A STUDY IN GENESIS

We are stepping into chapter 12, and God is about to work something incredible. However, the foundation for chapter 12 actually starts in chapter 11. Let’s look at Abram and Sarai, an old couple with no children no prospects of future through children and how God was about to change that. Genesis 11:27-32 “This [is] the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot. 28 And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife [was] Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah. 30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. 32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.”

Let’s break this down. We see that Terah has three sons named Abram his oldest, next came Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot who we will examine more of later. Something unique happens here that I believe is missed in most Bible studies. In this time period, in a list of genealogy you would do the oldest child to the youngest. We can assume that Abram is the oldest followed by Nahor and Haran. When it comes to wives, Abram and Nahor would have been first to have wives, Terah would have made sure of that due to their order of birth. But why is Haran the first to have a child? While the scripture does not tell us, I believe based on a holistic approach of examining scripture and the times they lived in, we can infer a few hints. Abram and Nahor were most likely not the most attractive suitors. I do not mean physically, but if names have any significance which I believe the Bible clearly indicates they do, Nahor means “snorer.” Abram’s name means “exalted father.” Now if you are a single lady and a man’s name means exalted father and the guy is close to his family, you might be wondering if this gentlemen caller is truly going to be devoted to you or the family name. Nahor stays in Ur but Abram is getting ready to leave to a new country. Now I know some might say I am looking too much into this with a modern view, but in the end, Abram and Nahor are not married when Haran has a a son born to him named Lot. This is the key that we need to see, it is here that something tragic happens that causes Abram and Nahor to quickly get wives when it was apparent this was not on their list of priorities.

Terah watches his son Haran die in front of himself. For many who watch a loved one pass away, it can be hard to move forward. One way many who have lost move on is by literally moving somewhere new to help change their personal environment. After the death of Haran, Terah wants to leave. We do not know a lot about Terah, but scripture does give us some clues into Abram’s early family. Terah was actively in their lives; when Terah wants to move, his grown children could have said no, but they didn’t. Terah is a family man through and through, Nahor his son is named after his grandfather. There was a support network within the family that Abram valued. I believe this is why later on Abram has issues with pushing away his son Ishmael, Genesis 21:10-11 “So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!” 11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son.” Nevertheless, Terah wants to leave, Abram and Nahor quickly find wives and Abram moves northwest from Ur which is south of Baghdad and they go to the land of Haran, which is in modern day Turkey.

It is here that Abram realizes that his chosen wife has an issue, Sari cannot conceive. This family has lost loved ones, moved to a new land and now find out they cannot have a future generation from one of the sons. Without knowing the future, Abram’s life must have looked like a short blimp in the world. For Satan, this would have been the last person on earth, he would have assumed God would choose to become the father of many nations.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

Are you waiting on God’s time? Read it HERE!

CALL TO PRAYER

There are moments that Christians need to stop what they are doing, and boldly go before the King of Kings and petition for His assistance with the affairs of men at the national level. Today is one of those days. As we speak, Pakistan and India are verging on total war. Both sides are taking military strikes upon each other. Both are not a Christian nation and the believers in those nations are being persecuted by the government and dominant religious groups there. Nevertheless, we as believers in Jesus Christ need to be different. True Christians strive for peace, this means as believers who are not in Pakistan or India, we need to be voicing our prayers to the Lord and acting upon God’s commandements to strive for peace. God makes it clear to us that we are to live if at all possible peaceful lives, Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” For those believers in Pakistan and India, we are praying for you and your safety. We pray that this event will cause openings for you to share the Gospel and proclaim the only true God, Jesus Christ to the world. Christians are identified by our actions, Matthew 5:9 “Blessed [are] the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

For believers, we should not be surprised about the rising tension in the world. Jesus warned of wars and rumors of wars as the end times approached. There has always been wars and rumors of wars, but not with the extent of other Bible prophecy that is occurring. The Jews are in their land, they are a nation again. The rise of global dynamics preparing the way for what is described to take place in Daniel’s 70th week, and the world is becoming ever focused on the Temple Mount. Yet, while the news at times appears very much to be sensationalizing, we as believers need to be the foundation for others to come running to for the right answer.

Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ that are in Pakistan and in India. Let us pray for the two nations to calm down and stop fighting and allowing the opportunity for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be heard.

Hold until relieved our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL & Alex

A STUDY IN GENESIS

As promised, we are coming back to our series in the book of Genesis. I am very excited to start this next part. For those who were not with us in our previous study, please go back and see what so far has been discussed. The book of Genesis is a literal historical account of human history that provides many answers for the careful student willing to dig in and examine what has been provided for us. For those who are wondering some of deepest questions of the universe, Genesis is our book!

Today, I want to take a moment and reflect on where we left off and where we are going. Between chapters 11 and 12, we see that the human world is indeed expanding and societies, cultures, and many of the civilizations you and I know of today are starting to take their first pages into human history. For the careful student of God’s word, they will be wondering about the first prophecy given in the Bible, 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 failed to thwart God’s plan with the polluting of human genes, he failed to unite the human race under his banner in Babel, and furthermore has failed to identify what woman would bring the promise destruction. Satan must have thought it was Job’s decedents. Job was steadfast and faithful to the Lord, in fact scripture tells us that Job was actually the local talk in Heaven’s royal courts. I can only imagine the thought that crossed the oppositions mind, when God identified an old couple with no offspring as the instrument of salvation for the human race.

However, what is impossible for man is very much possible for God, Luke 18:27 “But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Over the next set of chapters we will learn why the world hates the Jewish people. We will learn their ancestry, the roots into how they became the tool for our eternal rescuer. God chose the nation of Israel, and even before they were a name, they were known to God. This should be an increadible encouragement to you and I! The fact that God was willing to work outside of man’s rational to work His miracles. The fact that He knew them and acted to prepare them for their destiny should reassure you that for those who are in Christ, He knew you would be His and has planned accordingly for your life. You will not have salvation for mankind come from you in your descendents, but your calling in life can serve the man who saved mankind from itself. Over the next couple weeks I hope you take the time to reflect on God’s word and recognize that Genesis is more than just history for us, but it is something that through the power of the Holy Spirit can guide and direct you accordingly. Remember Genesis is part of scripture, 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

Re-Post Friday

A look back into our study on Ezekiel. Read it HERE!

An Act of Dependence

Scripture shows us that Jesus is always quick to identify those who are living for Him verses those who only claim to be. One of the best examples of this is found in Mark 12:41-44. In this passage, we see that Jesus is sitting and observing those who have come to give money to the synagogue. We see that there are those who are placing in large sums of money, who Jesus makes no remark towards. Until a elderly woman comes forward and places her last two coins in.

41 And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large amounts. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two lepta coins, which amount to a quadrans.43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

Many will remark on this passage of scripture as a way to show that how much you donate to the church is inconsequential, it is the heart that matters. In this passage, Jesus makes the remark that the widow put in more than the others because she gave all that she owned while the others gave out of their excess. Many pastors today will teach on this passage to encourage individuals to donate to their church, no matter how much. While this isn’t a bad thing, I do not believe that this is all that the passage can teach us.

In fact, I think we need to look at the long term ramifications regarding the widow’s actions. Scripture states that she is elderly and a widow, therefore she has no husband to provide for her. We do not know if she had children who would be ensuring that she was taken care of, the only thing that scripture points out is that she gives all that she had told live on. Yes she is showing faith in God to provide for her, but it is more than that. By handing over all that she had to live on, with no identifiable way of earning more money, the widow is showing a complete dependence on God to provide. She would have no means to be able to afford food, shelter, clothing, or any necessities but this did not stop her from giving all she had to God. She was essentially saying “This is all that I have to offer, but I have no hesitation in giving it to You Lord. I know that you will provide for me, I am only giving You back what is already Yours.”

In today’s world where many rely upon savings accounts in order to feel confident to face the world, could you imagine having this kind of faith? To step out and know that God will provide with everything that you need? I pray that more Christians today take on the widow’s attitude, acknowledge that what we have is the Lord’s and He will provide for us. The Lord loves His children and will take care of them.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex

LIBERATED

Today we come to our final post on the topic of predestination verse election. I hope this series has caused you to want to dive into your Bible and see what God has to say on the matter. However, for this last post my goal is to show you that there is actually an alternative to the Calvinism and Arminianism only groups. Nevertheless, I believe we should take a moment and examine that both of these groups fail to comprehend at their core who God truly is. When we take a step back, we will find one glaring and unforgettable truth that we can be very dogmatic on.

This truth is: God is fully in control.

There are countless Bible verses examining, expounding, and developing our study on this truth. However, I would venture to say not many of us take this into application in our lives or frankly in our study of topics within God’s Word. For instance, Calvinism at its core takes away the ability for God to be in control while giving mankind the liberty to choose. Arminianism fails to allow God to knowing choose. Both limit God, both fail to comprehend who He is!

When we take a step back and examine that God is fully in control, we will understand that He knows who will except Him and who will not, even before time began. Does this mean Calvinism is correct? Certainly not! Instead a pillar of truth has been used by Calvinist to distort their own view. If saved, you are the Lord’s period! Did this come by Him calling you? Certainly, the person or the material must have been placed in such a manner as to cause you to come to the realization of God and be called to Him. This is not Calvinism, but rather a loving Father calling His children to Him.

Now on the flip side, God has made it evidently clear based on scripture that His actions were to rescue all for their sins. Does this mean that Arminianism is right? Certainly not! But like Calvinism, Arminianism have built their understanding on a pillar of truth found in the Bible. This pillar, like the Calvinist, has been used for their own distorted argument. The simple truth is God’s actions are clearly for all. All of creation is there to declare Him! Romans 1:20 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” And yet, there are still some people who do not connect what God has declared in His creation and are still called saved. Examine Proverbs 24:11-12 “Deliver [those who] are drawn toward death, And hold back [those] stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider [it?] He who keeps your soul, does He [not] know [it?] And will He [not] render to [each] man according to his deeds?”

We see what appears to be a contradiction? But is it? Not in the slightest. Let us go to King David and his son.

2 Samuel 12:15-23 “Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 So the elders of his house arose [and went] to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!” 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” 20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What [is] this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child [while he was] alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell [whether] the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 “But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

Here something happens that is key for us to understand. This child had zero understanding of God, who God was, and what God did for Him. However, the Calvinist might say that the child is in Hell. But David, a man after God’s own heart, would go to Hell likewise? Certainly not. The Arminianist would argue that the Child was saved because of innocence. However, David clearly knows the child was going to Heaven. How?

When we start to see God’s interactions with a proper lens, we learn several things. His actions cannot be put into a box. He knows who will be saved before creation. There is an age of innocence that all children, no matter if they would later on shake their fist at God and curse Him, will be saved if they die beforehand. God is clearly in control of the situation. God knows the ancestry of those living at a certain time who might not be saved, but their decedents five generations later will call on Jesus and be saved. Do you see it yet? God is clearly in control and thus capable of declaring certain things that might appear from the surface one way or the other in regards to election or free will. This allows us to read passages like, 1 Samuel 15:3 with boldness knowing that God knew not one person in Amalek’s decedents would be saved. So when He says “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey” we can be rest assured that God has a purpose for it. In this particular case, Amalek’s were not fully human and were Nephalem.

So now we come to the “So what”? What does this mean for you and I? First off, don’t argue with those who desire nothing more than to argue about election verse free will. For God is in control and we have a part to play, and that is not part of it. In fact, when we start to argue, we come very close to replacing God with a God in our own making, which is idolatry. Your homework is to examine the Apostiles and see that they were unaware of who would be saved, but they declared God’s word to all. Those who came up they treated in the faith. After a time, some continued in the faith while others fell away. Who are we to examine a person’s life and see the end of their journey on earth. Our orders have not changed in the realm of salvation to our fellowman, Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, [even] to the end of the age.” Amen.” Let us be about His orders and tell the gospel to all, some will accept and others will not. Some are called and others are not. It is okay. I am okay with this, for I know that my God is bigger than man and the conundrum we think we have found ourselves in with how a person comes to the faith. I pray that you can come to grips and know that His word is truth and we can be assured that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all knowing, all powerful, and all present. I hope you have enjoyed this small series and seen the powerful but simple truth that we have attempted to cover. Personally, for this pilgrim who was called by God and who chose God, I can whole heartedly say to Him, “Thank you Jesus.”

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL

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