New Word Study: Christ
6/9/07
We have just updated our word study on page 2, which is now focused on the word "Christ". The process of returning to regular updates for our detailed word studies is still being developed. Our last study of the word "Resurrection" was posted for about two months. We are trying to establish a two-week update schedule, but it is going slowly. During the next few months we will probably be updating our study on a monthly basis, Lord willing. We hope that you will be blessed by our studies, just as we have been blessed in preparing the studies!
God bless you,
Job.
God Bless Our Troops!
Memorial Day 2007
5/25/07
While most of America is taking a three day weekend, we would like to take this time to remind you that memorial day is about remembering the sacrifices that have been made by the men and women in our armed forces. These brave men and women laid down their lives protecting our nation, giving the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy the freedoms we all too often take for granted. As is often said, freedom is not free, but is paid for by the lives of our men and women in the services. One way to say "Thank You" is to donate to one or more of the many fine charities that support the families of our fallen heroes, so please take time to give to those who are serving our nation, and to the families of those that have given so that you might be free.
I would like to personally thank those of you in the services that continue to serve our nation, and will keep you in prayer.
Job.
Pastor Jerry Falwell:
Passing of a Great Church Leader
(August 11, 1933 - May 15, 2007)
5/15/07
We would like to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Pastor Jerry Falwell. Pastor Falwell has led a life of Church leadership that has reached millions, and was the founder of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, Liberty University, and the Moral Majority. The Lord's army lost a five star general today in the passing of Dr. Falwell. In a world that is continuing to revel and celebrate in immorality, and a Laodicean Church that celebrates in its lukewarm faith, Pastor Falwell stood out as a leader that continued to preach Biblical truth under a barrage of personal attacks. His preaching and ministry serves as a model for all of us on how to live, and how to preach. We will all miss him and his courageous leadership, but he is in a better place now.
God bless you,
Job.
Easter and the Resurrection
New Detailed Study Rotation on Page 2
4/1/07
Praise the Lord, for He is risen! As we come together this Easter season, let's remember what Easter is all about: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and His defeat of death on the cross. Resurrection is what makes Christianity unique in its claims, and is of course the reason we celebrate Easter. We come together at this time to remember His life, His sacrifice for us, and His promise that we too might have everlasting life through faith in Him as our Lord and Saviour.
25Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
26For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
John 5:25-29
23Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 11:23-26
The resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers is an essential doctrine of Christianity, and without this doctrine the faith is non-Christian. That does not mean that there might be other heretical doctrines associated with a group or sect that believes in the resurrection, but means that resurrection is central to our faith. Without the resurrection, all of our preaching is in vain. The belief in the resurrection is so central to our faith that without a firm understanding of this doctrine their can be no understanding of who Christ is, what He did on the cross at Calvary, and the meaning of Salvation. We will be studying other words and doctrines in our newly activated study series, but I can think of no better way to start the series than with the doctrine of the Resurrection. As the scripture below states, if Christ be not risen, then we are of all men most miserable, and our preaching and labors are in vain. Therefore we need to understand the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the believers as one of the cornerstones of our faith, and to "study to show thyself approved" (2 Timothy 2:15). Our study will focus on a particular word of the Bible, but there will be enough tools, commentaries, and links to branch out to other areas of Bible study. This series also shows some of the tremendous tools available on the net for Bible study, so you can also use our studies as introductions to general study resources on the net. This chaining through a collection of Bible links on the net is a great way to study, so we hope the new study series will be a blessing, and a good starting point for both new and old believers.
10But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
24Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
1 Corinthians 15:10-26
15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
In celebration of His resurrection and the Easter season, we have decided to put our word study back into active rotation, and make "Resurrection" the featured study word on our second page (click on the picture of the world on the front page). The Bible study on page two has been on the word "Salvation" for the last five years. We have a number of word studies stored in our archives, but in the past we never archived the detailed studies. Starting with our study of "Resurrection" on page two, we will start (Lord willing) changing the study verse on a biweekly basis and archiving the detailed studies (the word studies are already archived). On approximately the start of the month and mid-month we will change the study verses and featured word. There will be a lot of study material for the study series, and we hope to find at least a few good audio or video links. I am guessing (that's what webmasters do when they schedule) that this biweekly update will start on May 1, and that we will leave this first detailed study (on Resurrection) up for one month before changing it to the next study and beginning our biweekly rotation. We will try this for the next 4-6 months, and then consider switching to a weekly study series.
One thing you learn as a writer is that you get mail when you write about anything. I generally get mail this time of year about the pagan roots of the word "Easter". I believe it is time to move on from these debates, and focus on Christ, Him Crucified, and His Resurrection, which is why we celebrate Easter. Regardless of the "roots and ancient meanings" of "Easter" or any other word in the common language, the word is well known and useful in communication throughout the world, like the word Christmas. God looks to our heart in the way we use words, and He gave man the freedom to choose those words. This is part of the "fun" of a word study, since we study our words, their origins and use in the Bible, and how they relate to our lives.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14
I will be updating both the current detailed study on the Resurrection and this short commentary on our new features during the month of April while I finish up some programming activities for the site. After that we will begin our regular rotation of the studies on Page Two. I hope and pray that you find this new series a blessing to your walk in the Word of God.
God bless you, and thank you for your patience during our development! It has certainly been a blessing to me serving you in the Body of Christ.
Job.
Ten Year Anniversary
Front Page Redesign
2/14/07
Welcome to our new front page! We decided to buck the latest trend in web page design and stay with the big long front page we have had for years ;) We moved a few things around and installed our new prayer and praise message boxes near the top of the page. Although we have had our prayer message box on the front page for a long time, the praise message box is new. God loves to hear the praises of His people, so let's fill the praise message box with praise reports!
New Prayer & Praise Message Boxes
Our first prayer was posted in January 1997, so this is our ten year anniversary of prayer ministry on the internet. It has been a blessing to serve as your faithful web servant (aka Job) these last ten years, and Lord willing, I hope to continue in His service on this website for quite some time. Since the beginning of the site I have considered our prayer board to be the heart of the Lord of Hosts website. I would like to start this message by thanking our prayer warriors for their work in prayer ministry. The people in the prayer ministry have faithfully offered both prayer support and material support for those in need. Prayer and praise binds us together in the Body of Christ, and helps build us into the Church. I sincerely thank you for helping in our prayer and praise ministry, and praise the Lord for our prayer warriors!
Webmasters:
Install a Prayer or Praise Box on Your Web Site
If you have a website (home page), then you can install our prayer box on your website, and display the prayers on your website.
Install Prayer Box on Your Page
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Can You Help by Being a Prayer Warrior?
9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
(Matthew 7:9-10)
We are told in 1 Corinthians 12 that we have different gifts and ministries, but we are to come together and function as one Body in Christ. Some of you are truly gifted prayer warriors, and I thank you for supporting the Body in prayer. The people that are posting prayers are asking for your prayer support. In many cases they just need somebody to talk to and share life experiences in Christian fellowship. If you can help in prayer, word, or deed, then please pray or post a response to one of the prayers on our prayer list. Prayer works, and will change both your life, and the life of a brother or sister in the Lord.
13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(Matthew 5:13-16)
When we share Christian insights and fellowship with each other, we are sharing our personal and spiritual lives, and sharing how we relate to God. This fellowship and prayer in the name of His Son ties us together in the Body of Christ, and is part of the unity that Jesus Christ wants in His Church. God loves that you are praying for others in the Body, and your prayers are a blessing to Him as they build unity in the Body of Christ!
I encourage those of you that are called to prayer ministry to exercise your gifts, and let your light shine. You do not need the wisdom of Solomon to respond to a prayer, and of course, you do not have to type a response message to respond to prayer in prayer! If you feel led by the Lord to pray for others, then use this gift as a "talent" the Lord has given you, for your management, for His work:
14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Matthew 25:14-30)
Praise and Giving Thanks to the Lord
In the last ten years, the ratio of prayer to praise messages has been about ten to one, and that has been a fairly steady ratio over the ten years. The Lord inhabits the praises of His people, so let's get busy and fill the internet with praise reports. Your praise message could be the message some other believer needs to read right now to grow in faith.
11And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
(Luke 17:11-19)
Most of us are quick to come to the Lord in prayer in times of trouble, but occasionally a bit slow or forgetful when it comes to thanking Him for answered prayer. Sometimes our prayers appear to go unanswered, and we wrestle with the prospect that the answer from the Lord may be "no", and that our request may not be in His perfect will. Some prayers go unanswered for reasons we will not understand this side of eternity. While God's will is perfect, our ability to understand His perfect will is far from perfect. We need to learn to praise Him in times of trouble, just like we pray to Him in times of trouble. The fact that He is a God that you can talk to in times of trouble makes Him praise worthy, and like all fathers, "our Father in Heaven" likes to hear an occasional "thank you".
Reading praise reports from other believers lifts the spirit, and builds us as a Body. We decided to build this spirit of praise into our front page by including a small praise message box, with messages from the last few posters. God inhabits the praises of His people, so we are now lifting up His praises from our readers on our front page, right next to the prayer message box.
Heavenly Father we thank You and praise You for all of Your blessings to this online ministry during the last ten years. We also thank You for letting us come to You in prayer in our times of need, and for letting us share this need with others in the Body. We lift up all of those posting prayer requests and ask for help with their needs and with their daily walk with You. We would also like to lift up the prayer warriors that are working in Your fields, actively praying and agreeing in prayer with others. We pray that those in the prayer ministry are blessed in both this life and in the life to come. Help us all Father to get to know You, and to know Your Son Jesus, the Christ, and to know Your Holy Spirit. Comfort us Lord in our times of trouble, and teach us Your ways, and help us to walk in Your ways and understand and live Your Word which is Christ, our Lord. Help us to share in Christian fellowship both on the internet and off the internet... and teach us how to pray for each other in Your perfect will. Teach us Father how to better share our love and life in Christ when we interact with others in prayer and in our daily lives. We ask this in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
God bless you, and may your prayer and praise life be richly rewarded,
Job.
Merry Christmas!
12/23/06
This Christmas as you exchange gifts with loved ones, remember that your giving represents the perfect love of God the Father and the gift of salvation. The most precious gift ever given was when God sent His only begotten Son to the cross for our sins. All too often people fall into the trap of remembering what Christ did on the cross during Christmas, Easter, and Sundays, and forget about His atoning works during the week as they get caught up in the concerns of the world. Our prayer this Christmas, as with every other day of the year, is that you grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and put Him in your heart every day of the year. Just as you are in God's heart every day of the year, remember to return that love and keep Him in your heart.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7:11
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:8
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
James 1:17
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Giving gifts to people we love is a natural expression of love, just like the gift of salvation. So enjoy the celebration of the birth of our Lord this Christmas, and remember what the gifts symbolize.
God bless you, and have a very Merry Christmas,
Job
** New Stuff! **
Get Verse of the Day on Your Mobile Phone, PDA, etc.
"*.Mobi" - New Domain Name for Cell Phones and PDAs
10/10/06
Domain names are used as addresses on the internet. Our domain name, www.Christ.com, is just a pointer or address on the internet to a particular computer and website. While the ".com" , ".org", and ".net" extensions are the most common, there is a new top level domain name ".mobi" that is designed for small screen devices that connect to the web. This includes mobile phones with web capability, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) (Blackberries, PalmOne Treo...). So now, during one of those wait times in life, or at work during a break, you can surf to www.votd.mobi (or www.VerseoftheDay.mobi) and read today's Bible Verse of the Day. The ".mobi" domains are intended for use on mobile phones. The small screen size makes navigation almost impossible for a regular site like Christ.com, so the sites in ".mobi" are designed for the smaller screen format. To create our new mobile phone verse of the day, we take the same verse as our regular verse of the day, and make it available as a small webpage for phones.
This is the perfect opportunity to put the Word of God into your life, while waiting in the doctor's office... or between classes... or waiting for the bus... or in a meeting... anywhere you get cell service with web connection.
You can go there now with your regular browser using the links below, but remember it is formatted for a small phone or PDA, and not standard large screens. The site provides the current verse of the day in KJV from Christ.com, along with links to the NASB and NIV versions of the daily verse.
Prayer:
Our prayer is that this daily verse service will be a blessing to the Church in a busy connected world. Father we pray that this same busy world learns to take time out and connect with You, our Creator. Father help this service to be a tool for others to use as they grow closer to You. You have said Father that Your Word does not return void, so help us Lord to continue to publish Your Word in new ways to reach more people. Help this ministry to shine the light of Your Word on the world, and lead new souls to salvation through Your Son Christ Jesus. Father we ask that this small daily verse service becomes a large blessing for the Body. We ask this Father in the name of Your Son Jesus, amen.
God bless you, and be sure to drop by www.votd.mobi with your cell phone for the verse of the day,
Job
www.votd.mobi (designed for cell phones)
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