Matters of Faith
A practical application of the Word of God for everyday issues.
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Reverend J. Loren Russell
Acts 3:1-6 (KJV)
“Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
In the same way you can’t give what you never had, you cannot come back from where you have never been. These idioms are not just wise sayings; they are truths that will never change. So is the statement made by Peter when he told the lame man, “such as I have!”
Recognizing our limitations does not limit our abilities, it improves it. Neither Peter nor John had any money to give to the lame man begging for charity. That was their limitation. At one time, they may have had an abundance of resources that they could have shared with this poor beggar, but they had given up their businesses, discarded their material possessions, and committed themselves to following Jesus. They had nothing material to give this man. But what they did have they were willing to share.
As they were entering the temple at the hour of prayer, Peter and John are confronted by someone whose only hope of survival was the generosity of those who were committed to God. Having no medical benefits, no social security, no pension benefits, he was daily laid at the temple gate called beautiful to beg – this man with a heart-felt plea for help. Peter and John recognized their limitations but were more than willing to share what they did have with this man. The lame man was begging for charity, what he got was a miracle. “Look on us…, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
What the lame man thought he would receive turned into a change in his life that would take him places he never thought he would go, and to do things he never thought he would do. Immediately after Peter shared what he had, the scripture says, “he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”
What has God gifted you with? What are you willing to share with someone seeking alms that will transform their lives forever? Are you willing to say, “Such as I have, give I thee…”
Be Blessed!
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Reverend J. Loren Russell
1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”The goal was, is, and always will be the same: for everyone who is part of the royal priesthood and that holy nation to tell the world about the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Every genuine believer and sincere follower of Christ is charged to share the story of God’s goodness—what He has done for them—and to declare that He can do the same for others.
Peter wrote this epistle to converted Gentiles who lacked the theological foundation of those born into Jewish tradition. Scattered throughout various parts of Asia Minor, these new believers were suffering and being rejected by their own communities because of their obedience to Christ. Peter reminds them that they are now followers of Jesus—chosen, royal, and holy.
He knew their pasts were marked by lewdness, drunkenness, and idolatries. But now they were heirs of the kingdom of God. Peter had witnessed their faithfulness firsthand, and he offered the encouragement they needed to boldly claim their inheritance as members of the royal priesthood. They had come from nowhere and were considered nobody, but now they were on their way somewhere—and in Christ, they had become somebody.
Believers then, and believers now, are called to point others to God through godly living, encouraging words, and unconditional love. That is the assignment of all who have been chosen by God and made part of His royal priesthood and holy nation.
We have been chosen for a specific purpose.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is the Clergy Officiant at the Evangelical Church of God and ssociate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church, both in the Bronx. He is the President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096). He writes this column and produces and host’s “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on The Matters of Faith YouTube channel. Be sure to Friend, Like, and Share the column and the channel. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
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Reverend J. Loren Russell
Matthew 24:3, 14 NKJV
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
In the book of Exodus, we read how the Children of Israel, on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, grew hungry and complained to Moses. The Lord, in His mercy, fed them with manna. When they first saw it, they asked, “What is it?” Imagine their bewilderment—seeing a mysterious substance left by the dew of the morning, white like coriander seed, unlike anything they had ever known. They had been wandering for weeks, starving, and suddenly, provision appeared in an unfamiliar form. They did not yet realize that this manna would sustain them throughout their wilderness experience.
In the New Testament, Jesus’ disciples asked Him when the end of the age would come. His reply was sobering. He spoke of deception, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, persecution, betrayal, and lawlessness. He told them that many would fall away, that false prophets would rise, and that love would grow cold. Like the Israelites, the disciples were hungry—hungry for hope, hungry for relief.
Yet, in the midst of the darkness, Jesus offered light. He said, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”(Matthew 24:13). In John 16:33, He assured them, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Their endurance would not be in vain; it would lead to eternal deliverance.
But here lies the most striking part of His answer: none of the calamities Jesus described are the definitive sign of the end. The wars, the earthquakes, the betrayals—these are only the background. The true indicator, Jesus said, is this:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
Evil will persist until that mission is complete. The end will not come until the good news of the kingdom has been proclaimed to every corner of the earth.
If you long to see an end to the madness of our age and hasten the coming of God’s kingdom, then use every means at your disposal to preach this gospel—through your words, your actions, your love, your life. The Israelites learned that manna was heaven’s provision for their survival. Likewise, Jesus tells His followers that the gospel of the kingdom is heaven’s provision for the world’s salvation.
In my sanctified imagination, I can hear Jesus saying, “If you want to see the end of this broken age, this is how it is done—preach this gospel of the kingdom!”
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is the Clergy Officiant at the Evangelical Church of God and ssociate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church, both in the Bronx. He is the President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096). He writes this column and produces and host’s “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on The Matters of Faith YouTube channel. Be sure to Friend, Like, and Share the column and the channel. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
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Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”If you have ever suffered from low self-esteem or a lack of self- confidence, you are in good company. The children of Israel needed this multifaceted blessing and assurance that the Lord would bless and keep them, make His face shine upon them, be gracious to them, life up his countenance upon them, and give them peace.
His power, His presence and his Holy Spirit were all contained in this Old Testament priestly benediction. As the Children of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, this blessing reassured them that they were both loved and chosen by God as His holy nation. It was the power, the presence, and the grace of God in all His glory.
The power of the Father is evidenced through His promise to bless the children of Israel. To bless is to salute, to honor and to esteem. The Lord promises to bless, to keep, to guard, to protect, and to preserve His chosen people.
The presence of God is revealed when He makes His face to shine upon them. He takes pleasure in their worship. His graciousness, His kindness, and His generosity are revealed through His intimacy with them.
The grace of the Lord shows up in their personal relationship with Him as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Even though they are living in the chaos of the wilderness, His grace delivers them to wellness, happiness, prosperity, rest, and safety in spite of their environment.
Today’s believers have the same assurance. He is omnipotent and has charge of all we will experience and is the source of all our blessings. He is the source and the sustenance of all that we are, all that we have and all that we will ever be. He has the power to bless and to keep us just as He did the children of Israel, to make His face shine upon us. Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary says, “For in every place where God records his name, he will meet his people and bless them.”
It is through His power, His presence and His grace that the Israelites made it through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. The same power, presence and grace will bring you through whatever trial or tribulation you’re facing and deliver you to your land of promise.
Be blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is the Clergy Officiant at the Evangelical Church of God and associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church, both in the Bronx. He is the President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096). He writes this column and produces and host’s “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on The Matters of Faith YouTube channel. Be sure to Friend, Like, and Share the column and the channel. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
Matters of Faith 