“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!” Psalms 105:1-2 (ESV)
How do people know about Jesus unless we preach His Gospel? Some people say that they are not called to preach, and while they may not be called to be a pastor, the fact is all are called to preach and to make disciples of Christ. The Great Commission given by our Lord and Savior is found in Matthew 28:19-20 and says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We do not have to go and preach the Gospel and make disciples in our own power, nor should we, but we do have to obey this Great Calling that we are all called to. Fortunately, the preceding verse assures us that we do not have to do this of ourselves. “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) Because all authority in Heaven and earth is given to Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can bodly “Go therefore into all the world preaching the Gospel” because we go in the power and authority which Christ has, and that He has commissioned us with to carry out the work of preaching the Gospel.
How can people know Jesus if they do not hear the Word preached? The book of Romans assures us that we must preach or people will not hear the Gospel. “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14)
Today’s verse reminds us that we are to “give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works!” The work of preaching is not all done from behind a pulpit as we have been conditioned to believe. The work of preaching is done in our praise of God, our proclamation of His deeds and wonderous works, even in our thanks to Him. The Gospel is preached far more by how we live, act, and in what we say in the presence of others than it is from the pulpits. We have been conditioned (by design of our adversary, in my opinion) to believe that being effective means title, authority, and numbers. Nothing could be further from the truth. It has always been my belief that with modern technology we could see revival sweep the world in less than a week, and probably in one day if the body of Christ actually engaged in the fight and lived as Christ lived. Even Jesus said we would do greater things than He did. “”Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)
How is that possible? How can we do greater works than Jesus did? It is possible when we surrender our body to THE body of Christ and become the hands, feet, and mouth of God. Rather than allowing the sinful and lost world to define what it means to be a Christian, why do we not allow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to define what it means to be a Christian. You do not take years to pull someone from a burning building — you yank them from the flames! Why then do we allow fear and intimidation to rule the day and keep us thinking that we have to just keep living in secret as if somehow our neighbors will get the Gospel through osmosis? People will never just absorb the Gospel you hide in your heart, but they will hear the Gospel you boldly proclaim, and they will see the Gospel that you unapologetically live out.
We have to realize that if we love JESUS we must obey Him. If we say we love people, how can we be silent? We need not believe that we have to be an eloquent speaker to be effective;Moses was not and he even tried to argue that point with the very God who chose him! God chose you too! Just like Moses we are called to lead people out of bondage and slavery to sin by preaching the Gospel. Do you not believe that the God who spoke through Moses and parted the Red Sea, stabilizing water into two walls and forming dry ground so that the nation of Isreal might pass through the Red Sea, is capable of speaking through you and stabilizing your shaking voice and knees? God will hold you up! It will be Him that speaks in you and through you, you just have to let Him. The good news is that it gets easier as you obey, and it is His power that sustains you, not your own.
Who needs prayer today? Who needs the Gospel? Who is that person whose life is in flames and needs to be snatched out of the fire today? Who will do it if not you?
Father, I praise Your MIGHTY name. Lord, empower us to preach the Gospel today. Show us who needs You right now. Show us the approach to take and the words to say to connect with them. Empower us to proclaim the Gospel, to speak of your GREAT and wonderous works and to lift up the precious name of Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, wherever we go. Bless all who read, hear, and share these posts. Bless all who labor for this ministry and those who support us in prayer. In Jesus’ MIGHTY name I pray, Amen!
Blessings in Christ, Rev. Christopher B. Cain Minister of Evangelism and Discipleship Alive Ministries USA
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5 (ESV)
Today’s verse is a call to each Christian man, woman, and child to align their mind and their heart with Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. What exactly was “this mind” that Paul writes about here? Well, we need to go back a verse for the answer. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4) Jesus cared about those He encountered as the God-Man here on earth. Truly cared. He walked this earth a humble, compassionate, non-respecter of persons who would speak just as easily to the poorest outcast as the richest man in any city. He wanted to show the people He encountered that He cared for and deeply loved them all. He did this not only for those people, but as an example for the way we are to live our lives today. The people that are in your “circles”, coworkers, acquaintances, and even the strangers you meet each day — do they see this kind of care lived out by you?
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)
When the Pharisees sought to test (trick or trip up) Jesus, they sent a lawyer to Him to ask Him which of the over 600 commandments of the Mosaic Law was the most important. His response: “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”” (Matthew 22:37-40) In order to fulfill God’s Law we must love God with every part of us, as well as showing that same love toward our “neighbor” (everyone). Paul tries to explain this love here in today’s verse. Note that it is patient and kind — some versions will render this as “longsuffering”. Indeed love can be suffering, because in order to show true Godly love to those around us, we will suffer rejection, insults, persecution, abandonment, etc., but must remain steadfast in our love toward even those offending us. We also must be sure we are not envious of the material goods or status of others, nor boasting of our gains or successes (and remembering to thank God for His provision!), as well as not being arrogant. While the chapter today’s verse comes from is so often recited at weddings, how often is it lived out by those who hear it — not just the couple entering marriage, but each one of us? Let us ask God tonight to give us the wisdom and direction to be able to understand and live out this true love!
Jessica Ford Communications Director Alive Ministries USA
“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” Matthew 4:4 (ESV)
Jesus here quotes the scripture from Deuteronomy 8:3. The scripture Jesus quotes is telling the Israelites that God is able to sustain His people by any means, not simply only by an ordinary earthly source which at the time was bread. If our lives are fully surrendered to God with our trust in Him, He will provide for us and sustain us even by the very word of His mouth. For the believer this should not be that hard to imagine considering the words of His mouth spoke into existence all that is in creation — including you and I! Do you trust God for all of your daily needs?
A Prophet Like Moses (Sermon for the Dominican Republic) By Rev. Christopher B. Cain
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15-18 ESV)
Before I left the U.S. to come here and be with you, beloved, I asked my youngest son Jonathon what he would share with the people of the Dominican Republic if he were going to speak to you. He told me that he would start with Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land, and that he would share that if you follow God you will be delivered into the promised land that is prepared for you by God. I suppose that his suggestion sums up the entire Bible in a sentence. After listening to him share this with me, I thought I would speak on this rather than what I had thought I would speak on. You see, Moses had the job of leading the Hebrew people out of the land of Egypt, and in a way this paints a picture of Christ delivering us out of the bondage of sin. Just as the Israelites had been enslaved and forced to serve Pharoah, the fallen nature of man has enslaved us to sin and bondage and as a result, death. However, just as the Israelites cried out to God and were delivered, we too can be delivered if we cry out to God. Moses foretold that one day a prophet who would be like him, a man who was both of the people but also who came from afar to free them, would arise and deliver them. Jesus Christ is the prophet who arose from the people; He was one of them. Jesus did not come from the wilderness as Moses did, but He did come from a distant place that you and I call Heaven. He came that we might experience the FREEDOM that we long for. He came to deliver us from the bondage of sin and of death. So what parallels can we draw from this passage between Moses and the prophet whom God shall raise up, who we know is Jesus Christ?
First, beginning in verse 15 we see immediately that it is the Lord who raises this prophet like Moses up. The deliverance of the people of Israel was a work of God, not of Moses; Moses was merely the instrument which God used to accomplish this. Just like with Christ, our salvation is a work of God in us through Christ — salvation is not of ourselves. The book of Ephesians tells us that salvation is not a work of ourselves, but rather it is a gift of God.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)
Our salvation rests in the hands of God through the completed work of the cross, where Christ shed His blood that we might be delivered from the slavery and bondage of sin and death.
Second, we see also in verse 15 that the way that we partake of the benefits and the freedom that this prophet brings is through the Word of God. The Bible says that “it is to Him you shall listen”. We do not approach God and take hold of salvation through our works, our wealth, or our social status, but rather through His Word. In the book of Luke, Jesus shares the following parable, telling us to build upon the Rock. Jesus is the Rock we are to build our life and our faith in God upon.
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” (Luke 6:47-48 ESV)
I am told that the people here take great pride in their building, especially in the work that you do with concrete. I am certain that we can all understand the need for a building to have a solid and stable foundation in order for it to last. The Bible never says that you cannot build on a weak foundation, it says that if you do the building will not last. The parable continues in verse 49: “But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:49 ESV)
You and I, whether we are builders or lay people unfamiliar with building, all must recognize that in order to build something lasting that will stand when the storms of life come, that it must be built on a solid foundation. Jesus uses the parable of the builders that we might get the message that transcends time and culture, the message that transcends skill level and language barriers, and that is that we must build on the stability of the Rock that is immovable. That Rock is Jesus Christ.
Third, we see that where man causes a separation between himself and God through sin, God creates a pathway for reconciliation through His human representative. Man was separated from God in the Garden of Eden due to sin which severed the face to face communion man had with God Himself. Just as the Israelites refused to hear from God directly but begged Moses to speak to God on their behalf, so we also have a need for an intermediary, and we have that intermediary in the God-Man Christ Jesus.
“Just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.” (Deuteronomy 18:16 ESV)
This verse shows us that the Israelites could not stand before God without an intermediary. We also know that we, like them, cannot approach God because of our sin. The book of Romans tells us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 ESV) Not only does God make a way to reconcile us to Him by raising up a prophet like Moses and do the work for us in Christ Jesus, but He records the way in His Word for us that we might see and believe by faith through the reading of His Word.
Fourth, in Deuteronomy 18:18, the Bible tells us that the authority as well as the message comes from the Father and is given to the Son. “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18 ESV)
There is a wonderful passage in the Gospel of John, chapter 5 verses 19-29, that demonstrates this.
“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:19-29 ESV)
Like Moses, Jesus communicates to us what God has given Him to say. The Words which Christ tells us in His Word are from the Father, and are the complete message that the Father wished us to have. Some go in error when they try to take away or add to what the Bible has to say. We have no authority to do so, and are even commanded in the closing verses of the book of Revelation not to do so. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)
Erroneous doctrine results when man tries to add to Scripture, and when man tries to turn what is in Scripture into a private interpretation. The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:20: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20 KJV)
God instructed Moses to say in Deuteronomy 18:18: “And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” This shows us that the authority to speak and the content of the message comes from the Father and is given to the Son. God has revealed His message through His Son and all that He wanted us to hear has been given to us in the Word. Jesus Himself said of His authority and witness in John 5:
“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:30-47 ESV)
Jesus testifies here that Moses wrote of Him, and that what He says and does He does because it is the Will of the Father. He also shares with us that searching the scriptures is not the source of eternal life, but that receiving Him who the scriptures speak of is how we gain eternal life.
In conclusion, we see that there are many parallels between Moses and the prophet he foreshadowed, that you and I know as Jesus. Some of those parallels and lessons are:
The Lord raises up the Prophet, it is a work of God through Christ Jesus. (Verse 15)
The way is through hearing and receiving His Word. Jesus is our intermediary and the way to God. (Verse 15)
Where man has caused separation between himself and God because of sin, God delights in reconciliation. (Verse 15)
God honors our desire, even if it is not to hear him. (Verse 16)
Sinful man cannot approach God and live, the penalty for sin is death. (Verse 16)
The words which Christ spoke came from God; His authority was from the Father and He spoke to us all that God commanded. There is no secret revelation or private interpretation of Scripture. Jesus spoke all that the Father commanded. It is not enough to know the Scriptures, nor is it enough to search the Scriptures, but we must receive Him that the Scriptures write about. We must believe and receive the Prophet whom Moses said would come. We must believe and receive Jesus.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15 (ESV)
We are told here that if we love the world, God’s love is not in us. What exactly is that saying to us? If our eyes and hearts are only longing after what the world can offer us — by means of material gains, wealth, power, prestige, or even simply by conforming with the ideologies of those “of the world” who have no insight or care for the life that follows this one — then we will not have our focus on God, as is the intent in the relationship between God and His created mankind. If we truly loved God the way we are designed and called to, we would not look to the carnal, or temporary, things to satisfy us; rather, we would look toward the spiritual matters of living our lives as Jesus gave us example and by following the will of God in our own lives. So I implore you now to look inwardly at yourself and ask this question: “Am I living for this world or for the One who created it?”
Jessica Ford Communications Director ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
“My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalms 121:2 (ESV)
When you are in need, where do you turn? A close friend? A family member? Perhaps something to numb the pain — drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex (or seeking relationships in general). Those may make you temporarily feel better, but they cannot help in the same way our Lord and Creator God can help us. See the next verse of this Psalm: “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.” (Psalms 121:3) God is faithfully waiting for you to seek Him out in the good times and in the bad times. He is always there, you need only to turn to Him and trust that He will provide for you. So do you have that faith and trust that He can solve your need and provide and any situation? I pray you do.
Jessica Ford Communications Director ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
“”Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (ESV)
What first comes to mind when you hear the word “meek”? Chances are words like “no backbone”, “submissive”, or something along those lines. However, what Jesus is preaching here about meekness is a person who has a gentle and kind spirit. Someone who is quick to forgive, does not hold a grudge, and does not repay evil for evil. It will be those who are long suffering and of a courteous disposition that will “inherit the earth”. This means that although they will still face trials and suffering in their lives, they will face it with that same quiet spirit and as a reward will be blessed by God. Do you possess these qualities? If not, pray today that God would help you to allow them to take root and begin to water these in you.
Jessica Ford Communications Director ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalms 94:19 (ESV)
In these difficult days you would be hard pressed to find a person without cares of the heart that are “many”. The question now becomes what to do with these cares, these worries, the stress and anxiety that is oftentimes overwhelming. The world and society will offer many options but even if you try every single one of them, I guarantee you that you will not find one that is lasting; they are all temporary, just a bandaid over a gaping wound. However, God offers consolation that will wipe away every care completely. Not for the hour or the day, but forever. Just how does God offer this consolation? Through His Holy Word, the Bible, and the many promises contained within. He also pours out His love and peace upon those who call upon His name and sends the Holy Spirit to indwell the hearts of those who have been born again through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ His Son. Imagine, even with all the scary news reports of death tolls, infection rates, stock crashes, food shortages, job losses, and other cares we are facing today, you can still have complete peace and consolation! Just turn to the One who formed you in your mother’s womb and who loves you in ways unfathomable to the human mind.
Jessica Ford Communications Director ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
“Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”” Isaiah 40:4-5 (ESV)
Isaiah writes here of multiple coming prophecies. The first, and most immediate on the mind of the nation of Israel, was that of the return of Israel from its captivity in Babylon. God would prepare the way for His chosen people to return to the Promised Land. Isaiah also writes of a coming time, hundreds of years in the making, when John the Baptist would be preparing the hearts of minds of the Israelites for the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. In both instances the glory of God was revealed in returning His people to the land promised to them and their forefathers, as well as in the deliverance of the promised Messiah to bring them salvation. The prophecy does not necessarily end there, though. Since God’s Word is living it continues to give us instruction today. What does this passage mean for those of us who belong to the Church today? Though we may be facing trials and tribulations in life right now, particularly during this worldwide pandemic, there is coming a deliverance for those whose trust is in Christ Jesus, God’s Son. He is coming again to gather His people to Him before enacting the final judgement upon earth. The humble in Christ will be exalted and those who unjustly exalted themselves will be brought low and all will come before the throne of judgement. Humble yourself today before the Lord and make right your heart with God so that you can rest assured of the outcome on that day of judgement!
Jessica Ford Communications Director ALIVE Ministries USA
Contact us by messaging us using the Facebook page ‘send message’ button, at aliveministriesusa@gmail.com, on Twitter (@alive_usa) or on Instagram (@aliveministriesusa).
