Re-Post Friday

How do you handle it when your faith is challenged? Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts XIV

Today we have reached the end of our study on the different types of spiritual gifts. When I began this study, I had only intended to focus on the common gifts that are discussed. However, it became clear to me that the overlooked gifts found in Romans 12 needed to be examined as well. As we have seen throughout this study, the spiritual gifts are often misunderstood or misused. While we are examining the last gift today, it is possibly one of the most important gifts a follower of Christ can ask for. The gift of mercy.

“6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to one’s faith; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Romans 12:6-8

All throughout scripture we are called to show mercy. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36. “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:12-13. Are just a couple examples. We also know that we would not be reconciled to God if He didn’t show us mercy and send His Son to pay for our sins. Mercy is a very important aspect of who God is and as such it needs to be an important aspect of who we are.

But what exactly is mercy? It means to show compassion. However, Romans 12 describes those who have the gift of mercy to do so cheerfully. This continues with an important aspect that we have seen with the last couple of spiritual gifts, it comes down to the motivation of the individual who claims to have the gift. There are individuals who claim to have the gift of mercy, who say that they have compassion on people, but they either act begrudgingly towards others or hold aspects over their heads. They forget that they have been shown mercy by God and need to do so with a prompt, willing, and kind attitude. We would not be who we are if it wasn’t for God showing us His mercy, and we need to extend this to those around us.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A Lesson Learned and Shared

I learned a lesson this week that I wanted to share with you all! Thanks for listening.

There are some moments that we need to slow down and recognize that God might be doing something very close to us, but it does not involve us.

This last week was one of those moments that I had to learn that at times God is doing something and we might think we need to act, when in fact we need to be silent and wait. Our time of acting is when God says so. Once we do, we should wait on Him. Examine Rehab in the seige of Jereicho.

Joshua 6:20-25 “When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. 22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” 23 The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. 24 Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25 So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day. Joshua 6:20-25 (NLT) 20 When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. 21 They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords--men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. 22 Meanwhile, Joshua said to the two spies, “Keep your promise. Go to the prostitute’s house and bring her out, along with all her family.” 23 The men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, brothers, and all the other relatives who were with her. They moved her whole family to a safe place near the camp of Israel. 24 Then the Israelites burned the town and everything in it. Only the things made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron were kept for the treasury of the LORD’s house. 25 So Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute and her relatives who were with her in the house, because she had hidden the spies Joshua sent to Jericho. And she lives among the Israelites to this day.” Rehab had already done her part, now she needed to stop and wait on the Lord.

Another example is with Daniel, who does nothing to stop the transition of government from Babylon to Persia. Daniel 5:17 “Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.” Daniel had been acting on what the Lord had wanted him to do for a while. But Daniel knew when it was God’s turn to act and Daniel needed to wait on Him.

You see, both Rehab and Daniel were where the Lord wanted them to be. And both needed to allow the Lord to do the work that He said He would do. Do you have an area in your life that God has asked you to do something and you did? Is it now His turn to act and we should be still and allow Him to act? Take time and pray and ask the Lord to reveal if there is something in your life that you need to allow Him to act on now. You might just realize, He needs you to go into your house so He can bring the walls down, or stay silent in your office while the transition of power happens.

This week I learned this lesson in my own life. And because of this I wanted to share it with you all. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to open up! God is always teaching us; we need to stop, listen, and obey. Only a Heavenly Father who is Love can be so kind and patient to help you and I in our immediate moments and yet still be examining the BIG PICTURE around us.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the basics of Isaiah. Read it HERE!

The Importance of Gifts XIII

We have reached our second to last spiritual gift and unlike some of the gifts that we have looked at up to this point, it is not a gift that is overlooked. Instead, it is a gift that often is not taken seriously enough. The gift that we are discussing today is the gift of leading.

The idea of leading is to stand before others and guide them. Many people may pray that they have this gift, but they need to ensure that they are using it correctly. As we have discussed throughout this series, the spiritual gifts are designed to give glory to God and not ourselves. There are some who would seek to have this gift because they desire to have the spotlight, they are similar to those described in Matthew 23:1-7.

“23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it all, but do not do as they do; for they say things and do not do them.4 And they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. 5 And they do all their deeds to be noticed by other people; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, 7 and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called Rabbi by the people.”

This is not using the gift of leading correctly because it seeks to bring glory to the individual rather than keeping the focus and glory on God. It is unfortunate, but there are many pastors and leaders out there today who would fit this description. For an individual to possess the gift of leading, they would diligently seek to guide others to Christ. They would come alongside those who are struggling and show them that it is Christ who can lift their burdens. Ultimately, they would adapt the attitude of Christ in Matthew 20:28. “28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”. As with the gift of giving that we discussed last week, we need to examine the individuals motives who claim to have the gift of leading. Are the doing it to bring glory to themselves? Or are they continually coming alongside others and pointing them to Christ?

Seek the truth and encourage one another

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised, we are discussing the significance behind God’s reaction to what mankind was doing in Genesis 11. When we last met, we talked about the Tower of Babel being exactly what the people were trying to do, “reach heaven.” Some will scoff, but God didn’t and He acted. Thus, we now are going to examine what God does. Genesis 11:5-9 “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 “Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”

We see several glaring facts that must be acknowledged. First, that God is watching mankind and their actions. Second, that God is acting in the affairs of man. And finally, that mankind can do nothing to stop what God is acting upon.

For the believer in the world, this should be very comforting. However, for the non believer this is terrifying.

We do not know how, but God initiates something within the human psychic that transfigures the language understanding and computing within mankind. This is paramount to understand. God establishes national roots right here. Nations and ethnic groups are brought about. The Tower of Babel event at its roots signifies the foundational push that mankind wants globalism, and yet God does not. This does not mean one nation is better than another, but in fact God is the creator of them all. We as believers need to recognize this. Only God is able to withdraw a person outside of this scenario.

Galatians 3:26-29 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you [are] Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” While the Church is pulled from every nation, we still do not lose our national origins that God placed in Genesis 11.  Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

Throughout human history, God has used nations to judge other nations. Genesis 11 is God changing the rules within human history and designing a check and balance that will trescend human history until the events of Armageddon. So next time you wonder where do nations and languages come from, remember they come from God.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

After studying the different types of prayers, who should be prayed for most? Find out HERE!

The Importance of Gifts XII

We are reaching the end of our series on the spiritual gifts, in fact we only have three more gifts to discuss. As we have seen recently, there are quite a few gifts that are overlooked by the body of Christ and the last three that we are discussing are no different. However, the gift that we are discussing today is one that not only gets overlooked but almost seems to be vilified.

“6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

Romans 12:6-8

The gift that we are discussing is the gift of giving. You may be wondering why I say that this gift is often vilified, and that is because of the connotation that to have “excessive” amounts of money is often seen by others as loving money over God. Oftentimes they will misuse Matthew 6:24, “24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” But what they are often forgetting is that it is the motive behind the gift of giving that is important. You can be an individual with a limited budget who still devotes a portion to freely give to God like the woman found in Mark 12:43-44 who gave all that she had to God, or you can be an individual with unlimited funds who still freely gives to the Lord. The important thing about the gift of giving is that it is done to glorify God, not ourselves otherwise it is not a gift of the spirit.

I have a family member who wished to serve on the mission field, despite how often he tried to become a missionary he was always told no. So he made the decision that he was going to out give God, the more money he gave to missionaries the more God blessed him. God was not calling him to be a missionary, but instead was calling him to support those that He was calling to the mission field. There are countless individuals who have heard of Christ thanks to his gift of giving. A biblical example of someone who was very wealthy but kept Christ as their master was Job. Job was a man who sought the Lord with all of his heart, and the wealth and finances were something trivial to his pursuit of God.

Earlier I stated that those who misuse Matthew 6:24 are forgetting a very important part of the verse. Mankind cannot serve two masters. If an individual is continually seeking to grow their wealth, their master is money. However, if an individual has been blessed with wealth but seeks to give it all to God, then they are serving Him. It comes down to the motive and if they wish to glorify themselves or God.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

New Administration, Same God, Same Orders

Today we see the transition of power in the United States of America. This post is not to be political, but God’s Word is at times very political. Today we see what Daniel declared when he prayed for God’s answer to King Nebuchadnezzar’s demand.

Daniel 2:20-23 “Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. 21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. 22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what [is] in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. 23 “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

As Christians, this is how we should be treating today. Recognize who is truly in control and bless Him. Recognize the times we live in and the seasons we are called to live out our faith. Recognize God removes Kings and raises up Kings. Recognize and ask for Wisdom, which God gives. Understand that His will is higher than our will and know that God is moving in our lives. Look at the last verse of Daniel’s prayer.

Daniel 2:23, “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king’s demand.” Daniel recognizes that God is in control and no matter what happens, He is clearly listening to the petitions of His people and is actively in our lives no matter how great or small. As we move into a new administration and the world examines the actions of a few leaders, let us remember that it is God who places them in. It is up to us to keep our eyes on Christ, live out our faith, and be about His work. God has given the United States a small window of time to be about His work in a different environment than the last four years. We should not squander it. God has given us each talents to serve the Kingdom and encourage the Church. Let us be about our Lord’s Word.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What is our biggest mission field? Find out HERE!

The Importance of Gifts XI

As we have now come to see, there are many different spiritual gifts. While each spiritual gift is given to the born again believer by the Holy Spirit to be used to glorify God, we have seen that there are some that go hand in hand. For example, earlier in our series we saw that the gifts of healing, miracles, and faith all work together. Without the faith that God can, in His will not ours, provide healing and miracles these gifts would not be able to be performed. Today, we will discuss two other gifts that work together. The gifts of teaching and exhortation.

When you hear the word, “teach” or “teaching” I am sure you envision an individual standing in the front of a room seeking to impart knowledge on others, and this would be exactly right. However, what most believers fail to understand today is that this is not a gift solely given to those who are called to be pastors. This is a gift that needs to be utilized more often by the body of Christ, it is a gift for those who are able to accurately impart the Word of God to others. For example, small group leaders. However, the gift of teaching does not end here. If you are a parent, you need to be praying for the gift of teaching. Our children’s first look into who God is, is through us. If we are unable to accurately teach them about God, we are failing. We cannot rely on Sunday and Wednesday to be the only time our children hear about Jesus Christ, it is something that we need to be teaching them daily.

The second gift that we are discussing today is the gift of exhortation. Exhortation is to exhort and build others up to keep their focus on the Lord. A believer who is practicing exhortation could be seen as someone who is actively using their faith to encourage others in theirs. As a teacher brings a person knowledge, an exhorter encourages the person to the knowledge. The gift of exhortation helps identify true believers. Exhortation is contrary to those who claim with their lips but deny Christ with their actions.

When we are in the presence of a spirit filled Christian who has the gift of teaching, they will naturally be a teacher that is Christ centered teaching other Christians. For a spirit filled believer who has the gift of exhortation we will see them encouraging other believers to stay the course. These two gifts go hand in hand. If we are not taught, we can’t put it into action. If we do not teach, then others will fail to grow. If we do not act, we become spiritually obese and the gospel does not spread. For two gifts that are often overlooked, they provide perhaps the biggest impact in the life of a Christian, which is why we need to be praying for chances to teach others about God’s word, to build up others in their faith, and to put what we have learned into action.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised at the beginning of this series, Genesis is a book of answers. However, at times, those answers can be controversial. Today we are examining one of those. Genesis chapter 11, the Tower of Babel.

As always, God’s Word needs to be taken seriously. That means we can assume it is accurate and that our understanding is what needs to be sharpened and re-examined to make sure it aligns with God’s Word. Chapter 11 is no different, we must take the same approach.

If you ever watch the United Nations summits, you will see that virtually everyone is talking about peace, unity, and some form of togetherness. This call to action is quickly followed by the carrot of global peace. However, the second they walk out of the room, they are at odds with one another. Nevertheless, this brings about a unique question.

What would the world look like if mankind was united?

We need not wonder, but look at God’s Word for a moment in human history and see that exact moment being played out. Let us examine what God commanded Noah and his descendants to do.

Genesis 9:1 “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” God told them to fill the earth. Did Noah’s descendants listen? No they did not.

Genesis 11:1-4 “Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. 3 Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake [them] thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top [is] in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Now some will read this and immediately say, “Look at these idiots, they believe they could make a tower to get to heaven.” However, this would be an inaccurate statement. How do we know this? Look at the very next two verses. Genesis 11:5-6 “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people [are] one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.”

God is confirming that their idea will work! “Now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” In other words, “Together they will accomplish their goal.” So what is it exactly what they were trying to do?

We know that the leader of this group is, Nimrod. Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Genesis 10:8-12 “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that [is] the principal city).”

This we will need to break down and examine. At this point, we know at that mankind is one group. Nimrod is leading them. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, which is where we get the towers name.

Now this is where the English does not do us justice. We might think that Nimrod is a great archery hunter or something. But that is not the meaning here. The Septuagint and the NASB I believe get the closest to the original meaning. Let’s first start with the Septuagint. If you do not know who the Septuagint are, I would encourage you to examine the rich history of Godly men preserving God’s Word for the masses.

Genesis 10:8 “Now Chous became the father of Nebrod. He was the first on earth to be a giant. He was a giant hunter before the Lord God. Therefore they will say, ‘Like Nebrod a giant hunter before the Lord.”

Now the NASB.

Genesis 10:8-9 “Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD.”

Both give us insight into the reality of what what exactly God’s Word is identifying. Nimrod, who was in charge of the first united nation, is in fact pursuing something God just destroyed. The Lord is watching him do it, because Nimrod is hunting before the Lord. Now some might be saying, how is this possible? Or is this taking the text a little too far? Not many Pastors, Bible scholars, and theologians take this stand. And that is ok, because we are taking God’s Word seriously and in doing so, we follow where the text leads us. Examine just a few chapters before this, in chapter 6.

Genesis 6:4 “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore [children] to them. Those [were] the mighty men who [were] of old, men of renown.” I am here today to tell you, that the very first dictator, started off human and was mutated into something that God destroyed in the flood.

Genesis 10:8 “Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.” The word “began” is the Hebrew word “Halal” which means to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, and begin. This profanity is done through sexual rituals. I do not know how, but somehow, Nimrod sought after how to make himself into Nephilim. This should scare you! His first act is becoming Nephilim, his second is to make humankind build something to reach heaven to thwart God from scattering them. What does this mean for us today? Does it mean globalism is bad? Does it mean we shouldn’t strive for peace with our national neighbors? Certainly not! But it means that peace truly only comes from Christ. It means that if the world is united under a leader other than Christ, maybe he shouldn’t t be trusted. I am reminded about Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” Satan has his own seed. This verse identifies two bloodlines! The first is Satan’s seed, but the final seed is Jesus Christ.

While we might not know the technology behind the Tower of Babel, we would be foolish to believe it was primitive. I believe based on scripture that Genesis 11 events and the construction work happening was based on gene manipulation and quantum physics. That tower was not by length going to make it into Heaven but was going to make it there. This is thought to be impossible until modern known science reveals it is not outside of the impossible. This might sound arbitrary or even absurd, but allow me to explain. If God thought it was silly and their attempts were not going anywhere, why did He find it necessary to act? He had to do something or they were going to succeed! Next week we will dive into the discussion God has and exactly what He does to mankind.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What does the Father have in store for us? Find out HERE!

The Importance of Gifts X

A couple of weeks ago we began our second discussion into the spiritual gifts that are given to born-again believers focusing on the list found in Romans 12:6-13.

"6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly: if prophecy, in proportion to ones faith; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or the one who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or the one who exhorts, in the work of exhortation; the one who gives, with generosity; the one who is in leadership, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

We began our discussion with a review of the gift of prophecy and how to identify if it is being used correctly. Today, we will be moving on to the gift of service. The idea of service is in a role of support or helping those who need it and this is a gift that can be used inside or outside of the church. For example, I know of a missionary who is not exactly on the "frontlines" their family is not out day by day preaching the gospel as many believe missionaries do. However, their family instead opens up their doors to other missionaries to provide them rest from the challenges that they face. Their home provides the missionaries a place of respite, this family is supporting others who have been called to preach the gospel. While not something that many would think of, this is a much needed act of service that allows the spread of the gospel.

A Biblical example of this gift is found in Acts 6:2-5.

"2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch."

While the gift of service may not be one of the "flashy" gifts that we commonly think of, it is very much an important and needed spiritual gift. So while this gift might be one that is overlooked, ask yourself if there is an area in your church or in your community that you can serve in order to spread the gospel.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A WEEK WITH PURPOSE

This week the United States will mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter. Today I am not here to talk about his actions as president, but rather call all Christians to remember that our leadership (no matter the nation you live in) is human and in need of our prayers. There are some who act more Biblically than others, while some will face God’s wrath and eternal judgment. However, that should not stop us from doing what God has called us as born again believers to do, which is pray for our nations leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” Many this week will be talking about the funeral, take the moment to be purposeful and see where the conversation leads. If you see the opportunity to talk about the Gospel do so! Likewise pray for the leadership of your nation. We as believers need to give grace to our leaders and see that they are still human and in need of a savior. Praying for them is more powerful than you might know.

This does not mean that God will not examine leadership according to what they do and how they act! Psalms 47:8 “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.” Some might laugh at this, but there is a coming day when this will be done literally and quite clearly, even in the face of the critic. For God promises that He will rule with an iron scepter. Nevertheless, now is the time of grace and an opportunity for us to be purposeful in others lives and talk about the things of God. Pray for the leadership of your nation and pray they become saved and/or grow in their sanctification. Only Jesus is perfect, all others need the Church to be praying for their salvation and sanctification. Use this week’s events to proclaim the good news of Jesus and pray for those chosen by God to rule your nation.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

What type of Bible prophecy student are you? Find out HERE!

Ringing In 2025

2024 is officially over, and 2025 is beginning. For many 2024 was a year of challenges, and 2025 will hardly be any different. So how can we as born-again believers in Jesus Christ start this new year off in a way that is glorifying Him? The answer is very simple, and that is prayer. So today I am going to give a short list of things that I believe we as the body of Christ need to be praying for in this brand new beginning.

1.) Pray for Israel. While there are some so called churches out there who wish to deny that God still has a plan for His nation, the Bible is clear that He is not done with Israel. The church has not replaced Israel and they are in need of our prayer this year. “3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Genesis 12:3.

2.) Pray for our pastors. Shepherding a flock is no easy task, and we see many so called pastors renouncing the faith. We need to be praying that those who are caring and ministering to our brothers and sisters in Christ remain strong in their faith and are able to guide those in their church to seek fully after God.

3.) Pray for our leaders. God places those who He desires to be in charge. This is true from our national leaders to our bosses, if they are in a position of authority it is because God desires it. We need to be praying that they seek God for wisdom in how to lead. “2 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2.

4.) Pray for our families. God’s design for the family is under attack, we need to be praying that those who are born again believers guide their families Biblically.

5.) Pray that our walk with Christ grows. There is no doubt in my mind that this next year will be even busier than the last. However, we cannot allow our walk with Christ to slip. We need to be praying that God shows us His word clearly, that we seek His guidance above all else, and that we keep our focus upon Him. “20 My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 They are not to escape from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, And healing to all their body.”.

I pray that this next year for you all is a wonderful one in which you grow deeper in your walk with Christ. But I pray that this next year shows the world what the power of prayer can do.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

While we are going through the book of Genesis, there are several key passages that all point to Jesus’s first coming, commonly known as Christmas. However, there is an application for us who live post first coming that we should take very seriously. We need to recognize the importance of the first coming in relation to trusting that Jesus will come again. Christmas is a declaration of the promises of Jesus are certain. Isaiah 7:14 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." This promise is an impossibility, however with God we see that all things are possible. We see that this promise is something that not only came true but was witnessedby many. Furthermore, Jesus makes a promise to the Church today that seems like an impossibility. He promises that one day He will take the Church to be where He is with the Father in Heaven. John 14:1-3“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if [it were] not [so,] I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, [there] you may be also.” There are countless other promises made of Jesus’ first coming that He fulfills, even things outside of Christmas and with the Passover, crucifixion, burial land, and resurrection. Why do we not take His promises seriously about His future actions? Jesus makes promises of the Rapture, and He makes promises of the Second Coming.

I would encourage you to examine all the promises of Jesus and those promises made by Jesus, and see just how many of them have been fulfilled. Alarmingly you will find out that Jesus has many more promises to keep that He Himself has made. If you do not know where to start, examine Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.” Now examine where in the future this will take place? I will give you a hint, look at Revelation 20.

Finally, I want to encourage you to seek the Lord’s Words with earnestness and hold Him to the fire with what He has said. If Christmas was Him keeping His promises of His first coming, let us start acting like He will keep His promises for the future. 2025 can be the year we put our focus on where it should be, on Jesus Christ. To all the readers, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Understanding the power that prayer has for followers of Jesus Christ. Read it HERE!

Promises of Christmas

Many today are turning to the gospels to see the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. While this is a wonderful thing to do, did you know that the New Testament is not the only place that discusses the birth of the Son of God? Today, I want to take a moment to go over some of the Old Testament verses that point to the birth of the Messiah.

If you have been following along in our study of Genesis, you should not be surprised to see that the Messiah was predicted all the way at the beginning of the Bible. Recently we had discussed how the Messiah would come from a descendant of Shem, but even before that we had discussed God’s word to Eve and the serpent after the fall. “15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15. This verse shows that the savior of the world would be born of a virgin. Basic biology shows that woman does not have seed, this aspect for life must come from a man. So by stating that God will put enmity between the serpent and the seed of woman we are already being shown the virgin birth described in Luke 1:34-35, “34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

The Old Testament also declares that the Messiah would come from the line of David, “16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’” 2 Samuel 7:16. The linage of Jesus shows this to be true in Matthew 1:1-17.

The Old Testament also shows that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem,“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2. This was answered in Luke 2:1-7 “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

However, today I don’t want to just show how God’s word is truthful in showing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, but also to remind all who follow Him that His promises are not done. We see from the Old Testament to the New Testament that God’s word is 100% accurate, if the promises regarding the birth of the Messiah can be held as true then so can the promises that He will come again for those who place their faith in Him.

“16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.” Revelation 1:7

“27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28

These verses are just a sample of those found to show that God’s Word is true not only in the birth of Jesus but also in the promises to come.

Merry Christmas,

Alex