All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law

Paul and James Defend the Law

Many argue that Paul and the other apostles taught against the law. They argue that the law is obsolete after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. As we read in Acts 21, we see quite the opposite among Paul and James.

In fact, it does not take long to bring up the subject of the law. Paul is sharing what God has done with the elders in Jerusalem when he arrives in that city. They are not jealous, but happy to see what God is doing through Paul. The discussion quickly moves toward a different topic though, indicating the high importance of the subject.

People have been spreading rumors about Paul that he teaches against the law of God.  The elders give advice to Paul on how to dispel the rumors to show that he does teach and live out the law.

There is no hypocrisy or deceit here. Paul consistently obeys the law throughout scripture. He is sometimes misunderstood. As he taught the Gentiles he focused them on a few important things to get started so they would not be overwhelmed by all of the law at once. Some took that to mean Paul rejected the law. It was always Paul’s pattern to continue teaching those who followed Yeshua more about what God commands as they continue to study with him. Paul again demonstrates humility in accepting this advice as an effective communication tool to the Jews in Jerusalem. Paul participates in the ending of a Nazarite vow by others. Paul is not just making a show of it or compromising on his beliefs. In fact, Paul completed what is likely a Nazarite vow himself in Acts 18:18. Besides that, when in scripture do we see Paul back down or compromise his message? He stands up consistently for truth, even at great personal risk.

Clearly it was important to Paul, as it was to the elders in Jerusalem, that he should reinforce the importance of following the law of God. I would further observe and call out the obvious… this all happens after Yeshua died and rose again. The law is still important.

Acts 21:15-26

Paul at Jerusalem

      15After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

      17After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; 21and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22“What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23“Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25“But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.” 26Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Do not miss that the apostles and Paul believed and taught that the law of God was still important to be followed, even after the death and resurrection of Yeshua.  Many today teach wrongly that it is obsolete, that somehow because Yeshua was judged perfect by following the law, now we all are supposed to disregard the law and not live as he did. This argument to toss away the law does not make much sense if you think about it in that light. We live out the right example for our children or others so that they would observe and follow, not so they don’t have to.

To learn more about the law, read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open the eyes and ears of Your people so that we can understand the importance of following Your law and not cling to the traditions of men. Help us search out and live out Your ways! Raise up righteous teachers to lead Your people and bring about restoration among Your people who call on the name of Messiah. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Encouragement, Faith / Trusting God, Interceding for Others, Persecution / Glorifying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets

Fellowship and Encouragement Among Believers

What a beautiful picture we see as Paul travels back from Ephesus to Jerusalem. We get a sense of the impact his efforts have had on the region. He travels from city to city and there are fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who greet him. They are one in Christ Jesus. They are not Jew or Greek. They do not separate based on color of their skin or based on whether they are rich or poor or male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Paul makes time to fellowship with and support each local congregation of the brethren despite being on a journey to get to Jerusalem. They in turn also take time away from their own personal lives to receive him and encourage him, even to warn him. They are all acting in one accord as followers of Christ. They show us what the body of Christ should be like, but often is not, even today.

We see different members of the body of Christ with different gifts including prophets and evangelists. Paul is even warned by Agabus that he will be persecuted if he goes to Jerusalem, but Paul shows he remains prepared to face any form of persecution to honor and serve Jesus Christ.  When Paul decides to proceed to Jerusalem despite the warnings, the people still support and encourage him… relying on God’s will. They do not reject him or throw him off because he did not listen to their warning. They bring their families to escort him out of town and pray with him. They are truly one in Christ Jesus.

Acts 21:1-14

Paul Sails from Miletus

      1When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; 2and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. 4After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem. 5When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until we were out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another. 6Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home again.

      7When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and after greeting the brethren, we stayed with them for a day. 8On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. 9Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. 10As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, “The will of the Lord be done!”

Take care not to think Paul a fool for going to Jerusalem despite warnings and prophecy. He did not disregard these warnings, but rather felt he needed to go to Jerusalem anyway and was willing to pay that price to do God’s work there.

Consider also, how does your life and the life of your family or church compare with that of the believers as demonstrated in Acts 21? Do believers come together in harmony, working together, praying for one another or is their infighting and division between different people, churches or denominations? Do churches support one another and work together to reach the community or compete against one another for how many members they can get to fill their seats? What can you do personally to make a positive difference in your local community of brothers and sisters in Christ? Pray for God’s wisdom and courage and then get started.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please bring Your people together in unity, serving You and helping none another in one accord. Heal division that separates us. Help us work through smaller differences in beliefs that keep us apart. Raise up prophets and evangelists from among Your people to do Your work. Prepare people to hear and respond to the truth of Your word. Clearly show each of us the role You want us to play. Amen. 

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, False Prophets / Teachers, Money / Finances / Wealth, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News

Portrait of One Who Lived Submitted to Christ

After meeting Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul lived a life that serves as a good portrait of one who lived submitted completely to Jesus Christ. Paul truly died to self and took up his cross to follow after Christ.

Matthew 16:24-27

      24Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27“For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.

As he prepared to leave for Jerusalem, Paul met with local elders of the church to remind them about his personal life lived as example as one submitted to Christ. It was filled with hardship and uncertainty, but also hope and joy in all circumstances. Paul provides a good summary of how we should approach our lives submitted to Christ. We do well to read carefully as if Paul were writing this to us and try to apply it in our lives today.

Acts 20:17-38

Farewell to Ephesus

      17From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. 18And when they had come to him, he said to them,
“You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22“And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

      25“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26“Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31“Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. 32“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. 34“You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. 35“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

      36When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.

As we consider this portrait of living for Christ, Paul reveals several key elements we should carefully consider and apply in our own lives, not matter what our work or ministry.

  • Serve God with humility, even through trials and tears.
  • Do not shrink from teaching truth and repentance, regardless of consequences to you personally.
  • Remember that our life’s purpose is not our own when we are submitted to Christ. Our purpose is to wholeheartedly seek after the work God assigns us to further His kingdom.
  • Be on guard for false teaching and those who would draw you away from Christ. The threat comes both from those outside the church as well as from among the church. People will pervert God’s word to draw disciples after themselves.
  • Do not cease to admonish one another so that we help one another to remain in Christ and in His truth.
  • In testing for false teaching, admonishing, and living for Christ we must look to God and to the word of God as our unchanging source of truth.
  • Work hard to provide for yourself and do not covet someone else’s wealth.
  • Help the weak.
  • Pray for one another in genuine love and concern. Create a community of brothers and sisters in Christ that truly love and care for each other.

Ask yourself… “How does this teaching from Paul apply to my life today?” and then take action to make any course corrections you need to live fully submitted to Christ.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, You and You alone are God. There are none like You! There are none who do the works You can do! Your ways are high above our ways, but You still take notice of us. You invite us into relationship with You. Help each of us, as Your followers and servants, to live according to the principles that Paul highlights in scripture. Help us to be bold and courageous. Help us to see beyond ourselves to Your mission. Help us to know Your specific direction for our lives. Help us admonish one another in love and teach the pure word of truth. Help us be on guard against those who will bring a false teaching to lead others astray for their own purposes. Thank You for the Holy Spirit so that we do not have to do this alone! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Traditions / Holidays

Our Agenda and Our Traditions Are Not Greater than Our God

We can look around and witness ministries of many sizes and shapes. Some are small and some are large. Some involve missionary work and others remain anchored in one place to feed God’s sheep. When we look closely enough, we can also see that some leaders in ministry serve God while some serve only themselves. We must take heed to remember that our ministry or our mission is not greater than our God. We must be careful to remain focused on God and continue our personal relationship with Him through any mission or ministry He calls us to.

Paul is hailed as one of the most successful missionaries in history. He traveled across many places and faced many hardships. His ministry was characterized by both persecution and also by miracles. In all of it, Paul did not lose focus on God. He avoided the trap of taking credit for the miracles and blaming God for the problems. Paul continued to focus on his personal relationship with God even when he was in the midst of a busy missionary journey with a fantastic purpose and experiencing much success.

Perhaps it seems a small example, but it seems significant to me that in all his planning for his missionary journey, Paul reserved time celebrate with God and fellow man. Two examples in Acts 20 include planning his trip so he was not traveling on the days of Unleavened Bread and also his desire to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem. These were important to him as was his practice of honoring the Sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown) and teaching on it consistently, even when he was working full time to make tents.

Acts 18:1-4

Paul at Corinth

      1After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. 2And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, 3and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. 4And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

Acts 20:1-16

Paul in Macedonia and Greece

      1After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. 2When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. 3And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas. 6We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days; and there we stayed seven days.

      7On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 8There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.

Troas to Miletus

      13But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending from there to take Paul on board; for so he had arranged it, intending himself to go by land. 14And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene. 15Sailing from there, we arrived the following day opposite Chios; and the next day we crossed over to Samos; and the day following we came to Miletus. 16For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

Whatever you are doing, whether ministry or employment, do not let it so consume you that you neglect your relationship with God and fellow believers. Observe the Sabbath that God made for men, celebrate the feast as God revealed in the Old Testament. Schedule time for your daily prayer and study first. It is easy to be consumed with things we believe are important and then find we have no time left for deep relationship with God… we must put our time with God first.

I would encourage each of you to research more about the feast days of God and about Sabbath as a start. I began to do so in the past years, and I have been amazed how the things I was taught in a Christian church just do not line up with the scripture. Many churches teach that God’s feasts and celebrations as well as His law and commandments are no longer meaningful for our lives today or have changed. As a simple example, we are often taught by men that God somehow directed us to move Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday, but this is nowhere in scripture. In fact, Paul continued to observe Sabbath on the seventh day throughout his life and ministry, after the death and resurrection of Jesus. So did the apostles. Sabbath was changed later, by man.

I have found much growth in my relationship with God when I started changing my life and priorities to line up with His word rather than just what I was taught. I have shifted my focus to put Him first in these and other tangible ways and then conduct my other business around this schedule. I try to test everything against the everlasting truth revealed in scripture rather than just accepting traditions of men.

Ask yourself… “Are my agenda and my traditions greater than my God? What or whom shall direct my path?”

Learn more about application of the Old Testament for our lives today by studying God’s word about the law and commandments. Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

Learn more about Celebrating God’s Holy Days (Moedim).

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your truth recorded and revealed in scripture. Help Your people to re-discover the truth and restore Your ways among those who call upon the name of Yeshua (or Jesus). Help us to embrace and gain understanding about Your law and Your holy days. Let us not lose track of our personal relationship with You due to being too busy. Haver mercy on us! Lead Your people to repentance, revival, and restoration! Amen. 

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Greed, Miracles, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News

Prepare for Adventure and Drama When You Truly Preach the Word to Lost

Most of us who submit our lives to Yeshua and, out of obedience, boldly proclaim the gospel to others do so with nothing whatsoever to gain personally. We are moved by obedience to Messiah and out of love for our fellow man to help them find freedom in Yeshua… freedom from sin and freedom from the penalty of death for their sin. It is helpful at times to remember that those who reject our Messiah have many different motives. Often times they are not even willing to open their eyes and consider the miracles around them which declare the truth and the glory of God.

As we read in Acts 19, we start with a documented list of powerful miracles taking place which glorify YHWH. The word of the LORD was prevailing and growing mightily. With that backdrop, we also come across a variety of responses. Some try to use the name of Yeshua without having the relationship with Him and they are overcome by a demon possessed man. They tried by their own power. Contrast that to verse 11 where we see emphasis that God was performing the miracles through the hands of Paul. It was not Paul. We also see those who would profit by making idols come full force against those bringing the truth of Yeshua as Messiah. They seem to completely overlook the miracles and focus solely on their own short term financial benefit. They miss the bigger picture. There are many like these still today. Many come against Messiah for selfish reasons or try to use His name for their own glory and honor.

Acts 19:11-41

Miracles at Ephesus

      11God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, “I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” 16And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. 18Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. 19And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

      21Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22And having sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

      23About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. 24For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; 25these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. 26“You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. 27“Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.”

      28When they heard this and were filled with rage, they began crying out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29The city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia. 30And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly, the disciples would not let him. 31Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. 32So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly. 34But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 35After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, “Men of Ephesus, what man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven? 36“So, since these are undeniable facts, you ought to keep calm and to do nothing rash. 37“For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38“So then, if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man, the courts are in session and proconsuls are available; let them bring charges against one another. 39“But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly. 40“For indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” 41After saying this he dismissed the assembly.

Consider for a moment the “extraordinary miracles” that were taking place in the name of Jesus Christ. They were public spectacles and not private events. Word of Jesus was spreading and people were believing. There were many who responded and believed. However, there were some who were motivated by greed and others who joined in without even understanding why they were rioting… they just allowed themselves to be caught up in the moment and come against the Christians for no particular reason other than seeing others act that way.

They made no rational appeal or argument against Jesus. They were only concerned to shout for their false beliefs and not listen to any other views… even in the face of “extraordinary miracles”! They were blind and could not see… or would not see.

We see these same responses from many today. When we proclaim the truth many will come against us… but many will accept Yeshua as Lord. We must take courage and proclaim Him boldly despite opposition. We must take what measured steps we can to protect ourselves while relying on God to help us, but we must never be silenced from sharing the truth of Messiah.

Reason does not always win out… and in this particular scripture there was a man who calmed the crowds. It does not always work out that way, but we must place our trust in God and go about His business anyway.  We can try to adjust our strategy to communicate the gospel and how we respond to people by understanding their motivations. It was probably wise for the believers to keep Paul from going to the riot. We do not know, but perhaps they would not have been so easily calmed if they had Paul in their midst.

Truly we can also be thankful to God when we live in a society in which there is some semblance of court system to sort out conflict in a way that avoids mob rule and riots. We should actively involve ourselves in government when we can in order to protect that protection where we have it or to fight to get those rights where we do not have them.

At all times, however, we should pray for God to help us in proclaiming the gospel and responding to both receptive and hostile audiences… whether we face crowds of 5000 or a single person. Do not expect people to act rationally and listen to reason and evidence of Yeshua as Messiah, even when presented with miracles. Many will hear and be moved to learn more, but also many will resist and fight to hold on to what they already believe, for a variety of reasons that can actually be quite narrow and selfish.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please protect and encourage those who share the truth about Your word. Thank You for miracles that You perform at times to help glorify Your name and spread the word. Please help prepare people to hear Your word and receive it. Amen. 

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Persecution / Glorifying God, Share the Good News, Unteachable / Foolish

Some Will Not Listen to Reason

Surely all of us have encountered resistance at one time or another from someone that just refused to use reason and logic in dealing with situations in life. Sometimes it can be about really trivial things and other times it is about matters literally of life and death. People get entrenched in a position and become unwilling to listen and consider logic and reason… even when you point out that they are contradicting themselves! They simply refuse to acknowledge that they are even possibly wrong. If they can’t win the discussion with facts, they just get belligerent or violent… resorting to emotional responses.  These behaviors we experience in the world around us are also revealed in scripture. We should not be surprised by them… though they can be very frustrating.

Acts 19:8-10

8And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

Ultimately, you cannot force someone to acknowledge reality through the lens of logic and reason. That said, we should not forgo teaching with logic and reason as foundational to our faith.

When we find ourselves facing emotional, irrational, perhaps violent opposition we must then decide how best to proceed in going about the Lord’s work. Sometimes the answer may be to stand our ground and hold firm to the truth and sometimes, as in Acts 19:8-10 above, it is best to take some reasonable steps to enable us to safely and effectively continue what we have been called to do. Paul chose to withdraw after many months from the synagogue, but he did not stop his mission. He taught elsewhere for two years and many across Asia heard the word of the Lord. Wonderful to note as well… Paul did not hold a grudge against all Jews, but rather he continued to share the gospel with Jew and Greek alike.

Are you facing opposition like this in your personal life? Prayerfully consider if you should take some reasonable steps to change the dynamic and neutralize the opposition you face. Then listen to God’s response no matter which way He answers… whether to remain “as-is” or to make some changes. Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?  

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please prepare people to hear and receive Your message as You also prepare others to share Your message. Grant Your people patience and courage to continue in the face of discouragement and opposition. Lead and guide us in wisdom regarding with whom and where to share Your word. May You be honored and glorified by all. amen. 

  Shalom. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Baptism, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Repenting from Sin

What a Difference the Holy Spirit Makes!

It is common for new believers in Christ to participate in baptism as an outward sign of an inward commitment of their lives to Christ. They symbolically die to self and rise up to a new life in Christ.

As we pursue such a dramatic commitment in our lives we are called to do more than just make a personal commitment to repentance but actually a spiritual commitment to follow and submit to Yeshua with all of our lives. This is a very difficult challenge to live out because of our sin nature. We need God’s help.

John the Baptist knew that only the power of Jesus Christ can bring baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:11

11“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

When we truly submit to Jesus as Lord and Savior, God comes to dwell inside of us to help us live for Him.

John 14:23

23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

Scripture gives us multiple examples of the power of the Spirit regarding baptism, but Acts 19 provides a good view of the difference between baptism in repentance of men and the baptism with the Spirit which is of Jesus.

Acts 19:1-7

Paul at Ephesus

      1It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7There were in all about twelve men.

The presence of the Spirit is real and it is powerful. In this scripture the impact was immediate and dramatic for the men involved.

This scripture should not be seen as diminishing the role of John the Baptist, but rather it should serve as an excellent reminder that Jesus alone is Lord. John the Baptist was a faithful servant of God. He himself recognized that the one we are to believe in is Jesus and not himself. We must be careful not to get hung up on the names and personalities of his servants whether they be preachers, teachers, evangelists, or prophets. No matter the circumstance or the accomplishment, we should look through them and recognize the power comes from Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As His followers we should invite God to come and dwell within us to lead and guide and help us to live more fully for Christ and to die to our own selfish, sinful nature.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your Spirit to dwell with us. Please help us to know You and be Spirit filled. Help us to be fully committed to You. Increase our understanding of the Spirit and of our call to walk with You. Help us to be a light to others. Though the Spirit may strike many as having strange effect on us, please help us to embrace Him in our lives. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, How do I get started?, Tongue / Gossip / Slander

The Tongue Can Bring Death or Life

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs has a way of concisely summing up great wisdom into ways that we can remember and apply more easily. We do well to periodically reflect on how we are using our tongue (or other communication) to bring life or death.

James commented quite a bit on this subject as well.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. James 1:19

 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. James 1:26

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. James 3:9
 

I encourage you to read all of James 3 as James expounds a great deal more on the power of the tongue in a very relevant way.  I could not say it any better than he does.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to control my tongue. I want to bring life rather than death with my words. Help me to edify You through my life and my speech. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Help / Serve Others, Humility, Share the Good News, Teachable, Wise

Work Together to Build Up the Body of Yeshua

God certainly wants to see His followers help one another in proclaiming the gospel. There are two aspects to helping one another…. looking to help those we can help and being humble enough to accept counsel and help from others.

Those who are wise accept rebuke and wise counsel and grow wiser.

Proverbs 9:9  9Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

Apollos was an eloquent man and well versed in the scriptures. He had fervent spirit and was out there proclaiming and teaching about Yeshua. He was none the less incomplete in his understanding of the gospel. Priscilla and Aquilla reached out to him to teach him and encourage him, refining his teaching while still building upon his enthusiasm and talents. They did not dismiss him or reject him because he did not have it all quite right. They went out of their way to help him grow.

Equally important is the fact that Apollos was humble enough to listen and admit he did not understand everything perfectly. He took the wise counsel and became even more effective servant for Christ. What a wonderful series of events to watch those who learned from Paul reach out to help others in effectively and accurately sharing the truth of Yeshua!

Acts 18:23-28

Third Missionary Journey

      23And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

      24Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

When we work together as a body of Christ to help one another in understanding and in the logistics of evangelism we are stronger than when we divide ourselves and attack one another… or even just choose not to help.

Has God put someone in your path that is reaching out to help you better understand the scriptures? Are you humble enough to listen and prayerfully consider if it is a helpful course correction you should follow?

Is God calling you to graciously help reach out to someone who may have great talents and enthusiasm, but may benefit from your counsel on the scriptures? Are you obeying and reaching out to that person?

Let us each consider how to help others and be humble enough to accept help from others. The body of Christ is truly strengthened when all parts are working together toward the same goal… that of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please guide and encourage Your people to help one another. Let us be patient with those who are not complete in their understanding. Encourage us to invest time and effort to help them. Also create in Your people a spirit of humility that is willing to learn what others have to teach. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Faithful, Obeying God, Promises, Protector / Deliverer, Share the Good News, Strong in Our Weakness, Visions

What He Says He Will Do…He Will Do

God makes a variety of promises to His people which are documented in scripture. Some are true for all followers, such as the promise of salvation through Christ (John 3:16-18), and some are specific promises to individuals for specific circumstances. One thing we can be sure of is that what God says He will do… He will do.

Acts 18:9-22

       9And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

      12But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, 13saying, “This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” 14But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; 15but if there are questions about words and names and your own law, look after it yourselves; I am unwilling to be a judge of these matters.” 16And he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17And they all took hold of Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was not concerned about any of these things.

      18Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. 19They came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he did not consent, 21but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus.

      22When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and went down to Antioch.

When God told Paul that He would protect him, He meant it. Paul did not even have need or opportunity to open his mouth to defend himself. God took care of it, as promised. Further, we see that Paul was in no hurry to leave after this display of open hostility, despite having been chased out of several other cities on the same missionary journey. This time he had God’s promise of protection and specific guidance to continue proclaiming the gospel here.

While this is just one specific example, it should encourage us to trust in God no matter our circumstances. This was no small matter to Paul, who had been chased out of several cities up to this point on this missionary journey. People wanted to hurt or kill him to silence the message of Christ.

Take some time to reflect on some of the promises that God has made to all of His people. Are you living like you trust Him to do as He says?

Now reflect on any promises you believe God has shown you specifically. Are you trying to bring these promises about by your own will and action in your timing, without waiting on God? Are you avoiding doing it all together because you know you cannot do it on your own? Both approaches are tempting at one time or another, but in truth we must walk in faith and do our part to obey what He tells us and then trust Him to do what He says He will to help us.  I sure appreciate that He will help us to do what He calls us to do and that I can trust Him to do so in His way and in His timing… even when it conflicts with my ways and my timing.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, we thank You for Your grace and protection. We ask You to protect and encourage Your people who face persecution. Grant them wisdom and discernment. Give them periods of rest and peace as You granted to Paul. Thank You that we can trust in Your word and Your assurances. What You say You will do, we know you will do. Please help us as Your people to experience joy and peace, even when facing strife. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.