Ebenezer Family Church

What a glorious thing to know: God's will is that all those He gives to Christ will be raised on the last day. Hallelujah! Stop worrying about tomorrow, for your eternity is secure!

I've found that during the middle of the year, people lose steam. We experience a lack of energy and enthusiasm as we settle down into our dry routine day after day. This is exactly the kind of life described by the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: everything is vanity; everything is meaningless. That is a life without God..!

What's in a name? Well, in this case, quite a lot of prophecy in store for Israel! God gave this prophetic name to Isaiah's child to warn Israel of the coming Assyrian army. What lessons can we learn from this prophetic name meaning "quickly to the plunder"? Let's have a look!

Our natural instinct is to look down on young, foolish people and exalt older, wiser people. Two problems with that... young people can be wise; old people can be foolish! Rather, we should put aside these otherwise human conditions and set the example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

In this story, David shows extraordinary kindness to one of the last remaining members of Saul's household - just as God had shown extraordinary kindness to David. Let's learn a few lessons about being part of the chosen, living by faith, and showing kindness!

This question we tend to answer ourselves: who is Jesus? The truth is that we cannot know Jesus if we do not know the Father, for Jesus is not speaking anything new or different. Rather, He too is from the beginning.

Although Job's friends might have said some things that on the surface seemed true about God, He was very angry at their words. They had not represented the character of God accurately, no matter how small the issue might have seemed. We must be careful what we say about God!

The beautiful, abundant, and everlasting picture of unity that is painted in Psalm 133 is applicable to us. We are a kingdom of priests under the authority of our High Priest, Jesus. May we be united as God's chosen people!

Many people are "seekers", but few of these every find something. The Pharisees were seeking Jesus, but not because they knew Him or the Father. At the end of the day, we must remember the pinnacle of our faith: believing in Jesus. Above all else, do you really believe in Him?

We don't work well with sincere hearts out of duty, enjoyment, or anything else. Ultimately, we work with sincere hearts because we fear the Lord! All good things come from Him. So, when we work diligently, we acknowledge that our work is given to us by Him!

Jesus did not come to judge, to install a new system. He has been sent by the Father who bears witness about Him. These two agree in Truth (with a capital "T"). God is fundamental truth and part of this truth is the restored relationship we can have with OUR Father!

We lead very busy lives. Often, our moments of peace and quiet are just part of the schedule. We are not truly prepared or calm. This is no way to be with God. We must be prepared to be silent from worldly distractions, find perfect peace and calm in His presence, and focus on Him alone. That is when we truly understand what it is to hope in the Lord!

The Light brings forth biblical truth and exposes darkness. Jesus is this light. But the Pharisees are blind to it. Though they accuse Jesus of bearing witness about Himself, the Author of the Law is in every way qualified to do just that!

The most blessed thing is to be designated as one of God's chosen people. We should wake up, praise and glorify Him, and do so at all times in all places. You, servants of the Lord, come and bless His holy name!

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.