When we understand that hallowed means holy or sacred, we can understand the necessity of purification and making ourselves ready for worship. The Lord’s prayer reminds us that we are to make the name of God holy. We are to show our praise and adoration to our Lord.

The term preterism is used to describe the understanding of certain eschatological passages in the Bible. It is derived from the Latin word preter which means “past.” The study of preterism is centered on biblical prophecy and the debate of whether all end time prophecy has been fulfilled or not.

So, why should we not be afraid? Why should we have no fear even when we face life-or-death circumstances? Because God said so. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 61:3 is a beautiful picture of what Christ can do for the mourning people of Israel and the ones hurting today. When we examine the verse, we learn that Christ is the joy-giver. He gives a joy that extends beyond the surface. Christ releases us from the bondage that sorrow brings.

In Scripture, Satan is referred to as Lucifer or the devil, to name a few. The evolution of the Beelzebub as a reference to Satan is linked to the Pharisees. The name became a bitter, scornful word and Jews began to use it as a reference to Satan.

Gideon is a man of the Old Testament that is often underestimated. He led a profound life coming to the aid of his people and serving as a judge to the Israelites. His actions give us an example to follow and lessons to learn.

In my study of Gideon, I found six lessons I want to share with you. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the life of Gideon.

Who Was Gideon?

Gideon was a young Israelite man living in Ophrah. He was the youngest son of Joash, who was of the family of Abiezer. His family line belonged to the tribe of Manasseh.

Gideon’s family was not wealthy. They lived in constant fear because neighboring groups would steal the Israelite’s grain and livestock. The Israelite people had to seek out shelter in caves to protect themselves and what little food they had.

When we meet Gideon in the Book of Judges, he is threshing wheat in a winepress. This was not the custom but had to be done to protect what grain they could get. Later in his life, Gideon becomes a judge of Israel and dies as an honored man in the history of God’s chosen people.

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Christians are quite familiar with the “I AM” statements in Scripture. They are powerful and share much about the character of Christ. They share God’s will for His son and for our lives. Along with these powerful statements, we can discover the “I WILL” statements of Jesus. These statements declare the promises of God.

Throughout the New Testament, Christ makes many promises. He often prefaces these promises by saying “I will.” There are over 30 “I will” statements in the New Testament, each one stating a beautiful promise from the Lord.

While we can’t discuss all of Christ’s promises, I want to share with you what a promise is, and six promises from God that stand out for me.

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Do you love to go fishing? The possibility of catching the big one can cause your adrenaline to pump at high rates. I know that I love to fish with my children. It is always a wonderful time whether we catch anything or not. But, in our Bibles, we read Jesus’ thoughts on fishing in Mark 1:17. The verse states “Come follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Becoming a fisher of man meant that Jesus was going to use his disciples to grow the kingdom of God. Let’s take this time to look further at what it means to be fishers of men and how we are to be a fisherman today.

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We are living in difficult times, physically, spiritually, and for many, emotionally. But the Psalms are never shy about tackling big emotions. Much like us, King David also faced challenges and pain. So when we are struggling to feel peaceful or courageous, we can take heart from Psalm 27, which begins with the challenge "The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?"

In Luke 1:46-55, we find a passage of Scripture known as the Magnificat, or Mary's Song. The words are a beautiful reminder of the faith of Jesus' future mother, particularly in the midst of a difficult and confusing time. And these words, recorder thousands of years ago, continue to have important lessons for modern readers. 

Adultery is a sin God included in the Ten Commandments as something we should not do. Since this is the case, why would He want a man who lived for the Lord to marry a woman who commits this forbidden act? There are three answers to this question of why God would want this marriage to happen. 

This feast was a call to stop work and remember the Lord. The people were to hold the feast on the first day of the seventh month and you were to present a fire offering to the Lord. Throughout the day, the Israelites could hear the sound of a trumpet, or shofar, hence the name Feast of Trumpets. This feast is also a beautiful picture of the second coming of Christ, and Jews around the world continue to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets today.

Let’s face it, the world we live in is full of injustice. People are becoming separated from God on an astronomical level. It is heartbreaking and sends out a call for Christians to do something. But what can we do?

Our first answer to the above question is to pray. We know that prayer is powerful. It can move mountains and bring about God’s providence in a way we have never seen before. But is that all we can do? Do we really believe that prayer can take away the injustice of our world? How do Christians balance prayer and stepping out against injustice?

These questions have been filtering through my mind for months now. In this article, we are going to look at Scripture and discern what God tells us to do.

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