The Walk
God tells us in Hebrews 13:5b because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So in this section you will find some basic tools to help you on your way. Keep in mind that your relationship with God can be as rich and fulfilling and you make it. It’s like a plant. If you water it, it will flourish; if you don’t it will wither. Keep strong and don’t let yourself get complacent. Study the word. Talk with God as much as possible and ask Him to show you what He would have you do in your life to serve him.
Sincerely;
"sharing the light"
Alex Aleman
Mission Lighthouse Ministry
Prayer
Imagine for a minute that you and your spouse or you and your parents, or you and your friends never ever talked. How far do you think that your relationship would go? Not far at all. You must communicate with the Lord if you expect your relationship to grow.
God wants to hear from you when you have struggles in your life. He also wants to hear the good news of the things that are going on in your life and your concerns as well as your questions for Him. He cares for you tremendously and He wants to you to expand your relationship with Him and He will expand His relationship with you.
So when do you pray? Well the Bible says it very clearly. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it say, “Pray without ceasing.” That means all the time. Now I know that it seems impossible, but, basically you should pray as often as you think about it.
Try to remember what it’s like to make a new friend and how much you love to call and talk to that person. Or maybe a girlfriend or boyfriend, you are always on the phone with that person. In that same way you need to communicate your deepest desires, as well as your fears and worries to God.
God wants to carry all of your burdens on his shoulders. In fact, He asks us simply to lay them on Him and He will do the rest. The Bible tells us this in Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
You see it’s that simple. You have the creator of the entire world in you corner and He doesn’t want you to fight. He actually wants to take the hits for you, so let him.
The Bible also says in Matthew 6:27: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life” and in Matthew 6:24: "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Prayer is the lifeline for a Christian. It is one of our biggest defenses in a world that does not believe in God. With it, the Bible says that we can do anything according to God’s will. Be a prayer warrior for the Lord and learn to use this incredible weapon that the Lord has given you.
I will leave you with this story. My wife and I were heading to Mobile Alabama this past summer. We were going on a 5-day cruise to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. As we approached Mobile it began to rain hard and we were worried about boarding the boat in the rain. My wife asked me to pray that it would stop raining, so I did. I prayed: “God if you can part the red sea, and if you can part the river Jordan, please let it stop raining.” Do you know that 10 minutes later we were in Mobile and we looked up in the sky and the clouds, if you can imagine, were parted perfectly over the dock where the boat was docked. No kidding! There were dark clouds on either side of the blue sky. Beautiful!
Believe me when I tell you that prayer works.
Below is more scripture where prayer is shown. Read through them and meditate on God’s Word. Remember, the more time you spend with God the more you will become Christ-like. You have to do your part in this relationship.
What does prayer do?
Prayer is an open communication line between you and God. We who are saved by his grace and have accepted his free gift of salvation can come boldly, and with humility before God and speak with him directly.
2 Chronicles 6:19-42: "Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness. Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers. "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. “When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men), that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers. “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple; then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name. “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. “When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You. Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place. “Now therefore, Arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness. “O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; Remember the mercies of Your servant David.”
Psalm 4:3: But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
Mark 9:29: So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
If God Knows Everything, Why Pray? What's the Point?
Isaiah 38:1-5: In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.” Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.
You see, even though God knows everything, that does not mean that we can't ask him for something that we need or come to him with our worries or concerns. He knows all and loves us so much that he wants to hear from us. Not only do we come to him with request, but we should also spend time in prayer so that we can praise him and thank him for what he has done for us. Prayer is also a great time to pray on behalf of others we know and the needs they might have.
How Should I Pray? (A very important question)
Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me.
Paraphrasing the notes from Life Application Study Bible: Jonah 2:1 (the notes section), This prayer was a prayer of thanksgiving by Jonah, not of deliverance. What Jonah prayed to God for was thanking Him for not letting him drown in the belly of the fish.
His prayer was heard, even from inside the belly of the fish. What this means is that you can pray anytime and anywhere.
For Jonah, his prayer place was inside the belly of the fish. No matter where you are and you pray, God will hear you. Finally, no sin is ever too great and your predicament is never too difficult for God. No matter what you do, pray with reverence and with respect. He is the almighty God. He loves you and wants to hear from you. Sometimes when I am praying, I am in conversation with him as if he is right in front of me. In reality, as a Christian, he is with you always and praying in a conversation with him can be very comforting, knowing that he hears and cares about what you are saying.
Here are some scriptures about prayer.
Mark 11:22-26: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Hebrews 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
1 John 5:14,15: Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. You Can Pray to God about anything and everything. He wants to hear from you.
Philippians 4:6,7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13: “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Psalm 23: A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. These are some of the prayers that you will find throughout the Old and the New Testaments. There is prayer abounding in both texts and when you read them and hear them, write them down, memorize them and no matter what, pray every day.
Reading the Bible and Why it is Important
In this section we will talk about how to read the Holy Bible. First off, reading the Bible is not only for the Bible Elite like Biblical Scholar. It was written to be a love letter to you as a Christian and all you have to do is pick it up and read it.
As a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit within you that will help you understand all that is written inside the Word which sounds like foolishness to the rest of the world. God uses the Bible to talk to us and to communicate to us His plan and desires for our lives, as well as answer questions we bring to Him.
Reading the word is something that you should do on a daily basis and my suggestion would be to pray and ask the Lord to open up the Word to you and reveal Himself to you in the scriptures. The more you read the more you will understand and the deeper your relationship with Christ will become. Memorizing scriptures as well as whole chapters is a great way to bury the Word deep in your heart.
Psalm 119:9-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
You will find that when the devil comes to tempt you these verses will be a great weapon against his attacks. If you resist the devil he must flee.
This is qualified in the book of James 4:7 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Resisting the devil by quoting scripture is how Jesus fought him off in the wilderness.
Read Luke 4:1-13 and Matthew 4:1-11 to see that fight. It is amazing.
You see, Jesus memorized scripture because He knew that it would be a tremendous help to Him concerning the devil, as well as to make an example to us on how to deal with the enemy. If it is good enough for the Son of God it is good enough for us. I promise that memorization will enrich your Christian walk and enable you to be a more effective Christian.
The Bible has 66 Books from the beginning of the Old Testament with the Book of Genesis all the way through the Book of Revelation, which ends the story. Within the 66 books are numerous chapters and verses. In today’s society, there are hundreds of variations and interpretations of the Holy Bible and it is up to you to choose which you want to read. Be careful not to pick a translation that is so free in its interpretation that it loses some of the meaning. A good Bible to start with may be the New American Standard or The Amplified bible or the New King James Version. I have found these to be very true to the original script, yet still easy to understand.
There are a great deal of books outside of the Bible which teaches a Christian how to read it. Most Bibles have a section, usually at the beginning that gives you examples on how to read it and how to interpret what it is that you are reading.
Christians read the Bible through Daily Devotionals. Daily Devotionals are small writings with scripture embedded in them to support the devotional. Most Bibles outline how to complete a Daily Devotional. (Visit our "Recommended" section of the website for some more resources on daily devotionals and more.)
The Bible can actually be read in its entirety in the 365 day structure of a year. There are Bibles available that are set up to be read over a years time.
Is this enough to understand the Bible? This is up to you. Can you understand it after one year of reading? Probably not, but again, this depends on your understanding and your interpretation. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal himself to you in your reading of the Word. What is truly important when reading the Bible is that it should enhance greatly your belief and faith in God and help you to understand that the Bible was written by man, inspired fully by God the Father Himself.
The following are questions and scripture to help you along with what the Bible means and why it is important to read it:
Why Should I Read the Bible?
Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word."
Why Should I Trust The Bible?
Psalm 33:4: “For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.”; (Proverbs 16:22): “Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.”
2 Peter 1:16-21: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Why is the Bible Called God’s Word? And how is the Bible Different from Other Religious Literature?
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
This is an extremely brief introduction into understanding the Bible and there is a great deal more to be learned. What you need to realize is that the Bible is the word of God and the more you read it the more sense it will make. Also, the Holy Spirit will guide you and reveal its truths to you. A good suggestion would be to go to your local Christian bookstore and speak with the attendant about a study book or devotional that will help you learn and make sense of the Word. Your pastor or other Christian friend, or family may also be able to recommend a book or website. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us by sending an email with your question and we will be more than happy to answer the question for you and recommend some literature.
Christian Fellowship
The meaning and the history of fellowship dates back to believe it or not to the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and God the Father. Genesis 3:8-9: “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?”
The verse above shows that God desires to have fellowship with us. He wants to know what is troubling us. He wants to know how our day was. He wants to talk with us continuously so that we understand Him and what it is that He expects of us. So, fellowship, especially Christian Fellowship, is important as we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Believe it or not Jesus opens the way for Fellowship. How did Jesus open the way for fellowship? As God in human form, Jesus walked with the disciples through many towns and cities teaching. His desire was to reach out to the Jews and to the Gentiles and teach them about God the Father and what it would take for those who did not believe in Him to get to know Him and reach His kingdom to spend eternity with Him. Jesus’ most important time of fellowship was the Passover Dinner, the night before His crucifixion.
Matthew 26:26: “While they were eating, Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it,” and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” This was the time of communion with His disciples. Such a Christian practice continues today in the church. It’s a time to reflect and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
At times, we might be a bit afraid of having fellowship with God. This is reflected again in the Garden of Eden. When both Adam and Eve heard God coming, they hid among the trees. They were afraid. The reason for there fear was there sin. They had disobeyed God and knew that they had done wrong. But God wanted to talk with them and He still wanted to fellowship with them. Even though they had sinned as we still do, the Lord still wants to have a relationship with us. Why else would He send Jesus to die on the cross and close the gap between him and us?
The disciple Paul had his own take on fellowship. He spent some time warning the elders of the church at Ephesus that within their own numbers men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
Acts 20: 31: “So, be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”
Here Paul is doing what he can to fellowship with the people throughout the province of Asia and to teach them the Word, the truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He was trying to tell the Jews and the Greeks that they needed to repent and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 20: 36-38: “When he had said this (Acts 20: 35: In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: “It is more blessed to give then to receive.’”), he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
What a time of powerful fellowship. To kneel down with the elders of the church at Ephesus and pray with them! Fellowship is found in our new life with Christ as seen in Romans 6:5: “If we have been united with him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. Philippians 1: 7, 8: shows a deep longing for fellowship: “It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the Gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Jesus Christ.”
What a great statement of longing for fellowship with his Christian Brothers.
Finally, we come to the importance of Fellowship, if what you have read before doesn’t already prove how important it is. Hebrews 10:25: “Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Does this not say it all? Fellowship shows up in worship and in Bible Studies. It shows up at the coffee houses and it shows up in Christian retreats. We are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ and we need to continue to Fellowship and to do what is necessary in our power to continue to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
At Mission Lighthouse we want to make sure that you understand that it is extremely important to surround yourself with Christian brothers and sisters. You see, if you surround yourself with the right people you will see growth in your walk with Christ as well as spiritual growth within yourself. You see, you become who you hang out with. If you hang out with those who live like the world and has the values of the world, you to will develop those values and habits for your life. If you surround yourself with those seeking to deepen their walk with Christ and enrich their life with God, you to will deepen your walk and enrich your life.
It is also extremely important for a new Christian to keep Christian company so as to develop good Christian habits. It’s very easy for a new Christian to be very excited about there relationship with Christ. Then, slowly, over time, with the help of friends and relatives that don’t believe in God, they forget there new found relationship and how important it is to nurture it. They end up back in the old life of sin and don’t ever grow. That’s not to say that as a Christian we should not reach out to those in the world and help them with their struggles and witness to them in an effort to bring them to Christ. That’s how we were all brought to Christ and we should do the same.
Matthew 9:9-13 shows Jesus mingling with tax collectors and sinners “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. ”Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this; they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
We all must help those in need and not think ourselves better them those outside of Christ. We too were lost at one point. With this being said, keep yourself close to God and to His people and you will reap the rewards of a full life in Christ. A life that is not void of trouble, but you will have the help of God and those He sends your way to help you grow and succeed as a believer in Christ.
Communion
The Last Supper:
Matthew 26:17-29: On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' "So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. When evening came; Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born." Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
Significance of Communion:
Luke 22:17-20: “Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
Here in Luke, Jesus tells us to remember Him every time we break bread.
Why the Early Church Observed It:
Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The Lord told his disciples at the last supper that when ever they broke bread and drank the cup of wine, to remember him. So the tradition contained on from that day, pasted down through the Christian tradition.
Taking it in an unworthy manner:
1 Corinthians 11:27-34: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world."
What is being said here is that when we take communion, we should do it respectfully and not take it lightly.
What is Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
Here I would recommend reading the whole book of Exodus in the Old Testament. It will give you the story of Moses and the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egypt.
Exodus 12:17: “So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.”
Exodus 12:23: “For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever.”
When Jesus and His 12 disciples entered the upper room on that feast of Passover (the same night he was betrayed), He knew that this would be the last time that He would partake in the Passover feast with His friends in the flesh. Jesus knew that the bread represented His body and when He held it up and then He broke it, He knew that it represented His broken body. Then, when He held up the cup of wine, He said that this was His blood which would be shed for all man kind. It was the perfect sacrifice for the remission of sin.
Remember this: Communion is an important event in a Christian’s life as it is used to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for all mankind. He knew of his impending death upon the cross and He wanted to make sure that his disciples knew that it was coming. Jesus knew that his disciples would abandon him but he also knew that they would return. They would follow the things he had taught them because they believed in Him and because they were faithful. So, those who partake in Communion must do so fully aware that it is done because Jesus went to the Cross for us, mankind, and took our sins and our transgressions with Him. Do it in remembrance of HIM
Choosing a Church
We here at Mission Lighthouse want to make sure that you understand the following. Whatever you do, ask the Lord to lead you to the right church. Make sure that the church is grounded in the scripture and that it has a doctrine which follows this statement: “salvation comes through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God which was for the forgiveness of all sin.” Be careful of false teachers and those who want nothing more than to take advantage of you financially or otherwise. (Read our section on tithing for a little more on this subject)
The bible says this in Matthew 24: 23-24: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
The church is a place for you to be able to praise God in worship as well as a place to learn about the Bible, the Good News of Jesus. It is a meeting place to have fellowship with your other Christian Brothers and Sisters, and a place to grow in your walk and relationship with Jesus Christ.
The most important concept in choosing the right church is to make sure that it has Jesus as its central core and that the Word is being Preached and Practiced to its fullness. If you feel a little uneasy about a church that your visiting then ask the Lord to reveal to you what the problem is and He will. It may be that you are new and don’t know anybody yet, then again it may be that there is something amiss in that particular church and the Holy Spirit is warning you. Don’t get into the habit of “church hopping”. You will not learn anything that way and you will not make any Christian friends. Christian friends are of great importance. The Bible explains it like this: Acts 2:42: "They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Hebrews 10:25: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Christian fellowship is essential in growing spiritually and is helpful when you need someone to lean on and lift you up. There is nothing like having Christian friends to pray with you and comfort you in times of need. Or just to have someone to hang out with. Remember, you become who you are around the most. It’s best to surround yourself with Christian friends so that you become more God like.
Word on Tithing
In choosing a church; watch out for false teachers and doctrine. The Bible says this: Matthew 24: 23, 24: “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false Christ’s and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
There are many in the world today and they are out there to deceive you and lead you in the wrong direction. You want to stay away from teachings that you would definitely find not being consistent with the Bible or seam to always asking for your money for this and that. God is not a beggar. Many a home has been wrecked financially due to the malicious money hungry preaching of a false teacher, so please keep and eye out for that.
Now, to be clear, I am NOT saying not to give your “tithe” to the church. The pastor and the staff, as well as insurance, lights, water, heat, air, mortgage, etc… all cost money and it is up to the congregation to support there church with there financial giving. It says it like this in the Old Testament: Leviticus 27:30: A tithe (tenth) of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. The Christian church has taken that ten percent as a basis on which to give. It is an old testament law that God put into place where the Israelites gave ten percent of what ever they grew or raise to the Levites and priest of the temple and tabernacle and it would provided for them there needs since they were serving God on a full time basis.
In the New Testament it is not an exact amount that the Lord asks for but it is put like this in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 16:2: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made."
And also in the following scripture:
2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Basically saying that you should pray and ask God how much he wants you to give. It may be 10 percent, it may be more, it may be less but I would recommend giving. I have never been able to “out give God”. He has always returned me money when I really needed it and least expected it. This scripture sums it up: Malachi 3:10: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
I pray that God will lead you in all facets of gaining a close relationship with him. Please, don't let the Devil fool you into thinking that you don't need to pray, go to church, read your Bible, trust him with your tithes, or make friends with people of the same belief in Christ. Those are all tricks to keep you from what God has for you. He wants a close and meaningful relationship with you but you must do your part. He has already done his. If you have any questions, please click the Contact Us tab and send use a message. We would love to hear from you.
Sincerely;
"sharing the light"
Alex Aleman
Mission Lighthouse Ministry .
