Category Archives: All Powerful / King of All

All Powerful / King of All, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Protector / Deliverer, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Provoking God’s Anger: Insights from Jeremiah 25 for Believers Today

There are several themes in Jeremiah 25 that we do well to remember and apply in our lives today.

  • Our behaviors can provoke God to anger. He is not always happy with us just because we are His people.  He expects us to act like His children and live how He instructs.
  • The LORD is slow to anger. He sent multiple prophets and messengers to warn the people to repent. He gave them multiple chances.
  • God believes in reconciling and restoring relationship with us. Even though He brings Babylon against His people, He plans to bring His people back out of that defeat and into relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 25

Prophecy of the Captivity

      1The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), 2which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. 4“And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets again and again, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear, 5saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; 6and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm.’ 7“Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares the LORD, “in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

      8“Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. 10‘Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11‘This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Babylon Will Be Judged

      12‘Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,’ declares the LORD, ‘for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13‘I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. 14‘(For many nations and great kings will make slaves of them, even them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.)’”

      15For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, “Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it. 16“They will drink and stagger and go mad because of the sword that I will send among them.”

      17Then I took the cup from the LORD’S hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: 18Jerusalem and the cities of Judah and its kings and its princes, to make them a ruin, a horror, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day; 19Pharaoh king of Egypt, his servants, his princes and all his people; 20and all the foreign people, all the kings of the land of Uz, all the kings of the land of the Philistines (even Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod); 21Edom, Moab and the sons of Ammon; 22and all the kings of Tyre, all the kings of Sidon and the kings of the coastlands which are beyond the sea; 23and Dedan, Tema, Buz and all who cut the corners of their hair; 24and all the kings of Arabia and all the kings of the foreign people who dwell in the desert; 25and all the kings of Zimri, all the kings of Elam and all the kings of Media; 26and all the kings of the north, near and far, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the earth which are upon the face of the ground, and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

      27“You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Drink, be drunk, vomit, fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.”’ 28“And it will be, if they refuse to take the cup from your hand to drink, then you will say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “You shall surely drink! 29“For behold, I am beginning to work calamity in this city which is called by My name, and shall you be completely free from punishment? You will not be free from punishment; for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth,” declares the LORD of hosts.’

      30“Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them,
‘The LORD will roar from on high
And utter His voice from His holy habitation;
He will roar mightily against His fold.
He will shout like those who tread the grapes,
Against all the inhabitants of the earth.

      31‘A clamor has come to the end of the earth,
Because the LORD has a controversy with the nations.
He is entering into judgment with all flesh;
As for the wicked, He has given them to the sword,’ declares the LORD.”

      32Thus says the LORD of hosts,
“Behold, evil is going forth
From nation to nation,
And a great storm is being stirred up
From the remotest parts of the earth.

      33“Those slain by the LORD on that day will be from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be lamented, gathered or buried; they will be like dung on the face of the ground.

      34“Wail, you shepherds, and cry;
And wallow in ashes, you masters of the flock;
For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions have come,
And you will fall like a choice vessel.

      35“Flight will perish from the shepherds,
And escape from the masters of the flock.

      36“Hear the sound of the cry of the shepherds,
And the wailing of the masters of the flock!
For the LORD is destroying their pasture,

      37“And the peaceful folds are made silent
Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

      38“He has left His hiding place like the lion;
For their land has become a horror
Because of the fierceness of the oppressing sword
And because of His fierce anger.”

Take a few moments and pray right now. Thank God that He is patient and slow to anger. Thank Him that even when we may bring up His anger, He is already thinking of how we may be reconciled back to Him. His goal is for us to have an abundant and joyful relationship with Him. Ask Him to show you any areas in your life where you need to make changes to live more according to His ways and turn away from the ways of men that may be making Him angry.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Miracles, Peace / Rest, Worry/Anxiety

Cast Your Anxiety Upon the LORD and Enter Into His Peace

Yeshua consistently amazed the crowds and His disciples with wisdom and with miracles. The miracles helped to show His power and authority from Yahweh and to help focus people as to why they should pay attention to Him vs. other teachers. We too should pay attention to His wisdom and power and let it serve as a constant reminder that we can trust Him and should indeed model our lives after His life and His teaching.

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus Stills the Sea

      35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

A few things to consider. First, though perhaps not the most important, Jesus did not simply stay in one place to teach the people just because He drew a crowd. He knew His mission was to move and teach in many different places to have the most impact. We should take note in our own lives to not just go or stay somewhere because we draw a crowd. Let us instead seek to understand God’s will for our lives and be willing to pick up and move on when He calls us to do so.

Building on that theme, consider that Jesus knew He was leading the disciples into a storm. Sometimes God will lead us out of a comfortable place and into a challenging one in order to help us grow and develop in our faith.

We will all face difficult times, even when we are with Jesus. Our lives will be challenging for sure and sometimes even those of us who love Yeshua and try to follow Him will be distracted by our circumstances, as the disciples became afraid because of the storm.

We can take heart and be encouraged by looking to Yeshua, remembering the power of Yahweh and putting our faith in Him. When things seem difficult, let us always try to remember that Yahweh is in control and we can trust Him. It is often in the midst of the storms that we realize we need Him most and  draw near to Him.

What storms are you facing in your life? Do you believe Yahweh is in control and can handle the situation… really believe it? That does not mean that you do not prayerfully take actions to help your situation, but it certainly reminds us to pray and look to Him for help and should help us to not worry and be anxious or fearful.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me not to be anxious and worry, even in difficult situations. Please help me to grow in my faith and trust for You, even when it may appear that You are “sleeping in the back of the boat”. Thank You and may all the praise and honor and glory be for Your name’s sake as I am able to demonstrate the desired behavior, which will garner attention from others as they wonder how I stay calm in the storm. Amen

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

All Powerful / King of All, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

Your Righteousness Is Like The Mountains

What a stark contrast we can see when we rightly discern the ways of man from the ways of God. Those who reject God have no fear of Him… they act with wickedness and deceit. They have ceased to be wise and to do good. God, however, demonstrates amazing lovingkindness and faithfulness! He cares for those who know Him and seek shelter in Him.

Personally, I am grateful that God has revealed Himself to me and that I may know His lovingkindness personally and that my family experiences it as well. There is nothing better in all the earth than to belong to Him. As we read Psalm 36 today, reflect on the ways of man and the ways of God. Praise God and thank Him for revealing Himself to you so that you are no longer living the ways of man.

Psalm 36

      1Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart;
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

      2For it flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it.

      3The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

      4He plans wickedness upon his bed;
He sets himself on a path that is not good;
He does not despise evil.

      5Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

      6Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Your judgments are like a great deep.
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.

      7How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

      8They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house;
And You give them to drink of the river of Your delights.

      9For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.

      10O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

      11Let not the foot of pride come upon me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

      12There the doers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

If you do not yet know God personally, there is time available as long as you still live. If you are still living the ways of men, acknowledging God with your lips but not your life… He has graciously given you more time. Seize the moment. Come before Him humbly, admitting that you are a sinner, one who does wrong. Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sin and ask forgiveness. Commit to change your ways to follow after God and to submit your life to Jesus Christ. Then reach out to someone who is already committed to Christ and let them know you have made this commitment. This is not the end of your journey, but rather just the beginning. It will be hard at times and you will need help from God and often from man as well. But none who complete the journey for Christ ever have reason to regret their choice. Eternity with Christ in heaven rather than eternity of suffering without Him in hell.

Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

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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.

All Powerful / King of All, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms

When You Feel Overwhelmed, Turn to God

Have you ever felt overwhelmed because of a difficult situation you face? Has there been a time when you felt that there was no way you can resolve the situation by yourself? I sure have. I believe most of us have felt that way at one time or another. To whom shall we go for help when we feel like the situation is bigger than we can handle on our own? Turn to God. He is at the same time our loving Father and our all-powerful Creator.  He wants to help and He wants us to ask Him for help.

Psalm 35

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

     1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.

      2Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up for my help.

      3Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

      4Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

      5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the LORD driving them on.

      6Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

      7For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

      8Let destruction come upon him unawares,
And let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

      9And my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall exult in His salvation.

      10All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

      11Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.

      12They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.

      13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

      14I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

      15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.

      16Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

      17Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.

      18I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty throng.

      19Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.

      20For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

      21They opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

      22You have seen it, O LORD, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.

      23Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

      24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me.

      25Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

      26Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

      27Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, “The LORD be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

      28And my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

I am always inspired by David in that he praises God even while he is still in the middle of difficult circumstances… still facing what seems like an overwhelming number of enemies.

What situations are you facing that you feel are too much for you to solve on your own? Have you asked God for His help yet? He wants to hear from His children and He wants to help. Bring your concerns no matter how big before God and ask Him to help you.

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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.

All Powerful / King of All, Compassionate, Discipline / Guidance From God, Faithful, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment

God’s Faithfulness in Discipline and Restoration: Insights from Jeremiah 16

Even as the LORD plans distress on His people to discipline them and turn them back to Him, He also looks ahead to restoration. I appreciate the insight in Jeremiah 16 as we see this principle laid out for us. The people are disciplined, according to verse 12, because each one is “walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me.”

Yes even as God disciplines them, he already plans a path to restoration.

Jeremiah 16

Distresses Foretold

      1The word of the LORD also came to me saying, 2“You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.” 3For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bear them, and their fathers who beget them in this land: 4“They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be lamented or buried; they will be as dung on the surface of the ground and come to an end by sword and famine, and their carcasses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the beasts of the earth.”

      5For thus says the LORD, “Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to lament or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people,” declares the LORD, “My lovingkindness and compassion. 6“Both great men and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, they will not be lamented, nor will anyone gash himself or shave his head for them. 7“Men will not break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone’s father or mother. 8“Moreover you shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink.” 9For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.

      10“Now when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘For what reason has the LORD declared all this great calamity against us? And what is our iniquity, or what is our sin which we have committed against the LORD our God?’ 11“Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law. 12‘You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. 13‘So I will hurl you out of this land into the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will grant you no favor.’

God Will Restore Them

      14“Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.

      16“Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the LORD, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. 17“For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. 18“I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations.”

      19O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,
And my refuge in the day of distress,
To You the nations will come
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood,
Futility and things of no profit.”

      20Can man make gods for himself?
Yet they are not gods!

      21“Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—
This time I will make them know
My power and My might;
And they shall know that My name is the LORD.”

Even when God may have you in a difficult time or situation, remember that He already knows how He plans to get you through it and out of it. He is not “winging it” or waiting to figure it out. He already knows how He will do it. Draw near to Him. Trust in Him.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Rediscovering the Path: Seeking God Amidst a Rebellious Generation

We can feel the anger of the LORD as we read in Jeremiah 15. He has been seeking His people to repent and has continued to hold back punishment and correction. He will do so no longer. He is ready to unleash what is due because of their insistence on rebelling against Him and not repenting and returning to Him.

As we read through the whole chapter, we can clearly see His desire is not to hurt Israel, but to turn them back to Him. However, the people have to make a choice to seek Him.

We should consider this principle for our lives today as well. Truly seek God with our lives and turn away from things that are bad, even if “everyone else” in the church is doing it.

Jeremiah 15

Judgment Must Come

      1Then the LORD said to me, “Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go!

2“And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD:
“Those destined for death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

3“I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the LORD: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4“I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

      5“Indeed, who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem,
Or who will mourn for you,
Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?

      6“You who have forsaken Me,” declares the LORD,
“You keep going backward.
So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
I am tired of relenting!

      7“I will winnow them with a winnowing fork
At the gates of the land;
I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people;
They did not repent of their ways.

      8“Their widows will be more numerous before Me
Than the sand of the seas;
I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man,
A destroyer at noonday;
I will suddenly bring down on her
Anguish and dismay.

      9“She who bore seven sons pines away;
Her breathing is labored.
Her sun has set while it was yet day;
She has been shamed and humiliated.
So I will give over their survivors to the sword
Before their enemies,” declares the LORD.

      10Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me
As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land!
I have not lent, nor have men lent money to me,
Yet everyone curses me.

      11The LORD said, “Surely I will set you free for purposes of good;
Surely I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you
In a time of disaster and a time of distress.

      12“Can anyone smash iron,
Iron from the north, or bronze?

      13“Your wealth and your treasures
I will give for booty without cost,
Even for all your sins
And within all your borders.

      14“Then I will cause your enemies to bring it
Into a land you do not know;
For a fire has been kindled in My anger,
It will burn upon you.”

Jeremiah’s Prayer and God’s Answer

15You who know, O LORD,
Remember me, take notice of me,
And take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;
Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.

      16Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O LORD God of hosts.

      17I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers,
Nor did I exult.
Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone,
For You filled me with indignation.

      18Why has my pain been perpetual
And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?

      19Therefore, thus says the LORD,
“If you return, then I will restore you—
Before Me you will stand;
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.

      20“Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you,” declares the LORD.

      21“So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”

Take time to pray and ask God to show you areas where you need to change to be more pleasing to Him. Be willing to change, even when it feels hard because you are choosing to live differently than your extended family, friends, or those around you in church.  Thank Him for His patience in giving you time to change and His help in giving you discernment and courage.  Make the choice to follow Him.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Guide, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

There Is None Like Our God; Trust in Him Alone

Do not let anything take the place of God in your life. We are to place our trust in Him and seek direction for our steps. Even with good things like family, jobs, and money, we should take care so as not to place our trust in them instead of God.

Jeremiah 10

A Satire on Idolatry

      1Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2Thus says the LORD,
“Do not learn the way of the nations,
And do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens
Although the nations are terrified by them;

      3For the customs of the peoples are delusion;
Because it is wood cut from the forest,
The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.

      4“They decorate it with silver and with gold;
They fasten it with nails and with hammers
So that it will not totter.

      5“Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they,
And they cannot speak;
They must be carried,
Because they cannot walk!
Do not fear them,
For they can do no harm,
Nor can they do any good.”

      6There is none like You, O LORD;
You are great, and great is Your name in might.

      7Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
Indeed it is Your due!
For among all the wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.

      8But they are altogether stupid and foolish
In their discipline of delusion—their idol is wood!

      9Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
And gold from Uphaz,
The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith;
Violet and purple are their clothing;
They are all the work of skilled men.

      10But the LORD is the true God;
He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth quakes,
And the nations cannot endure His indignation.

      11Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.”

      12It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom;
And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens.

      13When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain,
And brings out the wind from His storehouses.

      14Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge;
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols;
For his molten images are deceitful,
And there is no breath in them.

      15They are worthless, a work of mockery;
In the time of their punishment they will perish.

      16The portion of Jacob is not like these;
For the Maker of all is He,
And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance;
The LORD of hosts is His name.

      17Pick up your bundle from the ground,
You who dwell under siege!

18For thus says the LORD,
“Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land
At this time,
And will cause them distress,
That they may be found.”

      19Woe is me, because of my injury!
My wound is incurable.
But I said, “Truly this is a sickness,
And I must bear it.”

      20My tent is destroyed,
And all my ropes are broken;
My sons have gone from me and are no more.
There is no one to stretch out my tent again
Or to set up my curtains.

      21For the shepherds have become stupid
And have not sought the LORD;
Therefore they have not prospered,
And all their flock is scattered.

      22The sound of a report! Behold, it comes—
A great commotion out of the land of the north—
To make the cities of Judah
A desolation, a haunt of jackals.

      23I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself,
Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.

      24Correct me, O LORD, but with justice;
Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.

      25Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You
And on the families that do not call Your name;
For they have devoured Jacob;
They have devoured him and consumed him
And have laid waste his habitation.

Carefully consider in what you are placing your trust. Seek correction where you need it. Ask for him to correct without anger as in verse 24.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Arrogance, Humility, Strong in Our Weakness

God’s Grace and Power Are Sufficient

We all experience success and challenges in life. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Are we to rely on our own strength? Not at all. In fact, Paul calls us to boast in our weakness and to be content with weaknesses, insults, and distresses… with persecutions and difficulties… all for the sake of Jesus Christ. When we are weak, then we are strong.  Truly God’s ways are not our ways.

We may always come before our Father and ask for our weakness to be removed, as Paul did. However, sometimes the answer will be “no”. We are to remember that God works through our weakness in His strength. In fact, our weakness makes His strength all the more “real” when He works through us. We know it is not ourselves that have done something good, but Him working through us.

2 Corinthians 12:7-21

A Thorn in the Flesh

     7Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

      11I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for in no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. 12The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. 13For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

      14Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I took you in by deceit. 17Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?

      19All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; 21I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

Are you content in your weakness? There is a difference between being content and complacent. You can try to overcome your weaknesses through prayer and study of the word and trying to change your life to be more in accord with the scriptures. However, the point is that ultimately we will all have weaknesses and often it is that which makes God’s work through us all the more powerful to others and to ourselves.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Visions

Boast Not in Our Own Strength But in Our Weakness

What a confusing concept… do not boast of your own strength, but rather boast of your weakness. This is clearly God’s way and not mans’ way. Paul has reason to boast in himself if he would find it profitable, but he does not. When we boast in our strength, we put the focus on us and our accomplishments rather than God. Better we should boast in our weakness, thus focusing the spotlight on the power and glory of our Father in heaven who may accomplish mighty things through us. His strength is demonstrated best in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:1-6

Paul’s Vision

     1Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

Be humble. Always point to the Spirit, Christ, and the Father rather than yourself. Boast in their power and glory. Praise them rather than yourself… no matter what our Creator has done through you or revealed to you.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

The Earth Is the Lord’s, and All It Contains

The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it. Psalm 24 reminds us that all things and all people belong to God. He created all things and is the master of all things.

Psalm 24

A Psalm of David.

1The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.

2For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.

3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place?

4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.

5He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob.

7Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!

8Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.

9Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!

10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.

Creation itself declares His glory.

Psalm 19:1 1The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

God reminds us that everything belongs to Him, including us and all we own! The way we spend our time and money, the way we treat people, our own motives and attitudes should all reflect God’s instruction revealed in the Bible and through the example of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Discussing a tithe can be a meaningful discussion, but God owns it all, not just a part. God holds us accountable for how we use all of our time, talent, and money, as demonstrated in the parable of the talents.

Matthew 25:14-30 

      14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

      19“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

      24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

      26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

      29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I encourage all of you who wish to honor God with your lives to do a simple exercise over the next week or weeks. Start today. Keep track of how you spend your time. For example… sleeping, eating, playing, shopping, watching sports, studying the Bible, praying. Compare how much time you spend doing each type of activity. Using this data, review where you spend your time. How much time do you invest in your relationship with God? Is it really a priority? or an afterthought you squeeze in when you have time. How does that make you feel? What changes should you make?

Try the same exercise in reviewing your monthly expenses. Where do you spend your money? Are you stewarding it for God? This does not mean just writing a check to a church. Often we can be better stewards than many churches if we work at it. Make sure you know how your money is being spent when you give it to someone, even in churches and ministries. Is it lost in administration cost? or actually following the commands of God? To be good stewards, we must take time to evaluate how we give as well as how we spend for ourselves. I like to put money aside every paycheck to do the Lord’s work specifically. Then when I see the chance to help others in need, I can do so easily and joyfully in Jesus’ name. I also give to support churches and ministries, but only after I fully evaluate each one.

What talents has God given you? List them out. Are you using them for God? If not, write down three ways you could do so. Which one will you pursue first?

I like to repeat this evaluation periodically, maybe once every three months at first and once a year later on after you have been doing it awhile.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. 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.