Finding His Rest

The book of Hebrews is a wonderful book. While many conversations are done regarding the warnings found in this book or the hall of fame of believers, these are not the only lessons that can be learned. This book also shows that Jesus is greater than the angels, He is our perfect High Priest, and it is through Him that we are able to find rest from our works.

“10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”

Hebrews 4:10

The topic of rest is a tough one for many who are struggling with placing their faith in Jesus Christ, but it is also one that many born again believers also struggle with. It is a condition of the human mind to believe that we are only worthy of something if we work for it, and so as nonbelievers or young believers we feel that we must work to receive our salvation. However, our works do not amount to anything in the eyes of God, “And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;” Isaiah 64:6b.

So if our works to not amount to anything, then how can we rest from them? The answer for that is simple, we rest not in our works but in the work of Jesus Christ. It is His actions on the cross that allow us to become clean in the sight of God. It is through His actions that we can find peace. Our actions our nothing, His actions are everything. God did not rest on the actions of anyone else’s but His own, so must we. Next week we will discuss the works that we can be doing and how God post salvation recognizes the righteous works of the saints.

Seek the truth, and encourage one another

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

There is nothing in God’s word that is minor, if it is written by God, there is significance that must be addressed by the reader. Today we come to another significant gem hidden in God’s Word. The initiation of the Geo-Political structure post Flood. God’s judgment has ended, the world is set up for new generations. We know that Noah lived 350 years post flood. During this time, he was there to witness his sons and daughters have sons and daughters and so forth, Genesis 9:28-29 “And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.”

We know that Noah’s three sons all had children post flood and in particular we want to focus on one specific child and the curse laid upon him and their generations. This event identifies the subject of this curse at the very beginning, Genesis 9:18 “Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham [was] the father of Canaan.” The writer, “Moses” is wanting the readers to understand something specific about the decendants of Canaan. Moses wants the reader to know Canaanites origin story. Canaan is the fourth born to Ham, Genesis 10:6 “The sons of Ham [were] Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.” We also know that Noah went immediately about cultivating the earth while his sons began to rebuilding the human population. Genesis 9:18-20 “Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham [was] the father of Canaan. 19 These three [were] the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. 20 And Noah began [to be] a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.”

The scene is set, Noah is now a farmer, boat building is behind him, his sons and daughter-in-laws are rebuilding the human population and all looks right. However, as discussed in previous posts, sin is still innate in humans since the fall of mankind. Thus, Noah gave to his sons and they will give to their sons the spiritual death sentence. As discussed before, this is why Jesus was born of a virgin.

However, something happens next that needs to be addressed. Noah drinks the wine and gets drunk. Genesis 9:21 “Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent.” Some have speculated that the atmosphere had changed, and catapulted what was pure into something that could make human beings drunk. Personally, I find this hard to believe based on the needed steps to make wine. Fermentation is not something that would have been quickly identified and mastered by a brand new farmer. While the Bible does not give us a clear understanding on when fermentation became a part of humanity, it is clear by Noah’s life span post flood to be present.

Noah is so drunk that he becomes naked. Genesis 9:21-23 “Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid [it] on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces [were] turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.” Now at this point there is large aspects of speculation on what has happened. I am not going to attempt to bring to light all the ideas of what has transpired but will identify aspects we can confirm. Ham saw his father naked and went to his brothers. Based on Shem and Japheth’s reactions, it indicates Ham did not rape his father but only laughed and mocked him. Shem and Japheth wanted to keep their father’s dignity intact and protected their father’s dignity. So how does Ham’s son Canaan come into this?

Well for this we need to recognize that scripture answers scripture and we have to examine other areas of scripture for a hint. Read Leviticus chapter 18. We are given a detail description of what not to do with observing others naked who are not our spouses. God indicates that the Canaanites practiced this and much more!

Examine Deuteronomy 20:16-18 “But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you [as] an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 “but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 “lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.” From this it appears that Canaan’s descendent are several groups while one particular group keeps his name as their identity. But what does this mean? We are given another clue in Amos 2:9 “Yet [it was] I [who] destroyed the Amorite before them, Whose height [was] like the height of the cedars, And he [was as] strong as the oaks; Yet I destroyed his fruit above And his roots beneath.”

We are given another clue in Numbers 13:32-33 “And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies [is] a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it [are] men of [great] stature. 33 “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

However we have another clue to examine, Genesis 10:19 “And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.” Sodom and Gomorrah were so far into sexual immorality God wiped them out. In fact, the populations of these two towns are revealed as wanting to mate with the angelic host.

We have examined several clues, but our greatest clue is the one given by Noah himself. Genesis 9:24-27 “So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. 25 Then he said: “Cursed [be] Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.” 26 And he said: “Blessed [be] the LORD, The God of Shem, And may Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, And may he dwell in the tents of Shem; And may Canaan be his servant.”

Now that we have examined the clues given in God’s word, we can summarize the facts and formulate what has happened. Noah was drunk and became naked, his son Ham saw that nakedness and told his brothers. When Noah wakes up he knows what his son has done. Now at this point, you would think it would be right for Noah to curse Ham not Canaan for the action? But for some reason Noah identifies Canaan of the target of the curse. Why? It is because Noah is being prophetic. Scripture does not tell us, but we can examine the clues and see that the descendants of Canaan are very immoral. In fact their immorality leads them to the ultimate climatic sexual immorality and the causation of the Nephelim to return to the earth. We are not given the perimeters of what they were and were not allowed to do, but for some reason they had returned. Some very good Christian scholars will tell you they had not. However, we can tell from scripture that the Nephelim do return. Canaan’s descendants have been identified as villains in an ultimate showdown that is yet to be established. What is more important in this section of scripture is what Noah identifies with Sham in verse 26, “And he said: Blessed be the Lord the God God of Shem and may Canaan be his servant.” Here we have Noah identifying something rather unique, Sham is not only a believer. This forshadowing is painting a picture for you and I and establishing the stage of what we see happening throughout the rest of scripture. A fight for land, a fight for a bloodline, and salvation to come to mankind. Next week we will see what else happens between the three sons of Noah and the first United Nations.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back on the history of Mill House Ministries! Read it HERE!

Pray For Our Nation

Last week I wrote to our readers to pray for the leaders who would soon be taking charge. Although the elections are now over, us praying for our leaders and our nation does not end. Depending on the results on both a national and local level, some may be worried about what the next few years hold. When we worry, there is only one thing that we can do, and that is to pray. We need to continue to pray for our nation and for the leaders that God ultimately has put in charge. “It is He who changes the times and the periods; He removes kings and appoints kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to [a] people of understanding.” Daniel 2:21. In fact, I would almost argue that they need prayer more now then before the election took place. After all, prayer is the only action left to the people now that the elections are over.

Prayer is a powerful action, it can truly shape the fate of a nation. Look at Jonah chapters three and four, it was through the repentant prayers of the people of Nineveh that God withheld His wrath. This is the mindset that we need to have now, we need to be praying that God remembers His people in our nation. Pray that those who have been placed in charge will come to know Him. Pray for a repentant heart of the people in our nation. Our prayers and our God now will decide the fate of our nation.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Call To Vote

Today we are writing a special post! One calling all believers in the United States to do their duty as believers in Christ and vote. 2 Corinthians 5:20 “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

God calls us to defend those that cannot defend themselves! Proverbs 31:8-9 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”

God calls us to defend Israel, Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

It is clear that one party is more likely to listen to believers in Jesus Christ and defend the unborn, defend the helpless, and defend the Jewish people. Christians are told our works would reveal our faith, James 2:18“Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

We as believers in Jesus Christ, must vote accordingly to what He says. Thus, on November 5th we need to vote for Former President Trump. We need to vote for pro-life candidates and pro-Israel candidates.

A warning to those who believe we should not be involved in politics, examine the Prophet John who was put into prison for doing what he was called to do. Mark 6:16-18 “When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead.” 17 For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip’s wife, but Herod had married her. 18 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry your brother’s wife.”

Christians that do not vote for President Trump will be guilty of what God warned the Prophet Ezekiel of, Ezekiel 33:1-6 “Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 ‘when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 ‘then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his [own] head. 5 ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes [any] person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.”

Finally, after voting we need to be in prayer, asking for the Lord to give us the opportunity to bring Him glory! 2 Chronicles 7:14 “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

Let us be about our Lord’s Word as we are called to do!

Vote Biblical, Vote for President Trump and other conservatives, and finally PRAY PRAY PRAY!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

PRAY FOR AMERICA

Tomorrow is Election Day for the United States of America. This post is for more than just Americans, but to all of our audience. Mill House Ministries has been blessed to have an international audience and we believe that tomorrow will shape the future for all of us no matter where we are. Paul tells the Corinthians that they need to represent Christ, this is still true today. 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore [you] on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” Christians should be representing Christ and voting according to what God has called us to be. We are called to be Holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16 “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” Let us be Holy, vote according to the mandates of God and then finally pray! We must pray that we as a nation recognize that God cares for the individual and has never promised, outside of Israel, a nation that will endure. The United States of America will only continue to be a great nation if we listen and are wise to follow God’s instructions. God is bigger than the United States, however this nation was built on being a nation of Christian values, which we have strayed far from. Let us take the day to pray and ask God for mercy and grace and to give us a reprieve for His righteousness. No matter what, God is good and He is in control.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our look into the different types of prayers. Read it HERE!

Pray For Our Leaders

For our American readers, we are only a few days away from an election that will decide the direction of our nation. While it is imperative that we all go out and vote according to how Scripture leads us, there is another aspect that I am encouraging you all to do. We need to be praying for whomever it is that will take office, not just nationally but locally as well. We need to pray that the individuals who take office are Spirit filled, that they will honor Israel, and that they will surround themselves with others who hold fast to God’s word. We also need to be praying that God’s will is done, He already knows the results of the election because He has already placed that person in charge. No leader takes authority without God allowing it, and this means both good and bad leadership. What we can be doing today is praying for the individuals and praying for our nation to have a revival to Him. So today, we are going to be looking at a few verses in order to prepare our hearts to pray for whomever it is that will take office.

Psalm 72: These twenty verses are a wonderful reminder of what a nation can be like under a leader who follows God. It is filled with blessings upon the nation. While it will not be complete until Jesus Christ rules from earth, it is still a wonderful passage to look at and pray that our leaders will embody.

1 Timothy 2:1-2: “2 First of all, then, I ask that requests, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving be made for all people. 2 Pray for kings and everyone who is in authority so that we can live a quiet and peaceful life in complete godliness and dignity.” Pray for those who are in authority, prayer does not come back empty God will always answer and this passage shows that we receive a blessing if we pray for those in charge.

Psalm 22:28: “28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s And He rules over the nations.” A reminder that it is God who places individuals in power and the ultimate authority belongs to Him. This does not mean that we need to stop praying for our leaders, we can always be praying that they will have wisdom and discernment and that they will come to know Him if they do not already.

These are only a handful of verses that discuss praying for our leaders. So whether or not you have already cast your ballot, take time over the next few days and start praying for our future leaders. Pray that they will follow God, pray that they will have wisdom and discernment, pray for an easy transition of power, and pray for our nation that more will come to know Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

Chapter nine of Genesis brings, in my opinion, one of the oldest trademarked images known to mankind, which has been stolen from its original purpose. The flood has ended, mankind is only one family, and yet God is establishing a new norm for how the world will be conducted. Never again would He flood the whole earth with water.

Genesis 9:8-17 “Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 “and with every living creature that [is] with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said: “This [is] the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that [is] with you, for perpetual generations: 13 “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 “It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 “and I will remember My covenant which [is] between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 “The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that [is] on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This [is] the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that [is] on the earth.”

The rainbow was not designed to be a homosexual sign but rather a remembrance to the people that God will not flood the whole world again. When you and I see the rainbow, we need to remember this is a subtle hint to all of God’s other promises that they are not unkept but rather coming to pass. If God has made a promise, you can rest assured He will fulfill it. Every time we see a rainbow, nature reminds us of this. The days you think you are too far away from the Lord, you have a rainbow to remind you that you are not. The days you feel as if God doesn’t care for you, you have the rainbow to remind you that He does. But this also goes both ways, the rainbow also reminds us that God’s promises of judgement can be held to the same scrutiny. Thus, those who wave the flags and celebrate what God calls evil, they are mockingly reminding God of His promises and unknowingly telling the world that God keeps those promises; to include dealing with mankind’s sin.

So today, when you see the rainbow and realize God keeps His promises, does that excite you or put fear in your mind? For those who are saved, it should excite you because we can hold Jesus accountable. We can hold Jesus to His word and know He will keep it. This is why I am personally excited for the future: I know I have a future and hope in Him. Do you?

If you have any questions Mill House Ministries is here to help answer and help you understand that God’s promises can be your comfort once you are His child. To be His, all you must do is ask for Him to forgive you of your sins and ask Him to be in your life. He will do the rest!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

An encouraging message still needed. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts Part VII

Today we reach the last two gifts found in 1 Corinthians 12, and I believe that these last two gifts are the most dangerous and misunderstood. Often, these two gifts are used in an unbiblical way and can deter others from seeking out God. The gifts that we will be discussing today are the gifts of tongues and interpretation of tongues.

As always, we will begin by looking at the definitions starting first with the gift of tongues. This gift is described as “of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication a language (specifically one naturally unacquired)” G1100. While the gift of interpretation of tongues is “to translate” G2059. When we look at the definitions of these two gifts, we see that one must work together with the other. To have a gift of tongues, there must be someone who can translate the words that are being said. So then how can these two gifts be dangerous? It is by simply using them in an unbiblical way.

When I was younger, I went to a church camp where I was instructed by the leaders to make up my own prayer language, that this would be a language between myself and the angels who would then pass on my prayers to God. Even though I was not a born-again Christian then, I knew that couldn’t be right, and this was one of many reasons why I walked away not only from that church but from God. It was not until many years later that I had someone instruct me that what they were asking was not Biblical.

A Biblical use of these two gifts goes back to where these gifts come from, “11 All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.” 1 Corinthians 12:11. A Biblical use of the gift of tongues will be someone who uses a language they may not have previously known in order to share God’s glory, but in order to ensure that it is a gift from the Holy Spirit, there must be an individual who possesses the ability to translate that language. The gifts come from the Holy Spirit and are used to glorify the Lord.

However, there is another way that these two gifts can be dangerous, and that is denying their existance today. The foundation of the Christian faith is that God’s word is true and the ultimate authority. If you start denying that one of the gifts of the Spirit no longer exists, then the next line of thinking is that the others do not exist, and God’s word is not true about this aspect, how can it be true about anything else? Do not fall into the thinking that just because we don’t see it occurring on a daily basis, does not mean that these two gifts are no longer around today.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

It is a simple argument, but a powerful one! God does not like murder and makes this very clear as a precedent to what the legal system has failed to uphold.

Genesis 9:5-6 “Surely for your lifeblood I will demand [a reckoning;] from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.”

When man fails to obey God, we turn to chaos. Noah, who grew up in the previous age, would have understood this. This is why from day one of the new era, God is making it clear what will be tolerated and what will not. Strange how God is focused on mankind and life and when man is not focused on God, we are focused on death. The less God is in our life, the more we are focused on what we should not be doing. Look at the religions of the world, these are man’s attempt to replace God and be their own moral authority; these religions become catapults resulting in the expediency of the filth of mankind’s capacity to dive headlong into death. Only in Christ Jesus is there life, only in Christ Jesus is there something other than doubt, damnation, and eternal darkness and punishment. This is not an indictment of any legal system but rather the attempt of making this a philosophical argument when it is very much a clear concise declaration by God. God calls us to a standard in our government no matter the nation and we need to hold to that standard.

Next week we will discuss the generational concerns and how one man can live for the Lord and just like that he may have a child that shakes his fist at God.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding prayers of Petition. Read it HERE!

A Personal Touch

We are going to take a short break on our study of the Spiritual Gifts to discuss something that I noticed in my personal Bible study, and something that I think is often overlooked. The passage we are looking at today is often discussed with two common themes. First, as a passage about having faith that God cares for us and second that God is all powerful. Today we will be looking at Luke 8:43-48.

“43 A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent her entire livelihood on doctors, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the hem of his clothes, and at once her bleeding stopped. 45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When everyone denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me. I know that power has gone out from me.” 47 When the woman saw that she couldn’t escape notice, she came trembling and fell before Jesus. In front of everyone, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. 48 “Daughter, your faith has healed you,” Jesus said. “Go in peace.”

As I have said, this is a common passage that is discussed but like so much more of the Bible, there are more layers to this simple passage. First, we need to discuss the fact that God is Omniscient. Meaning that He is all-knowing, but here we see Him almost playing dumb. If God is Omniscient, how could He not know who it was who touched Him? The answer for that goes into the next layer to this passage. Verse 47 states that the woman saw she could not escape notice which doesn’t make sense when you consider the size of the crowd that was pressing in on Jesus, a fact that Peter points out in his statement to Jesus. If the crowd was large enough that Peter feels the need to point out that Jesus is being touched by a multitude of people, why couldn’t the woman simply blend into the crowd and walk away. No one seemed to notice that it was she who touched Jesus after all so who would have pointed it out?

I can only imagine that Jesus must have been looking at her, that it was under His gaze that she could not escape notice. Which brings back to the fact that God is Omniscient, He knew exactly who it was who touched Him and why they did. So then why would he question the crowd, why not simply speak to her or call her forward like He has done to so many other individuals? This brings us to the final layer to this passage, and that is that God wants to meet with us each individually in whatever state we are in. The woman came to Jesus ill, with only the faith that He could heal her but she walks away whole and with the chance to meet with Him face to face. As God, Jesus would have known who touched Him and why they did; but He still questions the crowd causing the woman to come forward. Jesus wants to meet with us all at an individual level, He does not care what state we are in because we will walk away being made whole in His presence.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

We now come to one of the longest sections of scripture! Chapter nine of Genesis to Messiah’s first arrival is a singular time period with multiple ages. From here forward, we see the stage being set for Israel to become the focus of the Bible. While chapter nine might not look like it, nine and the next several chapters will be monumental in preparing for the arrival a new nation, a nation called to holiness and to be set apart to the Lord as His own. However, before we get to this transition, we need to identify the significant changes to the earth, changes we still see to this day. As the flood waters receded, Noah and his family found themselves in a new world. The planet they knew was gone and the war torn planet now before them was something scared from a spiritual battle that took place in the very physical world. Satan’s attempt to delude the human genome was thwarted by God. Chapter nine of Genesis is the root to many questions people ask today. Today, I want to examine two of those questions.

God had zero fear of the planet having a risk of overpopulation. Genesis 9:1 “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” In fact this is starting to show in the modernity; the birthing rate in the world is dropping rapidly, within a few decades the human population will start to decrease. For years the remarks and fear mongering of overpopulation was something used by socialist and others for justification for government overreach into our individual lives. Ironically, in God there is freedom, in God there is blessing. God started the first age focused on the family, He also starts the next period of human history focused on the family.

The next significant change is with animals. God places in their heart the fear of man.

Genesis 9:2 “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move [on] the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.” The idea that nature rules over us is ridiculous. God put them once again into our hands, however, there is a fear put into them. This fear has been speculated on by scholars for centuries. However, I think we should take it as it is, before this period animals were not afraid of mankind. Some have speculated and there is merit to the argument that animals could talk until this point. However, I would argue based on the interaction with Noah and the dove that the animals could not talk, but had to communicate in a different way. Genesis 8:10-12 “And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf [was] in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.”

In Genesis chapter three, mankind is not surprised when the serpent talks to them. I think with the fall of man, we lost that privilege to talk to animals and them to us. And after the flood, the cooperation we once had was diminished. You see our sin can be forgiven, but that does not mean there could be impacts that reverberate past the time it happens.

Nevertheless, we have God who will one day make all things new again. We, as the human race, are the world’s sign of God’s redemption promise. Next week we will examine what God thinks about those who kill God’s image barriers.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Continuing our look back at the Basics Series. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts Part VI

We have nearly reached the end of the gifts of the spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12, and today we are going to discuss another gift that I believe every Christian should have. This next gift in not unlike the gift of faith, it presents itself when the born-again believer most needs it. While it is a gift that is bestowed by the Holy Spirit, it does require a little effort from the born-again believer. Today’s gift is the gift of discerning of spirits.

First, we need to break down the definition of this gift. For that we are going to begin with the definition of discerning which states “to separate thoroughly that is (literally and reflexively) to withdraw from or (by implication) oppose; figuratively to discriminate (by implication decide) or (reflexively) hesitate:-contend make (to) differ (-ence) discern doubt judge be partial stagger waver.” G12522. In short, the word discerning here means to separate, but to separate what? That is where we need to look at the definition of spirit. This definition is “a current of air that is breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit that is (human) the rational soul (by implication) vital principle mental disposition etc or (superhuman) an angel daemon or (divine) God Christ’s spirit the Holy Spirit” G4151. With these two definitions in mind, we can see that the gift of discerning of spirits is to separate human and/or demonic ideals from what the Holy Spirit states.

This is where the effort from born-again Christians must come into play. In order for this gift to be presented, we must be able to separate the true and false doctrines that are out there. That can only take place when we are actively studying God’s Word. The more time we spend in scripture, the more we will be able to recall the truth when presented with lies. I can think of no greater example of this taking place than in Matthew 4:1-11.

“4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted for forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil *took Him along into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and he *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written: ‘He will give His angels orders concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will lift You up, So that You do 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 along 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 away, 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 serve Him.”

In this passage, we see that Satan is before Christ and is presenting ideas to Christ. However, He is able to bring down the devil’s argument by quoting Scripture. It is not just because He is the Son of God that He was able to present these answers, but we see in other scriptures where He studied His Father’s Word. “46 After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:46-47. Even as a human child, the Son of God studied His Word. This is to say that this is how we as believers should be.

Now John helps us articulate this even more, examine 1 John 3:24 “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” Here John describes the characteristics of those who would come in God’s name and how we would know if they are truly believers. Their characteristics, this goes back to discerning. Yet, John is not done here and continues to add, 1 John 4:1-3 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the [spirit] of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.“ Examine every false religion, all of them that claim they have the truth of Jesus will deny His equality as part of the Trinity and fully human. Thus if a born again believer is confronted by the devil, a religious representative, or a spirit, all we need is God’s Word and to recognize that God provides the necessary gift to overcome. This is why we need to be active in our time with God studying His Word, so that when, not if, the time comes we are prepared to present the truth when faced with lies.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

ONE YEAR TODAY

It is one year to the day that Israel was attacked. This attack came without provocation, this attack came when Israel believed the day would be like the day before and people would go on living their life. One year later, the war still continues, Israel is fighting for its right to exist.

Today, my audience is to two groups of people. First, to the Jews that do not recognize their Messiah’s first coming two thousand years ago. Messiah has brought you back to your land, to the land promised to you through Abraham, your father. This land was given to you without any ties attached. It is yours! But I must ask you the question of why was it given to you? The world hates you, but why do they hate you? Messiah said in John 15:16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” These words hold fast to the testimony of your ancestors from Abraham to Zechariah, they knew Messiah and He knew them. The Lord was with them and is with you! Malachi 3:6  “For I [am] the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” The world hates you because you are His people! His chosen people to bring about Messiah and save the world. Because of your family, your ancestors, the gentiles have a light. Isaiah 42:6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles.” The world will continue to hate you until the day you choose to recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

Being a Christian does not mean you lose your Jewishness, but rather you become completed! Examine Paul, a Jew among Jews. Look at his actions, he loved the Messiah to the point of being kicked out by other Jews!

Finally, read Isaiah 53 and see the actions of Messiah foretold before He was crucified for our transgressions.

  The second group I am writing to is the Churches around the world! I ask that you examine God’s word. Many false teachers declare God is done with Israel because of their lack of faith. Strange, because God’s word says otherwise. Read Romans 9-11 and see the truth that God is not done with Israel. Examine Romans 11:1-2a “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, [of] the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew.”

There are too many promises made to Israel that God must finish. God must finish every single promise or He is a lier, Hebrews 6:18 “that by two immutable things, in which it [is] impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before [us.].” God has not replaced Israel with the Church, but rather Christ has promised Israel that Messiah has reign on the earth, Luke 1:30-33 “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

This will happen in Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then [I saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received [his] mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

This does not mean the Church is subpar to Israel, or Israel is subpar to the Church. But rather they are two different branches grafted to the same vine in Jesus Christ. We live in a rare time where the Church and Israel are both on the planet at the same time, the Church must point to the world and tell them that God’s chosen people deserve to be in the land that God gave them.

In this age, individual Jews and Gentiles alike are the Church. This age will end one day, but until that time, the church needs to be telling everyone about the Messiah, Jesus, and how salvation comes through Him alone. While we do this, we must also be voicing our God’s authority as good ambassadors and telling the world that Israel has a right to their land and peace. This does not mean we support everything the Israeli government does, on the contrary we are to be ambassadors for Christ to them as well. That peace will only ultimately come when Israel as a nation recognizes Jesus.

 I end this post on the promises that we pray that the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob protects His people the Jews; and also His adopted sons and daughters the Church. The Church age is coming to an end, let us finish our race well, declaring the truth of God and standing with those who deserve peace and the land God gave them.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

A deeper look into prayers for guidance. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts Part V

Today we are discussing another of the spiritual gifts that is radically misunderstood in modernity. 1 Corinthians 12:10 identifies this gift as the gift of prophecy. Modern ideas and thoughts behind prophecy stem from incorrect understandings, lack of knowledge, emotional hysteria, and fear. This is unfortunate because God provides us in His inerrant word the structure that defines Prophecy. Let’s first start with the word itself. A prophet is someone who “speaks by inspiration” H5012 while a prophecy is “a foreteller; by analogy an inspired speaker” G4396. Now thanks to 1 Corinthians 12:11, we know that the gifts we are discussing come from the Holy Spirit. “11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” So then we can understand that to have the gift of prophecy, an individual must accurately speak the word of God.

1 Corinthians 14 identifies in several key areas the characteristics of the spiritual gift. For the design of the series, I will be brief, but I would recommend you do a deeper study into the gift.

The Lord defines the spiritual gift of prophecy and it should be considered a commandment from the Lord.

Women can be prophets but cannot use the gift in the assembly of the Church.

We are told to ask for this spiritual gift

Prophecy must teach and exhort.

Prophecy will not contradict God’s written Word.

Prophecy is subject to peer review by other Prophets.

Prophecy must be checked by the audience to God’s Word.

Prophecy is for believers but can convict unbelievers.

A Prophet must be mature in thinking.

Prophecy is not the same as revelation, knowledge, or teaching.

Prophecy is second only to love in importance for a Christian to pursue.

Prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and consolation.

Just looking at this list, you can immediately identify cults that have entered into the world. Mormonism, Seventh Day Adventist, Jevhoah Witnesses, and others all have their so-called prophets fail the 1 Corinthian 14 check list. Since this gift is one that I feel many do not fully understand, I believe that it is important to show an example of someone who claimed to have this gift but was not a prophet of God. Take a look at Jeremiah 28.

“28 In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and all the people: 2 “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the Lord’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.’” 5 Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord. 6 He said, “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. 7 Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: 8 From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.” 10 Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, 11 and he said before all the people, “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. 12 After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:13 “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron.14 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’” 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. 16 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’” 17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.”

As we know from Scripture, Hananiah was in fact wrong, and the exiles remained in Babylon. In fact, Deuteronomy gives us a test for when someone claims to have gift of prophecy. “22 When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.” Deuteronomy 18:22. So not only does an individual have to accurately speak the word of God, but what they say will happen must also come true.

Now what does this mean today? The gift of prophecy is still very much alive. It should be sought after by every Christian as Paul commanded but it should be done not in the eyes of man’s traditions but according to the Word of God. I dare not limit God’s applicability of His gift by providing modern day examples, but would rather have you dive into God’s Word and ask Him to reveal this to you.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex