Abide & Align

04/17/2025

Exodus 34:14 ESV — (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),

The Lord requires the attention and obedience of His people. He clearly tells us that His very name is Jealous. Not that He Himself is in need of attention, or feels envy. By His very nature, attributes, and character He demands that there is nothing before Him. This jealousy is a defense of His people, a protection if you will. He knows what is good, what is pure, and what is best for those that love Him.

Sin and idolatry lead to death, obedience in Christ leads to life. He knows what's best, He is Jealous for you, and your well being.

Romans 8:28 ESV — And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

03/14/2025

03/12/2025

Jeremiah 17:13 NKJV — O LORD, the hope of Israel,
All who forsake You shall be ashamed.

“Those who depart from Me
Shall be written in the earth,
Because they have forsaken the LORD,
The fountain of living waters.”

John the immersers ministry is connected deeply to this future hope and fountain of living waters. It was a wilderness ministry of ritual purification, expectation, and repentance. It is seen in the scripture as the penultimate fulfillment of Israel's prophetic restoration hope.

Mark 1:2-4 NKJV — As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.’ ” John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Matthew 3:2 NKJV — and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

A unique feature of John's activity at the Jordan river is that he immerses others. He is not telling people to immerse themselves in the river like Elisha tells Naaman (2 Kings 5), or the priest instruct the people to do in the purification pools. He insists on a greater immersion that is coming from someone else. And is allowing the people to anticipate the coming divine immersion of God's purification.

Matthew 3:5-6 NKJV — Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

John's immersion ministry of natural purification was a predictive sign of the greater immersion that Jesus Himself would administer with supernatural purification.

Mark 1:8 NKJV — “I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

This relates perfectly to Ezekiels claim that purification will not be self-administered. But rather it would be God who washes Israel, and puts His divine Spirit within them.

Ezekiel 36:24-28 NKJV — “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. “Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

John's baptism was a sort of ritual moral purification. In the sense that it was a picture of the real moral purification to come through Jesus by the Spirit. John did not think his immersion purified people from their sins or moral impurity. As he conveyed the expectation that one would come who would wash with the Holy Spirit to perform a full and final purification.

John 1:29 NKJV — The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Though, John did have his concerns while he was imprisoned. But Jesus put those concerns to rest.

Matthew 11:2-6 NKJV — And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: “The blind see and the lame walk; the l***rs are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. “And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Jesus's answer isn't surprising. He appeals to His miracles including the removal of major ritual impurities such as leprosy and raising the dead. As proof to John that He is indeed the "One to Come" that will bring about the expected moral purification as well. Jesus is expressing to John that since He is the one who can eradicate ritual impurity. Then He is the coming one who can affect moral purification and the forgivness of sin.

When John heard of Jesus's works it's safe to say that he would have found comfort in what he already knew from the beginning of His ministry.

John 1:32-34 NKJV — And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

After being questioned by the religious leaders of the day. John said...

John 1:26 NKJV — John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.

They didnt know Him. Do you know Him? Have you recieved Him? John testified and confessed Jesus as the Son of God, who came as the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world.

John 1:12 NKJV — But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

03/11/2025

Interesting that Jesus heals ritual impurity in the gospel of Mark in the same order that it is presented in the Torah. He not only shows his concern for the people with ritual impurity, but His power over it. He systematically roots out the source of each of these ritual impurities as He encounters them. He heals the l***r, and instructs the man to finish his ritual cleansing obligations as subscribed by Torah. He heals the woman with abnormal discharge, allowing her the chance to enter into the ritual purification process. And then He touches the hand of the co**se of a 12 year old girl before bringing her back to life, showing His authority over it. We see the desire of the Savior to heal, purify, and reinstate relationship with His people. Whereas the instructions for ritual impurity in the Torah are defensive against impurity, Jesus goes on the offensive.

Numbers 5:2-3 NKJV — “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every l***r, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a co**se. “You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”

Mark 1:40-44 NKJV — Now a l***r came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Mark 5:25-34 NKJV — Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 5:35-43 NKJV — While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

We can see that the Gospels portray Jesus as a potent source of holiness and purification. In every encounter, when Jesus touches the impure, he does not contract secondary impurity as expected. Normally, contact with the ritually impure transmits secondary impurity to the other person. But the opposite happens when impurity contacts Jesus: purity gets transmitted to the impure person. These impure persons get brought into the first level of purity, only needing to go through their specific multistep protocol for their full ritual purification outlined in Lev 14–15

03/07/2025

James 3:17-18 NKJV — But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Restoration comes from sowing...

Sow LOVE where there is disdain
Sow GRACE where there is hostility
Sow MERCY where there is hatred
Sow PEACE where there is conflict
Sow JOY where there is sorrow
Sow PATIENCE where there is inpatients
Sow KINDNESS where there is crudeness
Sow GOODNESS where there is wickedness
Sow HONOR where there is dishonor
Sow HUMILITY where there is pride
Sow FORGIVNESS where there is bitterness

03/05/2025

Don’t let the enemy trick you into making a permanent decision because of a temporary problem.

03/02/2025

1 Peter 1:16 ESV — since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Marriage is a process of sanctification. It isn’t so much finding the right person as it is being the right person. A good marriage requires constant effort to be the best partner you can be. The primary responsibility lies in cultivating Godly qualities and behaviors within oneself to contribute effectively to the marriage.

03/01/2025

There are three facets of the Christian life that are essential to revival: surrender, brokenness and repentance. Surrender is relinquishing control of our lives to God. Brokenness is the state of being in which we yield that control. Repentance is brokenness and surrender in action. Surrender, brokenness and repentance are character traits of people desperately desiring the Lord.

02/28/2025

Marriage by God’s design is a vocation, meaning it’s a full time job, with no vacations or weekends off. Every good marriage not only takes work but IS work. Marriage is a union between God, one man and one woman. Couples working together to help each other love God will also result in loving other people thus fulfilling all the law and the prophets.

Solomn wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV — Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

02/28/2025

Psalm 34:3 ESV — Oh, magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together!

Marriage is a ministry. It’s an opportunity to lay down our lives for our mate. But a healthy marriage isn’t just about keeping the peace and reducing the tension. God wants your marriage to be a mission. Marriage is two people partnering together to serve the Lord in life.

Christian Marriage series coming soon..

02/27/2025

Faith does not make things easy... It makes things possible. Luke 1:37

02/27/2025

2 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV — I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.