Harbor Rock Tabernacle

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul warned Timothy and all believers that in the latter times when Christ will return, some will fall away from the faith. The enemy is pushing this through deception and false doctrine, and increasingly, people are falling for it. As Christians, we are called to be nourished by God's Word and to discipline ourselves for Godliness. This study details the vital importance of both,...

Every person has pain in their past, often associated with someone who has hurt us, been mean to us, or broken our heart. We may not want to forgive them, especially when they don't apologize, but doing so will free us from the chains of anger and resentment. In this study from Colossians 3, we look at the example of Jesus Christ, and see how extending grace and being willing to forgive not only r...

There are times when we wish we could have a "do over" with something in our past. Our frustration over what has happened in the past can make us sad, or we may idealize something or someone, creating unhappiness with our life now. In Ecclesiastes 7, the Spirit teaches us about the harmful effects of living in the past, both personally and spiritually. Then, reminding us of His wisdom and work, He...

Discouragement can be a common struggle, and there are multiple spiritual factors which can contribute to it. In John 21, Peter was wrestling with his own sense of failing Jesus, especially after he had boldly declared that he would never turn aside or deny Jesus. So the Lord meets him and the others in a familiar setting in Galilee. Peter's response to Jesus being there, and the Lord's words to h...

There is nothing the Lord values more than our faith. It is at the center of everything we know and are as believers. In John 5, Jesus meets a sick man at the Pool of Bethesda, whose perseverance and hope showed that he was trusted the Lord would move in his life and help him. So when Jesus asks the pivotal question for mankind--"Do you want to be healed?--it not only applies to the man in that mo...

Many of the warnings Jesus gave were to those who were arrogantly confident about what they perceived as their religious security. John the Baptist, who announced Jesus, confronted the spiritual hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Their proud reliance on their position and practices overshadowed the fact that their hearts were spiritually dry and unwilling to change. It is important for us t...

The message the Lord gave to a small group from Judah who were not taken into captivity offers fascinating parallels for us today. There are similarities in the spiritual culture, which is cause for concern as we look at what is happening within the American Church. But this "remnant" had characteristics that the Lord highlighted, and in the middle of discouragement and crisis, He offered them wor...

As believers, we have to establish a correct and consistent way of thinking, so temptations don't persuade us, and trials don't discourage us, and spiritual warfare doesn't defeat us. In this study from Prayer Meeting, Psalm 105 teaches us the importance of focusing on the Lord in order to maintain the right perspective. This helps fight discouragement from forming in our heart and mind, and makes...

The Bible tells us that God is always faithful, and His mercies are new every morning. So how do we reciprocate such a kind, gracious gift, and sacrifice in return? In Ezekiel 46, the Lord called Israel to offer 3 distinct sacrifices "morning by morning". The deep spiritual meanings behind the burnt, grain and oil offerings have tremendous application for our lives now, and should change the way w...

In Exodus 33, Moses had experienced great frustration but also the power of standing in the literal presence of the Lord. Because of that, he wanted to know the Lord more fully and only where the Lord led. Even with all the amazing experiences he'd had, Moses desired a greater expression of God's glory. It would seem obvious that we would ask for that, but there are two hindrances which prevent th...

Throughout the Bible, and in our own experiences, there is unmistakable evidence that God answers prayer. When we cry out to Him, like the believers did when Peter was put in jail in Acts 12, the Lord breaks chains and releases us into freedom. In this study, Adam Lopez calls us to prayer, and to praise God for all the ways He answers.

The angels' message that night in Bethlehem was "peace on earth"--but how can they possibly make the claim, when all the evidence in the world argues to the contrary? The answer lies in the fact that Jesus came to "accomplish redemption". He had to make us aware of our sin and our need for a Saviour, because that is not possible by relying on our own "good works". His coming showed that God has te...

Ten minutes before the angels appeared to the shepherds, they were putting in ordinary, mundane lives, with little expectation of anything extraordinary happening. That parallels how we live most of the time. So if Jesus hadn't been born that night, they would have just gotten through life, without any spiritual purpose, hope or joy. But because He came to earth, everything changed. We can now mov...

When Joseph and Mary made the 80 mile trip for an unusual worldwide census, it challenged their comfort at seemingly the worst possible time. And yet, there wasn't a moment of hesitation in going, because they trusted the Lord. Their humility and obedience sets a standard for how we are to respond to God's plans. By being willing to have our faith stretched, and our plans changed, the Lord will mo...

What do you do when you're feeling afraid and overwhelmed, either by spiritual opposition or difficult personal situations? David experienced the full range of emotions in his life, and within Psalm 56, two different responses which provide very divergent perspectives. In this Prayer Meeting study, his example and counsel teaches us to change our focus--away from self and toward the Lord.

It is essential that we praise and worship the Lord with our whole heart, like Mary in Mark 14. As Jesus prepared to become the Passover Lamb, eating at the home of Simon the leper, she broke open a bottle of expensive perfume and anointed His head and feet with it. Her act of bold, unrestrained, unashamed praise causes us to examine what we are communicating when we worship the Lord. Are we showi...

When Zechariah and the people of Judah returned from captivity in Babylon, they were called to rebuild the temple. But the Lord was specific that it must be accomplished not by their might or power, but by His Spirit. God's amazing grace showed in His help and provision, even to this unfaithful nation. So, how much more will He do when we are faithful and obedient? ON this day when the Lord is mov...

The concept of leaven is used throughout the Bible to represent pride and sin, as the enemy tries to corrupt what is pure. This attack is against both our lives and the Church of Jesus Christ. But there are three specific actions we can take to guard and protect against the spread of leaven. In doing so, we live in Christ's victory, and have a more effective impact on those around us.

After a shocking incident where Israel showed lack of fear of the Lord by treating the Ark of the Covenant carelessly and with disrespect, David didn't feel peace about moving forward. So he went to the house of a faithful man named Obed-Edom, who took the Ark into his home for three months. This huge responsibility to guard the manifest presence of the Lord put Obed-Edom in the challenging positi...

Huge crowds followed Jesus as He moved around Galilee. He showed His heart of compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. When there was no food for the crowd, Jesus tested the depth of the disciples' faith, especially Philip. But they didn't see the potential of what Jesus could do. A little boy did, and he offered Jesus five loaves of barley bread and two fish, unhesita...

In our minds, there is a constant struggling between wondering if we're doing enough in life and wondering why we don't get more credit. This attack takes place on the playing field of everyday life, because the enemy wants to make us frustrated and discontented about simply being faithful. In 1 Chronicles 11, Eleazar was a man who initially stood alone in a barley field, fighting the Philistines...

Zaccheus was a man carrying alot of personal stigma--he was very short, and was despised because he was wealthy and unethical toward the people around him. So when he made an intentional effort to see Jesus as He came through Jericho, no one helped him get any closer. Zaccheus climbed a tree, hoping to at least watch from a distance. But his plan was altered when Jesus stopped and called him down,...

2 Kings 5 has the account of a young Jewish girl who becomes a slave in Aram. She is considered "small and insignificant", but still speaks up and tells her master Naaman about the prophet Elisha, who can heal him of his leprosy. Her bold faith and confident contentment in the Lord stand in contrast to Naaman's responses when he finally meets Elisha. This study shows that even when we feel insigni...

No one is immune when it comes to temptation, and the increase in visual media has made us more susceptible to the danger. Thousands of years ago, King David made a series of poor decisions because he didn't turn away when confronted with temptation. Alone and bored, he allowed his heart to be corrupted, and then continued to make the problem worse while ignoring the Lord's conviction. His failure...

Difficult situations in life can be caused by our poor decisions or by someone's actions or by the Lord's testing. When we go through this times, we can feel very trapped, not knowing how to escape the situation. In this study, we look at 4 people in Scripture who were put in jail. The reasons they were there parallel our own situations, so we can learn how to live by understanding why the Lord bl...