Ebenezer Family Church

All nations, all peoples, praise the Lord! His steadfast love and faithfulness is pledged to those who are in Christ. We are all part of the same body, the redeemed children of God. Praise the Lord!

Standing before God, her sin naked and exposed, the woman caught in adultery heard these words from the Judge: "I do not condemn you. Go, and sin no more". This woman deserved to be stoned, but the only one with the absolute right to cast the first stone offered grace instead. This is the experience of all those who have truly seen the light of Christ!

Shiphrah and Puah, although defying the order of the Pharaoh, acted righteously in the eyes of God. When faced with a difficult situation, they chose to do the right thing. Let's learn some lessons in standing for righteousness from these two midwives whose names are forever included in God's Word!

What seems like a harsh punishment for our modern perspective was a necessary judgement for the youths mocking Elisha: this is the Lord's anointed prophet! The judgement reserved for those who deny the Son will make what happened here seem insignificant.

Many people around the world celebrate Worker's Day. We should not forget that we work because our Creator works. Even without a job, we should still be working. Let's dedicate every day with all its glory to the Great Worker!

Honey is great! Too much of it is not so great... Enjoying the good things of life is is great! Enjoying them only for your own glory is not so great... Let's learn moderation, but let's also learn to do all things for GOD's glory!

"He is risen!" This should not only be our message during April, but every day of every month. That He is risen has great implications and meaning for our lives. Let's take a deeper dive into what His Resurrection means for us!

During Samuel's time, a special rock was named Ebenezer, meaning "thus far the Lord has helped us". When the Israelites returned to God, rid themselves of their idols, and committed to Him alone, He heard their cries and helped them. Let us not forget that the Lord is our rock of help. Return to Him, rid yourself of sin, and commit to living according to His ways!

Things might be going wrong for us. This is to be expected - whether we have purposefully acted wickedly, or even just as a result of the Fall. However, God's dealings with us are always righteous! When we cannot explain what's going on, we can know the God we serve!

To the people who did not know God, the twelve stones that the Israelites set up after crossing the Jordan meant nothing. To the people of God, they stood as a reminder of God's love and faithfulness. Now, Christ is our everlasting reminder that God loves us, forgives us, and has relationship with us!

A loving word here and there, be it encouragement or rebuke, is enough to restore a brother or sister in Christ. We are His instruments on earth; let's do our best to love and serve one another, and to help one another back onto the straight and narrow!

This Prayer of Jabez is little known outside of Bruce Wilkinson's book's namesake. However, this is not a charismatic calling card to prosperity. The prayer of Jabez is found in a much deeper context of living righteously and living for God. Let's explore this prayer in more detail!

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 attitude should be: as the Lord wills!

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 his hand." Let this truth from His Word be your message for 2025!

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.

We may well be inclined to give in to our carnal desires and start fighting with one another, but God gives a greater grace! Humble yourselves and submit to Him. Humiliy doesn't earn us grace, but puts us in a position to understand how lavish is the gift of God

Either we do everything for the glory of God alone, or we share the glory with something else (including ourselves). The Reformers were clear on this matter: to the glory of God alone! And so, we need to examine our hearts and ask this question: to whom does the glory go?

Fights within the Church are often bitter and harsh. That's because we are pursuing selfish pleasures and desires in the exact place where it should not be happening! When we chase after our sinful desires, we are unfaithful to the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. Friendship with the world is enmity with God.

The Roman Catholic Church did not have a problem with the person of Christ, but with the works of Christ. Was Christ's work on the cross enough, or was it merely an opening to other things needed unto salvation? For the Reformers, the answer was clear: solus Christus, Christ alone!

Wisdom from below brings disorder and chaos. Wisdom from above brings peace and righteousness. Since wisdom from above is what we need for righteousness, let us not think that we can find it ourselves! But we should always be asking God for, and seeking, His wisdom so that we can know His peace and do righteousness

When Jesus had exposed the crowd's earthly motivations for following Him, many of them turned away. He then asks the Twelve if they wish to leave as well. Peter replies: "To whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life". When He strips away our earthly motivations, how do we respond to this question? We cannot fake faith!

Is faith enough? The Reformers said, "Yes it is!" The Roman Catholic Church did not deny the Gospel or God's grace, but they added to it. We believe that we are justified and receive grace by faith alone. If not, we have added something else and missed the point. Repent and believe - by faith alone!

We should seek wisdom, but not human wisdom. Human wisdom is rooted in selfish ambition and jealousy. It leads to disorder and every evil practice. Let us pray for wisdom from above and guard ourselves against falling into the trap of wisdom from below!

To those who think that it's up to their own ability to save themselves, the message and sacrifice of Christ and His grace becomes offensive. To His own followers, Jesus said: "There are some of you who do not believe". Soften your hearts, not the Word!

The reformers believed in "monergism", which means that God is the only agent in salvation. It is by His grace alone imparted to us in His own sovereign knowledge and election that we are saved.

The sad reality of the untameable tounge is that we bless God and curse men with the same mouth. As James says, this ought to not be. In other words, Christians, who should be glorifying God, should not have a foul mouth. However, although we break this contradiction each time, it makes us more and more aware of God's lavish grace upon us!

Martin Luther and the other Reformers considered tradition important, but not infallible or inerrant. This brought about one of the pillars of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. Our only source of infallible, inerrant, and inspired words from God is His Word

Just as a small fire can set a forest aflame, so too can our little tongues wreck havoc if we do not keep them under control. So, we need to make a choice: each time we open our mouths, are we going to start a fire, or are we going to like the ship's rudder and steer it through the waves to safety?

The Jews want to know to what extent Jesus can fulfil their needs. Jesus strikes right at the heart of their religion: the sacrificial system. He who eats and drinks of this sacrifice has eternal life, once and for all. He is the ultimate sacrifice.