Godly Planning

If you are ever in need of good advice, allow me to introduce you to the book of Proverbs. This book is not only applicable with every circumstance we find, but is designed to help us on an individual bases. This characteristic is something that only the Bible has because it is God’s Word and designed for us, 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” Yet the book of Proverbs was designed to take this daily applicability to a whole other level. Today, I want to review only one verse in Proverbs, but I think it is vital for the majority of us today.

Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty.”

Who is a prudent man? The Hebrew word is “aw-room” which usually means “cunning” but in a bad sense; almost like crafty. However in the case of verse 12, we find the word on the rare occasion can be used to identify a good person. How do we know this? Based on the person hiding themself from evil.

When the prudent man or women sees evil this implies they are examining and thinking to the future; and wanting to contemplate proper steps. This is the fruit of wisdom, Proverbs 24:3-5 “By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 4 And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.” We need to be proactive, thinking to the future. This means meditating on God’s Word and applying it to our daily actions before those actions are in front of us. This is a lot to handle and think about, especially because each of us are in different areas of our walk with Christ. This proves once again that God’s Word must be approachable for all of us at any time, which God makes perfectly clear. Proverbs 3:1-3 “My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; 2 For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” Christians are always saying Jesus needs to be number one in our life, but is He number one in our thoughts in preparation for the day? Is He a partner in our planning or just an emergency line when we realize it is out of our hands? Think about this, allow God to be your focus on the day to day, and see what God does.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

RE-POST FRIDAY

What can we learn from trials? Join us HERE!

Comforting Words

When I was a new believer, it was difficult for me to do my Bible study. Not because I didn’t want to know more about God and how He saved me; but because I simply did not know how to begin. The Bible can sometimes appear as such an intimidating book, after all it is the Word of God. It took me awhile to understand that God wrote this book with me in mind, He wrote it to guide me to Him, to teach me how to overcome the world, and sometimes the most important thing is that He wrote it to comfort me.

This world and all that is in it brings trouble and strife. It can become easy to become bogged down with everything that is going on, not just in our day to day life but also in the lives of our friends and family. I am sure that you, just as I have, have experienced times where it seems as if everyone we know is struggling with something. It begins to feel as if everyone you know is being attacked. It is times like these, that I hope you run to Him and His word; after all there are so many comforting verses found in the Bible but today allow me to share one of my favorites.

“3 On the day I called, You answered me;
You made me bold with strength in my soul.”

Psalm 138:3

This is a trait of God that has always amazed me. On the very day that we called to Him, the day we asked Him to take control of our lives and to save us from our sins; He answered us. There was no waiting, we immediately became children of the one most high God, the Creator of the world, the author of our salvation! It is because of Him who overcame that we are able to be over-comers of this world as well! We have not our strength to lean on, but God’s! And His strength never fails! How amazing it is to know that we have been sealed and nothing can take us from Him! And so, because of His strength we are able to walk boldly through all of the troubles that life brings us because we have Him on our side!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Our Thoughts, His Presence

Did you know that Jesus can read your thoughts? For the believer this is an amazing comfort; for the non-believer this should be terrifying. This is important for us to know, because it reveals the assurance we have as believers that when we are saved, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

Mark 2:1-12 “When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. 5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Here we find Jesus has returned to Capernaum. It is here that Christ reveals a truth of His power even while on earth. That power is, “There is no thought outside of His observance.” For good or bad for the originator, God knows their thoughts.

Psalms 94:11 “The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath.” In Mark’s account of the paralytic man, Jesus is preaching in a home that is so full no one can get to the door. Have you ever been in a crowd where not even a body can wiggle its way forward? When a group of people are that determined it is a formidable obstacle. It is why the paralytic man and his friends are already revealing their faith by doing whatever it takes to get in front of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

“When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. 4 Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.”

A critic of Jesus’ authority might say that the actions of the men is revealing their faith, this would even be backed up by a principle that Jesus’ own brother would write later, James 2:18 “But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” But it is here that Jesus prepares the stage for His revelation of authority to know the thoughts of all. Jesus answers the paralytic’s question which he had in his own heart! You see Jesus answers a question without ever audibly hearing the question, Jesus states, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Jesus declares that the paralytic man is in a relationship with God the Father by stating “son”, Jesus is also declaring that because of this relationship, the sins that separated them before were now removed. This is an incredible but quickly missed point many, including myself, do not recognize. Jesus knew the paralytic’s question! That question wasn’t even asked audibly.

Yet, Christ continues this trend by recognizing the apparent elephant in the room with the scribes. These were the religious professionals who doubted the authenticity of Jesus Christ, because of their own jealousy.

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? 9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? 10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”--He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” 12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

Jesus recognizes their thoughts and calls them out; He provides the answer that was needed not for the scribes sake, but for those who the scribes would undoubtedly attempt to sow doubt into their belief of Christ. Jesus raises the bar in the exact issue the scribes were known for doubting in God’s Word, the physical miracles.

Nevertheless, this brings an important thought that we have touched on before, but needed its own attention today, “God knows your thoughts”. My question for you is, does this comfort you or scare you? The answer will shed light on your relationship with Christ.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

The second in our Threat Within posts! Read it HERE!

Put Into Practice

There is a belief among Christians that often leads to frustrating results. It is the idea that since we are Christian’s we should not struggle with sin any longer, which when we do sin, it leads to many to doubt their salvation or just become frustrated with themselves. There is another belief about Christian’s that leads to the same frustrating results, and this is the idea that we should immediately know how to imitate Christ and put aside the sin we struggle with. Then when we are placed beside someone who has the same issues as us but does not react sinfully, we become frustrated that we are not at the same level.

Let us look first at the belief that we should not struggle with sin once we become a born again believer. One answer to this belief can be found in 1 John 3:7-8.

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

This may seem like a strange place to go when battling this mistaken belief, outwardly it does appears to say that if you still struggle with sin then you are a follower of unrighteousness. However, this could not be farther from the truth. The key word in this passage is the word “practice”. To practice something means to willingly, put thought and intent into something. If you have ever practiced for a sport or instrument you understand that in order to get better you willingly have to put the time into whatever it is that you practice. This is the same when it comes to sin. If you are willingly going out with the intent to do something sinful, then you would be a follower of unrighteousness. However, those who are born again, while they do still sin, do not make it a practice. They desire to be more like Christ and avoid sin. The difference is that being a follower of Christ means that we are quicker to repent for our sin and slower to repeat it because we do not wish to grieve the Holy Spirit. Those who are followers of Christ practice righteousness.

This then leads into the second misplaced belief. Since someone who desires to be like Christ would clearly wish to behave like Him in all circumstances, it becomes frustrating when we are placed in a situation that causes us to sin. Now a born again believer should know that Christ died for all of our sins, and there is nothing that will separate Him from us, it does become frustrating when we know we should have responded better to a situation. Proverbs 4:18 gives us the answer to this belief.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

Again, this may seem like a strange place to start. This passage in Proverbs almost seems vague, however, if you take another look you will see that it answers this belief perfectly. The path of the righteous is like the dawn. Has there ever been a time when mankind has been able to stop the sun from rising? The rising of the dawn is an unstoppable force that brings light to the world. This is the same for the Christian who wishes to be like Jesus Christ. When we desire and put into practice the willful intent to follow Him, there is nothing that can stop us from growing. We become an unstoppable force. And just like there are days when it seems like the sun is slowly rising or days where it rises in the blink of an eye, each Christian’s walk is different. We each grow at our own pace, but regardless, it is still unstoppable. The more we study God’s word and put into practice what the Bible teaches us, the more we become like Christ!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Ambassadors

Followers of Christ need to recognize that while we are in this world, we are ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Like ambassadors today, Christians need to be identified as followers of God in our actions, those actions at times might be declaring the gospel to the fallen world. This also might mean we are taking things to Christ so we can request God’s intercession. Today, we have events that require us to intercede to our Heavenly Father and ask for His divine action. We need to be praying for the peace of Israel and Jerusalem. We are commanded to Psalms 122:6 “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” We need to be praying and standing for truth, justice, and peace. Zechariah 8:16 “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.” When God called those who are saved to be ambassadors, this comes with a purpose that is now founded in our daily actions. We are to be focused on what God wants. Zechariah 7:9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.” We need to be praying for Israel and the war that has engulfed the nation. We need to pray for a swift and quick victory, and that peace will come.

Now for those who are “End Times Scholars” they might say “Peace will not come until Jesus sits on the throne”. This is true but we are to nevertheless pray! One of the oldest diplomatic policies established by God that still holds true today is His promise to Israel. Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” He established this nation to be the tool for the birth of the savior of the world! He still has a plan for the Jewish people and as Church we need to be praying to our Father for peace in Israel. So take time out of your day and let us intercede to our Heavenly Father for peace for Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people.

We can also pray for those who also live in the promise land and pray they, as well as the Jewish people, come to know Jesus Christ as the true and living Lord and Savior. If you have more questions regarding the actions and future actions of God with His people, feel free to send us an email and request posts/study on the topics!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

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!