intentions in our lives to help guide us and love us. Read Proverbs chapters one through four and marvel at the revelation of Christ in our life.

So I would ask you again, “Why were you saved?” Have the answer ready, so when someone asks, you can give more than the “whole world” answer and reveal to them the personal relationship that you have with the creator of the universe. Now if you are not saved, I would encourage you to ask that question in a different manner, “Why hasn’t He saved me?” This answer we can simply tell you. He is waiting for you to ask! Recognize your need for Him and ask, that’s it. He will do the rest. Sometimes the simplest questions are the ones we miss to ask, and at times those are the questions that reveal the most truth in our lives.   

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The beginning of a new series regarding the threat within our churches! Read it HERE!

A Small Difference

While reading through the Bible, there are times that the same or similar verbiage is used to discuss God the Father as well as God the Son or the Holy Spirit. In these repetitive verses it is easy to want to skip over because we believe that it is saying the exact same thing. However, I would ask that you don’t create this habit. The reason is that everything in the Bible was written with a purpose, and it is for our benefit to search out the meaning, “2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.“ Proverbs 25:2. If we skip over parts of a verse, we often miss a deeper meaning. Allow me to show you what I mean.

“yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.“

1 Corinthians 8:6

Did you spot the difference? It really is a very slight change. The beginning half of the verse states that from whom all things come and for whom we live. The second half of the verse states through whom all things came and through whom we live. It truly is such a small change, but when you take a moment and look at it there is actually a big meaning behind it.

The first half of the verse details that God the Father directed the creation of all things, that everything came from Him. This includes mankind who was destined to live for Him. However, due to our sinful nature, it is impossible for mankind to live up to this measure, and that is where the second half of 1 Corinthians 8:6 comes into play.

The second half of the verse shows that all things came from Jesus Christ. This verbiage is to show that Jesus Christ is equal to God as part of the Trinity, Jesus is not a created being but is wholly God. However, the second half of the verse also gives us the answer on how we can live for God as described in the first half of the verse. Since Jesus is both God and man, His death and resurrection allows us to be able to be reconciled to God and therefore we are able to live for God through Jesus Christ! “10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!“ Romans 5:10. We cannot bridge that gap ourselves, it can only be done through accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior!

This is why it is so important to read the Bible seriously. If we had read 1 Corinthians 8:6 quickly and allowed our minds to believe that the verse is using the same verbiage throughout, we would miss the bigger picture. When you break down the very small differences in verbiage we see that Paul is showing that we were created by the direction of God the Father to live a holy life; however, since this is impossible to do we need a Savior who can give us the eternal life through His death and resurrection! So when you are doing your Bible study and come across a passage that appears to repeat itself, slow down and see if there is a deeper meaning behind the passage.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Do We Have Abominations In Our Lives? III

Our third and final abomination found in Proverbs 15 is verse 26, “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but gracious words are pure.” This verse brings to light something that only God can do. With all my study in the Bible, I have only found the Trinity being able to read the thoughts of man. This is important for us to understand since God is the final judge of mankind. God judges man only once in their life; it is either at our moment of salvation, or at the Great White Throne Judgment (GWTJ). Before we further review the significance of Proverbs 15:26, we should understand the value of having a God who can read our thoughts. Let’s look at Jesus on the cross. Go look at Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” God knew the criminal on the cross was sincere in his belief. It was not a plea to be saved from the cross, but actually a recognition of his sin and the realization of the more dangerous threat of dying unsaved. Jesus knew his thoughts and understood the significance behind his plea. This is the same with every person on the planet, for those who are unsaved God knows their thoughts as well. It is why when the GWTJ happens it is absolute, Revelation 20:13-15 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” However, Proverbs 15:26 goes deeper. When God says the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination, He is evaluating their thoughts and measuring them according to the perfection only found in Jesus Christ. Without Christ, man’s actions no matter how the world thinks they are, are an abomination to the Lord.

God cares for us, but God declares throughout the Old Testament and New Testament that He is sovereign and knows the thoughts of all. Thus there is nothing that can be hidden from Him. This is why we need Christ. Because without Christ restoring us, our thoughts, no matter how noble they are, are an abomination to the Lord.

Each three abominations have laid out how incapable man is of pleasing God on their own and how totally dependent on Christ we are. When man attempts without Christ, it is an abomination. This is why religion, no matter the name, creed, or practices are nothing but an abomination when measured to God’s perfection. He needed to send His son to die on the cross for us. His resurrection is an eternal message declaring the sovereignty and reliance of what the salvation is for those who put their faith in Jesus Christ.

I hope this three part series has helped you understand the abominations that are out there and realize we need Christ in order to make sure these abominations are not in our daily life. Remember when in doubt seek God’s Word and ask Him to speak to you. Jesus is alive and well, thus those who are saved have a living God who hears, cares, and is present in our life. For those who are not saved, these abominations reveal the truth that they cannot do anything on their own that is not seen as an abomination to the Lord. So I ask which are you? Saved with a relationship in Jesus Christ? Or not?

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

We all need this encouraging reminder of God’s characteristic. Read it HERE!

Studied By All

There is a lot that can be learned from the book of Psalm, however, much of it is overlooked. This is really a sad fact because the book of Psalm declares facts that those in the secular world would wish to deny. Many will say that the Bible and science should not and cannot mix. However, this statement could not be farther from the truth, a fact that we can see in Psalm 111.

2 Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.

Psalm 111:2

Anyone who is a born again believer can admit that the works of God are like no other, there really is nothing greater. However, many born again believers look at this statement only in the sense of salvation. They forget a simple fact, that this world and everything in it was created by God. So if we are to delight in His works, that means we need to study it. Not only should we be studying our Bible, but we should be delving into subjects that cover all matter. We see God in everything that has been made. We should not be afraid to explore topics that the secular world says denies the existence of God, because in reality we are exploring more of God the Creator! By studying our world, we see God in a greater picture and in doing so we can use this knowledge to share God the creator with those around us!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Do We Have Abominations In Our Lives? II

Today we come to our second abomination that we must review to see if there is any trace in our life. While simple, it is devastating when present; much like dynamite, it can wreck havoc when it explodes. This abomination is the idea of “We know better than God.” Proverbs 15:9 “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But He loves one who pursues righteousness.” When we deviate from God’s plan, we are in fact telling Him we know better. Verse nine tells us even more though, “the wicked” indicates that the person doing this is acting out of their own self will and has rejected what God wants best for their life. God knows what is best for us, but also recognizes that free will is something to be cherished! This is why Proverbs 16:9 states, “a man’s heart plans his way. But the lord directs his steps.” Yet, when it comes to man and his relationship to God, Jesus has set clear indistinguishable boundaries on what man must recognize. This doesn’t just mean salvation, but also His plan with those who are following Him. I would encourage you to see what Korah did in Numbers 16. Here we find that he and others wanted to replace Moses and Aaron (Levi priesthood) as the leaders and intercessors for the tribes of Israel. I would encourage you to read verses 1-35 on your own. However, we can see from 31-40 that God takes seriously when the wicked attempt to thwart His ways for their own ways.

Numbers 16:31-40 “As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33 So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34 All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” 35 Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. 36 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37 “Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad. 38 “As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39 So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40 as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company--just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.”

Now you might be asking yourself, “How is the relevant to me?” And I can emphatically tell you that it is! Is there something in your life that God wants you to do? Or is there something in your life that God wants you to let go of? With either question are you waiting? Are you sitting and figuring out if you should do what He is calling for you to do? When we are not acting upon His will, we are in fact doing it our own way. For non-believers verse nine can mean that their actions or their life style is what Christ does not like; while this is true, believers can be just as guilty. We need to examine our lives and ask God to identify what needs to be fixed so that we can clearly and without hesitation follow His will. God has called you and I to something grand, it is up to us, through being in a relationship with Christ, to find out what that is and accomplish the task. If you are trying to understand what God is calling you to do, I would encourage you to seek out Psalms 28. In the coming months we will be doing a study on the attributes of prayer. Until next week remember that abominations can be large or small in our own measurements but to God, they are still abominations that need to be removed.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

How do you discern truth from lies? Find out HERE!

From the Beginning

The New Testament is filled with examples of the people questioning who Jesus was and what His purpose was. I’m sure you could open your Bible to any page in the four gospels and find a situation where once again Jesus is being questioned. While there are times that Jesus comes straight out and says who He is and what His purpose is, read John 4 for one such example; there are times where Jesus’s answers seem almost vague.

“20 These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple area; and no one arrested Him, because His hour had not yet come. 21 Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, and will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.”25 Then they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I even been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to say and to judge regarding you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I say to the world.”27 They did not realize that He was speaking to them about the Father.”

John 8:20-27

The majority of John 8:20-27 I gave for context, the part that I wish to discuss is actually verses 25-27. In this passage, Jesus is once again preaching to those around Him; and as what so often occurs there are those who wish to question Jesus. We see that Jesus reminds them that He has been making it clear who He is and His purpose since the beginning, but the beginning of what? It would be the beginning of His ministry and we can find what Jesus states is the beginning in Matthew 4.

Matthew 4 begins with Jesus hearing that John the Baptist had been taken into custody and Jesus going to Capernaum. Verse 17 describes that from this time, Jesus began His ministry, “17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus has been calling us to repent. Now how does this connect back to John 8:20-27? Look at verses 23-24 again. “23 But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” This ties back into Jesus beginning His ministry with a call for repentance. Unless we believe that He is the Son of God, we will die in our sins. We will remain as nothing more than the walking dead only here until we are judged and then to remain eternally separated from God.

So the next time you find yourself questioning who Jesus was and what His purpose was, I ask that you look at Matthew 17 and remember that Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance. Then ask yourself if you have accepted that He died for your sins and it is through faith in His work, not your own, in the faith of believing and accepting what He did. His words seem simple but they are monumental on an eternal level with how we accept or deny this truth. This truth He has been saying from the beginning!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Do We Have Abominations In Our Lives?

Do we have abominations in our lives? It is a rather abrasive question to ask, yet it is one that should be asked. Today the world tells us that we should live by moral relativism, that “your” truth might not be “my” truth. Ironically, the individual who created truth and the perimeters of its guidance in our life had a different idea. We are not analyzing truth today, but rather one of three statements found in God’s word directing us to evaluate our own lives and see if we have what God calls an abomination in our life. This list is not complete, but rather connected to each other through a proverb. Read Proverbs 15.

There are three abomination statements that God wants us to know about. The first is in verse 8, “the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.”   The first statement goes directly to the heart of man. Let us break down the verse and get a better understanding of what God is saying.

To the surprise of many, there is only one sin in the world that will get you cast into the lake of fire one day. That sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ as your personal savior. God takes it seriously when man attempts to play “internal self help.” When we look at God and say, “We can do it our way” we are rejecting the only way we can get saved. But we are also telling God that His way isn’t the right choice for us. Let us examine the first two people to do this, Adam and Eve in their actions in Genesis 3.

Both Adam and Eve have just sinned and they now recognize the situation is dire! They have not only sinned, but are also about to be in the presence of God and there is an issue. Their sin has made them naked. Genesis 3:7 “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Their first action is to “internal self help” and make clothing. However, when we try to do it our own way, we will always fail! Adam and Eve did not understand their sin needed an answer from God, not a sinful man answer. After attempting the “internal self help” way, they realize that their own sewed fig leaves is not good enough, so when God comes to the garden they hide from Him. Genesis 3:8-10 “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” When we try to do it our own way, we will realize it is not good enough. This is why it is an abomination when the wicked attempt to sacrifice to the Lord. They are saying, “What I am offering is good enough.” When a person does not recognize the severity of their sin, they fail to see what this can lead to. Abominations may appear subtle but to God they are apparent. One final example of this can be found with Adam and Eve’s first born children.

Genesis 4:1-10 “Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.” 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller off the ground. 3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought off the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.” Cain was sacrificing to God, but his heart was not in it. Cain would be identified in Proverbs 15:8 as “wicked” and his sacrifice was an abomination to the Lord. Cain’s heart was being revealed by his actions. Matthew 7:17-18 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” Since God knows the intentions of man’s heart, God is able to recognize the action of man. Proverbs 16:2 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives”.

God does not care for the actions of those who are not saved. For those who do not recognize their need for a savior and do not recognize that God has done the work for us. This is why before we can do anything for God, in His name; we need to reflect and recognize the need for Him to be our savior. Only once we are no longer “wicked” can we have actions to the Lord worthy of His acceptance.  This is why works do not get us saved, but our works and our actions will reflect what Christ has done in our life. Abominations is a strong word, but what they represent is even stronger! They reveal what God sees in man, when man attempts to minimize the issue. Mankind might try hard to perform actions to the Lord, but they are abominations if not done by the righteous. Next week we will continue with the next abomination statement and see if this is something we have in our life. If you know right now any actions you do for God will be considered an abomination because God sees you as wicked, know that can change. God does not want you to be left in this state, but rather saved! He wants you just the way you are; to come to Him and ask for Jesus Christ to be in your life, and that He would forgive you for your sins. Only salvation can take this abomination from us. If you have any questions please reach out to Mill House Ministries at our contact page, and we would be happy to help you find Christ.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look into some of the “God is” statements to better understand our Creator! Read it HERE!

Speaking With Sincerity

Have you ever been in a situation where you know that you are surrounded by those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ? Have you ever had to share the gospel but was unsure if it fell on deaf ears? Or have you ever been able to encourage a believer but also noticed a chill from those who are not saved? Sharing the gospel can cause a multitude of reactions depending on the audience, an issue that Paul saw throughout his time ministering. When reading Paul’s letters, we can see the vast difference in responses. Paul encouraged, corrected, and guided a vast number of believers; however, he also was imprisoned, stoned, and beaten. So what should we keep in mind when we share the gospel? Paul provides us an answer.

“14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Verse fourteen points out a very important aspect for a Christian. When we are following God’s will and allowing Him to lead us, He will always lead us triumphantly. Through our actions, we show those around us God’s love and so the knowledge of Him will spread. Verse fourteen always reminds me of Isaiah 55:11, “11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.” When we share God’s word, we may not see the end result but we need to remember that the word will not be shared meaninglessly. It will accomplish what God desires for it.

Next Paul states that we are a fragrance among people. During this time, the Roman’s would often light incense to celebrate a victory. For the Roman’s it was a sweet smell but for those who were captured, the smell meant doom. This is how Paul is describing those of us who are born-again believers. Around other believers we are a sweet smell because we remind them of God and His love. For those who have not placed their faith in Christ, or worse yet those who have outright denied Him, we are a reminder of what they do not have.

Finally, Paul offers a reminder to those who are preaching the word of God. And that is to reflect on their purpose for sharing it. We are not to be like those who share the gospel for their own benefit and therefore cheapen it. I am sure we can all think of someone who speaks eloquently but when you reflect on what they are actually saying, you realize that the gospel they are sharing is not based on faith in Jesus Christ alone. Instead Paul says that we need to be like the few who speak with sincerity wishing to guide others to Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Learning Techniques III

I want to finish this small series regarding something powerful, something hidden from most believers. This hidden truth is not something hidden by God but by our (believers) willful ignorance to not dive deep into God’s Word. God promises in Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” This observation reveals to the reader that God has given mysteries and it is for our benefit to search them out. Ironically, this observation is not just talking about in God’s Word, but also the natural observable world. This is why the famous astronomer Johnathan Kepler said, “God wanted us to recognize natural laws and that God made this possible by creating us after His own image so that we could share in His own thoughts.” Robert Boyle hypothesized that the end reason for the Sabbath was in part to create time and leisure for scientific consideration of God’s works of creation. That the study of nature in order to understand God was in fact an act of worship of God.

However, as unique and exciting as it would be to dive into a study about Proverbs 25:2 in regards to a natural stand point, today we are examining this observation in regards to God’s Word. When we read God’s Word and are not praying and focused on it, we cannot search out the matters hidden by God. We need to be diving deep for the love of Christ, not a check mark off our schedule. Proverbs 10:4 “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” When we study with a diligent hand and seek out God’s matters, we find that His scripture comes to life! It is vibrant, detailed, and applicable for us. This applicability makes us rich! Makes us have the most valuable item found in the cosmos, God’s matters. This knowledge allows us to understand what we need to do in life, but also to help others as well, Proverbs 10:17 “He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray.” This is why the best thing a non-believer can do is talk to a believer. Unfortunately, not all believers are digging into God’s Word. We neglect to see the King for who He is to those of us who are saved. He is more than salvation! He is our intimate confidant, He is our guide, He is our coach, He is our shepherd. This is why we need to dig deep into God’s Word. Examine everything, put down the Bible study “self-help books” the commentaries, videos, podcasts and other noises, and search out what God wants us to know in His word. We need to go into each Bible study recognizing that God wants us looking for what He has hidden. In doing so, we grow in our faith. We learn things we were not planning on learning and are shaped and molded into the people we were meant to be.

Our Bible studies are designed for us to be spending time with God so that He can do a good work in us. Simple but powerful! This is why we start our Bible studies in prayer, stay focused, and finally go deep with the understanding that He has something for us to learn. When we do this, we can realize just how powerful the relationship with Christ really is. The unsaved do not have this promise, the unsaved has only one declaration from God which is to repent and recognize who Jesus is and have Him come into their life. As for the saved, we have so much more. We have a relationship with Christ that He has designed specifically for how He made you and I. So let us end this small study with the understanding that our Bible studies need to be a serious time to in God’s Word and in His presence. If you ever have questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to us here and we would love to answer Bible questions for you and help you come to have a relationship or fuller relationship with Christ. Until next week!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The conclusion of our warnings series! Read it HERE

Be Grateful

Today I want to write a quick reminder to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s something that may seem common sense, but I am sure we all fail to do this at times. This reminder comes from Luke 17:11-19.

“While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as He entered a village, ten men with leprosy who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 But Jesus responded and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? 18 Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

At times in our Christian walk, we will go through valleys. It will seem that everything that can go wrong will, it takes turning to God and pleading for His help to turn things around. Much like the ten individuals in the events that take place in Luke 17. These men were living as outcasts from the community because of their illness, they were not even able to approach Jesus but had to stay at a distance. This did not stop them from crying out to Him though, and He tells them to show themselves to the priests. Now I believe that Jesus told them to go to the priests because they had been healed and needed to make an offering as was required by the law. Another example of this can be found in Mark 1:40-44.

“And a man with leprosy *came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him, and *said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, 44 and He *said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus was telling the ten men to present themselves to the priests so that they may do what was required by the law as well as a testimony to His power. However, only one man once he saw that he had been healed returned to give glory to God. Today I want to implore you my fellow brothers and sister to not be like the nine who did not return to Christ. When the valley ends, when you have come to Christ asking Him to deal with whatever hardship you are facing and you find yourself through the issue, do not forget to acknowledge that it was Christ who brought you through. Remember to be grateful and acknowledge what Christ has done for you!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Learned Techniques II

Today we continue our look in the fundamentals of studying God’s word. Last week we reviewed how we need to recognize our need for prayer before we study. We need to ask for Him to teach us. It is why it is stated in Proverbs 32:8  “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Our Heavenly Father cares for us and wishes that we seek Him. When we do our Bible study and pray asking for assistance, we are recognizing and practicing the importance of the role He has placed us in with Him in this unique relationship.

Now even though we are to seek the Lord and ask Him for His help, this does not mean He is not already aware of what we need. Matthew 6:7-8 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” For the believer our relationship with God is very real, this means when we study His word we can go confidently to Him and ask for His teaching. After asking we can go to the scripture and start to study.

Now this next part is important for us to recognize. When we read the very words of God, we should be focused. This means taking the distractions out of our path. We need to study God’s Word and recognize that there is information that is for us. Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” How can we find what is hidden if we are not totally focused. Now there will be times that we are having to juggle multiple things from children, work, and life; but when at all possible we need to be eager to keep our attention solely on the Lord’s scripture. We are currently the most rewarded age in all of human history. We have the Bible in its completeness with the Holy Spirit to guide us. This is why Peter states to the Christian’s dispersed throughout Asia and Europe, 1 Peter 1:10-12  “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.” With such a host of saints wanting what we have, we should recognize and be appreciative. Thus we need to be focused when we study God’s scripture.  Next week we will close our series and see what God provides us as we study His scripture. But until next week remember to pray and ask for God to help you understand His word, and take the time to take His scripture serious and be focused in His word and where He might lead you.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Join us as we see what is instructed for future believers! Read it HERE!

How Can This Be?

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted something so badly or felt that God was calling you to a task, but no matter how you looked at it, you simply could not see how it would be accomplished? I think this is one of the challenges in a Christian’s walk. Knowing that God can complete tasks according to His will, and yet our minds cannot understand how it can be done. How wonderful it is though, that we are not alone in our questioning. Take a look at Peter in Luke 5:3-9.

“And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking.8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken;”

Jesus was in the boats preaching the word of God to a crowd that held the first of His disciples. The man whose boat He was in was already tired from working all the night before, this man (Peter) knew there were no fish nearby and points this out to Jesus. Essentially Peter was telling Jesus that he knew there was nothing to catch where they were at, but because of his willingness to follow Jesus’s direction he would obey. I am sure the men in that boat were astounded once they started to feel the fish getting caught in their nets and we see this with Peter’s reaction in verse eight.

Many point to this verse to describe how Peter and the sons of Zebedee became Jesus’s disciples, but I think there is another aspect to this situation. Peter would not have known that his nets would be filled, in fact I am sure he expected to pull up an empty net or maybe just one or two fish that happened to be caught in it. And yet, the amount of fish he pulled up nearly sank his boat! Peter had no way of knowing the reason for Jesus to tell him to lower the net, but he did it anyway. He was so willing to follow Jesus’s command even though Peter already believed he knew what the outcome would be. And this is the trait that we need to have in our walk with God. What seems to be impossible for us, or a situation that we believe we already know the outcome of, can be changed simply because it is what God needs to complete His will. If we are faced with something that we know God is calling us to do but to us seems hopeless or foolish, we should not hesitate. We should respond as Peter did, admit that we don’t understand but be willing to follow. When we do this, we will be just as surprised by the outcome!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex