Finding Peace

There is something that I have noticed when it comes to Christians and Easter. We spend the time leading up to resurrection Sunday reflecting on Christ’s actions 2000 years ago, but then it is almost business as usual the days after. For those who are born-again and actively following Christ, there is a certain sense of peace in the days after acknowledging Jesus’s resurrection. However, for those who are struggling with recognizing how Christ can free us from our sins, they are right back in the slumps. Today, I want to encourage anyone who is struggling with finding peace in their faith.

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah

Psalm 32:3-5

We know from scripture that Psalm 32 was written by David, and based on the topics discussed I believe that he wrote this psalm reflecting upon his actions regarding Bathsheba. However, this does not mean that we cannot apply it to us today.

In the first two verses, we see that David is reflecting on how his unrepentant sin was affecting him not only spiritually but physically. David recognizes that God’s hand was against him due to this sin that he was staying silent about. For Christians today who have sin in their life that they are refusing to recognize, maybe due to the misguided idea that once we are saved we do not struggle with sin anymore, there is a feeling that God is against them. It gets harder to walk with God when we refuse to acknowledge the attributes that are separating us from Him. This also goes to those who are not born-again but who are seeking God. If we do not recognize the sin that is keeping us from Him, we will feel as David does in verses three and four.

However, just as in most of scripture when God points out the harsh truth that we cannot atone for our sins on our own, He always provides what can bring us back to Him. That is why verse five is so important. In this verse we see that David has come before God and acknowledge the sin that is in his life; and not only does God forgive him of his sin, but He forgives him of the guilt of it as well! In the absence of guilt comes peace, not peace with sin but peace in knowing that God has forgiven us. Any sin that we have is great enough to separate us from Him, but no sin is big enough that He cannot forgive and remove the guilt we harbor. God is wonderfully caring that once we confess our sins, it is no more. All we need to do is come before Him.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

The Day After!

The Resurrection has happened, now we are waiting for His return!

For thousands of years the prophets told the literal actions of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself, told what He was going to do. And to our astonishment, Jesus fulfilled to the letter everything in His first coming He said He would. Matthew 16:21 “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Jesus declared what would happen to Him, witnesses wrote these statements down. Mark 10:34 “and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” Jesus understood that this sounded strange or even downright crazy, and yet He persisted and wanting to make sure the disciples understood what was to happen. His words were literal, Luke 18:31-33 “Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 “For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 “They will scourge [Him] and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Thus, what was declared through the ages came to pass, what was specifically fortold was revealed to be specifically done to the letter. Jesus kept the promises made by His representatives and even Himself.

If Christ, was so obedient to following the words of the prophets and what He Himself declared, why do we stop there? Many believers have no issue looking at His first coming as something literal but fail to recognize His words regarding His next action. For Jesus Himself, has given us something we should be looking forward to.

John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

Jesus is coming back for you and I! We are going to His Father’s home. He has promised to take us to Heaven. Some might equate this to when Jesus returns to earth, but that is not so. This is a promise to take us to Heaven to His Father’s home. It is strange how simple this is, and yet so many born again believers fail to grasp the simplicity of this one statement of Jesus Christ. I did an experiment earlier, I asked a six year old where God lived, they pointed up in the sky and said “God lives in Heaven.” Sometimes, the simplicity of God’s promises can be hard for us to swallow because we believe it needs to be rocket science, when instead, it is as simple as opening up your ears and listening to our Messiah.

There is nothing secret about this coming. I am just taking the simplicity of God’s Word seriously as we should do with His first coming actions. This statement is missed even though Jesus has been laying statement after statement regarding this promise. Matthew 26:29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Did you catch it? Jesus was not going to drink of this fruit until what? Until He would drink it new with us in whose kingdom? His Father’s! We have here another promise of us in God the Father’s Heavenly Kingdom with Jesus.

This event would be coined later on by Paul and translated into Latin and later into English. In the modern tongue we call it, THE RAPTURE!

You see, if we are so keen as to take God’s Word seriously with His first coming, we need to do the same with His words regarding what He says is coming next. Simply put, Jesus has made a promise, this promise is to take us to His Father’s Kingdom, and there we are to have communion with Him. This is to happen in Heaven. For those who believe this is a “secret rapture” I still have not found anything secret to it. In fact, Jesus was very upfront about it by talking about the event several times. So the day after Resurrection Sunday, we need to take a moment and reflect on Jesus’ promises of what He would do coming up. Let us be found diligent to be expecting it at any moment. The other disciples would expound on this promise as guided by the Holy Spirit, just like the prophets of old were with the first coming. Let us be like the wise men, or Simeon and Anna, and be expecting our Savior at any moment and being about the work He wants us to be doing. Now is not the time to be idle, but eagerly about what Jesus wants us doing.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A reflection back on being thankful. Read it HERE!

Ecclesiology 101 Part 10

Today we reach the end of our study on how a Biblical church should run. My goal with this study was to help any of our readers who are searching for a Biblical church to have the knowledge to make their decision, as well as to allow our readers to reflect on their church to see if it is following Scripture. As I have stated before, there are many churches out there who claim to be Biblical but are not. Today, I want to review two passages of Scripture to see how a Biblical Christ focused church should not behave.

“3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”

1 Timothy 6:3-5

First, we see a confirmation regarding who the ultimate authority within the church is. If a church denies anything that scripture states, it is acting conceitedly and lacking in understanding of scripture. The second aspect we see that an unbiblical church possesses is overwhelming strife. This is not to say that church members cannot have disagreements, but this should not be a constant state within the church body. A church that is in a constant state of envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions, and friction are not following the characteristics of Christ nor are they following how we should be handling disagreements in Matthew 18.

“16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.”

2 Timothy 2:16-18

Secondly, we see that a Biblical church should not be focusing on discussions that do not glorify God. When this occurs, the church is focused more on worldly aspects rather than what God is calling for them to do. Churches that practice this often lead to heretical beliefs that set back those who are young in the faith.

When reading these two passages, if you immediately thought of your church, you need to leave. A church that is filled with its members constantly at each others throats or preaching against what scripture says, is not a Biblical Christ focused church. The only answer for the born-again believer is to leave and use the traits that scripture identifies as the standard for a Biblical church. I hope you have found this study beneficial. Regardless if you are searching for a church to call home, or simply reflecting on your current church to see if it meets the standard.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

LIBERATED

Today, we take a moment and reflect on a rather serious matter inside the Church. Today, we discuss leaders inside the churches that are planting ideas and theories which are not found in the Bible. In fact, these leaders are causing born-again believers to stumble and follow their heretical teachings. Paul described these men to a letter to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 “1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

What I say next will inherently make some readers upset. Neverthelesss, we must confront a glaring issue. When we examine Calvinism and Arminianism, can we find at their source, born-again believers? Today, I will not take on this challenge of examining the sources. But I will say, born-again believers should be examining who they listen to and follow to see if they are actually born again. There are many pastors today and even some from years ago, that I seriously question. In the end, we need to not only know God’s word but be able to understand its context and use it accordingly. It is like owning a sword and being able to identify a sword, but can you pick the sword up and use it? Can you properly use it as it was designed to be used? For the nonbeliever, the answer is no. You will see them swing the sword; they might even hack in such a manner to make the untrained eye believe they can wield such a weapon. However, only someone who has the capacity to use it according to its proper purpose can. The same goes with God’s Word. Only born-again believers can, and anyone else is just pretending. Spiritually young in the faith believers might be fooled, but as they continue in their walk and grow in the Lord, they will see that the fakers are inherently and overwhelmingly obvious. This is why spiritually mature believers do not stay long around those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

So, as we continue in our short study, remember to recognize that God’s Word is only properly used byborn-again believers. And if there is a radically divisive teaching, examine the source and see if they are saved. The Church did not do this at key moments, and now we are plagued with heretical groups and ideas that are not found in the Bible. Two examples, Replacement Theology and the Post Rapture hypothesis. Both are easily thrown out by mature believers in God’s Word, but both are rooted in nonbelievers acting as believers. Next week, we will review our final post on the topic.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

LIBERATED

  Now we come to the free will argument. Here we need to take a step back and recognize that the same foundational truths discussed in the previous posts still apply. God is all powerful, all knowing and all present. Please see the previous posts discussing this.

Today we will talk about what God’s Word says to mankind. God wants all men to be saved. 1 Timothy 2:3-6 “For this [is] good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For [there is] one God and one Mediator between God and men, [the] Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” God died for all mankind, and is resurrected for all mankind, John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Does God take joy in the judgment of the wicked? Ezekiel 18:23 “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.”

What does this mean to you and I? It means that Paul is talking in the perspective of God in His role inside of time. In our previous discussion we reviewed how God knows all things that will happen and thus, He knows who will accept Him. This is Him acting outside of time. We, as beings inside of time, can only evaluate God’s actions inside of time, while examining His words of how He acts outside of time. This is why John 3:16-17 is followed by verse 18. John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” God acts inside of time knowing already, however the door is open for all. Clearly, the argument of free will is found in the Bible. However, does that make us followers of Arminianism? Certainly not. Some might argue we have made it over simplified like we did with Calvinism, but I believe it can be reduced to the same basic level. Like Calvinist, both sides have taken polar extremes to a simple argument that should never have been such a debated topic. We have made rocket science out of counting a piggy bank. The study of Salvation is deeper than the depths of the ocean and is need of unlimited hours of study. But rather this is the simple topic of recognizing God’s ability to act in time while He is also outside of time. We the potters clay attempt to understand what the maker is doing. This is simple and clearly taken into a realm orchestrated in debate and chaos.

Furthermore, I believe chaos is strung together by a formula of lack of understanding God and us and the relationship we have and trying to paint God in our own understanding. I must admit, my tone during this post might sound needlessly upsetting and I must confess that I believe the Church is being hijacked by nonbelievers who focus and cause this to be an area of tension. Repent oh believer and recognize that our Lord is bigger than your ways and my ways and has a plan for our life beyond the mere existence we have now. Eternity awaits us, this is why we must be focused on His word and see what He has given us to do. Next week we will discuss the pitfalls of both groups and the true example of what we have been called to do and God’s answer to this puzzle we have been going over. Next week we see the liberation of the argument on salvation and our call to action in what we clearly should be doing.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming

JL

Re-Post Friday

What is important about the book of Lamentations? Find out HERE!

Ecclesiology 101 Part 9

Over the last several weeks, we have been discussing the different aspects of what makes a Biblical church. We have recently been focused on the leadership within the church and how God has designed for them leading the body of Christ. Today we will discuss the final member of church leadership, and it is one that I believe shows the face of the modern church. Today we will be discussing the role of the deacon.

As we have seen throughout this study, Scripture provides the standard for the roles within the church. This holds true with the role of the deacon.

“6 Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 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. 6 And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

Acts 6:1-6

We see in this passage an example of the order within the church. First we can identify that the disciples of Jesus Christ, those we have identified as laying the groundwork for the modern church, became aware of an issue within the church. There were widows who were being overlooked. The disciples recognized that they were not able to meet this need without neglecting their duties of teaching Scripture. So they designated that seven men would be chosen to fulfill this need.

Thanks to Scripture, we see that a deacon is a man who is of good reputation and full of faith who is there to assist with any issues within a church. This is so that the pastor and elders of the church can focus on the spiritual health of the church, a deacon is there for the physical needs. In today’s church, we often see deacons as the first official face of the church. They are typically those who come up to an individual who is visiting the church, they will answer questions and ensure that they feel welcome. Not only that, but a deacon will typically ensure that if there is anyone within the church that needs help they will receive it.

I hope this study has helped you to understand the biblical order within a church. Next week we will finish our study by discussing what a church should not be.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

Re-Post Friday

Does Jesus describe the believers of today? Find out HERE!

Ecclesiology 101 Part 8

The last several weeks we have been focused on the leadership within a Biblically based church. While Christ is the head of the church and the ultimate authority, the apostles set the foundation for the church, and pastors lead the church today. Now we will be discussing the second to last leadership role within the church, and to be honest, it was one that I was unfamiliar with before I became a Christian. This is the role of the Elder.

Thankfully for us, Scripture again provides the characteristics a elder should have.

“5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion.”

Titus 1:5-6

This may seem similar to the characteristics of a pastor and that is true. A pastor or an elder are the front of the church and is where the majority of issues will arise. Because of this, it would make sense that an elder would need to hold themselves above reproach much like a pastor needs too. Again this is not to say that they are to be without sin, no man is perfect, but they need to be actively holding themselves to what the scripture says.

So if the characteristics of a pastor and an elder are the same; why aren’t all elders pastors? Or why aren’t all pastors elders? The answer is simple, the pastor needs another man in his life who can not only help with issues inside the church, but also to ensure that the pastor is following scripture. A pastor is unable to be everywhere at once, and so the pastor needs a group of men who can help the congregation by leading Bible studies, answering questions, and being with the members of the congregation. A pastor should be focused on leading the church Biblically, while an elder helps with the day to day activities within the church.

However, there is another role that an elder has. This is to ensure that the pastor is leading the church Biblically. I have unfortunately been a part of churches that did not have an elder in place. Without this in place, the pastor at this particular church was not held accountable. And so he brought something within the church that ended up dividing the congregation. If an elder board had been put in place, they would have had the capability to prevent this.

I hope you have been enjoying this look inside what a Biblical church should be, next week we will discuss the final role in the church hierarchy, the role of a deacon.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

LIBERATED

  Today we tackle the election argument. Now I will not be going through line by line of the idea but rather will identify the foundation of where this group comes from. Please read Romans 8:28-9:24. Here we see first hand Paul making several statements about God working in the lives of individuals, calling them to Him. We even see Paul identify the argument by some regarding, Romans 9:18-23 “So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. 19 Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” 20 No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? 22 In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. 23 He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.”

What does this mean to you and I? It means that Paul is talking in the perspective of God in His role outside of time. God clearly knows all and sees the beginning to the end. Any argument against that is plainly ignorant of the Holy Scripture. Now what does this mean about free will? Does this argument negate free will? We will discuss that next week.  Does this mean that one person is better than another?  Certainly not for man is guilty of all sin, James 2:10 “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” This alone should quicken our spirit to humility and recognize that God is in charge and if a person is saved it is not by any merit of their own accord. This thought is not something new plaguing the church. The Calvinist movement has only adopted something Paul had to confront in his ministry many years ago. Romans 11:17-24 “And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, [remember that] you do not support the root, but the root [supports] you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well [said.] Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in [His] goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who [are] natural [branches,] be grafted into their own olive tree?”

We must be wise as serpents and utilize discernment with every word and syllable. So does this mean Calvinism is correct? There are parts that hold merrit. Does this mean we are Calvinist, certainly not! Some might argue I have oversimplified the arguments; but I believe when examined at its atomic level, Calvinism has merit in recognizing God is outside of time and indeed knows the beginning to the end. He knows who will accept Him and who will not prior to them even being created. Next week we will examine free will and see if there is Biblical merit for such a claim.

 Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Who was the book of Psalms written for? Find out HERE!

Ecclesiology 101 Part 7

As we discussed last week, we are now looking into the characteristics of the individuals who hold today’s churches up. As I mentioned last week, if there are problems within a church, it typically begins with the pastor. So this week, we are going to look at the characteristics a pastor needs to have if he is going to lead a Biblical church.

Luckily for us, scripture provides the answer for what characteristics a pastor needs to have, and this can be found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

“3 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, 3 not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.”

We see that there are traits that a man must have if he is to be a pastor of a church, but they can all be summed up in one line. He must be above reproach. This means that a pastor must not have idols, this is not the same as not having sin. After all, a pastor is still human and all humans sin. What Paul is stating to Timothy is that a pastor must be someone who does not allow his sin to control him and cause him to place that sin above his relationship with God. When a pastor has an idol in his life, he is holding onto something greater than God, and the church will suffer.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 provides a litmus test if a man wishes to become a pastor, and in today’s churches we can see many examples of pastors who have failed this. While some may have failed in one or many of the characteristics mentioned, it all comes down to one thing. They did not hold themselves above reproach. They allowed the sin in their lives to take over. While there are churches out there who hold these men accountable to their actions by removing them from the pulpit, there are other who allow them to keep preaching and by doing so more false doctrine is spread.

Now I am about to say something that until recently I did not know how bad the problem had gotten. You may have noticed that in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 we see that a pastor is identified as a man, and even in this post I have referred to a pastor as a biological male. The reason for this is simple and yet I am sure some of you will disagree, a Biblical pastor cannot be a woman. This is pointed out in 1 Timothy 2:12, “12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.”

In today’s society, this is a difficult idea to confront. So much of the world is screaming that woman are not inferior to men, however, this is not what Paul is saying in 1 Timothy. Paul is pointing out that there are different roles designed for men and women, just as there are different roles for Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Remember back to Genesis when God created Eve, He designed her to be a helpmate to Adam, not his stepping stool. But today’s society does not wish to see that man and woman were created with different roles in mind, and this is where problems begin in a church. Society today pushes the argument that if God was truly fair then there should be no reason for women to be pastors; but in doing so they deny that God has a role for men and women, and this allows questions about the rest of God’s authority.

Next week, we will discuss the roles of elders and deacons.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

LIBERATED

Two weeks ago we started building the stage for our discussion on Election vs Free Will. As stated last time, too many people jump to talking points without actually evaluating and carefully articulating the facts surrounding the discussion. Our first fact that both sides must agree upon was over the characteristics of God. Two weeks ago, we reviewed that God was all powerful, all knowing, and all present. Our second fact is the characteristics of mankind.

I would not be honest if I did not tell you that I was tempted to list several Bible verses depicting how man is not all powerful, nor all knowing, and very much not all present. However, I believe the perfect verse to summarize mankind in comparison of God is actually, Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Mankind clearly does not have what God has. We are not capable of being what He is. What does this mean? It means that our relationship with Him is solely dependent on Him. Christ died for us, paying the penalty of our sin. Christ’s resurrection is our assurance. You can say in its simplicity that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is our policy number for our eternal insurance from what we deserve.

This builds on our paradoxical concern that we are trying to understand. The same question must be asked, how does God, who is all powerful, all knowing, and all present, rescue us from ourselves? From our sin?

I hinted that we could be reviewing the Calvinist arguments today. However, I thought it best we recognize man’s inability before we took on our first theory. To recap, God’s characteristics are things we cannot have. Even in perfection, man is a created being who is not able to expound our own limitations. Look at the angel Gabriel. Perfect without sin, he stands in the presence of God. However, he is limited in power, knowledge, and locality. Look at his interactions with Daniel.

Daniel 10:11-13 “And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. 12 Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.”

We see that even in perfection we will only be in one place at a time. We might have power, but we will never be all powerful. And knowledge-wise, I believe we will be like Gabriel and only be provided what God is willing to produce for us to know.

Nevertheless, mankind has sin. We are stricken in spiritual poverty and in doing so need someone outside of the dimensions of the construct we are in to act. God is outside of that construct and is capable of saving us. Next week we will finally start to examine the arguments!  

If you ever have questions, please reach out to Mill House Ministries and we will be happy to help!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Need the endurance to continue? Find it HERE!

Ecclesiology 101 Part 6

We are now six weeks into our study on the church and during this process we have identified the foundation of the church. In my own mind, I have always envisioned the building metaphor, with a biblical church having Christ as the roof. He protects us, and is the top which most should be seeing. The Bible identifies Him as the cornerstone, the solid rock, and our high tower. What does this mean? It means no matter what part of the metaphorical building part you are in, the Church should be reflecting Jesus. While the last two weeks we have been discussing the foundation of the church, the apostles and the prophets. Now we will be getting into the pieces that hold a church up, the pastors and elders/deacon. While the beginning of this series might not have offered much pushback, we would hope that our readers would understand that Christ is the head of the church and anything that says otherwise is unbiblical, now we are entering into an area that many false churches have staked their claim.

Since I have became a believer, I have had the opportunity to observe many different churches today. Some have been very biblical, some have been struggling with aligning to God’s design, and some have ultimately been unbiblical. However, all of the churches proved one thing, if there are issues in a church it will come down to the pastor and those who are assisting him. If a church is on track, there is a pastor who has taken on the role of a shepherd seriously and a group of men around him to advise if he is unsure. If a church is struggling, there is a pastor who is either trying to correct the church or who is leading them astray. If a church is unbiblical, there is a pastor who is preaching a false doctrine and a fellowship who is allowing this to happen.

Over the next two weeks, we will be going into a deeper dive on the roles of a pastor and those around him. This is were I suspect that many readers will see if their church is truly a church that is following Christ’s design for the church.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

PRAY FOR SYRIA

Today I want to take a moment and recognize the horrific atrocities that are happening to Christians in Syria. At the hands of Muslim’s, followers of Jesus Christ are being martyred for their faith. We are calling all brothers and sisters around the world to stop and pray for the body of Christ in Syria. Jesus said we would have tribulation in our lives, John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And yet, while this is not THE TRIBULATION, it is still heart breaking and sad. Take time to reflect on what Christ has called you personally to do and what He has called us collectively as the body of Christ to do. Our work on Earth is not done, the body of Christ still has a part to play. We need to stand up for the name of Jesus and proclaim the good news to all who will listen. For there is soon coming a day, when we will be called home. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

We still have work to do, but take a moment and pray for our brothers and sisters who are laying their lives down for the faith. Jesus has not abandoned us, and neither should we Him! Let’s be laser focused on the scriptures and applying them in our lives. Let us end this race with all of our hearts desires renewed in solemn concentration to the only one who deserves it, Jesus Christ.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Does God use hard times to teach us? Find out HERE!

Ecclesiology 101 Part 5

Today we are discussing the second part of the foundation of the church. As a review, we have already discussed that Christ is the head of the church and that if a church does not follow His teachings or claim that He was something that He was not, then they are not a biblical church. Last week, we looked at the apostles and realized that there are three qualifications that an individual had to meet in order to have this title. They had to be chosen by Jesus, they had to perform signs, and they had to have witnessed the resurrected Christ.

Now, we will be discussing prophets, which is a topic that many disagree on and is something that has caused countless false religions to appear. The word “prophet” means “one who speaks in the place of”, they are a spokesman. Therefore, basic understanding would say that to be a prophet of Jesus Christ means that they must speak His word. As mentioned, there are many false prophets not just in the original church but even today. This is why Scripture gives us a way to identify those who are false prophets. The way to identify a false prophet is by examining what they are saying to Scripture.

“20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name, a word which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How will we recognize the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ 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. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you are not to be afraid of him.”

Deuteronomy 18:20-22

If anyone makes a claim regarding God’s word, and cannot back it up with Scripture then what they are saying is false. Unfortunately, there are many churches out there that fit this description and the only way to combat it is for believers to study God’s word and then speak out against the false teachings. Anyone can be fooled if they do not know what the Bible teaches.

There is an aspect of prophets that some disagree on. There are those who state that the age of prophets was completed once the New Testament was completed. However, I do not think this is true. If you followed along for our study on the gifts of the spirit, you would remember that Paul, who was an apostle and would be considered an authority by the early church, identified the gift of prophecy among the spiritual gifts. As mentioned above, a prophet is someone who speaks in the place of another. For those claiming to be prophets of Jesus Christ, they would need to have their statements being upheld by scripture. Christ is always the ultimate authority in the church, if someone is speaking something that goes against His word, they are no prophet of Christ.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

LIBERATED

Today, we set the stage for our discussion on Election vs Free Will. Too many people jump to their talking points without taking the time to discuss what it truly means to articulate through definition the area to be discussed. What does this mean for you and I?

Simple, there are some facts that both sides must agree upon due to their absolute validity found in scripture. Our first one is the characteristics of God.

He IS ALL POWERFUL:

Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at [them] and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Psalms 147:5 “Great [is] our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding [is] infinite.”

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

HE IS ALL KNOWING:

1 John 3:20 “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”

Psalms 139:4 “For [there is] not a word on my tongue, [But] behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.”

HE IS ALL PRESENT:

Psalms 139:7-12 “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You [are] there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You [are there.] 9 [If] I take the wings of the morning, [And] dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light [are] both alike [to You.]”

Jeremiah 23:23-24 “[Am] I a God near at hand,” says the LORD, “And not a God afar off? 24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the LORD; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.”

These simple rules represent the cornerstone of defining our paradoxical concern that we are trying to understand. How does God, who is all powerful, all knowing, and all present rescue us from ourselves? From our sin? We know that we are purchased by Christ’s death, and have His resurrection as a literal symbol of a good transaction that we can hold to. Allow us to introduce to you our four individuals who will be our “lab experiments”

Susan, Molly, Fred, and Doug.

For the sake of our argument, we will assume that while each person is different, they have similar intelligence, comprehension, and capacity to communicate. Equals in the eyes of needing a savior to rescue them from their sin. Equal in the ability to understand.

Next week, we will discuss how these four individuals would play within a Calvinist world. We will define the Calvinist arguments. However, for now please allow me to encourage you who might be reading, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal savior today is the day of salvation. Please stop what you are doing and ask Him to come into your life and help rescue you from your own sin. You can never be good enough and will never succeed in what God has already done for you.

2 Corinthians 6:2 “For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

If you ever have questions, please reach out to Mill House Ministries and we will be happy to help!

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL