Re-Post Friday

Introduction into the different types of prayers. Read it HERE!

A Better Wine

It was around this time last year that I wrote a post on John 2:1-12. In that post, we discussed the importance of the act of Jesus turning the water into wine and how it shows through Him believers are all made into new creations. You may be wondering why I am bringing up a post a year after it has been written, and that is to discuss two very important topics.

The first, God’s word is alive. The more you study His word, the more you learn. Even passages that you might have read a year or more ago can show new and deeper meanings. This is why it is so important to take God’s word and our Bible study time seriously, we do not want to miss out on any lesson that we can learn.

The second topic is based off of my experience recently in rereading John chapter 2. When I wrote the post regarding how Jesus purifies those who believe in Him, I thought that was the end of the matter. I had learned the deeper meaning to the passage. However, like so much of God’s word, there is more than one lesson to be learned.

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus *said to her, “What business do you have with Me, woman? My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.”6 Now there were six stone waterpots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each.7 Jesus *said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He *said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” And they took it to him. 9 Now when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the groom, 10 and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. 12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.”

Luke 2:1-12

At first glance, we see Jesus performing His first miracle an act that began to show those who were around Him that He was the Son of God and not just any other man. At a second glance, we see the act of Jesus using the water pots meant for purification to turn the water into wine. This is a symbolism of Jesus purifying those who accept Him as Lord and Savior, they become new creations. Now one a third glance, we find that there is actually a lesson in hope for those who have become new creations through Jesus Christ.

Last year, I focused in on verses seven through nine. This year I want to look deeper into the comment the headwaiter makes to the bridegroom in verse ten. “and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” How strange this comment must have seen to the bridegroom. What could the headwaiter possibly mean that this last wine was better than all the rest? This bridegroom had no idea that Jesus was going to use his wedding to perform His first miracle, and so he would have stuck with tradition. That is to serve the best wine first and end with the poorer wine. I can only imagine his confusion at being told that the wine being served at the end of the night is the best of all.

Now you may be wondering where I am going with this. Imagine instead that the wine is the earth. At the beginning, the earth was good in fact after every day of creation God announced it good; ending with the sixth day in which He announced all of creation as very good (Genesis 1:31). However, the fall of mankind comes and sin enters the world. This would be the poorer wine that was served after the good. God did not intend for mankind to be separated from Him, but do to the actions of Satan that caused Adam and Eve’s fall, the world became corrupt. “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:16-19.

We are certainly experiencing this “poor wine” now. The world has grown dark and it will grow darker still but when we look to John chapter 2 we see that there is hope, there is a wine coming that even outshines the first. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:1-5. How amazing will it be to experience this better wine, this new earth! How wonderful will it be that not only will God dwell among His children, but He will wipe away every tear!

How amazing is it to realize that God was already telling His children that there was something better coming way in the beginning of His ministry! How wonderful is it to realize that God is in complete control. How reassuring to know that He has always shad the end goal in mind!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Listen, Assemble, and Come Near

While we are currently studying the book of Genesis, it is important to pause so that we may discuss recent events and the call to action that men of God need to take. Next week we will continue in our study on the book of Genesis, however, we need to discuss the effect that what occurred on Saturday, July 13th in Pennsylvania at the President Trump rally. By now you have been inundated with loud voices and opinions from both sides of the political spectrum; and while I do not want to contribute to the noise, these events can be used to point to a call of action for men of God.

Deuteronomy 28 describes a set of blessings and curses that God was to use on the nation of Israel if they followed or disobeyed Him. Deuteronomy 28:1-3 “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 “All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: 3 “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.”

It is important to remember that Israel is a nation set aside for God. Some Christians will rip these passages and throw the United States into chapters when that is not the case. Replacement theology and liberation theology are both poisons in the Church today that must be confronted with God’s Word. However, there are promises in God’s Word to Israel that are intrinsically in God’s nature, and because we know God does not change, Malachi 3:6 “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed” we should be vigilant to take hold of promises knowing they are applicable to us as well.

I want to also say that while I am talking about a gentile nation (United States), I am talking more importantly about the Church inside of the United States which makes up Jew and Gentile. Ephesians 2:13-18 “But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. 14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.”

So I say this to the born again believer. We need to get on our knees and pray! Men of God, get down on your knees and pray, ask for repentance! Our nation is struggling worse than it did during the civil war. Worse than it did in any time since our nation came into being. The cause of this? Church men failed to be what we were meant to be. However, I want to point to a promise to Israel and the characteristics of God’s nature being perfect and eternal and reveal application we as men in the Church need to stop and obey. Read Deuteronomy chapter 28 and see what God says to Israel. Are these truths for us as well? Yes! Paul emphasizes this with in his letter to Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

So what should we do after the events of July 13th? Go to Isaiah 48! What we have here is God talking to Israel through His prophet Isaiah. While the message is for Israel, the principles of going to God are universal.

Isaiah 48:12-19 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. 13 “Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread out the heavens; When I call to them, they stand together. 14 “Assemble, all of you, and listen! Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans. 15 “I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him, I have brought him, and He will make his ways successful. 16 “Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit.” 17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go. 18 “If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19 “Your descendants would have been like the sand, And your offspring like its grains; Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.”

  God gives three commandments in a unique pattern that must be identified and applied as soon as possible in our own nation. Men examine verse 12!

12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.”

God calls them to listen! That means He is trying to talk to them and they are not listening. Are we listening in our own nation? Do we turn off the television, the computer, the games and listen to the Lord through His word? Men of God, we must repent! Our nation is on life support and it is entirely because we are not listening to what the Lord wants us to do.

Examine His next command to the reader in verse 14, “Assemble, all of you, and listen!” Men, are we getting together and worshiping God? Examining His word? Or are we at a social club? Wake up, seek other men of God, get together and encourage each other to follow the Lord. Follow together! Disciple now! Be in His word, not a Christian commentary or some historical book on our founding fathers, but on the Founding Father of creation! We know this is what the Lord is talking about because of what He finishes with in verse 14b. “Who among them has declared these things? The LORD loves him; he will carry out His good pleasure on Babylon, And His arm will be against the Chaldeans.” God is telling them to examine His word. Are we doing that? Or are we listening to the radio, podcast, or our favorite YouTuber?

Finally, examine verse 16 and see how God wants to talk to us individually. In our own lives with our own challenges. “Come near to Me, listen to this: From the first I have not spoken in secret, From the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord GOD has sent Me, and His Spirit.” God says “Come near to me,” we are to come near and listen. What an awesome privilege we have as believers in Christ to do just that.

God says, “Listen to me”, “Assemble all of you” and finally, “Come near to me.” If we are to experience a revival in this Nation we need to first start in our own lives, the lives of our wives, than our children, and than outside our homes. Our nation is entering a crucial moment and we need to stop and pray; ask the Lord for a humble heart, one tender and seeking Him. No matter your political understanding our hope is not in an election, but in Jesus Christ. We are ambassadors for Christ, and that first starts in our own home and than outward. So whatever sin you might have, repent of it, ask the Lord for guidance, listen to Him, gather with other men of God and listen to Him together, finally take individual time alone with Him. Pray for our nation, pray for our leaders, and pray for not only the peace of Jerusalem as we are commanded to do; but pray that the Lord would come soon and take us home. Keep your head up, do not let the pundits try to distract you and listen to God’s Word which is always applicable and reliable for us.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back at our Basic Series! Read it HERE!

All His Ways

Before I became a Christian, I had heard the mistaken idea that with God there is no free will and this is an idea that still floats around. Some will use this idea to say that it doesn’t matter what they do, whether that is sharing the gospel with someone or continuing in their sin, because God is in control of it all. They will make the argument that they do not need to share the gospel because if God wills for them to be saved then they will be, or they do not need to turn from their sin because God has placed that desire in them. However, this poor idea could not be farther from the truth. While this post is not going to go into how God operates outside of time, I do want to discuss one simple verse that points to the fact that mankind has free will to make their choices.

“21 For the ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord, And He observes all his paths.”

Proverbs 5:21

Like I said, this was going to be a simple verse; but like so much of God’s word, there is so much to it when you take the time to really consider it.

First, we see that the ways of everyone are before the eyes of God. That means every man, woman, and child are within His sight. No one is to far, to lost, or to remote that He cannot see them. How amazing is it that there is no place that He cannot reach! Second, we see that God is watching over all the paths of everyone. The word “paths” shows that each individual has multiple paths that they can take. This again shows that God operates outside of time, He is able to see all the possible paths a person can take. These paths vary; some lead to God, some lead away from Him, some lead to sin, some lead to edifying other believers, etc. All these paths are before each individual person and only God can see the outcome of each choice when one chooses a path, but it is a choice that each individual has. We are free to make our decisions here, but that does not mean that we are free from the consequences. We have a God who cares enough to watch over all our paths, who brings us to Him when we fall, who rejoices when we follow Him, and who offers words of wisdom (Scripture) on where our next path should go. How amazing is it that God not only brought about salvation, but cares for us each individual to allow us to have free will!

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Today’s post will not be one taken lightly, but if you are a person asking the “Why” questions; today is a day of treasure in answering many of the questions we ask throughout our lives.

To recap, mankind has fallen. Satan has tricked Eve and Adam went along willingly. Mankind is no longer in charge of the earth. We gave the rights to Satan. There is now separation between us and God. Let us read Genesis 3:7-13, “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. 8 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.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

I want to point something out right at the beginning. Satan never leaves! He is there when the Lord arrives. This reveals that Satan is thrilled that he has dirtied what was pure, he has defiled a relationship between mankind and God. Satan wants to be there to witness it. Ironically, this also reveals that Satan thought he had won. That God would not have a plan ready to go. However, before we get to this I think we should identify a couple core normalities that we live with today because of this.

First, mankind is no longer covered. Some Bible scholars believe they were clothed in righteousness, because they were without sin. Once sin came in that clothing disappeared, leaving them naked. The Bible does not give us a diffinitive answer. However, I ask the question, was God wearing clothes? If He wasn’t they would have now known. So we can assume He was. Was He with sin? Absolutely not! Thus He was clothed in righteousness. There are a plethora of Bible verses talking about the righteousness that God clothes us with. I say all this to say, while we do not know the answer it is curious.

The next thing we need to point out is the issues with men and women. We see at the very start Adam is trying to pass the judgement onto his wife. Eve is wanting to pass the judgement onto someone else. Both are not owning up to what they did. No one forced the fruit into their mouth. They did it themselves.

The relationship with God was broken, mankind was afraid. How ironic that when mankind comes to grips with who God is, they either run away from Him or ask to come closer. In Christ we can boldly come to the throne and be with our Father. God starts with the root of the issue. The serpent is to be dealt with first. I find this interesting that God deals with the snake. Genesis 3:14 “The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life;”. The fact there is judgment on the snake at all, means the snake was a willing tool in the schemes of the devil. So next time you see a snake, just remember they are crawling on the ground because of the garden.

At this point, Satan might have been catching on to the idea God was passing judgement onto each participant, or he might not. However, when God turned to the devil and proclaimed his future it had to be sobering. Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Let us examine the specifics of what God is saying. There will be war between mankind and the devil, “I will put enmity between you and the woman.” There would be a war between a decedent of mankind and a decedent the devil, “and between your seed and her seed.” Yes the devil has children (we will get into that later but if you are wanting to know more now. Check out LA Marzuli (Link https://lamarzulli.net). The next aspect is unique, because it says, “her seed,” as much as mankind wants to say it is possible and deny science, women do not have seed. God is hinting at the virgin birth, hinting towards Jesus Christ. We know this is what God was thinking because of what is said next. “He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” The word “bruise” here is the Hebrew word “shuph.” It can mean bruise, break, or cover. Based on what we know about scripture, we can safely assume that based on context in the English language it should say, “He shall break you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” We all know that breaking the head is fetal while a bruised head is not. The Gospel reveals that Christ died for us, while Satan will be crushed.

The next stage of human events are on full display. Satan now realizes that God is not only playing for keeps, but He is going for Satan personally. In fact, the Trinity personhood that is talking to Satan, Adam, and Eve, was Jesus Christ. We know this, because in verse 21, God provides temporary clothing. God finishes by passing judgment on Adam, Eve, and on their relationship with each other and the earth. What was perfect is now cursed.

Genesis 3:16-24 “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” 20 Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. 22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”-- 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.”

They were kicked out of the Garden. Nothing could be done by human hands to preserve them. It appeared to be dark, only a promise of a future child to crush Satan’s head lingered in the air. For the Devil his fate was sealed, for humanity it appeared God had a plan. Next week we will start the next chapter in Genesis and look into human events between mankind with sin at the helm.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding what it means to be born-again. Read it HERE!

True Freedom

As our American readers are preparing to celebrate our independence tomorrow, there is a fact that needs to be addressed. For us in the United States, we have become used to many freedoms that our brothers and sisters around the world do not have. And for American Christians this is often overlooked. American Christians are accustomed to religious freedoms, however these freedoms are rapidly evaporating. This means we need to be vigilant to what is happening around the world. We need to remember Christ is coming for His church and after the tribulation He will reign on earth. The Bible is very clear that things will get worse before we are called home. So we need to continue to be about the Lord’s work. American Christian’s must recognize that our liberty comes from not a document or law but rather Christ Himself. We need to be continuing the work that God has called all those who have accepted Him, to share the gospel and help believers grow in their faith. Too many churches in the United States focus only on the gospel message and are not encouraging their members to dive deep into the word of God. Too many churches still preach false teachings and without the knowledge to rebuke them, their ideals will continue to spread. So for our American Christians as we prepare to celebrate our independence, I ask this of you. First, pray for our brothers and sisters around the world as they face the trials, pray for strength for them and for them to grow in their walk with Jesus Christ. Second, pray for our country. Pray that the believers here to have strength and to grow in their walk with Jesus Christ.

For our readers who do not live in the United States. I ask that you pray for your brothers and sisters here. Many of you are facing trials that have not been seen in the United States and I ask that you pray for us when we begin to face those trials. I also pray for our readers abroad that you grow in your walk with Jesus Christ, that your knowledge of the word grows, and that your discernment grows as well.

For the nonbelievers reading this, there are many still bound to slavery and that slavery is to sin. The only way to experience true freedom is accepting the work that Jesus Christ did on the cross, not only for me but for you and anyone who would accept that they are sinners in need of a savior. Sin is tricky, since it separates us from God it casts thoughts of being unworthy or irredeemable. This cannot be farther from the truth. Christ went to that cross for your sins and for mine. He died, rose again three days later, and sits at the right hand of God because He loves us. All we need to do is accept His sacrifice and we will be seen as worthy because Jesus Christ is worthy. True freedom can only be found in Him.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Last week we discussed what happened to Lucifer and his fall to evil. Hollywood and many in the world might try to convince you that there is a struggle of two equals, right vs wrong and good vs bad. However, that is not the case. There is a cosmic war, there is a right team and a wrong team; but we should be clear there is no equals between God and Satan. In fact, Satan cannot even be measured in the same category as God. Satan could do nothing to God; thus, he went after God’s most treasured creation. Satan went after mankind.

Genesis 3:1-6 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Right from the very beginning people might tell you that this is a story of analogy, that this needs to be spiritualized for personal reflection. They would be dead wrong. This is a very literal event that took place. The account is accurate as we will describe in a moment. Examine Paul’s account to the Romans.

Romans 5:12-21 “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died--from the time of Adam to the time of Moses--even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. 20 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. 21 So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Paul is expounding on the principles of salvation; Paul’s foundation of his argument is found in the literal interpretation of Adam’s sin. This is now confirming the fact, that the reliability of the entire scripture is predicated on the idea of a serious interpretation of God’s Word. Where it is literal, it must be taken literal no matter how bizarre and uncomfortable it is. The book of Genesis has several more challenges for us in the future regarding historical events. However, Paul makes the events circulating around the fall of man to be literally documented and described accurately here in God’s Word in the book of Genesis.

Now you might be wondering, “What about Eve?” Allow me a moment to expound. Eve is first having the discussion with the serpent. The very fact they are having this discussion indicates a certain level of intellectual limitation that has now been placed on animals. This apparently was not always the case. Moving forward, Satan being the serpent must first attack God’s Word. Lucifer’s strategy has not changed, it is the same from Genesis chapter 3 to the present and future. Genesis 3:1b “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” Satan starts to lay doubt. Eve answers incorrectly, Genesis 3:2-3 “The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” Adam, who was next to her, should have spoken up. This was his moment to be the hero and rescue his wife, but instead he stayed silent. Oh, how men today need to step up and be the spiritual leaders in their homes, how we stay silent when the world needs us to step up.

This has been our folly from the beginning gentlemen, this is our indictment. Adam should have corrected Eve, and accurately rebuked Satan by quoting God’s Word accurately, Genesis 2:16-17 “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  Adam and Eve could touch it but couldn’t eat it. Do you see the subtlety? Not much of a change, but enough to get us off the correct interpretation and thus off of the correct path. This is why so many who claim Genesis must be read spiritualized or in some poetic allegorical interpretation, are already victims of Satan’s first attack against us. For those who are in churches that do not believe this interpretation of God’s Word, I would highly encourage you to flee, run, and escape from the grasps of the trap you are in. God’s Word must be taken seriously, or we will fall victim to Satan’s lies. Just see what happens to Adam and Eve when Satan realizes their mistake. Satan sees the slip up and goes for the vital attack, he throws in his own lies. Genesis 3:4-5 “4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Satan promises us that we can become like God. The same lie is repackaged depending on the century. Satan gives promises, hope, and opportunity; and in all three cases they end in separation, misery, and death. Unfortunately, Adam did nothing and joined his wife. Both ate of the fruit and thus they handed dominion over to Satan. Adam gave his dominion to Lucifer and in exchange gave a birth right of death to all. For all of Adam’s decedents have sin within their DNA. Man failed to uphold God’s Word; thus man passes this curse down.

Mankind died that day, spiritually separated in our darkest hour. Satan had struck a crucial blow against the Lord. Lucifer who once praised God and led worship in Heaven was now attacking the Lord in the one area he could, God’s relationship with mankind.

Now there is an application that I believe we need to quickly discuss today. Let it sink in, that the angel in charge of worship in front of the Lord is the one who fell. I cannot help but make connection to worship music today and see a parallel between the two. How much of Christian music is scripturally accurate? How much is made and created by those who are not even saved. A Christian worship leader should be as invested in providing Biblical and accurate worship as the pastor preaching. And the Christ followers in the pews need to be as vigilant with the worship leader as they are with the pastor. Let us not forget that man’s original sin was first carried to us from a worship leader.

Finally, we need to be reminded that even though sin had entered the world, God had foreseen this and had put into creation the very process for salvation. Adam and Eve were unaware, but their anatomy already declared the crucifixion. Their body structure was already designed to hold the nails, the wood had already been created and grown of which the cross would be formed out of. The very metal used as the nails was imbedded in the earth awaiting His glorious sacrifice. Satan was the loser, and he didn’t even know it yet. Satan might have drawn first blood, but it would be the Lord God who would end the war before it had even begone.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A special note from one of our authors. Read it HERE!

Seek God

There is no getting around the fact that many in today’s world wish to silence the word of God. Many would believe that if they can only get those teaching about Jesus Christ to be silent then Christianity would simply go away. I am sure they are of the same mind as the Pharisees in Luke 19, and they should receive the same answer today. “37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:37-40.

You see, many today wish to cause born-again Christians to stop sharing the saving faith that is found in Jesus Christ, but for born-again believers we can not allow ourselves to be silent. Instead we need to take a look at Matthew 20:29-34 to see what happens when we ignore the world telling us to be silent.

“29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.”

Here we have two men who were in desperate need of someone to heal them, they became aware that the Son of God was walking past and began to plead to Him. The world told them to be silent but they ignored them, instead they became louder still. With them not backing down, Jesus acknowledged their faith, had compassion on them, and made them well.

While this is a short passage, there is a key element we can learn. When the world is telling Christians to be silent and not share the gospel, we need to speak all the louder. When we do, Jesus is able to bring more to Him. Ignore the world telling you to be silent and instead keep the focus on Jesus Christ; because even if no one else is declaring Him, the very stones will.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

As you might have expected, our study in Genesis is laced and held together by the other books of the Bible. Today we are going to talk about the rebellion in Heaven. There are many opinions, ideas, theories, and assumptions regarding this topic. However, we have the Word of God to help provide evidence of what has happened.

Let us examine the facts according to God. This is not a study into Satan himself, also known as “satanology,” but rather to his origins and the influence of the event that takes place where we are in our study of Genesis.  But to do this, I believe we need to recognize three arguments that influence the Christian thought and paradigm today.

First, is the idea that Satan is a metaphor for human nature. Satan is everything that is bad in us that we hate. Humanism with a Christian flavoring as you might say. However, this is debunked when you read the story of Job who was persecuted by Satan. Or examine Jesus’ interactions with Satan, was Jesus talking to Himself in Matthew?

Matthew 4:4-11 “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’” 5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” 7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’” 8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” 11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”

Examine Revelation 20, where we see the angel Michael physically fight Satan. Revelation 20:1-2 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;”

It is my opinion that we blame Satan for too much in this world. There is evil in this world that mankind does, and I think we even surprise Satan. However, to assume the devil is some metaphorical character for humanistic lessons is absurd. We must take God’s Word seriously, and if that is the case we must take Satan seriously. This is further emphasized in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

The second idea that I see inside the evangelical movement is that Satan is very real, but this world was his before it was ours. They believe things like that there was a garden of Eden before the one spoken of in Genesis. Many well spoken and dearly beloved prophecy experts stumble across on this idea. They say there is a gap in Genesis chapter 1 vs 1 and Genesis chapter 1 vs 2. We need to give them grace, but this group has become so focused on the micro details they failed to recognize the simplistic contextual realities of the Hebrew language. In the analyst world we would say, “Hey you are in an echo chamber of thinkers.” This is why we need to evaluate our understanding of scripture and pay close attention to all aspects and cross examine our understanding with other born-again believers. This is why I would point you to Pastor James Kadis with Calvary Chapel Signal Hills, the late Dr. Chuck Missler with Koinonia House Ministries, or Dr. Andy Woods of Sugar Bible Church for further details. However, a very simple and basic argument that I believe stand against any critical view is what God Himself states in Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

This leads to our final group of thought, which ironically is what I believe happened. Based on Genesis 1:31, everything is made, and it is good. Thus, to this point Satan also known as Lucifer is still good. He is an angel, a created being by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

This is where you have to focus on surrounding evidence to get an idea of the swiftness of Satan’s downfall. Adam and Eve are commanded to be one and multiply. There is something that is called Adamic sin (which we will talk about next week) that is passed down from Adam to each child. Because Adam had no child without sin born of him, we can assume that the downfall of humans in the garden of Eden must come rather quickly. This equates to Satan having to fall even faster. Some might argue that there is no way Satan could be made that quickly and decide to fall that fast. However, they fail to recognize that Lucifer was in the Lord’s presence. God never changed, so if he chose to walk away from God on day eight or thousands of years later it is irrelevant since God does not change. What Lucifer saw was the same now or later. Second, man did. Man knew the Lord, knew His goodness and fell. I would argue what Isaiah describes in chapter 14 with Lucifer, happened on day eight or sometime very close.

Isaiah 14:12-15 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”

The five “I” statements. Because of this Satan is found to have pride. Pride is sin period. Ironically, the United States has an entire month dedicated to pride, yet when we examine scripture we can tell that pride is something the Lord does not want. Some might ask why did he do it? The answer is not needed, and we are not told why. However, if I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with his laser focus on mankind. An in-depth study of Satan would reveal that amongst the angels he was in charge of worship for the Lord. However, when man comes into the picture, there is now something that has all of God’s attention. Something that is the connection between the spirit and physical world. Mankind is made in God’s image, not Satan. Satan is described as a murderer, a liar, and his hatred for mankind only points more to us being the reason he chose to fall. Nevertheless, Satan chooses to attack God’s greatest creation mankind. Next week we will see what happens to mankind.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back into a study on man-made religions. Read it HERE!

Unbroken Promises

There are many issues that prevent an individual from accepting God’s word as true, one of which is the misconception that we have to earn our salvation and that God is not a fair God. Today’s post is not going to argue the fact that we cannot be “good enough” to earn our salvation. Mill House Ministries has written many posts devoted to helping our readers understand that it is through faith in Jesus Christ’s actions alone that brings about salvation. Instead, today I want to take a look at the false idea that God will turn back on His promises. This is a lie that has been created as a stumbling block to those who are either baby believers or those who are trying to understand God’s salvation. However, we can see in Psalm 89 a passage from God regarding His word.

“If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes, 31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands, 32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging; 33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness. 34 I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. 35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness— and I will not lie to David— 36 that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; 37 it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.”

Psalm 89:30-37

The beginning of Psalm 89 discusses how God has sworn to David that his throne will never end; a fact we see true since Jesus Christ came from the line of David and He will reign permanently on earth, then Psalm 89 begins to go into the author praising God so it may seem out of place that verse 30 starts off with God making the statement that if David’s descendants decide to not follow Him that He will punish them. However, when you read through 1 and 2 Chronicles as well as 1 and 2 Kings, you see that this is exactly what happens. Many kings failed to follow God and their reign was poor. Through these historical books of the Bible, we see how God does punish the kings that do not follow Him. But we also see that God continually states that God is not willing to destroy them because of the covenant made to David. God’s promises hold true even when we are not faithful to Him.

For us today, there are many Christians who fear messing up and that being the cause for them to lose their salvation. However, we can see from God’s word that He keeps His promises. There may be consequences for our actions, but God has promised that when we belong to Him, nothing can separate us from Him. “25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:25-29.

Further evidence of this fact is found again in Psalm 89. God promised that David’s line would continue forever and his throne would be established forever. This is completed in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is a descendant of the line of David and He is reigning today and will one day physically reign on earth. “15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15.

Remember fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, when we hear the lie that we need to earn our salvation or that God is unfair; remember that His word holds true. God did not destroy the line of David due to a promise He made, He will not abandon those who belong to Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Today I wanted to take a quick pivot and recognize something that is interesting. There are seven days of creation. While we know these to be literal, can they also be symbolic in declaring a historical plan of the centuries? Mapping out the timeline of human history? I think there is a powerful argument for this. In fact, there are many individuals such as Dr. Dave Reagan, Clarence Larkin, Dr. Andy Woods, and many others who believe this theory.

Let’s examine some of the key Bible verses supporting this theory. Psalms 90:4 “For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.”

Many of the Old Testament theologians thought that the Messiah would arrive during the fourth Century of human history because of the creation of light on the fourth day.  Based on the genealogy found in Chronicles, Matthew, Luke, and other books of the Bible; we know that Jesus would have shown up at the end of the fourth century.

Peter affirms this theory as a possibility. 2 Peter 3:8 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

I must admit, that I have more work to do in this study, and I believe that the answer can be found because God has given us ample clues indicating such treasure is awaiting those children who will lean forward and dig into His word with an earnest heart and a desire to learn from the Maker of it all. Finally, why do I tell you this? For two specific reasons.

First, because it is a call to action for you the reader. God has given us hints; we need to examine and try to find what He is hinting at for us to look for. Go look, find the answer and let me know!

Second, just like in science there are moments that we identify something, but do not have all the pieces yet. Physics is one of those, we can tell something is there even though we do not have all the pieces yet. The theory of seven days of creation representing human history in seven thousand years can be applied in similar fashion. Thus, we can examine in theory human history and see what is coming next. Remarkably, we are coming to the end of six thousand years. What does this mean? It means the millennium reign of Jesus Christ is coming. A thousand years of rest and peace, with King Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem. However, we still have a few years to go and some very big prophetic events that must take place first. Why does this have anything to do with us right now in our study of Genesis? Because next week we will see a rebellion in Heaven.   

One additional note yesterday was Fathers Day. I want to tell all the men who have taken on the role of a father, know matter if forced or willing, no matter if biologically theirs or adopted, thank you. We need men who are willing to be the earthly fathers and point children to their Heavenly Father more today than any other time in human history. Thank you for what you do. We have more work to do, and the hour is too late for us to give up. We need to stand firm and be what Christ has called us fathers to be. For the men out there that have not had the chance yet, be vigilant for God will use those who are willing. Having your own children is not a requirement to be a father to a child. Children can be older as well. Personally, I have some of the best father figures in my life since I was in my late 20’s and up. Fathers today need to remember what Christ said through Paul to the Corinthian men, 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back into First and Second Chronicles. Read it HERE!

More Than Bread

It is no secret that when Jesus spoke to those around Him, He would often have more than one meaning in His words. One example of this I have found recently is in Matthew 16.

“When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” 8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Matthew 16:5-12

When this passage is discussed, many look at the obvious teaching. Avoid the legalistic view of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. However, after reading through this passage multiple times, I noticed that there is something else that we can learn from here. This passage opens up with the disciples lamenting over the fact that they forgot to bring bread with them on the boat, Jesus takes this time to state something that would appear to not be relavent to the conversation of missing bread “Be on guard against the Pharisees and Sadducees”. What Jesus is doing here is turning the disciples worry over a physical aspect (the bread) into a spiritual lesson against the issues that would infect the church. If any of our readers have ever made bread, you would know that a little yeast goes a long way. In fact, in the bread that I make, one tablespoon is enough to provide me two loaves. Jesus is warning the disciples to watch out for the issues that those who were not following Him would bring, one small idea can lead to big problems.

The disciples must have found themselves confused by Jesus’s statement, since their reply is back to the physical issue of not having food on the boat. However, they were missing an even bigger lesson that Jesus was teaching. That they, and us today, can bring our questions to Him freely. While the disciples are focused on the issue of the bread, Jesus calls them men of little faith and asks them why are they discussing this amongst themselves. What the disciples didn’t realize and what many Christians today fail to realize as well, is that we can bring our questions directly to Him. This passage occurs directly after Jesus feeds the five thousand and a separate time feeds the four thousand. If the issue was solely about physical bread, Jesus could have solved that. But the disciples, as so many today, failed to bring their questions to Him and instead try to figure it out themselves.

There is another example of how we can freely bring our thoughts and questions to Jesus, and this occurs in Matthew 16:21-23. “21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Many like to give Peter a bad rap because of this scenario, they state that Peter was so focused on the physical aspect that he was not grasping the bigger picture; that Jesus had to die and be resurrected in order to bring salvation. However, have you ever read this and noticed that Jesus is not rebuking Peter for bringing his ideas to Him? Instead, Jesus is reminding Peter that God the Father has greater plans than what mankind does.

So the next time you find yourself sitting and struggling with the meaning of a passage of Scripture, remember that we do not need to work it out ourselves. Instead, we are free to bring our questions to Jesus Christ, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will receive and answer. All we need to do, is keep our focus on what God is teaching us. Remember when in doubt go to Jesus and ask Him. Then after go to His word and watch what He does.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Today we are reviewing the rest of chapter two. Many who scoff at God’s word point towards chapter two as being out of place when you have chapter one with such detail. However, what they fail to see is like in chapter one verses one and two, God is going into more detail. He made a statement with chapter one. Now He is going into further specifics on one aspect. He is giving different perspective points of the same event. This might sound strange to us who are only able to perceive in a narrow way. God being all present, all knowing, and all powerful can very much describe from different perspectives the same event that He orchestrated. Chapter two is just that.

He gives more clarity on His creation process and wanting to help the reader who might have had questions with chapter one, see the scientific mind behind the science. God is designing and showing how He is doing it.

Genesis 2:4-6  “This [is] the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and [there was] no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.”

Once again we need to be reminded that during all this time, everything is good. There is nothing wrong. However, God does the unthinkable and creates something in His own image. He creates a man.

Genesis 2:7-9 “And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life [was] also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

There is something rather remarkable that we need to identify. God takes dirt and makes man. God breathes life into man. What does this mean? It means that mankind is unique, something that no other thing in creation is. We are the bridge from the natural to the spiritual. We are made in the image of God with the dirt of this World. This is why all life is sacred! This is why all life should be cheerished. This is not an argument against capital punishment, (for which the Bible clearly endorses) but rather is the root foundation for why abortion is wrong. This is why God is so against nations and groups who murder. Remember, if it is important to God, it must be important to us as well.

Many might try to race through and skip verses 10 through 15. However we cannot do that. If it is important for God to say, then it is important for us to study.

Genesis 2:10-15“10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. 11 The name of the first [is] Pishon; it [is] the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where [there is] gold. 12 And the gold of that land [is] good. Bdellium and the onyx stone [are] there. 13 The name of the second river [is] Gihon; it [is] the one which goes around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river [is] Hiddekel; it [is] the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river [is] the Euphrates. 15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”

What does this mean? In short, several things. However, today we will keep it to its most simple equation. These five verses allow us to understand the garden is a literal place, that was on earth. That God’s word is reliable and meaningful. I would encourage you to do your own study into the rivers and why they are labeled in the order and described as such.

Here we come to our first commandment given by God. This commandment must be recognized for what it is. He is giving us free rein! We have the ability to eat what we want. Some will take this and run with it and say that God is giving us liberty to smoke and eat whatever we want. This is not the case. Remember during this time everything is good. The curse of sin has not come. We do not know what fruits, or plants would have interacted with us differently pre-sin.

 Genesis 2:16 “16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

We now come to a section of scripture that must be taken seriously. God creates woman. Until this point. It has only been Adam and God. This relationship while being short, has already been given merit. God is in communication with Adam, He is directing Adam, He is protecting Adam, He is establishing Adam in his role within creation. This relationship is perfect. However,  God now does something that is new. He has created Adam and recognized Adam’s need. Adam does not know what it is he needs, but God does. Adam doesn’t know how to fix the issue, but God does. Adam is perfect and is in need of God’s action. This should be a huge indicator for us that even when we are following the Lord, there will be times we still need Him to act for us. God is aware of what we need, even when we do not know we need it or know how to answer it. God answers Adam’s need with the best gift outside of salvation. Some might think I am out of place by saying “gift” I am very intentional with this statement. The creation of woman was something Adam did not deserve. He had not earned her, she was presented. Men and women need to remember that. Our relationship is totally based on the Lord, not ourselves. This means we are to act according to His commands period. Our relationships with each other, were designed by God, thus we should follow the designers guidance.

Genesis 2:18-22 “18 And the LORD God said, “[It is] not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought [them] to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that [was] its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.”

What happens next is unique, God established marriage. Ironically, Adam and Eve did not have a choice. Some might call this inappropriate; but in a perfect world, with perfect people and a perfect God, all things fall into perfect alignment. How increadible is the fact God designed Adam perfectly for Eve and Eve perfectly for Adam. Adam understood this perfection immediately because we see the following verses.

Genesis 2:23-25 “23 And Adam said: “This [is] now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

The world has many ideas and definitions of what is right and wrong. Nevertheless God’s definition is different. Only in God do we have a perfect definition designed around the maker of the universe crafting for us the vessel of which man and woman were to be one. God could have been admiring the cosmos, but He was focused on helping us. He could have been seeing the animals do what animals do, instead He was marrying our great ancestors. God created us and was showing the rest of creation just how important we were to Him. Adam announces the establishment of God’s work and prophetically gives orders for the future of mankind. Creation is put on notice, mankind has arrived and is in a very real relationship with God that no other creation can match.  As we will see next week, this I believe causes a problem for someone.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL 

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the importance of God’s timing. Read it HERE!

Binding Affections

Last week we discussed how we should not hide that we have sinned and that we can use our past mistakes to bring glory to God. We touched on how our past shows God’s grace and mercy because we are able to share the Light that shone out of our darkness. This week, I want to discuss the other side of this coin. While some Christian’s may feel that their past needs to be hidden and fail to see that it can be used to bring others to Christ; there are others who continue relationships with non-believers to the detriment of their testimony.

“Our mouth has spoken freely to you, you Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. 13 Now in the same way in exchange—I am speaking as to children—open wide your hearts to us, you as well. 14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? 15 Or what harmony does Christ have with Belial, or what does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell among them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. 18 And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:11-18

When you first read this passage, it would almost seem as if it is contradicting last week’s post. However, while last week Paul was pointing out that our past is a way to witness to others; now he is warning us of misplaced affections. The believers in Corinth were held back by their affection for others who did not care to follow Christ. This misplaced affection was a stumbling block. Ancient Corinth was a large and important city of Greece, needless to say idolatry ran wild. The believers in this day, according to Paul, were still maintaining close enough relationships with those who practiced beliefs outside of what Christ taught. To the point that they needed to be reminded that they were different. For believers today, this could be seen as someone who is a born-again Christian but still holds close ties with an individual or individuals who are antisemitic or make claims that go against what the Bible teaches. When this occurs, our own testimony is restrained because we are not upholding what God’s word says.

Now I do need to state here, Paul is calling us to separate from non-believers, to show that we are different. He is not calling us to not interact with non-believers; after all, it is only by interacting with the world around us are we able to show God’s grace and mercy. It is why the Bible states that we are to be in this world, but not of it. “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” John 17:14 We need to interact with non-believers so that they can see the Light that shines out of us. What Paul is warning about here, is not to allow our actions to become like those who have no intention of repenting and accepting that they are a sinner who needs Jesus Christ. Thankfully Christ knows the heart, however through a changed heart comes action. That action is visible for those around us and in ourselves who are His.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex