Ebenezer Family Church

Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. This is the beautiful accountability system that we have from God. When we submit to Him, we can be freed from the grip that sin has over our lives. When we submit to Him, we can pray powerful, effective prayers because He will do powerful things according to His will!

The Pharisees' pride and arrogance is on full display in this portion. Their attitude towards the common people and even Nicodemus when he argues for common sense is mockery. When dealing with others, especially those with whom we disagree, we should always begin from a point of total humility and submission to the Word; not from a point of offense.

This is an often confusing story. Taking a census was not inherently wrong, but David's motivations for doing so were. When David was confronted with his sin, he was given options for punishment. His response is essentially this: let the Lord do what He will for He is merciful.

In whatever situation you find yourself today, take it to the Lord in prayer! When we are left to our sinful nature, it will always lead to discouragement and conflict with one another. Rather, let's focus on God and living in His Kingdom with His people

Of all the kings of Judah, none was as upright and righteous as Josiah. When the Book of Law was found (lost in the Temple..!), Josiah right away jumped into action to bring the people of Israel back into line with God's covenant to them. He was one man who did the right thing when he was in the right position to do so. Will we be like Josiah where God has placed us?

Jesus presents another invitation: if anyone is thirsty, go to Him and drink. He was speaking about the Holy Spirit being given and the Living Water which now flows from the sanctuary of our hearts. When the crowd heard His words, there was instant division and arguing; everyone had an opinion. For we who have drunk of this water, His words are wonderful words of life!

Let your yes be yes and your no be no. This is integrity. When we try to get off on technicalities ("I didn't really say yes"...) we heap judgement upon ourselves for we have taken God's place of Judge and Lawgiver. Submit to Him and be truthful!

Communion (or the Lord's Supper) is not the same thing as Passover, or Easter, or anything else; it stands alone as something commanded by the Lord Jesus. He is the fulfilment and totality of all other feasts and festivals: our Passover Lamb offered once and for all. That is cause for celebration!

Many of the crowd now believed in Jesus, but this was not a saving belief; it was logical deduction according to human wisdom. In any case, the religious leaders quickly realized that Jesus needed to be seized and taken away so as not to gain influence among the people. Jesus will go when He decides; He will not be dragged. And where He is going, only God's elect will find Him.

Even though the prophets' warnings fell on deaf ears, they persevered through the suffering. Even though Job lost everything, he persevered through the suffering. At the right time, the Lord restored! He is full of compassion and merciful. He gives us the strength to persevere and He blesses those who persevere.

Korah's example demonstrates that God's authority and purpose cannot be thwarted. When we become so proud that we start to question what God has put into place, we are going to fall short badly (or fall deep into oblivion, in Korah's case!)

We dealt with the issue of being too familiar with Jesus earlier in the series. However, something else here comes up in conjunction with that attitude: wisdom. To those who understand that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, they understand that His Word is not a template for our own use. If we think we know Jesus through earthly wisdom, the Gospel is a stumbling block of folly.

Jael was an unlikely candidate to save the day. Yet, when the time came, it was she who put an end to enemy by striking down Sisera. God has always got His plan in place long before we even think we might know what's going on. We sometimes just need to take the leap of faith and seize the opportunities in front of us!

No farmer plants a seed without expecting to wait. For those who are not living self-indulgent lives, we understand that our full salvation takes time and patience. James tells us to strengthen our hearts as we wait patiently for the coming of the Lord!

Though the Jews had the Law, they did not keep it. Jesus, on the other, kept the Law. The Jews were happy to circumcise on the Sabbath according to the Law, but they were unhappy for Jesus to do something good on the Sabbath. Do we operate according to the Word, or according to appearance?

In the time of Judges, Israel lived in a constant downward spiral from peace and prosperity to oppression and misery. In one case, God uses Ehud, a left-handed man, whose dexterity was considered a weakness. Although Ehud freed Israel from political oppression, they were not free from spiritual oppression and once again descended into chaos. What oppression are you truly fighting?

The culmination of living according to the flesh is perhaps wanting to store up riches (monetary and others). These will all one day waste away - a testament to our selfish, destructive tendencies. Let's be careful to avoid all forms of self-indulgence and commit ourselves totally to God's Kingdom!

Not only did Jesus come to Jerusalem, He now stands up in the middle of the feast in the Temple and begins to teach. The Jews are amazed that He knows so much even though He had received no formal education. But that is where their interest stops. Those who truly submit to God's will would have recognized and paid attention to the teaching that came from Him. **Apologies for the poor audio quality...

When the Ark of the Covenant was about to fall, Uzzah reached out to steady it. God struck him dead on the spot. Why? Simply, God had prescribed how He wanted the Ark to be carried and that nobody should touch it. When we worship God how we think He should be worshipped (according to our will), we make the holy things profane. What about Christmas..? **Apologies for the poor audio quality**

The world tells us that we should be proactive, work hard, make money, be successful, plan for the future, and many other things along these lines. While those aren't necessarily bad things to do, we have to ask if we are doing these things for ourselves or according to God's purposes. Ultimately, God's purposes prevail. Instead of boasting in our achievements and abilities, our attitu...

Last time, Jesus decided not to go to Jerusalem on His brothers' counsel. Now, He does decide to go to Jerusalem by His own plan and purpose. Every small detail like this fits into the fullness of our salvation through Him who accomplished it. Let's live like those who proclaim His truth; not keep Him a whisper like the crowds in Jerusalem.

Aaron's sons offered up what is called strange or unauthorized fire upon the altar. They were killed on the spot. Perhaps this teaches us something about the regulative principle of worship: the idea that we only worship God in the way that He has prescribed. What sort of strange fire do we offer up in worship?

The problem with slander and gossip is that we pass judgement on others when we should be loving and building them up. This is a personal judgement that is unlawful. As such, we effectively take the place of the Law. James is clear: there is only one Lawgiver and one Judge!

Many pastors and impastors declare wild things in the Lord's name for 2025. The truth is that this year will be much the same as last year: ups and downs; good times and bad times; health and sickness. However, as the Psalmist tells us in Psalm 27:23-24: "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with hi...

Jesus manages the momentum of His ministry. If it is not according to His timing and purposes, He does not do it. His brothers thought they could encourage Him to make more of a name for Himself. They had a worldly attitude. Jesus was subject to the attitude of the divine will.