All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Creation, Heaven and Hell, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Sin, Suffering / Adversity

Sifting The Wheat From The Weeds

Jesus uses many parables to help explain the kingdom of heaven. In  Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus compares it to a farmer who plans wheat in his field.

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

A few verses later, in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus explains the parable.

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man[d] is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world,[e] and the harvesters are the angels.

40 “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

When God created the world, He allowed free will – the ability for us as people to choose to follow Him or reject Him and do things our own way. He made us like His children, not a set of robots who are pre-programmed to accept Him.

God allowed Satan to have much influence in this world, but Satan ultimately can only do what God allows. He has been defeated and will again be defeated by God. However, Satan preys on our sin nature and selfish view of the world. His actions to deceive us and lead us away from God are like the enemy who planted weeds in amongst the wheat. It makes life difficult for the wheat (the righteous).

God has a plan though. He is not confused or surprised by Satan.  He will separate the wheat from the weeds when harvest comes. Those who follow God will get what they chose… an eternity with God in heaven. Those who serve their own sin nature and reject God will get what they chose… eternity in hell, separated from God.

Of course we, as followers of Christ, want to bring as many people as we can with us to follow God in this world and enter heaven after they die. We are to seek God wholeheartedly and proclaim Him loudly and publicly.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Suffering / Adversity

Sharing God’s Word – Parable of Farmer Planting Seeds

Jesus prepares us for sharing God’s word through the parable of the farmer planting seeds in Matthew 13:1-23. Jesus Himself even provides the explanation at the end to describe what the parable means.

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
    They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’[b]

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

I find great encouragement in this parable. I am reminded that my role is to be the farmer planting seeds and I have the opportunity in some cases to help the plant grow by watering or fertilizing with more discussion about the gospel and prayer or sharing personal testimony. I am not responsible for the plant to grow… I can not accept Jesus on someone else’s behalf.

I should not expect that every encounter where I share the good news of Jesus Christ will result in transformed lives, but I keep on planting seeds for those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

Praise God for giving us His written word! Praise God for coming to walk among us as man in the person of Jesus Christ and showing us how to live for God and how to relate to Him! Praise God for dying for our sins! Let us help as many as we can to come to know Him.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Share the Good News

Salvation In Jesus Through Grace Alone

We gain important insight into salvation in Romans 10:1-15.

10 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[c] 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
    it is on your lips and in your heart.”[d]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[e] 12 Jew and Gentile[f] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[g]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[h]

A few key comments that strike me from this passage:

  • As followers of Jesus, we want God’s people to be saved. We want them to do more than claim the label Christian, but to understand God’s word and change their lives and hearts to seek Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • Often even people with zeal for God end up on the wrong path, seeking to do things their way instead of God’s way. This is true of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus when this scripture was written and is true today of people who accept their sin or the sins of others and ignore the Bible because they do not want to change or cannot see the need to change.
  • None of us can meet God’s holy standard for salvation by ourselves, our sin comes between us and God.
  • God loved us enough to make a way to reconcile and forgive that sin through grace alone. We are to openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. 
  • We are all called to be messengers of the good news of the gospel, the news of forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ with the world.  

We must ask ourselves… Do we really believe? Are we sharing the good news? Are we proclaiming Jesus Christ as our lord and savior? Does our life… our behaviors and thoughts … reflect our submission to Jesus and His teaching? Are we in fact living differently from the world of non-Christians and people who claim the label of Christian but live the lifestyle of the world?

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Archaeology

Assyrian Archaeology Validates Biblical Records – Sennacherib’s Prism

Many try to discredit the Bible by claiming it is historically inaccurate and thus cannot be trusted. On the other hand, I have found it very encouraging as a Christian to read about and study example after example of archaeological evidence that continues to prove the Bible is an historically accurate document that can be trusted with great confidence.

I encourage you to click through to read a bit about the example listed here or browse others from the site.

Read about Sennacherib’s Prism Revealing King Hezekiah on Bible-History.com.

The Account Recorded on the Prism

“On the six inscribed sides of this clay prism, King Sennacherib recorded eight military campaigns undertaken against various peoples who refused to submit to Assyrian domination. In all instances, he claims to have been victorious. As part of the third campaign, he beseiged Jerusalem and imposed heavy tribute on Hezekiah, King of Judah-a story also related in the Bible, where Sennacherib is said to have been defeated by “the angel of the Lord,” who slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (II Kings 18-19).” – Oriental Institute

The Biblical Comparison

The best way to see the accuracy of the Biblical account with this record on Sennacherib’s Prism is to compare 2 Kings 18:13-19:37 and Isaiah 36:1-37:38 with the last paragraph on the above account.

It can be very powerful to understand how much physical evidence exists to support the accuracy of the Bible as God’s word. Too often Christians are taught to dismiss the Bible or just accept is on faith. God provided much evidence to support that faith. The better we know it the more effectively we will build confidence within ourselves and in witnessing to others.

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Children, Faith / Trusting God, Family, Obeying God

Abraham’s Test – Putting God First

Genesis 22 brings us through likely the biggest test of faith that Abraham experienced with God. Abraham submitted to God and held nothing back from Him. Abraham had strong faith indeed.

22 Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

12 “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15 Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. 16 “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that 17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants[a] beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. 18 And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

19 Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.

20 Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor’s wife, had borne Nahor eight sons. 21 The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans), 22 Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. 23 (Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah, 24 Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.

We could have a good debate about our opinions on God choosing this particular test for Abraham, but God indeed chose it. We are called to accept it and trust Him that in the context of the ancient near east culture of the time this was an appropriate test for Him to put before Abraham. It would seem very unlikely that God would use that same test for us in the context of the culture of our world today, but He can just as easily test us in other ways.

Are we putting our children before God as priority? our spouse? Anything? We are to put God first. We are to not only read His word but seek to have relationship with Him such that we can hear and understand His specific will for our lives and then obey it.

Abraham put nothing before God and was willing to trust God with everything. He could have rationalized that he should not sacrifice Isaac because God previously promised many children through Isaac. However, Abraham had a close enough relationship with God to know when he was hearing from God… and he obeyed.

Each of us should ask ourselves what areas of our lives we hold back from God… what areas might we be putting above God… saying “Let me keep this [job, hobby, bad habit, sin, etc.] and I will submit to you in other areas?” God wants to be first in all aspects of our lives. We are called to honor Him as such and we can trust Him.

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Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Wickedness / Evil

Show Us A Miraculous Sign

Many call upon Jesus to show them a miraculous sign before they are willing to wholeheartedly follow Him. They often do not realize that He has already shown us a miraculous sign… and they dismissed it and are asking for another.

Matthew 12:38-45 continues after Jesus has just healed a man who could not see or speak and was demon possessed. So obvious was the miracle that even those who wanted to reject Jesus could not deny it happened, but rather had to make up a wild accusation that Jesus was prince of demons to explain it. Jesus spends time confronting them and explaining why this makes no sense. So what happens next… after this miraculous sign, which some refused to acknowledge… they demand a miraculous sign. Yes, really.

38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba[e] will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

43 “When an evil[f] spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

Are you still waiting for a miraculous sign to follow Jesus as were the teachers and Pharisees in Jesus’ time of earthly ministry?

He has already given us countless signs and miracles, many of which were carefully preserved in scripture. In particular, Jesus points to his death and resurrection as the primary sign He will provide. As we see later in scripture, and in the world around us today, even after He dies and comes back to life in a very public way… there are many who refuse to accept Him as God and follow Him.

What more powerful sign can He give? Is He to personally die and come back to life before each of us across every generation? Jesus calls them an evil and adulterous generation (e.g. reference to worshipping other idols instead of God) that rejects the signs He has given and demands signs.

Don’t sit around waiting for another miraculous sign. Make the decision today to accept Jesus wholeheartedly, proclaim His word loudly, and change your life to be more like his and less like the world. We must truly live differently from the world and those who just claim the label of “Christian” if we are to lead others to Jesus Christ… to be a lamp on a lampstand for all to see.

For those who are already committed to living their lives for Christ… be encouraged. We serve a wonderful God who has given us many signs to encourage us and provide evidence for who He is and how He wants us to live. Praise God for the signs He has given!

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Demons, Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Satan, Wickedness / Evil

“Anyone Who Isn’t With Me Opposes Me” – Jesus

There is much to explore with Jesus in Matthew 12:22-37 including His power over Satan and Satan’s demons, His ability to heal, the willingness of many to see the truth about Jesus from the evidence they witness and the rejection of Jesus by those who are evil regardless of the evidence presented to them.

22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan,[d] the prince of demons.”

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

31 “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Let’s review a couple key points:

  • Jesus heals a demon possessed man who is blind, cannot speak. Those who are unbiased in their view observe the evidence and immediately consider it as pointing toward Jesus as Messiah. Even those with evil in their heart cannot deny that the miracle happened or that a demon was cast out and the man healed. Instead, they make up a wild explanation to continue their pre-existing bias against Jesus. They refuse to see.
  • Jesus takes the time to clearly show the wicked why their argument against Him makes no sense, despite knowing they will ultimately reject Him anyway. He tells them the truth and gives them the opportunity to turn toward Him.
  • This demonstration of the power of God to cast out a demon demonstrates also that God has power over Satan.
  • Jesus reminds us that there is no neutral position, no quiet position “sitting on the fence”. “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” [Matthew 12:30]. We must each decide if we are working with Jesus or we are working against Him. It requires more than quietly acknowledging Him with our lips and then refusing to speak out against sin and speak up for God’s way. It requires living boldly for Jesus and proclaiming Him loudly – even in the face of persecution.Jesus speaks of the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. There can be some Christian debate on to what exactly Jesus is referring. One likely conclusion is that Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees experiencing an undeniable miracle of the Holy Spirit, and consciously choosing to reject this evidence and instead attribute the event to power from Satan.  There are examples of others, like Saul of Tarsus who later became Paul, who rejected the Holy Spirit at first and then accepted it later. Thus we conclude it is not a one time rejection, but rather a continuous and willful rejection of the Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus uses the wickedness of the Pharisees as an example for us to understand how to use discernment to evaluate the wickedness of someone’s heart. We are to identify or judge a tree by its fruit. While we should do so carefully and with grace, we are given direct example from Jesus that we are to use discernment to identify the wicked / evil. By discerning properly, we will be better prepared to tune out the false teaching of the evil and focus on proper teaching and leadership of the righteous.
  • Continuing, Jesus reminds us that we are accountable for our words, that they represent an overflow of the condition of the heart, and are very powerful and at times can be either helpful or destructive.

There is a lot of important teaching to dwell on in this small amount of scripture. I encourage each of you to read it again and think about how to apply each part to your life to grow closer to Jesus.

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Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Prophecy

Jesus Fulfills The Prophecy Of Isaiah

Matthew 12:15-21 clearly states that Jesus was God’s chosen servant about which Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 42. This scripture, along with many others, demonstrate the continuity of the Old Testament history of God and His people with the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament points forward to Jesus. Jesus fulfills prophecy and the law; He does not abolish or replace it. It is important to study and know both the Old and New Testaments.

15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

18 “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.
    He is my Beloved, who pleases me.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not fight or shout
    or raise his voice in public.
20 He will not crush the weakest reed
    or put out a flickering candle.
    Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
21 And his name will be the hope
    of all the world.”

While Jesus’ earthly ministry changes our relationship with God with forgiveness through the grace of Christ and His death on the cross, God is still unchanging and the Old Testament continues to be a rich source of information about how we relate to God and how He relates to us as His people. It shows us much about what He likes and despises. It gives us much wisdom about how to live our lives in a way that makes our lives better and honors God at the same time.

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Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Peace / Rest

Jesus Confronts Pharisees Regarding Sabbath

Jesus confronts the Pharisees regarding the law and Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-14. Jesus reminds us that He is Lord over the Sabbath and desires mercy and love to be demonstrated  more than a legalistic execution of the law regarding Sabbath.

12 At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. 2 But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”

3 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. 5 And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? 6 I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! 7 But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’[a] 8 For the Son of Man[b] is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

9 Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, 10 where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)

11 And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. 12 And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

13 Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! 14 Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

Jesus does not dismiss the Sabbath as no longer relevant… in fact, Jesus recognized the importance of Sabbath throughout His earthly ministry. However, He clearly demonstrates that it is not to be treated as a legalistic, but rather to be celebrated with mercy and love. “Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

Perhaps most disappointing, we see the hard hearts of the Pharisees. They have already decided that Jesus is not God and refuse to see the clear evidence, even as He heals yet another person right in front of them. Instead of recognizing His miracles as proof He is God, or even celebrating with the man who was healed, they are already plotting to trap and kill Jesus. There are many in the world like this today.

Observing or celebrating Sabbath is not required for salvation… that comes through grace alone by accepting Jesus Christ as lord and savior. But Jesus Himself reminds us that Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people.  We should take heed that it is important and has great potential to benefit us as God’s people.

[Mark 2:27] 27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.

I have found it very enriching for my relationship with family and with God to celebrate Sabbath every week. I encourage you to consider the same for your life.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Suffering / Adversity

Experiencing Grief in Death

Jesus has much to say to encourage us when someone who loved and accepted Jesus as lord and savior dies and we are experiencing the grief and sadness of the loss.

[John 14:1-6] 14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

[John 11:24-27] 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

Whether it is looking ahead to our own death or dealing with the death of those around us, the God provides much encouragement through the Biblical text for those who accept Jesus as lord of their lives and accept His offer of salvation through grace. God has made a way to forgive our sins and reconcile us to God. We have much to look forward to in life with God after we die to this world. This does not mean we will not mourn for the loss of a loved one or perhaps for our own pending death in case of known illness, etc. It is okay to mourn, but we mourn and then seek comfort and courage in Christ to live for Him while our time remains.

We are also reminded, however, that those who reject or refuse to accept Jesus as lord and savior receive what they chose… an eternity apart from God after they die. God is gracious and gives us until the very end of our lives to accept forgiveness through Jesus. Unfortunately, none of us are promised a tomorrow. We must accept Jesus while there is time and share the good news with those we love (and others) while they still have a chance to accept Him.

If we miss the chance to help lead someone we love to Jesus, or if they reject Him despite our efforts and they die we certainly have reason to mourn. Mourn and turn closer to God to help you through the difficult times. Seek comfort in the love of Jesus Christ.

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Please share our devotionals with your friends and family and visit our website at www.HearingFromJesus.org to see more.

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